#i had to stop and cry when i found him and brianne

[hobermallowed]

Just finished Gildun’s side quest and I am weeping at the parallel between him and Aloy and the ever present theme of overcoming loneliness and finding true friendship.

[sugarmaplewings-fics]

Deep Blue Fantasy Part Three

Pairing: Merman!Tamaki Amajiki x fem!reader

Warnings: Uhh . . . sexual tension? Idk how to describe it. I guess this is the most PG-13 bit of it but there’s nothing too crazy

{Pt. 1}  {Pt. 2}  {Pt. 3}  {Pt. 4}  {Pt. 5}  {Pt. 6}  {Pt. 7}

くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡

You made your way down the familiar rolling hill that led to the ocean, inhaling the briny air. The winds whipped your hair around your face haphazardly, tossing it as they pleased. You scrunched up your nose and tried to spit the stray strands out of your mouth, which proved to be a struggle.

Trying to tame your now spit covered (H/C) hair, you allowed your feet to sink into the black sand. You reveled in the feel of it squishing and shifting between your toes.

Waves noisily crashed over the black rocks, rougher today than they were normally. The wind was stronger than usual, and you expected a storm was on its way, judging by the gray look taking over the sky. You frowned at the wind, wishing it could be a nicer day when something caught your eye.

Pale skin contrasted the black sand it was lying on, dark water crashing around a pair of shoulders.

You knew how dangerous the waters could be, especially on a day like today. It was forbidden to step foot in the ocean; your father never let you or anyone else forget it. But there was clearly something wrong, so you risked coming closer for a better look.

A man roughly your age was lying on his back, partially submerged in the water that curled and fell over him. You realized, to your further shock and horror, that this man was completely naked.

His eyes were shut and you couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. An odd necklace laid against his bare chest, somehow miraculously staying on after the apparent chaos he had been through. What was he doing out here? Was he some castaway washed up on shore? Was he some idiot who had decided to go skinny dipping at a bad time?

You decided none of it mattered as you knelt next to him, finally giving up on trying to keep your skirts out of the water.

You put a finger under his nose, checking for breath. To your relief, a warm cloud collected between you. So he was alive, if only faintly. You tried shaking his shoulder, wondering if you could wake him up. His skin was cold, so cold, just touching it made you shiver.

No matter how hard you shook him, he wouldn't stir, making you worry. Finally you dragged him further out of the water, taking off your jacket and draping it over him, hoping to provide some warmth.

"I'll be right back," you whispered, standing up again in order to race home to find help.

✤✤✤✤✤

Tamaki blinked his eyes open, light bleeding into the crack of his vision. It was too bright, and his head hurt. His whole body throbbed and tingled and something about him felt . . . different.

He was laying on something very soft and wrapped in layers of coverings, which trapped in his heat nicely. Where was he?

His memory suddenly flooded back to him, the necklace, the waves . . . his legs.

Tamaki's eyes snapped the rest of the way open, cringing at the onslaught of light. He was in some kind of room, bathed in afternoon sunlight. It was relatively simple, only holding a bookcase, a wardrobe, and a small vanity table. He had never before seen so many warm shades, marveling at how much yellow could be picked up by his eyes.

He lifted the blanket off of him, cold air rolling over his brand new legs. He was wearing another type of covering over the lower half of his body, these loose-fitting and a light blue color. They obstructed the view of his legs, only showing him his bare feet. Tamaki bunched some of the fabric in his hand, twisting it slightly in curiosity. He then experimentally bent his knee, straightening and bending it again until finally taking his foot into his hand. Tamaki brushed his fingertips over his toes, spreading and curling them. He finally allowed a small smile onto his face. He'd done it. He had legs.

Tamaki suddenly noticed something about his thoughts. They had changed slightly. It was still him thinking them, yet they felt almost foreign. He was thinking in . . . words. That's what they were called. He was used to forming sounds in his mind, but generally he used pictures to think. Now they flowed silently in individual sounds, each one with its own meaning. A new one would appear every now and then, and Tamaki would just sort of know what it meant.

Before he could start unpacking his new mental system, a noise drifted into his ears. It reminded Tamaki of singing, but this was distinctly less musical. Could these be words except . . . spoken? The knob on the door shook, the sound coming from the other side. The door swung open, causing Tamaki's breath to catch in his throat.

You walked in, followed by a woman who appeared to be a few years your senior. You wore a light-colored sundress and a glittering circlet was delicately placed atop your head. Tamaki noticed how your (H/L) (H/C) hair gently bobbed and flowed as you walked. He'd known you were pretty, but he'd never seen you this close before, and he made a point to memorize every feature of your face which until now, he'd only caught glimpses of from afar.

The woman behind you was speaking, her hands wringing her skirt. "—princess, please. This isn't—"

"Oh! You're awake!" You met Tamaki's eyes, your face melting into a heart-stopping smile.

Princess? What's a princess? Tamaki wondered.

Your face suddenly went serious, almost frowning at him. Tamaki fought the urge to shrink back from your gaze, unsure of what he'd done to evoke such an expression. "Brianne, could you give us a moment?" you requested of the woman behind you, your eyes never leaving Tamaki's. "Since my father is away for the week, it is my duty to deal with him."

Brianne sighed, releasing her dress. "Very well, then." She stepped out of the room, closing the door after her.

You crossed the room, bringing yourself a few paces away from Tamaki's bed. You folded your arms in front of your chest, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Do you realize—" you spoke, your voice smooth and even, curiously filling Tamaki's ears in a way he was unaccustomed to, "—that swimming on that beach is forbidden?"

Tamaki frowned, taken aback. The beach?

You must have seen the look of confusion written across his face, because you relaxed slightly. "Sir, are you from this island?"

Tamaki shook his head, answering truthfully.

You uncrossed your arms, resting a hand on your hip. The gentle smile returned to your face, making Tamaki marginally less tense. "So you are a castaway. Your ship must have gotten stuck in another storm." You glanced out the window that was leaking sunlight into the room. "You were out nearly all day. You missed the storm we had over here. But the sun's out now."

Tamaki couldn't take his eyes off you. He wanted to ask you so many things, to tell you how much he admired you, but nothing would take hold in his mind.

You finally looked back to Tamaki, your eyebrows creasing in concern. "You don't talk much. You aren't going into shock, are you?"

You closed the distance between him and yourself, resting a warm hand on his forehead. He stiffened at your touch, explosions of feeling firing off in his chest.

"I did find you half-drowned and naked on my beach. I'm glad you don't feel so cold anymore."

Tamaki frowned at your words, focusing on one which was foreign to him. He decided to experiment with his voice, his throat bobbing as he swallowed nervously.

"N-naked?" he asked, the word finally sliding over his tongue. It felt odd, using his voice like this to communicate, but sound was able to travel differently through air than it did in the water.

You blushed, averting your eyes to the floor. "The wreck must have torn off your clothes or something. We-we gave you some pants." You bit your lip, embarrassed by the subject matter.

Tamaki fiddled with his pants again, the new word bouncing around his brain as he twisted the cloth between his fingers. Now that he thought about it, humans did have a strange obsession with hiding their bodies from each other. The merpeople didn't really practice the custom, although Tamaki knew some of the mermaids liked to wear decorative pieces tied around their chests; anything from shells to seaweed. He'd even seen someone sporting a discarded man-made flag.

"You s-saved me." Tamaki finally said, turning back to you. "I thought I was going to die." His words were coming easier now, formed in his head and then shaped by his tongue. "Thank you."

You smiled. "I didn't really do anything. I just found you." You extended a hand. "I am Princess (F/N) (L/N) of the Islands of Thapia, it's a pleasure to meet you."

There it was again; princess. Tamaki decided not to ask, in case he ended up looking like an idiot. It couldn't be anything too important, although the way you said it almost made him wonder . . . .

"I'm Tamaki Amajiki." I've been watching you for the past two months, and I might be in love.

"Where are you from?"

Tamaki sighed, uncertain of how to answer. "Far away from here."

He vowed to himself to tell you, but now wasn't the time.

Your gaze slipped down to his chest, admiring the necklace that hung from his neck. "I like your necklace. Where did you get it? Is it a family heirloom?"

Tamaki brought his fingers up to it, subconsciously fiddling with the shell. "I'm borrowing from this lady."

"A lady?" Your eyebrow shot up again. "Got someone back home?"

Tamaki jolted at your words, his hand flying from the necklace. "No! It's just me."

"Just you?"

The raven-haired man swallowed and nodded.

"Well," you said, straightening, "since you weren't breaking the safety laws and you clearly aren't from around here, I am making it my personal responsibility to care and provide for you until you are ready to return to your home.

Tamaki blinked. "You'd do that?"

You shrugged. "Where else are you going to stay? Besides, I get lonely here and you seem like a nice person."

You thought he was nice? He might cry at the thought.

"Would you like anything?" you continued. "A meal? More blankets?"

