#i hate to admit it but the possibilities of it are very slim; near impossible

[quintiriss]

You know what would be an awesome series finale for Slugterra? A Battle for the Surface. Could be a movie, could be separate parts, could be the entire plot for the last season of the show; I think it would be cool. Either the threat is extremely close to reaching the Surface, or their whole battle really is on the Surface. Imagine how intense and chaotic that would be (the threat in question could be Tad, aka Dr. Blakk's son, since he survived, but it could be a new threat altogether).

I'd imagine that the Shane Gang would have to gather allies all across the 99 caverns, including the Eastern Caverns. Would probably be set some time in the future, perhaps when Eli turns 18? Or close; an 18 year old, no longer the kid wishing and actually being the hero his dad was, fighting for his former home. It would be cool to see a summary of everyone's and both of the worlds' future at the end of it all.

I don't know what or who the "new" threat would be, but I just think it's an amazing way to wrap up the show. Would Slugterra stay hidden forever? Or would the Surface finally acknowledge the world beneath their feet? Would things finally become peaceful? How would both worlds interact with each other? How much would it change history and the already existing economy, laws and customs? I'm Having a Brainrot.

And Eli Shane, the hero we've followed all these years, what does his future hold?

[the-pale-goddess]

Tomorrow Never Came - Ethan Ramsey x MC

Is there tomorrow for Tiffany and Ethan?

Warnings: none? Just mind that it’s tiny bit angsty in the beginning, and then it gets really warm and fuzzy. You’ll see. 

Author’s Note: This is the kind of scene PB should’ve delivered in Ch 19 instead of...Whatever that bs of a goodbye was. My depressed ass couldn’t accept their messy writing, I had to right these wrongs myself. Hashtag: PB made me do it ~ again ~

Song inspiration: Tomorrow Never Came by Lana Del Rey feat. Sean Ono Lennon

____

Boston Common was almost empty. All the passers-by hurried down the park, seeking refuge from the threat of a heavy rain – all but one. A slim figure was lost in thought, sitting on a secluded bench hidden behind the trees, paying no attention to the dark clouds gathering up in the sky.

There was something stifling in the air that evening, lingering ominously like the quiet before the storm.

The bitterness of defeat.

The scent of inevitable finality mixed with the unknown.

Endless possibilities burning out in the open.

It's impossible to say what the future will bring...But I can see as far as tomorrow. I'll see you then?

A gust of wind tousled Tiffany's locks as she drowned herself in Ethan's words, trying to decode their true meaning.

Tomorrow.

She hated that word. Tomorrow seemed a lifetime away. Tomorrow may never come. The hope of tomorrow wrapped around Edenbrook's neck like a noose, only to strangle it in the end.

There was no tomorrow for Edenbrook, not anymore.

The last few months had been a dizzying blur. Life had been testing her limits in awfully unpredictable ways, leaving her no choice but to adapt and evolve.

On that evening, sitting on a park bench in a city she'd grown to love more than she was willing to admit, minutes before the imminent rainstorm, the weight of the change pressed on her overworked shoulders. At last, for the first time in months, she was alone with her thoughts. And the first, most sobering one crossing her troubled mind was how much she wanted him to hold her now.

Ethan Ramsey had entered her life long before they even met, having enormous impact on shaping the woman she had become – and that woman feared only one thing: tomorrow.

Tiffany laughed at the memory of the struggling adolescent trying to find her place in the world, naively hoping to change it – eager, motivated, optimistic, inspired by the driven young diagnostician and his unstinting dedication to medicine.

Years later, the very same world-beating diagnostician and her medical hero, had personally chosen her for the internship under his direct supervision – something she wouldn't even dare to dream of.

And when they finally met, the earth beneath her feet shattered. There was no music, no gush of happiness, no gentle smiles and soft eyes. Death loomed over them instead. There was rush, panic, and blood. But above it all there was familiarity. The kind of feeling when one soul connects with another and the world has to stop for a minute to catch up with their raw energy.

Doctor Ramsey was the mentor she needed. Ethan turned out to be the man she loved. Nevertheless, he was an attending, and she was an intern. They had to ignore the sparks flaring within them.

The sparks quickly burst into a roaring flame impossible to smother. Doomed from the start, their desperate efforts failed completely. The hard facade of professionalism wasn't thick enough to cover the bond growing in their hearts. They were bound to happen. The timeline of their illicit relationship flashed before her eyes – all ups and downs, sour tears and sweet joy, risk and reward, dismal defeat and hard-fought victory.

Oh, that bitter taste of victory sealed by the near-death experience...Everything changed after the incident. The repeated cycle of pushing and pulling had finally reached the end. They'd become inseparable, clumsily hiding their ongoing liaison until their first scandalously public display of affection at the gala.

And there was some cruel irony in the fact that Edenbrook's end freed them from the confines of their forbidden romance. They didn't have to hide anymore. They were finally together – openly, unashamedly, devotedly.

Being with him was so easy, almost instinctive. Tiffany used to imagine love as a derivative of chaos, a reckless, wild thing. Almost two years of knowing Ethan taught her that real love was safety and respect. It was the comfort of his arms and gentleness of those ocean blue eyes. It was him. It was always him.

Tiffany wasn't the type to seek verbal reassurance that Ethan needed her – she knew that already, his actions spoke volumes. But was he committed enough to fight every obstacle to save their relationship in the wake of Edenbrook closing and their unpredictable future? Was there tomorrow for them?

A single raindrop falling on her nose walked her out of the maze of her thoughts. Out the corner of her teary eye, she saw a tall man approaching her slowly. She'd recognize that confident stomping everywhere. It was probably her imagination playing tricks on her – serving the image she'd want to see, blurred by tears welling in her eyes. But the closer he was, the harder her stomach fluttered. Tiny details confirmed the man's identity: stunningly white shirt with red-stained collar permanently marked by her lips; strong hand running smoothly through thick hair; the smile she craved to see every morning until the end of her days.

Her urge to jump into his arms skyrocketed – he stood only a step away, the intense scent of his perfume travelling with the wind surrounded her. His sapphires bored into her face with such adoration and relief, Tiffany was about to melt.

„So, you're ditching your gang now.” The slightly scornful tone of Ethan's voice every time he referred to the gang still made her laugh. This time, however, she stifled the urge to snort with laughter, shooting him an amazed smile instead.

„What are you doing here?”

„Sienna texted me.” He stated casually.

„Of course she did.” Tiffany rolled her eyes, thinly disguising the fact that her heart was ready to leave the chest. „But how did you know I'll be here?”

His smile was warm like the weather, blooming at the sight of her. „I remembered how much you wanted to take a breather and this was the only place with relatively fresh air I could think of.”

She grinned back, moving her head to the side. „You stalked me through the tracking app we tested with Elijah, didn't you?”

It was his turn for the eye roll. „I didn't stalk, I tracked you down. How else would I find you before the rain.” He moved his gaze to the bench. „Can I join you?”

„Sure.” She nodded, pulling her bag out of the way. With a deep sigh, Ethan sat next to her. The invisible wall between them crushed when their knees touched.

„What are you doing here?”

„Breathing Boston's air while I still can.”

Ethan's smile vanished faster than he suspected it would. They gave in to the solemn silence, staring at the trees moving violently on the blustery wind. The quiet ruth prevailed until Tiffany's soft whisper broke it.

„I think this might be our bench.”

He glanced at her with curiosity, his eyes followed the erratic movement of her hair floating in every direction. „I'm pretty sure it's the one on the other side.”

„No, Ethan.” She faced him, trying to control the mess on her head; her hopeless efforts brought the adoring smile back on his lips. „This is the exact spot.”

„The fountain was hidden behind that chestnut tree nearby. It's too noticeable from our current point of view.”

„And when would you notice that?” A challenging smirk crossed her face. „As far as I can remember, you were too busy plundering my mouth with your tongue every time we came here.”

Ethan leaned closer, sniffing at the intoxicating mix of vanilla, black raspberry and burgundy rose sprinkled on her silken skin. His mind took him back to the winter scenery of the park – he recalled the sweet taste of her chapstick and the way her hot tongue heated up his freezing lips. The corners of his mouth curled in a nostalgic grin and they both knew the reason.

„I notice everything, Tiffany. But you provided a very convincing argument, so let's assume you're right and this indeed is our bench.” He nuzzled the side of her neck, inhaling her scent – just because he could. Just to remind himself she was real.

„It is. And I'm always right.” She beamed triumphantly, her index finger wandered down his knee, drawing gentle lines and circles. His hand quickly found hers, lacing their fingers together.

„What you really are, Doctor Addams, is impossible.”

They smiled at each other fondly, hands squeezing tight. It could've been that bench, or the other one; neither of them knew for sure, as neither of them paid enough attention to the surroundings during their secret meetings.

„I'm going to miss sneaking off for lunch with you. This bench right here was like a time machine back to high school.”

Ethan's nose crinkled. „I can't relate to that. But obviously, I'm going to miss sneaking off with you, too.”

„Do you expect me to believe Ethan Ramsey has never taken any girl for a quick lunch date outside the school?” Tiffany's eyebrows rose in sheer amusement.

„Believe whatever you want. But no, I have never done that. I suppose I'm enacting that cliché teenage romance script with you.” Their eyes met in electrifying staredown, almost as wild as the unpredictable weather closing in on them.

Smirking roguishly, she used her thumb to wipe a raindrop off his forehead. „Oh, so better late than never is your motto now?”

„Don't act surprised.” He scoffed.

„I wouldn't say I'm surprised. I actually enjoy being your first.”

Ethan's arm slid behind her back, pulling her into a comforting embrace. Tiffany hummed with satisfaction, leaning into his touch, her lips pressed to his neck in a lingering kiss. Another few droplets hit their skin, but they didn't seem to care. The blissful quiet reigned in contrast to their mounting concerns and the stormy sky.

Hesitantly, Ethan decided to finally bring up the subject that drew him into the park. „I thought you were excited about the farewell night out with your friends.”

„Only about the friends part. But I just...” She trailed off, biting her lip nervously. „Don't feel cheerful enough, I'd be a downer.”

„What changed your mood?”

Tiffany remained silent for a minute, weighing her options.

„Why did this pleasant rendezvous under the gloomy sky suddenly turn into an intervention?” She sneered, glancing up. „Speaking of the sky...We should probably get going, the rain's about to lash down.”

She broke the embrace, trying to get up, but Ethan's firm grip kept her in place.

„I assure you, it's not an intervention. Why are you avoiding my question?”

„I simply don't want to burden you with my concerns.” She averted her gaze, dreading what was coming next, wishing the time would stop. The gentle brush of his fingers against her cheek didn't help much.

„Burden me.” He insisted. „I want to know.”

The intensity of his stare overwhelmed her – the dark ocean in his eyes mirrored the threatening rainstorm and she was ready to sink into them completely. A bubble of panic rose in her throat, leaving her no choice but to summon the rest of her courage. She swallowed loud, holding his gaze.

„What are we, Ethan?”

The question hit him like a slap in the face. „What do you mean?”

A bittersweet smile flickered across her features. „Know that I respect your feelings immensely. I agreed on the slow pace of our relationship. But I still don't know where do we stand and it's been slowly killing me these past final days. Where are we going? Our conversation back at Edenbrook made me realize I don't even know your plans.”

„Tiffany...”

„Am I even included in your future?” She was calm, but her voice barely held in the air split by the wind.

„Of course you are included.” He blurted out, offended by the mere thought, frowning heavily. „You're a vital part of my future.”

„It sure doesn't feel like it.”

They never actually talked about their relationship. Everything sort of...Happened. As much as they enjoyed each other's company, defined by pure affection in their every look and gesture, their world was about to turn upside down. It was the time. They had to put a label on it.

Rising horror stirred Ethan's blood, but he put a brave face on and met the challenge waiting for him in the depths of her emerald eyes.

„The reason why I didn't share my plans with you is because I really don't have any.”

The brevity of his answer got on her wick. „Care to elaborate?”

„I've received a generous number of offers from different hospitals and clinics spread all over the country. I've already told you none of those options seem a right fit for me and I'm not completely convinced what is.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, pausing for a second, as if he was trying to analyze that train of thoughts himself. „But the main reason why I haven't planned anything yet is because I don't want you to sabotage your career for me.”

Watching her expression fall into pure shock, he drew a sharp breath and continued gallantly. „We both know you would mindlessly take any offer close to mine, even if it meant choosing the least promising path. I don't want you to make that sacrifice. I meant what I said before – you're gonna make a hell of a doctor. You have to choose your career path wisely and use your incredible potential in the best way possible.”

„I'm not sure I follow.” She did follow quite well, despite the inability to form the mess in her mind into a coherent sentence.

„As your mentor, I strongly advise you to chase your goals. As your partner, I want you to thrive. I know it's against your nature, but...Be selfish, even if it's just this once.”

Tiffany barely registered that soft smile matching his words and his fingers playing with a few disobedient strands of her hair.

„You have your whole career to build. I found myself at a crossroads, not knowing which way to follow.” The sight of her glossy eyes made his stomach churn, but he wouldn't let it break his voice. „That's why I've decided to wait until you make a move and get recruited. Then, I will make mine and take the offer closest to your new workplace.”

„Even if it meant moving all the way to California?”

„Especially then.”

Tiffany blinked furiously. „Have you...Lost your mind?”

„Perhaps, yes.” He chuckled loudly in response, feeling a surge of confidence taking over. Even though it seemed like he'd lost his sanity, he'd never felt more alive.

She pondered long, eyeing Ethan's face as she chewed on her bottom lip. „That is...I don't know what to say.”

„You don't have to say anything. Unless...You don't want me to follow you.”

„Ethan, of course I want you by my side.” Her hand instinctively reached for his, just when the drizzle arrived and they both got up from the bench, their hands still joined and eyes locked. „It's just...Are you sure you've thought this through? Is this what you want?”

„It's not exactly how I imagined things to go down, but yes, I'm damned sure.” A little smile crept across his mouth, promising his genuine intentions. „I may not be entirely ready to finish that chapter of my life, but...I feel ready to start another with you.”

„What are you trying to say?”

„What I'm trying to say, Tiffany, is that...” He took a deep breath, pulling her close. His grip on her tiny hands tightened, as if he was using her to keep himself steady.

They looked each other in the eye, both anxious and excited, completely ignoring the rain pouring down harder and harder. It was warm and surprisingly pleasant, but stood no comparison to the warmth exploding in their hearts.

Every step of their way led them to this very moment. Every decision, every mistake, every action and every word. It was inevitable.

Tiffany was never a part of his plan, yet there she was – filling all the gaps he'd been trying to fill for years, complementing his life like the missing piece of the puzzle. The final mystery resolved.

„...I'm in love with you.”

He loved that big heart of hers. He loved her mind. He loved her quirks and flaws, with her sassiness, brave stubborness and infuriating infallibility challenging him. He loved her from head to toes – every curve, scar, stretchmark and mole. He loved her love, the way she supported him with every single beat of her heart.

He loved Tiffany Addams, and he was finally ready to candidly admit his devotion to her.

The ocean of tears flowing down her cheeks blended with the rain and she couldn't be more thankful for not putting any makeup on.

„But you didn't believe in love.” She sobbed, beaming from ear to ear. „You rejected the concept.”

„I found myself convinced otherwise. I love you, Tiffany.” He felt her tremble at the tenderness in his tone. „I hope that clarifies everything.”

She laughed heartily, cupping his face and pulling him into a crushing hug, feeling as light as air. „I admit, you're quite convincing. But they say that third time's a charm. You've got one more shot, sir.”

„Fine. I love you.” He punctuated every word with a chaste kiss, tasting the rain mixed with tears and Tiffany's strawberry lip gloss.

His forehead rested against hers, while her fingers traced across his jaw as she whispered the confession she'd been keeping to herself for too long. „I love you too, Ethan. I have always loved you.”

The rain kept on beating down, drenching their clothes. But they didn't dare to move, wrapped in each other's arms, gazing longingly at one another. Their thundering heartbeats pounded in sync, pulling them even closer to let that sensation vibrate on their skin.

It could've been a second or an hour, yet it felt like eternity before their lips melted together in a passionate kiss. The earth shattered again, much like on the day they met. This time, however, death wasn't invited. Instead, there was the howling music of the wind accompanied by a wave of pure unadulterated happiness. And gentle smiles. And soft eyes. And love. There was so much love it was disgusting.

Coming back to planet Earth, Ethan broke the kiss. „If you need more proof, we're standing in the middle of the park, kissing in the rain.”

„Yikes, this must be a torture for you.” She pecked on his wet cheek, moving her lips slowly across his beard.

„You have no idea.” He tilted her chin up, capturing her mouth with hungry urgency again.

„I think we'll survive.” She gasped in between kisses.

„We most certainly will.”

The unpredictability of their future suddenly felt irrelevant. A whirlwind of their emotions slowly washed away with the rain, leaving their hearts at ease.

There was no tomorrow for them – they still had today.

____

A/N: I’m honestly so done with plot holes and inconsistency in OH2, I had to write my own narrative to all the lines in between. My canon screams relationship and character development, even during those trying times at Edenbrook.

Not sure if I did this justice, but honestly? That’s just the concept my mind would like to live through. It’s definitely pointless and self-indulgent, but I just felt the need to share this little rewrite.

Ok, I’m going back to my hiatus cave. Stay safe!

Taglist: posted separately

I didn’t double check, I’m in a hurry, sorry for any mistakes and typos!

[calm-and-wine]

(I’d be) everything you need

hello beautiful people - here is a little fun story written for the @1dffchallenges​ quarantine challenge.

huge thank you to @booksncoffee​​ for another stunning banner and to @yourpolaroid07 (i have no idea why i can’t tag you) for being the greatest gem and reading over it for me and correcting all my stupid mistakes.

so, here it is, hope it will make you smile because i sure did have a lot of fun writing this. if you like it, please come talk to me

(I’d be) everything you need

(Niall’s texts are in bold, Katie’s are in italics)

 “Mum, I swear I’ll be fine. I’ll place an order and just get some takeaway tonight.” Katie assured, having had this discussion pretty much every time they spoke over the last few days.

 “Bug, you have no idea how long an order is processed right now. It can take up to a week, if not longer. You can’t order all your meals,” her mum reasoned.

 “Well, what do you want me to do?” she huffed irritated. Sure, she knew her mum had the best intentions and was probably worried, but she had just gotten off the flight. It was an especially cold and windy night in England and all she wanted was to get into her bed. Even the perspective of having to spend the next two weeks locked up in her flat, didn’t make her crave home any less.

 “Just call Niall. I’m sure he’d be happy to help.”

Katie rolled her eyes, glad her mother couldn’t see her. She mentioned asking Niall for help before Katie even left the country. But she did not want to contact Niall. Her and Niall weren’t exactly friends. Sure, they’ve known each other for years, but Niall Horan was Josh’s friend, not hers. Did she have a crush on her older brother’s best friend? Well, that was a whole other story and not the point at all.

 She hadn’t even seen Niall in forever. The last time they were both back home was over a year ago. And now she was just supposed to call him up and ask for help? Katie did not like asking for help, having to rely on others, owe any favours. Especially from people who weren’t her family. Or family-like.

 “Okay, mum, I’m getting into the cab. Have a good night, yeah?” she said, partly because she did indeed hail a taxi, but mostly because she didn’t want to go in circles in this conversation, they’ve been over it already. Sure, Katie didn’t really have anyone close enough to rely on at times like these, she had a few colleagues, but those were mates to go to a pub with once a month or have a small chat in the break room, not burden them with groceries, because of the mandatory quarantine upon her return.

 Her mum sighed, knowing she couldn’t make her daughter do anything. “You too, sweetie. Keep in touch, please. Let me know if anything is wrong,” she said, the worry evident in her voice.

 “Of course, love you,” Katie replied, her irritation dissolving slightly. There wasn’t a doubt in her head that her mum’s heart was in the right place, but she hated when people worried about her like that, some part of her always felt guilty for making them feel that way.

  1st day of quarantine

 “Hello?” Katie answered her ringing phone, curious about who it might be. It was usual for her to get unknown calls on her work phone, but not her private one.

 “Kitty Kat!” She didn’t even have to ask to know who was on the other side of the line, not only the booming happy voice was familiar, but there was only one person who called her that. And even though she spent years telling him that the nickname was awful, after not hearing it for so long, it made her smile.

 “Hello Niall,” she said, setting her laptop down on the coffee table and focusing on the call.

 “Heard you need some help. I did hesitate to accept though, because I was quite hurt it was Josh calling me and not you.” He sounded exactly how she remembered, his voice laced with a joking undertone, his usual easygoing attitude seeping through.

 “I… I’m fine, really.” Katie was gonna kill her brother. Maybe he wanted to help, but he made her look incompetent to take care of herself, which she did not appreciate.

 “Oh, so you’re not stuck at home for the next two weeks with an empty fridge?” She didn’t even have to see Niall to know he just raised a brow in mock surprise. She could just tell from his tone. But she did wonder what he looked like now. Whether his hair was still natural brown instead of the blonde he used to dye it. Whether his shoulders were even wider than the last time she had seen him. Whether he still had a very small belly from all the beer he had been drinking or maybe he had abs now.

 “Umm.. No, I have some leftover takeaway from last night,” she assured, just slightly embarrassed.

 He sighed. “Look, it’s no problem, I promise. Just text me the list, I have a few hours before work anyway.”

 Katie hesitated for a moment, but no matter how much she hated admitting it, she really did need help. “Okay, thank you.”

 “Oh and text me your address, too. How does your brother not know where you live?” He sounded surprised, which she understood, considering she had a pretty good relationship with Josh.

 She chuckled. “Because he’s a little prick who hasn’t visited me yet. And surprisingly enough, he never orders me any gifts.”

 Niall snickered. “He’s twice your height, I think that’s barely ‘little’. And he’s older.”

 “Heeeey, he’s not that much taller than me!” She whined offended, even though he was.

