#i apologize for silence! i'll try to compensate

[bonebridebanish-warcrimeedition]

Propaganda

Fold me in half

[the-s1lly-corner]

Hi. Can I request something similar to the immortals outliving you? Could it be with the rest of the characters and us passing from other causes?

Their reactions to losing you

I wasnt sure if you wanted the immortals as well, so I added them in here as well!

This is all written in one go since tumblr doesnt let me save drafts for asks so I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes <\3 it's like 1am rn

CONTENT WARNINGS, idk what all needs a warning but I'd rather play it VERY safe:

M*rder

M*rder revenge, almost all of them touch on it tbh, love me the revenge trope

Snorts^

D3ath, obviously

Grief and the general hurt that comes with it

In EJs case he sees your death first hand

Does violently slamming yourself around count as SH /genq, because if so that's vagued in EJs part as well

Maskys handles a hit and run but its vague

Masky also hints to a smoking addiction

Nonspecific illness in hoodies part

Slenderman;

I remember that I mentioned this for Slendermans part, but I had an idea that he already accepted that fact that you wouldn't last forever

But I don't remember if I mentioned/vagued the idea of how he'd react to you're life being forcibly cut short

Accepting the fact you'll eventually pass away does nothing when he finds out someone else was responsible for your sudden end

All that comes out is a cold rage, something that the creature hasn't experienced in a long time

Writing this, it makes me remember that clip from the first episode of castlevania where dracula appears in the fire in episode one, after they kill his wife

But instead of carelessly showing himself to the world in a fit of rage, he fiercely protects everything that you touched; his forest, your home, your grave, ect

But despite the rage he doesnt immediately take down the person who caused this

Nonono, he does what he does best; he chips away at the person's mind through stalking and paranoia, essentially tormenting them for.. god knows how long until he gets bored

When he does decide hes through with them he'll make sure their... death... is drawn out

Basically don't meddle in the life of a forest monster; he may be a very... passionate.. lover

Splendorman;

Incredibly similar to the other version of this post where he naturally outlives you

But if you pass unnaturally, he'd be even more torn up about it

His time with you was already going to be short to begin with, but it was cut down even shorter

Doesnt matter the cause; murder, illness, accident, ect.. he'll be just as broken up

There's no real significant changes; he still mourns and honors you the same way for the most part

Laughing Jack;

It was an accident; one day you were there and the next, gone

He would stay in the house for a few days, not even knowing what was going on

At first he'd be worried and confused, before those feelings would deepen into something debilitating

He'd probably eventually find out through the news, after turning on the tv to pass the time and fill the silence

His worry immediately morphs into ice cold; he could feel his heart drop

He'd throw caution to the wind and try to track down whoever did he

He doesnt care if it was an accident, he wants justice and compensation

He follows a similar route as slenderman; the only thing is, is that jack lacks the patience to draw it out

After everything is said and done he's beside himself; avenging you didnt bring him back and it hardly made him feel better

He likely just. Goes back to what he was doing before he met you; drifting from house to house and causing havoc; but now he carries a melancholic aura

Eyeless Jack;

Another story of revenge, but with a twist so his part isnt too similar to LJ and slenders

So I'll be using the idea I should've given slenderman (but I'm too stubborn to rewrite his part)

Like Slenderman, Jack is seen as a cryptid and thus, there are naturally going to be people trying to hunt him down. Especially considering before he was a cursed monster he was a normal dude who got caught up in a whole... thing... and who's body was obviously never found as it still walks

Jack is.. semi used to that; but one day he completely catches him off guard, and what's worse is that you were there when it happened

It was a group, too, usually they come in two; but there were more that day. If it were less Jack could have easily put a stop to it all

It escalated

You had tried to step in to help him, to buy him some time so he could run; but it all went wrong

I don't like going into detail about this kind of thing, so this will be up to interpretation

The whole thing flings him into a rage and he makes quick work of the remaining hunters, but it's all too late

Even if he wasn't, how could he help? He cant just leave the woods and dump you at a hospital... but he doesnt have the supplies to help you then and there... and even if he did you were both much too far away from the cabin

It just leaves him helplessly trying to stop the bleeding

He hardly ever leaves the woods after that; not even to eat

He's resorted to.. rather violently subduing the monstrous side of him that craves flesh

There's broken furniture everywhere

He blames himself

He should have had you stay in the cabin

He should have told you to run

He should have told you to hide

He should've...

The worst thing is that he begins to believe that it was his fault; afterall he let you out of his sight when he began fighting. Even worse, and perhaps stupidly, he believed this wouldn't have happened if he never met you

Its

Rough

Masky;

He just sits there, quietly

Be it shock or something else he just sits there

But his mind is going a mile a minute to try to figure out what exactly happened to you

You were.. in a wreck, and the other person just. Fled.

As feral as I tend to write and interpret masky, he can be thorough when it comes to investigating

Though I'm torn in whether or not he'd actually be able to find the person; especially because I'm kinda. Dumb when it comes to crime stuff and I'm not about to do mental gymnastics on something I'm not confident in <\3

In terms of grief, he seems... lost...

I don't usually hc that Masky smokes; that's just a Tim thing

But I feel like the smoking would bleed into Masky and become a whole... issue.. whether or not Tim as his own person knows about you/was involved with you is up to interpretation; as I tend to write the proxies as a separate.. thing

Still trying to find the correct term

But yeah

Focusing back in on Masky, he's kinda just lost. Angry, definitely, but mostly just. Wandering through life

He doesn't want to forget you

Hoodie;

Similar to Masky he's quiet and lost

Similarly he would feel the urge to try to find out who took you away; but I feel we've had enough "S/o dies at the hands of someone else" for this post, so we'll do something else... and because I fear hoodies portion will be too similar to maskys

You got sick, to put it simply

It's.. odd..

He's well aware that you're deteriorating, and he's aware that time is running out

But he can't help but feel calm in your presence; its only when you're apart that he feels that dread, and its constant

Maybe it's the fact that when he's with you he can easily convince himself that, in that moment, you're alright

It hurts when it finally happens

Out of all the guys, he's probably the most normal(?) About the situation

He visits your grave, a lot of the time, leaves little gifts there

He doesn't talk much, but he probably talks to you

Likely keeps something on him to remember you, like a locket or something

[tojifile]

Dazai Osamu: The Protector

Pt. 2 Anything for you, mistress..

Genre: Romance & fluff // PM!Dazai x f!reader

⚠️: Sickly reader

A/N: I currently have 2 requests, currently working on them, feel free to request more since my reqs are still open.

INSPO: Dangerously Yours The Highwayman

LINKS: Masterlist

It's been a day since your birthday. It was a lovely moonlit night. Dazai watched you fondly as you slept. Once he made sure you were sleeping heavily he slept as well; on the chair that was right next to your bed.

Dazai had grown quite fond of you in the two days you've known each other. He liked the way you'd act differently to different people, the way your actions are graceful but some carry malice, the way your actions were easy to read but hard to trace; it was as if he'd been struck with an arrow and he wondered if you had been too.

The next day came, Dazai stood to wake you up gently but to his surprise you were already awake. You had a soft smile on your face as he looked down at you, he returned your soft smile and spoke "Good morning mistress. Would you like me to get anything started?" You slowly sit up on the bed "Good morning Dazai-kun, there's no need, thank you." You spoke softly.

You then looked at your arms then looked down at your body. "D- did you..?" You nervously asked, pertaining to your clothes and how they were different from the night before. Dazai chuckled at your reaction "No, not at all. I had asked the maids to change your clothes, mistress." He reassured you. "Ah! I apologize for jumping into conclusions!" Now you just felt even more embarassed.

"There's no need to apologize, mistress." He spoke with a comforting smile. Your cheeks got redder and you didn't know what to say. "Ah! Did I make you uncomfortable mistress?" He asked, full of concern "O- of course not." You replied, trying to reassure him but you just grew more nervous. After a minute of overthinking—you regained your composure and kept a soft smile on your face.

"Dazai-kun" you spoke, he tilted his head in confusion as he kept his gaze on you "How old are you? And when's your birthday?" You asked as you looked up at him. "I am seventeen years old and my birthday is on the nineteenth day of June." He replied. "Is that all you wanted to know, mistress?" He added. "Why would the Port Mafia send someone of your stature to become a bodyguard?" You asked curiously, you looked up at him with an innocent gleam in your eyes as if you were keeping facade.

"Ah! No more beating around the bush then huh? Mistress." He teased "Well, I was given to believe that Mori-san owed your father quite a lot of yen so he compensated in another manner. I was quite intrigued that your father would give up ¥1420360 ($10000) to find a bodyguard for his daughter. I wanted to know about the girl who was worth at least a million yen so I accepted when Mori-san told me about the situation." He explained.

"I didn't expect that.." You softly spoke as he raised an eyebrow. He held your chin and raised your head to meet his gaze. "What exactly did you expect, mistress?" He asked "I don't know.." you replied.

Dazai chuckled at your response "Mistress, would you like to have breakfast now?" Dazai broke the uncomfortable silence after his chuckle—you only nodded in response. Dazai helped you up from your bed, fixed the unkept area, and walked by your side.

"Thank you.." you shyly spoke "You're welcome mistress." He replied with a smile. You both then went down the stairs while he held your arm as you walked down.

"Good morning father!" You happily greeted your father as you reached the bottom of the stairs. "Good morning my dear!" Your father greeted with a hearty laugh "How are you my little princess?" Your father asked as he cupped your face like a baby.

"I'm okay!" You said with a big smile on your face "That's great my dear, now I'll be gone for a few days, I'll be flying over to the states. Be a good girl while I'm gone, okay?" You nodded happily, your father let your cheeks go then patted your head. He then told you to go to the dining area but asked Dazai to stay behind.

"Dazai." Your father spoke with a serious tone then he smiled happily "Ah! Thank you so much for taking care of my little princess!" Your father dramatically exclaimed as he hugged Dazai tightly. "Y- you're welcome sir" Dazai tried to speak.

Your father then let go of Dazai "Please take care of her while I'm gone. She'll be having a couple of photoshoots this week, today is a bit uneventful but I'm sure you will both have a great day." Your father spoke with a smile.

Your father and Dazai went over to the dining area "Goodbye my dear!" he exclaimed dramatically as if he was going to be gone for a whole year; you chuckled and said goodbye then your father went on his way. Dazai then sat next to you, waiting for you to finish eating.

"Dazai-kun, why aren't you eating again?" you asked, again, feeling concerned "Ah! I'm sorry for worrying you mistress. I was just too busy admiring your beauty." He teased, you turned red; you looked away immediately while Dazai chuckled in response.

Dazai started to eat while you kept his gaze away from him. Your actions didn't go unnoticed by Dazai but he didn't call it out, he just kept his thoughts to himself.

As you both finished eating he spoke "Mistress.. would you like to have a shower now?" You nodded in response, you stood up and went upstairs to your room, Dazai followed behind you, holding your arm as you walked.

You picked out the perfect outfit for a day out in the garden. You had planned to spend a leisurely day outside in the courtyard. "Dazai-kun, shouldn't you take a shower too?" You asked "After you, mistress." he replied with a soft smile on his face.

After you took your shower Dazai left you with your maids and butlers so he can freshen up on his own. He showered then put on a new suit and tie. He then went downstairs to watch over you once again.

"Mistress, I'm finished. What would you like to do today?" Dazai spoke as he approached you. You turned around to meet his gaze, cheeks reddening as you looked at him. Your tinted cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Dazai nor by anyone in the room.

"Mistress? Are you alright?!" "Ah! Mistress you're all red! Do you feel hot?!" "Should we fetch you a towel?! Are you fine mistress?!" The maids exclaimed all at once as you struggled to speak. "Y- Yes! quite alright!" You exclaimed as you snapped back into reality. You covered your face with your hands as your cheeks reddened more and more.

Dazai walked closer, right in front of you. He gently held your wrists and removed your hands from your face. "Mistress.. you shouldn't hide your pretty face.." He spoke softly, your head instinctively looked up to meet his gaze. You didn't know how to react, you were ultimately speechless.

Your body was trembling and you had felt a sensation that you've never felt before. Your heart was beating faster than its normal pace and your cheeks were more than slightly tinted. Dazai chuckled, enjoying the reaction he was getting from you.

"Have you decided on what you wanted to do mistress?" Dazai asked; a soft smile written on his face as he closed his eyes. He held your cheek gently; your faces almost touching, one small move and you could be kissing.

You snapped yourself out of your thoughts before he could make another remark "Y- yes.. I'd like to spend the day in the courtyard.." you softly spoke. Dazai smiled as he kept his hand on your cheek.

You looked away from him. Dazai chuckled at your reaction, he removed his hand from your cheek "After you, mistress" he softly spoke as he gestured you outside.

Without a word you walked to the courtyard, the both were quite far from the main mansion. You sat on the bench, just mesmerized by the flower beds and greenery. "Mistress, may I sit next to you?" Dazai asked politely, you felt flustered but only nodded in response to keep your composure.

Dazai sat next to you on the bench you then laid your head on Dazai's shoulder. He smiled at your cute action so in response he placed his head on top of yours. You wanted to see how he would react to your actions. You felt foolish, having some kind of attraction to someone that you've only known for two days.

"Sae-san— you called out to one of your maids who was also in the courtyard —can you please get my sketchbook and pencil? It's all in my room." You spoke politely, Sae bowed politely "Of course, mistress."

After a few minutes Sae came with the items you asked for "Thank you Sae-san." You spoke with a soft smile on your face as you gently took the sketchbook and pencil.

"Dazai-kun.. would you mind sitting by the fountain?" Without another word Dazai nodded and walked up to the fountain and sat by the rim "Is this alright mistress?" you nodded in response with a soft smile on your face. The sky began to look a bit cloudy but you didn't mind the breeze.

You started to make a sketch of Dazai sitting by the fountain. Every little detail from the way his hair was guided by the wind to the way he propped his chin on the palm of his hand with a soft smile on his face everytime you'd peak at him from your sketchbook.

After a while it started drizzling. Dazai immediately ran to you and picked you up. He ran to the mansion with you in his arms, you held your pencil and sketchbook tightly as he ran.

Not long after, Dazai got to the mansion, you were both soaking wet. You were shivering in Dazai's arms, when the maids saw Dazai enter the back door with you in his arms they immediately ran to get towels. You nuzzled your head onto Dazai's chest trying to warm yourself up; in return Dazai held you closer to him.

"Oh mistress.." Dazai spoke as he held you close. The maids tried to pick you up from Dazai's arms but you held onto his coat tightly. "Warm.." you softly spoke in his arms. "Mistress.. please let them dry you.." Dazai pleaded quietly, you only shook your head in response; nuzzling yourself onto his chest once again.

Dazai sighed, he brought you upstairs and tried to sit you down in your tub but to no avail; your grasp on his coat was tight. "Mistress please.. if you refuse a warm bath you might get sick.." he held you tightly as he softly spoke.

You gently removed your grasp from his coat he then put you inside the tub and turned on the warm water; making sure it's the right temperature. Dazai called the maids then he left after he made sure that you would be fine.

You sat in the bath in silence as the maids waited for you to finish. After an hour you dried yourself gently while the maids helped you dress up in a warm outfit then combed and brushed your hair.

