#i found the first two books in a box and the nostalgia was big

[wundersmith-squall]

That feeling when a series you love turns out to be extremely niche to the point where the entire fandom footprint on the internet is one deviantart drawing and a garbage AI talkbot

[rebelliousstories]

Their S/O Giving Them Small Yet Thoughtful Gifts…

Fandom: X-Men

Request: Yes by Anon

Warnings: Fluff, Brief Suggestive Themes, Brief Angst

Word Count: 1,150

Main Masterlist: Here

X-Men Masterlist: Here

Consider Donating to the Page: Here

Logan Howlett/The Wolverine

* Logan’s love language is acts of service. He doesn’t like to do big and extravagant anything. Of course there are some exceptions, but for the most part he likes keeping things solely for the two of you.

* So you giving him small things is perfect for him. I see him as someone who enjoys wood working in all capacities, especially figurines. He keeps them in the bedroom away from anyone who might see them, but you both know they’re there. Logan’s got a wolverine figurine on his nightstand which I could see as you get it for him, and he shoots you a deadpan look at first, but he treasures it with everything in him.

* I could also see him receiving new flannels, or clothing. Something practical. New colors and patterns would be something that he wouldn’t think of getting normally, but if you see them in town, get them. He’s wearing those specific articles of clothing till they’re thread bare. Let’s be completely honest though, if you bring that man anything, he’s cherishing it. It could be a carefully thought out present, or a rock you found on the way home that reminded you of him.

* Two ways he’ll accept a present that you give him: if you’re around others, he’ll grunt out a thank you, and press a quick kiss to your head before pocketing or stowing it away so no one else can see what a sucker he is for you. Or, his preferred way of receiving gifts, is in the comfort of your bedroom when it’s just the two of you. There, he’ll wrap you in a big hug, and stay there. He’s a man of few words. But in the privacy of your room, he can pepper you with kisses and affection as much as he wants without anyone else judging him for it. Logan still needs to protect his persona after all.

Wade Wilson/Deadpool

* I can completely see Wade as someone who does the absolute most for his S/O. He’s someone who will throw you a party just because. So dealing with someone who doesn’t do the big parties and gifts like him is a bit of a learning curve. But once he gets the hang of it, Wade is treasuring all you give him.

* Anything Hello Kitty specifically, or Sanrio in general, is a-okay n his books. Once he moves out of the one bedroom apartment with Al, he’s setting up a shelf that has all of his collectibles and trinkets that have the characters on them. He goes feral over some blind boxes too. Give him a few, and he’ll tear through them cause that ADHD must be satisfied.

* Wade also really likes gifts you would get from an arcade or skate rink. Like the ones you have to collect tickets to get. He likes nostalgia, alright? Just give him things that remind him of a simpler time, and he is absolute putty. Could totally see him still wanting, receiving, and playing CDs and VHS tapes.

* When you do give him his gift, no matter if you’re in front of people or alone, he’s landing the wettest smack of a kiss on your cheek, following quickly by one on your lips. Just be mindful to hold his hands because they will start to wander to inappropriate places if you let him.

Remy LeBeau/Gambit

* Now, for my little Cajun. He is so appreciative of just the fact that you’re dating him, he doesn’t need gifts. That said, he will love anything you give him. Remy loves collecting things from different countries and states. So if you travel, bring him something small back. He arranges everything in order on a specific set of shelves that he got just to display all the little items.

* This may be stereotypical for him, but the Gambit LOVES fancy card decks. The ones he uses in battle are always ones that are not fancy, but just some sturdy standard cards. But you give this man a fancy deck of cards that have intricate designs and patterns? Ooo Lordy he’s a sucker for that. He gets some little stands for the decks so he can display them proudly next to his travel gifts.

* Unless his friends are prepared for it, no one asks him about the ever growing shelves of trinkets. Most of the time because he will find a way to bring up the newest one anyways regardless of the conversation. It’s not that they don’t like hearing about the new items, it’s just that Remy takes that as an excuse to talk far too long about them and you. Sometimes, if a new person comes over and makes the mistake of asking about the shelves, his friends will all groan, and begin grabbing another drink or food so they aren’t subject to his speech again.

* Remy will always show his appreciation for when you bring home a gift for him. If you’re coming back from your travels and have a gift for him, he’s extra appreciative. He hadn’t seen you in too long, which means he needs to spoil you more. Hugging you close, kissing everywhere he can, general tangled limbs. If you come home with a fancy deck of cards though? Y’all ain’t leaving the bedroom till the next day.

Poly! Logan & Wade

* Oh my goodness… double trouble on opposite ends of the spectrum. Logan doesn’t mind PDA, and for Wade that’s a must. So naturally their reactions are going to be different when they receive their gifts. No matter what, they agree to cherish it as much as they can.

* Giving them gifts together prompts some grumbling on behalf of Logan, and playful competition from Wade. Wade doesn’t mean to belittle whatever you got for Logan but the other man can’t help but get defensive over you and your presents when he does this. It honestly is the one thing that puts him in a foul mood fast.

* If you give them gifts separately, which would probably be the best, they each give their own thanks for their gifts. Even if the gifts go together, it’s just easier to give them separate because of how differently they show appreciation.

* Logan would not be overtly jealous if you give Wade something shinier, newer, or more expensive, but he would deal with it quietly. He would never bring it up to you, but you could see the glances and looks he would throw towards Wade when he got his gifts. Give this man a new piece of jewelry. I see him as a watch man, so giving him a brand new one would definitely keep his own self doubt from creeping up as often. Just be warned, if Wade sees this, he’s going to want a new present. So just give him a Hello Kitty figurine and he’ll be fine.

[sheepheadfred]

Ectoberhaunt Day 7: Bury/Unearth

Summary: Three young kids bury a time capsule together. Years later they dig it back up as teens.

AO3 link

(Bury: Years in the past with an eight year old and two six year olds)

"Jazzy! Jazzy Jazzy Jazzy Jazzy!"

A young child with fluffy black hair and the brightest blue eyes excitedly pulls his sister to their backyard, where his best friend is waiting.

"Danny, what do you want? I'm trying to read my big kid books."

"But Jazzy, me and Tucker saw some older kids do something cool and you say to make sure you know what we're doing if we need tools!"

Taking a bit to respond, the big sister goes "Why do you even need tools? Cause I'm not giving you the stuff mom and dad use in the lab."

"Nuh uh! Some big kids had a box full of cool stuff and buried it, they were talking about coming back for it in the future! We only wanted a shovel because our plastic ones weren't working!"

Tucker quickly nods his head, equally excited to do this with his best friend and needing Jazz's approval.

"Of course you don't know what a time capsule is," Jazz acts annoyed with them but the boys could see her starting to smile, "Only if I can put stuff in it, too."

"YES!"

"Permission acquired!"

The three kids quickly found an unused small box, Jazz made sure it was plastic and could seal so it could last, and grabbed some things they don't mind parting with for the time being that still hold meaning.

"OK, the last step probably isn't required but we should leave a message to our future selves!" Jazz proclaimed, as excited as the two younger kids now that they are almost done. Having a blast alongside them.

Messages written and placed in individual envelopes, all promising not to read each other's, everything was set to encase their capsule in the earth until further notice. They hoped maybe ten years but none of them ever put a year on it, just a promise that it will happen when they are grown.

It took all day and a bit past dinner, after Tucker called his parents to stay over, and the deed had been completed. It was the closest they have ever felt until now.

---------

(Unearth: Present day: ten years later. Parents are gone for the day and the kids goof off as Jazz enjoys a rare day to relax.)

A rare day with no parents and a light amount of ghost attacks finds Team Phantom a chance to chill together. Cujo runs around the Fenton backyard in puppy form, adorable as ever.

Suddenly, Cujo comes to a dead stop. As if possessed, ironic right, and starts to dig up one small section of the yard. Only stopping once he reached his goal.

"What do you have there, buddy?" Sam, asked the currently small dog. He had a dirty, plastic container in his mouth. Or at least the corner of it. The thing was as big as his small body as a whole box.

Covered by ghostly dog slobber. Ewww.

Sam may not have recognized the box, but three others did. They forgot about all of that but now, seeing their time capsule, has it all come rushing back.

"Is that our time capsule?!" Jazz broke the stunned silence.

"Totally forgot about that thing!" Danny laughed in disbelief.

"Dude, we need to see what we put in there!" Was shouted by Tucker in childlike glee.

All three voices overlapped in shouts but each were understood. Not helping with the noise level was Cujo, yapping alongside them to be included.

Sam, now frustrated and annoyed at being out of the loop, interrupts the noise.

"Alright, already! C'mon, just open the thing up if you're this excited over a piece of nostalgia."

She acts like she doesn't care but they can see her smile and the way her eyes zero in on the box, curious to what was put inside.

"Yeah, Sam's right. That and we don't want to summon you know who just by holding a cubic container." Danny says with an eye roll.

Danny makes the move to take the box from Sam and be the first to unseal it. A plastic container with the word 'Fenton' on it, made to contain even the most wryly of ectoplasmic movement inside. He is now grateful they did not get in trouble, or noticed, for taking an easy to reach one. Their parents always stored things all over the house and not just in the lab, after all.

Reaching in, he felt the trinkets and pulled them out one at a time. Showing them for the whole group to see.

First thing he touched was a book of some kind, must have been Jazz's contribution.

'Dragonology'.

"Forgot you were once into dragons..."

Face beat red, Jazz snatches the book from his hands. "Don't you start, Danny. I was eight! If dinosaurs could exist, why couldn't dragons?!"

"Y'know, she has a point," Sam piped in," We now know ghosts exist and we can't forget that Dora and Aragon have those amulets that turn anyone who wears them into dragons. There were several historical sources of them alive wearing those amulets. It even transformed me to a dragon before, too!"

"Fair enough," the boys both get it and there isn't really a point in arguing when she backs it up like that."

"Forgot that you were able to research Dora and that amulet the night of the dance. A lot has happened since then. Had to keep you from killing Paulina as a dragon for one." Danny recalls.

"Can I borrow this, later?" Sam asked Jazz after giving Danny a nod for that, heard and understood.

"Sure Sam," Jazz allows and passes the book to her, a bit fond and glad they can bond over something.

Sam, currently holding the book noticed something white and rectangular peaking out from behind the cover. "What's this?"

"Oh yeah, we wrote letters to our future selves! This one is clearly mine. Hand it over, please."

"Read it?"

"Yeah! Read it Jazz!" The boys both echo Sam's request.

"Ok, ok! I will," she looks at the trio in fond exasperation as she opens the letter. "Let's see..."

"Dear Future Jazz,

How are you? Do you get to accomplish our dreams? We are still super smart and helpful, right? Do I get any close friends like Danny has Tucker? Maybe when I'm your age, mom and dad will find spending time with us more interesting than ghosts and playing with their loud invenshuns that scare me and Danny!

P.S.

I hope you still take good care of bearburt!"

"Hey, what else is in there?" Jazz redirects the focus to the time capsule from her teary gaze, making a move to see for herself before Danny's hand went back in. He's the one holding it so she cant just take it!

"Up next is...." Danny pauses for dramatic effect as he grasps an object blindly, "Oh wow! Look at this blast from the past! Does it still work?"

An original game boy in all its glory.

"So that's where i put it! It was my dad's and i used to play that thing all the time before this. I forgot about it completely when my parents got me that game boy color when it was new." Tucker informs everyone as he remembers it all while inspecting it for its condition. "Good thing Jazz convinced me to take the batteries out! Hehe!"

Another envelope taped to the game boy containing another message from the past. This one went unnoticed until Danny was already reaching for what past Danny left for him, Tucker taking it and putting it in his pocket.

For once he doesn't mind not being noticed. But alas, none of them forgot that 'we' and that it wasn't just Jazz who wrote one.

Sighing and preparing for future embarrassment that he's sure something he wrote when he was little would bring him, he begins.

"Hey future me,

I guess if you're getting this, we remembered to dig this up. HA HA! How much has technology advanced since this great year of 1996? Bet me an' Danny are still super close, right? Can't wait to see what kind of empire we create together. Best of luck future me, your past self."

None of them were surprised to hear that message.

'Huh, that was actually pretty sweet.'

Tucker fears were not met at all and he was greatly relieved.

"Maybe I should show my dad I found it when I get home. He was pretty heartbroken when he found out I lost it. We could even pop some batteries back in this bad boy and see how it plays!"

The group laughs at his statement, having fun reminiscing.

The last thing was unsurprisingly a toy rocket, paint still crisp while in the box. Like it literally blasted off to meet him again. Danny's breath caught seeing it here.

"This was my special rocket, I used to play with this all the time. I even slept with it." Danny was able to identify his childhood toy he forgot about in an instant. A hidden pang of sadness hit him over the memories, hidden from the rest, as he recalls his favorite toy. A small, sad smile playing on his lips.

"If it was your favorite, why did you bury that one?"

To him it didn't matter who asked, he can tell they were all thinking it.

"To be honest, I don't fully remember the reason why." He begins, "I think it was a combination of dad's penchant for careless destruction around the house where anything could be a victim of it as well as our continuously reanimated dinners. I was scared it would get broken and when we came to Jazz for help with the project, this was the most special thing i could think of to seal away for my future I guess."

His words hang for a minute before Cujo starts to yap up a storm. Trying to get Danny's attention and praise for finding his toy like he once did for the pup, Cujo runs around and through everyone's feet. It even still smelled a little like him somewhat and he is a good boy, he found the box he couldn't phase through and now Danny has his toy back!

The perfect distraction from his own letter. Danny picks Cujo up as the group heads inside to watch some movies, everyone wanting to chill after these memories were shared.

Danny glanced at his own letter while everyone heads inside, sucking in a deep breath, and shouts.

"First one in gets to choose!"

And all four teens book it, lauhghing.

Intangibility forgotten.

Or more accurately, ignored.

Danny lagged behind, opting to read his letter sent from the past. Bittersweet and full of innocence.

Dear Future Danny,

Will you take this rocket with you when you are an astronaut? I'll miss it, but it will be safer with you. So please take good care of it.

Are mommy and daddy right about ghosts? Are they evil like they say or can they be nice? They say they are evil and that if the ghosties say otherwise then they are trying to hurt me. That doesn't make much sense but mommy and daddy just want to protect me, right? Even if they get loud and yell-y when they think a ghost is here. Or during Christmas please tell me they stopped

Are you still friends with Tucker? Is he still our bestest friend? Do we get lots and lots of friends? Other kids like to be mean to me because their parents want to be mean about mommy and daddy. At least that's what Jazzy said.

Do we ever get a pet? Maybe other kids will like me more if I had a dog or something? That and I just like dogs. Maybe it could even be friendly and cuddly and protective and never is too busy for me.

Please think of me when you reach the stars as an astronaut. Maybe one day we could even live up there! Wouldn't that be cool? I'd never want to come back down from space. Earth has bullies and mean kids and attacking dinner.

P.S.

Jazzy helped me write this. She an' Tucker finished fast but I had a lot to say to you. I love you future me!

Movie sounds and laughing ahead as he is stuck, standing there reading these innocently hopeful words while his friends start without him. For all his past self's hopes, not many came true. He technically did get a dog but not many can know about it. Tucker is still his closest and truest bro. But the things that didn't change for the better hurt, reminding him how cruel fate feels sometimes for circumstances not theirs to control.

Fresh tear stains hit a blank part under the paragraphs of things his younger self wanted him to know and possibly answer next to dried, years old water stains that look identical.

Wiping his eyes and hiding the letter, he rejoins the group with an excuse of sorts and the kids continue to enjoy their day.

[comicbookfanzevad]

Nostalgia Quest!

In the year 2014 I decided I would find the pins from these comic book advertisements I saw back in 1987 and 1988 respectively. And I have found them. With the exception of one.

On the 1987 pin ad which is the one on the left Wolverine (C.) with a background is a reissue from the 90s. I still need to find the one from 1987 but the reissue will work as a placeholder.

My only issue besides that missing pin the only other issue was I didn't have a good display case. At first I had two big bulky ones that over time I grew to not like.

But eventually it hit me.. Why not have them in the same container? And make it a see-through one. I eventually found this see-through Box frame. And I love it. It feels so good to have them both pin sets inside a nice see-through case!

The new case is pictured above. On one side is the 1987 pin set and original ad. And then turn that case around and now you have the 1988 pin set and its original ad.

Update:

I just made new background art to put the pins on. But I'm torn I like both versions. Which one should I go with people?

Another update:

I decided to stick with the original background art. But we'll store the new background art in between the current backgrounds. Perhaps someday down the road I might want to switch it up and I'll already have the new background art inside the case!

[cartograffiti]

May '24 reading diary

This month, I finished 16 books, mostly quick cookbooks and graphic novels!

I started May by listening to a very unseasonal full-cast audiobook of E.T.A. Hoffmann's original The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. When I was a child, I read a lot of different text adaptations of the Tchaikovsky ballet adapted from this story, but only realized I'd never read the original when a friend got me to read Hoffmann's squarely horror story "The Sandman" a few years ago. This was creepier than the ballet story, though clearly written for children, and I'm very glad to have gotten around to it.

K.J. Charles, author of a large number of romances I'm a fan of, put out her first mystery A-plot novel, Death in the Spires. I think it's a good introduction to her style if you're not a big romance person, and I think it was the right call for this plot to prioritize the genre elements in this way, but I also have found her B-plot mysteries more exciting. No problem, I liked it a lot, and it has a lot of juicy thoughts about justice as distinct from the law and how trust is earned or lost. Gay disabled detective.

Two sports romances: You Should Be So Lucky, a sensational 1960s baseball player/magazine journalist relationship, meditating beautifully on the fear of failure and on grief. One of the mains was in a long-term relationship with someone who has died, and I think this is the best widowed romance character I've ever read. Sebastian is also just fabulous at taking a tour of a made-up person, full of small details and slice-of-life stakes. I've read all her books and will continue to; I like her particular approach to historicals and her ability to make queer happy endings distinct and individual. M/M.

The other sports romance I read this month is The Boxing Baroness by Minerva Spencer, which I only mildly enjoyed. Unfortunately I don't even have any real criticisms, I just very simply didn't click with Spencer's style on a sentences level, particularly in sex scenes. Your mileage will vary! There is a lot of really enjoyable bits about the hot honorable love interest thirsting over how strong and cool he thinks the heroine is, and he's right. This is definitely worth trying if the basic premise of woman boxer Regency is your thing. Wait, I do have one plot criticism--this would have been stronger without the epilogue. We didn't actually need to meet [historical figure redacted]. M/F.

Graphic novels--I used to read Chelsey Furedi's Rock and Riot when it was coming out as a webcomic, and I was excited when her follow-up, Project Nought, was suspended soon after launch because of a book deal. Unfortunately I somehow missed it when the book actually came out in 2017, and only when Heartstopper sent me on a nostalgia trip last month did I realize I could read it. I wish I had read Project Nought when it was new! A lot of the sci-fi plot no longer feels futuristic even 7 years on, although the core twist is just fabulous. There isn't enough of the interpersonal depth that shines in Rock and Riot, the villain plot resolution is a bit too easy for the YA market, and overall I just wouldn't pitch this as more than pleasant.

The rest of the graphic novels, far more than pleasant, I read volumes 8, 9, 10, and 11 of Witch Hat Atelier by Shirahama Kamome. This was a good batch to read close together, as they all deal with the events of the same festival. Unfortunately I have to wait for my library to buy the next to see the resolution, but that's how manga goes! I loved a lot of what's happening at this point, with some fabulous milestones in the Coco-Agott friendship, lots of good moments from my favorite of the adults (Olruggio), and continuing to push down on the question of forbidden magic. Shirahama brings in both strong cases of things that deserve to be banned (glasses that let you see through people's clothes, not treated as remotely funny) and things that...maybe don't. I really cannot tell what ethics resolution might be end-game, which is very exciting.

Cookbooks! My lovely mother surprised me with a copy of an 80s book I'd been looking for, Vineyard Seasons by Susan Branch. I wouldn't exactly call her style pastoral, but I've seen her rediscovered a bit by cottagecore, Ghibli-esque, and related aesthetic bloggers. If that kind of romantic daily life artwork appeals to you, you might like her books as much as I do; every page is full of Branch's watercolor paintings, sometimes ornamental borders and sometimes illustrations of the sights of her home in Martha's Vineyard. I read and re-read her books just to linger over the pictures, but almost every recipe I've tried has been a winner.

