#i got kinda bored just drawing expressions so i had to take a break and draw other stuff haha

[hydn-jpg]

D16 for Male!Atlas Ernhardt, please

from this expression meme! (not accepting any more requests ` ω ´ )

[scoops-aboy86]

Your Smile Is My Favorite

Prompt Used: Summer reading (@thehairandthebanished) and cheesy pickup lines (@softsteddieseptember) | Your Smile Is My Favorite | Rating: T | CW: mild body image issues | Additional Tags: chubby Steve Harrington, gay Eddie Munson, pining, bizarre communication through intricate pickup line rituals, Robin loves these two idiots

I wrote most of this while on a 11 hour car trip, I’ll post it to ao3 later. 🥱 Still the 4th in my time zone though!

It’s hard to stay absorbed in a book when Steve Harrington is swimming laps in his little red shorts, but Eddie is managing. 

Sort of. Kinda. 

Okay, not really. Or at all. 

But he’s read Return of the King so many times before that he can fill in any paragraphs his eyes accidentally skim over from memory, so it’s fine. And he definitely rolled high on stealth by being smart enough to bring sunglasses, because Middle Earth has nothing on his view of Steve’s chest while the guy does the backstroke. 

Earlier in the summer Steve would have been poolside with Eddie and Robin, sprawled out in the sun snacking on pizza and chips with them and letting Eddie draw him into their umpteenth debate on which is better, Coca Cola or Mountain Dew. Now he’s going at it in the pool like he has something to prove, or diving in over and over while complaining about his form. 

Which, Eddie thinks, is a very fine form indeed. He’s thickened up some since their harrowing adventures last Spring Break, transformed from merely good-looking to downright beefy in a way that makes Eddie’s mouth water and fingers twitch with the urge to rake through that tantalizing chest hair, test the give of Steve’s deliciously softer pecs and stomach. It’s starting to become a problem. 

As if Aragorn, son of Arathorn, would have an easier time concentrating on a book about the Party’s adventures if Arwen were parading around in front of him while scantily clad, Eddie thinks, trying to make himself feel like a little bit less of a pining loser. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Robin says, sounding bored from the next lounge chair over. She hasn’t even looked up from her own book. 

Eddie considers protesting. He could; they’ve never actually discussed the way they’d clocked each other as queer during Spring Break, he has plausible deniability. 

Instead, he says, “Got a camera you can loan me, Birdie?”

She snorts, sliding her bookmark into place as she turns towards him on her lounger. “No, but now that we’re talking about it, can we talk about how your crush is visible from, like, space?”

“He is not!” The protest tumbles out of him before Eddie even thinks about it, and his cheeks immediately flare red under layers of sunblock. It’s not like Robin would talk about the way her platonic soulmate had recently put on some extra weight like that, Eddie is just a moron. Well, he’ll just have to blow past it and pretend he’d been… bluffing about his crush not being Steve. Yeah. “Uh, I mean. Fuck, I’m not being too obvious, am I?”

Robin’s grin is smug, and definitely a little bit at his expense. “Not really. You’re super easily distracted when there’s more people around, so the kids haven’t picked up on it yet.” She glances back at the pool and the expression softens to amused affection. “It’s written all over your face right now, but I’m pretty sure dingus over there has this fixed idea about your type being all dark clothes and leather and tattoos. He’ll never figure it out on his own, completely hopeless.”

That’s a relief to hear. Eddie relaxes beneath the shade of his poolside umbrella, glances down at his book again… 

And snaps it shut and scrunches up on his side to face her too. He’ll be able to find his place again later, more or less. The occasional splashes of Steve reaching one side of the pool and flipping around to swim back fades into the background for the first time all day in the face of this new, unexplored conversational territory. 

“So,” he says matter-of-factly. Because he’s reconciled with this a long time ago: Robin has literally helped save his life a number of times, she’s safe. “Clearly you’ve got me all figured out. And there’s no way you could be around that all the time and still get anything done without being… oppositely inclined.”

She nods, and the teeny tiny bit of him that had been braced just in case he was wrong relaxes. “Yeah. I don’t see the appeal, but I’ve literally seen a few girls walk into things when they catch sight of him.”

Eddie snickers, like the hypocrite slightly wired on nerves and relief that he is. Curbs, trash cans, the glass doors of Family Video… he’s been there, done that, and been forced to turn it into a bit so no one catches on to what all of those instances had in common. (Steve smiling at him. Steve looking at him. Just, Steve.)

“Not as many lately though,” Robin confides, a little sad. “Shallow bitches.”

“Shallow as hell,” Eddie agrees. One hundred percent. “They have no idea what they’re missing out on.”

“It’s taking a toll on him,” she continues. “You know, how his hair kinda deflates a little when he’s bummed out? Those great big puppy dog eyes come out and it’s all—” her voice drops in a possible Steve impression “—‘Is it me, Rob? What am I doing wrong?’”

Eddie huffs a wordless disagreement with that whole sentiment. Wrong with Steve? Wrong with Steve? There’s nothing wrong with Steve, in his opinion. Badass scars, heart of gold, hair of the gods, and a little more meat on his bones making him even more solid and dependable? Sign Eddie the fuck up. 

Sure, there’s also the nightmares and a general jumpiness whenever the phone rings or lights flicker or a radio starts to crackle, but the same can be said of pretty much everyone in the Party, Eddie included. It’s perfectly understandable after everything they’ve been through, the number of times they’ve helped save the world. 

“I think that’s why he’s leaning so hard into swimming again,” Robin adds. And even though she seems totally casual, there’s something… not pointed, exactly, but definitely not dull behind her words. She’s giving him a look that Eddie can’t figure out, because he just doesn’t have the same kind of in-tune-ness with her that she and Steve display on a regular basis, having conversations with nothing but stares, blinks, and funny eyebrow twitches. 

He tries anyway. Even pushes his sunglasses up into his hair for a clearer look, but message not received. Frowning, he glances over his shoulder at the pool again. “Because he’s… upset about not going on dates lately?”

Not that Eddie had been paying attention or anything. Not that he’d daydreamed hopelessly a few times that it was because Steve was hung up on him, lingering a bit more than necessary when dropping off and picking up the kids on Hellfire days. Inviting Eddie to hangout days like this. Taking Eddie up on it whenever he offers to smoke the guy out, usually when they both have dark circles from sleeping poorly blooming under their eyes and everything about the no longer in peril world around them feels like too much. Springing for fast food whenever they get the munchies, since Eddie supplied the grass…

“Because he thinks there’s something wrong about him,” Robin corrects, “that he needs to work out.” 

Oh. What—oh. Eddie blinks, reorients, and realizes that the thing he hadn’t been able to read before is concern. “But… he looks so good,” he says dumbly. 

Steve is self-conscious about his weight? Oh no, that won’t do at all. Eddie’s mind is already racing through ways to reassure their friend that he looks great, fantastic, amazing, all the positive adjectives that he knows. He wants to build Steve up, make sure he knows that there are definitely people who would absolutely jump at the chance to be with him. 

Or, you know, right here. Or something. 

Splashing sounds draw his attention back to the pool, and it’s Steve wading up the shallow end towards them, apparently tired out for the time being. And Eddie… panics. 

“Damn, Harrington,” he blurts out, “is it hot out here or is it just you?”

Which is. It’s. Something out of that terrible pickup lines book one of the Corroded Coffin guys found at a yard sale a few weeks ago—he can’t remember who exactly, maybe Jeff?—that they’d all howled over, reading the worst ones out loud in ridiculous voices. Why the hell is that what popped into his head?

Steve pauses with one foot still in the pool, squinting at him. “Uh… It’s definitely hot today. Are you… overheated or something? I could get you some ice water.”

“No, I’m good,” Eddie manages. And then, because he’s an idiot, he continues, “Have I told you lately that you’re very attractive? You must eat magnets for breakfast.”

He catches a glimpse of Robin out of the corner of one eye. For a second he hopes that she might step in and save him from himself, but nope; her face is frozen in a look of appalled fascination. No help coming from that quarter. 

“I,” Steve starts, stepping the rest of the way out of the pool and putting both hands on his hips like he doesn’t know what else to do with them. “Dude, are you high?”

If only he were. The proximity of Steve’s naked, dripping wet chest and the gentle roll over the top of his swim trunks seems to have roughly the same effect on him though. 

“Nope,” Eddie squeaks. His face feels incandescent, and he can’t even blame it on a sunburn. And still he opens his mouth again, because he’s already gone this far, might as well commit to the bit. “But we should smoke up later, sweetheart. I think weed be really good together.”

That one wasn’t from the book. It’s an Eddie Munson original. If death took him now, he would not hate it. 

Steve looks to Robin, who shrugs and throws him a towel. He catches it and starts drying his hair, returning his attention to Eddie with a perplexed look. “Low blood sugar?” he asks, and it takes a second for Eddie to place that Steve is still trying to guess why he’s being so weird. 

As if the Freak of Hawkins needs something so pedestrian as a reason. 

“We can order pizza,” Robin suggests in a strangled voice. She’s trying so hard not to laugh, which is good. Probably. 

Eddie can muster a little gratitude for that, right up until he opens his mouth again and “Oh, are you craving pizza? Because I’d love to get a pizz-a you” falls out. 

… Maybe he does have low blood sugar. Or, like. A brain tumor or something. 

Steve sends Robin another look, then shrugs and heads inside the house. Presumably to order pizza, and hopefully for Eddie’s sanity to put on a shirt. 

As soon as the glass door slides shut behind him, Robin whips around and whisper yells, “What the hell was that?!”

Eddie throws himself back on his lounger and covers his face with both hands. “I don’t know. I wanted to cheer him up, make him feel good about himself or something, but—”

“And you thought hitting on him would do the trick? Very badly, I might add!”

“Oh, like you know anything about what works when hitting on dudes!” Eddie shoots back, even though she’s right. So very right. Cruelly correct, to a poor gay man who is suffering. 

He rolls over on the chair, only putting a knee or elbow through the plastic straps beneath him a few times before flopping face down and tugging his own unused towel over his entire head. It’s almost restful under there. The lounger cradles his face a little too high because the back is still angled slightly up for, you know, lounging… and Return of the King is dry and solid under one shoulder, twisting his frame a little oddly, but other than that…

~

By the time Steve comes back outside, Eddie barely notices. He feels slow and drowsy from the heat, everything muffled by the towel. But he does hear a scrape over the concrete beneath him and cracks an eye open to peer through the gaps in the chair. 

It’s a slice of pepperoni and extra cheese on a paper plate, positioned directly below his head, right where he can smell it. 

Fuck, okay. He can’t not get up for food freely offered. It’s just not how Wayne raised him. 

“There you are,” Steve says brightly when Eddie emerges and resituates himself with the plate in hand. “Feeling better? Seemed like the heat was getting to you there.”

“Must’ve,” Eddie replies with a weak laugh. “Thanks.” For the pizza, and for allowing him some semblance of dignity to fall back on after… whatever that had been. Because Steve, above all else, is a good dude; something Eddie has been all too aware of for over a year now. 

Steve passes him a can of Mountain Dew and taps his own Coke can against it like a toast. “Don’t mention it. And, uh, Eds…” He’s starting to smile, just a little. “I know this is going to sound cheesy, but I think you're the gratest.”

Somewhere to Eddie’s other side, Robin chokes on her drink and has to cough a few times to clear it. 

Eddie just stares, jaw dropped open and feeling flushed all over, heart in his throat. Even with his hair still wet and smelling strongly of chlorine, Steve has somehow retained that signature swoop. Maybe he fixed it while he was inside, procuring pizza and slipping into an old and raggedy high school gym shirt that makes him only slightly less biteable. 

And that smile, fully bloomed now and brighter than the afternoon sun. Like he’s decided, playfully, to meet Eddie at his level no matter how dumb it is. 

“Alright,” Robin rasps. “Okay. I’m just gonna go inside to finish my summer reading while you dingi do… whatever this is.” Followed by the creak of her chair as she clambers off. 

“Don’t mess with the thermostat,” Steve calls after her. He turns slightly to do it and releases Eddie from his tractor beam stare, letting Eddie breathe again—when had he stopped doing that? And then those hazel eyes are back on him, hypnotizing. “Well? Cat got your tongue, or do you have any more?”

The words are… different, now that they’re alone. Quieter. Steve is leaning forward slightly, legs over the side of the chair as he faces Eddie. Elbows on his knees and Coke can dangling forgotten from one big hand. His stare is intense in a way that is almost too terrifying to try to read into. 

Eddie wets his lips nervously. “No, I… I’ve got more.” He sits up a little straighter, turns to put his feet down on the shaded but still warm concrete and face Steve head-on. “I’m no photographer, but I can picture us together.”

It sounds, feels, almost terrifyingly like a confession. 

Steve’s grin gets impossibly brighter and Eddie is back to not daring to breathe, because what is happening. “Are you a camera? Because every time I look at you, I smile.”

Which is. That’s. Does he? Eddie is having some sort of out of body experience trying to think back. 

The part of him that’s still anchored in bones and nerves and skin takes a deep breath. Committing to it. 

“Of all the beautiful curves on your body, your smile is my favorite,” he hears himself say, and it’s probably the plainest, most honest words he’s uttered in his entire twenty-one years of life. 

It’s not like he thinks Steve is going to punch him for saying it. Or even for saying it like that. Good dude, inescapable. But he wasn’t expecting the guy’s eyes to go big and molten, or for him to swallow hard, all while that amazing smile never dims. 

“I’m… Shit, I’m going to give you a kiss, Eddie. If you don't like it, you can return it.”

And then Steve leans forward, and does. 

~

Half an hour later, Robin comes back outside to check on them and finds the two young men twined together on one lounger. Steve is sprawled half on top of Eddie, who looks like he’s holding him in place with both legs and teasing a half eaten slice of pizza against Steve’s mouth. Steve snaps at it with his teeth, and Eddie yanks it away but then goes back in to tap it against his lips anyway with a laugh, loose and easy. Happy. 

They both look so happy together. 

She knew it. All she’d had to do was get those two pining idiots talking about something real—even if Eddie had surprised her with a deeply unexpected means of doing so. Whatever, he’s weird, nothing new there. The important thing is that her plan to end her two best friends’ ridiculous mutual pining for one another had worked. 

And Steve hadn’t believed her when she’d insisted that the metalhead definitely doesn’t think it’s a bad thing that his clothes all fit a little more snug these days. Ha. One more tally on her own You Rule column. 

Feeling magnanimous, Robin decides to wait until they’re done with lunch to turn the hose on them. 

Permanent tag list: @hotluncheddie @lawrencebshoggoth @sofadofax @irishvampireboy @oatmilk-vampire

@wheneverfeasible @hamiltonswiftie @grtwdsmwhr @yesdangerpls @theseaofdespair

[sunny6677]

Ramble about my day again

@catsockpuppet since ya enjoyed my rambles last time if I remember correctly

I kinda overslept this morning since I turned off my alarm without realizing—and ended up being woken by my half sisters dad cuz it was about time for the bus to show up. So i rushed through the polls this morning, did my usual stuff and got ready, and in a half-asleep state I went down to the bus stop. I had a weird ass dream tho. It's kinda gross, so even if it doesn't make me too phased, I know it may gross some other people out. But all I'll say is that something fell out of my body and that afterwards there were weird translucent sticky tree roots like sticking out of me.

I rode on the bus like I normally do, took some photos and drew some stuff. And then once the bus arrived at the school, I took a few more photos cuz of how pretty it looked and sat with my friends at breakfast for a little while. I just had apple juice and that was kind of it. Then when it was time for Psychology—I went on down there and took some more photos cuz it looked pretty still.

Psychology was kinda funny today tbh. We were going over dream stuff since that's what we're supposed to be studying and I wrote the stuff about my dream on the assignment we're gonna be doing for the next few days, but we just got kinda side tracked cuz we all kept talking about out weird sleep walking or dream experiences. Some girl said she apparently writes on a board what she dreams about anytime she wakes up, and another dude told us about a sleep walking experience he had with his dad.

Spanish rolled around, and I think it mighta been cuz I was sleepy, but it felt a lit mess active than usual as we just took notes and everyone around me just sorta talked and talked. I participated in what we were doing as well obviously, but I was too exhausted to really speak.

And then when Chemistry came, my friend who usually sits with me wasn't there—so I just cut out and glued in a bunch of stuff in quietness as my teacher let us take some notes and occasionally got onto the other students.

Then in Technology, he gave some of the other students time to work on their animation concept thing—and I wanted to play Roblox, but my mind was dead set on drawing what I was voted to draw for, so I spent the entire time just drawing random stuff that popped into my head. Hypergraphia thingssss. Got a hug from my friend toward the end though and watched a bunch of Spooky Month tiktoks as I headed to lunch. And also recorded some of the scenery.

I ended up playing Roblox as my friends just kinda joked around during lunch the whole time, and just ate some chips and I drank some coca cola like I normally do. I did talk a little more with them this time though and they kinda laughed at some of my jokes.

And when English came around, we did an activity on different fictional villains based on who was the worst—I think my group ended up doing the best out of them all. And we also ended up reading some more and just discussing our book, but that was kinda it.

In Theater, we learnt about non-verbal expressions and acting. And as of now, I've been paired up with two others for a skit we're supposed to be writing/planning out. We didn't have much time today, so we'll be planning the skit out tomorrow.

Geometry was just kinda boring and I had to listen to my teacher mess with other students or scold them as I kept trying to work the entire time. Geometry, while easy, can be kinda boring sometimes. And I think whenever I'm especially bored, I do worse on it.

And finally when World History rolled around, we finished taking some notes and had some light hearted banter about some of the stuff. And also laughed because this dude kept going on about asking the teacher what her 'favorite method of ancient killing/punishment' was. That was kinda it for today though.

And then on the bus I got kinda stressed at the thought of writing, so that was when I asked if I should take a break as soon as I got home. It also mildly rained tonight, and right now, my brother and his girlfriend are kinda visiting with their new cute lil dog named Violet kdndndn

Photos I took today:

[fatal-error-blog]

FATAL_ERROR COMIC AND CONTENT WILL RETURN JANUARY 2022!

TL;DR at the end~ Hey folks! I’m so sorry I’ve been absent from the blog and from the discord for such a long time. I mentioned that I was taking a break back in…oh geez, May? And that break has gone on for much longer than I expected XD Long story short, I am very okay! This has just been an exceptionally busy year, and I’ve had to rearrange my priorities a bit to navigate it all.

To be absolutely honest, I’ve just been burnt out. Not from just the comic, but from a lot of things outside the blog. And if you’ve ever been burnt out, then you know that it kinda doesn’t matter how passionate or excited you are to work on your projects - you just keep hitting a wall that doesn’t really let you progress. Unfortunately I hit that wall, haha. So I’ve been taking the time to recover from it. Legitimately, this blog post took several weeks longer than I wanted it to, just because I was trying to gather enough will to draw a cute little drawing to go along with it. Eventually I figured that it needed to go up without it.

It sucks to have to admit that I needed to step away from the comic, the blog, and the discord. It’s hard to admit to myself that I was having a hard time balancing everything and that despite being excited about where the comic was headed, I just physically and mentally had to take a break. It feels really bad to have a lot of fun ideas about what I want next for the story, for all the side comics and the graphic novel and just not be able to act on them because something within me is just tired and needs a minute before continuing. It sucks to disappoint everyone who’s come to love this story and is also just as excited to see what happens next.

I think deep down I’ve always been scared that I’d give up on the Fatal_Error comic, which is why I was hesitant to step away from it to take care of other things that had to be taken care of. But I think I know now that completing this story is so important to me that I could never give up on it. But I do know that I need to give myself time to get some other things in my life in order, so that I can get through the block and come back to the comic ready to keep moving forward. So I hope you’ll be patient with me and rejoin me when the comic starts back up in January 2022. I don’t want to bore ya’ll with details, but probably the biggest thing I’ve got going on outside of this blog is trying to advance my career. I work in game development (QA Tester, been that way for a few years) and I’m more than ready to move up in the development pipeline. So I’ve been dedicating a lot lot lot of my time trying to work on those skills and apply for jobs. It’s very time consuming, haha. And mentally taxing. So I’ve been using this time (and I’ll be using the rest of the year) to work on some indie projects, beef up my portfolio, and hopefully get hired for a better job than I have now. I can’t express how much that’s gonna relieve a lot of stress for me, and less stress = more energy to spend on the Fatal_Error comic.

I do still plan to stream working on these projects, it’s (probably) not gonna involve Fatal haha but there is a lot of art involved and me bumbling around trying to program which should be entertaining to some extent, so if that’s something you’re interested in I’ll mention whenever I’m planning on streaming and you’re more than welcome to pop in and see what all the fuss is about.

As for discord, I’m never really far ^_^ I keep discord open all the time, and even if I don’t post or do much in the discord, I’m always nearby to check in and available to talk if ya’ll need me. I’ll try to be more involved though <3

I think that’s the major stuff? I really am looking forward to hopping back into Fatal’s story once things calm down on my end. It’s been a really wonderful source of comfort and expression for me and I love where the story is going, and I love getting to share it with ya’ll. I’m sorry for making you all wait so long for what comes next, but as always, I sincerely hope that once we get there, it’ll be worth the wait. Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and your enthusiasm. I’ll be around (and catching up on the inbox, messages, etc haha), but in terms of the comic, I’ll see ya’ll in January 2022 <3

Stay determined! I know I will be ^_^ <3 Xedra

TL;DR:

Is the comic over?/Is the blog dead? Nope! Just on pause until January 2022. What about the volume 2 of the graphic novel? Also on pause! I’m hoping to open preorders in March/April 2022. Are you okay? Yup! Thank you for asking, and I’m sorry for making you worry. What are you going to be doing in the meantime? I’m going to be working on some game development projects. I’m working on applying for jobs and I need stuff for my portfolio, and I also want to make sure I have something to do after Fatal_Error is finished ^_^ Are you still gonna stream? Yup! It’ll probably be non-Fatal_Error stuff but you’re more than welcome to watch me work! I’ll make a post about it when I have the times and stuff sorted out. Are you gonna be back on discord? Slowly, but yup. I’ll kinda chill in the background if you need me. You gonna play Deltarune Chapter 2? HEcK YEAH MY DUDE

[y0itsbri]

Hi Bri 🥰

C-16 if you'd like to 👀

Coffee dates and disasters

au with college!lip and barista!mandy where ian is a frequent visitor at the campus café and meets mickey under rather unfortunate circumstances. don't cry over spilled milk, buddy.

which also fits under a.u.gust for @gallavichthings

words: 2.4k

"never would have thought you the type to come to one of these places," ian mused, looking around the small café with only lamps and string lights illuminating the space. "can't believe college changed you, man," ian clutched at his heart dramatically.

"don't worry. 'm still the annoying bastard you love so dearly," lip squeezed ian's shoulder before he sauntered up to the counter.

the barista's bored expressed brightened when she saw them. her perky demeanor was matched by a high pitched voice, "hey lip," she smiled, dark lipstick striking. she appraised ian with a somewhat predatory eye, "hello, lip's friend."

"uh, brother," ian coughed.

lip rolled his eyes, "and he's gay so don't even try it, mandy."

she pouted and flicked her hair behind her shoulder, "not that it's any of your business, anyways."

ian chuckled besides him, drawing another smile out of mandy, this one kinder, sweeter.

"what can i get you boys?"

the pink highlights glistened in her dark hair as she whipped up lip's cold brew and ian's caramel macchiato, then proceeded to insist that this one is on the house. neither of them argued, but thanked her before they settled down in some stools by the window.

"fucking the barista privileges?" ian asked, raising his eyebrow at his slut of a brother.

"i think of it more like fellow south sider charity," he rubbed his bottom lip, "but yours works too," lip smirked around the edges of his coffee cup.

"you're an idiot."

"can a man who got us free drinks really be deemed an idiot?" lip philosophized.

ian paused, taking a moment of thorough consideration. he looked lip straight in the eyes as he answered, "if that man is you, then without a doubt."

lip tried to knock ian's cup out of his hand, but failed at his attempt. ian thanked his well-practiced jrotc skills and a lifetime experience of growing up in a house packed with annoying siblings for his victory.

they chatted about the robotics classes lip was taking, how he got full-time access to one of the labs, and his weird ass roommate who may or may not be gay if ian is at all interested. ian scrunched up his face. after hearing so many horror stories about the guy, ian didn't want anywhere near him. he wasn't that desperate yet.

the second that lip was out of his seat and heading to the bathroom, the beautiful mess that was mandy descended.

"hiiii lip's gay brother," she leaned against the table.

"it's ian," he spun his empty cup in his hands. he couldn't help himself from smiling at her charisma.

"well hi, ian, i just wanted to say sorry if i spooked you earlier. i just had no idea lip's brother would be so cute!"

"his ugly mug's not too hard to beat." ian laughed. "he got the short end of the gallagher stick, literally."

"cute and charming. you're funny, ian gallagher, i like you." she placed her hand on his shoulder for a moment, a movement so soft compared to her rather frantic appearance. "come back here anytime and it's on the house, yeah? i work most evenings after three."