Tamaki bit his lip, suddenly noticing how his stomach clenched around nothing at your words. How had he not noticed how hungry he was? "Some food would be nice. Please."

You smiled and nodded. "I figured as much. I'll get Brianne right on that."

You ducked out of the room and Tamaki waited patiently in his bed, tapping his fingers together when something caught his attention. A dark form had moved from behind the glass of the window. Tamaki had never seen anything like it, wondering how he hadn't noticed the clear panes before. He stared outside, watching as leaves on a tree shook with an invisible breeze, another form darting through the air into his vision again. He now recognized the creature as a bird, however, he was used to the larger, white sea birds that he would always find when he came up to the surface. This one was so dark and compact, and Tamaki found himself finding it cute.

He watched it intently as it fluttered about, poking around in the grass for a stray worm. Its activities intrigued him so much he barely noticed the time passing, jumping when he heard his door swing open.

You strode in, carrying a tray laden with food. "Hi, again. I'm back." You set the tray on Tamaki's lap and grabbed a chair from the other end of the room, pulling it up beside the bed so you could converse.

"Th-thank you," Tamaki said, looking down at the bowl that was before him.

"You're welcome!" you beamed. "You just missed lunch, so we still had some stew left over. Our chef is really nice and he warmed some up for you! I'll have to take you to meet him later." You gasped at a new thought. "I should take you on a tour! I'm sure you'll like it here. I don't get visitors much, it's usually just the same islanders. Aren't you hungry?"

You had noticed Tamaki hadn't touched his food yet.

"Sorry! I was just, um, distracted . . . ." It was the truth, watching you talk was like some kind of dream to him. The way your mouth moved intrigued him, holding your smile through your words. There was something so indescribably enrapturing to him as he watched you. He felt like he could listen to you all day.

Listening to you . . . . That was right. Your voice. Tamaki had to figure out how to ask you to sing for him so he could finally hear it up close, untarnished by distance and wind.

Now wasn't the time, though. Tamaki's stomach painfully reminded him. The only problem was . . . what was he supposed to do? At home, he was used to being able to eat everything with his hands. But this was obviously a liquid, and something told him just shoving his fingers in wasn't the answer.

He swept his gaze over the tray, his eyes landing on a little slice of another foreign item to him. It had a tan crust, with a light, almost fluffy center. He picked it up, throwing multiple glances over to you in case you made a face to signal he was doing something wrong. Tamaki held it to his nose and sniffed. It smelled . . . good. Really good. He dunked it in the stew and brought it back out, lifting it up to his mouth and licking off some of the broth.

Flavors unlike anything he'd ever experienced before exploded in his mouth, and he found himself biting off some of the disc he'd dipped in it. This was another flavor, a little plain with the faintest hints of sweet. Tamaki happily chewed, already trying to figure out how to consume it all as fast as he could.

"You like the bread?" you asked, noticing his overjoyed expression. "I baked it this morning, with some help from Brianne. Brianne's my handmaiden, by the way. You've seen her, right? She was with me when I walked in the first time."

Tamaki looked over and nodded, thinking back to the older, somewhat heavy-set blonde woman from before.

You went on, beginning to explain your nearly perfected technique for baking bread. Tamaki tried to follow what you were saying, but it was difficult when he didn't even know half the terms you were using. Oven? Yeast? Dough? Tamaki could never have imagined how vastly different his world was from yours.

All too soon, he finished his 'bread', or at least, he was pretty sure it was bread. He frowned a little, disappointed, until his eyes alighted on another object on the tray. He picked it up, instantly feeling that it was metal. He used it to scoop up some of the chunks of meat and vegetables, finding them even better than the thick broth he'd been eating before.

He finished the last of what was in his bowl, a new sense of satisfaction settling in his stomach. But something else was tickling the back of his throat. He felt almost dry. He looked over to another bowl-like object on the tray, this one cylindrical and tall. He picked it up, seeing liquid inside.

It was water, it had to be, due to how clear it was. But the memory of seawater gushing into his mouth only a few hours before made him hesitate. He'd hated the salty taste of the ocean. Did humans actually drink that stuff? Tamaki tipped it towards his face, cautiously dipping his tongue into the water. This surprised him; it wasn't salty at all. It was clear and nearly tasteless, but somehow so deliciously satisfying.

He downed the whole thing in a matter of swallows, which you noticed, making you stop in your impromptu bread lecture. "You must be pretty dehydrated," you said sympathetically. "You swallowed a lot of seawater out there. And threw up a lot of seawater too. You're lucky you survived. Our shores alone would be enough to kill you. I can't even imagine floating out at sea." You studied him, a light of what looked almost like respect and intrigue flickering behind your eyes.

Tamaki's cheeks heated, feeling guilty that he was slightly misleading you. He had a month, he told himself. He'd tell you who he was and why he came. He just felt like he could adjust a little more first. Make sure you liked his presence before dumping ancient forbidden secrets upon you. Yeah, that seemed best.

"Are you still thirsty?" you asked Tamaki, jolting him out of his thoughts. "I can get you some more water. In fact, you can come with me if you want! I'll take you on that tour I mentioned. Ooh, I can show you the whole town! Maybe tomorrow, though, it's getting late. Come on." You pulled the now empty tray off his lap and set it on a table beside his bed, next walking to the wardrobe and pulling out another article of clothing. You laid it out on the bed, looking to Tamaki expectantly.

His brain took a moment to catch up, suddenly realizing you wanted him to stand. He'd never done that before. Tamaki squinted down at the floor, wondering why it had to be so far away. Finally he swung his legs over the side of the bed, sliding forward until his feet hit the cold wood below. He quickly pulled them back up, sensitive to the temperature.

You winced. "Sorry about that. I'll try to find you some shoes. Maybe my dad has some that are too small. You can come with me and check."

Shoes? Jeez, for all they did, humans almost seemed fragile. Tamaki lowered his feet back to the floor, now anticipating the gentle cold sting against his bare skin. He slowly raised himself, wobbly balancing on them. He was doing it! He was standing! On land!

Now walking. One in front of the other, right? Tamaki eagerly shifted his weight to one foot, maybe a little too excited. He toppled into you, and you just barely managed to steady him in your arms.

"Woah, there, slow down," you said, suppressing a chuckle at his now beet-red face. "I get it. You probably haven't gotten your land legs back yet. I've met the trading sailors."

His land legs? Sure, that was it. He just needed to develop them.

"Here, you can lean on me," you said. "You've been through a lot, I understand."

Tamaki carefully straightened, gripping your shoulder to steady himself. He tried for another step, this time more careful. You shuffled forward with him, helping as he put weight on his foot.

A step. His first step! Tamaki could flip—or, he would if he were underwater. Trying to do a quick somersault here could only end in disaster. Tamaki went for another step, then another, finding a rhythm to it quickly.

"There you go," you praised, your voice so quiet and genuine as you smiled up at him, gently guiding him around the room. It was only now that Tamaki realized how much taller he was than you. He could probably put his chin on the top of your head if he wanted to. You were so small, it made an odd feeling of wanting to protect you wash over him.

He suddenly realized he had frozen, staring at you. His cheeks warmed yet again and he glanced back down to his new bare feet. You had been staring back, but him breaking the connection of your gaze had jolted you back to reality. A very . . . touchy reality.

You only now realized just how much of his bare side was pressed up against you, and heat rose to your own cheeks. "Uh—shirt. Bed. I put a shirt ON the bed. It's for you." You tried to pull away from the man beside you, but he wasn't prepared and pitched to the side, forcing you to hug him again in order to prevent him from falling. "This is awkward, I'm so sorry," you said, suddenly beginning to trip over your words. "It's my fault. I'll—"

You tried to pull away again, gently this time, until Tamaki seized your hand in his. "It's okay," he said, looking into your eyes with sincerity. "I don't mind."

You swallowed, really wishing he was wearing that shirt right about now. Only because, a small part of you was glad he wasn't. You had to physically restrain your eyes from roving over him more than you already had.

Stop it. This is foolish, you chided yourself. The mind of a future queen of the Thapian Isles has no business in gutters like these.

And yet, the way your chest was squished against his, the way his pants were slung so low on his hips . . . the sudden memories of how he'd looked, sprawled out on that beach—

"Um, Princess?"

You hadn't even heard the door click open—maybe you hadn't shut it all the way—but the voice of your handmaiden made both you and Tamaki jolt.

"Brianne!" you said, your voice embarrassingly squeaky as you let go of your grip on Tamaki's hand and waist, jumping away from him.

He instinctively threw out his arms, balancing himself on his own.

You walked back to the bed, yanking the white linen shirt off its hanger and going back to thrust the article into Tamaki's arms.

"What were you two—"

"We were about to go get a drink!" you said, turning so you missed the deeply confused expression Tamaki gave the shirt as he held it up to examine it. "Then I was thinking I could show him around the chateau. You know, since he's going to be here for . . . a while I guess. How long until the boats back to the mainland get here?"

"It'll be another month or two," Brianne said, still looking between you and Tamaki suspiciously.