I also borrowed a whole bunch of cookbooks of literary-inspired recipes. I went through two by Alison Walsh (A Literary Tea Party and A Literary Holiday Cookbook), which were disappointing; they draw from a pretty small range of books, and rely a lot on food coloring to fit the themes. Meanwhile, The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook (ed. Kate White) has a really wide range of difficulty level and approach, only some of them inspired by fiction. Each recipe was contributed by a different author, making it fun in the same way that church and community cookbooks can be, but I don't have any wish to own this, either. I have two others still to look at. (And I already own some I do recommend, Kate Young's Little Library cookbooks and Tim Federle's literary cocktail books.)

More nonfiction: DK Publishing's really insubstantial small coffee table book Banned Books, which didn't have quite enough text (I shouldn't have finished any entries unsure on what grounds they were banned/challenged, and did), but some pretty vintage covers (and not enough of those either).

Really great, with loads of pictures and thorough text: The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag by Sasha Velour. I was first aware of gender-fluid queen Sasha Velour as an illustrator and zinester, and in many ways they're the reason I was first interested in drag performers. This book doubles as a history of drag and a personal memoir of Velour's experience with it, and I enjoyed both equally. The history is well-researched and thoughtful, and the memoir is generous and self-aware. And it has some of their comics!

And I'm still reading Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles at about one per month. I finished Pawn in Frankincense in May--lush and devastating and funny and infuriating and completely absorbing. Still not a series I would recommend to everyone, and still one I'm so glad I'm reading at this exact moment, when my emotions can go through the juicer and not feel scarred afterwards.

[yuhi-san]

I used to have 658 Manga. I started collecting when I was very young, at a time and in a place where it was harder to find them online, let alone in german (back when I didn’t speak english). so what else was there to do but buy them? I also loved having the copies! But, it was expensive, already like 25 years ago. Prices have more than doubled. Not to mention, back then most had to be ordered on demand because it was a very, very niche thing even in bigger cities.

The point is, I had 658 manga, that is a lot of money and also some space they take up.

Had a special shelf made that took up an entire wall. I loved them. I moves out from home and into an apartment with a friend. I was in my early twenties and below us was a family with three girls. They weren’t quite poor but they also didn’t have much spending money for fun stuff. The oldest girl was 14, I think, and I was talking to her mum once outside when she came begging to get money for the new volume of some series (I can’t remember which one, it was an ongoing one that I knew of but didn’t read). She promised to clean the bathroom, vacuum the house, everything.

I remember saying, “oh, you like manga? So do i!”

The girl was so excited. I mean this stuff was more common overall these days but still more niche in a backwater place like the one I lived at that time. I was like the first person she met that didn’t just loosely watched the shows and was aware what manga were but was really into it, too. I told her if her mum was okay with it, she could come see my collection and pick any she would like to read.

Her mum was a little reluctant. The younger ones would maybe want to look at them too, she was worried they might get signs of usage and so on. I said as long as they don’t split the back, that’s fine. They aren’t collectibles. Like 6 different elementary schoolers went through the dragon ball ones back in the day. Yes, treat your books with care but at the same time, they are made to be read.

Girl was over the moon when she saw my collection. At first she would just ask to borrow new ones when she happened to see me come home from work but later she was less hesitant and came knocking on occasion.

We moved to a different place like two years later. My room would be a lot smaller. So, so many of the manga I have read once and left in the shelf ever since. I put the nostalgia one and the ones I liked a lot into boxes.

The ones I only ever read once into another. I told the girl later she could pick any she wanted and keep them. She could also keep the shelf because I knew hers was cramped and overflowing ( mine was big, actual wood and designed in depth and all to perfectly maximize the space for manga.) and I would no longer need such a big one, let alone have the space.

She was absolutely losing it. Shrieking and jumping and going, really, really? All over again.

I was so excited that she was so excited.

Her mum came to me and asked me at least 5 times if I was sure. Its so much money!

The truth is, second hand manga, even in top condition, don’t sell super well. I did sell some, but couldn’t and also didn’t want to keep the others in boxes until they did sell.

I said, “yeah, sure. I haven’t read them in years. What’s the point in keeping them like decorations in my shelf or in boxes? It just makes me happy that they can make someone else excited the way they excited me.”

(I randomly found her on Pinterest almost 10 years later, she is still super into anime and manga and still has the shelf)

I have a bit of a problem of letting things go because, what if I want to use it later? So I still had like 400 when I moved the second time. My cousin was over to pick something up and saw my collection. Mentioned her neighbor kid was really into it, too. (they didn’t have much money, bad family situation all around, she just moved to live with the grandparents). I sorted my manga out again, put them in a box, got into contact with the girls grandparents. Explained the situation and learned her 13. birthday was coming up. the weekend after her birthday, I showed up with a giant box, told her who I was and that she could have whatever she wanted from the box.

Just like the other girl, she was so, so happy. I loved it.

Could I have made some money back if I sold them? Sure. But it’s a hassle. And see, if I had met someone like me when I was their ages, that would have been such an amazing thing. I like to share the thing that made me happy.

Now, I bought the trigun and maximum manga. They don’t fit into my perfectly filled, current shelf anymore.

The manga now have been there for years. I love them. Re read some of them. But there is still a bunch that is good but… not enough to have re read them in like the past 10 years.

So what do I do? Keep them? So I have physical copies still if I ever want to re visit them?

For a whole while the talk about getting physical copies of stuff has been going on, especially with what is going on with streaming. I get it, though there is more to it than just ‘unlike with streaming they cant take it away and you actually owe it’ (mostly its money and space but also the ability to check it out before having to invest too much).

The point is, trigun had me actually wanting to own physical copies of something again. And with the rooster teeth situation going on I am glad to know I have all available dvd and Blu-ray from rvb and rwby.

Then again, they sit on my shelf, just in case, looking pretty.

I decided to cut down again. Keep the best and the nostalgia one (I don’t think I will ever reread dragonball or even inu Yasha but that’s the nostalgia. Fma will stay. Durarara, d.n.angle… bunch of shorter series that are mindblowing like blood+ or another).

I don’t know any kids big on manga personally right now, so lets go to the library nearby (that also offers manga drawing courses) and see what they want.

Yes, owing physical copies is important. But if they stay on my shelf untouched for years on end, I think they serve a better purpose with someone what gets to actively enjoy them.

[v-tired-queer]

I have been awake for twenty straight hours now, so as I lay here upside down on my bed, here's a list of things I've learned and done in that time, in no particular order:

Got jazzed on some energy drinks

Got my bangs cut (I can see now! 😃)

Brought in a bed

Assembled the bed hours after bringing it in

Went through two storage boxes and tossed what I no longer need or want

Found a lot of condoms and dental dams that are still within the expiration date but I don't need (1. virgin 2. ttc next year 3. high school me really thought I'd be getting some but the only thing I got was depression RIP 4. on the asexual spectrum)

Reorganized my jewelry

Ate some ice cream (it was neopolitan 🤍🤎🩷)

Reorganized my books

Watched some YouTube videos

Watched some funny animal videos on TikTok

Wondered if he actually thinks I'm pretty

Wondered what his voice sounds like

Questioned my romantic orientation

Missed a call from Social Security Administration (gotta call them back on Monday)

Downloaded an important document from the Social Security website and learned that you can adopt a kid while on disability which was something I didn't know

Designated a whole notebook to adulting notes (it's essentially a whole notebook dedicated to that moment when you're frantically looking for a peice of paper to write this very important thing down) (I now carry it in my purse)

Cleaned out my purse

Got sad when I discovered that my hand sanitizer is too big for my jack-o-lantern hand sanitizer holder keychain

Got annoyed with That Aunt who decided to spend the night

Pet my mom's dog (x100)

Had some pretty good macaroni and cheese

Had some more ice cream

Was in pain because I'm lactose intolerance

Maintained annoyance with That Aunt

Greatly missed my dad's side of the family and then my dad but then his side even more

Cleaned out my closet

Organized my clothes

Set up my altar for the autumn season and added a picture of Mother Mary and Baby Jesus

Took my medication a half hour late but hey I still took it so yay!

Checked my email (nothing fun or important)

Swept my floor

Made my bed

Accidentally drank more caffeine without realizing it

Listened to country songs

Moved some wall decor to a different wall in my bedroom

Stretched

Switched to water

Took an ovulation test (I think it was positive but it was hard to tell--the lines looked almost the same but maybe not quite enough to be positive)

Took out the trash

Daydreampt about being a parent and picking my kids up from school and helping them with their homework at the kitchen table with a snack of homemade chocolate chip cookies

Craved chocolate chip cookies

Did not get any chocolate chip cookies

Hung out with my mom

Thought about how cute his smile is

Thought about how cute her smile is

Accidentally broke my glasses (again) (big oopsie) (they were cheaters from the dollar store so no big deal but still)

Decided what I want done with my body in the event that I die (context: I broke a tombstone Halloween decoration that I had and it made me think of cemeteries and then I thought of my local cemetery aka my Happy Place and thus, the I Wanna Be Cremated and Then Have My Ashes Burried There thoughts commenced)

Decided that it would be really cute if my mom, my brother and I all had matching sashes for my baby shower (mine--Mommy to Be; my mom's--Nana to Be; my brother's--Uncle to Be)

Found my military coin from when I was in JROTC in high school and put it back in my wallet for the ✨️nostalgia✨️

Got hungry but forgot to eat (oops)

Hung up my clothes in the closet

Learned how to clean the silver earring holder that my mom gave me years ago (so shiny now!)

Filled up my box of crystals and rocks (!!!)

Was genuinely not depressed or anxious for the first time in weeks

Accidentally said I don't drink coffee when actually I love coffee but only if it's iced and doused in sugar but I've had enough caffeine and it was to That Aunt so actually it's fine

Stayed hydrated after I switched to water

Checked the weather forecast

Swore a lot (fuck was my favorite word)

Made a shopping list

[the-terrible-theys]

i do actually have a few more headcanons that’ve been sitting in my head for awhile :)

their love for animals started with books in the library!!! horse books, specifically (think misty of chincoteague, black beauty, et cetera)

they both had a pretty big horse girl phase following their discovery of misty and black beauty

i know for a fact that they’d still watch horse girl movies (which they always cry over but love anyway) (they’ve watched like every single horse movie ever at least twice)

they grew up in a pretty urban environment and neither had pets until they got older so their experience with (and therefore knowledge of) animals was mostly limited to fiction books like that, unlike the kratt brothers, which is why they often seem to not know a lot of fairly basic facts

aviva never had pets of her own growing up, but koki ended up adopting a momma cat and her kittens sometime in teenagehood, and aviva spent so much time with them that they were basically hers, too

they shared/traded/borrowed each other’s things so much in childhood that their old things (like in memory boxes their parents kept for nostalgia) are STILL mixed up

their tradition of sharing has only gotten stronger over time, so more often than not they can be found wearing each other’s clothes (may i direct your opinion to this post because this is actually a thing they do in the show)

they were together so often that people would always be genuinely surprised to see one without the other. they come as a pair!!!!

they definitely had (and still have!) fights but they always make up afterward. their friendship is so strong and they care about one another so much!!!

they did go their separate ways for college (koki majored in something tech related and minored in engineering, aviva majored in engineering and minored in some kind of science probably) but moved in together afterward. it was hard to be separated for that long after being so physically close all their childhood but they stayed good friends through it all. made sure to visit one another often)

immediately after they both graduated (i headcanon that they both got masters degrees) they started up work on the tortuga and got the whole wild kratts team together!!! koki and aviva were the original two okay

(i also headcanon that aviva made the first functional powersuits while in university. just as a side note) (i need to make a post someday about the whole timeline that’s in my head for this stuff because i have A Lot Of Thoughts)

they can pretty much read each other’s minds because of how close they are and how many experiences they’ve shared. freaks people out sometimes

growing up they both kept toothbrush/shower stuff/pajamas/etc at one another’s houses so for sleepovers they didn’t even need to pack anything

koki isn’t generally super physically affectionate (still most definitely enjoys physical affection between people she’s close with like the crew, but won’t tend to seek it out as her go-to form of affection), but when it’s with aviva she basically does a 180. aviva has always been VERY physically affectionate. needs to fulfill her daily hug quota. and so koki’s physically affectionate right back :) (it’s kind of just become habitual for her at this point)

this is another semi-canon thing but they’re both very attuned to one another’s needs!! for example in into the subnivean zone (? correct me if i’m wrong), aviva has to go out in the cold to search for the kratt bros and koki brings her her winter jacket without prompting. also (again correct me if i’m wrong) in the christmas special the reverse happens! when koki deactivates her powersuit and is still wearing just a tshirt out in the snow, aviva instantly pops up with koki’s jacket

i realize that a lot of this is more me rambling about them and their relationship in general rather than my little childhood friends headcanon but. oh well. childhood friends or not, they care for each other so so much and i adore their bond!!!!

i keep thinking about how in the wild ponies episode it says that koki and aviva have loved horses since they were little girls. and yes i know that that doesn’t necessarily mean they were childhood friends but having them be childhood friends is so good

[waitimcomingtoo]

Red

Pairing: Arvin Russel x Reader

Warnings: fighting, swearing, southern dialect (not really a warning lol)

Masterlist

“Hey Arvin.” Leonora smiled as she climbed into her brothers car. “Sorry it took so long. I got my dress caught on a locker.”

“I don’t mind waiting, long as those hillbilly boys ain’t bothering you.” Arvin stated in his low southern drawl.

“They left me alone today thanks to Y/n.” Leonora sighed in content as she situated her bible on her lap.

“Y/n?” Arvin furrowed his eyebrows. “Who’s that?”

As if on cue, you opened the back door of Arvin’s car and got into the backseat.

“Hi.” You waved at the two of them with a cheerful smile. “Sorry I’m late.”

Arvin looked at you in the rear view mirror and cleared his throat, nervously taking off his baseball cap and smoothing his hair down before looking away. You had your hair in banana curls that came to your shoulders, the front pinned back to give a better view of your face. Your cherry red lips matched your skirt, which was a nice contrast to your bright white blouse. Arvin was taken aback by the girl in his backseat, feeling like you were much too pretty to be in his beat up old car. For the first time in his life, he cared about his appearance, fumbling nervously with the brim of his hat.

“There she is.” Leonora looked back at you. “This is my friend Y/n. She’s gonna come with me to visit momma today.”

“Nice to meet you. Awful nice of you to drive us. I don’t know anybody with a car.” You spoke with excitement, as if being in Arvin’s old car was a fancy excursion. He held eye contact with you in the mirror, nodded at you to acknowledge your greeting.

“Nice to meet you too. Name’s Arvin.” He tilted his hat to you. “You have somebody buried up there too?”

“Kinda. My dog is buried under the big oak tree in the back.” You explained. “It’s her birthday today.”

“We’re gonna say a prayer for Bessie and momma. We won’t be too long.” Leonora told him as he started the car.

“Bessie?” He wondered, looking to her for answers. The name ignited nostalgia in him for a song he had never told anyone about.

“That was my dogs name.” You said, a light flush appearing on his cheeks as you spoke directly to him.

“Nice name.” He commented, thinking of his dog Jack. “What breed?”

“Jack russel.” You answered, as if you read him mind.

“She likes Russel’s.” Leonora commented, causing you to jokingly slap her on the shoulder. Arvin’s jaw tightened as he looked at you in the mirror again, curious to know what his sister meant by that.

“Shut up. Least I’m not crushing on a preacher.” You playfully teased her.

“Just teasing.” She laughed as you pulled up to the church. “You can park here, Arvin. We don’t mind the walk.”

“Thanks for driving us, Arvin.” You smiled brightly at him. He finally turned to look at you, face softening when his eyes met yours.

“No trouble missus.” He nodded curtly at you, fighting the urge to break his permanent frown with a smile.

“See you later.” You waved goodbye to him as you left the car, linking your arm through Lenora’s once you were out. Despite your back being to him, he waved back, blowing out a nervous breath as he watched you leave. He wasn’t one to have his head turned by pretty girls, his grandmother worried if he even cared for girls at all, but something about you left a pink tint in his cheeks. He looked at his backseat where you had been, smiling a little at the thought of you. The smell of you flowery perfume lingered in his car, replacing his usual smell of cigarette smoke. It was a nice and welcomed change, one he wouldn’t mind getting used to.

Before long, Arvin heard a knock on his window. He looked up and saw you holding your book bag over your head with an apologetic look of your face. He quickly rolled the window down, blinking a few times in surprise.

“Hi. Leonora wudden done yet and it’s starting to rain. You mind if I wait in here?” You asked like it was a tall order, but he was more than happy to fulfill it. He hadn’t even realized it had begun to drizzle, too wrapped up in that thought of you to notice his surroundings.

“Go ‘head.” He nodded as he unlocked the door. “You don’t have to sit in the back if you don’t want . Front is just fine.”

“Thank you.” You smiled at him as you sat in the passenger seat, shaking the raindrops out of your hair once inside. You tossed your bag over the seat and let it sit in the back before rubbing your arms from the chill of the rain. Arvin wordlessly took of his jacket and laid it over your shoulders when he saw the goosebumps on your arms. You smiled gratefully at him and held the jacket tighter around you, taking in the smell of it.

“Thank you. Rain came out of nowhere.” You laughed breathlessly as you looked at him. Too shy to speak, he gave you a nod in response and looked out the window.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” You asked suddenly, making him look at you again. You had a coy smile on your face, a smile he was growing awfully fond of.

“Don’t got much to say.” He shrugged, just happy you were taking an interest in him.

“Shame.” You chuckled shyly as you looked down at your red fingernails. “I would’ve liked to hear whatever you had to say.”

Arvin’s jaw dropped a little at your statement, immediately coughing to cover up his shocked expression. It was the first time he had ever been flirted with and it showed. He rubbed his hand on his shirt to smooth it as he shook his head, unsuccessful in hiding how flustered you made him.

“You mind if I smoke in here?” He changed the subject before he could embarrass himself further.

“Go ahead. I like the smell.” You shrugged as he pulled out his lighter.

“You do?” He looked at you curiously with his cigarette between his teeth. Most people he knew hated the smell, but you were continuously proving you weren’t like most people he knew.

“Yeah.” You nodded. “Reminds me of my daddy.”

“Me too.” He chuckled softly, finding himself on common ground with you once again. “You smoke?”

He held out his box to you to offer you a cigarette, making you bite your lip as you contemplated it.

“I never tried it before.” You spoke shyly, as if it was something to be embarrassed about.

“Here. I’ll give you a light.” Arvin smirked as he took a cigarette out of the box. You opened your mouth and held eye contact with you as he placed it between your lips, red lipstick staining the base. He lit his own cigarette before leaning forward and lighting yours with his own.

“It’s gonna burn at first, you might start coughing.” He warned you as you took a short puff.

“Whew.” You took it out of your mouth and coughed. “That’s something different.”

“You don’t have to finish it if you don’t like it.” He assured you as he took a long drag of his.

“Never said I didn’t like it.” You winked at him before taking another drag. Arvin looked away as he smiled, rubbing his tired eyes with his free hand.

“My grandmomma hates it when I smoke in here.” He began to open up to you. “Said it makes the seats smell like a factory.”

“Then I won’t tell her.” You drawled. “Secrets safe with me.”

Arvin found the confidence to move his arm to rest on the back of seat, almost close enough to be around you. You took the hint and scooted closer to him, excitement evident in your eyes. He smirked a little before he took his cigarette out of his mouth and blew the smoke in your face. You leaned into his cloud of smoke, holding his gaze as you inhaled. He leaned forward as well, planning to meet you in the middle until you heard the backdoor open.

“Hey guys.” Leonora bumbled as he got in the backseat. “Rain came out of nowhere, didn’t it?”

You and Arvin shared a disappointed look before your turned in your seat to look at Leonora.

“Hi, hun.” You greeted her kindly. “You all set?”

“Yeah. Thanks for coming with me.” She put her hand on your arm and squeezed it in appreciation.