Dazai was silently waiting outside the door of the bathroom then after a few minutes more you came out. Dazai had dried himself and was now in a different suit. Dazai immediately picked you up and put you in your bed, he had requested the maid to make you tea and noodles, a classic rainy day treat.

He sat on the edge of your bed, looking at you worriedly. A few minutes later Sae came to your room holding a tray with tea and noodles.

Sae put the tray over you, bowed politely then went out. You drank the tea slowly while Dazai fed you the noodles. You happily complied "Do you feel okay mistress?"

You nodded softly in response you felt a little tired and light-headed but it was manageable. It was impossible to hide anything from Dazai, he held the back of his hand to your forehead—you definitely had a fever.

"I'm so sorry mistress.." he spoke as he caressed your face. "There's nothing to be sorry about Dazai-kun.." Dazai smiled softly at your response. He fed you and took care of you until you were finished with your meal.

After you finished your meal he put the tray down and tucked you in. You weakly held your hand out to meet his, your eyes were barely open "Thank you Dazai-kun.." you tiredly spoke "Anything for you, mistress.." he replied as you shut your eyes; falling asleep peacefully.

Spontaneous post: 06/24/23 16:50PM GMT+8 Philippine Standard Time

[jackietorrance]

Stupid Game!

“Holy shit! What the hell do they want me to do!?"

This was the 17th time you complained about a complicated task in the new action game 'God of War - Ragnarok'.

When Jenna met you, she soon realized her passion for Greek mythology and for the so magnificent god of the Nordic war, on your first date you even mentioned your fanaticism for the franchise. But today was an exaggeration. When the news of the launch came out, you soon bought it in the pre-order, and spent the rest of your time waiting for it. Months and months passed and the moment that you knew that it was released in the PlayStation catalog, you turned on the video game and started your long-awaited journey of accompanying God and his son. The bad thing about this story is that only you knew about your stupid addiction, and why didn't you tell someone about it? You didn't even know, maybe you were afraid of having to abandon your entertainment. Maybe. After all, you don’t know how to deal with it.

But it had already passed dawns, days without sleep, the only time his brain rested being when he fainted from exhaustion. Jenna was really worried about the bag that covered her eyes every time she saw you, but when she confronted you with it, the only thing your girlfriend could receive was a weak smile and the same usual phrase, "I'm fine, when I'm done with the game I swear I'll stay with you the time you want kitty". But this kind smile you had as your brand lasted only for the first 4 times

You understood that you had to maintain a healthy routine for your game in the worst way. Just hurting your family and your girlfriend that you learned to share your time, take care of yourself and think about the feelings of the people you cared about.

“Jenna please listen to me” you approached the door of your shared room leaning your forehead on the cold wood, all your body produced was fear and sadness, you didn't want to have gone that far. Approximately 15 minutes ago Jenna hugged you and asked to you two go to the garden, feel the breeze and the natural aroma of the flowers, something like that. In reality you hadn't paid much attention, after all, you were in the damn game again.

So, you didn't answer, she let you go and repeated the request, you still didn't hear anything at all, and the moment she lost control, you could hear buzzing, enigmatic buzzing that you didn't make a point of deciphering.

But you regretted it the moment you noticed the bang of a knock on the door next to you.

Here you were, begging for your girlfriend's permission so you could try to do something. However, there was nothing you could do, you were wrong in every way. It was you who ignored it when she called her to watch her favorite terror. It was you who was not your award for best actress, when she called you to this special occasion and you neglected what she did for you. Acting like it's nothing

Your option was to compensate Jenna. You had to conquer it again, as in the old days, without any addiction involved.

Your plan started with you asking for a leave of your work, wanting to spend time with Jenna even if she wasn't at home you would be there waiting. Even if she refused to talk to you, you were there for her, regardless of whether she wanted to refuse you, from this day on you would be open to her. You bought flowers and left them at Jenna's bedroom door. You started sleeping on a mattress, without wanting to bother Jenna with your unfortunate presence. Your video game.. it was sent to your little brother Dexter, you knew he had more self-control than you.

After a few days doing the same procedure, she finally sat with you at the table, without any words exchanged, you left Jenna at ease, without wanting to press her to listen to your apologies, you allowed yourself to wait for a sign to start, "Uh, are you okay?" Jenna said breaking the silence, but continuing to look at the food on her plate.

“In fact, I really need to talk to you," you said and raised your face to look at Jenna, straight eyebrows, slightly closed eyes and a certain hesitation on them.

“I don't know if-“ at that moment you couldn't wait any longer, you didn't want to keep looking like a stranger to Jenna. "I really need you, I need to make up for you somehow, I know I shouldn't have stayed that long in that shit. You deserve everything, everything I can offer and everything I can't offer, you deserve someone who gives all this and more, your love, your smile, you are something rare, someone that should be taken care of better than I took care of" you held Jenna's hand, that touch you so much wanted to try again. But you didn't want to make Jenna feel uncomfortable, so you disconnected your fingers quickly, still leaving them on the table.

“I'm really sorry, Jenna, I understand if you want to distance yourself from me, I just need a signal, any sign, if you want, I'll leave, if make you better, I'll leave-“ you started talking faster, nervousness running through every inch of your body. All this eroded your mind.

“It would be a lie if I said you didn't hurt me, the first time you got bitter, I still didn't care, I thought you were just grumpy and I let you have your time. Then I began to feel more harshness in his words, but coldness. And that upset me. Very. You miss the only nights we had together because of this stupid game, not something very cool. But it would be another lie if I said no that I expected you to be better the next day, with the silly smile I fell in love with, I want the girl I love back." Jenna kept looking down, letting tears run down her face, falling down her lap, all she said was an almost inaudible tone, almost. You were standing next to Jenna, the chair facing you. In an impulse of courage, adrenaline running through your blood flow, you extended your two hands around Jenna's cheeks, running from her ears to her jaw, "I love you y/n, I can't live in peace with you ignoring me, I don't want you to hate me." It seemed like she hadn't understood your statement, despite that you didn't mind repeating as many times as necessary, or even saying anything, you weren't that good at words, "the only thing I hate is that I can't make you happy enough, but I don't care about trying, even if it's useless. I love you so much Jen" Jenna closed the space between you, attracting herself to her body as if he were a magnet and she were the rusty metal that still had her attraction.

This kiss was needed from both parts, something that they had not experienced for a long time and that they had longed for, unfortunately one of the bodies had its brain glazed in one thing, and its heart... concentrated on another thing much better.

Maybe people think it's crazy, but we know it's true love. Only I know how much you do me good and how much I want to live the rest of my life by your side.

[selfmythclcgy]

open to: astrid aquino | @veiledtruths location: sinclair's house, beverly hills

He hadn't heard cries like that in this house in years. The way they bounced off the glass cabinets and threatened to rupture whatever porcelain structures remained after all this time was an atmosphere he forgot— but Sinclair shouldn't have been surprised because when he cried out like that, he hardly remembered he'd been home at all the following day. The James' first home had stayed in his possession even after they had all disbursed their way throughout Los Angeles. They were all still tethered together by Sinclair's paychecks that were still comfortable due to residuals. Even after all these years, they were all still so easily bought under a false faith of security. He learned nearly decade ago that love defined by compensation was redefined by his mother when they had all just moved to California. He never expected to grow a family here. The house was pristine as museum of an old life, a former dream. None of it seemed to make sense to belong to him— golden oak floors, rounded edges of someone else's leftover claim to elegance in rococo design, far too many cabinets for a single person. It was to remember where he should have come from and where he could still belong if he just believed it. The cigarette had burned the tip of his finger as he turned back to the glass patio door. Golden hues from inside beckoned him back inside, but he needed silence in the dim evening. He had disappeared as soon as they put Charlotte down after another supervised visit. It had taken nearly the entire allotted time to get her settled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to walk off," He apologized, smoke pushing his words into the air between them. The ash was flicked off its edge, one last drag if Astrid had beckoned him back to take hold of another disaster. "I needed a moment after... all that. If she's up again, I'll go and try again. Let me just put this out."

[votestaynight2]

7th Day dialogue lost loop (Scene 2) (Attempt 2) / 8th Day - De:light (Scene 1)

As long as I've broken my promise with her, all my explanations will be excuses. I have to do something to earn her forgiveness, but I don't know what will please her. Then―――why don't I do anything she wishes, like a Servant under a Command Spell?

"Why are you silent? I won't be deceived by that face. I'm not going to apologize if you're not either. If you don't like me, then I'll――――"

"―――I've decided. A Servant. I'll be your Servant just this once in compensation for breaking my promise." "…Turn you into a doll… Wait, a Servant!?"

"Yeah. There's nothing I can do that will keep my promise, right? So I'll obey you just once. Wouldn't that make you feel a bit better?"

"―――――――――――――――――――― ―――No, you're lying! You didn't come to the park. A verbal promise ends right away, so I won't trust your words."

"I know. That's why I'm going to obey you, like you used a Command Spell. You'll only be able to use it once, but I won't break my promise with you, no matter what. Will you trust me if that's the case?"

"T-Trust you…? But I don't have a Command Spell I can use against you…"

"No, but I'll keep my promise. There's no contract or Command Spell, but I'll treat it like an order from a Command Spell. We're both Masters. I swear on my Crest that I won't betray something I recognize as a Command Spell."

I swear while looking Ilya in the eyes. The silver-haired girl gasps and… "…Will you really do anything I say?" …Stares back at me uneasily.

"Of course. It's a Command Spell we're talking about. I'll do anything, as long as it's possible for me to do." I reply to her wary gaze with a big smile.

"��…" A long silence. Ilya averts her eyes and clenches her fists.

"……Okay. Then, I want……" "Huh…?" Did I mishear her? It's a Command Spell we're talking about here, but her wish is a small one.

"Ilya…? Hold on, it's a Command Spell. I'm going to do anything you say. Are you sure that's all you want?"

"……" "Don't you have anything else? That's too easy. You don't have to hold back, so give me a better――――" "I-I'm not holding back! You liar! You said you'd do anything!"

"Uh, but… is that really all you want!? Because such a trifling matter…" …It's something I'd easily be able to do, even without a Command Spell forcing me.

"…It's not trivial. I've always wanted to do something like that. So that's what I want from you right now, Shirou." Her face is all red, and she's trembling out of fear of getting rejected.

"――――――Ilya." There's no way I can question her now. No matter how trivial it may be, it's her wish. Then―――I have to protect her as her knight.

"All right. I'm sorry for saying such a stupid thing. ―――Let's go, Ilya. It's a small shopping district, but it should be fun with the two of us."

I can feel my face heating up as I say the embarrassing words. My face is turning red. But I hold my hand out to Ilya without trying to hide it.

Ilya's wish really is trivial. 'Take me shopping.' It's not a big wish. She asked for an everyday event.

…I don't know how much meaning her wish held for her. We walk through the shopping district not like Masters, but like siblings. Ilya runs through the familiar scenery with lit up eyes.

Seeing her high spirits lifts my own. Ilya walks on with a carefree smile. Her merry attitude makes me wish this time would last forever.

―――But I finally realize. She runs as if dancing, never ceasing her smile. But there's no happiness there. She's smiling desperately because she's sad―――and because she doesn't want this dream to end.

"Come over here, Shirou! The coffee's gonna get cold!" A hot can must be interesting for her, as she runs to the park with both our drinks in hand.

The end comes, no matter how much I wish for this not to end and no matter how much I bite my lips for her to not push herself. The shopping district here is small. No matter how slowly we take it, we can work our way through the whole place in about an hour.

"We're here! We're at the final station. You can rest now, Shirou. Thanks for all the work until now."

Ilya turns to me. I sit down on the bench, thinking that she must want to rest here.

…But. Even though she suggested it, Ilya does not sit down.

"Ilya? Aren't you sitting down?" "Here's your drink, Shirou. You get coffee, and I get sweet red-bean soup."

Ilya takes my drink from her pocket and hands it to me. …The only item she asked me to buy her was her drink.

"But how did you know about sweet red-bean soup? They don't have it back home, right?" "Right. It's the first time I've ever seen it. I was told I shouldn't be able to drink it because it's too sweet."

Ilya takes a step, smiling. She twirls to the middle of the park.

"Ilya…?" "I'll lift the Command Spell here. It was only a short while, but thanks, Shirou." Her voice is clear. Smiling resolutely, Ilya announces that her dream has come to an end.

"Wha――――'thanks'? Why? It hasn't even been an hour yet. We can go to Shinto if you're bored with the shopping district. That place is far better than…"

"It's fine. This is the last stop, after all. It was fun, but the shopping ends here. The sun's going to set soon, so let's go back to our previous relationship. I'm a Master who came to kill Shirou, and you're fighting me for your own good. Our relationship was set in stone before we met."

How can I respond to that? Ilya yearns for ordinary life more than me, but she casts away her wishes far more readily.

"―――I see. Then when we leave this park…" "Yes, we'll be enemies. If we meet again during nighttime, we'll have to continue the fight. If you don't want me to kill you, you'll have to kill me first."

I stop my breath for a second and look up at the sky. ―――The sky is gray. The happy time quickly ended, and the town is covered with a heavy canopy. Even though I wished for this time to last forever, I knew it was going to end like this when I realized this is only a painful experience for Ilya.

The girl said this the farthest end. The final station. Ilya keeps smiling innocently in this place without destination or backtrack.

"―――Wow! It's snowing, Shirou!" Her lively voice catches my attention. A distant scenery is in front of me when I look back at the park.

I doubt for a second, thinking it's an illusion. It's not because of the snow, but because of the dancing girl.

"――――――――" The snow must be temporary. It looks like it'll stop soon.

…Within the indistinct winter, Ilya is completely surrounded in white snow. The silver-haired girl is playing in the temporary snow as if loved by winter.

"Aha, the snow in this town is warm. This is the first time I've seen normal snow." I don't know what's so fun, but Ilya keeps twirling around.

"You're energetic. Do you like snow, Ilya?" "Yeah. I don't like cold things, but I like the snow. It's kind and like my mom. I was praised that my hair is white and feminine."

She makes a big smile. By watching her, I can tell who praised her.

"It's beautiful. So it snows in the land Kiritsugu used to live in, huh?"

Her smile isn't directed at me. …Ilyasviel von Einzbern. The white girl that came to kill my father. Why she was after Kiritsugu, why she wants to kill me… …These things I already know.

The man that betrayed Einzbern. Kiritsugu abandoned everything and started living in this town. I, an unrelated child, pursued him as his son. ―――I didn't learn about all the sacrifices that made this life possible until I became a Master.

The snow keeps falling as if to hide Ilya. The girl from a distant foreign country says goodbye with a smile.

"Good-bye, Shirou. I'll play with you again if I ever see you walking around alone!"

The white girl leaves the park with an innocent smile.

As though her presence was what sustained it, the snowfall slackens and dies. A temporary illusion. I brush off the snow crystals that never had a chance to pile up and leave the station of the farthest end.

Then the day continues as before. Shirou goes home, almost kisses Sakura, they go to the park, Zouken gets fucking *REKT*, The shadow shows up and the Shirou almost dies, like he always does. Then he goes to sleep. Then Zouken does his super fucked up shit during the night. Then he goes to school, Rin continues to be the best fucking character, and this is the next new thing:

8th Day - De:light

School ends, and I quickly head home. Since all the after-school clubs have been cancelled, the front gate is crowded with students. I look around, but I don't see Tohsaka. I bet she's already heading to the Matou household.

