#i just want to shake her like why did you think that made logical sense. why did you think that was a good plan.

[juricore]

like rei's brooding cringe fail nature has done it's work on me but she's not even the most interesting character to me rn cause literally what the fuck is going on with fukiko. what is going on. why are you doing all of that.

[gojoest]

MDNI, sukugo x f! reader (established throuple), she/her pronouns used, true form sukuna, unprotected sex (p in v), brief mention of oral (f receiving), thigh fucking (sukuna @ satoru), petnames (satoru calls you baby once i think, didn’t proofread sry), wc: 1.2k+

no plot just sukuna holding you for satoru to fuck + thigh fucking satoru with one of his cocks bc they make me ill

this thing between the three of you...

it made little sense to those around. when the word got out that you were involved, people started fearing you too. it raised many questions, among which you were the biggest one. in their eyes you were a being too peculiar and far more intimidating than you looked it, for having tamed the two most powerful forces mankind had ever known — the two strongest in the entire history of curses and sorcerers.

not long ago gojo satoru and ryomen sukuna were out for each other’s blood, but now you had them nicely wrapped around your finger. or vice versa, they had you nicely wrapped around their cocks.

there was no logical explanation to how you made this work, only that it just somehow did.

and it made so much sense when you fucked.

the otherwise chaotic duo was surprisingly in sync when they took turns on you and fucked you senseless, until you were reduced to a shaking, stuttering mess.

they always fell on you like starved animals. while one was taking off your clothes, the other was kissing every bit of skin that got exposed.

“more gently”, a low grunt erupted from satoru’s throat (directed at sukuna) while he gave a few extra pumps to his cock before entering you. his tip grazing against your folds, sliding up and down to spread your slick, making you bite your lips through a hiss. “hold her more gently, you’re going to bruise her”, he warned again.

“tch”, sukuna clicked his tongue, “don’t boss me around when i’m holding her for you to fuck”

despite the protest, he softened his grip. although just by bit.

“no need to be so sour now, big boy. you know the rules — if you eat first, you get to fuck last”, satoru grinned teasingly, reminding him why he was in this position in the first place.

under regular circumstances, neither of them would follow rules, it just did not align with their nature. but when it came to you, they were both very cooperative and diligent so long they got to fuck the pretty little thing that you were. as much as they wanted to penetrate you simultaneously and compare dick sizes inside your cunt in real time to see whose would reach further and deeper, they knew they had to take turns on you. there was no other way — those cocks were too massive for your pussy to fit them both.

today sukuna had his way with you first. he devoured you hungrily with both of his mouths. alternating between your cunt and your face every few minutes, to steal kisses and let you taste yourself on his lips while the tongue on his belly kept lapping on your folds.

“be quick, as you always are”, sukuna mocked with a smug grin.

he had you still and steady over his groin as he stood tall in the middle of the room, your back pressed against his chest as his four arms held your legs open for the whitehaired man to have his way with you. a pair of hands clutching you from under your knees, and the other — spreading your pussy lips apart, enough to make your hole gasp open for the cock in front of you.

“fuck, so pretty”, an eager growl dragged out of satoru’s lips as he prodded his cockhead at your entrance, arousal spurting out of your cunt as your muscles flexed and tightened in seek of deeper friction. “shit, that was so hot”, he breathed.

so slick and sopping, you were already sucking him in with such ease when he pressed his tip against your hole that his hips jerked and bucked forward, involuntarily inserting a few inches of himself in you. “nghh, ‘toru, m-more—”, you mewled agonizingly when he stopped midway in his tracks. he wasn’t ready to enter fully yet, but call it muscle memory the way his hips moved on their own back there. “oh god, baby, you are so fucking wet”

“right?”, sukuna grinned. “it’s me who made her like that”, his hands released your pussy lips and traced across the small of satoru’s back, rolling down further to grab a handful of his ass — “go bask in her, brat” — and forcefully slammed him into you until he completely bottomed out. “when she asks for more, you give her. now move — or do you need my help there too?”