“Anytime.” You told her, sneaking a glance at Arvin as he put his key in the ignition.

He kept quiet on the ride to your house after asking for your address, so you busted yourself by keeping light conversation with Leonora. You didn’t live too far from the church and found yourself in your drive way sooner than you’d like. You unbuckled your seat belt and collected your books, looking at Arvin wistfully before getting out.

“Thank you for driving me home, Arvin.” You thanked him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“A lady should never walk alone. Specially not in the rain.” He nodded curtly. “Here, I’ll walk you to the door.”

“Are you sure it’s no trouble?” You gazed at him innocently through your lashes. You wanted him to walk you to the door, you just didn’t want him to know that.

“No trouble at all, doll.” He assured you as he got out. You said goodbye to Leonora before Arvin opened your door and helped you out.

“If your grandmomma don’t like the smell, maybe we could smoke outside sometime.” You suggested as you took slow steps to your front door, coming up with any way you could think of to see him again.

“I got the feeling you didn’t like it all the much.” He chuckled as he fidgeted with his cap.

“I could learn to.” You said, almost sadly as you looked at him. You stopped once you got to your front door, silently sliding his jacket off your shoulders and giving it back to him.

“How about we do something else? Something you like to do.” He suggested as he accepted the jacket. Your lips curved into a smile when he showed the same interest in you as you had in him.

“I’m pretty boring, Arvin.” You shrugged shyly as you dug your toe in the dirt. “Alls I do is go to church and do schoolwork.”

“You ain’t bored me yet.” He smirked as he shoved his hands in his pockets. You bit your tongue between your teeth and giggled, timidly tucking your hair behind your ear.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Arvin.” You held your hand out to him for him to shake. He took your hand and kissed your knuckles, never breaking eye contact.

“See you. You have a nice night now.”

You watched him the whole way back to his car, pressing a cold hand to your burning cheek to calm yourself down. Only once he and Leonora had pulled away did you go inside, leaning your back against the door and sighing once you did.

“How come I never seen you with her before?” Arvin asked his sister as he drove towards their house. He knew his sister didn’t have many friends, of any for the matter. And he definitely would’ve remembered seeing you before, considering the way you were stuck in his brain like an old song.

“We just met today. Chuck Greenwood was picking on me this morning but she stopped him. She told me she saw me at the graveyard every day and asked if she could tag alone to see her dog. She’s nice, isn’t she? My first friend.” Leonora smiled proudly as she brushed off her bible, never being one for making friends.

“She’s alright.” Arvin played down his feelings towards you. “How’d she stop Greenwood?”

“She asked him to take her to the drive in. I never seen a boy look so red.” Leonora bounced in excitement. “He forgot all about me and started following her around all day. Shame though, I heard him telling people he had his way with her behind the school busses.”

“That true?” Arvin clenched his jaw, feeling white hot jealousy corse through his veins.

“Course not. Shes not like that.” Leonora said, giving Arvin some peace of mind.

“Good.” He grumbled, turning the corner as his car rattled.

“She’s so pretty.” Leonora gushed. “She told me she could do my makeup for church this Sunday if I like. You think I should?”

“I don’t know. What does the Bible say about lipstick?” Arvin cracked one of his rare jokes.

“Nothing.” Leonora rolled her eyes. “She looks so pretty with it though. Reminds me of momma.”

“She did look pretty.” Arvin mumbled. “Nice color on her.”

“You like her, don’t you?” Leonora’s jaw dropped as her brother showed an emotion other than anger for the first time.

“You mind your own business now. Was just being nice.” Arvin stated as he looked at her in the mirror.

“You ain’t nice to nobody.” Leonora scoffed. “You like her.”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell her nothing.” Leonora smiled in satisfaction.

“You better not. Now hush up before I make you walk home.” Arvin warned.

“Just saying.” Leonora added slyly. “I think she likes you too.”

Arvin looked at her in his mirror to see if she was serious, and she was. He grunted and adjusted his cap, hoping his sister wouldn’t see the smile on his face.

~

“Can you pass me the sugar?” You asked Leonora in her kitchen the following day.

“Here you go.” She handed you the bag. “Thank you for helping me and grandmomma. I don’t know what she was thinking trying to make all this food on her own.”

“I’m happy to help.” You shrugged as you measured the sugar in a cup. “I love cooking. Makes the whole house smell good.”

“Well I appreciate it anyhow.” Leonora smiled at you as she poked your side.

“Something smells good.” Arvin announced as he entered the kitchen, stopping in his tracks when he saw you. “Hi, Y/n.”

“Hi Arvin. We’re making a pie for tonight. You wanna help us?” You turned to face him while resting the bowl of ingredients on your hip. You had an apron loosely tied around your waist and a streak of flour going across one cheek, looking as beautiful as ever.

“Not much of a baker.” He shrugged with a soft smile. “‘Less you like eggshells in your crust.”

“Could you set the table, then? 5 places, Y/n is staying.” Leonora asked him over his shoulder, missing the hopeful look on his face when she mentioned you staying.

“Hope you don’t mind.” You smiled apologetically at him while stirring the bowl with a large wooden spoon.

“Don’t mind at all.” He nodded, moving towards you to get the plates out of the cupboard behind you. “Pardon me.”

“Sorry bout that.” You stepped out of his way, shoulders brushing as you moved.

“No apology needed.” He shook his head as he collected the plates. “See you at dinner.”

You waved to him with your free hand as he left the kitchen and headed towards the table.

“He likes you, you know.” Leonora instigated once her brother was out of earshot.

“Don’t be silly. That boy dudden like anything in this town.” You chuckled, flustered at her implication. “We’re all just something for him to scowl at.”

“He does too.” She insisted. “I seen the honey glow on his cheeks when I mention your name. He thinks you’re pretty.”

“He said that?” You gasped, making Leonora laugh in delight.

“Uh huh.” She poked your side again. “Told me himself on the car ride home. You should’ve seen him, all red and blushin’. I bet he’ll put his plate next to you tonight.”

“If he does, I don’t want you making eyes at me all night.” You teased as you playfully bumped her out of your way with your hip.

“I won’t.” She said innocently as she picked up the basket of bread. “I’ll gonna bring this to the table. Maybe I’ll see your boyfriend while I’m there.”

You hit her on the butt with a dish towel for her comment, her laugh echoing through the house as she went to the table. You began to hum the tune of the Little Bessie song you knew from childhood as you poured the pie filling into the crust.

“My momma used to sing that song.” Arvin’s voice came from behind you, making you jump a little. “It was one of the last things I ever heard from her.”

He joined you at the counter and gave you a half smile, wordlessly holding the pie tin steady as you poured.

“I was awful sorry to hear about what happened to your family. Leonora told me, hope that’s all right.” You spoke softly as you looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

“S’all right.” He shrugged, signaling that he didn’t want to get into it. “She’s told me a thing or two bout you as well.”

“Like what?” You wondered as you took out the uncooked strips of pie crust.

“Like you telling Chuck Greenwood you’d let him take you to the drive in.” Arvin stated, a mixture of disappointment and anger hardening the boyish features of his face.

“She told you that?” You asked in disbelief as you laid the strips in a delicate pattern.

“Yes ma’am. She also told me he started a rumor that the two of you meet up behind the school busses everyday, doing God knows what, after school. That true?” He asked roughly. Leonora has already told him it was false, but he needed to hear it from you.

“No.” You laughed like it was absurd, popping the bubble of jealously that had formed in Arvin’s stomach since he first heard it. “He can say what he wants. Everyone knows he’s full of it.“

“Well if that’s how you feel, why are you going on a date with him?” Arvin gripped the counter and hunched over as he stared at you. You cracked a smile, seeing what Leonora meant by all the times she called him overprotective.

“Oh, Arvin.” You giggled, finishing the pie crust. “I’m not going.”

“But you said yes.” He stood you straight, his face twisted in confusion.

“I know. I said yes so when I don’t show up, it’ll hurt him like he hurt Leonora. Maybe then he’ll realize it’s not nice to mess with people.” You explained as you put the pie in the oven. Arvin was taken aback by your reasoning, standing there dumbstruck as you set a timer. He always thought it was his job and his job only to protect his sister, only to find out there was somebody else looking out for her too. The boundaries of his protection ended where the schoolyard started, and that had always been something that troubled him. Now that he knew he could count on you to keep an eye on her, he felt a weight taken off his shoulders.

“You let that candy ass talk about you like that to protect my sister?” He asked lowly as he took a step towards you. He brought his calloused thumb to your cheek and and wiped the flour from your face. Your breath hitched in your throat as you gazed into his dark and tired eyes.

“She’s my friend.” You stammered. “She’d do it for me.”

Arvin’s lips tweaked into a smile, approving of your answer. He dragged his thumb down your face, pulling your bottom lip down for a moment before it bounced back.

“If that Chuck Greenwood bothers you again, you tell me. All right, doll?” He murmured.

“Why? What are you gonna do about it?” You tilted your head and gave him a sultry smile.

“Kill him.” Arvin said simply, making your heart stop.

“I’m only kidding.” He followed up. “I’ll just set him straight, is all.”

“Thank you.” You said under your breath, too starstruck to speak at full volume.

“Speak up now, darling. Don’t mumble.” He commanded you. You cleared your throat and stood up straighter, hoping that would give the facade of confidence.

“I said thank you.” You repeated.

“No need to thank me. Any friend of my sisters is a friend of mine.” He tipped his hat to you and backed away, grabbing a dish towel to clean his hands.

“So you and I are friends now?” You asked, disappointment making a home in his heart now that he wasn’t in your personal space.

“Don’t have too many of em.” He shrugged. “One more cant hurt.”

He went to leave the kitchen so you quickly untied your apron and followed him.

“Since I’m not going to the drive in, I have nothing to do Friday night.” You began, sighing ostentatiously.

“Oh, yeah?” He smirked at you, taking the hint.

“Yeah.” You continued your charade of looking forlorn. “Leonora has bible study so I’ll be all alone.”

Arvin stopped in the hallway, taking your arm gently between his hand and turning to towards him.

“I could take you somewhere, if you’d like.” He offered as if he had just thought of it, but it had been weighing on his mind since your first encounter.

“I would like that very much.” You nodded, biting back a smile.

“Is it all right if I sit next to you tonight? Uncle Earskell chews pretty loud, it grosses me out.” He chuckled shyly as he scuffed his shoes on the floor.

“Sure.” You giggled, secretly thrilled that Leonora had been right. “I promise I don’t chew that loud.”

Arvin looked up and smiled softly at you, shrugging a little as he scratched his nose.

“I don’t supposed I’d mind all that much if you did.” He said quietly and you understood what he was implying.

“Speak up now, darling.” You repeated his own words. “Don’t mumble.”

Finally, you got a toothy smile out of the stolid boy. He grinned from ear to ear at you rendition of what he said before, feeling oddly proud that it had resonated with you. Before he could act on his feelings, Leonora appeared in the hallway.

“There you two are.” She sighed. “Pie is just about done. Y’all ready to eat?”

You and Arvin nodded repeatedly, both hoping she hadn’t seen anything before she interrupted it. You followed her to the dinning table, blushing when you felt Arvin’s hand on your back to guide you.

~

Friday night, right on time, Arvin pulled up to your house. He didn’t strike you as the kind to be punctual, in fact, he normally wasn’t. He just knew his reputation proceeded him and he didn’t want you thinking he didn’t care. He did care, very much in fact. He cared so much that when he saw you coming out of your house in high waisted shorts and a strapless top, he forgot how to breathe. You had a bandana tying your hair up, red like the color of your lipstick. To Arvin, you looked like a dream come true.

“Hello miss.” He greeted you as you climbed in his front seat. “Where to?”

“Anywhere you wanna take me.” You beamed as you buckled your seatbelt. He grinned wickedly as he started the car, feeling the wind whip through his hair as he pulled off.

He made small talk with you as he drove to a nearby lake, telling you about his new job laying down tar. Though you didn’t care much about the particular subject, you hung on to every word. You got the impression that he had a lot to say at all times, he just didn’t think anybody cared to listen. It wasn’t long before you pulled up to a still body of water, parking right before the shore.

“I like coming up here when the weathers nice.” Arvin told you as he kept his eyes straight ahead. “It’s quiet.”

“People who look for quiet places usually have pretty loud thoughts. What are you thinking bout?” You asked as you turned your body to face him and leaned your head on your hands. Arvin chuckled and fidgeted with his cap, looking anywhere but you.

“Only thing I’m thinking bout right now are those little shorts of yours.” He answered honestly, making you flush.

“You like em?” You smiled as you smoothed your hand over your shorts. “My momma made em. She works at the fabric shop in town.”

“She did a good job.” He finally looked at you. “Look real good on you.”

“What about you? Do you ever wear anything but white shirts and beat up old baseball caps?” You teased as you shook the brim of his cap.

“No ma’am.” He pursed his lips to fight off a smile. “Can’t say I do.”

“Good. Cause I ain’t seen anybody rock a jean jacket as good as you.” You told him. “Looks real good on you too.”

“Why, thank you.” He nodded his head before looking out his window so you wouldn’t see him turning red.

“You blushing?” You laughed, cupping his chin in your hands and making him look at you.

“I blush when pretty girls say I look good.” He defended himself as he playfully shooed your hands away.

“So Leonora was right.” You bit your tongue in amusement.

“About?”

“She said you thought I was pretty.” You sighed dramatically as you checked out your manicure. “Didn’t believe it until now.”

Arvin reached forward and took your chin between his rough fingers, holding it in place so he could get a long look at you. You sucked in a sharp breath as you held his gaze, entirely under his spell now.

“Now how could someone as beautiful as you not believe it?” He drawled, eyes darting between your eyes and your lips.

“I guess I don’t hear it all that much.” You whispered, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

“Let me ask you something, doll.” He began. “Anybody ever kissed you before?”

“No.” You shook your head as much as you could with his hand still attached.

He half smirked. “You ever want somebody to?”

“Not until now.” You breathed.

“Me too.” He gulped before leaning in the rest of the way. His hand was sprawled over your cheek, big enough to cover the entire side of your face as he kissed you hungrily. You accidentally knocked his hat off as you grabbed his face, trying to get as close to him as possible. He laughed as it tumbled onto the seat before reconnecting his lips to yours. He pulled you into his lap and pulled the banana out of your hair, immediately tangling his hands in your messy curls. He brought the banana around your neck and used it to pull you closer to him, if that was possible. You gripped the seat behind him, leaving crescent moon marks where your nails dug into the leather. He pulled away only to catch his breath, leaning his head back in bliss as he panted heavily.

“You gon’ be the death of me, darling.” He groaned as he blew out a breath towards the roof of his car. You took his face between his hands and tilted it down so he was looking at you, brushing your thumbs along his ever bruised cheekbones.

“Well then I hope you rest in peace.” You smirked before kissing him again.

~

The memory of your night in Arvin’s left a lingering grin on your face all weekend, still present on Monday during school. You walked with Leonora to her brothers car once the school day had ended, barely able to hear her over your loud thoughts of Arvin.

“Shoot.” You stopped in your tracks on the way out the school doors. “Forgot my math book.”

“You want me to wait?” Leonora asked kindly.

“No, it’s fine.” You waved your hand in dismissal. “I’ll be quick.”

“Alright then. See you in the car.” She waved goodbye, despite knowing she’ll be seeing you again in a few minutes. You waved back before heading to your locker and collecting your book. Since you were closer to the back of the school, you went out the back doors to walk around. Your heartbeat quickened as you clutched your books to your chest, knowing you’d be seeing Arvin in just a few moments. Your state of bliss was interrupted by someone putting their hand over your mouth from behind and yanking you backwards. All your books fell to the ground as you were harshly pushed up against the brick wall of the school building. Your attempt to scream was muffled by someone’s hand over your mouth, so you just shut your eyes in fear.

“There you are, you little whore. You missed our date on Friday.” Chuck Greenwood said through gritted teeth as he pinned you against the wall. Your eyes flew opened upon identifying your attacker and you impulsively bit down on his hand. He yelped in pain and let go of you, shaking his hand out to relieve the sting.

“Ow! You bitch.” He barked and shoved you again.

“Get off of me.” You shoved him back. “I’m no whore. I just didn’t want to slum it with a no good hilly billy like you. I had better things to do.”

This really set Chuck off as he grabbed your face and held you against the wall, restricted your breathing with his grip.

“Oh yeah? Like what? Know you wasn’t working. I drove by all the most popular street corners but I didn’t see you.” He growled as he got in your face. “Now I’m gonna get what I wanted, and you’re gonna keep quiet.”

His hands moved to your waist and you gasped in fear.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” You blurted to distract him. “And for your information, I was out with an actual gentlemen.”

“Who?” He took the bait and tilted his head.

“If you’d like to meet him, he’s right behind you.” You smiled a little, gasping for air when he let go of your face.

“What?” As soon as Chuck turned around, his face connected with Arvin’s fist. You couldn’t help but cover your mouth and laugh at the fact he practically walked into the punch, knowing that had to hurt ten times as bad. Chuck hadn’t yet recovered from the first punch when Arvin swung again, knocking him in the nose this time. Chuck covered his bleeding nose with his hand and looked up in time to be kicked in the stomach by Arvin. He fell to the ground and Arvin knelt down beside him, gripping his face the way he had just been gripping yours to make him look at him.

“You think picking on girls is fun? Huh?” Arvin yelled when Chuck didn’t answer the first question. “You think making em fear you makes you less pathetic?”

“Get off of me.” Chuck cried as he tried to roll away. “You’re crazy.”

Arvin grabbed him by the shirt with both fists, lifting him a little off the ground.

“You listen to me.” He growled. “You’re gonna find everyone you told about you and Y/n and tell em you were lying. Tell em you made it up and you’re sorry. You hear me?”

“Yes.” Chuck whimpered. Arvin pulled him up by his shirt and pushed him forward, towards you.

“Now get your ass up and apologize.” Arvin demanded as Chuck stumbled towards you.

“What? I didn’t even get to do anything.” Chuck turned around to complain to Arvin. Arvin raised his eyebrows in amusement before grabbing Chuck by the back of his neck and getting in his face.

“I said apologize.” He bellowed. “You apologize for spreading lies about her, being aggressive with her, calling her a whore, and you damn best apologize for that comment right there. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t make me wait.”

He lifted Chucks head up and forced him to look at you, tightened his grip when he hesitated.

“Ow.” He whined and looked at you. “I’m sorry.”

“For?” Arvin yelled in his ear.

“I’m sorry for calling you a whore.” Chuck apologized.

“And?” Arvin continued.

“And for telling people we did stuff behind the school busses.” Chuck added, flinching ad Arvin leaned in again.

“What else?” He snarled right in his ear.

“And for grabbing you. Honest to God, I’m sorry.” He cried loudly. “I did it. Let me go.”

Arvin let go of his neck and aggressively turned him around to face him as he gripped his shoulders.

“If I ever see you around my sister or my girl again, I’ll kill you. You hear me?” Arvin shouted as he pointed a finger in Chucks face.

“Yes sir. I mean, yes.” Chuck stammered, eyes full of fear.

“Now get out of here.” Arvin shoved him and Chuck went running. Arvin watched him go, not satisfied until he was out of sight. His breathing returned to normal as a sudden flush came over his face, realizing he just lost his temper in front of you. He looked at you timidly, worried you’d be scared by what you had seen. To Arvin’s surprise, you had a dopey smile on your face as you approached him.

“Your girl, huh?” You giggled as you took his hand in yours, examining it for serious injuries. The handkerchief in your pocket made itself useful as you used it to clean his wounds.

“Sorry you had to see that.” He spoke softly as he searched your face for signs of regret. “He won’t be messing with you no more.”

“Don’t be sorry. Nobody ever got their knuckles bloody for me before.” You brought his hand to your lips, kissing his red knuckles as you looked in his eyes.

“I’ll get em as bloody as I have to to keep you safe.” He promised. “You’re my girl now. Nothings gonna hurt you again.”

“I like it when you call me your girl.” You smiled as you slowly intertwined your hands with his, careful of his cuts.

“Well good.” Arvin put his hand on the back of your head and pulled it towards him, giving you a kiss on the forehead. “Cause I like saying it.”