"Senpai? Are you looking for someone?" "Hm? No, I was just looking at the school. It's rare for everyone to go home like this, right?"

"You're right. But we can go home together because of that. Should we stop by the shopping district?" "Yeah, let's buy stuff for dinner. Fuji-Nee can't come over for a while, so it'll be for me, you, and Saber."

We stop by the park after shopping. There's no one here. No children playing around. No silver-haired girl in a coat.

"…There's no one here. Is this place not used that often?"

"I guess that's how it is. There were people here until the sun set when I was a child, but I guess it's like this now except for the holidays." "I see. It's kind of lonely."

I agree and look up at the sky. The evening sky. The madder red sky without any birds looks lonely, just like the park.

"Let's go. You don't get this time off very often, so we should relax." We leave the park. With an energetic reply, Sakura follows after me.

Interlude 8-1

And the girl―――Tohsaka Rin reaches her destination. The Matou household. The workshop of the old family of magi who came to this town two hundred years ago. Even though her family gave them land as a cooperator, the Matou family are outsiders they never concerned themselves with. The two families formed a non-aggression pact, and bound themselves to not be concerned with each other's affairs.

"―――――――" She walks on, uncaring. If there was a pact forbidding the two families to associate, it was broken eleven years ago. It was originally formed by the heads of the two families. They had abided by it for two hundred years, though its purpose had been forgotten.

Neither Tohsaka nor Matou have obtained the Holy Grail during that time. Their pact was made to obtain the Holy Grail. But since their wish never came true, there is no reason to follow such an ancient pact now.

She strides through the front door without ringing the doorbell. She did not come here as a guest. She is here as a Master, to eliminate one of her competitors in this game.

"Well, that's true, but…" Rin searches through the Matou household with a sour expression. …The Holy Grail War provided her with the reason to come here. Therefore, she is not bound by the pact between their families. ―――Even though she persuades herself, she cannot change her personality.

"…I see. This is the first time I've gone against my dad's instruction." She mutters to herself. But it's nothing special. It's not like something important was destroyed by disobeying her father.

If she regrets anything… "…How stupid of me. I should've came here earlier if I was going to break the pact anyway." …It's the remorse towards someone who has endured it for over ten years.

"―――Rin. It's about the layout of the house. There are two blank areas." "Huh? Where is that? Is it on the first floor?" "The second. It's a bit small to be a stairway, but it probably goes down to the basement." "…Okay. By the way, have you noticed it, Archer?" "Of course. But it shouldn't be harmful. If you choose to ignore it, I will as well. Our target is that monster." She nods to his words and goes to the second floor.

―――Even though the red knight is not visible, he is by her side. She brought him in case of combat, but it seems he takes notice of small details. After traversing the house once, he has come up with a blueprint and can point out where the empty spaces are. Rin has come to realize that Archer is skilled in analyzing the design and structure of objects.

"…I've been thinking. That strong point of yours isn't suited for an archer." "You can whine later. Here, I got it open. It's dark, so watch―――" They stop talking. From the opening in the wall… Damp air flows out of the pathway to the basement. The rotten smell is unbearable even for Archer, who has not taken form.

They come down to a damp, stone paving. Murky greenish darkness engulfs them. The numerous holes must be to bury dead people. In these stone chambers, the corpses decompose and fade away, leaving the holes empty to await their next occupant.

It is like the process of burial above ground. The only difference is the process of decomposition. It is not the soil that decomposes the corpse here, but the writhing mass of worms.

"This is the training ground of the Matou――――the Makiri――――" She gets dizzy. It's not because of disgust or chill. It is anger that causes her to shudder, repent, and vomit. This is the training ground. A place like this is used as a training ground. This space containing rotten moisture, the smell of corpses, and infinite worms is the "room" given to the successor of the Matou family.

"――――――――!" What can one learn in such a place? The only thing here is breeding stock. Worms to breed. Worms to raise. Worms to train. The people of Matou have trained, urged, and bred their successor with these worms――――

―――How different is this world from her own?

The cold-hearted ways, the difficulty of the tasks, and the pain of the engraved Magic Circuit. She's not comparing the severity as the successor. If one is to talk about the burdened sufferings and the harshness, hers is incomparable. She overcame more difficulties and hardships than anyone. That is why she is a genius magus and an Average One, the user of the five elements, that the Magic Association is accepting as a scholarship student.

If one orders her to command the worms in this room, she will be able to create a superior spell in half a year. Rin can create a spell that the successor of the Matou family has been unable to create even after ten years.

But―――this method of learning is madness. If asked whether she could withstand being violated by these worms, she can only hesitate.

The inheritance of the magic here is not a study, but a torture. A magic that is taught not to the mind, but to the body. That is how the Makiris pass on their magic, and this is the preference of the old magus, Matou Zouken. Therefore… To be chosen as the successor of the Matou family means to be tortured forever――――

"――――Rin." "…I know. Zouken isn't here. He either ran away or has another secret base. …Either way, there aren't any clues here, so we should get going." She leaves the stone room, suppressing her urge to scream.

Her footsteps fade. …After that. The worms swarm around what she has vomited out.

She returns to the ground floor. Her business finished, she makes for the door, and―――― "Shinji. You're there, aren't you? It's no use hiding." She calls out to the person hiding in the other secret pathway.

"――――! Tohsaka, you…" "…Hmph. I was going to ignore you and go home, but I've changed my mind. Let's talk for a bit, Matou-kun." "――――――――!" Matou Shinji glares at Rin, but follows her request.

…He is obviously afraid of her. His fear is not because of facing a Master and her Servant, but rather because of the threatening attitude she's taking.

"D-Don't kid me. I have nothing to talk about. First of all, the Tohsaka family shouldn't associate with the Matou family. Why are you here?" "Oh? We both go to the same school. I don't think it's strange for me to come over."

"Hah, don't make me laugh. You break the lock, search through my house, and then call it 'coming over'? …Heh, so I guess it's true that you lost your manners after your dad died. What a pack of morons. Since when did the Tohsaka family start acting like burglars?"

"Is that how I looked? …Hmm, that's not such a bad idea. There's nothing here worth stealing, but burglars do more than that, don't they? They go into violent rages when they're found. ―――Yes, I do want to act like a burglar right now." She's joking. But she isn't smiling at all. Tohsaka Rin is coldly staring at Matou Shinji, who has his back to the wall.

"……! Y-You idiot, you're wrong! I have nothing to do with Zouken! I didn't know what that old bastard was doing until now…!" "――――Yeah? So why did you become a Master?" "…! That's because――――"

A gritting sound. Even though he is cornered by Tohsaka, he swallows his words. He was willing to tell her anything she wanted to know about the old man. This girl is dangerous right now. There's no telling what she will do if he keeps quiet. ―――In the worst case… She might simply kill him out of rage.

"Because?" "――――Because…" But he can't say it. Telling her why he became a Master is like asking for death.

Even if…

"Then I'll say it for you. You just wanted to act like a magus. You're a failure and can't be a magus, so you wanted the Holy Grail to make you one. You have no other goal. You're a coward that wanted proof to hide your powerlessness."

…It's something trivial for others.

"……! Tohsaka, you…!" "Am I wrong? You didn't have a Magic Circuit even though you were born to the Matou family. But that's not your fault. The Matou blood was fading away anyway. The duty of the Matou family as the seeker was fading away from the time you people came here. But you persisted. You thought it was special to be special, and you demanded something you didn't need. You can't be a magus even if you obtained a Magic Circuit like that, but you clung to the special right that should've been given to you."

"D-Don't talk like you know everything…! Don't talk bullshit! I can't be a magus…!? How do you know that――――!?" "I can tell. I can say with certainty that you will never be a magus, even if you obtain the Holy Grail. You just don't have the talent. That's the difference between you and Emiya-kun."

"What…?" His jaw drops. That name is unexpected for Matou Shinji. It's fine if Tohsaka Rin opposes him as a Master. He expected that.

But it cannot be possible for Emiya Shirou's name to come from her lips. He is just an amateur. He isn't from a family of magi, nor is he suited to be a Master. It's too much for him to have Saber, so why is his name coming out of Tohsaka Rin's mouth――――!?

"Ha――――Hah. What? Stop that, Tohsaka. Why are you talking about Emiya!?" "Because he's stronger than you. And he has the right qualities to be a magus. Emiya Shirou has something Matou Shinji does not. …Yes, he doesn't have the talent, just like you. But he has the quality to be a magus. He is the best at it, and it's something he won't lose in."

"He's the best!? Him!? Hah, don't make me laugh, Tohsaka…! There's nothing he has that I don't have! He's the one who's got nothing! He's just a lucky bastard that made a contract with Saber…!"

Shinji's hatred for Shirou must have blown his fears away, as he now faces Rin straight on. The girl sighs and shrugs her shoulders.

"……I see. I guess you really are beyond help if you don't understand after all this. I thought I'd hold you responsible, but you're not even worth it. I'll let you go, so go run to the church before Emiya-kun beats you."

She turns her back on him. Telling him she has no business here. She heads for the door, not even bothering to treat Shinji as an enemy.

"I――――I'm inferior to Emiya…?" His voice burns with hatred. But he can do nothing but watch her go. He'll surely be killed if he attacks her here. Even Matou Shinji can see the difference in their powers.

"Tohsaka――――you, you……!" A voice filled with deep resentment. "――――――Geez, I guess it can't be helped." She stops, and says goodbye to the boy that used to be the successor.

"Fine, this is the end, so I'll tell you. Those who aim farther for others' sake. Those who think of others before themselves. …And those who hate themselves more than anyone. These are the qualities of a magus. There is a place you can't reach, no matter how much talent you have. …Humph. I never thought anyone would meet this condition. This is a contradiction you can only have if you're born broken."

"Shinji. You're a good example of someone who nurtures a needless inferiority complex by despising others. You love yourself so much that you believe everyone else is below you, even when they are superior in every way. …You're empty inside. The only one who thinks you're full is you, and you're just like a balloon. Your destination changes depending on the wind." "Uh――――――guh."

"Do you understand? One such as you is unfit to be a magus. A Servant would never obey such a person. This world is unrelated to you. No matter how much you consider yourself to be a Master, you can never be a Master."

―――The sound of retreating footsteps. Tohsaka Rin leaves Matou Shinji alone in the dark room.

"――――Ha. Haha, hahaha." He drops down the wall. Matou Shinji crumples down like a puppet with its strings cut and keeps laughing.

"I see. So that's how it is?" His tongue licks over dry lips. A dull sound. The boy smacks his head hard against the wall behind him, as if trying to break his skull. "――――In short… He just has to disappear, right, Tohsaka?" His laughter continues.

End of Interlude

"All right, Sakura. Rock, paper…" "Scissors!"

I stick out a clenched fist. Sakura extends an open palm. I have rock, and Sakura has paper.

"Ugh." "All right, I won!" I look at my fist. …I did it again. Why do I always use rock as my first move?

"Then I'll be cooking dinner. Please relax and watch TV or something, Senpai." Sakura skips off to the kitchen. She must be happy that she gets to make dinner all by herself.

"…Man, I guess it can't be helped. I promised whoever wins gets to cook dinner." I take off my apron and sit down. I don't know about other people, but cooking dinner seems like a favorite pastime for us.

…It's not really true for me, but Sakura always wants to cook by herself. That's good in a way, but as her Senpai, I can't let her do all the work. So when we're both bored, like today, we fight over who gets to cook.

"…I have nothing to do, so I'll just drink tea." I brew some tea and sit at the table. Saber is sleeping in my room, and Fuji-Nee won't be coming since she's working overtime. Sakura and I are the only ones here.

"――――――――" …Am I watching her because I have nothing to do? Sakura is moving briskly about the kitchen, and she looks like she's having fun.

Her familiar hair and her crimson ribbon. She handles the plates. She holds the heavy kitchen knife and places the cabbage on the cutting board.

"Hm――――!" She cuts it with a yell. Sakura tenses up every times she starts to cut something, but she keeps cooking like she's used to it after that.

"――――――――" I watch it absent-mindedly. The evening living room. A daily life here with Sakura, where time passes slowly.

I suddenly realize how hard this life is to obtain. …It must be because I'll be going to battle at night. I finally realize how important this time is for me.

"…Yeah. I have to protect Sakura." I don't know what Matou Zouken is planning, but I won't let him touch her. I've come in contact with Sakura too many times the past few days, causing me to be bewildered about her change.

…I thought I was confused by her femininity. But that's wrong. If I'm confused, it started long before that.

I hear her humming in the kitchen.

…These simple, trivial things are important to me. I pour myself a third cup of tea and watch the red-tinted scenery. Maybe there's some alcohol in the tea, because the passing time feels slow and tender.

―――The town falls asleep. It's just past ten o'clock, but it seems like it's midnight. It must be because of all the unexplained comas. There are no lights, and nobody is walking about.

"Finding the shadow and investigating it――――Archer's Master has given us quite the reckless request." "Yeah. But we have to do it. Are you against it, Saber?"

"…I told you my opinion this morning. So, do you have any clues? We might find ourselves being the target if we wander about aimlessly."

…A clue, huh? I'm not positive, but――――

[fandomlovingfreak]

Welcome to Hawkins (3/?)

Eddie Munson x F!Reader

one two four

Rating: SFW (no lemon)

Includes: Friends to Lovers, Alternate Universe where Eddie & reader are around 24 (it’s still 1986 though) and Eddie isn’t from Hawkins, Fake/pretend relationship, begging to go along with a crazy plan, best friends, the proposal AU (loosely based!), meeting the parents.

Word Count: 1508

MasterList Link I AO3 Link I Wattpad Link

Summary: When you slip up and tell your mom you’d be bringing your “serious boyfriend” home for your week-long family reunion, who else would you turn to but your best friend, Eddie?

AU that’s loosely based on “the proposal”  (aka I rewatched and am obsessed w Eddie Munson rn) Eddie is NOT from Hawkins in this fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Eddie Munson or the Stranger Things universe. This work has not been created for profit or financial compensation, and is a transformative fair use work in accordance with Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act.

Notes: You should know I am trapped in 2010 and like writing stories using y/n and other variations of y/n. It’s just so! It makes them easier to write for a wider range of people (I try to be inclusive as possible with physical feature descriptors being almost completely omitted from my fics! Always ALWAYS tell me if I slip up and I will fix it)

SO you need to know these little ‘codes’ for this fic: y/ln = your last name, y/mn = your mothers name, y/dm = your dad’s name

Enjoy

"What's my favorite color?" 

Eddie makes a face, "Why would anyone ask me what your favorite color is?"

"I don't know! But what if it came up and you didn't know?" 

Rolling his eyes, he switches lanes, speeding past a silver Honda. The middle-aged woman driving glares at us as we pass her.

"Fine, I dunno... green?"

"No! How don't you know my favorite color?" 

A small smile tugs on his lips, "I don't think you've ever told me your favorite color, (y/n)."

"I know yours!"

"Yeah, sure."

"Blue," I cross my arms over my chest. 

He's silent for a moment, "How could you possibly know that?"

"Because I pay attention, dummy."