 He let out a laugh, a true belly laugh, one she hadn’t heard in years actually. But she’d know that laugh anytime anywhere, he just had one of those special ones. “Sure, sure. And he’s not even that tall either, you’re just tiny.”

 “No, I’m not!” She disagreed, although she definitely didn’t count to the tall part of the population. But she was not that short.

 “That’s okay, you’re cute.” His words made Katie blush. She was sure he thought nothing of them, the words slipping easily off his tongue, like he didn’t even have to think about them. “Oh and don’t do that thing when you’ll try and buy everything for the next two weeks, I really don’t mind doing a few more grocery runs for you. Wouldn’t want you to get sick from unfresh foods.”

 She licked her lips to keep from smiling, because of how thoughtful he was. “Thank you.”

 “Okay, I’m hanging up then, it’s good to talk to you again, Kitty Kat.” The whole conversation made her heart beat a teeny tiny bit faster, the warmth of hearing a familiar voice and Niall being so nice, flowing through her entire body.

 “You too, Niall. And thank you, I’ll send the list in a minute.”

 So she did, trying to keep it as basic as possible, only the actual necessary products. Her intercom rang a mere hour later. She buzzed Niall in and waited behind closed doors, having to restrain herself from observing him through the peephole. He knocked on her door softly to let her know he was leaving the bags. She waited a few seconds, giving him time to leave safely, after all the whole point of this was avoiding interactions with other people. She brought the bags inside and pretty much sprinted to the window, hoping he hadn’t left yet. She was lucky enough to have a window going out onto the entrance of the building.

 It was a few seconds before Niall appeared outside. Katie didn’t have a clear view of him, especially not his face, but she noticed his hair was darker, long gone was the blonde he used to dye it into. He seemed taller, though that was pretty unlikely. More muscular. He looked grown up. Seeing him like this, after quite some time, she felt a slight flutter in her stomach. It made her excited. And Katie wondered whether he thought about her like that, imagining what she looked like now, whether she changed, what hairstyle was she wearing, whether she gained weight or slimmed down, what kind of makeup did she like now. Was he excited to find out?

 She didn’t like admitting it, but truth be told, she always had a little crush on Niall Horan. And Katie hated it, because it was such a cliche, liking your older brother’s best friend. But she did. Niall was funny and kind. He loved bickering with her, but it wasn’t like her brother’s teasing, it made her feel special. He had a nickname just for her. Kitty Kat came to be because Josh liked calling her Kate, knowing she hated it, it not being her actual name. But Niall’s nickname didn’t make her irritated, no matter how much she pretended it did. It made her warm inside, like she was important enough to be referred to in an individual way.

 But she had to stop thinking those thoughts Niall was helping her because he had a good heart. And because he was a family friend. That was it. He did not have a special place in his heart for her, no matter how much she imagined he maybe did in the past.

 She moved from the window a few minutes after he disappeared and went to unpack the groceries. She was irritated there was no receipt, Niall was supposed to let her know how much she owed him, having refused when she offered to transfer some money beforehand. But there was another piece of paper. A post-it note stuck to the carton of eggs.

 please let me know as soon as you need anything else. i’ll be doing some shopping for myself later in the week, so it’s no problem. happy to help, N xx

 She refused to dwell on the xs. But the note as a whole was very sweet. In fact, Katie may or may not have put it on her fridge.

  5th day of quarantine

 Katie was trying to work through the splitting headache, but it was not going well. The last three days, she felt like the headache and burning eyes were her only constant companions. Other than that, she was feeling okay. No cough, no temperature, nothing. It was just because she was staring at the screen all day (and some nights), working and working, crunching numbers, filling and checking spreadsheets. Her eye actually started twitching yesterday, which wasn’t a good sign. Unfortunately, she ran out of ibuprofen. And magnesium. She was quite desperate, the pain making it near impossible to focus on anything.

 So eventually, she gave in, sending a text to Niall.

 very sorry to be a bother, but could you maybe possibly go to the pharmacy for me?

 She did not expect her phone to start ringing just a second after. Since that first day, Niall hadn’t called her. He checked in on her a few times (almost every day, sometimes just sending her memes or funny things that happened to him, instead of starting the conversation with “are you alright?”), but it was always through texts. But now he was calling her and she was so shocked, it must have been at least a fourth ring when she answered.

 “Hiya, sorry, it’s okay if -” she started.

 He didn’t let her finish though, rushing out his questions, sounding a little bit worried. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright?”

 “Yeah, I’m okay, just ran out of ibuprofen,” she explained.

 “Do you have any symptoms?” he asked, not entirely convinced.

 “No, no, it’s not that,” she assured. “Just a splitting headache from too much work and computer time. And also a magnesium deficiency, probably.”

 “Are you sure?” he asked again, but this time his voice was much calmer, almost back to normal.

 “Yes, I’ve been drinking a shit ton of coffee everyday to even attempt to keep up with my work and I’m just a bit wiped out.”

 “Okay, I can’t really go out right now, I’m at work, but -”

 This time Katie was the one who cut him off. “Oh, it’s fine, really.”

 “BUT,” he continued despite the interruption, his voice a bit more stern, “I just texted my roommate, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

 If only he could see her now, he would notice a look of horror that crossed her face. “No, Niall, I don’t want to bother anyone.”

 “Oh stop, he’s a nice guy and he can leave his work for half an hour. He owed me a favour anyway.” Niall made it seem like the most trivial thing and she really did need the medicine, so she gave up fighting.

 “Well, be sure to thank him for me,” she said instead. “Buy him a nice beer.”

 He chuckled. “Okay, I will. But you’re really okay? You’d tell me if you were getting sick, right?”

 “Well, it’s not like you could come take care of me anyway.” She meant it as a joke, expecting Niall to let out another of his signature chuckles, but he did quite the opposite, sounding a bit exasperated.

 “Why not?”

 “I can’t exactly see people at the moment, remember?” She said gently, not really sure about his mood.

 Niall huffed. “Do you really think I’d care about that? Just let you be alone if you were sick?”

 She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. All she wanted to ask was ‘why wouldn’t you’, but she bit her lip, too afraid, not wanting to make things weird just because she probably thought a bit too much about his words.

 Katie took a breath before speaking, trying to sound lighthearted. “Well, it’s good I’m not sick, so you don’t have to risk your own health.”

 “You’d let me know though, right?” He persisted.

 “Yeah, I would.” She wanted to add another joke saying she’d need someone to get her medicine, but the mood was not light and funny, the atmosphere suddenly very thick.

 “Alright, good.” It seemed like he finally exhaled after getting his answer. “Well, I have to go back to work, I’ll text you when Pete brings the meds.”

 “Okay. Thank you,” was all Katie could muster out through her fighting thoughts.

 ~~

 how’s the headache?

 completely gone, thanks to your brilliant roommate

 heeeey i’m the one who sent him on that quest!

 hahahaha

 i know

 thank you, again

 damn, i never thought i’d be saying so many thank yous to niall horan

 can’t say i’m complaining

 but on a more serious note, do you like pop quizzes?

 hmmm yeah? i think i only did pub quiz like once or twice, but it was fun

 why?

 me and a few mates are doing one tomorrow, you should join

 how bad is your memory? i can’t go to the pub

 who’s talking about a pub?

 we’re doing it on zoom

 oh

 it’s still staring at the screen, but it’s not work and it seems like you need some fun

 yeah, i guess i kinda do. thank you, but i don’t want to impose

 you won’t, i just invited you

 still…

 it’s just a few mates, i promise it’s all good. i actually already told them you’re joining

and they hate being blown off

 oh yeah, no pressure

 haha no but seriously, if you don’t want to that’s fine, but i think you’ll enjoy it

 okay. thank you. you’ll send me the details?

 of course

 should i prepare anything?

 nope, just yourself. and your brilliant mind

 we’re switching, someone else preparing questions everytime, so you have to wait your turn

 The mention of her becoming a part of their regular quiz made her stomach flutter slightly. She dared having this little hope of actually becoming friends with Niall, or rather maintaining some form of contact, but this was still unexpected. But also very nice to know he kind of wanted that too.

  6th day of quarantine

 When Katie’s phone started ringing and she noticed her brother’s face lighting up the screen, she smiled. The last time they had spoken was when she called to give him a piece of mind for calling Niall for her, but she actually loved and appreciated her brother very much. Maybe they weren’t the absolute closest, but they had a good relationship. There was this knowledge deep down that they’d jump through fire for the other, if need be.

 “Hiya,” she answered, wrapping up the email she was writing (she might or might not be getting some work done on a Saturday).

 “Why is Niall calling me asking about your favourite alcohol?” Josh asked right away, no hello needed. He sounded very curious, loving to pry into her life a bit.

 Katie laughed, having received a text from Niall informing her of a package waiting outside her door, which turned out to be three bottles of wine and a note saying quizzes are no fun without booze.

 “What can I say, he takes good care of my needs,” she replied, half-jokingly.

 “I told him it’s whiskey,” her brother informed, very much knowing she did not like whiskey. The only drink she was able to swallow was whiskey sour, but it was definitely not her favourite.

 “Wow, thanks for that, Jojo,” she said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

 He whined at the nickname he hated, but had to endure since they were kids.

 “He did call bullshit though and asked about wine. So I told him red, naturally.” Just by his tone, she could say he had a shit-eating grin on his face, very proud of himself.

 Katie furrowed her brows. All three bottles that were sitting in her fridge currently were white. Either Niall knew her brother well enough to catch the lies, which he probably did after years of friendship, or he somehow knew her.

 “You’re a dick,” she laughed.

 “That’s what older brothers are for, Kate. But in a serious matter, I hope you’re not getting too buddy-buddy, I couldn’t stand you two ganging up on me.”

 She bit her lip, deciding it was probably best to not mention her plans for tonight. It wasn’t a big deal anyway, Niall was just a nice guy, who was probably feeling sorry for her, because she had no friends here and was sitting alone for days, spending most of her time working.

 “Oh we’re gonna be best friends in no time, you should be very scared.”

 ~~

 Katie was nervous. In fact, she was nervous about a number of things. First of all, the quiz with Niall’s friends. She didn’t know any of those people and she was scared of making a fool of herself. Secondly, she was about to skype with Niall. He offered to have a little chat before the quiz, so he could introduce the group a little, explain who’s who and all that. But it was going to be the first time she’d truly see him and he, her. Well, through the screen of course, but still.

 And now she was worrying she might have gone a little overboard with her look. It was nice to have a reason to dress up in something fancier than leggings and an oversized sweater, to even put some makeup on. But, because it was the first time Niall will see her in quite a bit (especially up close), she made an actual effort. (But she didn’t care about that, she was not wondering whether he’ll even pay attention to her looks, not at all).

 When the music she was playing suddenly cut off, replaced with the ringtone of an incoming skype call, her throat instantly dried up. She took a sip of her wine before answering, her laptop screen taken over by Niall’s smiling face, literally brightening it up.

 He was wearing a button down, it wasn’t necessarily an elegant one, but still a nice one, his hair looked styled, like he actually took the time to tame it. It seemed like he made sure to look good, like he cared. And it excited her because maybe, just maybe, he wanted to look good for her too. Or maybe he liked someone from his friend group and was dressing up for them.

 “I see you’re putting the wine to good use. Did I pick a good one?” he asked, taking a sip of his beer, a proud grin on his face.

 Katie smiled, her nerves slightly easing. No matter how much he might have changed and grown, he was still familiar.

 “Yes, thank you. Although I am a bit worried what kind of idea you have of me based on the amount of bottles you got me,” she joked, taking another sip.

 He let out a booming laugh, one that made something in her flutter. “Nah, there’s just never enough wine,” he shrugged. “Although personally I'm more of a beer guy. But you have over a week more of quarantine, you may need it.”

 “I heard you sought some guidance from my brother,” she inquired with a raised brow, sly grin taking over her features.

 Niall grunted, covering his face in embarrassment. To her, it was incredibly cute that he went to so much trouble just to get her something she liked. “Did he really sell me out? What an asshole.”

 “Yup,” she replied, actually proud of her brother for telling her. “But, surprisingly enough, you didn’t buy red wine. Nor whiskey, thankfully.”

 “Yeah, I figured he was lying, I remember how much you both loved teasing each other,” he chuckled just at the memory of many fights and banters. “Apparently, still can’t let the opportunity pass.”

 “Oh, never,” she laughed along with him. “Okay, talk to me about your friends. What should I expect?”

 “Wait, before we get to that, why do you actually need to quarantine? Were you on some crazy vacations?” he asked the question that’s been on his mind ever since his roommate asked him about it.

 “Oh. Well, not really, I was visiting Frankie, that’s my best friend from uni. She lives in Brussels now. I was thinking of cancelling, but we spent most of the time just staying in or being really careful, you know, not taking any unnecessary risks, so I guess the worst part was the flight.” She shrugged, constantly wishing her two best friends weren’t scattered around the world.

 “I see,” he nodded in understanding. “Had a good time, then?”

 “Oh yeah, very! Haven’t seen her in forever. Really needed that as well. I, um…,” she tucked her hair behind her ear timidly, looking down for a second. “I don’t have many friends here, really. As you might have noticed,” she chuckled nervously.

 “Finding it hard to meet people?” he asked with furrowed brows, but didn’t even wait for a response, another question coming to his mind. “Actually, how long have you lived here? I think the last I’d heard, you were in Chicago?”

 “Seattle,” she corrected. “Yeah, I left like 7 months ago. I got offered a transfer here and a little promotion, I guess, a chance to prove myself, which was an amazing opportunity. I had to go to San Francisco for 4 weeks of training, before coming here though.” She explained, hoping he wouldn’t dig deeper on the subject, because it was not a conversation she wanted to have with him right now.

 “That sounds amazing, congrats,” he said simply and she exhaled in relief.

 “Thanks,” she chuckled. “But yeah, so I’ve been here a while, but haven’t really made friends yet.”

 “I guess working from home is not really helpful, huh?” he observed.

 “No, it definitely isn’t.”

 “Well, I’m always around if you want to hang out. Or go out once this whole pandemic calms down,” he proposed and she smiled appreciatively. “Okay, let’s give you some dirt on my mates, then.”

 ~~

 The quiz was actually very fun. Katie hadn’t laughed that much in a bit, it would be a very long time if she hadn’t counted her time in Belgium. She met six of Niall’s friends, two of them were friends from work, plus a girlfriend of one of them, one was a friend from his little soccer team and the last two were friends from uni, who were also a couple. Everyone was incredibly nice, making sure she felt welcomed and included, going as far as explaining most of their inside jokes.

 They had this tradition of one question dedicated to each person taking part, so they gave Katie a minute to come up with her own question about herself, since they didn’t know her well enough. She panicked a bit, her mind going blank, so she went with what came to her mind first, which was who she went to prom with, the answers being her ex that she broke up with a week before, her best friend or alone. Surprisingly, no one got it right, not even Niall.

 “Did you really go to prom with your ex?” he asked, when they talked right after the quiz. It just so happened that they ended up being the only two left on the call, everyone else disconnecting as soon as they were finished.

 “Yup,” she laughed, filling up her wine glass. They were both pretty tipsy already, on their path to drunk. “But we were friendly! You know, we were just going to different unis and stuff, it just wasn’t that serious. And everyone else was already taken!”

 “Well, you could have always asked me,” he said, shrugging nonchalantly.

 “Are you kidding? You used to tease me about it whenever I saw you my senior year!”

 He did, whenever he came home from uni (which was a lot during his first year) and saw her, always asking whether she had a hot date yet.

 “Yeah, ‘cause I wanted to take you!” Niall exclaimed.

 “What? Now that’s just lies,” she chuckled incredulously.

“Absolutely not, I had a little crush on you.”  Niall’s eyes were focused on his fingers picking at the beer bottle label.

 “No, you didn’t,” she shook her head, although her mind went straight back to the question about him in the quiz - who was his first crush. The answer choices were his teacher, his friend’s mum or his friend’s sister. As soon as it was asked, he whined, a blush flushing his cheeks. But when it was announced that the correct answer was his friend’s sister, she was pretty sure his eyes were trained on her, like he wanted to see her reaction. As much as a rational part of her brain didn’t want to misinterpret the whole situation and get false hope, she did wonder if there was a possibility that it might have been her.

 “Excuse me, I think I know my feelings better, thank you very much,” he said, pretending to be offended. “I just hid it well. Maybe too well.” Niall added the last part as an afterthought, quietly, but not enough for her to miss it.

 Maybe it was the wine, or maybe just Niall’s (virtual) presence that had her feeling brave, like he made her giddily nervous, but also brought a sense of safety and calm. Whatever it was, she was feeling brave enough to say, “funny, I had a crush on you, too. What a cliche, huh?”

 He scrunched his brows in confusion. “How so?”

 She shrugged, little half-smile on her face. “Liking your brother’s best friend.”

 “More cliche than liking your best friend’s little sister?” He inquired, before taking a gulp of beer.

 She laughed, her mind a bit too fuzzy to comprehend that they just admitted to liking each other. Once upon a time, at least. “I guess we’re just a pair of walking cliches.” Katie quirked as she hid  her timid smile behind her wine glass.

  10th day of quarantine

 Katie was fucked, there was no other way to put it. She was usually so good with planning and thinking ahead, always trying to be prepared, but at the most unfortunate time, it slipped her mind. She forgot her period was coming, or rather she forgot she was running out of tampons. And now she was stuck in her apartment, pondering if the possible fee for violating the quarantine is worth saving her from the massive embarrassment. Even though she was actually too responsible to go out now.

 If Niall was a good friend, she wouldn’t have that much of a problem asking him for it. She would have no problem asking him if he was a woman. And she would definitely have less of a problem, if she didn’t like him.

 But, no matter what, she had a problem and he was pretty much the only person she could count on to help her right now. So she swallowed her pride, pulled all of her courage and rang Niall, because she felt like, no matter how embarrassing, the situation required a proper call, not a text.

 He answered on the second ring. “Hey, everything good? You’re not dying, are ya?” His words were joking, but his voice had a serious undertone, he even sounded a little worried.

 “A bit,” she chuckled nervously, “but not because of the obvious. You’re not going to the shop today by any chance?”

 “What do you need?” he asked, instead of answering her question.

 “Well, this will be awkward, but…” Katie started, but hesitated for a second, biting her lip.

 “Hit me,” he encouraged.

 “I got my period and I forgot I have like one tampon left.” Even though she obviously couldn’t see him, she closed her eyes, like her shame burned them, spitting out the words as fast as possible.

 “Oh,” he let out a little sound of surprise, clearing his throat right after to mask it. “Alright, just send me which ones you want and I’ll get them.”

 “I hate being a burden.”

 “Stop it, you’re not a burden,” he reassured right away. “I was actually going to the shop anyway, need a few things. Just text me, so I don’t forget and add whatever else you want, yeah?”

 Niall’s words made her smile, she wasn’t sure if he really was going shopping, or just said it to make her feel better, but she just appreciated his reaction, not making a big deal out of it, just accepting her ask and thinking nothing more of it. She knew a lot of guys who would be so lost hearing that kind of request, but Niall was nothing if not alright. And that was just another great quality of his that she needed to add to the list in her mind that was growing scarily quick.

 “Okay, thank you. You’re saving my life, kinda.”

 “Mmm, I’m sure we’ll figure out a way for you to pay me back, no worries,” he laughed, before ending the call.

 An hour later, Katie got the text to pick up the bag from her door. There was no sign of Niall, as usual, but there was a bag with not only the tampons she asked for, but also with two different types of pads, a bag of chips, frozen pizza, some fresh fruits, four different chocolate bars and cookies n cream ice cream. There was also another note inside.

 thought some of those might help make you feel better, N xx

 And there he was with the xs again. It was probably just the way he signed everything. Either way, the care package was incredibly thoughtful, so Katie picked up her phone to text him.

 was not expecting a package like that. that’s a lot of stuff. but thank you, that’s very sweet

 just wasn’t sure what you like. El always ate pretty much sweets only, while Lil loved stuffing herself with salty snacks and fast foods

 Elaine and Liliana were his older sisters, Lil was married and with a child on the way, five years older than Niall, while Elaine was just two years older than him. Maybe that was the reason why he had no problem helping her today, having grown up with sisters always made guys act a bit different, or at least that’s what her mum always said.

 wasn’t sure about the ice cream flavour though, so played it a bit safe

 cookies and creams is a good one

 what’s your favourite?

 pistachio

 okay, noted

 Katie couldn’t explain why, but even little comments like that made her heart beat just a tiny bit faster. It wasn’t just because he was attentive to details, but it was like he wanted to know more about her, to soak every piece of information in. And then there were comments like that, the kind that made her think about the future, not just the immediate one right after her quarantine, but the actual future. Will they just stay friendly? Become best friends? Or will one of them be brave enough to make the first step into more? Katie didn’t know if there was more in the cards. When it came to her, it wasn’t just that stupid crush from her youth that came back. The feelings grew and were constantly growing, as she got to know more and more of Niall. But she didn’t know how he was feeling. Maybe there were signs, but she was never that great at reading them. Time will tell if one of them will pluck the courage to take that leap of faith, or if she just misread the situations. A part of her was very anxious about it, but another part was excited. And all of her was hopeful.

  12th day of quarantine

 “Catch me up on your life. I feel like the last time I really knew what was happening with you was high school,” Niall inquired, folding his hands to rest his chin on top. He looked adorable like this.

 It was a Friday night and they were skyping. Just the two of them, having drinks over video call. As it turns out, they do their pop quiz every other week and so he asked her if she wanted to hang out with him to survive her last days of solitude.

 “Oh, you think you knew what was going on in my life back then?” Katie chuckled, a sly grin on her face.

 “Well, I was in your house like every other day,” he reasoned.

 “Please, even I didn’t know what was happening in my life at that time.” She joked, because, if she was being honest, high school was a mess.

 He laughed. “Yeah, okay, point taken. But still, how was uni for you? How did you end up at the company you’re working for now?”

