#honey time in cone mug

[maniacwatchestheworld]

Because I almost thought that I lost it today, I want to show you all my favorite mug. I got it in Hong Kong. It's weird and stupid and I love the evershitting hell out of it!

It says "Honey time in cone" all over it, some flowers, a big heart, and stick figures doing romantic things. It's stupid and I love it.

[edward-munson]

kissing the cold away | E.M.

Summary: Eddie always visits you at the coffee place during his breaks, ordering the same drink every day.

Pairing: Eddie Munson x F!reader

Word count: 1.6k

No warnings

❆☕︎

Eddie walked in the coffee place, trying to warm his hands that were almost hard as rock from the cold. It was snowing outside, and he was on his break.

The Hideout was in the same street as your work. He would always come to get coffee whenever he was free in the afternoon. It was always almost by 4 pm. The bell above the door rang and you looked at it, facing him. He was wearing a black beanie, leather jacket on top of a sweater and ripped jeans. God. He can never let go of his style, even when it's freezing cold.

He sits on the stool close to the espresso machine. He loved the smell of it. He loved the smell of it mixed with your perfume, actually. And it's probably something he could never admit out loud. You turn around and shoot him a warm smile. One that makes your eyes crinkle. He smiles back at you and crosses his arm on top of the counter.

"What can I get you today, nerd?"

He grabs the menu from the counter and lifts it up to his face. You roll your eyes. He pretends he's reading the list of coffee options. You know he just likes to drink cold brew with almond milk. You don't know how or why. Even if it's not that, he just chooses a Frappuccino instead. You think it's because it's warm inside, because how else would he drink that outside? Might as well just pick up the snow from the floor and make a snow cone.

"Uhhhh" He stalls, purposely. "I'm going to want a cold brew with almond milk. And please add extra ice"

You gasp. You're not sure if he's joking or not. He starts chuckling, throwing his head back.

"Wouldn't you like me to pick some ice from outside? Maybe there's some with pee on them" You retorted, playfully mocking him.

"Now that's–" He points his finger at you in objection "Really low of you, honey"

You melt with the nickname. Your ears start to burn immediately every time he calls you that. You're not sure it's because you're shy, or because it sounds too sweet coming from him.

You shrug and start his order as you catch up with the news of the day. He says he's going to play a small gig next weekend. You tell him you're going to have a week off next month.

He drinks his coffee and makes a scene whenever he takes a sip. He closes his eyes, knitting his brows, and his lips leaves a sigh in delight.

"You're such a dork"

He muses towards you, placing the mug on the counter, and tilts his head.

"A dork yes, but you love him"

You eye him up and down and grimace mockingly. "Yeah, you wish"

You turn your back to him, only to serve a new customer. He watches as you smile at them, giving them suggestions about the drinks. He swallows his coffee slowly, gulping when you glance at him for a split second before using the machine.

He suddenly became incapable of speaking. You're just in your usual barista uniform, your hair tied in two small braids on the front. Your eyeliner is very discreet. Eyelashes with mascara fluttering as well. Your makeup is so light, and yet it lasts an entire day.

His coffee is sitting on the counter for almost five minutes, because that's how long it took for you to finally be free to talk to him again. You look at it first, and then to his face.

"Your coffee ain't getting colder, you know" You speak up, nudging your head towards the mug.

He creases his brows in confusion, looking down at it. Eddie didn't think he was being too slow to drink his coffee today and you seemed to have noticed it though.

"What do you mean? I'm a slow drinker" He tries to be bold about it, but you scoff at him.

"You almost always inhale your drinks. Unless it's a Negroni, which is like the worst drink ever"

Eddie opens his mouth in offense. "Don't you dare speak of the best recipe invented!"

You're staring at him, defiantly. You're leaning against the counter, holding the edge of it with both hands. He downs the entire cold brew, placing the mug back on the counter. He licks his lips and glances up at you, wiggling his brows.

"Now you're just going to get a brain freeze, dork" You giggle at him.

Eddie is the king of acting. So when you least expect from him, he shows his skills. "Ow, fuck. Ow, ow"

He's squirming in his seat, one hand spread over his forehead like he's having a headache. You immediately take a step further and hold his head with both hands, looking concerned. He removes his hand from his face and smirks at you.

"You're the most insufferable person I know, Munson" He watches as you slap his hands away, laughing at your reaction. "You finished your beverage. Now get out of here"

He is still giggling at you. Your face might show how annoyed you are, but deep down you match his energy. His sense of humor is one of the things you like the most about him. You love the way there's never a bad time for him, even if he's short on money.

"Hey, you can't kick your clients out! It's snowing outside, it's a crime to let people freeze"

When you look at him, he knows you're about to be serious. "I'm gonna commit a crime myself if you don't stop annoying me"

Your forehead is wrinkly because of your eyebrows that are knitted. He tries not to laugh at you, but he finds it difficult when he's having fun pushing you.

"Sorry, honey. Just trying to lighten up your day a little more" He raises his hands up in surrender, his bangs moving as he shakes his head.

He stays there until he has to get back to work. He tells you the most stupid jokes, he tries to flirt with your friend Betty and when you try to whack him with your dish cloth, he shields himself with the menu. Eddie makes your day better, no matter how it's going. He knows when you're in a bad mood, too, which makes him dial down his clownish demeanor.

He always offers to pick you up from work and drive you home. Even if you live only a few blocks after him. He doesn't care if he has to go back. You try to bring your own food every day so you eat better, but sometimes he makes up the idea of having different food whenever he thinks of it. And today you were going to eat pizza.

You're sitting on your couch as Thundercats is on TV. You talk through eating and watching the TV, laughing every now and then when you start gossiping.

Eddie finds the most random things to talk about and, strangely enough, you like to hear about them. He geeks out about Lord of the Rings and D&D, which you don't understand but you nod anyway.

You're talking about your plans to go to college, rambling over your insights, and how you're planning on getting a place to share with Robin. You're distracted by your own subject, when Eddie impulsively reaches out his hand to rub off the pizza sauce from the corner of your mouth. He slightly ran his rough thumb over your skin, removing the stain off of it.

He gave you a kind smile as soon as he dropped his hand back to his plate. You sheepishly smiled, like you just lost confidence by standing next to him.

Sometimes he doesn't want to leave your place, he wishes you would ask him to stay, but he doesn't want to overstep his limits. As he dries the dishes, Eddie stays in his daydream, thinking of how he could ever ask you out. Because he would love to. He just wouldn't know if you'd love to.

As you stand on your doorstep, you say goodbye to each other while he makes another joke or two. It's always like that, he wants to make sure you're still having a good day when you lie in bed.

It didn't cross your mind before, but now it feels like you could actually have him around sometimes. Do some sleepover, or something. You take a step towards him, lifting your feet up to stand on his height. You press your lips against his cheek, inhaling his fragrance that slightly lingers on his skin. One of your hands reaches for his shoulder for support.

Eddie stays frozen for a moment, until he holds your waist against his arm. Suddenly he doesn't feel cold anymore. He turned his head only a few inches, pecking your lips gently. They're plushy and soft. You don't know why you haven't done that before, and you're great he did for you.

He stands still, holding your face with his hand, rubbing his thumb over your chin. Both your noses are cold.

You're both a little shy. He can't express the feelings that are bubbling inside of him. But he doesn't want to cross a line yet. And he thinks you would agree with him.

"Till tomorrow, honey" He says as he takes a step back, walking to his car. "Don't forget to lock the door!"

You chuckle at his words. He's always been too protective over you.

Once he's inside his car, he buckles the seat belt and grins at himself. He's feeling like he's on cloud nine and it was only a kiss. Eddie stays in the car for a couple of minutes, digesting what happened. He tries to remember your taste, pinching his lower lip.

You're still standing by your door, your back leaning against it. Your heart is hammering against your chest, and you can't describe how good it was.

He can't wait to see you again tomorrow, and he wonders if he's still going to kiss you again. You can't wait to see him, wondering if he still wants to kiss you again.

[kylobith]

Little Town Tails

Chapter 3: A Sitting Duck

Summary: Beaky goes home, and Halsin offers his help so the owlbear will no longer be the target of cruelty. He also considers welcoming a new member in his team.

Ship/Pairing: Halsin x Fem!Tav

Trope: Modern AU, Meet-cute, Little countryside town, Cosy

Word count: 3,657

Read it on Ao3 here

Listen to the dedicated playlist on Spotify here

Dream a Little Dream of Me fills the cramped little office of the practice, accompanied by the soft hum of a mobile phone. Halsin pats the floor beside him until he retrieves it, groaning and cracking an eye to disable his alarm. Still groggy from his short night, he rubs a hand across his face and sits up.

Little light filters through the lowered slats of the Venetian blinds. Just enough for him to know that the sun has already risen. He sits there for a minute, taking his time to wake up while embracing the warmth of sunlight upon his cheek. Once his mind has cleared of most of the nightly fuzz, he unlocks his phone, grimacing as the screen’s brightness blinds him at first.

Five messages await him, received during his slumber. All were sent by the same person, professionally registered under the name ‘Ms. Ashguard - Beaky’. With a soft smile, he opens the text thread and reads it.

‘Hassle Beaky been able to eat yet?’

‘*Has, sorry.’

‘Rabbits are his favourite if that helps in any way. Boar is fine too.’

‘What should I prepare for him to come home? Can he stay in the field or is it better that he remains indoors at first?’

‘Sorry for sending you so many texts… Not used to having a pet of my own (if I can call an owlbear a pet, haha!), so I’m just worried. Thanks for everything you do. Good night!’

Halsin chuckles and scrolls farther up the conversation, refreshing his memory of what information he has given Tav and in what manner. He groans in embarrassment when he notices some typos in his messages that he did not see after sending them. He has yet to grow accustomed to his new work phone, especially its keyboard. His fingers are too large to type properly, which often frustrates him. Usually, he notices the mistakes on time before sending emails or messages, but it seems that his fatigue after waking up several times during the night to check on Beaky in the recovery room blinded him to them.

He exits the conversation without answering Tav and begins to type a new message.

‘Good morning Karlach, would you mind buying some rabbit meat from the butcher for Beaky before coming to the practice? You can use the company card. See you later. Halsin.’

He locks his phone and stretches his back, before finally dragging himself off the inflatable bed he set up in his office to remain close to Beaky if something were to happen. Rubbing his round stomach as it rumbles, he paces up to the window and opens the blinds, welcoming the morning light in.

After slipping on his T-shirt, he finds Beaky in the recovery room, curled up on the mattress from his guest room that Karlach helped him bring downstairs. Scratch is huddled up beside the owlbear cup, his ears perking up when he hears his owner’s footsteps.

Halsin goes up to the dog and ruffles the fur on his head.

‘Good morning, Scratch,’ he chimes. ‘You have been taking good care of Beaky, I see. Good boy.’

He reaches into a box perched up at the top of a cabinet and takes out a treat he gives to the white dog. Then, noticing that Beaky is stirring awake, he crouches in front of the cub, letting it sniff his hand before daring to pet it.

‘And good morning to you too, Beaky. Still faring well?’

The owlbear produces a low hoot, scratching the mattress with its paw.

‘Alright, let’s have a look, mh?’

Halsin unwraps the bandages and checks the scars. After disinfecting and airing them, he ties up a plastic cone around the ankle so Beaky does not pick at the scabs while he fixes himself a cup of tea. Before adding some honey to the infusion, he dips mint leaves directly into hot water in his favourite mug, decorated with ducks. While stirring the beverage with his spoon, he hears his phone ping in his pocket.

As he unlocks it, he sees a text from Karlach.

‘On it, Doc! No need to sign your texts, btw, got your number saved already.’

He chuckles and thanks her. He is quite aware of how old he sounds when speaking, but his way of texting seems much worse. Once his tea is finished, he puts the mug down and goes back to the office to deflate the mattress and bring it back upstairs, where he takes the time to shower and change.

Right when he heads back to the practice, dressed in his teal scrubs, he sees Karlach peeking through the door, carrying something wrapped up in an old newspaper. He unlocks the door and the tiefling instantly hugs him.

‘Morning, Doc! Got the rabbit meat here. How’s Beaks?’

‘Doing well. I will bandage him up again and call his owner.’

‘Eager to see her, huh?’ she teases, nudging him in the ribs with a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she makes her way to the recovery room.

He rolls his eyes and comes to watch her feed the cub with the raw meat. He whistles at Scratch, who follows him to receive his breakfast in turn and frolic in the garden afterwards. While the dog is busy chasing a butterfly, his tongue lolling out happily, Halsin takes a moment to call Tav.

‘Hello?’ the voice on the other side of the line answers.

‘Good morning, Miss Ashguard,’ he greets, smiling widely, ‘Dr Silverbough from the Emeral Grove veterinary office speaking.’

‘Oh, morning doctor! Is everything alright with Beaky?’

‘Everything is in order. He had a good night’s sleep and my assistant gave him some fresh rabbit meat. No appetite loss whatsoever! So, I believe that he is in shape to go home. You can pick him up anytime.’

He hears a heavy sigh of relief.

‘Thank you so much, doctor, I will come later this morning. Do I need to prepare anything for his recovery?’

‘No, I will have everything ready for you. No special arrangement necessary on your part.’

‘Oh, great. I will see you then!’

‘See you later, Miss Ashguard.’

She hangs up and he slips his phone back in his pocket. A smile lingers on his cheeks as he fills his lungs with the flowery scent of the air. He eyes his little flower garden on the side of the yard, admiring the daffodils that have finally grown and bloomed. Their golden petals shimmer in the sunlight, only disrupted by the morning breeze. Perhaps he should think of growing a few more next year for the reception. Plants brighten up a place like nothing else, he always says. In the meantime, he will need to be content with ordering bouquets from Jaheira’s shop.

Then comes the time for them to open the practice and welcome the first patient of the morning. Arfer, the elderly man who waters the planters and flowerbeds throughout Heawick, is already waiting at the door, bringing his old tortoiseshell cat in his carrier. Halsin offers him a warm welcome and a cup of tea, then proceeds to examine the animal. It is but a routine check, accompanied by a slightly overdue vaccine.

Despite its advanced age, the feline is in perfect shape, and its senses — and claws — are still sharp. It always pleases him when people take such great care of their furry companions, and much to his relief, the area seems to be filled with loving owners. In just a day, the difference between the patients in Heawick and those from the village and the city where he previously worked has proved quite striking.

Halsin healed too many dogs in dire need of exercise that were kept in cramped rooms and flats. Many ended up overweight and suffered severe issues, and it always tugged at his heartstrings to see them in such conditions. He often wished that he could offer to adopt them instead, knowing that he could offer them a more fulfilling life, but there was only so much that he could do. In some cases, he did trigger the alarm and contact animal protection services. It was never pleasant to see the pets and owners separated, but it was often better this way.

At least he did not just stand by and watch without trying to save the animal.

When Halsin escorts Arfer back to the reception after creating his file, the old man shakes his hand and gives him a toothy grin.

‘It is quite nice to finally have a vet in town,’ he says. ‘I don’t need to travel all the way to the city to have my Clawdia looked at anymore! When I play Talis with my friends later this week, I will tell them about you, doctor. They all have pets, you see, and some of them are too old to travel to the city.’

‘That is quite nice of you, Mr Proudcobble. It is a pleasure to help the local community,’ Halsin responds with a kind smile. ‘That is precisely why I settled down here, after all.’

‘We are in good hands, then, I say!’

Arfer waves him goodbye and does the same to Karlach, who responds with her usual bubbly greetings. Halsin sighs in satisfaction and takes a look at his watch. He still has about an hour before the next consultation. On his way to his office, Karlach intercepts him with a smirk.

‘Doc, somebody is in the waiting room.’

‘I was not aware that we had another appointment in the meantime.’

The tiefling clears her throat with a wink and nods — not so subtly — towards the waiting room. Halsin turns around and sees a fidgeting Tav on one of the chairs. His smile instantly returns to his lips.

‘Oh, good morning, Miss Ashguard! My apologies, I did not see you there.’

‘That’s nothing, doctor,’ she chuckles, standing up and approaching him to shake his hand. ‘I couldn’t wait to pick up Beaky after all, so I came as fast as I could.’

‘That is quite alright. Right this way.’

He walks with her to the recovery room and Tav instantly coos at the owlbear, throwing herself on her knees at its side to cuddle and pet it. The creature seems delighted to see her, acting much like a lapdog and not as a wild animal as it leans against her touch and rests its heavy head on her shoulder. He leans against the doorframe, watching the scene and embracing the warmth spreading through his chest at the sight.

Indeed, Heawick’s region does not lack loving owners.

Once the initial elation has somewhat dissipated, Halsin approaches the two and crouches before the animal, undoing the plastic cone and dressing the wounds again. Tav watches every gesture with interest, knowing that she will need to mirror each and every one of them once she is home. Noticing her staring, he smiles and explains each step, explaining to her what the best way of tying up the bandage is for such a creature.

Then, he stands up and retrieves a bag he prepared the previous night with everything she might need to care for the cub.