He makes an exasperated sound, "Do you want to get lunch soon?"

"Sure. There's a diner about half a mile from here."

We drive in comfortable silence until Dawn's Diner's exit sign comes into view.

"This place?" Eddie glances over at me.

"Is there something wrong, Edward?"

The corner of his lips jumps, but he doesn't reply, signaling to turn off the highway.

As usual, Dawn's Diner isn't busy. The locals and a few stragglers off the highway sit in booths and at the counter, eating cheeseburgers and other greasy All-American meals.

"(y/n)!" the hostess, Marcy, yells from behind the counter.

"Hi!" I beam back at her. 

"I'll get your shake--" Marcy drifts off, her eyes focused behind me, "Is this guy bothering you?"

I frown, turning slightly. Eddie blinks back at me, "Oh, no. Marcy, this is my... boyfriend, Eddie." May as well treat this as a trial of sorts.

Marcy's expression instantly flips back to her sunny smile, "My apologies. Occasionally, we have characters come in here after girls. I'm Marcy," she steps forward, extending her hand towards Eddie.

"Uh-- Eddie," he replies with an uncomfortable smile.

Marcy leads us to my usual table, setting a menu down in front of Eddie.

"What, do you not eat or something?" Eddie teases when Marcy leaves after taking our drink order.

"She knows my order. I come here every time I drive home," I grin.

He holds the menu up in front of his face, muttering, "Of course you do."

Marcy comes back minutes later, taking Eddie's order. "Ray's already got yours started, sweetheart," she grins at me before heading back into the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, she comes out with our food. I hadn't realized how hungry I was till my favorite, a cheeseburger with extra pickles, was placed in front of me. The first bite, always the best bite, is perfect per usual. Ray was a flippin' god behind the grill.

"So, is there anything else I should know before we get to your parents?" Eddie asks after a moment spent inhaling our food. 

I contemplate the question before nodding, "My dad's a 'man's man'."

Eddie groans, "Of course he is."

"Yeah, so he might try to talk to you about last night's baseball game or something like that," I grin, "I'll try to explain that you're a wimp who doesn't know the difference between a home run and a touchdown, but I can't guarantee he won't try to get you involved in a conversation."

He plucks a fry from my plate, shoving it into his mouth before I can protest, "Your dad's going to hate me, isn't he?" He grins widely, chewing the fry with his mouth open.

"My mom's going to if you don't chew with your mouth shut."

"You're such a square."

"And you're supposed to be playing my perfect square boyfriend, so..."

Eddie rolls his eyes, "I'm a great actor."

I laugh behind my hand, "Oh, I'm aware."

***

"You weren't kidding," Eddie leans over the steering wheel as we wait at a red light, "This really is small-town America."

"Oh please," I roll my eyes, "You're from the Midwest. Let's not pretend you weren't expecting exactly this."

Eddie chuckles, "Fair. Do I turn here?"

I shake my head, "No, it's one street down from here, and then you take another right after."

I'm flooded with memories as I look outside my window. Nothing ever changes in Hawkins, which is comforting but a large reason I didn't move back to Hawkins after graduation like most of my classmates. I loved my family, but I couldn't imagine spending my entire life in this sleepy town.

"(y/n)," Eddie snaps his fingers in front of my face.

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you go? I was asking you which house it is."

Shuffling in my seat, I look around, "Two down on the left."

Eddie kills the engine, turning to look at me, "So..."

"Why am I so nervous?" A smile creeps up on my face, "It's not like we're actually dating... I shouldn't be nervous for you to meet them."

"Two months from now, we'll 'break up' and your family, feeling horrible because your oh-so-perfect boyfriend broke your heart, they'll feel so bad they won't bother you for a long time."

I snort, "That's not the story I'm telling, Eddie Munson."

A grin spreads across his face, "You're right. They wouldn't believe that."

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Turning, I see my mother waving from outside. Whatever she's saying is muffled by the glass between us, but I know it's along the lines of "you're here!"

Momentarily, I turn back towards Eddie, "Well... Here goes nothing."

The moment the door is open, Mom's got her arms around my neck, "I've been waiting all morning for you! You're an hour late!"

"Hi, Mom," I laugh, maneuvering us out so I can properly hug her, "We stopped for lunch, sorry. I thought about calling--"

"Never mind that," she still has her arms wrapped around me, "I'm just so happy you're here. Gam Gam's been talking about the party non-stop for weeks."

"(y/n)," my father walks down the stone pathway.

"Hi, Dad," I say from around mom.

Mom finally pulls away from my body, "Let me look at you. It's been--"

"Like four months. Nothing is new," I laugh.

"I wouldn't say nothing is new..." She's grinning, her eyes flitting to Eddie standing on the other side of the car.

"Oh--" I don't exactly know how I'm supposed to do this. Everything is starting to feel real, despite being so very fake.

Lucky for me, Eddie takes the initiative in the situation. Coming to stand at my side, he snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me slightly towards his side.

"Eddie Munson, ma'am."

I beam up at him before looking back at my parents. My mom's still got that wide grin on her face; My dad, on the other hand, doesn't look as enthused.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm a hugger," Mom says, pulling Eddie into a warm hug, "I'm so pleased to meet you, Eddie."

Eddie's eyes widen; he's frozen in place for a moment before awkwardly hugging her back, "Oh, uh-- it's nice to meet you too, Mrs. (y/ln)."

Mom pulls away, smiling, "Call me (y/mn)."

Father, who has stood a few feet back during the introduction, steps forward, holding his hand out, "Mr. (y/ln) will do." 

This is the moment of truth, my father being a stickler for a good handshake. Crap, I hadn't even thought to warn Eddie about this. Steve was the last of my boyfriends to meet my parents, and I knew my father loved Steve. Probably still loved Steve. He always said Steve had a good handshake, a sign of a man. 

I found that to be a ridiculous way to measure masculinity, but if that's how he felt, that's how he felt.

"Yes, sir," Eddie shakes his hand. Father doesn't look displeased. A moment of respect flashes across his face before his expression turns neutral.

"Well, why don't we get inside? I know you ate lunch already, but we've stocked the fridge--" Mom prattles on as we follow my parents back up the stone pathway to the front door.

"That would be great, (y/mn)," Eddie looks around our foyer. The neat family photos stylistically placed on the walls catch his attention. He inspects one from my third birthday; my parents crouched next to me as I blew out the candles on a pink frosted cake.

"I see where (y/n) gets her looks from, (y/mn). I would've guessed this was (y/n) as an adult." He points to the picture.

Mom waves a hand in his direction, looking positively tickled by the comment, "You're too sweet."

"You're laying it on pretty thick," I whisper to him as we follow my parents into the living room.

He squeezes my hip, "I'm playing the part you wanted me to."

"What are you two whispering about?" Mom asks, turning to smile. Always acting the part of the perfect host.

"Oh-- Eddie just wanted to know where you bought the couch from, and I told him we're a Sears family."

My parents give each other a look but don't press.

"Good one, genius," Eddie whispers in my ear, his long hair tickling my cheek.

I shove my elbow into his ribs, grumbling, "Shut it, Munson."

[running-in-blind]

I'm fucking pissed and will be putting my rant under this here readmore

I'm in Australia for the first time in 4 years for a wedding and decided to meet up with a group of friends from highschool and well... I found out one of my friends is a fucking transphobe n isnt even trying to hide it. So like we were all just talking about things n the topic of one of everyone's mutual friends who now lives in a different city and how he is now a she. Then one of my mates spoke up n said something along the lines of "it's messed up" and "I won't call him that till he chops his balls off". Now I, as a pre-T trans guy, had to bite my tongue and not rip into this guy for saying this shit in front of me of one of our friends cause I didn't wanna make a huge scene about it, so I basically just said "lets agree to disagree." and just continued to hang out with everyone.

Now heres some details to keep in mind about this whole situation to make things worse:

We had discussed and made plans to meet today (sunday) on thursday. I was getting in contact with everyone who agreed to meet up and this guy was radio silent and I, as someone who likes to keep to somewhat of a schedule due to anxiety n shit, was already aware this guy had the biggest distance to travel (beyond me obviously) to meet up at the agreed location and he had stated that he would more than likely be late due to this fact. So after radio silence I decided I should drop buy this guys place as it was on the way and offer to give him a lift like... 15 mins before the agreed meeting time to just simply make things easier.

He was still asleep.

Now my parents were the ones dropping me off at the meeting spot so they could go off n do their thing so now they are waiting while I awkwardly deal with the whole situation and usher this guy along so we wouldn't be too late and not keep my parents along.

His reason for being asleep 15 mins before the agreed meeting time?

His teeth had been hurting really badly and it kept him awake all night. So i was like, aight thats fair n valid cause thats a thing that can happen. Then i notice just how bad his teeth were... he basically had no teeth left at the ripe ol age of 24... now you know me, I aint one to really judge but like... his teeth are far worse than my fathers teeth and thats cause of accidents hes had thats done bad damage to em and he's like... 64 this year so yeah... so of course i'm bein polite n say nothing while he's complaining about his sore mouth n shit, blaming their terrible condition on epilepsy. I dont know enough about that condition to comment on it but I was hitting x to doubt at this point.

I had to rush him outta the house, asked his lil sister to please finish up the chore he decided he HAD to do before going and thanked her profusely for agreeing while i rush him to the car. Now earlier his lil sister commented on the fact that he never brushed his teeth being one of the leading factors to the current state they were in.

Aight great now we're on his way but he had commented on how he was really tired and needed a coffee but he couldn't afford one so I was like "aight, I'll get him one in compensation for rushing him outta the house like I did." And he was absolutely no help while i ordered him one from a coffee shop, i had to basically coax a coffee order outta him which was kinda annoying but it is what it is. Great now he had his coffee n we just needed to wait while the others rock up, the two others were being held up by both one of their fathers n traffic which they informed me about and apologized and i was all chill with that cause you cant fix that shit.

So to pass the time I decided to bring up our friend who couldnt make it, the trans friend, queue his comment about it being messed up, i raise a brow and opt not to talk too much more about said friend cause like now im uncomfortable.

Reason he couldn't afford the coffee?

He didn't have a job. Now i could understand him not having a job cause times are rough, but like he's commented on how he doesnt intend to actually get a job and plans to live on wellfare. Usually i'd just roll my eyes and be like "aight, ok u do u" but like... not only is he an Australian citizen, hes got aboriginal heritage (funny cause hes the whitest bastard amongst us) which gives him access to all sorts of things I really needed before we were basically told fuck you by the government and hes just wasting it all. He has access to things for proper dental care n stuff that makes it much much more affordable.

But now here he is hating on her when she's taking steps to both improve herself and her life in general while he lives a deadbeat lifestyle and lets himself literally rot away.

I refuse to involve myself with him and will only talk to him if he talks to me first out of courtesy as not to cause drama with the friends I want to keep contact with.

[torilovestowrite]

Dabi x Reader; Try Again pt. 9

Synopsis: Years ago, (Y/n) was left by her villain boyfriend, Dabi after discovering an unexpected news. Ever since then, she never had a lover— focusing on her only son, Yuta. Later on, she meets Todoroki Touya— a new co-worker who seem to be persistent towards winning her heart and attention.

Ship: Dabi x Fem! Reader

❗❗❗Content Warning: Mentions of Abortion, Unplanned Pregnancy, Manga spoilers, Dabi is a Todoroki theory

🖤 chapter navigation 🖤

It's been... what, 3 weeks? 3 weeks since that incident wherein Y/n has blown Touya's cover. A huge fight between them happened after that night— the day she returned his belongings. The young woman didn't even waste her time confronting him. It wasn't the most delightful reunion; but a tragic and hurtful one for the both of them— especially to Y/n.

"Here's your stuff." Y/n spoke while she was trying to hand out Touya's black leather wallet. He grabbed it from her hands and stared at her face— meeting her emotionless eyes; still in-shock from what she discovered. It was something that's hard to swallow for her.

"Thanks." Touya attempted to leave, immediately going towards the door after she gave his things.

Y/n rolled her eyes as she began to become shady, sneering at him with her words. "You're so used to running away as if nothing happened, aren't you? Then tomorrow, you'd come back as if nothing happened again."

Touya closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh as he was stopped from his tracks. Yes, he knew that this moment would come— the day she discovers the truth behind his identity. But still, he never knew that it would come too soon— and that it would be this tragic. He felt his guts tightening from stress and pressure; until small flames began to appear on his skin. Ah, it's been a long time ever since his quirk was used; the sensation that the blue fire left on his skin was purely nostalgic to him.

He turned to Y/n and began to face her direction. The young woman's eyes slightly widened but a stoic expression was still displayed on her face. Isn't he used to running away? What is he doing?

"I'm sorry." Touya apologized, coming towards her and attempting to hold both of her hands. Y/n's eyebrows furrowed at his gestures as she began to look away. "I-I know I couldn't come back as someone who I used to be. That's why I did everything so—"

"And you think you can come back just like that?" Y/n's voice was shaking as hot tears began to dwell on her eyes— falling and staining both of her cheeks. "Dabi, you really have no idea how hard it was for me, don't you? You have no idea how difficult it is to find happiness after what you did to me, right?"

He couldn't cry— despite going through a massive surgery, his tear ducts were still burnt. And so, blood came out from his eyes; which caused a bit of panic to Y/n. But they were both crying now— and she didn't know what to do.

"P-Please." Y/n pleaded, removing his hands from her skin. "Stop seeing me and Yuta. Just leave, Dabi."

After that fight, Touya couldn't be seen anywhere. He stopped appearing from work and he also stopped visiting Y/n and Yuta from time to time. It was painful for the both of them— but Y/n knows that she needed time to think; to absorb everything that has unfolded right before her eyes. And as for Touya, he needs to reflect on what he did— and to ask for Y/n's forgiveness. It was bittersweet— but shouldn't it be like that?

Y/n could still remember the disappointment in Yuta's face when she said that he'll never come back. The young boy would always look at the windows to see if his beloved Uncle Touya was there— but of no avail, no one came. She felt bad for her son. Perhaps, it was too harsh for her to decide on her own without even asking her son? Y/n didn't know. But what she knows is what she did— would be the best for all of them right now.

It was a typical Sunday morning for the mother and son duo— Y/n was cooking lunch for the both of them while Yuta was in the backyard playing alone. While the young woman was cooking, loads of questions began to float in her mind.

How did Dabi survive? How did he change his name to Touya? Why did he decide to come back? Just... how did everything turn out to be as it is right now?

It wasn't too long until her thoughts were interrupted after hearing a child-like scream from the area where Yuta was playing. She immediately turned off the stove and rushed towards the scene with her mind filled with panic. Her eyes met her unconscious son who was laying on the ground with light blue flames appearing on his frail-looking body. His skin was bruised— and it was quite obvious that he was trying to catch his breath. Did Yuta perhaps... try to train himself?

Despite the high temperature surrounding his body, Y/n's maternal instincts didn't care. She carried the young child in her arms and rushed him towards the nearest hospital.

"I know I was the one who told you to never come back. But I really need your help this time, Dabi." Y/n guiltily looked at her toes as she spoke to the red-haired man right before her eyes; meeting his blue unreadable orbs.