"oh. uh- okay," ian scrambled for words, "thanks."

she squeezed his shoulder once before lip returned with a rather obnoxious entrance.

"ayo mands, stop harassing him!"

ian ducked his head in embarrassment.

"oh, shut up! i'm just clearing your cups," she winked at ian as she left.

mandy was something else. but she was kind and good company. ian could get used to the chill atmosphere over the chaos of the gallagher house anytime. he might just take up her offer.

--

"you'd think with all the time you spend here, you'd be offered a scholarship or something by now." mandy sipped on her chocolate frappuccino as she laid her feet across ian's lap. he always made sure to come visit during her breaks at least twice a week during the past couple months.

ian shrugged, "guess they only had room for one gallagher."

mandy hit his arm in a way that hurt. lip was fucked if he ever broke her heart.

"does fiona even know that this is where you sneak off to?"

"yeah." mandy's look said she didn't believe him. "well, kinda. she thinks i'm visiting lip, brotherly duties and all."

"yeah? how are those brotherly duties?"

"fuck if i know."

she laughed.

"i still think you should apply here for next fall," she encouraged, "could take some art classes."

"i suck at art."

"chemistry?"

"failed that."

"business?"

"yeah, no thanks."

mandy flipped him off, "fine. botany?

"ya know what? sure." he had always wanted to grow tomatoes.

"really?!"

"heart wants what it wants, mandy. we can't all be psychology brainiacs."

"brains and beauty, what can i say?" she teased. ian laughed, eyes glistening towards his friend. mandy made things better.

"hey," she continued, "there's this concert on the main campus lawn this weekend, you should totally come!"

"isn't that just for students?"

"they don't card, dummy."

"right, right, i knew that."

"sureeee. you in?"

ian mentally checked his work schedule.

"i'm in."

--

lip and ian strolled into the café a few days later. okay, maybe ian had felt a bit guilty for abandoning his brotherly duties lately, but at least this way he could hang out with both his best friends. well he could have if he remembered the fact that mandy had the day off for her behavioral neuroscience midterm. they had literally spent her previous shift reviewing the terms, he should have known.

ian's couldn't help his face from falling as another blonde barista took their orders, mostly eyeing lip the whole time.

"hi lip," she smiled a little too sincerely, "what can i get for you today?"

ian had ordered something new at the recommendation of the blonde and he was not a fan. and to make matters worse, he had to actually pay for the atrocity that he wouldn't even be able to finish.

"so how's your little coffee dates with mandy?" lip asked over his cup.

ian nearly choked on his god-awful americano. "how'd you know?"

"please. she's obsessed with you. every time i see her, it's 'ian this,' 'ian that,' 'ian might apply here in next year.'"

"oh."

"yeah, oh. when were you gonna tell me?!"

“it’s all mandy’s idea, i’m not even sure i want to,” ian muttered, refusing to make eye contact.

“dude, i’ve literally shared a room with you since the day you popped out of monica’s wretched womb, you think I can’t tell when you’re lying?”

okay maybe ian had been getting increasingly more excited about the idea of attending school and actually learning things that he wants to learn. something that might actually lead him somewhere real since rotc was looking more and more like a poor man's fantasy the more that he thought about it.

“I was gonna tell you, swear on it.” and he was. once he convinced himself that lip wasn't going to straight up laugh in his face. but the look in his eye seemed genuinely supportive.

“mhm, i gotta catch my english lit class," lip stood up, swinging his tattered tan backpack across one shoulder. he patted ian's shoulder in his big brother ways, "don’t be a stranger, yeah?”

“yeah, yeah for sure! have fun learning a language you already know!” lip flipped him off at his smartass remark.

soon after, ian stood up to return his drink to the counter, the anxiety from the conversation making him entirely lose whatever appetite he might have had. plus, it wasn’t the same here without lip or mandy. he just wanted to be wrapped up in a cocoon in his own bed. but that was so far away. maybe he could catch an early ride—

thump.

ian crashed into a guy’s sturdy body.

the remnants of his shitty drink spilled in an americano nightmare over both of them, ceramic pieces shattering on the floor in a truly horrific manner.

ian yipped and the other man let out a grunt of irritation.

they were fucking soaked. well, at least the coffee wasn't hot? ian tried justifying the situation, but, nah, this was bad.

"shit! i'm so sorry, lemme," ian reached out and the shorter man flinched away.

they were now far enough apart that ian got a good look at him. a leather jacket.. now covered in ian's drink -- shit. and shockingly piercing blue eyes that lingered too long on ian's before his cheeks turned a shade of pink that made ian's stomach flutter.

he might have seemed cold if he didn’t make ian feel so warm.

"it’s cool, man. i gotta go, uh," and he walked out of the café without looking back.

fuck.

ian smelled like coffee the entire train ride to the back of the yards. he laid in his bed regretting his entire life.

no mandy. no lip. no dignity.

--

the day of the concert that mandy had invited him to rolled around. ian wouldn’t admit it, but he was nervous to spend a coffee-less evening with mandy, their entire friendship built inside that one room. his little bubble of safety was bursting.

well, to be honest, the bubble had burst the moment that his disaster of a coffee was spilled onto one of the most ridiculously pretty guys that he's ever seen. every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the guy’s face shift from hostile to something else. he was torn between wanting to know the his name and also on never seeing him again in fear that he would simply pass away of embarrassment.

hopefully mandy hadn't heard about it. they may not have been friends for a long time, but he already knew that she would never let him live it down.

"hey ian!" her familiar voice called. that sounded promising.

his face fell with relief as he finally spotted her at the corner. she embraced him in a warm hug before pulling back and giving him a once over.

"huh, could have sworn you'd still have coffee behind your ear or something after the description karen gave me of your little disaster the other day." she smirked, quite literally double checking behind his ears as they turned hot under her gaze.

"ugh, fuck, how much did she tell you?" he itched his forehead and scrunched up his nose.

"oh, calm your tits, it's funny as fuck." she giggled, punching his arm in a way that still unintentionally hurt.

"whatever. are you excited for the concert tonight?"

their reunion conversation lulled eventually, and ian noticed that they weren't necessarily standing alone.

no. fucking. way.

just his luck, if he was being honest. he probably deserved this.

there he stood. the man that has plagued his dreams the past few days. in a light wash jean jacket that was a little tight on the biceps, leaning casually against the wall, kicking the pebbles on the ground with his boot.

"uh, what's he doing here?" ian gestured towards the victim of The Coffee Incident.

“what, you know him?” mandy asked, walking them towards him.

“vaguely.” if that wasn’t the understatement of the year.

"huh. i didn’t think my idiot brother had any friends."

brother? how did ian not realize she had a brother?

"what, did you think i was going to babysit you all night? i can't let everyone here thinking you're my boyfriend, no offense or whatever, but you're in good hands!" she kissed his cheek, clearly not helping her own not-looking-like-her-boyfriend rule.

ian eyed said brother's good hands only to see the faded letters of FUCK U-UP on them. oh.

mandy pushed ian over to her brother, "ian, mickey. mickey, ian," she introduced before pushing and shuffling her way through the crowd of college students to find herself someone’s cheap ass fruity alcohol to mooch off of.

mickey. ian's brain repeated over and over, a chime against the murmuring sea of voices they found themselves enveloped by.

"nice jacket," ian pointed out, an awkward attempt to converse before shoving his hands back in his pockets.

"it's my second favorite." the corners of his mouth lifted like there was more to the statement. ian took the bait, as if he could resist.

"what's your first?"

"first is still airing out the fuckin’ coffee smell," he smirked as ian groaned. "oh c’mon, man, don't go crying over spilled milk."

how could he not? on the bright side, he didn’t seemed to hate ian for it.

“if it was anyone else,” mickey drawled, “they’d have to get a beat down for it.”

“why do I get a free pass?” ian mused.

“well, you’re mandy’s friend, right?”

“yup,” ian tried to suppress his disappointment. he really did. but fiona always told him he wore his heart on his sleeve.

“yeah, that ain’t why, though,” his eyebrows waggled suggestively and ian nearly felt his heart drop out of his ass.

ian blessed whatever coffee god was out there for sending him both mandy and the beautiful man in front of him.

“you wanna go listen to the band?” ian nodded his head towards the stage with passionate players jumping around like they were playing lollapalooza or some shit.

“lead the way, stud, just try to keep your drinks off of me this time,” mickey knocked into ian’s own flannel covered shoulder.

yeah, ian couldn’t believe his luck. maybe karma was finally on his side.

—

mandy smirked at her brother and best friend not-so-subtly checking each other out over the course of the night, bopping their heads to the music and downing whatever free booze they could get their hands on.

she hoped that adding mickey to the equation would be enough incentive to convince ian to stick around. things were better when he was near.

the way that ian followed mickey around like a lost puppy with that dopey moon-eyed look, it seemed like her hopes would come true.

and when both ian and mickey strolled into the café to come visit her at work the next week, mickey in his worse-for-wear leather jacket and ian in borrowed denim, she thanks the coffee gods for her luck.

[jjksblackgf]

BTS Reaction - You’re sick/injured and he’s jealous that another member takes care of you

kim seokjin

He rushed over to the hospital as soon as your friend called to give him the news. He didn’t know any details and didn’t want to wait to receive them, he just grabbed his stuff and went to your encounter.

As he ran through the halls of the hospital, he didn’t mind when people recognized him. Trying to find the room the receptionist gave to him, all he wanted to do was to see you with his own eyes.

“How much pain, on a scale of 1 to 10?” he asked you once he was in your room, with very clear pain in his voice and furrowed brows.

“Zero” you answered “My shoulder is back where it should, so I don’t feel any pain. And the doctor gave me painkillers if I feel like I need it”

He wanted to ask more questions, but was interrupted by Taehyung, as he walked in with chips and candy he probably bought at a vending machine.

“Hey hyung” Tae spoke smiling and placed the treats on your lap. “Here you go, Y/N, go wild” he added

“Thanks, Tae, that was very sweet” you thanked Taehyung with a smile, making Seokjin kinda jealous. He wanted to be the one treating you nicely right now.

“Shouldn’t you eat something more nutritious than this?” Jin asked

“But hospital food sucks, hyung, she needs to have a little fun to heal faster” Taehyung said before you could, earning a giggle from you

“But you’re not the doctor, are you?” Jin asked with a cold voice, and he regretted the minute the words slipped his mouth. “I’m sorry, Taehyung, that was unnecessary” continued.

“Tae, can you give us a moment, please?” You asked and he left the room. Jin proceeded to apologize and explain his behavior.

min yoongi

95% of the time he loves his job, even when he’s stuck at work, he knows all the hard work would pay off soon.

But now he has you, someone he could go home to. And now, being stuck at work was not as okay as it was before. Now every time he’s stuck at work he has an internal conflict.

Today was especially hard because you had a mild fever for most of the day and other flu symptoms. But he managed to get away from work to be with you, getting home not much later with some hot soup he knew you liked.

He didn’t like the sight when he got home, tho. Jimin was watching a movie with you. He doesn’t really mind you getting closer because he trusts you and trusts all the other members around you. 

What bothered him were the bowl of soup in your hands and a few packs of medicine recently bought. Jimin got to take care of you before he could, and that broke his heart a little. Not saying anything, he leaves the thing he bought for you at the dinner table and goes to take a shower.

“I’ll get going” Jimin said before you got to and you said your goodbyes.

After that you went to your bedroom and sat on the bed, waiting for Yoongi to leave the bathroom.

“Hey, baby” you said with a sweet voice. Yoongi didn’t respond, he just sat on the bed by your side

“I’ll apologise to Jimin tomorrow” he murmured to you

“Good” you said and hugged him sideways while he took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry for disrespecting you today, I don’t know why I did that-” he started to ramble but you kissed him to make him stop

“Apology accepted” you smiled “Let’s go to the living room, I want to cuddle with you while watching movies.”

jung hoseok

He didn’t have the experience, but he could imagine how breaking a leg would suck. Good thing he was able to take a few personal days to the company, so he got to take care of you the first week. 

When you were better and more adjusted to your new routine, he decided to catch up at work. He would rather take care of you, but you reassured him you were okay, and you knew he was more needed at work than at home.

You would still be able to see him everyday. Perks of living together, baby.

But you were bored at home alone and missing him a little, but you couldn’t admit that to him, he would just simply stop working to be with you. So you asked Seokjin to hang out with you, he had finished recording early and was free for the day. 

And you just had a very fun end of afternoon with Jin. He helped you a lot, he even cooked your dinner. It was instant ramen since you didn’t have much ingredients, but still. He even scratched your feet with an old pencil. And that’s when your boyfriend gets home, he would sure want to join the fun

“Hi, honey” you said with a huge grin “Oh my God, Jin, this tickles too much” You said laughing loud.

“Hi, jagiya. Good night, hyung” Hoseok said, very polite but with a very cold tone. His angry face was about to show itself and you and Seokjin knew it.

“Is that how you greet your hyung?” Jin started with a surprised expression

“What? I said goodnight!” Hoseok responds

“I was here taking care of your girlfriend, don’t you think I deserve at least a thank you?”

“Don’t you think that I wanted to be the one to take care of her?”

“You guys, stop. This is not heading towards a productive conversation” you meddled 

“Listen to your girlfriend” Jin says as he gets up to leave “We’ll talk next time we see each other”

You got to talk to Hoseok and convinced him to call Seokjin and clear things out, you two knew everything was going to be okay in the end.

kim namjoon

You went to spend his day off with him at the dorms, he said he didn’t mind your cold and you were really clingy these days. 

You two were taking a nap together and Namjoon wakes up to find that you're not with him at the bed. He doesn't think much of it until he hears your laughter and goes to check in on you and know where you’re at, finding you seated with Yoongi while he plays the piano.

‘Oh yeah? Bet’ he thinks. He knows it’s just his passive aggressiveness showing its colors, but he can’t help it. He feels like it’s his job to take care of you. ‘This is not a good color on you, Namjoon’

“Hey baby, are you having fun with Yoongi hyung?” he asks as he puts his elbows at the top of the piano.

“Oh yeah, we’re just playing random songs” you answered

“Have you taken your meds yet?”

“No, not yet, but I’m not-”

“I’ll go get them” he responded before you could finish the sentence and went running to the meds cabinet and came back in under a minute. “Here” he said, trying to catch his breath.

“I’ll take them later, baby, I don’t think I need them right now” you said with an apologetic tone.

“Sure, okay! What do you want to eat, we can order something, or I can talk to Jin hyung and see if-”

“Oh, it’s okay, we already ate” you said referring to you and Yoongi

“Oh…” He just stood there kinda staring at you both

“Are you jealous or something?” Yoongi asks, seeing Namjoon’s reaction

“Yeah” he responded with a barely audible tone. You got up from your seat and hugged him tight, leaving pecks on his face until he smiled.

“Ew” Yoongi said as he got up from the piano and went away.

park jimin

At the practice room, you and Jungkook were sitting on the couch. He had a bunch of markers, the cast of your broken arm was a blank canvas to him. He just went wild with his creativity and drew different things, making it colorful.

Jimin was not a fan of the sight, even though your attention was fully on him, he was bothered by Jungkook getting all the space on the cast. You were his girlfriend, shouldn’t he be the one to draw a lot on it? 

He didn’t understand why he was so jealous, neither understood why he wanted to practice the new choreography in front of you and describe all the times he was better than JK or when he got the moves quicker. He did it anyway.

Jungkook just laughed a little and sighed, shaking his head, deciding to leave you alone with Jimin “I'll come back to work on it when hyung is not jealous anymore, just text me when” you nodded.

You patted the sofa and he sat on your side. “So…” you started, trying to get him to talk, but he didn’t know what to say. He was part embarrassed, part angry at himself. “You don’t trust me and the members together?” you asked after a moment, trying to see his point of view

“I do, I really do” he started saying “I don't know what got to me… I'm sorry, jagiya” he went for a hug and you hugged him back as tight as you could.

“What can we do to make you feel more comfortable, then?” you asked him

“I don't know” he responded honestly

“What made you feel jealous in the first place?”

And after that an idea popped in his head. He would feel very comfortable if Jungkook wrote his name in the cast with very bold letters.

kim taehyung

Boy was so eager to get home and take care of you. He knew it was just a cold, but he just hated knowing you were in any kind of pain or discomfort.

He bought painkillers, a hot pack, coughing medicine, soup, and the whole shabang. All the thoughts running through his mind were how quick he could put you on the bed and place lots of covers on you.

But the sound of your laughter as he opened the door was as relieving as worrying. Who was here? He calmed down as he thought that maybe it was your best friend. But he was wrong.

As soon as he saw Hoseok giving you a glass of water, the “this is fine” meme was at the front of his mind.

“Hi honey,” you said as soon as you laid your eyes on him “what you got there?” you asked eyeing the shopping bags.

“I bought these things for you,” he said in a low tone “I even got you soup, but I can see you’ve already been taken care of” his smile was there but you noticed that it was sarcastic with a hint of pain.

Hoseok noticed too, “Get well soon, Y/N” he said as he stood up “I’ll see you later” he gave Tae a quick pat on the back and closed the door behind him.

You watched Taehuyng in silence as he put the bags on the coffee table in front of you. “Let’s share the soup” you spoke as he sat down by your side

“You’re the one who needs this more, my love” he said softly “Do you need anything else? I got pain meds, coughing meds…” he continued speaking, but all you wanted to do was to hug him, and so you did

“You know I love you, right?” you spoke to his ear

He smiled faintly as he hugged you back “I know you do”

jeon jungkook

You had your hand immobilized after a torsion while working out, it was nothing serious but the doctors wanted to make sure the healing would go smoothly and faster.

You thought you could use only one hand, but you were wrong. You still wanted to bake cookies for your boyfriend so it could be ready when he finished with his video game.

He was doing a lot of things for you and you wanted to thank him, and also wanted to feel useful again. But it wasn’t going as you liked so you asked for Namjoon to help.

“Really? Me?” he was surprised by your request, he says he’s not very kitchen help material.

“All you need to do is to hold things still so I can mix it up” you answered, and so the baking started.

Jungkook decided he was done with the games and wanted to hang out with you more, finding you in the kitchen stirring chocolate chips in a bowl with what looked like cookies from afar.

“Hey, what are you doing over here?” he asks

“I wanted to bake some cookies for you, I know you like them” you said after he pecked your lips. 

“Oh, jagiya, you didn’t have to” he went to help but Namjoon was standing still in his helping position “It’s okay hyung, I’m the boyfriend, I’m going to be the help from now on” he said to Namjoon in a playful tone but you understood the subtext, and so did Namjoon

“No need to get jealous, Kook”

“I’m not jealous, I’m just saying-”

“Hey, hey” you interrupted them “You two can stop the chatting and put the cookies on the baking sheet, since I can’t at the moment”

After they did as you asked, Jungkook placed the trays in the heated oven and started cleaning in silence, Namjoon helped him, keeping the awkward silence in the room. You just sat back and watched the tension build.

“I’ll see you guys later” Namjoon announced as he finished placing the bowls in the cabinets.

“Next time promise me you will interrupt me so I can help you” Jungkook said after taking the cookies out of the oven.

“Fine” you rolled your eyes “But you promise to go apologize to Namjoon”

“Promise” and with that you two interlaced your pinkies.

[novelconcepts]

I’m sure I’m not the only one hoping you’ll expand on your earlier post about the greenhouse “flat above the pub” flirt-o-Rama if Flora hadn’t...gone and been possessed and all.

“You know I live above that pub, right? Told you that already. Got a little flat right above the boring little pub.”

She knows what she’s doing, is the thing Jamie can’t quite wrap her head around. She absolutely knows what she’s doing. Where on earth is the woman from five days ago, the one who looked at her with such bruised eyes and swollen lips and tried plaintively to pull at her jacket? Where did she go, and who is this bold version in her place?

Dangerous, probably. Already, she’s lowering whatever meager defenses Jamie had managed to craft over the past week. Already, she’s blowing right past them as though never there at all, and Jamie doesn’t fully understand this. She’s never had trouble blocking someone out before--at least, not someone like Dani, who makes her feel...makes her feel...

Good. Makes her feel like the brightest thing in the room, most days. Makes her feel like no one has ever wanted her there so badly before. 

The woman’s only kissed her once, and already it feels like she’s made a home for Jamie somewhere in her heart. Somewhere under all the bad she’s carrying, under all the flinching she’s done, all the death and loss and fear, there’s a place for Jamie. If she wants it.

She’s looking at Jamie now like she’s proud of how she walked in here this morning. Like she’s proud of how closely she’s standing, how she’s biting her lips now to hold back a grin so enormous, Jamie can’t help but return it. Five days away, and she returns to someone who knows what she’s doing--and what she’s doing is flirting so hard, it’s a wonder the table doesn’t catch fire.

Did that on purpose, she thinks wonderingly. What the fuck is happening. 

***

The coffee, in its own way, worked. Not that she thought Jamie would actually like it, because honestly, it’s bad coffee--and Jamie is just too British for words--but the thing is, it was never meant to be liked. It was only meant to make Jamie smile.

Which it did. Eventually.

Or, she did. Is doing. Right now, as the words tumble out of her--Would you wanna get a drink? Away from the house. Away from all this. That could be kinda boring, right?--a part of her is desperately terrified to realize, she is doing this. She is leaning against this table, clutching a mug of truly toxic coffee, watching Jamie suck in her cheeks like it’s doing a damn thing to erase that smile. She is saying the words she’s been playing over and over in her head for five days running:

“You. And me. Could get a boring old drink. In a boring old pub.” God, her heart is sprinting. It’s entirely possible she won’t get out of this sentence, with all its halting hesitation, alive, much less this greenhouse. “And see where that takes us.”

And this is the part where Jamie will melt, she hopes. Swoon, even. The part the coffee laid road leading to, a glorious red herring approach. Here, where Jamie will see that she means what she says, and she’ll grow faint with whatever affection Dani has earned, and this will all be--

She’s grinning. Jamie, not quite facing her, is grinning. 

“You know I live above that pub, right?” This is not, Dani recognizes, exactly what one might call a swoon. This is the expression of a woman who has done extremely quick math and come up with a calculation Dani had sort of hoped she’d swing right past. When she’d swoon. 

She is not swooning. She is, instead, leaning slightly back, eyebrows raised appraisingly, reminding Dani in one fell swoop that there are people who are eager to flirt and people who are good at the art. And that Jamie, for all her glower and loner tendencies, is very, very good at the art. 

“Told you that already, didn’t I?” Her voice is almost soft, definitely teasing, her expression perfectly arranged to say this is my territory, Poppins, and you had best be careful how you tread in my garden. “Got a little flat. Right above the boring little pub.”

And then she’s...turning back to the work. Turning away, not a blush to be found, not even the hint of a swoon. Dani’s expression, so carefully schooled into neutrality, is breaking into the biggest grin of her life and Jamie has the temerity to not even keep eye contact.

“I mean--you maybe...mentioned it--”

“Only,” Jamie goes on, still focused on the task at hand--which Dani does not in the least understand, though there’s something to be said for Jamie in profile: head bent, eyes attentive, hands working into soil. Jamie never quite looks so alive as when she’s working, as though it is only in garden or greenhouse that she truly allows herself to flourish. 

Would she look that alive, Dani wonders with unbidden curiosity, anywhere else? Maybe in the boring little flat, maybe with me, maybe--

“Only,” Jamie repeats, darting a small glance her way. Dani realizes she’s staring, closes her mouth. “I figure there are plenty of places two people could go on a date. Which is, if I’m not mistaken, what you’re suggesting. Isn’t it?”

“It...I--yes.” No point denying it. No point trying to wash away the simple brazen fact. A boring little date. It’s not a big deal. It doesn’t have to be a big--

“So,” Jamie says, her voice still doing that dangerous thing Dani doesn’t quite understand and can’t quite turn her attention from. That dangerous half-soft, half-amused thing that is all accent, all in control, all turning Dani’s own courage back on her like a firehose. “We could do it anywhere, couldn’t we? Doesn’t have to be the pub.”

“I--” Dani resists the urge to close her eyes. She’s going to make me say it. She really is. This wasn’t the plan, exactly. The plan had been so much simpler. It had not taken into account Jamie, who is going down into this thing with her willingly--but maybe not easily. “I mean, I just--”

“Just curious,” Jamie goes on breezily, drawing her hands from the soil at last and taking a slow step closer. The space between, already limited at best, reduces to nearly nothing in that single motion. Dani swallows.

“About?”

“It’s particular,” Jamie points out. A slight shift of hips, a nearly negligible twist of the waist, and she’s got Dani backed into a corner. Or, more accurately, against a table. “The pub. Bit curious, is all, why you’d want to get me into that pub.”

***

This poor woman is going to burst into flames, Jamie thinks, and maybe they’ll both deserve it. She isn’t upset with Dani anymore--has found in the span of about five minutes that there’s no staying upset with Dani when she turns those huge blue eyes on full-force, stands just so, puts on the bravest face Jamie has seen her wear since stalking Peter Quint through the night. She isn’t upset, exactly.