Tag list 🏷

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[libertyreads]

Underhyped Books--

These are some of the books on my shelves that I think are under-hyped on the Book-ternet as some people call it. I think a lot of these standalones or series are under represented in the book community online. (Going from top to bottom, left to right.)

1. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes-- Maybe I’m biased because this is one of my favorite authors. I discovered her a year or two ago and have become obsessed. The latest series of hers is going to be an all time favorite for me. Or at least the first one was. This book came out this past fall so I know that’s probably part of the reason for the under representation. But, for the love of all things spooky and puzzle-y, read this damn book.

2. House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig-- This is a 12 dancing princesses retelling that has some turns no one expects. It has a gothic/horror/mystery/thriller element in a creepy mansion. What’s not to love? It’s so perfect for the fall. I have seen a couple of people talk about this one, but it’s not getting the love it truly deserves.

3. The One by John Marrs-- I only read this one this past month so maybe I’m the person who’s late to the party here. But I just need people to read this and love it as much as I do. I was literally gasping out loud and saying things like, “No. No, they wouldn’t do that. Oh. My. God. They did that.” Thankfully there is a Netflix adaptation coming out on March 12th.

4. In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund-- This one got me hooked so fast. I blame the 1000 times I watched Clue (1985 with Tim Curry) as a kid. This is a take on Clue that involves a boarding school in an isolated Maine town. It’s probably the fact that this is so easy to read and is probably on the middle end of the YA age range that keeps this from being so popular. But I cannot tell you how much I loved this book when I read it this past fall. It’s the perfect late fall/early winter read.

5. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young-- A YA Viking Fantasy story about two rival tribes. The way it felt like this book dropped you into this world and you didn’t come up for air until the book was over? Amazing. I think I’ve only heard about it in passing which is a damn shame.

6. The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross-- This was one of those books that sat on my shelf for years before I found the time for it and afterward regretted not reading it sooner. This is a YA Fantasy that includes a fallen kingdom that is overtaken and must find the strength to stand up to their oppressors. It’s only a duology so this series was so quick for me to read.

7.  Old Magic by Marianne Curley-- A backlist Fantasy novel from 2000. This is probably the oldest book on this list and so the nostalgia is a big factor here. But this is about a girl going back in time to prevent an evil wizard from putting a curse on her friend’s family bloodline. This does a good job of pulling the reader into the setting as well.

8. Fable by Adrienne Young-- This is a more recent release so I understand that a lot of people may not have gotten around to it yet, but I wish they would. I need someone to talk to about this book. This is a YA Fantasy novel about a girl who gets dropped on a deserted island after her mother is killed in a storm on the sea. Her only goal for the next four years is to find a way off the island and back to her father who is the biggest trader in the Narrows. The setting is great, very pirate-y, and a classic found family trope. As a whole, I just think Adrienne Young is a really underrated writer.

9. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green-- Being a fan of John Green’s has been a bit of a roller coaster ride as he got more and more popular only to plummet as people started picking his work apart. But I think this book is him being truly vulnerable as writer. He suffers from OCD similar to the OCD the main character suffers in this novel. And as someone who has been diagnosed with OCD I found this to be pretty haunting to read. I know that this book isn’t a beloved John Green book and I think that’s a real shame.

10. Written in Red by Anne Bishop-- This series is a bit weird for me since this isn’t my usual genre. This is an Adult Urban Fantasy about a blood seer who runs away from the institution she’s been kept in and finds her way to the local group of mythological creatures who hold a lot of power influence over the local government. There are werewolves, shifters, vampires...etc. who take up a huge section of this city and there are a ton of politics throughout the series. But the thing that I loved the most about it is that every story has a section that is so slice of life before the big action happens and those moments were so warm and cozy. The big action at the end of the novels all work to bring the main characters closer. There’s a romance between the human seer and the alpha werewolf which I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did. Also, I read most of this series while I was stuck in bed sick with covid so I think the distraction added another level of fondness from me.

11. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton-- Where. Are. My. YA. Fantasy. People. AT?! Why is no one talking about this series?! This a YA Desert Fantasy with some amazing characters and a rebellion hiding out in the desert from the people in power. Found family tropes. Magic. Mystery. Stop sleeping on this series already! My only real complaint is that I wish I had the original cover because that one is so beautiful.

12. Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody-- I originally got the first book in this series in a subscription box but held off reading it because I hadn’t heard of this series before then. But it’s one of those series that you wish you had read as soon as you had gotten it. This is a YA Fantasy novel set in a fictional town that looks/feels like a combination of 1920s-ish New York and Las Vegas. The Shadow Game series is about a girl going to the big city to find her adoptive mother who’s gone missing while there for work. But she’s spent her whole life learning how to be a proper lady and in the City of Sin anything can happen. The magic system here is so, so well done. It’s something I haven’t seen before or since which is refreshing when the main thing you read is Fantasy.

[littlemissnoname13]

Three Days With You - Part Two

Summary: Draco has a rather interesting day planned for the two of you. Joined by familiar faces, old wounds resurface leaving the two of you with more questions than answers.

Warnings: smut,mature language and scenes, drinking, a fair amount of angst, mentions of blood

Word count: 3000

A/n: it’s 4am and I’m sleep deprived. This series is a bit plot heavy as opposed to WOS. I tried so very hard to fit everything under the 3000 word limit I’ve set for each part.

Song that plays as they dance: Fade into you by Mazzy Star

Part one | Masterlist

~~~

Sometime around Umbridge’s reign of terror, 5th year, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

With his arms folded, Draco casually reclined against the wall and he watched you write lines with Umbridge’s quill. He tried to keep a straight face but it was hard not to wince as he watched the words etch themselves onto your skin.

It seemed that Dolores Jane Umbridgde wasn’t really fond of you. In fact, he was certain she despised you just as much as Potter.

This was your third consecutive evening in detention and as a member of the inquisitorial squad, he was tasked with the duty of keeping an eye on you.

And while you did a moderately decent job of keeping a straight face through the searing sensations, he could sense that you were clearly in pain.

“Murtlap essence.” Draco said quietly and you dropped the quill and turned around to look at him. “It should help with the abrasions.”

“Why are you talking to me, Malfoy?”

Draco arched a brow at your question but internally, he too was pondering why he was talking to you.

Nobody talked to you.

You always spent most of your time scribbling furiously into what looked like a diary of some sort. You barely had any friends and most of his so-called friends were very upfront about their disdain for you and your muggleborn heritage.

“Why can’t I talk to you?” He finally asked, walking up to where you were seated.

“Are you asking me or are you asking yourself?” You quipped and went back to writing lines with that wretched quill. You always seemed so unbothered by everything.

A part of his brain was telling him to shut up and another part of his brain was trying to come up with a witty response just to impress you.

“I’m asking you.” He sighed in defeat before crouching down next to you to look at the gashes on your hand. “Why can I not talk to you?”

“Hm, let’s see..” You said with a bit more salt than you intended to. “Your Pure blood ideals that classify people like me as mudbloods, the prejudice, not to mention Umbitch who wouldn’t be very pleased to see you talk to me while I’m writing lines for her.”

His fingertips ghosted over your cuts, barely making contact with the blood as he contemplated running outside to look for some murtlap essence himself.

“Dont.” You winced when his skin made contact with the cuts. “Just don’t. I don’t need your pity.”

His eyes caught sight of yours as you pulled your hand away and he immediately felt uneasy at the sight of them. It was a kind of wistfulness, a type of yearning and nostalgia for something that never was. Something that never could be. And it somehow made him want it even more.

Draco lifted his hand, letting his fingers brush against your cheek and he heard you reflexively draw in a sharp breath.

He found himself leaning in to capture your lips in his but you hesitated.

“It wouldn’t be justifiable if something happened in between us.” You whispered, leaning an inch away from him. “It would be highly inconvenient for you if someone found out.”

“Then I guess, no one must know.” His voice was hoarse before he crashed his lips into yours.

How was he ever going to explain himself if anyone found out? His whole life, he was taught to be repelled by your kind. He was, however, anything but repelled.

He was swallowing all of the little whimpers that you made and he was revelling in the feel of your smooth skin underneath your shirt.

How was he ever going to justify the way he was slowly allowing his fingers to trace your inner thighs before pushing your panties aside to press his finger into your wetness.

Gods, the sounds you were making when he pushed a finger inside of you.

Why were you allowing him to touch you like this?

Hair tousled, shirt unbuttoned with your breasts falling out, legs spread open for him to see. For him to claim.

“Is this okay?” He asked before taking a slow lick up your soaked cunt and you raked your fingers into his hair and gripped hard as you nodded eagerly.

One taste of you and instantaneously forgot everything that was expected of him. It didn’t bother him what type of blood ran through your veins. The way he wanted to kneel and worship your pretty and wet cunt was more sacred than the entire bloody sacred twenty eight.

When he finally lined his hardened erection up against your entrance, he noticed that you had suddenly tensed. Your hesitation was notable in the way you tilted your head and stared at the floor like your life depended on it.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, using his index finger to tilt your face back to him. “Tell me, y/n. Do you want me to stop?”

That was the first time he’d used your given name and saying it made his ears turn hot.

“No—No I don’t want you to stop.” You whispered, still refusing to look at him. “It’s just that—I’ve never..”

How could he have been so dense?

The way you were digging your nails into his arms, your whimpers, and the way you winced when he pushed his fingers inside you should have told him that you were a virgin.

He caressed your cheeks slightly and dipped his head lower to press a kiss onto your forehead before backing away.

He didn’t want your first time to be with someone like him, during Umbridge’s detention of all places with your cuts still bleeding and seeping into the cotton of his white shirt.

“Draco don’t.” You whispered his given name softly and grabbed him by the arm before he had the chance to walk away. “Don’t go.”

“But y/n—”

You pulled him in and pressed your lips on his before he could reason with you.

He had the choice to walk away from you, from all this but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It felt different with you.

He asked you one more time before lining himself up against you. And when you gave him a soft and breathy “yes”, he pushed.

Your walls clenched him in and you tried your best to repress your tearful whimper by biting down on the exposed part of his shoulder.

He made sure to be gentle with you when he made the first few thrusts.

Soon enough, your grip on his arms loosened. Your cries morphed into tiny little gasps and moans of his name and you began to kiss the same place you were previously biting.

And at that very moment he knew you had surrendered yourself to him.

Wholly. Completely. Entirely.

At the particular moment, you belonged to nobody but Draco Lucius Malfoy and he—

~~~

Present day, Pilgrim’s Inn, 9:27 Am

Draco, fixing you both a cup of coffee, stilled and snapped out of the flashback inside his mind when you let out a small grumble in your sleep and reached towards his side of the bed.

He couldn’t help but smile to himself when he noticed the visibly annoyed look on your sleepy face when all you felt were pillows and sheets.

As much he wanted to sit and watch you sleep like a mega creep, it seemed like a good time to wake you up.

~~~

He was still wearing the same trousers and black shirt from the previous night when your eyes fluttered open. Only this morning, the shirt was buttoned halfway, exposing most of his chest and torso. The sleeves had been rolled back and you felt your stomach twist into a knot at the sight of his dark mark.

It served as a constant reminder that you only really had three days with him.

Before you could delve deeper into your thoughts, Draco stood up and walked towards the bed with a ceramic mug filled to the brim with coffee causing your lips to twist into a grateful smile.

“Drink up.” He said as he sat down on the chair next to you. “We have a long day ahead of us.”

After a big gulp of the coffee, you put the mug on the bed side table and looked at him.

“We do?”

“Of course we do.” He motioned towards a turquoise box on top of the dresser, sounding giddy and excited. He almost sounded like the carefree and careless Draco you loved to hate from the first few years at school.

You quickly threw the duvet off your body and scurried towards the dresser; the floorboards of the inn creaked as you did so.

“What’s in the box?” You turned your head back to look at him.

Draco’s cheeks were flushed and he was watching you with darkened eyes. His firm grip on the mug made his knuckles turn pale and you only realized you were standing in front of him naked when you saw the growing bulge in his pants

You ignored your own blood rush to your cheeks while you unwrapped the box to see what he was so excited about.

It was an oxblood red dress, with the softest fabric you’d ever touched. Long flowy sleeves and a plunging neckline, it was strikingly gorgeous.

“A Dress Draco?” You raised a brow at him.

“For our very first date. And for later..” he smirked and you scanned the entire dresser to find an appropriate object to throw at him.

“That’s some way to ask a girl out and must you always think about sex?!” You accused even though you were thinking about it too and reached for a book he’d left on top of the dresser to throw at him.

Before launching the book his way, you paused to examine the book on your hand that read Advanced Potion Making by Libatius Borage. It was only then that you realized that more than half of the books he had in the inn were about potions and alchemy.

How could you have not realised? Potions was the only subject he really seemed to enjoy at school.

Even during the nights you spent together back in school, you’d prop yourself up on his bed, wrap a sheet carelessly around your bare body and watch him stay up late to work on his Potions homework.

You’d always encourage him towards a career in potion making and he’d smile wistfully at the idea before turning to look at the snake and skull tattoo on his forearm. With a vacant look in his otherwise mercurial eyes, he’d remind you that he would have liked that if the circumstances were different.

You dropped the book back on the desk and instantly flung yourself into his arms.

~~~~

When he felt you wrap your arms tightly around his torso, Draco stiffened.

The way you were holding him made it seem like you were already saying your goodbyes and he felt as if someone had repeatedly used the cruciatus curse on him. He couldn’t bring himself to think about his life without you in it.

He wasn’t ready.

Draco quickly sorted out his scrambled thoughts and placed his oculomancy walls up as high as he could.

“As sexy as you are naked, I’d very much like to see that dress on you.”

You slightly sniffled before walking back towards the dresser to slip the dress on. The way you struggled with the zipper was adorable to him and he helped you zip it up with a crooked grin on his face.

Considering the present situation, taking you outside of the inn was risky so he’d taken it upon himself to arrange a perfect little lunch at the inn itself. Complete with vintage wine, a lavish main course and a decadent dessert to top it all off.

Sure, it took another huge wad of muggle cash, and coaxing the owner but the look on your face when he fed you a spoonful of chocolate mousse was worth it.

He was going to be the best fucking boyfriend on the face of this planet even if it was only for three days.

Draco took your hand, kissed you on the knuckle, guided you to the table, pulled your chair out for you and tried his hardest to not stare at your cleavage for more than thirty seconds.

Thank Merlin for all of the etiquette training he had to undergo when he was younger!

~~~

The two of you didn't really get around making much progress on the rest of the items on Draco’s itinerary filled with cliched tripes like reading poetry to each other and slow dancing to a song playing on the vintage turntable in the far corner of the room.

You’d never taken him for a romantic but he was adamant on the idea of finding “your song” from the tracks on the record that was spinning round and round.

When the both of you finally stopped bickering and agreed on a song, he stood up in front of you and offered you his hand.

Fade into you. Strange you never knew…

The chorus went as he took the lead and swayed you slowly across the room, careful not to trip on furniture.

Both of you barely made it to the end of the song and you weren’t even surprised.

~~~

“Gods you really do look beautiful in this dress..” he let out a low growl when he stopped dancing to pin you against the mattress and attach his lips to the pulse point of your neck.

To his utter surprise, you wasted no time in yanking his belt buckle.

“I need you…Draco Lucius Malfoy.” You pleaded as you started to pump his length in your hand. “I need you now.”

Urgency was dripping through every syllable that left your lipstick smudged mouth. Arousal was seeping through the fabric of your panties and Draco was afraid he’d come just by watching you like that.

“Say it again..” he whispered as he attached his mouth to your firm nipple. “Please—y/n, just say my name like that again..”

“Draco…”

With no hesitation or remorse, he pried your legs apart and pushed his cock right where it belonged inside of you. The way your body reacted to the motion drove him insane.

He often questioned his place in the universe, it was a constant battle between light and dark, between right and wrong.

But with you, he always felt like he belonged.

“You’re going to make me come…Draco..”

He buried his face into your hair and continued to fuck you like there was no tomorrow.

It was never like this with anybody else for him. And it was never going to be.

“I love you.” You whispered as you succumbed to your orgasm, heedless of the way your words would affect him.

How could you say those words out loud so often and not care about the consequences that came along with it?

“Don’t be selfish..” He groaned, feeling his own high approaching at the sound of those words. “Don’t you dare…”

“I love you.” You moaned, louder this time. “I love—”

He silenced you with a kiss before you could say it again. The weight of those words were always too much for him. Especially when he knew he had less than seventy two hours with you.

Draco began to think about all those years of childish games and wasted time as strong stinging sensations prickled up on his skin.

First, at the pit of his stomach. Then, on his left forearm.

He’d been called upon.

~~~

“Do not leave this inn. You understand?” He warned as he quickly redressed. “I’ll have someone sent over to look after you.”

“I’ll be fine. I promise.” You protested as you wrapped the sheets around your body and got out of bed. “I don’t need a babysitter,Draco.”

His eyes darkened and his expressions hardened as he heard your words and you gulped when he stormed over to where you stood.

“Listen to me carefully.” He gripped hard onto your shoulders and shook you. “Stay put and only open the door if you hear three knocks.”

It took a second for you to let his words sink in but you slowly nodded.

His cold hands cupped either of your cheeks and his forehead pressed up against yours; desperate and frantic eyes stared back at you.

“I have one more thing on my itinerary for us.” He said, conjuring the best smile he could give you before leaning in to press a slow and soft kiss on your lips. “I’ll be back soon.”

You held onto his words, dressed yourself in one of his sweaters, paced back and forth in the room, made yourself a cup of strong black coffee and even read through his extensive collection of books.

After what seemed like an hour, you heard it. Three very precise knocks on your door.

Very anxiously, you opened the door to find a brunette boy giving you a Cheshire Cat kind of smile.

He casually leaned forward to squeeze you into a bone crushing hug as if you were a long lost family member and you scrunched up your nose, awkwardly hugging back.

“I believe a proper introduction is long overdue.” He said as he let go. “Theodore Nott.”

“I know who you are.” You mumbled as you stepped back to let him in. “I have seen you in class.”

“Great.” He smiled as his eyes danced around the room to look at the books, the coffee pot, the turntable and the remains of what used to be the dress Draco got you.

A bright pink flush swiped across your cheeks as Theo disapprovingly shook his head. “I know you both spent half of the day shagging but please tell me you managed to do at least five activities from the itinerary!”

“How do you know all this?”

“Because I had to unfortunately sit and watch him put the blasted itinerary together.” Theo sighed, as he poured himself a cup of coffee from the coffee pot before reaching for a tiny flask inside his jacket. “Occulumancy aside, Ferret is also rubbish at hiding things from me.”

You let out a snort when you remembered Draco the ferret.

After your laughter simmered down, Theo took a rather cautious step towards you before offering you his flask.

“Nothing happened between him and Pansy that day y/n.”

Your heart started to ache as your mind started recollecting that day. That goddamned day.

“And you’re telling me this now because?”

Theo sat down on the floor and patted the empty space next to him with a sad little smile on his face.

“Closure.”

(To be continued….)

~~~~~~

Part three preview:

The two of you laid peacefully next to each other one top of a picnic blanket he’d conjured, somewhere in the middle of a forest clearing

The stark black sky was littered with a million shimmering stars. Protective wards were in place and the air was saturated with the scent of pine wood and moss.

From across the blanket, Draco reached for your hand and gave it a little squeeze and you turned to your side to get a better view of him—his silver hair giving the moonlight a run for its money.

“Lyrids.” He smiled, pointing his index finger at the sky as meteors started falling from the sky, one after another…

TDWY tag list: @nicofiliac @emma67 @kimberlyxmalfoy @palecaramel @letoof @ameliasbitvh @sycathorn-slush @dr4cking @malfoyswifeyy @arzfia @icedlattewithalmondmilk @alisslahey @lieswithoutfairytales @dracoslittlesunflower @dmalfoyswhore @serpentesonagli @dracomalfoys-wh0re

Join the series tag list here.