"Yep," you said, turning to find Tamaki holding the shirt upside down. "Here," you said, taking it from him. "These darn buttons always get me—" Your voice raced a mile a minute as you began to fumble with the buttons, still flustered from your interruption in such a position. "The traders just left last week," you explained, keeping your eyes glued to the shirt as you busied your fingers. "You just missed them. We're stuck here until they come back, so you'll have to deal with me until then, I guess."

The final button came free and the shirt fell open. You gave it a quick shake for good measure and offered an armhole to Tamaki. He stared at it for a moment before hesitantly putting his arm in the sleeve, letting you pull it around behind him. He shrugged it the rest of the way on, unused to the feeling of being wrapped in so much fabric.

He left it open before you frustratedly sighed, still shaken from earlier. You began to button the shirt closed, nimble fingers directing them into their respective slots with practiced ease. Tamaki watched, trying to memorize your movements so he might recreate them later.

"Alright, you ready?" you asked him. Brianne still stood in the doorway, watching your every move.

Tamaki nodded.

"Then come on! I want you to meet everyone!"

You grabbed his hand, spinning around to pull him out the door, forgetting his leg issues. A weight crashed into you from behind and the two of you toppled to the floor, Tamaki now sprawled on top of you.

"Princess . . . ." Brianne shook her head, grinning. She finally uncrossed her arms and departed from the doorway, leaving the two of you alone to right yourselves.

...

To be continued . . . .

くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡

[Part Four]

Author's Note:

Finally! Our Tamibaby is on land! This chapter was so much fun to write. I tried to figure out how to work in some se—uh, tension in here, some ROMANTIC tEnSiOn (If you get that reference, then five stars for you). I hope it got a giggle out of you. It's been a while since I've really been able to stretch my author muscles. Tamaki is a bean as always and I love writing for him. I'm also enjoying this version of y/n. I think she's turning out really well.

Anyway, it's 3 AM and I need to go to bed. In case you were wondering, I totally did not have a quick crisis on how to spell the word 'busied'. And I also most certainly did not accidentally type 'Tamale' instead of 'Tamaki' and then spent five minutes laughing about it.

Yeah, I'm sleepy, so I'm gonna go.

Good night/morning/afternoon,

-Sugar

Taglist: 

@inumorph​​ @engel-hageshii​​ @pansexual-potterhead​​ @ure-a-sunflower​​ @xeina​​ @kingtamakimurder​​ @basicaegyo​​ @iiminibattlehero​​ @pyrofanatic​​​ @sokkasangel​​ @xoxopam4​​

[seouledbysisi]

Something New

Chapter Nineteen

Brianne’s Graduation

After the graduation the crew met up with Brianne’s father to wait for her to find them.

He pulled Ivy and Sasha into a tight hug. “Boy have I missed you girls or dare I say women! Y’all have grown so much!” He stood and stared at them for a moment. He noticed Hendrix. “And who is this little fella?” He asked curiously.

“This is Hendrix, my son.” Ivy revealed. “Say hi Henny!” She kissed his cheek.

He pinched the toddler’s cheek. “Whoa! You have a kid? Now I really feel old.” He chuckled.

“Also me and Johnny ended up getting married too.” She glowed just thinking about it.

He patted johnny’s shoulder. “I always knew you’d marry her. It was written in the stars.” He smiled.

Johnny raised an eyebrow. “Seems that way.” He chuckled and kissed Ivy’s forehead.

“So what’s new with you, Sasha?” Her father turned his attention.

Sasha cleared her throat. “Other than the fact that I’m still living in Korea and teaching. That’s about it. No kids, not married. Nothing too exciting like Ivy and Johnny.” She smiled.

Johnny’s heart felt like someone had pierced a needle into it. She spoke as if he didn’t want to marry her or have kids. Her tone just didn’t sit right with him and if they hadn’t been in this particular setting he would’ve called her out on it.

“You don’t have to have the same things going on with you for your life to be exciting. I’m sure teaching over there is amazing, right?” He asked.

She beamed. “I love the kids! They’re so kind and keep me energized.”

“See that is exciting. You’re doing stuff that you love.”

Sasha nodded.

Ivy rubbed her back. She knew something was different with her and Jae. She just couldn’t put her finger on it and definitely could figure out why she hadn’t told her.

Eventually Brianne showed up where they were. The air got a bit tense. No one knew what to say.

“Brianne, ill see you at home later. I think y’all all need to catch up.” He smiled and hugged her and walked away.

Brianne took a deep breath. “Well it’s good to see y’all. I know coming here was probably a hassle but I do appreciate you all.”

Sasha nodded. “Good seeing you. You look good.” She stared awkwardly. She had no idea why that came out of her mouth but she couldn’t figure out how else to break the ice. She hadn’t even touched the surface though.

“You too.” She responded.

Jaehyun pulled her into a hug. “We’ve all missed you. I won’t sit here and act like we all don’t.”

She nodded. “I miss y’all too. I’m sorry that I disappeared the way I did. I guess I just felt like y’all were sharing a life together and I didn’t fit in the picture anymore.”

Ivy’s heart broke to hear her say something like that. “Whether we were here or there that wouldn’t change our hearts. You think I really wanted to spend three years without one of my best friends? This has been rough! I couldn’t even call and tell you I was pregnant because you stopped talking to us right before I found out, Bri!” Ivy rolled her eyes as tears fell down her face. “I said I wasn’t gonna cry but you’re selfish!”

Johnny swallowed hard. “Babe, that’s a little harsh.”

“No, it’s okay Johnny. Me leaving was harsh.” Bri accepted that she was the cause of this pain that they all felt.

Sasha kept quiet. She didn’t know how to express herself. She was super emotional already and this was going to be the icing on the cake.

Jaehyun twisted his mouth in thought. “We’ve all made some mistakes, but we’re here now. We can live in this moment together.” He was always the voice of reason.

Sasha nodded. “Yeah. It’s been hard living like this but we don’t have to stay this way. We’re better together.”

“I can’t lie, this has been the worst three years of my life. I don’t even know how I managed to be valedictorian.” Bri giggled. All of them came into a hug. “I’ve missed y’all so much.” She felt like a heavy load had been lifted off of her shoulders. Things felt right again. She felt brand new.

Suddenly something dawned on her. “How is Taeil?” She asked. She had kept up with their music since they debuted and not a day went by that she didn’t wonder could they have made things work but she ruined that herself and she was still struggling to forgive herself for what she had done.

“He’s doing pretty good.” Jaehyun answered quickly.

Johnny nodded in agreement. “Yeah he had schedules that he couldn’t miss.” He lied.

She nodded. “I’m sure he wouldn’t have come either way.”

A guy intervened in the conversation as he wrapped his arm around her waist in a territorial way. “Who are we talking about and who are these people?” He smirked.

Sasha’s breath hitched for a moment. “These are some of the most important people in my life. We all went to high school together.”

“So important that I don’t know them?” He raised an eyebrow and stared at the group as if they were aliens.

Sasha turned her gaze from him. She felt uncomfortable with his behavior. She wondered who he was to Brianne.

Jaehyun held his hand out for the guy to shake. “I’m Jaehyun, her childhood best friend.”

The guy simply stared at his hand. “No need for that. I’m her boyfriend though.”

Jaehyun coughed a bit. He couldn’t believe she was dating someone so unlike.....Taeil. He was the total opposite. He was rude, exceptionally rude.

“You guys wanna go out to eat with us?” Bri asked in a awkward manner.

Sasha pinched Jaehyun’s back to signal that she didn’t want to go. It’s not that she didn’t want to catch up with Brianne but she wanted to do it when this obnoxious guy wasn’t around.

“We actually got here sort of late. Our flight got delayed so we actually need to get settled in.” Jaehyun started. “Um, if you’re not busy later then text me and we can link up.”

Bri gave them a small smile and walked away with her boyfriend.

Johnny

Jaehyun’s mom had kept the condo that she had bought before they moved back to South Korea, so they were all staying there for a couple days instead of wasting money on a hotel.

Max’s old room had been turned into a guest room so that’s where Ivy and Johnny were sleeping. It was on the other side of the condo away from Jaehyun and Sasha.

Ivy laid Henny down on the bed carefully so not to awaken him.

She sighed. “Is it just me or is the aura strange?”

Johnny eyed her for a moment. “With Brianne or Jaehyun and Sasha?”

Ivy chuckled as she played with the ends of her wavy long hair. “Both honestly. Brianne is so different. She’s always been the perky outgoing one and now she’s so closed off and when that guy walked up she barely talked. He’s so not her type.”

“Well a few years have passed by, maybe she has changed. I don’t really like the guys attitude but he’s her guy and if we’re all going to stay in touch then we have to accept whoever she’s with.”

Ivy rolled her eyes. “I don’t have to accept anyone. She needs to stop playing and try to get Taeil back. He was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to her!”

