#hon it's no later than mine :D

[dhampiravidi]

in--somnium​:

It didn’t take much for Reid to take off, and Cassia couldn’t help but give a soft laugh at his enthusiasm. He must have been having a pretty great night, all things considered: a fun Halloween out with his friends, tons of candy, and a date lined up for tomorrow. She hoped that that date went really well for him. Reid could be a bit much, but he was sweet, playfully, totally deserving of a girlfriend who could keep up with him instead of making him feel like he had to bring his personality down a notch.

Tyler and Aaron followed a short distance behind him, and Cassia watched the ease with which their hands found each others. She wondered how long they’d been dating. They’d clearly been flirting for as long as she’d known them. She might not be able to pick up on the cues when they were directed at herself, but when it was between others, she thought she was pretty good at spotting that bit of romantic attraction (which was probably why she felt nearly certain that her boyfriend was harboring feelings for his best friend- but that was a conversation for another time). Aaron’s question was met with a soft sigh from Tyler, the look on his face showing that he felt a bit embarrassed. “Uh… not yet,” He answered honestly. “I was gonna wait until I had a second alone with him,” So that if Caleb got upset about it there wouldn’t be a scene. And, more importantly, so that his friend wouldn’t feel like he was obligated to say yes just because he didn’t want the girls getting upset with him. “I kind of… asked Cass to casually bring it up with him, though. I thought it would give him time to think about it before I actually asked,” He paused for a second, glanced over his shoulder at the other two couples, eyes finding Cass’s. She gave him a smile, one he returned before looking back at his boyfriend. He was hoping she’d mentioned it to Caleb already, or, at least, that she was planning to do so soon. That smile had been encouraging, though. “I’ll ask him later, maybe before the corn maze.” Which was usually their last stop for the night and, hopefully, that meant Caleb would have had plenty of time to keep an eye on Aaron and consider giving him a chance.

Pogue wasn’t necessarily excited about the haunted house- it was fun, sure, but he’d done it every year (even participated once in high school). It wasn’t his favorite part of the night just… another stop along the way. But he’d kind of looked forward to having an arm around Jayn while they walked through it, feeling her press up against him when she got spooked, letting her hide against his shoulder. All that cute stuff. So he was slightly disappointed when she decided not to come along. “Ya sure?” He asked, stopping with her for a second. He absolutely wasn’t going to pressure her into going inside. He knew that this wasn’t really something she’d been looking forward to and he could understand why she’d be concerned about it. But the least he could do was wait outside with her. Maybe they could even find something else to do for a few minutes? Or just find a dark little corner somewhere and steal kisses until the others emerged. But he also didn’t want to insist that they spent every second of the night together if she was just looking for a moment apart from the group to call her parents. The haunted house didn’t usually take very long. 5 minutes, give or take, even counting the short wait to get in. Should he go like she’d insisted? Or should he push to stick here with her? He felt like he was taking a test he hadn’t studied for. It didn’t help that Kate had had a tendency to not always say what she meant. If she’d told him to go without her and he had, she would have been mad that he hadn’t ditched his friends for her. While he knew Jane certainly wasn’t Kate, that immediate kind of reaction was still embedded in him from his past relationship (and maybe a little from the way his parents treated him, too). “I can stay back with you, if you want. I don’t mind. It’s kinda the same every year,” That wasn’t really entirely true- they tried to switch it up and they were usually pretty good at it, too. But he wouldn’t mind missing it to spend time with her alone, instead. But if she insisted, again, that he go with the others, he’d give her her few minutes to herself (and hope like hell he made the right choice).

At the back of the pack followed Caleb and Cassia. Cass was keeping an eye on everyone, even if it wasn’t entirely intentional. Reid way up ahead, already getting in line. Ty bringing Aaron’s hand to his lips for a kiss as they walked with their fingers laced. Pogue and Jayn pausing (an action that made her hold her breath for a second, concerned that they might be getting into a fight or something before Jayn kissed Pogue and Cass felt she could relax again). Apparently, Jayn had chosen to sit this one out. She couldn’t blame the younger girl- haunted houses could be kinda scary and she was sure a place like Ipswich took it pretty seriously. Then her eyes drifted from her friends to the other people walking around. A man on stilts in a strange, monstrous, costume passed by a fair distance to the left, catching her eyes, her lips parted in a soft, nearly silent “wow”. Then a pretty blonde girl in a purple witch costume caught her eyes- thick legs, ample chest, glitter accents on her face, more in her hair.

But even with so many other people running around, catching her attention with their costumes, it was Caleb who held it. Tall. Handsome. Sweet. If it wouldn’t mess up their makeup, she would have stolen a dozen kisses from him already tonight. His question was met with a smirk, and Cass gently nudged him back. “Much better than you’d expect,” By which she meant she was very good with scary movies. They weren’t necessarily her preference, but she liked a good scare. “So, ya know, don’t worry if you get scared. I’ll protect you,” She joked, that smirk turning into a playful grin. Of course, it’s not like there was actually anything to be protected against in a place like this- it was just people in costumes, playing roles, trying to get a scream out of you. But in the off chance that anything ever did happen? Well, she knew Caleb was the kinda guy who’d rush to protect her… but she was far more capable of protecting herself than he knew. It was a far off thing to worry about but… she was kind of dreading the fact that she might someday have to tell him about her magic. Her parents had really lucked out in finding each other, she thought, because when the topic came up well, they were both magic wielders of a sort and it must have been sooooo much easier to talk about knowing that they were in similar positions.

Cass furrowed her brows in curiosity when Reid circled around behind herself and Caleb, but she didn’t question it. She figured he must have had a reason- maybe it was to try to prank Caleb when they got inside? Or maybe it was just his way of herding the group together? Then she heard the crinkle of a candy wrapper and she understood what was happening. She glanced over her shoulder at him, quirked an eyebrow in amusement. Then she pressed a finger to her lips and winked at him to let him know she had no intention of tattling on him- it was their secret. Of course, being sick in the morning from a candy coma wouldn’t be ideal considering he had a date… but if he wanted to sneak a few pieces of candy while they were in line? Well, that would be fine, right?

Aaron wasn’t too put off by the fact that Tyler hadn’t asked Caleb about the two of them staying the night as a couple. If anything, he thought it was smart of his boyfriend to have Cassia start the conversation. He had a feeling that Cassia (and Jayn plus a very surprisingly accepting Reid) was pretty much the reason for Caleb letting him join the group for trick o’ treating in the first place. Aaron mirrored the friendly smile that Tyler gave her when she turned around. DND sessions would definitely be a little more interesting, now that their whole gaming club would know about the couple in their midst. 

“Thanks,” Aaron told Tyler, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, “And thanks for introducing me to your friends. It means a lot.” Tyler was the first guy he’d dated. Aaron was just happy that things were going as well as they had so far. Maybe he’d sneak Ty a couple of grateful kisses in the corn maze since it would be easy for them to find a lone corner in the jungle of stalks and scarecrows. At least he could get a little cuddly with him then if it turned out that Caleb didn’t want Aaron coming home with all of them.

Jayn studied Pogue’s face for a few seconds. She was very new to the whole relationship thing, and she’d heard a lot about how her boyfriend’s last relationship had suffered from miscommunication. She wanted to say the right thing, but she also wanted to make sure that her desires and his were always both respected. When he asked, “You sure?”, that could be him implicitly asking her to come inside the haunted house with him, because he’d do his best to make her feel comfortable. He was sweet, so that made sense. Then again, he could be telling her that he was fine with whatever she decided--after all, they’d talked about how she felt concerning scary things earlier. Jayn didn’t feel like overthinking it any more than she already had, so she gave him a choice.

“You can go inside with the others. But if you stay with me...you could say hi to my parents if you want. It’s only a couple minutes.” She was trying to imply that her parents couldn’t possibly interrogate Pogue in the space of five minutes (especially since they knew she wanted to enjoy her favorite holiday with her new friends). Jayn had already told both of her folks that she was dating a gorgeous, kind, funny, adorable, tall guy who happened to be a witch. They hadn’t asked to meet him yet, but they hadn’t not asked to meet him, either. If anything, they asked about Pogue whenever they talked to her on the phone. “My dad likes that you’re a mechanic and that you’re great at physics. He’s a science guy...dunno if I told you that before.” Okay, maybe she did want him to stay and talk to her parents. She shuffled her weight from one foot to the other, waiting for Pogue to choose what he wanted to do. She wasn’t pressuring him into anything. Was she?

Every time Caleb looked at Cassia, he fell a little bit more in love with her, as cliche as it sounded. She was so transfixed and amazed by everything Ipswich’s Halloween had to offer that there was this glint in her eyes: lighthearted joy mixed with some kind of mischievous delight. It was no wonder that everyone liked her the moment they met her. And she loved everyone in their small squad, looking to make sure each person was enjoying themselves. The moment she turned her attention to him, a giant smile found itself on his face. Her smirk took him back to when they’d been alone on his couch, her pressing her soft lips to his bicep. Caleb was typically someone who took things slow and then reserved the PDA for more private moments, but when she looked at him like that...he thought of becoming a different kind of person. Cassia made him crazy.

He laughed out loud when she said she’d protect him if he got scared. It actually had nothing to do with the fact that he was a witch with a whole foot of height on her, and everything to do with him not anticipating that response for some reason. 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied, winking at her. She was sweet, and yet he wouldn’t put it past her to stick up for him if something went down. Cassia wasn’t some damsel in distress, who expected to be comforted and cared for at every turn. Maybe that was another reason why he liked her. 

She turned around and, on instinct, he followed her gaze to catch Reid inhaling a lollipop. Caleb merely sighed. Back in the day, he had tried to monitor his friend’s Halloween candy intake, since Reid was no stranger to the November 1st stomachache. But they were all in college now. As much as he had the usual urge to parent his friends, Caleb held back. 

“Would you be free to go out next weekend?” he asked Cass. He was already expecting her to say no since he vaguely remembered Pogue mentioning dreading some History project that he and Cassia would soon be assigned. Caleb just didn’t want her to think that he was stalling because he hadn’t been trying to commit for a while. Obviously, they both had feelings for each other, but they still hadn’t been on an actual date. 

Reid was busy crunching on his pineapple treat, so lost in the excitement of the night that he didn’t even notice a familiar malevolent face watching him from far away. 

“Hey, move up!” he mumbled to Cassia and Caleb through a mouthful of candy shards, noticing that the line had started to inch forward.

[artzychic27]

Headcanon’s about DC Kids AU: Aurore’s hero name would be Whirlpool. Cosette’s would be Buzz Kill. Zoe’s realtionship with her blood siblings in a nutshell: “If I have a Penny for each half sibling that is only a few months older than me and is a jerk, I would have 2 Pennies. It’s not much, but weird that happened twice”. Mireille screamed at Volpina during a battle to make her illusions disappear.

Okay, let's do this!

Zoé: 'Sup, dick?

Dick: I can hear you using lowercase 'D,' you basic-ass blonde.

Zoé: Jealous I got a hot girlfriend and Starfire met someone else? Yeah, fuck you, dick.

-

Jean: Okay, okay! If you guys had to choose your superhero names... What would they be?!

Simon: Kid Quick.

Denise: Really?

Simon: Kid Flash is taken.

Ismael: Krypto-Kid.

Aurore: Okay, not bad. Simon, take notes. I'd go by Whirlpool.

Cosette: Can't decide between AC/DC, Buzz Kill, or Voltage. There's just too many electricity puns!

Zoé: I am the night. I am the vengeance. I am... Still thinking of something other than Robin.

-

Mireille: Hey, Volpina!

Volpina Illusions: What?!

Mireille: *Screams, causing the illusions to disappear when they're hit by the strong soundwaves, revealing the real Volpina who's going to have tinnitus for real*

-

*Still coming up with names*

Simon: Uh... Lightning Run?

Cosette: The electricity-based stuff is mine.

Simon: Ugh! This is hard! Marc, you go!

Marc: Would my Tamaranean-translated name suffice?

Aurore: Depends. What is it?

Marc: Myzan'r.

Jean: I like it!

Simon: Aw, come on!

-

Simon: Anyone want Japanese food for lunch?

Ismael: Sure.

Denise: I could eat.

Mireille: Pick me up some onigiri.

Simon: Be right back. *Dashes off, then returns seconds later with five bags in his hands* Guess who had time to grab mochi!

-

Kiran: Marc! Do the thing! Do the thing!

Marc: Okay, come here!

Nathaniel: What thing?

Marc: *Holding Kiran* Ready... Set... *Throws Kiran high into the air*

Nathaniel: ...

Marc: ... *Catches Kiran back in his arms* Nathaniel, would you like to try?

Nathaniel: *Backs away* No.

Ismael, Denise, and Marc can deadlift the Eiffel Tower like it's nothing

While on the phone, Aurore walked into the pool without a second thought and resumed her conversation for about ten minutes. It baffled Kim and Ondine for weeks

Lacey LOVES getting head pats. It's even better when she turns into a cat

Sometimes Jean talks in reverse without even thinking, and inadvertently casts a few spells

Whenever sunspots occur, Cosette's powers go haywire and create an electrical aura around her. It's best to keep your distance for a few hours... Or days

Denise doesn't even need the Lasso of Truth. Just one glare from them can have any pour soul spilling their guts

So she’s not blowing everyone’s eardrums out by stress-screaming, Mireille took up boxing to get her anger out

Tamaranean puberty can start at any age. For Marc, it started when he was fifteen, and he spent the week covering his face with his hood

Aurore: Marc, I'm sure it's not that bad.

Marc: *Crying* Yes, it is! I look like a raw glorkaroach!

Denise: Hon, you're probably blowing this all out of proportion. Now, let's see that darling face, and- *Marc pulls down his hood* Oh! Oh, Athena! That is not right!... *Pulls Marc's hood back up and pats his head* Yeah, just... Keep that on.

Marc: *Cries again*

Their outfits have some elements of their hero parents

Aurore’s skirts and tops have gold fish scales, and she has trident earrings

Mireille manages to make leather and sweaters work with each other. She also has a lot of fishnets

It’s not rare to see stars embroidered on Denise’s skirts

Marc often wears purple and jewelry made from metals found on Tamaran

Simon wears more warm colors and a few of his shirts have The Flash’s logo embroidered on it

Cosette’s color schemes usually consist of blue, yellow, white, and black

Zoé’s got a lot of black with some hints of yellow. There’s no way in hell she’s going out in Robin colors again

Ismael’s cardigan is a brighter shade of blue with red cuffs

A lot of Reshma’s clothes have vine patterns on the sleeves and hems

Lacey wears Beast Boy’s signature shade of purple with some hints of black

Jean dresses all fancy with bow ties, crop jackets, and tiny top hats on a headband

Now as for Jean and Austin’s relationship- Jean often makes Austin’s favorite flowers appear in his locker

Oh, and Austin knows that he and his friends are related to DC heroes. His dad actually came across Zoé’s dad a few times in Gotham before he was put away

They don’t care much for the Marvel heroes

Simon: Darkseid. The most dangerous villain in the universe. Powerful enough to defeat any hero he faces.

Ismael: Even Superman?

Simon: Yes.

Zoé: Batman?

Simon: Yes.

Reshma: Spider-Man?

Simon: Well, Spider-Man wouldn't fight Darkseid.

Marc: Is it because he is too lazy?

Ismael: What a bum!

Lacey: You know, this really lowers my opinion of Spider-Man.

Whenever they go into battle, there’s always this weird sequence with a 40s-era sounding announcer

Assembled in the tenth grade class of Francoise DuPont in Paris are the world's greatest young heroes. Simon! The fastest demiboy on Earth, but needs to improve his endurance. Zoé! He REALLY hates his brothers! Denise! They’ve got bracelets, and a rope! Cosette! A human taser with outdated slang! Lacey! The animal shapeshifter who sometimes eats meat! Jean! A spectacular magician who can talk in reverse and confuse people! Ismael! He successfully managed Superman’s signature curl! Marc! This alien prince is already spoken for, boys! Mireille! She can and will destroy your eardrums! And Aurore! She hates dolphins and finds them to be jerks! Evil-doers beware! These kids are doing things! Everywhere! With their underwear on the outside!

*The DC Kids look around for the source of the voice*

Aurore: Where is that coming from?!

Simon: *Searching through his bag* I-is there like a tape recorder somewhere?

Marc: *Blasts a hole through the wall* Still can’t find it!

[mega-aulover]

A Family in Red

for @shewakesupwiththesun based upon her idea of Katniss knitting Peeta and the kids a red scarf.

Rated G fluffy un beta' d

Katniss was tired of Peeta's orange scarf. He wore it year after year. It was his favorite scarf (she'd knitted it for him). She wanted to knit a new one. A red-orange color, that was more red than orange but that would look amazing on his rosy cheeks.

Knitting was a way for her to relax and to rest. It was a creative conduit for her to express her artwork. She put the finishing touches on the smallest of her creations. She took the brown recycled wrapping paper and began to wrap them up. She took markers and ribbons and made the packages festive.

Tomorrow was Christmas and she couldn't wait until Peeta came downstairs with the kids to open up presents.

Sighing she took the brightly colored gifts and stuffed them into his stocking. Katniss also made smaller sets and put them in his stocking. Her hands trembled slightly at the small gift that she was sure was going to cause Peeta to whoop. Her hand strayed to her stomach, she still wasn't showing yet. She stuffed the other two stockings with identical scarfs, hats, and mittens.

Then she stuffed them with spiced oranges, dried pineapples, a small toys Haymitch whittled for them out of wood. Finally, Katniss put homemade caramels, mint candies, and rock candies in each of their stockings. Next year there would be six stockings.

The checkup had come as a surprise she hadn't suspected she could be pregnant, she'd been extra tired lately thinking because of the holidays. The results however sent her for a loop.

Twins.

Humming to herself she was going to head upstairs when she heard his uneven gate as he came down the stairs. "Hon, you coming?"

"Yes," Katniss said, meeting him on the landing. She stood on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck.

Peeta easily carried her and she laughed. He was still strong, and even though she knew he could lift hundred-pound bags over his head she was still surprised he could carry her.

"Playing Santa again?" He murmured against her cheek when they were settled in the bed.

"Hmmm," she muttered as sleep and his arms carted her off into sleep world.

The next morning the sound of stampeding horses woke her up. The kids were on the third floor and they were awake. She could hear them as they made their way to the stairs.

"The horde is awake,' Peeta murmured into her ear.

"They are your lot," Katniss ground out wiggling closer to him for warmth.

Peeta chuckled. "So when they're good their yours and when their trouble makers their mine?"

"You got it." She grinned against his neck. She sniffed him leaving early in the morning he smelled good, like cinnamon and warm spices like dill.

Peeta playfully smacked her bottom. Katniss giggled and she gave Peeta a heated look. The kid's giggles got closer.

"Dang don't look at me like that," Peeta groaned.

The kids knocked on the door.

"Later," Katniss said winking before getting up. "Come on it's Christmas."

Together they bounded down the stairs. Amid the fury of torn wrapping and squeals, Katniss watched her family smiling serenely. Her hands itched to rub her belly. She needed to save that action until they got to the stockings, so she gripped her hands tightly. When the time came she watched the kid's pull the stockings from the mantle.

Peeta handed hers but she didn't touch hers. She instead enjoyed watching Peeta watch the kids. His eyes sparkled and his dimples deepened as he watched his little boy and girl ooh and ahh at the homemade scarves and candies.

He turned to her, his happy eyes twinkling brighter than the lights on the tree. Peeta loved seeing his family aglow with love and peace.

"You should open yours," Katniss urged pointing to his stocking.

"Oh yeah," Peeta said.

She watched him take out the scarf, "You made us match," he said.

"hmmm," she replied. "I fid more than that."

He raised an eyebrow at the husky tone in her voice. He pulled out another package. He squished it in his hands, shook it, as an intrigued smile played on his lips. His look became one of pure confusion as he pulled out a small scarf and then another, "Kitchen towels?"

Katniss said nothing as he pulled out another smaller gift and then his eyes widened with wonder and awe as he saw there were two little hats and four pairs of mittens. His eyes went to the kids, then went to hers, then drifted down to her belly.

"We'll be a family of six in red," Katniss said. Right before she was engulfed in a huge Peeta-sized hug.

...

The following year they stood outside the house with their scarves in the snow Peeta with one baby, and she with the other, in their red hats, scarves, and mittens for their holiday a family of six in red.

The End...

[fafulous]

Take Me Home (4/5)

Andy Barber x Reader (Post!Defending Jacob)

Summary: After the unfortunate events of the trial and after, a depressed Andy Barber decides to call it quits and start a mundane life far away from Newton. He decides it is best to have a fresh start away from prying eyes and alone, but he never thought his caring neighbor (and her son) would change all of that.

Chapter Warnings: MAJOR D.J. SPOILERS (BOOK Ending), Reminiscing the Loss of a loved one.

Andy soon came to realise that walking out on you was never ever really a solution. In reality he knew with his current state, without you he was doomed.

He needed you because he has no one. He needed you because it was his chance at something new; something no one would understand.

He needs you because in between all those shenanigans in these few months, he was falling hard for you.

But he did what he had to that day because he just wanted some space. In his head it seemed to be fine, but alas it hurt like a bitch.

On the other hand, Nikolai had no idea what was going on. It only took him minutes to fall in love with his new room. The lights, the colour of the room made him so jubilant, later on only to see you a bit unhappy. You were able to deflect from your son’s questions, but how on earth were you going to tell him that Andy won’t be meeting him anymore.

It hurt. So hard. All you needed was one conversation with him to settle things away but he wanted his space and so you half heartedly respected it.

Nikolai on the other hand was hitting a real low seeing you unhappy the whole day sporting stuffy red eyes. Like any other kid, Nikolai jumped to the conclusion that their mother is crying because she got a boo-boo or lost her favourite toy.

But that little brain of his pieced it slowly once he realised Andy never visited them for any of the dinner nights.

“Mommy pwese don’t cwy” his nimble fingers wiping your fat tears rolling down your cheek.

“I know peaches. I’m trying so hard to get Andy back okay. I’m sorry for crying around you like this baby.”

“B-but Wandi pwomised he neva gonna hurt you mommi…”

“Oh Niko,” you wiped the cookie crumbs around his tiny lips, “Your little brain won’t get it. It’s okay.”

“No. Not owkay. Wandi hurt you. Wandi bad. I don’t wike Wandi cahr now.”

You couldn’t help but surpass a giggle. “Niko. Andy is never bad. Never. He is just feeling sad and lonely. We just need to tell him we have him and love him okay?”

Love? Too soon. Maybe it’s more than like but it was too late to change it for your son and for yourself. You always saw how Niko’s eyes sparkled whenever Andy was around; he was soon accepting him to be a member of the household.

“Owkay,” he dug his head to your neck, “I wike Wandi and his cahr.”

–

The following week were hard for you and him. From sharing couches to kisses, now the only thing you both shared were small talks.

Yes. Small Talk. Or texts rather.

Andy told you he finally found a therapist to speak to and slowly expressed his wish to still visit Nikolai till you both figured out what was happening between you two.

Why did this have to get so complicated?

You on the other hand replied he was free to do so because to be real, the little kid missed him too. So, the next day he asked you for permission if he could take Nikolai on a car drive.

You had no idea what would go on in his head at times. From seeing Andy’s perspective, he was denied of the choice of telling you his story. It was his fucked-up childhood, his story that he wanted to tell you. Not a pity tatter-tale gossip story that was to be heard from your characterless, ex-husband.

Andy later in the evening sent a message that he was ready, and you saw the man your heart so longed for.

His eyes were back to being sunken, those blue irises not having the guts to meet yours. His hair was ruffled like he just woke up from a nap. Looking at him made you realise how much your hands were twitching to just hug him. You were reminded of the first night you spent at his house; that blue sweater he gave you while you two made out on his couch for the first time was now worn by him.

You walked towards him as you held Nikolai’s convertible baby seat to be fixed in his car and he was kind enough to open the door for you.

Andy on the other hand knew he had to- no, wanted to strike a conversation with you; but didn’t know what to say.

Hey long time huh?

Y/N. Hey, how are you?

Hey listen…

Nope nothing came out of his mouth while you fixed the seat.

He took in your appearance too; that ray of sunshine that beamed from your smile was non-existent; replaced with a forlorn look that he hated to see on you. The past few days were definitely much harsher on you than it was for him. Andy knew he couldn’t get any more foolish. He had to get back to what you two had before.

He needed it.

“Have we gone back to square one? Because of what? My ex-husband?”

Andy came out of his tiny reverie and focussed back on you. He didn’t pay attention, but he did realise you said something bitter that meant to sting him.

“Honey listen-”

“Oh, don’t you honey me Andy. How could you? How could you be so- so-“ you tried so hard to not break into a stream of tears.

How could you be so hateful to yourself Andy? Did you not trust me?

“How could you just desert me like that? D-did you think I was going to throw away my second chance at life for something you father did? Did you want to throw away your second chance at life because of your father who has no role in our lives right now?”

He sighed dejectedly, disappointed with himself. Hearing your voice break wrecked him, “I know Y/N. I was an asshole that day, leaving you without an explanation.” He found himself taking steps towards you and cupping your cheek, tilting his forehead onto yours, “I am so sorry hon- Y/N. I am sorry.”

You bit your lip and looked up at him, his eyes still closed; now content that he and you could just touch each other after a very long time.

Any other situation, you wouldn’t let a man walkover you so easily after fucking up. But this was Andy. The man who made you believe in second chances. You gave him a first chance already, and now it was again your turn to give him one more.

“You weren’t an asshole Andy,” you held on to his hands, “Its just, I don’t know…”

“I know you know exactly what you want to say Y/N. Just say it.”

You could hear Nikolai running around his circles with his unicorn plush doll behind you, “I was angry when you left, but at the same time I tried to understand your point of view, your emotions and your feelings about this whole situation. But I think or- or I know that I didn’t deserve to be ghosted like that Andy, because I liked you for you, not what your father did, especially when we had something so good going on.”

He removed his hand from your cheeks and looked down like a disappointed child. He knew he was at fault and so he didn’t say anything; head hung in shame looking at the little, carefree boy that he loved so dearly.

“It’s only had if you want it to be,”

“What do you mean?”