‘I prepared this for you,’ he says gleefully while handing it to her. ‘It contains everything you will need. I added some painkillers, but try to use them only if you see that he is struggling. In case of doubt, you can always call or text.’

‘That’s perfect, thanks! What about the stitches?’

‘We can remove them in about two weeks. Sometimes it can be done earlier, but I would rather remain on the safe side. You can already plan the appointment with my assistant.’

‘Great!’

Tav peeks inside the bag and shoves it inside the satchel hanging from her shoulder. As she slips her arms underneath Beaky to lift him, Halsin halts her and does it ever so naturally.

‘If you could open the doors on the way, I would be grateful,’ he chuckles.

‘Oh, of course.’

She guides him through the practice and they stop by the reception so Karlach can make the appointment for Beaky’s stitch removal. Tav pays for the surgery and consultation and goes to open the front door for the vet and the creature. She guides them to her car, whose backseats have been flattened so the cub can be driven around. Halsin places Beaky there, careful not to hit its paw as he does so. When he closes the car boot, he finds Tav standing close enough to him that he can feel the heat radiating from her body.

The two of them, surprised by this sudden proximity, stare into each other’s eyes for a second. Rosy hues tint their cheeks and noses. He admires the way they dance around her freckles, further softening her delicate traits.

But before he catches himself staring for too long, she chuckles and he mirrors her, taking a step back. They both lower their gazes, and he witnesses the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes in action, they which were left unused the previous day.

And gods does she look beautiful.

‘So, um,’ he forces himself to speak to defuse the odd tension settling between them, ‘have you asked your neighbour about the bear trap, then?’

Tav’s eyes widen and she nods vehemently.

‘Oh, yes! Yes, I did. I met with Minsc as you advised, and he came with me to Combury to check the woods near my house. When Mr Bongle saw us by the field and the broken fence, he just confessed to everything.’

She shrugs, almost as though she expected this turn of events from the start.

‘It was just like you predicted, doctor. He felt guilty when Beaky got trapped, so he removed the trap and left. Good thing, though, he’s refunding me the costs of the consultation and the operation.’

‘I see. Well, it is good to hear that you had closure on the matter.’

‘Not really. Minsc told me not to shrug the situation off. He told me that owlbears were protected in the area, which I didn’t know, so I made an appointment with one of the lawyers of the organisation for animal protection. Hopefully, they can do something.’

Halsin nods and glances towards Beaky, who has fallen asleep in the back seat.

‘If it helps in any way, I will be happy to fill in a medical report for Beaky, including the costs and the follow-ups,’ he suggests, nervously rubbing his palm against the back of his neck. ‘I am glad that you are not leaving the matter to rest. Even if Mr Bongle felt guilty, what says that he would not do it to other animals? Besides, Beaky could have sustained worse damage, but he also worsened his condition by yanking the trap.’

‘You would do that?’

As he faces her again, he meets her twinkling gaze. He finds himself short of breath again the longer he plunges himself into their turquoise pools, nearly feeling the freshwater of their streams upon his skin.

‘Of course.’

Tav smiles from ear to ear and tucks a lock of her hair behind one of them.

‘I might take you up on that offer if you truly don’t mind. We should wait until I meet up with the lawyer in the city. I should know more about the process once I speak to her.’

‘Feel free to text me when you know more.’

‘That’s kind of you. Really.’

They smile at each other again and Tav twirls her car keys around her finger.

‘I should get going. Beaky must be exhausted, still.’

‘Of course. I would advise keeping him indoors for the first few nights and changing the bandages every four hours. When you go to bed, you can wait until morning, that should be fine.’

‘Amazing! Thank you, doctor.’

‘Good luck with Beaky and the lawyer. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or doubts. We would rather be bothered than learn that something went south with Beaky.’

‘Will do. Have a lovely day, doctor.’

‘You too, Miss Ashguard. Take care.’

He shakes her hand and steps away from the car as she hops inside and drives away. He waves awkwardly and heads back inside. Karlach is already leaning against the counter with a smug grin.

‘You really won’t admit that you have the hots for her, Doc, will ya?’

‘Karlach, that is not appropriate.’

‘I saw you, you know. All blushy when she looked at you.’

‘When?’

‘All the time!’

‘Sure, Karlach.’

Checking the time, he heads towards his office and turns on the computer. A few minutes later, as he browses several websites with a frown of deep focus creasing his brow, Karlach comes in, bringing him a cup of coffee.

‘Here you go, Doc.’

‘Oh, thank you.’

He wraps his hand around the hot mug, relishing the warmth as he continues to peruse the catalogues and inventories. He hears the tiefling taking a seat behind him and feels her eyes burning through him.

‘What are you looking for?’ she asks, blowing softly on the surface of her own coffee.

‘Larger pillows for big animals. I should have invested in them earlier, but I did not expect to ever have an owlbear as my patient. Thing is, I cannot find them anywhere.’

‘Mmh.’

She takes a first sip of her drink and gasps loudly in satisfaction. It is a good thing that Halsin has such a high tolerance for mouth noises of all kinds, otherwise he would have long been irked by her presence. Thankfully, it is not the case, and he does not even mind when she breathes down his neck when she has got nothing to do.

‘By the way, doc, did you look into the post-op onesies I told you about? It’s definitely better than the cones. My friend, who has a cat, told me that it didn’t even try to scratch or bite the stitches at all. It did walk funny for about two weeks, but that was it.’

‘I did, I emailed several suppliers, and I’m hoping that they will be open to negotiating prices. So far, the prospects are not quite pleasant, to say the least.’

Karlach ponders about the prices for a moment as he shows them to her, checking different suppliers. Indeed, they represent quite a cost for a new practice. Halsin is keeping money to the side, but he is hoping to save it for a rainy day instead of spending it all whenever he thinks about something which could be helpful for the practice before he can be sure that he will make any use of whatever his purchases are.

The young woman sighs and sets down her cup.

‘Hey, Doc,’ she speaks in a melancholy tone, ‘I know that your employing me was nothing but charity. I’m completely aware of it, you don’t need to lie.’

Taken off guard by the sudden turn in the conversation, Halsin turns around with a lifted eyebrow.

‘Karlach, what are you talking about?’

‘No, but really, Doc, I’m not trying to go all emotional on you, but it’s true. I’ve got no qualifications, no diplomas, nothing, yet you still took me in. And I’m super grateful.’

Karlach shrugs and smiles at Halsin.

‘I might not know much, but I know charity when I see it. So, I was wondering if you would trust me to bring that charitable side of you one more time.’

‘What do you mean?’

She nods towards the computer screen and takes the mouse, scrolling through the catalogues for both pillows and onesies, keeping herself from gasping at most of the prices.

‘These are expensive as hell, and I know what I’m talking about,’ she scoffs. ‘But, see, there’s a friend of mine who’s in a bit of a pickle. He might lose his job if he doesn’t do some community service first. Thing is, he’s not the easiest person to live with, he’s got quite a temper, so nobody takes him in. I know that it doesn’t sound like the best of plans, but I can testify that he’s amazing with a needle! He could do his community service here and make the pillows and onesies himself. Perhaps even do some extra chores when you need him to. That will cost you much less than any of that pre-made crap!’

Halsin pauses to consider her words. The practice already needs another team member and he knows it. There are already struggles about the team being so small. If Karlach is busy while he is examining patients, then there is nobody else to welcome other visitors. Another person, even if not a veterinarian, would fix this issue in no time. If they are agreeable, that is, and from what Karlach has said, he finds himself doubting it.

‘Mh. He does not sound very pleasant so far.’

‘Oh, but he is when he puts his mind to it. It might help that I’m working here too. Once he trusts someone, he’s lovely! I mean, he behaves like a cat sometimes, but he’s great!’

He sighs and drinks some of the coffee. It is much too dark, more to her taste, but he does not say a word about it. She made the effort to make it for him, and it is unlike him to bite the hand that feeds.

‘Listen,’ she adds, catching his attention again, ‘I’m willing to be held responsible if he misbehaves. If he messes up, throw me out for even referring him in the first place.’

The veterinarian finishes the cup as fast as he can, chugging the liquid so it does not linger on his tongue too much.

‘He is good with a needle, you said?’

‘A real talent,’ Karlach answers excitedly. ‘He makes some of my accessories in his free time, actually.’

‘Do you think he can start tomorrow?’

Taglist: @emmanuellececchi @reignydeys @cakenpiewhyohmy

[surveysand]

fifty.

Do you like using cinnamon on or in any of your food? i love cinnamon butter on toast, but other than that, no.

Did you ever make fortune tellers as a kid? only a few times.

Do you know how to cook or bake? i'm an okay better and a terrible cooker.

Who is the best cook in your family? my godfather.

Which berry is your favorite? strawberry.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? a bagel and egg.

Do you prefer cappuccinos or frappuccinos? cappuccinos.

Have you ever tried to learn a foreign language? i took five years of french throughout middle and high school and genuinely tried to get it to stick, but i've forgotten so much.

Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean? ocean, but i only will go where my feet can touch.

Do you own any leather-bound books? no.

Which baby animal is your favorite? baby pandas.

Do you like jam on your toast and biscuits? yes.

What was the scent of the last candle you burned? i don't know the exact name (and i'm too lazy to get up and check), but it's a vanilla-based, fall scent.

Are there any plants in your home? only fake ones.

Do you prefer honey, sugar, or something else as a sweetener? sugar.

What food does honey go best with? yogurt.

When is the last time you were lazy and just curled up to read a good book? a few weeks ago.

What was on the last sandwich that you ate? a burger, technically, so a burger patty, cheese, onion, ketchup, and mayo.

Have you ever carved a pumpkin? yes.

What is your favorite type of weather? low seventies, slightly breezy, overcast.

Do you love seeing frost hanging off leaves in the Winter? yes.

Do you love all the rain that Spring brings? yes.

Do you prefer wrapping presents or putting them in a bag? a bag, though i love wrapping them.

If your friend made you a batch of cookies, what cookies would you like them to be? chocolate chip.

What is your favorite book? the book thief by markus zusak.

Have you ever reread a book? many times.

What is your dream house like? a two-story penthouse. closed floor plan. large bedrooms and bathrooms.

Would you ever like to own a chandelier? sure.

What scent is the last body wash you used? coconut shea butter.

Do you have any religious symbols in your home? no.

What religion do you identify with, if any? none, though i was raised in the catholic church.

If you could have a small garden in your backyard, what would you plant? sunflowers.

What pets have you had while growing up? three dogs, a cat, and a rabbit. i got my own dog when i moved out of my parents' house.

If you went to an art museum, what do you think you would want to see first? i just go in order of the rooms.

What type of museum would you like to go to? i would love a to see a queer history museum.

Do you enjoy those tins of butter cookies? i haven't had them in so long, i don't remember if i liked them or not.

Are you diligent with your studies? yes.

Do you prefer to eat ice cream from a cone or a cup? cup.

When is the last time you went to a carnival? several years ago.

Have you ever been to the circus? yes, once when i was very young.

Do you own any art supplies? yes.

Do you have a favorite glass, cup, or mug? yes.

What are some of your favorite scents? vanilla, coconut, floral tones.

What is you favorite flavor of pudding and/or yogurt? vanilla pudding, blueberry yogurt.

Do you have a daily planner that you write in? no, but i did when i was in school.

What branch of science interests you the most? neuroscience.

Do you prefer writing in pen or pencil? pen.

How many notebooks do you own? Are they all filled? a few. none are filled completely.

Do you enjoy flavored coffee? If so, which flavor is your favorite? yes, caramel is my favorite.

What kind of tea is your favorite? sweet. i don't drink warm tea ever.

[bunny-carrothunter]

Bigslie? (For the domestic ask game!)

YAAASS 😎 MY OTP 💕

Big spoon/little spoon

Big is a big (ha) cuddler so he would unintentionally automatically make Leslie little spoon. Leslie likes the fact he’s just a big pillow.

Favorite non-sexual activity.

Snack dates. Big gets his frozen yogurt and Leslie treats herself to a waffle cone, more often than not trying each other’s flavors with a spoonful. 🍨

Most trivial thing they fight over.

“Shelly, did you buy another set of Squishmallows?” “No.” “Open the closet, then.” “...No.”

Who leaves their stuff around?

Big may drop a squishy bunny around every now and then, but Leslie leaves coffee mugs and pens around from overworking herself and then forgetting about it, to which leads to Big having to remind her to take breaks and has her relax (he almost poked his hand with a pen again).

Who remembers to buy the milk?

Not Big.

Who remembers anniversaries?

Big. Leslie wasn’t into remembering dates or anniversaries prior to being with him. She didn’t have a lot of dates she was particular fond of until theirs and does try to enjoy them. And Big loves any opportunity to buy her a gift.

Who cooks normally?

Leslie. If Big even touches a kitchen, he’s burning it down.

What do they do when they’re away from each other?

Leslie hangs out with her friends Lady Redundant Woman and Ms Question going in girl day/night out, either a shopping or crime spree. At home, she chills on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa working on her laptop or watching her shows.

Mr Big gets dragged into shenanigans by his friend Two-Brains (after the latter learns Leslie is away, and he’s bored) into crime sprees, or just something he wants to do (raid a cheese factory, use his helicopter for a heist, etc). At home, he relaxes surrounded by squishmallows.

Nicknames for each other?

Big tried to use “honey bunny” once and Leslie almost quit for a second time/j

Leslie is more casual about her nicknames, using Biggy, Bigsy (canon nickname she’s used in the doll episode), and dear or darling when she lets herself be affectionate with him.

Big on the other hand, uses every couple nickname there is and extra. “My dear Leslie,” “Leslie, my darling,” “Leslie, my love”, among other phrases that make her blush every time.

Who is more likely to pay for dinner?

They share a wallet/bank account.

What would they get each other for gifts?

Big would at first get her expensive gifts like perfumes, jewelry, exotic flowers, etc. until Leslie tells him he doesn’t have to spoil her, she’s already with him and knows he loves her. That quickly changes when Big somehow manages to get a jewel-encrusted Pretty Princess and Magic Pony figurine for her (a suggestion that was mostly a joke by LRW when he asked her for advice).

Let’s say he very much enjoyed the extra affection the weeks after that.

Who cusses more?

Leslie.

Who made the first move?

Mr Big tried to flirt/drop hints after he caught feelings for Leslie but she was either oblivious or actively ignored any of his possible advances. After all, she was just his assistant, why would he want to get her attention. It’s not like he could ever actually be interested in her, right?

It’s only after he stopped trying due to discouragement from rejection that she finally picked up on it.

Who kissed who first?

Mutual. Driven from a moment they both realize at the same time they saw each other as more than just “partners in crime”.

Who started the relationship?

Both, after agreeing to take things slow given their... complicated positions, but knew they wanted to give it a chance.

Realized it was useless anyway as 90% of the villains already thought they were an item if not married.

I heart them so much ty anon<33

[imtryingmybeskar]

Day Four of the Christmas writing challenge.

This can be read as a standalone but it is a little drabble from In Time so the following sentence is a *SPOILER* for that series. This is set pretty soon after Pero decides to stay. There are still a few language barriers between the two of them. I'm so happy to be writing for these two again.

18+ only. Pero Tovar X F! Reader. Warnings for food, nudity and an edge of smut. Word count: 777

Hot Chocolate

"Coneja," Pero called from the kitchen.

"Yes, baby?" you said as you entered the kitchen. Pero's brow creased.

"Why do you call me this? Have I done something foolish? Been cowardly?"

"No," you giggled. "No Pero, its a term of endearment. Like honey, or sweetheart."

Pero looked at you incredulously. "Baby? Really?"

"Yeah, I mean...what did you think all those singers meant when they sang "baby" in their songs?" Pero cleared his throat in an embarrassed sort of way and muttered something about writing songs for children. "What, even Britney Spears? You thought she wanted a baby to hit her?"

"I do not know what customs they might have! People are strange here. For example how did everyone in that school know to dance the same way to what she was singing?!"

You dissolved into giggles in the face of his righteous indignation, "Ok, we won't use that as a name. I promise." You slid your hands around his waist and held him to you, kissing up his neck and scruffy jawline and nuzzling his nose until he relaxed into your arms and you knew all was forgiven. "What did you want me to come here for?" One of your hands meandered down his back and slid into the back pocket of his jeans where you squeezed a good handful of him. "Do you want me to help you cook again?"

Pero snorted a laugh. "The last time you "helped" did we not have to call for pizza because the dinner was burned?" He drew back to look down at you with amusement, the evidence of his enjoyment of your touch beginning to make itself known against you. "You do not help, coneja. You hinder me most greatly in the kitchen." Your mouth fell open in mock astonishment and affront at his words and he took the opportunity to plant his lips upon yours and plunge his tongue greedily inside. "Yes," he murmured against your mouth. "No help at all." His cock was swelling against you and you trailed your other hand over the denim at the front of his trousers to touch him, but he moved back out of your reach. "You see?" he grinned. "Hindrance!"

"Well what do you want from me?" you pouted.

"I wish for you to show me how to make the hot chocolate please," he said gently.

"Are you sure that's all you want?" you asked teasingly.

"For now," he said, his eyes glittering with amusement at denying you what you wanted from him.