But Dani seems to think this was going to be easy. A cup of coffee. A slick line. She seems to think Jamie was just going to lean into it. 

Which she is. In her own way.

She’s careful not to touch Dani, not to press in with her body to such a degree that Dani will feel trapped. She’s only standing, a tiny width of space between them, her hands loose at her sides. Only standing, polite, smiling, waiting for an answer.

“Bit curious, is all, why you’d want to get me into that pub.”

“I don’t--I think--I mean--” Dani shakes her head slowly, her eyes wide and imploring. “Do you not...want to get a drink...”

“Didn’t say that.” The last five days haven’t been enjoyable. Burning sick days, pretending to be too ill to check in on the house, had felt cowardly. The shame in her stomach, twisting like acid around the hot desire of the memory, had felt familiar in the worst way--like being seventeen again, not knowing where to put all of these too-fierce feelings. Anger would have been easier. Disappointment, shame, embarrassment--each too heavy to put down on its own--had made for the worst kind of cocktail.

This, though. Dani looking at her--not needing to tip her head back, not needing to peer down, simply looking straight ahead and making perfect eye contact--feels good. Feels better than good. Feels like she’d felt in the moments before the flinch, when Dani had grinned into her mouth and pushed hard against her like she’d been waiting for this moment for days. This, Dani drawing deep breaths, clutching her mug, feels liking picking up right where they’d left off. 

Dangerous, she thinks again. Dangerous, to let Dani in this way. Dangerous, to admit how alive she feels, teasing her this way. 

Dangerous, every time Dani’s eyes flick to her lips and back again. 

“You’re really not going to say it,” she says, shaking her head in a parody of disappointment, reaching in gently to pluck the mug from her hands and set it aside. “Poppins. Really. First rule of flirting.”

“What’s that?” There’s a challenge in Dani’s smile, she thinks. A challenge so light and so free--and so intoxicating in its authenticity--she can’t help but laugh. She makes a show of leaning close, watching Dani’s eyes darken, watching Dani’s breath catch.

“Always be ready to commit.”

***

She’s going to kiss me, Dani thinks. Here. Now. Six in the morning, she’s going to do it. 

But, of course, Jamie doesn’t. Jamie, who thought it had been her Dani was trying to get away from the other night. Jamie, who took it so to heart she hadn’t even come back for nearly a week. 

It’s been so strange, going through the motions without Jamie around. Strange and hollow, and Dani knows--the way you know you can’t keep holding your breath much longer--life will never feel quite as vibrant without Jamie in it. 

Didn’t take long at all, she thinks, remembering the shadow of a young man standing before a dying fire. Didn’t take long at all, but I can’t not know that. 

Jamie’s here now, a crooked little half-smile on her lips, her eyes bright, but there’s something she’s still holding back. Something she’s still not absolutely sure Dani won’t let fall, split upon collision with the ground. 

She isn’t going to kiss Dani. She’s just going to stand here, making her crazy, smiling exactly like that. 

“Always be ready to commit.”

And there are other things Dani could do, it’s true--laugh, push at her shoulder, make another horrific stab at imitating her accent. There is plenty Dani could do.

But just now, with Jamie standing this close, with the air crisp and this single room so different than it had felt days ago, she’s not sure she can be blamed for what she settles on.

Not sure anyone could blame her for sliding a hand around Jamie’s middle, pushing off the table, using the momentum to twist until it’s Jamie backed against the table, Jamie looking at her with genuine surprise on her face.

That, Dani thinks with terrified glee. That’s the look I was going for. 

"Consider me committed,” she says, and though Jamie had been careful not to touch her, she finds herself unable to do the same. Her hips press Jamie backward, one hand clenching at the small of Jamie’s back. The other finds Jamie’s sleeve, less for contact, more a desperate bid for balance.

“Touché,” Jamie says in a low voice--not that easy flirtation tone this time, but something less in control. “My, ah. Hands are dirty.”

“Do you want me to come back later?” 

Jamie laughs, leans forward, shakes her head. “Didn’t say that.”

It wasn’t the plan, to kiss her here. She’d meant only to apologize--or, not apologize, but make clear that she was sorry how it had gone, that there are paths she very badly wants this to take that are the right way, the best way, the way it should have been all along. She’d meant only to make that clear, to land her proposal, to make Jamie feel a fraction as giddy as Jamie makes her every damn day.

And yet, with Jamie kissing back, Jamie making a helpless sound of frustration as her hands tip backward to grip the table behind her instead of ruining Dani’s coat, it feels right. It feels like meaning what she’s said. It feels like commitment. 

“For the record,” she adds, pulling away to breathe. Jamie’s knuckles are stark around the table, her elbows bent, her chest heaving. “This is why I’d like to get you into that pub. Or your boring little flat. More of this.”

“Could’ve just said so,” Jamie says, and maybe it’s not swooning, exactly--but the flush in her face is deeply satisfying all the same, particularly when she tips her head back to allow Dani access to her neck. 

“I thought I’d be polite about my desire to get you into bed, thank you.”

“Polite,” Jamie repeats, her voice sharpening when Dani slips a hand into her hair and kisses just above the collar of her jumpsuit. “Right. Completely slipped my mind.”

“I am,” Dani insists, pushing her harder against the table, “very polite.”

She is alive, here in this greenhouse, choosing Jamie. She is alive, and she is free, and she is all but breathless when Jamie--patience giving at last like the final strand of a snapping rope--slips both hands into her coat and clenches her hips. Jamie, who is so alive with her hands at work, and so much more so now, kissing until Dani is sure they’re both going to give up the idea of a date altogether and just settle for that rumpled little couch.

“Okay,” Jamie says at last, tipping her head away. Her hands are under Dani’s sweater, tracing the warm skin of her back, and Dani finds she couldn't care less about the dirt. “Okay. You’ve made your point, Poppins.”

“I have?”

“Mm.” Jamie leans her head down against Dani’s shoulder, exhales almost shakily. “No scary-bug flinch. Very good. Best save the rest for the boring little pub, yeah?”

Dani doesn’t want her to go. Doesn’t want her to pull free, put those hands back to work with plant and seed and root. Jamie is grinning again, brighter than anything Dani has seen in days, and Dani wants to stay within sight of that smile for the rest of her life. 

“You’ve got kids to wake. And I’ve got...um...things.”

“Things,” Dani repeats. Jamie nods. 

“Important things. With...plants...the work.” She reaches vaguely for a trowel, gestures with it like she’s considering bringing it to war. “Look, it’s early, I was not prepared for any of this, Poppins.”

Dani laughs, extricating herself at last and recovering her mug. Leaving is the last thing she’d like just now, but Jamie isn’t wrong--the kids will be up soon, and the day will fall into its usual register. Except, this time, she’ll know Jamie is out here, thinking about boring pubs and boring dates and the least boring kiss of Dani’s life. 

“Would,” she says, pausing at the door to glance back, “you call what you’re feeling now a swoon, by chance?”

Jamie blinks. “I--um.”

“Never mind.” The answer, Dani decides, is almost certainly yes. 

***

Honestly, thinks Jamie, watching her stroll--stroll! as if Dani Clayton strolls anywhere!--out the door, she did every last bit of that on purpose. 

“Swoon,” she mumbles, shaking her head. “Don’t fuckin’ swoon.”

It would, she thinks as she tries in vain to remember where she’d left off, explain the vague sense she might at any moment pass out--but Dani doesn’t need to know that.

If she gets any more brazen, after all, Jamie is going to be in serious fucking trouble.

[calpalirwin]

Come Back

Summary: It was a standard routine mission gone wrong in all the worst ways possible, or so the world, and most of the Avengers, was led to believe. 

A/N: When my 5sos writing addiction crosses paths with my superhero addiction. Beta-read by @jessalyn-jpeg​ thank you!!!!

Word Count: 10.8k

And away, and away we go!

__

“Hostage situation,” Ashton said, slapping the folder down in the middle of the table. 

Y/N’s fingers grazed the manila folder emblazoned with a giant “MISSION” stamp in the middle of it. Fuckin’ subtle, she thought with an eye roll. 

“Am I boring you already?” Ashton all but snapped at the woman, his arms crossing over his chest.

She raised her gaze to meet his, holding it steadily. Aside from Calum and Michael, Y/N and Ashton were the closest in age, with Y/N having the advantage over the man, a fact she knew he despised even though she graciously allowed him to take the lead at every opportunity. Leading had never been her cup of tea, but it was definitely Ashton’s, the arrogant little bastard. “Not at all,” she said sweetly, flashing him a smile. “Captain,” Y/N added as an afterthought. 

Ashton pinched the bridge of his nose, shifting his stare over to Calum, seeing if he’d help tame the woman’s snark, so that Ashton could get on with the team meeting, preferably without a headache. Calum just gave his sister a small shove, which she gladly took as a way to knock into Michael on her other side, the blonde’s arm going to rest along the back of his girlfriend’s chair.

When Ashton cleared his throat, Y/N rolled her eyes again. “Oh, just get on with it, you prat. Hostage situation. And ready? 3, 2, 1, action!”

“Yes,” Ashton said, his tone taking on the edge that was aptly referred to Ashton’s leader voice. “We, that is SHIELD, infiltrated a Hydra base about a month back in an attempt to get a spy on the inside. Problem is, that SHIELD agent was working with Hydra, and led our men straight into a trap.”

“And women,” Y/N added.

“Yes, and our women agents as well, thank you, audience participation.”

“So our task is to do what exactly? Search and rescue?” Luke asked, leaning back in his seat.

“Pretty much, yes.”

“Great…” the blue eyes rolled.

“Yeah, it’s not exactly glamorous, but it’s well within our authorization to carry out ourselves.” Ashton puffed out his chest a little, like he was proud to be trusted with such a high class mission. 

“Blow up New York a few times saving the world and everyone’s a critic…” Y/N joked half-heartedly. “Face it, Ash, we’re an over glorified search and rescue team. Just tell us when we’re headed out.”

“Jet leaves in a half hour. Folder contains more details regarding our individual parts and a map of the compound.”

Luke’s face lit up at the potential that individual assignments might have a little bit more glory to them, eagerly snatching the folder and passing out the packets inside to each team member before tearing into his. “Aw! C’mon!” he groaned, tossing the papers back on the table. “We never get anything cool anymore…”

Y/N kept her quip about how Luke should speak for himself to herself, as she glanced at her own personal assignment. Fuckin’ hell…

“You alright, babe?” Michael asked, his fingers rubbing at her neck as he started to pull his arm back across her chair.

She crumpled her assignment in her fist. “Hmm? I’m fine,” she grinned, kissing his nose.

Michael blew out his air in a huff, “Yeah, I know the mission’s kinda bullshit action wise. But when we get back we can play with these new arrows I’ve been working on. These ones have tracking technology, so even if I was to miss, I wouldn’t.”

“Aw, but you never miss a shot.”

Michael smirked, “I know. But now you guys can use them too. Doesn’t hurt to pick up an extra skill.”

“Sounds like a date,” she said, this time pressing a kiss to his lips, savoring the moment. In a couple of months to a year, she added in her head, because what Michael didn’t know, and what she couldn’t tell him, was that these were going to be their last moments with each other for a while.

~~~

Exactly a half hour after Ashton had dismissed his team, the group of five sat strapped in the jet, the engines rumbling as it took off, headed for the Hydra base. “Everyone has their assignment?” Ashton asked, eyes darting across everyone.

“Yes, Dad,” they all mock-saluted.

The hazel eyes rolled, and his jaw ticked in annoyance. “If someone else wants to be leader, be my guest.”

“So then I could be the prat everyone hates?” Luke scoffed. “No, thanks.”

“Aw, Luke. We’d hate you regardless if you're the leader or not,” Michael joked, clapping the other man on the shoulder.

“Hehehe,” Luke laughed in a high-pitched, mocking manner.

“Nobody has a problem with you being leader, Ash. You know this,” Y/N said. “Plus we all know that you’re just the one relaying orders from the higher ups. You’re just better at it than the rest of us. I mouth off too much, and these three are babies. Face it, you’re the perfect soldier.”

Ashton’s expression softened a bit at her words, the closest thing to a compliment she’s ever given him. “Thanks, Y/N. That means a lot.”

“Oh, save it. It doesn’t make you less annoying.”

“Babies? Who are you calling babies?” Michael asked, poking a finger in his girlfriend’s shoulder.

“Yeah!” Calum huffed. “No babies here!”

Y/N laughed, reaching out to pinch Calum’s cheek. “You will always be a baby to me, baby brother.” Then she turned her attention to Michael, “And you? You’re just my babe,” she grinned, kissing his nose.

“And me?” Luke asked, perking up his seat.

“A literal infant,” she grinned wider while everyone else nodded, including Ashton.

The rest of the jet ride was spent doing last minute training (Ashton), reviewing personal assignments (Y/N), tinkering with new technology (Calum and Michael), or sleeping (Luke) until Ashton called everyone back for a quick meeting.

“We’re approaching our drop off point.”

“Drop off point or…?” Luke whistled before slamming his hand down on the table. “Jumping point?”

Ashton held up 2 fingers, and Luke grinned, pumping his fist in small victory. “We can’t risk the jet getting anywhere near their radar, so we’re landing roughly here,” Ashton continued, pointing at the map. “Hydra base is here,” he moved his finger to where there was a giant red circle. “And safe to assume it’s heavily guarded on the outside.”

Y/N studied the distance between where Ashton said the landing spot was versus where the base was. “So we’re landing about a mile out, and we’re just gonna knock on the front door, hoping they let us in?”

Ashton snorted. “God no. Well, kinda. Luke’s breaking in to shut down their security protocols. From there, Cal should be able to hack and override their system. Mike keeps our path clear from the outside. Making our job,” he waved a finger between Y/N and himself, and Y/N gulped wondering how much he knew about everyone’s personal assignments, “easier for helping Luke get the hostages out.”

She breathed in relief. Good. Ashton was under the usual impression of personal assignments from previous missions, and not the other, slightly more complicated bit to the otherwise usual mission. Luke, with his ability to shrink and grow with the push of a button, courtesy of Calum and Michael’s technology, was the thief. The one with the power to get small enough to squeeze in anywhere unnoticed. Which set him up perfectly to gain security access for Calum, who could then override any system remotely, alongside piloting his drone for extra security coverage/fighting power. Michael usually hung back with Calum to keep Calum company, while being both an extra set of eyes, and an extra fighter with his hundred percent success rate as an archer. Which left super soldier Ashton, and non-super soldier, but highly trained martial artist Y/N to provide the bulk of fending off enemies. A ragtag team of not exactly super, but definitely better than your average SHIELD agent, SHIELD had dubbed the Avengers. “Sounds like we should get ready to jump then.”

While jumping was Luke’s favorite part of the mission, the rest of the team paled a little standing in the doorway of the jet, air rushing all around. But when Ashton yelled “Go!” they all jumped, Luke first with a whoop of “Showtime!” Y/N sucked in a breath, following Luke out and grabbing Michael’s hand to pull him after her, the ground hurtling upwards at her. 

“Pull!” Ashton’s voice directed in everyone’s ears, and five parachutes deployed in unison, Y/N jerking wildly with the pullback.

“Whoa, easy there,” Michael’s voice was both in her earpiece and shouting above the wind, his hand squeezing hers. “You’re good, babe.”

“Ugh, I fuckin’ hate that part,” she groaned, her stomach churning.

“And I hate this part,” Calum groaned along with his sister, before all anyone heard was his feet hitting the ground and his string of curses as his body rolled with his landing.

“You gotta learn to land better,” Y/N and Ashton both scolded, as Y/N’s own feet touched down, and she ran a little with the momentum so she didn’t roll like her brother.

“You gotta learn to land better,” Calum mimicked as he picked himself up off the ground, shooting Luke a glare, “What are you so fuckin’ happy about?”

“That shit is the fuckin’ best!” Luke whooped in a whisper. “Fuck yeah! I’m pumped!”

“Good,” Ashton chuckled. “How do you feel about more flying?”

“Aw sick! Is Michael gonna shoot me?!”

“Not the way I’d like to,” Michael grinned sarcastically, reaching behind him for his bow and arrow. “Shrink down, giant man.”

While Luke shrunk down to the size of a tic-tac, Ashton started instructing Michael on where to shoot, but Michael brushed him off. “Yeah, yeah. Close enough to get him inside, but not anywhere that’ll draw attention. Cal, you got eyes yet?”

“Yeah, but I’m not gonna be able to get the drone in there until Luke gets in so I can hack the system.”

“That’s fine, I got it,” Luke said in the ear piece. “Cal, I’m on your right shoe. Lift up?”

Calum bent down to pluck up Luke, placing him carefully on Michael’s nocked arrow. “Just tell me where I’m aiming, Cal,” Michael said, breathing steadily as he pulled back his bow.

“Quarter inch to the right,” Calum directed. “If you aim low, Luke can run in from the ground, or if you aim high, there’s a branch that he can access the second floor from. Shooter’s choice.”

“Security’s on the second floor,” Luke and Michael both said, and with that, Michael inhaled, and on the exhale, sent Luke and the arrow flying towards Hydra, undetectable.

“And now we wait,” Ashton commented, stretching his arms up over his head. “Y/N, we-”

“Won’t have much time between Cal hacking the system and Hydra finding out. And Cal and Mike can only provide so much coverage while staying out of sight. So we’re on a time clock of maybe 5 minutes if we’re lucky. I know, Ash. I go left, you go right?”

He nodded. “Get ready to run.”

Y/N glanced at Calum. “How much time before Luke gets into the system for you?”

“Thirty seconds. Make it quick.”

She turned to Michael, tears brimming up in her eyes. “Aw, babe. It’ll be fine,” he chuckled lightly, kissing her.

“I know,” she answered in a shaky breath, resting her forehead against his, committing everything to memory from the sharpness of his green eyes, to the pink tint of his lips. To his calloused fingertips as they cupped her face, and the scratch of his beard under her own hand. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he chuckled again. “Now go kick some ass.”

“Luke’s in. 15 seconds,” Calum told Y/N and Ashton, so Y/N kissed Michael as deeply and fiercely as she could, clinging to every bit of those last 15 seconds. “2… I’m in. System’s down.” But Y/N wasn't ready to let go yet.

“Y/N!” Ashton growled harshly, dragging her by the back of her shirt and then shoving her forward. “Fuckin’ move!”

She swallowed her storm of feelings, shutting that part of herself off, and switched fully into Mission Mode, ignoring Calum's chuckle of “Damn, what kind of good luck kiss was that?” and Michael’s shy but proud, “I dunno, but I ain’t complaining.”

With the security breach came the storm of chaos that allowed Y/N and Ashton to enter the compound without raising any serious flags. With Ashton headed to the right flank, Y/N went left, and the first chance she had, she took it.

The Hydra soldier looked to be about her size, their attention not zeroing in on her until Y/N already grabbed them in a chokehold. “Sorry about this,” she whispered as she snapped their neck in a swift motion, then dragged them into a nearby supply closet. “Ash, Y/N, I located the hostages. Where are you?” Luke asked in the earpiece.

“Coming up on your right, Luke,” Ashton confirmed.

“Got in a small tangle, be there soon,” Y/N grunted as she started switching clothes with the body.

“God damn it, Hood…”

“Which one?” both her and Calum asked with an amused glint, their favorite little bit to annoy their captain.

“You know which one,” Ashton hissed. “Cal, time estimate. Mike, coverage report. Y/N, get a move on, seriously!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Y/N muttered before taking out her earpiece and stomping on it, leaving it with the dead Hydra soldier along with her tracker just outside the doorway of the supply closet. “Just not the way you think,” she then muttered quietly to herself before hurrying after the other Hydra soldiers, running for the back of the compound. “What the hell is going on?” she snapped at one of them, putting as much authority in her voice as she could.

“It’s the Avengers. Initiating protocol 78. Get in a vehicle and get out. 2 minutes until denotation.”

Denotation?! Son of a bitch… Ashton and Luke were still getting the hostages out. She had to warn them, but… SON OF A BITCH!

Y/N shook off the panic and kept moving, trusting that Ashton and Luke knew what they were doing, and that Calum and Michael could keep them safe and aware of the limited time before the whole base went up in a fiery explosion. Her priority wasn’t on the rescue mission anymore. It never had been. Hers was to carry out the original mission that had resulted in this mission in the first place. Get into Hydra. Learn what they had planned. Destroy them from the inside. But damn, it would be a lot easier if she didn’t have to hide it from the guys. Her guys. Her baby brother. Her boyfriend. I’m safe, she screamed in her head. I’m safe! Look after each other, please!

While she got herself onto a vehicle headed out, she caught a glimpse of Ashton and Luke herding people out through a side gate and into the neighboring woods.

“Hood, where the fuck are you?” Ashton hissed

“Which one?” only Calum responded, then, “Shit… Y/N?!”

“Cal, where is she?!” Ashton and Michael demanded at the same time.

“I- I don’t understand. Her tracker is still by the left side of the compound where she went in.” Calum started fiddling around with the drone, trying to find his sister with it. “Y/N? Y/N, do you copy?”

“Luke, take the hostages back to Cal and Mike,” Ashton instructed, his voice tight, but controlled under pressure. “Cal, where did you say she was last?”

“To your left. 50 yards. She should be right there, Ash, I don’t understand!” His voice was high with panic. 

“I don’t see her,” Ashton reported, and there was a loud bang as he smashed his fist against something. “I don’t fuckin’ see her!”

“Maybe she’s on her way back!” Michael said hopefully. “Maybe she was helping clear the way for you and Luke. You know she can’t turn down a fight.”

“Heh,” Ashton chuckled. “Yeah maybe. I mean, these trackers and earpieces only stay on so well when you’re kicking some serious ass, ya know?”

“Exactly,” Michael chuckled in relief. “It’s Y/N we’re talking about.”

“Well let’s hope that’s the case, and that Ash is the fuckin’ Flash because guys… this compound’s gonna blow,” Calum spoke up, his voice still holding a small wobble.

“How much time?” Ashton asked, already running for an exit.

“40 seconds give or take.”

“Alright, I’m ou- whoa, shit.”

“What?!” three voices demanded.

“It’s Y/N’s tracker and earpiece. Just lying here in the fuckin’ hallway… and guys… there’s a body…” Ashton gave a small grunt as he flipped the body over with his boot. “Oh, thank God!” he laughed. “It’s not her! Probably just a scuffle where some of her gear fell.”

“Okay, well 1.) thanks for the heart attack and 2.) if it’s not her, then get the fuck out!” Calum yelled.

“Okay, but if it’s not her body then she’s fuckin’ missing, so where is she?!” Michael asked.

“She’s not with me,” Luke told them. “I haven’t seen her this whole time.”

“I don’t have eyes on her either,” Ashton chimed in, running as fast and far as he could before the compound blew.

“Cal, anything?!” Michael asked, now growing frantic as he scanned around, hoping to find his girlfriend lounging against some tree behind him. Safe. Laughing at her boys for ever thinking she was in harm’s way.

“No…” Calum choked, tears starting to spill down his cheeks. “C’mon, c’mon…” he prayed. “C’mon, Y/N, don’t do this to me.”

“C’mon, Y/N, where the hell are you?”

In the distance, Y/N heard the boom of the explosion, the vehicle shaking with the sound. She hoped her boys were safe and okay.  And they were safe. But they were far from okay. Because what she couldn’t hear was Calum’s broken sob and Michael’s heartbreaking scream of her name.

~~~

The jet ride back to headquarters was heavy with tension. To keep his mind occupied, Ashton set to work getting statements from the hostages. Calum and Michael sat in their seats, every muscle tightened, faces blank and frozen, tear tracks running down their cheeks. Luke was the only one who looked remotely comfortable, lounging against the wall of the jet, legs stretched out, his index finger tapping an unrelenting rhythm against his jaw as he hummed to himself.

“Would you knock it off?!” Calum tried to yell at Luke, but his throat was rubbed raw, so it came out as a hoarse whisper.

“What? I’m thinking!” Luke defended.

“Thinking isn’t supposed to be loud.”

“What are you thinking, Luke?” Ashton asked, his own voice clear, but weary as he ran a hand over his face and then through his hair.

“Y/N’s not an idiot,” he started.

“Yeah, no fuckin’ shit,” Calum spat.

Ashton held up a hand. “Let him talk, Cal. Go on, Luke.”

Luke straightened up, drawing his legs up, and resting his arms across his knees. “She’s not an idiot,” he repeated, studying his fingernails to keep his mind on track. “She always knew what she was doing. So she would have known that the mission felt off.”

“What do you mean, the mission felt off?” Ashton asked.

“Oh, c’mon, Ash. You couldn’t feel it, too? We got in and out without running into anyone trying to stop us. They didn’t care that we were getting out the hostages. They were evacuating. They had whatever they needed and were going to blow the place up whether we were there or not.”

“Okay. And what does that have to do with Y/N?” Ashton continued to prompt.