 “Uni was fun. Stressful, most of the time, but I have some good memories. And the company was just a fluke,” she shrugged, taking a sip of her wine, the last bottle of the three Niall bought her last week.

 “Was it hard leaving Seattle behind?” he asked.

 “Um..” she got embarrassed, nibbling on her bottom lip, clearly thinking over her answer. “Yes and no, I guess. I mean… I had a boyfriend,” she admitted, going into the story she didn’t like retelling, but actually didn’t mind that much right now. Not only because she trusted Niall, but because she was over that whole situation, even if it still brought up some unpleasant memories. “We had been together for about two years. And he didn’t want to move here with me. Like, didn’t even consider it. Just outright told me to reject the offer, basically. And most of our friends took his side. I guess they were mostly his friends to begin with, but it still stung. So yeah, it was hard, but there also really wasn’t much left for me there.” When she finished, she shrugged again, hoping to look quite unbothered, as it really was just a thing of the past. Katie took another sip of wine, while Niall looked at her with a look that she couldn’t decipher. But thankfully, it wasn’t pitiful.

 “Okay, first, I’m sorry,” he said after a second. “But second, that was such a dick move. I mean, it was a huge opportunity for you and he expected you to just give it up? Like an ultimatum? Not even ‘we can work it out’ or something?” He sounded genuinely surprised, even a little disgusted, which made Katie smile slightly, his reaction making her feel better.

 “It was more like ‘if you’re even considering taking it, then fuck you’, so yeah, pretty much,” she said, her words feeling much lighter than before.

 “Wow,” Niall chuckled humorlessly. “He really did not know how lucky he was to have you.”

 “Stoooop,” she said, her face growing hot.

 “No, I’m serious. I’d say good riddance to him.”

 “I kinda see it now too, to be honest,” she admitted, a faint smile on her lips. “It did make me realise how he didn’t really love me. Noticed a bunch of not great behaviours, actually. So hey, it’s all for the better.”

 “Oh for sure.”

 “What about you? Any tragic love story?” Katie asked, reaching for her glass.

 “Umm…” he took a big gulp of his beer, while she raised her brow, indicating it was her time to grill him. “Kinda the opposite of your story, actually,” Niall admitted.

 “You’re joking,” she gasped, her eyes growing wider.

 “Nope,” he shook his head, a half-smile on his lips. “I followed my girlfriend here. She got a great job, so I came with. It wasn’t far anyway, but yeah, she was the reason. I did say no to a proper job opportunity myself for that, actually. And then she dumped me four months later. Taking most of our mutual friends with her as well.”

 Katie was pretty much speechless. She did hear he had a girlfriend, they moved in together here, but she hadn’t heard when it ended and definitely not how. “Wow,” a shaky laugh escaped her lips. “Bad breakup?” she asked after a second.

 Niall licked his lips. “Not the worst, I mean, there wasn’t any cheating or anything, although she did get another boyfriend like two weeks later. But it did suck. We got a flat together and everything. I get that you can fall out of love with someone or whatever, but I did rearrange my life for her, so you know, if she was having doubts back then…” He let his voice linger. It’s been a while since he thought about her, even the last time they accidentally crossed paths a few months ago, he hadn’t really felt anything anymore.

 “She should have said it,” Katie finished his thought and he nodded.

 “Yeah. It felt a little out of the blue. But it’s been over a year now, so I’ve dealt with that. It was the most exciting story about my life, though. Other than that it’s just work, footie, pub quizzes and booze,” he chuckled, taking another gulp of his beer, as to prove his point.

 “A boring life is the best kind, though,” she noticed. “I think it’s so underrated. I’d take stability over drama anyday.”

 “Yes! Thank you!” Niall got excited, scooting a little closer and even pointing a finger at her through the screen. “That’s what I think too.”

 “Great minds think alike,” she laughed, moving her finger between them two.

 It was probably the most personal conversation she had ever had with Niall. And it felt good. Maybe not exactly because their stories were good, but because she felt like there was a certain level of understanding. He was such an easy person to talk to, no matter the subject. And this conversation, hearing his story, made her appreciate him even more, especially his character. Being willing to sacrifice himself for love was a big thing. She just hoped that he still had it in him, that the past didn’t make him close his heart off, but by his honesty and vulnerability, she didn’t think that was the case. And that really did make her happy.

 They were quiet for a moment, at first just kind of looking at each other with soft eyes, feeling somehow connected, even through a computer screen. But then Katie furrowed her brows before crossing her eyes, which made Niall also pull a face, before they both burst out laughing.

 “Well, I didn’t know the friends who took her side, but the ones you have now are pretty great,” she said, closing the subject. “Thanks for inviting me to the quiz last week, it was a lot of fun.”

 “Thank you for joining us. And you know you’re already invited to the next one.”

 Katie smiled, looking down for a second. When she raised her eyes again, Niall was giving her a weird look, like he couldn’t figure her out.

 “What?” she asked.

 He shrugged. “You say thank you too much.”

 She chuckled, “well, I was raised right.”

 “Yeah, but you don’t have to say it for everything. We’re actually just hoping you won’t blow us off when your quarantine is over,” he said.

 “You? Never,” she said, her words making matching grins appear on both their faces.

  1 day after quarantine

 To be honest, Katie didn’t know what she was doing. It was the first day of her freedom and she invited Niall for dinner. She was making a dish that was his favourite when they were younger, her mum used to always tell Josh to invite Niall around, when she was cooking it. She wanted to do something nice for him, to repay him for all the help. Another reason might have been the fact that she really wanted to see him. As nice as texting and skype was, she wanted to be face to face with him, hear his voice clearly, not slightly distorted by her laptop speakers. Maybe even touch him.

 To say she was nervous would be an understatement. She went crazy yesterday, cleaning the entire flat, then ironing half of her clothes, because she couldn’t decide on one outfit she might want to wear. She eventually settled on a casual black skirt, with a slightly sheer, emerald blouse. Her hair was pinned up a bit messily, while she still hadn’t decided if she’s gonna keep it that way or let it loose, or maybe tie it up… She put some makeup on, but didn’t want to overdo it. It was just a casual dinner with a childhood friend, after all.

 Just seconds after she turned off the stove, her doorbell rang. It was like the sound went to her heart instead of her ears, making it beat just a little bit faster, excited about the person waiting outside.

 Katie pulled off her apron quickly and went to welcome her guest, finally.

 “Hiya,” Niall said as soon as she pulled the door open. He squeezed in next to her, handing her a bottle of wine and taking off his jacket. “Oh my god, do I smell chilli?” he asked, turning to face her as soon as he hung it up.

 Katie smiled, just seeing him made her happy, but his words and the excited glint in his eyes made her even happier. “Yeah. I got my mum’s recipe, so hopefully it’ll be at least half as good as hers,” she shrugged innocently, trying to check him out as discreetly as possible.

 He looked good, the screen did him no justice and he looked good even then. In the flesh he looked more buff, definitely spent his lockdown working out. His hair looked softer and more fluffy and there was a slight stubble on his face. The simple t-shirt he was wearing clung beautifully to his bicep.

 “That recipe is like your family’s best kept secret,” he said, eyes wide.

 She laughed. “It’s really not, my mum just didn’t want yours to have it, because she loved you coming over and praising her.”

 “Oh and you’re hoping for that same praise, aren’t you?” Niall asked, with a raised brow.

 She chuckled again, shrugging her shoulder like she didn’t even know what he was talking about. And then he took a step closer and wrapped her in a hug.

 “It’s good to finally see you properly. You look beautiful,” he said so close to her ear, she could feel his breath on her neck, raising goosebumps on its way.

 It only took her a second to settle into the hug, her arms around his waist, her face nuzzled into his neck, breathing in the mixture of freshly washed clothes and his cologne. The thing was, Niall was an amazing hugger. She knew it before, but now that he was slightly bigger, he was even better. And he smelt amazing. Katie had to force herself to pull away before it became an awkwardly long embrace.

 “You look good as well, it’s nice to actually hang out.”

 “Thanks for inviting me.”

 “Thanks for all the help. Come on, I just turned the stove off, so we should eat while it’s hot.”

 She gestured for him to go first into the kitchen, creating herself an opportunity to unashamedly look at his ass, which looked pretty good in his dark grey trousers.

 Katie had been stressing all day if they’d have something to talk about. They had skyped twice and texted throughout most days, they were about to run out of topics to discuss at some point, right?

 Well, apparently not anytime soon. They spent the whole meal talking between bites, Niall pretty much moaning at the first taste of chilli, which made Katie laugh unattractively, covering her mouth in an attempt to keep the food from spilling out. But the conversation just flowed so naturally between them. They actually sat at the table, in front of empty plates for almost an hour, just chatting, before they ran out of wine which eventually prompted them to move. They cleared the plates, opened another bottle of wine, this time the white one Niall had brought, and moved to the sofa.

 “Can I ask you something?” Niall asked, waiting a second after they settled, while she was quickly responding to a text from her mum.

 “Sure,” she said, putting her phone down and twisting her body towards him, one leg bent on the couch.

 He looked down for a second, then licked his lips, before meeting her eyes again carefully. “Is this a date?”

 “Well…” She bit her lip. “It was meant as a thank you, but I guess…” She hesitated for a second, but then saw a small flash of light in his eyes, which gave her that little bit of courage she needed. “It could be. If you want it to be.”

 “See, that’s a tricky question,” he said with a grin, which made Katie raise her brows in question. “Because yes, I would very much like to be dating you, but it’s also weird not being the one organising the date, especially the first one. I just showed up, while you planned the whole thing.”

 She laughed, her heart feeling instantly lighter, looking at him with admiration. “You can always take a lead with the second one.”

 “Deal.”

 He brushed the hair that escaped her updo out of her face, putting it behind her ear. Katie was pretty sure he was about to kiss her, but she didn’t want to wait a second longer, his earlier words giving her enough courage to lean in and be the one to initiate the kiss.

 He tasted like wine and chilli, probably exactly the same way she did, but somehow the kiss was sweet, their mouths finding their rhythm easily, almost like they were meant to work together.

 When they parted, she let out a soft laugh. One of disbelief. And happiness. She just kissed Niall. And now she had a bunch of butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

 “What are you laughing about? Was it that terrible?” he asked, his voice a little bit panicked.

 “No, god no, it was great,” Katie rushed to assure him, in case he couldn’t tell her emotions by the huge grin on her face. “It’s just… Unexpected. I really did not think we would end up like this.”

 “How so?” His arm was holding her hip, as if he was making sure she didn’t pull away.

 “I mean… Well, did you ever think we’d be here?” she asked him, not really sure how to explain her thoughts.

 “Um… Not really, no. I used to think we’d date at some point, but when we had both gone to uni that hope kinda died,” he admitted.

 “Really?”

 “Yeah. Why are ya so surprised?” He chuckled at her reaction.

 “I mean…” Katie hesitated for a moment, reaching for his hand to play with the ring on his finger. “Yeah, we apparently had a crush on each other back in the day. And we’ve known each other forever, but we also didn’t know each other that well, not really.”

 “Yeah,” Niall sighed in understanding, “it’s this weird feeling of knowing someone for years while also just truly learning about them now. But it’s not necessarily bad though, is it?”

 “Not at all, I like learning more about you. Getting closer to you.” She gave him a gentle smile, which he returned right away,

 “That feeling is very mutual.”

 “Life just works in a weird way, doesn’t it? We’ve been living pretty close to each other for months without even realising. And we haven’t spoken for over a year, but now it just…”

 “Something clicked,” he shrugged, flicking her palm to trace mindless patterns on the back of it.

 “Yeah, it did.”

 “Maybe it was meant to be.” His words were so light, but at the same time, they held so much conviction, they made Katie’s heart soar.

 “I guess we’ll have to wait and see, huh?” she asked cheekily. “I think it all depends on what you’ll prepare for that second date.”

 He chuckled. “Oh wow, well, that chilli is gonna be hard to beat. But I feel like all the shopping I’ve done for you should count for something, you know, like a little advance.”

 “Oh great, we haven’t even started dating properly and you’re already slacking. Nice one, Horan.”

 Her words made him let out a booming laugh, his head thrown back. And all she could do was look at him and admire the beautiful man beside her, thanking the universe for giving them a chance to find each other.

 ~~

 “Do you have a morning shift tomorrow?” Katie asked, when another episode had ended. They talked some more, then kissed some more, before eventually settling down to watch some tv, enjoying the quiet moments of just holding each other, having more than enough words between them that night.

 Even the small fact of him choosing a tv show to start watching together instead of a movie made her do a little mental note in her head. Because it was one more thing indicating that he wanted to do this again. If she even had any doubts still.

 “Mmmm, no,” he says, rubbing at his eye sleepily. “I’m starting at two in the afternoon.”

 Katie learned he had 3 possible work shifts when he texted her at midnight that he’s at the shop and they’ve run out of the cereal she wanted. He was an IT support specialist, which she found very interesting, although she didn’t understand a lot of his explanation when she asked him about his job.

 “Do you wanna stay the night?” she asked. When he looked at her surprised, a flush appeared on her cheeks. “Just to watch another episode and go to sleep, I didn’t mean… like..”

 “No, yeah, of course, I wouldn’t want to…” he rushed to say.

 “Oh, you wouldn’t?” She looked at him with an arched brow, playful smile on her face. “So you’re not into me?”

 “What? Shit, no, of course I am, come on, you should know that.” He raised his brows and both their minds went back to a moment when they were kissing earlier (well, some people would probably call it making out) and she felt his hardening dick on her tight.

 She bit her lip to sustain a smile, because it was nice to feel that way, to feel wanted, but also for the other person to be open about it, not afraid to admit his feelings towards her. It’s been a while since she felt like that. Sexy, free, confident. A bit vulnerable, but safe.

 “Yeah, I guess I do,” she said with a wicked smile, planting a kiss on his lips.

 It was crazy how comfortable she felt with him. She didn’t hesitate to cuddle up to his body, didn’t think about going in for a kiss, even despite it being just hours since their first one. With Niall, there were just no doubts, not anymore.

 “So sleep or one more episode?” he asked, his arm tucking her closer to him.

 “Are you gonna fall asleep halfway through?”

 “Nope, I’m pretty awake now, your proposal made me come alive again,” he chuckled, tickling her side, which made her yelp in surprise.

 So they watched two more episodes before eventually getting ready to sleep. Katie took pride in being a good host, providing Niall with fresh towels and a toothbrush, before he even got the chance to ask. She also made him take the bathroom first, so she could put the blanket covering her bed and all the extra pillows away. She did a quick scroll through her socials, deliberately avoiding a text from Frankie, asking how the night had gone. She could wait until tomorrow, when Katie would call her for a proper gossip.

 “Do you mind if I sleep in just my boxers?” Niall asked, walking out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped securely around his waist, his glistening chest on full display. He had definitely been working out. “I can wear a shirt too, if you want me to.”

 Katie shook her head. “Whatever you’re comfortable with, I’m good with whatever,” she said, passing him with a smile to take her turn getting ready to sleep.

 She tried to be as quick as possible, removing her makeup and brushing teeth. When she emerged, Niall was tucked in bed, on the left side, which was exactly the one that had always been empty, since she slept on the right.

 Her pajamas were simple, consisting of cotton shorts and a simple t-shirt. After all, they still had time for something sexier, you shouldn’t play all your cards right away.

 “First date and you already got me into bed,” he said watching her climb under the sheets. “Damn, woman, you’re good.”

 There was a huge grin on his face, which made it impossible for her not to mirror his expression.

 “You took my side,” she said, fluffing her pillow before lying down. The bedside lamp was the only source of light in the room, which bathed them both in the golden glow. Niall couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, she looked stunning.

 “Oh shit, sorry, it actually looked less slept on,” he started explaining, making a move to get up. “We can switch.”

 Katie laughed, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “I’m just messing with you, you got it right.”

 “Uhhh I hate you,” he whined, burrowing his head in the pillow. For a second he wished he really was on the wrong side, because then the pillow would smell of Katie and not fabric softener.

 “Oh but you don’t. I’m pretty sure you said you liked me, actually,” she chuckled, loving the joking atmosphere that felt so natural between them.

 “You’re lucky I have a soft spot for you,” he turned his head to look at her again. She moved closer, resting her head on the edge of his pillow, before moving after a second to plant a kiss on his lips.

 It was impossible to not feel how his lips stretched into a smile during the kiss. It seemed like they spent the whole night just smiling and kissing. But neither of them were complaining.

 With Niall it was all so easy. Sure, at times she might be a bit nervous, especially right before seeing him or talking to him, but once she felt his presence, most of it went away. She felt free. He had seen her do so much stupid shit over the years, she just knew he wouldn’t judge or be put off. It was just that level of comfort and familiarity, that was what he brought her. And she didn’t understand how, but at the same time he made her feel giddy and excited. It was like he calmed her and made her heart beat faster at the same time. It was against her logic, but she decided not to question it. Because there was no question to her that it was a good thing. She liked that feeling. She craved that feeling.

 It was crazy how unexpectedly things could happen. Two weeks ago she didn’t even want to call him, not wanting to bother him, any relationship between them vanished over more than a year ago. And now she wanted to keep in contact with him as much as possible. She wanted to talk to him everyday. Somehow, over such a short time, he became a constant part of her day, whether it was sharing memes, random thoughts or having actual deep conversations. She never even thought she’d be here, falling for someone so fast. Least of all, falling for Josh’s best friend. But that was a funny thing about life and love, it crept up on you when you least expected it. And sometimes, it did so in simply the best way.

 The pandemic was a horrific thing that affected countless people’s lives, but in a surprising twist of events, it gave Katie a light in such a dark time. And that light went by the name of none other than Niall Horan.

[seeaddywrite]

give me strength so i can see (buddie; 9-1-1)

wow, okay, this is absolutely not something i should have written before i finished one of my wips, but this is what happened. i fully blame 9-1-1 & the chemistry between Buck & Eddie, because i couldn’t NOT write fic after the tsunami arc ended. this is my first foray into the fandom & their heads, so please be kind. also, this fic would not exist in its entirety without @soberqueerinthewild, who is always the best cheerleader, beta, & person around. <3 i’ve been in a bit of writing slump lately, so it feels really good to actually finish something!

warnings for self-loathing, references to depression, & excessive amounts of adverbs. 

The moment that Buck sees Christopher safely reunited with his father, all of the stress and adrenaline that had kept him going for the last several hours floods away instantaneously. He collapses forward, uncaring of the hard ground that rushes up to meet him. Hen and Chimney stop him from face-planting on the floor of the emergency hospital, but Buck barely tracks their reassurances or their hands as they try to assess the damage he’s done to himself in his frantic attempts to find Christopher. Buck wants to tell them to stop, that he’s fine, that all he ever needed was to witness the scene unfolding in front of them, with Eddie and Christopher, but he can’t quite manage the words through his chattering teeth. Blood loss is a bitch, and teamed with exhaustion, Buck knows it’ll take a while before he’s fully able to interact with the world again. 

Right now, that feels like a positive. The only two people he wants to talk to are half a hospital away, wrapped up in each other. Even when he regains feeling in his legs and is steady enough to leave the hospital, he doesn’t try to go near them. Instead, Buck watches from a distant cot as Christopher is checked out by a doctor and his father’s careful, assessing gaze, and slips through Chim and Hen’s guard to leave the makeshift hospital a moment after Chis is pronounced healthy, if tired and cold. 

It’s cowardly for him to leave like this, he knows, without so much as an apology to the brave little boy or any attempt to make this up to Eddie, but Buck is too tired to fight, and he’s not sure he could remain standing under the direct onslaught of Eddie’s entirely justified anger that night. Buck would face up to his mistakes later, but for now, it seems kinder for all of them to slip back to the apartment that doesn’t quite feel like a home and hide away under the blankets that still reek of depression and listlessness.  

It’s hard to sleep that night, despite the exhaustion plaguing him. The day’s events play on repeat in his head, waking him with a jolt every time he  manages to doze off. Every mistake is so obvious in retrospect -- had he really expected a child with cerebral palsy to keep himself steady on top of a floating fire truck? If he hadn’t had to play the hero, if he’d just stayed up there with Chris, it never would have happened. Buck would have had the little boy securely in his arms the entire time. He would never have been lost, or dependent on the kindness of strangers to get him to a hospital. Buck would never have been forced to look Eddie in the eye and tell him that he’d lost his son, or watch that familiar, impossibly deep gaze fill with grief and horror and blame before Chris’s miraculous reappearance. 

If Buck hadn’t had to play the fucking hero, maybe he would have finally been able to tell Eddie the truth about how he felt in the rush of victory, of survival and reunion. Maybe he would’ve finally had the guts to admit that being a best friend isn’t what he wants anymore, to say the words he’s been mulling over for what seems like forever. Maybe, just maybe, he could have discovered whether or not there was a chance for them to take things further -- but none of that matters now. The fear of being into guys -- or at least Eddie? Buck hasn’t quite figured that part out yet -- pales in comparison to the pain of losing a best friend and Christopher, who’d managed to get under his skin and cuddle in close to Buck’s heart when he wasn’t looking.  

In the end, Buck gets out of bed earlier than usual, giving up on sleep. There’s a slim chance that leaving his bed will stop his thoughts from continuing on that same, downward spiral, and Buck’s nothing if not a gambler. He winds up at the kitchen table, staring out at the sunrise with a beer sitting half-empty in front of him -- just staring out as the new day begins. It’s incredible, he muses, that from here, he could almost pretend nothing catastrophic had happened the day before. The sun is still rising, the birds are still chirping, the neighbors below him are still arguing at decibels loud enough to wake the dead. It’s the same as always, and just as he had for the last six months, Buck finds himself wondering how the world outside can simply keep going when his own personal world had come to a screeching halt. Only today, it’s worse than just losing his job, his identity. Now he’s lost his best friend, too, and the trust of a child he cares about. The losses are far more grievous.