“Maybe so but I don’t even think he feeling her like that anymore. I don’t think he wants to date ever again. Do you realize how many women have tried to talk to him when we’re at music shows competing?” Johnny revealed.

Ivy stared him up and down. “Yeah I’m sure all of them throw themselves at y’all.” She threw her pillow at him roughly but he caught it and smacked her with it.

He knew his statement triggered a bit of anger from her. They weren’t a stranger to other performers trying to flirt with them. But he was faithful always but ivy was uncomfortable with the idea of other women trying to take what was hers.

He pushed softly onto the bed and smothered her face with kisses. “I shouldn’t have brought that up.” He whispered in between kisses.

She rolled her eyes and acted as if she wasn’t into whatever he was trying to do.

He slowly moved down to her neck and sucked softly, making a pop noise when he released his lips from her soft skin. “Babe.” His deep voice growled in her ear. It was laced with seduction.

She took a deep breath. “Henny is right here! Stop.” She whispered breathlessly.

He stared down at her as his body hovered over her. “We’ll be quiet. Don’t worry.” He let his lips trace down her chest.

Jaehyun

Sasha say in the computer chair across the room quietly watching Jaehyun.

He stood from the side of the bed and slipped his shirt over his head revealing his rock hard abs.

This was her weakness. Even while she knew he was upset about something, all she could dwell on was his physique.

She wondered how he even kept the abs because he barely worked out. Maybe all the dance practices that they were all forced to do was the contributing factor.

He knew she had been watching him but he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction. He was ticking time bomb so the safest thing for him to do was to stay quiet.

He headed to the bathroom and splashed water on his face.

Sasha leaned on the door frame and watched him. “Baby?” She called softly.

He looked up, water dripping from his face as he leaned on the vanity. He stared at her reflection in the mirror without saying a word.

They had never had communication problems but nothing this big had ever happened in their time together. He pushed past her and laid on the bed with his arms behind his head.

“Say something, Jaehyun!” She spoke above a whisper.

He breathed heavily. She was picking at the beast and he wasn’t sure how long he could keep this quiet act up. “What would you like me to say?”

“Something. What’s wrong? You were fine earlier and now you’re not. What did I do?”

He raised up. “What did you do? You don’t know?”

She rolled her eyes. “Stop this game of yours. If there’s a problem say it!”

“I’m not playing any games. I’m just baffled at the fact that you act like it’s my fault that the our relationship hasn’t gone further than it is yet it’s not.”

Her eyes widened. “When have I ever complained about it?”

“You always make little slick comments on how you want a kid or how you’re jealous of Ivy. Well you could’ve had that but you chose not to. Stop blaming me for your mistake!”

Sasha swallowed hard. “What mistake?!” She yelled.

“You made me sign that fucking contract. When I revealed to the company that I was seeing someone they immediately drew up papers, and I get it they’re trying to protect me and the group’s reputation but I was the one who told them that I wasn’t signing it. I didn’t want you to feel like I was allowing the company to control this aspect of our lives!”

“I can’t make you do anything. You chose to sign it.” She raised an eyebrow and simply stared at him.

He chuckled unamused. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? I do everything you ask of me because I always want you happy. I would’ve NEVER signed that piece of paper if you hadn’t have told me to. And then you walk around sad and mad at the world when people ask you about things pertaining to our relationship. Everyone knows I would’ve been married you already if you had’ve just let me handle things. I had a ring and everything, Sasha. You always jump the gun and then when things aren’t the way you planned you get hurt. I’m not doing this with you!”

Sasha’s eyes watered as she analyzed everything he was saying to her. “Well you make all of this sound so simple but that contract isn’t stopping anything to be honest.”

He stared at her as he processed her haunting words. “I don’t understand.”

“I probably can’t even give you kids.” She chuckled to keep from crying.

Jae rolled his eyes. “This isn’t funny. You don’t say something like that and then laugh. It’s people going through serious problems like this.”

“Trust me I know. I’m one of them. I have endometriosis so there’s a huge possibility that you won’t get any kids from me, so again I say, that contract ain’t stopping shit over here. I’m the problem.”

Jaehyun’s world felt like it had just crashed in front of him. His dreams were shattered. Everything he had wanted for them had suddenly disappeared in his mind. He tried to form words but he couldn’t find them. His body simply stilled and stared at her.

A tear slipped down her face as she waited for him to say something. Anything. He could’ve yelled at her for all she cared but he literally said nothing.

“Now you know why I pushed so hard for you to just sign it.” She left him standing in the room and hastily headed for the front door.

Johnny

He softly let his hands run through Ivy’s waves as she laid her head on his chest. “See I told you he wouldn’t wake up.” He kissed the top of her head.

She glowed. She had love all over her. Physically, mentally, spiritually. Johnny never ceased to amaze her. “I guess Johnny knows best.” She said sarcastically with a giggle.

An urgent knock sounded on the door.

“I’m sorry to bother y’all it’s me Jae!” He yelled through the door.

Johnny jumped up out of bed and opened the door quickly. He could hear the tremble in his voice. “What’s up? What’s wrong?” He eyed Jae.

Jae tried to catch his breath. “We-we had an argument. This one was big. She won’t answer my calls and I don’t know where she is and I’m worried.”

Ivy grabbed the keys. “Well don’t just fucking stand there. One of you grab Hendrix and let’s go!”

She put her jacket on and walked into the living room. She halted in her steps as she laid eyes on a painting of a bridge over a large body of water.

She sighed softly. “I’m pretty sure I know where she is.”

“Where?!” Jaehyun asked her, pleading for an answer.

She shook her head. “Y’all stay here. I’ll be back.”

“There’s no way I’m not coming. I’m her boyfriend!” Jaehyun argued.

Ivy threw her hand up to silence him. “And I’m her sister so you sit tight! You’re the reason she’s gone, remember?!”

He pouted. “Yes ma’am. When you find her will you at least text me to let me know?”

“I got you.” She said and left immediately after.

Johnny watched Jaehyun pace the living room. “Dude, just sit down and calm yourself. Ivy’s gonna find her.”

Jaehyun looked up at Johnny with sad eyes. “I hate myself for what I just did. I can’t even imagine how she feels right now.”

“What the hell did you man? It couldn’t have been that bad.”

Jaehyun sat on the couch and leaned on his knees. “She just revealed to me that she might be infertile and I just stood there and said nothing. I’m sure that’s the hardest thing she’s ever had to tell me, and I said nothing to her.”

Johnny’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh. I did not see that coming.”

“Yeah. She’s known for a while though. She’s hid it from me for two fucking years, Johnny. What was I supposed to say to that?” He wiped his eyes.

“How do you know how long she’s known?”

Jae looked over at him. “She told me that’s why she wanted me to sign the contract.”

“Damn man. I’m sorry.”

Ivy

Ivy pulled up to the river walk and parked near where she had spotted Sasha.

She walked fast to catch up to her.

Sasha was sitting near the river on the sidewalk. “How’d you know I was here?” She didn’t even have to look around to know that it was Ivy sitting next to her.

“Because this is our spot. I’m just wondering why you need it right now.” She grabbed Sasha’s hand.

Sasha shrugged. “Because running away from my problems seemed like the better idea.”

Ivy wrapped her arm around her and pulled her closer. “If you don’t wanna tell me you don’t have to. I just wanted to let you know that whatever it is, you’re not alone. I love you, Jae loves you. You have Johnny. You’re not alone.” She whispered.

Sasha allowed the flood gates to open as she laid her head on ivy and cried. “We always talked about our kids growing up together and all the fun things we’d do and I’m probably never gonna be able to do that with anymore. And Jae isn’t gonna stay with me through all of this. He wants all of that. A wife and kids. Not just a broken wife who can’t give him the joy of being a father.” She was angry at herself for having this disease.

Ivy sighed. “What are we talking about right now?”

“I had been having super heavy periods and cramping really bad and clotting really bad so I got checked out a couple years ago and turns out my uterus is abnormal and I may not be able to conceive.”

Ivy’s heart tightened. She couldn’t imagine how she felt. “I’m so sorry. But your doctor didn’t rule children out completely.”

“Yeah but the odds are not in my favor. And I don’t want Jae to have a false hope and then it never happens and he resents me. I see how he looks at Johnny and Hendrix. I want that for him even if I can’t give that to him.”

Ivy helped her to her feet. “Jaehyun may want kids but he loves the hell out of you and I have faith in that man when it comes to you!”

“He didn’t even say anything when I told him.” Sasha revealed.

Ivy grabbed her hand and pulled her to the vehicle. “He was probably just in shock. Give him time to process things. You know how pure his heart is when it comes to you. Don’t lose sight of that just because you had a silly argument.”

Sasha

The front door finally opened and the girls emerged.

Jaehyun immediately ran up to Sasha and pulled her into a tight hug.

She welcomed his embrace even though she was still feeling upset.

“Don’t ever just leave like that!” He stared at her. “Do you hear me? I was scared out of my mind.”