“I’m saying she knew. So she went in search of any plans she could get her hands on. Anything that might have gotten left behind in the scramble to evacuate sooner than they had originally planned.”

“So you’re suggesting that instead of helping us like she was supposed to, Y/N went off to try and get us more information?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Hmm…” Ashton thought, mulling over Luke’s theory. “That does sound exactly like the type of shit Y/N would pull…”

“BULLSHIT!” Michael screamed suddenly, jumping to his feet. “THAT’S FUCKIN’ BULLSHIT!”

“How is it bullshit?!” Luke yelled back, rising to stand toe-to-toe with Michael.

“BECAUSE IF IT WAS TRUE THEN WHERE IS SHE, LUKE?! HUH?! DO YOU SEE HER IN HERE?! CUZ I DON’T!”

“Obviously she’s not with us,” Luke scoffed. “But she got out, that I’m sure of. She’s somewhere.”

“Oh…” Michael nodded, his sudden drop in tone frightening. “So, what you’re saying is that WE left her behind! Our teammate! His sister! My girlfriend! And we just LEFT her?!”

“It’s better than the alternative of believing that she’s DEAD!”

“Oh, cuz that’s SO MUCH BETTER! What your theory suggests, Luke, is that WE either failed our teammate by leaving her behind, or she’s dead. Regardless of which of those options is the truth, WE FAILED HER! Whatever happened to her is OUR FAULT!” His hands clenched into fists at his sides and he raised them, whether to hit Luke or the wall behind him, no one was sure. Then, a sob was wracking through Michael’s body, his fists dropping back to his sides as his body crumpled. “Oh, God,” he cried quietly, curling up on the ground, his body shaking with the force of his cries. “Y/N, I’m so sorry… It’s all our fault… Fuck, I’m so sorry…”

~~~

Five months later found Y/N in a place within Hydra where she had enough access to send word out to SHIELD about Hydra’s plans: the creation of the an undefeatable army made up of highly skilled super soldiers injected with a recently perfected and modified serum that made Ashton’s super soldier skills look like child’s play.

The same five months found 4/5ths of the former team, smarter than they were before, but at the cost of diminished spirits as Ashton laid the all too familiar manila folder in the middle of the table, with its pitch-black “MISSION” stamp in the center.

Michael’s fingers went out to graze the stamp, his eyes meeting Calum’s as they shared a weak smile, both of them missing the way Y/N used to call the folder stupid for stating so clearly what it was. 

“We’ve received intel about Hydra's latest plans. It’s not good,” Ashton said, pausing for a sarcastic comment about how if Hydra was involved then of course it wasn’t good that never came. “They’ve not only modified the super soldier serum, they’ve also perfected it. A hundred percent success rate. Hostages don’t stay hostages for very long.” Again, he paused, waiting for a witty quip, but was only given nods of understanding. He let out a small sigh. “With the intel, we also got information of where their supply of the serum is, and where they’re making it. As far as our source knows, it’s just the one lab. Our mission is slightly different than what we’re used to as it’s a three-parter. The first part is pretty standard. Get in and release the hostages they have before they can be turned. The second part is also getting more information about the lab and the serum. We have to make sure that this is the only lab before we can go about initiating Part Three, which is destroying any and all labs we learn about. But today, our focus is on Part One and Two. Part Three will be carried out at a later date once SHIELD has time to go over everything and assess the situation.”

“After I get in to override security for Cal, I can start looking around for lab plans,” Luke decided. “If you can handle the hostages, Ash.”

Ashton nodded. “Yeah, I can handle that. Mike, I might need you closer to the action though, rather than staying back with Cal, and providing your backup there. If you’re up for it, that is.”

“I can get closer, it’s fine,” Michael replied numbly.

“Perfect. And how are those new trackers you and Cal have been working on?”

“Ready. And injectable. Once injected, Cal has access to turning them on or off, so we’ll never have to think about trackers again. Like potentially losing one…”

“And some of them can be fitted onto your arrows, yes? So maybe we can stick a lab worker or two with them?” Ashton followed up, ignoring the bitter edge in Michael’s tone.

“Yes.”

“Alright. We leave in a half hour.”

~~~

Y/N was patrolling around the upper deck of the Hydra base when both an alarm sounded and her earpiece crackled to life. “Security breach. Fuckin’ Avengers…”

“Secure the hostages and the lab,” came a different order.

“On it,” Y/N answered with several other voices, but she stayed rooted in her spot, knowing her old team’s moves by heart. Luke was somewhere in the compound, no doubt hiding in his shrunken version. Michael would have taken a closer position now for Ashton’s sake to help keep the path clear for Ashton to escort the hostages to safety. And Calum would be flying the drone, being everywhere the rest of the team couldn’t be, informing them of every move.

The familiar buzz of a drone a few seconds later came as no surprise, and she turned to the sound, grinning.

“Y/N?!” the drone’s speaker yelled in shock.

“Hi, baby brother,” she said, waggling her fingers in a wave. Then, her lips turned down in a mock-pout. “Sorry about this,” she told him, grabbing the wings of the drone.

“Yeah, me too,” Calum’s voice said, as he pushed a button that shot out an arrow as Y/N brought the drone down over her knee, cracking the device in half. She let out a slow hiss as the arrow passed straight through her shoulder, and then embedded itself in the wall behind her.

“Tell Mike to up your archery practice,” she told the broken drone as she dropped the two pieces, then took off.

“Y/N?!” Ashton, Luke, and Michael were yelling in Calum’s ear. “You found her?! I told you she was alive! Where is she, Cal?!”

“Bitch broke my drone!” was all Calum could come up with as a reply.

“Calum!” Ashton’s voice was sharp, Michael’s desperate.

“Give me a second, she broke my drone!” Calum grumbled, his relief about his sister being okay mixing with the rage only siblings could have for one another when one of them broke something of the other’s. “Okay, okay. Yes! Fuck yes! Whoohoo! Mikey-boy the tracker arrows work!”

“Of course they work,” Michael scoffed proudly.

“Well, I sort of shot through her, so I wasn’t sure if the tracker got in her, or the wall.”

“You shot my girlfriend?!”

“She BROKE MY DRONE!”

“You can build a new one,” Ashton told him with a sigh.

“You shot my girlfriend!” Michael continued to screech.

“I had to get the tracker on her!” Calum protested.

“Well, fuckin’ track her then, and get her out of there!”

“Cal, send me and Luke her location,” Ashton ordered. “Whoever’s closest tries to get her. But Luke, we gotta head out before they surround us. This isn’t like last time. They’re standing their ground.”

“She was on the upper deck on your side, Ash. She’s headed your way now, Luke. Towards the lab,” Calum reported, his eyes on Y/N’s tracker.

“Fuck, I gotta get out of here with these guys. Luke, get Y/N,” Ashton said, guiding a small group of hostages to safety.

“I’m in the lab, I got h- Oh, fuck me!” Luke’s words of hope died down as he glanced out the window of the lab. “I gotta shrink back down if I’m gonna get out of here. They’re fuckin’ swarming the lab. Ash, that’s good news for you because it means your path is clear.” He grabbed as many folders as he could gather in his arms, before hitting a button to shrink back down, just as Hydra soldiers muscled their way into the lab, looking around for anything out of place. “ ‘Scuse me. Pardon me. Just gonna squeeze past…” Luke talked aloud as he sprinted across the tops of boots headed for the exit. “You know, maybe I should get some of those trackers next time. Got plenty of feet to stab them into right now.”

“Duly noted,” Michael said, loosing a volley of arrows, sinking as many trackers into Hydra agents as he could. “Did you get Y/N?”

“No…” Luke replied in disappointment. “Ash?”

“No, I had to get out with whoever I could. Luke, you out?”

“Headed back now. I snagged some plans, if that’s any consolation.”

“That’s awesome, Luke. Thanks,” Ashton said, but there was a lingering note of dejection that they couldn’t get Y/N too. “She’s alive, and Cal got a tracker in her, which is more than we could have hoped for anyway.”

“I know. But still. Sorry, Mike.”

Michael shook his head, straightening his bow and quiver on his back before following after Ashton and Luke back to Calum. “It’s fine. Ash is right. We’ll work with what we got.”

“We’ll get her back. Don’t worry,” Ashton said, his words mostly directed at Calum and Michael, but also as a vow on his and Luke’s part. They’d get their girl back if it was the last thing the team ever did.

~~~

Y/N sat with her mouth set in a tight line as the nurse patched up her wound. “You super soldiers are all the same. The blank expressions. Immune to normal pain,” the nurse commented as they worked.

“Not a super soldier,” Y/N replied numbly, feeling the thread pull her skin back together. “Just a regular psycho.”

“Mmm,” the nurse chuckled. “And this was ‘just some light training,’ yes?” They gestured at the wound.

“Sibling rivalry gone too far, actually,” Y/N corrected.

“Mmm, well in my experience, few things come between siblings. You will be fine.”

“I hope so,” she muttered under her breath, but Y/N wasn’t so sure. How did she justify leaving her brother, her boyfriend, and the rest of her team in the dark about a mission they were all part of? How did she explain that she had to let them think that she had succumbed to the worst of fates? That she had to let them deal with the heartache of thinking she was dead, only to find out she was working for the enemy? SHIELD assignment or not, that wasn’t the kind of news she could just waltz back home with and offer up a simple “Hey, sorry I’ve been gone.” Y/N and Calum had suffered a lot between petty sibling issues, like when he first learned she was sleeping with his best friend, to much bigger issues regarding missions as part of the Avengers team. But this? Playing double agent while having to leave him completely in the dark? There was no coming back from this. And Michael… Oh, the betrayal he must be feeling. And mix that with the guilt and blind rage? If he was functioning at all, she bet that it was an ugly sight. A shell of the man she loved. Any ounce of humanity turned off to not drown under the pain.

Still, a part of her hoped that Michael or, perhaps even Calum, would turn against orders to try and stage a useless rescue of her, now that they knew part of the truth. And while she knew it would be a meeting that ended poorly on all sides, she could at the very least slip them a note. So back in the safety of her room, she quickly penned a note, then tucked it into her uniform.

~~~ 

Similar to last time, the ride back to headquarters was tense. Ashton kept busy by collecting statements from the hostages they managed to rescue. Then, he joined Luke in pouring over the statements and the documents Luke got his hands on in the lab.

Calum kept his eyes glued to the device that held the locations of all the trackers, watching the way Y/N’s blinked steadily.

Michael sat off on his own in sullen silence, his mind racing, hands clenching and unclenching into fists in a repetitive manner. He wanted to order the jet to turn around. To go back and get Y/N if he had to carry her over his shoulder himself. He was angry at his team, and himself for leaving her behind for a second time. Angry that he couldn’t stop failing her at every turn. But in the anger was a twinge of hope and relief. She was alive. Which meant that they could get her back. Luke had been right along. She knew what she was doing. But he still selfishly wanted her safe next to him. He wanted her laugh ringing out as she annoyed Ashton. He wanted to be able to smell her shampoo mixing with her sweat when she rested her head against his shoulder, complaining about how she couldn’t wait to get back and take a long hot shower. He wanted to be able to cover her cheeks in a blush as he whispered dirty words in her ear about the things he’d do when he joined her in said shower.

“Could you stop?” Calum asked, snapping Michael out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?” Michael hummed.

“The banging. Wanna stop?” It was less of a question and more of a command.

Michael looked down at his fists, noting the redness form along the outer edge of his palms and pinky fingers. “Oh, sorry,” he mumbled, placing his hands in his lap, not even aware he’d been banging his hands against the floor.

“I want her back too, Mike. Just as much as you do.”

Enough to break protocol and go rogue? Michael wanted to ask, but all he ended up saying was “I know.”

When they got back to headquarters, Ashton and Luke continued their work of looking over every word on every scrap of paper. Calum wordlessly joined them, his attention still held captive by the location tracker with it’s slow, steady blinks. No one thought it to be out of the ordinary, when Michael opted to head straight to the armory. Just hand waving and mumbles of “Yeah, could you?”s.

So Michael lugged the bag of gear into the armory, setting to the task of putting things out, and taking stock. But instead of putting his own gear away as well, he prepped it, having no intention of sitting around waiting for orders to be handed down. Not now when he knew where Y/N was. Fuck the rules and regulations. He was done with letting her down, letting her wonder why her team still hadn’t come for her. “Don’t worry, babe. I’m coming. I promise,” he mumbled under his breath as he left the armory, dropping his bag in the doorway of his room, then going to find the rest of the team. “Hey, Cal?”

“Yeah?” the man asked, not lifting his head.

“You got a spare one of those?”

“One of these?” Calum questioned, holding up the device.

“Yeah. I, uh… Just wanna be able to see her, you know?” he half-lied, making his voice crack for extra sympathy points.

“Yeah, course,” Calum nodded, pushing his way to his feet. He walked a few feet to a docking station that held various other forms of tech. “Here,” Calum said, grabbing one and logging into it. He tapped a few buttons until the familiar map pulled up. “This is just hers, and this,” he swiped across the screen to pull up a menu. “You can click to see the location of any tracker. We’re 1-4,” he twirled a finger to signal he meant himself, Ashton, Luke, and Michael. “And Y/N is 5. And the others are various trackers we got in Hydra agents today, or just not in use yet.”

“Thanks, Cal,” Michael took the device in his hands, then titled his head slightly towards Ashton and Luke. “I think I’m just gonna shower, then call it a day.”

“We’ll holler if we find anything interesting. Feel better, Mike,” Ashton told him.

“Night,” Luke mumbled, even though it was barely noon.

“Night,” Michael repeated, heading back towards the rooms, swallowing the rise of guilt of lying to his team. But they’d understand that this was something he had to do. Or so he hoped.

In his own room, he turned on music, then pulled a knife from his bag. Taking a few quick rapid breaths, he cut into the skin of his arm, prying his tracker loose. Hissing through his teeth, he dropped the tracker on his bed before bandaging up his arm. “Fuck,” he shuddered. “Argh! Okay. Here we go.”

~~~

Not being able to risk taking out the jet, it took Michael until well after the sun went down before he came within sight of the Hydra base with its giant searchlights, both lighting up the place, and casting it in menacing shadows.

Michael ditched the motorcycle well before he needed to as a safety precaution, before creeping the rest of the way on foot. His breath came out in huffed little clouds as he headed straight for where Y/N was. If the tracker was as accurate as Michael wanted to believe, she was right where she was when she’d had her skirmish with Calum earlier. Upper level deck, left side.

It was only as Michael got closer, that he started to realize he had no plan for getting in. “Time for a distraction,” he whispered to himself, digging through his bag for a grenade. “Showtime, bitches.” He pulled the pin and sent the grenade flying. He crouched low, covering his ears, and waited.

There was a loud bang, and then a startled scrambling from inside the gate, as a couple guards rushed out to check what had happened. Michael snuck up behind one, covering their mouth with his hand and dragging them backwards. The guard kicked uselessly at the ground, thrashing about as they tried to get free from Michael’s hold until they finally went limp. Quickly, Michael took their earpiece, before swapping clothes with the unconscious guard he left slumped up against a tree.

“What was that?” a voice was barking in the earpiece.

“We don’t know sir. We don’t see anything,” a handful of voices answered.

“Well if you find anything, put a stop to it!” the voice barked again.

“Did you find anything?” a voice called out in the dark, a flashlight swinging in Michael’s direction.

“No,” he called back quickly, heart pounding in his ears as the flashlight stopped advancing. “All clear.”

“Stupid fuckin’ pranks…” the other voice grumbled, the flashlight retreating. “Headed back in,” the guard spoke into the earpiece. “All clear.”

“Copy that,” a different voice replied.

“Well?” the first voice demanded, the small beam of flashlight turning back to Michael. “Are you coming?!”

“Right! Yes!” Michael said, willing his feet to move, and controlling his breathing to not give away his excitement as he crossed into the Hydra base. He still had the problem of needing to get to Y/N and get them out without raising any alarms. Which started with first getting away from the group of three guards he walked in with without anyone stopping him. So, not thinking too much about it, Michael slowed his walk before stopping altogether. And when his guard counterparts paid no mind, he slipped his way between buildings, hiding in the shadows as he checked the tracker.

He walked purposefully towards the stairs that would lead him to the upper deck, hardening his gaze and sweeping it across the grounds, like he was just another guard doing nightly patrol duty. “I don’t know what Luke’s always bitching about. This shit’s easy and I’m full-sized,” Michael remarked under his breath as he climbed the stairs and rounded a corner.

At the end of the walkway stood a single guard, their hair obscured by the black cap on their head. But even then, it didn’t matter. He’d know her anywhere, in any disguise. It was the way she held herself, her chin slightly tilted towards the sky, her shoulders squared but relaxed, her right foot always slightly shifted more forward than her left foot. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but the words died on his tongue. Was he just supposed to say “Hi” like he hadn’t left her for dead for five months?

It turned out, he didn’t need to say anything, as he took a step in her direction, his boots echoing off the metal floor. She whirled around, her dark eyes zeroing in on him. At the very least he expected a grateful smile as her head tilted slightly to the side, and she blinked slowly, trying to determine if her mind was playing tricks on her. But instead, she just fixed him with a cold steely look that sent the wrong kind of shiver down his spine. He cursed himself as he faltered in his next step. He had never once entertained the idea that she could have been brainwashed in all this time. “Y/N,” he said slowly, holding up his hands. “C’mon. It’s me. Let me get you out of here.”

“You need to leave,” she spat.

“Not without you.”

“Michael, I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“Don’t make me do this…” she whispered, bowing her head ever so slightly.

“Do what? I’m here to take you home, babe. C’mon!”

She crouched, tilting her head so her eyes met his. “Final warning.”

Michael shifted a protective stance of his own, raising his fists. “So this is really how you wanna have this reunion, huh?”

“It’s the only way.”

Michael dodged as her fist came swinging at his jaw. “Fine. Have it your way, then,” he growled, throwing his own punch that landed on her body. When she huffed in annoyance and slight pain, an apology was ready to fly off his lips.

She used his pause to tackle him, the walkway rattling with the force of his body hitting the ground. “C’mon, I know you hit harder than that,” she taunted, connecting a rapid succession of blows against his upper torso.

He twisted underneath her, bringing up his arms to block her hits. “Just come with me!” he begged, as he threw his arms forward, sending her skiddering backwards off of him.

“I can’t!” she yelled, charging at him again.

He did his best to block her attacks, but some hits still found a place to land, small grunts leaving his mouth at each connection.

“Fight back!” she yelled again, aiming for his jaw.

“No!” He snatched her wrist, as her knuckles started to brush into the side of his face. “I’m not gonna fight you, Y/N! This is ridiculous! I’m not trying to hurt you! I’m trying to save you!” he tried to reason as he spun her body so her back was flush against his chest, holding her tightly to him. “Baby, it’s me,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s me. It’s Mike. C’mon, baby. Come back with me. Come back to me. Please.”

A growl ripped out her throat as she brought one of her feet down on one his with as much strength as she had. And when Michael doubled over in pain, hearing the crunch of bone, her other leg kicked backwards, nailing him squarely in the chest, knocking him backwards.

“Y/N?” a voice sounded in both of their earpieces. “What’s going on?”

Y/N’s chest heaved as she stared down at Michael, who stared back up at her, struggling to find his breath. “Nothing,” she told the voice, before turning her back on Michael.

“Y/N,” Michael croaked out uselessly, coughing. His mouth tasted of blood and every part of his body felt like it was on fire.

He had no recollection of how he got off the compound and back to his motorcycle. Just like he had no recollection of driving all night back to Avengers headquarters.

He was, however, somewhat aware of his teammates' gasps of surprise when he dragged himself into the foyer of the building, as his body slumped against the cool tile, and he finally blacked out.

~~~

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Ashton thundered, his hand coming down hard on the table.

Michael stared blankly past Ashton, not bothering to give a response. Ashton didn’t care about the answer anyway, and it didn’t change anything. And now he understood what Y/N was doing, and she was trusting him to keep what he knew to himself.

Upon his arrival, Michael had slept for close to two days before finally waking in the infirmary, his body still badly battered, but his pain at a manageable level. He had trudged his way down to his room, rummaging through his things when the note fluttered down. With shaking fingers, he opened it, reading the hastily scrawled words, “It’s the mission. I’m safe. I love you,” in Y/N’s handwriting. He barely had enough time to shove the note in his pocket before Ashton was knocking on his open door, looking more pissed off than Michael had ever seen. Wordlessly, Ashton had jerked his thumb in the direction of the conference room, and wordlessly, Michael had shuffled after him, ready to accept whatever fate awaited him.

“Well?!” Ashton’s voice cracked like a whip as Michael did nothing but blink at him.

“What was I thinking?” Michael asked, his voice soft. “Oh, nothing really.”

“Yeah, no fuckin’ shit, Mike!”

“Oh, lay off!” Calum snapped, coming to Michael’s defense. “Mike did exactly what we all wanted to do, but were too scared to do. He tried to get her back. If you wanna fault him for that, Ash, then you’re a bigger jackass than we all thought.”

Ashton sighed, sinking into his chair. “I’m not faulting him, Cal. But what he did was reckless. It could have jeopardized all the work we’ve been doing. I get that it’s Y/N, but we still have a job to do. No one person is bigger than the mission, even if she is your sister. I’m sorry.”

“Fuck you,” Calum said with a sad shake of his head. “Fuck. You.”

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, Ash,” Michael said, his voice still soft. “Can I go?”

Ashton rubbed at his face in agitation, letting out a small scream. “Yeah,” he said, his voice muffled by his hands. “Yeah. Go. Whatever. I don’t care.”

“So you’re just giving up?!” Calum asked, his angry and broken expression sweeping across his team. “Just like that? We’re done?”

“Until we get our new orders, yes,” Ashton told him.

“That’s BULLSHIT!” Calum exploded. “You!” He turned, jabbing a finger at Michael. “You’re just gonna walk away?! You go rogue to rescue her on your own, without me, and now you’re throwing in the towel too?!”

“You heard Ashton,” Michael shrugged.

“Oh, you’re so full of shit! All of you! Fuck SHIELD and fuck you lot! It’s Y/N! She needs us! She trusted us! How many times are we going to keep failing her?!” Tears fell hot and fast down Calum’s face. “Please!” he begged, his voice cracking. “We have to do something besides sit on our asses! Mike, please! You can’t give up on her! C’mon! I thought you were on my side! Mike! It’s Y/N… please…”

“No, it’s not,” Michael said bitterly. “It’s not, Y/N. This,” he gestured about his beat up body, “is not her.”

“Fuck you!” Calum cried into his hands, and let out a muffled scream of heartbreak and rage. “I fuckin’ hate you!” He raised his gaze to shoot Michael his best death glare. “I hate you, do you hear me?! I fuckin’ hate you! You’re giving up, you fuckin’ coward! You’re supposed to love her, you fuckin’ bastard!”

Michael tried to bite his tongue as Calum continued to hurl abuse his way, but the last few words of the attack cut deep, and he couldn’t keep his composure any longer. “I gave up?! Me?! I’m the only one who wanted to go back for her five months ago!” Michael went off. “I’m the only one who went back for her a few days ago! Not Ash! Not Luke! Not you, her fuckin’ brother! ME! I went back! So fuckin’ listen, and listen good when I tell you that everything that makes her Y/N is gone! It’s useless, okay?! She’s Hydra’s now. The quicker you learn that, the better.”

“I FUCKIN’ HATE YOU!”

“ONLY BECAUSE YOU HATE YOURSELF MORE AND YOU KNOW IT! We all have to live with what we did. You have to live that you didn’t have the guts to go save her yourself. I’m not gonna carry that guilt for you, Cal. I’m not carrying any of your guilt, or Ash’s, or Luke’s. Because bottom line is I fuckin’ manned up when she needed us, while you three sat on your asses. So go ahead and hate me. Say I jeopardized the mission, or that I failed her. I don’t give a fuck. Because at least I fuckin’ tried, which is better than the three of you can say.”

Michael could hear Calum’s scream echoing off the walls as he hobbled back to his bedroom. He could also hear, or rather feel, the slam of Calum’s own bedroom door a few moments later.