"Fiiiine" you sighed in defeat.

You went through the steps with the milk, sugar and cocoa powder on the hob and as Pero was whisking away you searched for marshmallows in your cupboard. "Ah crap," you said as you realised you had run out. Then, a wonderful thought struck you. "There is another thing that is used in hot chocolate apart from marshmallows. I don't think you've tried it yet. Would you like to?" you asked, innocently. Pero nodded, still intent on mixing the ingredients on the stove. You went to the fridge to get the can of cream in there. "This is it, Pero," you said, holding it out to him. " Its a kind of cream. I have to make sure it tastes ok. It makes a weird noise when it comes out, nothing to be concerned about." Pero gave the aerosol can the briefest of looks before he nodded again and turned back to his task.

You stepped away from the counter, almost behind Pero and out of his line of sight before quietly stripping off your top layers and bra. The cream was obscenely cold as it met the warmth of your nipples and it took all of your willpower not to whimper as it hit your skin. Pero, meanwhile had taken the pot off the hob and was pouring the delicious smelling concoction into mugs for you both.

"Do you have this cream ready, coneja?" he asked. "Does it taste-" He swung round to you mid sentence and his words stuttered to a halt and his eyes grew huge as he took in the sight in front of him. His cock, so nearly back to being soft was rapidly beginning to strain against his jeans again

"Why don't you tell me how it tastes?" you asked in a low voice. He was upon you almost before the words had left your lips, swallowing the end of your sentence with his lips on yours, and kissing a sloppy, hasty path down to your bared breasts.

The hot chocolate was decidedly not hot by the time you paid attention to it again.

Taglist - @mishasminion360 @thisshipwillsail316 @cosmicbreathe @toomanystoriessolittletime @shayna-winchester @elegantduckturtle @prostitute-robot-from-the-future @dihra-vesa @midwesternwitchery @just-here-for-the-moment @eri16

Day Five

[the-clever-cupboard]

How To Make Incense

What is incense?

Incense is a biotic material that releases aromatic smoke when burned. The practice of burning incense dates back to ancient times, and the fragrant substance still serves as a prayer aid for many religions. Believed to enhance concentration and stimulate creativity, incense is also a popular form of aromatherapy.

How To Make Cone Incense

Gather your dried herbs. A variety of home-grown or store-purchased herbs can be used to make incense. Make sure you’re being mindful of your intentions and picking corresponding elements to include in your craft.

Crush them into powder. Using a mortar and pestle is the most effective way to combine and grind your ingredients to the right consistency. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle or if you physically cannot use one, you can include a mechanical or an herb grinder, beat it with a hammer or a book inside of a Ziploc bag, or buy them pre-ground and whisk them together.

Mix in makko powder. Makko powder comes from the bark of a Thunberi tree. When combined with water it acts as a binding agent that is also naturally combustible. You can use other binding agents to hold the cone together such as Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Marshmallow Root, and Honey.

Add distilled water. Very slowly add your water to the powder mixture. It’s easy to add more water, but harder to take water away. It should come out like dough. If it’s too wet, simply add more Makko powder. If it’s too dry, just add a little more water.

Mold your cones. Take roughly ½ of a teaspoon of the dough and roll it into a cone shape. You can also use a mold to make your shapes.

Let them dry. Place your incense on parchment paper or wax paper and allow them to thoroughly dry for a minimum of 12 hours. Turn them halfway to ensure the bottom dries as well. Each cone should burn for about an hour.

How To Make Incense Sticks With Oils

Purchase blank and unscented incense sticks. The thick, gummy-like coating on the outside is needed to absorb the scents. You can’t just use a regular bamboo stick. If you can’t find the blanks with the gummy-like barrier you can measure out 20 ml/4 tsp of Dipropylene Glycol (DPG) into a little tray big enough to soak 10 sticks at a time. If you go this route, add your fragrance or essential oil at this time. Stir well and soak blanks in the container covered in plastic wrap for 24 hours before moving on.

Soak the sticks in fragrance. Measure out about 10ml of fragrance or essential oil into a shallow dish. It takes about 100 drops per 5 sticks of essential oil. If you had to add your own DPG you can ignore this step. Cover and soak until all of the oil is absorbed.

Dry in a mug. Place the sticks upside down for roughly 12 to 15 hours to allow them to dry,

How To Make Incense Sticks by Hand Rolling

Gather your herbs and grind them. See the above notes on making your herbal blends into a fine powder. Woods are the hardest to grind and should be attempted first. Gums and resins can be frozen 30 minutes before grinding to make it easier on your wrists. You do not have to sacrifice your body to make incense.

Let the powder sit to help the scents blend. Once the individual ingredients are combined, mix them all together and let them breathe for a few hours. This will lead to a more cohesive scent.

Add your binding agent. If you only used herbs and spices then you should need between 10 – 25% binding agent like Makko powder. If you used resins, you will need significantly more depending on how many parts of resin were added. It would be between 40% and 80%. An all resin mix would need 80%.

Multiply your blend to compensate for the binding agent. You can always add more binding agents but it’s much harder to add more of your combination mixture to correct it.

Set aside 25% of your combination mixture. This is to re-thicken your incense if you add too much water in the next step,

Slowly add distilled water. Use a pipette or dropper 3 to 5 drops at a time. Keep adding 3 to 5 drops and mixing until the mixture can be squeezed and hold form without dry-looking cracks, If you add too much water, add some of your reserved mixtures to thicken it back up.

Knead the mixture like dough. Kneading requires constant pressure. Use the heel of your hand to press the mix onto a flat surface. Fold the disk over, form another ball, and do it again for several minutes. For professional incense, let it sit under a damp towel overnight after kneading. The next morning, spritz with water and knead again before proceeding,

Pinch off a 1 to 2-inch chunk and roll it into a long, skinny rectangle. Use your palms to roll the mix into a thin clay snake. It should be only millimeters thick. If you’re not using sticks, you can cut the ends off and let them dry as is to burn.

Place an uncoated incense stick blank onto the mixture. This version can be done with regular bamboo sticks. Just roll the stick into the mixture until it’s about ¾ covered. It should be a little less thick than a pencil.

Lay the sticks on a flat surface with parchment or wax paper to dry. This will take several days. Turn it every couple of days to make sure the underside dries as well. The whole process should take between 5 to 7 days for drying.

Safety Information

Always keep unlit and burning incense away from small children and pets.

Do not consume incense as it is not designed for ingestion.

Incense bowls or burners may become hot, which can damage furniture and cause injury. So, make sure they are properly insulated and placed on heat-resistant surfaces, like ceramic tiles or trivets.

Always burn incense in well-ventilated areas.

Keep incense away from drafty areas, such as open doors and windows.

Do not place incense near flammable objects, such as lampshades, drapes, and rugs.

Be careful not to brush against the glowing tip of an incense cone or stick as doing so can burn skin and damage clothing.

Do not leave lit incense unattended.

Falling ash from incense can be a fire hazard. Make sure ash falls onto a fireproof surface.

Make sure all incense is completely extinguished and cool to the touch prior to discarding it.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Do you like using cinnamon on or in any of your food? I like adding some to oatmeal. Oh, and I love cinnamon rolls.

Did you ever make fortune tellers as a kid? Yeah, all the time.

Do you know how to cook or bake? The only thing I cook is ramen or something easy I can throw in the oven or microwave and I can make cupcakes, cake, or cookies from a package that requires very little on my part. Otherwise, no. 

Who is the best cook in your family? My parents and brother are good cooks and each have their specialties.

Which berry is your favorite? Strawberries.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Over-easy eggs is what I have most of the time. 

Do you prefer cappuccinos or frappuccinos? Cappuccinos, but frappes are good now and then. I enjoyed them more when I was younger.

Have you ever tried to learn a foreign language? Yeah, I took Spanish all 4 years of high school and one semester in college. Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean? Neither.

Do you own any leather-bound books? No.

Which baby animal is your favorite? Most are really cute.

Do you like jam on your toast and biscuits? Yeah.

What was the scent of the last candle you burned? I’m not a candle gal.

Are there any plants in your home? Nope.

Do you prefer honey, sugar, or something else as a sweetener? I use sugar.

What food does honey go best with? Cornbread.

When is the last time you were lazy and just curled up to read a good book? I do that all the time.

What was on the last sandwich that you ate? Cracked peppered turkey, Colby-Jack cheese, mayo, and mustard. 

Have you ever carved a pumpkin? Yeah, I did that every year up until a few years ago.

What is your favorite type of weather? Fall and winter weather.

Do you love seeing frost hanging off leaves in the Winter? Yes.

Do you love all the rain that Spring brings? It doesn’t rain much here, but yeah I enjoy whenever it does.

Do you prefer wrapping presents or putting them in a bag? I like wrapping presents.

If your friend made you a batch of cookies, what cookies would you like them to be? Hmm. I’m a simple gal, just some sugar cookies would be good.

What is your favorite book? I have numerous favorites.

Have you ever reread a book? No, actually. For some reason I don’t re-read books.

What is your dream house like? My dream house would be a beach house.

Would you ever like to own a chandelier? Uhh, sure?

What scent is the last body wash you used? Soap scented, ha.

Do you have any religious symbols in your home? No.

What religion do you identify with, if any? Christian.

If you could have a small garden in your backyard, what would you plant? I’m not into gardening.

What pets have you had while growing up? Dogs, fish, and a couple of hamsters. If you went to an art museum, what do you think you would want to see first? *shrug* It would really depend on the museum and what sections they had. I like historical museums better, though.

What type of museum would you like to go to? Historical.

Do you enjoy those tins of butter cookies? I do. Are you diligent with your studies? I’m not in school anymore, but yeah I was.

Do you prefer to eat ice cream from a cone or a cup? A cup. Even better as a milkshake.

When is the last time you went to a carnival? Well over a decade ago.

Have you ever been to the circus? Once when I was a kid.

Do you own any art supplies? I have a lot of colored pencils.

Do you have a favorite glass, cup, or mug? I got a new one recently with Pennywise on it that’s pretty dope. It’s also a big one, which I like.

What are some of your favorite scents? I have many.

What is you favorite flavor of pudding and/or yogurt? I don’t eat pudding or yogurt. It’s a texture thing.

Do you have a daily planner that you write in? No. 

What branch of science interests you the most? Psychology.

Do you prefer writing in pen or pencil? Pen.

How many notebooks do you own? Are they all filled? Several. 

Do you enjoy flavored coffee? If so, which flavor is your favorite? Yeah. I like white chocolate, caramel, hazelnut, vanilla, peppermint, white chocolate peppermint...

What kind of tea is your favorite? I’m not a big tea drinker, but if I have any I’d choose peppermint or chamomile.

[surveysonfleek]

1606.

Do you like using cinnamon on or in any of your food? not particularly but i put them in my banana smoothies from time to time

Did you ever make fortune tellers as a kid? yes, always! we even made one at work with all our names on it

Do you know how to cook or bake? yes, not well but ive made some standouts here and there :)

Who is the best cook in your family? my parents are equally as good as each other. my sister is the worst lmao

Which berry is your favorite? honestly... i dont like berries. if i had to choose, strawberry

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? scrambled eggs, avocado and bread

Do you prefer cappuccinos or frappuccinos? frapps. theyre always fun to drink lol

Have you ever tried to learn a foreign language? only at school because we were made to. 

Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean? ugh idk, neither! it depends what kind of animals are in the water if im honest lol

Do you own any leather-bound books? nope

Which baby animal is your favorite? i feel like legit all puppies are cute

Do you like jam on your toast and biscuits? i never have jam! i only ever eat it when i have scones, which is already rare

What was the scent of the last candle you burned? burning one now. it’s called poolside paradise.

Are there any plants in your home? yes, plenty!

Do you prefer honey, sugar, or something else as a sweetener? i use honey for my smoothies

What food does honey go best with? honey soy chicken, yum

When is the last time you were lazy and just curled up to read a good book? last year lol

What was on the last sandwich that you ate? tuna salad (not really a salad btw, just onions and mayo lol)

Have you ever carved a pumpkin? nope

What is your favorite type of weather? sunny but cold in the shade

Do you love seeing frost hanging off leaves in the Winter? it never happens here

Do you love all the rain that Spring brings? i never really noticed how much it rains in spring until now! i dont mind it but i hate driving in the rain

Do you prefer wrapping presents or putting them in a bag? honestly, if a bag is available it’s so much easier lol.

If your friend made you a batch of cookies, what cookies would you like them to be? white choc macadamia

What is your favorite book? harry potter series and i have sooo many more but im just at a blank rn

Have you ever reread a book? always!!

What is your dream house like? just spacious. it doesnt even have to be a ‘big’ house, i just want open plan living, dark decor and a lot of plants

Would you ever like to own a chandelier? i dont mind, not something on my list

What scent is the last body wash you used? coconut

Do you have any religious symbols in your home? yes

What religion do you identify with, if any? none really but i was raised catholic

If you could have a small garden in your backyard, what would you plant? monsteras

What pets have you had while growing up? i only ever had budgies, fish and one dog. idk if i want anymore.

If you went to an art museum, what do you think you would want to see first? id look at their most famous piece first

What type of museum would you like to go to? any!!! i love all museums

Do you enjoy those tins of butter cookies? haha i used to love them as a kid but i only liked one type. once that particular type was finished, i was over it

Are you diligent with your studies? not super but i wasnt a slacker either

Do you prefer to eat ice cream from a cone or a cup? cup

When is the last time you went to a carnival? honestly, years ago

Have you ever been to the circus? yes, again, years ago. i havent seen any around in a really long time

Do you own any art supplies? sure do, it was something i picked up during lockdown lol

Do you have a favorite glass, cup, or mug? my mum collects starbucks mugs. i loved the las vegas one until it broke lol

What are some of your favorite scents? sooo many. fruity scents, fresh scents, freshly baked bread, vanilla etc

What is you favorite flavor of pudding and/or yogurt? i dont eat either often tbh

Do you have a daily planner that you write in? nope

What branch of science interests you the most? bio

Do you prefer writing in pen or pencil? pen

How many notebooks do you own? Are they all filled? none lol

Do you enjoy flavored coffee? If so, which flavor is your favorite? vanilla, caramel and irish cream

What kind of tea is your favorite? earl grey is my fave :)

[mankaithings]

Miyoshi Kazunari

Kazunari was nine years old 

It was the first time somebody from his class invited him to a party so he was really excited! He looked around the room, a smile suddenly growing onto his face as he watched everybody greet the birthday boy a happy birthday and hand him his gifts and join the others in the ball pit to play. Around him, everyone was laughing while they all throw balls at each other, running around and having no care in the world

He joined the others upon singing happy birthday, clapping his hands and following the rhythm of the song until the birthday boy finally blew his candles. Everybody cheered as the fire went out and once again everybody was having fun

Kazunari decided that, he also wanted to have a birthday party 

Kazunari turned ten

He did everything for his birthday. He asked his parents if they can give him a party which they agreed on. He even made the invitations himself! He was really proud of his work, at a young age he already had exemplary skills for art and seeing how his invitation turned out made him even prouder of his talent.

 As he handed out the invitation, Kazunari felt excitement bubbling in the pit of his stomach. It was the first time he was going to spend it with so many people, he was even imagining the games they would play for the day! Maybe through the party, he could get closer to the kids in his class? Then he wouldn’t have to feel lonely anymore 

By the day of his birthday, everything was ready. The streamers that he helped made were hung up on the wall, accompanying the banner that said ‘Happy Birthday Kazu!!!’, the food was cooked and Kazunari wore his best clothes. Out of excitement, he waited by the entrance of his house until somebody decided to turn up

But nobody did 

From that day as he sang himself happy birthday and blew the candles, Kazunari decided that he didn’t need a party or even a gift. He just wants to be greeted a happy birthday by his friend and he would be content and happy 

The remaining years of elementary and three years of middle school yet nobody remembered his birthday. He couldn’t help but feel jealous as he watched both girls and boys greet their friends with a happy birthday and run to them with a hug or invite them out to karaoke or surprise them whenever the special day came 

Kazunari entered highschool 

He changed himself completely. He wore cooler clothes, updated his vocabulary and even became more extroverted in hopes of making friends and it did happen! He was always in the middle of his group of friends and the one to start the fun!

His birthday came and he had high expectations for it. He does have friends so there’s no problem if he gets excited by it, right? 