You saw a glint of that eagerness that Andy always had with you before, “I told that we had something good going on? It’s only had if you want it to be…“

Andy took some time to find his words. Again. It was the second time he fucked up so bad and here you were, taking him back even after he exploded like a mine. Was this woman for real?

“Of course, I want this honey. I always want us. You’re always so good to me.”

He reached out to graze your cheeks, but he was blocked by your squealing son.

“Cahr Wandi! Can we gooo?”

You were surprised that you weren’t interrupted by your son sooner, but nevertheless your son’s new founded patience was found to be a blessing in disguise.

The cutest sight unfurled before you as Andy made grabby hands at your son, only for the latter to be scooped into Andy’s arms like a cocoon.

“Come on Y/N, join us wont you? For a drive?”

You shook your head, “I think I’ll pass.”

“Y/N. I want to really make it up to you. Like real time. Please come with us?”

“I know Andy, but who will make dinner if I come along with you boys?”

Andy slowly grinned at your implications. He never ceased to be impressed by your gracious generosity and the small acts of kindness.

“I’m not mad, not as much as I was before I promise,” you dared to but tiptoed to place a kiss on his cheek, “We can talk over dinner today.” You saw how his cheek sported a cherry red tint, slowly creeping up till his ear. A teenager in a old man’s body.

“Peaches,” you turned to your son right now jumped into Andy’s arms, nuzzling his face in that soft sweater, “Be good and behave okay peaches? Don’t trouble Wandi- I mean Andy for anything on the way okay?”

Everything drowned inside a chorus of laughter when Andy realised how you had called his name. Niko had no idea what the humour was for but joined the chorus when he found his two most favourite people in the world giggling.

Were you forgoing all that pent-up sadness that this man gave you this week? Yes. Yes you were.

And you would soon realise that it was the best decision you made.

Hours passed by and the boys came back home. Nikolai was gleefully pulling onto Andy’s beard and curiously asking him when he was going to get a ‘bweard’ like him and heard both the boys animatedly inhaling; the smell of aromatic food that stirring their tummies.

“MOMMY IS MAKING PAWSTAHH!”

Andy was so confused. You always made the best Italian food for your child.

“Let’s just say after that episode we had with Chad, I was cooking boring greens and ordering takeout for the little one and me. I lost the will to cook. Thought I’ll revive the poor kid’s taste buds.”

It was always these small gestures that pulled you towards Andy; like this one. He tugged you by your shoulders and placed a soft kiss on your forehead and then cupped your cheeks so lovingly.

“Sorry Momma bear.”

“Shhh. It’s okay grumpy cat,” you winked.

Dinner on the other hand did go relatively smooth than you expected it to. Andy explained himself, his feelings and what he felt that day when he left you and tried his level best to process your emotional state that day.

The baked pasta was licked clean by your two boys and you while Andy also spoke about his past few days with his therapist, who seemed to help him more than he possibly could ever think of. Over a glass of wine, Andy held your hand promising you that he wouldn’t do any more foolish stunts that ended up hurting all of us in the process.

But as you and Andy were doing and drying the dishes, you felt that he was holding back something.

“You’re doing that thing.”

“What thing.”

“That thing you used to do when I used to pick movies that you don’t like.”

His grin could make your whole body mushy and soft like a teenager having their first crush “So? Is that my fault honey?” he feigned hurt, glad that he could now call you back with his favourite sweet name.

“Nah,” you playfully tapped his shoulder. “You give me that look so prominently so that I understand that you want something from me, or you want me to do something for you.”

Andy looked so lost and you knew something was biting his thoughts because he enjoyed doing domestic chores with you; his favourite being you washing the dishes and him drying them out and keeping them inside the cupboards. He didn’t reply until the last wine glass was kept inside the cabinet

“It’s just-” hesitated Andy. You waited patiently for him to find his words.

“It’s about Jacob.”

“Oh.”

For a startling few seconds, you held your breath; thinking about Andy’s son was something wrecked your thoughts and heart every single time.

“My therapist says that I haven’t, you know, fully processed Jacob’s death. Like I’m holding on to something. But parents don’t, right? They can’t move on from their child’s death right? It’s practically impossible.”

You weren’t sure what to say but you nodded, gripping on to his arm and gesturing to sit with you to the couch where little Niko dozed off with two of his stuffed dolls clenched in his hand.

“But she did say one statement that made sense to me, I don’t know. It made sense about how we can’t forget our children who are no longer with us but we can learn to accept the fact that they are no longer with us.”

Oh bub, how much have you been through? “Do you agree with this Andy?” You asked him to keep yourself strong during this conversation for him, and you did.

“Of course, yeah. Maybe. But the thing is I think I haven’t accepted it honey.”

You took both of his hands and squeezed reassuringly, “I have no idea what you are going through bub but I’m glad you are talking to me about this. Take your time; its going to be hard, but I’m right here okay? Whatever you need, I’ll do within my best ability.”

He hummed, but still hesitant.

“Andy its okay, tell me. Talk to me bub.”

He squeezed your palms even more tightly, turning towards you completely. “C-can I ask you a favour? I mean you can say no, I will understand.”

I’m ready to give you all the happiness in the world to you bubba. “Anything for you Andy? Tell me now.”

He didn’t meet your gaze, but instead shifting his focus to trace your knuckles, “My therapist told me to visit Jacob’s grave whenever I was ready, to mourn him, to accept he is no longer with me and you know…talk to him I guess. To process my emotions. And um…Oh god I am a bubbling mess Y/N.”

“Hey its okay baby take your time. There is no pressure.”

“I can’t do this alone honey…I need you there with me. Can you come with me to the graveyard?”

How could you ever say no to this solemn situation?

“Of course, honey. Absolutely anything you need.”

And what seemed like after ages, Andy Barber enveloped you into his signature bear hug. Both of you left a huge sigh of breath, relief washing over that both of you were slowly getting back on track.

Until you heard a rugged whimpers from the little boy beside Andy.

You didn’t want to tell Andy about this, but Nikolai’s nightmares were back and the little boy was finding it difficult to sleep at night. The new nursery still did not work for him, so he ended up sleeping on top of your chest; your heartbeat probably soothing him to sleep.

But Andy the experienced father he was, quickly scooped him into his arms and started cradling him, rocking him side by side with his arms protecting him, humming a familiar soft tune that seemed to calm you in the process too. You saw how Niko’s head was cushioned between Andy’s pecs and muscles, slowly relaxing and nuzzling into his touch.

Niko’s scrunched up face was now back to a peaceful baby lost in slumber. 

Andy met your gaze and blinked at you with a smile and it conveyed so much than you think.

We got this baby. We all gonna get through this.

–

The decision to take Nikolai along with you and Andy was refuted by the latter saying that a young boy like him shouldn’t be visiting such desolate place.

“Children are the embodiment of new birth, new life. And graveyards, quite opposite.”

But you knew secretly he also didn’t was your son to see him in such a vulnerable position. You were grateful for the fact that the rough patch between you and Andy was solved; for the little boy saw Andy as his new father figure with Chad gone away with a new girlfriend.

Talking about Chad, he did not make efforts to meet his son; and you didn’t bother contacting him. Better off without him you wondered.

The drive to Jacob’s grave was a couple of hours away and ride in itself was a quiet one. Andy and you were informally dressed in dull colours, hearts dull too. You knew it was a big step for Andy and you were going to support him till he thinks he is over it. Car windows were rolled down, the fresh air making efforts to refresh you both.

You could also see Andy’s urge to interlink his hands with you while your drove and you did; Gripping onto his palm or occasionally rubbing his shoulders or thighs throughout the ride would help him calm down and relax his creased forehead.

When you both got down from the car it was so hard to read Andy’s thoughts. He came over to you and interlinked your palms and made way to the place where his son was buried.

Jacob’s grave was flowerless when arrived. Andy soon fixed that after leaving a wreath of Jacob’s most favourite flowers, daisies.

A graveyard, a place of death, sprouting trees filled with life here and there. The irony of life.

You didn’t know the boy but the aura of the graveyard, the impersonal feeling towards the dead even though you have no idea who they were beneath the stones made you heart sink. It then came to your senses.

The boy was just fourteen.

Both of you sat down near his grave, not caring about the grass and mud staining your clothes. He finally took away his palms from yours.

Andy spoke some kind words, rekindling memories of his son’s favourite pastime, his favourite stories and one of his embarrassing yet kind-hearted moments. He sought an apology on behalf of his mother, trying to make Jacob understand that his mother loved him so much, that it unfortunately ended tragically.

Another thought popped into your head, how couples these days separate over trivial matters, over materialistic matters, and infidelity. But Andy? He separated because his wife- No no. You didn’t want to complete that thought.

But after a while passed and you decided give Andy some needed space. He was probably going to be anxious, but it was for the best.

“Andy, you feel a bit better?” you whispered.

“You can say probably.”

Here we go. “I’m going to leave you two alone okay?”

“What? Honey. If I can’t-”

“You can Andy. He is your son, remember that. So, don’t hold back. I know you wanted me to be here with you and I did and I’m so proud of you, bubba,” you stroked his hair. “But unintentionally you may be holding back on expressing because I’m here and that’s normal.”

Why are you so good to me?

“I’m just going to be near the parking lot okay? I’m not going anywhere,” you reassured him with a peck on his cheek and made your way back.

You shed your tears while you sat inside his car, thinking about the little boy. It was difficult thinking of losing a loved one that you gave birth to. He was too young. Too fucking young.

Oh, this cruel world, how you hated it so immensely right now.

Half hour passed by and you saw Andy making his way towards the car. It was so strange to think of this, but he didn’t look red eye rimmed like you; he looked the same with much more solemnity. He didn’t cry and that slightly bothered you. Maybe you had to accept the fact that different people process emotions differently.

He got into the car and took in your red eyes. He knew you had cried. Seeing you like that made his pull your lips onto his for just a chaste kiss, the first time you two felt each other’s lips after an eon. All he breathed into your lips was that we are going to be okay and drove back home with no word exchanged. For the upcoming hours, the fresh air offered you comfort, drying out those spilt tears along with the lingering touch of his palms; interlinked like their souls.

After coming back, you took advantage of Andy’s silence and maneuvered him to your home. He seated himself on the couch pulling out his phone and wallet from his pants and placed it on the coffee table.; trying to steal a quick nap while you picked up Nikolai from your neighbour Mr. Arthur.

Andy sleeping gave you an immense sense of peace, but for the little boy in your hands; not so much.

“WANDI!!!!”

He groggily woke up thanks to Nikolai running towards him, lying on his chest like he does with you. “Hey buddy.”

“You home yaay!” Probably meant that he was excited to see the man in house like the usual dinner nights. Nikolai calling him and telling he was home pricked him and at the same time felt so right. As cliché as it sounds, he always has heard this quote where Home is never a place with four walls to cover your head; home is where the heart is.

His heart was with you and Nikolai.

After eating Andy, and you began to do your dish washing routine, this time he washing the dishes. He was slow, but that was alright, you had all the time in the world.

Niko on the other hand was singing all the rhymes he learnt from daycare in different pitches, earning a chuckle from the both of you here and there. He was also carelessly playing with Andy’s phone and wallet, both of you seeing that the little boy had dropped all the contents of the wallet on to the floor. Once they were done Andy picked up the falling things patiently without chiding the little one like any other adult would. 

He picked up his Dollar bills, receipts and then a forgotten thin strip of a photo roll.

It was him and Jacob.

The roll had four pictures of him and his son posing for the silliest pictures, the first three with their tongues sticking out in the goofiest angle possible. The last one however was so pure; Andy giving a  forehead kiss to Jacob because he was so proud of his son, remembering he had bagged the highest grade in English that term in school.

Minutes pass and he didn’t notice his waterworks brimming. A blink and they would fall down.

And they did, when he heard Nikolai nudging him by the thigh. “Why you cwyin Wandi?”

That startled you enough to stop whatever it was you were doing and went to see what was happening.

Oh bubba.

You sat near Andy, touching his thigh for comfort while your son got closer to the photo that was in Andy’s slightly quaking hands.

“Who that Wandi?”

“Th-thats my son buddy. His name was Jacob.”

“Can he play with me Wandi?”

Everything just pricked. The boy’s innocent questions and Andy’s realisation of his emotions. This was too much to bear.

“No buddy he can’t-“

A hand around his shoulder, it was you. When he looked up his eyes were blurry from the tears that were falling. He was so upset he didn’t even realise you were next to him. It was you. Only you.

It was then you realised it finally that it hit Andrew that his son was dead.

“You don’t have to answer that Andy. He’s just a kid. It’s okay.”

The little one feeling that he had said something wrong hugged his arms with his little arms. “I’m sowwy Wandi. Don’t cwy.”

“I’m not buddy, I-I’m not.” He reassured the kid, and falsely assuring himself too.

“Wandi, I’m feelin sleepy…” “Yeah, let’s get you to bed buddy,” he cooed with his quivering voice.

“Andy I’ll take him-” But he refused to and took the child. You took a few minutes to pull yourself together after witnessing Andy so vulnerable. Even in these moments, he took care of your son. When you reached the nursery, Andy was whispering a lullaby to a dozed off Niko for a good ten minutes. He even spoke to the little boy, telling him that the measly Audi car painting he did in the room was going to protect him and his nightmares; and the boy believed because Andy said so.

Few minutes later and Andy didn’t refuse to hold back.

“I held Jacob like Nikolai, put him to sleep like Nikolai. My sweet precious baby,  my innocent child Jacob. He didn’t do anything and he is away from me Y/N. Far far away-”

Andy let out a loud whimpering cry, the sound swallowed when he buried his head into your neck and your tears began streaming, him sobbing uncontrollably the next minute.

Andy and your tears began streaming; you pulled yourself together soon but Andy? He was weeping uncontrollably. You only could take him in your arms and offer him comfort. No words could heal his wounds instantly. He buried his face into your neck, his safe place, which made you remember the initial days with Andy when he lent a shoulder when you cried. Now it was your turn.

You whispered in ears how it was best not to do this near Niko and maneuvered Andy to your room. He held onto your arms as you took him to your room. You urged Andy to talk to you if the visit to the grave was still bothering him. He sought recluse in your safe place again, lying down on the bed, head tucked in your neck.

“Andy you can tell me anything. I promise it won’t affect whatever is between us.”

It was too twisted, he was distraught. He ranted about Laurie and how she unravelled into killing her own son. He slipped some details of how Laurie always kept bringing up past incidents of his son to prove that Jacob was the possible killer. He kept blaming himself that he was too weary with Laurie and that he should’ve seen her actions. Your whole body pricked; he was crying as he said all this.

You couldn’t imagine Nikolai and yourself in that situation. It brought tears to you eyes but wiped them off before he could see it. You let him talk as much as he wanted to, calming and soothing Andy in the process, running your fingers through his hair gently. You comforted him as much as you could and kept reminding yourself that this was the first time he came to his senses and realised he was crying out for his dead son; and so you were patient.

“My own wife murdered him Y/N. My Jacob. If I had been more attentive”

“Shhhhh Andy,” you cooed into his ear “Your circumstances were horrible. Don’t blame yourself bubba, none of this was your fault okay? Jacob’s death was out of your hands, it was an unfortunate accident Andy.“

Andy could stay all day in your embrace, his head on your gentle shoulders while your soft hair caresses made him doze off to sleep.

But his head felt like it was going to explode and he couldn’t let you see that.

“I’m going back home honey. I think I need to be alone tonight. I- I am not abandoning you okay, I promise, I’ll be okay tomorrow.”

“Andy are you sure? Stay with me, I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I- I think I need to be alone for sometime you know? Please don’t be upset.”

“I’m never ever upset okay? As long as you are sure bubba; whatever you think is best for you okay? This house is always open to you.”

Kisses on the cheek were exchanged before he left your home. But you stayed awake, in the hopes he’ll be back because deep down you knew, he needed you.

You would give him space, and why not?

He was your home.

–

Andy soon realised he couldn’t. Staying alone was the worst decision he made.

Yes he did get the desired space he absolutely needed for like an hour and he did try to cease his crying, but his heart, oh his heart was pounding like nobody’s business. Anxious. Alone. Not cared for.

The walls of his room closed around him, his breathing becoming rugged, the laughter of his dead son echoing in his head. But he remembered he was cared for. By you. He had only you now.

He wanted, needed your soothing embraces, your kind words, your optimism, your affection. Everything.

He just wanted you now.

He had to forget.  It was a bit past midnight, but it was you. His reliable rock; soon to become the love of his life. He had to forget what he was going though and in a moment of desperation, he texted you. His thought was confirmed, you would always be there for him.

—

Last and Final Part 5 on its way :)

[jordanstrophe]

Going Once, Going Twice, part 9

Prison Party, part 1

Masterlist

CW: Pet Whump, panic attacks, manhandling, separation anxiety, collared whumpee, implied abuse, scars, Whumpee offering themselves for punishment, begging, 

Peter really wanted to make pizza from scratch for dinner. Robert assured him it was okay to just order some, but he was determined. Master shouldn’t have to buy food, when he could make some for him! He pulled up a chair and sat for hours, watching the dough rise, only to burn the whole thing in the oven.  As Robert would try and throw it out, Peter would desperately try and salvage it. “No! It’s fine! You just have to get a butter knife and scrape the charcoal off!” He cried. “The whole thing is charcoal, hon.” Robert sighed. “No no! You have to dig in, like... Like mining gold!” He waved his butter knife around. “How is burned charcoal gold to you? You act like I don’t feed you decent food, child!” Robert complained, laughing. He pouted as he mercilessly dumped the burned pizza in the trash. “Trust me, it's not even healthy to eat it in that state. It’s okay, you can try again.” He encouraged, which he proceeded to do.

“Hey honey! Come sit down, I need to talk to you.” He smiled. Peter’s face froze, going visibly pale as he nervously held his hands to his chest. “I didn’t burn the forth one.” He muttered defensive.

“I know! It was perfect. You’re not in any trouble, come on now.” He coaxed him over. He trying to make himself look as small and innocent as possible. “I’m going out for the night, I may be awhile, but I’m going to have Luke come over to give you company, is that okay?” He asked. He hoped that would put his mind at ease, but he didn’t look any more comfortable than he did before, if anything, he looked even more distraught. 

“It's Just for a little while! Couple of hours.” He added. He could almost see Peter’s thoughts jostling his mind, his eyes darting back and forth, trembling slightly. “Can I go?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. Robert let out a small sigh, he looked so sweet and distraught, it was going to be hard to say no to those eyes. “No sweetheart, you don’t want to go where I’m going, I need you to stay here.” He smiled. 

Peter’s breathing spiked, he clutched the table tightly with both hands. “Why can’t I go? I’ll behave, I promise! You won’t hear a word from me, you won’t even know I’m there!” He pleaded. He was so scared of master leaving the house again.

“I know you would, but I don’t want to take you out like that. I want you to have fun and engage in something.” He sighed. Luke was already at the door knocking, as the panic was sealed. Before Robert could open the door, Peter grabbed his wrists, trying to pull him back. He knew he was being a terrible, disrespectful Pet, part of him wanted to be punished just so he at least knew right from wrong. 

“Please! Please don’t go! I’ll do whatever you want!” He pleaded. Robert took his wrist firmly, “Peter, I’ve already told you, you have to stay here. This is for your own good.” He said, putting just a slight tone of a command in his voice. He opened the door for Lukar, who greeted them with a smile. 

Peter looked at the ground sadly, his brow furrowed, before burying himself under Robert’s arm. “Peter, be nice, Luke is putting his own time aside for you.” He gave him a pat on the head, he felt pretty bad having to put his authorities tone in, but he had to learn soon, rather later. "I brought a board game!" Lukar cheered. "See? He brought a board game." Robert cheered, trying to make it sound really exciting. 

“Stay safe out there, okay?” Lukar said, he couldn’t help but to let concern leak into his tone. “Yeah, I will.” He smiled, unlatching Peter from his arm. “Be good.” He mouthed, before closing the door behind him. The house fell deathly silent, Peter looked from the door, to Lukar. “Where is he going?” He muttered. “He just has to pick something up, he’ll be fine.” He smiled. He tried to coax him to the table, but he wouldn’t budge. 

“He’s going to that party, isn’t he?” He asked, not peeling his eyes from the door. “How did y-... Don’t worry about it!” He tried to catch himself from conforming his suspicions, but it was already too late. He had pieced it together, and was now desperately trying to rip the door open. 

“Peter! Wait wait wait stop!” He cried, trying to pry him away from the locked door, but he caught on quickly how the latch worked and was able to unlock it. He squirmed out of Lukar’s grasp and bolted out of the house.

Robert had already started driving down the road, glancing in his side mirror, only to see Lukar and Peter outside in the yard, Luke trying to wrestle him to the ground before he ran out into the street. He slammed down on the breaks, ripping the car into reverse. Lukar had a hold on his arm as Peter surprisingly had some strength in his adrenal state.

Robert jumped out of the car, grabbing Peter off the ground and held him still. He was hyperventilating, trying to worm his way out of their grasp, desperately crying out. Robert pinned both arms to his side, holding him on the ground until he tired himself out. It took him a second to realize the person holding him was Robert, as he gasped, shoving his head into the crook of his neck and sobbed. 

“P-please d-don’t go th-there!” He sobbed, as Robert loosened his grip, pulling him into a gentle hug. He could feel his whole body shaking and trembling uncontrollably in his arms, as he carried him into the house. 

Robert sat him on the couch, cleaning his face from the dirt and tears with a tissue, gently rubbing his thumb up and down on his cheek as he cried and sobbed his heart out. He quieted down to soft whimpers and single tears. 

“Peter.” Robert said with a disappointed tone. He fell silent, as he shamefully looked up at him. “What you did was so dangerous and reckless, you could have gotten hurt, or killed. Not only did you disobey Luke, you disobeyed me.” He said. Peter lowered his, he slowly slunk off the couch onto his knees, Robert wasn’t sure what he was doing, until he offered his wrists up to him. He could see his wrists were covered in old scars, littering his palms. 

“I know... I’m sorry I just... I knew where you were going.” He whispered, pressing his forehead against Robert’s knee. “I was scared. What if you didn’t come home?!” He cried out, his arms were already exhausted, as he dropped them to cling to Robert's leg, who quickly scooped him up off the floor and sat next to him on the couch. He pulled him into a hug resting his chin on his head. “Luke, thank you for coming, you can head home now.” Robert motioned. He was a bit confused, but he nodded, slipping out the door. 

Robert took his chin, tilting his head up. “I appreciate that sweetheart, but I need to be able to not worry about you when I go out. “I’m not going to punish you, I’m not going to hurt you, but this can never happen again, do you understand?” He asked. He hoped he would get through to him now, if he did try something like this again, he wasn’t sure what he would actually do about it, maybe ground him in his room or something...

Peter nodded his head quickly, he was still burning with shame, but he wasn’t about to lose the only master he ever cared about. “Okay listen... You can come, but only-” “-THANK YOU! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!” He cried out. “But! You have to listen to me at all times, if I say stay by me, you stay by me. If I say to go to the car, you go straight to the car, do you understand?” Peter nodded his head enthusiastically. 

Robert took him to the sink to properly clean him up, gently washing his face off with a warm cloth, he seemed to enjoy it. He hadn’t really been outside since the first day, aside from just being tackled by Lukar. He nervously held onto Roberts arm, expecting to be put in the back of the car like last time, but he opened the front door for him. “Go on, it’s alright.” Robert smiled, taking his hand and helping him up.

The front seat was much more comfortable, it felt nice to have the whole to himself. “Alright kid.” Robert muttered, second attempt at getting out of the driveway. “Stay close to me at all times, If someone tries to talk to you, be polite, but I’m going to try and keep anyone off you.” Said Robert. “Yes Master.” He responded, curling up under the coat. The car fell silent, Robert too awkward to try and spike a conversation, Peter too shy and embarrassed to say anything.

“What’s you’re uhhh... Favorite color?” He asked. Peter perked up uncomfortably. “I... It’s, whatever you like, Master.” He muttered. He knew at least how this worked. He was whoever his master wanted him to be. “No no, I want your favorite color.” He chuckled. “I get one?” He asked. “Yes, you get a favorite color.” He thought for a hard moment, remembering all the paint colors he was given. He covered his mouth with the coat and whispered something inaudible. “What was that?” Robert asked.

“I like the blue one!” He slightly raised his voice, just enough to maybe be heard. He smiled, reaching over to ruffle his hair. The whole rest of the drive he quizzed him on his favorite things, making the ride a bit more tolerable. As surprisingly fun as it was, both men had a deep dark feeling, knowing their destination was a dark one. 

They pulled up to a massive gate to a mansion. Dozens of expensive cars all parked to the side, there was a small line at the house entrance of people trying to get in. “Remember..” Robert muttered. “Stay close to you, be polite.” Peter recited. “Good boy.” He smiled, helping him from the car. Peter huddled under his arm as they walked up the stairs in line. Most people were all paying attention to only themselves, doing last second touches to their pets either standing next to them, or kneeling. They were brushing their hair, straightening their close, some even putting makeup on theirs to cover their bruises. Robert was disgusted, only trying to block Peter’s vision from them as much as he could. 

They stepped up to the top step, there was a tall muscular man guarding the door, “Name.” He muttered, not bothering to look up. “Robert. Robert McAllen.” He said. The man glanced up awkwardly. “Mcallen?” He muttered to himself, he flipped through the clipboard. “I’m uh, I’m family.” He said. “I see that, you got a Pet?” He asked, glancing down at Peter, who had to force his every muscle to stay still and not hide. “Uh, yeah. I do,” He admitted. It felt wrong to call him that. “Look up at me.” The man snapped his fingers at Peter, as he jolted, immediately obeying. The man tsked, “He needs a collar.” He grumbled. “What? Why?” He asked, annoyed. “Why? Because he’s a Pet. It’s Pet owners 101. No collar, no entry.” He sighed. “I don’t have a collar...” Robert admitted. “That’s too bad. Next!” He called. “Wait! Wait... Come on man, I’m a McAllen, Nina and I are... This close.” He completely lied between his teeth, holding up a smidge with his fingers.