Michael eased his way on his bed, the sheets freshly changed after he had left his blood splattered tracker on it. He knew a new one had been injected in him at some point over his state of unconsciousness, and he briefly wondered if it was the same one he’d ripped out. No sense in wasting technology when it wasn’t broken, after all. Laying back into the pillows, Michael dug out the note, and the device that still had Y/N’s location, seeking comfort in her looped handwriting, and the steady blinking of the device.

~~~

It took another week before orders came down, and Ashton summoned them all into the conference room. Michael’s fingers brushed against the empty chair between him and Calum as he took his seat. It took more willpower than he cared to admit not to slug Calum when the other man growled lightly under his breath. He doesn’t know any better, Michael had to remind himself. If he did, he wouldn’t be acting this way.

Ashton set the manila folder in the center, and when no one moved, he dove right in. “Between the files Luke was able to get, all the statements we have, the information we’ve gained from the trackers, and the intel SHIELD has from their agent inside Hydra, we have all the information needed to bring this to an end, once and for all. This is an all hands on deck situation. SHIELD is officially running the whole operation. They’re taking care of the hacking and gaining control of Hydra’s operating system. They already have a unit assigned to deal specifically with destroying the lab. Our job is pretty simple. We’re just soldiers.”

“Actual action?” Luke asked, leaning forward slightly.

“Actual action,” Ashton said, smiling a bit. “Something I‘m sure we’ve all been itching to do for quite some time.”

Luke pumped his fist, “Fuck yeah!”

“And Y/N?” Calum asked.

Ashton sighed. “Based on personal experience, we can assume she’ll be fighting for Hydra. So yes, it’s a good chance she’ll be around. Ideally one of us comes across her before the rest of SHIELD so we can subdue her, and get her out safely. But she’s not our priority, and yes, before you start, I tried to convince SHIELD into letting us specifically deal only with finding Y/N and getting her back. But all I got in response was bureaucratic bullshit about how we were being employed to do a job, and how we aren’t exactly in a position to ask for any favors.”

“So play good little soldier, but if we see our chance, take it?” Michael guessed.

“Yes, exactly. And Mike-”

“I’m not fighting, I know,” Michael cut him off. “Do I at least get to come and hang out wherever we set up base camp? Help with security, and the like?”

“Yes, of course. You’re not being punished, Mike. You’re not fighting because you don’t have medical clearance. But you’re still coming along. All hands on deck.”

Michael nodded. “Cool. That’s… Cool. Thank you.” He was fully expecting to be benched, and expected to stay behind. A lesson from SHIELD about how even the Avengers had to follow their orders. But getting sidelined only because he was still injured? Well, that… Fuck, he could handle that no problem.

“Be cooler if we can finally get my sister back…” Calum muttered.

“We’re gonna try, Cal,” Ashton said.

“You said that last time, and look what happened.”

“So… half hour til take off, yeah?” Luke asked.

“Not quite,” Ashton chuckled. “We leave tonight to meet up with SHIELD at the base camp they’re setting up just outside of Hydra’s radar. Then we go in just before dawn. I’ll give a 30 minutes heads up before we head out though.”

~~~

After the worst night of sleep he ever remembered getting, Michael got up just as the sun was beginning to brighten the sky from a dark purple blotch sprinkled with stars to holding soft shades of pink around the edges.

He stumbled his way to the cafeteria tent, finding the rest of his team at a table, each clinging to their coffee cup like a lifeline. “How’d you sleep?” Ashton asked, as Michael took a seat.

“Like absolute shit,” Michael answered honestly. “You’d think for how high tech SHIELD is, the bastards would have found a way to make camping missions less miserable.”

“Gotta cut expenses somewhere,” Ashton chuckled darkly, taking a sip of his coffee. “Fuckin’ bastards…”

“Fuckin’ bastards,” the other three repeated in agreement as a group of higher ups appeared in the entrance of the tent.

“First wave rolls out in 10 minutes,” the one in the middle barked. “Report to your positions, and standby.”

Everyone in the tent gave half-awake salutes, and the group of higher ups continued on their way. Then slowly, between stifled yawns, people started getting up from tables, dumping their half eaten breakfasts, and half drunk coffees, before going to their places.

Luke drummed his hands on the tabletop, a grin breaking across his otherwise tired face. “It’s showtime, boys!” he whooped before pushing himself to his feet. “Let’s fuckin’ go!” He rested a hand on Michael’s shoulder, dropping his voice into a low whisper, “We got ourselves a girl to bring home.”

In spite of everything, Michael couldn’t help but laugh at Luke’s infectious enthusiasm. “Stay safe, guys,” Michael told them as his three friends joined the rest of the crowd dashing off to their assignments. 

Only after the last man had cleared out, did Michael finally get up himself. He made himself a tray of breakfast, before going off in search of one of the security tents. “Anything I can help with?” Michael offered the first person who looked in his direction. “Michael Clifford. Avenger.”

The SHIELD agent looked Michael over, with the boot on his foot, face still sporting a small bruise, and scoffed. “Here,” he said, shoving a clipboard in Michael’s hand that wasn’t clutching  his tray of food. “This is a list of everyone involved in the operation. Those of us staying to do security are already accounted for. But the rest have been given strict instructions to check back in when they return. Whenever that is. You can be in charge of checking them in by the triage tent.”

“Gee, thanks,” Michael muttered, tucking the clipboard under his arm. “Triage is…?”

The agent pointed to a tent with a giant hospital cross decorating the top.

“Cool. Thanks.” Michael forced a tight-lipped smile before making his way over to a long table set up just inside the coverage of the hospital tent.

“Back already?” another SHIELD agent asked, pulling a clipboard close to them. “Name?”

“Oh, no, I’m helping you guys with check-in.”

“Oh. Have a seat, then.”

“Hey, is Y/N Hood on this list by any chance?” Michael asked as he took a seat.

“Nobody by the name of Hood has been checked in yet.”

“No, yeah, I know. I meant… is she on the list at all? Like are we expecting her to be one of the people checking in.”

“You’d have to check the list. I dunno, sir.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Of course. Thanks anyway.”

“No problem.”

~~~

The sky had transitioned into a soft blue, the sun peeking out from behind the trees, suggesting that at best it’d only been an hour, maybe two since Michael took up residence at the triage tent. But it felt like a lot longer, and if something didn’t happen soon, he was going to lose it.

From his spot, he could hear the engagement of combat and gunfire, so he knew the mission was well underway. But, God, waiting for everyone to get back was so fuckin’ boring! And it wasn’t that he wasn’t used to being the one hanging back, because he was. But this wasn’t hanging back to provide back up. This was just waiting. Painfully boring waiting. His breakfast lay next to him, discarded and half picked over.

He was about three seconds from excusing himself to the bathroom just so he’d have a reason to get up and walk around, when a laugh rang out. A laugh he’d know anywhere. “Y/N?!” he shouted, scrambling from his chair.

The laugh paused, turning into a soft gasp. “Mike?!”

“Y/N!” Michael shouted again, rushing as fast as he could in the direction of her voice. “Y/N!” he called out for the third time, happily as he saw her pushing her way through a small group of SHIELD agents returning to camp.

“Mike!” she shrieked, before running full speed towards him.

He got his arms open just in time for her to crash into him. “Ow, ow, ow,” he winced as he hugged her tight.

“Oh, my God!” she said, holding him out at arm’s lengths. “Are you okay? What happened to you? Where’s the rest of the team?” the questions fell rapidly from her lips. “Oh, Mike!”

“I’m okay. Somebody beat me up pretty good, but I’m fine. The guys are off helping SHIELD play soldier. Oh, God, you’re back! And you’re you!”

“Did you get my note?” she asked, nuzzling her face into his neck.

“Yeah, I got your note.”

“So you forgive me?” Her brown eyes were wide and soft, and maybe even a little fearful as she peered up at him.

“Of course, I forgive you. You didn’t have to go so hard as to break my foot, but of course I forgive you, baby. Fuck, I’m just glad you’re finally here. For good. Safe.”

They could have stood there forever in their locked embrace. And they would have if someone wasn’t clearing their throat to get the couple’s attention. “Ma’am, we gotta check you in.”

“It’s fine,” Michael waved them off. “I got her checked in. It’s fine.”

The agent shrugged, and walked off.

“C’mon, let’s sit. We can catch up while we wait for the rest of the guys,” she directed softly.

~~~

“So Luke was the only one who believed I knew what I was doing?” she chuckled as Michael relayed the past five months of utter shit to her. “Remind me to thank him when he gets in.”

“Yeah, I probably owe him a proper apology for that still. Should probably apologize to Ash and Cal, too. A lot of things got said in anger that shouldn’t have.”

“At least you didn’t tell your best friend that you hated him,” Y/N pointed out, trying to calm Michael out of his remorse.

“Yeah, but still. We all sat around twiddling our thumbs until this last mission. I mean, we didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know where you were, or if you were okay. And when Cal told us you were okay like Luke had guessed, I dunno… I snapped. I thought I could rectify my mistakes by coming to get you myself. I never once thought that you were with Hydra on purpose. I hadn’t even thought you could have been potentially brainwashed by them. I just… I dunno. Went blind with rage and every other emotion I’d been swallowing since that first mission.”

She nodded understandingly. Then, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“How did you find me? When you came back on your own.”

Michael pulled the tracking device from his pocket, which he kept permanently in his pocket along with her note. “After the first mission, we upgraded our trackers. Well, we just used the technology we came up with for my tracker arrows, and injected them into ourselves. So that way it’s a little harder to dump,” he explained with a slight tease in his voice that made her giggle. “And we loaded some arrows with them too, obviously. I nicked a few Hydra agents with them. And Cal got you with the drone.”

“But when Cal shot me, the arrow went clean through me. He was too close. Entry and exit wound.”

“The trackers are set to eject at the first point of contact. Pretty nifty, huh?”

She hummed in proud approval. “Pretty fuckin’ nifty indeed. Fuck… I’ve missed you, Mike.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” he said, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her hair, breathing her in. “So fuckin’ much.”

“And I’m telling you,” a familiar voice growled, “that I have the bloody tracking device right here! She’s not at the Hydra base! She’s right… in… tada!” Calum said, sweeping the tent open.

Ashton and Luke’s eyes went wide, their mouths working to sputter nonsense. Y/N got to her feet, offering them all a shy wave. “Hey, boys.”

The magic words broke the spell, a giant grin painting each man’s face, before they were all rushing towards her in a gleeful cry of “Y/N!”

“Y/N, what the actual fuck?!” Ashton tried to scold but he was laughing too hard. “Do you have any idea how worried we were?”

“Sorry, Ash. SHIELD orders,” she giggled, hugging the man tightly. “Missed ya too.”

“So it was you! You were the spy on the inside! Fuckin’ brilliant!” Luke marveled. “Go in to rescue the hostages after our first spy betrays us, and replace them with a trusted Avenger. Wow… That’s fuckin’ genius!”

“So I take that as I’m forgiven for worrying you guys, causing you guys to fight amongst yourselves, and having to break Cal’s drone and Mike’s foot?” Y/N asked with a hopeful smile.

“Absolutely,” everyone but Calum told her.

“Cal?” she asked, turning to the man. “Baby brother? Forgive me?”

Calum narrowed his eyes, but there was no hardness to the expression, suggesting he wasn’t actually angry. “You owe me a new drone, first.”

“Deal!” she said, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. “Fuck, I’ve missed you guys!”

“Glad to have you back with us,” Ashton smiled. “Guys, let’s go check in, so we can all go the fuck home, yeah?”

“Yes, Captain!” they all saluted with a laugh, heading towards triage to check in, and check out.

“Fuck, I can’t wait to get home and shower,” Y/N complained, her right arm thrown over Calum, and her left one thrown over Michael as she trudged happily between her boys once again.

“A good, long, hot shower sounds perfect,” Michael whispered against her ear. “And I think I can come up with a couple of other good, long, and hot activities for us after that shower,” he added, nipping at her playfully.

“Mmmm,” she giggled, leaning into him. “Think you got the strength for all that?”

“For you? Always. And we have a lot of making up to do. Might take days.”

She shivered against him, causing the other three to groan. “At least wait until after we get home before jumping all over each other, yeah?” Ashton asked.

“No promises,” they answered honestly.

Ashton groaned again. “C’mon, let’s give them a minute,” he said with an eye roll as he guided Calum and Luke forward to the line to check in.

Michael wasted no time in their friends’ quick departures to hook his fingers under Y/N’s chin, guiding her to meet him in a fierce kiss, fingers knotting in each other’s hair, breath rushing out of their lungs. “Promise me you’ll always come back to me,” he whispered when they had to break apart to gasp for air, resting his forehead gently against hers.

“I don’t think I can keep that promise, because I’m never leaving you again.”

“Good, because I’m never letting you go.”

__

Tag List

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[chikaiomoi]

you were solstice, you were ever-light

characters: hawks (hawks x female reader) 

title: ‘you were solstice, you were ever-light’ (lyrics from ‘solstice’ by STARSET)

words: 3.2k

warnings: manga spoilers for the paranormal liberation war arc, 18+, smut. 

synopsis: 

hawks planned to keep his residency in that apartment a secret, and he’d been doing well... until he accidentally bumped into you. he could keep up the lies for now... until he sought you out.

[fluff/smut]

It rained the first day he met you. You weren’t supposed to see him, but by a stroke of bad luck – or, good luck, he might call it now – you caught him halfway through a window, one leg inside, the other out, blond hair damp. You dropped the bags you carried and stared with wide eyes. 

There was no way you couldn’t recognise him. His wings weren’t the easiest to hide and being one of the top heroes in Japan meant he had a damn recognisable face. 

“Uhh, don’t mind me,” he said as he swung his other leg through the open window and dropped onto the hallway’s creaking floorboards. “Just, uh, visiting a friend, that’s all.” Hawks shimmied past you, waving with an awkward grin that left you glued to the spot. “Take care, kiddo.” 

He knocked on the only empty apartment in the building, gloved knuckles rapping four times. “Buddy, it’s me, I’m here!” he called through the wooden door. “What’s that? Use my key? Okay!” 

You weren’t born yesterday. No one lived in that apartment. You would know, it was the one next door to yours. If pro-hero Hawks was snooping around, that could only mean something bad was lingering nearby. 

So, when you returned to your own apartment, you locked the doors and windows. You sat with a baseball bat by your side at all times. When you went to bed, you kept it within arm’s reach. 

Thankfully, nothing happened. 

--

The second time you met was early morning, one week later. It was only 5:45am, but work was hectic and you promised your boss that you’d finish your reports by the end of the week. You left your apartment just as he stepped out of the unoccupied one. He didn’t notice you at first, yawning as he pulled on his gloves, fingers combing through messy tresses. 

Gold eyes swept across the hallway and ballooned when they acknowledged another person. He stared at you, caught like a deer in headlights, before he composed himself and waved. “Funny we should meet like this again! I was staying at my friend’s. I take it you live next door, right? How fun, I don’t think he’s ever—“

“No one lives there,” you said. 

Hawks sighed, his expression dropping as he rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, alright. You caught me.”

With a frown, you approached him, clutching your bag strap against your shoulder. His gaze found yours and locked on as you spoke. 

“If there’s a villain nearby, please tell me so I can keep my guard up,” you muttered, shifting your weight from one foot to another. “That’s why you’re there, right? Hiding to catch a villain?” There was no other explanation, no other reason for a top pro-hero like Hawks to be hanging around a dingy apartment complex. 

He tilted his head and studied your features, the innocence in your eyes, a mix of confusion and fear. “Uhh… Well, not too close by, but this is serving as a base, just for now.” He’d run with that truth for as long as you would believe it. “That means you can’t tell anyone I’m here, right?” 

He waited for you to nod, then he patted your head and approached the window. Who cared about climbing out of a window on the tenth floor when they had wings?

You watched him climb out and soar through the sky, disappearing from sight in a matter of seconds. You sighed and rubbed your eyes, then made your way to work, but you failed to shake the thoughts of Hawks from your mind.

—

The third time you saw him was that evening. A knock on your door dragged you from your work files, and a wide grin greeted you when you opened it. As did the fresh, warm scent of fried chicken. Hawks laughed as he tapped the top of the red bucket. “I thought we could have dinner together seeing as we keep bumping into each other. Besides, eating alone is so boring, isn’t it?”

You were at a loss for words at first, mouth opening and closing as you tried to fathom what was happening. You managed to gather yourself and you let him in, smiling as you thanked him for the offer. 

You hated to admit to yourself just how much you needed this. Ever since you started your new job two months ago, you had drowned in the workload, barely finding time to breathe. But the presence of another forced you to tear yourself away from the files, to eat dinner without keeping your eyes glued to reports, to simply sit and enjoy the company of someone else. 

Hawks radiated comfort. It was hard not to relax around him when he blended so well into the scenery of your tiny living room, as if he belonged there, as if he had been there forever. You laughed like never before around him, giggling so much at his jokes and stories that your jaw hurt by the end of the night. 

When he was gone, back to the empty apartment next door, your home was empty and quiet, and your chest ached for the comfort he gave you.

—

Hawks visited you more often. Some nights he brought dinner, some nights he didn’t. One night, he asked about your quirk. 

You hesitated and he laughed awkwardly, asking if you even had a quirk at all. 

“I do, but it’s kinda lame,” you admitted, laughing along with him.

Still, he grinned and leaned forward. “Show me.”

Your eyes met his, hesitating, preparing yourself for how disappointed he would be. Then, you took his hand and laced your fingers through his. The simple touch was electric, sparks flowing between you two, but you tried to ignore it.

A warmth crept into him from where your hands were joined. It swam through his entire body, easing muscles he didn’t know were tense, untwisting any knots. For the first time in a long, long time, his mind settled. 

He was at peace.

“I can calm someone when they’re stressed,” you explained as you pulled your hand from his. “Even when they don’t know they’re stressed, my quirk can put someone in a state of tranquility. It doesn’t work on myself, though. Like I said, it’s lame—“

“It’s not lame.” Hawks grabbed your hand again. “You have a precious quirk, one that could do good in this world. Don’t underestimate yourself just because it isn’t flashy.” 

His thumbs caressed your skin, rough and calloused, but the touch was warm and gentle and you didn’t want him to let go. 

—

Hawks didn’t think he’d fallen for you, until one day you beamed at him and his heart skipped a beat and butterflies filled his tummy. 

That smile… It was all he could think about, day and night. How was this possible? His plan was to let no resident in the building see him, but now he was in love with one of them. 

So, one month after first meeting you, he told you the truth.

“I’m not doing surveillance next door,” he admitted whilst leaning against your kitchen counter. A thin black headband held the front of his messy golden hair back from his face, but a small lock had broken free and hung over his brow. “I live there. Sort of…”

You stopped dicing vegetables for dinner and turned to him, your eyes searching his face, as if it would provide an explanation.

“It’s not my full time residence.” Hawks shoved his hands into his pockets. “I got the flat a couple of months ago as a way to separate myself from the Commission when I need downtime. I wanted to keep it a secret, though, in case any villains found out. I couldn’t risk the lives of everyone in the building.”

You pressed your lips together, eyes not moving from his face. “Why didn’t you find a different apartment when I caught you?” you whispered, hip resting against the counter.

A smile crept onto his lips. “Would you believe me if I said the reason I stayed was because you’re incredibly cute?”

Heat rushed through your body, colouring your cheeks and the tips of your ears pink. You laughed and glanced away, but seconds later, your ears returned to him, locking onto his golden orbs. “You think I’m cute?”

Hawks nodded and took three steps towards you — that was all he needed to close the gap between you two in the small kitchen. “I do,” he said, his voice low and smooth like caramel. His fingertips danced over your arms, up and up until they found your cheeks, where his palms rested. “I think you’re cute. I think you’re beautiful. I think you’re—“

“Hawks…”

“Keigo.” He leaned closer. “My name is Keigo.”

When your lips met, your heart throbbed and flipped with joy. Your eyes fell closed as you melted into the kiss, your body instinctively pressing into him. Keigo’s lips were tender, in control but not overpowering. Oh, you could kiss him all night. 

And you did. You kissed him before dinner, you kissed him after dinner, and you kissed him during the movie that neither of you actually watched. When it ended, the plot a complete mystery to you both, you grabbed his hand. “Stay the night.”

“Only if I can kiss you some more.”

You laughed and caught his lips into another kiss, passionate and loving. He grabbed your hips and pulled you onto his lap, not once breaking the kiss as he moved you. His hands slid from your hips to your backside and he squeezed the flesh over your jeans, drawing a groan from your throat. A breathy chuckle escaped through his nose. 

Your body pressed against him and you deepened the kiss, parting your lips to let your tongue meet his. Your fingers curled into his hair, your other hand resting on his chest.

He was the one to break the kiss, and you almost whined. You needed to kiss him, needed to taste him, needed to connect with him. But Keigo had his own plans, so his lips weren’t away from you for too long.

Hot breath caressed your neck as his lips met your soft skin. The kisses on such a sensitive part of your body drew moans from your lips, and you tilted your head to the side. He kissed and nipped and suckled on your flesh, his hands continuing to knead your round backside. 

You couldn’t control the way your hips ground against his, an impulsive reaction from all he was doing to you. It made him groan and grip your hips again to hold them firmly against his. The bulge in his jeans pressed into your groin . Biting on your lip, you rocked your hips against him. The slow humping dragged noises from both of you and his bulge stiffened and grew until it was too painful for him to keep his jeans on any longer. 

Keigo stood, hands firmly under your backside to carry you into the bedroom. After slamming the door closed with his foot, he dropped you onto the bed, making quick work of his buckle, yanking the belt from his jeans, jeans which soon joined the belt on the floor. You were just as quick to undress, and soon a pile of clothes lay on the floor whilst he crawled over to you. 

He nudged your legs open and laid between them, planting kisses along your thighs. He hummed, his breath tickling your skin. “Your skin is so soft,” he mumbled between pecks on your flesh. He kissed further and further inwards until his lips grazed your clit. He kissed the little bud before teasing it with his tongue.

A gasp escaped your lips, pink and swollen from kissing, and your toes curled into the bedsheet. Keigo flicked his tongue across your clit then dragged it along your wet folds, groaning at the taste. “Fuck…” he muttered beneath his breath. “You taste good, angel.”

He was so damn good with his tongue. He played with your folds, tongue dancing across them, then he focused on that sensitive bundle of nerves. As he toyed with your clit, he slowly pushed a finger inside your tight pussy and pumped it in and out. 

Moaning, you threw your head back into the feathery pillow and arched your back. “F-fuck, Keigo…”

“Mm,” he hummed. “Does that feel good?”

With a whimper, you nodded.

He chuckled. “Use your words, angel.” 

“I-it feels so good, Keigo… So fucking good…”

He smirked and returned to licking and suckling on your precious pussy as his finger thrust into you, soon joined by a second digit. 

“I want you to cum on my fingers,” he whispered, gaze flicking up to catch the way your mouth dropped open as you moaned. “Can you do that for me, angel?” 

“Y-yes.”

He latched his lips onto your clit as his fingers worked your insides, curling just to hit that spot that would push you over the edge. Your legs trembled by his head and your hand fisted into his hair. A knot tightened in your stomach, tighter and tighter, burning until—

“F-fuck! Kei… Keigo…” 

Your climax hit like a crashing wave and you gushed over his fingers. Tingling pleasure rocked through your whole body, pussy throbbing with desire. 

Keigo chuckled, pulled his fingers out and crawled over you. With his other hand, he tipped your chin to make your eyes meet his face as he sucked the cum from his fingers. Fuck.

“You wanna fuck?” He brushed his thumb against your bottom lip, his smirk only growing when you nodded with desperate enthusiasm. He leaned back and held his palm up to your mouth. “Spit.” 

You did as commanded and spat into his palm, eyes wide with glee as he rubbed it onto his cock like lubricant. He grabbed one thigh and lined his cock up with your entrance, then slowly pushed in. 

You sucked in a deep breath, fingers curling into the sheets as his thick cock stretched your tight hole. He groaned and gritted his teeth as he pushed inside, only halfway in before he stopped to let you adjust. He dipped down to kiss you, his breath hot against your lips. 

He started with slow, shallow thrusts, both hands now on both of your thighs, holding them apart. With each thrust your pussy eased and adjusted to his girth, so he slid deeper and deeper until he buried his entire length inside. You cried out, knuckles paling as you gripped the sheets tighter. 

“Fuck…” you breathed.

Keigo pressed his brow to yours, grunts leaving his lips as he made small bucks of his hips. “That feel good?” he asked and chuckled when you nodded. “Words, angel.”

You whimpered. “I love it, it f-feels so good.”

With your confirmation, he set a rhythm with deep thrusts, filling you completely each time he bottomed out inside you. Your moans and his groans and the clapping of flesh and the smacking of the headboard against the wall filled the room. Your bedroom drowned in the sweet sound of sex, of passionate and lustful and desperate lovemaking. 

With each thrust the pleasure grew and grew, and his movements grew harder and faster. You both panted and moved desperately as your orgasms approached. You came first, crying out and shaking and trembling as your pussy squeezed his cock, soaking him with your ecstasy. He came moments later, cock buried deep within you, filling you with his release. 

Hot breaths mixed as he collapsed beside you. Keigo cradled you close and buried his face into the crook of your neck. “Love you,” he mumbled against your skin.

A smile found its way to your lips as you closed your eyes. “Love you too.”

—

“See you tonight.” 

He’d said that one week ago. Being a hero meant that not everything went to plan.

That was an understatement for what had gone down. There was only one way to describe it: the complete and utter destruction of society as they knew it.

His words had been a lie. He hadn’t returned that night, nor had he returned for several days. How could he? The world had been turned upside down, his very being burnt from his body, his heart shattered and vulnerability spread for the whole world to see. 

Keigo needed time — time to recover, time to deal with the press, time to analyse the anarchy that infected the country. 

