#how do I respond to a compliment AUGH

[ive-gone-chonkers]

your art is 👌👌👌👌👌 GOOD SOUP!!!!! you deserve waaaay more notes!!!!!! 💕💕

THAT IS SO SWEET OF YOU 🫶🏼🫶🏼

Have a lollipop Crosshair as a token of my thanks 😭 🤲🏼

[writersdrug]

omg! I read your goth reader x Simon and I’m not sure if you’ve already made a post but I’d love to see how Simon met reader or how he did pull her 😂😂 love it btw

Augh I've wanted to write more for Simon x Goth!Reader

He drops the 3-pack of men's black t-shirts on the counter, digging into his sweatshirt pocket for his wallet. He takes out his card and looks up.

You're sitting with your back to him, hunched over on a small stool with your face stuck in a mirror. He can see your one eye magnified in the reflection as you held your cheek taught, slowly dragging an eyeliner pen across your lid.

He stands there another moment, wondering if you even know he's behind you. He politely clears his throat.

"One sec." You say, concentrating hard on making the line perfect. You have your mouth hanging open, your one eye closed and the other wide as a dinner plate. Simon huffs quietly. You remind him of a zombie, dressed in a typical retail uniform.

You eventually put the eyeliner pen down and stand, grabbing the shirts from the counter. He watches you as you scan the item - only one of your eyes are done, beautifully enhanced with an artistic flourish of eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow; your other eye is untouched.

"Is that all?" You ask, looking up at him, and he has to stifle a laugh. Thank goodness for his balaclava.

"Yea." He responds, sticking his card into the reader. You bag his shirts and hand them to him - he accepts the bag and puts his card back, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Receipt?"

"No thanks."

You nod - he stays there, staring at you with a rather blank expression. You purse your lips and tap the counter, adverting your gaze to anything but him. You were used to getting stares because of your makeup, but this guy in particular wasn't even subtle about it.

"Is that all?" He says, jutting his chin towards you.

You blink, staring back at him. Does he mean my makeup? "Oh- heh, no. Still gotta do my other eye."

He nods. "Looks good."

"Thanks..." You say. You're not sure if he's being honest or sarcastic. But before you have the chance to question it, he turns on his heel and walks out the door, the bell clanging behind him.

You shrug to yourself and sit back down, digging inside your makeup bag for a brow pencil.

You're uncapping your lipstick when someone slaps something on the counter - not aggressively, but it still makes you jump. You turn around to find that same guy from last week, the one with the balaclava and the moody eyes.

You head to the register and look down. There's another pack of black shirts on the counter. You scoff and look up at him. "More? What, are you eating these?" You say as you scan them.

"See you finished your other eye." Simon grumbles, pulling his card from his wallet. "Did it take ya the whole week?"

You glare at him, shoving his shirts into a bag. "It did." You say sarcastically, and he grunts, taking the bag as you hand it to him.

Simon watches as you turn to the side, assuming he was already on his way out the door. You popped the cap off your lipstick and parted your lips in front of the tiny mirror on the counter - he felt something akin to surprise when your lips were smeared in black, rather than the red he was expecting.

You feel a pair of eyes on your back. You turn around - that guy is still there, and you fight back a frown.

"Can I help you with anything else?" You say, trying to stress the weirdness of the situation in your tone.

"I like this." He says, using his free hand to circle his face. "Looks good on you. Unique."

You smile, genuinely pleased with the compliment. Most of the time, if people (other than your friends) weren't ogling at you, they were saying how strange and "ugly" your makeup looked (this was a common comment among the older ladies that came to the store).

"Thanks." You reply. "You want a makeover?"

Simon chuckles quietly. "Nah, not really." And then, as quick as he came, he's gone again - out the door before you can even try to carry a conversation with him.

Simon comes back the next week - this time, for a pack of smokes and some new gloves. Uncharacteristically, he finds himself a little excited to see you again, despite never saying more than fifty words to you in total. He gets to the counter and places his items down - his heart sinks a bit when he isn't greeted by you and your half-finished goth makeup.

An older lady steps forward and scans his items. "Do you have a rewards card with us?"

"No."

Would you like to sigh up for one?"

"No."

She doesn't even look at him as she slides the cigs and glives back to him. "Fifteen twenty-seven."

He slides his card in. He can't help but wonder where you might be; not that he misses you or anything, he's just a curious man. He doesn't like not knowing things, and you're a rather difficult, raven-haired puzzle to decipher.

"S'cuse me, but-" he shifts his weight as he pockets his wallet. "Where's the other girl? Y'know, the one with all the-" he waves his hand in front of his face. "She usually works Thursdays."

The woman looks at him with a tight-lipped, glazed-over expression. "I'm not allowed to share any employee's schedule information, sir." She drones in a monotone, customer service voice.

He blinks for a moment, wracking his brain for a response. "I'm 'er uncle."

"Oh - she quit."

"Really?" Simon says - he's rather upset that you, an artistically-talented cashier he's met twice, is no longer employed at the lackluster retail store. "What happened?"

"Manager told her all that shit had to go." She leans her hip against the counter. "All that ugly face paint - it was freaking the customers out. She threw a hissy fit and stormed out."

He hummed, thiugh he took what she said with a grain of salt. "Right. Thanks." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

The woman sighs. "I mean, people paint themselves to look like the devil and expect to be treated like a normal human. Is that crazy, or am I just old?"

Just an old hag. "Dunno." He shrugs.

"Oh-" she holds up a finger, signaling for him to wait as she meanders to the end of the counter. She grabs an envelope and comes back to the cash register, handing it to Simon. "Give this to your niece. She never came back for her last paycheck."

He hesitates, wondering if he should make up some excuse like "Oh I'll tell her to pick it up." But, he said he was her uncle - now he has to deal with the responsibilities of it. He takes the envelope and shoves it into the pocket of his sweatshirt. Nodding towards the lady. "I'll make sure she gets it."

Simon hasn't tracked you down yet. Truthfully, he hasn't realy tried to; he wants to respect your privacy and chose not to look for you on social media - but he does frequent the restaraunt across the street from your old workplace, hoping to catch you if you ever decided to come back for your check. He's getting worried at this point - what if you show up and he doesn't see you, and then you start freaking out about getting your paycheck stolen by some random guy? That would be the highlight of his vacation leave. He isn't sure if Price would bail him out of jail for that one.

He's inside the restaraunt today, sitting in a booth and sipping on a mug of tea. Rain pelts against the windows, providing a background of white noise to his ever-active mind. He scrolls through his email on his phone, but as always, he's focused on work. The briefing doming up within the next week, that sergeant that failed the sniper placement, having to listen to Soap talk about how he spent his leave with his girl... it muddled around in his head, nothing staying in the forefront of his mind, but never dissipating, either.

He hears the door open, just as a peal of lighning crashes through the sky. Someone stomps their boots on the entry mat a ways behind Simon, and he hears the jingle of metal with each step towards the bar.

"I'm here for an interview."

Simon nearly snaps his neck with ho hard he turns his head. There you are - you've got your hair down, definitely not as teased as the last time he had seen you. Your makeup is less goth, although you've outlined your lips with a black liner that fades inwards to a crimson red, and your eyes are still sharp and smokey. You're wearing black jeans and a deep, red top, and an interesting pair of boots, decorated with small chains and studs.

Professional, but still incorporating your style. He can appreciate that.

Someone comes out from the back and walks over to you - you shake his extended hand with a smile, and he leads you to a booth farther away from Simon. He thinks he must look like a creep, staring at you in broad (rainy) daylight, but he can't help himself. He doesn't even know why, but you've got his attention like the moon pulls the waves of the ocean.

He stays there for a while - he can't hear every word you say, but he eats the comments and laughs that do filter through with a hungry mind. You sometimes model for any Goth-forward magazines; you're relieved that the owner of the restaurant doesn't care about toning down your style; you're honest - your roommate hadn't paid rent for a month and a half so you let them go, and now you need a little bit more cash than what a measly retail job can provide.

He can hear it in the man's tone: you're hired. He likes your forwardness and unique charm, and frankly, so does Simon. He's addicted to it. The last time anything had his attention like this was when he found out Gaz could do the splits - the shock factor had him surprised with how easily it truly wis to distract him when he comes across something so unusual. But this time, there was less of a ridiculousness, and more of an admiration.

He hears a lilt in the conversation; he turns to see you standing with an excited smile. Of course you would get the job, just look at you. You shake the owner's hand and grab your bag, a black canvas ine with all sorts of studs and spikes, and start heading towards the front door.

Simon can't let you slip away that easily.

"Movin' on from retail?" He says as you pass his booth.

You turn, looking confused, staring at him for a moment. It takes a few seconds before you recognize him, though your smile still holds some wariness to it. "Hey, weirdo...!" You say, standing next to his table. "You stalking me or something?"

He decides to be honest. "Was tryin'."

You furrow your brow an bit, your hands curling around the strap of your bag. "You were?"

"The clerk from the store gave me your check." He clarifies, pulling the envelope from his pocket. "Figured you weren't comin' 'round anytime to get it, so I tried lookin' for ya."

You wonder how this man was somehow able to get your paycheck, but you were a little less put-off. He seemed nice enough. You dropped your bag on the table and took the envelope, shoving it somewhere in your disorganized pockets. "You waiting on someone?" You ask.

"Was you." He comments, taking a sip of his whiskey. "Now, no one." God, he must look pathetic.

"Nice." You slide into the opposite side of the booth, your boots clacking against the legs of the tables. "Want another round? Some fries?" You look at him with those shadowed, big eyes, and he wants to keep you in this booth with him forever.

He chuckles. "You really don't-"

"Don't tell me what to do." You snap with a smirk. "Just choose. Drink, or fries? Or whatever you want, really. I haven't eaten lunch, and you look like interesting company."

He feels himself melting at your cocky, triumphant smirk as you dig around in your bag for your wallet. What did he do for life to deposit such a pretty thing right in his lap (we'll, a few feet away from it)? "Could go for a burger.

You smile, relaxing into the polyester seat. This big, quiet, lumbering thing has you intrigued, and apparently, the feeling is mutual. "What's your name?"

He smirks. He's not wearing his balaclava, but he doesn't really care about that at the moment. He takes a sip of his whiskey. "Simon. Yours?"

[lemonflavoreddishsoap]

Hi, may I please for headcanons for la squadra with a gn s/o who often gets mistaken for a prince/ss cause they're fairytale attractive

POV you get kicked out of La Squadra cuz your Disney Prince(ss) ass keeps attracting BIRDS.

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La Squadra with an S/O who gets mistaken as a Prince/Princess

Formaggio

He loves whenever people stop and compliment you, or are absolutely dumbfounded from how pretty/handsome you are. He, probably more than anyone, is aware of just how ethereal you are, and he loves to have the whole world acknowledge it.

If a little kid were to toddle over to you two and asks you directly if you're royalty, due to your beauty, he stands to the side with an amused smile as you explain to the kid that unfortunately you are not!

But as the kid walks away, a tad bit dejected at not meeting a real-life prince/princess, he parts from your side to go crouch next to the little one and talk to them. You don't hear it, but he's sharing a "little secret"...you actually are royalty. He chuckles at the sparkle in the kid's eyes, and the two make a pinky promise to not reveal your "secret to the world" before he catches back up with you.

"What was that all about, Formaggio?" "Oh, don't worry about it."

You find yourself getting called a new petname after that event <3

Illuso

The two of you are BOTH fawned over equally. If you're more on the fem side, the two of you are giving random strangers bisexual awakenings.

And he eats it right up. He's in love with both the attention to himself and the attention to his beloved. Like fuck yes you're also beautiful, it's amazing everyone can see that.

If anyone is to mistake either/both of you as royalty, he'll be perfectly fine with informing them otherwise; more than fine, actually. Why? Well, it's the perfect opportunity to fish for compliments from anyone possible!

"Royalty? Pssh, not at all. You really think so?" "Oh, well I didn't think my face shape was that impressive, y'know..." "MY partner? a prince(ss)? Well yeah, they are quite beautiful, aren't they?"

If you join him in the compliment-fishing he just falls further in love.

Prosciutto

The two of you are ALSO the most gorgeous couple around. Compliments towards your individual and combined beauty are constant because godDAMN.

Pesci is the first one to compare the two of you royalty, and at the time Prosciutto just shrugs it off. Not that he doesn't appreciate his teammate's kindness, it's just that with Pesci it's kind of expected. Feel free to thank him, though - honestly it makes your lover smile a bit to see you get along with his mentee.

It's when some old lady stops you two to sincerely gush over how incredible you two look together that you get reactions. First and foremost, a tightening of his hand around yours.

"Very kind of you, miss. I'm so very lucky to give my life to this perfect individual."

While he's clearly happy with interactions like that, it's when you make the comparisons to one another that he really lets his face grow warm.

Pesci

His heart flutters every time someone is stunned by how attractive you are. He sees himself in their pink cheeks and wide eyes, he knows exactly how they must be feeling. How can someone so beautiful exist?? He sure was still trying to figure that out.

He's just as flustered as you when people call you as pretty as a prince(ss), and he stays quiet, letting you respond to the person. In all honesty, people don't often assume you two are dating at first, but if you bring it up, he is often congratulated for scoring on a lovely fellow/lady. Just think of his smile <333 AUGH

Pesci wants you to be completely aware that he doesn't just love you for your appearance, and he loves everything about you, but...

"...They are right, you're so beautiful!"

He thinks calling you prince/princess is quite fitting, and will definitely ask you if he can start doing so!

Melone

He keeps his mouth shut and watches every interaction: how immediately captivated and smitten every person is, what exactly they compliment, and how you react to each glowing word, whether it be with a flushed face and lost composure or if you smirk and take it all easily.

It's not that he's being creepy or possessive (probably), he just respects that the moment is entirely about you. You and your effortless charm. He just wants to take it all in himself.

But when some wide-eyed young lady likens you to a prince/princess he can't help but grin - you see the same look in his eyes as when he's solving something on his laptop. The result of his calculations? Ah, yep, it's true. You are royally gorgeous.

"What a smart girl. I never connected the words myself but...a prince(ss)? I'd be willing to believe so."

The interaction isn't really brought up between you two beyond that day. However, if there's anything you know about Melone, it's that he's hard to read. For all you know, he could be thinking about it every time he looks at you.

Ghiaccio

His immediate reaction is to wonder out loud how being beautiful automatically connects to royalty. He'll drop it for a second if you ask him too, but when it's just the two of you he'll bring it up again. Really though, can "peasants" not be attractive? What the fuck!?

You have to explain the compliment directed at you to him, but you know what he's like, you pretty much signed up for this. Luckily it doesn't take him long to understand. He agrees, one hundred percent, that you're so incredible that you seem like a fantasy sometimes, so he gives it to you straight how gorgeous you are.

But...it's weird. Something like this usually wouldn't bug him but he can't shake the buzz of feeling bad. He tries not to feel self conscious about his anger, but of all the things to throw a fit over, it happened to be a major compliment to you. He tries to remedy it later that night.

"You are attractive. Most attractive motherfucker in the goddamn world, and hell if that means you're a fucking prince/princess then I guess I have to agree with it. Please never let my temper make you believe I don't love you endlessly."

Good god how you jumble his brain /pos

Risotto

You plague the abstract thoughts of his mind. Every fuzzy visual in his non-terror dreams feel like optical illusions that lead to your face, and the pulses of colour he sees behind his eyelids seem to always be in the hues that remind him of you. In short, he thinks of you a lot. Maybe more than he should.

So when he watches strangers and even some friends praise your appearance, and the comparisons to fantasy and royalty begin, he chews the back of his lip. You, a prince(ss)...he can practically feel his mind begin to run. Something doesn't feel right. He knows the intention of it, but in his mind you're something stronger than that, you're a king. Queen if you prefer.

You rule over his mind, he thinks. You're the foundation of his hope and comfort, but also his fear. Secure in his arms, half asleep and curling into his embrace, you're driving him insane and you aren't even trying. Your mental grip on his challenges his physical grip as he presses a kiss to your forehead.

"My queen/king, I love you."

...Yes, yes, you are the most beautiful thing in the world.

[candle-cove-character-requests]

Romantic headcannons for Skin-taker? Asking for a friend-

Skin-taker Romance Headcannons

oh my god oh my god oh my god-

He loves giving you little trinkets and objects he finds interesting, and you do the same in return! You both have a collection of knick-knacks you've given each other (Tho sometimes the ones he gives you can be.... a little concerning in nature). He has his displayed on a shelf and he's very fond of them. Basically, I'm kin assigning the Skin-taker a literal crow.

He absolutely adores making you clothes and seeing you try them on like you have so many little outfits and accessories that he's made for you by now it's absurd. For the most part they're not made of cadaver parts, though he has given you the odd tooth necklace or two.

If you're lucky (or unlucky, depends on you pov) enough to catch the Skin-taker's fancy and for him to start courting you, you will NOT be able to tell whether he's threatening or flirting with you. He is a cryptic bastard and any conversation with him is a guessing game ESPECIALLY if he's actually fond of you (Skin-taker is head of autism hell I'm sorry).

I think he'd get flustered pretty easily if you genuinely returned his affections because honestly he would not expect he would not know how to respond.