She nodded without saying a word. Her heart broke just looking at his red face and his puffy eyes.

He pulled her back into him and smoothed her hair down. “And I’m sorry for how I spoke to you. My tone was not okay and I never want to make you so angry that you leave that way.”

She shook her head as she looked up at him. “I’m not angry with you.” She spoke honestly. “But I can’t talk about this right now. I just really want to lay down and sleep for a few hours and then maybe we can talk. I know you need a conversation but-“

He grabbed her face with both hands. “I got you. Whatever you need you got it. Go lay down. I’m right behind you.”

He watched her leave to the bedroom. He turned to Ivy. “Thank you.” He whispered.

She nodded. “She thinks you’re gonna leave her.”

“I figured. But I would never do that to her.”

“She wants you to have everything in life even if it’s without her. That’s what she told me.” Ivy looked broken. She was. Her best friend was torn up so she had no choice but to be just as torn up.

Jaehyun shook his head. “Well that’s a problem because as much as I want kids someday, trust me when I say I want her more.”

Stay tuned.

[milomeepit]

Diamond In The Rough: Chapter Twelve

Roman has always wanted better. Has always believed that there’s a better life, a better world, just out of reach. Just beyond the veil of shitty teachers who don’t care, angry classmates that scream insults and slurs at each other all day, and drug-hazed parents who are more concerned with their next hit than looking after their ten year old son.

When he runs away after a particularly bad night at home and finds a quiet little cafe/bookstore tucked away in a back alley of the city, the sweet couple who run the joint (an odd pair; a quiet, gloomy man with a wry sense of humour and a cynical gleam in his eye, and a bouncy man who smiles like sunshine and laughs like a storybook king) help show him that maybe- just maybe- he really can have the life he always dreamed of.

Masterpost (to be added soon!)

Word Count: 1877

Chapter Warnings: HOO BOY OK- crying, yelling, abusive parents, neglectful parents, cursing, arguing, fighting, broken glass, terrible living conditions, implied drug use, needle mention, alcohol, daydreams, heartbreak

Roman wanted to cry again as soon as Logan turned onto his street. This had to be a nightmare. He’d open his eyes and Patton would be there, and he could crawl into his arms and Patton would sing softly as he stroked his hair. Virgil would appear next to them with a glass of water and crack jokes to make Roman smile. Everything would be okay.

Unfortunately, the car pulled to a stop outside of his house, and he was forced to face reality as Logan gently urged him out of the car. The pair of them walked silently up the cracked concrete path towards the front door.

Logan reached for the doorbell, but Roman shook his head. “It doesn’t work,” He explained. “It hasn’t ever since Dad hit it with a wrench when he was working out in the front yard when I was little.”

“I see.” Logan nodded and instead rapped lightly on the door.

They stood there for a few seconds before footsteps thumped on the other side of the door, followed by locks clicking open, and the door creaked open. Roman’s heart thumped in his chest as his father poked his head suspiciously around the door and met Logan’s eyes. “What?” He grumbled.

Logan cleared his throat. “Hello, sir. My name is Logan Kennard. May I ask yours?”

“Max Gorgon. Whaddaya want?” Dad said gruffly.

Logan didn’t miss a beat. “I work with Child Protective Services,” He announced firmly. “We found your son on the streets in the city. Care to explain how he may have got there?”

At that, Roman’s head shot up. “Hey, I wasn’t on the-!” He started to argue, but Logan put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. He snapped his mouth shut, looking up at the man with wide eyes.

Why didn’t he want to mention Virgil and Patton?

“Hell! We’ve been trying to figure out where he’d got to!” Dad finally looked down as Roman spoke. “Thought he’d nicked off with his aunt or somethin’.”

Roman tried not to shudder at the thought of Aunt Nikki. She was loud, but not in a fun way like Patton. She yelled about everything, and she always smelled sickly sweet, like you were drowning in maraschino cherries. Her nails were always long and sharp, digging into Roman’s arm as he went past to catch him and send him off on some errand she couldn’t be bothered fulfilling herself.

“No.” Logan’s mouth was a thin line, and Roman wondered briefly if he disliked Dad as much as Roman did. “He was lost on the streets until I found him.”

“Well, shit! Bri! Brianne! Come here!” Roman flinched a little as Dad turned and hollered over his shoulder. “Roman’s come home!”

There was a flurry of movement before the door was thrown open and Mom appeared in the doorway. She gasped and dropped to her knees, yanking Roman into a tight embrace that almost choked him. “My baby! Oh, darling, you’re back! Where were you, my sweet? I’ve been worried sick about you, but your daddy said you’d be home soon, and- oh, my goodness! I’m so happy to see you!”

Roman forced a smile onto his face. “I-I’m sorry, Mom,” He whispered in her ear. It was bittersweet, the attention she was showering on him, but he wanted it to last nonetheless. “I didn’t mean to worry you.” Technically, not a lie.

“Oh, sweetheart, I forgive you!” Mom crooned, her brightly coloured fake nails gently scratching the base of his neck as she ran her fingers through his hair. “It’s all okay now, you’re home safe and sound!”

She looked up to Logan, flashing him a sweet smile. “How can I ever thank you for this, mister?” She asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

“Oh, no thanks necessary. Just doing my job,” Logan replied gently.

Roman twisted to look at him, biting back a groan at the soft expression on his face. He’d clearly fallen hook, line, and sinker for the saccharine words that fell from his mother’s mouth as easily as the lies and abuse she snapped at other times. He ached to point it out, to scream that it was all an act, to beg Logan to take him back, it didn’t even have to be Patton and Virgil, just anywhere, please, anywhere but here!

... But what would be the point? Logan would probably just shrug it off as Roman throwing a hissy fit about being caught and sent home, and then he’d have to deal with the consequences from his parents. He let out a soft, resigned sigh, sagging against Mom. Better to just live with it, for now at least. Maybe he’d have another chance to get away someday.

As if reading his mind, Logan added, “I’ll be back in a few days to check up on you all and see how Roman is settling back in. It’s school holidays at the moment, so he should have plenty of time at home to get back into the swing of things.”

“Thank you so much, Mr Kennard,” Dad reached over and shook Logan’s hand. “We should get inside, it’s pretty chilly out here, and we wouldn’t want to get sick.” He laughed, a short, rough, barking sound that made Roman want to cover his ears.

Logan bobbed down to Roman, smiling at him warmly. “I’ll be back soon, okay?” He said, touching Roman’s shoulder lightly.

No. Not okay. Not even a little okay. Everything in Roman was screaming to rip away, to go anywhere but here, to be anywhere, to run or fly or fall or die, just so long as it got him away.

“Okay,” He heard himself say. “Bye, Logan.”

Logan stood, straightened his jacket, and winked at Roman as he said, “See you later.”

Roman blinked, but before he could speak, Logan was in his car and zipping away. He felt large hands grab him by the arm and tug him inside before the door slammed closed, officially trapping him back in the creaky old house.

He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered as his father lumbered back into the living room, the TV flashing with the bright colours of some mind-numbing action movie. It was as cold as ever in here, the heating system haven broken years ago and never been fixed. He crept into the kitchen to see Mom making coffee, staring intently at the small, stained mug as she stirred its contents.

“... Hi,” He said softly from the doorway. He figured he had a fifty-fifty chance of her mood either being fantastic, or abysmal. Worth a shot, more so than Dad at least.

She glanced up at him, brightening as she saw him. “Hey, baby! Did you want a drink, too?” She offered the mug to him.

Roman tried not to grimace. Coffee always made him feel sick and hot, but it was the only hot drink Mom ever made. “Um, no, thank you,” He replied. “I just... I was curious what you were up to.”

Mom shrugged, leaning back against the counter and drinking from the mug in her hand. “Nothing, really. Tryna decide what to get for dinner. You have any bright ideas, sweetheart?”

“Not really.” All he wanted was a pot of Virgil’s spaghetti. Hot and cheesy, with thick noodles and meatballs speckled with herbs and spices. Rich sauce with real tomatoes that Virgil cut and cooked down, with spinach stirred into the pot.

Mom shrugged again. “I’ll ask your daddy later, he sounds like he’s busy.”

As if on cue, a loud explosion rang out from the TV and Dad cursed loudly, shouting curses at the movie’s characters. Oh, well, Roman thought. As long as he was yelling at the TV and not him, that was a win.

Roman left the kitchen as Mom rustled around in the drawer under the microwave. He knew what she was looking for, and he didn’t want to watch. Needles always made him feel itchy and sick and jumpy, especially seeing them disappear into her arms.

He slipped upstairs, carrying his bags with him, and into his room. He softly closed the door, wincing as it creaked quietly, then sat on his bed and peered out the grimy window at the street below. It was snowing again. Patton and Virgil would probably be getting rugged up and going out to the park to build a snowman, or make snow angels, or throw snowballs at each other.

It ached to think about, like a cold, sharp icicle driving into his chest. He shivered again, then grabbed the worn out blanket draped across his bed, still tangled from where he had last thrown it, and wrapped it around his shoulders. The warmth it offered was meager at best, but it was better than nothing.