It's been two days since Y/n and Yuta returned from the hospital. He was unconscious for at least 5 hours— but Y/n decided to confine him in order to assure that his body is in the right track before they could be released.

"Just call me by my real name, Touya." He spoke as he took a sip from the cup of tea that Y/n prepared for him when he visited. The young woman rolled her eyes in return and said, "Whatever, Touya."

"Anyway, I know we're not okay right now... but you have to stick around. At least not for me, but for Yuta." Y/n swallowed before speaking— just like how she'd swallow her pride just for her son to feel more better about his quirk.

"Apparently, Yuta's body was too frail for his quirk— which is why he was left unconscious while trying to train himself on how to control it." She explained, showing him papers in order to prove her point— which Touya immediately read once he received it.

A small smirk appeared on his face as he began to look at the records. "Guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, huh?"

"Train him please." Y/n spoke in a soft tone as she pleaded. "Y-you're the only person I could ask about this. You have the same quirk as him."

A moment of silence wrapped around the room. It was uncomfortable for Y/n, considering that she can't really determine what Touya was thinking.

Meanwhile, the young man was drowning in his thoughts too. His hands were shaking— that old trauma once again came back. What if he becomes like the older man who raised him? What if he ends up hurting Yuta? What if Yuta ends up becoming a young man who claimed the innocent lives of 30 people? What if he ends up becoming like Dabi? But suddenly, these negative ideas began to disappear as he felt a pair of warm hands hold his'. It was Y/n— oh god, did he miss the feeling of those hands.

"Once everything becomes fine, I'll introduce you as his father." Y/n claimed as she squeezed his both hands tightly. "Compensate for your loss now, Touya."

And eventually, without even having any second thought, these words came out from his lips— almost like a slip.

"I will do it." He spoke in a deep tone, "I will not be like my father."

Taglist [OPEN]: @babayaga67 @marydragneell @xxtrash-kingxx @paranoiac-666 @velvet-kissesss @orenjineki @mermaid-starlet @ikita454 @yo-girl-lunar @pansexual-booknerd @daimiyu @marvelousbakugou @peculiarinsomniac @cutesnakemum @sam-i-am-1025 @lawlesshedgehog @sonderkook @miss-buttersworth @threbony @noonewouldlisten25 @missalicebaskerville

[ask-lmanburg]

Wilbur, can I come in? I heard your wing was bothering you from Chat and I want to check it out.

It's really not a problem, I can look after it myself, I know you're busy.

I've already closed the bakery for the day, I've got plenty of time.

I mean, if you really want to, just give me a moment.

[He slowly, and carefully pushes himself into a sitting position, giving Niki a better view of his wings.]

Oh Wil, that really doesn't look good. It's okay though, I think I can help.

Do what you need to, I'm not going anywhere.

[Niki lets out a little snort of laughter, and moves behind Wilbur to get to his wing.]

I'm going to clean this out and then apply some self-adhesive bandages. It's going to sting a bit, just warning you.

Just keep me updated on what you're doing before it happens, please.

Of course. I just cleaned it out, and now I'm bandaging it. Try to not move for a moment, I don't want to pull any feathers.

Alright.

[She works in silence for a few more moments, before tying off the bandage.]

There. It should be good, but let me know if any of it feels off. And try to keep your wing movements to a minimum until the bandages come off, okay?

Probably won’t be a challenge, don’t worry. Thank you, Niki.

It was no problem at all. I'll stop by in a couple days to check the progress, if that works for you.

Come by whenever you want, I’m so fucking bored.

Ooo, if you want I can come by tomorrow after I close up for the day and hang out with you. Can't have our President be bored out of his mind all day.

[With that she elbows him lightly in the shoulder and throws him a wink.]

I’ve slept so much I won’t need to for weeks, I’m telling you. Also, ow, rude.

I don't think that's how sleep works, but you could probably have used all that sleep anyway. Your eyebags are lighter then I've ever seen. Nevertheless it's understandable you're going stir crazy, I would be too. I'll make sure to bring your favorites tomorrow as compensation, haha.

I think that is how sleep works, actually. But uh, speaking of your visit tomorrow, do you think you could stop by my office and grab some of my work?

Sure Wil, I can grab you some.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

It's no problem.

While I'm here I do have something to tell you though, if that's okay with you.

Yeah of course, what’s up?

Well…Eret asked to talk to me yesterday, she talked about regretting what she did and wanting to apologize. She asked me to tell you she wants to talk to you, if you're willing.

If you're not though, thats okay too. And you don't even need to respond right away, you can take as much time as you need.

o-oh.

[Wilbur glances away from Niki, and to his hands.]

I don’t… I don’t want… no, not right now. I’m sorry.

That's alright Wil. I'll pass on the message.

[Wilbur nods.]

I should get going, but I'll see you tomorrow.

See you.

[old-hyper-super-clover]

Squeeze that bunny tail!

Part 4

Description: The RAD student council as well as the exchange students help out at a bar where, oops, the staff´s dress codes are those sweet bunny outfits that we all know and thirst for. The MCs, Violet and Clover, play a game of who can touch the most bunny tails over the evening without getting caught. Prepare for fluff, funny innuendos as well as my thirst over hot boys in bunny outfits.

The story is divided in several parts and will be updated every few days. find the other parts in my masterlist.

Story continues below the cut. Have fun!

Finally having stomached the midnight clothing change, the girls had to get back to work, so they kept their strategic meeting short.

However, when they finally stepped outside into the public again...

The demon lord was waiting for them.

Arms crossed, expression serious.

He was staring at them.

"Lord Diavolo...!" Violet pressed out while Clover gave a quiet but terrified "oh no he will actually kill me" as both backed away on instinct.

"May I have a word with you two?" the demon prince asked, however it felt more like a demand. They have never heard him speak in such a serious tone before.

The girls not able to give an answer other than a nod, Diavolo gestured at the staff's office room.

He let them step inside before closing the door... And locking it.

None of them have ever felt like shitting their pants more than in this moment.

"Violet, Clover" He raised his voice.

Clover had called her own death, and had accidentally pulled Violet with her.

"There is an urgent matter that I have to discuss with you two..."

That was it. The end.

Diavolo kept them trembling in a horrible silence for way too long.

"Y-yes...?" Violet somehow managed to say.

He took a heavy breath. The girls swallowed their fear.

Then, he spoke up.

"... Why do you keep squishing everyone's bunny tails? Is it some kind of human tradition? I'm dying to know!"

The girls literally felt like they just died.

"I've observed you for quite a while now, but I can't make out the reason behind it" Diavolo continued. "Please, fill me in...!"

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

It took a while to recover, but in the end, the girls confessed about their game.

"We just look how many of those tails we can squeeze" Clover said.

"It's nothing more than a joke..." Violet mumbled. "I'm sorry to have upset you..."

Diavolo blinked at them.

"Upset?"

"Uhm... Yes..." Violet frowned in regret. "We will stop being childish while working. Again, sorry for-"

"Can I join your game?"

Silence.

"Y... You want to... Squeeze the guys' tails with us?" Clover asked.

And Diavolo's natural smile said it all. So, it seemed like another opponent joined the game at half time...

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

The three parted quickly after as they were needed in the local, but Clover had an idea on how to keep things organized:

* Clover formed the group chat [Squeeze that bunny tail!] *

Diavolo: Hello!

Violet: ... Are you sure we shouldn't call the group something else...?

Diavolo: I quite like it.

Clover: Thank you, Sir :D

Diavolo: This is the first group chatroom I am in without Barbatos.

Violet: Should we add him?

Diavolo: No. Don't tell him. I am experiencing a new kind of freedom right now. Anyway, I wish you girls the best of luck in our competition!

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

As this story is ridiculously long, let’s do a quick squeeze round!

Violet got very lucky... She caught Luke while the angel had been trying to reach for something in the kitchen shelves. He was still in his first outfit (because even demons do not support children nudity, that's gross), and looked adorable, standing on that stool to be tall enough.

After squeezing his tail, Violet offered her help.

... Only to realise she wasn't tall enough either.

But oh well, luckily, Solomon appeared and was there to grab those tiny cocktail parasols.

Later, Violet also worked with Asmo at the casino area for a while and got herself another point.

As for Clover... She tried.

Tried to squeeze Mammon´s tail a second time, but the greedy boy was also a very bouncy boy.

She also worked with Barbatos for quite a while, but as much as she wanted to go get those juicy two points, she just couldn't.

Something about this pretty man was scaring her... She found out later what it was.

Violet and Clover were serving drinks.

And for two girls without any real waitress-practise whatsoever, they did quite well.

But at one table, it had to happen.

The first broken glass of the evening. Clover had been holding the tray a little too sloppy.

As an ugly scream bubbled up her throat, she already felt the full glass of demonous fall, but was unable to do anything. The shattering of glass echoed through the bar, but what was worse was the growl that the customer pressed out.

Looking down on himself, Clover had perfectly spilled his drink onto the demon.

"You little..." he grunted, standing up and ready to break her neck this instant.

Clover backed away, of course, and felt how Violet had been there immediately to back her up.

"W-we apologize for this accident" Violet pressed out.

The demon seemed to get even more agitated, now raising his hand to hit her.

"Shut up you fucking-"

Then, another silhouette stepped in front of the girls.

Barbatos was gently holding the demon's hand back.

"In the name of the owner, I'd like to offer my deepest apologies as well. In cases like these, the local would like to immediately return the money you have spent this evening, and offers compensation in form of three free drinks of your choice."

Barbatos did a little bow after having finished.

"Screw the money..." The demon hissed. "I wanna tear those humans into miserable pieces. That´ll do as an apology."

Barbatos did not look up.

"... In that case..." the butler continued. "Guests who actively threaten the well-being of our dear staff will be treated according to their own attitude."

He straightened his back, beaming the demon a formal smile. "I will show you the exit. Please, do not think of coming back anytime soon."

Despite being so cocky before, now the customer flinched heavily. Finally, he seemed to follow the butler's orders. He spat on the table in some disrespectful dick move, then left the local.

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

Violet and Barbatos helped Clover clean the mess afterwards.

"Thanks for dealing with that guy..." Clover mumbled.

"Oh, there is no need" Barbatos hummed. "If not for me, one of the demon brothers would have come to your aid. And I fear a person like Mammon would not have left the situation without a fight, so I figured it would be best to jump in myself."

The girls gave a small giggle.

"That's true..." Violet mumbled. "But that only makes you even more impressive. It's rare to see a demon so calm."

“Calm?” Barbatos looked up from the broken glass he had been collecting. He seemed genuinely confused for a moment, then his usual smile was back.

"How cute" he chuckled.

"C-cute?!" Violet blinked in surprise.

But Barbatos was already making his leave.

"Ah, don't mind it..." he mused. "The naiveté is what makes you humans so charming."

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

Clover felt safer sticking to cleaning instead of potentially making another mess, so she was wiping the tables when she heard Diavolo calling out to her.

"Are you busy right now?" he asked.

"Not really, I'm still on cleaning duty but there isn't really much to do right now... Can I help you with anything?"

Taking a careful look around, Diavolo stepped closer, lowering his voice as well. "I am in trouble."

"Uhm..." Clover swallowed her stress. "And why?"

"I lost the master key. The one the owner gave me."

"... The one you need to lock the whole place with? The one that basically gives you control over the whole bar?"

"I see you smell the trouble now."

Clover gave a nod. "I do... Should I help you search?"

Diavolo's expression changed into a smile.

"That's what I wanted to hear! Thank you."

"No problem. Do you have any idea where it might be?"

So Diavolo gave it a thought, concluding that he must have lost it during his break.

"I looked through the bathroom already” he explained. “Which leaves only the kitchen and the staff's room."

Suddenly, a third voice joined the conversation.

"I did not notice anything like a key in the kitchen" Satan said, coming to a stop next to them.

"Oh, Satan, so you have overheard our conversation..." Diavolo crossed his arms.

"Don't worry, I won't spill anything to Lucifer" the blond laughed. "He'd only scold you, wouldn't he?" Then, his gaze fell on Clover. "I can help you search."

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

Clover and Satan looked through the whole staff's office.

Luckily no one was there to ask what they were doing, especially since they just couldn't find anything. Satan gave a sigh.

"Nothing... I even looked through Mammon's jacket in case his kleptomania had struck again..."

Meanwhile, Clover was rummaging through one of the desks. Giving a resigned breath as well, she was about to give up when she spotted something shimmering behind the wooden desk.

"I think I found it...!" Clover called out.

Satan came up to her, seeing as well how there was a key stuck in the web of cables behind the office desk.

"Wait, I'll get it."

He tried reaching it from above, but some computer monitors kept getting in the way.

In the end, Satan was crouched down, head under the table as he fiddled with the cables.

"I still can't reach it..." he pressed out under his breath.

Clover grumbled in displease, kneeling down as well. There wasn't enough room for her to help in any way, so all she could do was watch Satan do his thing...

Oh no.

She had THE perfect chance to squish Satan's tail. Due to his position, his booty was right in front of her, and he seemed more than busy to even bother her presence.

Three points, she thought...

Just a little tap, she thought...

Holding her breath, she stretched out a finger and reached for the pompom...

Merely a second later Clover found herself landing on her back, her wrists being pressed against the floor next to her head.

"I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY."

Satan's body hovered above hers as he held her in a tight grip.

Clover was panicking.

"I'm so sorry - I shouldn't have done that - I'm sorry Satan Sir please don't kill me - I'm an idiot - I'm sorry I'm sorry - I love you sir I'm really sorry I'm-"

"Explain yourself" he interrupted her pleading.

"Hnnngh...” Clover fought actual tears but finally calmed down. "I... Uhm... Violet and I might be playing... A game..."

"Go on" Satan demanded in a sharp voice.

So Clover took a deep breather, speaking terribly fast in her fear.

"It's a competition. We wanted to see who can touch the most bunny tails over the evening, without the people noticing. Look, it's weird, I'm sorry, Violet has some kind of pompom kink and suggested it and I can't say no to people so I joined, also because it's funny, oh also please don't tell Violet I said anything about a kink, she will kill me."

His glistening greenish eyes kept mustering her flushed red face.

"I'm not satisfied yet."

The girl gave another whine.

"Pleeaase... Dearest Satan, Sir..."

"Keep going..."

"Ah...uhm… Oh lord, my man, oh how I plead for thy mercy, oh mighty Satan...! Thy tail was so tempting, I couldn't resist reaching for it...... And also I suck at this game and need points so desperately...! It was just too perfect of a chance, please forgive m..."

She stopped.

He was smirking at her, his grin almost dripping with this sly and cocky attitude.

Clover only now felt how there was something else in-between his left hand and her wrist.

The key.

And she remembered what Violet had texted her earlier today.

"... Did you trick me? The key wasn't actually hard to grab, was it?" she asked. “You knew I would try to touch your tail.”

His smirk widened.

"Why the fascination with bunny tails?" Satan nonchalantly ignored her questions.

"... They're fluffy..." Clover mumbled bashfully. "Just... fun to play with, y'know...?"

The blond tilted his head. "Never played with one."

"... Try it, it's nice."

"Yes, I would like to" he said, enjoying the flustered mess underneath him as she tried to figure out what he was implying. "Right now" he added.

So Clover tried to stand up... But Satan wasn't letting her.

"Uhm... I-I would let you touch mine, b-but... Could I stand up first...?"