He has a dictionary full of nicknames and pet names for you, his favorites are Treasure and Dove

He has very little sense of personal space so is often looming over you in some way

Having no lips he can't kiss in the traditional sense so he gently presses his teeth against you or nuzzles you (you're already reading this I assume you have no qualms with him being cute in his own weird way).

He is actually very physically affectionate when no one else is around. He enjoys how soft and warm you are compared to him and since I head cannon him to be pretty tall and gangly (thinking 7"0) on average you're probably pretty small and holdable to him as well.

This might be considered horrifying since it's made out of human flesh but he likes to hold you and wrap you in his cloak. It's warm and if you close your eyes you can try and convince yourself it's just leather.

Being a skeleton and used to being around strange and uncanny folk he really doesn't care about physical appearances all that much. It really matters if someone strikes his never-ending curiosity, which you DEFINITLEY do.

OF COURSE he invites you to his tea parties. You're his favorite guest. He makes sure to have your favorite tea and pastries on hand.

He hasn't had a healthy relationship with someone in a very long time and doesn't really know how to deal with any positive emotion so the second you became more to him than a source of skin he became real prone to possessiveness and jealousy real quick.

I like the idea of abyssians having strange and unique courting customs that he'd do for you. I can't think of any at the moment but I like the idea.

To say he's eccentric and unpredictable would be the understatement of the year so being one of the few people to match his energy would be something he'd deeply appreciate. You could be total menaces together!

Thinking about the idea of him being good at dancing and just...the idea of him waltzing with you just...AUGH-

He compliments your skin quite frequently and enjoys touching and caressing if you give him the chance. Again he sort of walks the line between threatening and affectionate.

[fuuka101]

(4) The New Student’s From Outernet! Second’s First Day Of School!

It was a normal afternoon, 5 days before school starts again for Red. Both Red, SC, Digit, and Verruca were bored in the house.

"Augh, I'm bored."Red complained

"Same there's nothing to do this afternoon." Digit agreed.

"Verruca..."Verruca also agreed.

"We could play a game?" SC answered.

"Thanks but I'm not in the mood." Digit responded.

"Same." Red also responded.

"Red, don't you take your pets of for a walk?"SC asked Red.

"Yeah, but they aren't in the mood right now. I already checked earlier."  Red answered.

"Hey Red! Can you come here, it won't take long." Red's mom called.

"Sure thing mom." Red called back. Red got up from the couch and went over to the front door.

"What is it?" Red asked as he was noticing her holding a box.

"Just wanted to give you this box, it has your uniform that you'll be wearing to school in a couple days." Red's mom explained as he handed Red the box.

"Oh wow, thanks!" Red thanked. Red walked back to where SC was sitting and holding Verruca rubbing her jewel making her laugh happily.

"What did your mom give you?" SC questioned as he noticed Red holding the box his mom gave him.

"She just gave me my school uniform that I'll be wearing to school this year." Red explained to him.

"I didn't know you go to school?" SC noticed.

"Yeah, did you ever go to school, considering your from Outernet?" Red asked SC and his face looked honest.

"Well to be honest, I've never really been to school that much my whole life."  SC answered.

"But my guardian has been teaching me and helping me when I grew up." He added.

"Well that makes a lot of sense." Digit replied,

"I know, it's complicated." SC added.

"Well now that's out of the way, wanna take a peak?" Red asked.

"Sure what does your uniform look like!" SC answered.

"Only one way to find out!" Red responded. Red opened the box revealing his uniform, it was a blue colored uniform.

[The uniforms are based off of Hirogaru Sky PreCure]

"Wow! Your uniform looks so pretty!" Digit complimented. "What a great blue color they got!" She added.

"I know, the school board went for a good color scheme!" Red added.

"Your uniform is so good Red!" SC complimented.

"Thanks." Red responded.

"Y'know, I kinda wonder what it's like attending a earth school?" SC commented.

"Oh it's educational and responsible at the same time." Red told him.

"School is a place where we go to learn many things before we grow up into adults. We're given homework to probably remember and review what we learned each day." Red explained to SC all about what School is.

"It's like going to work except your younger." He added. "It may sound easy but trust me it's tons of responsibility, but in the end it's worth it." Red again continued.

"W-wow, that's a lot you go through." SC commented.

"Mmm hmm, I can't wait to start 8th grade, it's pretty sad how summer break is ending." Red answered.

"Aww, I miss that." Digit commented.

"Hey, I could use some education?" SC wondered.

"True, you'd tell me that you never really been to school that much in your life." Red replied. All of a sudden Red came up with an idea for SC.

"SC! I've got an idea!" Red shouted as he was stimming.

"You do?" SC questioned as he backed away from Red a bit.

"Mm Hm! Why don't you enroll into school with me! You'll learn and do great activities there!" Red told him.

"I guess that doesn't seem to bad, I do want to experience it." Second answered.

"Great, why don't we ask my mom about it!"Red replied.

"Sure!" Second responded. 

"Mom!" Red called her as his mother came.

"Yes Red, do you like your new uniform!" Red's mom asked.

"Yeah it great, but I also wanted to ask you something." Red told her.

"Yes what is it?" She questioned.

"Can SC attend 8th grade with me, enroll into the school I go too?" Red asked as he was stimming.

"Maybe, that doesn't sound too bad, I'll ask your father to call the school." Red's mom answered as she walked back to the room she previously was.

"Darn! I wanted the answer now!" Digit complained as she had a moody look on her face.

"Seems like we just gotta wait."Red told Digit.

"Don't worry Digit it'll come eventually." SC told her as she pat her on the head.

{𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴}

𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁'𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁! 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱'𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹!

𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲: 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗮̄𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻'𝗻𝘆𝘂̄𝘀𝗲𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘂! 𝗦𝗲𝗸𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗼̄𝗸𝗼̄-𝗯𝗶!

It was the 5th of September , 2 days before school opens. A normal cloudy day out with no rain.

"Red, SC! I got good news for the both of you!" Red's mom called out to them.

"Yeah?" Red asked as both he and SC got up.

"What is it?"SC also asked.

"I managed to contact the school and they said yes!" She answered and both Red and SC were overfilled with joy.

"Wait, does this mean!"Red replied.

"SC is going to be attending your school!"Red's mom answered.

"Yay! This is so exciting! I'm gonna be enrolling into your school!" SC shouted in happiness as he hugged Red.

"I can't wait!" Red said as he was stimming.

"They'll send me your uniform tomorrow afternoon, then you'll officially be a student." Red's mom told SC and then she walked away.

"This is amazing! I can't believe SC is actually going to a human school!" Digit responded.

"Verruca!" Verruca cheered.

~𝘈𝘵 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢

Patience was just reporting his third failure to King Orange, letting him know what truly happened yesterday.

"I can't believe this, you've failed me for the third time in a row Patience!" King Orange scolded him as Patience was bowing.

"I apologize your highness, I didn't know there was gonna be another pretty cure!" Patience excused.

"I just can't believe that redhead because Cure Ruby! Ugh, wait until I just get my hands on-" Patience raged until King Orange put his hand on his mouth to calm him down.

"Save all that anger for later, everyone knows to breath in and breath out." King calmly told Patience as he removed his hand from his mouth,

"Your right, my bad." Patience answered as he left the room so he could plan his next move on earth.

~𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘖𝘯 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩

It was the first day of school, where it opens.

"Boys, you almost ready, you have to get to school in 8 minutes." Red's father called getting the toast ready.

"Almost!" Red answered as he stepped out of his bedroom wearing his uniform and holding his bag.

"SC, are you dressed in your uniform?" Red asked as he knocked on SC's door.

"Yeah, I'm ready!" SC answered. He came out of tithe bedroom holding his bag and wearing his uniform.

"No way, you look...Outstanding!!!" Red shouted as he was complimenting how nice SC looked.

"Heh, thanks, but did I put in on correctly?" He asked just to make sure.

"Yup, you did!" Red answered as he gave a thumbs up and SC smiled as he was ready to attend.

Both of the boys went downstairs to eat breakfast, Red's father was just getting ready for work as he was watching the news on tv. After both Red and SC exited the house off to school.

~𝘈𝘵 𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘺𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭

It was a full house as always in class, everyone was talking about how their summer break was, some of them miss it sadly. It wasn't long until the teacher came in the classroom and everyone took their seats.

"Good morning everyone, welcome back to school. I hope you all had a fantastic summer, sad it has to come to an end." The teacher told them.

"But don't worry you'll all have a great 8th grade year." He added.

"My name is Mr. Oudiro, I'll be your teacher for this year. To start things off, we have ourselves a new transfer student to our school." Mr Oudiro answered.

"You can come in now." Mr. Oudiro called. The student opened the door revealing to be SC as he politely walked in with everyone looking at him questioning who he is.

"Wow, I've never seen this many people look at me before. Makes since cause everyone may be taking about me here." SC said in his mind. 

"Introduce yourself please." Mr. Oudiro told him and SC became confident.

"I'm Second Coming Chuujiro, but you can call me SC for short." SC answered.

"I'm currently living with Red, I've just transferred overseas, I'm pretty caring and encouraging to others, I also love to draw and sketch because it helps me relax when I'm feeling down. Which leads to this, it's nice to meet you all." SC introduced as he bowed.

Everyone clapped happily and are excited to meet him, SC smiled because this is what school felt like to him.

"Ok Chuujiro-San, because you and Red are such great friends, you can sit right next to him." Mr. Oudiro told him as there was an open seat next to him.

"Ok! Thank you." SC answered, he walked over to the seat that was open next to Red.

"That actually felt a little overwhelming than I expected." SC honestly answered.

"Fair enough, all transfer students feel that way. Don't fret, you'll surely fit in and make friends with everyone." Red comforted him as he pat SC's shoulder.

"I'll give you all a minute to make SC feel welcome here." Mr. Oudiro told everyone.

"So your living with Red, that sounds fun!" A female student replied.

"Where are you from?" A male student asked.

"I'm from Outernet!" SC answered and Red instantly got frightened.

"W-where's that?" Another female student looked confused.

"Another world." SC truthfully answered causing even more students to get concerned and confused.

SC felt a tap on his back that it was Red, making him realize he spilled the beans.

"OH CRAP!" SC shouted frightfully and turned to Red.

"Red! I accidentally brought up Outernet!" SC whispered.

"Why did you say that!" Red whispered back.

"I dunno, I just answer questions very truthfully." SC answered.

"My bad, I made a mistake! I'm actually from Outer-Zimbabwe!" SC turned back to the others and lied to get off the hook

"I guess if you say so," The male student answered.

"Or maybe SC is just pretty shy," A female student commented.

"Yeah! That's the thing, I'm just pretty shy when meeting new people that's it." SC lied again.

"Please no more." Red wished because it was being a bit chaotic in the classroom, 

After that, the bell rang and everyone began the lesson and things they will be doing over the semester.

Later it was free period, two more periods before lunch, everyone was out of the classroom. Well almost everyone, Red and SC were standing outside the classroom by the door talking. SC was holding Verruca and giving her milk, while Red was brushing Digit's cat fur.

"Verruca!" Verruca said as she enjoyed the milk.

"Not so loud Verruca, we don't want any other students to hear." SC told her. "At least your enjoying your milk." He added and Verruca smiled as Digit jumped out of Red's hands.

"Now, next part of plans, you two have to find the rest of the cures." Digit ordered.

"Yeah, but how do we do that without revealing our identities?" Red asked.

"Maybe befriend them or something, I dunno ok!" Digit answered with a moody expression.

"Well right now, I need to try and fit in at this school, without anyone knowing about me being from another world."SC told her.

"Fine," Digit answered. 

"I'll take care of Verruca until then," She added as SC handed Verruca over to her. Then she left without anyone seeing her.

After that, the bell rang for next period.

"What do we have now?" SC asked.

"Art class." Red answered and right away SC started to become overfilled with joy.

"YES! I love drawing!" SC shouted as he was stimming for the first time. Both Red and SC left to the art classroom.

"Alright class, I hope you enjoyed your summer break, your gonna all love it here in Art." Mrs. Shigari said.

Mrs. Shigari explained what their gonna do the whole year, then she let the class free draw and study hall.

"Aw, It's so hard for me to draw a tree." Red complained as he was drawing along with SC and the rest of the students.

"How are you doing SC?" Red asked as he looked at his paper.

"Not bad, this is what I got." SC answered as he showed SC his drawing and Red and many other students instantly looked flabbergasted.

[Referring to this: Plantestien-An Actual Short]

"That's so...GOOD!!!" Red shouted and more of the students came over to him.

"Second Coming! Can you teach me how to draw like that!" A student asked.

"And me!" Another asked.

"And me!" Another one asked. More of the students came more to him surrounding SC.

"And us too!" Everyone shouted.

"Uh...well." SC answered because there was way too many people in front of him making SC extremely overwhelmed until Mrs. Shigari came over to everyone and they all looked at her.

"Class, please give Sec space, you might overwhelm him." Mrs. Shigari told the class as they backed away politely.

"Wow, your artwork impressed the whole class." Red commented.

"Heh, your pretty weird, in a good way." SC told Red.

~𝘈𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘰𝘱

Everyone was having lunch on the rooftop, most of them had picnic blankets and most students were sitting on benches. Red and SC were sitting on a bench eating lunch together.

"Yummy! I just love these rice balls!" SC commented as he kept eating them due to how delicious they are.

"Slow down, you don't want to end up choking." Red warned him, and then SC slowed down.

After that, Red spotted a yellow stick figure with glasses and wearing the same uniform holding a lunch plate like everyone else looking for a place to sit.

"Yellow! Over here!" Red called out to him and Yellow spotted him, SC looked confused.

"Hey Red! Great to see you again!" Yellow answered as they both shook hands and then Yellow sat with them.

"Oh! You must be the new student here." Yellow told SC.

"Yeah, Second Coming Chuujiro is my name." SC answered.

"Well nice to meet you, i'm Yellow Yamamura." Yellow introduced himself.

"I didn't know you two know each other." SC commented.

"Yeah, we met each other since last year." Red answered.

"You know, since I don't have Student Council meetings today so maybe I can help you two clean up some of the classrooms." Yellow answered.

"That's wonderful!" Red commented.

The three of them continued to eat until the bell rang for the two last periods of the day.

Meanwhile outside the school, by a nearby hill there was Patience sitting on the grass looking at the track field were everyone is for gym class.

"Hmm, what can I do. I'm so bored." Patience complained because he needed an activity. All of a sudden, a Frisbee came a bonked Patience in the head.

"OW!" Patience shouted in pain. "What was that." He questioned. Patience turned to see it was a frisbee that hit him, he picked it up.

"Who threw this at me, cause now their gonna regret it." Patience warned. He noticed there was a student holding their hands up shouting at him because the frisbee belonged to them.

"Ah, so it was you who threw that. Well now you'll suffer the consequences." Patience said as the student looked confused.

"Ruru Darken!" Patience said as he clapped his hands making a Crystal appear.

"By the power of a rough virus, awaken Kimsubot!" Patience shouted as he launched the Crystal at the frisbee and it got trapped in it. After it cracked open revealing the Kimsubot.

"KIMSUBOT!" THE Kimsubot roared and ran straight towards the students, the one who threw the frisbee ran away quickly. Everyone started screaming.

Meanwhile near the school gate, Digit was just playing with Verruca to keep her entertained for the day, until Verruca's jewel was glowing in a dark deep purple color making her cry.

"Oh no, there's a Kimsubot nearby, we gotta warn the pretty cure." Digit answered. She put Verruca on her back and ran into the school to find the cures.

In the classroom, Red, SC , and Yellow were just sweeping and moping up the floors, SC didn't have any trouble doing so because Red taught him last week.

"Alright, that should be it, the classrooms sparkling clean!" Yellow commented as they put the cleaning supplies away.

"We did a great job!" Red answered.

"Thanks for helping us Yellow." SC thanked him.

"No problem." Yellow said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" He called as he exited the room.

After, the both of them left the room until the saw Digit running and heard Verruca crying.

"Red! SC!" Digit called out to them.

"What is it?" SC asked.

"Verruca's jewel is dark purple, meaning there's a Kimsubot nearby!" Digit answered.

"Darn, not again!" Red commented.

"Come on, let's go stop the Kimsubot Red!" SC responded.

"Right!" Red answered. The two of them ran to the boys bathroom to transform. Both of them took out their mirrors.

"Mirror minor!" Both of them shouted as they pressed the button and a pen came out.

"Pretty cure, Silhouette Captive!" The both of them shouted as they wrote down a word on the tablet, SC said Second, Red said Ruby. Then the both of them transformed.

"The stick figure of illustration and leadership, Cure Second!" SC shouted as he struck a pose.

"The stick figure of the fierce and wonderful animals, Cure Ruby!" Red shouted as he also struck a pose.

Second grabbed Verruca and Digit and he and Ruby jumped out the window to stop the Kimsubot. They managed to spot it at the track field.

"KIMSU!" The Kimsubot screamed and was destroying everything in it's path, all the students were screaming in fear looking for places to hide until it was safe.

"Aaaah!" One of the male students tripped on the ground and bruised their knee, 

They looked up noticing the Kimsubot was right in front of him and gasped.

"KIMSUBOT!!!" The Kimsubot shouted and was just about to stomp onto the student but then...

"Ruby Reflection!" Ruby shouted as he quickly got in front of the student and created a red paw print shield stopping the attack making the Kimsubot stumble.