But he wasn’t healed, not yet. 

He needed you. Fuck everything else. He needed you.

He needed your arms, your words, your warmth, your lips. He needed to hear your heartbeat, to know you were still alive and there and waiting for him. If anything had happened to you… Fuck. He couldn’t even think about it. You were everything, the light in a dark tunnel he’d spent years in, his only solace in the world, a delicate flower surrounded by needles. If anything had happened to you, he would tear the world to shreds. 

Tired hands knocked on your door.

Mere seconds later, it swung open. You looked awful… Dark shadows beneath your eyes, sunken and dull, skin paler than normal, hair unkempt. But you were still beautiful and he would still give everything to stare at you forever. 

You choked on a sob at the sight of him and you threw your arms around him. He winced, but he only pulled you back when you tried to move away. He needed your embrace, even if it pained him. 

“I-I tried to come to the hospital, but they wouldn’t let me in. Said only family could visit,” you mumble, trembling hands grabbing his as you broke from the embrace. “I saw on the news… Oh, Keigo…”

He pulled you inside and locked the door. He said nothing until he kissed your forehead and caressed your cheek. “I’m fine,” he lied. It was so obviously a lie. Where were his wings? Half of his body was covered in bandages! “Just… Just hold me.”

So you did. You curled up on the couch with him, his head against your chest as you stroked his hair with tender fingertips. 

He closed his eyes and succumbed to your warmth. A sense of calm washed over him, tense muscles relaxing as you held him. He almost smiled, remembering the day he told you that your quirk would do good in this world. Here you were, using it to soothe his pain. 

But, what Keigo didn’t know in that moment, was that you didn’t use your quirk. You simply held the man you loved, kissed his head every now and then, and pampered him with gentle touches and whispers of sweet nothings. 

Maybe he loved you too much, he realised, when you told him that you hadn’t used your quirk. It was simply your presence that had provided such comfort.

You were his solace, his only light in a world of darkness. You were the sun, an ever-light, bright and beautiful. Surrounded by disaster, you were an untouched wonder. Maybe if he clung to you, he could hide himself from the scars of villainy. 

[jaeminscoffee]

Infuriate (m.)

Infuriate- to make someone extremely angry and impatient.

Pairing- Kim Dongyoung x reader

Genre- Smut, Fluff towards the end.

Warnings- dom!doyoung, brat!reader, rough sex, overstimulation, edging, spanking, degradation kink.

Word count- 3.04k

Summary- Pissed Doyoung equals a long night.

(This kinda has references to the kdrama it's okay to not be okay, where gangtae is munyeongs safety pin, but it has my own twist so if you read the story and it feels similar to the kdrama, that's why XD)

Doyoung is known for being the best boyfriend, and you agree. He is in fact the best boyfriend you could ask for. You on the other hand, are known for being a rebel. You were different from the others. You needed someone to be around you so that you wouldn't be constantly punched in the face. That's the sole reason Doyoung fell for you. You didn't give into things as fast as the others. 

In fact, you and Doyoung started off as enemies. One sided hate as you absolutely abhorred his pretty face. His whole 'oh I'm so modest, i never make mistakes so I'm boring' personality pissed you off. He didn't know how to have fun, that was your first impression of him. 

But in reality, Doyoung is way far off from what you'd initially thought. He just needed a pull at a particular string to tick him off, and that thrill of Doyoung turning into a totally different person was what kept you going. 

Doyoung is what your friends called, your safety pin. 

But staying along with you for as long as over two years, he had slowly started losing his sanity, not literally but a little there. He'd started growing less patient each day.

Seeing him burn with anger makes you feel things people are normally not supposed to feel. 

So here you are, trying your extreme best to get your boyfriends attention. By ignoring him. 

"Y/n? Could you get me my phone?" Doyoung asked, looking up from his laptop screen to you who was seated across him, legs hanging over the armrest of your couch, dressed in only an oversized shirt, which of course is his. 

You were on your phone when he called for you, "Hm? " you ask, looking up. "could you please get my phone?" you act as though you're thinking when Doyoung asked you for the second time. "Where is it?" he pointed at the hallway leading to your room with one hand, the other busy typing words quickly.

"Nah, too far" you resume playing on your phone. This is a chance. He needs to have fun. He's been so occupied with his work lately that he's done nothing other than wake you up with a cup of coffee and then kiss you good night. That's it.  

"No..?" he looks up again, confused. "Yeah. No" you emphasize the word 'no'. "come on baby i can't get up right now, please?" he looks at you in a pleading manner. You let out silent giggles, "i can't get up either" he raised his eyebrows at your words, "Why?" Doyoung asked, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"because… i don't want to." you look up once again, giving him a smile. "Y/n please" he said, dragging the word please. "No babe, I'm comfortable right now, i don't want to get up" you wiggle on the couch. 

You hear Doyoung let out a sigh. "Can you come here for a second?" Teasing him is all fun and games until he loses it. Which is exactly what you were aiming for. "didn't i just say i don't want to get up? Jeez honey you're slow". You see his features go hard for a second, massaging the entirety of his face with his hands. "Y/n." 

"Yeaahh?" you ask, having a huge smile on your face. "Come here" he shifted in his seat in a way where he was leaning forward, arms resting on his legs, looking at you with a stoic expression. 

"Nope". 

"Last chance. Come here" he said, looking at you with a daring expression. 

"and I'm telling you for the last time. Nope"  

He got up from his seat, walking around the table and towards the couch. "you're really asking for it aren't you?". Doyoung asked the minute he reached you. "Asking for what? Babe are you okay?" you him, seeing him clench his jaw as you suppress a chuckle from escaping your lips.

"Oh you won't be in a while" He said, picking you up bridal style because of the way you were sitting on the couch. You finally let out the laughter you'd been holding in, which only infuriated Doyoung more. "You're getting angry over this? Thought you'd be better than that" you say, looping your arms around his neck for support, playing with his hair, placing a kiss on his cheeks. "Don't try your luck babe. It's better if you'd just shut up"

With that he started walking towards your room, opening the door in a swift motion, not even bothering to close it, and threw you onto the bed in a not so soft manner. "And? What are you gonna do if I want to try my luck, punish me?" you sat up criss cross on the bed, as Doyoung pulled his shirt over his head. He gave you his infamous glare. Oh you knew that look so well. 

"How about you find it out yourself?" he said, walking into the closet and getting a belt out. "Spanking? Oh dear, I'm so scared" you say, sarcasm dripping from your tone, "Come on Doyoung i know you can do better than that-" "Shut the fuck up." he came back from the closet, his gaze harder than ever, no signs of lust, nothing. Just pure anger. On the contrary though, you were soaked, his tone being one of the factors, the other being you being overly excited of what Doyoung's going to do with you.

"But I don't want to, so make me." you stick your tongue out at him. His jaw clenching harder at the sight. "such a fucking brat" he mumbled under his breath. "Get on all four, slut" his voice had gone dangerously low. You were a little scared alright, but that's the point. 

His anger just made sex so much better. 

"nope" you answer, leaning back lying down on the bed. "bitch" Doyoung said loud enough for you to hear and dropped the belt he held onto the bed, getting onto it himself pulling you down towards the edge of the bed, which was totally unexpected for you so you let out a yelp.

"You're gonna have to own up to your sorry ass now" Doyoung said, looking straight into your eyes before flipping you over with his hands around your waist, gripping your hips once you were stomach flat on the mattress, pulling it up so that your ass was up, basically forcing you into all four, lifting your (his) shirt above your waist. 

"Oh? No panties? You were planning this weren't you? Such a fucking slut" he spoke through gritted teeth, his tone, his actions, his aggressiveness all just turned you on more, "Look at you, you're dripping love" he said parting your cheeks, dipping a finger into your slit.

"You're going to be begging for me to stop by the time I'm done with you" he retreated his fingers causing you to let out a whine. "Stop being all barks and no bites, Doyoung-" you said pushing your hip back, you hear Doyoung let out a shaky breath, moving back to get the belt he had discarded not that long ago. 

"Count, bitch" and there landed one on your left cheek with the metal side of the belt. "I don't want to-" you scream as he holds your hair in a makeshift ponytail, pulling it back with aggression. 

"I asked you to fucking count so do it, or watch me leave you here all desperate" that's the last thing you want. You'd acted annoying all week for this, you couldn't just have him leave. "I see, so you don't want to obey, eh? Cool with me-" he said, taking a step back from where he stood. "No! No, please.. " Doyoung smirked. 

Gotcha. 

"Hm..? Please what?" he stood with his arms crossed, the belt still in his hand. "please, I'll obey, just.. Just please don't leave me here" you said, letting down the act you had, melting completely when his hands went back to your core. "then count baby, i don't have the entire day" he retreating, raising his hands up high and letting the metal hit your cheek. "One..", another one landed on top of the last one, this time it stinged, you whined out a complaint,

"Two." then another, "T-three, Doyoung th-that hurts.." you said, tears now flowing down your cheek as a tiny cut had formed due to the metal breaking through the skin. "Does it now? Thank you for the information" he smacked once more. You scream out, "Four,-" he stopped for a while, admiring the bruises now forming on your skin. It looks like it hurts, but you love it and he knows it. He landed another one using his hands this time. "F-five, fuck.." 

You were a sucker for Doyoung manhandling you, this was what you meant when you said that he was the exact opposite from what you thought he was. 

You were caught off guard when he flipped you once again, you wince out as you ass hit the sheets, the burning sensation sending waves of pleasure right into your core that you moan out. 

He looked at you, face to toe, looking so ethereal with tears running down your cheeks, chest heaving up and down to catch your breath, he leaned down, capturing your lips in a rough kiss, sinking his teeth into your bottom lips a little too hard, drawing the tiniest amount of blood out of it.

You hadn't realised, but you'd been crawling up the bed along with Doyoung's body on top of you, as he removed your (his) shirt and threw it back, hand immediately cupping your breast through the material of your bra, causing you to let of a loud moan, mouth wide open. Doyoung took this opportunity to slip his tongue in, exploring the entirety of your mouth, fingers snaking around your body to unhook your bra.

Once that was off your body, Doyoung lowered himself just enough to draw a circle around your nipple, the sensation feeling so good as you squirm, moans and whimpers leaving your mouth as he toyed with your breast. 

He looked up, finally giving you time to breath, "Tsk, look at you, all fucked up just from a little spanking, aren't you a whore for me." his face had an extremely sadistic look to it. His hands made its way down your body, touching your sex, you jolt forward.

"Stay still." he said in a stern tone. He looked at you one last time, looking at your doe eyes staring at him with so much expectation. "Do you think you deserve this?" he asked, the tip of his fingers poking into your core which made you jerk your hips up. "Y-yes! I obeyed everything..-everything you told me to!".

He dipped his fingers a little more, halfway in, "If you promise to stay quiet, you'll get the reward." he spoke, finally shoving the entire finger in as you look at him with your eyes wide open. He slid his fingers in and out at an extremely fast pace, your eyes were tight shut, your hands gripping onto his shoulder from sliding back the sheets. 

Your eyes had still remained shut when you felt the warmth of his skin leave your palm, you opened your eyes to see him completely lowered down, still having his fingers moving, his face directly in front of your core.

Seeing you look at him, he smirked before latching his lips onto your clit, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves around with his tongue. You felt yourself getting closer and closer to the edge, Doyoung felt it too as your walls clenched around his fingers. Your hands were over your mouth to keep yourself from letting out any sound. 

When you were at the brink of your orgasm, you felt Doyoung's teeth graze over your clit, causing you to let out a loud moan by accident, regretting almost immediately as he completely stopped his actions causing you to let out a cry. "Come on! I was so close!" Doyoung smiled at you sweetly, "but you made a noise, honey" you were beyond frustrated. "But that's your fault!" you hit his forearm as Doyoung let out a chuckle,

"And you say you deserve a reward huh?" he said causing you to shut your eyes, tears running down as you blink continuously, feeling your high go further and further away. "Yes, If it weren't for your insanely good head giving skills i wouldn't have-" you got cut off by your own moan, as Doyoung shoved his fingers back into you. "You talk a lot".

Your orgasm was now fast approaching, your walls aching due to the constant fast rubbing of his fingers. "Doyoung, oh god, fuck-" you clench around his fingers a little harder. 

"You seem close," he said, the smirk still plastered on his face. His fingers moved faster, you grip onto his hand as you finally reach the long awaited high. 

You let out a squeal of pain, closing your legs tight shut as he kept going, "Did i say you're done?" he pry opened your thighs, tears rolling down faster and more frequently, as Doyoung, for the second time latched onto your clit. 

"Doyoung no i can't fuck-" you felt him chuckle against your bud, the vibration sending you off the edge the second time that night. You flinch away from him when you felt him sucking on the sensitive bud, thighs shaking from the intensity of the orgasm. 

You were too busy trying to catch your breath to notice Doyoung, all rid of his clothes making his way onto the bed once again. 

You were tired, obviously. You didn't know if you could take anymore but it's not like you had a choice.

He looked at you, the look on his face made you whimper, as he once again dragged you towards the edge of the bed using your ankle. "Oh baby, what happened to talking back? Hm?" he asked, lifting your chin up with his index. "D-doyoung.." you rasp out, shutting your eyes tight and opening it again to clear out the blur. "Do you even deserve my dick after how you'd been acting all these days?" you look up at him, Doyoung let out a chain of curses under his breath because of the way you were looking at him. 

"Answer me, bitch. Do you think you deserve it?" he brought his hands down onto your clit, giving it a smack causing you to jolt up. "n-no.." you manage to let out as his fingers never seemed to have left your clit, drawing circles on it with a fast pace. Doyoung watched as you squirm, 

"Then should i be fucking you right now?" he asked, biting his lips, as he watched you arch your back approaching the third orgasm, "beg for it." he said, continuing his actions at a slower pace, the tip of his member entering your core. "Please, Doyoung.. " you say, voice hoarse. "Try again, you know you can do better than that babe" he said, mocking your words from before. 

"Please, Doyoung, please just fuck me, pleas-" he waited no longer and shoved his length into your wetness, squelching noises being produced as he moved his hips at a fast pace in and out of you. You couldn't even scream at this point, voice completely gone due to previous screaming.

The feeling was overwhelming and you were beyond sensitive, Doyoung didn't mind your cries, it being hooded by his own groans as your walls felt just right around his member. "Fuck baby, don't i fuck you e-enough? How are you this tight?" he questioned between thrusts. You moan at his words. He picked up one of your legs, placing it over his shoulder, gripping your thighs tight, the grip would most certainly leave a bruise the next morning.

This new angle allowed him to reach deeper, hitting the one spot that had you clench around him harder. "Doyoung, stop-" you cry out, not really wanting him to stop, and he knew that. 

"Really babe? You want me to stop? Fuck..say the safe word then" his powerful thrusts turning sloppier as he approached his high. You said nothing, whimpering in return as you heard Doyoung scoff. "You could never have enough huh? Such a fucking whore for me" he said. 

He slowed down just a bit as soon as you reached your orgasm, twitching harder, clenching even more around his shaft. 

"shit shit shit.." Doyoung groaned out, looking down at where his length disappeared in and out of you, shutting his eyes close seeing your essence drip out of you and onto the sheets. 

"Doyoung..! " you scream out, jolting up and wrapping your hands around his shoulder as you felt him thrust in deep one last time before shooting his seeds into you. "Fuck, god.." he whined, riding out his high. 

Doyoung pulled out of you, watching his seeds along with yours drip out, as he collected those with his finger and shoved it back into you. 

You try pushing him away as the pleasure now turned into pain "Doyoung, i really can't.-" you sob out, but Doyoung didn't stop, fingering you into a lazy orgasm, which had you clenching your abdomen out of pain. 

Doyoung watched your face churn in pain and pleasure, body covered with sweet and bruises, as he placed a kiss on your temple. 

He got out of the bed, picking you up, and walking towards the bathroom. 

"Are you okay, babe?" he asked, opening the door of the bathroom. You lightly smack his chest. As you look at him with a pout. 

"I hate you so much" your voice came out feeble. 

"Want to go for a second round and see if you can still say you hate me?" he raised his eyebrows up in a teasing manner, laughing when he saw your eyes widen, shaking your head frantically. 

"No!"

[moxfirefly]

hellow its me again hehe can i have a order 53 In/By A Swimming Pool with mikey please?? (kink prompts??) Sorry if it's not clear ^_^

A little aquatic adventure? Ok I’m down for it.

Rated Mature (18+ Only)

Michelangelo really loves your thrill seeking ways. It’s quite possibly one of his most favorite things when it comes to you, first place being you yourself obviously.

You had met up with him at the roof top of one of your many spots. It was date night nevertheless and Mikey always prided himself in showing you a good time. Dull was surely not in his vocabulary and you loved that. But tonight the two of you had been drawing blanks upon what to do. The humidity had covered the night air making it just unbearable to be outside.

Which led to your idea.

“Babe, can you break us into the pool over at my college?” You were lying your head on his lap whilst Mikey played with your hair. His face broke out into a big smile. “You serious?” You sat up and smirked at him. “Well it’s freaking hot and I’m kinda feeling a pool date tonight” You climbed on his lap wrapping your arms around him. “So? Up for a little breaking and entering?” Mikey was thoughtful, he wasn’t necessarily into illegal stuff but where was the harm of taking a little late night swim?

Mikey nodded, laughing once you squealed in delight . He welcomed the onslaught of kisses you attacked him with.

____________________

Breaking into the college had proven fairly simple, child’s play almost. Inside the large indoor Olympic pool you wandered off to turn on the pool lights. Not wanting to make it obvious you made sure to just turn the lights that were placed inside the pool itself. Mikey wowed at the sight of the grandeous pool.

“Pretty neat yeah?” You met him by the bleachers, your giddiness radiating off of you in waves. Mikey couldn’t even keep still, the prospect of taking a little night time swim with his gorgeous girlfriend was definitely bucket list worthy. “Let’s jump in!” Mikey announced unfastening his skateboard back bag and his gear. You yourself unbuttoned your jeans and kicked off your shoes. Your orange clad boyfriend couldn’t help but stare as you pealed piece by piece of clothing. He was kicking off his own shoes by the time that you were in your undergarments.

Good lord you were absolutely stunning to him.

“Come on baby boy, last one in is a rotten egg” You took off and canon balled into the pool. Almost slipping trying to kick off his shorts, he jumped into the pool and was instantly met with the cool liquid relief. You swam to the bottom of the floor, the serene soundless feeling of the water engulfing you. Truth be told you always enjoyed the water but just hated coming here when it was filled to the brim with people.

Mikey swam up to you effortlessly and pulled you into a hug. The bubbles flowed freely with your laughter and soon you were above the surface with a laughing and giggly terrapin. “Ok I gotta say, this is cracking top three date nights” You feigned shock. “Big words there Mikey, top three? Really?” Mikey made a thoughtful expression.

Then he grinned and dunked himself and you down.

Most of the night was spent like that. Swimming around, a rousing battle of spraying water at one another, you even tried to race him (lost pretty quickly too). The entire night was shaping up to be another legendary memory for the two of you. Closer to the shallow end the two of you sat, your head on his shoulder.

“I want a pool in our future place some day” You smiled at the idea and Mikey whistled. “Man now that would be lit, could you imagine? We could get some cool slides and have it be heated so we can still use it in winter” There he was off adding to the fantasy of what might be. It often crossed your mind how things might be if the two of you had your own space to call your own. You and Mikey always made up crazy fantasy houses for fun when bored.

“I’m serious though, Mikey” You got up, waist deep in the water. The drops mesmerized Mikey, you looked so beautiful in the dim lights. “Our own place? Me too angel cakes, I want the whole deal” He stood up as well and wrapped his arms around your waist. “You think I ain’t getting Raph ordained online so he can marry us? Like I wouldn’t break into city hall and steal those marriage license documents? Gurl I’m gonna wife you up” Each announcement only made your smile grow wider before you couldn’t stop giggling.

Wrapped in a blanket of love you had no other option but to kiss him. It was one of those kisses you couldn’t stop smiling against his lips but the more you kissed the more heated it became. Mikey’s kisses trailed down your neck, the wetness there felt so good, the coldness of your body pressed against his making your nipples harden. “Say it again” You punctuated each word with a kiss to his cheek. “You’re gonna be my wife, baby” He backed you up against the wall of the pool and caught your lips in yet another heated kiss.

How can an idea make you feel so excited, in every sense of the word. You pressed your hands against his plastron, the firmness of it was something you secretly enjoyed a lot. You admired him, mouth agape catching your breath you pushed down his underwear. Mikey smirked and did the same with yours. He unclasped your bra casting it out onto the water. “Gosh you’re so gorgeous Y/N” He cupped your breast in his hands, firmly kneading them before dropping kisses onto each of them. You twirled a wet mask tail before untying it and also letting the water take it away. The weightlessness of the water, Mikey supporting you with his hands the goosebumps pebbles your skin. You would never get bored, just never a dull moment with him.

He entered you like that, slowly with a sigh of your name against the shell of your ear. Wrapping your legs around him more tightly you let him take charge. The water rustled with first few slow thrusts, the feel of his wet reptilian skin felt so tight against your human one. “Love you to bits” He spoke sweetly. A wave of emotion crashed into you, to have him here present and so in love. Your eyes fluttered closed and you smiled. “Love you so much” You hiccuped when he bottomed out fully.

Mikey loved the feeling of the water around him, the coldness of your skin that seemed to be heating up little by little. The feeling of his cock nestled inside of you, how you dug your fingers into him. “You’re so beautiful, love this so damn much” He thrusted slowly but the intensity in his words, in how he admired and loved on you had you quickly going up.

You kissed him with a desperation that matched his own. Mikey moaned into your mouth, thrusting harder and more firmly. Those icey blue eyes of his landed on your own e/c ones. You gasped holding yourself tighter around him. He begged for you, something untangible he couldn’t make words for but he showed you with actions.

It hit the two of you so suddenly and it felt so damn right whenever you could manage to cum at the same it always blew your mind. Disorienting didn’t begin to explain it, Mikey choked out something that sounded like your name and you held onto him you were sure he might bruise.

Once the ringing in your ears stopped, you felt his lips on yours and everything in the world, simply melted away.

[jjmaydank]

Balance

summary: The group thought that after JJ got a girlfriend, she’d balance him out and drain some of his over energetic and sometimes reckless personality. However, you indulge in his antics just as much as he does. 

a/n: This came to me after listening to Queen of Disaster by Lana on repeat enjoy! Masterlist coming soon. 

cw: drinking, innuendos, and weed mention. 

‘No’ you mouth to JJ from across the room. He doesn’t say anything, instead takes a sip of his beer and lifts his eyebrows suggestively. He’s been eyeing the door for the past two minutes. 

You’d love to go back to your car or your place with him but you didn’t want to have the whole gang to know you guys skipped out to mack. 

“Y/N and I are leaving now” JJ announces standing up and reaching for your hand.

“Seriously you guys?” Pope says with annoyance. 

“No we’re not” you say, giving him a look that screams ‘stop’. He responds with a look that says ‘make me’. He steps closer to you, towering over you as you sit. He makes it so hard not to give in. 

Taking his hand and getting up, “We’re gonna go take a walk on the beach before heading home” you say trying to sound convincing. The group eyes you and JJ suspiciously but don’t press you guys further. Just as you think you’ve made it out of the clear, JJ speaks up again as you hold his hand pulling him out the door, 

“That’s code for we’ve gonna go f-“ he’s abruptly cut off by your hand covering his mouth. 

“That’s enough” you say with wide eyes.

“Even if we were it’s definitely not happening anymore tonight” you release your hand from his mouth and watch his expression turn into a defeated look. you wave for the both of you and immediately drag him out of the door. 

“are you serious about us not having sex tonight?” JJ finally speaks up again. You sigh and “no, it’s just the gang doesn’t need to know our business dude”. 

Unaware of how the group can still hear you guys from inside the house. 

-

Stumbling drunk as the party had begun to die down. If you were going to drink might as well do it to get wasted, you weren’t some grown adult woman who enjoyed the taste of wine. 

It would probably be embarrassing tomorrow to face Kie, Pope, and John B but at least you’d wake up next to JJ. 

‘Fuck’, you thought, ‘where’s JJ?” Your hands instinctively reach out to your sides for his familiar hand.

“Take me to J please. JJ. JJ Maybank. My boyfriend” in your head you sounded way more put together than how you actually sounded. Kie understood you though, “sit tight and I’ll go find him okay?” She said placing a hand on your shoulder as if to make sure you were going to stay seated. “No” you said standing up too quickly and stumbling to the side because grasping at kie’s arm. “Take me- take me with you” you plead, your red glossy eyes staring into hers. She sighed and put your arm around her shoulders and her other arm holding you by the waistline making you walk as straight as you could. you stumbled into John B’s place and almost tripped on the porch. 

As soon as you get inside though, you’re stumbling again and this time you actually break away from Kie’s grasp and fall to the side. The armrest of the couch breaks your fall but not before smashing against your forehead hard.