Roman covered his face with the blanket as the frustration and grief of the afternoon rose inside him, burning and solid and heavy as a rock, and burst into tears for the fifth time that day. It just wasn’t fair! He’d finally had it. Something warm and real and comforting and safe and wonderful. Jokes and hugs and kisses and soft pillows and love. So much love.

He pulled the blanket away from his face to breath, short gasps of frigid air that felt like swallowing razor blades. Every breath he took, every second that ticked past, weighed on him, heavier than anything he’d ever felt in his life. Every moment carried him further away from the only place he’d truly felt happy in his whole life.

He reached down into his backpack, pulling out the small stuffed monkey, and hugged it tightly. It still smelled like Patton and Virgil’s apartment, like cinnamon and sugar and fresh laundry. He pressed it to his cheek and closed his eyes.

It was almost like he was back in the cafe, just for a moment. He could feel the warmth of the heating system, hear the twinkling notes of the piano music drifting through the speakers, could see customers wandering through the shelves. A small smile tugged at his lips as he relaxed, burrowing his face into the monkey’s soft stomach. Maybe everything would be okay.

A door slammed downstairs, making him jump, and the vision was gone. He bit back a frustrated scream as Dad’s voice boomed from the living room, arguing furiously with one of his friends. He faintly heard a shattering noise, and Mom shrieked angrily. He couldn’t make out what she was saying through all the voices, but he guessed Dad had probably thrown something.

Roman sighed, flopping back on his bed and staring up at the cracked ceiling. His eyes traced over the familiar stains and marks, picking out shapes against the old, yellowed plaster. Back to real life, he told himself. Everything he’d been counting on in the past few weeks, it was just a dream. Every hope and feeling. All of the love and trust and happiness was just... done. Gone. And he was left. Alone again, cold and anxious and tired and trapped.

He rolled onto his side and curled up, cuddling the monkey to his chest. He should have known it wouldn’t last, he thought bitterly. Nothing good ever did.

[k18fics]

Observation

Observation

After the tournament of power Goku wishes for all the erased universes to be revived and integrated into Universe 7. Brianne de Chateau travels to Earth obsessed to understand the strong love that defeated her. Krillin18

Disclaimer and warnings: I do not own DBS or any of its characters. This chapter has scenes of explicit nature, NSFW.

Anything written like this are Brianne's 1st person observations.

...

Brianne stuffed her suitcase in the bubble and took a seat. Sanka Ku and Su Roas stood outside the bubble looking worried. Sanka Ku said, "Brianne-sama the tournament is over. We were resuscitated and our universe is thriving here in Universe 7, there's no need to do this."

"I must understand this love Sanka Ku," Brianne said.

"I know she defeated you but..." Su Roas started but Brianne stopped her by simply lifting up her hand.

"It's not about the fact that she beat me or me wanting a revenge," Brianne said. "When she escaped my trap and beat me I assumed she was a love-less monster especially when I figured she was married to that unattractive man..."

"Everyone is beautiful in their own way Brianne-sama," Su Roas said dreamily.

Brianne nodded. "I suppose. When she beat me and I saw them looking at each other I knew I found a love that surpasses all the love of our entire universe. I want to understand that love and feel it in my heart."

"Ahh such a genius!" Sanka Ku cried.

"With that kind of love your power will grow exponentially," Su Roas said cheerfully.

Brianne smiled. "That May be so, but this is about love not power. She stood and looked to her God of destruction and angel. "I am ready to go Heles-sama."

Heles smiled and said, "what a beautiful journey of love you will have. This bubble will take you right to Earth."

With those words the bubble shut completely and zoomed off into the sky.

...

Day 1

The bald midget seems to have grown out his hair a bit since the last time I saw him. He is sparring with Goku pretty heavily. He seems to have gotten more muscular too. Apparently he's been training for a while now. A black-haired woman is coming out of the house. This must be Goku's wife. She's very beautiful. I can see why a warrior like Goku chose her.

"Goku, Krillin," Chichi said. "Food is ready."

"Oh yes! Come on Krillin-san," Goku said. The two ran in like barreling animals nearly knocking over Chichi who immediately threw a frying pan at them.

"Be careful you hooligans!"

Chichi scoffed and followed them into the house.

Day 1 is turning out to be uneventful for the couple. The midget stayed having dinner at Goku's place and Android 18 has been spending the day shopping with a little blonde girl which I assume is her daughter with the midget because she has her beautiful blonde locks but is noiseless like her father. Pity. She could've gotten her mom's look and maybe her dad's height, that wouldn't have been so bad. Her companion was a blue haired beautiful woman with a purple-haired little boy who was just way too excited.

"So are you ready to go to the last store 18-san?" Bulma said with smirk.

18 blushed deeply. "Do we have to?"

"If you really want to thank Krillin then yes," Bulma said. "First off he did good at the tournament despite being the first out, then he was super supportive when 17 died, then when you got home he went totally overboard with chores and cooking and gifts to make up for failure at the tournament. You owe him."

18 nodded. "O-okay Bulma."

Bulma grinned and said, "Trunks take Marron to the arcade." She handed him money and he cheered and took Marron hand before zooming off at superhuman speed with her.

Bulma gripped 18's wrist and dragged into a lingerie store.

Interesting. She's getting sexual inducing clothing for the ugly midget? Why?

18 tried on seven different outfits until she found the one was brought out her assets the most and left very little to the imagination. It was a red lacy bra that had leather straps connected to lacy booty shorts that only covered half her butt and had button in the front that could remove the front part of her underwear.

"If Krillin had a nose he would bleed," Bulma said laughing.

"Do you wear stuff like this for Vegeta?" 18 said after changing back to her regular clothes and taking her item to the counter.

"Oh yes all the time, it drives his hormonal Saiyan brain crazy!" Bulma said laughing.

Vegeta. Is this blue-haired woman Vegeta's woman? Again a formidable choice. She has the spunk that Goku's wife had or maybe even more.

"Are all Saiyans hormonal?" 18 said with a laugh. "I don't imagine Goku being very hormonal."

Bulma shrugged. "Vegeta is. I don't know if that's a Saiyan thing or a just him thing. But Goku trains constantly so he always has adrenaline in his system, and when he fights he's not a doof like always he's actually super smart and instinctual so I guess that would happen in the bedroom. Plus he has two sons. They had to come from somewhere."

18 snorted derisively. "I guess. He probably doesn't even know what he's doing."

Bulma scoffed. "Definitely not."

18 spent hours preparing the house. Vegeta's mate took mini blonde version of the midget so their apartment was empty. I can see through walls with my abilities so I can observe this without being seen or detected. 18 put candles all over the place, turned off all the other lights, and got into her new lingerie outfit. All for the little man. Could it be possible? Could there be a love that surpasses the bounds of physical beauty? Such a thing is unheard of!

Krillin arrived to the apartment dressed in khaki pants and a red shirt that said "Taco." His eyes were shut as he cheerfully dropped his duffel bag aside and said, "I'm home! Babe what a great training today! Goku says I'm at the highest level I've ever been. Cabba, Caulifla, and Kale are coming tomorrow, he says I can match up to them in a spar! We're going to…" he opened his eyes and saw 18 standing there in the red lingerie holding two glasses of wine.

"Welcome home my warrior," she said with a flirtatious smile.

His eyes were wide and his face was bright red as he took the glass from her and chugged it down in one gulp. 18 smirked at his obvious frustration and slowly drank her wine. She could feel his eyes on her watching every movement, even the liquid sliding down her throat.

Super charged sexual energy. Impressive. She seems to have the power though, which makes sense considering her superior power and beauty.

When 18 finished her drink and looked at Krillin again he had a hungry look in his eyes. Krillin stepped forward and gently put a hand on her hips, "you are a goddess…Lazuli."

Lazuli? Who's that?

18 blushes wildly. "D-don't use my h-human name."

"Why not?" Krillin said gently caressing her face. "Lazuli is the person inside you. That is who you truly are. Android 18 is what Gero created. I love android 18 don't get my wrong, but I also love those moments when you let Lazuli come out. She's the beautiful lost little girl who's known nothing but loneliness and pain. It reminds me of me before I met Goku-san. I was a lonely little monk with no family who was ridiculed for being too short and ugly with no nose and you were an orphaned little girl with only your brother for company until Gero kidnapped you both and mutilated you into killer androids. He tried to get rid of that little girl just like those horrible monks tried to get rid of that little boy who wanted to train with Master Roshi. They didn't succeed. Those innocent children are a part of who we are. That's why on that bridge despite the fact that you had literally beat the crap out of all my friend savagely I couldn't fight you cause I saw that little girl."

18 laughed. "And here I thought it was cause you were scared."

"That too," Krillin admitted with shy chuckle. "When I had that controller in my hand to deactivate you I saw how terrified you looked as Cell looked for you. That's when I saw her clearly for the first time. That's when I saw Lazuli underneath all the killer android armor. And that's when I knew I loved you."