A knock at the apartment door shakes him out of the self-loathing stupor, and Buck drags his aching body out of the kitchen chair with a groan. His bad leg throbs with the addition of his weight, but Buck has a lot of practice at ignoring that, these days, so he continues on with barely a limp, and opens the door, expecting to find Maddie, with her relentless optimism, or Bobby, with yet another pep talk prepared.

Instead, Eddie stares back at him from the hallway, his hands resting comfortably on Chris’s small shoulders as the little boy totters forward on his back-up crutches to hug Buck with a wide, blameless smile. Buck stands, stiff with astonishment, and pats Chris awkwardly on the back, still staring at Eddie, trying to figure out what the other man is playing at. Old instincts make him defensive, stiff, as Eddie leads Christopher into the apartment and begins rattling off the contents of the bag he’s plopped on the table next to Buck’s half-empty bottle. 

It’s hard, but Buck manages to tear his attention from Christopher, who’s sitting happily on the coffee table in front of the TV, to try to get a read on Eddie’s expression. Is this some kind of test? Is Buck supposed to play along, or is he supposed to blow up so Eddie has an easy excuse for Chris about why he’s not allowed to come over anymore? Buck has no idea, and the indecision makes him swallow harshly. He doesn’t want to fuck anything up any worse than he already has— by some miracle, he has both of the Diaz men in his home again, and God, Buck wants to keep them there. The sense of family they’ve given him in the last six months of hell is better than anything he’s had since he left home, and losing it once almost killed him. Losing it a second time, now, before he’s had the chance to say something? Buck doesn’t  think he could do it. 

“You want me to watch Christopher?” The words are incredulous, and not half as even as Buck would have liked, but he manages to keep his voice from cracking, so he takes the win where he can. 

Eddie’s less than a foot away now; Buck has closed the distance between at some point, but he honestly couldn’t pinpoint when. There’s no waver in his dark gaze, no uncertainty or anger, and Buck has no idea what to make of it, especially when his response is teasing and light. “It’s easy— he’s not very fast.”

Buck swallows the surprised response that threatens and schools his expression into something resembling calm, but his gut churns nervously. Everything about this interaction screams too easy, and if he’s learned anything through physical therapy, it’s that if something seems too easy, it probably is. No pain, no reward, his therapist is fond of reminding him, and Buck has always agreed. Then again, he’s never feared physical pain. This? The emotional toll of facing Eddie and Chris after his failures? That’s fucking terrifying.

“After everything that happened-“ 

“A natural disaster happened, Buck.”

Part of Buck wants to scoff, to point out everything that had happened after the natural disaster couldn’t be blamed on nature, not unless it was Buck’s. It is in his nature to tend toward making stupid fucking calls in the heat of the moment, after all. The other part of him soaks up Eddie’s words like a plant does sunlight. He keeps his eyes averted, though, still unable to accept it, unable to even fathom the possibility that Eddie doesn’t hate him. Because he should. Buck knows, because he’s pretty sure he hates himself. 

“I lost him, Eddie,” he manages, the reminder a low, defeated croak. Memories from the day before flicker in the spaces between words, broken images and impressions of the desperate search for Christopher, and Buck has to swallow once, twice, to defeat the nausea threatening to overcome him. Buck’s not a parent, isn’t sure he’ll ever be one, but he loves Christopher like his own, and the idea of losing him for good is more than enough to bring him to his knees.

 But Christopher is alive. He’d made it out of the tsunami despite Buck’s hubris, and is happily watching cartoons in the living room. 

The mental reminder is enough to stop Buck from vomiting on Eddie’s shoes, at least. 

“You saved him. That’s how he remembers it.” Eddie pauses, like he’s trying to let the weight of his words sink through Buck’s thick skull. And it’s not like Buck doesn’t want to believe it, doesn’t want to stop seeing every moment of that horrible day on repeat every time he closes his eyes. There’s not much he wouldn’t do to stop the sinking pit of guilt in his stomach, or the squirming sense of self-loathing when he comes close to meeting Eddie’s gaze. But he can’t. The fact that Christopher made it out alive doesn’t make up for Buck’s mistake, and Eddie knows that. Buck had read the blame in his eyes before Christopher showed up at the hospital, seen the way his entire body had shifted away from Buck and into tight, tense lines that spoke of a strong desire to punch him in the face -- at the least. 

It had hurt, torn open whatever parts of him weren’t already bleeding with Christopher’s loss, and Buck couldn’t forget it, so this entire conversation felt almost dreamlike, a fantasy that Buck isn’t sure he can trust, no matter how much he’d like to. 

“And now it’s turn to do the same for you,” Eddie continues, oblivious to Buck’s internal conflict. 

And God, Buck wants that. He wants to put the entire disaster behind him, ignore all of the ways he’d fucked up and cling to the second chance Eddie seems to be offering without talking about it -- but Buck’s played that game before. He knows how it always ends. Bottling difficult things never works for long, and the resulting explosion is usually worse than whatever the actual problem was. 

So Buck trails Eddie into his living room, staying just a step behind, and shakes his head when he feels himself become the focus on that intense gaze once again. “I was -- I was supposed to watch out for him,” he tries again, stumbling over the words he doesn’t really want to say. Buck doesn’t do shy or shrinking; his entire life has been about taking up space, being unapologetically himself, but this is different, somehow. This is Eddie, whose opinion has meant too damn much to Buck since the first day they locked eyes at the station, who’s such an integral part of Buck’s life and happiness that the idea of losing him sucks the air from Buck’s lungs. This matters, in a way that nothing but firefighting and Maddie ever had, and Buck won’t screw it up again. He can’t. 

“And what, you think you failed?” 

Damn it, did Eddie have to sound so nonchalant about this? Of course Buck failed! Christopher had been missing for six fucking hours -- no matter how that equation’s set up, the answer is still the same. 

“Buck, I’ve failed that kid more times than I care to count, and I’m his father.”

The words are layered in empathy, in a sense of understanding, that makes something constrict tightly in Buck’s chest. Eddie shouldn’t be comparing Buck’s failure to the trials of being an actual parent -- the two aren’t even remotely close. Christopher has always been safe, happy, and cared for with his father, and Buck knows it because he’s seen it. He’s seen Eddie fight for his son to have the best education, the best childcare, the best of everything. He’s seen Eddie cut himself off from dating on the off chance Christopher would get hurt, seen him leave his own home and family in order for Christopher to be closer to his. There’s nothing Eddie wouldn’t do for the boy, and knows that Eddie’s never really failed his son. Not when it counted. So he can’t help the short, instinctive shake of his head at the reassurance, because it’s just not true. 

“But I love him enough to never stop trying, and I know you do, too.”

Unnamed emotion clogs Buck’s throat, and he glances down at the floor, swallowing hard. It’s been hard to play the tough, cool guy the last several months, so Eddie’s already seen him as weak and vulnerable as Buck can get -- career-ending injuries, a lack of mobility, and obvious depression hadn’t done great things for his rep around the 118, not that Buck had particularly cared at the time. Eddie’d been around the most, though, only slightly less often than Maddie, and had seen it all. So it should be easy to admit to loving Christopher, to caring more about his best friend’s son than he cared about anyone outside of Maddie and the 118 squad. 

It isn’t. 

Buck doesn’t get a chance to say anything, which is probably a blessing. One of Eddie’s large, work-roughened hands claps his shoulder, and warmth bleeds through the thin cotton of Buck’s t-shirt and sends a thrill down his spine. He still doesn’t manage to meet the eyes waiting on him until he hears his name, the single syllable infused with an order that Buck can’t quite ignore. 

But once he gives in, Buck’s immediately lost to the intensity of Eddie’s familiar dark gaze. He’s so close, now, and the heat his body throws off is slowly seeping into the icy chasm in Buck’s chest. Maybe, he realizes, he can trust this -- trust Eddie. Because no matter what has gone on between them, no matter how much of an ass Buck has been, there’s never been any reason to doubt Eddie’s sincerity; and there’s no way he’d so cruel as to dangle forgiveness and understanding in front of Buck only to yank it away at the last minute. 

“There is nobody,” Eddie begins firmly, and the open honesty in his face makes Buck shiver. Paired with the soft tapping of his thumb against the exposed skin of Buck’s collarbone, it would be all too easy for Buck to sway into the broad chest in front of him and know that Eddie would catch him. “ -- in this world that I trust with my son more than you.” 

It’s the last thing he expects to hear, and Buck blinks rapidly at Eddie, trying to understand how it could possibly be true after the previous day’s terror -- but there’s no hesitation in Eddie’s stance, no hint of uncertainty or the blame Buck knows he caught yesterday at the hospital. Buck swallows again, the sound of his throat working audible in the sudden quiet. Thanks and emotional confessions jam in his mouth until he can’t say anything, and Eddie doesn’t give him a chance before he’s squeezing Buck’s shoulder and dropping the point of contact to go say goodbye to Christopher in the living room. 

Though his skin is cold where Eddie’s touch lingered, Buck’s grateful for the reprieve. He turns his head and wipes at damp eyes, trying to regain some of the composure he’s lost. Eddie is too good at stripping down every defense, at seeing past all of his walls and leaving Buck open and vulnerable. It’s why he was the only one who could cajole Buck into going to PT after his last surgery, when things were looking hopeless, why he alone could drag Buck out of bed when even Bobby and Athena got shown the door -- hell, Eddie had even wound up with a fucking spare key to the apartment when Maddy didn’t even have one. And Buck is tired of being weak and vulnerable, of needing constant reassurance that he’s wanted and forgiven. This broken-down, over-emotional man he’s become isn’t who Evan Buckley is, and Buck suddenly needs to make that really damn clear to Eddie. 

But Eddie’s already on his way out the door with a few teasing comments about staying in-land, so Buck lets him go with a chuckle that feels natural, even if the circumstances don’t. He pivots on his good leg to join Christopher in front of the television, only to stop short when Eddie pops his head back in the door. 

“Thank you,” he says, in that same voice that’s sent chills down Buck’s spine at least twice that morning. “For not giving up.” And Eddie’s gone before Buck can summon any sort of response beyond the frustrated yearning that builds in the pit of his stomach when he vanishes out of the doorframe. Buck stares after him helplessly -- and god damn it, it’s not fair that Eddie can be so damned perfect when Buck is still reeling. He’s had months to come to terms with the fact that Eddie is ridiculously good-looking; and it’s never been a big deal that he likes to watch him work out, once in a while. So does pretty much everyone at the station. But this want, this desperation for Eddie’s approval, for his care and closeness -- that’s not normal. That’s not straight. And yeah, okay, maybe Buck’s had a few hints that he could be into guys before, maybe he’s considered and discarded the idea a few times over the years, but it’s never been like this. It’s never been so all-consuming, so impossible to ignore. It’s never been so terrifying. Not because Eddie’s a guy; Buck could care less about that. But Eddie is Buck’s best friend. Hell, outside of the others at the 118, Eddie’s his only friend. The rest have all disappeared, lost in the gaping chasm that separates first responders from civilians who could never understand the pull of the job, no matter how dangerous it might be. And then, of course, there’s Christopher -- the kid who’s still sitting in the living room in front of the TV, patiently waiting for Buck to get his shit together and join him. 

Right. Crisis later. Babysitting now. 

He can do this, one step at a time. Eddie’s not mad at him, and if he says that Chris isn’t either, then Buck can take him at his word. Buck drags in a slow breath, straightens his shoulders, and goes to join the child on the couch with a genuine, if small, smile.

“Hey, buddy …” 

****** 

They spend the day in the apartment, this time. Buck wants to say that it’s because they deserve a lazy day after previous one’s mess, but really, there’s a large part of him that’s afraid to set foot outside with Christopher, no matter how slim the chance of a second natural disaster. So they spend hours on the floor of the living room building increasingly complex structures with Legos and order that pizza Eddie prescribed and devour the entire thing --  if Buck eats a little more than he normally would, it definitely isn’t because Eddie told him to. It’s light and uncomplicated, just easy camaraderie that Buck never expected himself capable of finding with anyone, let alone a little kid, and the ease of it all is enough to allow some of his anxiety to bleed away. For the first time in the last thirty-six hours, Buck is truly able to relax. 

Christopher’s energy starts to wane after dinner, so Buck takes the initiative to put in one of the movies shoved in the bag Eddie packed for him. They end up in a pile of blankets and cushions on the floor -- Buck’s leg is stiff and sore after yesterday’s exertions, and Christopher hasn’t said anything, but he’s moving a lot more slowly than usual, and taking extra care when he does, so Buck guesses that he’s in some pain, too. Cerebral Palsy isn’t something he knows a whole lot about, but a lack of muscle tone is pretty obvious, and clinging to poles and other floating refuse during the tsunami had to have taken a toll on his little body. Not that Christopher had ever complained -- and that, right there, is yet another reason for Buck to be in awe of what that child is capable of. 

“Buck?” 

The small voice interrupts whatever animated crap is on the screen, and Buck glances down at Chris in askance. From this angle, all he can see is blonde curls; Chris has his cheek pressed against Buck’s chest, and is curled up beneath one arm. The warm weight against his body has Buck half asleep himself, but he rouses enough to ask, “Yeah?” 

“You didn’t lose me.” The simple, sleepy words make Buck’s heart seize, and he stares down at the top of Christopher’s head, trying to form words with numb lips. “I heard you tell Daddy that you did, but you didn’t.” Buck is struck speechless. He freezes, and the silence in the room seems a condemnation of his inability to speak, but Christopher doesn’t seem to mind. He presses on, unconcerned. “You found me, and I kept swimming, just like Dory, and I found you and Daddy. And I’m safe, and you’re safe, and we don’t need to be scared anymore.”  The matter-of-fact, blunt sentiment is hard for Buck to swallow, but he runs a hand over Christopher’s disheveled curls and down his back, anyway.

“I’m sorry you had to be scared at all, buddy,” he says honestly, and manages to keep his voice level and calm, despite the uncertainty he feels. “But you’re right. You’re safe now, and that’s what matters.” It seems like the most natural thing in the world to drop a casual kiss to the crown of blonde hair, and Buck doesn’t allow himself to second-guess the impulse when it’s done. “Come on, kid, you’re falling asleep. Let’s get you up to bed, huh? Your dad won’t be here for another few hours, and I think we both deserve a nap.” It’s not his most graceful or subtle subject change, but Chris is young enough not to notice -- or tactful enough to let it go, Buck’s honestly not sure which. 

Mock complaints and grumblings get tossed around, but Christopher clings to Buck’s neck as he carries him up the stairs and helps him settle into the bed with a minimum amount of fuss. They lay on the mattress together for half an hour, until Christopher’s breathing is slow and even, and there’s no hint of wakefulness on his young face. Buck knows better than to ruin his progress with sleeping during the day; that’s a one-way ticket back to the land of depression and hopelessness, and he refuses to fall back into bad habits. Instead, he slides from the bed, careful not to jolt the other occupant, and heads downstairs. He hadn’t had a chance to do his stretches and exercises from physical therapy that day, yet, and he knows he needs to -- firefighter or no, he’s not losing any mobility. The stretches have the added bonus of requiring all of his attention and focus, so his mind won’t wander to any dark places. Or any Eddie-shaped places, which Buck is pretty sure he should avoid, too. 

So that’s how Eddie finds Buck an hour or so later, sweat-soaked and lying, arms and legs akimbo, on the living room floor. He hadn’t heard a knock, or even the door opening, over the pounding of his own heart, and Buck flails upright into a sitting position when he hears the familiar chuckle from the entryway. 

“Only you would spend an entire day fighting a tsunami and still feel like you need to work out the next day,” Eddie says lightly as he enters the room, dressed in the same casual outfit from this morning. There’s a cut above his eye that hadn’t been there before, and Buck knows him well enough to read the fatigue in the set of his shoulders and the lines around his mouth. He recognizes that look from a hundred rough shifts, and can imagine what Eddie’s seen today on clean-up duty from the tsunami. He shudders, then carefully picks himself up off the ground and leads his guest into the kitchen to grab them both a beer without asking if Eddie wants one.

“Can’t slack off on PT,” Buck explains as they both settle down at the tiny kitchen table. “I may not be a firefighter anymore, but I’m not going to get stuck working behind a desk somewhere.” He can’t quite look directly at Eddie, but it’s easier now than it had been this morning to try. The sucking pit of desolation in his chest is gone, replaced by a stupid, schoolgirl flutter of nerves in his gut when they stand too close, and Buck doesn’t really know what to do with that -- but it’s easier than waiting to hear if Eddie’s decided to close him out of his and Christopher’s life for good. 

“You’re not going to end up behind a desk,” Eddie says firmly. There’s a frown forming between his brows, and something distinctly unhappy in the way he’s staring at Buck. Before the latter has a chance to question it, Eddie stands up and grabs both bottles of beer from the table. Without a word, he shoves both of them back in the fridge, then turns to face Buck again with his chin raised in challenge. “Unless you keep drinking your breakfast, lunch, and dinner, that is. Did you even eat today?” 

Buck’s spine stiffens defensively. “Chris ate lunch and dinner,” he says carefully. There’s good reason for Eddie to doubt that Buck’s been taking good care of his son, after all, even if this morning it had seemed they were passed it. “And I wouldn’t drink when I was watching him, Eddie.” 

A complicated series of emotions flickers over Eddie’s face, but it’s hidden behind one large hand before Buck can even try to translate it. “I didn’t ask if Christopher had eaten,” he says quietly, and drags his hand down his face to rest on the table directly in front of Buck. The movement has him leaning down, leaving them so close that their faces mere inches from each other. Immediately, the speed of Buck’s heartbeat kicks up a notch, and he curses himself for reacting so inappropriately to mere proximity. “I told you this morning, man -- I trust you with my son. I know you wouldn’t drink while you were watching him, or forget to feed him, just like I know you never gave up on him yesterday.” 

Buck chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment, then deliberately leans back in his chair, trying to put some space between them before he answers. “Then what’s up with the third degree?” he demands, trying for some semblance of his usual bravado. “If you really thought I was taking good care of Christopher, why are you --”

“Because Christopher isn’t the only person I care about, Buck,” Eddie cuts in sharply. Frustration emanates from him in waves, and Buck wants to offer reassurance, but he’s too busy trying not to read too far into those words to manage it. Eddie cares about him. He’s known that for months -- caring isn’t the same as wanting to be with someone romantically. The two of them are friends. Best friends. And Buck needs to get ahold of himself before he says or does something to ruin that. 

“What --” 

“Don’t sit there and act like you don’t know what I mean!” Eddie shoves away from the table and paces in a circle around the table, never taking his eyes off of Buck as he does so. Unlike other moments when Eddie looks at him, Buck finds he doesn’t like this sort of scrutiny. It leaves him feeling like all of his weakest, most fragile parts have been put on display, and Buck’s never been good at admitting to his own problems. “It was bad enough when you were laid up from surgery, but now you’re either drinking or sleeping, or pushing yourself way too hard in PT. You’ve been losing weight for weeks, and it’s not healthy, Buck! I’m worried about you!”

Silence reigns in the kitchen for a long moment as Buck tamps down hard on the impulse to bellow that he’s fine, and no one asked Eddie to worry about him -- that’s the response of a scared man-child, not the person that Buck is trying to be. And truthfully, it’s nice to know that someone’s looking out for him. The others at the 118 and Maddy try, Buck knows, but they’re easy to reassure. A grin here, a cock-sure comment about his prowess there, a playful slug to the shoulder, and almost everyone sees him as the same old Buck who’d gotten into the fire engine the night of the bombings. 

Eddie’s not that easy to fob off, and as much as it makes Buck feel uncomfortable, it makes him feel seen. 

“I’m okay, Eddie,” he says instead, and lifts his chin to hold the skeptical gaze aimed at him. “I am, really.” The words feel honest, for the first time in quite a while, and Buck even manages a genuine smile. “You were right, when you dropped Chris off yesterday. Hanging out with him -- it was what I needed.” Buck shakes his head in remembered awe of the little boy and his strength. Even stranded in rushing water higher than his head, clinging to a pole for dear life, Christopher had been braver than Buck ever could be, and his courage and grace under pressure had shown Buck exactly how much work he had to do to deserve any part of the life he felt entitled to. “You and him -- even with everything yesterday -- you guys made me realize I needed to do something different, or I was going to end up somewhere I never wanted to be.” His smile thins, slightly, and Buck reaches out to touch one of the arms crossed over Eddie’s chest. “Even if I’m still not sure how you forgave me so easily, after what I did.” 

An exasperated huff escapes Eddie’s mouth, and gives the impression that if this were a cartoon, he’d be tossing his hands in the air. “Buck, there was never anything to forgive!” he says, voice pitched just low enough that it wouldn’t wake Christopher. “You got stuck in a tsunami. I know you’ve got an ego, but you can’t really take credit for a natural disaster. And Christopher is fine!” 

“But he almost wasn’t!” Buck interjects, tired of being the rational one in the room. If Eddie seriously wants to have this conversation, then he’s going to have to face the truth, too. “Give me a fucking break, Eddie -- those two mintues between me telling you I’d lost him and that woman showing up with Chris in her arms? You did blame me. You looked at me, and that’s all I could see, okay? You did blame me. And you were right. I messed up. I was supposed to look out for your son, and I failed, and it’s okay for you to blame me for it.” 

God, Buck’s tired. He hasn’t been until this moment, but it’s like this argument and facing these awful truths have sapped every last bit of energy from his veins, and he’s not sure how much longer he’ll be up for arguing with Eddie in his kitchen. He leans forward on his elbows over the table an exhales gustily, then lifts his chin again, determined to catch the moment when Eddie finally admits the truth to himself. 

But instead of the realization Buck has been expecting, Eddie’s face is only showing that same frustration. They freeze like that for a moment, Buck leaning against the table and trying hard to hold himself together, Eddie staring down at him from his position against the wall of the kitchen, arms folded over his chest, that guilt-laden frustration obvious in his expression. 