"Hurry and get to safety!" Ruby told them, the student nodded and he ran off into a safe place. 

"Heh, nice seeing you cures again ay." Patience commented.

"Not this time Patience, you won't get away with your Kimsubot recking chaos at Nagoya Stick Middle School!" Second commanded.

"That's what you two think, get them Kimsubot!" Patience commanded.

"Kimsubot!" The Kimsubot shouted and started going for the two.

"Haaaaaa!" Second shouted as he punched the Kimsubot.

"KIMSU!" The Kimsubot roared and grabbed Second and was just about to punch him until...

"Haaaa!" Ruby shouted as he flung a red paw print at the Kimsubot's wrist causing a mark making it drop Second.

"Aaaah!" Second screamed as he was about to fall until Ruby made a platform for him to land on.

"You ok!" Ruby called out to him.

"Yeah, thanks Ruby!" Second thanked.

"I'll give you your chance!" Ruby told him as Second floated down to the ground and Ruby took out his mirror.

"The species of the Outernet, light up your heart!"Ruby said as he drew a paw-print on the mirror and then a baton came out and he grabbed it.

"Ruby baton!" He shouted and then he drew a red paw-print like he did with the mirror.

"Pretty cure! Ruby Evolution!" Ruby shouted as the paw-print dissolved into multiple mini versions of the pawprint and blasted at the Kimsubot weakening it.

"Kimsu!" The Kimsubot screamed it pain.

"Now Second!" Ruby called.

"Right!" Second answered, he ran up to the Kimsubot and Ruby made a platform for Second to jump onto. Second took out his mirror

"The spirits of the Outernet, awaken your heart!"Second said as a green and orange colored pen appeared and Second grabbed it and then once again drew a four pointed star.

"Pretty cure! Second Celestial!"Second shouted as the green star became a beam at the Kimsubot.

"Kimsu..." The Kimsubot weakly talked as unit disappeared.

"Grr! You two haven't seen the last of me!" Patience angerly said as he teleported back to Viralandia. Everything that got recked turned back to normal.

~𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭

The sun was slowly starting to set and both Red and SC were walking home.

"My first day here was very eventful!" SC commented.

"I made great bonds with everyone!" He added.

"It's great to know!" Red added.

"I can't wait for the rest of the year!" SC was stimming joyfully.

"Verruca!" Verruca talked.

"Hey, you wanna race home?" Red asked him as he was smirking.

"Sure, why not?" SC answered until Red tapped him on the shoulder.

"Catch me if you can!" Red called as he started running.

"Oh I'm gonna get you!" SC called back to him and started chasing him. 

With SC now in school, things are just getting better and better by the moments.

(End)

Days taken: 2 weeks and a half

Word count: 3396 words

Next Episode: 𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓! 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒚 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆!

[shivrina]

7 for Frye. 🫡

The FIRST question is for me! SO exciting. This one iiiis..

"what do your guys' texts/letters to each other look like?"

I decided to snip out that bitty section that included Emailing, since Whit and I really don't do that. We write each other letters a TON though, even though we're really close together almost all the time, we kinda just slip each other notes. Honestly, it isn't even a hidden thing. I go up to her and say "Hey! this is for you." She does it a lot more silently, which isn't a big dealio. We either go up to each other boldly, or we slip it under a door, maybe leaving it in the kitchen. Something like that! I'm gonna just think of a prompt here.. Hm.... Oh! I'll pretend Whitney had a bad day. It would go a 'lil something like this, here's what I'd say.

"Hey! I know you've been having a sorta difficult time, and I wanna tell you that I love you NO LESS. I'll try my absolute hardest to make you feel better, even if it's a little. I can get you your absolute favorite snacks, orrrr maybe we can take a walk. I know you LOVE that!!!! You know what I love? YOU!! It absolutely makes my day to see you smile and I want to see it on you more. NO PRESSURE THOUGH I'M JUST SAYING!! You've been right by me when I am not feeling good, so obviously I'm gonna do the same for you. Feel better soon, Whit. -Your Ducky, the one and only. 💜"

As for a more for casual note, uuusually it's not too far from what I JUST wrote up there. Like, "Hey Whitney you looked soooo pretty the other day, like WOW. I got SHY which is completely unusual for ME, which is why I'm writing this instead of being brave and telling you face to face! AUGH! This is a one-off though.. Also, mind helping me find my missing eel plush? Spark? I feel like I have looked EVERYWHERE and could use a helping hand.. or two. Since you have two hands, HAHA. I chose a kinda small piece of paper for this so I'm running out of space, soo I LOVE YOU. BYE!"

I would say the way she writes is a smidge different. Dunno how to really describe it. Definitely more monotone in comparison to mine, liiiike she'd respond to that last example in this way.. "i'm really flattered, haha. you're one to talk about beauty. i did definitely notice you acting a little peculiar, but i am really glad it wasn't over anything bad, just you being a huge dork. 🤍 of course i will help you find spark, with both of my hands. duh. i love you more, frye, more than you'll ever know. let's start searching for your little eel whenever you feel up to it again. -your whitney."

She compliments me a LOT, not even just for my looks. She calls me her little duck, specifically a paper duck. She finds them cute, and "finds (me) even cuter." We also write and color hearts on the paper, which I tried to represent with the emojis there. WHAT A RIOT! Thanks for the question!

11/05/23, Frye here! I came back and edited just a tiny bit. Thought of some other stuff to add, so I did!

[eurosleaz]

I think u could absolutely slay writing laura palmer probably bc she is very sadie coded but i also think u would slay at writing any girl who is simply involved w horrors beyond human comprehension i think u understand characters in such a complex way that u would slay the muses who r too mentally/morally complicated for most people to write well

based off my blog, what other characters could you see me roleplay as? / @victim9d

augh laura my beloved daughter who deserved better!!! also that is such a compliment that i don't know how to respond to it besides breaking into tears!!! being able to write some complicated muses is like...so hard so knowing u think i could do it makes me sob!!!

[sollucets]

I am a person who is very bad at taking compliments and I noticed you are too. So I don't wanna be too much or like overwhelm you or make you uncomfortable.. but??? The wat gifset???? Wow. I am in awe. That is so so gorgeous!! And not just the wat gifset all your gifsets? I just want to put them on my wall so I can stare at them every day. For always. My life would be better.

i just. never know how to respond without it being a) just 'thanks!' or b) sounding unhinged or c) getting 50000000% anxiety over whether publishing these makes me conceited somehow and never publishing it, which is mean to you

but. i do appreciate that u take the time to send me such nice things it is really. augh :') <3

[unproduciblesmackdown]

which bmc scenes make you the softest bc for me it's gotta be most of the stagedorks scenes ESPECIALLY a guy that i'd kinda be into. mostly bc of christine cause her and michael are my favs (i love them all sm though) but also bc of jeremy because he is a close second to both of them. also vimh but vimh makes me cry a lot although nowadays i can hardly watch one scene without at the very least tearing up. anyways yeah which ones make you soft

i simply rewatched bmc and took notes for this and really got off track at points in the sense of sticking to What Makes You Softest but that’s how it goes babey

ACT ONE - in mts when jeremy is just having a whole moment being smitten in christine's presence while she's inelegantly picking herself up off the floor and smearing on lip balm and adjusting a skirt wedgie - jeremy and michael just being default that glad to meet each other in the middle of a random schoolday - michael hyping up jeremy's crush on christine and just encouraging this momentum to get jeremy to sign up for the play - ilpr.....that christine stops after like, the first two verses and goes back to her book b/c she doesn't figure someone's looking to listen to her beyond that but then she sees jeremy's still 110% paying attention and the whole rest of the song enfolds with increasing enthusiasm - jake doing that whole bit "all the pressure i feel to be the best at everything all the time" lmao classic stuff here, depressing content delivered in this humorousse way. charming moment - "leave me alone, i've had a bad day" - 2pg......when michael taps jeremy on the shoulder to get jeremy to join in on his choreo, which jeremy then does.....that michael asks if jeremy will be too cool for Video Games and jeremy just responds Emotionally Directly......we love the Favorite Person moment......that this song just ends with the two of them grooving 2gether god bless - jeremy stammering and Tics and Fidgeting when the squip remarks uponst it - jeremy delivering the Looking Pretty Sexy Brooke as awkwardly as possible and she's just like "thanks :)" - jeremy's own Theatricality coming out......hey hamlet - jeremy spinning around in place alternately addressing both brooke and the squip with "oh i'm supposed to meet my friend michael" - nice little detail wherein brooke signals for chloe to join in on her choreo - speaking of, v fond of the Moment jeremy is in on both their choreo......brooke sort of alarming jeremy with her whole attempted grande finale, straw and all, ft. the first instance of her messing with his hair so much she's just tugging his entire head around - cute that jake and rich have a sort of 2pg-esque handshake routine too - jeremy's "that's sad, what should i do" reaction re: jenna - rich's Earnest invitation to come over and play xbox... - "bonjour, jeremy" "ooh brooke!" and this whole exchange, her complimenting him, him laughing at "That Was French" and remembering to ask about pinkberry - love the whole choreo sequence/s in sync up, especially fond of his Moments with the girls, bumping hips with chloe (twice), hearing some Gossip from jenna, posing with brooke.... ;__; - the bowling alley performance art exchange before agtikbi ;____; - agtikbi......the glittery hearts choreo.....the whatever! the interlude or whatever!!! the I Guess A Part Of Me section hhhhoughhh ;o; ;o; ;o; ;o; ;o; that she pulls him into a hug and puts her head against his shoulder omggg ;_________; - brooke just trying to interact with jeremy the Right Way w/o any guidance on the bleachers and it continues to be awkward and funny....like comforting just his Leg while he converses w/his squip.....how she just ends up Physically pushing him around by the hands and head and shoulder and etc......whole situation here in upgrade.mp3 clearly less than Ideal but jeremy and brooke are nevertheless very cute individually And together - meanwhile jake also trying to genuinely Be With christine in upgrade is also charming lol, quitting archery to hang w/a girl like her.... - i always love when the Playful Shove brooke gives jeremy at "but at the mall, you looked at me" pushes him back a whole few steps....this moment of them truly Getting each other sans anyone else's interference.....tres magnifique - jeremy being That psyched to see michael for the first time (in like, less than one full day lol)....michael being That psyched just hearing that jeremy's cool scifi thing worked out after all - lgw ;_________________________; - like i'm some normal, handsome guy..... - giving us All that silence after "The Problem Has Always Been Me" - the whole bit where he launches into the "I'm Not The [series of insults]" and i've realized it's really especially a stretch to say i'm Soft for these moments in lgw but i Am vulnerable and that's its power. little 1" tall will roland on my screen here just made me shed a real tear doing That.....

ACT TWO - brooke's Howl at the end of her verse lmawooo - oughhh jeremy and brooke Greeting each other at the party too, jeremy unable to disappoint her and going for the Real Compliment, just v charming. rip - jake and jeremy's danceoff lol hell yes and then jake just having Misunderstood the costume plan between him and christine lol - the squip getting in on the dancing :) go you funky little ai - jeremy and brooke singing that last verse of Halloween v enthusiastically at each other, - again that jeremy is just genuinely glad to see michael.... - the inherent intimacy of singing mitb b/c your bff dumped you..... - AGTIKBI REPRISE..... ;______________________________; hhhhuouuuoh my god :'3 the lil detail that at the Height of things christine is Shy and turns away.....just. This Scene oh my god - soft in a vulnerable way like, rip to jenna where we're seeing chloe's Lack Of Enthusiasm in accepting a call from her :[ - the Shift at the start of the pants song :] - and the lil mitb reprise during said pants song lmao, also always having a great time w/this concept of "maybe this teen having a rough time needs some guidance from someone grown w/all that bonus maturity here" - i wish there was a way i could help everyone but i don't know how so i guess i'll just do theatre..... - jenna being Moved simply being asked for the first time ever How She Is u_u then her being like "....Okay!" lmfao jenna's great - just have to say in whatever context i'm v fond of pitiful children there at the end lmfao the bass kicks in like that and we're having a great time - the audience always having that response to "all the way to broadway" - jeremy going "you came to see me in the play? :)" like, that he's processing the significance of that in the middle of these Very Raised Stakes - i'm soft for will roland's vocal glitching mouth noises live every night!!! - jeremy like "ha! >:)" flipping his squip off after he's successfully Apologized lmfaoooo love him - but then having that real And I'm Stronger Than You Think I Am victory like :'| - that michael's been by like a ton btw during jeremy's probably somewhat concerning coma. also cherish the lil dance he does while they're celebrating mr. heere's bepantsedness - jake and jeremy sharing a Dab - and just the Popular Kids actively seeking him out to help re: christine b/c they just Want To Be Supportive.....very nice - this vimh interlude or whatever with christine and jeremy like jlsdfhh i think of this all the time - me and the voices in my head have made up our collective mind ;__; what do they say we should do ;______; and the Woohoo! ;_______________; - huoughh kiss and you KNOW especially the [jeremy spinning away in sheer enthusiasm] of 2.0 just KILLS THE MAN ;O; - jeremy not missing a beat despite the squip's interruption leeet's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - the more than survive na na na na na na na na na na na's but they're all So, and jeremy ending With everyone but also there with Himself and it's so Good and Everything Wants What Vimh Has!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hhrough ;0; - that jason does that spin at curtain call w/his excellent squip costume... - that in virtually any given curtain call when they get into line together there's that lil ritual of george smacking will's ass lmao love languages

i mean tl;dr quite Same in that like, most likely to inspire tearing up over something or other includes agtikbi reprise and vimh which is just like, again any finale wants what it has, and the I Guess A Part Of Me bit of the non-reprise agtikbi like Oof augh this is so cute, and lgw always Gets me, and while i was rewatching speaking of being soft and move-able i was also just continually struck with delight over various moments throughout, and noticing little details for the first time thank god. just Vulnerable the whole time

[honeyandhondewberries]

Leon trying maybe a little too hard to set up a moment where Hop can finally confess to his crush but there is always just this awkwardness whenever Hop and his crush talk to each other. Like it’s obvious to anyone watching they like each other it’s just they can’t say it

AUGH i LOVE awkward i love HOP YES. I hope I made this sufficiently awkward and cringe-worthy. ((& I added Raihan & Sonia to wingman w/ Leon, hope you don’t mind!!)

~~

Not a Date (HopxReader)

“What’re you getting so fancy for if this isn’t a date?” Leon calls from behind the door. 

Hop was pulling on his shoe and nearly rolled his ankle at the sound of his brother’s question.

“Hair done? Sweater and blazer?” Leon continues. “And just to be clear, this isn’t a date?”

“Nope,” Hop replies as he double-checks his appearance in the bathroom mirror. “Not a date.”

It’s certainly not a date, certainly not with you. Certainly you and Hop are both just friends, and certainly this is just dinner with a friend.

Which just so happens that friend is, well, you know, you.

Just because Hop has been attracted to you for eons and you got Raihan to get you a reservation at Hammerlocke’s finest restaurant doesn’t mean it’s a date. Just because you texted him about it and he immediately responded yes doesn’t mean it’s a date. Just because he couldn’t stop thinking about it at the research lab so he almost caught his hair on fire, just because he flew out to meet Leon at the Hammerlocke hotel without thinking what to wear, doesn’t mean it’s a date. That did lead to a frantic call to Sonia, however, who then told Hop everything he needed to know about going to dinner with a special someone (who was just a friend), and just because that led to stopping into the Hammerlocke boutique since he didn’t have anything that wasn’t his lab coat or dirty, and just because that led to him spending a little too much time picking out an outfit that accented his legs and his height and his eye color (according to Sonia’s recommendations), and just because you sent him a picture of what you were going to wear and the thought of you in that outfit made his stomach tie itself in knots, that didn’t mean this was a date.

Certainly not.

Hop smooths down his blazer for the umpteenth time, fixes up his hair, and checks his teeth again. It’s certainly not a date with you, so why is he so nervous? He’s not nervous, certainly not, since this isn’t a date.

“You gonna get your first kiss tonight?” comes Raihan’s voice from behind the door, and Hop nearly jumps out of his skin.

“Raihan?!” Hop spits, and he yanks open the bathroom door to see the smug Gym Leader raising an eyebrow at him. “What’re you doing here?!”

“Ooh, easy killer,” Raihan grins as he gives Hop’s outfit a once-over. He lets out a long whistle. “Look at you, trying to give your date a heart attack?”

“It’s not a date,” Hop growls, and he glares daggers at Leon, who only offers a sheepish shrug.

“He wanted to help,” Leon says apologetically.

“Help with what?!” Hop asks. 

“Help you on your date,” Raihan answers. “Help you get your first kiss.”

Hop’s jaw drops, and he again glares at Leon, who in turn offers a guilty smile.

“I’ve kissed people,” Hop mumbles as a blush creeps into his cheeks. 

Leon’s eyebrows raise but before Hop can defend his blatant lie, a harsh knock comes from the hotel door. Raihan opens the door and Sonia comes bolting in.

“Where is he? Did he leave?” she splutters. When she meets Hop’s gaze, she sharply inhales, then exhales an, “Oooh, Hop!”

She rushes over and fiddles with his blazer, and Hop immediately swats her away.

“Oh, it looks so much better in person,” Sonia coos. “Look at you, so handsome!”