But despite the number of ‘friends’ he had only a few remembered to greet him a happy birthday. Maybe it was because he was always focused on making the other party laugh and never actually talk about himself or anything personal that had to do with him that nobody remembered it, but he had expectations and once again, he was disappointed 

By nineteen he found a family, he was turning twenty and after ten whole years he finally learned his lesson. He wasn’t even sure if anybody remembered or if they even knew it was his birthday 

Kazunari shook his head and headed down his bed, ready to start his day. He was happy enough that he found people who he could call his real friends 

The first ones to greet him were Omi, Izumi, Tsumugi and Tasuku and Homare

“Ah mornin’ Omimi, director, Tax, Tsumu-tsumu, Aririn.” He greeted the group merrily who sat among themselves discussing their plans for the day 

“Ah morning Kazunari, here you go.” Omi handed him a plate which was filled with his scrumptious breakfast

“Woah Omimi is this from a five star restaurant?” Kazunari asked, staring at the plate of neatly stacked pancakes that was neatly drenched in honey with whip cream and blueberries on top. He couldn’t help but take out his phone and snap a pic of the perfect instablamable food in front of him

“Well I thought it was a good way to start your birthday,” Omi smiled softly at Kazunari

Kazunari was caught off guard, so they did know it was his birthday. For once he was left speechless, he felt his chest swell with happiness at the thought of somebody actually thinking and making something for him 

“Happy birthday Kazunari,” Izumi greeted the art student energetically and ruffled his hair, “ You actually turned older today.” She smiled at him fondly as she handed him his usual mug of coffee, “You might need that for today,” Izumi advised 

“Thanks,” Kazunari looked down on his food, feeling bashful. 

“Happy birthday Kazunari,” Tsumugi said, “I’ll try to arrange the flowers later so you’ll be able to take a picture for your instablam.” Tsumugi suggested 

“Thanks Tsumu-tsumu!” 

“Miyoshi, happy birthday.” Tasuku said but despite the few words Kazunari beamed at him making the older actor’s mouth twitch up

“Ah for this special day I have made a special poem just for you Kazunari!” Homare announced proudly 

Kazunari spent his morning filled with laughter as he dug in to his food and listened to Homare’s poem, sure he got confused by a few verses but it was the thought that counts 

“Ah you’re finally finished,” Yuki’s voice cut through the adults as he walked in the dining area. “Everybody’s waiting in the lounge so hurry up Friendly mcExtrovert.” Yuki said and left the adults 

Kazunari looked at the adults in pure confusion but they just smiled among themselves and continued with their meal

“Kazu~” Misumi was the first to greet him as he went towards his friend and gave him a small hug, “Happy birthday Kazu!” He smiled

“Kazu-kun happy birthday,” Muku followed with his usual cute smile

Kazunari couldn’t help but laugh, “Thanks guys!” He said as he placed an arm around the two, “Oh Tenten’s also here,” He said, surprised. “I thought you have your own schedule for today?”

“Well…” Tenma trailed off, feeling embarrassed at the question

“He cleared it for today,” Yuki answered for Tenma who glared at him

“I just wanted a break, okay?” He looked at Kazunari, “Ha-happy birthday.” He muttered loud enough for Kazunari to hear

“Thanks Tenten, Yuki too.” He grinned at Yuki who remained silent. Kazunari wondered how many thanks he already said and it wasn’t even afternoon but he just wanted to show his gratitude to them who was actually making an effort for his birthday

“Come on let’s go!” Misumi ran outside, leaving the other troupe members no choice but to follow the free spirited actor

“I told him to wait for us,” Yuki sighed, running after the actor,

“Sumi wait up!” Kazunari called after Misumi who abruptly stopped and grinned at his fellow actors who were all out of breath 

“Sorry~ I got too excited!” Misumi apologized and went beside Kazunari

“Kazu let’s go find triangles!” 

Kazunari laughed, “Yeah let’s go!”

“Geh we should’ve just waited in the park.” Yuki looked at Tenma who was avoiding his eyes 

“How was I supposed to know it was going to turn out like this?!” 

“G-guys they’re getting away!” Muku went in between Yuki and Tenma pointing at Kazunari and Misumi who were already meters away from them 

“Hurry up hack,” Yuki ignored Tenma who yelled indignantly upon hearing the word hack leave Yuki’s mouth 

While the summer troupe busied themselves to make sure Kazunari had fun for the afternoon, everybody in the dorm worked for the evening party

“Come on Kazu! There’s a triangle here!” Misumi called up from the tree branch

“Sumi I can’t climb trees!” Kazunari called from below while Yuki and Tenma were beside Kazunari and catching their breaths 

“Oh there’s one there!” Muku pointed at the other side which Misumi easily jumped onto

“Kazu I’ll get you the best triangle!” Misumi grinned from below them, “So you’ll feel very happy today!”

Kazunari wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to. He was already happy with spending time with everybody 

“Thanks Sumi!” He grinned at Misumi who also smiled widely and continued to look for triangles from the tree

“That was dangerous.” Tenma commented after hours of searching for triangles, “Besides why would you take a traffic cone?!” He turned to Misumi, it was a good thing that there wasn’t any police or he didn’t want to even think about the consequences that they would have to face

But Kazunari didn’t mind if he spend his birthday in jail, if he was with his friends he thinks he could do it

“It was the biggest triangle!” 

“Still…” Tenma trailed off while Kazunari laughed

“Don’t sweat it Tenten!” He placed an arm around the highschool boy’s shoulder, “We’re here to have fun!” 

Tenma looked at Kazunari’s bright face and looked away, “Fine whatever.” He muttered while they all followed Misumi and Muku who were talking about today’s collection infront of them towards the park. It was the reason why they decided to head out anyways, to make sure that Kazunari haves fun

“Welcome Kazu!” Misumi spreads out his arms as he presents the picnic set out for him 

Kazunari could only stare in surprise, he thought they were still looking for triangles and besides, he wasn’t even expecting anything like this well, it’s not like he expected anything 

“Oi Friendly mcExtrovert are you just going to stand there?” Yuki cut off his thoughts as he sat down on the blanket laid on the ground, “Hurry up, we’re all hungry from that hunt.”

“‘Kay Yukki~” He basically skipped towards his four troupe members who were all waiting for him before they start eating 

“Woah this is totes so cute!” He praised as he took out the cupcakes and other foods from the basket 

“Hehe thanks,” Muku scratched his chin, “I helped Omi-san bake those.” He smiled widely, “B-but I’m not sure how it would taste.”

“Tastes good Mukkun!” He complimented the middle schooler as he took a bite after taking a picture of it. Muku smiled widely and nodded, also grabbing a piece of his own

“Should you be eating dessert first?” Tenma asked, grabbing a bento that they also made in the morning even before Kazunari wakes up

“Wah! You all helped make these?” Kazunari gasped in amazement 

“We did, hack almost burnt the whole kitchen.” Yuki pointed at Tenma who choked on his food and turned bright red

“Sh-shut up it’s not like I often cook!” He argued 

“Let’s head to the mall afterwards,” Yuki ignored Tenma who sulked, “There’s a sale and the hacks paying for what you want.” Yuki pointed at Tenma who just sighed and rolled his eyes 

“Really?” Kazunari once more asked in surprised, “Tenten you don’t have to-”

“It’s my gift, okay?” He looked away, his cheeks turning a light shade of red, “I wasn’t sure of what you wanted so this will be my gift.” He mumbled and focused his attention on the meat in his bento 

“Tenten…” Kazunari trailed off, no wonder the guy was always gazing at Kazunari the past few weeks and muttering to himself, he was thinking of potential gifts for him! But really, Kazunari was okay in whatever Tenma gets him, just like he said, it’s the thought that counts 

“Hurry up, alright! We have to get back-” Tenma didn’t get to finish whatever he was going to say for Yuki gave him a look that shut him up

Kazunari shrugged, and continued eating his meal as he listened to Misumi talk to the cats 

They got the idea that it was going to be chaotic, Misumi would run off once he sees a triangle (He almost did but stopped mid run and smiled at Kazunari) Yuki and Tenma would be arguing (They are but not as loudly as in the dorms) and thankfully Muku stayed as angelic as he is 

“Kazunari-kun, I think this would look great on you.” Muku pointed a hat inside a store, “Right Yuki-kun?” Muku turned to Yuki who stopped and thought about it 

“It does go with your usual outfits.” He nodded, “Do you want it?” 

Kazunari smiled, it was true that he already saw so much stuff already but he was enjoying himself more as the summer troupe hang out, with the usual noise with everybody in the troupe as they walked along store by store 

“We should head home by six.” Tenma looked at his watch, 

“Eh? That’s way too early Tenten!” Kazunari pouted 

“We’ll eat with everyone!” Misumi bursted out excitedly, “Director cooked curry!” He beamed as the other grimaced at the mention of curry for dinner that they already had the previous night and the night before 

“Okay, should I go for the hat? Maybe the shirt earlier?” Kazunari thought out loud, “Yukki what do you think would make girls go crazy?” Kazunari winked at Yuki who just sighed

“Buy all, the hack’s paying.” Yuki shrugged but Tenma argued

“Do I look like someone who picks money on trees?!”

“Hah? You make more money than all the company combined!” Yuki countered as they continued to argue in the middle of the mall, thankfully Tenma was wearing a disguise

“Besides why would he buy a shirt you already made him one!” Tenma’s voice rang, Kazunari blinked. Once again surprised at the revelation 

“Yukki made me a shirt?” He mumbled, slowly as if he was trying to decipher the simple sentence to himself. He knew the workload Yuki had as the designer for the whole company yet the thought that he still managed to make time to make him something… 

Yuki glared at Tenma and turned his head to the side, “What about it?”

“Nothing, thanks Yukki!” Kazunari grinned sheepishly, “Should I just get the hat then?” 

“Add the coat from earlier,” Yuki advised, “The color would look good together,” 

“But…” Kazunari trailed off as Tenma took out his wallet, he didn’t even need to use a card he just took out cash from his wallet like it was nothing

Perks of being rich 

“It doesn’t even cost that much,” Tenma said

“Show off.” Yuki commented which sparked another argument between the two which went on until they paid for the clothes 

“Ah today was so much fun!” Kazunari grinned as he walked beside Muku who nodded

“I’m glad to know you enjoyed today Kazunari-kun.” 

“Ah we’re almost there!” Misumi basically ran towards the dorm 

“We should’ve taken the car,” Tenma muttered

“Shut up if you didn’t get lost we would be home earlier.” 

Kazunari chuckled at the banter as he followed Misumi through the door and entered

“Wah it’s really quiet, did everyone leave?” Kazunari commented, he wasn’t going to say it out loud but he felt disappointed, he guess he was looking forward to partying with everyone

Their little group went towards the lounge and suddenly the lights turned on and he was faced with everyone wearing a party hat, a colorful banner behind them that screamed “HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAZU!!!” and food lined along the table as everyone in the company stood behind it with huge smiles on their faces as they waited for Kazunari to reach them and blow the candles 

Kazunari felt the corner of his eyes brim with tears, wiping them away he smiled widely and walked towards everybody that was waiting for him

Kazunari turned twenty 

It was the day he was already expecting everything to be minimal, but at twenty he finally got to have a birthday party, filled with food and laughter as everyone enjoyed themselves through the party. At twenty Kazunari’s childhood dream finally got granted, he was spending his special day with the people he can proudly call his family

[hawthornsybil]

You’re Gonna Have a Great Time

Title: You’re Gonna Have a Great Time

Summary: Chris leaves a list of 20 things Buck can do to cheer Eddie up while he's at camp; somehow it turns into a 20 steps plan to woo Eddie.

Read on AO3

So, I read these amazing posts and just had to write something for it. Thanks to @theleftboobgrabber @pan-buck for letting me use their ideas as prompts. I hope you both like it! t when they walk inside the house.

The thing is, Eddie forbade him from going to see Chris off to summer camp because he didn’t think Buck would keep it together but Eddie has yet to learn how to say no to Buck and Chris when they team up. So, they strike a bargain where Buck will be allowed to have Chris for the afternoon before he leaves for camp. After having visited the zoo (for the third time), getting ice cream, and catching a movie, they’re now sitting together in Eddie’s living room waiting for him to come home.

“You sure you packed everything?”

Christopher rolls his eyes (something he totally learned from all the times Eddie has rolled his eyes at Buck) and then pats Buck on the knee. “I have everything I need.”

Buck has been high strung ever since Eddie told him about the camping trip and as much as Chimney has turned his overprotective act into just another thing to tease him about, Buck has no shame in caring so openly for Christopher. Plus, he figures that if he shows how worried he is, Eddie will either feel compelled to keep his cool (because Chris seriously doesn’t need them both to fret) or will feel supported in his fears.

“And did you remember to pack the mosquito spray?”

“Yes, Buck.”

Buck ticks it off the list he’s made on his phone and watches confusedly as Chris gets off the couch and heads to his room.

“Chris where…”

“I made something for you,” Chris answers on his way back.

He climbs back up on the couch and leans against Buck’s side. “I made a card for dad and I have one for you too.”

Buck always thinks he can’t possibly love this kid any more than he already does, and then Chris does something like this, and Buck ends up loving him that much harder.

He takes the purple card Christopher hands over and opens it, already excited about what sweet message he may find inside. He stares confusedly at the list in his hands.

“Chris, what is this?”

“It says at the top.”

Such a sassy kid, another thing Buck knows he takes after Eddie.

At the top of the card, scribbled in yellow crayon, Chris has written how to cheer up Dad while I’m at camp. Speechless, Buck looks between the card and Christopher’s determined face.

“Daddy said you’re going to miss me even more than he does,” he shrugs, pats Buck on the knee again comforting in a way no 9-years-old has any business being. “So, you can cheer up daddy and take care of him instead of missing me.”

“Chris…”

The front door opens before he can find the words to say, Eddie’s voice calling cheerfully from the hall, “I’m home!” He rounds the corner to the living room and his face softens when he sees Chris plastered to Buck’s side and Buck’s teary face. “Buck, we talked about this.”

“It’s okay daddy, I was just telling Buck how much I’m going to miss him.”

Eddie smiles and comes over, ruffling both his hair and Buck’s. “You guys had a good day?” They both nod. “I’m going to hop in the shower and then we can order dinner, okay?” He heads off when they nod again.

Chris turns to Buck and looks at him seriously. “Don’t tell dad.”

Buck nods solemnly, carefully folds the card, and puts it away in his pocket.

***

coffee with TONS of sugar so it’s not gross

It takes Eddie approximately one day to start losing his cool and collected demeanor. They’ve just got back to the station after a call where a kid had fallen in the pool and Buck can see Eddie continuously checking his phone.

Buck thinks back to the list Chris left. Point number one was making Eddie coffee and that’s easy enough. He leaves Eddie to go change into dry clothes and heads up to the loft to start off the coffee machine.

He idly chats with Chimney and Hen while he waits for the coffee to brew and by the time Eddie has changed and has joined them, a steaming mug is sitting on the table.

“Buck made you coffee, isn’t that sweet?” Chimney teases them.

Eddie ignores him completely. “Did you put…”

“Five spoons of sugar, yes. Just drink it.”

They’ve made each other coffee enough times to know how they take it, so he finds Eddie’s distrust appalling. Buck stares as Eddie takes the first sip and seems to relax a little bit. He smiles when Eddie looks at him.

 2. tell him about your day - he smiles when I tell him about school and stuff

Eddie takes a fall while on a call and Bobby sends him to the hospital to get checked for a concussion. He’s fine but gets signed off for the next shift so the others have to deal with Buck on their own.

Chimney tells him at least twice that he’s insufferable when Eddie is not at work and Hen tells him to go run some drills to kill time. Bobby takes pity on him and tells him he can help with the cooking.

At the end of the day, he puts on his jacket and is heading out when he remembers the card still in his pocket. Number two on Chris’s list is telling Eddie about his day so that’s what he will do. He calls him from the car, his voice barely carrying over the sound of the wind as he drives.

“Today was horrible,” he starts off by saying, even before Eddie has time to say hello. “I was bored, we had one call, that was it, can you believe it?”

Eddie chuckles. “You’re insufferable when you’re bored.”

“Yeah, that’s what Chimney said too. How was your day honey?” he asks sarcastically. 

“I finished painting abuela’s porch, then I painted mine. Were you really that bored?”

Buck stops at a red light still undecided on where he’s headed. “Yeah, I mean it was nice to have a quiet day, but you know, I need my adrenaline fix.” The light turns green and he makes a split-second decision to turn left instead of right. “Hey, are you home now?”

“Yeah, wanna come over?”

Buck smiles at that. “Turning in your street now.”

Eddie is waiting by the door when Buck pulls up to his house, an amused grin on his face, arms crossed as he casually leans against the doorframe, long legs crossed at the feet.

“What if I had someone over?”

He does a very bad job of masking his laugh at that. “I’m the only someone you ever have over.” He playfully bumps him with his shoulder and makes his way inside. “Wanna hear about all the different ways I’ve annoyed Chimney today?”

Eddie can’t do anything but follow.

3. ICE CREAM

Buck loves LA and has done all the touristy things except taking one of those tours where they show you where famous people live, but he has to admit, he fell in love with the city all over again when he started showing it to Eddie.

Walking alongside Venice Beach in the evening with the warm breeze coming from the ocean has to be at the top of his favorite things to do. He checks Chris’s list daily and when he saw that today’s idea was ice cream, he knew exactly where to take Eddie.

Their shoulders bump every other step, drawn together in a familiar way. Buck is eating his ice cream from the small cup Eddie made him order (“you’re gonna get chocolate all over your shirt if you get a cone, Buck”).

“Chris called from camp today.”

Buck perks up at that. “You didn’t tell me”

“You were in the shower after that last call.”

Buck wants to tell him that that was no excuse, he could have still gone to get him but decides to let it go. “What did Chris say?”