"No."

Silence.

Probably the only thing audible was Clover's boiling head as she slowly raised her hips off the ground, constantly being focused by those sly eyes of his.

One of his hands let go of her arm, reaching down while his whole body lowered slightly as well.

Instead of reaching for her back, however, he first placed his hand on her thigh. Through her fishnet stockings, she felt his touch wandering up her leg, only then he'd brush over her side to her back, finally finding the bunny tail in his grip.

"Interesting" he mused, poking and squishing the pompom as he pleased, visibly amused at her embarrassment. "Yes, very-"

They heard the office's door falling shut.

Both, Satan and Clover, stopped in their motion, even in their breathing, as footsteps came closer.

"My jacket... Where did I leave my jacket..."

They were staring at each other first, then at the person casting a shadow on them.

And... well...

Luke stared back.

Stared at the demon bending over the human, the human arching closer to the demon, touching each other in those... those clothes...!

The angel could only press out some dying squeaking noises as his face exploded in an outraged blush. He took a step back, raising an arm as if shielding himself from the evil.

"S... S-s..."

Clover was the first to move again.

"Luke, this is not what-"

"SIMEEOOOOOONN....!"

Aaand Luke ran out of the room in a great whine. Slowly getting over the shock, Clover let out a sigh.

"... He's going to arrange some exorcism for me now, ain't he..." she mumbled.

The demon only gave a chuckle. "Serves you right" he hummed.

"Wha-?! You're the one who start..." her voice gave in immediately after meeting again with this almost sadistic stare.

"S-s-stop... Satan... Since wh-when are y..." Clover stuttered as the demon continued to play with her tail.

He leaned in closer.

"You should know that trying to play pranks on me will always backfire thrice as much..." he purred into her ear.

Then, Satan let go, pulling back and rising onto his feet.

"Well, I think that is enough of a punishment for now. I'll go and bring Lord Diavolo his key."

Clover sat up as well, but her legs were way too wobbly to do any more than that.

She glanced up at him, seeing him wave a goodbye.

"See you around" he hummed, adding a little wink before heading out of the room.

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

About another hour had passed when Clover and Violet decided to check up in Diavolo again...

Clover: Lord Diavolo, how is the game going?

Diavolo: Good! I have 62 points so far.

Clover: WHAT

Violet: U-uhm... May I ask how you got to have so many...?

Diavolo: I asked Barbatos to let me touch his tail.

Clover: ... For all of the points?

Diavolo: Yes :)

Violet: ...

Diavolo: What is wrong? Is that not a good score?

Clover:

It is... But... We actually had made some rules that we didn't get to explain...

Diavolo: Oh! Which would be? :)

Violet: Uhm... For example, you are not allowed to squeeze the same tail twice in a row, and the target is not supposed to notice you...

Clover: Meaning... If you simply touched Barbatos' tail 31 times in a row with him knowing... You would have... No points yet...

Violet: ...

Clover: ...

Diavolo: :(

----------

Ironic enough, Diavolo had been taking a break in the staff room while texting.

Minutes later, Barbatos came in to bring him something to drink.

"Barbatos! You are not allowed to notice me anymore when I touch your tail. Apparently I did it wrong the whole time!"

"Of course, my lord" the butler answered, the slightest smirk glistening in his eyes.

Diavolo noticed immediately, pointing out how Barbatos looked way more relaxed than usual.

"Oh, do I?" Barbatos tilted his head. "Well, it certainly is a weight off my shoulders to have a crew to rely on. For most parts, at least."

He was heading for the exit already.

"And I am glad to see you are enjoying yourself, my lord" he smiled. "I will have to thank those girls for that..."

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

Violet was working at the bar.

Lucifer had promised her to teach her some cocktail mixing, and there they were.

Turns out she was learning quickly, and the demon soon entrusted her with serving drinks to actual customers. Keeping an eye on her, Lucifer watched as Violet worked, also receiving help from Asmo.

... Which was impressive, by the way, because anyone could sense that Asmo had been sneaking some drinks here and there, and was getting a little... Tipsy.

It showed at one point, though. A customer came up, asking for a drink rather difficult to mix.

"I can do this!" Violet assured her friends and started mixing the juice.

But just as Violet was bending down to put some ice cubes into the drink...

They heard -- and Violet felt -- a slap that was audible even despite the quite loud music playing.

And everyone around them went quiet.

Blinking, Violet straightened her back again, turning to find Asmo behind her.

"Did. You just."

"Slap your ass? Fuck yes I did!"

"Asmo!!"

"Come on, you CAN'T expect me to NOT go for that booty when you're stretching it RIGHT into my FACE."

Lucifer next to them barged in. "But you can't just do th-"

"It was on INSTINCT" Asmo said.

"What do you mean, instinct?!" Violet asked, her face still in a slight blush.

"Oh my godddd, I'm the avatar of LUST, if I see a cute butt I just can't help it!"

"Asmo, that's not okay", Lucifer scolded. "You need to learn to control your sin."

"WHY?! Y'all have your quirks too, why am I not allowed to be myself?! That's so unfair, I always get shouted at! Like, Beel's also snacking our whole storeroom empty but THAT'S fine, huh?!"

Lucifer´s eyes widened. "He's doing WHAT?!"

"And Mammon is stealing money out of the guest's pockets, but NO, let's sue ASMO for giving a booty the appreciation it DESERVES!"

Lucifer looked like he was about to have a stroke. A growl crawled up his throat.

"MAMMOOOOOONNN...!!!"

And he was gone.

Asmo turned to pout somewhere, and Violet was left at the counter, still a little overwhelmed.

The customer slowly raised their hand.

"... Could I... Get my drink now...?"

[jamkookies]

Okay

Description : A trip to Malta for the shooting of Bon Voyage seems peaceful enough until the moment things take an unexpected turn...

Word count : 3.3k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Please, sir! I'm begging you! Open up, please!"

It was surprising how the both of you hadn't even moved an inch despite the cries that had begun to turn downright hopeless but as Jungkook's arm shields your body defensively, you decide that you just can't take it anymore.

"Jungkook, we should take a look." you say hesitantly, turning your head in his direction.

"No way. It's a trap." he claims. "I'm sure of it."

Your eyes keep boring holes into the door as if your vision could penetrate it.

It's quiet for a while.

Maybe he left.

Maybe he-

A thunderous boom to the door.

"We have to at least take a look, dammit!" you exclaim and push his arm away, now decisively heading towards it.

"Wait!" Jungkook yells after you but instead of stopping you, he joins your side. Before you can make any further attempts, he mushes his face onto the platform and looks into the tiny peephole. Curiosity can hardly keep you still.

At last, Jungkook retreats and motions for you to take a look as well but you don't know whether to expect a garnison of soldiers or a horde of wild bisons behind the door because the expression on his face is unreadable.

The cold surface of the platform touching your forehead only makes you grow even more uncomfortable. Then, your eyes are able to discern an obscure figure behind the magnifying glass. "You've got to be kidding me, " you whisper as your eyes naturally widen.

This could not be.

Him, out of all people....

Both you and Jungkook exchange a look of silent agreement and he pushes the open button with no words needed. The door swings open to reveal a slightly dishevelled-looking man with multiple cuts and bruises marking his face. Those eyes you'd seen gleaming with vigilance are now tired, drowsy yet still scarred with horrors you could only imagine. You'd never forget those eyes because they had been the ones that had given you a chance to escape, a chance to save yourselves.

"What are you doing here?" Jungkook wonders, not bluntly but rather in a puzzled demeanor.

"Let me in, please. I'll explain everything, " the old bodyguard says and throws a look behind his back and down the stairs.

You and Jungkook exchange another look and then the latter opens the door wider, giving him space to enter. The bodyguard's face almost melts in relief upon the gesture. He crosses the doorstep in two huge strides, putting the farthest distance from it.

From the moment the lock clicks back in place, a deafening silence hangs into the air, adding even more to the suspense.

You decide to break the ice first. "What do you mean they're gonna kill your family?"

The bodyguard takes notice of where your eyes are fixed and he unconsciously touches a bruise on his chin. "Actually, I lied about that. I had to convince you to open the door."

Your anger flares like wild fire but before the flames can grow higher he quickly compensates for his mistake. "I'm really sorry. I had to.They...they did some things to me...I'll explain everything but I don't have much time."

"Why?" you demand. "Are they following yo-"

"What are you doing here in the first place?" Jungkook interrupts.

The man appears to be going through an internal conflict as his eyes shut tight, hands clench and unclench and the line of his eyebrows angles into a wide V. His distressed condition explained so much and yet so little. His eyes that up till now had been staring at the ground, lift to level up with yours and then flick to Jungkook's. "I went through hell itself to get here unnoticed. I'll have to go soon. But before I do, there's something you should know."

* * *

As much as Jungkook refused to drop the disgruntled attitude, he still made the man sit on the couch and then proceeded to offer him a much needed glass of water. The man drank and drank and drank like he'd forgotten its taste and freshness and after his thirst was sedated, he started chirping like a bird.

"First of all, I want to apologize about trying to take you by force back in Malta, even though in reality it was not my choice."

"We'd figured that out, " you confirm. "But why did you help us escape?"

You'd been racking your brains out for a long time now, trying to come up with a logical explanation but no answer fit in the frame. You just couldn't understand why he would put himself in danger so you could run away.

It didn't make any sense.

"I couldn't just let them take you like prisoners, " he says. "I had to at least give you a chance because I myself wasn't given one."

Jungkook's brows wrinkle in confusion. "What do you mean?"

A look of something like shame casts upon the man's face and he stares at his clasped hands. "When I first got this job, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Being a bodyguard, I had taken everything into account, including the fact that I would probably have to give up my life at some point but I never thought I'd be involved in criminal affairs."

Criminal affairs? What was he talking about?

"I thought it was normal at first. I thought this was how things normally went but when you decided to go to that trip in Malta I realized that I couldn't get out of this sucking hole no matter how much I tried. And the worst thing about it is that you've had to suffer along all this time without even knowing it."

Jungkook raises a hand to stop him. "Whoa whoa whoa, hold on there a second. Are you talking about Sejin making Y/N leave? And the the thing at the plane? I know he went a little too far but-"

"You think that's a coincidence?" the man shoots back. "He set everything up. From the tickets to the hotel to everything. Every single piece of it was planned out."

Your teeth grind against each other with a mixed state of anger and shock putting them into action. When you throw a glance at Jungkook's traumatised form, tears start to form at the corners of your eyes. The man's statement seemed to had jarred him to the bone and rendered him speechless, incapable of forming a coherent thought.

"I apologize for that, " the man continues. "I didn't want to say it straight away because I knew it would come as a shock to you but Mr.Sejin is not who you think he is. I've had to live with this knowledge for years now."

For a moment, Jungkook's eyes clear up and he blinks a number of times till his attention is completely aimed at the man's face. "Is this a joke or something? Did he send you here to play with us?"

The man's expression remains stoic, forever expressionless but even through his mask you could make out the scars of horrendous truths.

He wasn't lying.

You both knew that but you just couldn't accept it, even though deep down you had always sensed that the origin of your ordeals had been somehow designated.

The said bodyguard points a finger at his face. "You see these bruises, sir? They gave them to me as a punishment for not being able to bring you back. Beat me up till I fainted. When I woke up they made it clear that this time the job had to be done properly. That's why I'm here. To bring you back. But I won't be doing that. I'm here to make sure that you know who you're dealing with. I don't have the authority to talk with his superiors. Trust me, I've even tried to but he's always one step ahead of me." He smiles sadly. "I've gotten countless warnings because of that."

Jungkook puts his head in his hands and agressively ruffles his hair. "How long has this been going?"

The man doesn't hesitate. "6 years. Since the moment Ms.Y/N set foot on that company. He was obsessed with the idea of a boy-group only and didn't want any other intruders. I can witness the number of times he complained to his superiors about not letting her join. He kept pestering them, kept telling them all sorts of things but PD-nim was the one who insisted on taking her. After that he was absolutely furious. You should've seen the way he flung things around in his office. It made me scared for a moment."

He releases a long-kept sigh and shakes his head dreadfully.

"This went on for as much as I can remember. He never changed, always kept making attempts into kicking her out and covered it with a fake smile. But this time he had it all planned out to the smallest detail and couldn't afford to just brush it off as usual. That's probably his biggest mistake so far. He just couldn't stand hiding in a bush anymore so he went 'go hard or go home' I guess."

All this new information was making your head spin. Your mind wasn't helping either, continuously attaching images to the words, helping build up the portrayal of the man who had detested you for so many years, piece by piece. To say that you'd been dismayed was an understatement. You just couldn't believe your ears, couldn't wrap your head around the idea.

"What exactly had he planned?" asks Jungkook with a tint of hesitation in his voice. Understandable enough, taking into consideration the fact that he was fed up with the truths he'd heard. The bodyguard takes a sip from his glass and gulps audibly. He keeps throwing nervous looks at the door, as if waiting for someone to burst in.

"If you can remember....the accident with the saesang girl...."

No

Not that

Anything but that

"It was not an accident, " he confirms. "Your manager planned it."

No

No no no no no no-

"He hired that girl knowing she was a saesang and told her what she had to do. He promised her Jungkook would be hers if she managed to get the job done. That night, when you sneaked out into the forest, it's like you offered yourselves to her in a silver platter. And that's how it went. She took care of everything; the car, the tools, even her assistant."

He shakes his head and you see a melancholic smile cast upon his lips as he looks directly at you. "Stupid girl. She hated you so much to the point where she even ignored Sejin's orders for a moment. He'd never intended to kill you. Obviously, he wasn't that stupid. But she didn't care at all. Thought about getting rid if you since she had the chance and went all-psycho. Unfortunately for her, you managed to escape and that's when Mr.Sejin got angry. Really, really angry. His face got all red and puffy and when Namjoon-ssi tried to talk to him, worried about you gone missing, he yelled in his face."

Joon.

You can almost feel the nostalgic taste of the word in your tongue. It was like smelling that familiar aroma of fresh flowers that grew in your back yard and being swept into a wave of old memories. Sick of you, to not think enough about him all this time, when all he'd ever did was worry about you.

You missed them. All of them. So much to the point where it hurt.

Were they okay?

Now that you were certain about your manager's intentions, you couldn't help feeling concerned about the rest of the boys.

Unaware of your thoughts, the man continues with his story. "And things got even worse when she shot you and you jumped into the stream. I guess she panicked. Her voice was literally shaking from the other side of the phone during the call with manager-nim. I don't know what she said exactly but it still didn't make him give up. After all, he had to prepare for the grand finale."

Jungkook's sharp intake of breath switches your attention to him. You examine his face carefully, looking for any signs of panic but nothing makes it to the surface.

At least not yet.

"-called the ambulance to make sure you wouldn't die."

The momentary distraction had made you zone out and you're only able to catch the last part of the phrase.

"Then what?" Jungkook asks softly.

It's like the man's physiognomy is put into action; eyelids blinking furiously, lips opening and closing, hands fumbling with each-other. He seems nervous to keep talking and that only puts Jungkook on edge even more.

"Then what? " the latter insists. Bolder this time.