Then, faster than Buck can track, Eddie’s standing in front of his chair, grabbing his elbows and pulling him to his feet. It’s a gentle yank, and Buck could have ignored it if he chose, but he’s shocked enough by Eddie’s closeness that he goes along with it. They end up toe-to-toe, close enough that Buck can feel warm breath on his cheek, and there’s nowhere to look that doesn’t end with him staring back into Eddie’s dark eyes. 

“Look at me now,” Eddie tells him quietly, and Buck has to quell a shiver as two solid hands land on both of his shoulders, squeezing with just a little too much pressure to be truly comfortable. “I want you to stand here, and look straight at me while I tell you this: I do not blame you for what happened yesterday. I’m grateful to you for not giving up on him, okay? I know you love him, and I can’t even tell you how relieved I am that he has you in his corner.”

This feels like the conversation they should have had this morning, when more was being left unsaid that wasn’t, and this time, Buck isn’t going to pretend. “I do love him,” he admits, still looking straight into Eddie’s face. Vulnerability is hard, but it would be harder to keep pretending -- and Buck’s so damn tired of pretending. “And I, uh … I believe you.” Because there’s no denying reality, not when it’s quite literally staring him in the face. No matter what he saw, or thought he saw, yesterday, Eddie really doesn’t blame Buck for losing Christopher. They’re still solid, still good, and Buck’s not losing anyone. 

Relief swamps him as hard as any of the waves from the day before, even though Buck had thought he’d stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop that morning. Apparently, anxiety isn’t that easy to get rid of, even when it’s not screaming in the back of his head. He shifts to take a step back, to carry himself out of Eddie’s gravitational pull, before he ends up falling into his chest or something equally embarrassing, but Eddie’s grip just tightens on his shoulders, not allowing Buck to go anywhere. 

A second passes, two, and Eddie leans in a little closer, until they’re sharing the same breath. Buck swallows convulsively, telling himself over and over that he’s misreading the situation, that this can’t be what it feels like, but he can’t stop his eyes drifting down Eddie’s face to catch stubbornly on his mouth.  Full lips quirk up in a smirk, and heat rushes to pool in Buck’s belly. He doesn’t know what this moment is or how they got here, doesn’t know where they’re going next, but that smirk tells him everything that he needs to know: Eddie knows what Buck wants. Knows how he feels. Probably has for a while. 

And he hasn’t gone anywhere.

“I keep waiting for you to figure it out,” Eddie says in a low voice, and Buck’s eyelashes flutter before he can remind himself that he wants to be wholly present in this moment and doesn’t want to miss a damn thing. “I don’t go around telling everyone I meet that I trust them with my son’s life, Buck. Outside of my family, you’re it, do you get that?” It’s Eddie’s turn to swallow, and Buck tracks the movement of his throat with wide eyes. “You’re it.”

There’s a different meaning to the words the second time Eddie says them, and Buck feels like a kid at the eye doctor, putting glasses on for the first time. When he looks back at every interaction he’s had with Eddie since the bombs, he can see the same want reflected in Eddie’s face that has stared back at him in the mirror every day. When he runs his eyes over Eddie’s expression, he can read the same nervous hope, the same uncertainty, beneath his confident exterior. 

And this time, when Eddie leans further into his space, Buck leans back. 

Their lips bump together, almost incidentally, a soft kiss that’s more of a test than it is a true embrace. Buck’s heart leaps, and the anxious flutter in his stomach is back as he tips his head to correct the angle. The second time their lips meet, it’s better -- Eddie lets out a soft, surprised huff of air, and Buck takes advantage, pulling him closer with impatient hands at the belt loops of his jeans. He’s not thinking anymore, stopped sometime around when Eddie’s fingers tightened around his shoulders, and it feels so good to lose himself, to trust that Eddie will catch him as he falls. 

“You could’ve just said,” Buck mutters against Eddie’s lips, his hands roaming over the forearms revealed by the style of his button-up shirt. “I thought I was going crazy.” He wants to be annoyed that Eddie’s known all this time and waited for Buck to make the first move, but he can’t quite work up to it. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, he needed the chance to wrap his head around this new truth about himself, and if Eddie had made a move before he was ready, Buck knows he wouldn’t have reacted well. 

“I’m pretty sure your sanity has been in question for way longer than I’ve been in LA,” Eddie shoots back with another teasing smirk. At some point, his hands slid from Buck’s shoulders to the planes of his back, and Buck’s not ashamed to admit that he pushes back into the touch, arching his spine like a cat seeking attention. He rolls his eyes at the joke and presses his face into Eddie’s neck, taking a long, slow breath to steady himself. The last two days -- hell, the last several weeks -- have been a riot of emotion that he’s still trying to sort, and as happy as he is in this moment, Buck knows that there’s still a lot for he and Eddie to talk about and work through. And Buck’s life is still a shambles, no matter how unexpectedly good his personal life has become. 

“You’re thinking too much,” Eddie tells him, his arms snug around Buck’s waist, holding him comfortably against his chest. “The world is complicated, Buck, but you and me? That doesn’t have to be. We can figure it out as we go.” A steady hand smooths over Buck’s spine, and he relaxes incrementally. It sounds too good to be true, but Buck has no intention of giving this up now that he’s got it. And Eddie’s gone to great lengths to make sure Buck knows that he can be trusted when he says something, today -- it wouldn’t make any sense to stop now. 

Buck lifts his head and smiles at Eddie with an echo of his old, rakish grin. “You’re going to have to do better than one kiss if you want me to stop thinking,” he says daringly, throwing caution to the wind and jumping headfirst into the unknown. Overthinking and panicking isn’t who Buck is, and he’s not going to let recent events change him. He’s stronger than circumstances, and Evan Buckley is more than a job title or a patient ID bracelet. 

He’s a fighter, and this time, all he wants to fight for is happiness for him, Eddie, and Christopher.

“Hmm, that sounds like a challenge,” Eddie observes, head cocked to one side in a faux-thoughtful expression. “I guess I don’t have much choice but to try harder then, do I?” 

Buck lets his satisfaction show on his face as he meets Eddie in another kiss. As in everything, practice makes perfect; this time, his knees get weak embarrassingly quickly, and he finds himself with his arms tossed around Eddie’s neck to keep his balance. He’s still smiling as they trade kisses back and forth, unable to quell the overwhelming contentment swelling in his chest. Eddie’s flushed and breathing hard, too, though, so Buck doesn’t waste a moment on embarrassment. They both want this; there’s no reason to start overthinking now. 

“Da-aad!” The whine from behind them stops the kiss in its tracks as both men take a hurried step back and spin to face the doorway. Christopher is leaning heavily on his crutches just past the arch, a blanket draped over his shoulders and hair mussed from sleep, and staring at them crankily. “Buck’s s’posed to be taking a nap with me. You can kiss him when we wake up.”

Eddie and Buck glance at each other, and the bubble of tension - romantic and otherwise - surrounding them bursts with a synchronous peal of laughter. Christopher gives them an unimpressed look, and Eddie recovers first, stifling another chuckle to tell him, “Sorry, buddy. But everyone’s awake now, right? So maybe we can watch a movie or something, and we can both spend some time with Buck before we have to go home.” He shoots a sidelong glance Buck’s way, like he needs permission or something stupid to talk about them with his son, or to stay longer. Like Buck is going to complain about getting more time with them. 

“What you think, Chris? Should we let your dad watch the rest of Hotel Transylvania with us?” Buck asks, and reaches out to grab Eddie’s hand -- just in case he’d gotten some ridiculous idea that this thing between them was going to be a secret. 

Christopher isn’t the kind of kid who’s grumpy for long, even right after a nap, so he beams at them and nods excitedly. “We have to start over, though,” he says seriously. “Daddy hasn’t seen the beginning, and he might get confused.” 

Buck nods his agreement, and Eddie just laughs. He tosses his free hand over Chris’s shoulders, and the three of them start toward the living room together, as a unit. As they settle together on the couch with tangled limbs and shared quips and laughter, Buck takes a second to breathe in the reality of this moment. He’s truly, incandescently happy, and he wants to take the memory and hold onto it forever -- through whatever job-related heartbreak and medical emergency comes next.

Because now, Buck’s got Eddie, and he’s got Christopher, and that’s more than enough to make him want to keep fighting. 

[banashee]

Part 24 of my @badthingshappenbingo​

Prompt: “Chained to a wall”

Please mind the tags and warnings in the notes

 Sticking Together

 Bruce can feel a headache pounding through his entire skull. It might as well be splitting his head in two, and the familiar angry roar echoing back in his mind sure doesn't help it.

 Hulk is trashing frantically, itching to break out and take over, but Bruce has got himself under control. He needs to, especially now. If only they could stop arguing, he thinks.

 Tony has been yammering on about this solution for what feels like hours, and if he had his hands free, Bruce would have started to tear out his hair by now.

 A tiny little part of him kind of wants to throttle Tony, but he knows the regret would come soon if he did.

 “I’m just saying, if you were to hulk out right now-”

 Truth be told, fantasizing about it helps a little bit.

   “I would be unable to control anything and the worst case scenario would be crushing both of you while I’m at it.” Bruce snaps at Tony, eyes flashing green for a second. Then his anger simmers back down. He doesn’t      want     to get angry, because he knows that Tony means well and his faith in Hulk for not accidentally or intentionally murdering him is very much real, but it’s getting exhausting. And at this point, Bruce is pretty devastated.  

 The inventor takes a deep breath, but is cut off before he can start again.

 “Come on, knock it off” Clint grouches from his own corner of the damp, windowless cell without even looking up. He’s been awfully quiet so far, and they’re not entirely sure if this is a good sign or not. Usually, he’d be a lot more talkative and probably would have joined the argument, if only because he’s easily bored. Now though, no such thing is happening.

 Clint squirms on his spot, probably attempting to get in a position to get the cuffs off of himself. How exactly he’s hoping to achieve that is anyone's guess, but it would be far from the first time that someone underestimated Clint. It almost always works out in his favor.

 Letting out a shaky breath, Bruce tries to get into a more comfortable position. Which proves to be hard, since he is sitting on a cold floor and with both of his hands tied behind his back. The cuffs are connected to a long chain, which leads to a heavy metal collar around his neck as well as similar restraints around his ankles. It makes it impossible for Bruce to move a lot or even get up, because the chains holding him are firmly bolted into the wall.

 Technically, he could get out, if only he would allow Hulk to take over. If it were just him trapped in this hellhole, he wouldn’t think twice and just do it.

 But as it is, Tony and Clint are in here, too. Their chances of survival would be pretty slim, once Hulk would freak out in a tight room like this. He refuses to try, purely to avoid hurting his friends.

 “Okay, I’m sorry - I’m sorry. Just, you know this would be the easiest way. Hulk likes us, too. He wouldn’t hurt us.”

 To his credit, Tony does look apologetically - it’s not his intention to stress Bruce any further in this already shitty situation that is weighing on him, but he’s clearly doing so anyway. If he could, he would move closer to be able to touch his friend, but as it is, he is just as restrained as Bruce is. That, and the fact that he doesn’t have a suit anywhere near bothers him. While generally able to think, build and improvise his way out of most sticky situations, there isn’t anything even he can do while he’s bound into a tight bundle and chained to a wall - it pisses him off to no end.

 Silence stretches out for a while. The only noise they can hear is their own breathing, thumping heartbeats and the steady drip-drip-drip of water hitting the concrete floor from the leaking water pipe in the corner. Also the faint rustling of fabric as Clint keeps moving tirelessly.

 “Look, I understand why you’re worried, I do. But if it comes down to it, we’ll be okay, Bruce. If the big guy makes an appearance, it’ll be fine. He knows us, and he likes us. It would be fine.” Tony insists.

 Despite everything, Bruce finds himself smiling. While he’s not entirely sure he should be happy about how lighthearted his teammates react to his other half in general, it really helps a lot. His mind wanders to the framed photos on his desk back home.

 There are various team photos, all of them laughing and smiling, arms wrapped around each other, but there are also photos of Hulk letting Clint use his shoulders as a perch, or Tony feeding him greasy pizza after a battle.

 Right now though, the roaring in the back of his head is still very much present, but at least, it isn’t as all-consuming anymore.

 “Thanks, Tony. I appreciate the sentiment, honestly. But even if he were to hurt you on accident, I can’t take that risk. This room is way too small.”

 He shakes his head, and the movement yanks on the chains holding him. He winches, unable to hide it.

 “Okay, so, Hulk is the last resort.”

 With a deep, unhappy sigh, Bruce agrees - but he decides he won’t let it come to that unless absolutely necessary.

 “Alright. So, what is plan A? It’s not like we can do anything with the way they left us here. Or can we? Clint?”

 “Give me a minute, I almost got it.” the archer answers, slightly pressed and out of breath like he’s been working hard on something. Which he probably has - only a little while later, he sighs in defeat, weighing his options and then coming to a decision.

 He really hates this part.

 “Okay, fuck.”

 Then, the noise of popping joints is audible - it makes his stomach turn, and then Clint has somehow managed to successfully free his right hand.

 His thumb and wrist stick away in wrong, nauseating angles.   Bruce winches in sympathy and speechless shock while Tony bites out a half panicked, half disgusted, “What the fuck?!” and suddenly, he is very pale and very silent.

 “Former carney and Shield Agent, at your service.” Clint says with a half hearted shrug, as if that’s the answer they need right now. His features are drawn, but it is clear he won’t discuss anything more.

 ‘Please don’t throw up’ Bruce thinks in the privacy of his own mind - Tony sits directly across from him, and if he were to be sick now, it would absolutely hit Bruce and then he wouldn’t be able to make any promises regarding Hulk.

 “What the fuck?!” Tony repeats quite a few times, and he might as well be asking “Holy shit, are you okay?!” but it feels kinda stupid to say that, given their situation. The obvious answer would be “no”, but he knows that both Clint and Bruce speak his language, so he figures it’s okay. It has to be.

   Clint must be in pain, but he clenches his jaw and starts clawing into the thin mattress on the floor next to him, looking for anything resembling thin wire to pick the locks with.

 Their captors have left this mattress in the cell, just out of reach for the three of them, leaving them on the cold floor instead. It’s thin and shitty and full of holes, but still so much better than dirty, cold concrete.

 Bruce is wondering if this is supposed to be a form of psychological torture, almost certain that he’s right about that.

 Despite being here for a while, they haven't been physically hurt by any of them - yet. At least, they didn’t do more than knocking them out, kidnapping them and chaining them onto the walls of a tiny cell. Which, truth be told, is more than enough for now.

 His breathing gets a little harder as Clint is digging through the stuffing. Trying to use his fingers results in a sharp pain that shoots up his entire arm, but he forces himself to keep going.  His hand is throbbing and will be swollen very soon. It’ll be useless for a while, he already knows.

 But then, Clint lets out a triumphant little “Hah!” as his fingers are closing around something cool and bendy. He lifts it up with a grin, like he just won a trophy.

 Appreciative noises from two sides of the room tell him that his friends share the joy.

 It doesn’t take too long to pick the locks of the cuffs and collars holding him, and then, he’s finally free. Not long after, the shackles are off of Bruce and Tony as well and the three of them scurry their way along a hallway that is just as wet and dark as their former prison.

 Feverishly, they hope and pray that their escape has gone unnoticed - no one has come down the entire time, and while being abandoned in a dark basement is a scary thought, it would also mean that they wouldn’t have to fear another attack now.

 They have no idea where to go though.

 “Where are we going? I can barely see anything!”

 “I don’t know, it’s not like the bastards provided us with a map!”

 “Shut up, both of you!”

 All three of them freeze. Unconsciously, they scoot a little closer together, hands fisted into each other's shirts and cold fingers wrapped around arms to be reassured that they don’t lose anybody to the eerie half darkness in a building possibly filled with hostiles.

 Clint can’t hear any noise, since his hearing is getting worse these days, but the years of experience tell him that something is going on. He is as tense as a bowstring. Inwardly, he curses the fact that he’s only got one usable arm right now - he slowly lets go of Bruce’s arm, preparing to fight, even with his other hand cradled close to himself to avoid any further damage.

 In his left hand, he’s still clutching the wire. It will be most likely useless in a fight, but it’s better than nothing. Even though he hates to admit it, because he is trained in all kinds of combat, with or without weapons, he is not in top form right now. So he feels a lot safer even with the shitty piece of bended wire as his only weapon.

 “Footsteps.” Tony hisses under his breath, and pulls his friends further along the way in hopes of getting away fast enough. If only there was anywhere to hide, but he can’t see anything but walls and a long, cold way.

 The footsteps sound like they’re coming closer now, and Tony really, really wishes he’d carry a gun or anything else. But there is nothing, nothing of use at all.

 He can feel Bruce tense up next to him, and it is obvious that he is working hard on staying in control of himself. Hulk is roaring again, pushing and tearing on his insides. But Bruce fights it with everything he’s got, even as they stumble into each other and along the hallway.

 Suddenly, a door swings wide open and floods the place with an intense bright light.They’re scrambling, eyes shut against the sudden glare of brightness, but it’s already sharp and blinding. This doesn’t stop any of them from throwing punches all around though.

 A mixture of yelling, curses and incomprehensible words ring in their ears as absolute chaos ensues. But the fight is a rather short one, even though it is messy.  

 Bruce is hit by multiple tranquilizer shots, unable to do anything as he drops to the floor. Tony is yelling obscenities at the men as he’s kicking and elbowing at them in seething anger.

 Then, something hard hits Clint in the head, and a second later, he drops to the floor and everything around him fades into a deep, deep darkness.

    *+~

Square: "Chained to a wall"

                            Warnings:

- implied violence - graphic description of injury (intentional dislocating of a hand) - brief mention of vomit - hostagte situation

[icosmohunters]

chapter six : rival

chapter six of cosmo hunters!

word count : 4.9k words

synopsis : after having arrived at voyage inc headquarters, hope is having to do a lot of work in order to help the pirates protect their fake identities. whilst this is happening, she’s also preparing herself for the meeting being held, and lest forget her best efforts to avoid someone from her past. but it always comes back to haunt her, she realized.

returning to a place that you previously promised never to return to can be one of the most difficult experiences of one’s life, notably for someone like hope.

voyage had changed the last time she was here. it looked as if a lot of funds had gone into fabricating a new interior design for the place. and they actually made use of the twenty stories that this place had, with each level housing a different department, some of which hope has never even heard of.

now, as much as she preferred to be anywhere, excited dawn proposed the idea of looking around before the meeting. hope was all against it, walking around surely meant that she might run into someone she was purposefully trying to avoid. that person, of course, being hiro.

the meeting room had been moved to the fifth floor, but she didn’t choose to take the elevator anytime soon. dawn was gawking and pointing towards everything and it seemed like a lot of effort was required from quinn to keep the girl from running off.

“ hope, why are you walking so fast? ”.

soon, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and recognized it to belong to vivienne. the bounty hunter turned and looked at the blonde girl, before shrugging. “ they say the unhappiest of people walk the fastest ”, hope uttered, looking down at her gloved hands and adjusted the cuffs of her uniform.

“ are you unhappy? ”, vivienne quickly claimed. with a tone of utmost interest or care, hope couldn’t exactly tell the difference.

“ have you met me? ”.

“ yes but, not properly ”, was the answer hope was given, which took her by surprise for a moment. she reeled her head back slightly and blinked, before furrowing her brows. “ this personality you give off, i don’t think that’s really you. ”

hope snapped back, “ it is me. you’d just like it to be someone else. and you know what, you’re not the first to wish that. ”

hope has had her few experiences with people who seem to have something against the way she acts. she’ll admit that her temper is unbearable at times and her need to insult others are more like a reflex action than something intentional. but it was how she grew up to be. there weren’t any parental issues growing up. she lived in a loving family, who cared for her and one she adores to this day.

but perhaps what causes this coldness and hostility towards people is her need for freedom and the hatred towards conforming to a standard that she wasn’t fond of. and besides, being like this made it easy to push people away. particularly people who made her life impossible to live.

she wasn’t planning on making friends with anyone any time soon. she wasn’t planning on letting her outer shells melt. she was perfectly fine living in the igloo that was her ego.

possibly the reason she shut everyone out was that they felt like they could dictate to her, as if she was easily influenced to be a sweet, docile person so people can step on her and humiliate her as they pleased.

and she wasn’t going to let that happen. she’s seen what being stepped on can do to a person and she doesn’t want that for herself. so she would much rather encase herself within the walls of nebula and go about her space adventurer way with no distractions, no dictators disguised as friends or morally good figures.

so hope shrugged vivienne’s hand off her shoulder. “ if you think i’m walking too quickly, might i suggest speeding up ”, she spat and continued to walk. at that moment, she wished that she could find creed or be near someone she recognized, she hated being around strangers, hated it.

to be fair, after having that altercation, she preferred to be away from them. she couldn’t afford to get angry in this space, because there were cameras everywhere. and if she so dared to show any aggression, guards would be approaching asking what the problem was.

so she put as much space between her and the pirates as she could. and whilst she was in the headquarters, she thought she could do something she’s been meaning to do for a while. scattered around, there are these tall, rectangle like structures posed as small billboards but they can also be access panels.

going up to one, hope removed her glove and pressed her aching hands onto the glowing screen and saw the blue fade to lilac in an instant. a small dialing pad emerged and she typed her pin in.

these services allowed workers to check their stats. usually, she could do this on her own ship but she’s been continuously distracted for the last couple of days and was unable to do anything.

once the screen had loaded, hope’s profile came up. her picture was on the left-hand-side and upon pressing a cog icon, a tab emerged containing all of her details. but gazing over her birthdate and her hometown, she sought out her bounty points. and her jaw dropped.