“Fuck” you yell out, voice muffled as your face is pressed against the floor. “Shit” is all Kie says before rushing to your side and pulling you up. The commotion in the living room draws the attention of John B and JJ who has been searching for a lighter in JJ’s unofficial room. They appear from out of the room and find you still on the floor but slowly getting up with Kie’s help. JJ immediately at your side and inspects you for any cuts of scratches. 

“Hey” you smile after sitting up enough to lean against the couch. “Was looking for you” you say using the palm of your hand to rub your temple where the couch had impacted you. John B and Kie have stood up and jumped into action by this point, going into the kitchen to grab an ice pack.

You stop rubbing your forehead and look up at JJ before pouting and asking “can you kiss it better?”. “Of course baby” he says planting a gentle kiss on your temple. “Anywhere else?” He quicks with a smirk on his face. You nod and point a finger at your right cheek. He shakes his head and kisses your cheek, and then pulls away again. This time you point to your lips and lean forward, he happily obliges. It was meant to be a quick peck but you immediately lean into him and rest your hands in his t-shirt, bunching up the material in your fist making sure you can hold him as close as possible as you kiss him passionately. He begins to move his hand from your shoulder down to your waist before John B enters the room again, 

“Guys come on” he says and JJ pulls away from you. He’s smiling sheepishly as John B hands him an ice pack for your injury. 

“Can’t resist” you say, directing it at Kie and John B with a smile on your face.

“We know” they say in unison. 

-

You’re finishing up grabbing lunch with Kie and heading back to her parked car. She’d been telling you about this surfer girl she had met over the weekend that really piqued her interested. You were happy for her, everyone seemed to be finding their significant other and you were just waiting for Pope to meet someone now. 

As Kie began to describe what she and the girl talked about, your phone rang and you politely held up a finger in her direction and answered, “hey JJ what’s up?”. “What are you doing right now?” He asked, you could hear some shuffling before you heard him lay onto a mattress. “I’m with Kie, everything good?” “Yeah just wondering if you wanted to-“ JJ was cut off as your phone slipped out of your hand and onto the floor of Kie’s car. “Wait babe repeat that I dropped you” you yelled so that he could hear you as you reached for your phone. “I was just calling to see if you wanted to have phone sex” he replied casually. You must have accidentally pressed the speaker when it fell and now you frantically moved in order to grab your phone. 

“Fuck JJ you were on speaker” you spoke into the phone and looked over to find Kie trying her best to suppress her laugh. You could feel your face heat up and you debated on what to say next before deciding, “call me in two hours” and hanging up. 

“Kinda wish I hadn’t heard that” Kie finally speaks up. You remove your head from your hands and look at her, “i really had no idea he was going to say that”.

- 

“All I’m saying is that robbing rich people isn’t wrong, it's like restoring balance,” JJ argues, removing his snapback to put it back on, backwards this time. 

“It’s too dangerous” Kie tries to explain, Pope and John B already agreeing with her. 

“Eh I don’t know, it could be fun?” You side with JJ. The day had been unfulfilling, you all could use an adventure. “You’re dating JJ, obviously you’re going to choose him” Pope says, gesturing between you and JJ. You scoff, “I am my own person, my opinion doesn’t rely on him” you reply. 

“Look how about this? We just check the place out, don’t do anything until we know it's risk-free?” you reason. The group doesn’t speak up and seem to be weighing the decision, you take this opportunity to glance at JJ and wink at him. 

“Fine, but only to check the place out” John B says with reluctance, tossing the keys to JJ. He catches them with ease as everyone begins to trickle out the door. 

“Shotgun” you call out, siding your sunglasses on as you make your way towards the passenger door. 

“No, no, no” Kie says, walking at your pace to try to beat you to the door. “Woah what why!” you reply speeding up to pass her. “Because anytime you two are up front, you’re just making eyes at each other and we have to listen to your music” Pope says getting settled in. “He's right” John B states and then shrugs. 

“You guys kiss at every red light, it's boring” Kie says fake gagging. 

“Oh I’m sorry, next time we’ll french to switch things up” You say, turning around to face Kie, Pope, and John B. All groaning, you turn around and reach to intertwine your hand with JJ’s. 

-

“When JJ isn’t here, it's my responsibility to look good and be reckless” You state before downing 3 vodka shots in a row. 

“He didn’t leave, he just went inside to grab more ice” John B says trying to stop you from taking a fourth shot. You swat his hand away but in the process slip the shot on the sand. “Fuck someone pour me another one before he gets back” you pout and look to your friends. 

“Before who gets back?” You hear from behind and see JJ waiting for your response. 

“Nobody. Did you find what you needed?” you say quickly attempting to change the topic. Although you had just taken the shots, your body begins to feel warm. It was the beer you had pre-gamed with mixing along with the vodka. “Nah I think I lost it” he says walking towards you. 

“I have one in my bag” you point him towards the direction of the bag, and allow him to search through your belongings. Finally, he fishes out a lighter. “When did you start smoking?” Pope questions. 

“I don’t” you simply state, taking a huge swing of the drink JJ had given you to hold. “I carry it for when JJ forgets or loses his” you say again, handing JJ back his cup. 

“Aw that’s kinda romantic” Kie says, the blunt she had split with a few others finally starting to take effect on her. 

“Yep, I’m the responsible one” you declare with a smile plastered on your face and the alcohol in your system causing you to slouch against JJ’s shoulder for support. 

“Says the one two drinks away from blacking out” JJ teases, swiping back the drink you had somehow taken out of his hand again. “You’re just afraid to drink like me, because you don’t want to admit I have a higher tolerance” you argue, lifting your head to face his and squinting your eyes towards him in a challenging manner. 

“Is that so?” he questions. “Yes” you say.

“Oh you’re on” He says, downing what was left of the cup and reaching to pour himself a shot. 

“Great we’re gonna have two passed out people we have to carry home” Kie sighs. 

a/n: Thanks for reading! I will post more soon, I have about 3 prompts waiting to be written in my notes app. 

[remmushound]

Bay/rise 34!! @brightlotusmoon @errorfreak88 @digitl-art-monstr @selfindulgenz @yarchurr @dakotafinely @yarchurr @sententiously-sarcastic @sprinklestheditty

“This is fucking stupid.” Raph was pacing anxiously, his frustrations coming out in the form of heavy breaths.

“I totally agree.” Donnie agreed, “But you know Leo. He’d not gonna let this go.”

“He he fucking ought to! We ain’t got time for this shit!”

The Leo’s were both separately getting ready for the spar, but with such an open space it was nearly impossible for them to get out of each other's line of sight. This resulted in what could only be described as a heated staring content between the both of them as they sharpened their katana and odachi almost passive-aggressively. The brothers and sister of both proud ninja were intermingled in a group together— their brothers’ antics weren’t enough to drive them apart completely, but it was enough for a wedge to be stuck between them.

“Is Leo gonna be okay?” Michelangelo appealed to Donatello, grabbing a hold of the older teens arm.

“I don’t know Michael.” Donatello sighed, sticking his nose in the air in his frustration, “Leon’s always getting himself in this kind of trouble! It’s gonna catch up to him eventually!”

“Hopefully not today.” Michelangelo said, looking to Leo. “Other Leo is very large. He’s jumbo sized!”

“Sadly, his brain didn't get the memo.”

Mikey was looking between both of the Leo’s with no small amount of guilt. Donnie had given him the clear after he had calmed slightly and the pain in his chest wasn’t so bad, but now the pain had been replaced with an intense sadness. Michelangelo nudged his brother and pointed to the sad box turtle, and then both brothers nodded at each other with similar intent as they marched over and each took a seat beside Mikey. 

“Why the long face?” Michelangelo pouted.

“I dunno, Mike, seems kinda… oblong to me.” Donatello motioned vageuly to Mikey’s face.

Mikey gave the slightest chuckle before he started to cry softly. Michelangelo frowned and looked to Donatello, who quickly pulled a tissue from out of his battle shell and offered it to Mikey. Mikey accepted it and, after a moments thought, said,

“You just carry tissues around wherever?”

“I never know when I’ll have to break out the dramatics~!” Donatello struck a pose.

“Are you okay?” Michelangelo gave Mikey a gentle stroke on the shoulder. “You look sad.”

“I’m just… useless.” Mikey hung his head.

That statement caused both Hamato brothers to erupt in loud, overlaying denial as they practically swarmed Mikey trying to convince him otherwise.

“You’re not!”

“You’re really not.”

“You’re incredible!”

“I once tried nunchucks for a day. Hit myself in the head, cried in a corner, slept in said corner. Very traumatizing.”

“You can do lots of things!”

“Except fight, apparently…” Mikey pouted, crossing his arms. “I just watched my dad and your dad get taken and I did nothing!”

“You’re not the only one who did nothing!” Donatello offered.

Michelangelo swatted Donatello and scowled at him a second before turning back to Mikey. “You panicked— that’s nothing to be ashamed of!”

“We were there! We— we could’ve helped stop them! We—“

“What could we have done…?” Michelangelo asked softly, laying a hand on Mikey’s knee.

Mikey gave a long, tired sigh reminiscent of someone far older with many more years of life bearing down on his shoulders. “Nothing.”

“Exactly.” Michelangelo said, “But what we could’ve done is gotten hurt! He took out all your brothers in one swing! All we would’ve ended up doing is getting taken out with them.”

“But don’t you think—“

“Come on.” Mikey’s words were interrupted by his Leo, who had lost what little patience remained as he strutted forward with the confidence of gods. “Let’s get this over with.”

Leo was the first in the dojo and he stood there as if he was still challenging Leonardo to back down at the cost of his honor. Leonardo didn't move from his place where he was still polishing his odachi.

“Well?” Leo prompted, “Come on! You challenged me to this, remember! Don’t you want to defend your honor?”

Leonardo thought for a second, and then shrugged. “Eh, never really had much of that to begin with. And I have all the time in the world baby!”

Despite his words, Leonardo seemed to accept his counterpart's challenge and stood from his seated position, giving his odachi a few experimental swipes before he came to join Leo in the dojo.

“This ain’t gonna end good...” April shook her head. Her face was painted to match Leonardo’s markings and she brandished a blue flag in support. Upon seeing Leonardo entering the dojo, however, she promptly cheered, “WHOOP WHOOP! YOU GOT THIS LEON!”

The rest of the gathered mutants— all except Raphael, who was still sleeping off his exhaustion— gathered in a tight group to watch as the scene unfolded. Donnie split from the group one last time in an attempt to appeal to his brother.

“Leo, this is crazy!” Donnie said, but it was like talking to a wall, “You can’t fight him!”

“Why not?” Leo asked calmly without dignifying Donnie’s concern with even a glance.

“Well, one, he's a child.” Donnie deadpanned, “And two, we need to be focusing on finding Master Splinter.”

“Trust me Don, this isn’t gonna take very long.”

“What you gonna do, punt the fifteen year old?!”

“He’s the one who picked a fight.” Leo growled.

“Yeah. Oh course he did.” Donnie leaned closer to his brother and spoke slowly, as if Leo were dense, “He’s. A. Teenager. A dumb, confident teenager!”

“So are we.”

“We’re gonna be twenty next month— I hardly think it counts!”

Leo didn't respond. He stared forward with a determined look and simply walked away from Donnie, leaving his younger brother staring after him with a frustrated disbelief.

Leo faced his counterpart. “Do you know the duel rights?”

Leonardo shrugged almost cartoonishly.

“Of course not.” Leo sighed, then carried on, “Rule number one: The offending party has the right to an apology and, if it is accepted by the offended party, then the duel will not carry to term.”

“Okay, so you gonna apologize them?” Leonardo asked, almost hopefully.

Leo narrowed his eyes and gave no answer. “If there is no apology met, then the next rule of order is to choose a second. The seconds are the judges— they try to reach a peace, and if a peace is unable to be met, then we move onto phase three. My second is my brother Raphael.” 

Raph grunted softly and split off from the group to hesitantly come to Leo’s side. 

“Don, you feeling up to it?” Leonardo looked to his brother.

Donatello gave it a moment's thought before shrugging and sauntering off almost in a bored fashion to Leonardo’s side.

“How do we win?” Leonardo asked.

“To win, you must knock down your opponent and hold your blade to their throat. Rule number three! The seconds try to negotiate a peace.” Leo gave a nod, and Raph lumbered forward to meet Donatello in the middle. The two of them quickly fell to a hushed discussion.

“Hello.” Donatello said, his eyes half-lidded and his voice dull.

“Hey— can’t you just try and get your Leo to apologize?” Raph almost pleaded, “You know this ain’t exactly a fair fight.”

“I know.” Donatello replied with little enthusiasm. “Your Leo’s gonna get knocked flat on his Gluteus Maximus. That’s science terms for buttocks. Aka: ass.”

Raph gave a half-amused snort. “No offense, pancake, but I think we both know that ain’t right.”

“Oh wowwwwww, so original.” Donatello slumped, “I’m so hurt. Then again you do have a good point.

Raph smiled, thinning himself victorious until Donatello added,

“I mean, there’s nothing Maximus about his Gluteus.” Donatello motioned to Leo with his thumb.

“No—” Raph growled and forced a smile as he addressed Donatello with slow words, “What I meant was that your brother is gonna end up with the same fate as a firework on Fourth of July.” He made an explosion motion and added his own sound effects, “I mean— come on! It’s like a dodge against a semi-truck— your bro stands no chance!”

“I think we can stand to disagree on that.” Donatello defended his brother calmly.

Raph fixed Donatello with a deadpan expression. “You’re not gonna back down are you?”

“Negatory.” Donatello finally smiled— little more than a slight curve of his lips, but still a smile. “Or way— would that be an affirmative? Eh. Doesn’t matter. Either way I believe we are done here.”

Without another word, he spun on his heels and carried himself confidently over to his brother’s side. Raph grumbled as he often did before taking his leave a few seconds after. There was a minute of stressful silence as both seconds reported to their brothers before Leo stepped forward again.

“Rule four. Draw your weapon only once there is a medic on sight with his back turned.”

Leonardo whistled. “I mean, not that I couldn’t beat you with my back turned, but seriously?”

“Not you.” Leo growled, “Donnie will be our medic on standby.” Leo motioned the tech genius to turn around, and Donnie hesitantly obeyed. This left only the Mikey’s watching. Once Leo was satisfied, he went on, “Rule five would usually include dueling at dawn, but I hardly think it matters down here.”

Leonardo looked up at the high ceiling and then down at Leo. 

“Rules six and seven are also moot given our particular circumstances. Unless you have a god you pray to…?”

“Eh, some may describe me as a God, but I think I forgive myself for my sins~”

It took everything Leo had to keep his cool. “Rule number eight. Your last chance to set the record straight.”

“Hey! That rhymed! Good for you!”

“Wait are you just getting these from the Hamilton Musical?” Donatello started to ask, but was interrupted; even as Leo spoke over him, he still continued to talk until he finished the sentence.

“Rule number nine! Look your enemy in the eye.” He and Leonardo locked gazes, “Meet your enemy in the middle…”

Leonardo and Leo took four paces each until they were directly in front of each other.

“Summon your courage in any way necessary.” Leo said cooly, giving a bow that Leonardo returned, “Take a minute to breathe, then take ten paces back.”

The Leo’s were almost in perfect sync as they took their paces backward, now several paces behind their seconds while still facing each other.

“Ready your sword…”

Twin katana and a single odachi were held at the ready.

“Take one final breath…”

No one in the room breathed.

“And count to ten. One… two… three… four...”

“...five...six…seven… eight... nine...”

“Ten.”

[mimicteruyo]

The Mushroom Proposal

[Touhou Ship Week Day 2: Food. MariAli, 1.1k, fluff] 

---

"There's a great cluster over there."

"I see it." Alice twisted her fingers. She had only brought seven dolls with her on the forest excursion, but that was more than plenty: quick as thought, the dolls marched over, plucked and cleaned the mushrooms, and placed them in the basket two of them carried above their heads.

Marisa whistled as she placed her own half-laden basket more snugly beneath her arm. "Like clockwork each time."

Alice smiled, feeling some of the apathy that had taken hold of her let go. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate both the activity and her present company, but the truth of the matter was that she didn't take well to sudden changes to her routine. When Marisa had barged into her house and suggested she come over to try out her famous mushroom soup — preceded by a trip through the forest to pick the chief ingredient for it — she had thrown Alice's plans for the day into complete disarray. Plans that had chiefly involved staying at home and sewing new dolls between tea breaks. In other words, wonderful plans.

She suppressed a sigh. If nothing else, the forest was beautiful today, verdant with a few distant hints that the goddess of autumn leaves had begun her work near the edges of the woodland. The air was warm and crisp, and when Marisa threw her head back, thin streaks of sunlight glittered through her hair. Alice would manage. "How many more do we need?"

"As many as possible. I'm gonna dry the ones we don't use for the soup today. Or are ya gettin' bored?"

"I'm fine."

"Wanna spice things up?" Marisa flashed a grin. "A five minute race. Whoever picks the most mushrooms in that time gets to make a request."

No suggestion that any request made would have to be honoured. In other words, there was little hope Marisa would relinquish any of her "loans" should she lose. But a contest was a contest. Alice stretched her fingers. "I hope you are prepared."

"Gonna make 'Prepared Magician' my next title. And go!"

The layer of dead leaves and fallen pieces of bark crackled underfoot as Marisa sprang into action. She strolled confidently from mushroom patch to mushroom patch almost as if she knew in advance exactly where her next target was. Perhaps she did.

Alice wasn't going to allow herself to be bested so easily, however. She walked on, directing her cohort of dolls forward the instant she spotted something even vaguely mushroomy nestled between the roots of a tree or hiding in the shadow of a rock. The basket filled up nicely.

Just as the five minutes were about to be up, she paused, pleased with her mushroom-gathering performance, and saw a larger than usual circle of sunlight. Within it was an equally unusual circle of mushrooms. She raised her voice. "Marisa?"

"Yeah?" The forest rustled, and the next moment Marisa strode over, wiping the foot of a mushroom and stowing it in her now much fuller basket. She grinned as she saw the fairy ring. "That's the first one I've seen this year. D'ya think—"

She fell silent and joined Alice in staring at the object growing at the centre of the ring.

It was, one assumed, a mushroom. At least, its white foot matched those of the mushrooms encircling it. Its cap, however, was nothing like those of the rest. For starters, it was bright pink, so pink in fact that Alice wouldn't have been surprised if it glowed in the dark. And then there was its shape: it was a ring, plain and simple, standing upright on top of the foot. Alice could imagine tugging at it to discover a hidden trapdoor in the moss.

"Okay." Although her eyes shone, the rest of Marisa's expression spoke of suspicion. "We should figure out if it's the harmless kinda magical phenomenon or somethin' incident-heraldin'."

"Should we take it with us or leave it—"

Marisa had already stepped into the ring and plucked the mushroom. She twirled it in her fingers, haphazardly cleaning it as she did so. In spite of her casual movements, her gaze was intense, studying the impossible mushroom cap as though it was tome containing hidden knowledge about mycology and magic alike. Alice found herself drawing closer and entering the fairy ring as well.

Finally, Marisa broke out of her trance. "I can't tell. It's magical, obviously, but it might just be a side effect of all the fairies that have been hangin' around lately."

"Will you show it to Reimu?"

"I should. Just in case." A dewdrop on the mushroom caught the light as Marisa twirled it again. "It really looks like a ring, huh?"

Before Alice could respond, Marisa dropped her basket on the moss and knelt down, holding out the mushroom. "Alice, will you marry me?"

Alice breathed in, anticipating the flutter in her stomach yet unable to completely suppress it. She did, however, manage to fold her arms and sigh. "If you keep this up, one day I'll take you seriously. Then what will you do?"

Marisa grinned as she got up. "Who knows? I just might have to marry ya."

"Would you have actually given me that mushroom if I had said yes?"

"Probably. Although now that I think about it, I'm guessin' you'd like something more traditional as an engagement ring."

"I would prefer a real ring, I suppose."

"I'll make a note of it. Seventh time's the charm." Marisa picked up her basket and carefully slid the mysterious mushroom on top of the pile. "I'm famished. Wanna head back?"

"We should. We still have to clean and sort the mushrooms before we can even think of cooking."

"That's faster with two people, anyway. Or maybe we'll save the soup for dinner." Marisa held out her hand. "Let's see what else we can rummage up to eat."

They had walked most of the way back when a thought crossed Alice's mind. "Hold on. Which one of us won the race?"

"I did. Ya should've plucked the fairy ring while you had the chance."

"Liar. My basket is obviously fuller than yours."

"Only because you had more to start with." Marisa flashed her a smile. "How about we both get to make a request?"

That was one way to refuse to admit defeat. "I'll have to think about mine."

"That's fine. I'll have to prepare for mine."

"Honestly..." But Alice was more than content to keep their elbows linked together the rest of the way to Marisa's. She even decided to hold onto the fluttering feeling as it rekindled itself.

[thelovelyghostwriter]

KuraNeon ABC Fluff Headcanons

uThis ABC is taken from this post. I was thinking, hey, what about KuraNeon? 

[Yessss... They have a special attack together on one of the mobile games - not the mobage cards by the way]

Let’s go!

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Neon’s always bored, given that Kurapika is the one who is doing all the work. She’s often delighted to spend time with him, particularly shopping. She likes to shop for clothes, wearing cute outfits and asking him his opinion of it. She’s a tease and we know it. Sometimes she would purposely try on some racy outift for him to ogle at. 

For Kurapika, he doesn’t really have a particular favourite activity with her. He’s just happy to spend time with her. 

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

At first they weren’t very close. Kurapika only focused on her flesh-collecting hobby that he disagrees with and Neon finds his serious working attitude boring and she didn’t really care about him. Ironically, the traits that each of them has that the other doesn’t is what draws them to each other. 

After spending time together, Kurapika finds her eccentric view on her life interesting, even if he does not agree with them. He likes how she’s happy-go-lucky and just lives in the present, uncaring about what the future brings. Which is kinda ironic for someone who can predict the future. 

Neon, on the other hand, finds his stern and down-to-business attitude really amusing. She likes how genuinely concerned he gets in doing the job done and she likes it when he teaches her things that she doesn’t know about. She also catches the glimpse of him being playful, it’s so rare and she likes it when he relaxes once in a while. He’s also really sassy when he wants to and she likes bantering with him. 

For physical traits, Kurapika is in denial. She’s one of the few girls he interacted with and he finds her really adorable and pretty. He likes how she’s always wearing long sleeves and it all leads to a lot of imagination. Her eyes also drives him crazy because it holds so much naivety that he wants to stain. 

Neon finds Kurapika a pretty boy. She likes his soft blond locks and the red earrings that he wears. She thinks it looks good on him. If she knows that he is a Kurta, she loves those pretty eyes (especially when they’re having sex). The first time Neon sees Kurapika in a tuxedo, her gaze will linger because he looks bonafide yummy in it. 

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

I don’t know what panic attack is like so I will not address that. 

Kurapika is the type that tries to rationalize things (even though he’s impulsive as shit). So whenever Neon feels down, he will listen to her issues. He will try to understand her situation, analyse it and give her a few suggestions on what she can do. If it’s a problem that cannot be solved practically and she’s being confused/overwhelmed, he will comfort her by saying “it’s okay to feel this way”, he’ll tell her why she’s possibly feeling this way with scientific stuff and whatnot. He’ll find reasons to reassure her that it’s not the end of the world, and that he’ll always be there for her. 

For Neon, Kurapika’s issues are deep. Sometimes he won’t even tell it to her. She won’t press him for answers, but she’ll let him hold her. She’ll hug him when he needs comfort. She’ll give him soft kisses on his forehead. She’ll try to distract him from feeling down by getting him to do fun activities like playing chessboard games until he gets better. If he’s working too much, she’ll ensure that he takes breaks by either sleeping, going out with her or you know, the old-fashioned way to de-stress ;) 

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

For Neon, she’s not too concerned of the future. To her, it’s just... like that. She goes with the flow of the events and the growth of her connection with Kurapika just like a river. Whatever happens, happens. 

Haha, it reminds me of the lullaby my mom used to sing - Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see. Que sera, sera.

For Kurapika, it’s bleak. This guy has always been a bag full of worry - which includes the future of his relationship with Neon. Initially, he did not plan to be in this sort of relation with Neon (his employer’s daughter, I might add). At first, he thought he’d marry her for practical reasons and earning her father’s trust, so that he can gain money in order to buy back some of his clan’s eyes. 

His relationship with her becomes something a little more than that. He hates himself for being “distracted” or even indulging in that sort of happiness when he’s supposed to be on a mission. As a Last Kurta, he has some sort of survivor’s guilt. He thinks that if he lives on and forgets about bringing justice to his clan, he is bringing disgrace to them. He thinks he doesn’t deserve to live happily. Especially with a flesh collector. He thinks that it’s his duty as the last survivor to collect their eyes and bring them the justice they deserve. 