The man chokes the words out. "Th-then you wrestled with that girl's assistant. And-"

"And I killed him." Jungkook finishes for him. You notice the way his eyes turn glassy and distant, as if they'd travelled back in time, recalling the events.

"No, sir. He's alive."

Both yours and Jungkook's head snap in his direction with lightning speed.

Had you just imagined him saying that?

"What?" you voice.

"He didn't kill him, " the man confirms and this time you can clearly see his lips matching the words. "It was all a trick."

Clash

"No!"

Tiny little glass shards scatter across the floor, but you don't even have time to react as another loud noise joins it.

"No!" Jungkook yells again after taking out the anger on the second vase. " I don't believe you! You're lying!" He's fully risen to his feet, his chest puffed from breathing too hard. You've never seen him like this, so angry and panicked and scared.

"He's alive, sir. I'm not lying. They enacted the death-"

"Shut up!" Jungkook screams.

"-to make Y/N-ssi feel guilty and leave. Please, sir. You have to listen to me. You did not kill anyone."

A storm of emotions drowns you whole and it's impossible to pinpoint a particular feeling in the midst of all the chaos. Pain, sadness, relief, anger. They all come as a flooding mess, an absolute wreck.

But none of that matters now.

Not as you notice Jungkook from the corner of your eye, slowly sink to the floor and curl into a ball. It's just like that night at the hotel. He rocks back and forth with no awareness of his surroundings, completely lost in his despair.

The storyteller gives him a perplexed look. He must be wondering why Jungkook was reacting this way, why he didn't sigh in relief upon the news of his innocence.

That's because the man didn't know what the idea of killing someone had done to him and how hard it was to just rip that thought out of his mind. He'd convinced himself over and over that he was guilty, that he was a murderer. You'd witnessed it yourself during all those restless nights filled with nightmares driven by his own conscience. You'd both tried to speak as little as you could about it by trying to avoid that fact but now that he's given up and let himself fall apart, you're able to see how it had ruined him beyond repair.

You glare at the bodyguard to stop him from going further and rush to Jungkook's side on the floor.

And your heart shatters into a million pieces.

He's sobbing like a little child.

A grown-up man turned into a little kid just like that, with his arms wrapped around his knees, head buried low within.

You carefully approach him and crouch on the floor, putting a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "Kook..."

He doesn't even acknowledge your presence and his sobs only seem to increase but that doesn't discourage you from throwing your arms around him in a wide hug.

"It's okay, Kook. You're okay."

Suddenly, his hands wrap around your waist and he hugs you so tightly, you almost fall back. You thread your fingers through his dark silky hair and pat his head.

Another choked sob escapes his throat.

Oh how you wished you were the one suffering, not him. If only you could take all his pain from him, you'd gladly do it. You'd do anything for him.

His fists scrunch the fabric on the back of your shirt as hit tears spill on your collarbones.

"You're okay, you're okay, shhhhhhh." you whisper in his ear.

All is forgotten by now. The only thing you can focus on is to let him know that you were here, that you understood, and that it was okay to feel like this.

It was okay not to be okay.

* * *

You'd lost all sense of time with Jungkook in your arms that you'd failed to even throw a look at the man in the corner, silently waiting for the situation to cool down.

"I'm sorry." you hear Jungkook's worn voice at the side of your neck.

"Don't be." you answer. "It's not your fault."

He finally unties his hands from your waist and takes a deep breath. A dark veil still hangs in his eyes but he tries to cover it up with a weak smile. However, the smile turns a tad bit more genuine when you cup his cheek with one hand and gently caress it.

"I'll get you some water," you say and make to get up but he grips your hand and looks up at you with pleading eyes.

"Don't go."

If you could choose to have an image branded at the back of your mind, this particular one would be it. Those big round eyes and the messy curls that fell over them carelessly, that scar on his cheekbone, the one you'd always loved, and the pouty lips under the frame of which a tiny mole showed.

You feel like crying and laughing at the same time.

Yet you still understand.

He needed the physical support as much as the he needed the emotional one in order to have something to hang onto. A safe harbor to keep him from straying off into the dark corners of his traumas.

"Okay." You sit back down and Jungkook clings onto your arm almost immediately.

"Sir, " the man finally decides to speak. "I'm really sorry about everything."

Jungkook nods in affirmation.

You're just about to add something when the man's inner pocket of his coat starts to vibrate.

He gulps.

Looks at the door.

With shaking hands, he reaches inside his coat and retrieves his phone.

"It's him." he says upon taking a look at the screen.

Your senses tingle with a mind of their own. What you'd been talking about all this time takes the form of a man. The source of all your fears and sufferings.

The floor suddenly grows uncomfortable.

Bzzzzzzzz

It's like the vibrations are digging into your brain, each buzz more unbearable than the other.

The man can't seem to take it anymore. He taps on the phone and pushes it to his ear.

A gruff voice joins the line.

You're not able to catch any of the words but the man's face says it all.

Something happened.

"Don't hurt them, " he croaks.

More yelling on the other side of the phone call.

Then, silence.

At this point you don't know what to expect. You tightly squeeze Jungkook's leg in reassurance.

The man's begging eyes turn to plead with yours, desperate, hopeless. "I'm sorry, " he says and runs off to the door.

But instead of leaving, he pushes the open button.

And waits.

Your heart leaps in your throat when a dozen other bodyguards rush inside.

[lifeisdabubbles-undersalmondean]

La Pomme ~ Chapter 12

Pairing: Sam x OC (eventual Dean x OC and Dean x Castiel. And I mean eventual.)

Series summary: George is a casual French-Mistake-universe Supernatural fan living in no-COVID 2020, who's life is upended when she's suddenly launched between realities, two years into the boys' past (S13E22). What begins as an insane, immersive fan experience turns into more when Jack goes missing and George offers up her AU information to help track him down. Soon it's discovered that she and Sam may actually have history. But that's impossible, right?

Word Count: 5,500

Warnings: {smut, fluff, angst, show level violence, swearing, mentions of suicide} ***Detailed warnings will be tagged for specific chapters.

A/N: Following the events of my prequel Paradise and second story From My Eyes Off. Reading those first gives context but isn’t necessary to start this one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

George was lounging in the warm bath water, trying to use breathing exercises to clear her mind and calm herself. It had been a long day, capping off a long almost-month inside the Supernatural Universe. There were so many questions she couldn't answer and she wished she could turn her brain off; focus on anything else.

"George?" She heard Dean's muffled call from the other side of the bathroom door. "You OK in there?"

"Yea," She answered quietly. "Just humiliated," She added with an eye roll.

"Don't sweat it," Came his unusually sympathetic reply. "We've all been there, or somewhere similar… or somewhere worse," He added off handedly, taking another bite of pie. It occurred to him suddenly that the two of them were alone and Dean had a thought. After a moment's hesitation, he swallowed his bite of pie and called timidly, "George?"

"Yea?" She responded curiously, her voice raised slightly to compensate for the sound barrier. There was such a long pause with no answer that she wondered if it had just been her imagination. As she was about to call out again, she heard him finally.

"Can I ask you something?" Came an inquiry so quiet she almost didn't hear it. He sounded uncharacteristically troubled and… nervous?

"Yea, sure," She answered gently.

"What do you know about Michael?"

"Michael who?" Came her quick, confused reply.

"The archangel? Asshole that's been wearing me as a suit the last few weeks?" She was suddenly reminded of the fact that she was living inside of a TV show and it stunned her into silence. "That Michael? Has he not been on the show or...?" The nervous huff in his reply shook her out of her stupor. She realized this must be a hard topic for him. Unfortunately, though, she didn't have any insight to give.

"Oh fuck, right, Michael," She swallowed and gathered her thoughts before replying with a sigh, "I'm sorry, Dean, I don't really know much. I hadn't started this season yet," She finished apologetically.

"Thanks," Came a sarcastic reply.

She frowned and defended, "Look, I have a life, dude! I get behind, I can't always tune in every Thursday! Trust me, no one is more sorry about that than me right now. Maybe if I had, I could have done something to prevent this insane situation." A heavy sigh dotted the end of her sentence pointedly. Then she had a strange, disconcerting thought:

Would you really have prevented this from happening if you had a choice?

The thought startled her and she guiltily refused to answer herself.

A welcome distraction for her was noticing the silence that followed her answer to Dean; George could tell he was still concerned. Reaching over and grabbing the door handle, she cracked it just enough to spy Dean sitting on the edge of the mattress, holding a take out box. He glanced at her almost imperceptibly and she could tell her eyes weren't exactly welcome, so she turned her head away but left the door open.

"Here's what I've heard/seen on accident," She started, pausing to think and then saying carefully, "He comes back somehow," She heard him bristle but kept going, "And you do something to trap him. Some kind of box… or maybe a walk-in freezer?" She was trying to organize the spoilers she'd seen and identify what was related to Michael and what wasn't. "I know that doesn't make a lot of sense and I'm sorry, but that's all I've got."

Dean sighed and shrugged, "It's alright, George. I'm just… feeling lost. Was hoping for some clues, but it's not on you to save my bacon." George gave a wry smile to the bath water and sat quietly for a moment.

Finally she turned her head to look at him and asked, "You want to know what I do know, Dean?"

Slowly, he turned to look at her with an intrigued eyebrow, "I don't know, do I?"

With an amused eye roll she spoke, "I know this--right now--this story line with alternate Michael? It's two seasons behind where you and your brother end up in my reality. And--at least as far as I remember--this alternate Michael isn't a starring role for very long."

Dean furrowed his eyebrows at her in consideration, "Meaning?"

She shrugged and offered, "Meaning, you figure this out. Like you always do. You will figure this out and you will beat Michael and be onto the next big bad, whomever that is. Which, don't even ask because I really have no idea. Haven't watched those seasons at all yet… I think there's one episode where you meet Scooby Doo?"

Dean smirked and rolled his eyes, telling her matter-of-factly, "We already did that."

"No shit?! That already happened?" When he nodded in confirmation George 'ughed' loudly, rolling her eyes, "Damnit, that must have been one of the ones I just watched. What was it like?! Was Shaggy really high? Was Daphne really hot? Was Scooby just adorable?!"

Dean chuckled and answered, "Uh, yes, hell yes, and duh! It's Scooby Doo! Of course he's adorable!"

"Was it weird to be animated?"

He shrugged a little, "Eh, kin-"

She cut him off with a gasp, "Wait! Was all of you animated, like.. did you have all your-"

He shook his head and proclaimed, "That's none of your business!"

"Sorry!" George apologized defensively, then begged, "Tell me you and Daphne-"

"George!" Dean admonished with feigned offense, "I don't kiss and tell."

She scoffed and guessed, "Struck out, huh?"

Dean frowned and simply said, "Her and Fred are an item. I didn't want to break that up," to which George laughed in disbelief.

"Yea, I got it. I think things are starting to come back to me now," George teased him and he shrugged in defeat, unable to deny the fact that he definitely struck out with Daphne. When her laughter died away, she looked at him again and said, "I'm sorry I can't be more of a help. I know, I know, it's not my job to save you but that doesn't mean I enjoy not being able to." They were quiet again for a minute and she sighed, "If I could just call Ryan."

"Who's he?"

"She is my Winchester Wiki," She explained very matter of factly and Dean stared at her with an annoyed expression. With a smile she continued, "She's my friend and she's also a fan of the show; Got me back into it later in life and, well lets just say, she pays closer attention than I do. She'd be able to help you with this whole Michael problem without breaking a sweat. Oh and she's gorgeous," George tossed on and Dean raised a curious eyebrow. She caught his curious expression and asked, "You don't happen to have a phone with trans-universal long distance coverage by chance?"

Dean snorted and shook his head in bemused defeat, "Not on me." He was frustrated that she didn't have more insight on Michael, though somewhat comforted by the fact that-at least in her reality-he wasn't dead yet. That was something, he guessed.

"So," George smirked at him, glee in her eyes, "American's Next Top Model, hmm?"

"What, are you surprised? A house full of attractive models?" Dean gave her an obvious expression.

She shark-mouthed understandably and nodded, "Fair point. Allison cycle 12? Ooof. Hello!"

Dean considered her assessment for a moment, then nodded agreeably but offered, "Mercedes, cycle 2."

George had to remember who that was for a minute but then nodded emphatically, "Yes! Gorgeous and she was good. She ended up top three, right?"

They compared notes for a few minutes, until he finished the last bite of pie in the container he was holding. Then he whipped out his phone and muttered in her direction, "Finish your bath. I'm gonna text Sam for more towels."

When Sam got the text he snagged a pile from a housekeeping cart on their way back to George's room. They had also stopped by the car and brought up a few bags, per his request. Dean carefully handed George the towels through the bathroom door, so as to not accidentally see any bits, and then turned to Sam for a room update.

"Bad news: no adjoining rooms. The best I could do was five doors down. Even more bad news: only one queen bed." Sam held up the room key with a feigned wince. "But listen, I don't think we should leave George alone, so I'll just crash on the floor in here and you can take the room."

"Wow, what a sacrifice," Dean chuckled knowingly at his brother and snatched the key from him. "Shouldn't we have Cas handle it, though?"

"No, why?" Sam protested a little too fast.

"Because he doesn't need sleep. He can keep an eye on the little deserter. Make sure she doesn't do it again?"

Sam frowned, "She's not going to. And if she does, I think I can handle it. How is she supposed to get any sleep with Cas staring at her all night?"

"I don't stare at people when they sleep," Cas interrupted. With a huff he clarified, "I stare at the wall."

Dean looked at the offended angel and shrugged, "It's not that bad. He's quiet. Honestly, it's kind of comforting when you think about it." There was an awkward pause and Dean added, "Sometimes he'll sing for you if you ask nice-"

"Dean," Castiel admonished him for sharing something so intimate. Cas only did that for him.

Sam looked between the two of their sheepish faces and then assured sarcastically, "Yea, a singing angel staring at the wall in the dark. Totally not creepy."

George came out of the bathroom wrapped in the clean towels from Dean. She was now looking a little sheepish as well, "Hey, sorry about earlier. All of it. I jus-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Dean held up a hand to her. "Save it for the morning. You can spill your guts over breakfast. We couldn't get adjoining rooms, so Cas and I will be just down the hall; Sam will stay with you tonight. On the floor," He said pointedly with a 'behave' look toward Sam, who rolled his eyes in irritation. George nodded, barely listening, and let out a tired sigh.

Then she had a startling thought and groaned, "Shit. I'm going to have to put those crusty clothes back on."

Dean grinned proudly, "You're not the only one with surprise gifts." He took the bags that Sam and Cas had retrieved from the car and set them down on the wooden table.

"What's this?" She asked, grabbing one of the handles and peeking into the bag where she spotted the Friends logo hoodie she'd picked out at Target. "My clothes? My deodorant?! Oh Dean! Thank you so much! I would kiss you but you have pie like… all over your face, but thank you!" As she dug into the bags to search for the PJs, Dean looked questioningly at Sam and Cas who nodded in confirmation.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Dean grumbled, moving over to the sink to wipe his face. Sam shrugged in feigned innocence, laughing internally at his idiot brother.

"How did you get all the clothes I picked?" She asked, impressed.

"We got lucky; Sam happened to hear one of the employees complaining about a nutty woman who'd run from the store like a bat outta hell and abandoned all her stuff," Dean gave her a pointed stare.