“shit, don’t just do that”, satoru cursed through a throaty cry, eyes squeezed shut as his head fell on your chest. that jerk…

he needed a few moments before he could start moving, just to adjust, to adapt to the way you clenched your walls around him. it was the fact that you felt too good and squeezed too much that often made him cum too soon. but right now, he was in a bit of a more serious bind as sukuna’s second cock, sticking out like a branch from under your spread ass cheeks, was tickling and pressing against his balls — it was too much to handle all at once.

fuck, fuck, fuck. he was too sensitive.

the position was perfect for both of sukuna’s cocks to be humped and stimulated at the same time — with one of them squished between your back and his belly, and the other — prodding in between satoru’s thighs. all he needed was the friction, and the only one who could give it to him was satoru. “come on now, be a good boy — move”, sukuna coaxed, peppering soft kisses on your shoulder from behind. his eyes glued on the man before him as his lips left wet trails on your skin. “she’s waiting”, cooing sweetly.

and you — you enticed him too, wrapping arms around his shoulders and pulling him in — “come on, baby. fuck me, hard” — you whispered needily before planting a kiss on his mouth that he, on the other hand, grew into a smile.

satoru’s lips curled up knowingly, aware of the hidden agenda behind the request coming from the both of you. sly, greedy lovers, he thought internally. you probably had that schemed during your earlier makeout sesh. he could feel the pulse of sukuna’s massive cock throb against his inner thighs along with the heartbeat of your clit pressed on his lower abdomen, mixing in together until he couldn’t tell which one belonged to who anymore. it made the blood in his groin boil, sizzle even more.

he leaned in closer again, kissing you first, then stretching his neck over your shoulder to lock lips with sukuna. you had to admit, the sounds they made as they kissed each other were probably the hottest thing you’ve ever heard in your life. the grunts, the moans, the whimpers, the muffled-up breathing as their mouths smashed together — right next to your ear, almost making the voices sound like they were in your head.

and just like that, satoru’s hips naturally started rocking back and forth, in a steady motion at first. just for the first few thrusts as a warm-up before he picked it up to a merciless pace in the blink of an eye. darting in and out of you in a quick, sharp flow of motions. pulling all the way out and slamming back in with full force, knocking the air out of you each time, making you arch that back to pressure the cock squished behind the small of it while his thighs remained clenched around the other cock as humanly possible, eliciting grunts of pleasure and obscenity from the man behind you…

he just had to fuck you very hard now, didn’t he? both of you, his two sly, greedy lovers that made him do all the work…

[honeybeefae]

enemies to lovers with Az 😩

Behind The Masks (Azriel x Reader)

BINGO: Enemies to Lovers

(This is the SFW version but I’m sure I’ll write a continuation of this for the NSFW prompt bc this was requested so much! If you want a part 2…I left it on a cliffhanger for a reason. *wink wink*. I hope you guys enjoy!!)

WARNINGS: Slight angst

“Does everyone have what they need?” Rhysand asked your group, looking at everyone individually as you all nodded. “I know this isn’t ideally how we would spend a weekend but it must be done.”

“I have no problem using my Saturday to dance with this beautiful woman.” Cassian grinned, tugging Nesta to his side who just rolled her eyes with a small smile. “Isn’t that right, Az?”

You grimaced when the Shadowsinger looked down at you with disdain. For whatever reason, despite your history of hating each other, Rhysand and Feyre had paired the two of you together for the Masquerade Ball tonight in the Court of Nightmares. 

Normally Mor would be taking your place but she was off doing something else so if you hadn’t coupled up, you both would’ve been the odd two out. It made sense logically but neither of you was very happy about it.

“Let’s just get tonight over with.” Azriel responded cooly, squaring his shoulders and gripping his mask tightly in his fists. You snorted, shaking your head in disbelief.

“Right because I’m the bad company.” You snarked, crossing your arms. Feyre gave you a sympathetic look but you avoided her gaze, motioning to the door. “Can we just leave?”