Love,

A very sleep deprived and delirious vi

[dumdumsun]

Of Starlight

A/N: Alright, this entire story has officially been written ❤️

Warnings: none that I’m aware of

Word Count: 3067

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Chapter 5: Extra Ordinary

Five years ago, Vanya Hargreeves began writing her autobiography, “Extra Ordinary: My Life as Number Seven”, less than two weeks before her sister’s novel, “One-Sided”, was announced in the papers. Those around who enjoyed her writing were buzzing with excitement, for it was the second book of her trilogy. (Y/N) was thrilled, herself, to be publishing her novel within the next month. Finally sharing her work with the world would have taken a tremendous weight off her shoulders, leaving her with only the weight on her bladder. While working herself nearly to death with her writing, she was with child for the second time, which added to her stress. Thankfully, she had a very supportive husband at the time to assist in anything she requested. It was in those times in which (Y/N) was grateful she decided to make something of herself rather than letting her past as Number Eight define her.

Once “One-Sided” was published, (Y/N) sent two copies out; one to Allison, one to Vanya. She figured her brothers wouldn’t want to read her romantic fantasy as much as her sisters, so she didn’t bother asking. Allison seemed ecstatic for the new addition, but she wasn’t too sure about Vanya, supposing it wouldn’t hurt to send it. If she didn’t want to read it, that was her decision. What she didn’t expect, however, was Vanya’s novel sent to her. After Jada was born, (Y/N) had taken time to read her sister’s autobiography. While Anthony was at work during the day, she’d multitask by reading and taking care of her newborn. She would quietly gasp at certain parts of the book before checking to make sure she hadn’t woken her daughter up. (Y/N) couldn’t believe some of the things her sister dared to put in that book. Some things she wrote were blatantly about (Y/N)’s own insecurities that she had trusted Vanya with knowing. Insecurities about her powers, her capability of being a suitable member of the Umbrella Academy. Vanya had compared it to her own doubts, stating that (Y/N) had no right to complain to her, of all people. Looking back now, (Y/N) could admit that it was a bit selfish to do that to her sister. Regardless, those had been personal and it was unloyal of Vanya to share that with anyone willing to read. Despite this, (Y/N) saw to promote “Extra Ordinary” along with her own work. Someone had to be the bigger person in this situation.

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Nostalgia wasn’t exactly what (Y/N) was overcome with when awaking in her childhood bed. In fact, she’d much rather have opened her eyes to the empty side of her king-sized mattress at home instead. She debated closing her eyes and pretending she had never drifted into consciousness, but sat up when remembering everything Five had told her the day before. If she remembered correctly, there were six remaining days leading up to the end of the world. She had promised Five to assist in preventing the apocalypse, and her drowsiness was not going to hold her back. So, she dragged herself out of bed and began looking for Five. She figured the first place to begin was his bedroom, so she stopped in front of his door and knocked. Hearing rustling on the other side, she asked, “Five, are you decent?”

“Decent enough. You can come in,” He called out, the door opening and (Y/N) stepping inside. He glanced at her over his shoulder as he fixed his white button up. “I take it you had a difficult time sleeping?”

“What makes you say that?” Her hand slid down her face, sarcasm in her tone. She didn’t need a mirror to know she had bags under her eyes. Five chuckled and moved to his vest and jacket, finishing with dressing himself. As he zipped his duffle bag closed, he glanced out the window.

“You tagging along today?”

“I plan to. I… suppose I have nothing to do.”

“Nothing, huh?” Suspicion hid amongst his words as he picked up his bag. “What is it you decided to do with your life, (Y/N)?” The question was simple, genuine, but the weight of it was suffocating. She really couldn’t go back to her normal, beautiful life after all.

“I… found my mother,” She slowly started out, carefully watching as Five curiously glanced up at her under his dark brows. “I became an author… and a mother.”

Suddenly, Five couldn’t breathe. He had anticipated this conversation, prepared himself for everything (Y/N) had accomplished while he was gone. But nothing could have prepared him for the stab in the heart at the mention of her having children. Children with someone who wasn’t him. It was stupidly selfish, he knew, to expect her to wait for him, to do anything else with her life except for the things he longed to do with her. Past the pain, however, he was happy for her. Something in him knew that (Y/N) would one day make a wonderful mother. She was patient, selfless, caring, and oh, how he wished he could’ve been the one. He didn’t even want to ask about the individual she had trusted enough to raise children with her.

His hesitancy to respond worried (Y/N) and suddenly she wanted to apologize. But for what? Her success, her marriage, her children? She had every right to those and she shouldn’t have to apologize. Her concern washed away when Five raised his brows in acknowledgement, opening the window. “Really? A mother? That’s great, Starlight…” God, that nickname… She thought. Why does everything feel so complicated now? Her feet moved her to follow him out of the window and down the fire escape. She thought it was best to not continue the conversation for now.

“Dammit, where’s Dad’s stuff?” The two heard an irritated groan on their way down. (Y/N) craned her neck to see Klaus digging through the dumpster. “Shut up! I’m trying to find whatever… priceless crap was in that priceless box so that Pogo will get off my ass!”

“I’d ask what you’re up to, Klaus, but then it occurred to me…,” Five turned to his brother. “I don’t care.” His useless comment earned an eye roll from (Y/N). Klaus glanced up at the two with a small laugh.

“Hey! You know there are easier ways out of the house, buddy? And bringing little (Y/N) along, too? Whatever could you two be up to?”

“This way of leaving involved the least amount of talking,” Five hopped off the ladder, helping (Y/N) down afterwards. “Or so I thought.”

“Klaus,” The eighth Hargreeves made her way closer to the dumpster. “Is Ben there?”

“Yes, dear, he says hi.” His hand waved in Ben’s supposed direction, (Y/N) softly smiling at her ghost brother. “So, hey, you two need any more company today? I could, uh… clear my schedule.” His eyes shifted to Five as he took a drink from his flask.

“Looks like you’ve got your hands full.” The boy falsely smiled.

“Oh, this? No, no. I can do this whenever. I’m just- I just misplaced something. That’s all.” He then fell into the trash as (Y/N) joined her traveling companion at his side. After a few seconds, Klaus reappeared with a bagel. “Oh! Found it! Thank god!” (Y/N) nearly gagged as he began to chew on it, muffling a ‘delicious’ in forced content.

“I’m done funding your drug habit.” Five spit out before walking away. She followed him and waved at Klaus, barely listening to him yelling after them as they climbed into a plumbing van.

“Why are we stealing a van?”

“Shush.”

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Once again, the two teenagers found themselves in front of Meritech Prosthetics. (Y/N) watched as Lance entered the building before sighing. “We’re really gonna sit here and spy on the man?”

“You got a better idea?” Five only kept his stare on him.

“I guess not… What’s the bag for, then?”

Five immediately turned his attention to the duffle bag he brought with them. “Oh, shit,” He muttered before unzipping it. “Hey,” He softly greeted before handing a bottle of alcohol to (Y/N). She blinked once, twice, thrice when he brought out the top half of a bald mannequin and set it between them. “Sorry you were in there for so long, Delores.”

“Wait,” (Y/N) choked. “That’s Delores?! The one you were with for over thirty years?!”

“Well, obviously,” Five frowned before turning back to ‘Delores’. “This is (Y/N), Delores. You know… the one I told you about.”

“You… talk about me to the mannequin? Should I be flattered or weirded out?”

“Oh, be quiet,” Five sighed and turned away. (Y/N) suddenly felt silly for being jealous last night. “No, I’m not drunk.”

“What?” (Y/N) frowned at the boy, who shook his head.

“Talking to Delores. She thinks I’m- Yes, it’s about the eye thing. This is the place it was made. Or… will be made,” His eyes moved up to his human friend. “We just have to wait…”

He’s actually talking to the mannequin, (Y/N) thought as she turned forward, eyes wide. So, that was what the apocalypse had done to him. She felt bad for him now. Initially, her heart warmed at the thought of Five finding someone to love, but knowing that his mind had gone somewhere far away enough for him to turn to a mannequin for comfort…

“So, (Y/N),” He started, his gaze once again trained on the building before them. “Your children… tell me about them.” Truth be told, Five wanted to know how much they had gotten from their mother. Were they just as humorous? Just as passionate? As wonderful? (Y/N) let out a heartfelt laugh as she closed her eyes.

“Where do I even begin? Michael, he’s… so intelligent. He has the highest reading level in his class and they’re thinking of letting him skip the first grade. He’s such a big help at home with his little sister… I swear, he’s a little man. He’s always trying to test my knowledge. Tries to get me to solve his ‘really hard’ math homework problems…,” She chuckled, Five looking at her with an unreadable expression. “And Jada… she’s such a character. No matter how many times I teach her the days of the week, she always gets them wrong… She wakes me up every morning, trying to guess. I say ‘Jada, if yesterday was Wednesday, what is today?’ and she just starts listing off every wrong answer… She’s a performer, too. I enrolled her into dance classes. Oh, it’s her favorite thing to do… And I’ll admit, she’s good at it. Don’t know where she got that from. Definitely not from me or her dad...”

Five tilted his head thoughtfully. “They sound… just like you. They think they know everything,” He joked with a small smile, (Y/N) playfully glaring at him. “Really, though… They sound like great kids… I’d like to meet them one day.”

“Yeah,” She smiled down at her lap. “I’d love for them to meet you… But I need to be an actual adult before I can face them again. Until then… It’s just checking up every once and awhile…”

“(Y/N), I’m so sorry,” Five frowned as he sat forward. “I- I’m going to figure this out. I promise.”

“I know you will,” She breathed and closed her eyes, her world slowly crashing down on her yet again. “Sorry, I need some air.” And with that, Five was in the car alone. Well, save for Delores. Outside, (Y/N) didn’t have much time to really be with her own thoughts before she heard Luther and Klaus’s voices nearing her. Turning to her right, she spotted the two walking side-by-side towards the van. Upon seeing her, Luther raised a hand.

“(Y/N), you need to get back to the Academy. We found something… and Grace might’ve had something to do with Dad’s death.” He gruffly explained, the young girl straightening to attention.

“Wait, what-”

“I can explain at the house, but we need both you and Five there for the family meeting. Is he in there?” He pointed to the vehicle their brother sat in.

“Yeah, but-”

“Great. Be right back.” Luther’s massive body brushed past her to get to Five, Klaus following behind to get in the back. Not waiting a second longer, she followed her junkie brother inside. When she entered the van again, Luther was trying his hardest to fit his body into the passenger seat as Klaus grabbed Delores, smirking at (Y/N) as he began to dance with the mannequin. She only watched him in disinterest. Once Luther was finally in, he turned to Five. “You okay?”

“You shouldn’t be… How did you find me?” Five’s question was answered when Luther turned to Klaus. With everyone’s attention on him, he looked up from Delores and dropped his smile.

“Hey, a little privacy, guys. We’re really hitting it off back here.” He began to caress Delores’s cheek before screaming when Five threw an object at him, Klaus using the mannequin to block. (Y/N) shook her head and moved closer to Five and Luther, the former fuming.

“Get out! You can’t be here! I’m in the middle of something.”

“Oh, but (Y/N) can be here?”

“Yes! We’re in the middle of something!” Five turned forward as Klaus joined (Y/N) at her side, poking her cheek gently.

“Any luck with your one-eyed man?” He asked her, receiving a head shake. Five sighed and turned to Luther.

“What do you want, Luther?”

Turning his attention away from the conversation between the two, Luther answered Five, “Um… So, Grace might’ve had something to do with Dad’s death. So I need you to come back to the Academy, alright? It’s important.” His request was met with silence for a split second before the time traveller shook his head.

“‘It’s important’. You have no concept of what’s important-”

“Hey!” Klaus interrupted, holding his sister at his side. “Did I ever tell you guys about the time I waxed my ass with chocolate pudding?”

And that was when (Y/N) tuned out the entire conversation between her family. She left Klaus’s side and pressed her back against the back of Luther’s seat, closing her eyes. She knew Five wasn’t going with Luther and Klaus to the house, and she didn’t need to listen to the bickering that would’ve led to that outcome. Her attention was eventually brought to Klaus swinging the back door open, huffing as he got out. She watched him slam the door closed and make his way towards the store across the street. Not trusting him in the slightest, she sent a clone after Klaus, telling it to “watch over him”. At this point, she was waiting for Luther to leave so her growing headache would subside, but it seemed the man wanted to talk some more.

“What the hell are you up to, Five?”

“Believe me, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me. Last I checked, I’m still the leader of this family.”

“Well, last I checked, I’m twenty-eight years older than you.” Five tightly smiled before (Y/N) snorted with laughter. The boy rolled his eyes and smiled fondly at her before Luther pulled his attention away.

“You know what your problem is?”

“Really hoping you’ll tell me.”

“You think you’re better than us,” Luther’s words wiped that sarcastic smile right off Five’s face. “You always have. Even when we were kids. But the truth is, you’re just as messed up as the rest of us. We’re all you have… and you know it.” Luther stared at his brother, as the boy slowly inhaled.

“I don’t think that I’m better than you, Number One. I know I am,” He hissed, Luther only chuckling. “I’ve done unimaginable things, things you couldn’t even comprehend.”

“Right...”

“Just to get back here and save you all…” Five stared out the window. (Y/N) sighed and grabbed Delores.

“Luther, out.” She ordered, her “big” brother turning to her with an offended look. “Five’s clearly not going with us. No use arguing with him either. So, just go and I’ll catch up-” She was cut off by the sound of a voice whooping in excitement. The three looked across the street to see Klaus running out of the store, arms full of stolen snacks, the clone following close behind.

“Hey, bitches!” He shouted as a cop chased after them, blowing his whistle. The clone turned to the officer and pushed him away with great force as Klaus was nearly hit by a car. Five’s head followed Klaus’s movement.

“I’m starting to wonder if that was the wisest decision…”

After Luther was sent out of the van, (Y/N) took over the passenger seat once again and set Delores down between them, Five quietly thanking her. “So… I’m going with the guys.”

“What? Why are you wasting your time, I thought you wanted to help me?”

“I do, and I will… But I don’t trust Luther to make decisions right now… I mean, if Mom really did have something to do with Dad’s death… Who knows what he’ll do? The least I can do is try to talk him out of it. I promise, when I’m done, I’ll come and find you.” She softly smiled, gently patting his hand. Five shook his head at her.

“You don’t have to promise me anything… I’m the one who owes you.”

“All you owe me is this,” She gently squeezed his hand. “You being here… That’s what I’ve wanted for so long. Now I have it. So, your debt is paid.” She chuckled. Five rested the back of his head against the seat as his eyes searched her face, trying to find anything that should worry him about her. But all he found was her warm smile and eyes that shone with affection. It suddenly felt inappropriate to have Delores around right now.

“Well, then, you should get going… You’ve gotta catch up with those idiots.”

“Alright. Don’t be out here forever, okay?” (Y/N) leaned in and pecked his cheek before getting out of the car and rushing after her brothers. As he watched her speed away, he tried to regulate his breathing, heartbeat increasing.

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Taglist: @melinda-hargreeves @43sparrows @sapphicsyn @m00n-sh @starcurrent @alexander-hamilhoe @youcandalekmyballs @wonderlandfandomkingdom @yrdadjstcallsmekatya

[sxvxrxssnape]

severus' sixty-first birthday

- minerva sends severus a birthday card every year and though she doesn't sign it or return address it, he knows they're from her. they worked together for years, he recognizes her handwriting

- he's not entirely sure how she found his address but maybe owls are just that good at tracking people. still, she never asks to see him or mentions how the rest of the wizarding world has long thought he's dead

- at this point, he opens his kitchen window in the morning and watches the sun peaking over the horizon as it starts to rise, sipping on his coffee, as he waits for the letter to arrive

- he'll read through it, smiling softly (though he wonders about the part where she mentions a gift on the way. shes never sent anything more than a card) before tucking the card away with all the others. he'll get dressed then and then walk into town. it's a quiet place where he's chosen to live and he's made friendly with a number of people and sometimes he misses the vibrancy of the wizarding world and the comaderie of being a hogwarts professor but that atmosphere had long fizzled out and going back would never truly mean going back. he's moved on and he's fine with that

- he prefers early morning to get the shopping done. it's less crowded and the world feels untouched, pure and magical, at this hour. he'll stop at the local bakery, buy himself a pastry and another cup of coffee, savoring sweet almond and blueberry, before continuing to the grocery store and picking up the few things he needs for tonight's dinner

- its his 61st birthday today and though he doesn't want to make a big deal out of his birthday, he's learned that it's okay to celebrate your own existence and indulge in the things that make him happy

- as it stands, a well made shepherds pie with good bread and red wine would make him very happy today

- his grocery tote is charmed to keep cool and feather light, so after gathering what he needs he'll head to the bookshop. this is one of his favorite activities and absolutely not reserved for his birthday. his favorite bookshop is old and quaint, hosting strange books with mysterious origins. a lot of the locals think its all false but severus has a trained eye and can recognize magical tombs when he sees them. the first time he came, he cleared out any that could be considered dangerous to muggles. now he likes to browse through the remains and pick up a new read or two; they're not all magical but they are all interesting. the shopkeeper is a very old woman who looks very out of place in this millennium, but he supposes he does too some days

- she wishes him a happy birthday, eyeing his black coat with a certain kind of scrutiny he's gotten used to from her. he was never able to give up his long coats and now he wears them unbuttoned over black turtlenecks. it makes him look less imposing, he supposes, although enough people have asked what he teaches that it sets him on edge

- he doesn't remember when she learned his birthday, but he pays it no mind. a few of the people he's come across here have learned his birthday by now. its the reason he'll get a free scoop of ice cream on his way home. she always looks at him like he's familiar but just can't place how, and part of him worries she's going barmy and starting to forget he's been coming here for years

- as he's paying for the two new books he's found, she says something that feels like its meant to be a warning but feels more like a threat: the aurors are in town today

- "pardon?" he asks, but she just smiles sweetly and waves him off like nothing was amiss, as if his blood hadn't just turned to ice beneath his skin

- he leaves the shop numbly, thinking it over. she couldnt have meant anything serious by it, although now he's kicking himself for not realizing she was a witch (or perhaps a squib?) he kept up with the wizarding world fairly regularly when he'd first disappeared. he knew potter had cleared his name posthumously and that he was hailed a hero, so whatever the reason for the aurors being in town, it has nothing to do with him. he decides to carry on as normal; too many years have passed for him to be known by this new generation of aurors.

- he does get his free ice cream, a scoop of vanilla caramel with a drizzle of chocolate, and he's sitting in a wrought iron chair outside the shop, under a carefully cast warming charm to keep him comfortable in the january air but with a cooling charm cast over his frozen treat, when he sees them

- there's two of them, fairly young and most likely born during the second war. they're dressed in the muggle version of their uniform he's come to recognize and watches them from his peripheral as they head down the street and wonders what they could be in town for

- he doesn't notice the third, older auror watching him with widening eyes, no longer paranoid enough to check who's standing behind him, as he swirls his spoon through the remnants of melted ice cream and gets lost in his thoughts

- he heads home after that, lights a fire, and makes a tomato and cheese sandwich for lunch. he catches up on a few episodes of his current favorite show (a historical drama this time) and enjoys his quiet afternoon

- when its time to start on dinner, he'll put something on the record player (he's got a soft spot for the record player alright, he's aware of what spotify is, he just enjoys the nostalgia of vinyl), and get to work. he's got a glass of wine and he's singing along to pearl jam as he cuts carrots and potatoes

- he grows wild thyme and rosemary in the front yard, right next to the white chrysanthemums, so he puts his spoon down and goes to fetch some

- he doesn't expect to find potter standing just outside the gate with a pink bakery box in his hands looking simultaneously like a deer in the headlights and like he's just seen a ghost. which he supposes he has

- he ignores him in favor of picking the herbs. once he's done, he glances once in the direction of harry potter before returning inside. he leaves the door open and waits. it isn't until the herbs are washed and finely chopped, being stirred into the stew, that potter finally enters the kitchen. he holds the box tightly and blurts out "i thought you were dead"

- "evidently not." severus responds, spooning the mix into a baking dish and begins to top it with the mashed potatoes. "how did you find me?"