“Who are you, his mum?” Raihan scoffs. Sonia ignores that, and continues smoothing down Hop’s outfit, and Raihan turns to Hop again. “When’re you leaving?”

“Um, soon, I think,” Hop mumbles, and he checks his phone. 

If you’re punctual, you should be knocking on his door any minute. Once Sonia is done cooing, Hop sits on his bed, then stands, then sits again. He chews on his nail as the other three chat, he crosses his legs, just to uncross them, then he paces around the room. Why is his heart beating so hard? Why is he sweating? Why can’t he stop fumbling with his fingers?

“Oh, look at him,” Sonia swoons. “So nervous for his cute little date to arrive.”

“I’m not nervous,” Hop huffs. “Why would I be nervous? It’s just dinner with a friend.”

Suddenly there’s a knock on the door, and Hop’s soul nearly leaves his body. Leon steps up to him and gives his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

“You’ll be fine, Hop,” Leon says gently, and Hop nods.

After a clap on the back from Leon, then a light shove when he doesn’t move, Hop heaves in another breath, heads to the door, then pulls it open.

There you are, not a minute early, not a minute late. You’re standing just as stiff as he is, with your hands behind your back, and it seems like you’re also holding your breath. You both simultaneously puff out the air you’re holding at the sight of each other, neither of you accustomed to the other looking like this. Hop stares for a few seconds, opens his mouth, closes it, then swallows.

“Hi,” you say.

“Hi.”

When he makes no other semblance of a response, you shift your weight to your other foot and glance over his ensemble. His hair isn’t as messy as usual, and his usual lab coat is traded for a cable-knit sweater, blazer, and dark jeans.

“You look nice,” you say stiffly.

Hop nods.

“Um, th-thanks,” he mumbles in return. “Sonia picked everything out for me, actually. Said I couldn’t wear a lab coat on a da-er. Dinner. On a dinner… time… event… with a friend.”

“Oh, that’s funny,” you say. “She helped me with my outfit too.”

You smile and nod, then gesture to your own Sonia-compiled outfit. Hop nods as well. What you're wearing is tighter in certain places - tight enough for Hop to notice how well this outfit compliments your figure. Not that he doesn’t normally notice. Or, er, not that he does normally notice. He clears his throat again.

“Yeah, y-you, look, um, ah,” Hop stammers as his eyes trail down your body. His gaze lingers a second too long, then a second after that, until he flicks his gaze back to yours. “Um, y-you look grood. Good, I mean. Great. You look nice too, is, uh, is what I meant.”

“Hop, dude, get it together,” comes a mutter from behind Hop.

“Shh, Raihan!”

Hop whips around. He had been holding the door open with his foot, and Sonia, Leon, and Raihan had jammed themselves into the small crack of the door. They’re like a ladder in that sliver of space, with Sonia at the bottom, then Leon, then Raihan. All of their eyes widen when a furious fire blazes around Hop.

“Get out of here!” Hop hisses as he shoves at them with his foot. They all scamper back and Hop slams closed the door. When Hop turns back to you, you’re holding a massive bouquet out to him.

“I got these for you,” you say quickly. “I, um, I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just got one of each.”

Hop blinks a few times, then processes that you certainly had. The bouquet is bursting with color, and some of the flowers are practically falling out of the cloth holding them together. He’s not actually quite sure how you’re holding them all with one hand.

“Oh, thanks,” Hop says quietly. “They’re beautiful. I’ll go put them in some water.”

Hop turns, fumbles his hotel key out, and you hear faint hisses from behind the door.

“Shit, he’s coming!”

“Go, go, go!”

“Act natural!”

There’s a flurry of rustling, and when Hop opens the door, he’s surprised he doesn’t break his jaw from how hard his teeth are clenching. Leon is lounging on the bed, and he offers a nonchalant glance.

“Oh, what’s that you got there?” Leon asks as he pretends to watch the tv that isn’t turned on. “Flowers, nice.”

“Yep,” Hop mutters through gritted teeth.

Hop motions to scrounge around for a glass, only to see that one is already prepared with water on the counter. Sonia whistles as she faces the wall.

“How convenient that somebody left this out,” Hop growls as he shoots daggers at the back of Sonia’s head. She flinches.

“Hm? What? Are you talking to me?” Sonia asks as she casually turns around. “Oh hey, flowers, nice.”

“Uh huh,” Hop grunts as he plunks the flowers into the glass. The sheer mass of the bouquet nearly topples it over, so he props it up with the tissue box and a coffee mug. The toilet flushes, and out comes Raihan.

“So when you go in for the ki- oh hey, flowers, nice.”

“Don’t.” Hop warns, and the word jerks out from his teeth like poison. Raihan offers a thumbs up. “I am leaving now, and you are all going to stay here and not follow us or bother us or do anything stupid, got it?”

Leon, Sonia, and Raihan all nod in unison. Hop threateningly points at all of them, slips out again, and he nearly runs into you.

“Everything alright in there?” you ask.

“Just fine,” Hop growls as he glares into the room. Leon, Sonia, and Raihan all offer a toothy grin, and Raihan even adds a wink. Hop quickly pulls the door closed, though you both hear a faint rustling, hushed and frantic whispers, and the sliding of a window. Hop chooses to ignore it.

You walk down the hotel hallway, neither saying a word, and step into the elevator together. The tinny music crackles around you, and you both stand a few inches farther from each other than you normally do. Hop tries to whistle, but his dry mouth only produces a faint ‘pfflbflff.’

“Did you say something?” you ask.

“Huh? Oh, no,” Hop says.

“Oh, I thought you said something.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Right, right.”

“Yeah.”

What should he say? Arceus, what do you both normally talk about? Anything? Pokemon? Yeah, you talk about Pokemon. Hop’s voice squeaks in his throat, and he quickly covers it with a cough when you look at him again.

“How was your day?” you ask quickly, and Hop coughs again.

“Good, good, it was good,” he says.

“Good,” you say. “That’s… that’s good.”

“Yeah.”

The tinny elevator music dinks in the background. Hop chances a glance to the floor number.

Only ten more floors to go.

“H-how was yours?” he asks in return.

“Good too.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah.”

Hop bites his lip. Maybe he could have just met you at the restaurant and you wouldn’t have to endure this. Normally he talks non-stop, but for some reason, you always seem to make him forget all the words he knows.

“How’s work?” you ask.

“Good. That’s good too.”

“That’s good.”

Well, this is going great.

The elevator stops and a family walks in, and their chatter helps ease the tension between you. The children bounce around each other, and you step closer to Hop to give them more room. His hand brushes your waist, and you both tense at the feeling. Neither of you move after that, though.

The fresh air of downtown Hammerlocke continues to ease the tension between you, and when you ask about Hop’s research, you both finally delve into conversation. The restaurant is nice (a little dark and moody, and for some reason the waiter insisted that you both sit in a private booth with a candle in the middle of the table), and it’s your turn to talk. You tell him about your own work, your Pokemon team, and Hop rests his cheek on his fist as he listens.

This isn’t a date, but Hop really wishes it was.

The way your eyes glitter like they have little stars in them, the way you smile when you talk about your passions, the way your laugh rings in the air like bells… Hop lets out a melancholy sigh because of all of it. Maybe he could tell you tonight.

You finish your dinner (after Hop accidentally spilled water on you, which made your outfit cling tighter, not that he noticed), you both head back out into downtown Hammerlocke. The moon is high in the sky now, casting a soft glow over you as you walk down the purple-bricked street.

“You’re shivering,” Hop says. “Are you cold?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” you say with an awkward laugh. “The water hasn’t dried all the way, and it’s weirdly windy tonight.”

Hop nods and glances around. It does seem strangely windy, as if the wind is only blowing on the both of you. Your hair is tousled because of it, and Hop squints his eyes at the roof of a building. Three shadows quickly duck away, and Hop squints harder.

“Here,” Hop says, and he shimmies out of his blazer, then wraps it around your shoulders. “I run hot anyway, and it’s my fault you’re freezing.”

“Thanks,” you say bashfully, and you tuck his blazer closer. A light pink ebbs into your cheeks, and Hop decides that that’s his favorite color now.

“Strangely windy right here, though,” he says, too loudly for a conversation between two. “Almost unnaturally windy, like a Pokemon caused it.”

He squints his eyes at the rooftop again, but there isn’t any scuttling or frantic whispers like he thought there would be. Instead, there’s a gruff construction worker and a Conkledurr that block your path.

“Road’s closed.”

“What?” Hop asks. He peers around the construction worker, then his brow furrows as multiple pedestrians meander past him. “No it’s not.”

“Yes it is. Gotta go another way.”

“Those people are going in,” Hop huffs.

“Go to the plaza,” the construction worker grunts “Ain’t no work bein’ done there.”

“There’s no work being done here,” Hop huffs again, but he stops arguing when you pull on his hand.

“Let’s just go that way,” you say. It doesn’t seem this construction worker and this Conkledurr are leaving anytime soon.

Hop glances to your eyes, to your hand curled around his, and he nods, almost in a daze. You pull him along by his hand, though Hop can’t manage to figure out how to hold your hand properly. He wonders how sweaty his hand feels.

You make it to the plaza, and the center fountain bubbles as a stream of water rises into the air. Lanterns frame the plaza, glowing gold and purple, just like the rest of the city. It’s not a festival or anything, why are there lanterns? Where are the rest of the people? The only person here is a guy plucking an acoustic guitar. Well, there’s a flute player too, and they start up once you step close enough. 

“Oh man,” the guitar player bemoans. “Here we are, playing this beautiful music, and there’s no one here to dance to it.”

“Hark!” the flute player says. “Arceus has blessed us this day, here come two numb nutters now!”

You hear a hiss.

“Young lovers, not numb nutters, you twit!”

“Here come two young lovers now!” the flute player corrects.

They immediately start playing again, and you and Hop glance at one another. You step towards him, and he quickly steps back.

“Oh, I-I don’t know how to dance,” Hop stutters.

“What?! Yes he does, I literally showed him in the lab two days ago!”

Hop’s brow furrows as a memory flashes - an awkward memory of Sonia forcing him to dance when he was trying to study a lake sample. He sniffed her coffee afterwards, but he couldn’t identify anything pungent.

“Sonia?” Hop says.

“Shut up, Sonia!” someone who sounds strangely like Leon hisses. “I-I mean, I’m just a Pidove! Coo, coo!”

“Oh, that’s okay,” you say quietly, and Hop’s attention redirects back to you. “We don’t have to.”

“B-but if you want to we can!” he splutters. He steps forward again curves his hand around your waist, and pulls you into his chest. When your eyes widen, he suddenly pushes you away again. “Sorry! Sorry, I-I just, I, um…”

You shake your head to recover, but when Hop reaches for you again, you hear another hiss.

“It’s too late for that, just go in for the kiss!”

Hop’s heart thumps, hard and heavy, at the thought. He grabs you again, then quickly loosens his grip.

“Sorry,” he mumbles again. “I-I, um, just thought I heard a Pidove.”

“Me too,” you say quietly. Your hands are braced against his chest from how quickly he pulled you in, but you don’t step back. “Um… you could… if you… if you wanted to.”

“Wanted to what?” Hop asks stupidly.

You hear a groan, then a smack from behind the fountain.

“Well, you know,” you mutter. “What that Pidove said.”

Hop’s eyebrows furrow, then shoot high on his forehead when he processes what you just said.

“You… you want me to…”

“W-we don’t have to!” you quickly splutter. “I-I, um, I-I just thought-”

“No! No, we can, we can,” Hop yelps in return. “I… yeah, yeah we can.”

A nervous anticipation flares between you, deep and intense, pulling and curling your stomach in the best way. There’s a few awkward breaths, shy smiles, Hop leans in, and ever so cautiously, bashfully, almost, he presses a soft kiss against your lips. You can’t help but smile, and he can’t either, when you both slowly pull away.

“I was so nervous to ask you out in the first place,” you say with a bashful smile, and you’re not quite sure why Hop’s eyes widen. “But this was the perfect ending to the perfect date.”

“This was a date?!”

You hear three distinct groans from behind the fountain.

[an-army-of-nightmares]

Well to be fair it would have been very boring if I wrote that he has the same love language as Sinnett and also, crow gifts are still gifts and I did mention that Jekyll's language would also still be affection <3

I did not know how to hc the getting together because everything I came up with would be vaguely cheating in the beginning so I left that out dhdhdhd

Also I did not meant to make it seem like Frankenstein would be polyphobic, I'd just imagine that she'd be... Generally taking up any chance she gets at insulting Jekyll so I'm sorry it made you uncomfy dhdhdh

to be fair I did speed write that and got ahead of myself. And it is friday and I am tired. SO hc were messy and I Am Sorry <3

Augh taking awhile to respond because I honestly cant focus if there's TVs on. I cant have thoughts when my brain wants to hear everything going on the other room ahhhhhhh-

Aha! But consider, it's not all about having separate and unique things for every character, as even in real life people can have the same ways to show affection. Also I only added that crow bit so your gift idea would be semi-valid, as I am a firm believer in the fact that Jekyll cant really go and buy them gifts, unless they're lil knick knacks

Typically when thinking about polyam relationships I imagine that characters A and B get together, discuss their feeling for C and decide whether or not they want C to join and if C wants to join. Alternatively have A, B, and C all get together at once. These methods prevent a whole weird technically cheating thing that I've honestly never had happen to me when imagining characters getting together.

Specifically for Sinnett x Jekyll x Griffin I've been imagining that they discussed their crush on Jekyll, thought about bringing it up to him but felt awkward and backed out everytime they tried. And eventually during one of their attempts they meet a tired/half asleep Jekyll who says they're his favorite lodgers and he just keeps complimenting them and kinda flirting until falling back alseep. Which gives them the confidence to ask him to be their boyfriend when he wakes up again, and a flustered Jekyll accepts. Kinda like in the Jekffin fics

That's what I imagine the thought process to be when most people have Frankenstein insulting Jekyll more when he gets in a polyam relationship. But please remember that saying someone is a slut for having more than one consensual spouse/lover/boyfriend/girlfriend is 100% polyphobic and please try to avoid it, especially when you do not intend the character to be such

[tamatoashiny123]

The Paris Pilfered Identity Case

This is a story I wrote a few months ago. I hope you like it!!!   :)

Boasting an annual 9.6 million viewers, the Louvre is the world’s largest art museum, located in Paris, France. Not only did the museum hold 38,000 historic artifacts and art pieces, its glass pyramid exterior was considered to be a work of art all by itself. 

One of the pieces of art located in the museum was the Seated Scribe sculpture. An ancient Egyptian work of art discovered in 1850 by Auguste Marriete, it depicted a scribe at work while in a seated position. And tonight, it was the target of Carmen Sandiego’s latest caper. 

Using her wrist-mounted grappling hook, the thief zipped up to the pyramid’s top point. “I’m in position,” she told Player (her hacker accomplice) through the communicators in her earrings. “Are the security systems and cameras deactivated yet?”

“They’re offline,” Player reported. “Considering how many valuables are in there, you’d figure their security systems would be a bit harder to turn off.”

“But I’m only after one thing: the Seated Scribe,” she reminded him. 

“Yep. Steal it and replace it with the phony sculpture before V.I.L.E. can get their hands on it and add it to Countess Cleo’s collection. Then, after V.I.L.E. takes the bait, you stealthily give back the real one to the proper authorities.”

As Carmen leaped to the section of the roof under the museum’s Egyptian Department, a car pulled up. It wasn’t a getaway car operated by Zack and Ivy, however (Carmen decided to take this as a solo mission while the pair stayed behind to fix up their base in San Diego along with Shadowsan). It was the car piloted by A.C.M.E agents Chase Devineaux and Julia Argent.

“If La Femme Rouge thinks zat she can waltz into my home territory of France and steal ANYTHING, she has another thing coming,” Chase told his partner as he popped a mint into his mouth. “Tonight is ze night zat Carmen Sandiego's career as a no-good thief comes to a decisive end!” 

“Well, maybe she’s acting preemptively in order to protect the object she’s stealing. There’s been a rash of Egyptian artifacts from museums all over the world recently,” Julia reminded her partner. “And it appears Carmen Sandiego is heading towards the Egyptian section of the museum right now.”

“No doubt Miss Sandiego was ze mastermind of zose other objects' disappearances as well.”

“But the few eyewitnesses we’ve gotten have all reported seeing men speeding away from the crime scenes. No girls.”

“Have you forgotten? Our little thief is a master of disguise. No doubt she posed as a man during zese crimes to throw us off her scent. But it'll take far more zan such acts of cross-dressing to shake ME off her trail. Now, let’s catch ourselves a thief!” he shouted, exiting the car and running towards the entrance.

“But shouldn’t we wait for backup?” Julia shouted to deaf ears. Frustrated, Julia looked up towards the roof, where she saw the thief cut a hole in the roof and slipped inside. Thinking, she grabbed her own A.C.M.E.-issued grappling hook and ran towards the roof. 

oOo

Removing the glass case off of the statue, Carmen removed the decoy statue from her coat’s inside pocket. With precision (as to not activate the pressure plate the artifact was no doubt placed on top of), she took the real Seated Scribe and immediately replaced it with the sham sculpture. As she deposited it into her coat pocket, Chase entered, his gas gun deployed.

"Hands where I can see zem, Miss Sandiego," he ordered.