18's eyes welled up.

Krillin smiled and caressed her cheek. "I love you 18."

18 placed her hand on his and said, "call me Lazuli."

With those words Krillin wrapped his hand around 18's neck and pulled her to him for a deep kiss.

I'm literally crying right now. I can't believe how beautiful this love is. In all the planets that I've visited in my universe and all of the other universes that are now together in one I've never seen a love so pure and beautiful as this. This is not about control or beauty or strength, this is about two souls connected as one! I've never seen anything so beautiful.

Krillin lifted 18 up as they kissed and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Krillin started kissing her neck and walking towards the bedroom. 18 slid her fingers into her fuzzy hair that was starting to grow out and moaned. "Krillin," she breathed. "I was trying to do something nice for you!"

"Can't help it babe I'm a hopeless romantic," he said.

18 laughed and moaned at the same time. "I know."

Krillin moved them into their bedroom and gently laid 18 down on the bed. He kissed down her clavicle to her bra and kissed the creamy parts of her breasts as he unhooked the straps and the back part of her bra. He slid it off slowly and slowly licked her nipples.

"Kami Krillin," 18 moaned.

Krillin's hands continued to slid down 18's stomach until they reached her underwear. He slid it down her legs and threw it aside murmuring, "so beautiful."

"Krillin," 18 moaned as Krillin kissed down her stomach to her navel. He licked her navel and kissed further down until her reached his goal. "Ahhh, Krillin."

He moved with exact precision knowing exactly where to touch and how to touch. 18 arched up and gripped the sheets. Her moans escalated in volume and she started thrashing. Krillin moved relentlessly and used his strength to keep her still enough.

18's body started shaking as a scream ripped through her throat. Sweat drops started sliding down her body and her hands gripped the baby hairs growing on Krillin's head. He grunted in pain but continued his ministrations until 18's body collapsed onto the bed and she started panting.

Krillin stood up and watched her recover. It only took a moment because of her infinite energy. He definitely had to up his stamina to keep up with that kind of energy and 18 never complained.

Krillin took off his taco shirt and khaki pants. 18 jumped out of the bed before Krillin could take off his boxers and kissed him passionately. Krillin craned his neck up to receive the kiss and gripped her hips as her hands roamed over her newly defined muscles.

"This is how I remember you the first time we met," 18 said. "Your muscles were thick and defined, but you are much stronger now than then."

"Not strong enough to beat you but definitely stronger," Krillin said as 18 slid down his boxers.

Impressive. For such a small guy…

"Show me your new strength," 18 whispered huskily in his ear.

Krillin growled lowly and picked up 18 by the thighs. He lifted her up high until he was lined up to her entrance and she clung to his neck tightly.

He thrust into her in one movement and she cried out. He wasted no time at all and slammed her into the nearest wall. 18 grunted at the impact and dug her nails into his shoulders. A bright white aura surrounded them as Krillin powered up and he started thrusting so hard and fast it was impossible to see. 18 screamed and clung to him as he increased his power to max and moved in and out hard and fast.

18's orgasms hit her back to back. She lost count after the sixth one, her body was trembling so hard it shook the whole room. Krillin's body started trembling and he groaned loudly as he released himself into her.

The aura disappeared and they both sighed deeply as they crumbled down to the ground with Krillin's back on the floor and 18 on top of him. "I love you eig…Lazuli."

18 smiled and kissed his jawline. "I love you Krillin."

Day 27

They are definitely an interesting couple. Sometimes they fight like crazy and end up actually physically fighting with the little man losing every single time but then afterwards they'd have crazy makeup sex. Other times they lived in complete harmony. They took care of things around the house and with their daughter in perfect coordination and barely even spoke to each other and then afterwards they'd either cuddle together all night or make love slowly. I've never seen passion quite like this before. Today they were all gathered at Vegeta and Bulma's house. The kids played all over the grass and the adults meandered around the yard talking and eating with their god of destruction and his angel. I thought only Heles-sama had a personal relationship with her subjects but it looks like Beerus-sama also did the same. Krillin and 18 sat together at the bench laughing at something a man with scars on his face was saying and…

"Brianne-san?"

Brianne whirled around wide eyed. "Goku-san!"

Goku smiled jovially and said, "I knew I sensed a great power suppressing. I've been feeling it for while."

Brianne panicked. "Please don't say anything Goku-san I'm just doing some research."

Goku looked confused. "Research?"

"To understand pure love," Brianne said.

Goku glanced at the general direction of her recording equipment and saw pictures of Krillin and 18 all over her computer. "You want to understand how she beat you."

"No!" Brianne defended. "I just want to…"

"It's okay Brianne-san," Goku said lifting up a hand. "Whenever I've been defeated I've always strived to understand why and how and work to eventually beat them."

"I don't want to challenge 18-san to a fight," Brianne said. "I don't seek ultimate power like you do, I seek ultimate love. I want to take this pure love and share it with our universe."

Goku nodded. "Now that all of our universes are combined that's a lot of love to share."

Brianne nodded. "They have a beautiful love that is overwhelming and so pure, I believe I can share it with our whole giant universe."

Goku grinned then looked a bit serious, "say do Krillin and 18 know about this research? Chichi, my wife, says that this stuff is very private."

Brianne panicked so much she almost fell out of the tree she was hiding in. "No no no please don't tell them. I believe I have everything I need so I should leave."

"Join our picnic!" Goku said grinning cheerfully. "There's a lot of great food."

Brianne smiled at him, "thank you Goku-san but I think I'll be heading out I have a lot of research to organize and share."

Goku smiled and said, "okay. Come visit again soon!"

Brianne packed away all of her things and said, "next time I come we'll spar. I learned a lot of new tricks."

Goku made a determined face. "You're on."

"And with this love I've experienced," Brianne said with a grin, "I might just win."

[indecisivepixels]

Bar Harbor; The Woodlands - The day after I stopped dead in my tracks, or tried to as my boots skidded across some mud. Brianne was screaming, the most horrible sound I have ever heard in my life. She was pointing at something on the ground and even before I could react Casey was down there. I blinked, not believing at first what it was I was looking at. Ariel was running around us then, no longer sniffing, but barking, as if she knew there were other people around and was telling them to come to us. ".......No." It was like I was frozen there. The rain pelting down on us, soaking our clothing, our hair. Casey was knelt beside Scott's body. The look on his face... I lost it then. Not screaming but crying, bawling really as my stomach began to knot up, twisting and turning all about. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be what it was. I wretched then. Not even holding it down as my hands gripped at my stomach, unloading everything that was in there before nothing else could escape. Once done I looked over at Brianne, she had stood up now and was no longer screaming but looking at Casey. I shook my head, not wanting to believe it still. "We have to call the police," I finally managed to say as I turned away from them all. My heart breaking with each second as I pulled my phone out, dialing 911 as fast as I could. It didn't take long before an operator was on the line and I was frantically telling her about what we had just found and our location. Before I could tell her anymore the line cut, looking at my phone I realized it had just died. I swore under my breath, taking in a deep breath as I slowly turned back around. That's when it all hit me. Everything about Scott and all the memories that I had of him. The cheesy grin he would give me when he used to flirt with me, the notes that he still continued to write me, the times that he made me laugh... He was my first for everything. Well almost everything, not my first kiss but everything else, yes. I was in love with him and...there was still so many other things I had to tell him that now I would never get the chance to. The phone fell from hand, landing in the mud as my knees buckled, also joining my phone. The tears fell even more as I cried, uncontrollably, my hands covering my face as I began to rock to and fro.

[seouledbysisi]

Something New

Chapter 20

Jaehyun

He slid in behind Sasha on the bed. He knew she wasn’t asleep yet but he didn’t say a work or make a sound. He just needed to hold her and let her feel the love that he had always held for her. She was the only woman that he could ever see himself with. He knew kids were a big deal but what they had was even bigger. His life without her would be a train-wreck and he knew from experience. The entire time that he was in Korea without her, he could barely function. His members would constantly ask him what was wrong and the only one who know what the problem was was Johnny and Taeil. Hell, Taeil was in his own turmoil during that time too so he knew from experience as well. 

Sasha turned over and cradled her head into Jaehyun’s chest. “I absolutely shouldn’t have told you that the way i did. I’m sorry.” She whispered without looking at him. 

“We don’t have to talk about it right now.” He kissed the top of her head. 

“But I want to. You deserve pure honesty.” She sighed. “I was experiencing heavy bleeding so I got checked out and they did a ultra-sound and my uterus was abnormal.”

Jaehyun rubbed up and down her hip softly as he listened. “Why wouldn’t you tell me that you were having problems? Haven’t I always been here for you?” 

“Yes but I didn’t know how to deal with this so I kept it to myself hoping that it would just go away but it’s not. It’s real and I might not be able to give you the things in life that I know you need.” She began to cry softly into his shirt. 