“Please.” Rhysand said, wanting to diffuse the tension as they winnowed. Cassian lifted Nesta into his arms and stepped outside, taking off into the night as you reluctantly did the same with Azriel. He barely looked at you as he followed suit, his jaw tight as you all headed to the mountain.

—--------------------------

The party was in full swing, everyone dawning masks of various shapes and colors, and you found yourself being spun around for the fifth time that night. Azriel had abandoned you as soon as the music started but you didn’t really care, choosing to enjoy the night as best as you could.

You drank and ate with Nesta, sneering at some of the court ladies who turned up their noses at you both. Desperation reeked off of them, just like the rest of the court, as they took every chance they could to grab for power or put others down. 

“Azriel isn’t keeping up with his part of the plan,” Nesta noted, sipping her wine while watching you frown. “Do you even know why he acts like this towards you? How long has this childish tantrum been going on?”

“Since we meet.” You replied, downing the rest of your glass. “I did something to piss him off, questioned his authority or some petty shit, and I guess that was the end of our relationship. Not that I care.”

“Mhm.” She nodded though she doubted you were telling the truth. “Maybe he wants something else, someone else if you catch my meaning.”

Your eyebrows rose as you gawked at her, shaking your head furiously. “Absolutely not. One, I’m not his type. Two, never in a million, billion years.”

“You’d be surprised how fast that time passes.” Nesta said coyly, placing her glass down and walking away before you could argue. You looked around once more, not even seeing the Shadowsinger, before reaching for another glass. 

A large, scarred hand stopped you before you could grab it. You scowled, following the arm until you were looking into the hazel eyes of a man you hated. “What are you doing?”

“I think you’ve had enough.” He stated lowly. “Surely you don’t want to make a spectacle of yourself. Though, now that I say that, I’m sure you would like the attention.”

Red, hot anger filled your veins at his casual insult, and you gave him a middle finger, spinning on your heel to go find somewhere else to be until he grabbed you roughly and spun you back into his arms.

Before you could blink he had you in the middle of the dance floor, your chest pressed against his while his hand rested on the small of your bare back. You struggled against him but that only made him tighten his grip. 

“You’re making a scene.” He whispered through gritted teeth, a black mask concealing half of his face. “Get it together.”

“Since when do you care?” You spat, not even hiding your distaste as you circled the ballroom. “I thought you wanted to get tonight over with. If I cause a scene surely that helps your problem with me.”

“I do not have a problem with you.” Azriel rolled his eyes. 

“Oh is that what a friendship is with you then? Brooding stares, snide comments, and constant patronizing?” You reply sarcastically, your own mask doing little to conceal your feelings. “Boy, I must be your best friend.”

“Are you always this insufferable? No wonder you haven’t bedded anyone in months.” He snarks, almost tripping over his own feet when you stopped suddenly. The other couples around you stopped as well, all of them eager to see what drama was unfolding, but you didn’t want to give them anything to use against you. 

“I hate you.” You swore, tears welling up in your eyes as you ripped your hands out of his grasp and stormed out of the ballroom, brushing off Nesta’s hand as she tried to stop you.

The air around you felt too hot, too heavy as you started running down the hallways while holding the skirts of your dress. Tears were freely flowing down your cheeks as you ripped off your masks, not caring that some people were staring and laughing at your misery. You didn’t stop running until you reached your room in the Court of Nightmares, slamming it shut behind you as hard as you could.

You went over to the mirror and looked at yourself, looked at the smeared mascara, and hated how he had gotten to you. All this time, after living with this for years, never once had you shown him how much the things he said affected you. It would only make things worse. 

And yet here you were, causing a dramatic scene in the worst place possible with the worst person possible. You truly were pathetic.

Knock. Knock.

Immediately you knew it was Azriel. Rhys had probably sent him for damage control, forcing him to swallow his pride to apologize. You refused to answer.

“I know you’re in there. Open the door.” His voice was cold.

Silence was all he got. You heard him shift his feet in frustration.

“If you don’t open the door I’ll break it open myself. For once just listen to me.” He huffed, though his tone turned soft towards the end. You walked over to the door and took a deep breath, staring at the engraved wood.