“ suck on that, hiro, you motherfucker. ”

“ who are you talking to, hope? ”.

and then her heart dropped.

the girl spun around and found herself face-to-face with the very boy she had just insulted. the boy she had been trying to avoid, the boy who did nothing but annoy her and get under her skin with almost anything he did or said. she’s never met someone who has quite the effect that hiro has on her.

the last time she saw him was roughly two years ago, and since then, he’d changed, grown taller and dyed his hair blue and his skin appeared clear and his dimples were still as deep as ever. but it wasn’t as if he smiled to show them all that much. the eyebrows he frowns all the time looked rather nice, too, except she noticed a piercing. which was unusual.

she hated to admit it but it seemed like he’d gotten handsome. and she hated to admit it considering she wasn’t one to talk about people’s looks at all.

hiro crossed his dense arms over his chest. he was wearing the voyage uniform, except seemingly avoided the long coat and chose the semi-formal one with the high collar. the pilot uniform. hope couldn’t believe that he had continued flying despite always having complained about it for years.

he most likely did it because she was doing it as well.

“ hiro ”, the bounty hunter began and let her gaze travel from his head to his toes before she met his eyes once more. “ you haven’t changed a bit. the fuck is up with the piercing? ”.

“ it wasn’t my idea ”, he replied quickly, rising the very eyebrow he had the piercing on. it complemented his asshole of a personality and made him look like even more a douche.

hope found it weird that he did something that wasn’t from his own free will, “ i didn’t take you for the type of person to listen to others for ideas. ” hiro scoffed and rolled his eyes. “ who’s was it? it had to be your own, you’re egotistical enough to think it’ll look good. ”

“ it wasn’t my id— ”.

“ it was mine. ”

who?

hope looked behind hiro and spotted the figure the female voice had come from. it was a young woman perhaps around the same age as hope, but she got the impression that she could’ve been older based off of the red lipstick imprinting pretty lips. she also wore the voyage pilot uniform that hugged her form quite well, she had a nice figure, slim and healthy with curly, brown locks running down her back.

hope stared for a moment and blinked when the girl then approached her and stood beside hiro, rather proximate. yet that’s when it fell on hope that perhaps this was the companion that creed had told her about.

the girl seemed to take notice that neither hope nor hiro was going to make an attempt at introductions so she quickly stepped forward with a pretty smile, “ i-i’m hina koyabashi. i’m hiro’s flight companion. you must be hope, right? i’ve heard quite a lot about you! ”.

“ by that, i’m assuming it was bad things. ”

hina laughed fairly airly, “ i-i’ll admit, most of it was complaining. but he does talk about you a lot and mostly about when you were both training at voyage together. is it true that you were roommates? ”.

hope rolled her eyes quickly, but not before chuckling slightly. “ yes, we were. i feel your pain to some degree, having to share a space with an arrogant prick ”, she spoke, glaring daggers at the boy.

hiro glared back, “ as far as i’m aware, you didn’t complain too much that time. now you’ve really developed a pirate’s mouth. bounty hunting’s been messing with your incredible lexicon, hasn’t it, hope? ”.

“ you know what, ishikawa— ”.

“ now, now! ”, hina interrupted and hope was glad for a moment. as a matter of fact, she couldn’t understand how a person like hiro managed to get lucky with a companion who was both pretty and somehow peaceful. hope wondered just how many times this girl has kept hiro from getting into trouble, whether it be from his reckless actions or dirty mouth. “ the meeting’s going to start soon. shouldn’t we start going? ”.

hiro seemed willing, mostly because he knew that if he stayed there any longer, hope would start bad-mouthing him. “ please, i can’t stand the smell of this perfume ”, he said and mimicked a gag and hope really wanted to punch him.

“ it’s dior! ”, she snapped.

“ i figured ”, hiro stated with a sigh and started to follow hina but then paused and turned back to hope. “ by the way, who are those idiots? they’re really loud. ” he pointed his thumb over his shoulder and upon peeking, hope recognized enzo seemingly ranting to vivienne but he was so loud, it was unendurable.

hope sighed, “ they’re people i recruited. ”

“ you recruit people no— ”.

“  —yes, i do. fuck off, hiro. ”

he stuck his tongue out at her and she managed to spot a tongue piercing and watched him walk off. jesus, he’d changed. he most certainly looked good but his personality was just as spoiled, perhaps even more.

for years, hope always thought that hiro had a personal grudge against her for some reason. whether it be that she tended to score a little higher than him on the ranks or maybe because she was often favored by creed whilst he treated the others strictly during their time training.

but even if their years in training were long gone, hiro wasn’t fond of the idea of discussing whatever feelings were between them. it was a huge distaste but she never found the origin of it. and quite frankly, if he didn’t want to talk about it, that was fine by her. but if he was going to be an asshole, she would return the treatment!

“ was that hiro? ”, quinn’s voice came from beside her and hope rose a brow and nodded. enzo really couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself, he always had to share them. was gossiping his only talent or something? “ he looks intimidating. ”

“ he’s a childish prick. doesn’t like being even second place and has a personal grudge against me that i will never understand the reason for ”, hope explained. to quinn, she didn’t mind opening up to. and besides, if they saw hiro around some more, she was going to have to tell him about it in case she starts arguing with the blue-haired boy.

quinn hummed, hands behind his back. he was pretty much the most obedient person in that crew but hope didn’t particularly like how quiet he was. as far as she was aware, this guy couldn’t stand her so she wasn’t going to present a friendly persona if the treatment wasn’t going to be returned. universal kindness her ass!

“ but, uh, we’ll be out of here before i can even think about strangling him to death, as nice as that would be ”, said hope once more and shook her head. moving her gaze towards her wristband, she hummed. “ we should start going. ”

quinn spoke briefly, “ the thing is, enzo opted to step out of this meeting thing. it isn’t really for us and we might hear something we won’t like. s-so vivi is choosing to keep enzo out in case he gets angry and starts breaking things. ”

“ you don’t even know if the meeting is about pirates ”, hope said somewhat skeptically. quinn looked down, not replying to her comment. “ but . . . alright, then. as long as you stick to your identities and stay out of trouble, i don’t see why it’ll be a problem. ”

“ we’ll be by the cafeteria, so . . . good luck with the meeting. ”

watching him leave, hope didn’t start moving until the crew had walked off, dawn even turned and gave hope an excited wave and mouthed good luck. in the corner of hope’s eyes, she saw dom turn his head and then saw the bruise, it was purple.

gulping down the guilt, she turned to the stats still on the screen and then logged out of the system, before rushing to get to the meeting.

the headquarters were a maze to the mind of a person who was confused in so many ways. her mind still lingered on the bruise she’d seen on dom’s cheek and how on earth she was going to handle being in the same room as him knowing she’d brought him an injury like that. sometimes, hope really hates her temper. but a part of her told dom deserved it. another part told her she was a true bitch for doing what she did.

taking an elevator down to the fifth floor, hope’s gaze wandered for a while until the doors slid open. stepping out, she found herself in an almost vacant hallway, finding that instead of seeing that circular opening like on the floor she was just on, the walls were closed and long. she wondered just how long it would take to get to this meeting room.

if she could get there at all. creed hadn’t exactly told her where it was and hope didn’t like accessing the system’s mapping system because it often confused her more. and with the lack of people in the hallway, she found that she was going to have to wander until she finds her location.

however long that might take.

hope couldn’t help but whimper under her breath and rub her eyes, she hated the feeling of cluelessness. it often causes an immense panic, especially as someone who often plans ahead, who has everything under control. why did she not follow hiro and hina when she had the chance or asked creed where the meeting room was?

she truly was an idiot sometimes.

“ are you lost? ”.

what does it look like, hope wanted to snap back but the voice was too docile and formal for her to reply in that way. her eyes traveled to the origin of the said voice and widened upon recognizing this person.

this beautiful person. long, dark hair and kind eyes, high cheekbones and a slim figure hidden under a smart voyage agent jacket. hope couldn’t help but notice the pearl earrings she wore and the prettiest necklace resting against her collarbone.

do not panic, hope, but this might be esme lau. unable to reply for a moment, esme offered her a smile, kind and tender before beckoning her over. “ you’re here for the meeting, aren’t you? ”, her voice was perhaps the smoothest one hope has heard, coated in an indescribable sweetness but authority, hope couldn’t explain it without calling her a disney princess. “ i am as well. we can go together. ”

hope gulped and nodded, before letting her head drop into a mild bow. “ t-thank you, miss ”, she exclaimed. she doesn’t recall the last time she’s gotten so flustered over someone but esme lau was kind of a big deal at voyage inc. she rose her head and proceeded to follow her, esme seemed to be in no rush.

“ you can’t come to these meetings too early ”, the woman spoke, as if reading the bounty hunter’s thoughts. “ usually the ones doing the whole thing, the speakers, they don’t even show up on time. usually, they’re ten minutes late. so you might as well take your time, too. ”

hope bit her lip, “ even if the meeting is important? ”.

“ even if it’s important ”, esme repeated and chuckled, her thin arms hugging her pretty figure. “ but anyways, i don’t recall seeing you around. sure, i don’t come out of the office that often but i haven’t seen you. are you new? ”.

it’s a rare thing for esme lau to take an interest in anyone. it’s rarer to see her out of her work and to see her in public. so hope really didn’t want to mess up her chance in talking to the woman. “ i-i’m, i’m not an official voyage member. i had a mild contract. i’m a bounty hunter, my name’s hope ”, the girl explained.

esme’s brow rose. “ bounty hunter? wow, they really called everyone for the meeting ”, she mumbled but then gave hope a charming smile. “ but that’s a delightful name. it’s good to meet you. thank you for cleaning the galaxy for us. the kids on loose these days are crazy. ”

“ tell me about it. ”

“ pardon? ”.

hope quickly caught herself, “ i was hunting someone down just a couple of days ago. uh, you might have heard of him. crimson. he was responsible for the 3019 m-colony blackouts that killed a couple hundred people. well, he was quite crazy. set up toxic bombs as a trap and i fell right into it. ”

“ oh, you poor girl ”, esme gasped, and hope tried not to scream at the gentle hand against her shoulder. “ i hope you weren’t too badly hurt. but that’s exactly what i mean with the crazy theory. power and adrenaline can really get to your head. ” her concerned expression softened. “ but you’re doing god’s work, getting rid of people like that. sure, through barbaric means but there comes a point where jail isn’t enough. ”

“ y-yes, i agree. ”

esme’s hand fell to her side again and hope couldn’t help but notice a rather pretty ring she wore. it seemed to be emeralds, but they had such a unique cut . . . she loved it, though, it was charming and it suited esme. then again anything suited esme.

their walk to the meeting room wasn’t exactly too long. perhaps two or three minutes later, hope’s gaze fell on a double door. one which esme had to open with a pin of some sort. when the doors slid open, hope gasped.

the meeting room was perhaps the largest one she’d seen yet. it was like a lecture room in the universities back home, but it was circular all the way and the stage remained down at the bottom, in the center of the room. it wasn’t exactly too full but it was enough to make hope’s breath to hitch.

esme took note of that. “ the seats aren’t exactly assigned, so you could sit beside me. unless if you have friends here ”, she offered. hope’s heart ached, she was unbelievably kind. esme’s head tilted curiously, waiting for hope’s response.

brown eyes searching, hope caught sight of hina. it wasn’t that hard to spot such a pretty girl in a crowd of plain-looking individuals, and hiro was beside her. so at least she would be dividing hope from jumping on his throat.

but the thought of sitting alongside a loved public figure and get to experience her work up close, it made her nervous but eager. besides, esme was sweet and wouldn’t annoy her like hiro.

mingling with her, though, would look quite uncanny, especially as hope was nowhere as great as esme lau. “ i-i see my friends over there. but thank you for offering, miss lau ”, hope quickly replied.

esme tutted and elbowed the girl on the arm gently, in a very friendly manner that hope wanted to gush over. “ quit being so formal. just call me esme ”, the woman stated but then beamed and nodded. “ but i suppose i’ll see you around. thank you for the lovely talk and walk, hope. ”

hope found herself watching her walking away. her strut was so graceful and she held her head up so confidently but not enough to make her look snobbish. rather, she looked like the most humble person on the surface of the galaxy.

upon drooling over esme for a little longer, hope then took off to take her seat beside hina. before she could even sit down, hina began with the questions. “ were you just talking to the esme lau? ”, she asked hope, eyes wide enough to pop from her sockets.

“ uhm, i ran into her at the hallway. she was nice ”, hope replied.

hina whined, “ i would sell my kidney to meet esme. she’s so perfect. she’s got an iq of two hundred, imagine that! and she’s pretty and kind as well, it’s almost superficial but i can’t imagine her even being mean. ” the girl rested her hand against her cheek and sighed lovingly whilst looking towards the said woman. “ you think she’s married? ”.

“ if she isn’t, she isn’t going to want a ring from you ”, hiro replied swiftly. hina pouted and leaned back onto her seat. hope then paid her own glance towards esme and found her sitting not too far from them, near to the bottom room and she sat among some important looking people, though she stood out the most, possibly because of her visuals or the fact that she was the most relevant person there.

looking away, hope’s eyes went to the different people sat around them. most wore the voyage uniforms, no matter what brand it was. the majority were chattering among themselves, it was like a school assembly with an exciting buzz in the air.

she couldn’t help but let out a small exhale, it trembled for a moment and she regretted not sticking beside esme. because her soothing nature calmed hope’s nerves even if it was a mere smile she gave the girl. now sat among a sea of people, strangers, her fingers started twitching.

beside her, she heard hiro and hina’s voices but she couldn’t exactly make it out. the cacophony of noise engulfed her for a moment, and it was as if her attention was shifting everywhere, at times at the people, sometimes at the stage or down at her lap.

but it seemed like the sound ceased. at some point, she felt something against her ears and looking it up, hope was startled enough to find hiro’s hands shielding her ears. her eyes widened for a moment and she moved to remove them but he smacked her hand away.

“ what are you doing? ”, she hissed. she noticed he’d moved over and switched places with hina, who was curiously looking over with concern.

hiro glared, “ making sure you don’t faint in the middle of a meeting. you’re gonna have to focus, hope. this is important. ” but he didn’t even remove his hands until hope’s hands stopped trembling and when her heart had stopped racing like she was running a marathon.

he saw her facial features soften and then nodded, slowly removing his hands from her and settling back down onto his seat. hope felt embarrassed to save the least. hiro was one of the few people who knew about her nervous antics in crowds when she wasn’t distracted by something else.

at j-colony, she managed to keep calm because of the music and because she was on a mission. here, she was floating in a sea of voices and they weren’t comfortable to listen to. it was loud and messy and not like her music.

frowning slightly, hope simply crossed her arms and tried to relax. but it didn’t work so easily until hiro moved a bit closer and put something in her hand. she opened her hand and found it to be one of those adorable squishy animal stickers with fat belies that you could press and squish and play with. hiro somehow had the cat with the pinkish ears.

“ why do you have th— ”.

“ don’t ask ”, hiro said over her and then paused before clearing his throat. “ it’s my sister’s. i visited her last week and she told me to keep it. ”

“ does it have a name? ”, hope questioned softly.

hiro snorted slightly and looked ahead, “ you can give it one. ”

looking at the squishy toy, hope pressed her thumb against its belly and rubbed it playfully. it was perhaps the best feeling in the world, and the toy was just adorable, she could easily get distracted with it.

“ he looks like a . . . wilson. ”

“ jesus christ, never have children if that’s what you’re going to name him ”, hiro commented with slight alarm, and adjusted himself in his seat before peering down at the toy. “ he looks like a . . . uh— ”.

“  —like a hiro. hiro jr. ”

hiro met her gaze for a moment and rolled his eyes, but hope spotted a slight smile against his lips. “ fine. that’s not too bad ”, he commented. hope sighed and squished the toy again before feeling like the lights had dimmed. her heart sunk but settled at a normal rhythm within some moments.

looking about for a moment, hope noticed that the meeting room had grown increasingly full. to think that most of them were other voyage members. she forgot just how big this corporation was. so after the lights dimmed, a spotlight hit the center stage.

hope was expecting a public figure, perhaps a general or a lieutenant like creed to step on and take over the mic, but her eyes widened when a woman did. and the chatter around her grew tenfold when the lights fell in beatrice yoh, in all her terrifying splendor.

in a white suit, she looked somewhat angelic, but her eyes were hard and her gaze went over the crowd that soon grew quiet. hope found herself gripping the toy a little harder.

“ welcome ”, yoh’s booming voice echoed. hope inhaled deeply. “ i appreciate all of you coming here on such short notice. i am aware that it is a lot to ask many of you to stop your lives and come here. but what i’m about to announce will impact all of us. ”

hope rose a brow when yoh suddenly paused and then stood with her shoulders broad. “ it’s come to our attention, with the increased crime rates around the colonies, that a rising activity has been created. and that we might be looking into a coup d’etat “.

“ holy fuck ”, hope heard hiro mutter beside her. her own brows were furrowed in confusion as the chatter and mumbles around her grew once more. an announcement like this was alarming. she found it weird, for a moment, that yoh mentioned crime rates were increasing . . . she thought that with the number of bounty hunters and officers growing, crime rates were decreasing.

but the woman continued, “ a week ago, it seemed like a particularly pesky group managed to find their way into our base on earth and decorated the place with vandalism after breaking through our security system. they left various symbols on the walls. ” yoh paused. “ and the same thing was just repeated at j-colony two days ago. ”

hope felt like she was going to faint. she had just been at j-colony and to think that she was there possibly when this had occurred. but surely they would have called her in, knowing she was there, knowing she could help, how did nobody tell? how did creed not tell her?

“ whatever the reason for these acts, we’re taking it as a sign of rebellion. or some criminal group trying to attack our ways of living ”, the chairwoman said and looked out into the crowd. hope frowned and gulped slightly, and her thoughts couldn’t help but wander to the pirates.

who were sat outside, waiting for her to return.

pirates she had helped enter the base. giving them false identities. knowing they had bounties on their heads. knowing voyage was probably hunting them.

“ we’re going to find the people behind this. an attack on voyage inc is serious, and whoever is behind it will have to pay with very . . . grave . . . consequences. ”

[shooter-nobunagun]

Quarantine UST 7

//About to reach the climax (hah)...Apologies for the delay (gasp) but I took some time off and then when I came back work piled up so...this chapter took longer. Also, it went very differently than what I’d originally planned, so...I’m not sure if I’m 100% satisfied with the direction, but when the muses want something, there’s not much I can do about that. I think it turned out all right, I hope it feels natural and not too...’perfect fantasy’ scenario.

Warning, some mature content this chapter (masturbation) but not super explicit.

She stared at the text on her screen, debating if she really wanted to send the message, or simply relegate it to her ‘unsent drafts’; where it would join the hundreds of other ramblings that never made it to Asao.

[Sio]: I’m screwed; I seriously think I’ve got more than just a ‘crush’ on Adam...like, I literally spend all my time obsessing over whether or not he LIKE likes me ??? and even if he does, what if we get in trouble? >__<||||

“Ugh...mendoukusai...why do I always make things more complicated than they need to be...” Sighing, the sniper looked mournfully at the message, wondering if it was a good idea to spill the beans. Even though Asao was her best friend and had been a godsend this entire time, somehow just declaring it—even in text form—seemed to cement it somehow, instead of remaining this nebulous fantasy that she could always dismiss if things got too tricky.

For sure though, as the third week passed through, Sio noticed a definite change in Adam’s attitude towards her. He rarely made sarcastic or snide remarks anymore, and even his quips about her inexperience felt more like gentle teasing instead. No, there was something there, for sure...the real question now was whether it was a cozy, platonic friendship, or the stirrings of something deeper and more passionate. Shaking her head, she took one last look at the message, then hit ‘send’ before she could change her mind. She half-hoped Asao wouldn’t see it until the next day; if she responded now, Sio wasn’t sure she could sleep without another all-night rant session.

In the meantime, if she needed a way to wind down and get sleepy... Sio glanced at the phone one more time, before turning off the lights and pulling the covers up. With a practiced hand she casually slipped off her panties, preferring to touch herself directly. If she was feeling particularly horny and wanted to spend a little extra time stretching it out, then she kept them on, teasing herself through the fabric until she couldn’t stand it anymore and then plunged her fingers straight into her core. This time though, it was more a nightly habit than anything else; a little ‘me time’ and a good way to relax before bed.

She sighed as her fingers slipped through her curls, reaching that warm, secret spot. It usually took a bit of friction to coax her sensitive little pearl out from its hiding place, but that could definitely be helped along by just thinking about a certain tall, white-haired e-gene holder. “Mmn...A-Adam...I bet, your hands would feel pretty good, t, touching me down there...” Just the other day he’d put his hand over hers while helping her lift correctly, and the difference in size, along with those calloused, but gentle fingers, did not go unnoticed. Her own slim digits rubbed the outer hood, Sio shivering as she felt her folds getting moist from the stimulation.

‘Seriously, I don’t know how much longer I can keep it a secret...’ There was only about another week left on their quarantine, and Sio was simultaneously excited and depressed about it. On one hand, she couldn’t wait to return to some semblance of normalcy, but on the other, what if they went back to acting as if this time never happened? Boring as it was (save for a minor skirmish that did occur, and where Adam actually admitted her aim had vastly improved), a part of her was genuinely sad that there might never be another time where they would all be like this: acting like close friends and maybe even a family.

But most of all, what if these feelings she was developing for Adam never went anywhere? Or what if they faded, after things went back to normal? The twinge in her heart hit harder than expected, and her arousal dropped a little, to Sio’s frustration. ‘Ugh, just stop overthinking things, Sio...now’s not the time for it, anyway.’

She focused on her fingers instead, on the physical sensations this time rather than her mental fantasies. It was surprising how quickly she’d become familiar with her own body, and where it felt good for her. Her breasts, for instance, weren’t as sensitive, but it was still nice to massage them gently, and when she got really horny her nipples were nice to tweak with. Given that she was masturbating on a near-daily basis (and sometimes more than once a day), it was easy to experiment with different areas and techniques. After a while, she’d even worked up the courage to stick a finger inside, which wasn’t nearly as difficult or even painful, unlike most of the gossip she heard. It just felt a little weird, except the few times her fingers managed to brush a particular spot—though it hadn’t happened very often. Mostly she just like rubbing her clit, and it usually only took her a couple minutes to reach a satisfying climax.