Jaehyun raised her face off of him and stared deeply at her. “The only thing I’ll ever need is you. We could have a million kids and it wouldn’t change the fact that you are my world.” 

She stared at him with innocent eyes. “You’ll eventually regret saying that.” 

“Stop telling me how I should feel and what I will do. I’m telling you right now and I’ll always feel like this. I want you for the rest of my life.” He rose off the bed and began searching through his suitcase for God knows what. 

She stared at him with her eyebrow risen. “What are you doing?” She giggled a bit. He was so random. 

He kept quiet and focused on the contents of his bag. “Found it!” He exclaimed and walked over to her side of the bed and kneeled down on one knee.

Her body froze as she stared at what was in his hand. 

He cleared his throat. “When I said I wanted you for the rest of my life, I meant it. I don’t care what that contract says. In my eyes you’re already my wife anyway, so let’s make it official while we’re back in your hometown. Marry me?” He flashed her a cocky grin as if he knew she couldn’t resist. 

“How long have you been planning this?” She asked with eyes as wide as a sea. 

He chuckled. “Can I have a answer first?”

“Oh of course!” She fell into his embrace and kissed on his neck. Things began to get heated as she pulled him off the floor and on top of her. 

He pulled back from her as he caught his breath. “Hold on, let me put the ring on you.” He slid it on. “And I’ve had this ring for over a year, contemplating on whether I should just forget about the contract or not. I guess you had more power over me.” 

She smirked as she licked her lips. “As I should, now make love to me!” 

Brianne

“By the way we’re not hanging with those people tonight.” Her boyfriend spoke nonchalantly to her.

She looked over at him as he drove. “Why would you even have a choice in that matter?” 

“Because we already have plans with our friends. Those people are from your past and I’m sorry that it didn’t work out but you’ve moved on and your life is fine without them. You’ve survived!”

She giggled a bit from irritation. “This isn’t working.” 

He stomped on the breaks quickly and swerved to the side of the road and grabbed her arm roughly. “If you think you’re going to break up with me, you’re wrong. You’re mine until I say so.” He stared at her with so much anger built up. 

She snatched her arm away from him. “You asshole! You bruised my arm.” 

“If you don’t watch your tone, you’ll get worse.” He started back driving.

She forced back tears. He had always been verbally abusive but never physically. This was the last straw. She felt like God was punishing her for what she did to Taeil. She would’ve been much happier had she stayed with him. Her life would be so much different and she wouldn’t be staring at that damn bruise on her arm. “Take me home.” 

“Babe, I’m sorry gosh. Don’t ruin this day for us.” He responded with a smile on his face. 

She shook her head. “I said take me home. If you don’t I swear I will call the police on you.” She spoke with a bit more force. She was finally taking her voice back from him. She didn’t know why she felt like she didn’t deserve love but she was making a change and letting this bum go was the start. 

He stopped his car. “Get the fuck out my car. You can walk for all I care since you want to go home so bad.” 

She grabbed her purse and snatched his car door open and slammed it closed. He drove off so fast that she nearly caught whiplash just from watching him zoom off. 

She was right around the corner from her house anyway and she could use some fresh air. She stared at her phone for a moment. She pulled up her contacts and let her finger linger over Taeil’s name. She wondered was his number still the same. What would she even say? The damage was done. He was gone. She was sure he had moved on, but had she? 

She took a deep breath and allowed her finger to press the call button. The phoen rang and rang till she thought he wouldn’t answer. 

“Hello?” He spoke into the phone with an unsure voice. “Brianne?” 

she held the phone, shaken up that he had answered. She didn’t think she could talk. Hearing his voice in all these years seemed so foreign yet so right. 

“Hello?” He spoke again. 

She hung up as she began to freak out in her head. Tear streamed down her face. She sat on the sidewalk in front of her house. 

Her phone began to ring. She took a deep breath. She couldn’t figure out why she had called him just to hang up in his face.  

Taeil. 

She stared at his name.

Johnny

He watched Ivy as she tried to calm Hendrix down. He was a ball of energy, especially at nighttime. She looked exhausted, which was how she looked most of the time but she insisted on not having a nanny. 

He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He grabbed the little boy up and sat him on his leg. “Mommy is tired so can you please settle down?” He smiled as he rubbed the boy’s long wavy hair. 

Henny pouted. “i wanna play.” He spoke in his small voice. 

Johnny shook his head. “No, we’ve been playing all day. You sleep. Now!” 

Hendrix began to cry a little. 

“And if you cry, we won’t be able to buy treats for tomorrow.” Johnny pouted back at the kid. 

The toddler simply laid his head on his dad and eventually fell asleep. 

Johnny quickly took him to Jaehyun’s little brother’s old room and laid him down. He left the door open just in case he woke up. 

When he came back, Ivy was brushing her hair up into a bun. “How does it always work for you?” 

“I guess I just have the magic touch.” He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and stared at her in the mirror. 

She simply sighed and closed her eyes. His embrace was what she needed because she felt like she was losing touch with herself. She adored being a mother but it was hard not having a lot of help. 

“I think it’s time for you to go back to work. You’re not happy and I know it was your decision to be a stay-at-home-mom but I don’t like seeing you like this.” He admitted. 

She shook her head. “I’m fine, I swear.” 

“You lie. You’re not fine. I miss the old you. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t pursue your own dreams because we have a kid. You’re entitled to a life outside of Hendrix too.” He squeezed her. “We need a nanny.” 

“I just don’t want Hendrix to feel like we’re both deserting him.” She sighed.

Johnny gave her a small smile. “I want him to learn from experience that it’s okay to follow your inhibitions. We’re doing this for him as much as for us.” 

She thought for a moment. She knew he was right but she hate giving him that type of credit cause he would make such a big deal over it. “Whatever you say, babe.” She smiled. 

“Also, me and Jae had a idea and I think you’re going to love it.” He added with a smirk. 

She knew he was up to something. “Oh gosh, I’m scared.” 

“You remember that penthouse that we saw online that was for rent a couple weeks ago?” 

She raised an eyebrow. “Mhm?” 

“Well me and Jae were thinking that we could rent it.” 

“Why would Jae need to help you make that type of decision?” She was clearly confused. 

Johnny laughed and turned her around to face him. “No babe, me and Jae are going to get the penthouse for all of us to live in. You’ll be happier and you’ll have more help with Hendrix.” 

“I mean I love the idea but what about Sasha? She’s super attached to Jae’s siblings. That might be a problem.” 

“I’m sure he’ll find a way to get her to say yes.” He kissed her lips softly. “I’m just trying to make you feel better.” 

She smiled. He always had a way of solving all her problems even when she had never even voiced the problems. He was always waiting to save her. “I love you so much.” 

“I know. Who wouldn’t?” He chuckled. 

She slapped his arm. “You always find a way to ruin the moment.” 

[indecisivepixels]

Bar Harbor; The Dylan's Home - That Friday Evening

I was pacing around the small space of the living room, still dressed in a frumpy pair of pajama bottoms and baggy t-shirt. Ariel was laying upon the floor, watching me intently, probably wondering what I was even doing. I was so nervous and absolutely sick to my stomach. I had been such a mess since we had found Scott. Joey had done his best, making sure I basically didn’t die being here by myself. But once school started for the week I had been left alone. Laying in bed all day long. Barely sleeping and crying. So many tears. Could someone run out of them? No. I was proof of that.

Ariel started barking and I stopped in my tracks, the glass door to the back sliding open as Joey stepped inside. Ariel instantly jumping over to him, tail wagging as she greeted him.

“Package for a miss Cameron Dylan,” he said to me. A slight smile curving his lips as he handed it over to me.

“Thanks.”

I placed it onto the kitchen table before sitting down in one of the chairs. Joey looked around the house then, noticing that the messes from the last week had been cleaned up. He followed my lead, taking the seat closest to me as he looked at me curiously.

“So what’s up?”

I took a breath in, fighting the nausea that was prickling at the surface. The sickness hadn’t gone away and I had been doing pretty good at hiding it, even when Brianne, Casey and I had found Scott’s body. I hadn’t thrown up because of what we saw, not at all. This was a conversation I had wanted to have with Scott. It was actually what I wanted to talk to him about when we were supposed to go away for Spring Break.

“I’m pregnant Joey,” I told him, my eyes instantly watering. His mouth gaped open in complete surprise and before he could speak I cut him off. “I’ve known for a few weeks now. It’s Scott’s. I was going to tell him during our trip. But now… Now I won’t ever get the chance to….”

My hands went to my face as I began to cry, sobbing into them as I suddenly felt Joey’s arms wrap around me. Comforting me as best as possible.

“Cameron, I’m… I don’t know what to say.. What are you even going to do…? Are… Does anyone else know?”

I shook my head at him, wiping fallen tears off from my cheeks. “I wasn’t going to tell anyone but you. I… I can’t keep it Joey. I can’t keep this baby. I can’t raise a child on my own. I just can’t…”