The man glanced around, before making eye contact with another guard, waving him over. “We got any spare collars?” He asked. The man nodded, before disappearing. '‘Wait, is that really necessary? He won’t leave my side the whole time.” He complained. “It’s mandatory.” He grumped. The other man returned with a small black collar, handing it to Robert. “This is ridiculous, I’ll be in and out in no time.” He protested. “Sir there are people waiting behind you, leash your Pet or leave.” He yelled. Robert was about to give him a real piece of his mind before Peter stopped him. “Master it’s okay! I’m used to it!” He admitted. 

That was true, he had a collar for the entirety with his old master, until he cut it off one day to sell him to the auction. It was an odd feeling, but he assumed master had just forgotten to give him one. He was enjoying not having one, no breathing restrictions, open and free, he tried not to mention it in case he only reminded master to get him one. “Are you sure?” Robert asked, as he nodded his head. He shakily took the collar from the man, Peter lifted his chin so he could easily fit it on. He clipped it as loosely as possible, several inches still slack as it set low on his collarbone. 

The man shrugged, stepping aside for them. “Try not to take it off.” He reminded, as they walked past. They came into a bright open room, dozens of people crowded around, tiled floors, waiters, everyone was dressed to impress, far over the top. 

Robert protectively held Peter close, glancing around trying to find Nina. But he knew even that was a challenge in itself. 

To be continued...

Tag list: @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @moose-teeth @ill-eat-you-if-you-cross-me @yet-another-heathen @sillypizzazineoperator @freefallingup13 @alien-octopus @unicornscotty @whumpzone  @penny-for-your-whump @girlwithnoballons242 @whumpingredroses  @rippedjeansandfadeddreams  @cupcakes-and-pain @thinkingofausername

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Thank you for reading!

[onceuponatown]

London, UK, 1937. The Black and White Milk Bar.

From the News Review, February 4-

In his newly-rented first-floor Fleet Street office 17 months ago, an ex-miner, the Hon. Hugh D. McIntosh sat ruminating on the possibilities of selling milk to the nation in a new way. Across the road was the “Cheshire Cheese” hostelry, famous haunt of journalists. Thought McIntosh: “Why not sell milk across a bar, like beer?”

Britain’s first stool-and-counter milk bar was born a few weeks later. People laughed at the idea of selling milk in Fleet Street. By the end of the first week they were gasping. The bar was packed out.

Reporters who had never before been heard to call for anything weaker than Burton, were passing their tankards up for straw berry shakes.

A descendant of one of the few survivors of the Black Hole of Calcutta, McIntosh was born in New South Wales, Australia, began his working life in the famous Broken Hill silver mines when a stripling. Trekking to Sydney, he joined up with a cattle station and made his first acquaintance with milk by tending cows. In quick succession, he became pastry cook, cafe manager, restaurant magnate.

At 40, McIntosh was said to be Australia's most influential man. His spare time was spent directing newspapers and theatres. But his passion was sport. He astounded Europe and the United States by booking the Burns-Jack Johnson fight for Sydney. In England, he promoted boxing-matches at Olympia.

Since opening Britain's first permanent milk bar, McIntosh has started 11 others. Nine are in London, three in the provinces A chain of 500 is his aim. Black and White Milk Bars, Ltd., the company controlled by him is expanding rapidly.

[justoneday-namjoonii]

Quarters. | 8

☼1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8

prompt: Sitting here, patching myself up. Crying over what's left, 'cause without you I ain't shit, but no pressure guess I gotta learn my lesson. Sorry — 6LACK

pairing: Jungkook x reader

warnings/au: dysfunctional relationship with a capital D, family drama, humor(i try), temptations, drug usage, relapsing, hoeing, mentions and accusations of infidelity, jk has baby-fever for two seconds if you squint,, bloody, 18+ for heavy scenes, fluff, angst, this is purely fiction please do not read if you are sensitive or easily triggered boxer!au, iceskater!au.

authors note: omg FINALLY💜🐰 this chapter really took everything I had lol, like always, this part is a little out there, their relationship gets tested and they’re forced to grow. Will edit later. enjoy!

It’s so early in the morning, the sun is just now rising—the beauty does nothing for your anxiety though.

You told Jungkook that he needs to rest, he needs to take it easy and clear his mind before he walks into that hospital. The last thing you need is a stressed Jungkook behind the wheel, he’s way too unpredictable when he’s upset. After a few minutes of going back and forth, he gave up and let you drive him—in his car. This is a privilege. He doesn’t let anyone drive his car, not his best friends, not even you. He says, no one knows how to handle her like I do.

It always makes you laugh when he says that.

Jungkook glances at you as you take a turn at a questionable speed. He’s definitely driving back home. 

You look around the crowded parking lot and pull into a visitor's parking space, squeezing between the white lines surprisingly well.

“That was a long drive,” You pull the key out of the ignition and turn your head to look at him, “but we made it.”

Jungkook doesn’t turn to look at you, rather, he takes a deep breath and his eyes shut before he drags his hands down his face. “I’m gonna warn you now, I’m going off on him if he gives me some shit excuse as to why he decided to leave me out of the loop on this.”

“Jungkook, please don’t do that. Stay calm, for your mother's sake and mine, I’m nervous.” You sigh, trying to grasp the fact that you’re about to meet his family for the first time. You open your door and slide out, naturally, you assumed he was doing the same thing. When you drop the keys into your purse and close the door, he still in the passenger's seat, head in his hands.

“Jungkook.” You stomp around the vehicle and open his door. “Come on, we need to go inside,”

He sighs, heavy black boots landing on the pavement when he gets out of the car, stretching his legs in the hugging black jeans. When he closes the door, he bends down to look at himself in the window, hair still a little wet.

“You look good with messy hair, don’t fix it too much,” You smile, trying to lighten the mood, he smiles a little but he’s back to that grave face in just a few seconds. His silver necklace is a nice touch to his outfit you notice, he paired it with his hooped earrings and you think it looks really charming. 

You haven’t been to a hospital in a while. Nurses with bright colored scrubs come to and from the nurse's station, visitors pace around the gift shop, hoping to find the perfect for their loved one. When you two get signed in as visitors, your eyes wander to the couple at the sliding doors, the woman is in a wheelchair holding her baby and the man is trying to help in any way possible, the nurse gazes at him fondly. She knows he’s trying hard.

“Here you go, she’s in room 202A,” The nurse hands you the sticky tags to and points you in the right direction. Jungkook breathes in, looking like the antiseptic and sterile environment makes him dizzy.

“Should I get her a gift?” Your eyes follow the family walking out of the gift shop with get well balloons and teddy bears. 

“You can, she’d like that,” He follows you into the gift shop and you go straight to the bunnies in the corner. After sorting through the stuffed animals, you pick the little pink one in the back. Now that you see the bunny, it’s only right to get her a balloon and some flowers.

“Hi there,” She cashier greets you, taking your items to ring them up, “great choices.”

“Thanks,” You smile, proud that this random lady approves of your gifts. 

It’s not long before you’re leaving the shop to finally meet see her, to finally meet his family. Does Jungkook have her eyes? The cute sun rays at the corner of his eyes when he laughs, does he get that from her? These questions swarm your mind when Jungkook's hand grips the doorknob, just seconds away from opening another part of his world to you.

“Knock, knock,” He opens the door and the brightest smile came to his face when he sees the woman on the bed. He beckons you to follow and you just know you must have the most awkward smile on your face.

“Jungkook! Oh my gosh, I didn’t know you were coming!” 

She looks at him like he’s a puppy – as if he’s the epitome of love and innocence. 

He runs to give her a hug, eyes squeezing shut, relieved that she’s in one piece and smiling that life-saving smile. “I’m glad you’re okay mom,” He sighs, standing back and reaching for you to shuffle you towards his mother, “this is Y/n, my girlfriend.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” You smile, holding your gifts out to her, “this is for you, I hope you like it.”

“Aw, thank you, honey,” She takes the bunny with bright eyes and you sit the flowers on the stand beside her bed, “I’m so glad he brought you to meet me. I hate that we’re meeting under these circumstances though.”

“Jooe called me last night, scared me half to death,” Jungkook takes a seat in the recliner beside her and you sit in the little cushioned bench near the window, “are you okay?”

“I’m as good as can be expected, I guess,” She continues to talk to Jungkook and just observe them, admiring their similarities—you note that she looks very young, “I felt terrible yesterday. The doctors told me that I got here right on time, the appendix was badly ruptured, it felt like cramps from hell.”

“Where’s Kev and Jooe?” Jungkook says her husband's name differently than his little sisters.

“She was getting restless, he took her to get something from the cafeteria. Something tells me you’re not too happy with him, and my intuition never lies so what’s the problem?”

“Mom, I got the call that you were in the hospital from Jooe. Why didn’t he call me? Why does she have a phone, by the way? She’s 6.”

“I know, she told me.” She lets out a sigh, knowing where Jungkook is going. “It’s an emergency cellphone app on her tablet, it’s not an actual phone.”

He dismisses the information to return to his original topic. “I shouldn’t have gotten a call that you were in the hospital from her. Kev, your husband, should have let me know.” 

“Jungkook, he was stressed out, okay? He was trying to make sure I was okay so his attention was a little divided, don’t be too hard on him.”

“He did it on purpose, he’s always tried to keep me out of the loop when it comes to you. I’m fucking tired of it-”

“Kookie!” 

A high-pitched voice squeals from an adorable little girl with two long jet-black pigtails atop her head. She runs from the man once holding her hand to jump into Jungkook’s arms. It’s evident in his mother's eyes that her heart is melting at the sight.

“It’s good to see you too, Jooe,” He giggles, pulling back to get a good look at her, “Hey, I want you to meet someone.” 

You squirm anxiously, for some reason wanting her more than anyone else approval.

“She’s really special to me,” When she adjusts to sit in his lap, she finally looks at you. He leans to whisper in her ear, “say hi.” He moves her to fully face you, making both of your eyes go wide at meeting each other.

“Hi,” She shyly waves, back leaning into Jungkook to seek comfort.

“Hi, I’m Y/n,” You wave, “you’re so pretty, you look just like your mom.”

She blushes, hands grabbing at her yellow sun-dress instinctively. “Thank you, you’re really pretty too.” She cracks a bright smile and her attention goes to her mother when she starts asking her about what she ate for breakfast.

“Jungkook, I didn’t think you’d be able to make it,” Kev finally speaks and the sparkle in Jungkook’s eyes fades instantly. 

“Well, here I am.” Jungkook shoots back, eyes menacing and dark within a matter of seconds.

“Um, hello,” You stand up to greet who you assume if ‘Kev,’ hand extended and he takes it in a friendly manner, “I’m Y/n, you’re Kevin, right? It’s nice to meet you, I’m Jungkook’s-” 

“You must be his better half,” You nod, scooting back to sit down, “a pleasure to meet you, sweetheart.”

A million-dollar pearly smile, business clothes on, hair slicked back like that of a TV-doctors—he seems really kind, you can’t see why Jungkook would have such a problem with him. It’s hard to sit here knowing he’s the reason Jungkook wasn’t invited to his step-brother's wedding. The reason he called you drunk as hell because he was so hurt—this guy did that to him.  

“Has the doctor been in to talk to you? I have a call to jump on but I want to be with you to see what she says.”

“Don’t worry about it, honey, take your call, I know you’re pressed for time,” She sighs in relief, “I’m just glad Jungkook is here, I feel better just from seeing his face,” She reaches for his hand and a spark of pride comes to him, “it’s been too long.”

He knows and guilt eats him up for that more than she knows.

“Well, you know Jungkook, he’s got a busy life, doesn't have too much time for stuff like this,” He laughs a little, eyes landing on you for a moment, “I’m sure you get that, don’t you hon?”

He’s looking at you and you turn a little pale. You look at Jungkook, and then open your mouth to utter out something, “Well, um, no I-...”

“Kev, leave the girl alone,” Jungkook’s mom intervenes, noticing how flustered you looked.

“I can’t make time for shit that I don’t even know is happening,” Now it’s Jungkook’s turn to laugh, but not out of genuine amusement, he’s doing it to stay calm, “What do you expect? You don’t tell me shit.”

“All you have to do it ask,” Kevin stands next to his wife, opening up his phone to absentmindedly tap the screen.

“That’s bullshit...” Jungkook let one too many words slip before thinking of the child in his lap who’s more focused on his phone than anything. The two of them make you feel uneasy, it’s like one wrong word from either of them would start a brawl. 

“No!” Jooe exclaims, sliding off of Jungkook’s lap, “I left my sweater in the cafeteria! I have to go get it before someone takes it!” Distress befalls her and now the whole room's attention is on her.

“Jooe, I told you to make sure you kept it wrapped around your waist,” Kev doesn’t look like he wants to go but he grudgingly stands to his feet. “Come on,”

“Do you want me to take her? I was going to get coffee anyway, I can help her look for it.” You look at Jooe with a sweet smile.

“Oh, are you sure? I mean, as long as you don’t mind I fine with it,” It’s almost like you answered his prayer because he fell back into a chair with a sigh of relief.

“Of course I don’t mind,” You stand up, holding out your hand, “is it okay if I go with you, Jooe?” She nods, taking your hand without hesitation. Jungkook looks in awe as you seem to already be a favorite of his little sisters—he’s never seen you interact with children, but it warms his heart.

“We’ll be back everyone,” 

You wave to the room as you go on a mission to find the missing sweater. As soon as the door closed, Jungkook’s mom smirks at him. 

“What? You’re giving me a weird look.”

“She’s so sweet Jungkook, oh my gosh. I’m so glad you brought her, I’ve never met one of your girlfriends before, she must really be something. Look, Kev,” She points to the flowers and the bunny in bed next to her, “she brought me these cute gifts.”

“That’s sweet,” He looks up from his phone, then at Jungkook, “you better hang on to her.”

“That’s what I’m doing,” Jungkook scoffs. “So all l I have to do is ask, you expect me to have to beg for information on my own mother?”

“We live in different city’s and sometimes it’s easy to handle things and let you know after everything's said and done.” He reasons, eyes going to his cellphone in an attempt to exit the conversation peacefully. To both his mother and Kev’s surprise, he leaves it at that—not cussing, not lashing out, he just sinks back into his seat, expression unreadable. Jungkook remembered that you asked him not to lash out, and he’s so tempted to, but he’s gotta keep things under control for you.

You must have made a difference in him because this isn’t the Jungkook they’re used to.

* * *

“What color is it, Jooe?” 

You and this bubbly little girl are holding hands and walking into the cafeteria. “Sky blue, it’s my favorite, what if someone took it...” concern coats her tone, it makes you a thousand times more determined to find it. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll find it, you’re with a professional sweater detective Jooe,” You give her hand a reassuring squeeze and draw a little smile from her. It only takes a few questions to get her to retrace her steps. She finally finds the table she sat at while her dad ordered her fold and it was right there. It’s just a sweater, but she’s so happy.

”I told you we’d find it,” You’re relieved she found it, now you can get your coffee, “I’m just gonna get some coffee, then we can go back up to the room.” You lead her to stand by you when you walk up to the counter. A protective arm around her shoulders as you order two small lattes. They come out quickly and she begs you to carry Jungkook’s, you’re afraid she’ll drop it, but you give her a chance.

“Okay, but be careful,” She walks right beside you, both hands tight on the disposable cup, you open the door for her to walk in and she beams.

“We found it,” She walks up to Jungkook, handing him the cup, “and we brought you coffee.” 

“Thank you guys,” He looks up at you, his eyes sparkling.

“I’ll be right back, I have to make a phone call,” You look to Jungkook to reassure him that everything is okay. But you got a text from your older sister Layla. Call me. She rarely reached out like this so you decided to give her a call, hoping nothing was wrong

“Hello,” 

“Hey, Y/n, how are you?”

“I’m fine, what’s wrong? You texted me to call, what’s going on?”

She sighs, “I need a favor,”

“What is it?”

“I need someone to watch Lily, I’m in your part of town and I have to go see her dad.”

“Layla,” You message your temples, “I’m not in town and I don’t know if I can watch a baby right now, I’m with my b-”

“Please Y/n, I can’t call mom, you know how she is with him,” 

“Okay, okay,” You cut her off, looking down at your watch to see if you can make it home before 11, “I can get home around 11, bring her by 11:30.”

“Thank you! Thank you, I’ll see you then little sis,” She sounds relieved, and even though this wasn’t apart of your plans, you do feel good about helping her out. You type up a quick message to tell Jungkook that your visit has to be cut short. Hoping he sees it, you walk back into the room and give his family a kind smile.

“I’m sorry to cut the visit short, but I have a little situation that came up with my sister’s baby, so I’m gonna have to go,” Jungkook stands up, sitting Jooe where he once sat with her tablet and promptly kissing her forehead and telling her he’ll see her soon.

“Oh, we understand Y/n, I’m just glad I was able to meet you,” His mom reaches to give you a hug goodbye, she whispers, “take care of him for me.” 

“I will,” You notice that Kev had stepped out so you weren’t able to say goodbye to him, and you have a feeling Jungkook is glad. 

“I love you mom, call me if anything changes,” His mom kisses his cheek, relishing in the rare affection she gets to show her son.

His family loves him.

When you get to the car, you can see relief overtake his body, knowing his mother is in good health. This time he drives, and now he gets to assist you with your family situation.

“So, what’s up with your sister?”

“She needs me to watch her baby,” You lean against the window, pressing your temples, “she’s having baby-daddy issues, but she won’t say it,”

“Hm,” He nods, knowing how that can be according to some of his friends, “how old is the baby?”

“She’s five months or six months old, something like that, I was supposed to go out to help Rosie pack for her new apartment but I guess I’ll have to get there later,” and you were really looking forward to that.

“Oh, she’s a young baby,” 

You can’t help but giggle, “Aren’t they all,”

“Yeah, but I mean like, she still needs her mothers milk and she probably is just- I don’t know, small?” In the midst of him explaining the difference between a baby and a young-baby, your eyes flutter shut and you fall straight to sleep. The gentle hum of the engine lulled you to sleep. When he looked over, a grin came to his face—even thought you fell asleep in the middle of his talking, he loves you.

For some reason, you’re stressed.

“Jungkook, you don’t have to stay,” You told him that a hundred times, telling him he was supposed to be conditioning today but he insisted, “I got this.”

“I don’t have to go until late,” He’s laying on your couch, a black tee-shirt on, showing his beautiful arms and the tattoos that graced them. He’s drawing one for one of Yoongi’s clients tonight. Yoongi has his own tattoo shop, where it smells like weed and you’re sure drug deals happen in the back. You want to go lay with him, but instead, you're in the kitchen trying to clean your stress away on the stainless steel. “I’ll stay for a while, you went with me this morning,”

“Just know that you don’t have to,” You mumble, that’s when you hear the doorbell ring, “she’s here.” When you yank the gloves off, you go to the door and take a breath before opening it.

“Hi, Y/n,” Layla walks right in, giving you a big hug.

“Hey,” You smile, eyes filling with adoration when you see your niece in the car seat, “hi Lily,” You lead Layla to sit the car seat on the couch where Jungkook was waiting to be introduced.

“Layla, Jungkook,” You gesture to him, “Jungkook, Layla.”

“Hi,” He flashes a sweet smile, “nice to meet you.”

“Oh hello, nice to meet you too, “ She nudges your arm, giving you gossiping-girlfriend eyes. “Y/n didn’t tell me you were so handsome,” 

“Yeah, well, must’ve slipped my mind,” You laugh, the most in-genuine laugh he’s ever heard, “did you bring her a few changes of clothes? Bottles? Formula?”

“Are you her mom, or am I?” She laughs, handing you the baby bag. “Everything’s in there, she should be hungry in a few minutes.”

“Okay, will you be back to get here tonight? I have plans tonight so-”

“Yeah, before 7,” She’s headed to the front door, “thanks so much for watching her.”

The door closes, and just as quick, Lily starts to cry.

“She’s crying,” Jungkook moves closer to her pink car seat, hesitantly moving her seat to look at her increasingly red face. “do you want me to-”

You rush over to pick her up, “It’s okay Lily,” cradling her against you, “Auntie Y/n is watching you while mommy takes care of some business,” You walk around, rocking her a little, then you remember she’s probably just hungry. His eyes are wide, watching you hold the little girl to cry to calm her

“Jungkook,” He shakes out of his daze and looks at you, “can you warm her a bottle? Just run it under hot water for a minute or so,” You point to the baby bag and take a seat on the couch. He gets up promptly, finding the bottle easily and taking it to the kitchen.

He dries the bottle and brings it to you, “Thanks,” You sit her up, her curly brown hair a little smashed on one side but still cute. When you bring it to her lips, her crying ceases and you breathe in relief, Jungkook sits beside you, leaning on your shoulder and watching the TV.

“Hopefully she’ll nap after this,” Her big brown eyes look from you to Jungkook every few seconds, “look at her hair, it’s so curly,” 

“Yeah, it is,” He smiles, looking down at your niece, “she’s adorable,”

It’s not long before she finishes her bottle, you burp her and put her back in the seat so she can nap. Surprisingly, she doesn’t fuss, and you leave her and Jungkook on the couch so you can go to the table to finish the essay that you forgot you had.

He’s awoken by a cry. In his many years with Jooe when she was a baby, he often woke up to cries. He groggily opens his eyes and shoots up to see what was wrong with Lily and to see where you went.

“Hey,” He reaches down the lift her small body into his completely contrasting hands, “it’s okay, don’t cry, shh,” Naturally, he bounces her gently, feeling bad for her inability to express her sorrow, “what’s wrong Lily-” That’s when it hits him, “Oh,” He sighs, “I would cry too.”

With her in one arm, he grabs her baby bag, dragging it across the couch. Once he finds the changing mat, he lays it out and lays her on it. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen a baby turn so red, she looks like she’ll set the house on fire if he doesn’t hurry up.

“I know, I’m sorry,” He takes out the diapers, wipes, and gloves, “I haven’t changed a baby in years, give me a break,” 

After dodging her kicks to his hands and relieving her of the dirty diaper, she’s cleaned up and the color is coming back to her face.

“Damn,” He triple-bags the diaper and gloves and takes it to the trash with her in his other arm, “I think I did a pretty good job, what do you think?” He smiles, proud of himself for being an ideal babysitter in his eyes, even though she’s still crying a little bit.

“Where is your aunt?” He drops the bag in the trash and then looks around for you. When he finds you, your head is on your textbook and your computer screen was black, you fell asleep doing work. He’s found you like this many times after skate practice, cramming for assignments that you procrastinated on.

“Let’s let her sleep for a little bit,” Resisting the urge to wake you, opting for taking Lily to the couch so she could chill in her seat. He turns on his game counsel that he left over here and makes himself busy.

Lily was quiet for the most part after he gave her a pacifier and she found a dangling thing on her seat—she’s good now.

Suddenly, you feel paper stick to your face and your eyes fluttered open. 

“Jungkook?” You shoot up, wiping your face and looking around. “How long was I asleep?” You quickly walk over to the living room, looking at your boyfriend and your niece having a fine time without you.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” You sigh, taking a seat between Jungkook and Lily in her seat, “I was trying to write my paper.”

“You’re fine, I changed her and everything,” His eyes are still glued to the TV and you grin.

“Wow, thanks. You’re a good babysitter,” You sigh, dropping your hand into her seat and she grabs one of your fingers, “I guess I should order some takeout, what do you want? Pizza?”

“I wish I could stay baby,” He leans back and sighs, “but I gotta go, Yoongi’s expecting me at the shop, he wants me to finish up a sketch for a client of his.”

“Oh, then I’ll just make something for me,” Your eyes follow him as he gets up, grabbing his keys and scrolling through his phone for a moment, “hopefully Layla will pick her up on time so I can head to Rosie’s,”

“Yeah,” He gently rubs Lily’s little cheek, his hair dangle over her when he leans down to smile at her, “bye Lily, be good for your aunt, okay?”

You giggle. “I didn’t know you were such a softy for babies,”

“She’s cute, kinda makes me want one,” Your expression must’ve looked shocked because he quickly covered himself, “I’m joking, I’m not daddy-material, I can babysit, but my own kid? I don’t think so, we’re both a little too messed up for that,” He just laughs.

“Yeah,” You nervously let out the breath that you unconsciously held. He can’t blame you for your reaction, you’re both young with lives that just don’t work well with stability. And you love Jungkook and he loves you, but jokes like that are merely just that, jokes.

“I’ll see you later,” He leans down to give you a kiss, pressing your lips with a grin.

“Okay,” You withdraw, your smile fading a little but he doesn’t notice. When he leaves, your eyes linger on the door and you swallow. 

You have an aversion to a lot of places he goes, but you have a special dislike for Yoongi’s tattoo shop.

“Lily,” You look at her and sigh, “I guess it’s just you and me.” You switch on some random TV show and sit back, you just hope her mom isn’t late this time.

When he pulls up to the shop, his usual parking space in the back being there just as he expected, he sees Yoongi talking to some girl at the back door. She’s a frail little thing, hair bleached as white at humanly possible, mascara heavy even from this distance, and tattoos covering her legs under fishnet-stockings and very short shorts. He watches as Yoongi talks to her, he looks upset, brows furrowed even under his hair covering them. 

Her eyes are dark and whatever she’s saying is making Yoongi place his hands over his face. She looks like she might be defending herself. After a few seconds, she shows him her middle finger and storms to her car. Pulling out at an ungodly speed. He kindly flips her off and eyes her until she’s out of sight, that’s Yoongi.

Jungkook finally decides to get out of the car and Yoongi leans against the back door, waiting for him to walk over.

“Hyung,” He grabs his art bag and locks his car, letting it beep twice before leaving it, “sorry I’m a little late,”

“You’re fine,” Yoongi sighs, tired eyes gaining a little bit of life when he sees Jungkook, “I’m sure you saw the shit I just had to deal with.” Yoongi opens the door so they can both head inside the well-kept shop, the door shutting behind them.

“I wasn’t gonna mention it,” But he was admittedly curious, “but who was that,”

“A pain in the ass,” An artist he hired about a month ago, she’s got talent but she’s a complete mess, “she was selling dope out of the shop, drawing junkies back here at all times of the day. I’m not letting her fuck up my business, I had to fire her.”

“That’s tough,” Jungkook nods, clearing his throat when he takes a seat at his normal spot in Yoongi’s backroom slash office. “So, the sketch is rough, I’ll refine it and you can tell me if you want to add anything. Who is it for again?” 