“That some of the other kids are staying until the end of the month.”

He can guess what he said to that from Eddie’s dejected sigh. “You said yes.”

“Of course, I did, I’m not a monster, Buck.”

Buck bumps into him again and inadvertently makes Eddie drop his cup. “Buck!”

“Oops, here.” Buck scoops up some of his ice cream and shoves it in Eddie’s mouth before he can object. He can’t cover up his laugh at Eddie’s outraged face. “We can share my ice cream, don’t worry.”

Eddie pushes him playfully and when a girl skating by almost runs into him, Eddie closes his hand around Buck’s wrist pulling him back close to him.

It feels like a date, that’s all Buck can think about as he stares at Eddie stealing Buck’s cup, mumbling about not giving it back because it’s all Buck’s fault if he doesn’t have his anymore. Buck would happily let Eddie steal everything from him.

 4. draw him a picture!!

He’s never been good at drawing anything, not even stars which everyone seems to be able to do, but Eddie has been staring forlornly at the drawings Chris made appositely for his locker and so here Buck is, at twenty eight, trying to come up with an idea for a card.

“Whatcha got there, Buck?”

He shrugs at Hen’s question, so she comes over to the table and stares from over his shoulder at the crumbled pieces of paper in front of him.

“Are you trying to draw something?”

“Yeah” he replies sheepishly. “It’s for Eddie.”

She smirks and shakes her head. “Of course it is. Why don’t you go for a stick figure and a simple message? Can’t go wrong with that.”

He ponders it for a moment and then nods. “Thanks, Hen.”

When half an hour later Buck sees the smile on Eddie’s face as he opens his locker and Buck’s card fall out of it, Buck feels just as accomplished as if he had just rappelled down a building for a rescue.

5. tell him a joke - I got a book of jokes for my birthday last year you can borrow it if you want buck / 6. tell him a knock-knock joke - I don’t have a book of knock-knock jokes :-(

“Hey, Eddie, have you heard about the new restaurant called Karma? There’s no menu: you get what you deserve.”

Eddie looks at him as if he’s finally lost it. They’re in the middle of a call and really, Buck should be paying more attention but all he has to do is hold a bar in place while Bobby saws it, so no big deal.

“What the…”

“It’s a joke,” Buck says with a big grin. “I’ve got another one. Did you hear about the claustrophobic astronaut? He just needed a little space.”

Eddie snorts and tries very hard not to show that he’s laughing but Buck sees it.

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one with the dad jokes?” He asks.

Buck shrugs, unrepentant. “I’ve got more.”

“Why?”

Bobby finishes with the saw and looks amusedly between the two. “Maybe wait until after we’re done saving someone, yeah?”

“Copy that, ‘Cap.” Buck does a little military salute and Eddie can’t help but laugh at him again.

Two hours later, while they’re laying in their bunkbeds trying to sleep between calls, Buck continues.

“Hey, Eddie?”

He gets a grunt in response and that’s enough for him to proceed. “Did you hear about the actor who fell through the floorboards?” He waits for dramatic effect and then goes, “He was just going through a stage.”

“Buck, I swear to God…”

“Knock, knock.”

Eddie grunts again. “Buck…”

“You have to play along. You can just not answer when someone says knock-knock.”

Buck hears the bedsprings creak as Eddie shifts in the bed next to his.

“Eddie?”

“Who’s there?”

Buck grins broadly. Eddie can’t ever say no to him doesn’t matter how annoying he’s being. “Leon.”

“Leon who?”

“Leon me when you’re not strong!”

He gets a pillow thrown in his face which makes the book of jokes he borrowed from Chris’ room last time he was over and the phone where he was looking up knock-knock jokes, fall from his hands and hit him right in the eye. “Ouch.”

“That’s what you get, Buck,” Chimney’s voice pipes up from the other side of the sleeping quarters. “Go to sleep.”

Buck doesn’t even mind because he hears Eddie sniggering from the other bed.

 7. ask him a funny question - one time I asked him if dogs know they’re dogs, and he smiled a lot!!

“Do you think cats have regrets?”

Buck’s question is so random that Eddie’s face turns into that confused squinty expression he always makes that Buck absolutely loves.

They’re on day 9 of Christopher being away at camp and Eddie is particularly grumpy. He’s snapped at the woman they were trying to save because she kept trying to tell them what to do because she’s a big Chicago Fire fan and thought she knew better.

Chris hasn’t called since the time he asked to stay at the camp longer and Bobby keeps shooting looks at Buck that say “fix it” so Buck took out his list, checked what was on the agenda for today, and asked the first question that popped into his head.

“I would love to be in your head for a day,” Eddie tells him, but Buck can see at least a bit of tension leaving him; he’ll take that as a win.

“I mean, think about it,” he continues, closing one of the compartments on the truck once they’ve finished expecting it. “You see so many photos of dogs looking ashamed because of something they did, but cats will maintain eye contact while dropping your favorite trophy off the shelf.” He shrugs. “What’s your take on it?”

Eddie stares at him as if trying to understand whether Buck is being serious or not. Buck looks back, an expectant grin on his face, and Eddie can’t help the laughter that starts bubbling out of him.

“I swear, this is why you and Chris get along so well.”

Buck looks proud of himself as he watches Eddie completely fail to remain grumpy.

 8. watch a movie with him - his favorite is emperor’s new groove I think

It’s not often that they don’t have the same days off together, but it can happen. Buck ends up covering someone on third shift and doesn’t see Eddie for two days. So, as soon as he’s done with his shift, he heads straight over to Eddie’s. He knocks once and then lets himself in and he’s not surprised to find Eddie laying on the couch, a film playing on the tv that Buck knows he’s only half watching.

He places the six-pack he brought over on the coffee table and Eddie startles. He’s wearing his old army t-shirt and grey sweatpants, one foot resting on the floor and the other on the armrest. Buck forces himself not to stare for too long.

“When did you get here?”

Buck rolls his eyes. “Nice to see you too.” He kicks Eddie’s foot until he gets the message and lifts his legs, barely waiting for Buck to be sitting down before he unceremoniously plants both his feet in his lap. “Is this seriously how you’re going to spend your day off?”

“I’m only on film 3 out of 8.”

It’s then that Buck looks at the TV again and realizes that Eddie is watching Harry Potter.

“Do you think they let the kids watch films at camp?”

Buck snorts, hands subconsciously closing around Eddie’s ankles. “I’m pretty sure that would go against the child labor program they have in place.”

Eddie kicks him and rolls his eyes. “Growing vegetables and then eating them is not child labor, we’ve been over this.”

Buck’s fingers dig into Eddie’s ankle and he lets himself relax against the couch. “Agree to disagree.”

He’s never seen the Harry Potter films prior to meeting Eddie and Christopher and watching it now without the youngest Diaz is making him think about all the other things he has never done before Eddie appeared in his life, stripping in slow motion in the middle of the fire station (he knows that’s not exactly how it went but that’s how he remembers it so sue him).

“This is making me sad.”

“The Prisoner of Azkaban cannot make you sad,” Eddie retorts.

“Whatever. Let’s watch something else.” He remembers Chris’ suggestion and he smiles. “You know what we haven’t watched in a while? Emperor’s New Clothes. I like that one.”

Eddie glances at him and studies him for a few seconds before grinning back. “Okay.”

9. clean up - sometimes when he looks stressed, I clean my room and he smiles??

Carla told him once that Eddie hates it when she helps cleaning around the house, so she discretely helps out but leaves enough that Eddie thinks she hasn’t done it just so Eddie can then spend his days off tiding up. Buck knows that when you join the army they drill it into you to keep everything tidy and so he knows how important it is for Eddie.

However, with Christopher off to camp, Carla hasn’t been around in a while and Buck can see that there’s a load of laundry to do and Eddie’s clothes were left in a pile after being in the dryer. But Eddie spoke with his parents that morning and Buck is not privy to what was said in the conversation, but he can see how stressed Eddie has been ever since getting off the phone.

Chris’ list has a suggestion for what to do in this case too, so, while he’s at Eddie’s waiting for him to come back from having gone to the shops to get beer and food, Buck starts tidying up a little. He puts the clothes in the washing machine, folds the ones Eddie left out and puts away the dishes that have been collecting dust on the drying rack.

When Eddie gets home, Buck looks at him like a deer caught in the headlights, plates in his hand halfway through being put away. Eddie frowns for a second and then darts his eyes around, goes to check in his room, and then comes back.

“Did you tidy up while I was gone?”

Buck shrugs, unsure if he’s overstepped some boundary. Eddie just stares at him, shoulders sagging and eyes searching.

“Thought I could help a little. You’ve got enough on your plate.”

Eddie walks over to him and hugs him, and Buck hopes Eddie can’t feel his heartbeat accelerating.

 10. play some video games - but don’t let him win he always knows when you let him win

Buck hasn’t played the ambulance simulation game in ages and he’s always been horrible at it; Hen can be his witness but playing with Eddie is different. He’s probably the only person who’s worse at it than he is but he was mopey after talking to Chris, so Buck wants to cheer him up which means he has to fake being worse than Eddie and let him win. 

“Oh no, drove right into the pedestrian.” Buck was never a good actor.

Eddie looks at him suspiciously. “Buck, I know you’re letting me win.”

“Oh c’mon, I’d never do that to you.”

Eddie doesn’t even dignify that with an answer just drops his controller and lets the ambulance drive off the road and into a building.

“Well, that will be hard to explain to the Chief,” Buck jokes.

He only has a moment to take in Eddie’s unimpressed face before Eddie tackles him and starts digging his fingers into Buck’s sides.

“Yield!” Eddie orders, unrelenting in his tickling.

Buck can barely breathe. “Okay! Okay! I will play for real now.”

Eddie pulls back but stays close in Buck’s personal space, eyes full of mirth and a little dopey, and Buck can’t look away, not until Hen walks past and throws a pillow at them.

 11. the aquarium!! he really likes going to the aquarium with me!

“I haven’t been here since the last time we brought Chris.”

Buck had shown up at Eddie’s that morning and dragged him out without even telling him where they were headed.

Since it’s a Wednesday, there are not many kids despite it being the summer holidays, so they’re enjoying a leisure walk between the various exhibitions.

“Did you know that a blue whale is the largest living animal on Earth?”

Eddie looks at him with a fond expression when Buck asks him that. He shakes his head, falls into steps with Buck and their shoulders bump as always. “No, I didn’t know that, Buck.”

They stop in front of the penguins and Buck stares at them, not feeling Eddie’s gaze on his face. “I used to think that penguins were really big, you know?” he glances up and catches Eddie’s eyes, finds himself blushing a little under the scrutiny. “Like as big as people and then I watched Madagascar and my mind was blown.”

“I’m more surprised that you watched Madagascar if I'm being honest.”

Buck smiles at him. “It’s one of my favorites. Maddie and I sneaked out of the house to go see it when it came out.” He feels himself grow nostalgic at the memory and looks back at the penguins so he doesn’t have to see Eddie’s expression. “It was one of the last things we did together before she married Doug.”

He’s not ready when a hand lands on the back of his neck, Eddie’s thumb pressing down on his pulse point.

“When I watch it with Chris, he makes me do the King Julian dance,” Eddie confesses. 

Buck appreciates the distraction more than he’d be able to express. He turns his head to the side, his cheek coming to rest on the back of Eddie’s hand. They’ve been more tactile lately but, this makes Buck feel as if it’s just the two of them in the world in that moment.

“I’m going to have to see that,” he teases just as a little kid comes running straight into his legs and almost knocks him over.

 12. LOTS OF HUGS

The minute Eddie is out of the building, Buck shrugs Bobby’s hands off and runs up to him, pulls him into a tight hug even as Eddie starts coughing against his shoulder.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Buck…”

“No, we’ve been over this, we can’t both be reckless.” He pulls back, starts opening up Eddie’s turnout coat to check him for injuries. “Next time Bobby says to fall back, you fall back, understood?”

Eddie grabs Buck’s wrists and squeezes hard enough to get his attention. “Buck, I’m fine.”

Buck’s eyes are still wide and his pulse is racing, he knows Eddie can feel it where he’s holding him, but Buck hasn’t been this scared in a long time. He pushes forward, wounds his arms around Eddie’s neck, and hugs him again.

“You’re an idiot.”

Eddie’s arms come up, hugging him back briefly before Buck is pulling away and Eddie’s hands slowly fall to his hips. This is Buck’s favorite thing about hugging Eddie, how he always leaves one hand on Buck’s flank. Buck is not used to being hold; Maddie is not a big hugger and unless Chris is around, the only person he ever gets hugs from is Eddie.

“I’m okay, Buck.”

He wants to drag him home and make him rest but Bobby calls out to them, tells them to start packing up and it takes Buck a lot longer than a second to be able to look at anything but Eddie’s face.

Eddie doesn’t look away either.

 13. do something adulty with him - I don't know buck I'm 9

So, the thing is, Buck has been crushing on Eddie for the past two years. Maddie likes to tease him about it all the time, it’s all in good spirits and it’s mostly about how Buck pretty much imprinted on Eddie the minute the guy told him how good he was at his job. So, these feelings, wanting to kiss Eddie, wanting to hold his hands, nothing new there. They’ve had bumps in the road, Buck tried and failed to date someone else and it hasn’t been easy, but Buck is done waiting for what he wants. He knows Eddie enough to be sure that even if he’s been reading the signals all wrong, they will be able to move on from this.

When he checks Chris’ list and sees the point about doing something adulty, Buck’s mind goes straight to one thing because he wants to date the shit out of Eddie Diaz and goddamnit he will.

So, when they’re halfway through their shifts, Buck flops down on the sofa next to Eddie and asks. “There’s a new restaurant near my place, do you wanna check it out?”

Perhaps he should have phrased it better, but Eddie makes him nervous.

“Yeah, sure.” Eddie barely looks up from his phone where he’s texting Lena.

Buck is like 80% sure that Eddie is not getting it. “We can go home and change and then I’ll come to pick you up.”

Eddie frowns, looks at Buck in confusion. “Why don’t we just go together from here?”

“I’m coming to pick you up,” Buck insists.

He can feel Chimney staring at them and when he looks in his direction, Buck finds him with a spoon halfway up to his mouth that might as well be popcorn considering he’s looking at them as if he was watching a movie.

“Can I help you, Chimney?”

“No, no,” he raises his hands in surrender. “Carry on.”

Buck looks back at Eddie raising an eyebrow expectantly.

“Okay, you can come to pick me up.”

Several hours later, halfway through their dinner, Buck realizes that the issue with spending so much time together is that this won’t feel like a date because they do this all the time. Eddie is dressed in a flannel shirt over a black shirt and well-fitting black jeans and Buck loves the look, he honestly does, but he’s thanking whatever deity made me forgo the suit he had originally planned.

Eddie trails off in the middle of what he’s saying and stares at Buck. “Are you okay? You’ve been glaring at your food for the past five minutes.”

“All good, you were saying?”

Buck drives him back home, and Eddie asks him if he wants to come inside, and apparently Buck is a sucker for punishment because he accepts even though he knows that Eddie didn't get that Buck had asked him out on a date.

 14. ask abuela how she makes the Magic Soup - dad really likes it

Buck has had Pepa’s number saved on his phone for the past two years because sometimes he’s the one going to pick up Christopher from their place. This time he uses it for a different reason. Eddie has canceled on him because of a cold or so he says, but Buck is pretty sure that it’s just the fact that Christopher has been gone for almost three weeks now. So, he texts Pepa and asks if he can drop by so Isobel can teach him how to make the magic soup Eddie loves.

She says yes and Buck finds himself standing between her and Isobel a couple of hours later, attentively following all the steps and taking notes.

“This is really nice what you’re doing, Buck.”

He shrugs because praise always makes him feel so out of depth. “Thank you, Isobel.”

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me abuela?”

He can’t help but smile at her. “Sorry, abuela.”

“Thank you for taking care of Eddie while Chris is away.”

“What else would I do?”

She smiles warmly at him, pats him on the arm, and then goes back to guide him through the next steps.

Two hours later he’s letting himself in Eddie’s house. “Honey, I’m home!” he calls jokingly while he uses his foot to close the front door.

When he walks in the living room, he doesn’t see Eddie, so he puts the soup down in the kitchen and then checks Eddie’s bedroom and finds him curled up under the covers watching Netflix on his phone.

“Are you actually sick?” he asks, leaning against the door.

“Maybe.”

Buck scoffs. “What if I told you that I have your magic soup waiting for you in the kitchen?”

That gets Eddie’s attention. He lets his phone fall on the bed and looks suspiciously at Buck. “How?”

“I might have stopped to Pepa and Abuela’s house.” He walks over, reaches out, and grabs Eddie’s wrist pulling a little. “C’mon. It took us hours to make and you have to eat.”

Eddie looks at him in a way that makes Buck think he’s about to be pulled down into bed in retaliation, but the moment passes, Eddie tugs his hand free and stands up. “You better not be lying, Buck. How did you even get her to give you the recipe?"

Buck scoffs. "You should know by now that Diaz's can't resist this face." 

Eddie can't say anything in return. 