Yet, he sticks around because this is the only thing that keeps him together and prevents him from sinking while trying to carry out this mission. He knows that one day, eventually, this relationship and his mission will become mutually exclusive, and he has to pick one of them. And that will be his mission. 

However, whenever he tries to look into the further future after his mission ends, he sees nothing. After his mission, he doesn’t see anything to live for. This goes back to his wishes and thinking if it’s possible to ever live for something else after this whole mission of his is over - which is to be in a relationship with Neon. 

It’s a paradox. His dilemma is indeed confusing and mentally straining. 

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

Neon is rather passive. She relies on him when it comes for down-to-Earth decisions and she just tags along (she doesn’t care about the boring financial stuff). Ever since Neon lost her ability, he’s the one earning money for them. (He’s kinda like her sugar daddy ahahahha). He loves to be in-charge anyway, given how quickly he got promoted from a mere employee, to a head bodyguard and finally the head of her family.  

She does influence him in certain decisions when she suggests it, or demands him what she wants. Depending on how reasonable her request/demands, he will either comply to make her happy or be firm with her by reasoning/compromising with her. Neon will sometimes just pout and agree with it hesitantly, other times she’ll throw a tantrum (and Kurapika has to deal with that, and maybe even “punish” her to discipline her KEKEKEK). 

So yes, Kurapika is the dominant one in the relationship because he does a good job in being the role of providing for his partner (and he’s the dom in the bedroom). 

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

OMG. Neon has temper tantrums and impatient; and Kurapika’s worse - he’s stubborn and he has a very bad anger management. It’s like a volcano meeting a thunderstorm. 

When they fight, they fight big time. Sometimes it’s about Neon’s unreasonable demands/spoilt attitude, sometimes it’s Kurapika’s secretive behaviour or his neuroticism that leads to an argument. 

After the fight, both of them will be grumpy towards each other and Neon will refuse to talk to him, glaring at him. Kurapika will be too hard-headed to talk first. Eventually, both will kinda miss each other’s presence. They will forgive each other once they realise that the fight they had was not worth breaking up the relationship. 

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

They don’t usually express their gratitude explicitly. At first, they kinda just take it for granted and don’t really think too deeply about it. Especially for Neon, she’s the type of girl that likes luxury and she enjoys all the materialistic goods that Kurapika gives her. After a few months where it really gets serious, she thinks about all the things that Kurapika has done for her - protection, financial security and pretty much, everything for her. I have this headcanon where she does those tiny surprises for him on occasions (e.g. his birthdays) just to tell him how much she appreciates what he’s doing for her. 

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Neon is more open to him whenever he asks. Besides, she can’t really lie or keep secrets from him because he’s sharp. 

As for Kurapika, he’s rather secretive and even hid his ethnic identity to her. He doesn’t tell her things and it takes a while for him to open up. This can be a problem because once he admits to Neon, she is rather upset. She doesn’t like how her father lies to her all the time and will be very disappointed in Kurapika when she uncovers his motivations for being hired under her employment initially. 

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

I think for both of them, they are both ends of the spectrum. So definitely, along the way, they will influence each other. 

Kurapika will teach Neon to be more mindful and caring of those around her. He will try to tell her why sympathising with the dead is as important as caring for the living (because baby girl just likes to make the living happy). 

For Kurapika, Neon will get him to at least live in the present and enjoy it, because this boy faces a lot of trauma in his past and constantly worries about the future. Neon will try to get him to relax from time to time, be happy with the ever-present. 

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Neon doesn’t really get jealous because Kurapika is very much focused on her. She knows these bitches aren’t even her competition. Even though he attracts attention as he is a pretty boy, he’s very cold towards them, which actually makes a lot of them disinterested. 

As for Kurapika... this man is extremely possessive. He didn’t like the fact that Chrollo talked to Neon that one time in the September auction, and he wanted to know every detail of what happened. Neon gets suitors from the mafia community and he makes sure none of them makes contact with her. He’s also paranoid as hell whenever she talks to a guy. Sometimes Neon finds it suffocating (they even fight about it at times), but she appreciates his overprotective nature and sometimes even teases him about it.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Their first kiss was rather awkward. Neon and Kurapika are still young. Neon was kinda heavily guarded so she didn’t have the opportunity to date a guy. She doesn’t seem like she’s interested either. The girl just minds her business and doesn’t seem to appreciate ingenuine attention from men. Kurapika is pretty focused on his mission for his clan so I doubt he dated either. So yes, when they first kissed, it was literally their first kiss. It was soft, short and sweet. And hella awkward because both of them weren’t sure what they were doing. 

They will get good at kissing as time passes by. They just have to keep practising by kissing each other HAHA. 

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

HAHA. I actually don’t see this couple saying “I love you” to one another - at least for Kurapika’s part. Neon is like 50-50. They pretty much just grow attached to each other over time and expressed their feelings by a kiss or something. 

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Fam. Let me tell you something real quick. Usually, for other pairings, it’s they become close friends, then date, then get married. This pairing is founded by a marriage theory. HAHAH. 

It’s a common KuraNeon headcanon where they have an arranged marriage due to some mafia business. At first it will be like any arranged marriage since it was for practical reasons. They go through the motions, play the role of a traditional husband and wife. Then they get it all mixed up with the emotions and then fall in love. They proceed to become a full-fledge consummated marriage relationship and have kids. 

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

Kurapika isn’t really big on the nicknames. It’s more on how he goes from calling her “Boss”, to “Miss Neon” and eventually just her name as he got more comfortable with her. 

For Neon, she calls him Kurapika, most of the time. Only when they are in the bedroom, she calls him Daddy. She even puts his contact name on her phone as that. Kurapika was repulsed by it at first, but she was often a playful sub whenever she calls him that. It makes him feel powerful. HAHAHA. Kinky. 

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Both of them can’t really define what love is, or understand what they’re feeling when it first hit them. It’s obvious for everyone - Linssen and the rest of Kurapika’s underlings. They know that their boss is in love with his wife and is sincere about their marriage. Neon just feels happier with his company and she did question it at one point, but decides that it’s for the best to continue and go with the flow. For Kurapika, when he realised that he’s suddenly happier, he’s scared. He’s not sure if he should be feeling happiness at all. He’s always afraid that the fiery wrath within him would die out. He wanted to remove that feeling. A man like him shouldn’t spare any time for love. But he stays anyway because it benefits him. 

Neon’s love language is gifts and spending time with someone. She sees gift-giving as something where someone spends the money (which is earned by the hours they spent working) as precious and flattering for her. She dislikes it when the gift is ingenuine. Kurapika knows this and gives her all sorts of things to impress her. Neon also gives back gifts whenever she can. When she shops, she started to shop not only for herself, but enjoys thinking about what she can buy for Kurapika. Kurapika is a busy man, so Neon is often excited whenever he takes off-days to do fun activities with her. 

For Kurapika, he’s more of an action guy than words. Aside from giving gifts for her, he shows his affections by doing what he thinks it’s best for both of them. This means protecting her from any harm and making sure they’re financially stable. 

Both of them also like to be physically intimate with one another to show their affections. 

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Kurapika is not very open about their relationship in public. Dude is too shy to do PDA. He thinks it’s none of anyone’s business when it comes to his relationship. Neon on the other hand, don’t really care what people think. She will hold his arm whenever they go out, and Kurapika will just let her. He blushes a little whenever she does peck kisses on him in public or in front of their employees. Linssen and the rest will just snigger and tease their Bosses, leaving Kurapika irritated. 

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Kurapika’s chains. Uhm, joke lmao. He can’t wrap her around his chains even if he wants to. They like to do bondage but they have to use clothes or some other type.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

I’d say they are rather an unconventional couple, but their activities are that of a cliche couple. Kurapika is romantic in a sense that he takes her out to dinner, give her gifts and pretty much goes out with her to make her happy. Neon, of course, the ever-so indulgent brat that she is, likes to be pampered. They are okay with a routine-type of relationship, although once in a while, Neon adds in a surprise to make it interesting. 

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Neon doesn’t really have a goal. She’s more onto goods and her desires are often short-lived. Kurapika tries his best to support her in what she wants, given that they are reasonable. 

For Kurapika, his goal will always be vengeance and collecting the eyes of his brethren. His marriage to Neon supports that, even if she is unaware of it. Being the head of her family helps him get the power, influence and money to negotiate (and buy) his clan’s eyes. 

If Neon does find out about his goals, I think she’ll feel disoriented. She may have an inkling that he is marrying due to some motivations that are hidden; but she was unaware it was this drastic. She will be upset that he wasn’t fully honest, and may have mixed feelings collecting his clan’s eyes. She doesn’t care for dead people, but she does care about living humans and it’s important to Kurapika, who is alive. After a while, she will calm down. I don’t see her actively supporting him, maybe trying to use connections and her ways as a flesh collector to help him find the Scarlet Eye sets. As for the Spiders part, I think she’ll be more of a foil to that so I think she’ll just let him do whatever he’s supposed to do. 

As for believing in him, Neon knows that he’s intelligent and he’s one of the bodyguards that are still alive. She had her fair share of bodyguards who just drop dead like flies, so she assumes Kurapika must be strong enough to still be alive and kicking. She is also aware that he has his ways of influencing people, given that her father believes in him. Therefore, she believes in him too. She also acknowledges that Kurapika saved their asses from being broke, when her father was freaking out. So definitely, she knows that he is very capable of running their organisation. 

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

I think I already answered this in the “R” for “Romance”. 

But if I may add an NSFW... 

Well, certainly they do have their own fixed of kinks ahhaha. They start out as being kinda vanilla and just make out, then have some good ol’ missionary sex. And then, Neon, being a mischievous girl that she is, seeks out to try new things. She starts out by calling him “Daddy” and being very bratty/teasing... just to let out his inner dom in the bedroom. She also prompts him to do bondage on her because well, the chains he wears gives them ideas HAHA. Neon will just act like the total brat that needs to be subdued and disciplined; and Kurapika will follow. He likes to be in control; and he finds all sorts of ways to tame his bratty wife sexually. Kurapika is deep down kinky but he doesn’t admit it; and Neon nudges him towards that direction and everything just flows. 

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Okay. So... this is one of the main issues with their relationship. But this is what, I believe, makes it so interesting yet difficult to write a slowburn canon-compliant fiction of them. 

Neon doesn’t understand him well because she mostly minds her business and is more self-centred. And the way she empathise with people is different from how Kurapika expects her to be. Canonically, they are the polar opposite. Neon (and Light Nostrade) acted as a foil in the YorkNew City. Neon values the life of the living, breathing people; and not giving two cents about the people that had died. Kurapika, on the other hand, mourns for his dead clan. 

At first, Kurapika wanted to change the way she thinks - which is, of course, it kinda fails. Her hobby is in direct conflict of his beliefs. 

While canonically, he straightaway knew her situation (that conversation he had with Basho explaining that it was the father that is using the daughter, not the other way round), it was not indicated if he sympathises with her. He was just very task-focused to impress Light Nostrade and gain his trust, which is to protect his daughter.  

It definitely took a while for him to know her aside from being a “flesh collector” and the “bratty girl”. Maybe he got to know her more as a person, who is not so far from his age. 

As for Neon, I imagine her whining about Kurapika’s strict behaviour as a bodyguard, and finding him a bit boring to converse with due to his serious attitude while working. 

This couple really needs a LOT of patience with one another and time for them to bond. 

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

I think I had already addressed this in the “D - Dreams” section. 

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

Neon and Kurapika initially never considered having kids, until Kurapika knocked her up and they have their first son. They named their first son Pairo. They have like, 3 to 5 subsequent kids, depending on how many kids you want them to go for. No matter how many girls and boys they have, all of them have Scarlet Eyes. 

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Oh yes. They do enjoy kissing and cuddling. And sex. But yeah, they don’t usually do PDA because Kurapika is rather shy about that. But behind closed doors? They’re doing more than kisses and cuddling - if you know what I mean. 

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

They will be upset. They will try to get themselves busy. For Neon, she will shop and play card games with her fellow attendants to get her mind off of him. She will wonder how he’s been, send him text messages and nudes while at work and complain about how much of a workaholic this guy is. 

For Kurapika, usually he’s the one away for either a business trip or on his way across the world to obtain another set of the Scarlet Eyes. He will think about her, it irritates him because missing her distracts him from the task at hand and he can’t help it. He’ll call her at some points of the day to just hear her voice and ask her well-being, to check whether everything in the mansion is fine or not. 

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Kurapika is persuasive in getting what he wants. That includes doing all sorts of tricks and nefarious ways to protect their relationship. As for Neon, if someone is blocking them, she will try to eliminate it by making demands and throw tantrums. 

However, they won’t admit it. They will find some excuse to jusify their behaviour, which often fails. 

Also, special thanks to @anotherworldash for helping me with Y and Z.

[marvelous-writer]

Ferry Rides, Panic Attacks & Cheeseburgers

Summary:

“Pete, you alright?” Happy quietly asks in a worried voice.

Peter snaps his eyes open and nods shakily. “Y-Yeah.” He lies.

Happy turns in his seat as he leans in front of him and looks at his face. “You don’t look it,” he says worriedly. “What’s going on?”

“N-Nothing—I’m fine.” Peter tries to assure him—heck, to assure himself but he can’t get the thought of the ferry ripping in two out of his mind. He can’t fail everyone again—he can’t fail Tony again.

OR

Peter’s art class goes on a field trip to the Statue of Liberty and Happy tags along.

Word Count: 2,490

Genre: whump, humor, hurt/comfort

Link to read on Ao3:

A/N: @webpril day 1: field trip

“We live in New York… and your school trip is to the Statue of Liberty?” Happy questions as they stand in Midtown High’s parking lot at ten in the morning, standing in line, dressed in his usual suit and tie attire with a pair of dark shades, standing out like a sore thumb beside Peter as everyone boards the bus.

“I did tell you where we were going yesterday.” Peter reminds him.

“I know… but a field trip to the Statue of Liberty for art class? You guys couldn’t have gone to a museum or something?”

Peter sighs as he moves ahead further in line, rolling his eyes as he overhears Flash and Abraham bickering over who gets to sit in the back of the bus.

“Do you know what we’re doing anyways?” Happy asks.

Peter shrugs. “I'm not sure. I guess we’re going to study the statue and draw it. Ms. Betzing said something about studying light patterns and shading.”

Happy groans at his side. “You guys couldn’t have pulled up photos of it from Google or something?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Peter says, shooting a smile over his shoulder at him before he boards the bus.

...

It takes them a little over an hour until they reach Battery Park, where they will board the ferry that will take them to Liberty Island across the harbor.

“Alright, class! I want all of you to stick together and stay with your groups—no wandering off and everyone be on your best behavior,” Ms. Betzing says as she hands out the maps of Liberty Island and their ferry passes. “I want you all to sketch out anything that catches your eyes as we go and feel free to take any pictures with your phones for references!”

“What if we get motion sickness?” Someone from their group asks.

Ms. Betzing winces at the question. “Uhm… then you can feel free to wait until we’re off the ferry. I want you all to have a fun time on the trip and we certainly don’t want anyone getting sick today!”

They have to wait a few minutes until the ferry arrives, so Peter decides to pull out his small sketchbook from his backpack to kill some time, joining Ned and MJ over at a nearby bench.

“So, how are things going with shades over there?” MJ asks as she sketches something into her sketchbook.

Peter smirks at the nickname as he looks up at Happy, who’s standing near two of the other chaperones as their teacher talks to them, handing them maps as well. “Uh, okay I guess,” he says.

Happy looks bored, like he’d rather be anywhere else than here right now, and Peter can’t help but feel a little guilty. May had pushed Happy to go on the trip when Peter had her sign the permission slip last week, despite Peter’s protests against the idea of a chaperone, especially Happy being one. It’s not exactly the man’s thing and Peter knows how busy he is, being the head of security at SI and not to mention being Morgan’s part-time babysitter.

“You know, he kinda looks like he’s your bodyguard or something,” Ned adds in.

MJ laughs as she looks up from her sketch. “He does,” she agrees before lowering her voice so only they hear her. “It’s kinda sad that Spider-Man needs one though.” She says, shooting a grin Peter's way, earning a laugh from Ned.

Peter rolls his eyes half-heartedly at their teasing. “He’s not my bodyguard and you guys know it. He’s just here for the trip. May wanted him to go for some reason.”

“Why? Is it like… a bonding thing or something? You did say that she made you two have a ‘guys weekend’ last month.” Ned asks with a frown.

“Yeah, isn’t that when you slipped and broke your ribs on the toilet?” MJ adds.

Peter sighs, looking over at her with an unamused expression. “Thanks for reminding me,”

She smiles with a one-shouldered shrug. “That’s what I’m here for, babe.”

Ned makes a disgusted sound at the pet name. “But seriously, do you think that’s why he’s here? To spend more time with you or something now that he and May are engaged?”

Peter’s smile falters as he looks back over at Happy, who’s now looking at something on his phone with his glasses lowered down near the tip of his nose so he can see the screen. “I don’t know… maybe?”

When the ferry arrives at the port, they all get on and take their seats. Peter sits next to Happy again like he had on the bus and they wait for a few moments as passengers continue to get on board.

“You know, I bet Steve would’ve liked to go on this trip with it involving art and everything.” Happy says, breaking the silence between them.

Peter looks over at him, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”

Happy shugs. “He’s into art. He always has a doodle pad on him.”

“I never knew Cap was an artist.”

“He’s not bad, either. He once painted a picture of one of Tony’s cars and gave it to him for Christmas.”

Peter knows the exact painting he’s talking about, the one of the bright red Audi R8 Spyder that’s hung up in Tony’s office at the compound. “Cap painted that one?” Peter asks, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yeah,” Happy says with a nod.

“Wow,” Peter breathes out as a small smile pulls at the corner of his lips. “Think he’d do a portrait of Spider-Man?” He asks in a quiet tone, only to earn an amused chuckle from Happy.

“You never know. Maybe if you show up for training on time on the weekends.” He says, giving him a knowing look.

He’s got me there. Peter thinks to himself.

By the time the ferry is moving and on its way to Liberty Island, it only takes a few minutes until Peter is hit with a sense of deja vu as the memories of the last time he was on a ferry comes to mind—the fight with Toomes.

And that time… the ferry had split in half, all thanks to Peter screwing everything up.

Which just so happens to be the reason why he tries to avoid going on boats.

Peter swallows hard as he squeezes his hands that are resting on his lap, feeling the knot in his stomach that had formed in the past few minutes tighten. He darts his eyes around the inside of the ferry, looking up at the ceiling to make sure there aren’t any cracks or any signs of it about to split into two. At least he has his web-shooters on him, but what good did they do him the last time.

Tony was the one who saved the ferry… but Tony is now retired from Iron Man, even though Peter knows he’d jump into a suit and fly here as fast as he could—which would take too long since he’s all the way upstate. The ferry would sink in a matter of minutes with all the water pooling in and they would all drown if lifeboats didn’t arrive in time.

The horrifying scene of it all playing out in Peter’s head has him shaking, feeling his chest seize up in fear and dread. He slams his eyes shut as he mindlessly shakes his leg, trying to push away those terrifying images of MJ, Ned, and his classmates floating lifeless in the Hudson.

“Pete, you alright?” Happy quietly asks in a worried voice.

Peter snaps his eyes open and nods shakily. “Y-Yeah.” He lies.

Happy turns in his seat as he leans in front of him and looks at his face. “You don’t look it,” he says worriedly. “What’s going on?”

“N-Nothing—I’m fine.” Peter tries to assure him—heck, to assure himself but he can’t get the thought of the ferry ripping in two out of his mind. He can’t fail everyone again—he can’t fail Tony again.

Peter tries to take in a deep breath in hopes to calm himself down a little but it comes out more like a weak gasp. His chest feels like there’s a rubber band tightly wrapped around it, blocking off any way for air to get in.

“Hey, hey—look at me. Kid? Peter.” Happy whispers urgently as he takes off his shades and gently grabs Peter’s shoulder, suddenly finding himself facing the man’s worried face. “Tell me what��s going on?”

“I-I don’t know,” Peter murmurs as he shuts his eyes again, grateful they’re sitting in the back so none of his classmates see his meltdown. “I-I can’t breathe.”

“You’re having a panic attack,” Happy says in a soft voice that Peter’s heard him use on Morgan many times before. “You’re okay—you’re safe. Just try to breathe.”

“I-I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Try to take a deep breath for me, Pete,” Happy gently tells him.

Peter wills his chest to release its chokehold on him as he tries to suck in a deep, shaky breath.

In one, two, three… out one, two, three. Peter thinks to himself, remembering the breathing exercise Tony taught him one time when he was having a panic attack similar to now.

It takes a few minutes of breathing until Peter feels like he’s not drowning in his own panic anymore, now that his chest has thankfully opened back up. He feels shaky and tired, but he can breathe.

“Feeling better?” Happy asks, brows pulled together in concern.

Peter shakes his head slowly. “Think so… sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Happy says as he grabs Peter’s backpack and zips it open to retrieve a water bottle. “Do you wanna talk about it?” He asks as he cracks it open and hands it to him.

Peter takes a sip before he sighs. “It’s stupid,” he says.

“It’s not.” Happy reassures.

“I…” Peter pauses and closes his eyes. “I was fine when we got on the ferry… but then my stupid brain went against me and all I could think about was—the ferry splitting in half.”

A look of realization flashes across Happy’s face. “Why didn’t you say anything? You didn’t have to go on this trip if you didn’t want to.”

“I did want to go but I just didn’t think the boat would bother me because I’m with you and everyone else,” Peter admits. “I just… I don’t know...”

“Hey,” Happy says gently. “I get it.

Peter looks up at him and offers a small, weak smile.

When they’re finally off the ferry, Peter follows behind the group with Happy at his side as everyone starts to head further on the island, Lady Liberty standing tall and proud above them, glowing a brilliant soft green in the afternoon sun.

MJ and Ned walk over and join them by a picnic table, thankfully unaware of Peter’s panic attack on the trip over. They all start drawing in their sketchbooks while Happy goes on his phone, even managing to sneak a few pictures of them when Peter isn’t looking.

Peter takes a deep breath in when a warm spring breeze blows past them, feeling it flow through his lungs. He feels a lot better now that he’s on dry land, with his friends and Happy. Sitting here drawing is pretty relaxing, surprisingly too. He’s never been a great drawer but this art class has helped him get a little better to the point that he actually enjoys it.

“Does this look like a pigeon or a rat?” Ned asks with a frown as he holds up his drawing for them to see.

“Definitely a rat,” MJ says with a small smirk. “But with feathers.”

Ned groans as he drops his sketchbook to the table. “I’d like to say that I give up but we have to pass this in at the end of class tomorrow.” He says, earning a chuckle from them.

“I think it looks good, Ned,” Peter offers. “I mean, have you seen the city’s pigeons? Those things are monsters.”

“You got a thing against pigeons?” MJ questions, shooting him a grin.

Happy chuckles from beside him. “He’s still sore about that one time one swiped his sandwich from him.”

Ned laughs at that and Peter holds his arms out in defense. “It was a sandwich from Delmar’s! No one steals my sandwich and gets away with it.”

“It got away, didn’t it?” MJ asks.

Peter’s shoulders slump with a sigh. “Yeah.”

She shakes her head with a small chuckle as she looks back at her drawing.

...

The afternoon passes by in a blur and before they know it, it’s already time for them to head back. They’re now waiting in line as everyone boards the ferry once again and Peter is dreading getting back on.

“How about we hang back here for a little bit and let everyone else go on ahead?” Happy offers, seeming to sense his dread.

Peter raises an eyebrow at him. “But we have to get back to school.”

“Sure you can. I’ll sign you out for the rest of the day if you want.”

“You can?” Peter asks a little hopefully. He honestly doesn’t think he can get back on that boat right now and then go through another couple of hours at school.

“Yeah, let me go talk to your teacher then we’ll grab some lunch.” Happy tells him before he walks away from him to find Ms. Betzing.

It only takes Happy a few minutes before he’s back. “You’re all set.” He says.

“Really?” Peter asks, a little surprised at how easy it was.

“Yeah. She just had me sign a form,” Happy says as he nods his head in the direction of the group. “You wanna say goodbye to your friends?”

Peter shakes his head. “I’ll just text them later.”

...

Not even twenty minutes later, they’re seated outside of the Crown Cafe, enjoying two all-American burgers with a side of fries and two sodas.

“You know… you didn’t have to sign me out the rest of the day. We’re going to have to get back on the ferry anyways.” Peter says, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

“I know,” Happy says with a nod as he takes a sip of his soda. “But I thought you could use a break and our ride back is on his way.”

Peter raises an eyebrow to ask, only to be cut off when someone yells, “Hey, look! It’s Iron Man!” And below and behold, Iron Man suddenly drops down from the sky, landing across the way from them and drawing a crowd.

“We couldn’t have swam back to the city? Or what about a helicopter?” Peter sarcastically asks, turning back to Happy.

Happy shrugs with a smile. “I thought about the helicopter but I know May wouldn’t approve.”

Peter sighs before he takes another bite out of his burger.