“Agh,” Yoongi groans, now deciding to reveal the truth, “I was going to keep it a secret until the last second, but I guess I’ll tell you.”

Jungkook furrows a brow, “Tell me what?”

“It’s for Jimin, he wanted a new tattoo but he wanted the design to be a surprise,” Yoongi shows Jungkook to the area he can sketch at while Yoongi cleans up his needles and wipes off the table, “I told him I’d have it drawn up by my best artist,” He looks at Jungkook, “that’s you.”

“Seriously? In that case, I know exactly how I should finish it, he told me of a tattoo he was looking at not too long ago,” Jungkook smiles, glad he knows the person who’s going to have this tattoo, “it’s small, I imagined it going on the biceps or the ribs maybe? Not sure yet,” He sets up his tools to start finishing the design.

The shop is bustling with clients, artists, like always. Yoongi pretty popular with the underground scene, the punks and rejects seem to gravitate to this place. Including himself. He pops in his earbuds because of the loud conversations going on in the front. 

Without him noticing at first, Yoongi slips out the back door.

After an hour or so, Mingyu, one of the artists walks in and Jungkook takes out an earbud to greet him. He’s got more tattoos than Jungkook and his hair is electric blue and he used to drag Jungkook into all types of stupid stuff. He’s been close to puking out his organs on several occasions—they laughed a lot about it but he never smoked with him after that. 

“Kook, long time no see,” He leans in the door frame, “I saw you at the match last night, you’re always the talk of the night on Tuesday Night Brawls, congrats on your win.”

“Thanks,” Jungkook pushes his hair back, propping his arm on the desk to look at him, “I didn’t see you,”

“I had some activities to attend to so I had to leave early,” Mingyu’s activities probably entailed a female going to who knows where to do who knows what, “I heard you went to Jimin’s for a little party, any fun stories? I didn’t see many groupies with you guys,” 

“Man, I don’t do that shit anymore,” Jungkook goes back to the drawing, “I’m kind of in a relationship,” 

“Oh, me too,” He giggles to himself, “but we like to keep it open, it’s not exclusive, ”

“Mine is,” Jungkook affirms, this bias towards one individual catching Mingyu off guard.

“Aw, someones softened up,” Mingyu nods, “then I guess you probably don’t want to go to Milo’s Club, I have a friend there who’ll hook us up if you know what I mean.”

Milo’s is the spot for avid clubbers of any rank, potheads, college kids—anyone and everyone looking for a good time.

“Ah, I don’t know,” Jungkook shrugs, “maybe,”

“Well, some of us are headed over there when we close up shop in about 30 minutes, if you change your mind feel free to join us,”

Tempting.

Going out wouldn’t hurt, you’ll be at your girlfriend's house so he’d be going home alone anyway, he reasons with himself. As long as he doesn’t get carried away, he can indulge a little bit, can’t he? Yeah, he was just going out like he used to, nothing bad about that.

Layla finally came to get Lily and just as soon as she came you went to the grocery store to get a dessert to bring, you were feeling a little peckish. When you knock on the door, you can hear Rosie’s footsteps approach the door. 

“Hey girl,” Rosie smiles, pulling you in with a relieved sigh, “oh, you brought food?” She peaks into the bag that you take to the kitchen.

“Yup, cheesecake,” You walk into the apartment and see Yuna, and Harmony here to help as well, “thought it’d be nice to have something indulgent.”

“Thank you Y/n,” Yuna speaks up from her wrapping a vase in bubble-wrap, “Rosie is working us to death, we need a reward.”

“I’m sure she is,” You laugh at Rosie defending herself as you open the cheesecake and take out paper plates and forks, “sorry I’m a little late, I was babysitting for a little bit.”

“Aw,” Harmony speaks from her comfortable spot sprawled on the couch, “who’s baby?”

“My sister’s, she needed to meet with her boyfriend, they had to sort some stuff out,” You put generous portions on each plate and brought them with you to the living room, “he’s being stupid.”

“That sucks,” Rosie looks u from her cheesecake, “is it custody thing?”

“I don’t even know, she won’t say,” You find yourself scooping a piece of cheesecake into your mouth, “Oh, I also met Jungkook’s family this morning.”

“How did that go?”

“It was fine,” You sigh, “his little sister called him last night, told him their mom’s appendix had ruptured, and you know him he got super worried and I did too. He doesn’t have a good relationship with his stepdad, they don’t see eye-to-eye on anything. But I think it went okay, his mom and his little sister seemed to like me, the stepdad too.” 

“That’s good, I know you were worried about him letting you in on his family life,”

“Yeah, he even helped me babysit for a little while,” You smile at the thought, “it was really cute.”

“Oh my gosh,” Yuna giggles, “tattooed, earrings, leather boots, and ripped jeans Jungkook with a baby? How cute,” Everyone makes a mental picture of it and their hearts melt, “he seems like the type now that I think about it.”

“I fell asleep and when I woke up, he had changed her and they were on the couch together,” You smile at the thought, “it was sweet. He was talking about how cute she was, he said she made him want one.”

“You’re lucky,” Harmony looks up from her phone, “my ex couldn’t take care of a cactus, let alone a baby.”

“It’s silly, but there’s this thing I have where-...Well, you guys know the stuff I went through with my birth mom, she was a mess. And when she tried to get me back when I was in elementary school, it was a nightmare. Jungkook didn’t have it easy growing up either, it just makes sense that he’d say we’re both too messed up for a kid,” You sigh, “we’re both scarred by our parents. But I still don’t know why he’d say that...” 

The three of them give you an odd look, “Say what? That you’re both too messed up for a kid?”

“Yeah,” You frown “why would he say he wanted on if that’s how he felt about us?”

“He was just being funny and obviously flirting with you,” Rosie shakes her head, “most girls would find that charming,”

“He said he was joking,” You reveal, “but damn, I’m not that messed up...”

“You mean you two have never talked about kids before, not even out of fun as a couple?”

“Well,” You rub your arm, embarrassed that they all think your reaction is ridiculous, “no...Is that a normal thing?”

You’re being ridiculous—is that what they all thought?

“Uh, yeah, Y/n,” Yuna takes everyone's empty plates to the kitchen, “chill, he was just being a guy. Maybe you can talk to him about it-”

“No, it’s not that deep,” You reason, “he went to Yoongi’s shop tonight, where all his up-to-no-good friends are...The people there do a lot of crazy stuff, there’s always some drama. That’s what I hear at least, I’ve never even been there.”

“Yeah,” Rosie chimes in, “but You trust Jungkook,” you assumed it was a question so you nod, “so chill out, and wrap these spatulas. I have to get half of this done before I pick my parents up from the airport in the morning, my mom will go neat-freak if she’s the one helping me.” She laughs, handing you the rags to wrap it in.

You should trust him. 

So why don’t you?

The music is so loud, it almost hurts—but it’s so familiar, he knows the blaring speakers well. All the smells, the people wearing close to nothing just to get a fleeting moment of attention. He was once a happy giver of that attention. Hell, it was happily given to him at one point. As soon as they walked in, Mingyu was whisked away by a beautiful girl and he dragged Jungkook with him.

“Aren’t you glad you joined us?” 

Mingyu simpers, throwing back his second shot before his lips were pulled to the girl's mouth. Her lips were so pink, they were big too and he wondered if they were real. Jungkook just watched, his shot still untouched until he felt the need to down it like his life depended on it and walk-off. The other guys who decided to join were off at the bar and Yoongi went off to a personal room.

Jungkook was standing up against a corner, arms crossed and eyes surveying the room. Unbeknownst to him, there was a girl watching him from the dance floor. She was wearing a skin-tight sequin-covered dress that the lights hit, her eyes were set on a target and she was planning her attack. 

After a few minutes, Mingyu signals Jungkook to follow him into one of the personal rooms, where the magic happens. The purple lights from the ceiling illuminate the room in the dreamiest ways, the leather booths surrounding the room are shiny and comfortable when they sit. 

“San,” Mingyu greets him, taking a seat with that girl still under his arm, “what’d you have for me tonight?”

“The usual. I didn’t know you were bringing a friend,” He looks at Jungkook, surprised to see him here without Jimin, “good to see you, Jungkook. What’ll you be having?”

“Depends,” Jungkook takes a seat across from Mingyu, “I might pass.”

“Oh, come on,” Mingyu removes his hand from the girl's thigh to grab his wallet, tossing him a joint and a lighter, “here, take this and then see how you feel. As for me, San, I’ll take the usual, one for my lady-friend too.”

Jungkook stares down at the thing in his lap, taking it in his hand and using his other to light it. This is harmless, he mentally counsels himself with a deep inhale and slow exhale.

It’s not long before his head is floating and his body is slowly dissipating into thin air. His eyes are half-lidded and he feels good, relaxed, but deep inside there’s a quiet longing—he pushes it down in favor of another puff. Through blurred eyes, he watches Mingyu and the girl take something, he doesn’t know what.

“Now, you know what you want?” San speaks up, standing as if he just came back from somewhere. “It’s on the house, call it a favor for an old friend.”

Jungkook laughs a little bit, seeing that he’s already feeling like he did in high school, sneaking off into clubs to do this. “Give me something mild, I can’t go too crazy,”

“I know just the thing,” While San is going through a case, Jungkook is leaning on his knees, watching to make sure whatever he’s about to take isn’t some heavy-hitter kind of stuff. He pops the pill and sits back to let it take full effect. 30 minutes until euphoria, that’s what he used to say in his mind before consuming this stuff because that’s how long it normally took for hin to really feel it.

Mingyu whispers something to the girl, she tugs down her dress and scurries out of the room with a giddy smile. 

He’s teetering on the edge. So close, too close. The joint he had is still sending vapors in the air from the ashtray, he picks it up and finishes it.

Warm, and a little dazed, his eyes follow Mingyu who’s giving San a wad of cash before the drug dealer runs off. Mingyu’s little friend came back but Jungkook doesn’t register the people she brought with her, he’s high in the clouds right now while scrolling through his phone, wondering what you’re doing. Something smells really good all of a sudden, like flowers soaked in spices. He looks up from the phone and there’s a woman standing in front of him, he furrows his brows. 

“Hi,” She’s standing in front of him, that same girl with the sequin dress and long brown hair, “I’m Kendall, you’re Jungkook right?”

“Yeah,” He stares her down and she takes a seat next to him.

“I hear you’re a boxer,” She’s giving him her full attention, “I bet you’re good,” She puts her hand on his thigh, feeling nothing but hard muscle and she shivers when his legs spread out comfortably.

“I’m okay,” His bland answer doesn’t please her, she places her hand on his shoulders to feel how loose they've become.

“Mh, I can tell you’re more than okay,” She giggles, face getting closer to his. It’s evident that he took something, his pupils are huge and his hand's borderline tremble when she gets close. “your arms look so strong, and your tattoos are so-”

“What do you want?” He deadpans, his body feeling jittery and warm from the effects of the crushed pill.

“Well, I thought we could have a good time,” She boldly moves to sit on his lap, her thighs warm but not right, not yours. “you look like you could use one.”

“I- I can’t,” He pulls her arms from around his neck and pushes her off, causing her to frown.

“What? You have a girlfriend or something?” 

“Yeah,” He leans back once again, legs spread and now irritated that you’re not here for him to sink his finger in, “I’m not fucking that up.”

“You have a wife and kids too?” She bites back. 

He rubs the back of his neck, he’s sweating. “No, but-”

“Then I don’t see a problem,” She kisses him without warning and he doesn’t react quick enough to push her away. There’s a smirk on her face when she pulls back and his doe-eyes lose a bit of their sparkle, “no ring, no rules. That’s how I see it.”

“Don’t,” He pushes his hair back, mind reeling with the need to cuff himself to something so he can’t move. He wipes his mouth, “I can’t mess up what I have because of some whore-”

“Call me what you will,” She cups his jaw with a smile, “but you can’t take lover’s speed without a lover, loosen up.”

* * *

“I think we’re all finished up for tonight girls, thanks for helping me out,” It’s been a few hours and you guys were more focused on the reality TV show than parking the silverware, but you got it done.

“No problem, Ro,” You look down at your phone, it’s getting late.

“Are you sleeping over, Y/n?”

“Um, I can, it is getting kind of late,” You got up to go to the bathroom and the three of them went straight to their phones.

From the couch, Yuna’s eyes go wide and she shows Rosie her phone. Harmony grabs the phone so she can see why they’re looking like they’ve seen a ghost, “Oh my God, is that-” She whispers, “Is that Jungkook?...Does Y/n know-”

“Do I know what?” You walk out of the bathroom, brows furrowing when you hear them trying to be hush-hush. “Why are you guys looking like that?”

“Have you seen Sean’s story?” 

“No,” You frown, “what happened?” You quickly grab Yuna’s phone to see what she’s talking about. At first, you don’t know what you’re looking at until you see it.

It’s a group photo and Jungkook’s in the back, he’s in the back with some girl smothering his face with her own.

“When was this posted?” You ask calmly, biting your lip to keep from throwing the phone out of the window

“20 minutes ago,” Yuna answers, “at Milo’s.”

“Okay,” You give the phone back to Yuna and you grab your keys.

“Y/n, what are you doing?”

“I’m going to that club.”

Rosie stands up with you, “Hold up, we’re going with you.” You tie your converse and the three of them follow you on your hunt.

Don’t do this to me Jungkook,

don’t do this to me.

* * *

“My bitch told me you threw her out, Min, what the fuck?”

“Your bitch was selling coke in my shop, I had to let her go,” Yoongi stands up, “you told me she was good for a job but she was bringing crackheads to my shop.”

“You told me you’d give her a job, you’re telling me you just fired her? Why didn’t you give her a chance? You used to sell-”

“Yeah, I used to. But I don’t anymore.” Yoongi leaves the room.

Meanwhile, Jungkook’s on the other side of the club with a loud group of guys, downing shots like he’s back in college.

“Jungkook,” Yoongi grabs his arm, and his pupils are blown, his cheeks are red, “I’m heading out, can you drive yourself home?”

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” Jungkook gives him a reassuring look, “I’m good, Hyung, I’m so good.”

“What did you take?” Yoongi looks at him for a moment, not trusting Jungkook to go anywhere himself, “Hey, call yourself a driver, okay?” Yoongi pats his back before leaving the stuffy place.

When he walks out the front door, he could have sworn he saw you pass him with a group of girls. If that’s true, then Jungkook’s in for a world of trouble.

This environment is foreign to you, you’ve been in it before but it’s always been too much, too loud. Your outfit doesn’t help you blend in at all, your gray converse, shorts, and t-shirt are quite contrasting to what the other girls are wearing. Your body is shaking, the people who are shooting you weird looks don’t matter to you, you need to see him.

“There he is,” Harmony points to the corner where Jungkook is leaned up against, he looks like a train-wreck. His hair is so disheveled and he looks jittery, anxious, but he’s smiling. How did he manage to do that to himself in just a few hours, “if you need back up, we’ll be over here.”

You nod, putting your best foot forward to walk a clear path towards him.

Only when you tap his shoulder from behind does he turn around to look at you. The high, the clouds are evaporating and he’s starting to feel the sweat on his brow, I’m sweating? For a moment he thinks you’re a hallucination, there’s no way you’re actually here.

He reaches out to touch you but you slap his hand away. That’s definitely you.

“Y/n,” He rubs the back of his neck, “what are you doing here?”

“Is this what you do when you leave? You come here to cheat on me and do drugs,” You bite your lip, when he just stares at you with dark eyes, “answer me.”

“What’re you talking about?-” You shove your phone into his chest.

“What do you call that, Jungkook? She’s all over you!” Tears start to prick at your eyes but you push it down, you try to. “What are you trying to do to me?”

He stares down at the phone, his chest tingling and heart aching at the sight. It was taken moments before he got up and left, she got on him but he willed himself to leave her. He was out of it, couldn’t really remember any details. “I took something, and I’m not-...” He gives you back your phone, dragging his hands down his face. “I wouldn’t cheat on you, I didn’t-”

“Don’t fucking lie to me!” You yell but the music is so loud, it sounds like you’re speaking at a normal volume. “After everything I’ve done for you, after everything we’ve been through, I can’t believe you would do this to me,”

“Hey, hey, what’s going on?” Some guy with electric blue hair barges into your conversation. “What’s wrong, baby girl?”

You look at him, judging by his looks alone and the way he physically sides with Jungkook, you can piece together that they know each other.

“Um, was I talking to you?” You snap, looking at him as if he just grew a second head.

“No, but you look like you’re giving my friend here a hard time. I’d appreciate it if you calmed the fuck down, no one likes a-”

“And I’d appreciate it if you’d mind your own business. I’m his girlfriend, who the fuck are you?” 

Mingyu cracks a nervous smile, “Oh shit,” He looks at Jungkook who’s finding it hard to stay still, “so, you’re the exclusive. I’m sorry, I may have set him up with a playmate for the night, but can you blame me? You obviously weren’t gonna join him,” He shrugs, “he just wanted to have a good time.”

“Y/n, I took ecstasy, I smoked a little bit, ok? That’s it, I didn’t do anything with that girl,” Jungkook glares at Mingyu, ”she kept coming on to me but it didn’t go anywhere-”

“You’re high, you don’t know where it went.” You turn his face to see red lipstick spotting his skin, “Look at your neck, it went somewhere...”

His hand comes goes there and he remembers the forced kiss before he ran out of the private room. 

“Y/n, please it’s not what it looks like,” He let’s out a grown of frustration, grabbing your wrist, “let’s talk about this somewhere else.”

“No,” You pull away, “don’t touch me,” He grabs continues to pull you towards the direction of the bathroom, “Let go! Let go of me-”

You jerk away and mistakenly bump into a fast-walking individual, he was trying to get Jungkook. Oops.

“Tell Yoongi that’s what it costs,” that’s what you hear and then the guy runs off.

When you hear a scream, it seems like the whole club stops and people start backing away. 

Why are they screaming? 

Only when you feel the wetness dripping down your knee do you realize why they were all looking at you. You stumble, placing your hand on your thigh when Rosie comes running up to you with tears in her eyes, her hands are trembling. “Y/n, oh my God-”

When you look up, Jungkook is shouting so loud that you can hear the strain in his voice and he’s running. There’s blood all over your leg, your leg is shaking.

“We need to put pressure,” One of the girls takes off her flannel and ties it around your leg, “give me a belt, somebody!” 

Some random guy gives her a belt and she wraps it around your leg tight. “Y/n, we’ll take you to the emergency room down the road, we need to get you out of here,” Rosie tries to help you to your feet but you wince, “can you stand? Harmony, help me!”

“Yeah, I think I can- Ouch!” You cry-out when they pull you up a little too fast, “wait, stop! That hurts-”

When they finish, Yuna and Harmony pull your arms to wrap around their shoulders, they look like their struggling. Jungkook suddenly breaks through the crowd of people, hair sweaty and eyes frantically scanning over you. He wants to throw up, but he can’t right now. 

“Give her to me,” Jungkook extends out his arms so he can take you from the girls but Rosie guards you from him with her whole body, “what the fuck? Move,”

“Haven’t you done enough?” She frowns. “We can handle this, why don’t you-”

“Come off it! I’m not about to let you three fucking drag her out of here like this, she’s gonna bleed by the time you get to the fucking door!” He moves Rosie out of the way, “Let me carry her.” Neither of the girls argue when he grabs you from them and lifts you into his arms.

In a matter of seconds, you’re outside and the cool air makes you cringe, holding Jungkook’s shirt tighter in your fist. “You okay?” He whispers, glancing down at you when you give a weak nod.

Yoongi was outside at his car talking and his heart sinks into his stomach when he sees your bloodied leg in Jungkook’s arms. Among the other people leaving the club, you and Jungkook were the last people he thought he’d see. 

“What the fuck happened in there?”

“Some guy was trying to stab me but she got in the way,” Jungkook explains in a panicked tone, “he said to tell you this is what it costs,” When Rosie opens his back seat door, he eases you to lay on the leather seats and gets back there with you.

“We’re taking her to the emergency room,” Rosie answers before closing the front-seats door and cranking the car up.

“Son of a bitch,” Yoongi pulls out his keys and gets in his car. That’s all he says before pulling out of the parking way faster than he should have.

Jungkook is sitting where your legs are so he can keep it propped up, “You’ll be okay,” He pants, the effects of the drug still running it’s course in his system, “does it hurt a lot?”

You nod, stomach-turning at the smell of your own blood. You mumble, “I feel like I’m gonna throw up...” 

He looks down at his hands, tattoos now colored red from your blood. “Me too...”

Jungkook and Rosie brought you inside while the girls waited in the car.

“Excuse me,” Rosie goes to the front desk and Jungkook goes is walking not far behind her, “my friend was just stabbed, does she need to sign in or something? She’s bleeding a lot-”

As soon as Jungkook came into their line of vision, the sight of your bloodied leg kicks them into an urgency.

“Bring her here,” A woman with lilac scrubs says something to a few people before she’s walking Jungkook to the back and directing him to a room, “sit her there, miss, do you feel dizzy at all?”

Jungkook hesitantly lays you on the little bed and two more people come into the room, both dressed in scrubs—he’s asked to step back.

“Just a little,” You bite your lip when they start removing what was covering your wound, it looked as bad as it felt, or maybe it’s just really bloody. They start taking wiping your thigh of the blood that covered it. You look away, not wanting to see the damage. 

“Sir?” A woman finally gets his attention after the third time calling him, when he looks at her, his eyes are a dead give away. That, and the smell of marijuana and liquor on him. “Have you taken anything tonight? You don’t look so good,”

He disregards her question with a question of his own, “...Wh- where’s the bathroom?” 

“Down the hall to your left, but-”

He runs out of the room before she can say anymore and he passes Rosie on his way there.

He bursts inside and locks himself in a stall. Immediately, he falls to his knees and painfully expels whatever he had consumed tonight into the toilet. 

His throat burns and his heart is pounding.

This was always the worst part.

*

* 

*

“So, how long will I need the crutches?” You look at your now-useless leg. “I’m an ice skater, I have competitions to prepare for, and-”

“Two weeks at the very least, but I would recommend no strenuous activity for a month at the least. With how close the wound was to the artery, you’re lucky it’s not longer.” The nurse smiles, probably thinking she was lightening the mood.

It’s just and the nurse, Rosie ran to the restroom and Jungkook hasn’t come back since he brought you here.

“So,” Rosie walks inside, “how long are you on the crutches?”

“Two weeks,” You frown, staring at them from the corner of your eyes, “this would happen to me, wouldn’t it?”

“It could have been anybody,” Rosie sighs, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Miss, you have a visitor by the name of Min Yoongi, do you want to see him?” 

You nod

After a few moments, she opens the door and Yoongi walks in.

“Y/n,” Yoongi comes to your side, guilt eating him up that he was the cause for this. “I’m sorry this shit had to happen to you, I don’t-”

“It’s not you’re fault, okay? Don’t beat yourself up about it, I shouldn’t have been there...” 

“Did Jungkook leave?”

“He ran to the bathroom earlier, I haven’t seen him since,” Rosie says that with a bite in her tone, and soon enough he’s walking inside the room, “that’s probably for the best, he’s the last person you need right now.”

Get it together.

He cupped water in his hands, swished it in his mouth and spit it out. When his eyes meet the mirror, he wanted to slam into it, shatter into a thousand pieces for bearing his face. He does his best to wipe the blood from his arms and hands with soap water and a napkin. He also wipes the lipstick from his neck, scrubbing at it unnecessarily hard until its gone. Nausea has faded enough for him to stand up and face you. But the thought alone makes him want to disappear. He can’t stay in this bathroom forever, even if that’s what his mind is telling him to do.

“Miss,” the door opens again, “The man from earlier, he said he’s your boyfriend, he wants to see you, are you alright with that?” you hesitate for a moment when you look at Rosie who’s sitting in the chair next to you, you nod.

The woman leaves for a moment and Jungkook walks in, he searches for you as soon as he walks in. He doesn’t acknowledge Yoongi or Rosie. He walks to your bedside and looks at the white bandage wrapped around your thigh.

“What did they say?” He’s not as pale as he was but his eyes are a little red. “Are you okay?”

“She’ll be on crutches for two weeks, but she can’t skate for at least a month,” She turns to Jungkook, “the wound was close to the artery, an inch difference and she would’ve bled out, no thanks to you.”

Silence befalls the room and even though she said that to make Jungkook wake up, Yoongi is the one who feels so bad about it. “I have to go, guys,” Yoongi suddenly speaks up, “feel better, Y/n, I’m sorry about all of this,” It’s not his fault, you remind him of that before he leaves.

“We just need your insurance,” The nurse comes back with a wheelchair within seconds, “the pharmacy you’d like your medicine sent to and you’re all set to go,” She helps you into the chair and rolls you out.

As they check you out, Rosie looks down at her phone, it’s almost two in the morning. You notice she looks tired as you hand them your insurance card, and she still has to pick up her parents in the morning, you don’t feel right keeping her here.

“Ro, go home,” You gently grasp her hand, “you have to pick up your parents in the morning, it’s getting late.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine, thank you for everything, tell the girls I’ll call in the morning,” You know it takes everything in her not to stay but she knows it’s late and even if you’re both pissed at him, he can at least take you home. You get her to agree and you’re left with Jungkook and the nurse as they take you to his car.

“Are you okay, hon?” The nurse asks softly as Jungkook watches her help you into the passengers seat. You know what she means by that. You know how this probably looks to her, it doesn’t look like you’re in a good situation. But you reassure her that he’s going to take you home.

When he gets in the driver's seat and the nurse is back inside the ER, you can feel him staring at you. He swallows, hands gripping the wheel incredibly tight, “Look, I’m sorry this happened, I-”

“Take me home,” You cut him off, looking out of the window with the crutches at your side, “just take me home...”

The drive is quiet. Painfully quiet for him. He pulls into his normal parking space and when he gets out, he comes to your side. 

“Let me help you,” 

That’s the first thing he says to you, hand extended as if you’d actually take it. You’re not skilled with crutches, you shouldn’t have been so persistent on getting and going to the door without his help, but you were.

“I don’t want your help,” You mumble, hobbling inside after he opened the door with his key. He flips on the light and you sit on the couch to try to kick your shoes off, “you should go home,” 

“Y/n, please,” He closes the door behind him, “I know what you saw, I know it looked bad but I didn’t cheat on you.”