- he mutters some nonsense of working a case involving a local store selling magical wares to muggles (and severus frowns at this information, worried it might be imelda) and seeing him outside the ice cream shop. getting his address wasn't that hard and the cake he brought was simply a social nicety

- perhaps he hasn't been a professor for years now but he can still smell bullshit so he raises an eyebrow at the answer he's gotten. potter has grown in the years since he's seen him, no longer a strong-willed seventeen year old but now a tired looking auror of forty who's still just as bad at lying as he ever was. he thinks how he was around his age when they last spoke and that fact feels a little dizzying

- "you dont seem that surprised." severus muses, putting the pie in the oven and bringing down another glass. he has a feeling potter will be staying and the idea is already giving him headache. he thinks back to minervas letter and wonders if this is what she meant. perhaps its time to finally write back, he thinks, as he pours them each some wine; they have a lot to talk about it seems

[maxineswritingcenter]

You Saved Me - Derek Halex fem!reader part 14

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

For the first time in a while, I woke up happy. Sure, the situation we were all in was no reason to be happy, but I would take waking up next to Derek over anything. In this moment anyway. 

Derek hummed in his sleep, nuzzling his face into my neck. I smiled, turning my head a little to press a kiss to his cheek. He opened his eyes that seemed to sparkle when he smiled. 

“Good morning.” He mumbled, pulling his arms away and sitting up. I turned on my back and pouted up at him. 

“Someone doesn’t like cuddling in the morning?” 

He got out of bed, getting dressed, “Any other day, yes. But I have something to do this morning.” He threw a shirt in my direction. I caught it, got out of bed and dressed myself. 

“I’ll remember that.” I took off my clothes that I had worn throughout the night and pulled on Derek’s shirt. It was soft cotton and it smelled like him. It was a little big so it would have to be tied with a ponytail holder. I looked over, seeing my jacket hanging up on the back of his door, “Mind tossing me my jacket?” He grabbed it off the door and tossed it my way. As it flew through the air, an envelope fell on the floor. Derek stared at the envelope and picked it up, looking it over. 

“Oh my god, I completely forgot about that.” I took the envelope from his hands. It had some water damage but the words were still readable on the outside. 

“The Lunar Circle?” His jaw clenched. 

“Yeah, do you know anything about this?” I asked, opening it up. 

“Your parents were a part of it.” 

“Really?” I grinned, opening up the very official looking letter. 

To (Y/N) (Y/M/N) (Y/L/N), 

We send our condolences in the matter of your parents passing, all of us here at the Lunar Circle cherished your family and we think of them fondly. 

As two of our founding members, your parents were meant to travel to our facility to discuss relations between them and the clan of hunters in your area, the Argents. Since they have passed, this duty falls to you - the sole survivor of your clan. 

We will have a messenger arrive soon to bring you to Shetland, in the northern Isles of Scotland. Please pack warm. 

We look forward to meeting you, 

Sincerely, 

Praetor Lachlan McLeod

I read the letter aloud, Derek was becoming more and more stern. 

“I mean, it seems like they want me to go whether I like it or not. But I think they would be able to take the rest of the spell away so I could remember.” I smiled and looked up. The smile dropped, “But you don’t seem as enthusiastic as I do.” 

“Only werewolves who get invited can go. I can’t go with you.” 

"I mean, they probably wouldn't care. You're my partner."

“That’s not the point.” He walked back to his dresser, grabbing his leather jacket that he had draped there. 

“Then what is the point, Derek?” He didn’t answer, walking out the door and into the hallway. 

“Hey, I’m talking to you.” I called, storming after him. 

He stopped abruptly in the hall and turned around, “The point is that I can’t be there with you. I can’t stop any of those people from taking you away from me.”

“Are you insinuating that I would cheat on you?” I glared.

“No.” His face softened, “But they could use the spell against you. A condition that they could have would be to break our bond so you can get your memories back.” He held my face in his hands, making me look up into his eyes, “I want you to remember, but I want to be there for it.” 

“You said I’m stubborn. Maybe I could convince whoever is going to show up that I need you to come with me.” I smiled, “I’m gonna go home and look through some of the stuff from my house.” 

“I’ll call you after I get done here.” He kissed my nose. 

“And what are you doing?” 

“Erica’s getting Jackson so we can test if he’s the kanima.” He started walking again. 

“Uh and what if he is?” I asked nervously, “Listen, I am all for killing him on a good day but you can’t kill him. There has to be a cure.” 

“And if there isn’t?” 

Rubbing my temples, I thought for a moment. Pros: - No more kanima...No more Jackson... Con: Prison for Derek. Regardless of morals, the kanima was dangerous to everyone. 

“Make it look like an accident.” 

As I made my way out of the depot, Erica was walking in, dragging Jackson by his bicep. 

“Erica.” I nodded, smiling brightly. 

“(Y/N).” She smiled back. It seemed like after the kanima attack there was a silent understanding between the two of us.

“Wait!” Jackson called, trying to get out of her grasp, “Wait! (Y/N)!” There was a sick part of me that was going to think about his calling to me for help later and smile. 

-

It was late morning when I got home. Stiles had given me hell through text but that was just how he showed his love. The next thing was to stop staring at the cardboard boxes that held the remaining pieces of my life that had been stashed in my closet. Out of sight, out of mind since I really wanted to distance myself from the memory of my parents death and all of the fact that my parents had unfairly taken memories of my life away. I understand that they did it to protect our family, but at the end of the day... that didn’t seem to make much of a difference. 

Time to bite the bullet. I kneeled down in front of the closet and pulled out the box labeled: (Y/L/N) Evidence #24. I looked over my shoulder to make sure the door was closed, then grew a claw on my pointer finger to cut the tape on the box. Was that lazy? Of course, but I think anyone in my position would. I took a deep breath and opened the box. I wish that I was hit with a wave of nostalgia, the smells of home, but all I could smell was smoke. 

I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping the sides of the box, “Come on, don’t cry.” I sniffled, trying to keep the tears at bay. Blowing out air, I opened my eyes again. Inside the box were photo albums. I took out the one I recognized most, it was a dark teal color with our last name in gold cursive font. I traced the letters fondly. Opening it up, I saw pictures with my parents from when they bought this house, bringing me home from the hospital, pictures of my parents and Stiles’ hanging out. They all looked so happy, they were laughing and having fun. I lightly touched Aunt Claudia’s smiling face. It was still hard to believe that she was gone, but she was sick... She couldn’t live like that any longer. I flipped through the book, watching Stiles and I grow up. Birthdays, slumber parties. Slowly Scott popped up in the pictures until we became a trio. But Stiles and I were always together. Which made me wonder how much of my life was missing if he was the only friend I could remember. 

The rest of the box was documents that had been found in the safe in the basement. It was a miracle that had found the safe since it had been hidden in the wall. Deeds, marriage license, birth certificates, social security. In the next box, there were some of my baby things. But this box has become more interesting. Family heirlooms that I had only seen once when they were being cleaned. At the bottom of the box was a wooden box that I definitely didn’t remember. 

“Jack pot.” I smiled and lifted it out of the box. It was a dark stained wooden box with intricate vines and flowers decorating the borders. There was a stamp burned into the top. My last initial in a full moon, stars randomly placed around it. 

I opened the clasp, lifting the lid open carefully. There was a glass bottle, sealed with teal wax. The neck of the bottle was wrapped in twine with a bronze charm, on the charm was a wolf. It was filled with dried herbs and what looked to be a lock of hair, my hair. I set the bottle aside, wanting to bring it to Deaton to figure out what was inside. But I was fairly certain this was the spell jar that took my memories away. The next thing inside that I pulled out was a scroll, sealed with the same teal wax and this time the crest was more visible, it was the same crest as on the box. 

I carefully removed the wax from the paper to not break the seal, unrolling the papers. The larger of the two was a family tree, more family that I could even imagine that I had, going back ten generations. But the tree got smaller and smaller until I was the last branch. I am the last member of my family. That made me feel more alone than before. 

The next paper was more recent looking and it was addressed to me. 

𝘛𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, (𝘠/𝘕).

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘰, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘱, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.

𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯. 𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴.

𝘉𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 - 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦,

𝘔𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘥

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, making sure my tears didn’t smug the ink on the page. They acknowledged that they did wrong and they were planning on reversing the spell. And seeing my mother’s handwriting again? The best. 

In the bottom of the wooden box was a white package that had been faded yellow. The package was labeled with the name of the local pharmacy where you could also get photos developed. I took out the thick stack of photos and gasped. Christmas morning when I was twelve, I was looking up into the camera but my face was hidden by the glare coming from my eyes. Another picture had me with a wrist brace on, a thumbs up and a smile. Then the next pictures lifted my spirits. It was pictures of Derek and I. From the time we were toddlers until six years ago. Smiling, laughing. Some where he was in his basketball uniform, others when I was in my lacrosse gear. It seemed like Derek was just as much a part of my life as Stiles was. There were pictures of me with Laura Hale, we were on the floor cross legged while she sat behind me, braiding my hair. There was another where I was holding a little toddler on my lap, who I could only assume was Cora. There were even baby pictures of me with this woman I couldn’t recognize...but something told me that it was Derek’s mother Talia. Wait, Talia Hale. I never knew that name before. I was starting to remember. But it wasn’t enough. I needed to remember more. 

But these pictures were important to what I needed. I slipped them back into the package and grabbed the vial, putting them in my bag. 

I started walking down the stairs, feeling happier than this morning, but it all went away when Stiles’ text message. The first was a picture of Lydia at the front of Finstock’s class with someone help me written on the board from an hour ago. The next was a message that had come over that minute.

Stiles:

Isaac and Erica are testing Lydia to see if she’s the kanima... And I think she failed. 

I got downstairs and was stopped by Uncle Noah in the kitchen, his arms were crossed over his chest. I was definitely in trouble. 

“Hi, Uncle Noah-”

“Where have you been?” Straight to the point. 

“Busy. With work and stuff.” My lying was not getting better. I tried to walk past him but he called my name. 

“(Y/N)” I stopped, slowly turning around, “I know you’re an adult, but I promised your mom and dad that if anything happened to them that I would protect you. I mean, you’re gone all day and all night. I get vague text messages after hours.” 

“I’ve just been busy with work, that’s all. Believe it or not, Coach puts in long hours-”

“Now, why am I having trouble believing you?” He looked up at the ceiling as if the answer was written there.

Probably because I’m lying, I’m actually a werewolf, one of many in this town and we’re fighting a teenage mutant murder lizard that may or may not be Lydia, you know Lydia, the girl Stiles was in love with?

“I don’t know. Maybe because you’ve been working long hours on four murder cases and overworking your brain.”

“Is this about that Lunar Circle thing you got in the mail? What is that thing anyway?” 

I sighed, “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. If it were nothing, you would say that it’s junk.” 

I sighed, “It’s a group my parents were a part of and they want me to go there.” 

“To Scotland? No way.” He shook his head. 

“What? You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do. I’m an adult.” 

“You are apart of an open murder investigation where the murderer is still at large. I can’t in good conscience let you leave the state, let alone the country.”

“That’s not your decision to make.” I glared, “I am a legal adult, I am not a suspect, I can leave whenever I want.” 

“Not true. As a part of the agreement with your parents, if they were to be killed, I am to be your guardian for six months, no matter how old you are.” 

I pulled at my hair in frustration, “That’s ridiculous!”

“Call it what it may, but that’s what your parents wanted.” 

“Screw what they wanted!” I snapped, “They took everything from me!”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” He barked back.  I sighed in frustration, grabbing my keys off the counter and storming towards the door. 

“Hey! We’re not done talking!” I kept going, “(Y/F/N) (Y/M/N) (Y/L/N), you get back here!” 

I opened the door and looked back, “YOU’RE NOT MY DAD! STOP ACTING LIKE IT!” I slammed the door shut and hurriedly got into my car. I gripped the steering wheel hard, the plastic cracking against my palms. I shouted into the wheel, breathing hard to make sure I didn’t turn in the car. After a few minutes and a lot of breathing, the anger turned to guilt. Uncle Noah was just trying to make sure I was safe and what I said wasn’t fair. He treated me like his own and I should appreciate that more. I’m just relieved I didn’t see the look on his face when I shouted at him, I’m sure I would never be able to get his face out of my head. 

My cell phone ringing brought me out of my thoughts, I pressed answer and held the phone to my ear. 

“What do you want?” I snapped.

“(Y/N)?” 

“Jackson?” My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. 

“Duh.” He said in his usual douchey way. Just my luck, the last person I wanted to talk to was calling me. 

“What do you want, trust fund?” I put the phone on speaker and started driving. 

“Look, we need your help. We need you to distract Derek.”

“No problem.” I hung up the phone, driving the short drive it took to get to the depot.

-

I leaned against the doorway leading into the depot, grabbing Derek’s jacket as he walked out.

“Where ya goin’, Der?” He looked back at me, backing up. 

“I was on my way to see you.” 

I smiled, “How coinvent. I just got into a huge fight with my Uncle which I’m sure you felt and I found pictures of us together that I wanted to show you.” I held up the package of photos. 

We had gone back inside the depot, sitting on his mattress. Derek turned the bottle in his hands to get a look at all the herbs inside, “I can see monkshood, mistletoe, salt. Not sure what the rest is.” He handed the bottle back to me. I filled his empty hand with the package of pictures. He took out the stack. He stared at the pictures for a long time, almost like he was memorizing them.

“I lost all my copies of these photos in the fire.” He smiled as he looked through them, “Did you remember anything?” 

“Just one thing.” I handed him the photo and his mother holding me, “I remembered her name, Talia.” He stared at the photo, his face changing. 

“She’s so young here.” He whispered. I rested my head on his shoulder, looking at the photo. She was smiling at me in an exaggerated way, her dark hair tucked behind her ear. She was so beautiful. Derek looked over at me, then out the window. He set the photos down slowly and stood up. Shit.

“You were sent here to distract me, weren’t you?” He stared down accusingly. He felt betrayed, a feeling I didn’t like giving him. 

“I came here to show you the pictures.” I stood up to face him. 

“That may have been what you wanted to do originally, but on your way here they told you to distract me so I couldn’t kill that monster.” He gritted his teeth, moving towards the door at a determined pace. I caught up to him and grabbed his arm. 

“Derek, it’s not Lydia!” 

“How do you know that?” He spun around, his gaze was menacing, but he didn’t scare me anymore, “She failed the test, the kanima venom didn’t affect her. It has to be her.” He slammed the door of the depot open, walking out into the night with me hot on his heels. 

“And what if it’s something else? You told Scott to trust his instincts and I trust mine, it’s not Lydia.” 

“I’m doing this to keep you safe, keep them all safe. Isn’t that what you want?” There was a growl in his voice. I stopped following him, opting to get into my car and speed to Scott’s house. 

- 

I pounded on the front door when I got there, praying that they hadn’t completely padlocked the door yet. Stiles opened the door and pulled me inside, slamming the door shut behind me. 

“I thought you were distracting Derek.” He whispered. 

“I was. He saw through it.” I whispered back. Stiles looked out the window, a grim look on his face. I looked out the opposite window and saw Derek standing outside, with Boyd, Erica and Isaac behind him. I looked back and saw Allison standing in the hall. 

“You need to tell Scott to get here right now.” I looked back on the window, reaching over and touching Stiles’ shoulder. 

“It’s me. You need to get here right now.” 

-

Allison was staring down at her phone, her other hand occupied with a small crossbow. 

“What are you doing?” Stiles asked. 

“I think...” She paused, “I think I have to call my dad.”

“Are you nuts?” I asked. I mean, what could the pack outside do without drawing the attention of the police, not much. Derek wouldn’t go that far... Or at least I hoped he wouldn’t. 

“But if he finds you here, you and Scott-” 

“I know.” She cut Stiles off, clearly frustrated, “But what are we supposed to do? They’re not here to scare us, they’re here to kill Lydia.” She said the last part a little quieter. Jackson and Lydia were upstairs doing... whatever it is exs did. I wouldn’t know, my ex was dead haha.... I wish there was therapy for people like me. Were there werewolf therapists? 

After staring at the pack for a while, Stiles spoke up. 

“I have an idea. Shoot one of ‘em.” Allison and I looked at him.

“Are you serious?” She asked. 

“Stiles, if they get in, I’ll handle it.” I said, not really believing myself. 

“You can’t take a whole pack by yourself. That’s literally impossible. I think.” He said, “We told Scott we could protect ourselves, so let's do it! Or at least give it a shot, right?” 

“Okay.” She sighed. 

“No, not okay, have you ever heard about how you’re not supposed to poke the sleeping bear. Shooting one of them would be like-like whacking a sleeping bear with a baseball bat.” I said, very not okay with the plan. 

"They don't think we're gonna fight, one of them gets hit, guarantee you they'll take off. So just shoot one of them."  Stiles said. In theory, yes. In practice, probably not. 

She peeked out the window, "Which one?" 

 "Ummm...Derek. Yeah, shoot him. Preferably in the head." 

“Stiles, are you trying to kill me?” I shoved him, having to pull my arm so I didn’t use my full strength. He yelped, holding his arm. 

"If Scott's able to catch an arrow, Derek definitely can." Allison said, looking out the window.

"Okay, um, just shoot one of the other three then." 

"You mean two." Stiles and I stared at her like she had three heads. 

"I mean three." Stiles said. We smushed our cheeks together to look out the window at the same time. Isaac was missing. 

“...Where the Hell is Isaac?" Stiles asked, looking around. Isaac had left his position besides Derek, probably when we were trying to figure out a plan. 

“I’m gonna go protect Lydia.” I backed away from the door and ran upstairs, I got into the room right as I heard the crashing downstairs. Isaac had gotten in. 

“Why are you here?” Lydia said, she breathing was quick and she was on the verge of a panic attack. 

“Me?” I looked around, “Where the hell is Jackson?” I saw Scott’s open window. That slim ball ran at the first sign of danger. I grabbed her hand, pulling her into the bathroom. I closed the door quickly and locked it. 

“What’s going on?” She whispered, tears falling down her face. 

“Someone’s breaking in.” I lied, “Just stay quiet.” I put a finger to my lips. I could hear growling and shouting, a body being slamming into the door hard. I pressed my body against the door, hoping my body could keep it there. 

“Hi-hi- I need the police.” I looked down, seeing Lydia on the phone with the cops. I groaned under my breath, blocking out her phone call to try and listen to what was going on outside. 

“Stiles! It’s here!” I heard Allison shout. My eyes widened. The kanima. It was here, it wasn’t Lydia. I backed away from the door and started to unlock it. 

“What are you doing?!” She shouted. I held out my hand.

“I’m gonna keep you safe. You have to trust me.” She stared at my hand, “Look, Stiles trusts me. And I know somewhere inside of your cold exterior you know Stiles would never let you get hurt. So if you don’t trust me, trust Stiles.” She stared a moment longer before taking my hand and pulling herself up. 

“You will not mention this to him.” She huffed. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I opened the door, leading Lydia through the house and out the front door. And when we got outside, I stared at all of them in confusion. 

Isaac and Erica were both on the ground, Derek, Boyd, Scott, Allison, and Stiles were staring at the roof as police sirens were getting closer. 

“Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!” Lydia shouted. 

"It's Jackson." Scott whispered. I stepped off the porch and looked at the roof, the kanima was on the roof, slithering just out of sight. 

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

Read part 15 here!

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[futurewriter2000]

Heartless - pt. 3

XX

It has been okay. You had been okay. 

You woke up, went to wash yourself, went to breakfast, had your morning coffee, went back to your room, turned on the music, cleaned your room and went to read or draw. You had taken drawing again, sketching a bit and despite the fact you weren’t much pleased at the results, you got better through the days. Sometimes you would grab a book and drown in it, even if it wasn’t your genre but sometimes drowning yourself in a book, whose main character had a miserable life, still made you forget about yourself. 

You heard laughter and ruckus down the hall, running, chasing and then barging into your room. 

You didn’t even look up from your book. “Can’t the two of you knock?” you said coldly, flipping a page.

“Hey, I was thinking if you wanna go to the town with us- get some ice cream-”

“No.” you said as your finger trailed down your lines. 

“Why not?” James’ smile faded as he didn’t see any reaction from you. “You’ve been stuck in this room all the time, I barely-”

“I’m feeling a bit under the weather, James. Maybe next time.” you cut him off, still not looking at him.

They were both looking at you for a few moments before backing out of your room and closing the door behind you. As you heard them leave, you took a deep sigh and closed your eyes. 