“Fuck off.” You replied sweetly, flipping off the door and turning to walk to the bathroom. There was barely enough time to wince when the door creaked under the weight of his shoulder before he barged in, a scowl settled deep on his face.

“I’m trying to talk to you.” He said while kicking the door back closed with the heel of his shoe. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?”

“Why can’t you seem to take a hint?” You jabbed, crossing your arms over your chest defensively. “I don’t want to talk to you. I know that might be hard for your tiny brain to comprehend but I think you got all your feelings out with that comment in the ballroom. Now, as I said earlier, fuck off.”

“Can’t take the heat?” Azriel taunted, stepping closer to you while ignoring everything you had just said. “I expected more resilience from you, more bite.”

You didn’t even think about it when your hand came up to slap him, gasping when his own hand wrapped around your wrist and stopped it inches from his face. You struggled to follow through, barely able to move his arm, as his smirk grew tenfold.

“Let. Me. Go.” You ordered, rage making the edges of your vision red. There was something else in the atmosphere, something that would be extremely dangerous if you gave it any attention. 

“Or what?”

You were chest to chest with him, your head tilted up to glare at him as he raised a mocking brow. The urge to wipe that stupid smirk off his face was growing like an inferno.

“You’re such a stupid, barbaric Illy-” You began to spit until his mouth crashed against yours, silencing the rest of your sentence as you stood there in shock. He immediately swiped his tongue along your lips and you didn’t fight him, didn’t breathe until you felt a fresh, hot wave of arousal swirl with your anger.

It was infuriating and intoxicating all at once. The answer to all your secret desires while also opening up questions to everything you once knew as the truth. You felt yourself spiraling and the only thing connecting you to reality was Azriel’s soft, hungry lips.

And you wanted more.

[autisticlancemcclain]

fic rec friday 47

hello and welcome to fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

Damnit, Pidge by spirkylurkey

Pidge has some top-secret-classified-don't-tell-Keith-info that she accidentally lets slip to, you guessed it, Keith. Lance is an embarrassed mess. Keith isn't faring much better, to be honest.

this one made me LAUGH the way that this all pidge's fault and she's literally like. well. you shouldn't be so gay then. and she's right!! they're so dumb i love them

2. Operation: Faking It by @writeonclara

“What the hell, guys?” Pidge squawked, wrestling away from Matt. “Why are you pretending to be a couple?” Or: Matt and Lance pretend to be a couple because Shiro and Keith are clueless as hell.

do you guys remember shatt?? i remember shatt. adashi will always have my heart but shatt will literally always be funny bc ofc thats ur fic name. anyways. this fic is mostly klance but the entire concept is just so ridiculously goofy that u have to laugh. do you like lance and matt? do you like fake relationship to real relationship? do you like inverted tropes? do you like pining? do you like comedic jealousy? then this fic is well and truly for you because it has all that and more

3. all's well that ends well to end up with you by @coruscatingcatastrophe

Keith's jacket gets ruined, so Lance decides to be a good Samaritan and give him his. This is the beginning of the end.

megan's fic literally make me want to eat cement i'm so serious. i've read and been obsessed with TONS of her stuff but this one???? this fucking one???? oh god the slowburn kills me. the blossoming realisation that oh god we've been dating this whole time huh. the CHIVALRY...............a romance novel in the truest of senses and i am going to fry

4. as long as it won't separate you from me (i'll be fine) by @coruscatingcatastrophe

A little intrigued—not that she’d ever admit it—Pidge begins to climb the stairs. But before she even reaches halfway, the door—slams shut. All on its own, or so it seems. Pidge pauses, brows creasing in confusion, as she turns to look down at her dog. “Did you see that?” she asks. Peculiarly, she notes that Bae Bae’s fur is bristled, and he growls at the door before barking twice. That’s weird. Bae Bae never growls. Turning back to the door, Pidge feels unsettled, but she tells herself not to jump to ridiculous conclusions. There’s a logical explanation for everything. Maybe there was a gust of wind from the air conditioner, or the doorframe isn’t level. Whatever it is, she’s going to figure it out. - Or, a Beetlejuice au (kind of). Pidge isn't a fan of her new house, Lance and Keith are the ghosts haunting her attic, and together they hatch a plot to convince Shiro and Adam to skedaddle out of the house. There may be demon summoning involved. But seriously, Adam. Getting your hair set on fire really isn't that bad.