 15. cuddles on the couch

Buck is a cuddly drunk, he usually turns into some sort of over joyous puppy who walks around and starts up a conversation with anyone who will give him attention. Eddie had to quite literally drag him away from where he’s explaining in detail to a couple what a compound fracture is.

“I’m sorry about him.” Eddie grabs him by the back of his shirt and pulls him out of the bar and pushes him towards Buck’s jeep. “Get in, I’ll take you home.”

Buck stumbles five times while attempting to get in his car, but his size seems to be too big for his drunken self so Eddie has to help him in. He dozes off leaning against the window as soon as Eddie turns the ignition on and doesn’t wake up until Eddie is pulling him out of the car once they’ve reached his building.

“Buck, c’mon, help me out.”

He blinks slowly and then more or less manages to follow Eddie all the way up to his apartment. Eddie helps him lay down on the couch and goes to get him water and painkillers. He’s about to leave when Buck grabs his wrist and tugs so hard that Eddie falls on top of him.

“Chris said to cuddle you on the couch.”

“What?” Eddie tries to push himself up, but even drunk, Buck is strong enough to maneuver them around until Eddie is laying with his back against the backrest, and Buck is perched precariously on the edge.

“What, what?” Buck sighs, face squished against Eddie’s neck.

Eddie has no choice but to wrap an arm around Buck and pull him closer; it’s either that or letting Buck fall off and bang his head against the coffee table.

“Shhh, Eddie, sleep time.”

He can’t help but smile and grip Buck a little bit tighter.

 16. build a fort! / 17. cuddles IN the fort!!!

Buck and Eddie are laying on their backs, staring up at the string lights that Buck has attached to the top of the pillow fort.

“Why are we doing this?” Eddie asks.

Buck had shown up, going on about how he had found a guide on how to build a pillow fort on IKEA’s website and how they had to practice because Chris was coming back and he wanted to be the best at it by the time that happened.

Eddie had helped him out, going around the house collecting pillows and bedsheets and now there they are. It would be big enough for Christopher and another child, but two adult men are a tight fit.

Eddie shifts, his shoulder bumping into Buck’s chest.

 Buck is beyond pleased with himself. “Chris is going to be so proud of you at his next sleepover. He loves pillow forts.”

Eddie turns to look at him and when Buck turns as well, their eyes meet. The twinkling lights are making Eddie’s eyes look brighter, but his face looks younger and softer. Buck really wants to kiss him right now, but he’s read the rest of the list and Chris put kissing for last so Buck looks away.

“He already knows how to build a fort, Buck.”

“I know, but this is like pro pillow forting or something.”

Eddie shakes his head at him. “So, what’s the plan, what are we doing now that we’re in here?”

“Well, I’m getting us snacks, you’re putting on a movie and we’re going to pretend we’re not boring adults for one night.”

“You never became a boring adult.”

Buck crawls out of the fort, throwing a pleased smile over his shoulder. “I know.”

When he gets back and lays down next to Eddie, Buck is hyperaware of how little space they have and he fidgets around until Eddie grabs his arm and makes him turn on his side, his chest pressed up against Eddie’s back.

“Stop moving,” Eddie orders him and Buck doesn’t have to be told twice.

He settles down and leans his chin on Eddie’s shoulder so he can look at the screen. Every once in awhile, Eddie will raise the bowl with the popcorn so Buck can get a handful and they don’t talk, they don’t need to. Buck is more aware of all the places where his and Eddie’s bodies are touching than what’s going on the screen, but he doesn’t mind.

He’s not sure when Eddie falls asleep but gradually his body goes slack in Buck’s hold and Buck can’t help but rest his head on the same pillow, his forehead touching the back of Eddie’s head and his arm tightening imperceptibly around Eddie’s waist. He closes his eyes and lets Eddie’s breath lull him into sleep.

 18. tell him it’s gonna be ok

Buck finds him leaning against the side of the truck, pensive as his eyes stare at the phone in his hand. The bay is quiet, and the sun is warm. Buck hands him a cup of coffee and leans next to him.

“That Chris?” he asks, nodding to the phone. 

“Yeah.” Eddie puts the phone away and takes a sip of coffee before sighing heavily, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

They’re at the end of their shift, one hour to go before they’re free and Buck feels just as exhausted as Eddie looks.

“Is he okay?”

“He sounded happy. Kinda got the impression he doesn’t want to come home.”

Buck can’t stop staring at him, kind of wants to take all his worries away, help him carry the weight. “Well, on the bright side, he has to live home for at least the next nine years.”

Eddie snorts. “Why do I get the impression you’ll be the one doing the shovel talk once he starts dating?”

Buck feels his heart double in size at the thought that Eddie thinks Buck will be around in the distant future to see that happening; very distant future because Chris is only nine and he has to stay a kid for as long as possible.

“I’m bigger so I can totally intimidate these future dates.” He puffs out his chest waddling around in an awkward robot dance that makes Eddie laugh. He takes a step closer, right into Eddie’s personal space and he feels like they’ve been dancing around this for the past month to the point where Buck is pretty sure Eddie is just waiting for him to take the first step.

“Hey, Eddie?”

Eddie arcs an eyebrow and hides his smile in his coffee. “Yes, Buck.”

“It’s going to be okay.”

Eddie’s answering smile is everything to him.

 19. tell him you love him!!!

Buck stares at the nineteenth point on Christopher’s list and tries to figure out a way to make it happen. As far as he’s concerned, he feels like he’s been telling Eddie he loves him since he introduced him to Carla and Eddie had given him that smile in return. He’s been saying ‘I love you’ since Eddie told him that it wasn’t his fault Doug had gotten Maddie, ever since he argued with Maddie until she let him go to Eddie’s shield ceremony despite the broken leg and the pain he was in; ever since he organized a Christmas party so they could be together with Chris, ever since he’s built the skateboard, ever since he tried to dig at the ground to get to Eddie. He’s been saying ‘I love you’ for so long he doesn’t remember what it felt like before.

He spends the day observing Eddie, seeing him joke around with Hen, giving Chimney advice on fatherhood, looking annoyed when Bobby doesn’t let him help with lunch.

Buck is just so in love with him. But the words are stuck somewhere in his throat, scared because he’s never felt this way about anyone ever. He knows that if Eddie asked him to jump, he’d only ask how high, but even more than that, he knows he would stop taking risks at work if Eddie asked him not to because he wants to stick around.

So instead, he tells him he loves him without words.

He gets up from where he’s sitting at the table in Bobby and Athena’s garden and goes over to where he’s animatedly talking with Karen. He puts a hand on his lower back, jumps into the conversation they’re having, and smiles softly at Eddie when Eddie looks at him.

 20. try kisses??

Christopher is coming back tomorrow, and this is it. Last day. Eddie has been brimming with excitement at the idea of having his kid back home and it’s all he can talk about. He doesn’t shut up about it during calls, and neither does he while they’re grabbing a drink with the others. Buck lives to see Eddie this happy. Buck is talking to Albert or at least trying to because his attention keeps being pulled over to where Eddie is dancing awkwardly while sandwiched between Chimney and Karen.

“So, how long have you guys been together?”

Buck does a double-take when he realizes that Albert is speaking to him. “What do you mean?”

“Eddie and you. I asked Maddie but she just giggled and said to leave it.”

Buck rolls his eyes. “Ignore whatever she says. Eddie is my best friend.”

Albert nods solemnly. “They always say the best relationships are born from friendships. They also suggest to marry your best friend.”

Buck, who was in the middle of taking a sip, chokes on his beer. He coughs loudly, and before he knows what’s happening, Eddie is right beside him suddenly alert and sober.

“Buck, what is it?”

“He was just drinking,” Albert intervenes. “He’s okay.”

Buck coughs once more and rubs the middle of his chest but he can’t look away from Eddie’s panicked look. “I’m okay, Eddie.” He grabs Eddie’s hand and tugs to bring him out of whatever panic he's slipping into.

“I think we should go,” Eddie says, already pulling away from Buck and getting his jacket.

Buck frowns but if he’s being honest with himself, he’s tired and he’s more than happy for them to leave now.

Albert gives him a look like he knows something is going on.

They quickly say goodbye to everyone, and they step outside the bar. Buck follows Eddie over to his truck ready to tell him that he’s only had one beer so maybe he should be driving when Eddie stops and turns around so suddenly that Buck ends up bumping into him.

“Are you sure you’re okay? We can stop at the hospital on the way home.”

Buck shakes his head, rests his hands on Eddie’s shoulders to get his attention. “I’m okay, I just want to go home, okay?”

Eddie scrutinizes him and Buck lets him look for whatever it is he needs to see to believe that Buck he’s okay. After a minute, he finally nods and pulls away. “You drive.” He tosses his keys at Buck.

They don’t talk on the way over to Eddie’s and they’re still silent when they walk inside the house.

Buck heads for the living room but Eddie grabs his wrist, turns him around, and hugs him. His arms are clutching at him tightly and his nose is buried against Buck’s pulse point and Buck knows there’s no way Eddie is not feeling his heart pick up.

“I didn’t think you were okay.”

Eddie’s voice is nothing but a whisper and Buck finally hugs him back, understands where Eddie’s mind went at.

“I’m okay, Eds.”

Buck is not sure how long they stay like that but when Eddie pulls back, his eyes are clear and determined as he stares at Buck, and Buck can’t help himself. He cups Eddie’s cheek with one hand, uses the other around Eddie’s hip to push him back until his back hits the wall, and finally, finally, after months, maybe years of buildup, Buck kisses him. He swears every sound disappears and all he can feel are Eddie’s hands gripping his shoulders, fingers digging in enough to hurt but Buck is all muscles and strength.

He has pictured kissing Eddie in his mind about a million times and nothing, no dream or hope or fantasy ever even came close to what he’s feeling now with Eddie pulling him in closer, their lips moving together slowly, kiss growing deeper and deeper.

Buck pushes him a bit harder against the wall and they knock one of the frames down and they couldn’t care less.

Eddie’s hand slides up into Buck’s hair and his fingers scratch his scalp and Buck has to pull back and breath or he’s going to drown in this kiss.

Eddie’s eyes are half-lidded, his lips shiny and swollen and Buck wants to kiss him again immediately and so he does because now he can.

 ***

 Chris throws himself into Eddie’s arms the minute he’s off the bus. Buck has been allowed to come to pick him up and he can’t stop smiling, trying his best to stop himself from nudging Eddie out of the way so he can have his hug.

Chris looks at him from over Eddie’s shoulder and god but has Buck missed this kid.

“Buck!” he screams, right by his father’s ears.

He comes over and the second Chris has freed himself from Eddie’s hold, Buck is scooping him up. “How are you doing, little guy?”

“It was awesome.”

Eddie picks up Chris’s luggage and the three of them start making their way back to Buck’s jeep. While they’re walking, Chris leans closer to Buck and whispers in his ear, “Did you use the list?”

“Yes, thank you so much for it.”

“And did you guys kiss?”

Any other time and Buck would have blushed but he’s so happy that all he can do is nod. He and Eddie haven't decided how to tell Chris but Buck assured him that it wouldn't be a problem. 

Chris looks delighted and pats him on the cheek. “I told you it was going to be okay, kid.”

[atths--twice]

Okay, moving right along. This is one of my favorites despite the bittersweet sadness of it. This is a story that had been on my mind ever since I began down this journey of continuing past the shows finale. I see them playing like a movie in my head and I love it. I love them moving on, being happy, and being with their girl. They deserve all the happiness in the world, and I enjoy giving them just that.

However, sometimes that happiness comes with a bit of sadness. A sadness that needs some extra care and understanding.

A Heavy Heart     3/5

Having been back to work at the hospital, Scully arrives home in need of some extra care after a very emotional day.

April 2022

Scully closed the front door gently and leaned against it with a deep sigh. The room was dark aside from the lone light left on for her late arrival from her shift at the hospital. Dropping her bag and shoes by the door, she locked it and walked wearily and with purpose up the stairs.

Glancing at their bedroom door and hearing Mulder’s soft snores, she bypassed it, and instead quietly turned the knob on Faith’s door and stepped inside.

The room had changed in the past two and a half years. The two dark blue walls had been repainted a soft teal, the other two remaining the color of sand. The crib, changing table, rocking chair and footstool had been replaced with a full sized bed, a nightstand, a child’s size table and chairs, and a house shaped bookcase.

Two old fashioned steam trunks sat open under the bookcase, full of dress up clothes, toys, a tea set, and little items Faith found special. Long floor length cream colored curtains with vibrant colored butterflies hung by the window. The table and chairs had little heart cut outs which Faith had loved. One look from Mulder, and Scully had known they would be buying the set.

The gray rug with the white stars was still in the room, Faith not wanting to part with “my stars” and get a new one. The nightstand matched the table and chairs with the heart cut out, on top of which sat a rainbow light that was kept on at night.

Her new “big girl” bed had been a bit of a discussion. Scully had thought a twin bed would be a better choice, the room not being overly large, but Mulder had insisted on a full size bed.

“What if we want to lie down with her? We are taking out the rocking chair and we will need a place to read stories at night,” he had said and she had agreed. Smiling with happiness on that first night, they had all snuggled in the new bed to read a few bedtime stories.

Scully looked around the room, taking in the stuffed animals sitting in the chairs with a large pile of plastic food in the middle of the table, the new drawings pinned to the wall, and the bowl of pine cones on the nightstand. She took a deep breath before covering her mouth as she tried to hold back her tears.

Stepping closer to the bed, she looked down at Faith as she slept; her long dark hair across the pillow, her favorite stuffed animal, a grey alien with a pink belly, held in her arms. Scully pulled back her grandmother’s quilt which Faith had fallen in love with, loving all the different colors and swatches, especially the ones with white bunnies, and laid down beside her.

Scooting closer, the second she had an arm around Faith, the tears began to fall. She buried her nose in her hair, smelling the strawberry shampoo Faith had picked because it was pink, and the unmistakable scent of Mulder.

Closing her eyes, she cried silently into Faith’s hair. She ran her hand across her small body, feeling the perfectness of her limbs and the rise and fall of her chest. Opening her eyes, she stared at her small hands, running her larger fingers over Faith’s tiny ones.  

“God,” she sobbed, holding her close, closing her eyes again and drawing comfort from the warmth of her little girl.

“Scully.”

She jerked awake, opening her eyes, confused by where she was.

“Honey, what are you doing in here?” She turned her head and saw Mulder behind her, his hair rumpled from sleep. She looked back at Faith, still sleeping soundly beside her. “Come on, Scully.”

Moving her arm carefully, she kissed the top of her head, slid from the bed, and stood in front of him.

“You’re still wearing your coat. What are you doing in here, hon?” he asked softly, and her eyes filled with tears. “Hey, hey.” He pulled her in for a hug and she clung to him, her tears wetting his shirt.

He led her from the room and shut the door, bringing her to their room and closing the door halfway. He held her as she cried, humming softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he whispered and she shook her head, crying harder. “Okay. Okay.” He rocked her slowly as she tried to stop her tears. “How about a bath?” She nodded as she swallowed a sob, and he guided her into the bathroom. She sat on the toilet to wait as he turned on the water and began to fill the tub.

The jingle of metal tags announced the arrival of Bella, her whole body wiggling with happiness as she came closer to Scully. Her excitement mellowed however, when she stood in front of her and laid her head on her lap, whining as she raised sad dark eyes up at her. Scully rubbed her long soft ears, tears falling faster as she rested her forehead against Bella’s head.

“I’m going to make you some tea while the tub fills up. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Mulder said, stroking the top of her head and she nodded, hearing him leave the room as she continued holding Bella’s face in her hands.

Taking a deep breath, she kissed Bella and lifted her head. “You’re a good dog, my sweet Bella. A good girl.” Rubbing her ears once more, she stood up and wiped her eyes.

Taking off her coat, she dropped it to the floor, the rest of her clothes following, before she stepped into the tub and sank down into the warm water. Dunking under, the sound of the running water covered the screaming sadness in her heart.

Rising up, she laid back, breathing hard, her tears mixing with the bath water. Bella whined and Scully looked at her as she laid her head on the side of the tub.

“A really good girl,” she whispered, running her fingers up and down her muzzle. Bella whined again and sat down beside the tub.

Leaning forward, Scully turned off the water and leaned back, closing her eyes as she pet Bella once again. The door creaked open and Mulder touched the top of her head. Opening her eyes, she looked at him and he smiled softly.

“I have your tea, the sleepy time one. I think you need it, but it’s a little hot. I’ve set it behind you and you get it when you’re ready.” He rubbed Bella’s head and made to leave.

“Wai… don’t…” she sobbed out and reached for his hand.

“You want me to stay?”

She nodded, tears running down her face and he took her hand and squeezed. He sat beside Bella, who turned to look at him with a low whine.

“I know, girl,” he said, petting her head again. “We got this.” He smiled at Scully and she cried softly, covering her eyes. He squeezed her hand again and she exhaled a large breath.

Water stirring, Bella’s low whines, and Mulder’s breathing became the sounds she focused on to keep her from breaking completely. She moved her hand from her eyes and looked at him, his eyes soft as he watched her.