You pushed the book away and laid on your stomach, just closing your eyes for a bit to rest. The pain in your lower back sometimes really exhausted you, so as you felt another strong stab, you got up, went to the bathroom and shuffled through your dad’s medical box. 

You wanted to take just one pill but seeing as you always had to walk to the bathroom and then back to your room just for these pills, you just grabbed a whole bottle and left the bathroom but as you did so, you bumped into someone. 

“Woopsie, daisy.” he said as he pressed his hand on your hip to prevent you from tripping over your own two feet but quickly let go as you were already standing steadily. “Sorry. Didn’t see you there.” 

“It’s alright.” you brushed him off and went to your room, running your hand through your hair and yawning. 

Sirius could sense something in his gut and he didn’t know what exactly it was. Trusting his gut as usual, he had decided to follow you to your room. He knocked and opened the door, finding you taking a pill and a glass of water. As you swallowed it, you grimaced, putting the glass back and looking at him with a quirk of eyebrow.

“What are you doing?” he stepped in, glancing at the box of pills.

“Drugs.” you teased, smirking at him before seeing his eyes narrow at you. “Calm down, Sherlock. It’s just some pain killers for my back.” you answered, putting your hands on your back and massaging the spots. 

He walked to your night stand and took the box into his hands. “Ibuprofen?”

“Can you not touch them?” you said more sharply.

He looked at you from the corner of his eyes, observing as he gently placed the box back down. “Do you parents know your taking these?” 

You let out a laugh, rolling your eyes to the back of your head as you leaned back. “Look at you big brother number two.” you continued to smile. “Bossy.” 

“You’re not answer-”

“God, Sirius- I don’t owe you explanations. Yes, I told my dad I’m taking these for back pain and no they are harmless. 1- 3 pills a day and that’s it. Sometimes I even take them for my period cramps.” you stood up and started to push him out of your room. “Now, please leave me alone and go back to my family.” and with that you slammed the door into his face and leaned on it. 

He felt his heart sunk, standing his ground. He heard you breathe on the other side of the door; heavily. He wanted to knock again but his hand only rested on the door. “I’m not trying to take them away from you, (y/n).” he said gently, almost apologetically. “I’m not trying to replace you.” he continued but you didn’t answer to him. He couldn’t hear you breathe as heavy but he knew you were still there, listening to him... still there on the other side of the door, holding your breath instead. 

“PADS! YOU COMING?!” both of you heard James shout downstairs. 

Sirius looked straight at the door, almost as if he was seeing you being there. He really wanted you to like him since the beginning he met James but you were just never interested and he didn’t know why. Why were you so hard to win over? 

“PADS?!”

“Coming!” Sirius shouted, pushing himself away and taking slow steps towards the stairs. He glanced back at the door to your room and ran his hand through his hair. 

Finally, as he left, you felt yourself that you could breathe again. There were so many things you wanted to say to him but you were so afraid of letting people know- just afraid that even if you said how you felt about this whole situation, of how alone and ignored you feel by the whole family that they will not listen. Because they never do listen, they never even try to understand that was why your pain, either internal or external was always kept inside of you alone. 

They didn’t even want to tell you why he is here. It was like you were a child. Why were they always excluding you from everything. They said they had invited Sirius over the summer but you just didn’t believe them. You chose to just pass it by. You don’t care about Sirius, you care about yourself and that’s how it should be. 

So as you glanced through the window, seeing the gorgeous sun shine among the trees, you went back to the bathroom to put some makeup on, do your hair, change clothes as you went back to your dorm and grab your sketchbook and pencils, as well as your paperback before you left. 

You came down smiling, running your way to your dad and giving him your pleading grin. 

He looked up from his newspaper, quirking the corner of his lips before pulling down his glasses and ask. “What is it, child?” 

---

James and Sirius barged in the living room to make themselves known they are home. Laughing and pushing each other, they made their way to the kitchen to only find Euphemia on the sofa, taking a nap. 

One whispering over the other, they made their way to the kitchen to find Fleamont but nobody was there. They went back to the porch and found two distant figures by the tree. 

“Is that your them?” Sirius narrowed his eyes and so did James, despite he had glasses on, he still couldn’t see right. 

“What are they doing?” he started walking towards the two of you, finding you laying on the net and laughing to whatever your father was telling you. “Hey, you two! We’ve been searching hills and seas for the two of you.”

Both of you turned to see at the source of voice, seeing your brother walking through the tall grass, Sirius right behind him. 

“Blimey!” James beamed as he saw two nets swinging down from the tree branches. “Are those what I think they are?!” he ran to the two of you, getting between the nets, the two of you swung on and rocking the both of you. 

“James, my boy. How was out in the town.” your father asked from his side. “

“Dull and boring. What about you?”

“Ah! Your sister asked me to put the nets back on since it was nice and sunny here. We’ve just been enjoying each other’s company.” he smiled, resembling James’ toothy grin.

“Alright- which one of you is gettin off?” he rocked both of you hard, almost making you lose your balance. 

You laughed, grabbing James’ hand and pushing it away. “I’m not going anywhere! This is my net, get your own.” 

“Don’t worry, son. I have to check up on your mother anyway.” he said as he placed his feet on the ground and stood up with a grunt. 

“Getting old, old man.” James teased, throwing himself on his net as your father turned around.

“Who you calling an old man?” he said, swinging James net so hard, he almost fell off it. “When you’ll be old as me, I’ll see how you’re holding up.”  he trotted away, tapping Sirius’ back as he did and whispering something into his ear. 

Sirius blushed hard when your father moved away, letting out a few laughs but before you could contemplate about those secret words, you felt your brother rocking your net.

“Hey, (y/n)?” he said, placing his hands under his head but looking straight at you. “Remember when we first got these and we always used to sleep in them during summer?”

You let out a laugh, reminiscing. “Yeah. Mum always brought us blankets but when we got bitten by the mosquitos, she forbid us to sleep again.”

“She was just being paranoid.” James brushed it off, closing his eyes and rocking on the sunlight. “I almost forgot how great this feels like.” 

You kept looking at him, smiling to yourself as a nostalgia washed over you. “Me too.” 

Sirius silently made his way towards you, standing behind you and looking down on your sketchbook. It was a laughing sketch of your dad, laying on the net. “This is pretty good.” he said, leaning down to see a closer look. 

Frightened by his sudden appearance, you felt your heart jump before realising what he had said. You looked down on the sketch and tilted your head. “Thanks but I messed up the nose.”

Sirius laughed and made his way to your feet, sitting down and then laying opposite of you. “May I?” he reached out his hand towards your sketchbook as you narrowed your eyes skeptically. 

“Sure but don’t you dare ruin it or I will ruin you.” you said, giving him your sketchbook. 

“No doubt about that.” he flashed you a grin, making your eyes roll. “Am I in here?” he looked up again, flipping through the pages and then closing the whole book as there was no apparence of him. 

You let out a laugh, getting back your sketchbook and putting it on the ground next to you. “You wish.”

“Oh, hell. I thought girls always draw the guy they fancy.” he wiggled his eyebrows but you only laughed harder.

“Oh, you think I fancy you?” 

“Dont’ you?”

“In your dreams, Black.” you continued to laugh, looking away and then back at him as he observed you with this daring look in his eyes you had never seen on him before. “Why are you staring at me?” 

“Can’t I look at you now?”

“Why? So you can make fun of me?”

“You make me sound like a bad guy?” 

“Aren’t you?”

“Oh, please, (y/n). I may be an arse but that doesn’t mean I’m always out there to get you.”

“A little hate dynamic between us never seems to go away.”

“Ah, so you admit you hate me.”

“I do not hate you.” you rolled your eyes again, this time to look at James, who was tightly asleep, letting it quiet snores. “I forgot he always fell asleep in these.”

Brushing off  your comment about James, he leaned forward and persisted on the topic. “Yes, you do. Admit it. You hate me for no appearant reason.”

“Oh, there are plenty reasons of why I avoid you, Sirius Black.”

“Avoid me?”

“Avoid you like a plague.”

“That’s harsh.” he leaned back, furrowing his eyebrows.

“It’s a joke. Don’t take it personal.” you rolled your eyes again, which by now started to irritate him a bit. “You’re just someone I don’t like being around of. You’re not my type of company.”

“Not your type of company?” he laughed despite how much that bruised his ego.”Then what is your type?”

“I like someone who is fun but in a gentler way, without any harsh jokes about other people’s apparence or character. I like being around someone who makes me laugh, not by making fun of me but by being funny in general. Someone who will not force me to smoke or drink or force me into an uncomfortable situation. I like someone who pushes me to be better, who listens and just someone I can be myself around.” you started to trail off, stopping yourself before you could open yourself up completely. 

You saw that his eyes were watching you differently again. Not like before or before that before but they were a bit... ashamed. 

You felt guilt bubble in your stomach. Maybe you were too harsh to him- too blunt instead of gentle but sometimes it was really hard to engage your emotions to your words. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out like that.” you looked away as he looked up at you. “I’m not trying to offend you by saying that because you aren’t all of that-”

“But I’m that to James, aren’t I?” he said, glancing at the sleeping boy next to you. “A bad influence?”

“I didn’t say that. James is old enough to make his choices of who he wants to be friends with. Maybe you are good for James and maybe he feels that- I know the two of you are close and care about each other. The two of you are perfect, if I’m honest. It’s just... you’re not my kind of cup of tea, Sirius.”

“Cup of tea- nice metaphor.” he smiled through the discomfort. Not your cup of tea... What’s that even supposed to mean? - he thought.

It was a sudden change in his emotions, feeling what he had felt; anger, fury even. How could you just say that to him- he looked at you, glaring you down as you only gave him eyes, filled with cold ice. You didn’t even show your emotions- not like you did before when your father was around. The way you laughed with him, with James- how loose and relaxed you were up until he came and suddenly you froze up like an ice cube. Why would you think of him like that? You don’t even know him- not like James knows him. You’re judgemental and think highly of yourself, don’t you?

“I’m going back in.” you said, placing your feet on the ground and seeing Sirius turn his head away from you. “Don’t hold your grudge for too long, Sirius. We’ve still got two months and a whole year at Hogwarts to spend together.” 

“I’m a patient man.” he grit his teeth as you let out a laugh, ruffling his hair playfully as you passed him by. 

“See you inside.” you said and started walking away, looking up at the stars that slowly started to appear on the sky. 

You felt a smile turn on your face, for the first time since Sirius came, you felt a sincere smile on your cheeks. Today was a good day, despite the uncomfortable discussion between you and Sirius. Of course, you didn’t like being around him but at the same time you didn’t want to be around James either. It’s not that you hated them, it’s that you were different than them. You just didn’t like the same things as they did and sometimes you got along, sometimes you didn’t get along but you have known Sirius since you were eleven and as much as you didn’t want to admit to yourself, you cared about him. He spent more time with you and your family than he ever did with his and one thing your remembered from the night he turned at your doorstep, with those eyes that just screamed ‘keep me safe’. Yes, you were not happy at first when he came but it didn’t take a genius to see that when somebody needs to feel safe, you give them that safety. He maybe took your safety away from you by being here but what was your family supposed to do? Throw him out on the cold?

“(y/n)-” you felt somebody take a hold of your hand and you found yourself looking up in your eyes. The two of you were far away from James, far away from your house as well, right in between. “You’re limping. Are you okay?” 

It was just like that. From the girl, he was not long ago pissed at, to the girl who brought him here; to caring. 

“It’s my back. Laying there made it a bit uncomfortable.” you smiled- for the first time you smiled at him and you didn’t know how that happened and where it came from because you never smiled as sincerely to him as you did now. Maybe it was something in the night; below the stars and among the gentle summer breeze that made the tall grass brush your skin. 

And you knew he was surprised by your smile as well, mostly because it was never directed to him. 

Maybe tonight you didn’t have it in you to be cold and distant. Maybe tonight, you wanted to feel a bit warm and not alone. Just for tonight, you felt to let your guard down because it was exhausting always having it up. 

“Don’t you think it’s time to go to the Healer for that back?” he smiled back.

“It’s just some muscle strain. I won’t die.”

“But I can see you hurting.” he said in a low, concerned voice that made you quirk an eyebrow at him. 

Why did that feel so real?

Why did that make your heart jolt?

“Sirius Black? Caring?” you started to tease a bit, pushing him away. “Go back to James. Mosquitos are going to eat him alive out here. And I’ll see you inside.” you said and started to walk back to the house but he pulled you by the hand again. 

“(y/n)-” he came close again, this time more vulnerable. If he has come this far, if he felt this was the time to tell you, then he will. What’s the worst that can happen? He dies? No- he won’t die by telling you the truth but maybe telling you the truth will make you understand and maybe... love him more. 

“Yes?” you looked at him with your eyes in a playful postion, the one he is used to work with when he’s talking to you- always joking around , teasing, insulting one another. But there was something tonight that made those eyes especially beautiful and feel his heart flutter in his chest.

“The reason I’m here...” he said, placing your hand inbetween his palms. “And I’m not telling you to feel pity towards me- or any sorts of self-”

“Sirius?” you furrowed your eyebrows. You weren’t use to this- to him being real and tonight, he was all but that. “What is it?” you spoke softly.

The softness of your voice felt like a gentle caress to his ears. Oh, how wonderful it felt with your voice so soft- like a petal on a flower and he was that flower, who needed that petal. 

“I’m here because I ranaway from home- I... uh... I got disowned and before they went any further- I-uh- I ran.” he looked up at your eyes, finding them softly looking at him and somehow, that felt even better than hearing the softness of your voice. Now he felt like your eyes were caressing his soul, holding it, being so close to it, it made him float. You got that power over him. Everything he held, resided in your eyes- that’s how he felt because you were the only one he knew, who could make him feel like that... the only one on his mind from tonight on.

You put your hand on his cheek that slowly started to grow hair, a rough stubble scratching your palm. He leaned into it, feeling just how warm you felt, just how perfect your touch was on his. “And you came here..” you smiled as he looked at you with a bit terrified eyes. “Because this is where you’re safe.” you smiled even wider and he smiled as well, this time with relief. 

“Yeah.” he put his hand on top of yours, taking it closer to his lips and kissing it. 

It made your heart to another jolt, your stomach twirl inside of you. 

“Thank you for understanding.” he said, looking at you with those grey eyes that felt so blue in the night.

You pulled him into a close embrace, stepping on your tiptoes as you did and pulling him down. “Thank you for telling me.” 

He wrapped his arms around you, lifting you up until your toes didn’t feel the ground underneath. His head was buried in your neck and his nose could smell the wonderful coconut cream you use every day. He could devour it if he could hug you every day like this. 

How he prayed to the stars above that this is a start to a new beginning...

[vampcubus]

Quiet (Midoriya/Reader) [part 2]

| A/n: I have to admit, I re-wrote the ending several times and I’m still not satisfied with it but here we go anyways! |

| See part 1 ... here |

✦✿  Warnings: Angst with a happy ending. ✿✦

✦✿ Words: 5500+ ✿✦

are you guys ready to c r y??

.   .   .

You stare blankly at a red and purple sky, eyes lazily watching the clouds roll by and the half-visible sun dip down and slowly set. You leaned forward to capture that perfect in-between moment, smiling as the last sliver of the sun finally dipped behind the horizon, letting the sky gradually shift from warm pinks and oranges to dark blues, indigos, and purples. You sighed and sank into a more relaxed position as your eyes welcomed the appearance of the moon as it took to the sky, washing the park in its gentle white light.

You sat at the same rotting-wooden picnic table you sat at every night, a familiar book with kitty skeletons draped in red and black across the cover sat just beneath your hand. The lukewarm coffee you’d picked up hours earlier sat right next to the book, half-empty from your lack of interest despite it being your favorite kind. 

You’d even considered dropping by your dorm to throw it in the freezer—to beat yourself with later if you kept thinking about a particularly annoying green-haired boy—before coming here, but you found that you just didn’t want to be on campus more than you had to.

Being out and about decreased your chances of running into him.

You let your eyes stray from the steadily appearing stars and to your right, where Midoriya had sat just a few nights ago.

You let out a frustrated sigh, turning your gaze back up to the sky and raising the cup of coffee to your lips. It didn’t taste amazing right now, but it served as a good enough distraction to stop thinking about him. You’d done the right thing, whether you cared about Midoriya or not, you wouldn’t let yourself be manipulated. You would not come running back into his arms only to be forgotten when other things in his life became more important than you again.

It was better this way. 

You told yourself, trying to convince yourself that you would only distract Izuku from his dreams. You’d only get in the way and end up broken again when he realized that.

You flicked the book open and skimmed your eyes over the pages. The illustrations of grim-themed yet still cute cats above each new chapter momentarily consuming your attention. Your soft smile faltered when you stumbled upon a particularly strange looking cat with wild, curly fur and huge round eyes cowering underneath a couch. Your eyes lingered on the drawing, everything about it just screams Izuku.

You shake yourself out of it and flip to the front page, breath hitching when you noticed a sticky note attached to it. It was in the handwriting of the clerk you’d grown familiar with. She often scribbled funny quotes or little notes things into the books you purchased for you to laugh about when you stumbled into the shop again.

He was here today, wanted me to slide this to you once you came in today. Not quite sure if he knows that ‘secret admirers’ are supposed to be discreet? 

-Kiko ッ

You almost smile at that, not doubting for a moment who she was referring to. But then you knit your brows together in confusion when you noticed an arrow at the bottom of the note. Curiously, you unstuck the unusually heavy sticky note and flipped it. Your heart stopped functioning entirely when you saw a familiar bracelet taped to the back of it.

You gasped tearing the bracelet from the note and inspecting it closely. No way… there’s no way he even remembered this existed.

It was a colorful and cute bracelet with mostly green beads and white lettered ones spelling out ‘All Might.’

The sight of the bracelet brings you way back, and suddenly you are no longer outside at the park.

Instead, you are laying on your stomach with an impressive fort of blankets hanging above your head. Your small hands fiddled with the beads, tiny fingers slipping on each random-shaped bead you could find in your craft box that was remotely green in color. Across from you lays a much smaller Izuku on his belly with his nose buried in a comic book, eyes sparkling and lips noisily slurping at the straw of a juice box.

“Y/N-chan look!” The curly-haired boy squeals, shoving the comic book over to you and pointing at a panel of a very stylized All Might with multiple civilians draped over his shoulders. It’s a familiar frame from the video you’ve watched with the boy about a million times already. You personally didn’t idolize the symbol of peace as passionately as your friend, but it always made him happy, so you always watched it with him. You squinted, scrunching up your nose at the picture.

“They drew his hair wrong!” You complained pointing at the clearly exaggerated shojo-looking hairstyle the number one hero had been illustrated with.

“No, that’s just the artists’ style.” Little Izuku exclaims, standing up in the fort, proudly posing in his All Might one-sie, holding the comic book up into the air like it was Simba.

“Ohh,” You remember humming thoughtfully before returning to tying an s-clip to the end of the bracelet, looking your newest creation over with pride. You sat up too, looking anxiously over to your best friend who had engrossed himself back into the comic. “Gimme your hand.”

You vividly remember the young boy’s freckled face lighting up and his hand being shoved in your direction. You slid the way-too-big bracelet over his tiny wrist and looped it around a second time so it wouldn’t fall off. “Here, so everybody knows you’re the next All Might!”

His big green eyes overflowed with tears, almost flooding your blanket sanctuary and drowning you both in his own tears when he tackled you to the ground, hugging you tight. You remember him showing the bracelet off to all of his friends and Kacchan the next day. He wore it even more religiously than his hero-onesie, his mother even mentioning that he only took it off to bathe.

You recall your shock when a week later he dropped a similar home-made bracelet with your favorite-colored beads and your idolized hero’s name on it. It had been the first time anyone had ever made something for you and you cherished it.

“We match now, so that means we gotta become big strong heroes together when we get big!” You remember his high-pitched voice declaring with his best All Might impression.

You felt your eyes burn with salt and the telltale weight of tears welling up in the corners of your eyes, your fingers shaking as they clutched the bracelet. Despite how old the plastic piece of jewelry was, it was in outstanding condition--save for a few scratches on the bigger beads here and there.

You’d thought that he’d lost it or thrown it away a long time ago. It’s been years. How on earth did he still have this?