“Nng...” Sio bit her lips; for some reason it seemed like she wasn’t really in the mood today. It was taking her longer than usual to reach an orgasm, and despite her fingers it felt like she was stuck at the plateau phase. ‘Maybe I should just call it quits and go to sleep...but argh, I’m already more than halfway there...’ She couldn’t decide which was worse: working towards a half-hearted orgasm, or trying to sleep while still tense and aroused. Taking a break she laid on the cool sheets, running a hand up and down her thigh, enjoying how smooth and soft the skin felt. 

Funny how she couldn’t really remember when or what cause her feelings for Adam to change. Since the beginning, they’d always had this weird, almost love/hate thing going on, possibly since their first encounter in Taiwan. Sio knew she respected his skills on the battlefield, though his manners towards her could’ve used a lot of work. Even then, even back when he was all sorts of abrasive and prickly at her, she still couldn’t outright hate him. Be annoyed and upset, sure, but there was always a part of her that wished she could know him better, to find out what kind of a person he really was.

‘Adam...’ Just thinking about him, whether it was his physique or his interactions with her, filled her heart with a sense of longing. What kind of person was he like before DOGOO? Who were his friends? Was his ‘tsundere’ attitude just a facade to protect his true self? She wished she could just work up the courage and confess her feelings, consequences be damned, but she knew it’d probably never happen in a million years. But oh, how strong those feelings were, sometimes...to know him beyond his e-gene and touch his true soul... Slowly, her finger gently prodded her insides, Sio imagining what it would be like if he held her tight in those strong arms; whispering sweet nothings into her ear while brushing her hair soothingly, telling her how much he cared about her and admired her, how cute she was...

“Hnn...! Oh!” To her surprise her body started jerking, Sio so caught up in her romantic fantasies that she didn’t notice her orgasm until it literally shook her out of her reverie. “Hah, hah...A-Adam...I wish, I wish we were real...” Suddenly reality came back, and the sniper remembered where she was: in her own room in a borrowed house, in the middle of a foreign city, waiting out a quarantine with her teammates in the hopes that they wouldn’t get infected and die. Panting, she pulled her sticky fingers out, wiping them down before putting her panties back on again. Now that the euphoria was fading, she felt an almost crushing sense of defeat. 

‘Hah, who am I kidding; there’s no way I can ever tell him...I just can’t! Not to mention, what if he...really doesn’t feel the same way? I don’t wanna make him feel awkward, not when we’ve finally established some kind of friendship...’ Yet the thought of taking this secret to the grave made her heart feel even heavier, and despite being physically exhausted, Sio sensed the beginnings of insomnia—and groaned.

Suddenly her phone lit up. She must’ve forgotten to silence it—but the sniper immediately snatched it up, scanned Asao’s reply, and hit ‘call’ without even bothering to text first.

“Moshi moshi? Sio-chan? Is everything alright?”

“Asao-san! I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly, but...I really need to talk to you!” Sio half-wailed into the phone, trying to keep her voice down.

“Oh my, of course Sio-chan. But calm down first, what’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to be asleep now?”

“Well, I was...but I just can’t fall asleep.” She heaved a sigh. “It’s about...Adam. And well, you probably already saw my text, but...” her friend hummed in understanding on the other end, “and well, you know! I just don’t know...what to do about this!”

“I see...” Her friend replied seriously, Sio so worked up she was on the verge of tears at this point. “How do you know it’s forbidden? Do you know for sure that fraternization among DOGOO members is illegal?”

“W-Well, no...I mean, I don’t know for sure...if it is, then I haven’t heard of it,” Sio admitted, “b-but even then, like, what if...what if he, doesn’t like me back...!”

“Okay, let’s take this one at a time,” said Asao gently, trying to get Sio to calm down. “Let’s not worry about whether or not it’s against the rules or whatever— I’m pretty sure even if it is, it wouldn’t stop your feelings.” Sio grunted in response. “As for whether or not Adam feels the same...I mean, what do you think? What’s your instinct tell you? I’m not there, so I can’t say anything aside from what I’ve heard from you—but it doesn’t seem like it’s completely impossible, right?”

“I...well, I mean...” Her instincts, huh? More than once the others had pointed out how Sio sometimes just seemed to know things, yet be unable to explain how she knew afterwards—except that it just came to her, like an instinctive pull. “I...feel like he’s aware that there’s something more than just, friendly camaraderie between us...I-I mean for sure, I’ve noticed he’s changed how he acts towards me and speaks to me...s, so, that’s a positive sign, I guess...”

“Mm hmm, that’s good.” Asao encouraged from the other end. “So he’s definitely not avoiding you or anything.”

Sio shook her head. “No, if anything we’ve actually been spending a lot of time together, lately...heh, who would’ve guessed,” she gave a small laugh. “But, I guess it’s just...I just can’t be sure, right? Who knows if he likes me like, that, or what if it turns out he’s just a really nice guy, underneath all that Jack the Ripper e-gene crap?”

“...Well, that wouldn’t be so bad, would it? At least you know he’s a decent guy then,” offered Asao, but that didn’t seem to console the sniper much, if at all.

“I know, but that’s not what I want!” She lamented, even though she knew how lame it sounded. “I know I know, at least he is a good person, and for sure, I am really glad that he’s not the asshole I thought he was. Trust me, if all we did end up becoming was just good friends, then I guess I’ll accept it, but...” Sio sighed heavily, scrunching up on the sheets.

“...I really like him. Like, I...want to be with him, for real,” she whispered, surprised at the sudden wave of emotions it triggered in her. “I-I mean, maybe it’s too early to say this, but...i-is this, what it means to...fall in love?”

“Ah...Sio-chan...” Even Asao seemed to be at a loss for words, Sio clutching the pillow to her chest as she tried to get rid of this heavy ache. “...If you have such strong feelings for him, then, I think there’s really only one thing to do.”

“What?”

“You should tell him,” was Asao’s response, Sio having frozen at the blunt suggestion. “I’m serious, Sio-chan. I know you, and the longer you keep holding it in, the worse you’ll feel.”

“B-But, but...what if he—argh—doesn’t...like me back?!” The poor girl nearly sobbed into the phone, still caught up in her emotions. “I just don’t know if I could handle that kind of rejection...”

“Now Sio-chan, you’re stronger than that,” her friend’s voice took on a stern tone. “Even if he rejects you, so what? Life goes on; trust me, if that happens it won’t be the end of the world. You’ll encounter a lot more challenges later on, after this. You can’t let this one thing dictate the rest of your life.”

Sio sniffed and wiped her tears, knowing Asao was right. “...I, I know... You’re right, Asao-san...I-I mean, I’m already half-resigned to just remaining friends anyway, so...” She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “...You’re right. The worst part about this is just not knowing the truth. If he really isn’t interested in me, then fine; at least I can say I tried, and hopefully we’ll still be friends.”

“Sasuga, Shio-chan. I know you can do it.” Sio smiled at her friend’s encouragement. “Now you should be getting some rest. Tomorrow’ll look a lot better through fresh eyes.”

“Hai...oyasumi, Asao-san.”

“Oyasumi nasai, Shio-chan.” --------- “Mornin’ Ogura. You sleep alright?” Adam greeted the girl as she came down the stairs, a huge yawn tearing from her mouth. 

“Hnn...ohayou, Adam-san...” She rubbed her eyes, Asao’s words from last night still turning themselves over in her mind. Tell him... hah, as if she could just blurt it out. If only she could plan it out beforehand, but no; experience told her that whenever it involved her and Adam, nothing ever went according to plan.

“Sunny-side up eggs alright with you?” The sniper nodded in thanks, before wandering over to the cupboards to fix herself some tea. “...Everything alright?”

“H-Huh? Wh, what do you mean...” She nearly dropped the cup, but caught it just in time. “I’m just, tired...stayed up too late talking to Asao-san again...” Adam’s perception was incredibly sharp; she’d have to watch herself to make sure she didn’t give anything away.

“...I see. How’s she doing, by the way?”

“Eh. Same as usual...from the sound of it, Japan’s doing okay, except they’re not in school right now so she says it’s kind of boring staying inside all day.” Before she knew it, she had somehow automatically made two cups of tea, even though Adam usually drank coffee in the morning. “Oh, ah...I forgot, you usually drink coffee, don’t you, Adam-san?”

He glanced over at the mugs just as the eggs finished and he slid them onto a plate, alongside the bacon, toast, and other trimmings. “Sure, but I don’t mind tea, either. Remember, I’m British,” he winked at her, “and we take tea very seriously.”

Sio found herself blushing at that playful wink, and before she knew it her lips curled into a small smile. Every time he did one of those little quirks towards her, she felt herself growing warm. As they ate their breakfast in a now-comfortable silence, she thought back to what she’d told Asao last night. About how she was resigned to just remaining friends, and accepting it, if he didn’t feel the same...

‘...But is that really true? Could I really be satisfied with just staying friends?’ That was what she’d claimed, but thinking on it now, and especially with the two of them like this already... Biting her fork, Sio was beginning to think she wouldn’t be able to settle for anything less than going all in. If she was rejected, then fine--that would be something out of her control, but to not even try...

“Say. You got any plans today?” She looked up with a start at Adam’s question. Why would he be asking her this now... Pretending everything was fine (when it was definitely not), she gave a casual shrug.

“Not really. I-I mean, aside from the usual stuff...was probably just gonna try and finish my FF7 file, since we’ve only got like, a week left...”

He nodded. “Yeh; seems like time was slow and fast all at the same time, didn’t it?”

“Heh, yeah it did; oh man, I remember when we first got here, and I was complaining about how I was gonna survive a month with everyone...but, now that we’re almost at the end, I’m actually gonna miss it...” She gave a melancholy smile, stirring the leftover bits of eggs.

“Well, I was thinking of just going for a drive along the shoreline. Maybe get out and walk along the beach...” For a few seconds there was only the sound of forks scraping the plates, as Sio’s heart started to pound in nervous anticipation, while Adam turned away so she couldn’t see his blush.

“...Is it, just...you?”

“...Well, that depends; you wanna come with?”

Their eyes met for a second, and Sio was sure she was probably redder than a tomato—but the strange thing was, Adam was also oddly pink, with an expression she’d never seen before. Later on, she would realize it was a sign that he’d been just as nervous as her, but in the heat of the moment, all she could think of was how to not make a fool of herself.

“U-Uh, I—I um, I...I’d like that,” she heard herself saying, though the voice seemed to come from somewhere outside her body. “If it’s...okay...”

“Of course; it’s definitely more than ‘okay’.” He got up to clear their plates, Sio grateful he couldn’t see her smile. 

‘He’s actually taking me somewhere...just the two of us...! Wait, is this like a...date?!’ Her excitement was suddenly replaced with a bolt of fear, as Sio’s mind finally realized the possible implications of this. ‘Oh no, what do I do...! Maybe I should change—but into what? It’s not like I packed anything nice since all we’d be doing was lounging, not going out—’

Luckily she was saved from indecision by Adam announcing that he’d already written a note for the other two, and it would be easier if they left now before they woke up. They packed some water and of course, the usual masks and hand sanitizer; then Adam was easing them out of the driveway and onto the hilly streets, Sio finally sitting shotgun for once.

The car was awkwardly silent, Sio wrestling internally with wanting to start a conversation but not knowing what to talk about. In the end, she simply turned on the radio, and the two listened to whatever the latest hits were as the car wound its way out to the coast. At least the breeze was nice, Sio enjoying the fresh air while she subtly watched Adam shifting the gears; somehow, just watching his fluid actions, and trying to understand how everything worked, was quite interesting.

“Huh...so you have to shift in order...” she muttered to herself, unaware of actually speaking it out loud.

“Eh? You interested in drivin’, squirt?”

‘Ah! I did it again...speaking my thoughts...!’ The sniper tried not to panic, instead pointedly looking out the window.

“N, No, it’s just...I’m curious as to how you, uh, drive. Y’know, with the gears and all.”

Adam shrugged, navigating with one hand as they drove along the highway. “Mm, you learn it with practice, like everything else. Why, you want a driving lesson before this is all over?” He teased, shooting the girl a small grin. “Personally I’d recommend starting with an automatic, if you’ve never driven before...”

“No no, it’s fine; I highly doubt I’d need to right now, anyway...” Sio commented dryly. “...By the way, is it true? What Jess-san said...”

“About what?”

“That, you...also owned a motorcycle.”

So. She remembered. “...Yeh, it’s true. I do have a bike; it’s not here right now, though DOGOO has offered to ship it to one of their bases...” The sniper’s maroons grew wide at this piece of news, and inwardly Adam cursed at not having the foresight to having it shipped over. ‘Perhaps we could’ve gone for a ride on that instead...’

“Whoa...that’s so cool...” Sio mumbled, cheeks flushing. “Man, you’re like, perfect...you can do so many things, like—how do you even know all this stuff? And be good at them?”

To her surprise Adam started laughing. “Oh ho, perfect now, am I? That is definitely not the case...and if I really were perfect, then how come I still have trouble with speaking my mind or not being an arse?” He eyed her with a glance and the sniper’s cheeks turned pink, to his pleasure. “Besides, I’m pretty sure that was not your impression of me when we first met.”

“W, Well, still...I just feel so...I dunno, useless next to you—and everyone else, for that matter, sometimes...”

Adam didn’t respond, instead pulling the car into a space as they finally made it to their destination. Sio wasn’t sure if he was exasperated at her whining, or something else.

“C’mon Ogura, let’s go for a walk, yeh? Think that’ll clear your head a bit.”

“Ah...” She put her mask and silently followed him, right along the waves crashing against the rocks. The day had been cloudy for a change, and Sio shivered slightly, even with a jacket. It seemed San Francisco’s weather changed as often as her moods; sunny one day, and chilly with fog the next, sometimes in the same day. 

“Brr...it sure is cold here,” she rubbed her arms, the wind piercing through her thin sweater. “Isn’t it supposed to almost be summer?”

“Hmm, reminds me a lot of home, actually. Well, granted it’s not nearly as cool, but, the overcast fog...” Before she could say anything else, Adam was shedding his jacket and gently laying it across her shoulders. “Here, this better?”

“Ah, uh...th-thanks...” There wasn’t much she could say, without revealing her true feelings—instead Sio simply nodded, hugging herself as she slipped her arms through, the fabric still warm from his heat. ‘Mmm...of course it smells like him...it’s comforting, somehow...’

“Don’t worry about me, squirt,” Adam answered before she could even ask. “The cold doesn’t bother me much; in fact, I find it rather refreshing.”

“O-Oh...w, well, if you say so...” She didn’t even need a mirror to know her cheeks were pink at this point—in fact her entire head felt like it was on fire as they walked in silence along the trail, despite the sea breeze. In an effort to distract herself, Sio took in the sights: the grey-tinged clouds, waves that broke along the rocks, and the occasional seagull brave enough to dive into the water. The air smelled briny and cold, similar to Tokyo Bay—but again different. It was mesmerizing to stare out at the waves, how they grew, then crashed, receded and then it started all over again. A few joggers and bikers were out, but it seemed most folks chose to stay indoors when the weather turned.

They hiked to an outlook with a few benches, Sio taking a water break as Adam leaned over the railing, taking in the view himself. She desperately wanted to break the silence, but at the same time, she didn’t know what to say. Even if Adam had other reasons for asking her to come with, somehow, it felt wrong to force the question.

“You doin’ alright, Ogura?” Adam turned around, nodding at her newly-acquired jacket. “Let me know if you’d rather head back. Wouldn’t want you t’ get sick.”

“I’m okay, thanks to you...” She hugged herself again, as if to remind herself this was real. “U-Um, A-Adam...” he turned around slightly, and Sio felt her heart rate speed up, but she couldn’t stop now. “Th, this place...um, s-so...why did you ask me to...come with you...”

“...Hn. That is a good question.” He wasn’t looking at her directly, but she knew he was paying close attention. “I can’t say I really know why, myself...just, I thought you might like some fresh air, for a change.” He shrugged casually, and Sio felt her heart drop a bit, even though a part of her was also relieved.

“And, well...truthfully it’s because, I guess I’ve come to enjoy spending time with you, is all.”

The sniper froze again, at that comment. ‘No way...it can’t be, is he really serious...is he, really saying what I think he is...!’ She wasn’t even sure what to respond, how to respond—to anybody else perhaps, it would’ve been plain as day that Adam was admitting he liked her, and yet, her insecurities wouldn’t let her believe it.

“A-Ah, y-yeah...um, I, I do...like being out of the house, once in a while...” She was stuttering and trembling, all limbs going numb because there was just no way this could be real, it couldn’t be what she’d really wanted, all along...

“Well, that’s...good to know.” He was coming over now, hands tucked inside his pockets as he sat down next to her. “By the way, I apologise for being blunt, but...I hope I’m not botherin’ you, dragging you out like this. It’s just...well, you often seem so glum about your inexperience and such, I...wanted to see if I could take your mind off that. Y’know, you’re doing quite well, for a rookie. ”

“Eh? N, no, not at all...” Sio wasn’t quite sure what to make of his words; of how he wanted to try and cheer her up, and to know she wasn’t doing as poorly as she constantly thought... “I’m, glad to hear that...b-but, if I’m doing so well, then how come you’re still teasing me about messing stuff up? And don’t even get me started on before...you used to yell at me all the time, or complain about this or that...”

To her surprise he began to laugh slightly, Sio feeling her cheeks burning in a mix of indignation and embarrassment. “Heh, you aren’t wrong; I admit communication isn’t exactly one of my better skills...and here you were saying how I was perfect,” he turned towards her at last, a small smile on his face. “But spending time with you, like this...has changed my mind.”

“Um...” Her voice quivered before she knew it, Adam quirking a brow at her sudden nervousness. “U-Um, I, y, you...” There was no way she could weasel out of this one, now. They were literally sitting next to each other, Adam had all but confirmed that he liked her and didn’t think she was a mere ‘half-baked squirt’; so why was she still trying to deny it?

“Y, You...probably shouldn’t say things like that,” she uttered quietly, picking at the sleeves of her borrowed jacket. “You don’t have to baby me, you know...I can handle the truth...”

Now it was Adam’s turn to look astonished. “...Beg pardon? You think I’m just buttering you up for something?” There was slight cough, as if he couldn’t quite grasp her logic. “I meant what I said, Ogura. I wasn’t joking around or talking shit just to make you feel better,” she winced slightly at his words. “If there is one thing I wish you would improve, it’s your confidence. And I’ll admit, I haven’t been conducive to that, especially in the beginning...but surely you don’t have that low of an opinion of yourself? After all you’ve accomplished in such a short time?”

“B, But, I...it can’t...” The sniper shook her head, frustrated because she knew Adam was right. Even before DOGOO, speaking up for herself and having self-confidence was always hard for her. Even if it caused her loneliness, it was easier than stepping out of her comfort zone, dealing with those awkward looks and moments where people never seemed to know what to do with her. “I...how, how can someone like you see that in me?”

“...What exactly do you mean by that?” His gaze was piercing, but not cruel. “What do you mean, ‘someone like me’?”

“Y-You, you’re...you’re the leader of the Second Platoon, you can do pretty much anything you want—cooking, cleaning, killing EIOs without breaking a sweat, driving, riding a bike, video games, keeping us on track...” She was rambling now, she knew, but Sio couldn’t stop. “How can I...possibly be good enough?”

“‘Good enough?’ For what? To be a part of this platoon?” She didn’t need to see his face to know Adam was upset. “That’s certainly not the case—you really think you’d still be here if you weren’t good enough—”

“—I know that! That’s...not what I’m talking about...” How was it that someone who was so smart could also be so dense? Did she really have to spell it out for him...!

“Then what are you talking about?” Adam sighed, starting to become irritated with her half-answers and nonsensical words. “Can you not just say it straight, Ogura, for once?

“—How can a hanninmae like me possibly be good enough for you?!” She burst out at last, not even thinking about anything else other than what she had to say, at the moment. She felt the man next to her instantly stiffen at her words, the sniper herself too emotional to look. 

There was a seemingly endless stretch of silence after that, Sio squirming with embarrassment but knew she couldn’t turn away, not after all those words. It seemed like forever before the man next to her moved, Sio staying frozen in her spot.

“...Y’know, you really are something else, Ogura Sio.” She didn’t dare look at him in the face, not yet. “It’s funny that you say that...feeling that you’re not good enough for me...when I’ve...been wonderin’ the same about myself.”

“Eh...?” In one moment she forgot she was supposed to be avoiding his eyes and turned around, only to be met with a strangely bashful and...nervous Adam? “What, you...about me?”

Huh? Huuuh? The sniper’s mind flew into a frenzy, suddenly overwhelmed by the revelations—namely that Adam actually ‘like’ liked her, and he was insecure about himself? “A-Ano...wha, but you, I...”

“Need me to spell it out for you, squirt? Alright then, I’ll just say it straight: I like you, Ogura; a lot. And it’s not just friendship. You’re no fool, you know what I’m talking about. But I don’t want to force you into something if you don’t feel the same way. Least of all if you’re uncomfortable with the fact that we’ll be continuing to work together after all this.”

He was right. Technically, as members of DOGOO they still had a duty to work together, professionally. Rules aside, she knew that if they committed to a relationship with each other, it could potentially make things very messy. And yet...

“...I, I...don’t care about that. I-I mean, yes, I know it’s probably not the smartest or most logical idea, but...” She finally glanced up, trying not to let her tears fall. “I can’t change my feelings...heh, I think even if there were some kind of rule in place...it wouldn’t change my heart. ‘Cause I, I...really like you, Adam...a lot...”