“Yeah, but you let some slut put her hands on you,” You forget trying to take off your shoes and you use your crutches to try to get to your room, “y’know, if you wanted to break up with me you could’ve just said it. If I’m not enough for you, you should have just told me.”

“You know you’re enough for me, don’t even talk like that. I don’t want to break up, why the fuck would I want that?” He follows you into your bedroom, easily catching up because you can’t get anywhere fast now. 

“I wasn’t thinking straight, but my mind was clear enough to know we didn’t have sex,” He’s in your face, “I’m sorry that it looked that way, okay? Is that what you want to hear?”

“No, don’t tell me what you think I want to hear,” You sit on your bed, again trying to kick-off your shoes but failing miserably, “just leave me alone.”

“You can’t even take your own fucking shoes off, you need help,“ He kneels down and you don’t fight when he takes them off for you, “don’t you trust me?”

You scoff, grabbing your crutches and trekking to your bathroom to get away from him, “Why should I,” You attempt to close the door but he stands in the doorway, “let go of the door.”

“No,” He’s getting upset now, you can feel it in the way each word leaves his mouth like a curse, “stop walking away! I fucking love you, that’s why you should trust me.”

“Wow, with a reason like that,” You let out a sarcastic laugh, standing in your bathrooms doorway. “I guess I should forget everything that happened tonight, huh?”

He rubs his temples, the headaches he’s had from an hour ago now acting up. “You know what? If you didn’t have trust issues, you could see that I’m telling you the truth, I swear to god I didn’t do anything.”

“I know I have trust issues,” You’re sick of standing in the bathroom, “after all the times I’ve been screwed over, you’ve given me plenty of reasons not to trust people.” You move past him, bumping into his shoulder.

“Hey,” He tries to grab you but hobble away from him and towards your bed, “would you stop walking away?! I’m trying to talk to you!” When he sees that you’re close enough to your bed, he takes the crutches from you and sits them on the floor behind him. 

“What the hell?-” Your mouth hangs open in shock as you grapple to hold on to him so you don’t fall. “Why would you do that!” 

“That was the only way I could stop you from walking away.” He towers above you, height and large frame reminding you that he can overpower you easily. “Don’t you see I’m being honest? Tell me why you’re acting like this.”

“You know I was hurt in my last relationship. Do I really have to spell it out for you? I dated for months before I realized I was being played. I couldn’t see what was happening right in front of my face, do you know how that felt? I felt so stupid,” You squeeze his arms, “I swore I’d never let anyone make me feel that way again.” 

He breathes in and out, trying not to fall apart at your teary confession, he chants in his mind, don’t cry, don’t cry.

“I can’t go through that again, I love you...” You hold on to him, leg throbbing and tears falling down your cheeks in single drops, “Don’t make me look stupid for loving you.”

That hurt. 

“I won’t,” he wishes he had stayed home—he wishes he would have stayed with you. “I won’t, I promise I won’t.”

You gasp when his hands cup your face and he kisses you, open mouth sealing over yours without warning. You fall victim to this every time, you try to listen to the voice in your head that tells you to push him away, but how could you? You grab at his wrists to keep your self grounded and he holds you tighter, making you breathe nothing but him. His mouth goes bone dry and he feels sweat dripping down his back, he’s burning up and his heart is beating out of his chest.

“Jungkook,” You manage to breathe out, and you plop down on the bed, “you’re sweating like crazy.”

“I’m sorry, I feel like I’m gonna pass out,” Suddenly, he rips off his shirt and tosses it somewhere, now revealing the sheen of sweat that’s been under his shirt.

“Are you okay?...What you took, have you ever taken it before?...” Worry shakes your voice.

“Yeah, this used to happen sometimes, give me a second,” He disappears into the bathroom and you hear the water turn on. Somehow, you managed to stumble over to the bathroom with the help of the wall. Jungkook is standing at the shower, the water on cold as he dunks his upper body under it with a groan of relief.

You watch as he grabs a towel from the rack and dries his face and hair. You watch as he dries the water off his body, face still red but he looks better.

“I’m sorry, this is one of the reasons I stopped using that shit,” He sits the towel on the counter, heavy ids landing on your frame in the doorway. For the first time, he sees the bandage on your leg in his right mind and it pains him. 

Noticing that you weren’t using the crutches he threw away earlier, he comes to your aid. “Your leg, don’t stand with it like that, you need to have it propped up,” For the second time tonight, he picks you up and carries you to you out of the bathroom. “It must hurt.”

“It does,” You hesitantly unwrap your arms from his neck and he lays you down, “it hurts a lot.” With expectant eyes, you watch him circle around your bed to get to your drawers. He pulls out a shirt and some shorts, sitting them besides you.

“I’m sorry,” He mutters, handing you the shirt so you can put it on while he helps replace your bloodied ones, “I wish he would have stabbed me, I fucking deserved it, not you.” He’s absolutely right.

His hand rests on the bandage and he looks up at you, eyes so tired. Reaching over you, he takes one of your pillows and props it under your leg, making sure it's elevated at a comfortable angle. He sits on the edge of the bed, one arm across your body, his eyes shutting when he presses his forehead to yours. Desperately, he kisses you again. His damp hair dangles on your forehead and his necklace drapes over your neck the more he leans down, its cool on your skin. His warm body engulfs you, his sheer heaviness making you weak. He has a special ability to surround your senses and drown you in his energy, and you sink happily.

“I’m sorry,” He whispers, “I hate that we always end up like this, I shouldn’t put us through this...” Brushing your hair away from your face, he leans, in his nose a tinge red and his eyes teary, “but when I’m with you-...When I have you, I don’t have to see myself anymore and it feels right. I hate myself without...” Tears stream down his cheeks and a few drop on your cheeks. His chest heaves against you when he shakily breathes in. He drops his head in your chest like a child and starts to cry. 

“Jungkook,” You run your fingers through his hair and your eyes get misty when a pained whine leaves his mouth. 

 “I-” he hiccups against your t-shirt. “I’m sorry that this is what it cost to love me, but I’m not shit without you. I’m nothing with you...”

Sitting here, patching myself up, crying over what's left, 'cause without you I ain't shit, but no pressure. Guess I gotta learn my lesson.

[deans-baby-momma]

AFFLICTED-Part 6

Previously:

"Baby, guess what!" Dean proclaims as he reaches for you. "Cas can heal me."

“Wh-what?” you don’t think you heard your husband correctly. After months of denying the ability to heal him, now he can? It didn’t make sense at all. “What do you mean he can heal you?”

The jubilant look on Dean’s face falters and you quickly realize that in your confusion, your response seems more hesitant and skeptical than what you meant it to be. 

“Do you not want me to be healed?” Dean asks as he stands and grabs his walking cane. How could he even ask that? Of course you want him to be healed, to be back to the man and husband you know. But Cas has been adamant about his inability to heal Dean when you had begged and pleaded for him to. So what changed? Why can the angel all of a sudden do it?

You briefly wonder if Cas knows what had just transpired on the other side of the Bunker and is in an angelic covert way trying to stop it. 

Because, truthfully, on the journey back to your family, your mind had already come up with a plan. Be with Dean like you and he have been but fuck Adam when you needed to be fucked. It was wrong and immoral but after Adam filled you so well just then, it was all you could think about.  You knew it was wrong, but it had felt so right.

“No baby,” you hurry and try to soothe the tension you have caused. “I am just surprised that after all this time, he is now able to do it. I begged and pleaded with him to make you better when you were in the hospital and he said he wasn’t capable.” You turn to the blue-eyed angel. “Cas, what changed?”

“I was unable to heal Dean due to his emotional status,” Cas’ explains, his monotone voice showing no feeling. “Now that he is in a better state of mind, I can heal his injuries. I just couldn’t heal his mental state. I was under the assumption that if you wanted him healed, you wanted him to be back to one-hundred percent. Was I wrong?” 

The dark haired angel turns his head to the side in question.

“No,” you answer, feeling the joy and pleasure that you were getting your husband back. “Do it. Heal him, please.”

Cas approaches Dean and lays two fingers onto his forehead. Dean closes his eyes and you watch as a shiver creeps down your husband’s body, all the way to his feet. As soon as Cas steps away, Dean opens his eyes and looks down at himself. 

The next thing you know you are held against Dean’s body as he laughs and twirls in a circle. You wrap your arms around your husband’s neck and throw your head back, joining in on his laughter.

After setting you down and laying a passionate kiss to your lips, Dean turns so that Mary and Sam can congratulate their son and brother with hugs and a pat on the back. 

“Good to have you back,” Sam says with a grin while Mary just stands back and smiles, tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks.

“Good to be back,” Dean says as he takes your hand and pulls you into his side. “Good to be back.”

You covertly look around and see that the youngest Winchester is nowhere to be seen. You hope that now that Dean was back to his normal self, Adam realizes that what just transpired before this will no longer happen.

*******************************************************************************************

Laying in bed later that night, your head is on Dean’s chest as you listen to his heart beat in his chest. It has been so long that you have been able to share a bed with your husband like this; the hospital bed just was not quite wide enough for both of you. 

His fingers brush through your hair as you both just lay there, content to be in each other’s embrace. 

“I’ve missed this, D,” you whisper against his skin. “Missed holding you and being held by you.”

“I know, hon. I’ve missed it too,” Dean says as he pulls your body closer to his. “I’ve missed holding you; feeling your body next to mine. Someone else has missed you too.”

You lift your head and look up at him in question. What is he talking about? Dean smirks and nods toward the end of the bed and you look in that direction. A very noticeable bulge is tenting the sheets and you can’t help the whimper that leaves your lips.

“You’ve ridden my face a few times now. How about riding my dick for a change?” Dean asks as he kisses your neck right behind your ear. 

You turn your face back toward your husband’s and smile. “With pleasure, sir.”

“Oh, I’m sir now, huh?” Dean chuckles. “Have we found a new kink or something?”

You can’t help the blush that covers your cheeks. Before you had given in to Adam, the amount of porn and erotic fiction you had read would probably rival your husband’s browswer history. So yea, you had come across one or two things you were curious about.

“Maybe,” you mumble as you bow your head. 

Dean’s index finger comes under your chin and lifts your face to his. “Baby, don’t be embarrassed. You know I’m down for whatever you want to try.”

“Okay,” you answer meekly before swallowing, gathering up courage. “Can I suck your cock, sir?”

“Fu-! Yes you can. Suck my cock like I know you can.”

You scoot down the bed along his body, taking the covers with you as you go. Dean’s boxers leave almost nothing to the imagination and there is already a wet stain on the front of them. You slide your fingers into the hem of the material and pull them down, his dick bouncing up and slapping against his stomach. The sight of his hardened member makes your mouth water.

Wrapping your hand around the base, you lift it until it is standing at attention and you bend over, kitten licking the pre-cum settled in his slit.

“Oh god,” Dean murmurs. “Baby don’t tease. It’s been too hell of a long time since I felt that mouth.”

With a smile you part your lips and slide him inside. His hand lands on the back of your head, no pressure just laying there. You hollow your cheeks and start bobbing up and down on his length, sucking at the tip. His hips thrust languidly up off the bed as you crawl over his thigh and settle between his legs.

“Oh motherfucking hell!” Dean pants. “God, I’m going to blow baby. That feels awesome.”

You reach up and cup his balls in your palm, rolling them around and massaging them, feeling them tighten. 

“Baby. Baby. Stop.” Dean pleas and you pull off of him with a pop. “Get up here and ride me. I wanna shoot your pussy full.”

You hurriedly disrobe and mount him, feeling his cock between your pussy lips. Grabbing his dick again you place it at your entrance and sink down, letting the thickness stretch you. 

Dean’s hands land on your hips as you begin bouncing and gyrating on him, holding tight. 

You watch as your husband’s head lolls back and his eyes close while he savors the sensations. His grip tightens on your hips and his legs pull up until his feet are planted on the mattress. He begins thrusting up into you.

“God, I love watching your tits bounce while we fuck,” he smiles. Your hands leave his chest and grab your boobs, rolling your nipples between your fingers and thumbs. 

“Y/N, please tell me you are close because I’m about to fill you up,” Dean pants, out of breath.

You nod and one of his hands leaves your hips and trails across until he finds where you two are connected and starts rubbing your clit. That is all it takes to make the coil inside you break apart and you cum, soaking his dick, his groin and the sheet underneath him.

“Yes, yes, yes!” You chant as you keep bouncing. “Fuck me Dean. Come inside me and fill me full.”

You feel his dick throb and jump within you before the warmth of his release coats your walls and begins dripping out of you. You fall forward to his chest and Dean’s arms wrap around you holding you close, his dick softening inside you.

“I love you Y/N.”

“I love you too,” you answer breathlessly. “Sir.” You swear you feel Dean’s dick jump inside you at that. Maybe this is a mutual kink, you think to yourself.

Your thoughts are validated when Dean rolls the both of you over, never severing the connection and begins thrusting his growing dick deeper into you. 

Although you had succumbed to the temptation and magnetism of your brother-in-law, your husband had been beside you. Dean is your husband, your partner, the father of your daughter. He is the epitome of perfection and although you gave in to your desires, he is the one you love with your whole heart.

As you lie on his chest, listening to his heartbeat you are determined to resolve the issue of your affair with Adam. That was done, it was over and no one ever needed to know. 

@lostinaseaoffictionalbliss @squirrelnotsam @sandlee44  @internationalmusicteacher @kricketc29 @natura1phenomenon @blacktithe7 @spnbaby-67 @travelingriversideblues-x  @keymology @tftumblin @markofdean79 @thevelvetseries @deanwanddamons @winchester-fantasies @akshi8278 @michellethetvaddict @larajadeschmidt13​ @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid​ @hoboal87​ @atc74​ @maddiepants​ @delightfullykrispypeach​

[savage-rhi]

Hey hon ♥️ Hope you getting better. - Could you do a short story where Higgs doughter gets kidnapped and Higgs follows them. But when he gets there no one is there. A moment later Sam comes in with his baby girl save by his side. He is just as surprised to see Higgs as Higgs is to see Sam. His kid runs up to him and cries while he holds here close. Telling her she's save now and nobody can hurt her. - Thank you so much for all your amazing stories. Keep up the great work! 💕😊

@lucyfer-thorn I’m doing my best! It’s been tough but I’m still fighting. And I absolutely can write you this! Enjoy hon :D!

Higgs was closing in on the location. He could feel his heart thundering deep inside his chest, echoing loudly in his ears as adrenaline coursed through his veins. The last time Higgs had felt so helpless, Gene had been shot and was dying in his arms. That had been years ago, and he tried not to let it fog up his mind as he desperately searched for his little one, Skylar. 

Gene and Skylar had gone off on their monthly summit trip up the mountains to camp for a few days while Higgs was networking in the town two days East from their home, trying to build up connections so Gene and he could open up their own business. Everything had been going well, until Higgs returned home to find Gene on the ground in front of their home, bleeding terribly and beaten to a pulp. Skylar was nowhere to be seen. 

After Higgs tended to her wounds, Gene spilled everything. A pack of MULEs had gotten a hold of Skylar. Gene had fought them off, killed a few, but as soon as she had taken heavy blows, Skylar came out of her hiding spot and tried to defend her mama, stabbing at the attackers with the knife Higgs had made for her. 

The rest happened so fast that Gene couldn’t piece together much other than they had beaten her within an inch of life and took Skylar off somewhere. To say Gene felt guilty for losing their child was an understatement. Higgs reassured her he’d get their daughter back and told Gene to stay behind so she could recover and stay put in case Skylar got away and went home. Now back in the present, Higgs was seething with terrible rage as he drew closer to the location of where the MULEs were at. He hadn’t felt this much anger in years, and it downright scared him to a degree. Regardless, if a hair on his little one was plucked or not, Higgs was going to make his daughter's assailants suffer, no matter how slowly he’d need to take things. They were going to pay for what they had done to Gene too, ripping her child away. 

Higgs kicked down the door to the old abandoned building, searching the area and on the defense. His eyes widened as he came to the realization that nobody was home. There were no MULEs, no signs that life had been around in ages, and after much digging, there was no trace of Skylar. Higgs’s fists clenched as he growled, feeling anger at himself rise. He ended up punching a rotten door nearby, blowing a hole into the material.

“Fuck!” Higgs exclaimed under his breath, feeling himself quake out of frustration. He rubbed his hair back and let out a sigh, shaking his head as he made his way back out. The MULEs could have been days ahead of him now. Higgs was starting to lose hope. He didn’t have enough juice leftover from his DOOMs to help. 

Higgs rushed out of the building then froze upon hearing a noise. Several branches were being stomped on by the sound of large feet followed by another pair trailing close. Higgs pulled his knife out, glaring towards the direction of the intruders. When they came out of hiding, he froze. Higgs’s eyes widened as he nearly dropped the knife in shock. Sam Bridges stood before Higgs, his hand holding onto Skylar’s little fingers as they stared right back at Higgs with the same shock and awe as he had for them. 

“Papa!” Skylar pulled away from Sam before he could stop her, his shock ever-growing as the little five year old darted away from him and ran into Higg’s legs as he crouched down and started peppering her face with kisses. Relief washed over him like a drug as he embraced his little one tightly, breathing deeply as he nuzzled and rocked Skylar back and forth while her little hands tightly gripped around his neck. 

“Skylar, baby girl--you okay?” Higgs asked as he pulled away, wiping the tears from Skylar’s eyes as she nodded in between cries. Higgs looked over her concerned, barely acknowledging Sam was there. 

“Did they hurt you?” Higgs asked rapidly, his tone filled to the brim with worry as Skylar shook her head. 

“Sammy found me. He saved me from them. They took his daughter too.” Skylar said and then turned, pointing towards Sam who stood his ground. Higgs’s eyes trailed up to his former nemesis as he stood up, keeping his eyes on Sam. There was a nerve-wracking silence between the two men, acknowledging one another, and at the same time, old wounds began to resurface in their memories. 

“Sam fucking Bridges.” Higgs said lowly as Skylar glanced between the two men before taking refuge behind Higgs’s leg, peering at Sam from around the corner of her dad’s body. Sam gave a nod and gestured towards Skalyar, his face in disbelief. 

“Did I hear that right? She called you papa.” He asked curiously as Higgs let out a tired laugh. 

“Yeah, you heard right.” Higgs said firmly as Sam looked between the two. He could see it now. Why Skylar had reminded him of someone that had made him uncomfortable before. It was their eyes. Even a little one like her had the same ferocity as Higgs. 

Higgs made a bit of a face, glancing around Sam as he gestured. “Where’s your girl?” 

“Hm?” Sam was taken aback until he realized Higgs was referring to Louise. He grunted before speaking, keeping his features stoic. 

“Lou is safe. She’s back at our camp. I came to return Skylar when she said her family lived close. Jesus, this is fucking weird.”

“You don’t say.” Higgs countered with a smirk. Skylar tugged on his pants as Higgs looked down curiously. 

“Papa, do you know him?” Skylar asked as Higgs let out a sigh and looked at Sam with contempt. 

“I don’t know Sam, do we know each other?” Higgs said it in such a way that Skylar thought it was innocent, but it made Sam more nervous. 

“I’m not here to cause a problem. I found her family, and now I’m going to return to mine.” Sam said as a matter of fact. Higgs tensed up but then crouched down to pick up Skylar, holding her close to him as he stared at Sam then gazed at his daughter affectionately. 

“Mama’s worried about you Pipsqueak, let's get you home.” Higgs said softly to Skylar as Sam shook his head.

“Mama?” 

“You got something you want to share with the class, Bridges?” Higgs asked, raising a brow as Sam as he held up his hands in surrender. Higgs had to chuckle momentarily, getting distracted once more by Skylar poking at him for attention. 

“Papa, can Sam and Lou come home with us?” She pleaded as Higgs could feel his heart sink. Honest to god, he didn’t want anyone from the past close to him or Gene. Nonetheless, his daughter's request got under his skin. He knew deep down he owed Sam for saving his little one. 

“Do you and Pipsqueak number two have anywhere to go?” Higgs asked, bitterness laced in his tone as Sam shrugged. 

“Like I said, we have a camp but after the MULEs took her and Skylar I’m not feeling as safe. If it's not too much trouble--”

“Believe me, it is. I’m only doing this for her.” Higgs said, gesturing to Skylar with a slight tilt of his head as he sighed. “Well, we better get this fucking show on the road.”

“Papa.”

“Yeah, sweetie?”

“Be nice to him.” Skylar’s tone was firm as Higgs raised his brows at her while Sam stifled a laugh. Higgs let out a soft chuckle, nuzzling his nose against Skylars as she laughed. 

“That’s gonna be very hard, but Papa will try.” 

“Mama will like him.” Skylar said proudly, looking at Sam for a moment as he smiled before Higgs rolled his eyes, murmuring Gene better not. Higgs started to get a move on, going the way Sam and Skylar had come from, heading towards the camp Sam and Louise had been staying. He looked over his shoulder and hollered.

“Sammy boy! You coming or what?” 

Sam felt himself growl a little, then shook his head and followed, trying to get ahead so he could show the two where he and Louise had been hiding out. 

**A link to my ko-fi account. If you enjoy my content and want to support me getting my monthly medication for fibromyalgia and arthritis, I would be eternally grateful. It is NOT a requirement however! All my work is free to read!**

[noahsfreckles]

The Skateboarder’s Heart (1/2)

Cassie's POV :)

I see him skateboard by my house everyday for the last six months but I can't find myself ever go out and talk to him. He skateboards by twice a day. Once around seven thirty am and then again around three-thirty, so I'm guessing to and from school.

I tell my best friend, Jay, about him everyday and he tells me I should just go talk to him. But I can't. What if he stops and I never get to see him ever again. Jay says he must live near by for him to be going by twice a day.

The reason I won't go out and talk to him is because I have a heart shaped birthmark covering my left cheek and I hate it but Jay says it gives me character and extra love to give to someone but I don't know. I used get teased about it in school but once everybody hit high school, everyone just gave up cause everything they had said by then was old and I wouldn't react to it anymore.

I go into my room and change into a pink tank top and some black legging, I grab my Nike's slipping them on. I grab my phone and headphones, putting my phone in my workout arm band. 

I hear a knock on the door and smile, I answer it. "Jay!"

"Hey Cassie, ready?"

"Yup, just gotta grab a water, need one?"

"When don't I?"

I laugh and shake my head, I grab two waters from the fridge and hand him one.

Jay and I have decided to go for a run every third day of the week around four.

Today happens to be Friday and I haven't seen the mystery skateboarder yet or I missed him when I was watching some YouTube videos.

We head out running down my street and we take a right at the old gas station, head down towards our school and then down around town and back up my street. It takes us two hours every time only cause we take a break around town for about thirty minutes.

Jay goes home after our run because he forgot his change of clothes in his room but he says he'll be back after his shower.

I head inside and take a long hot shower, I change into black sweats and a pink sweatshirt crop top. I go into the living room and wait for Jay to come back when I hear a knock on the  door, I get up and answer it.

I open the door and am very surprised by whose standing in front of my door, the skateboarder.

"C can I help you?"

He looks up when he hears me speak. "Um, I think you dropped this when you ran by my house," he holds up my key chain with Jay's name on it that, Jay got me for my birthday. It's a joke between us. We both have each other's names but it doesn't mean anything other than friendship.

"Oh um thanks." I reach out to take it from him when our fingers brush and I feel an electric shock. I take the key chain in my hand and smile. "Thanks again, um."

"Noah."

"Thanks Noah."

"It was my pleasure." He says and smiles. "May I know your name?" He looks at me and bites his lip.

"Cassie."

"Hi Cassie," Noah says and smiles.

"Hi Noah," I says and blush a little. I see Jay pull into the driveway and I bite my lip.

Noah notices the car and frowns, "I'll see you around Cassie. It was nice meeting you."

"Bye Noah."

He turns and gets on his skateboard and skates off on the street. 

Jay walks closer to the house and looks at me, "was that your skateboarder?"

"He not mine but yes."

"Did you get his number?"

"No, but I got a name."

"What is it?"

I move away from the door so we're not having this conversation outside, Jay walks in the house and shuts the door behind him.

"His name is Noah."

"Oh, why was Noah here?"

"I guess I dropped our friendship key chain by his house and he returned it."

"Aww how sweet of him." Jay teases.

I start blushing, "shush. He was just being a good person."

"I think it's more than that."

"More than that, what?"

"How did he know where you lived? We were gone for two hours. How did you know you were home? Your birthmark."

"My birthmark? Oh my god, I didn't even oh my god, Jay!"

"Cassie, breathe."

"I can't breathe Jay, he saw my birthmark!"

"And he still talked to you?"

"Yeah and?"

"He didn't seem to mind it."

"Oh my god, Jay."

"Wait," Jay says and looks at me.

"What?"

"It's a bad thought."

"What?! Jayson Alexander!"

"Whoa, no need for the full name. What if he thinks your my..."

"Your what?"

"Girlfriend."

"No! What? He wouldn't."

"Cassie, you have a key chain with my name on it, I'm over here like 24/7, we go for runs together, I came over when he was here."

"No," I say and frown. "Ugh. He did seem kinda sad when he saw you pull in. Dammit!"

"Well just have to change his mind," Jay says and I look at him confused.

"Change his mind, I'm scared to ask how."

"We make you look available. Maybe go for a jog by yourself, go outside when you know he's going to skate by and work out or something."

"But I like going on runs with you," I pout at him.

"We'll still go on runs, love, just not as many together."

"Ugh I'm not going to like it but I'll try to."

"Does he usually go by over the weekend?"

"Some times, just at varied times."

"I gotta do some intel and figure out where he exactly lives so you know where to run."

I groan and walk into the kitchen, "I'm ordering pizza, I don't care."

Jay walks into the kitchen and laughs. "Order whatever and I'll eat it."

I grab my phone and order some pizza.

"Jay." I pout at him.

"What babe?"

"Why is this so complicated?"

"Hon, it's just how people think. Girls and guys can't be friends without liking each other."

"No offense but I could never like you, you're like my brother."

"None taken cause I feel the same. We've been best friends since birth, thanks to our lovely parents."

"Yeah."

We spend the rest of the night pigging out on pizza and snacks while watching movies. Jay goes home around eleven. I clean up our mess and head upstairs to my room.