She did as instructed. “As you wish, Inspector,” she sarcastically responded before lunging forwards and kicking the gas gun out of his hands, causing a small cloud of knockout gas to puff out. 

As Chase covered his mouth and nose with his jacket to avoid inhaling the gas, Carmen used her grappling hook to zip up through the hole she had come through. But waiting a foot away from the hole when she came up was Agent Argent, pointing her stun-laser pistol at the thief (Chief only gave Julia the laser pistol out of the pair as to minimize the damage Chase caused).

“Agent Argent,” Carmen casually greeted Julia, seemingly unfazed at the weapon being pointed at her. 

“Miss Sandiego, I trust you have a valid reason for your thievery of this artifact.”

“Of course I do: steal it before V.I.L.E can, then return it when their attention moves elsewhere.”

Julia smiled. “As I suspected. And I can confirm that you weren’t behind the recent global robberies of Egyptian artifacts?”

“Couldn’t stop them in time,” she explained. “So I decided to stop here to make sure V.I.L.E. couldn’t add this one to their list. So, now that I’ve fully explained my actions, I can take off now, right?”

“Miss Sandiego, you know I want to let you run off into the night, but...my job.”

“I get it. Your ‘job’: to catch thieves like me, per order of the Chief.”

“Well, yes-”

“But I’m a thief who works for the force of good! Doesn't the Chief know that?”

“I’ve tried to convince her of that so many times, but-”

“She doesn’t believe you.”

“It’s just given all the evidence-”

“I get it. Really, Julia, I do. But I won’t let you, your snooty partner, or any other A.C.M.E. agent get me-AUGH!”

Neither girls had noticed Chase climbing up onto the rooftop with his own grappling hook, sneak behind the thief, and jab her in the spine with his taser, causing her to collapse.

“Excellent work, Agent Argent,” he congratulated his partner as he ingested a celebratory mint. "Distracting her while I sneak up from behind and finish her off once and for all!"

“But sir,” Julia argued with her, “I was just talking to her. She was explaining to me that-”

“All lies she was spouting, I'm sure,” Chase cut her off. “Now zen, let's strip her of all her gadgets and get her into ze car. Ze Chief is going to get a little surprise tonight...

oOo

As luck (or quite the opposite of luck for Carmen) would have it, the Chief was in town to review evidence for a separate crime V.I.L.E. had committed. In his infinite wisdom (which drowned out Julia’s legitimate wisdom), instead of calling her to pick up Carmen from the museum, he decided to drive the thief to the police station the Chief was at the time, which was a few miles away.    

 Carmen was disarmed of all her tech (grappling hook, earring communicators, all the small gadgets that lined her coat pockets) as well as the Seated Scribe (nestled safely in the car’s glove box). Her arms were handcuffed behind her back and (on the orders of Chase) she was gagged with a white handkerchief between her teeth. 

“I will not let ziss thief try to use her charming words to get out of ziss one,” Chase bragged. “You are getting brought to A.C.M.E. custody whether you want to go or not.”   

“Nuh-guh oww-zee ee-eck-ib,” the thief muttered into the cloth gag.

Chase sat up front while Julia sat in the back next to Carmen in order to keep an eye on her. As the car sped off towards the police station, Julia gave Carmen a sympathetic look. 

“I’m so sorry it had to come to this,” Julia told the thief. “I hope Chase’s taser didn’t sting you too badly.”

“Do not apologize to ze criminal!” Chase chastised her. “She deserved ze voltage of my taser after all of the ze times she humiliated me! And no one humiliates Chase Deni Devineaux without suffering ze consequences!”

In response, Carmen delivered a hard kick to the back of his seat. Chase gave a dirty look to Julia, who reluctantly drew her taser and held out in an act of warning to the prisoner. 

“So sorry,” Julia whispered.

“‘t’s ah-kah,” Carmen whispered back.

Chase then drove in silence for a bit, humming La Marseillaise under his breath. As he did, Carmen looked for a way out of her predicament. Spotting the remote for the electronic handcuffs in Julia’s suit pocket, Carmen slowly leaned in towards the agent to try to get it. Seeing it in time, Julia grabbed the thief’s wandering fingers, stretched them out (hard enough for it to hurt in the moment, but no further than that), and shoved Carmen back upright. The red coat-wearer let out a soft growl into her gag while Julia flashed a tiny smile. 

“Yur ood,” the thief softly admitted.

Julia beamed at the mumbled compliment. “I know,” she jokingly bragged.

Carmen kept thinking about ways to escape. She had come up with a few ideas, but all of them risked harming Julia. As much as she wanted to rough Chase up, she couldn’t say the same thing about his partner, one of the only people in the world who truly understood her life’s goal: to steal with only good intentions in mind. As much as she hated to admit it, it looked like she’d have to find some way to escape from A.C.M.E. custody…

But suddenly, a miracle (of sorts) occurred: when Chase went to pop another mint into his mouth, he found the container to be empty. Grunting, he pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store, a mere mile away from the police.

“Sir, can’t you just wait until after Carmen has been handed over to the proper authorities to get more breath mints?” an incredulous Julia asked.

“And risk having a smelly breath while gifting La Femme Rouge over to ze Chief? No way!” he barked back, stepping out of the car. “I'll be just two minutes. Keep an eye on our little thief while I'm gone!”

Chase ran inside the store. As soon as he was gone, Julia took the gag out of Carmen's mouth. “I apologize about the gag, Miss Sandiego. It was Chase’s idea, not mine.”

“I know. How unfair it is, though, considering he’s the most deserving one in this car deserving of a gag.”

Julia giggled in agreement. “I just can’t believe that man stopped for breath mints in the middle of transporting a master thief. He’s practically addicted to those things.”

“You think I’m a ‘master’?” Carmen smirked. “Thanks for such a glowing compliment, Agent Argent.”

The two sat in silence for a moment, waiting for Chase’s return. Right before Julia was about to say something else to her prisoner when both ladies could hear the French agent shout from inside the store, “I DEMAND YOU LET ME IN FRONT OF ZE LINE! ZISS IS A MATTER OF POLICE URGENCY!”

Startled, Julia turned her body, causing the remote to fall out of her pocket. Seizing her moment, Carmen grabbed the remote and pressed the button, releasing her from the cuffs. Realizing what happened, Julia grabbed her taser, but Carmen grabbed her wrist and used her other hand to pry Julia’s fingers from the weapon, causing it to fall onto the ground. 

Realizing that she wouldn’t be winning this conflict, Julia tried exiting the car to contact Chase or any other A.C.M.E. agent, but it was too late; Carmen now had the taser. She grabbed the agent by her suit jacket and dragged her as far away from the car door as possible while pointing the taser at Julia’s spine. 

“Looks like the shoe is on the other foot now,” Carmen said with a warm smirk.

“N-now now, M-miss Sandieg-go,” a fearful Julia stammered out. “Let’s not do anything hasty.”

“Well, your partner thinks I am a ‘no-good creeminahl’. Maybe I should help to bolster his claims by giving you a nice little shock,” the thief half-joked.

“But I know your style: you never hurt the innocent; only the criminals.”

“100% right again, Agent Argent. But I would still not try to wrestle this taser out of my hands. After all, it might accidentally slip from my hands and nick you.”

Looking back towards the convenience store, both ladies could still hear Chase creating a ruckus inside. 

“How much longer do you think it’ll take for him to come back from his breath mint run?” Carmen asked. 

“I really shouldn’t be giving away such information-”

‘Remind me again: who has the taser here?”

Julia sighed. “Forty seconds until he realizes in his haste that he picked up fruit mints...which he hates, thirty seconds to find the peppermint-flavored mints he prefers, and two more minutes to shout his way back to the front of the line and come back here.”

“Excellent. I think that gives me enough time to make a little switch.”

“What type of ‘switch’?”

Not answering Julia’s question, Carmen gently grabbed the sleeve of the agent’s suit jacket and ran her fingers against it.

“Do you know my favorite thing about you, Julia, besides your brains? Even though I’m a whole five inches taller than you, your clothes should still be able to fit me just fine.”

oOo

Exactly three minutes and ten seconds later (just as Julia has predicted), Chase returned, three new containers of mints in hand. As he stepped back into the car, he briefly looked over his shoulder to make sure everything was as he had left it: both his pantsuit-wearing partner and the red coat and fedora-wearing thief bound and gagged next to her were both still sitting in the backseat. Satisfied, Chase started the car back up and sped off to the police station. As he drove, he noticed that Carmen was making far more noise into her gag than she had been before. 

“Save your voice, Carmen,” the French agent advised his prisoner. “I'm sure ze Chief will have a lot of questions for you to answer once she gets a hold of you.”

“I completely agree with you, Chase,” Julia said. “You need to stop, Carmen, before I whip out the taser again.”

Chase furrowed his brow as he cracked open one of the new containers. “Miss Argent, are you ok? You sound a bit different. And even more peculiar, you are AGREEING with me for once!”

“I’m perfectly fine, Agent Devineaux. I was just thinking: maybe you were right this whole time. Maybe Carmen Sandiego IS a no-good hoodlum that deserves to be brought to A.C.M.E. in cuffs.”

Over Carmen’s growls of anger, Chase smirked. “Miss Argent, I'm so happy you are starting to see things my way.”

Carmen could only roll her eyes at this point. 

oOo

Minutes later, the car pulled up to the police station. Julia was the first to step out of the car.

“I’ll alert the Chief of our arrival,” she told her partner, whose mind was on all of the praise that’d surely be coming his way in the near future. “Why don’t you take hold of the prisoner? That way, you can be the one to present her.”

“A fine idea, Miss Argent,” Chase said with a smile as he opened the car door. As he did, the Chief walked out of the police station with several other A.C.M.E. agents in tow. 

“Agent Devineaux,” she greeted him. “To what do I owe this visit?”

“Chief, Agent Argent and I were called in on a robbery to ze Louvre-”

He looked around to find his partner, only for her to have seemingly vanished into thin air. 

“Huh, she just went out looking for you,” he mused. “Oh well. I'm sure she'll be back any second. Anyways, we responded to ze robbery call and you'll never guess who we captured while we were zere.”

Proudly, he pulled the thief out by her coat and presented her to his boss. The Chief’s look of interest quickly turned into a scowl. 

“Agent Devineaux,” she addressed him sharply, “is this some kind of joke?”

"What do you mean ‘joke’?" he asked. “It is she, ze one who we've been trying to capture for months: Carmen Sand-what ze?"

Upon actually looking at the person he had brought in, he realized that this wasn’t Carmen Sandiego; it was his partner, Julia, who was dressed in the thief’s signature red coat and fedora while also wearing the handcuffs and gag. 

“Zat's impossible! I tasered her, placed her in ze car, and I checked zat she was still zere after I stopped for zose mints-"

“Let me get this straight,” the Chief questioned him. “You were transporting our most wanted target, and you stopped for BREATH MINTS?!”

As Chase continued to sputter out an excuse and while the Chief mentally questioned her decision to hire him in the first place, both didn’t Julia blush through all of this, as well as the note that fell from the red coat’s pocket. 

oOo

From a nearby rooftop, Carmen (still wearing her Julia ‘cosplay’) watched the scene unfold with a smirk, gently tossing the Seated Scribe (stolen back during the switch) between her hands.

“I gotta say, Red,” Player complimented her, “you look pretty fly in a pantsuit.”

“It’s a pretty snug fit, though,” Carmen noted, tugging at the sleeves. “Why couldn’t Chase partner with a girl my height?”

“Well, all’s right with the world again: the Seated Scribe is back in your possession, and Chase is in ‘le doghouse’ with the Chief. But I do feel a little bad for Julia, having to do her dirty like that.”

“Both of us girls won,” the thief assured her. “She didn’t have to catch me and I got away. And I think the note I left with her will make her day a bit brighter.”

“What note?”

“I scribbled it a block before we got to the station. It reads, You can keep this jacket too. I hope we can do this again sometime...but maybe without Chase.”

“What a cute love letter,” Player teased.

Carmen scoffed. “It wasn’t a love letter…”

“Well, I think you should know that I ship you with Julia. ‘Jules-Thief’, I call the ship.”

“Send me the fanfiction I’m sure you have featuring us girls later. Anyways, you have the hotel room ready for me?”

“A five star suite, courtesy of V.I.L.E.’s funds, is waiting for you, Red. Sending the coordinates now.”

As Carmen shot her grappling hook out and swung away, she could hear the familiar cry of “LA FEMME ROUGE!” echo through the streets of Paris. 

[mystyrust]

Tricks and Treats - Ectober 2020 Day 4

Prompt: Darkness / Poison

Word Count: 1286  AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27255454

Additional Tags: Slight crack, Halloween, also kyle shows up!

It was no secret amongst the inhabitants of the ghost zones that on Halloween, the divide between the realms of the living and dead were thin. The ghosts could visit the land of the living, and for once, they wouldn’t be ushered away. In fact, if they were scary enough, they could even get free candy.

Danny knew this wasn’t the exact truth – in Amity Park, where the ectoplasmic concentration was higher than average, ghosts visited the land of the living all the time. But he was still extra vigilant for Halloween. Last time, he messed it up by summoning the Fright Knight. This time, it would take place during a new moon, when the night would be darkest and a ghost would be strongest. With living people in creepy costumes and cosplay, anything could go wrong.

“Hey, nice claws. They almost look real.”

“My, what sharp teeth you have!”

“That scythe looks dope! SO creepy.”

Luckily, Danny’s ghost sense could help him tell apart living people from dead ones. So he took it upon himself to patrol extra vigilantly on Halloween night, to protect the living people from the dead ones. Sam and Tucker were upset at first, but Tucker decided that it was possible to patrol and go trick or treating at the same time.

“Listen, guys. We’re still patrolling; we’re just taking candy breaks on the way! And besides, if we dress up for Halloween, we’ll blend right in!”

Danny found himself agreeing – he wouldn’t even have to pretend to be home after curfew if he told his parents he was trick or treating.

Halloween was Sam’s favorite holiday of the year – she loved all things occult, candy, and costumes. She always had the scariest costume of the three, but this year she opted for a more expensive cosplay.

“Holy crap your Mikasa Ackerman costume looks dope! Very on-brand for you, Sam,” Using the Manson Money™ that she rarely flaunted, Sam had purchased highly detailed props – Danny wouldn’t be surprised if the Vertical Maneuver Gear that was part of Sam’s look would actually work just like on the show. While Mikasa’s color scheme wasn’t as gothic as Sam would have liked, the character was moody and independent – just like Sam.

“Thanks Tucker! You really outdid yourself with your costume this year!” Tucker’s ‘costume’ wasn’t cosplay like Sam’s, but he was wearing an oversized suit that made him look taller than he really was, with fake arms attached. Tucker’s head was “held” by the suit’s fake arms, making it look like a decapitated person was walking around with their own head in their hands. The fake neck on top of Tucker’s suit still smelled like ketchup.

“Why aren’t you in costume yet, Danny?” The two friends had arrived at Danny’s house at the same time, waiting for him to finish changing so that they could go out “patrolling” the best candy routes together.

“I am now,”

Danny covered himself with a white sheet, with just two holes for eyes.

���I knew this would happen. Listen, I have a spare Ghostbuster’s costume at my house.”

“But Sam!” Danny protested. “If I need to go ghost, the sheet can hide my transformation!”

“That’s no excuse for poor effort on the best holiday of the year. You can still keep the sheet for if you need to go Phantom, but I’ll be damned if you don’t have fun as Fenton, too.”

The three made a detour to Sam’s house, with Tucker complaining that lost time was lost candy along the way. Luckily, they hadn’t lost much time – it wasn’t too dark yet, and the trick or treaters had only just started trickling into the neighborhoods.

“Trick or Treat! Smell my feet! Give me something good to eat!”

The three friends combed through the neighborhood, getting nearly full buckets and some prized candy bars along the way. At first, Tucker was worried that the houses would perceive them as “too old” for trick or treating – but once it was obvious that people much older than the trio were also out trick or treating, he began to relax and enjoy himself with the rest of his friends.

Danny, though he was enjoying himself, was too busy keeping his guard up. Especially now, when it was darker out. His core hummed with extra energy – he felt the extra power bubble underneath his skin, and stretched his senses out as far as he could. His hearing, his sight, his awareness, his ghost sense. Suddenly, he felt a chill crawl up his spine, just as he saw a group of trick or treaters walk by. Ghosts – they all were.

“Sorry guys, I’ll be right back.”

Danny unfolded the white sheet and covered himself, turning into his ghost form before turning invisible and flying out. Just as the suspicious group of Halloween goers turned the corner, Danny approached them from above.

“Fancy seeing you out here, in your not so fancy outfits.”

It was Ember, a couple others in lazy ghost blanket sheet costumes, and –

“Aw c’mon!”

“Youngblood?”

The child ghost was the same as he always looked, dressed up as a pirate.

“We weren’t planning to, but the kiddo really wanted to come out,” Ember responded.

“I promise I’m not gonna cause any trouble, I just really wanted to celebrate Halloween and get some candy!”

And that resonated with Danny, a little. He just wanted to enjoy himself, but he was on duty protecting all the humans from a threat they didn’t even know to look out for. And, by the looks of all the ghosts, a threat that probably wouldn’t manifest, at least tonight. Danny sighed.