“...Well, let’s be real, since when were either of us good about following the rules, anyway?” With that one statement, the tension seemed to crack, and Sio couldn’t help but burst into giggles, Adam following suit as the two just laughed.

“You’re pretty when you smile, you know that?” 

“Ah—I, uh, mmm...” She blushed as Adam wiped her tears with a tissue. “Y, You should smile more, too...you’re much less scary when you do...”

Adam quirked a white eyebrow.  “Oh? You found me to be intimidating? Well, I guess that’s another thing I’ll have to work on, huh?” 

“We should both work on it. How to smile better.” The sniper screwed her mouth into a smile-grimace, which only caused the white-haired holder to laugh harder. “H-Hey, I’m trying...!” But she couldn’t help but laugh, too.

It felt like forever since they’d come here for their original purpose of hiking, but as Sio checked her watch, in reality it’d only been about half an hour. And yet everything before that point was now completely different; her feelings, perspective, and most of all what she and Adam were to each other, now...

“U-Uh...Adam-san...? Does, does this mean...well, what are we, now? Does this mean we’re...going out? Like dating?” Her face still flushed as she stumbled over those words, unused to saying them out loud.

He smiled at her, before gently taking her hand for the first time, Sio squeaking in surprise as his fingers closed around hers. “Sure, I suppose...I mean, I don’t really know much myself...but if that’s what you want, then I’m fine with it. Which means...guess I’ll be your boyfriend, from now on. Or lover, partner...” Those fingers brushed against her palm and she shivered; at last she could feel him in an intimate manner, but when it actually happened suddenly she felt very shy, even though it was nothing close to what she fantasized about.

“Mmm...I, I want that. Th-then, I’m...your girl...friend, now,” she nodded to reassure herself, squeezing his hand tightly in return. “Though, I’m not sure I want to tell everybody about it, yet...you know, like Newton and Gandhi...I, I’m sure eventually I’ll be okay, but just, for now...”

Adam nodded, rubbing her shoulder in a reassuring manner. “Same; frankly, it’s none of their business, and knowing what gossips those two are...” He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure it’s bound to come up, sooner or later...but for now, let’s just have this be our little secret, yeh?”

Sio couldn’t help but smile as they walked back to the car. “Hai! Oh, and uh, one last thing...” Adam gave a quizzical look as they got in. “U-Um, it’s okay to call me...’Sio’ now. Just ‘Sio’.” 

Something warm bloomed inside her chest as she said that, more so when Adam’s cheeks turned pink (he was so cute when he blushed), before he nodded. “Of course...Sio. But that means, from now on...I’m just ‘Adam’, too.”

“Okay...Adam.”

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Checking Up

Summary: Two strong personalities, one argument. Someone’s gotta give. 

Notes: Even soppy, adoring love doesn’t mean there will never be fights. Also, there are chickens, for the win!

Also on AO3

By Any Other Name masterlist

~~*~~

“You’re being ridiculous!” 

“i don’t care.”

Stretch was lying sprawled out on the floor in the middle of the living room, arms crossed stubbornly over his chest. He was watching the ceiling fan lazily spin with intense focus, not so much as a glance where Edge was glaring down at him.

Edge didn’t bother going near him; not that he was prone to manhandling, anyway, but he knew very well that unless you caught hold of them first, it was literally impossible to drag a teleporter anywhere. Even if he did try to pull him up, Stretch was not above taking him along for the ride which was a sure path to Edge puking on his feet, and he’d already ruined one pair of boots this week.

“It’s a checkup,” he repeated with thinning patience. “Sans and Red are going, too.”

“sans and red can do whatever the fuck they’re told,” Stretch said. His voice was tight and cool; he wasn’t upset, he was pissed off. He didn’t look away from the ceiling fan, but Edge could see the way his fingers tightened on his forearms, the faint scratch of bone against bone. “they both work for embassy and have safety requirements. i’m the lucky little boy that doesn’t and that means i get to do whatever the fuck i want, and what i don’t want is to sit around to get poked and prodded by some asshole with a lab coat and a clipboard just because ass-gore has some weird fucking paternal issues about monsters with low hp.”

“I’d like to see you call Alphys an asshole in front of Undyne,” Edge had been keeping a tight rein on his own temper, ever since Blue had called him this morning to cheerfully remind him of an appointment that he’d heard nothing about because someone hadn’t told him. His grip was starting to slip, his own anger and frustration leaking through the cracks because of all the childish, selfish— “And you wear a lab coat when you’re working, this is ridiculous…fine,” he said abruptly, “Stay there. Enjoy your sulking. I’ll be outside making plans for the best place to sprinkle your dust because you couldn’t be bothered to get a five-minute checkup.”

He turned on heel and walked away without a backwards glance. As satisfying as it would be to slam the sliding door closed, in his current temper that might well end in a shower of glass. Instead, he shut it with exaggerated care, turning into the cool autumn air and taking a long, deep breath of it.

Frantic clucking was coming from the coop and the chickens were already clustered by the door. They were all friendly enough little creatures, but they still had some sort of misguided affection specifically for him. Edge debated with himself a moment, then carefully opened the door, letting them out to mill around his feet.

He sat down in the browning grass and piles of leaves, heedless of the dampness of the ground. They clucked louder as he ran his hands over them, smoothing their soft feathers, until they decided possible insects were more interesting than his unappealing bones and began to search through the leaves.

Behind him, the door slid open and Edge didn’t look up as footsteps shuffled through the leaves.

“that was a shitty thing to say.”

“It was,” he agreed quietly.  He wasn’t quite ready to apologize yet.

Stretch sighed, and his pant legs came into sight as he walked closer. Edge didn’t look up at him, kept his eyes on his untied shoes. The converse star emblazoned on the side was grubby with wear, they were his favorite. “tell me why you want me to do this.”

“Your HP—"

Stretch interrupted him impatiently. “no, that’s bullshit. my hp is fine, i haven’t scraped off so much as a decimal point in months. i’ve been dealing with it all my life and i’m not the only one. about five percent of monsters count as low hp. so why is this such a big deal now?”

There was a leaf on the toe of Stretch’s shoe, yellowed and eaten away to show its lacy skeleton. Edge kept his eye lights on that. “I told you—"

“edge.”

“Because you’re out there,” he shouted, his head jerking up without his permission to look at Stretch’s startled face. His control was wavering on the brink of an internal cliff and Edge clung to it, forcibly lowering his voice. “On any given day, you’re out there, walking with Humans and it would only take one of them with a bad temper or even a foolish prank and I would…you need to be at a hundred percent for that possibility.”

Stretch sounded a little shocked, his eye lights wide, “edge…”

He couldn’t look at him anymore, dragging his gaze back to the ground as he admitted through gritted teeth, “It’s comforting to hear a doctor say that everything is as good as it could possibly be.”

“edge—"

He had to close his sockets, he didn’t want to see Stretch’s frustration or worse, his anger as his confession finished tearing its away out, “Because then I know you’re as safe as I can make you. I can’t keep you here, I don’t even want to, but I need you to be safe. I need that.”

“okay.”

“What?” It startled him into opening his sockets, looking up even was warm, slim fingers cupped his face into Stretch’s gentle palms.

“okay,” Stretch repeated. He leaned down and nuzzled a kiss against Edge’s forehead, “if it’s that important to you, i’ll go.”

He shuffled his feet until they were on either side of Edge’s knees, sinking down into his lap. His weight was comforting, light and familiar, as Stretch slipped both arms around him and hugged him tightly. The faint tremble in his own hands as he returned the embrace was humiliating, but behind his back as they were, Stretch wouldn’t notice.

Stretch drew back enough to rest his forehead against Edge’s, peering at him so closely his eye lights were nearly crossed. “you know i hate the overprotective bullshit.”

“I know.” He did, and he had every right to. That was what Edge’s logical side told him. His emotional side was less reasonable and all too often there was an internal struggle between them.

“edge?” Stretch said softly, “this isn’t bullshit, okay? i’m pretty smart sometimes. i can understand if you explain.”

He nodded shakily. He felt weak, with relief, with lingering fear. It was fine, he could be a little weak right now. Stretch would never judge him for it.

One of the chickens, Noodle, seemed offended to be left out and was pecking impatiently at their sleeves. Stretch winced at her enthusiasm, brushing her back gently.

“you jealous bitch,” Stretch laughed affectionately. He wriggled out of Edge’s lap, a motion that was normally tantalizing, and started shooing them back into the coop. “c’mon, girls, we have to get going if we’re going to make the appointment.”

“Give me a moment to change,” Edge stood up, grimacing at the dampness of the seat of his pants.

“yeah, go on…wait,” he said suddenly, and Edge did, hesitating at the door. “i love you, even when you’re an asshole.”

Edge managed a smile, “I suppose that’s good for me, though possibly less so for you.”

“nah,” Stretch’s grin was cheeky, but the gleam in his eye lights was fierce, “it’s perfect for me, yeah?”

It felt like a pressure valve loosening on his soul, easing it, and he nodded, stepping into the house. They did need to hurry, and he took the steps two at a time, hardly pausing to choose another pair of jeans as he kicked off his boots and swapped them out. His wedding ring caught briefly on the fabric as he tugged on the fresh pair and he paused, clenching his fist just to feel that comforting weight.

Then Stretch was calling for him to hurry up and he stepped back into his boots, heading downstairs to join him.

 -finis-

[fairyshuuu]

Until it stops Chapter 1

Genre: Fantasy, King!Jinyoung, King!Jackson, Princess!AU Length: 2,215 *A/N  I really enjoyed making this series, and Ooh it’s going to get juicy, just you wait. No, but I really hope you enjoy.

Teaser | 

You sigh as you slip your legs in the piece of black fabric. A maid gently pulled it up your body, being careful not to disturb you. You look down at her. She was biting down her lip, focusing on pulling the thin fabric over your smooth skin. Sadly, this was another one of the things that came with being a princess. You had to do as you were told and put up a brave and respectful front, even if you felt horrible. And right now was one of those moments. You didn’t want to go out right now, but you had an important party to attend to. In your thought, you hadn’t realized that you had been staring at the maid all this time. 

“My lady… Am I bothering you?” He voice was soft and shaky, almost pleading.

“No. Please continue.” You give her a small smile, to which she quickly continued dressing you. The dress your husband had chosen for you today was a long tight gown, smooth as silk. The fabric wrapped around your skin tightly, showing of your slim body just right, as well as making your breathing just a little bit harder. 

The dress covered your entire front, up to your neck, but the back was very open. From your neck all the way down to the bottom of your back was open, only covered by a beautiful pattern of woven diamond strings, laid out to fall over your bare skin like a waterfall. In the middle of each of the strings was one ruby woven in, creating a red line down your back. The front was also adorned with diamonds, fading out down your neck. 

You had to admit that the dress was more then gorgeous, and a lovely gift by your husband, but you couldn’t be happy nevertheless. The dress was more then progressive, even leaning to futuristic, just the way your husband liked you. He always wanted you to look more stunning then all other queens combined. And as you remember the events of the morning, you were just reminded of your place in this castle once again. You wished with all your being that you could just spill your entire life out on someone, anyone, who would listen to you. 

But you knew that was impossible. Your husband, King Jinyoung, would never allow you to have anyone to confine in. He was very possessive about you, just not for the right reasons. You had immediately noticed the first time you had met him. He was an ambitious man, not interested in love at all. You were engaged after he payed your King and father enough, and you were brought to his castle only two days after you had met. You had begged your mother to let you stay, but alas, you were a princess and your fate would always be decided for you. 

As the maid finished of your outfit with two breathtaking diamond earrings, you can’t help but let out a sigh as you look in the mirror. You looked amazing, breathtaking even, exactly the reason King Jinyoung was so set on marrying you. He was an ambitious man, and you were the prize-cow, that he loved to show of to all other company he had over now and then. But, you were no more then that. And you were very aware. In the two years you had been his wife, he had never kissed you more then a polite peck, he had never brushed his fingers over your skin, he had never looked into your eyes more then necessary. He had plenty of other girls to do that with. 

Yet, he would never let you belong to another. That was just who he was. As you let the sad reality sink in once more, the maid bows her head to you and the walks out of the room. Not two minutes pass or you hear a knock at the door. “Come in.” 

A young man with a disgustingly smug grin plastered on his face entered the room. If you hated Jinyoung, you despised the very person in front of you. Your husband’s right hand, Im Jaebum, was an equally ambitious and handsome individual. He was tall, with broad shoulders and an attractive face. The only problem was that he was like Jinyoung’s dumb guard dog, often put in place to follow you about and check your every move. And the things Jinyoung wouldn’t do with you, were often done by Jaebum. Until this day you could still not understand why he would let him so near to you, and even gave him the permission to ‘relieve’ himself with you, but it still was the case. “My Lady, you look so breathtaking.” He slimes out, the grin never leaving his face. 

“Well, would you just shut up if you are so out of breath.” You retort back, making him let out a chuckle. Im Jaebum would be the only person you would dare to talk back to. No matter how charming he could be, you hated him with every fiber in your body.

--

“My lady, My Lord has sent me to hand you your dress for the day.” With a small smirk he enters your room, pushing the beautiful black silk dress into the hands of the maid on service. “Take that to her closet room and get out.” He snorts to the older woman, who immediately complies and rushes out of the room. 

“I’m not dressed yet, Jaebum. Stay out of my room.” You say with a calm voice, praying that he would just behave like a proper man and listen to your request. But of course, he pushes open the door to your bedroom, where you are just standing with your back to him. You were brushing your hair that your maid had just towel dried after bathing, a lovely satin dress robe tied around your otherwise naked body. 

As he slowly walks toward you, you sigh deeply. “I wish you could just leave me alone.” You murmur, but you already know that he would never. 

“Do you want me to tell Our Lord that you are disobeying him?” He presses his hot body against you, grabbing your two wrists. You drop the hairbrush as you feel his hot breath in your neck. “Well? Do you?” He turns you around and unties the robe before pushing you on your beautiful grand bed, making you shiver under his eyes. 

“No.” You whisper in defeat, as he quickly removes his own clothes and walks over to you.

--

“The king is waiting for you, My lady. I assume you are ready.” Jaebum puts out his hand to you, and with a lot of distaste, you take it. As you hold his arm, strolling through the hall on your way to your King, you can’t help but feel some kind of nerves. Even though he was your husband, he would never really take the time to talk to you, or spend time with you. Jinyoung was know for being a cold and ruthless king, but that was still a harsh enough description to you. 

Whenever he talked to you, it was as if his face was made of stone, never granting you any kind of emotional response at all. As you reach the door, Jaebum clears his throat. “My Lord, your Lady is here to accompany you.” The grand doors to his suite open, and you see him standing in a gorgeous red suit, his expression cold as ever.

“My Lord.” You bow at him and take a step to the side, to make place for him. With two steps he is by your side, reaching out his arm to hook into. 

“You look exquisite. Smile.” He orders, not even granting you a look as he speaks to you. 

You nod, smile and start walking down the hall next to your husband, followed closely by Jaebum. “My Lord, I have yet to be informed what kind of company you have invited.” You pause a bit, thinking of how to form your words to make them as polite as possible. “What is the expected behavior today?”

He stops dead in his tracks, most likely surprised that you were so bold to ask him a question at all. As he turns to you, you can’t help but feel scared at his reaction. Had you just been too forward? 

He takes your chin between his two fingers and looks at you for a second, before turning back to the front. “You are not expected to talk to the guests. You are just supposed to look pretty and be a proper host.” He speaks out, as much emotion to read in his voice as in his face. You nod and grab his arm again, praying that the ballroom would be closer, to not have to hold his arm any longer.

As you arrive to the ballroom, you can hear a ton of voices of both men and women, who are waiting for the hosts to make their entrance into the ballroom. The ballroom used today was your favorite out of the whole castle. It was very big, with high ceiling and gorgeous dark oak wood as the floor tiling, smoothed down so much that you could slide across. The entire room was white, with petite golden details, making the room give out a feeling of extreme class. As much as you didn’t like the man standing next to you, you had to admit his sense in anything of style, in clothes, food and buildings.

From the other side of the door, you can hear one of the headmasters urge everyone to be silent, as he introduces King Jinyoung and His wife. The bellboys open the huge doors for you, giving you a view of the room. Every soul, man or woman, had their heads turned to the entrance in complete silence. They all looked at you as if you were the most important people in the world, which was most likely true in their case. Not only was King Jinyoung known for his cold presence, but he was also a dangerous enemy.

After standing what felt like an eternity, Jinyoung finally nods his head, signaling you to descend the beautiful marble stairs with him, and signaling the private small orchestra to start playing. While you descended, everyone’s eyes stay on you and Jinyoung, scared to look away too soon, or to disrespect Jinyoung. When you finally get to the bottom, he speaks up. “Please, enjoy your stay at my humble castle for this afternoon.” With a nod, he lets go of your arm and gives Jaebum a look, before going over to socialize with other important people in the room, leaving you behind. Slowly, people start talking again, even if more quiet then before.

As you wade through the people slowly, you can hear some mumble about you. Both men and women were aware of who you were, and your reputation. Outside the castle, you were called a human goddess, much to Jinyoung’s happiness. Many came to see your beauty in person, only if just for a moment. You had, obviously, heard the smalltalk before, but you didn’t care for such compliments. You knew that if not for your beauty, no one would care about you the slightest bit.

As you get to the more empty part of the room, the dance floor, you turn around to face Jaebum. “Do you want to dance, My Lady?” It irked you how polite he would be in public, but you nodded at him nevertheless. At your request, he immediately clears his throat. “Your Queen would like to invite everyone to the dance floor for a dance. With all due respect, do join her.” He spoke loud and clear, making everyone except the people talking to the King turn around. After his announcement, all women quickly went around to find a dance partner and stroll over to the dance floor. The musicians too, started playing a bit louder, to accommodate you.

As most people were now dancing with their partners, you look around uncomfortably. Your husband was still turned with his back to you, making it clear that he wasn’t going to join you. Jaebum saw your slight hesitation, as no one dared ask you for a dance, so he was about to offer his hand, when a young man made his way over to you. 

He was very handsome, black hair falling over his face, as he made a deep bow before you. With a wide smile, he now looks up at you, yet to say something. “My Lady.” His voice was deep and somewhat raspy. You give him a curtesy and extend your hand to him. “My name is King Jackson. I hope you don’t mind me being so forward, but would you like to join me for a dance.” He smiles wide and presses a kiss on your hand. 

“Not at all. Please.” You point in the direction of the dance floor as he follows you. With one swift move he wrapped his hands around your waist, pulling you a bit closer. It was a normal dancing distance, but the direct contact made you pull away. 

“Not so shy, My Lady. I wouldn’t dare touch the King’s woman in any other way.” 

You smile at his comment as you lay your hand in his neck. He lays his hands back like before, pulling you in even closer then before with a big smile. You had to admit, he was pretty charming. As you both start dancing to the music, you almost laugh aloud at his dorky comments like ‘Please don’t stand on my toes’ or ‘Shouldn’t a Queen know how to dance?’. With other people it would annoy you, but you somehow felt alright in his company. One of his comments actually made you giggle aloud, to which you quickly held it in and looked down on the floor.

“Why are you so afeared to show your contempt, My Lady?” He asks you, making your gaze shoot back up at him. His big brown eyes were piercing into yours, making you forget all your words. As he sees your expression, he lowers his gaze. “I’m sorry, My Lady. I shouldn’t assume. But you-“ He stops in the middle of his sentence to look up at you as you are solidly gripping his arm. 

You were not even dancing anymore now, you were just looking at him with the biggest eyes. “What did you just say?” You murmur out. You were not mad or insulted, just very confused. No one had ever taken the time to notice anything about you, let alone say something about it. Then again, all they cared about was your beauty and rank. 

With a bit of stuttering, Jackson repeats his words, now feeling very scared that he might have offended you in any way. “I- I just wondered why a Lady like yourself would hide her smile like you did.” By now, some people around you stopped dancing, curious to what was going on. With their burning gazes on you, you let go of King Jackson’s arm and take a step back. “I would never mean to offend you, My Lady.” He whispers out. He really hadn’t done anything wrong, but you didn’t know how to react further. 

You just kept staring into his big brown orbs, wishing that he would dare to ask you again. If only he was so bold. But as more and more people start to turn to face you, you feel your face flush a light pink. With one swift move, you turn on your heel and walk off of the dance floor. As some women gasp at your action, all faces turn to King Jackson. He had somehow managed to offend the Queen off the house. And everyone was preparing for the show that was about to unfold.

As you take a glass of champagne from one of the many waiters, you down it in one breath. With striding steps, Jaebum came over to you. “Are you alright, My Lady? Did something happen?” 

You look back over at the crowd that was surrounding the poor guy now. You keep looking, to meet his gaze with yours. His eyes looked full of worry as he bowed his head at you again, apologizing from a distance. “I- No, Jaebum. I’m fine. It was just getting too crowded.” Jaebum turns around to look at the crowd on the dance floor, and then nods. “Oh Jaebum, could you… get the man who I danced with earlier to the lounge?” 

He opens his mouth as to say something, but then closes it again, and nods with a smile when King Jinyoung looks in your direction. He walks over to the crowd and whispers something into Jackson’s ear, before walking behind him with a hand on his back to guide him out of the room. 

With some noise coming from the crowd now, you walk over there. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience I caused, please, enjoy your stay. If you’ll excuse me.” You curtesy and go to follow Jaebum to the lounge, to be blocked by a young man’s face that you don’t recognize. 

“Oh… My Lady… Uh- I- Excuse me, do you know, by any chance, why my Lord is being excused from the party?” 

You take a deep breath. “Yes, I do. If you don’t mind me asking, who are you?” 

His eyes went wide at your question. You didn’t mean for it to come out so rude as it did. Quickly diverting his eyes from yours, he bowed and placed a kiss on your hand. “My name is Mark, Your Highness. I’m the right hand of Lord Jackson. Please forgive my ignorance.”

I hope you enjoyed reading. If you have any requests, please do ask.

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