I lay down on my bed, I open my phone and open Instagram. I click on the search bar and type in Noah to see what comes up when I find his Instagram, he's the fifth result.

I click his profile and look around on it. Lots of random selfies and skateboarding pics when I notice something. His house. I know where he lives. I close Instagram and go to my iMessage.

Cassie: Jay! I know where Noah lives!

Jay: How?!

Cassie: insta I found his profile

Jay: gimme the info!

Cassie: Noahcent

I go back to his profile and continue looking around. I go to my profile and look at it. I post selfies and food pics but I'm the selfies I never show my birthmark, I'm always hiding it in some way with my hand, hair, or object.

I bite my lip and sit up, I fix my hair a little and open my camera. I take a few shots and hate them all. I bite my lip again and groan. I get off my bed and go over to my dresser, I grab my brush and brush my hair a little. I hold my camera up and take a couple shots, I look at them and pick one that's good.

"Now I need a good caption," I say to myself out loud. I start looking through my Spotify playlists. I click on a few songs and listen to them but nothing stands out. I click on mine and Jay's playlist of the new songs we want each other to listen to. I click on 'Better to Lie' by Benny Blanco and Swae Lee. The first line pops out at me and I open Instagram and post the photo with the caption; 'Sometimes it's better to lie than say all the things I got on my mind.'

I don't have that many followers cause I don't post that much but I get likes. I place my phone down on my bed and grab my laptop, I open it and Netflix pops up. I put on a random movie that I've seen a million times and cuddle my blankets and start watching it as I fall asleep. 

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

A few weeks have gone by and I'd say we've made some progress. Noah has came over and talked to me a few times, nothing major. He asked why Jay hasn't been running with me. I told him he's been busy. He hasn't asked if he's my boyfriend though. I see him skate by more often, I have noticed that.

I walk out to check the mail for my parents when I see him coming down my street and I smile to myself. I go to the mailbox by the street and open it, finding just a magazine for me. I see him boarding to my side of the street and I try not to smile.

"Hey Cassie!" Noah calls and stops right by my mailbox and I look up.

"Hey Noah. What's up?"

"Not much just bored. You?"

"Getting the mail for the parentals."

"Fun fun. Going for a run today?"

"Nope, it's my off day."

"Oh. Um," Noah starts to say then bites his lip, "did you wanna hang out? I mean if you're not busy"

"What did you have in mind?"

"We could watch a movie or go for a walk or I could teach you how to skateboard."

"Sure," I say and blush a little.

My phone starts ringing and I pull it out of my pocket; Jay, "Can you give a minute?"

"Yeah sure."

"Hey Jay!, I say and I notice Noah's frown a little.

"Whatcha doing? Seen Noah today yet?"

"Actually I'm gonna hang out with him."

"What?!"

"Stop yelling, he can hear you." I whisper and look at Noah causing him to smile.

"Oh sorry. What are you guys gonna do?"

"Watch a movie, go for a walk, we're not sure yet."

"Make out with and have his children."

"Jayson!" I say and bite my lip. "Sorry, he's being crazy," I say to Noah and bite my lip.

"SHE WANTS TO HAVE YOU CHILDREN!" Jay yells and my eyes go big and look at Noah to see if he heard and I see him smirk a little.

"And goodbye Jay!" I hang up on Jay and look at Noah again, "Sorry, best friends gone wild."

"What? Jay's your best friend and not your boyfriend?"

"No, best friend since birth. Our parents went to school together so once we were born it was only natural we became friends, our birthdays are one day apart. I'm older by thirteen hours."

"Oh. I just assumed since you two were always together."

"Everyone does."

"So um what did you wanna do?"

"We could go for a walk around the neighborhood?" I say more as a question than a statement.

"Sure, did you need to take in the mail?"

"No, it's just a magazine I can grab it later," I turn and put it back in the mailbox. "Did you need to do anything before our walk?"

"Nope, all free." 

"Let's go then." I smile.

Noah and I start walking down the sidewalk when he speaks up.

"Did you wanna play a game so we're not just walking in silence?"

"Sure."

"When's your birthday?"

"April twentieth."

"Yours?"

"May ninth."

"So I'm older by nineteen days."

"What's your favorite animal?"

"I'd say cats, they're cute and cuddly," I say and smile at Noah.

"And evil. My sister's cat is evil. One minute he'll love you then two seconds later he's plotting your death."

I laugh, "What's his name?"

"Vesuvius but we call him Suvi for short. Do you have any pets?"

"Does Jay count?"

"If you want him too."

"Sure," I laugh. "What's the worst thing about skateboarding?"

"Um probably learning tricks and falling on your ass until you get them."

"Sounds painful."

"Very. What's the last movie you saw in theaters?"

"Captain Marvel."

"Me too. When did you go?"

"This past Tuesday with Jay, we went at like 3:45 at Celebration."

"Oh my god! That's when I went, I was like five minutes late coming in cause someone was taking forever in the concession line."

"I think that was probably Jay," I laugh.

"Damn Jay," he says and laughs.

"What was your favorite part or parts?" I ask.

"Oh for sure when Goose was on screen. You?"

"Oh my god yes, when Goose exposed himself to Fury. I died laughing, you probably heard me."

"That was you." He stops and looks at me.

"Uh yeah. Sorry," I bite my lip and look at him.

"It's cool cause I was laughing too," he says laughing.

"What's your favorite song right now?"

We start walking again.

"Just one?"

"Okay maybe five."

"I can do five for sure. 'Sweet Thing' by Ylti, 'Luvsick' by Kai Wachi and Ylti, 'Hesher' by Wallpaper, 'Mine' by Bazzi, 'Beautiful' also by Bazzi, and a bonus 'Hell of a Life' by Kayne, though I don't like him personally I just like the song."

"So no more drugs for you, just pussy and religion?" I look at him, he just stop and looks at me, I smirk. "What?"

"Have you been stalking my insta?"

"No," I blush a little.

"You have!"

"No, I haven't. I just know that song."

"Mmhmm then why do you know the exact line I posted on my insta story yesterday?"

"Coincidence," I say and bite my lip.

"Oh okay," he says and rolls his eyes.

We start walking again, when Noah asks another question, "Do you know any of the other songs?"

"I know Bazzi's, he's my new obsession."

"No one ever knows about the music I listen to, how'd you hear about him?"

"Um, I plead the fifth."

"How are you going to plead the fifth on that?"

"Because I'll incriminate myself."

"By answering where you heard about Bazzi?"

"Yeah."

Noah doesn't say anything for a minute but we continue to walk, when he stops. "You have been stalking my insta!"

"What? No!" I blush.

"Not fair! You get to stalk me when I can't you." He pouts and looks at me.

"Cassie.marie."

"What?"

"My insta, duh."

"Oh," he pulls out his phone, opens insta and types in my username.

I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket a few times. "If you're stalking me, you suck. You're not supposed to be known."

"Oh sorry, I couldn't help myself," he says and smirks.

I pull out my phone and see that Noah followed me and liked a few photos so I follow him back and lock my phone, putting it back in my pocket.

"Can I ask you something kinda personal, Cassie?" Noah asks as we turn the corner for my street.

"Sure."

"Now you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, I won't get upset if you don't."

That's when I know what he's going to ask about, my birthmark. "Ask it, please."

"Why do you hide your birthmark?"

"I um," I bite my lip and stop in front of my house and look at him, "I don't like it and everyone used to make fun of me for it. So I grew to hate it and I thought hiding it was better for everyone. Once someone sees it they either make a face towards it or they ask about it."

"So what made you post a picture showing it the other day?"

"I was tired of hiding it and I." I look down at our shoes.

"You what?"

"I kinda freaked out when Jay realized I didn't hide it from you when you brought back my key chain the other week. I didn't even realized you saw it till after you left."

"Cassie?" Noah says and moves closer to me. He places his hand on my chin gently and raises my head so I look at him. "So I made you show it to the world?"

I nod a little and he moves his hand to my cheek, and softly outlines it with his thumb. "How could anyone tease you for something so beautiful?"

My cheeks heat up and he smiles.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he traces it once more then removes his hand from my face. "What did you wanna do now?"

"Can you show me the basics on your board?"

"You wanna learn to ride?"

"Yeah, no tricks, I don't wanna hurt my butt."

He laughs, "sure."

We walk to the street and he puts his board on the street. "Okay now find the center of the board."

I put my foot in the middle of the board.

"And with your other foot, kick off. And just keep kicking till your comfortable with the speed then you can stop kicking and put your other foot on the board."

"Will you hold my hands so I don't fall. That's my fear right now."

"Sure." He takes my hands, I kick off and gasp a little causing him to laugh. He lets go of one of them and runs along side me.

"I'm doing it!" I say excitedly when I try to kick off again and kick the board instead, I start to fall when Noah slows the board down and catches me in his arms.

"Slow down speedy," he teases and looks down at me.

I bite my lip and look at him, he looks from my eyes to my lips to my eyes and licks his lips. I softly nod my head a little as he leans down to kiss my lips when my phone starts ringing, scaring us both.

I groan and pull out my phone, "sorry." He pulls me upright and moves away so I can answer the phone. "What?"

"Oh feisty. Are you still with Noah?"

"Yes. And I hate you."

"Why this time?"

I look over at Noah messing with his board in the street, I watch him and whisper, "you ruined the moment."

"What moment?"

"He was about to kiss me," I whisper and groan.

"What? Oh my god Cassie, I'm sorry. Maybe it will happen again."

"Hey Cassie, I gotta head home for dinner, see you later?"

"Oh okay, bye Noah," I say sadly. "Yeah, see you around."

Noah puts his board down and starts to skate away when I groan into the phone again. "He left."

"I'm sorry, Cassie. I thought you were alone so I was gonna ask if anything happened."

"You owe me so much shit right now, Jayson."

"I know. Wanna hang out and you can tell me what happened?"

"Maybe later. I need to think about stuff."

"Okay call me when you wanna hang."

"Okay bye Jay."

"Bye Cassie."

I hang up the phone and grab the magazine from the mailbox, heading inside to my room.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I don't end up calling Jay to hang out, I go up to my room and stay there for most of the night, except when I order Chinese and have to answer the door.

I look at Noah's insta some more when I notice a new photo,

Can't stop thinking about you. ♥

I blush a little. Is he talking about me?  I like it and close the app.

I grab my laptop and start watching a movie when my phone buzzes. I grab it and look at the notification; Noah has sent you a direct message. I bite my lip and slide the notification, it opens Instagram and my direct messages page. I click on the message.

Noah: hi

Cassie: hi

Noah: whatcha doing?

Cassie: watching a movie, you?

Noah: laying in my bed, bored.

Cassie: wanna continue our game?

Noah: sure.

Cassie: when did you start skateboarding?

Noah: around 12 y/o

Cassie: Nice

Noah: do you have any hidden talents?

Cassie: I can do the splits, does that count?

Noah: Yeah I guess, not everyone can do them

Cassie: can I have your number?

Noah doesn't respond for a few minutes and I start freaking out. I text Jay.

Cassie: I think I scared him away ☹️

Jay: What did you do?

Cassie: asked for his number. We were asking questions via insta and I asked. He hasn't responded for ten minutes. Jaaaaaaayyyy help me.

Jay: What was he doing when you asked?

Cassie: laying on his bed bored, so we continued to asked each other questions and that's when I asked.

Jay: maybe he had to go to the bathroom or someone came in his room, if he was going to kiss you earlier he wouldn't just leave you on read, he read it right?

I go back to our conversation and look, 'unread'.

Cassie: he didn't read it. Thank god.

'Noah has sent you a direct message' banner pops up on my phone.

Cassie: HE READ IT Jayson! Help.

Jay: open it.

I go to Instagram and open the direct message.

Noah: 213-555-0139

Cassie: I HAVE HIS NUMBER

"SHIT!" I say out loud when I realized I sent that to Noah instead of Jay.

Cassie: fuck I just sent I HAVE HIS NUMBER to him instead of you!

Jay: Nice one.

Cassie: I can't text both of you ttyl

Noah: was that supposed to be to Jay? 🤣🤣

Cassie: I plead the fifth again 😎

I open iMessage and copy his number. Noah

Cassie: hi

Noah: hi 🤓

Cassie: where'd you go?

Noah: I plead the fifth. 😛

Cassie: that's my line 😠

Noah: look out your window

I get up and look out my window, I smile when I see Noah standing in the middle of the street.

Cassie: What are you doing?

Noah: midnight lesson?

Cassie: be down in five

I move away from the window and toss on my outfit I had on earlier, baby pink sweatshirt crop top and black jeans with knees cut out. I toss my hair in a ponytail and head downstairs. I walk out the front door and I see Noah sitting on my front steps.

"Hi," I say.

"Hi."

"Isn't a little late for a lesson?"

"Yeah, But I couldn't think of anything else to get you to come outside."

"You could have just asked," I giggle a little.

"I'll have to remember that next time."

"Next time?"

"Yeah. Cassie I like talking to you. You're not like other girls our age. You say what you're thinking. And you're not afraid to show how you're feeling."

I start to blush and I bite my lip.

"So..." Noah says.

"So..." I mock back.

"Do you have plans tomorrow afternoon?"

"No, why?"

"You need another lesson."

"Oh yeah."

"Let's say two, I meet you here and we have the lesson, and leave your phone inside."

"No phone. Gotcha."

"But I'm gonna go back home before I get grounded and we have no lesson."

"So you asked me outside to ask if I was busy? You could have done that on the phone."

"Well I wanted to see you again before I go to sleep," Noah says and smirks causing me to blush.

"Goodnight Noah."

"Goodnight Cassie."

He walks down the stairs and boards back towards his house when I go inside, I grab a water from the fridge and head upstairs to my room.

I change back into my pjs and snuggle in my bed when my phone goes off.

Noah:

        Night

Cassie: night dork 🤓

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I wake up the next morning and take a shower. I pick my outfit out; a black and white striped off the shoulder shirt, white jean cut off shorts, black socks and black vans. I wear my hair down but bring a hair tie just in case.

I grab my phone and text Jay.

Cassie: I'm leaving my phone inside so someone YOU don't ruin my chance of getting a kiss and plus Noah said no phones today.

Jay: no phones okay but as soon as you can you better tell me everything or I'll drive by if I don't hear from you at four.

Cassie: DON'T YOU DARE JAYSON ALEXANDER!

Jay: use protection 😏

Cassie: goodbye Jayson.

Jay: Bye Cassie 💋

Cassie: I'm ready for my lesson whenever you are 🤓

Noah: on my way over.

I head downstairs and grab two waters, bringing them outside for us. I see Noah boarding up in a black hat that he's wearing backwards, a grey T-shirt and black cutoffs that are rolled a little at the knee and his black skater shoes. He sees me sitting on the front steps and smiles.

"Hi." He says once he's closer.

"Hi. I got us waters."

"Thanks." He walks up the stairs and takes one, opening it and taking a drink. "No speeding today," he jokes and smiles.

"No speeding, got it and my phone is inside."

"I brought mine just in case but I'm gonna leave it up here with the waters."

I stand up and walk down the stairs to his skateboard. I center my self and start skateboarding down the street. I go slow while Noah walks down the stairs.

He comes down to the street and watches me for a little, "looks like you're doing good. Have you secretly been practicing since yesterday?"

"I plead the fifth."

"Cassie!"

"I'm joking Noah, calm down. I'm just taking slow like you said."

He comes up beside me and runs along side me. I kick harder and start going faster than he's running.

"Noah!"

He starts running faster and laughs. "Stop kicking before you crash."

I put my foot on the skateboard and watch Noah still running beside me. The skateboard slows down and I start laughing. "You get the workout today."

"I should have dressed differently then."

I laugh and hop of the board when it comes to a stop. "Can we both ride on it?"

"Maybe if you stay still and not move."

"I'll try."

I get on the board and look at him. He moves on in front of me and puts one foot on the board and starts kicking. I grab his shirt and hold on as we start going faster.

We ride around for a few minutes before he says he needs a drink. We pull back up at my house and he runs up the stairs and grabs his phone and our waters.

I sit down on the board and look up at him, he hands me the water. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"What made you wanna try boarding?" He asks and sits down on the curb as I still sit on his board.

"Looked like it was easy, well what I'm doing, not the tricks."

"Yeah, you're nowhere near tricks."

"Yeah I'll stick to kicking."

Noah gets up off the curb, comes over and stands in front of me. He places his legs on the outside of mine and looks down at me. "Can I tell you a secret?"

I nod and look up at him.

"I've been dying to kiss you since yesterday."

I blush and bite my lip.

He looks from my eyes to my lips then to my eyes again. He bends down a little and kisses me softly on the lips. I pull his shirt down a little pulling him closer, causing him to smirk in the kiss.

I let go of his shirt and he pulls away from the kiss.

"Whoa," He says.

"Whoa." I say looking up at him.

"Whoa," He says again and looks at me, he holds out his hand and I intertwined mine with his and he helps me up. He wraps his arms around my waist and smiles. "Definitely worth the wait."

"Shut up and kiss me," I say and he smirks.

He leans down a little and connects our lips again. I put my arms around his waist. He brings his hand up to my cheek and traces my heart. He pulls away slightly and looks at me, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

I bite my lip and whisper, "yes."

[gumnut-logic]

Father

Title: Father A Tale of Sotto Voce Author: Gumnut 10 – 13 Oct 2018 Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS Rating: Teen Summary: Perhaps it was worth the pain, in some small way. Word count: 6627 Spoilers & warnings: Spoilers for Season 2, Sotto Voce and Il Mago  Timeline: Set shortly after Il Mago. Author’s note: So here we are. This took longer than expected and I'm not really sure it is what it needed to be, but it is what it is. This was written for @the-lady-razorsharp who welcomed me into this wonderful fandom, showed me around and continues to be a wonderful inspirator (and a fabulous writer as well :D). Thank you, hon, for everything. I so hope you enjoy this. Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

“JOHN!”

Virgil staggered sideways into his father’s desk as Eos screamed through his mind. He grabbed his head, gasping at the fear and the terror, assaulting his brain. “God!” His elbow hit the woodwork, his feet slipping from beneath him.

“Virgil!”

Scott’s yell added to the clamour and he scrunched his eyes shut.

And then came the images. Shit! “John!”

He vaguely heard his big brother yelling for Thunderbird Five, but all he could see was John coming in contact with an arc of electricity, his body spasming, smoke, oh god. Virgil’s stomach roiled. Eos’ emotion rolled over him in waves. The hardwood floor leapt up and hit him.

Eos

Eos, please.

John!

I-I know. Get help.

Images of Brains rushing to his brother’s aid. Alan not far behind him.

A hand touched his cheek. He jumped and flinched away, skidding on the floor, coming up hard against the base of his father’s desk.

“Virgil?”

Scott.

He forced his eyes open and found wooden floor out of focus. He turned his head and encountered the concerned face of his brother. “John’s hurt.”

”We know. Brains and Alan have him.” A pause. “You?”

Virgil swallowed bile. “Been better.” He put his hands on the floor and attempted to push himself up. Predictably, Scott grabbed him when he faltered, his brother lifting him under his arms and helping him into a sitting position against the desk.

Eos still roiled in his head, agitated, scared, worried.

Virgil ran his hands over his face. “Damn.” Images flickered through his mind. John prone, unresponsive. Brains and Alan darting around him. Reaching out, he sought information.

His brother was not responding.

Virtual sparks as the cardiostimulator was applied.

Concerned words, controlled panic reached the mic pickups. Alan yelling at his brother.

Limp blond-red hair.

Please, John.

Eos wailed in his ear.

Please.

The electronic registration of a single heartbeat was one of the most wonderful sounds he had ever heard. But not so much as the second, the third, or the rapidly increasing rhythm of beats that followed. The sight of John drawing in breath was beautiful.

“He’s back.” Alan’s voice was a whimper.

Eos’ intensity dropped a grade and Virgil found himself releasing a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. His mind felt fuzzy. Someone was yelling.

Scott?

And he realised what he had done.

Shit.

Catching the sound of John’s heartbeat with his own, he stepped backwards, letting himself fall back to where he belonged.

There were arms around him. He was being held.

His face was wet.

Blue eyes. Worry. Cursing.

“G-Grandma’s goin’ to kick your ass.”

Thinned lips. “Not as far as she will kick yours.”

“True.” His voice was hoarse. “J-John’s alive.”

“Alive?”

Whispered. “Alive.”

-o-o-o-

Alive is a relative term. Anything can be alive. A potato up to the point of boiling is alive, peeling it one of the most horrifying concepts around.

Unfortunately, his brother was just as unresponsive as a potato. They stabilised him, they got him home and into the infirmary. He was alive, heart beating, breathing on his own, but no matter what they did, he wouldn’t wake up.

Virgil was absolutely horrified to discover that the accident had occurred due to his actions. When he had diverted the power in Thunderbird Five to electrify the airlock in an attempt to repel the invaders, he had inadvertently electrified several other undetected sections of the station.

He rubbed his hands over his face, his elbows on the bed beside his prone brother. “I’m so sorry, John. I...” What else could he say?

I should have detected it.

Another sigh. Eos...

No, it was my responsibility to check for damage.

It is not your fault.

Then how can it possibly be yours?

Virgil didn’t answer.

It had been three days. His brother was now hooked up to several IVs and other invasive support mechanisms, his unconscious body needing assistance to survive. The usually agile, calm and kind man now lay pale, his hair unkempt and limp, eyes bruised smudges on his lifeless face, hands wrapped in copious bandages.

Virgil reached over and ran his fingers through that blond and red hair, attempting to straighten it out, forcing the flick to behave itself.

“C’mon, John, speak to me.” Virgil’s voice was little above a whisper. “I can’t do this without you.” And the statement was suddenly true. Spoken without thought, Virgil realised that through everything that had happened to him in the last few months, John had been there, even when Virgil was too terrified to see him, John had stood strong while his brother dragged him through the mud. He had done everything in his power, everything, to support Virgil. “God, don’t let a faulty circuit be your epitaph, you are worth so much more than that. So much more.”

He needed his brother’s dry wit. He needed his calm voice. He needed him.

Virgil let his head drop to the bed.

Please.

-o-o-o-

On the fifth day Scott hauled in Virgil’s neurologist. It was the third time the man had been dragged out to Tracy Island, but the first time for anyone other than Virgil.

Virgil managed a weak smile for him when he arrived and the doctor gave him a look that clearly said he would expect to see him for a check up later.

John’s scans were far less dramatic than Virgil’s but no less frightening. The EEG said John was there. His brain activity clearly indicated that what made John John was active. What it didn’t say is why he wasn’t responding. All indications said he should be waking. But he wasn’t.

Doctor Emery stared at all the scans, once again commenting how he would love to have their equipment in his hospital. “There does not appear to be any brain damage.” He pointed to one spot. “Did he suffer a recent concussion?”

Both Virgil and Scott started. “Yes. There was an accident. He was thrown across a room.”

“And he received a severe electrical shock. Perhaps a combination of the two? I’m unsure. What was his emotional state prior to the accident?”

Virgil stared at the man. Scott managed an answer. “Emotions have been running high of late.” Scott was not looking at Virgil, but Virgil knew that yet again he was a cause.

Dr Emery looked between them both. “Understandable.” A pause. “The reason I ask is that with the absence of an obvious physical reason, my instinctive next step is to look for a psychological reason.”

There was silence in the room for a moment. Then Virgil opened his mouth. “You mean he might not want to wake up?”

The expression in the doctor’s eyes was kind. “Yes, it is a possibility.”

Virgil swallowed.

Scott took over the conversation from there, Virgil drifting, thoughts spinning through his head. Why wouldn’t John want to wake up?

Life had been pretty shitty of late, but it was on the improve. He and John had spoken at length just recently. With the Maggot incident, Virgil had turned a corner and no longer felt that instinctive fear of his brother...well, nothing he was going to mention to the man. Things had slowly been getting back to normal. Hell, Virgil had been spending his time fixing Thunderbird Two as much as John had been repairing his girl. International Rescue was still mostly offline, but they were getting there.

Everything had been getting better.

“And how are you feeling, Virgil?”

He jumped. Emery was looking at him with enquiring eyes, the intelligence behind them sharp. “I checked with Joshua Slick on my way over here. He said you missed your last appointment.”

“Uh, yeah, I was unavoidably detained. IR business.” His consciousness had been in orbit at the time.

“Other than that, he was very positive about your progress. How are the headaches? Your sleep pattern?”

“Still get the occasional headache.” He’d had a doozy five days ago due to his inadvertent trip upstairs. Scott and Grandma had been furious with him once he had recovered. “Sleeps good.” Mostly. Occasional nightmare notwithstanding. “Still snooze from time to time.” He still owed Gordon for the pink nail polish pedicure from the last incident of crashing by the pool.

“Uh, huh.” God, the man’s eyes were boring into his brain. “Any neurological incidents you would like to report?”

“Uh, no.”

“Are you sure?”

Virgil frowned. “Yes, sure, Doc.”

“Very well.”

He didn’t believe him. Virgil didn’t know why, but the neurologist, now looking away, clearly did not believe a word he had said. Something cold crawled up his spine. He felt Scott’s eyes on him and behind the doctor’s back, Virgil made it very clear that he now wanted the man off the island. As soon as possible.

His brother obliged, wrapping up the conversation and the consultation quickly and walking the man out to the airstrip.

Virgil didn’t go with him. Instead he put a call into Lady Penelope. They needed to do another check on the doctor.

Something had changed.

-o-o-o-

By the end of the week, there had still been no improvement in John’s condition and the family were getting frantic.

Eos had begun to cling to Virgil. She was always there, her worry gnawing at his own. Scott had noticed, cornering him and demanding he rest.

But he couldn’t.

Scott spoke to Eos and for a short time she stayed away.

It was worse.

Virgil worried about her and found himself venturing into the network looking for her. This led to more headaches, angry Scott, worried brothers and a grandmother wielding traditional cures that tasted even worse than her cooking.

So ultimately Eos returned to sit with him, sometimes beside her father’s bed, sometimes late at night when Virgil couldn’t sleep. Sometimes in his dreams.

But still John wouldn’t wake up.

-o-o-o-

“You know it almost makes me wish John had the same circuitry that you do.”

Virgil froze, glass of whisky half way to his mouth. “What? Why?”

“Because then we could send in Eos to drag him out like she did for you last time you refused to move your ass.”