“Look, if you promise not to cause any trouble for anyone – no damage, no ghost powers, no whatever – and you just do normal trick or treating like a human would, I suppose I can let you go.”

It had been a few months since he’d last won against Ember, Youngblood, Kitty, and Johnny 13. A few months since they’d bother to cause trouble for Danny. They weren’t so bad all the time, and once they reached an understanding, they went from evil to annoying at worst.

“Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou ghost boy!” Youngblood floated up to give Danny a hug.

“Remember! No ghost powers!”

“Oh right!” Youngblood floated down, giving Danny a hug around his legs.

Not all ghosts would be willing to reach an understanding, but Danny would maintain an alliance with the ones that did.

The ghosts returned to their trick or treating route; Danny should head back to Sam and Tucker, before –

“Hey, Fenton,” Danny hears a familiar nasally voice behind him.

“Hey…Kyle,”

“Dude, nice Halloween costume,” The lanky teen complimented. “Nice glowing aura effect. And the flying part! Totally jealous.”

Kyle wasn’t alone. He was with his younger brother – and Danny’s classmate – Wes Weston. They were both dressed as… Danny Phantom.

“We couldn’t figure out how to get the flying part down,”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Danny delivered a knowing smile at Wes, who glared in return.

“Kyle, he got ‘the flying part’ down because it’s not a trick. Because he’s actually a ghost, you know?!”

“What are you talking about? Everyone knows ghosts aren’t real.”

“Augh! He’s floating right in front of you!”

“He’s obviously using strong magnets to – oh, he’s gone,” Danny had turned invisible, to return back to his friends. While the Weston brothers amused him, he had enough of them for one night.

The town was ignorant of the ghosts that lurked alongside them. Sometimes that ignorance was bliss, like tonight on Halloween, where any ghost can pass as human. And sometimes, that ignorance was… willful. Maybe it’s for the best that no one believes either of the Westons.

[yamagucci-x]

Read on Ao3 The once-first-years begin their final season together. Rated: G

Hinata pressed his forearms together, bumping the ball back toward Kageyama in a high arc. They’d spent most of the rainy afternoon in Hinata’s room, playing video games or re-watching highlights from pro games, but as soon as the skies cleared in the evening they shrugged on their jackets and started tossing around a worn volleyball in the backyard. 

It’d become a more common scene over the years, since Kageyama finally started acknowledging their friendship for what is was. At the very least, he had decided it was less trouble to actually answer Hinata’s texts and come over (at the risk of getting roped into spinning for Natsu’s double dutch practice) than to ignore him and have Hinata appear unannounced at his house twenty minutes later. Nowadays, most off days found the two of them chatting as they savored the simple pleasure of passing the ball back and forth.

As Hinata watched Kageyama stretch up his arms to toss he was reminded of another evening in his yard, about three months ago. Unlike the humid April evening it had been a cold, harsh night in January. The air was biting and snow began to swirl as clouds obscured the sunset. Their devastating loss to Inarizaki at Nationals was still fresh, stinging and burning with every recollection. They had no net but Hinata pushed the ball into Kageyama’s chest, demanding he set for him. He’d spiked each one of his setter’s tosses into the gathering snow with more ferocity than the last, until they were left staring up into the dark sky with silent, hot tears streaming down their cheeks. They probably would’ve stood there all night if Hinata’s mom hadn’t called them inside with dark predictions of losing their fingers to frostbite. 

Now, on the eve of a new volleyball season, the mood was different. They had licked their wounds, healed and rested, and were itching for more. 

“What do you think the new first-years will be like?” Hinata asked.

Kageyama smirked. “Hopefully they won’t suck as bad as you did.”

Hinata sucked his teeth, switching from an underhand to overhand position. “Well hopefully they won’t have your shitty attitude.” 

Kageyama shot him a look but didn’t say anything, reaching up to toss the ball high and slow to the side. Hinata’s eyes flashed as he saw the opportunity. With a running start he launched himself into the air and spiked the ball down hard. They grinned as their eyes met. 

“It’s kinda sad though, isn’t it,” Hinata said as he jogged to retrieve the ball, “Our last season at Karasuno.” There was more he could’ve said— their last season as teammates, probably the last season they’d see each other regularly, their last season before things really changed— but he didn’t. 

“Not really,” the setter said bluntly.

“Kageyama! You’re so heartless,” Hinata hollered, chucking the ball at him, “You sound like Tsukishima!”

Usually an insult like that would have him red in the face, but he caught the ball with a smile and a glint in his eye. “I mean, it’s not like we’re ever going to stop playing volleyball, right?” 

Across town Tsukishima sneezed, feeling an odd twinge like someone was talking about him.

Yamaguchi jumped a little on the other end of the bed. “Shit, you’re not getting sick, are you?” He whipped around to look at him with wide eyes, sitting forward on his knees. “You can’t get a cold now, Tsukki, the new season starts tomorrow!”

Tsukishima adjusted his glasses with a frown. “Will you relax? It was one sneeze, I’m not getting hospitalized.”

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi sighed, slumping back against the wall and clutching his stomach, “I’m just so anxious about my first day as captain. Yachi gave me some advice on dealing with nerves, but I feel just like the first time Coach called me up as a pinch server.”

“Yeah, you’ve been acting psychotic all week. It’s ridiculous.”

“Hey!” Yamaguchi tossed a pillow at his head. “Just because you never get worked up about anything doesn’t mean it’s ridiculous. There’s a lot of pressure!” 

Tsukki rolled his eyes, running a hand through his bangs to fix them. “It’s ridiculous when you’re the only one who still doubts your skills.” He refused to meet Yamaguchi’s gaze but he couldn’t help the corner of his lip curling upward. 

Yamaguchi smiled, understanding how Tsukki complimented him in his own way. “Y-Yeah, I guess,” he said, scratching the back of his head. 

“Now will you finally pick a course?” Tsukki picked up his Switch controller and nodded toward the Mario Kart menu blinking on the TV, “I wanna kick your ass again.”

“Oh right- sorry, Tsukki!”

The next morning broke cold and clear. In his rush to bike to school Hinata almost hit Kageyama in the street, but after some arguing and a little shoving they agreed to stop by Sakanoshita Store together. Just as they got to the shop, three other figures appeared at either side of the intersection— Tsukishima and Yamaguchi from one direction, Yachi from the other. For a second, they all blinked at each other in silence.

“Guess we all had the same idea, huh?” Yachi said with a smile.

They all laughed and, realizing it’d been weeks since they’d really seen each other, fell into handshakes and eager chatter. Even Tsukki seemed excited, his lips pressed into a smile.

“You finally got the haircut, ‘Guchi!” Hinata grinned as his teammate reluctantly submitted to having his hair ruffled.

“It looks good! You’re not shaggy anymore,” Yachi giggled. “Oh wait! I guess we should be referring to you as Captain Yamaguchi now, huh?” She struck a pose and saluted him with a stiff upper lip. 

Everyone else laughed, but Yamaguchi looked a little sea sick. “Ugh. Remind to buy some antacid, I’m gonna need it.”

“You’ll be fine,” Tsukishima said, “It’s not like any first years could ever be worse than these two were.” He smirked at Hinata and Kageyama.

Hinata bounced with indignation. “Why does everyone keep saying that? I wasn’t even that bad, Kageyama’s the one-”

“-Don’t try to blame me, dumbass, my ‘attitude’ was ‘cause you sucked,” Kageyama snapped.

“What?!”

“Oh, these?” She pulled her low ponytail over her shoulder so she could fidget with a lock of hair. “It’s nothing, just- I guess some people have been noticing the posters I make for you guys and, well, the girls’ team asked me to do something for them.” She turned the papers around, revealing an eye-catching design to recruit new members.

Yamaguchi looked stricken. “Oh god,” he groaned, “How am I supposed to keep order? I can’t be scary like Sawamura or Ennoshita!” A chill ran through the group at the memory of lectures past. None of them were sure anyone could be scarier than Daichi.

Evidently looking for a change in topic, Yamaguchi sighed and pointed to the small stack of papers Yachi clutched to her chest. “Anyway, what’ve you got there, Yachi?”

The other boys nodded approvingly but Hinata’s eyes went wide. “You’re doing work for another team? But you’re our manager!” He clenched his fists, shouting to the sky, “Augh! It was so cool to be the only club with awesome posters!”

“It’s way too early for this much yelling,” Tsukishima muttered.

Yachi’s face immediately went red and she threw out her hands. “I-I’m sorry Hinata! I told them it was just this once, I don’t want anyone on the team to think I’m a traitor!”

Hinata, who didn’t seem to be listening, wrapped his arms around Yachi from the side. “Screw the girls’ team, I won’t let them take you!”

Suddenly the door of Sakanoshita Store flew open and they all froze. “Oi!” Coach Ukai appeared, his breath a mix of cigarette smoke and steam, “You idiots gonna stand there causing a ruckus in the freezing cold all morning, or are you gonna come in?”

“Sorry, Coach!” They called, running inside.

Ten minutes later they filed out, Yachi sipping hot cocoa (an apology for “roping her in with the idiots”) while the boys munched on granola bars. Yamaguchi was feeling more confident after a pep talk from Ukai, and everyone was energized after hearing that they had an early practice game scheduled.

“I guess if I’m having trouble I can always count on you to whip the new recruits into shape, right Yachi?” Yamaguchi said, nudging her with a smile.

Yachi withered a little. “Oh gosh, no- I have my hands full enough trying to wrangle you guys and the second-years.” Really, the second-years were well behaved and her own cohort listened when she found the courage to reprimand them. But somehow a joke had gotten started that she’d turn into a drill sergeant and just the thought made her want to faint. She shuddered even when she remembered how poorly everyone got along before she joined in their first year. Sure she’d grown a lot since then, but she still wasn’t sure her nerves could handle something like that.

“Oo, we should all take a picture before our practice game this week,” Hinata suggested, “To commemorate the start of our last season!” Yachi and Yamaguchi responded with enthusiastic yeses, but Kageyama and Tsukishima both scoffed.

“I’m not doing that,” they said in unison. Everyone tried to stifle their laughter when the two boys looked at each other with a mix of shock and disgust. 

“Fine,” Kageyama said after a minute.

“I guess,” Tsukishima muttered.

“Perfect!” Hinata tried to throw his arms over their shoulders, but they both brushed him off with a scowl. “Karasuno- fight!”

“Shut up, it’s too early!”

[shreddedparchment]

Of Two Minds Pt.01

You’re My Girl

04/26/2019

Pairing: Bucky x Reader     Word Count: 6,699

Masterpost     Warnings: language, smut, oral sex (M on F), light violence

Prompt: Well I gotta get in there, right?

A/N: This is for Kari’s Sebastian Stan Challenge ( @until-theend-oftheline ). I had so much fun writing this little one-shot. I might have to make a love triangle fic at some point because I enjoyed this one too much! Hope you like it, and please excuse my smut. If you happen to reblog, thanks so much for helping me spread my work! xoxo

Bucky has always been a bit of a brain. Admit it? Hell no! That’s Steve’s thing. Of course, now with his huge physique, even Steve has trouble coming across as the nerd he seriously is.

So, it’s a bit of a rarity for Bucky to walk around the tower with his nose in a book. He’s got a lot of catching up to do though. So many great stories being told. So many endings. So many adventures. Not to mention all his old favorites.

And really, that’s what he should be reading. Something new. Instead he’s re-reading Murder on the Orient Express. Damn, he’s a sucker for a good mystery. Intrigue, suspicion, false accusation—he freezes, blinking to clear his mind as he realizes how similar to his life those aspects of the story are.

Oh, well. After a shake of his head he wanders into the kitchen and steals a few of Sam’s cookies. He won’t miss two or three, right? And even if he does, Bucky couldn’t care less. In fact—He grabs a plate and piles the last ten cookies onto the plate and with his book reopened he heads back towards his room; a naughty grin stretched taut across his pink lips.

He rounds the corner, excited to get back to bed to read his day away when a guttural but feminine roar deafens his ears and your familiar figure jumps out from an open bedroom doorway.

“AUGH!” Bucky screams, his plate of cookies flying up into the air to land on the black granite floor with a tinkling crash as the delicate china shatters. Fractured cookies litter the floor as Bucky tries to steady his heart, book pressed against his gray t-shirt covered chest.

He growls, watching you double over as you clutch your stomach, your shoulders shaking with deep silent laughter.

His nerves fray. He hates when you do this. Why do you always have to irritate him? Why do you always pop out when he's trying so hard to avoid you?

“Are you crazy?” He demands, dropping his metal arm. He’s so stressed, clutching his book so hard that it’s starting to fold.

“You should have seen your face!” You guffaw, reaching out to hold his left shoulder to keep yourself steady. Bucky can feel the heat of your grip.

“How many times have I asked you not to do that? I could hurt you.” He grumbles.

“You say that every single time I scare you. You haven’t hurt me yet.”

Bucky hates the confidence in your voice. You’re not like everyone else. Sure, Sam is a little sardonic and hard on him but other than Sam, everyone else is careful to keep the Winter Soldier buried. They don’t test his limits. Not like you do.

“There’s a first time for everything.” He warns. And he means it. The last thing he wants to do is hurt you.

It feels like ages since you last heard Bucky laugh. He’s always laughing with Steve…sometimes Sam but mostly that’s just at him and not with him. Every time you come close to join in the comradery, Bucky clams up and shortly after, he leaves.

The only time you can get him to talk to you for more than just a few sentences are when you catch him by surprise or when you’re on mission together.

He avoids you in the hallways of the tower so surprising him like yesterday doesn't happen often. It’s also been forever since you’ve gone out on mission together and part of you thinks it’s on purpose.

“Steve? Tell me the truth. Did he ask you not to pair us up anymore?”

“Y/N…please don’t put me in the middle of this. Just, ask him yourself.” Steve looks nervous as he turns back towards his reports, his fingers flying across the keyboard. He’s a quick study and he’d learned typing in record time.

You hurry around him, pushing his hands and keyboard aside to sit on the edge of his desk.

“Hey.” He complains but looks from your thighs up to your face.

“Answer me.” You whine. “And I’ll leave you alone.”

Steve sighs heavily, frustrated but defeated.

“Yes. He did.”

Your heart drops. “Why?”

“I don’t know. He just said he needed a break and asked me to pair him up with anyone but you. You should talk to him. Figure out what’s going on. You two make a good team.”

Uh, yes! You know that!

“Does he hate me?” You wonder and Steve’s frustration shifts to gentle concern. He smiles softly, reaching out to place his hands behind your bent knees, hooking his hands to pull himself closer to you. You’re still in your workout clothes; tight black shorts and a navy racerback sports shirt with the Avengers ‘A’ over the right breast.

“Y/N…Bucky’s…he’s still adjusting. Just give him some time. If he’s asking not to be paired with you then it’s most likely because you make his recovery more difficult and not because he doesn’t like you.” Steve’s trying to be comforting but all he’s doing is making you worry more.

Are you fucking up Bucky's recovery? His room is right next to yours and sometimes you can hear him groaning or whimpering in his sleep. It makes your heart cold. Countless times you’ve stood at his shut door and almost gone in.

“I suck.” You sigh, pouting.

Steve laughs, and scoots even closer so that your feet rest on his upper thighs and your knees are nudged up against his pecs, his hands still hooked behind your knees.

“You don’t suck.”

“I do.”

“Y/N…” Steve sighs and drops his voice low so that as he speaks, his voice is a deep whisper. “Trust me. You don’t suck. You’re extremely adorable and very capable.”

Adorable? Is that a compliment? It’s not an insult at least. You feel your ears burn and your chest does feel lighter. If Steve can see you as adorable surely Bucky sees you as something just as positive, right?

“Hey, Stevie, you got a second? Nat said you were-Oh.” Bucky’s voice filters into Steve’s office and when he spots the two of you, he freezes in the doorway, his hands tight around a dark mission folder. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were busy.”

You scramble off the desk and stand up, fixing your shirt as Bucky makes to leave. “We weren’t doing anything.”

Bucky’s eyes pass right over you to focus on Steve.

“Nat says she can’t go.” He holds up the dark folder, indicating whatever mission is inside.

“And Wanda’s out with Vision also on mission.” Steve informs him.

You can almost see the panic building in Bucky’s eyes at the clear indication that the only person left to go on this mission is you.

Steve reaches over and very affectionately pulls you closer, wrapping his arm around your waist. It sits too low on your bottom and you’re at a loss as to how to respond to the affection, so you go with the flow. Your instincts tell you to follow his lead, so you do.

“You wanna go with Bucky, baby?” Steve asks, his voice wrapped sickeningly sweet around the term of endearment. Your cheeks and neck burn. What the hell is he doing?! “It’s just a quick pick up. You don’t have to use the married couple cover if you don’t want to. Just go in, get the package, and then come back so we can decode the files. You’ll be gone two days max.”

You chance a quick glance at Bucky and chew on your lip. Mostly because you’re watching the confusion flit across his face but also because you’re trying to look like you’re mulling over Steve’s question.

“Didn’t he deliberately ask to avoid going on missions with me? I’m kind of offended.”

“I think he was just afraid that you liked him.” Steve explains and it’s the definite truth which makes your chest hurt. Is that really why Bucky asked to stop going out with you? Because he had been suspecting you were interested in him? “Now that we’re together, that won’t be a problem. Right, Buck?”