“Would you like your tea now?” he asked, squeezing her hand. She nodded and he smiled as he stood up to get it. Handing it to her, she smiled slightly at the mug he had chosen; bright yellow with a rainbow smiley face.

“Thought you could do with a little happiness,” he said softly and she nodded, taking a sip and then a bigger drink when she found it was not too hot. He took it back when she had drunk about half, setting it back on the shelf.

She stared at him and he reached for the shampoo. She leaned forward and he sat on the edge of the tub, squeezing the shampoo into his hands and then began to wash her hair. She cried as she drew her knees to her chest and his fingers massaged her scalp.

He used the yellow duck rinser they had bought for Faith, removing all the shampoo before he added the conditioner, clipping her hair up and reaching for a washcloth.

Softly, he ran it up and down her back, across her neck and down her arms. He knelt beside the tub and she leaned back, letting him wash her legs and her feet. He dipped the washcloth in the water and squeezed it out before gently wiping her face, her tears flowing freely.

He laid the washcloth on the side of the tub, reached for the rinser, and unclipped her hair. Rinsing it clean, he set the rinser down and handed her the mug of tea.

“You finish up and get out when you’re ready. I’ll have some pajamas waiting for you.” He kissed her forehead and looked from her to Bella, silently asking if she wanted him to take her out with him. She shook her head and he nodded, leaving them alone.

As soon as he left, Bella sat close, her head resting once more on the side of the tub. Scully rubbed her head and took a deep breath.

“Thank you, Bella,” she whispered and Bella let out a low whine.

When her mug was empty, she sighed, holding it in her hands. Letting out a breath, she sat forward and stood up, setting the mug down and reaching for a towel. Stepping out, she dried herself and her hair, as Bella lay on the rug in front of the tub.

Brushing her still damp hair, she shook it out, running her fingers through it before walking out of the bathroom, her towel wrapped around her body.

True to his word, there was a pair of pajamas waiting for her on the bed, but no Mulder. Dressing in the pants and long sleeved top, she went into the bathroom and laid her towel on the tub.

As she walked back into the bedroom, Mulder came through the door with a small smile on his face. He searched her eyes and she nodded as he sighed in relief. Gesturing to the bed, she nodded again and he pulled the blankets back, waiting for her to lie down. When she had, he covered her and stroked her hair.

Telling Bella to go to her bed, he turned out the lights, came around to his side and lay down. He stared at her and she bit her lip, feeling tears at the surface again. He stroked her cheek and waited.

“We are so lucky, Mulder,” she whispered, her voice breaking as her tears began to fall. “So many… there were so many things that could have gone wrong with the pregnancy. Because of the past, the struggle to even become pregnant, my age…” She shook her head and he wiped her tears away. “So many… so many chances for there to be an obstacle to overcome, but she’s… she’s perfect, Mulder.” She cried harder and he pulled her to him and said nothing.

“The children at the hospital,” she whispered into his neck. “The deformities, the health problems… Mulder…” Shaking her head, she thought of Faith’s beautiful smile and her determination to do things on her own. “I see such horrors that have happened to the sweetest children and I… it was hard before, but now… I see her in them and I… I’m so thankful and then I feel so guilty.”

She clung to him and sobbed, thinking of how often she had thanked God that Faith was whole and not lacking, even as the guilt crept in. He rubbed her back, his hands warm, strong, and familiar; her safe place to break, knowing he would always catch her.

“We lost a little girl today,” she choked out, seeing little Aria in her mind. “She was… she was so small. I thought she was about Faith’s age when I met her, but she was six. So small.” She shook her head and cried, still not believing she was gone. “She had osteogenesis imperfecta, brittle bones… and she had been in many times before I came back to work. We all loved her.”

He hummed and she pulled back, remaining close as she shook her head. “She had a severe form of the disease and her rib cage… it was hard for her to breathe. She was on oxygen, but it wasn’t enough and…” She began to sob again, his arms pulling her close to him.

She cried until she was sure she was out of tears, her body beyond exhausted. Drawing in a deep breath, she licked her lips, and let it out.

“I had to see her when I got home,” she whispered with a sob. “I had to see that she was okay, to know for certain. I needed to feel her perfectly formed body and hear her breathing. Oh, Mulder.” She cried again and he sighed heavily, his arms tight around her.

They were quiet for a while, her tears slowly subsiding. She pulled back again and looked at him, his eyes full of emotion. He nodded and let out a breath as he shook his head.

“I’m sorry sounds so hollow, but I am so very sorry. For you, for her, her family. I understand your need to see Faith, I really do.” He stroked her cheek and sighed. “I worry about you, honey. This isn’t the first time you’ve come home upset like this. Well, maybe not to this extreme, but similar.” She nodded, knowing it was true, and she closed her eyes.

“I would never be so presumptuous as to tell you what to do, but Scully…” She opened her eyes and stared at him, his eyes so full of love. “Is it too hard for you?”  

She nodded and then shook her head. “The whole way home, I told myself that it was too much, and maybe I wasn’t cut out for this anymore,” she whispered. “I screamed and yelled, not understanding God for the millionth time in my life, and I thought about giving up.” He nodded and waited, his thumb stroking her cheek. “But, Mulder, those bad days, the ones when I might cry or need to hug her a little tighter… those days are outweighed by the good ones.” He smiled, nodding again, as she took a deep breath and gave him a shaky smile.

“I battled with going back to work, but I know it’s what I need to do. It’s only been six months, and it’s only three days a week. I have slowly eased into it and it’s been wonderful,” she said, scrunching her chin and sniffling. “Tonight, when I thought of not going back, I thought of Patrick, this little boy I play checkers with when he is there for his therapy. He always finds me after he’s finished and we play a game. His eyes are so green and he has the cutest smile.” She started to cry again, but they were happy tears. “And Molly. She’s nine and wants to be a doctor when she grows up. She has so many questions for me when she sees me. She has note cards and takes notes at my answers. How can I walk away from them?” She sniffled again and he grinned.

“You can’t, nor would I expect you to. That’s not my Scully,” he whispered, and she nodded. “I know that it’s hard, how could it not be when your heart is all in, wanting to help those children?” He smiled slightly and she nodded. “The good outweighs the bad, Scully. It always has and it always will. Tonight… tonight the bad won and heavily tipped the scales, but it can’t stay that way. If it did… we would all give up, and then where would we be?” She tried to laugh but it came out as a sob. He smiled and sighed. “I’m so sorry about tonight.”

She nodded and burrowed into his arms, letting out another sob as she found comfort in his words and his embrace.

As she fell asleep, her thoughts were of Aria, praying her sweet soul had found peace. Imagining her laughing as she ran and jumped, blowing hundreds of bubbles and laughing and laughing, her body now unbreakable.

______________

“Mommy. Mommy.”

Scully opened her eyes and saw Faith’s face a couple of inches from hers; her blue eyes intense and her dark hair its usual nesty morning mess. Scully smiled and pulled back the blankets.

“Come in, my love,” she whispered and Faith smiled, climbing onto the bed, her grey alien clutched in her hand. Covering them both up, Faith pushed her feet between Scully’s knees, something she had done after hearing how Scully used to do it to Melissa.

“I put my feet in your oven,” Faith said with a giggle and Scully smiled, wrapping her arms around her as Faith pushed her toes in further. “Like you did to Auntie.”

“That you did.” She breathed her in, smiling as she closed her eyes.

“Is your heart sad?” Faith asked suddenly and Scully froze, her eyes flying open.

“What? Why would you ask me that, sweetheart?”

“Hearts can be sad. And happy,” she said nonchalantly, holding her alien close.

“How do you know that, honey?”

“Daddy told me. He said hearts have love, lots of love, but it can be happy and sad.”

Mulder’s arm wrapped around her as he moved closer, and she smiled into Faith’s hair.

“Daddy told you, huh? Well, he’s a smart daddy.”  

“Yup. He knows lots of things.”

Scully smiled again as Mulder hummed a short quiet laugh in her ear. “Yes. He does know lots of things. I suppose we’re lucky to have him to tell us all those things he knows.”

“Uh huh.”

“Daddy is right, my love, hearts can be sad. My heart was sad last night, but today it’s feeling better. It’s very happy that I have you and daddy to be with me when my heart does feel sad.”

“Yeah, it’s good.”

Mulder’s arm tightened around her and she breathed deeply as Faith turned over and snuggled in closer, her little body fitting in like a puzzle piece.

“It’s good, Scully,” he whispered in her ear and she nodded, closing her eyes again.

Last night the scale was heavy, the good hidden in the very bad. In the light of day, literally surrounded by love, the scales began to lift and push away the bad. The sadness still lingered, of course it did, but it was no longer an all consuming feeling.

Lying between the two people she loved most, the three of them warm and cozy, the darkness did not stand a chance.

The good outweighed the bad. It always had and it always would.

[snezfics-n-shit]

Whumptober Day 30: Mono

Fandom: Ace Attorney 

Characters: Apollo Justice, Klavier Gavin, Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Trucy Wright

Notes: Ah, yes. The “kissing disease.” That’s at least how Apollo got it. He’s particularly not at all happy about it being from his first kiss while dating Klavier. They’re both couch-ridden at the Wright Anything Agency, acting as guinea pigs for the new Keurig. Early Klapollo, inspired by that “1 year vs 10 years experience” Wrightworth and Klapollo art I thought was really cute. No trips to Didney Wurl or sno-cones though. 

“I hate you.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to your boyfriend, liebchen.” Klavier teased with a waggle of his finger directed towards Apollo on the couch across from him. “If you hate me so much, why are you letting me stay in your office?”

“It wasn’t my idea.” Apollo frowned and shot an accusatory look at Trucy, who was fiddling around with the office Keurig. “I would’ve rather stayed home by myself. I also would’ve rather you didn’t drink random water bottles you find around the courthouse.”

“Oh, that’s a real nasty habit.” Phoenix couldn’t help but comment. His eyes were focused on Trucy’s demonstrations on how to use the new brewing device, but he was in enough earshot to overhear the conversation. “I did theatre back in the day and I am one hundred percent guilty of water bottle hopping.”

“I suppose that makes me transferring schools a blessing in disguise.” Miles smirked. As the tea expert of his family, he was the first to try a cup before entrusting a couple brews for Apollo and Klavier. “This is awful,” was his verdict. “If I drank this while ill, I would feel much worse.”

“Sorry, Polly!” Trucy called to him. “Tea’s taking a little longer. Papa’s gonna make something better for you!”

“It’s like you have your own little family here.” Klavier smiled. The Wright Anything Agency was an experience unlike any office he had visited. Sure, since Herr Edgeworth was his boss, members of the agency would frequently visit the prosecutors’ offices for both work and personal purposes, but that homey quality could only be found right here. “If I had to work while sick, I would definitely do it here.”

“But you two are absolutely not working in this condition.” Miles said firmly. “You know Wright and I will not allow that.” 

“We wouldn’t be in this condition if someone didn’t drink whatever water bottles he could find lying around.” Apollo couldn’t help but make a small gag recalling just how Klavier got him into this. “I love you, but that’s really gross.”

“So you don’t hate me.” Klavier snickered. “Isn’t it better we share this experience together? Mono is the ‘kissing disease,’ so it’s a little romantic, ja?”

“No, it’s not.” Apollo grumbled and pulled his blanket over his face. “I’m miserable and I’m mad at you.”

“You’re going to have to get used to that.” Phoenix laughed as he leaned against the wall. “Unless you two are going to live in separate bubbles, you’ll be getting each other sick a lot.” 

“Especially when you can’t keep your hands off me, Herr Forehead.”

Apollo peeked over the blanket just long enough to catch Klavier winking at him, to which he responded by hiding under the blanket again. 

“‘Can’t keep your hands off?’ Hm,” Miles approached the coffee table with his improved teas, “that sounds like someone I know.” He chuckled and shot a glance at Phoenix. “Sorry you’ll be drinking from styrofoam cups, by the way. There aren’t any mugs around the office.”

“That’s probably for the best.” Klavier sat upright to securely hold his cup. “Wouldn’t want to get anyone else sick.”

Apollo grumbled something incoherent from under his blanket until he found himself overheated and needing some fresh air. He sat up and grabbed his own cup, not making any eye contact with Klavier. 

“Polly, you’re looking more flushed!” Trucy observed, deciding to lean over the back of Klavier’s designated couch with her elbows resting on the top. “How’s your fever?”

“Not great, last time I checked.” Apollo looked at the thermometer sharing an end table with a lamp; he was unwilling to make the effort of standing up just so he could subject himself to a number he already knew would be in the triple digits. He took a drink of his tea, further postponing any temperature checks. “This is really good! You put honey in this, Mr. Edgeworth?”

“I always do.” Miles smiled when he saw Phoenix vouching for him with a nod. “It should help soothe your throat.”

“Oh yeah, I lived on honey when I had mono in college.” Phoenix recalled. “I was in the art department’s performance of Hamlet, so if I was going to speak I needed to not feel horrible.”

“Why didn’t you just stay home?” Miles pinched the bridge of his nose. He probably already knew the answer, since had already heard the story before, but he was still left wondering why.

“You don’t just ‘stay home’ when you’re the only freshman cast in a university production of Hamlet. That’s too big of a deal.”

“I’m taking your habit of drinking others’ water bottles got most of your cast-mates sick, too?” Miles teased.

“Did you hear this story before?” Phoenix planted a kiss on Miles’s cheek.

“How can you two just do that?” Apollo hid his look of shock by taking another drink of tea. “Just kiss in front of everyone like that?”

“They’re dads. They’re supposed to be embarrassing.” Trucy giggled.

“I have no arguments against that.” Miles made his way to one of the office supply closets and grabbed a few spare blankets. “That, and we’ve been together for years.” He distributed the blankets evenly and draped them over the ill lawyers.

“I don’t think I want Herr Forehead to ever stop getting so flustered.” Klavier adjusted the new blankets to his liking. 

“Oh, it definitely doesn’t stop completely.” Phoenix assured. “As time passes, you’ll learn all the right buttons.” He gestured for Apollo, if he was willing, and Klavier to look at him, as if to say ‘watch this.’ He leaned over on Miles’s shoulder. “Your nose is whistling again, hon.” 

As Phoenix figured, Miles started looking a little pink; it became even more so once Phoenix gave said nose a light boop. 

“A-Alright, you’ve reassured them.” Miles hid his mouth behind his left hand. “Perhaps we should let them rest.” It was clear to Phoenix that Miles was changing the subject to retain an ounce of his composure.

“That’s a good idea.” Phoenix turned off the office lights. “Come on, Trucy. Let’s leave our patients be for a while.” 

“Okay, Daddy.” Trucy lowered her voice to give Klavier and Apollo a head start on some much needed quiet. “Feel better soon.”

The three left the room, likely discussing their destination for lunch as soon as they closed the door. Apollo surveyed the office until he was sure the coast was clear. He wrapped his achy self with one of his blankets and stood up so he could approach Klavier and plant a swift peck on the cheek. 

“A kiss goodnight?” Klavier raised a brow.

“Yeah.” Apollo lost his energy from standing as quickly as it took for him to stand up. He dropped himself back on his designated couch. “You wanted ‘romantic,’ right?”

“I think just us resting in the same office across from each other is already perfect.” Klavier closed his eyes, more than ready for some sleep. “Gute nacht, liebchen.”

“Good night.”

[ellen-reincarnated1967]

Long Forgotten

Characters: Misha, Jensen, Jared, Gen, mentions of Maison and West, and the reader.

Pairing: Past!Misha and Reader

Misha’s Scent can be found @scentsfromthebunker

A/N: Have not written in forever- a year it seems- and this came to me in a dream.  It’s based around the holidays; perhaps the drop in temperature here in NJ has me longing for Christmas.

Things change; time rolls on like dust bunnies under the couch of a forgotten past.  Only when you accidentally bump into the couch or move it to reposition the rug, do you see them; the memories, the clutter, and dust of your past.  This time, when you dropped the couch into its rightful place once again, you found tinsel from a holiday long forgotten.  

Tinsel reminded you of the warmth of the hot cocoa splashed with a nip of Baileys, the gooey melted marshmallows, that never seemed to fill your mug. Tinsel reminded you of the mittens he had sewn from scratch, that he pulled from his own coat pockets, during the snowball fights.  

Tinsel reminded you of Misha.  His winter white speckled hiatus beard, the shaggy hair that just barely skimmed his thick lashes that hugged the sapphires of his eyes.  Tinsel reminded you of the last time you made love; under the Christmas tree, scraps of wrapping paper; your makeshift blanket.  

This year, however, your tree lay untrimmed, your hot cocoa was more Baileys than chocolate, and you were griping about the work party you feigned interest in.  You loved your coworkers, the cast, how could you not?  The Js tried their best to get you to participate in showtime shenanigans, but the strain of Misha and your breakup, put your acting chops on the literal block; they knew you were hurting.  He knew too. You loved him like no other.  No, you love him and you will always.  That’s why you have the knitted cap of blues and greens, with that God awful cone shaped tassel; the tassel he chose himself, packaged in tissue paper and hidden in a gift bag in your hallway closet.  