He stared at his brother, his thoughts spinning.

They had access to the nanites, it was a possibility. But the thought of putting his brother through that...”No.”

“What?”

“No, Scott. I would rather he die.”

Scott’s eyes widened and he sat up straighter in his chair. “You can’t mean that.”

Virgil threw back the whisky, its heat burning the back of his throat. His voice was cold, but hoarse. “I do. This is never happening to any of you.”

Eos crowded into his thoughts.

Uncle?

“No, Eos. While it has a few positives, you being most of them, I would never wish this on my worst enemy, much less my family.”

“That may not be your decision, Virgil. It has to be an option that at least should be considered. If Eos can reach him, it might be worth the risk.”

“Risk?!” Virgil tensed on the edge of his chair. “You want to talk to me about risk? How about being open to mind rape? How about not knowing if you might be attacked at any moment, have your very will taken away from you and made into someone else’s puppet?” He spat the words at his brother. “How about being stared at by your family in fear that you might hurt them? Scorned when something does go wrong, and having to live with the guilt when you do actually hurt one of them due to that damn piece of technology in your head. It will never be gone. I have to live with it for the rest of my life, however short that is, as we don’t even know how long it can be maintained and what happens if it fails.” He drew in a shaky breath. “So, no, Scott. It is not an option. John would be better off dead.”

His empty whisky glass hit the table harder than it should have.

Scott had paled.

Eos was trembling.

Virgil closed his eyes and let his head drop to his hands. His elbows dug into his knees. Voice muffled. “I’m sorry. I just can’t do that to him.”

-o-o-o-

The room fell silent except for Virgil’s harsh breathing. Scott stared at his brother, heart tight at the harsh and painful admission. He wanted to deny it all, reassure Virgil, instinctively fight the monsters in the dark for his little brother. But this was beyond him.

Mind rape.

God.

“Scott?”

Eos’ voice was hesitant.

He continued to stare at the top of his brother’s dark-haired head. “Y-yes, Eos?” His voice cracked.

“What if we didn’t need to infect my father with the nanites? What if there was another way for me to reach him? Would you still want me to try?”

Scott looked up. “What? How?”

“Uncle?”

Virgil looked up, his face strained. “Eos, please get to the point.”

“I might be able to reach my father through Virgil.”

“Through Virgil? How?” His brother’s brown eyes latched onto his, a spark of hope rising within them. Scott fought it off. He couldn’t afford it.

“The circuitry is an interface. I can interact with Virgil through it. You could almost equate it to something like turning a digital signal into an analogue signal that he can interpret and vice versa. If I was able to interface with Virgil and somehow we could connect his nervous system to my father’s then I may have a conduit to send a signal.”

“Connect my nervous system...” Virgil’s concentration turned inwards and Scott was sure he was conversing with Eos outside the conversation. It rankled him, but he chose to ignore it. He had to.

“And how do we do that?”

“You can’t.” And Virgil was looking directly at him. “My body is full of nanites. I can not, and will not, infect him.”

“I am aware of that, Uncle.” Virgil’s lips thinned. “I’m hoping that proximity will enable me to jump across.”

“Proximity?” That spark of hope was definitely rearing its head.

“Sustained contact. Skin to skin. I do not know for sure, Scott, it might be enough. I believe it is worth an attempt.”

“Would any harm come to Virgil?” Scott pinned his brother with his eyes.

“No, I do not think so. He will only be the conduit.”

“What about you?” Virgil’s tone was abrupt, challenging, and the answer was obvious.

“I-“ And the conversation went internal. Virgil scowled, apparently at nothing, his brow creasing in worry.

“Guys, you going to let me in on the conversation?”

“Eos, don’t play it down. No, c’mon. For the love of-...We’ll use duct tape. Yes, we will. I don’t care how stupid it looks and neither will your father. It is for your safety.” Virgil shot to his feet. “Don’t you dare devalue your existence! You are just as important as any of us!” Virgil’s agitation increased. “We love you, you idiot!”

Eyes widening as Virgil stumbled in place, his hand going to his head, Scott leapt out of his chair, reaching to steady his brother. “What the hell are you two doing?!”

A pair of brown eyes snapped to his, as if surprised he was even there. “What?”

“Sit down, Virgil! Eos, back off!” He deployed a glare that had been known to melt world leaders and brothers alike. Virgil sat down. Eos muttered something over the comms. It could have been a sorry. “Now, calmly, what is the threat to Eos?”

Virgil dropped his gaze a moment before looking back up at his brother. “If we do this, John and I will need to be in constant contact. If the contact is broken, even for a moment, Eos could lose the section of herself that is connected to John. The last time that happened, it caused a cascade failure in her primary memory. John was able to correct it in time, but this time we may not have him and it could be life threatening for Eos.”

“It is worth the risk.” Eos’ tone was firm.

Virgil glared towards the ceiling. “We will assess the risks fully before attempting anything.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“Yes, we will.” For all three of them. Scott glared at his brother.

Virgil didn’t answer.

But the hope remained in his eyes.

-o-o-o-

John Tracy was angry.

In fact, John Tracy was royally pissed.

It didn’t happen very often. John was the calm, calculating one. A Spock to Scott’s Kirk.

But John was pretty sure Spock would be just as pissed as he was if someone had come along and trashed the Enterprise like those three a-holes had done to his beloved Thunderbird Five.

But even worse than that was what had been done to his brother.

John coasted through his ‘Bird. The gravity ring was no longer spinning, its controls destroyed by a desperate Virgil. So his home was eerily quiet. Even the beeps and clicks of working electronics were muted.

All was calm.

If he hadn’t been so angry, he might have revelled in it. Peace was his sanctuary, an uninterrupted place to concentrate and create.

But he had far more important things to do.

He needed to protect this station. He needed to protect his brother.

He needed to put up some defences.

-o-o-o-

Another day of watching his younger brother fade away.

Virgil was frustrated. They had a possible solution, but Scott was refusing to action it without thoroughly going over every single detail. Hell, it was usually Virgil who was the pedantic one, but Scott in full big brother mode was a force to contend with. No way was he letting any of them attempt anything without dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s, and in the meantime, John got paler and thinner, and goddamnit!

Eos was just as frustrated as he was. She continued to buzz around him like a mosquito bent on blood.

It didn’t make Virgil’s temper any better.

He tried sitting with his brother, but the urge to grab his hand and ask Eos to just do it was so tempting, so real, that he had fled the infirmary.

This was beyond his paintbrush, beyond even the piano, he feared he might break the keys. So he ended up in the gym, borrowing a page from his eldest brother’s book. Hands wrapped, shirt off, he beat the living shit out of Scott’s favourite punching bag.

Of course, it wasn’t canvas that he hit. No, it was faces. The Hood was prominent, quickly followed by Percival F-ing Fischler. Muscles complained, sweat ran down his back and at one point he found himself yelling and cursing.

His knuckles hurt.

Pale blond John, wasting away.

He hit it some more.

“Hey!”

And Scott was standing there. Forever worried blue eyes framed by black smudges.

Put there by Virgil Tracy.

He swung again, putting everything into his arm, forcing the anger into motion, burning it before it could burn him.

The canvas wobbled, the shock absorbed, it mocked him.

“We’re ready.” And Scott was beside him, a hand on his shoulder.

Virgil’s chest heaved. Sweat ran into his eyes. “About damn time.”

“Get cleaned up and meet me in the infirmary.”

Eos buzzed in his ears.

Scott squeezed his shoulder.

About damn time.

-o-o-o-

They had hauled a larger bed into the room and placed it beside John. On closer inspection, it appeared to be Gordon’s.

At Virgil’s raised eyebrow, Scott shrugged. “His was the easiest to disassemble, and besides, he volunteered it.”

Odd, since Gordon hadn’t been seen since Scott had announced Eos’ plan.

There was no doubt his brother was disturbed by the idea. Virgil still hadn’t managed to speak to him. Gordon hadn’t let him apologise for literally dying on him.

So much pain. All because of him.

Perhaps John had it right.

Don’t be stupid.

Virgil closed his eyes.

None of this is your fault. You know that. Stop this self destructive train of thought and focus. I need you to help save my father.

I’m sorry.

Don’t be sorry, just don’t do it.

Easier said than done.

Please, Uncle.

A sigh. She was right. This crap was getting him nowhere. He opened his eyes to find both Scott and Brains staring at him. He ignored them.

Tired voice. “So how are we doing this?”

“P-Please t-take off your shirt and lie on the b-bed.”

He did as he was asked, throwing off his shoes as well. The mattress was rather firm, a legacy of Gordon’s back injuries.

Scott lent over and began attaching the pads of a cardiomonitor to his chest. “Is that really necessary?” They were going to hurt like a bitch to come off.

“You bet your ass they are. Just like the EEG.”

“Really?” His hair had barely recovered from the last time.

“Really.” That was not the ghost of a smile on his brother’s face. No, not at all.

Damnit.

It seemed to take ages, probably because it did, but eventually he had stickers and plasters all over him aimed at monitoring his health. John was equally decorated, and as they lay him beside Virgil, it was hard to prevent tangles.

Virgil took his long and lanky little brother into his arms, dismayed at how frail he felt. He lay John’s head on his shoulder, and Scott arranged those long limbs as gently as possible, wrapping him around Virgil.

“Are you comfortable?” Scott’s eyes were filled with concern.

“I’m okay.” He wriggled a moment. He was going to have to hold this position for a while. “Tie us up.” A forced smile.

“Are you sure you don’t want a sedative?”

“No. I-I need to be here for them.”

Under the worry there was sadness in his brother’s eyes. Barely whispered. “Okay.” A hand brushed his shoulder.

Virgil had one arm wrapped around his little brother. He placed the other protectively across his cheek and neck as Scott brought the straps across their bodies, securing them tightly together. It was rather a confronting position. Strapped to his brother and strapped to the bed.

John hadn’t twitched through the entire procedure.

God, he hoped this worked.

“Are we ready?”

“W-we’re r-ready.”

-o-o-o-

John wove code like a weaver wove cloth, but unlike the weaver, John’s code was stronger than synthsteel.  He first built the framework, impregnating it in TB5’s superstructure. Then, with the delicacy of a spider spinning its web, he interconnected the network of spars with layer upon layer of firewall.

Nothing was getting into Thunderbird Five.

Nothing was getting to his brother.

Nothing.

-o-o-o-

Eos was nervous.

And not a little scared.

She watched from above as they strapped her father and uncle together. It hurt to see. Her father was so sickly looking and Virgil...she hated to put him through even more after all he had suffered already.

But her father needed her.

Virgil closed his eyes.

Eos.

She hesitated.

Please, Eos, he needs you.

I know. This will likely be uncomfortable.

Nothing new there. His tone was dry. C’mon, Eos, anticipation hurts almost as much.

I’m sorry.

I know.

She reached out and connected with the interface. She slipped smoothly into her uncle’s mind. He was calm, though resigned, and she was sad to see it, but then beyond it all was a spark of hope. The same hope that had sustained him through the past months. Despite everything he was he was still trying.

She embraced him with her whole self. Thank you, Virgil.

Half a smile. He’s my little brother, Eos. Now go to him.

She navigated the maze of her uncle’s mind. She had never travelled this deep. She darted from the heart of his soul, past his primitive to his central conduit. Beyond lay his body’s electrical system.

Again with the hesitation.

Go!

He was behind her.

And his love and support radiated out to surround her.

She reached out for her father.

-o-o-o-

A flicker of pain passed over Virgil’s face.

“Virg?”

Whispered.“Burns.” His brother’s eyes were still closed, but his brow furrowed.

Another flicker and he screwed his eyes tight. “Ow.”

“I-it is as ex-expected. His n-nerves are not designed to take the l-larger current.”

“Eos said it wouldn’t hurt him.”

“It is un-unlikely it will do any p-permanent damage, but I doubt it w-will be p-pleasant.”

“Can we give him a painkiller?”

“No!” Virgil didn’t shout, but his choice was clear. “I-I’ll be fine.”

Scott grit his teeth. C’mon Eos, find John and get this over with.

-o-o-o-

Eos spread herself out across a range of nerve endings, each leading to skin in contact with her father’s face.

She could feel Virgil’s pain and it hurt her to hurt him. She had to be fast. She built up a charge strong enough to bridge the gap.

And jumped.

-o-o-o-

John felt it the moment it made contact.

It hurt him.

So you think you can attack us again, do you?

He flexed his shoulders. Think again.

The code flew from his fingertips, the firewalls flared, he tuned the anti-viral for the incoming invader and deployed his own special kind of shielding.

Nothing was getting through.

-o-o-o-

Her father felt different to her uncle.

Where Virgil was blue flame, John was blue ice. Strong, still, and, she frowned, ominous.

She rode his network as fast and as delicately as she could, reaching for his mind.

And was slapped away.

Eos stumbled back, tripping nerve pathways. Father!

She reached for his main conduit again. She had to get into his mind.

A solid wall of ice slammed into her, its cold wrapping around her and leeching her strength.

No!

She lit up, her hands bursting into flame. Beyond everything she felt Virgil flinch. She was drawing more power.

But she had to get through!

Father!

She melted the ice, powering herself forward. Dodging another slap, she slipped into her father’s mind.

It was a wasteland.

Everything was burnt.

Oh, Father, dear John.

An avalanche of ice swept towards her. No!

She threw up a shield of fire, set herself and let it rush over her. It roared, it screamed. In her father’s voice.

John!

The ice kept coming. She pushed forward. Please, Father!

Her flame flickered so she drew more and pushed forward.

And suddenly she was spinning amongst stars.

They wheeled.

Around and around.

It took her more than a moment to orient herself. Where?

Of course.

Thunderbird Five hung amongst those stars. It beckoned her.

Until a bolt of brilliant blue shot out and cut into her.

-o-o-o-

Virgil cried out in pain, his teeth slamming shut, gritting tight.

“What the hell is going on?” Scott stared at his brothers in fear.

“E-Eos is drawing m-more p-power than she sh-should be.”

Both cardiomonitors were recording elevated heartbeats. Virgil’s EEG was jumping all over the map. John’s was spiking erratically.

“John-John is f-fighting her.” It was gasped out. Virgil’s eyes were open and gazing about wildly. Scott moved into his line of sight and those brown eyes latched onto him like he was a lifeline. “He’s fighting her.”

“Why?”

“She doesn’t know.” He blinked. “He’s hurt her.” His eyes screwed shut again.

“Call her back.”

Those eyes flung open again. “N-no! W-we have to do this.” And he flinched again.

“Virgil.”

“No. John needs us.”

“V-“

“No!”

-o-o-o-

Eos staggered, her code shrinking back, her own defences absorbing the injury and working to repair.

So he wanted to play it that way.

If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was play.

Very well, Father, you asked for it.

She dove for TB5, weaving in and out of the oncoming bolts of blue. She flipped, she rolled, she spun. She flexed her code and the illusion of a ship formed around her. At first it was green, big, bulky and roaring, but moments later it morphed into the larger red Thunderbird Three. She needed to dock and TB3 could do it.

Flipping again, she spun the ship around thrusters firing, flinging herself sideways, dodging yet another bolt bringing her in range of dock. An echo of the youngest brother bounced through her processors as she drew on docking procedures and slammed TB3 home into her docking ports.

Level One complete.

-o-o-o-

John cursed.

The invader had managed to dock. How the hell? Did it have his little brother? A chill ran up his spine. Please no.

He hit the comms. “Alan? Alan, do you read?”

Father?

“Eos? Where have you been? We are under attack.”

No, John. You’ve been ill. It is not an attack, it is me.

“Where is Alan?”

The youngest is on the island waiting for you to wake.

Wake? But he was awake. He was here, repelling invaders. Invaders who could take on any guise. Who could take Virgil.

“No. You can not have him.”

Have who?

“You will not hurt my brother again.”

Three sections of code, he spun the program and let it loose.

-o-o-o-

She saw it coming, but there was no way to avoid it.

The program latched onto her and began to eat code. Eos gasped, hurriedly attempting to shove it off. It burned.

She threw up fast built shielding and it slowed, but it didn’t stop.

Please, Father!

He didn’t answer her.

She grabbed the airlock, letting go of the illusion of TB3. Firewalls flared at her touch, but she clung on anyway.

A flash of determination and Virgil’s exo-suit wrapped around her, fully equipped for firefighting.

She busted her way in, spraying foam as she went.

Father, please!

Sentry programs lined up in rows like skittles. Spinning, she ploughed into them, her claws catching, corrupting them one by one.

The next airlock flared up, roaring flame. She froze it solid and broke through the fragile remains.

And she was in the command module.

Her father floated amongst holograms.

The exo-suit disappeared, her tattered white dress remained, marred only by the program still gnawing on her side. Father!

“Get out.”

No, Father, you need help.

“I asked you to leave. You can not have him. You can not hurt any more of my family.”

I’m not here to hurt you, Father. Please listen. She was hurting. Virgil was hurting. Everyone was hurting. Please, John.

He advanced on her and Eos took a step back. She couldn’t hurt him here. No...

He loomed over her, one hand weaving code like a magician. The program already attached to her dug in harder and she whimpered. He raised his hand...

And a blinding flash of blue-white light struck like lightning, flinging him across the room. A presence hung in the air, massive and overwhelming. For God’s sake, John, she’s your daughter!

John’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping in shock. “Virgil?!”

The presence flickered and was suddenly gone. Eos folded in on herself as she felt Virgil slip unconscious, his limits reached.

A pair of green eyes, so similar to her own were staring at her. Eos?!

Yes, Father. The program continued to chew. she curled up in pain.

Oh my god. And he was suddenly there. Gentle hands, a magician with code, her creator. The attacking program was wiped from existence, her code rewoven, corrected, the white of her dress once again glowing.

With a gasp, he wrapped her in his arms, his blue ice melting away to reveal a soft amber flame, warm, yet fragile.

She clung to him.

Thunderbird Five faded around them to be replaced by a mountain peak on Tracy Island. A telescope, a night sky. A gentle breeze.

I am so sorry, Eos. His head was bowed.

She reached up and touched his cheek. We don’t have much time, Father. This is a great strain on both me and Virgil.

Virgil? How?

He lies with you now, enabling me to reach you. You have been unconscious for over a week. Your brothers have been frantic. Please come back to us.

He was staring at her.

She held out her hand.

He took it.

-o-o-o-

He woke in his big brother’s limp embrace.

Straps held him down and he couldn’t see properly. His first instinct was to struggle.

“Father, you are safe. Please do not fight anymore.” Eos’ voice over the comms.

Virgil’s chest rose and fell, his breath soft in John’s hair.

“John?” Scott. “You with us?”

“Yes.” His voice was raspy with disuse. “What happened?”

“You can release them now, Eldest.” Eos again.

The straps were removed. John felt as weak as a kitten, his head was pounding, his face and neck stung. He frowned at his bandaged hands. What? He struggled to an elbow, desperate to see Virgil’s face. His brother was decked out in EEG tabs, his eyes closed, tear tracks on his cheeks.

He reached up a shaky, bandaged hand and gently brushed away the moisture. “Is he okay?”

Eos answered. “He’s sleeping. He will be well.”

John lowered himself back down, his head once again resting on his brother’s shoulder. He found himself trembling.

A warmed blanket was suddenly draped over them both.

“John?”

Scott was crouching down to his eye level on the other side of the bed. “Are you okay?”

John swallowed. “No. What happened?”

So Scott told him of the accident and Eos’ and Virgil’s plan to find him. “Apparently they succeeded.” His biggest brother offered him a small smile, his relief plain.

John didn’t know what to think. He only remembered fear and the need to protect. He had hurt Eos, and Virgil...

The memory of that blue-white lightning strike, the power, the presence, the determination.

“Father?”

The petite green-eyed, red-haired girl in the dancing white dress, so young, so vibrant, holding out her hand...his daughter. A sad smile. “Eos, you are so beautiful.”

And he let his eyes close, ever so tired, Virgil’s rhythmic breathing lulled him to sleep.

-o-o-o-

Virgil woke with a headache.

But that was nothing new, so he ignored it. The burning sting in his neck and chest, now that was new.

Uncle?

Eos?

How do you feel?

Uh?

There was musical laughter. Your usual morning self then?

He grunted.

She laughed at him again.

As a sign of how vague he was, it was only then he realised he wasn’t alone in the bed.

He startled, not remembering...

Virgil, John is sleeping in the bed with you.

John? John! And it all hit him.

Is he okay? He flung his eyes open only to find the room dim. There was hair in his nose.

We found him. He is simply asleep.

And he could feel him. The soft rise and fall of his ribs, his breath on his bare chest.

He shivered.

“Virgil?” Ever so quiet. Tentative.

Scott.

Turning his head, he found his big brother beside the bed, where, instinctively, he knew he would be. “Hey.” Ugh, raspy voice.

“How are you feeling?”

Virgil blinked. “Been better. Been worse.” He forced a small smile. “How is John?”

“He woke. He’s with us.” Scott reached for Virgil’s hand and clasped it gently. “Thank you, Virgil.”

His smile stretched his face just that little more. “What are big brothers for?”

Scott squeezed his hand.

-o-o-o-

It took several weeks for John to get back on his feet and back up to par. Virgil was back in Thunderbird Two’s hangar the very next day, much to both Scott and Eos’ annoyance. The sting in his neck and chest was tolerable and eventually went away, the red trace lines faded until there was no sign Eos had ever been there.

The missing hair on his chest and head was a completely different grumbling matter.

He visited John regularly and helped with his rehab. He did find it a little unnerving when John looked at him for the first time, something like amazement on his face. But his brother didn’t ask, or comment, and for that Virgil was thankful.

As for what he had seen when he desperately followed Eos...the intricate web of blue ice and amber flame had been beautiful. Precise, elegantly formed, so John.

Cobalt blue, cadmium orange and yellow, Payne’s grey, the colours flared under his paintbrush. They glowed, but only a hint of the reality.

He hung the painting on his bedroom wall. He never explained it to anyone.

The evening John asked him to join him on Observatory Peak, he knew his brother had some things to say. It was also a sign of his brother’s full recovery, as the Peak was quite a hike.

The sky was clear when they finally reached the point. Virgil hadn’t been up here in years, and it brought back memories of the first weeks on the island, John eagerly setting up his telescope, making this his place as Virgil helped him lug the equipment up the hill.

John stood staring at the sky. The sun was just below the horizon, the stars not completely visible yet. His brother had tackled the problem of patchy hair by shearing most of it off, the blond gone, the red, short and slowly growing back. It wasn’t a great look. If anything it emphasised the weight he still needed to regain, but the blond was gone and the hint of his familiar flick was just starting to curl above his forehead.

“Thank you, Virgil.”

Virgil snorted. “Not needed and you know it.”

“But I needed to say it.”

Virgil arched an eyebrow.

John didn’t acknowledge it, his gaze drifting back to the stars. The Southern Cross appeared low on the horizon. “She is beautiful.”

Quietly. “Yes, she is.”

“Has she always appeared like that to you?”

Virgil blinked. “Like what?”

“A young red-haired girl.”

“Of course. She has your eyes.” Virgil smiled.

“But she was simply a gaming program.”

Virgil stared at his brother, his words aggravating even though he knew John didn’t mean it quite that way. “She is your daughter.”

John looked away. “I know.” He bit his lip. “Intellectually, I know, but to see her...” His eyes were dark in the dim light as they sought Virgil’s. “I think, despite everything, I’m envious of you.”

Virgil startled, but then set into a glare. “Don’t be.”

John turned to him, and to Virgil’s surprise, grabbed his arms. His normally non-tactile brother, reaching out to him. “I was able to hug her, Virgil. I touched her. For the first and only time. Do you have any idea how that felt? She’s my daughter.”

Eos swelled in the back of his mind. The evening breeze caught his hair and tousled it. Without hesitation, Virgil drew his brother into a tight hug, ignoring John’s instinctive, self protecting flinch and buried his face in his neck.

He closed his eyes and held on tight as Eos rushed past him. The flush of heat as she embraced her father for just the most fleeting of moments was enough to wash away the chill in the air.

As John gasped, Virgil realised that perhaps there were a few more positives to his situation than he had thought.

Perhaps it was worth the pain, in some small way, if a lonely man could hug his daughter.

-o-o-o-

FIN.

[whoacanada]

Zimbits -  Ego Boost

(Alright, I have to hold up my end now -- @awfulruby made this because of reasons. Money Money Money Money Money --]

Summary: It shouldn’t turn him on. There’s no acceptable excuse for why he’s wired this way. 

It’s been a difficult week. A difficult month. If the Falcs make the playoffs it’ll be a miracle.

And still, Bitty’s wearing a Zimmermann jersey. His jersey. Not just one from the team shop, the one Jack wore in his first playoff series against the Islanders. With a little tear on the shoulder from a rough hit and a few spots of faded brown from the resulting punch that succeeded in busting his lip.

Jack, without hesitation, thinks, ‘Mine’.

“Oh, honey,” Bitty strokes the crest of his cheek with his thumb. “Do you need a little ego boost? Want me to tell you how amazing you are?”

“No,” Jack growls, getting an arm around Bittle’s torso to flip him onto the couch. “Tell me the real reason you’re with me.”

Bitty makes a soft ‘oof’ of surprise and blinks up at Jack with darkening eyes. “Oh, so it’s one of those nights, is it?”

Jack doesn’t need to hear how amazing he is, he knows how amazing he is, he just needs someone else to revel in that success with him.

Jack drops his head to mouth at Bitty’s neck. “Maybe,” he admits.

“Oh, honey, you want me to be honest?” Bitty laughs huskily and threads his fingers through Jack’s hair, tugging firmly, just how he likes. “Really, really honest? How I spent so much time in college thinking about how if I could just get you to notice me, I’d never need to work a day in my life?”

It shouldn’t turn him on. There’s no acceptable excuse for why he’s wired this way. Well, actually, there are many reasons. Being famous since birth will do that to you. Even in rehab other patients had taken note of his last name on day one and made heart-eyes the whole damn time.

They didn’t care about him, only his accomplishments. His family. His money. And now, blessed with a partner who genuinely loves him for who is, he craves this. Objectification. To be reduced to numbers. Income. Ice time. Stats. Measurements.

“I mean, everyone knows I’m only sleeping with you because you’re famous. For your body. Your name.” Bittle’s hands drift lower, nails scraping against the bare skin on his back. Jack growls in response.