Steve turns to Bucky and you place your left hand around his shoulders, your fingers gently caressing the small hairs on the nape of his neck.

“I…er…wh-when did this happen?” Bucky wonders and the stutter draws your eye to him. He stands shifting from one foot to the other.

“Me and Y/N?” Steve asks. “Just before you asked to stop going on missions with her. If I’m honest, I gotta say, I really appreciate you asking first. It would have been weird if I’d stopped sending her on missions with you just because we started dating.”

“You’re so jealous.” You tease.

“Can you blame me?” Steve asks, wrapping his arm more tightly around your waist.

You can feel it coming before it happens, and it makes you nervous. You need to make it believable. And…this is Steve! It’s not like he’s not attractive. You kind of wanna impress him with your skills too.

So, when he reaches up to slip his hand behind your neck and pull you down towards him, you relax. You pretend that this is real. That somehow you and Steve are actually dating. That what you feel for Bucky is what you feel for Steve and that nothing in this world would make you happier than to kiss him.

His lips are soft and warm. God, you wish it was Bucky.

You pour that into your kiss and your lips part involuntarily. You can feel Steve’s surprise as he gives you what you want, deepening the kiss. It’s just one quick, open-mouthed peck. A small hint of tongue. It feels like it lasts hours but it’s over in two seconds.

“No.” You whisper, as you pull back slowly, smiling down at him with as peaceful a smile as you can muster. “I can’t.”

“So, you’ll go?” Steve asks. “For me?”

“I-” You look back at the large man in the doorway, looking utterly perplexed, brow drawn together, sharp fire in his icy eyes as he stares at you and Steve. It looks like he’s trying to make one and one equal two. “Only if Bucky doesn’t mind me going? If he asked to stop going on missions with me, it must have been for a good reason.”

“Buck?” Steve asks, turning to him but pulling you down to sit on his lap as he does.

“I…I uh…” Bucky shuts his eyes hard then looks down at the folder in his hands. He holds it out for you, and you make to get up, but Steve’s arm tightens around you and instead he rolls his chair towards Bucky. “No. I don’t mind.”

“Great.” You smile, taking the offered folder. “I’ll give this a look and we can leave tomorrow morning. Yeah?”

“Whatever.” Bucky grumbles and without another word he turns and leaves, shoulders slumped, eyes still glaring with confusion.

You wait until his footsteps have faded before your body slumps forward too.

“Holy-What the hell was that, Steve?”

But Steve is smiling. “Me? What about you?! That was-holy shit, Y/N. I didn’t know you could act that well.”

“What are we doing, Steve?” You ask, pining more than ever over the man who just left now convinced you’re dating his best friend.

Steve smiles. “I’m pretty sure he likes you, Y/N. Buck’s not the same guy he used to be. I’m just—it’s just a push. If I’m right and he really likes you he won’t let it sit. The old Bucky is in there. Parts of him. If he tries anything on the mission…don’t pull away. Okay?”

Your heart is hammering in your chest from nerves and also, Steve thinks Bucky likes you!

“Doesn’t that bother you? Him trying something on someone you’re supposed to be dating?”

“I said, if he tries anything. I doubt he will. He’s not that kind of person.”

You nod. “I think you’re wrong. He doesn’t like me like that.”

Steve only smiles.

“Hey! Honey! Why do you keep walking away from me?” You shout down the small lane, the dirt of the road dusting the air.

Bucky stops several feet away, his shoulders tense. He doesn’t turn to look at you but instead he simply waits for you to catch up.

You slide your arm through his, the right—nice and warm—and only when he resumes his walking do you let yourself feel the real heat of having your arm through his.

You’re on mission so you know that you shouldn’t be focusing on how you feel about him. It’s never going to happen. But for you to come here, with him, play his wife? Seriously, this is like daydream number 47 in your Bucky Daydream Catalogue.

Right after the daydream where you fall, and Bucky catches you and finally kisses you and before the one where you fall asleep with your head on his lap while watching movies.

He reaches for your hand and gives it a squeeze. What to others might have looked like a soft caress, is really tight and painful and you gasp between your smiling teeth.

“Ow, jackass. That hurts.”

“Do you want to blow our cover.” He demands.

“Oh, I’m going to blow our cover? This coming from the man who keeps leaving his wife behind and hasn’t shown her one bit of affection?” You soften your smile as a little girl with shining black hair and a frayed red dress approaches you with a box of Yellow Bells—flowers shaped like trumpets with ruffled tips on the petals, yellow like the first ray of morning sun after the orange has shifted through.

Bucky reaches into his pocket and pulls out a crisp bill and hands it to her. He smiles at her, surprisingly kind, and she gives him a small bunch of the blossoms. She skips off and he straightens up then continues to lead you down the road.

He holds out the flowers for you and you blink with shock as you stare first at the flower and then up at him. He gives you a glance as you stare at the bloomed stems and then he shakes them, hurrying you so that you’ll take them off his camouflaged metal hand.

Quickly you take them but then look to see what might be in his eyes, searching for what Steve had said was there. But Bucky’s already looking at the stalls as you walk past them, eyeing unique jewelry made locally.

He stops at one, a large array of huge beads strung together in stunning colors of red, orange, green, blue, and yellows. There are a few painted purples and pinks. Bucky, however, ignores these and lingers by the smaller selection of stunning silver bracelets, necklaces, and rings.

“If you wanted affection, you should have brought your boyfriend. I’ve got none of that for you.” He says, cruelly—or so it feels like to you.

You yank your arm out of his and he looks at you, confused as you glare at him with all the hurt you feel and stomp away, back towards the hotel.

This is nothing like you’re used to. This fancy place that Steve chose for you and Bucky. Though, your cover makes sense with it. Newlywed couple on their honeymoon. You’re much more familiar with the dilapidated and inexpensive hotels that smell funny and disreputable guests stream in and out at all hours of the night.

This place is huge and expensive, and the stupid white limestone flooring of the large lobby shines up at you pleasantly. The soft gray palate of the room mixed with the browns and yellows of local wood and palm make you feel all peaceful, or they would if you weren’t nursing an aching heart over Bucky’s declaration.

There is no wonder for you anymore. He definitely doesn’t like you.

You’re so distracted that you’re not paying attention as you make your way towards the back of the lobby to head back to your ocean bungalow. Because of this lapse in judgement, you don’t notice the woman falling. She pushes against her own husband, who stumbles back against the concierge trying to explain to them that there are limits to alcohol that can be consumed in public spaces on the property, who then goes flying into a table, which knocks a lamp towards the floor that a large man with huge biceps, wide shoulders, olive tanned skin, sharp thick curving eyebrows and the face of a fantasy Hawaiian God dives for.

He misses of course and the lamp breaks into hundreds of pieces in front of him. You just so happen to be walking straight for the sharp bits. It startles you and you jump sideways to get out of the way which makes you lose your balance making the God man dive for you and this time he catches his mark.

“Oops.” The man says. “Careful, I’ve got you.”

“Holy…oh my God, I’m so sorry.” You whisper, shocked by the graceless display. Several hotel employees race for you and the God and proceed to make a fuss.

“Are you alright?” One asks.

“I am so sorry!” Says the concierge.

“Someone get a broom!” Another employee yells before hurrying off to probably get one herself.

“I-I’m fine.” You stutter, staring at the remnants of lamp as the God man takes a few steps away and then carefully lowers you back onto your feet.

“You sure?” He asks and you finally meet his eyes. Stunning light eyes, green? Hazel? It’s hard to tell in the dim light of the hotel interior.

“Um…” It takes a second for you to regain composure because his accent is very American but also, this mother fucker is your mark! Definitely not a God no matter how much he might look like one. Just a lousy human being. “Yes. Sorry, I didn’t mean to…I tried to jump out of the way but-”

“Don’t apologize. It never hurts to rescue a pretty lady.” He whispers and your cheeks burn.

“Oh, um…” You laugh nervously then reach back as if to scratch your lower back but swiftly pull the fake wedding band from your left hand’s ring finger. “Thanks?”

He laughs. “My pleasure. Really, it was my fault. If I’d caught the lamp, then this wouldn’t have happened.”

“No.” You laugh. “Really, it wasn’t your fault. Technically it was that woman over there’s fault.”

What? Just because you’re distracted that doesn’t mean you didn’t know what was happening. You did. You just weren’t paying enough attention to make it matter.

“I’m so sorry!” The woman yells towards you.

“No.” You laugh once again, nervous and feeling guilty towards the woman. “Really, it’s okay.”

The God is laughing. Chuckling at you.

“This is embarrassing.” You gush.

“Or endearing?” He offers and you look up at him. He’s so damn tall. How are there so many men surrounding you that are so freaking huge? It’s not fair and it isn’t right and- “I wish I could do something to alleviate your embarrassment.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine. I’ll survive.” You assure him and begin to move around him. “You know, I might be too embarrassed to eat now, if I’m honest, but I’ll be fine.”

“Woah, wait, then maybe you’ll let me buy you dinner?”

“What?” You ask, ‘surprised’ but not really. He took the bait which is all you were hoping for.

“It’s the least I could do. How about tonight? In the hotel restaurant?” He seems genuinely excited to take you, but you remind yourself that he’s shifty. He’s not to be trusted. This is also too good to pass up.

“Oh, I uh…I don’t know that my husband would be too happy about some really hot guy taking me out to dinner.” You slip your ring back on your finger and show him your left hand. It’s best to stick to the plan as close as possible and being married to Bucky is part of that plan.

“I see. Yikes. Well, I can scratch that one off my to-do list. Hit on hot married woman.”

“You think I’m hot?” You flirt, quirking a brow while biting your bottom lip.

His eyes suddenly sparkle, and he takes a step towards you.

“Where is this husband?” He wonders, looking at no one but you.

“We um…he got mad at me. He left. I’m not sure whether that means he left the island or left town or left me.” You inject some of that very real sadness into your eyes from Bucky’s rejection and the God seems to buy it.

“Bummer.” He sighs.

“Yeah, so, I’m going to go check to see if he came and got his stuff.” You gesture behind you, towards your bungalow.

“Well, I’ll tell you what, let’s just say that I go to the hotel restaurant around eight? And if you come, great. If not, no harm done.”

You smile, tilting your head to the right. “I’ll come if he really left me. If-if he’s not there. I’ll come.”

“Great.” The God smiles and nods. “Your name?”

“Lilly.” You lie. “And you are?”

“Aaron.” He tells the truth!

“Aaron. Okay. I may see you later then.” You smile and turn to leave.

“For the record? I hope he’s not there.” Aaron admits and you bite your bottom lip.

“See you around, Aaron.”

You leave him waving, making sure not to glance back.

“You approached our mark?” Bucky’s voice is irritated, and you hate to hear it. Normally you’re swooning internally at the very sound of his lazy timber but today, right now, you don’t want to hear it. Especially when he sounds so annoyed.

“I didn’t approach him.” You explain. “I tripped and he caught me when I was trying to avoid a crashing lamp.”

“What did he say to you?”

You turn to look at Bucky. You’ve had your back to him since you came inside the bungalow. He’s leaning up against the space beside the light wooden doorway. The slats behind his back are made of the same shade of soft bleached wood. The rest of the bungalow, the wall to his left and your right as you turn to look at him, is nothing but glass and open sliding doors.

You’ve got an amazing view of the clear turquoise sea. The small wooden pier attached to your bungalow has two white fluffy seats, right on the floor for lounging. At the end of the small extension is a metal ladder that extends down into the ocean for private swimming. Inside again, the bungalow is equipped with luxurious chairs, a large king size bed, a soft teal carpet, a dresser, a TV, soft couch, and a small kitchenette.

With the warm ocean breeze wafting in the smell of brine, you can almost lose yourself in this place, if only it weren’t for the fake marriage, the mark, and the fact that you’re head over heels for your partner.

“He asked me out to dinner, after I tripped, and he caught me. Saved me.”

Bucky scoffs.

You glare at him and move towards your closet to look at the clothes you brought. You sift through two cocktail dresses you’d packed, specifically with an opportunity like tonight in mind.

You choose the longer of the two. After talking to the mark, it seems he's a much bigger softy than initially thought. He'll appreciate the flowing material.

“What are you thinking?” Bucky asks.

“Dinner will go well. I’ll make sure it does. He'll take me back to his room. I’ll lift the package and then we can get the hell off this stupid island.” You throw the dress onto the bed, giving Bucky your back again because you’re still upset.

At him. At Steve. You know it's not their fault you have a crush…but you wanna blame someone, just not yourself.

“That's what you're wearing? Isn’t it too revealing?”

“Well I gotta get in there, right? The whole point is to get him to take me to his room, James. Of course, it's too revealing.” But it really isn’t, not compared to the other one. This one is downright tame.

You reach back, arching your back as you try to pull the zipper of your much more casual yellow day dress down.

Bucky's hands are suddenly there, slapping your hand away. He pulls the zipper down, the sound of metal splitting too loud in the suddenly heavy air.

You try and concentrate. Keep your breathing from becoming labored at the thought of Bucky pulling your zipper down. Then he pushes the back open wide, his hot calloused fingers slowly grazing against the bare skin of your back.

Is he trying to kill you?! Holy fuck.

“Are you really going to sleep with him?” Bucky asks, voice soft, hot breath wafting against the nape of your neck. You officially hate him.

“If I have to. We could save lots of lives with that package. It's worth it.” And it is. It sucks for you, but you’ve got a job to do and you agreed, once upon a time when you were sworn into S.H.I.E.L.D. that you were going to put the wellbeing of others before your own on missions.

“What about Steve?” Bucky asks, the rough pads of his fingers still pressed against the skin of your back making goosebumps pimple your skin.

The sun is already starting to set. You need to finish getting ready.

“What about Steve?” You ask, annoyed.

“He won't like his girl sleeping with someone else.”

You sigh. “I’m not his girl.”

Silence. Two beats in fact. But it’s suddenly raging in the room, his temper rising.

“What?” He asks, the word a soft slap.

“I said, I’m not Steve’s girl. He was…I don’t know, playing a trick on you? I don’t know why.” You lie. You now exactly why. “I just went along with it because he seemed so invested in it. We’re not dating. Never have been.”

“Why are you lying?” Bucky demands, his hands slipping in further underneath your dress, pushing it off your shoulders as he grabs tight and painful hold of your biceps.

“I’m not lying. I think maybe he just wanted to get us back on mission together because we used to be so good together. But clearly that’s not the case anymore seeing as we can’t even keep a damn cover going.” Your alluding back to the market earlier in the day doesn’t escape his notice and he must have also noticed whatever had happened back then because he sighs heavily. “I’m no one’s girl.”

He releases you and you wish he wouldn’t. Instead of acting on it, you push the dress you’re wearing down and slip on the new one. Bucky helps you zip that one up too, tying the clasp at the neck for you. You glance at yourself in the mirror.

The dress is long, ombre fading from black at the thick halter neckline to stunning turquoise. There are small sparkles along the entirety of the sheer overlay, it looks like brilliant stars. Aquamarine ocean reflecting stunning starlight. The dress underneath is short, barely reaching your mid-thigh, and turquoise but made of soft flowing silk.

You slip on the only pair of black strappy evening shoes you brought then head out without another word to your partner.

Hot lips press against your neck as you hold onto the strong wide shoulders pressed against your chest. Wet open-mouthed kisses lick their way down along the length of your throat. Hard hands grip your hips.

“God you smell incredible.” Aaron’s gruff voice whispers against your collarbone.

You chuckle breathlessly, trying to let yourself fall into the moment because you need to sell it.

“You taste so good.” He groans, his hand sliding back to your behind to grab a fistful of flesh. “Let me taste you.”

You shut your eyes briefly then place your hands on his shoulders and push him down until he’s level with your pelvis. He looks up at you, eyes burning with lust. You focus and give him the same.

“I’m not wearing any underwear.” You assure him and his hazel eyes sparkle, his mouth widens into a pearly white grin, and he hikes up your left leg hooking it over his shoulder as he pushes your dress up. Hot breath washes over your sex.

You shiver. And then the large body nearly pressing against you slumps sideways, unconscious.

“Aaron?” You lower your leg, push your dress down, and kneel beside him.

You press two fingers to the pulse point at his neck and find a slow but steady rhythm.

“What the fuck?” You whisper, confused.

“I got the package. Let’s go.” Bucky’s voice makes you jump. You press your hand to your chest, startled by his sudden presence.

“What did you do to him?” You demand, still on your knees.

Bucky’s wearing sleep clothes already, a pair of low-slung gray pants and a tight black muscle tee. Under his arm is a very small briefcase about the size of a lunch box. The package. He walks over to you and moves out the front door but waits with his hand on the handle for you to get up and follow.

“Come on, Y/N. Let’s go.” He orders and you know you don’t have to follow but you do because the mission is done.

“What did you do to him?” You demand once more, following after him with staccato taps of your heels.

“I slipped him a sedative during dinner. He’ll wake up in a day and we’ll be long gone.”

“You could have told me.” You grumble, arms crossed over your chest defensively as the two of you exit the internal part of the hotel and begin to cross the pier to your bungalow.

“I wanted to see how far you’d go.” Bucky admits. His hair swishes, damp and dark in the starlit night. Slightly cooler air caresses the skin of your bare shoulders and makes your skirt flutter.