Each year, you figure, this will be the year you part with it; when you hand it to him sans emotion, without wanting anything in return.  But like the dust bunnies under your couch, the year turns into a few, and a few more, and before you know it, you still love him, but he loves his family now instead.  In a way, you love those two children of his as much as you would have loved your own.  

If only you had told him you wanted a family too.  If only.

Maison stuck to your side like glue, whenever she came to set.  You tried your damndest to keep her at arm’s length, but how could anyone refuse those freckles that ghost her nose, the chipped front tooth, and those careless wisps of hair?  She looked so much like her father, having her by you was enough to quell the longing for something long forgotten.

This year, the holiday party was for all the families of the actors, and Jared was holding the afterparty at his ranch-like estate outside of Vancouver.  Plenty of rooms, what seemed like hundreds of air mattresses, and forts for the children.  You agreed to sleep over, rooming with the kids, as usual; you were their “Auntie YN” afterall.  With the amount of families sleeping over, the chances of you and Misha running into one another were far and few between.

If only.

It seemed no matter where you turned, Misha was chasing after West, or Maison was chasing them both, tinsel coming off her hands like webs out of Spidey’s wrists.  Misha caught your eye as he flew past, his cinnamon and gardenia cologne, invading your nostrils, the coconut of his shampoo, bringing back all sorts of memories, that no matter how hard you tried to store them away, they came crashing about you, like hidden presents in your parents’ closet.  He noticed you waver for a second and damn it, he knew he shouldn’t have, but you had tinsel hanging from your fringe.  His fingers ghosted over your face, removing the offensive cellophane, and he felt it; a surge, a rush of adrenaline, a punch to the stomach, the inhalation of you, and he stumbled.  Bodies collided, stutterings of “I’m sorry” and “Are you okay?” had you both chuckling at the insanity of it all.  You were grown ups and were acting like gosh darn teenagers.  Nodding you were okay, Misha pulled on his lips, and acquiesced with a nod of his own head, before scolding his children.

It was Gen who found you in the wine cellar, tossing back some Moscato Jared had hidden in the dankness for you personally; knowing very well you did not like the dry reds. 

It was Gen who listened to you drunkenly profess how stupid you were for still loving him after a decade.  It was she who used her own satin sleeve to wipe your tears, and it was you, promising her you’d pay for the drycleaning.  Clinking her bottle to yours, you two made it back to the party, and the families had started to dwindle down to a few stragglers, not wanting the night to end; Misha, Jensen, and Jared, the stragglers three.

Gen bid you goodnight as the boys hugged you tightly, Jensen’s mouth grazing your ear, telling you to sleep tight, while Jared again insisted you have your own room, to which you shook your head negatively, “where’s the fun in that?” Misha watched as you hugged his friends- your friends goodnight and for the second, trillionth time that night, caught your eye.

It was you who motioned to the hall and he who nodded ever so curtly that he’d follow you in a few.  “Tuckin’ the monsters into bed, give me ten?”  

Agreeing, you almost made it towards the kids’ room, before Maison barreled into you, hugging your legs tightly. “Ma said we’re leavin’ early in the mornin’ and we’re havin’ a sleepover next to the fireplace, ‘stead of sleepin’ in the room with all the kids.”  

Heartbroken, you didn’t let that phase you, as she squeezed tighter, “Goodnight, YNN,” she looked up from beneath mussed hair and you bopped her nose, “‘Night Kid.”

You grabbed the gift bag from your duffel, something you stole from the props department, and made way to the furthest side of the house.  Sat under the tree, Misha found you. Silently, you handed him the bag, as he sat across from you, his pajama pants loose around his waist, and he hesitantly took the gift bag into his lap.  Sorting through the tissue paper, his fingers grasped the knit hat, and as he pulled it out, he let out a slow chuckle, as the cone shaped tassel flitted to and fro.

“Merry Christmas, Mish,” your eyes moist, but your heart full. It was time to move on.  

His throat constricted with bottled up emotions, he donned the hat, gave you that mischievous wink, and flicked the tassel, eliciting laughter, “Merry Christmas, YN.”

Passing on that hat was supposed to feel final; you were supposed to feel free.  All you felt was longing and as you two parted from a hug, you watched him walk back to his family, you whispered to yourself, “I still miss you.”

Tagging: @d-s-winchester @castielspahdehrah omg I have no clue who likes Misha fics!

[moonlightchess]

Is there anything better than a rural harvest festival? One where a whole small town just goes off for a full weekend and fills a huge-ass field with small-time carnival rides and folk fiddlers and pumpkin-weighing contests and a hay ride through a corn field? By day you can wander around buying knitted things and beaded jewelry, sipping a hot cider and eating buttery caramel corn from a paper cone,and at dusk the potter arrives with their portable wheel and a tarp that they lay right down on the grass so everyone can watch them throw clay and work, hunched over with wet hands and a table of already-finished coffee mugs for sale. The fiddlin’ goes slow and sad and sweet and the liquor comes out as the children go home, poured into all the cider and hot cocoa for the adults to enjoy. It’s all right, the old man running the hay rides is sober and ready to deposit everyone back at the town’s homey little hotel before dawn. The pigs and cornucopias have all been judged and now the mysteries are emerging, things whispering from the dense, dark woods that roll out from every direction around the field, things the locals will only tell you about in hushed tones. Women in patchwork skirts are selling strange herbs and charmed bits now, and the potter cleans their hands with a towel and rises from their stool with an otherworldly moon-glow in their eyes as they offer you a shot of sweet honey bourbon in one of their homemade mugs and incline their head toward the trees. “Want to see what’s been waiting for you all this time?” 

And of course, you do.

[atinyidea]

[ 1 ] UNDER THE RAIN | ONE | O. Sehun

chapter summary — Working two jobs wasn’t a challenge for you, your days were quirky and nights were always fun, in some shape or form. You liked your life, the people in it, the place you were at. But when a stranger walks into the unusual cafe you worked at things start to get... strange. And events always seem to happen under the rain. 

note — Sehun’s mate is named Yuna.

word count — 2.3k

tag list — @avmfreak96 and the tags from the first edition, please let me know if you would like me to untag you! @asslikegilinsky, @acevampyre, @high-on-food, @chanyeolol, and @marshmallow-phd ! also let me know if you would like to be added to the tag list!

main masterlist — the lunar myths masterlist

ONE — Strange Coffee And Stranger People

Out of the two jobs you had, working at a café was one of the highlights of your life. You absolutely loved the café, Zig Zag its name, and the old couple that owned it. The café was bright and bubbly, full of pattern and personality. It definitely lived up to its name. You loved working there, you loved meeting the kind people who would wander in to try the weird and wondrous things on the menu – their stories never failing to interest you.

Zig Zag was located in a quieter part of the city, its usual customers were older, who sat in the seats and liked to just talk to you, or your co-workers. The café did attract all ages; however, people from all over. You had just switched to working the till when he walked through the oddly shaped door.

When you looked up, the bell ringing its strange tune, you knew that you had never seen him before. You were good with faces, and you had never seen his before. It seemed to be raining outside – you hadn’t noticed – because as he shook his head, you could see how wet his curly black hair was. He stepped further into the café, walking straight up to the counter, not taking his eyes off of his phone.

Has he been in before? 

You were confused, he didn’t look even remotely shocked or interested by the shocking décor and oddly shaped furniture. Unlike how new people usually are. He wore a leather jacket, one hand – the left side – was stuffed into the jacket’s pocket. You could see a silver shine around his wrist.

Are those… handcuffs?

“Hello and welcome to Zig Zag! How may I help you?” You asked how you were supposed to. At the first sound of your voice, his head snapped up; his eyes meeting yours. You would’ve gasped in surprise, but it happened so quick you weren’t sure if you had imagined it. Imagined the swirl of green in his eyes before they returned to their natural, you assumed, dark colour. Your gazes snapped to each other for a while. You weren’t sure how long exactly, but the two of you only snapped out of it when the lady behind him cleared her throat. He turned to look at the woman, not really moving his body from facing you, before clearing his own throat.

Or maybe he just didn’t want to look at you.

He looked back down to his phone. From your brief glimpse of his screen, you could see the name of one of the café’s drinks.

“An Impresso Expresso Hug Mug with Lava Java and a Tall, Dark and Creamy Molten Jar? Please?” He questioned, reading straight from his phone. 

You nod with a smile, “sure thing! Comin’ right up!” and bent down to grab a Hug Mug. The lady behind him cleared her throat again as you popped back up, grabbing your attention. She was a regular of the café, you knew her well.

“Could I ask for two more of your Effervescent Straws?” She asked kindly. You nodded, but from the corner of your eye, you could see him stiffen and close his eyes – in annoyance? – as she affectionately patted your check before walking back to her table.

You turned back to him, pen in hand. “Staying in or taking away?” you asked.

“To go,” was his answer. You nodded.

“Okay, what’s your name?” The question was innocent, but the way his eyes narrowed slightly made you feel a bit, well, weird. It was a few seconds before he replied.

“Sehun.”

With this new knowledge, you quickly wrote his name on the Hug Mug To Go and the Not So Melting Molten Jar. They were slightly different than the glasses the in-café drinks were served in, environment-friendly and easy to throw away, but they were still the same shape. Usually, you would strike up a conversation with your customers but the way Sehunwas looking, staring, right at you threw you off balance. You weren’t entirely sure this man was all good. Your gut felt something off.

You poured the hot drinks into their respective holders – the deep and wide heart-shaped Hug Mug and the tall cone-shaped Molten Jar – placing them into the café’s specially designed drink holder bag, curtesy of Mr Jung, with his name of it. Without taking notice, you had slipped your staff card into the bag as well. It was something all the staff did – telling the customer just who had served them and giving them a voucher as an incentive to come back. It only had your name and picture on it, but it was still information you’d forgot you gave out to strangers.

“Here you go. Have a nice day!” You finished with a small smile, your eyes locking with his once again. When he grabbed the bag, his fingers grazed your own. You were stunned – only a little! – at just how warm they were for how cold and wet it must be outside, but the thought didn’t last long when he turned his back and practically ran out of the café.

You were busy tending to the next customer, but the sound of a motorcycle caught your attention and believe it or not when you looked out the window you swore he was looking back from atop the bike before it sped off.

Maybe you were just going crazy.

You shook your head slightly, as if shaking the thought away, and smiled brightly at the customer in front of you.

“Hello and welcome to Zig Zag! How may I serve you?”

                                                         ••:۞:••

“So you found your mate?”

Sehun nodded. Well, as best as he could while, he laid face down on the couch.

“And you ran away from her?”

A groan.

“After staring her down the entire time, you were near her?”

Another groan.

“Also, why were you, handcuffed?”

Sehun groaned once more, flipping over onto his back before sitting up to face three older members of the pack. Baekhyun, Luhan and Minah sat around him sipping on their own drinks. It was Baekhyun who had sent Sehun out to get the drinks in the first place – his mischievous eyes sparkled when Sehun had come home with a somewhat pained expression. He clutched the heart-shaped mug in his hands, cuddling a couch cushion as the three of them interrogated the youngest.

Minah, who was sipping from a glass of wine, rose an eyebrow. “Yeah. Sehun, why are you, handcuffed?” It wasn’t wrong of them to be curious, but Sehun didn’t exactly want to talk about his small situation with handcuffs. He wanted, no needed, to know how to approach you again – how to integrate you into his life without coming on too strong.

He knew he had missed something when he walked into the café Baekhyun had dragged him to the other day. The air smelt sweeter. He had put it to the baking in the back of the shop – vanilla cinnamon rolls – but once he heard you, your voice, everything made sense. And he was stupid for not noticing before. 

However, during the brief time he was with you at the café that day, he did notice several things. He noticed the colour of your hair, – a reddish-brown… auburn? – the length, – long, almost to your waist – the style. He noticed your fringe, a little longer and it’d be in your eyes. He noticed the summer dress you were wearing, despite it pouring with rain and the rose-tinted heart-shaped glasses that sat on your nose. He noticed that you smelt so strongly of vanilla and cinnamon but the underlying scent of rose and honey filtered through to his nose.

He took note of the tone of your voice. It wasn’t bell-like like he had imagined his mates voice to sound like from the stories he heard as a boy. Yet it wasn’t gruff. He couldn’t imagine it being anything other than what it was, and he decided – in his head – that he could listen to you speak for hours and hours on end.

“What am I going to do?” He whined, falling into the couch face first once again.

“Well, we can always talk to h-“ Baekhyun was cut off as Sehun shot up from the couch to glare at him.

“No.” Sehun didn’t have anything against his brothers (and sisters) but the thought of his mate, his mate, getting to know anyone before him was like a wolfsbane-laced knife right to the gut.

Baekhyun seemed to understand because he didn’t push. “Or we could watch her for you-”

“Don’t stalk my mate.” Sehun cut him off once again, grumbling, before settling back down into the couch. He would figure it out – he would – but he had to grovel first, being the dramatic wolf that he was. However, as he plonked his face back into the cushions, he missed the sly smirk that graced Baekhyun’s lips as he stood and left the room.

“Okay, but why are you in handcuffs?!” Minah exclaimed.

                                                        ••:۞:••

Your second job was always exciting. You worked night shifts at a bar – the Kim Family Bar – near your apartment, only a short walk away, and it was never over packed. It was classic and continuously smelled like a case of liquor had been spilt (it probably had) and the customers could get quite rowdy, but you liked it nonetheless. If your days were quirky, your nights were thought-provoking, to put it nicely.

You didn’t work every night, this job was only part-time after all, but you did enjoy it. You enjoyed being busy, it didn’t leave you to overthink about things.

“Here you go, Mr Lim.” You grinned at the middle-aged man who was a familiar face at the bar. He gave you a small smile back as you slid over his usual order of a whiskey-on-the-rocks. A few weeks back, you had learnt that his wife was cheating on him, with another woman, and now he was back with a story of how the divorce filing was going. You liked Mr Lim, he had a kind smile, but you always felt a pang of sadness whenever you saw him in the bar.

Tonight, something different happened. As you finished up your shift, your co-worker Jinyoung coming to take over, a fight broke out outside. You could see several men on motorbikes (really fancy ones that you always thought looked trashy) and several more men in front of them brawling in the middle of the street.

You rolled your eyes, shifting your camel-coloured faux-fur-lined jacket closer over your body. It was a cold night, as it usually was, but at least it wasn’t raining. Your boss, Mrs Kim, always allowed you to wear your own clothes during your shift, as long as the colour scheme and theme of the bar was adhered to. So, you paired with your black high-waisted skinny jeans (with rips at the knees - you knew of style trends) with an off-shoulder red cropped top. It covered your torso enough to not be inappropriate, but it worked with the bar’s image. Though, you usually misjudged how cold it could get. At least you didn’t have to wear flimsy high heels. You had to walk past the fighting cluster of men to get home, whichever way you walked, so you sighed and just started walking. 

You could take care of yourself.

Within a few minutes of walking, you felt something off. Maybe it was your paranoid brain playing tricks, but you could swear you heard footsteps. You slowed down your pace slightly, coming to a stop as you bent down to ‘tie your shoelaces.’ While on the floor, you turned your head slightly, looking behind you.

You were right – two figures dashed out of sight as if they could see you looking. Being a naturally cautious person, you knew you wouldn’t go home with people following you – certainly not when Euina would be waiting. So, making up your mind, you took a sharp right and cut into an alleyway. You knew these streets, you had lived on them for well over twelve years, and you knew where the best hiding spaces were.

Soon enough, those two figures made their way into the alley, walking further than you had stopped to hide. You couldn’t hear them entirely, but you did make out a few words. “Sehun,” “kill us” and “lost her.” You stopped in your tracks slightly.

Sehun? As in the man from the café a few days ago? Did he have a problem with me or something? You shook the feeling from your body and removed yourself from your little hide-out, fleeting the other way in the hopes of losing them. That hope was short-lived.

“There she is!” A man’s voice exclaimed, almost… excitedly? You didn’t want to know why. Soon enough, the two of them had caught up, and before they could lay a hand on you, you knew what you had to do to get rid of them.

You whirled around to face them, it must have shocked them because the blonde-haired one’s eyes widened, and as you sent a not-so-light kick to his chest, he stumbled back. You didn’t want to wait for the other to attack you first. They were both obviously more durable than you, so you went first.

You sent three punches to the silver-haired one’s jaw – because he was too tall to clock on the cheek without stretching too much – and as the blonde one caught his footing you sent another kick his way, watching as he fell to the floor. You ducked under the tall one’s arm, ignoring the words coming out of their mouths, and decided on the move that would floor him too. Maybe it wasn’t the best of moves, but it was one of the only ones that would work with your height difference. You jumped slightly and wrapped your legs around his waist, twisting your own and tipping his balance. You didn’t fall to the floor with him as you unhooked yourself just as fast and flipped away from them.

Then, you ran.

“Chanyeol?” Groaned Baekhyun from the floor.

“Yeah?”

“Let's not tell anyone about this.”

“Agreed.”

They would never hear the end of it from the pack and Sehun would definitely kill them, and they were both too young and pretty for that.

How was that? Any good? Tell me what you think!