She looked first at Sam, and then Cas and Dean, with immense gratitude, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Her spirits had been lifted a little. The fresh underwear alone was going to make her feel a thousand times better.

"They mentioned they'd already put back one or two items when we asked about it, so hopefully we got the right replacements." Sam warned her.

"I don't care! I can apply deodorant and brush my teeth; I'm sure I can put together at least one clean outfit with what's here! So I'm hap-" She suddenly stopped and froze, having discovered a strange item in one of the bags. "Wha?" In one swift motion she pulled out a pale pink lace bodysuit and held it up for them to see. With an annoyed, yet curious expression she looked at Dean and asked, "Someone care to explain this?"

Dean held his hands up in innocence and Sam inspected the garment in confusion.

"It looked nice on the mannequin and the Target associate who helped me pick it out said it was bold, yet feminine. Perfect for the new woman in my life," Castiel happily explained, sounding as though he was reciting someone else's words.

George blushed a bit, looking at Sam and Dean like 'is he for real?', unsure how to respond. Both men shrugged unhelpfully, avoiding eye contact with the item she was still holding, and remained quiet. Cas seemed so proud, she didn't want to ruin it.

Finally, she stuttered out, "Wow. OK, well… thanks. Very thoughtful of you, Castiel…"

"If you wanted to provide me with your exact measurements, the sales associate offered to help me pick out a 'matching bra and panty se'-"

"OK, why don't we quit while we're ahead, eh Buddy?" Dean grabbed up four of the remaining takeout boxes and motioned for Cas to do the same. He then reached for the pink, lacey material in George's hand, jokingly trying to take it from her.

She swatted him with it and held it out of his reach, "Hey! You're the old woman in his life."

He couldn't help but laugh in response, though he shook his head in annoyance, and then headed out the door with the angel in tow, "See you crazy kids in the morning!"

When they left George looked at Sam curiously, "Is it wrong that I kind of want to give Cas 'my measurements' and then watch him try to pick out lingerie?"

Sam smirked in amusement but nodded, "Yes."

"Oh, you're no fun," George chuckled and tossed the teddy back into the bag.

"Perhaps the wrong audience?" He suggested with a chuckle.

"Yea, that's fair," She agreed. While she rifled through the bags and grabbed out some black PJ pants, a light blue, short sleeved t-shirt, and a pair of underwear, Sam watched her quietly. To say he was relieved to find her safe and unharmed was an understatement. He'd also been thrilled by her admission that she liked it here, but, like Cas, he was curious what it meant. And what it could mean for him.

Does she like it enough to stay maybe? He cursed at himself for even thinking it.

"Uh, George?" He finally pushed through the nerves and forced himself to speak.

"Hmm?" She responded curiously, not looking up from her bags just yet.

He tried to adopt a nonchalant, yet comforting tone and asked, "When you were saying earlier that you felt… comfortable here? Like you belong? What did you mean?"

Pausing her rummaging, she glanced over at him, caught off guard by the question. Truthfully, she didn't know if she could answer it. She was quiet for a long time, trying to decide how deep she wanted to get into this.

Finally, she turned to him and said, "Back home I… I've always had this strange, out of place feeling. Major dysphoria my whole life and kinda irritatingly painful too, like... full body restless leg syndrome. I've always imagined it similar to how a trans individual might experience feeling like they were born in the wrong body, ya know?" Sam made a noise of confirmation and she continued, "Except, my body is fine--well, it's not the cause of this problem anyway," they chuckled together.

"It's more… my whole being was wrong somehow, like I didn't belong. Anywhere. I had trouble connecting with people and making friends; even my own family seemed so different from me. I felt like I was on a different wavelength than other people, and not in a snooty, I'm-better-than-anybody way but like a sad, I-have-hardly-any-friends-because-I-can't-relate way, so it sucked. Hard. My family wasn't much help; though they tried to help by testing me for every 'disorder' you could think of. Nada. I was just… inexplicably different and no one could explain why. I could barely explain what I was feeling. They--my parents--were surprisingly relieved when I came out after college. For them, my 'struggle with the fact that I liked boys and girls throughout my childhood' explained everything away so perfectly, that they wrote it off right then and there. But it never had to do with that; my sexuality was nothing I ever struggled with, I just didn't feel like I needed to tell them. And since I'm still queer in this reality..." She trailed off her point, allowing him to fill in the blanks, with a chuckle.

Sam nodded with a sympathetic smile, clearly reading on her face how painful her experience had been. Gently he asked, "And now, being here, i-in this reality, you feel...?"

Her head tilted to the side and, looking at him wide-eyed, she sighed deeply, "Now? God, now, I feel… normal? Or, at least what I can only assume normal people feel like." Suddenly her voice was heavy with deep emotional relief, "I don't know how to explain it… and I don't know why, maybe I don't even care why, but I feel so good for the first time in forever. Emotionally, spiritually, physically... The constant restless buzzing is mercifully just gone. Sometimes I think I feel it again--that terrible, agonizing discomfort--and my heart skips a beat. But then my brain registers that it really is gone and I still feel good! And that feeling is almost better than the best sex I've ever had."

Sam shark-mouthed in surprised appreciation and teased kindly, "So, I guess you did know how to explain it?"

George let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding with a chuckle and nodded, "Yea, I guess so. Honestly, I'm a little scared to go back," A few tears that had welled up as she was proselytizing spilled down her cheeks uncontrollably and she reached up to wipe them away, blushing lightly.

As George contemplated her admission in the silence, the guilt she felt over leaving them earlier was back. Why the hell did she leave if she'd felt so damn good here? She also felt like a stupid, impulsive child running away from the only people who seemed to care about her, at least insofar as they didn't want her to die. She felt especially guilty that Sam had stuck his neck out for her with Dean and she'd basically stomped on it.

Sam stood awkwardly, watching her with an empathetic grimace. He nearly leapt over to comfort her but… Christ, was this situation complicated. Maybe if things were different, maybe if she wasn't safer in her old reality, maybe if they hadn't handcuffed her to a chair and interrogated her, maybe if she hadn't spent the last few hours crying through an existential crisis, maybe if he wasn't terrified she would push him away in disgust? Maybe if she wasn't practically naked right now... maybe then he wouldn't feel so torn about walking over and wrapping her up into a bear hug.

After a moment of nervously wringing her fingers, George met his eyes and took a deep breath, apologizing, "I'm sorry I ran, Sam. I don't even really know why I-"

"Hey, you don't have to explain anything to me," Sam shook his head definitively, taking a few small steps toward her, now within arms reach. "I understand what you're going through-sort of, and you know, in reverse but still-I get it. Don't worry about it," He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it, "I'm just happy I found you."

At his touch, her heart skipped a beat and she felt her whole body flush, goosebumps forming on her skin. The sincerity in his voice and the look in his eyes nearly made her physically swoon. Was that an admission of something or just a subtextless statement of forgiveness? Staring into his eyes made her feel like she was on the downswing of the world's tallest roller coaster. She had to force herself to break eye contact before she could breathe again. He squeezed her hand once more before slowly letting go and as he did she had a realization.

"Thank you." Mustering up a smile through her butterflies, she clumsily grabbed the clothing she needed. "Anyway, I'm suddenly very, very aware of the fact that I'm naked-oh and have been since the three of you got here," She realized, blushing again. Jesus, I took a bath with Dean Winchester in the next room. Her legs felt like jelly as she tried to remain cool, calm, collect, walking toward the bathroom, "Uh, so, I should probably go put some clothes on, now."

Sam nodded understandingly and said with an earnest expression, "Hopefully not on my account." When George froze mid step and jerked her head towards him, burning red from head to toe, he faltered, "Er-uh-I just meant, you don't need to feel uncomfortable naaak-err-without-I mean you aren't making me uncomfortable while-without… clothes." George was relaxed by his shy, adorable stuttering, although at this point 'shy' surprised her. He'd been just as bold back at the bunker, more than once. He sighed and gave her a meek smile, "Uh, somehow this sounded less creepy in my head."

With a chuckle she put him out of his misery, "Relax, Ravenclaw, I understand. It's not on your account, it's on mine," She assured him, to which he nodded thankfully, a relieved expression on his face. She turned back to the door of the bathroom, pushing it open and stepping in.

When she exited the bathroom again, now fully clothed, the only light in the room was now the small, soft light above the bed. At first, the room seemed empty and George wondered if she'd scared Sam away with all her emotions. She was about to call out for him when she finally noticed a pair of big old feet sticking out from along the side of the bed near the window.

"Sam? What are you doing?" She walked over and found him lying on the ground on top of one solitary blanket.

"Just relaxing." He shrugged boyishly.

"On the floor?"

He clarified, "On my bed."

"Sorry, this tissue paper is supposed to be your bed?" She asked for clarification.

"Standard issue motel comforter. And, yea, it's perfect," He reached down on his side and pulled the right side of the blanket over himself. "See, you just fold the top over and it becomes a mattress and a blanket in one!" He seemed genuinely pleased about his makeshift accommodations, as though he was sharing a trade secret with her.

"Wow," she tried to sound impressed, "clever." She hopped onto the bed above him complimenting a bit sarcastically, "Quite the boy scout, aren't you?"

His head jerked up to look at her. There it was again. Another line direct from his dream falling familiarly from her lips. Hearing the pet name conjured images in his mind of the dream woman saying it. It felt identical.

But, how? That dream wasn't real. It was just Gabriel. George is a different woman, it's just a coin-

"Hey, can I ask you something?" George cut into his internal panicking with a soft voice suddenly.

"Yep?" He tried to seem nonchalant.

"Well… OK, I'm just going to say this because fuck it, I have nothing to lose at this point," She wasn't looking at him but sensed his nervous curiosity right away. Ignoring her own butterflies, she said, "Seems to me that the Sam I met at the bunker would have committed to that earlier 'unintended' innuendo." She raised a sideways brow at him, checking out of the corner of her eye to make sure he understood what she was referencing. When she could tell he did, she finally turned her head to meet his eyes and with a shy smile asked, "So, what gives?"

Sam considered her question for a minute; he wasn't sure where to start. Finally he folded his hands in his lap and shrugged sadly, "Actually, uh-about that, I feel like I owe you an apology."

Oooh, that doesn't sound good, George tried to hide her grimace. Her stomach started twisting in painful knots. What's that you were saying about nothing to lose?

"Por que?" She was trying to stave off a cold sweat.

"For… Well, I guess, how about handcuffing you to a chair and interrogating you for starters? For allowing you to be sexually assaulted by a demon? For letting you risk your life to come with us on this hunt? For hitting on you when you were obviously going through a difficult time? Take your pick."

She let out a breath of surprised relief and smiled curiously, "Oh… well in that case, let me just say: one, your brother was the one who handcuffed me to the chair--and it was understandable. Two, it's not your responsibility to protect me from the likes of Tim. He wasn't the first creep and he won't be the last." He seemed thoroughly unsatisfied by that response, so she tried to lighten it up by continuing, "And three, you didn't let me come on the hunt. Clearly I strong armed you." A tiny snort of amusement emitted from him and she smirked, then added curiously, "And, lastly, just to be clear… you were hitting on me?"

He huffed in humiliation, running his hand over his face, unable to look at her, "God, I feel like a real jackass." A blackhole was growing in the pit of his stomach. "Your world was literally turned upside down and you needed help not--not some weird, bunker dwelling asshole making advances."

"Uh, Sam," At first George laughed; the absurdity of the hottest man on television apologizing for hitting on her struck her funny bone. However, when it registered just how sober the tone of his voice was, the reality of the situation hit her again like a ton of bricks. She realized that part of her was still anticipating Jared to break at some point and reveal all of this had been an elaborate set up. It hadn't occurred to her yet that, for Sam, this was all real. His sincerity touched her.

She swallowed down the rest of her laughter, along with her typical smartass response, and smiled kindly, "Thank you for the apology and I appreciate the thought, I really do, but it's not necessary. You had no idea, considering I lied to you--which I'm also sorry about if I haven't already said that." That last part came out quickly upon realizing she might not have apologized yet. He gave her a kind smile and waved her off gently, so she continued, "So, please don't feel guilty. And I'll let you know if your advances are ever unwanted. Promise."

The deja vu hit him again so hard it knocked the wind out of him. His eyes snapped up to meet hers from his spot on the floor. A blush creeped across her cheeks as he stared curiously. She was back on the roller coaster, butterflies tumbling in her gut, but forced herself to keep eye contact, allowing him to conduct his search. She wasn't sure what he was so determinedly looking for but she hoped he was finding it.

A mix of emotions wrestled within him at the moment. Though he knew logically it made no sense, he was having a harder and harder time denying that he knew this woman, intimately--in every sense of the word. But, how?! And, holy shit, was she saying what he hoped she was saying? He could feel his hopes skyrocketing while he struggled to hold them down in self-preservation.

A huge yawn broke out on her face, ruining the moment and snapping Sam out of his stupor.

"Whoa, Jesus," She laughed a bit, surprised by the force of the yawn.

"Time for bed?" Sam tried to mask his disappointment at the disruption. She nodded agreeably.

"Listen, could you at least take a pillow, please? One pillow? For me?" Pulling the sheets back, so she could climb in, she yanked a pillow out and tossed it over the edge of the bed. She heard it land with an audible POOMPF right on his face. "Oops," she said with a snicker, reaching over to turn off the lamp on the table while he adjusted the pillow behind his head.

Sliding up under the covers, she settled down on her back. The deafening silence in the room allowed her mind to wander freely while she stared up at the ceiling. After a moment she rolled onto her side and peeked over the edge of the bed, surprised to find Sam's beautiful hazel eyes staring intensely back at her in the dark.

She whispered, "Sam?"

"Yeah?" Came a soft, low rumble, as he continued to stare back.

"How did you find me?" She wondered.

"Uh…" He turned away from her quickly and shifted nervously. He felt compelled to be honest with her; luckily the shroud of darkness made him bolder than he would have been in the harsh light of day. "We tracked you through the cab company mostly. Lost your trail at the diner and then… I'm not really sure. We were driving around and when I saw the sign for the motel I… uh, just had a strong feeling that you were here?"

"...uh huh." His answer surprised her. So much so, that she had to break eye contact and lay back down. She stared at the ceiling in shock.

What did that mean?

Though even as she asked herself the question, she had a feeling that she already knew. It was a feeling that didn't exactly put her at ease; raising more questions than it answered. She mulled it over for a few moments, before deciding she was too tired to pull at that thread.

She finally shrugged a little and said, "Good instincts?"

"Yeah… that must be it," He trailed off, having a nearly identical conversation with himself, and they fell silent again.

"Sam?" She said, choking back a nervous laughter. When she heard him respond with a curious grunt she hesitated. Finally, she blurted in a quiet, definitive whisper, "Samgirl. No question." When she could hear the smile behind another, practically silent--as though he was trying to hide it--grunt of confirmation she smiled wide, adding quickly, "And just so you know, that is the first and last time you will ever hear me utter that silly term of my own volition."

"Understood," He murmured in a teasingly serious tone, making her laugh quietly.

With another big yawn, she forced herself to stop engaging. Before rolling over, she tossed over her shoulder, "And don't tell Dean. He'll be devastated and we have a job to do." The sound of his joyful chuckling was the last thing she heard before sleep overtook her.