“All the way, if need be. What do you care? If the mission requires that I-”

Bucky suddenly rounds on you, reaching for your elbow. “The mission?”

“Bucky…”

“The mission?!” Whatever he was about to say falls to the back of his mind as his eyes scan the area behind you. He growls and lets his hand fall into your hand. He pulls you along roughly, your heels stumbling against the wood as you struggle to keep your balance.

“Slow down, I’m gonna fall.” You complain and he stops. He dips low, your stomach against his shoulder, right arm behind your knees as he lifts you up and continues to walk quickly.

“Bucky!”

“Be quiet.” He orders and you fall silent. You know that voice. Mission time.

When he reaches the bungalow, he sets you down and turns to shield you from view. “Get inside.”

You quickly unlock the door and he pushes you inside as he backs up. Once clear of the door, he shuts it, and peeks through the peephole.

“What is it?”

“Scouts. Probably noticed the package is missing. Did anyone else see you with the mark?” Bucky asks, turning to finally look at you.

You shake your head. “A few civilians when he asked me to dinner but other than that, no. We were in a private room.” Which is why you don’t even know how the hell Bucky was able to get the dude sedated. Had he put it in his food?

“Good.” He sighs then moves to secure the package inside the larger suitcase he’d brought for it.

You stand with your arms wrapped around your shoulders, staring through the peephole to see if anyone is approaching. Hands on your hips make you turn.

“What-?”

You have no real time to react because Bucky’s there, kissing your lips. He does it slowly, large pink folds moving against yours soft and hot. You pull back, your heart aflutter.

“What are you doing?” You blink, trying to understand the soft look in his eyes.

“Keeping our cover.” He says but that’s stupid. “Don’t pull away again.”

And you don’t want to. So, when he cups the sides of your face and presses his lips to yours more tentatively, you react by tracing the shape of his lower lip with your own tongue.

He gasps, turning his moan into an inhale and seals your lips with his more securely. His tongue delves into your mouth, tasting delicious red velvet.

“Wait, wait, wait…” You pull back and Bucky growls. “What are you doing?”

“I like you. More than like, okay? And the idea of you—with that guy?”

“So, it was okay with Steve but not with the mark?”

“Yes.” Bucky sighs.

“Why?”

“Because I love Steve. And if he wanted you, he-he deserves you so much more than I do.” Bucky tilts his head slightly, his eyes dark and brooding.

“Bucky…”

“I only asked to stop being paired up for missions because I was falling for you more and more. Every time we came out it got more complicated and you deserve more than me.”

“You’re stupid.” You tell him.

He blinks, surprised. “Stupid?”

Sudden footsteps outside and masculine voices interrupt you. “Who was he with?”

“I don’t know.” Says another voice.

“Check that one, I’ll check this one.”

They approach your door and you look back at Bucky who suddenly lunges for you. No holds barred, he cups the mound between your legs, shocking you into moaning loudly. His lips find your throat and he sucks gently on the salty skin. Everything is lightly salted here with the ocean so close.

The steps behind the door stop.

“Louder, Y/N.” Bucky tells you and you’re so at a loss for oxygen that you can’t moan again. He slips his hand under your skirt, and you hadn’t lied when you’d told Aaron you weren’t wearing panties.

Bucky gasps as he find you bare, soaked, and wanting. His fingers press against your folds lightly before he finds your nub with his metal thumb and flicks it back and forth relentlessly.

“AH!” You moan, your voice breathless but the moan loud enough to be heard through the door.

“Hey!” The masculine voice behind the door whisper shouts. “Come here, listen to this.”

Perverts.

“Were you this wet with the mark?” Bucky asks, curious but also jealous?

You shake your head as he continues to flick your nub. You shudder and since he needs you to moan again for the audience outside, he slips a finger slowly inside you.

“Ooh!” You mewl and Bucky’s lips twitch. His tongue darts out from behind them and he drops to his knees, hikes up your left leg just as Aaron had, but wastes no time as he leans in to taste your core. “Shit!”

Hands fisted into his hair, you twitch against his mouth as he laps you up, needy and greedy as he reaches behind your bottom to push you harder against his lips.

“You need to moan, Y/N.” Bucky says because your breathing is labored, and you can hardly speak but if that’s what he needs…

“That feels…that feels so…so good B-” Woah, nope, can’t say his name! “-baby.”

Bucky smiles. Satisfied that you were able to turn his name into a pet name, then delves deeper. He finds your nub, closes his hot lips around it and sucks gently.

“Fuck!” You gasp, pulling his head closer as he slurps and suckles. The noises are sinful and the fact that Bucky’s the one between your legs drives your body heat up. Suddenly, you’re shaking your head, you’re pushing his back because you can feel the pressure building.

It’s coming, edging closer as Bucky refuses to pull way from you. He uses his strength to hold you close, sucking harder then tonguing your nub with the flat of his tongue as he rocks your hips against his face.

“B-” Damn him! You were going to say his name. “Baby, baby, oh shit, baby…I’m…”

You don’t get to finish because the pressure crashes, and your hips are lit with fire. Your left leg wraps around his head, holding him in place as your climax shakes your body over and over until you’re left weak and satisfied.

You loosen your leg and watch as Bucky wipes his mouth but licks his lips of any remaining juices before he stands and leans over your shoulder to peek out of the peephole.

“They’re gone.” He informs you as you sag against the door.

He leans back, looking you over before finding your hips with his hands. He lifts you up against that door and hooks your legs around his waist. You bring your arms—still feeling loose and numb from your orgasm—up around his neck and with you secure, he takes you to the bed and lays you flat on your back.

“Where were we?” He asks, as he settles half beside you, half on you.

“I uh…I called you stupid.” You remember.

“Right. Why am I stupid?” Bucky asks, curious, but a small playful glint in his eyes.

“Because I’ve been in love with you since Nepal. Dumbass.” You sigh, still reeling but annoyed at his obliviousness.

“Since Nepal?” Bucky asks, his metal hand which had begun to stroke your hair, stops. “But that’s like a year ago.”

“Hence the dumbass.” You grumble.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Bucky asks, his eyes pained. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you asked to stop going on missions with me. I-I thought you hated me.” You shrug. “So, I started to scare you and annoy you because it was the only interaction I could get out of you.”

Bucky shakes his head, “I could never hate you, Y/N.”

He leans down and presses his lips to the bare skin of your shoulder, moving slowly up further along your neck.

“Never.”

Still heated from the little show he’d put on for the scouts, you sigh heavily, stifling a moan with a bite to your lip. “Oh, Bucky…”

It feels good to moan his name.

“That sounds so fucking great.” Bucky sighs. “Say my name again.”

“Bucky…Bucky…oh, Bucky…” You mewl.

Bucky kisses you, hard, with need and desire. When he pulls back, he stares into your sex-hazed eyes.

“I love you too, Y/N.” He admits.

It drives the lust from you temporarily as you assess the sincerity in his declaration. He sounds and looks like he means it.

You smile.

He moves away from you, and you hate it. You want him there with you, on you. Always. He reaches into the pocket of the pants he was wearing earlier and produces something that shines brightly in the dim light of the Caribbean stars and moon.

“And you’re wrong.” Bucky says, fitting something on your right wrist as he lays back over you, bouncing the bed and you along with it. When he pulls back, you stare at a beautiful silver bracelet set with varying shapes of blue beach stone. Soft blue, like steel. It reminds you of Bucky’s eyes.

“About what?”

“You’re my girl.” He declares then dives back down for another kiss.

“So?” Steve wonders with a small smile stretched across his plush pink lips. “How’d it go?”

“We secured the package. Nat and Bruce are already decoding the files.”

“I…I mean with Bucky, Y/N.” Steve clarifies.

You laugh. “Oh. Um…we’re going out tomorrow. Our first date.”

Steve’s eyes darken a little and his smile wavers, but you don’t notice. “That’s so great, Y/N. I knew he was just being stubborn.”

“Yeah. I…thanks a lot, Steve. We wouldn’t have got together if it wasn’t for you. You’re always so kind and supportive.” You assure him.

Bucky’s head suddenly peeks into the office. “Hey, come on, your food’s getting cold.” Bucky gives Steve a nod.

Steve returns it but you move to the door and take Bucky’s hand and follow him out.

Steve sits back, staring at the doorway as his smile slowly falls until he’s simply watching the empty space with a small distant sadness in his eyes. “Yeah…I’m the best.”

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[okaybutlikeimagine]

What if Joyce and her kids and Hop and his (including Max if you want cus I can’t get enough how you write her and Billy’s relationship) all went on a road trip together?!

(okay i know i have other asks before this that i need to respond to but) I LOVE THIS SO MUCH AND I’M!!!! CRYIN!! (also thanks so much for the lovely compliment ohmydear♥i love writing them too it’s so fun)

Okay so i read this and i was like: ohman they’d have to take 2 cars or something bc there’s Joyce + Will and Jonathan and then Hop + El and Billy and then Max?? That’s 7 of them! But tHEN

IMAGINE THEM ALL IN A VW BUS!!!

Joyce is a hippie in my headcanon bc I love that shit and she could show the boys hippie music and help them through life w/ it and so anyway I’d like to think she’s aLWAYS wanted a VW bus. they’re just… cute as hell and so damn cool and she could decorate the inside w/ cute curtains and i just love that so much. so now imagine Billy and Jonathan knowing she’s always wanted one and Jonathan never having seen one but Billy having seen them everywhere in Cali and knowing exactly what Joyce is talking about and they both save up a SHIT. TON. of money (bc i dunno how expensive they were back then but they’re pretty cool cars that a lot of people wanted and they’re big, so) and Will and El even help out by mowing lawns for people or picking up a paper route (Jonathan doesn’t like the idea of them working but they insist) and they buy a used 1968 Kombi VW bus and Billy fixes it up a bit and it’s a faded light blue color and it’s definitely not pristine, it definitely looks a little loved, but it’s perfect and they all help fix up the interior and it’s??? The most beautiful thing. And they give it to her for her birthday or Christmas or something and Joyce cries an absolute RIVER and would hug them all for hours if Hop hadn’t torn her away to let them breathe

So anyway, when Billy and Jonathan graduate from high school in 1986 (i don’t wanna do all the math on when Billy’s birthday would have to be and when school cut offs are but Jonathan and Billy were both born in ‘67 sooooo) Joyce wants to go on a road trip w/ everyone!!!!! Bc how exciting!! and really it’s Joyce’s idea bc Jim doesn’t really like dealing w/ lots of people in one place but Joyce knows all the kids love Disney movies and she’s also always wanted to go to Disney World so they go! And they bring Max along bc El begs and pleads and Billy thinks it’d be good for her to get out of the house and Joyce 100% agrees bc even though Neil hasn’t done anything, the energy is negative and that shit affects a kid, y’know?? Plus they all love Max and would so adopt her if they could so she’s able to convince her mom and she goes w/ them and! just!

Imagine them all packed into a big VW bus w/ little floral curtains and funky retro seat covers, on the road at 7:30am and Joyce agreeing to drive the first few hours bc Hop is useless in the morning and conks out immediately once they get in. El and Will do too, El on Max’s shoulder and Will on Jonathan’s as Jonathan and Billy and Max start arguing for like, a good half hour about what music they should listen to on the trip down until there’s a lull in the fight and Joyce says she only brought her tapes of 60s and 70s music. so they all get educated on good hippie music.

and Billy and Max love each other, they do. they had a bumpy relationship when Billy was living at home before but they’re a lot closer now and they’ve been siblings for years now. but they’re just both such fiery personalities that they bicker more than half the time down. It’s a 16 hour drive (maybe even more??? If there are more roads now than in 1986) so it takes them 2 days and they’re so bratty towards each other.

So  they’re all trying to explain what Disney World is to El who is still rather confused.

“We’re going to…. Another world?”

“What’s a… roller… coaster?”

“You mean Mickey Mouse is real??”

And that one makes Max giggle and shake her head. 

“It’s like… Santa. People dress up as him and other characters and you can take pictures and stuff.” she gives a dangerous smirk then, turning around to look at Billy. “Billy’s afraid of them.”

“I am not.” He growls, kicking at her seat but trying not to kick too hard bc they worked too hard to get this van looking nice.

“You totally used to cry at anyone in a costume. We barely got to go trick or treating that one year because you were so freaked out.”

“Because our asshole neighbor was dressed as Jason and chased me down the fucking street!”

“Language!” Hop yells at the same time as Jonathan snorts. Billy reaches over Will to pinch Jonathan hard.

“Is that why you were shaking when we saw Mickey Mouse that one time?”

“That was on the Walk of Fame. Everyone is afraid of those guys because they’re all a bunch of coke addicts!”

“Coke… addicts?” El asks and everyone pauses, Jonathan letting out another snort.

“Like Coke and Pepsi?” El asks, and everyone immediately agrees while Jonathan laughs a bit.

“Yeah! Coke and Pepsi!” Joyce agrees, while Hop turns and gives them a harsh look to stop this conversation.

Joyce asks what character El is most excited to see. Joyce says that she herself hopes that they have Winnie the Pooh bc he’s her absolute favorite.

“I like Alice.” she says with a smile. It had kind of scared El when she first saw it, but she thought the colors were cool and Alice is just as curious as El is.

“I hope they have Peter Pan.” Max says a little dreamily.

“You just like him because he’s a ginger like you.” Billy snarks, to which Max sends him a harsh look.

“You like him too! We used to watch that movie all the time when we were little.”

And she’s right, they did. It makes him smile. Maybe there’s some psychological reason- the idea of a cute boy coming by to take him away from his terrible life and whisk him away to a magical world is pretty fucking nice -but he’s not about to overanalyze himself. And if anyone were to ask what he’s most excited for, he definitely wouldn’t admit that it’s Peter Pan.

“I like Peter Pan too.” Will admits, to which Max turns to look at him.

“Isn’t he cute?”

Will nods with a slight blush.

“Who’s Peter Pan?”

Max is distraught at El’s question.

“You haven’t seen Peter Pan???” She turns to Jonathan. “What are you guys doing depriving her of Peter Pan?”

“She’s with you more often than us!” Billy is indignant. “What have you been doing, not showing her Peter Pan?”

Max sticks her tongue out. Jonathan says he’s looking forward to Tomorrow Land and all of the parade floats. When Billy is asked, he mumbles something about wanting to ride all the big rides like Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain.

“What about you, Dad?” El asks happily.

“I’m just excited for the food.” Hopper grunts.

So yes, lots of bickering with the occasional break to listen to whatever song is playing. And you fuckin bet they bicker over where to stop to eat, too, until Hop decides for them all. 

And i was trying to look up different, more obscure theme parks or attractions for them to go to but I just… couldn’t get over the idea of all of them getting matching Mickey Mouse ears. bc just… think about it. Think about a picture of all of them gathered in front of the castle wearing their Mickey Mouse hats, Hop and Joyce w/ an arm around the other, Joyce leaning up against Hop, El and Will smiling the biggest and cheesiest smiles with El’s arm around Will’s shoulder, Jonathan giving a little shy smile bc he feels pretty dumb, Max getting the biggest kick out of Billy freaking out over ruining his hair but giving him an expectant look until he puts the hat on, Billy yanking a strand of her hair out right before the photo is taken and Max shrieking so they have to take another one and when they do Billy rests his arm on Max’s head and max is stepping on Billy’s foot but they chuckle about it afterwards, giving irritated looks that break into smiles.

And i just?????? Jonathan buys Nancy a little bracelet with a Minnie Mouse charm on it and a stuffed version of Piglet from Winnie the Pooh and Billy gets Steve a little stuffed Bambi and a shirt that says “Princess” in big letters and gets himself a matching one that says “Prince Charming”. Steve pretends to be less than impressed but he blushes when Billy mumbles something about how he couldn’t stop looking at the castle and thinking of his princess back home and i just??? I have so many ideas about this Hopper Family Vacation to Disney World AUGH i love this.

(and if you want their Road Trip Playlist just ask me bc i just?? imagine their little van driving back up to Indiana on a calm road through a little patch of tall trees while Harvest Moon plays and its golden hour and Jim is driving and Joyce has her head leaning back against the seat, humming along and the sun is making it look like she’s glowing and Jim is a little worried about swerving bc he just wants to look at her. And Billy is leaning back in his seat all the way in the back, arm out the open window next to him as he waves it around in the soft air. Will and Jonathan are asleep on each other next to him and Max turns around from where she’s sitting in front of Billy to ask him something and sees her brother looking so damn calm. Just so serene and happy, a content smile on his face and golden sun hitting his blond hair gracefully as he blinks slowly. And she can’t think of what she was going to say bc it feels surreal to have this kind of moment w/ a family that feels so oddly whole. And Billy notices her staring and turns to her and she just sticks her tongue out and makes a funny face. Billy swipes gently at the air in front of her a few times w/ his left hand, chuckling a bit. She tries to kick him but she can’t reach and he just huffs a big, sharp breath in her face and she reaches to smack him as they both start giggling. then a soft click comes from their left and they see El has taken a picture of them on her little disposable camera she got on the way there and Max turns back around to talk to El and ask about how many pictures she thinks she’s taken and Billy turns back to look out the window, watching farms pass by in a haze, colored by the soft orange light of the sun, as he hugs the little Bambi plushie he bought for Steve and thinks about how comfortable happiness feels.)