“Or maybe it’s your scoring average? Your ice time? You think I’d fuck anyone else? Some fourth-line d-man riding the pine? No, no, baby, only the Falconers lead scorer is good enough for me —” Bittle digs his fingers into the meat of Jack’s ass and squeezes “— I need a power forward with a big dick, a bigger paycheck, and a legacy bursting with potential.”

Jack gets a hand under Bitty and pulls their hips flush, relishing the feeling of Bittle’s stiff cock trapped beneath Jack’s jersey.

“Crisse,” Jack breathes, biting at Eric’s jaw, “you have no idea how much I need to fuck you right now.”

Bitty grinds up against him with a laugh. “Oh, baby, you think it’s that easy? You didn’t even score last night. I should be talking to Alexei.”

“Bittle,” Jack warns, but Eric is undeterred.

“You think you’ve earned this? Prove it.”

He doesn’t think before he’s on his feet, and Bittle’s over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold.

“Jack!” he squeals, kicking lightly.

“I’m proving it,” Jack says firmly, turning his head to nip at Bitty’s bare ass. “Green light?” he asks, heading to the bedroom.

“Green light, so green,” Bitty sighs, giggling when Jack throws him onto the bed while he fishes lube out of the nightstand. Bitty looks around at the comforter. “Jack, we’ll ruin the —“

“I’ll buy a new one. ”

“Wait, wait!” Bitty rolls over and makes a grabby motion. “Can we do the thing?”

Jack stops. “What thing?”

“The —“ Bitty jerks his head toward the closet, and the safe, “— the ‘thing’.”

The request clicks and what blood is left in Jack’s brain rushes south. The emergency cash.  Three stacks of fresh $100 dollar bills. Thirty thousand dollars.

“I wasn’t kidding, Mr. Zimmermann. Big dick, bigger paycheck. Put on you cup ring.”

____

One Hour Later…

____

“I can’t believe you talked me into having sex on a pile of money,” Bitty groans. “So unsanitary.”

“Whoa, hey,” Jack pushes up on his elbows and awkwardly hip-checks his boyfriend. “This was your idea. Also, those were fresh bills. Emphasis on ‘were’.”

“I know, just, ugh, we got lube on the money.”

“More than lube, Peach Bud.” Jack grabs a handful of bills and drops them on Bitty’s stomach. “You want to go shopping?”

“Don’t tease.”

Jack rolls on top of Bitty, batting a few tacky 100s still sticking to his skin that refuse to shake loose. “I want you to spend my money, Bits. I want everyone to know I’m the one taking care of you.”

“That’s awfully possessive, hon, and kinda stereotypical,” Eric mumbles, shoving him off to count out several bills before dropping a neat stack on Jack’s thigh. “Hey, here’s rent.”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I really like taking care of you.”

“You like spending money on me.”

“And taking care of you. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“I’m not a newly-minted WAG, Jack. I don’t need you to shower me with gifts every five minutes to keep me from leaving. Let’s start a scholarship fund. Instead of blowing your salary on watches and cars and —”

“Clothes?” Jack adds.

“No, I still want to look good, don’t paint your golden goose grey, Zimmermann. But seriously? You know how many kids you could get into mites with thirty grand?” Eric fists a handful of bills and winces. “Okay, not this thirty grand.”

“Not as many as you’d think, but your point is valid.”

Eric starts laughing to himself. “What about ‘The Jack Zimmermann Scholarship for kids who can’t play hockey good’.”

“‘And want to learn how to do other stuff good, too’.” Jack finishes with a grin.

[swiftsuburbanlegends]

All the Right Moves

Queen Family prepares for theroy wedding

“And then you’ll walk town the aisle with little Sara,” Thea explained.

But Tommy’s face contorted and he began to pout. “Why?”

“Because that’s how it’s done at weddings kiddo.”

“But I don’t like Sara.”

Oliver was showing William how to tie a tie as he listened in on his sister and his middle child. 

“What are you talking about,” Thea smiled. “Sara and you are bffs.”

“She took my cookie during snack time at Aunt Lyla’s, she’s a meany,” the three year old huffed. “I wanna walk with Uncle Roy.”

“Hey T,” William crouched down getting at eye level with his brother. “You know I saw Sara when I dropped off Uncle Diggle’s tux. And she was super sorry she ate your cookie.”

“She was?”

“Are you kidding me, she tried to stuff my pockets with animal crackers for you. But I didn’t have room.”

“You should of grabbed a bag,” he said in a serious tone.

To his credit, William held back his groan. “Next time, kid. But for now, why don’t you accept your fate, walk with your best friend, and go play with your Legos.”

“Ooh I need to work on my Death Star.”

And with that Tommy zoomed out of the sitting room and towards the staircase. He was only stopped when Oliver heard his wife’s voice call after him. “Do not wake your sister.”

“Okay,” Tommy called back at near top volume.

Felicity entered the room, leaning against the door frame. Oliver could see her in the mirror Thea insisted on dragging out of the study. 

“Excuse me,” he said an air of humor in his voice. “Are you checking me out?”

“Duh, that’s why I married you so I could do it all the time,” she came into the room, and took a seat next to Thea. “Where is the groom?”

“Ollie banished him from the house until after the ceremony tomorrow.”

“Oliver!”

“She’s exaggerating,” he turned to face his wife. “I said that considering the string of bad luck this family inherits, perhaps sticking to some traditions is wise.”

“We saw each other before we got married.”

“We had also just survived invaders from another earth who crashed our friends wedding hell bent on stealing another friend’s heart,” he paused. “And then the team broke up for six months.”

She grimaced. “He might have a point on the bad luck thing.” 

“It’s okay,” Thea smiled. “He’s hanging with John and Quentin right now, and after Rene drops Zoe off, the boys will all head out, and it will be girl’s night.”

“One last hurrah,” Felicity cheered. “I mean unless we need to spend the whole night reminding you how happy you are about this wedding.”

Thea rolled her eyes. “My feet are 100% toasty over here. I have wanted this for a long time.”

“Good.”

Oliver crossed his arms as he spoke. “You two are still so young.”

“Here we go again,” but his sister smirked at him. “I’m 26 Ollie.”

“I didn’t get married until I was in my 30s.”

“Because you didn’t meet the love of your life until well past 26.”

“It wasn’t well past,” he grumbled, turning back to William. “We met when I was 27. And it didn’t take long for me to know how important she was.”

“And yet it still took three years for a kiss, and six for a wedding band,” she teased.

“Are you complaining?” he came to stand behind her spot on the couch, leaning over to kiss her.

“Complain me? Never.”

“I didn’t see you making the first move.”

“I made plenty of moves.”

“Name one?”

“All my innuendos.”

“Those were slip ups you said.”

“Oh hon, yes I mean a few were slip ups, but I’d say about 50/50 on the actual ‘omg will he ever get the hint’. At least until we were actually friends. And then it was 60/40.”

“For or against?”

“I feel that I do not want to incriminate myself in front of my sister-in-law and our eldest.”

“It’s okay,” William said. “We already know you two are hopeless, in love and in general.”

Thea laughed, giving her nephew a high five.

“Hush the both of you,” Felicity tossed a pillow at Thea. 

“Hey you shouldn’t beat up the bride.”

As Felicity stuck her tongue out in response, the door bell sounded and Oliver made his way to answer it.

Zoe stood on the other side with a grin. “Sup Mr. Q?”

“Hey Zoe, you hear for girl’s night.”

“Only because Dad insisted on hosting you guys,” she shrugged. “But it’s cool, Aunt D said she was gonna show me some take down moves.”

“Well if so do that in the backyard please.”

“Can do,” she entered, rocking on her heels. “Dad said he’d wait in the car for you guys. Even put in the booster seat for Tommy.”

“Thank you.”

William entered the foyer and locked eyes with Zoe. But neither seemed to want to speak.

“William why don’t you go get your brother so we can head out?”

“Um,” he tore his gaze from Zoe. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”

As he trudged up the stairs Zoe was pulled from her trance and she smiled once more. “I’m gonna go see what snacks Raisa made for tonight.”

“Knock yourself out.”

When she wandered off Felicity entered the small area and sighed. “I had hoped those two would have talked about things by now.”

“Things? What things?”

“Zoe’s going to forensic camp this summer,” Felicity said like the answer was obvious.

“And William’s not okay with it?”

“Not when he thought she was still going to help him coach the junior league softball team this year.”

“Ah.”

“He says they just started up but it already feels like they’re pulling away.”

“Summer’s still months from now.”

“You know how it is when your young, and all those love feelings are so new.”

“I should talk to him.”

“Yes you should,” she walked over kissing his cheek. “But this weekend isn’t about William and Zoe, it’s about Thea and Roy. So talk to him after they wedding’s all said and done.”

“Since you’re the one asking,” he smiled at her. “You think if we had waited and had a big wedding you would have been as calm as Thea?”

“I mean you’ve met my mother right?”

“So maybe not.”

“Oliver, I don’t live with any regrets about how and when we got married,” she whispered, running a hand along his jaw. “Thea and Roy are doing exactly what it right for them. And I cannot wait to stand next to them and watch them get married tomorrow.”

“I agree.”

“Good,” she kissed him once more and smiled. “Please do not put another arrow in Roy before the ceremony.”

“I make no promises.”

“Oliver,” her tone was playful but also edged on a warning.

“Fine, I promise not to maim my soon to be brother-in-law.”

“Good,” she replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be the one in a tux.”

“Technically all the guys will be.”

“Fine I’ll be the one in a tux who won’t be able to look at anyone but you,” he amended giving her one final kiss as the boys trudged down the stairs. He turned to them. “Ready to go.”

“Yep,” they chorused and made their way out the door. 

“Guess that’s my cue.”

“Have fun with the boys,” she grinned. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Back at you.”

“Well that list is a lot longer than mine.”

“Goodbye hon.”

“See you later dear.”

[prameet]

Free Labor vs. Wage Slavery

American sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois famously conceived of slavery as a relationship based inherently in labor terms – the slaveholder was an owner of human chattel whose control over and exploitation of the worker/slave was absolute. “Slavery is fundamentally a labor system,” historian Erik Loomis wrote in his book A History of America in Ten Strikes, citing Du Bois, who “called slave self-emancipation a ‘general strike’” that occurred at the onset of the Civil War with slaves “walking away from the plantations [and] withholding their labor from masters who increasingly could not control them” (Loomis, p. 30). Even after the abolition of slavery with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, vestiges of the institution remained in the labor relationship between former slaveholders and newly emancipated former slaves, which – in many cases – resembled slavery in all but name. While “freedpeople remained adamant in the desire to work without the supervision of masters and overseers, to determine their own hours and pace of labor, and to receive wages commensurate with their effort,” historian Eric Foner wrote in his book Forever Free, “most white southerners insisted that blacks must remain a dependent plantation labor force in a situation not very different from slavery [and] sought to reestablish their authority over the former slaves through labor contracts” (Foner & Brown, pp. 91-93).

The former slaveholders’ assertion flew in the face of the freedpeople’s belief in free labor, an ideology imported from the North that “rested on the idea that the opportunity to improve one’s condition in life was a far more effective spur to efficient labor than the coercion of slavery” (Foner & Brown, p. 98). Critics of this free labor system ranged from white slaveholders who had wished to protect their economic interests in owning slaves (“the liberty of the northern wage earner … amounted to little more than the freedom to sell his labor for a fraction of its value, or to starve,” said Vice President John C. Calhoun, one of the most ardent defenders of slavery) (Zietlow, pp. 54-55) to white labor leaders who wished to improve labor conditions (“the chattel slave of the past-the wage slave of today; what is the difference? … formerly the master selected the slave; today the slave selects his master,” said labor activist Albert Parsons in a speech to the court during the infamous Haymarket trial) (The Accused, the accusers).

As post-Civil War America gave way to Gilded Age capitalism, these criticisms of free labor ideology gained even more of a foothold. “The new industrial capitalism made a few millionaires the new masters and white workers compared themselves to slaves because their free labor ideology had proven false,” Loomis wrote (Loomis, p. 50). Slavery may have been a labor system, but free labor was a slave system, they argued – coining the term “wage slavery” to describe the plight of the wage laborer. Eventually, even freedpeople who had once been buoyed by the idea of free labor as progress soured on the thought and began to make direct connections between working conditions under wage labor and slavery. Abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass said in 1883, “Experience demonstrates that there may be a wages of slavery only a little less galling and crushing in its effects than chattel slavery, and that this slavery of wages must go down with the other” (Address of Hon. Fred. Douglass).

Among the central grievances workers had with the system of wage labor were the treacherous and taxing conditions under which they worked, the low pay they received, and the stark difference between the wages they received and the riches amassed by their capitalist masters. “These capitalists made their fortunes on the backs of workers suffering through increasingly brutish and nasty lives,” Loomis wrote. “Workers died by the hundreds in mine accidents, by the dozens in factory fires, and one at a time in meatpacking plants and sawmills” (Loomis, p. 51). At the same time, the capitalist class (such as railroad executives) “agreed to cut their employees' wages even as they announced substantial dividends for their stockholders,” with one railroad baron saying, “The great principle upon which we joined to act was to earn more and spend less” (1877: The Grand Army of Starvation Script). The conditions of the Gilded Age persisted well into the early twentieth century and were perhaps best exemplified in the tragedy of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, in which the low-paid wage laborers (“they got whatever the contractor wanted to pay … Triangle and the inside contractor got the difference”) suffered terrible working conditions and, eventually, a tremendous loss of life (Stein, p. 161).

When wage laborers attempted to band together to collectively oppose these working conditions, a number of significant legal decisions threw the weight of the American government behind the capitalist class and by ruling consistently against unions, reinforcing the criticism that wage slavery had a stranglehold on the employment relationship. As early as 1806, Commonwealth v. Pullis held that any collective attempt to withhold labor in order to negotiate higher wages constituted criminal conspiracy (“a combination of workmen to raise their wages may be considered in a two fold point of view; one is to benefit themselves ...the other is to injure those who do not join their society”) (Commonwealth v Pullis). It wasn’t until almost four decades later, in the 1842 case Commonwealth v. Hunt, that a court ruled that criminal conspiracy charges didn’t apply to unions that used proper means to achieve their goals (“associations may be entered into, the object of which is to adopt measures that may have a tendency to impoverish another, that is, to diminish his gains and profits, and yet so far from being criminal or unlawful, the object may be highly meritorious and public spirited”) (Commonwealth v.  Hunt). But even a half century later, the 1896 case Vegelahn v. Guntner showed the government’s antipathy toward union activities by ruling the state could issue injunctions against basic union activities such as picketing (“a combination to do injurious acts expressly directed to another, by way of intimidation or constraint, either of himself or of persons employed or seeking to be employed by him, is outside of allowable competition, and is unlawful”) (Vegelahn v. Guntners).

In the early twentieth century, courts further weakened union power by enjoining union organizing on the ground that it interfered the right of individual workers to enter into employment contracts with employers. In the 1905 case Lochner v. New York, the Supreme Court explained, “the freedom of master and employee to contract with each other in relation to their employment, and in defining the same, cannot be prohibited or interfered with without violating the Federal Constitution” (Lochner v. New York). Loomis commented that the Court effectively found “that if a worker took a job, that worker agreed to whatever the employer offered and the government should not intervene in the sacrosanct arrangement. Such a worldview completely ignored the vast disparities of power between an employer and a worker desperate to eat” (Loomis, p. 83).

Piling on to these judicial rulings and evoking the era of state-sanctioned (or even state-sponsored) violence visited upon slaves, the government also supported employers over wage laborers by agreeing to allow state-sanctioned violence against strikers. “Violence or the threat of violence associated with employee collective action was of course an unlawful means and could serve as a basis of injunction under the civil conspiracy doctrine. Often, this violence was instigated by ‘security’ personal retained by the employer to break the strike, for example—the murders of coal miners’ wives and children in the Ludlow massacre that occurred in the 1913-14 miners’ strike against John D. Rockefeller’s Colorado Fuel and Iron Company” (Dau-Schmidt et al.,  Labor Law in the Contemporary Workplace p. 32). Other times, the violence was carried out directly by the state through executive interventions, including in the Haymarket massacre (by the Chicago Police Department), the anthracite coal strike (“the mine owners responded to strikes with state-sponsored violence” by the Pennsylvania national guard) (Loomis, p. 79), and the Pullman strike (President Grover Cleveland “called in the military to quash the strike”). “The Pullman strike was largely nonviolent until the military intervened,” Loomis wrote. “Pullman showed yet again that the government would assist corporations in destroying working-class movements” (Loomis, p. 74). Even the young women who participated in the New York shirtwaist strike of 1909, which preceded the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire by two years, felt the wrath of state violence. Clara Lemlich, a leader of the strike, “suffered six broken ribs when police beat her” (Loomis, p. 85). After the strike was broken, only some modest concessions were given, and the fire claimed the lives of scores of wage laborers, one woman said that “it was the same policemen who had clubbed them back into submission who kept the thousands in Washington Square from trampling upon their dead bodies, sent for ambulances to carry them away and lifted them one by one into the receiving coffins” (Stein, p. 168).

As the Gilded Age gave way to the Progressive Era and the radicalism of some of the early labor leaders gave way to a more moderate form of trade unionism in the twentieth century, so too did the idea of “wage slavery” (and the term itself) fall out of favor, replaced by the more palatable “wage work.” “This linguistic shift is of particular scholarly importance because it occurred during a time when producerist labor politics, with its emphasis on a radical reorganization of work and private property, lost significant ground to a more consumerist/economistic version of labor politics,” wrote sociologists Helga Kristin Hallgrimsdottir and Cecilia Benoit in a 2007 paper, showing “how the once dominant imagery of ‘wage slavery’ lost its connection to producerist labor ideology and eventually was replaced by the more pragmatic symbolism of ‘wage work’” (Hallgrimsdottir & Benoit). Still, the idea and the term of wage slavery persists to this day in some debates, including in conversations around the minimum wage. “To be working and homeless, that is taking advantage of people,” said Pam Garrison of the West Virginia Poor People's Campaign (which advocates for poor and low-income people) earlier this month. “You’re getting us for slave wages … And when you work and still need help to put food on the table, that’s immoral” (West Virginia workers keep pressure on Manchin for $15 wage).

 References

American Social History Project. 1877: The Grand Army of Starvation Script (for chapters on "The Centennial Exposition" and "The Railroad") · SHEC: Resources for Teachers. 1877: The Grand Army of Starvation Script. https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1920.

Chicago Historical Society Haymarket Affair Digital Collection. HADC - The Accused, the accusers, speech of Albert R. Parsons, pp. 90 - 188. The Accused, the accusers, speech of Albert R. Parsons, pp. 90 - 188. http://www.chicagohistoryresources.org/hadc/books/b01/B01S008.htm.

Colored Conventions Project Digital Records. Address of Hon. Fred. Douglass, delivered before the National Convention of Colored Men, at Louisville, Ky., September 24, 1883. Address of Hon. Fred. Douglass. https://omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/554.

COMMONWEALTH vs. JOHN HUNT & others. HUNT, COMMONWEALTH vs., 4 Met. 111, 45 Mass. 111. http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/45/45mass111.html.

Dau-Schmidt, K. G., Malin, M. H., Corrada, R. L., Ruiz, C. C. D., & Fisk, C. L. (2019). Labor law in the contemporary workplace. West Academic Publishing.

Foner, E., & Brown, J. (2006). Forever free: the story of emancipation and Reconstruction. Vintage Books.

FREDERICK O. VEGELAHN v. GEORGE M. GUNTNER & others. VEGELAHN vs. GUNTNER, 167 Mass. 92. http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/167/167mass92.html.

Hallgrimsdottir, H. K., & Benoit, C. (2007). From Wage Slaves to Wage Workers: Cultural Opportunity Structures and the Evolution of the Wage Demands of the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor, 1880-1900. Social Forces, 85(3), 1393–1411. https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.2007.0037

Lochner v. New York, 198 U.S. 45 (1905). Justia Law. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/198/45/.

Loomis, E. (2020). A history of America in ten strikes. The New Press.

Stein, L. (2011). The Triangle fire. ILR Press/Cornell University Press.

University of Massachusetts. Commonwealth v Pullis. https://blogs.umass.edu/ulaprog/files/2008/06/commonwealth-v-pullis.pdf.

West Virginia workers keep pressure on Manchin for $15 wage. People's World. (2021, February 18). https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/west-virginia-workers-keep-pressure-on-manchin-for-15-wage/.

Zietlow, R. E. (2019). The forgotten emancipator: James Mitchell Ashley and the ideological origins of Reconstruction. Cambridge University Press.

[lesphantom]

Aria’s Fathers Chapter 2:

Aria’s Fathers

Chapter 2

______

Six months later, Lynn had moved in with the boys temporarily as she was carrying their child.  Gladio and Ignis adored doting on Lynn and spending time talking to the baby growing in her stomach.  Ignis would tell fantastic made up stories and he would occasionally sing to the baby when Gladio wasn’t in the room.  Gladio on the other hand would tell Lynn’s stomach true stories about their adventure across Eos.

Ignis was telling one of his stories to the baby, his hand resting gently on Lynn’s stomach when he felt it.  The baby kicked.  Ignis looked up at Lynn, open eye wide with surprise.  Lynn let out a small squeal.  Gladio rushed over, sending his book flying.  

“D-did it just…?” Ignis said.

“Yep.  The baby kicked!  It likes the story you were telling!” Lynn said.

“Holy shit this is actually happening...” said Gladio.

“What, the fact that I’ve suddenly ballooned up wasn’t your first clue?” Lynn said.

“Oh stuff it.  You know what I mean...” said Gladio, placing his hand next to Ignis’.

“Oof.  Did you feel that?” Lynn said.

“Astrals!  We’re gonna have a soccer player!” said Gladio.

“You OK over there Iggy?” said Lynn, noticing the blind man’s silence.

“Um… yes… just… a bit… overwhelmed...” Ignis said, voice shaking.

“What’s up Ig?” said Gladio.

“What if I fail as a father?” Ignis said, suddenly.

“Ignis… You won’t fail!  If anything, Gladdy’s the one I’m worried about!” said Lynn.

“HEY!” Gladio said.

“Just sayin’ man…  Iggy, you’ll be just fine.  Your son or daughter is going to love you almost as much as you love them...” Lynn said.

Ignis glanced up at Lynn, a lone tear falling from his slightly unmarred cheek.  “You think I can do it?”

“Babe, you’ve got this.” said Gladio, taking Ignis’s hand in his.  “We both do.”

“And I’m a phone call away if you need anything.” Lynn said.

Ignis nodded. “Thank you, both.  I… had a moment of weakness.”

“Hon, you’re allowed.  Being a father is a scary as hell thing… especially when you don’t know what you’re doing.” said Gladio.

“Yeah.  I’m with Gladio.  I have faith in both of you.  You can do this!”

“Anyway, Iggy, continue the story.  The baby likes it.” said Gladio.

“Right...” Ignis said.

Lynn smiled watching the two men.  Ignis told the story with more animation than he had been and Gladio listened intently.  Both of their hands still rested on her stomach.  The baby continued to kick as Ignis spoke.  The moment Ignis finished the story, the kicking reached an almost painful amount.  Lynn held back a cry of pain, biting her bottom lip.

“You OK, Lynn?” Gladio said.

“Yeah, yeah.  I’m fine.” Lynn said in a strained voice.

“Do the kicks hurt?” said Ignis.

“They do now. It’s like the same spot….” said Lynn.

“Anything we can do to help?” said Gladio.

“Nah.  It’s cool.  Just… ow...” said Lynn.

“You should lie down, dear.” Ignis said.

“Yeah, we’ve had enough belly time for today.” said Gladio.

“If you guys want to do more, I can---”

“Go lie down if it hurts, Lynn.” said Gladio.

“It’s your baby… not mine.  You make the calls not me.” Lynn said.

“Lynn, darling, please.  Lie down.  The baby will still be there tomorrow.” said Ignis.

“Alright.  Sorry for interrupting...”

“Will you go lie down already, girlie?  It’s fine. “ said Gladio.

Lynn nodded. “Right.”

Gladio helped Lynn to her feet and he guided her to the bedroom.  He made sure that she had everything she needed within reach before he left the room. Ignis was leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug of Ebony. Gladio wrapped his arms around Ignis’ waist.  Ignis let out a light chuckle before setting the mug on the counter and leaning back into Gladio’s arms.

“Hey.  I love you.” said Gladio.

“I love you too.”

“It’s finally sinking in huh?” said Gladio.

“Yes.  And it’s beginning to get scary...”

“And this is only the beginning...” said Gladio.

_____

[darth-salem-emperor-of-earth]

For the fandom ask, let me return the favor: Hakuouki~! ;P

Thank you for the ask, hon! :D

How I entered/learned about the said game/show/movie/etc of that fandom: A good friend of mine from the fanfiction.net days recommended it to me and once I played it, I was hook. Too many sexy men. 

Fave character: Harada-- he makes me feel so safe while I want to go rawr! on him; and Kazama--arrogant characters appeal to me a lot.

Least fave character: Chizuru’s dad. He was such a tool and a terrible planner. If he so wanted Chizuru and Kazama to form an union and unite demons, he should have told her of her heritage from the very beginning and tried to find Kazama so the two of them could have gotten to know each other some more and be comfortable with the match. I could have done a better job than him! 

OTP(s): Chizuru/Harada, Chizuru/Kazama, and Chizuru/Okita.

Pairing that everyone likes but I don’t get: I am not really intuned with Hakuouki fandom but I was never fond of Chizuru/Hijikata. I like them as a platonic pair but romantically, the ship is boring and in the game, you act like a doll and do nothing to win romance points from him. 

Fave thing about the fandom: All the lovely fanart and fanfics! 

The most despised thing: Probably all the ships wars or hate for certain characters. 

If there is something I would change from said game/show/movie/etc., what would it be: Localization the later games that have more ships and give Kazama’s route more time. I’d also make his route the canon one in the anime and movie because both him and Chizuru are OCs while the rest of the characters are historical portrayals of real-life characters so instead of picking Hijikata, Kazama should be the default chose. Plus, having Chizuru become a demon princess/queen and reviving the demon race would be a great way to end the series!