Feeling your breath start to quicken you shot up from your seat, grabbing the book from the table and dashing off towards U.A. You turned each sharp corner, narrowly avoiding crashing into several other students—including Bakugou who hissed and swore at you as you retreated to your dorm You shoved the door open and slammed it shut. The next fifteen minutes were spent digging through your stuff, looking through untouched boxes of your things you’d brought from home but never needed until now. 

And then, you finally found it tucked away in an old pencil pouch. You pulled out an all-too-familiar bracelet, holding it up to compare to the green one in your other hand. There was no doubt about it, it was real. Your fingertips traced the familiar beads of your own bracelet, eyes flickering between it and its counterpart.

Why…?

Why did he keep it so long?

You kicked the box back into the closet and toed the door shut, tossing both bracelets onto your nightstand and flopping face-down onto your bed.

It didn’t matter. It was just a bracelet, nothing more than a flimsy piece of plastic. Nothing compared to the friendship you had. So what if he held onto some dumb bracelet? That didn’t make up for months of distance, weeks of him slowly forgetting you existed while you stood idly by. Letting it happen because you cared too much.

So why did you feel so guilty?

You groaned exasperatedly into your pillow snuggling your face into it when it started to soothe your headache. Your eyes opened suddenly with a furious glower when your stupid brain immediately thought back to the times you and Izuku would nap together when you were kids, anywhere anytime. You often played so hard you knocked yourselves out so his mom would find you cuddled up against one another in your blanket forts, on the couch, on the slide at the park, under the sink once… anywhere you could fit into and doze off, you would.

In fact, you didn’t shake the habit of napping together until you were at least thirteen, which is usually around when parents start getting suspicious so you stopped doing it. You felt a slight blush rise to your cheeks, remembering those special times in middle school when you would sneak in and sleep together for a while if one of you had a nightmare. That was most likely the most rebellious thing you two innocent little suck-ups ever did.

You sigh, eyes drifting over to the bracelets strewn carelessly across your nightstand.

How can one bracelet bring back so much nostalgia?

.   .   .

Midoriya was slumped miserably against one of the couches in the dorm lounge, pen shakily scribbling away at an assignment. His handwriting has gotten a little better since last year, still wobbly and inconsistent in places but his teachers have voiced their appreciation of its improvement. He thinks back to earlier when he had dropped off that bracelet at the bookshop, afraid that if he approached you, you wouldn’t want to see him or he’d start crying again.

It really tore him apart inside to part with it, having kept it for so long. He’d found the bracelet while looking through some of his things one day. It fell out of a box with a bunch of his older more beat up action figures.

Seeing it after being put away for so long had brought the biggest smile to his face, remembering how much he’d loved it when he was younger. It was also what made him remember you… It was as if you suddenly popped back into existence. And in excitement to share the memory with you, perhaps catch up with you over coffee, he had disregarded the fact that it had been months since you’d last spoken.

He now realizes his mistake. 

But after last night he knew he didn’t deserve to have such an important piece of you to himself. He absentmindedly wondered if you still had yours… probably not, huh? His wasn’t as pretty as the one you made him, and why would you keep it after he practically ignored you for a year?

Still, he had hope that just maybe there was a chance he could make it up to you, that he hadn’t messed up so bad that you never want to speak to him again. Midoriya closed his eyes, frowning down at his notebook in shame. Who was he kidding? It was just a piece of plastic and likely held no value to you after what he did.

He misses it. Already.

“Midoriya.” Iida’s voice piped up and the green-haired boy jumped.

“Oh hey, Iida. Did you need something?” He asked, trying not to sound as worked up as he really was, forcing a small smile.

“I came to ask if you’d heard from L/N at all today?” Midoriya’s heart dropped at the sound of your name.

“No… why?”

“Well, it’s just that several students claimed to have seen her running obnoxiously through the halls earlier this evening and I was curious if you’d happen to know anything about it?” Iida asks, straightening his glasses with a displeased expression, clearly not amused by your behavior.

“No, I haven’t. Sorry,” Midoriya admitted sullenly, eyes downcast to the floor.

Iida’s eyes softened and the bluenette sighed, taking a seat next to his friend. Ochako and he hadn’t managed to get much out of the sulking Midoriya since the other night, but they suspect that things didn’t necessarily go well between him and you. Not to mention he’s been a zombie all for days, barely getting any sleep at all these past few nights

“And, as your friend, I am concerned about your wellbeing,” Tenya confessed, pushing his glasses up closer against his face as Midoriya sighed. 

“I’m fine, Iida.” Midoriya offered him a half-smile but otherwise made no attempt to spill anything. Tenya made eye-contact with Ochako across the common room, who had been the one to encourage him to approach Deku in the first place.

“Midoriya, what happened between you and L/N last evening?” The Iida son pressed, cautious not to pry too much in fear of upsetting him.

“I messed up,” Midoriya looked down at his lap, a drawing of your face in the corner of his math homework. He abruptly turned the page in hopes Iida hadn’t already seen it. “Really badly.”

.   .   .

The next morning, Izuku is as sluggish and mopey as ever, worrying his classmates with his lack of enthusiasm.

“You should talk to her.” Todoroki’s cool voice shakes Midoirya out of his daze after homeroom. He’s been staring absently at you as you ignored his existence, focusing on the lesson. It isn’t hard to guess who the half-and-half teen was talking about. And yet he still found himself surprised.

“I’ve tried, Todoroki. Talking won't help.” Midoriya sighs, eyes dropping to his mess of notes, including several crumpled up drawings of you.

“And sulking around doing nothing will?” Todoroki questions, not able to recognize the shell of the boy in front of him.

 “I messed up, and she wants nothing to do with me now.” And he respects that.

“Something tells me that isn’t entirely the case.” Shouto replies and the green-haired boy sends him a puzzled look.

“What do you mean by that?” He asks, a brow raised at the possibility that Todoroki knows something he doesn’t.

“You forget that Y/N and I are close friends now, although you haven’t necessarily been around so you may not have known at all.” He states bluntly and it does nothing to comfort Midoriya at all. He hadn’t known you and Todoroki were friends! What else did he not know about you?

“What are you getting at, Todoroki?” Deku asks with a defeated tone, wishing the stoic prodigy would just be out with it.

“Y/N tells me everything, don’t think she hasn’t told me about what happened a few nights ago. But when she spoke about you it didn’t seem like she didn’t want anything to do with you.” Shouto explained, definitely catching the young Midoriya’s attention. “She’s upset, yes, and you aren’t wrong to assume that she is angry with you right now. But the longer you wait to talk to her about it—if you planned to at all that is—the longer it will take for her to forgive you.”

Forgive him? Was that even possible at this point? He didn’t know, but if what Todoroki said was true, and he actually had a chance, he couldn’t waste any more time ‘sulking around and doing nothing.’

“Are you sure that’s even possible, Todoroki?” Deku questioned, eyes adept as ever as he searched the bi-colored eyes of his rival and friend for answers he may not even have.

“I don’t know for sure, Midoriya. That is up to Y/N.” Todoroki admits, and Deku bites the inside of his cheek still torn over this. “But I don’t think she will forgive you if you don’t try.”

“Mm.” Deku nods, thanking the two-toned boy and packing up for his next class of the day.

.   .   .

Your ears perked up at the sound of someone knocking on your door later that night. You sighed into your pillow, not wanting to leave its soft embrace. You tried to ignore it at first, pretending to be asleep but he insistent knocking continued. Grumpily you pushed off of your comfy bed to sluggishly open the door, thinking it was most likely Mina and she’d just keep knocking until you opened up. 

You were not expecting Midoriya to be standing there.

“What do you want?” You asked, your voice holding no softness or enthusiasm ad your narrowed eyes stared coldly at your former best friend. He flinches at the icy tone of your voice.

“I-I um… can we… talk?” Izuku asks anxiously, wringing his hands together, elbows drawn in close to his stomach self-consciously. “Please?”

He meets your steeled gaze with his own apologetic one, green eyes pleading with yours. Izuku owned the most convincing pair of puppy-dog eyes you’ve ever seen, even when he wasn’t meaning to and even now you faltered.

“Why? Why should I let you in? Give me one good reason not to slam the door in your face and go back to bed?”

“B-because I w-won’t leave until I say what I need to say,” Midoriya stated as firmly as he could, a determined glimmer in his eyes as he did so. You don’t doubt that he might sit at your door all night if you refused him. “A-and I have a feeling you have some things to say too.”

He wants to resolve this.

“I have nothing to say to you.” You hissed stepping back into the threshold of your room starting to close the door but his hand smacks against the wooden surface, a desperate look in his eyes that only makes you push harder. “Move.”

“Please! Please just hear me out, Y/N, please just give me this! Let me try! You don’t need to forgive me. I just need you to listen!” Midoriya pleads, his glossy eyes already spilling hot tears down his freckled cheeks. He’s shaking. “Please…”

Midoriya stumbles forward when the door opens and he just barely catches himself, wide eyes darting up to yours as you take several steps away from the entrance. You cross your arms, you can’t believe you’re actually doing this.

“You have five minutes. Start talking.” You relent, sitting down on your bed.

Midoriya sighs in relief, closing the door behind him before clumsily scrambling over to you. You pat the spot next to you, avoiding any and all eye-contact. Izuku’s heart skips a beat when he spots his bracelet on your nightstand. So you did get it! His breath gets caught in his throat when he tries to speak at the same moment his eyes drift to your wrist, where a relic of your friendship dangles. 

You kept it! He feels his eyes overflowing, the ugly fat tears streaking down the sides of his face as he stares dumbfounded at the familiar bracelet.

“You have four minutes.” You flatly remind him, and he jumps, trying to think of the words he’d practiced just a half-hour before he showed up at your dorm.

“AH—o-okay! um, I…” When he fails to speak even after a good minute passes, you sigh deeply. If he had nothing to say, why’d he even come? What happened to all that gusto about ‘saying what I need to say’?

“Why did you keep it?” You ask out of the blue after an uncomfortable silence and his head perks up, but he looks confused, eyes searching yours.

“Keep what—?” He starts, but you cut him off.

“The bracelet. Why did you keep it? It’s been years, I didn’t even think you still remembered that old piece of junk existed.” You blurt out, each word sounding distressed and just… confused. You wanted to understand.

He stares at you, mouth agape at a complete loss of what to say. His mouth suddenly feels dry and his tongue rubs anxiously against the roof of his mouth.

“Because… because it was important... to me.” Izuku breathes, the muscles and nerves in his hand twitching as it laid only inches away from yours. “I was s-so happy when you first gave it to me, my mom had to pry it off of me just to bathe me.” He chuckles, smiling at the memory.

“And I kept it because it reminded me of you, it felt like there was a part of you with me even when you couldn’t be there. It comforted me, knowing that you put s-so m-much thought into something j-just for me and I f-felt so special!” He breaks off when his hiccups start to get out of control. “A-and—”

He chokes and apologizes taking a moment to breathe again. You hadn’t realized how much one silly piece of jewelry had impacted him until now, so much so that he’s crying over it.

“And I made a promise, remember?” Izuku sniffs, wiping his eyes uselessly with his hand, only really smearing the wetness across his cheeks and wetting his hand with his own tears as they continued to spill down the freckled planes of his red cheeks.

You nod, but turn away when you feel your own emotions starting to spike up. You bit your lip, held your breath, clenched your teeth. Anything to keep the tears at bay as they threatened to fall.

“I-I said that when we—”

“We match now, so that means we gotta become big strong heroes together when we get big.” You butt in, sniffling and raising a hand to scrub at the tears streaming down your face and pooling at your chin. “That’s what you said.”

Deku stares at you, guffawed as you quoted his younger self. He hadn’t expected you to remember it so clearly, It makes him feel even worse. Knowing how much it must’ve hurt you when you grew apart. How hard it must’ve been on you to keep quiet about everything while he lived his best life, forgetting all about his dearest friend.

“Why’d you give it back?” You asked, voice trembling as you wiping your eyes with your arm. You glanced over at the green bracelet lying on your nightstand. “If it meant so much to you, why give it back?”

He closed his eyes. He listened to his heart as it slammed against his chest like a pinball machine, demanding him to say something.

“Because I forgot about the friendship it represented, and I shouldn’t have. I wish I wouldn’t have, but I did. I broke my own promise and e-even worse, I hurt you because I was just too caught up in my own problems—my own dreams—to remember that you’ve been a part of them since the beginning.” Izuku sobbed, there was no point in holding it all in now. 

“I gave it back because I was so afraid I screwed up everything between us, and I don’t deserve it!”

I don’t deserve you. The phrase rang in his ears so loudly it was almost deafening, he wanted nothing more than to say it too. He couldn’t because he couldn’t catch a single damn breath to say it. But even as he feels he has gathered that breath it’s stolen away once more when he feels your hands on his face.

In a flurry of your own emotions and a nagging force of habit you had reached out and grasped his face, the soft pads of your thumbs wiping at his cheeks.

“Stop crying already, you had something you wanted to say right? Stop letting your emotions get in the way of that.”

The firmness in your tone as your stern eyes descended upon his own struck a chord in him. You’ve said something like that to him before. Years ago.

“Stop crying, Izuku! Stop letting your emotions keep you from standing up for yourself! Kacchan steps on you because he knows all you’ll do is cry!”

Multiple times.

“Would ya quit crying already? You’re tougher than that, Izu. Like All Might!”

Constantly.

“Stop crying because you don’t have a quirk! Become a hero without one!”

It had always been you. You there comforting him, encouraging him, telling him to quit crying and speak up for himself. To keep pushing on despite the fact that he just wasn’t as gifted as other children. How could he have forgotten one of the most important lessons you ever taught him? How could he have forgotten about you?

You tugged one of your bunched sleeves down with your teeth and dried up the downpour of tears from his cheeks with your hoodie sleeve. Careful not to rub the skin raw, you kept at it until he was simply too shocked to cry anymore. This is the first time you’ve done this in years, yet far from the first time you’ve had to do it at all. Even as children, you were using your fingers, your sleeves, the edge of your shirt to wipe his tears away.

“I—”

“Shush, I don’t want to hear it unless it’s what you came here to say.” You interrupt, and the look in his eyes changes from nervous to determined.

“I was going to say that I am s-sorry,” He stutters.

“What else?” You encouraged, watching as he slowly gained more confidence. “You said you weren’t going to leave until you say what you need to say, keep your promise.”

“I was going to say that I don’t deserve you!”

“And are you lying?” You ask.

“No!” Midoriya exclaims more confidently, more certain of himself than before.

“And is that all you wanted to say?” You asked again, smiling as the sobbing boy from before completely changed with your encouragement, egging him on.

“No…” Midoriya confesses, faltering slightly as his nervousness returns. He doesn’t know if he’s ready to say it yet. Would that even be acceptable right now? Even as strong as he feels right now he can’t help but hesitate, to blush, to avoid your gaze.

“Then say it.” 

“I…” He trails off, suddenly terrified of the thought. He couldn’t! It would put everything on the line! “I-I…”

Your hand cups his cheek coaxing him to look back up at you.

“Stop hesitating, tell me what you want to say.”

He’s already put your friendship on the line, what difference would it make? You wanted the truth so you’d get it! He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes before opening them again, meeting your own straight on. There’s a spark in those green eyes that wasn’t there before he squinted them shut. It’s like an emerald fire was lit behind them.

“I love you!”

It’s quiet.

You stare at him, and he stares right back, his determined gaze never weakening as he maintained eye-contact.

“You what?”

“You heard me,” Midoriya replies.

This time it’s your turn to shy away. Your face darkens incredibly fast, heart racing against your chest as your eyes darted from side to side, deep in thought. Your mind threw numbers together into every equation it knew, each answer coming out the same. You had expected an “I want to be friends again!” or “I want a second chance!” or “I want to fix this!”

Never in a million years could you have predicted him to say that. Not to you. Your eyes drifted back up to his. He looks a little less confident now, almost worried as he awaits your response.

“Get out.” You breathe, eyes wide as you stare at him watching his determined face change to one of confusion.

You couldn’t believe it. After forgetting your existence for almost a year, after only remembering when he found the bracelet, after only wanting to talk to you because it was most convenient to him… and he has the goddamn nerve to say that he loved you.

“W-what?” Izuku gasped, not understanding what was going on. Suddenly you were pressing yourself against the wall farthest from him on your bed.

“G-get out!” You exclaim, the angry tears running down your face.

“Y/N, what are you s-saying?” His voice shook, the tears starting to fall from his eyes again, his nose beginning to run as well as his entire body shook. Why were you telling him to leave? Did he make the wrong call? Did you not feel the same?

“Why are you lying to me?” You asked, the question coming out like a whisper.

“I-I’m not lying to you, I love you!” Midoriya cried. “Please, you have to believe me, I wouldn’t lie to you! I’ve always liked you—since we were kids, Y/N! I can’t fake that! You know I can’t!”

You shake as his desperate green eyes plead with yours, a sincerity in those irises you grew up staring into, a sincerity that just can’t be faked. He actually… he actually loved you? But why? He ignored you for a year!

“And you can honestly tell me that in that year you forgot about me you loved me?!” You demanded, your tears making your vision blurry and unmanageable.

“I never stopped loving you, even if it was overshadowed by my dream to become a hero, even if I made mistakes not even I can fix, my heart always belonged to you.” Midoriya crawled over to kneel in front of you on your bed where you still had your back pressed to the wall and your knees pulled tightly to your chest. “I’m not perfect, Y/N. I made a mistake by not being there for you, and I will do anything it takes to fix it if I can.”

“And you won’t forget me again? You promise?” You ask shakily, feeling a little embarrassed by how small you felt, scrunched up in such a way and crying in front of someone other than your cat at home.

“Yes,” His immediate response confirms it, not an ounce of hesitation present in the way it rolls off his tongue. “I promise, I’ll never forget you. And I’ll never be the reason you cry again.”

“Can you believe me?” Izuku reached his hand out to you.

“I… I believe you.” You admit, a small smile gracing your lips as you take his hand. Izuku lets out a relieved sigh, his free hand trembling over his heart. You can tell how terrified he was. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you though, Izu.”

“I know, and I’m going to try my very best to make it up to you. I promise.” Izuku states. It doesn’t bother him that you didn’t say ‘I love you’ back, he wouldn’t have deserved it. He’s going to have to work for it, and that was fine with him.

“Do you…” You started, face flushing and eyes avoiding his as you removed your hands from his face. “Do you wanna hug it out?”

“Yes!” You yelp when he throws himself at you, tackling you to the bed with his arms around you. You squeeze your own arms around him, face burrowing into his shoulder as you squeezed the life out of one another.

“Sorry.” He mutters when he realizes he’s practically on top of you and most likely crushing you. He moves to roll off of you but your arms only tighten around him.

“No, please just… can we just stay like this for a while?” You asked, and Izuku felt his heart beating so fast he was convinced it eventually just commit seppuku if it pounded any harder. He nodded against your shoulder, cheeks burning a bright crimson as he relaxes.

“Also,” You spoke up and he hummed in response, he couldn’t be bothered to move. You reached over to your nightstand to snatch the green bracelet from it, the green-haired boy whining when he had to re-adjust after you started moving. “Gimme your hand.”

He pulled away, green pools swirling with confusion. He complies with your sudden request and gasps when you slide the bracelet back onto his wrist.

“This belongs to you.” You smiled and he mirrored it with one of his own, hand impulsively taking yours, fingers intertwining with your own. Your matching bracelets reflected the dim light of the room, casting a warm glow over your faces as you smiled at each other. No longer did you feel forgotten or used, instead you felt loved again. “Now get off  me.”

Izuku laughs and slips off of you to lay at your side, his arms pulling you in close so he could cuddle you, just like you did when you were kids.

Izuku rested his forehead against yours, one hand reaching up to timidly brush against your reddened cheek, causing your eyes to flutter closed and a small sigh to escape your smiling lips. He missed seeing you smile. But there was still something else that he needed to take care of before you drifted off to sleep.

“Y/N?” He asked.

“Yes?” You sighed sleepily, 

“Don’t ever feel like you have to keep quiet anymore, alright? Please, always talk to me.”

You blinked, your mouth opening and closing several times.

“Okay.”