HAPPY (late) HALLOWEEN!!! ive been thinking about this fic all october and finally let myself reread it. ive never loved beetlejuice more than when i read this. it's so fun!! so interesting!! pidge gets a chance to shine!! klance are so!!! the way it had the story of beetlejuice but adapted well!! im!!

5. never thought i'd see the day in my life by @coruscatingcatastrophe

But Keith has somehow gone even paler in the short amount of time he’s been at the table, and he shakes his head. “No, something is . . .” His gaze flickers back to Lance, and he’s startled to find that Keith’s eyes are purple. They’ve got to be contacts. Ridiculous. As if the mullet and gloves and personality weren’t enough. Keith pushes away from the table abruptly, looking incredibly put-off now. “I, uh—gotta go,” he mutters, before angrily gathering up the backpack he’d dropped into the chair next to him and storming out of the cafeteria. “Huh,” Hunk says. “Well, that introduction could have gone a bit better. Don’t take it personally though; sometimes Keith’s just like that.” - Or, a Twilight au starring Lance as Bella, Keith as Edward, and the rest of the Voltron gang as themselves. Lance is insufferable, Keith is awkwardly trying to figure out why Lance is the way he is, and along the way they fall in love, or something. It's probably, definitely the best love story since Twilight itself.

now ive never read twilight and i refuse to on principle. but i didn't find this one creepy and instead it was super fun and dweeby and lance is indeed a ray of sunshine, thank you megan for noticing, and it turns out when the story isn't a hetero mormon wet dream it's actually a good time!!

that’s it for today!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!

[cierraonline]

Ouuu whats the new Billie book gonna be about!!?! I’m excited now lol

I’ll Believe It For You

chapter one: I'll believe it for you

masterlist | next chapter

Would it be crazy to say that, as a girl obsessed with orchestral music yet plagued by stage fright, I always knew I was destined for fame?

“Storm, over here!”

“Storm, look over here!”

“Over here, Storm!”

“Storm, how does it feel to be the youngest and fastest artist ever to win an EGOT award?!”

It’s even crazier to think it all began with a favor for my best friend’s older brother.

“Hey, Kitten!” Finneas bounced over to me in Billie’s room, where I was currently sprawled on her bed, working on a composition that seemed to be going nowhere.

“What do you want, Ferb?” Storm groaned, scratching out an entire bar that didn’t make logical sense to the ear.

“How would you like to write and compose a song for my band and Billie’s dance class?” He bent down to her  level on the floor next to the bed.

“Okay,” The girl nodded, looking up at him.

“Than—”

“Not so fast,” Billie interrupted her brother’s gratitude, unimpressed with the one-sided deal. “What does she get in return?” She sat up, suddenly awake from her boredom. Normally, she would be at dance practice around this time, but she’d been sidelined due to the pain in her hip that had been bothering her for a week.

“What do you want?” Finneas groaned, knowing that if his sister was setting the terms, it wouldn’t come cheap.

“Oh,” Storm murmured, my eyes widening as she scrambled to think of what she could ask for. “A miniverse ball… please?”

“Just a miniverse ball?” Both siblings blinked at her in disbelief. One in shock that that was all she would ask for when she held the upper hand; the other, bemused and skeptical.

“Dea—”

“You could drain this sucker’s pockets, and one miniverse ball is all you can think of?” Billie furrowed her brows.

“I like writing music and composing, so it’s not like I’m doing something I don’t want to do. Plus, Ferb always gets Ben & Jerry's when he goes to the store. And you know how I feel about my Ben & Jerry’s,” Storm said, meeting Billie’s gaze, ocean-blue eyes meeting void-white ones.

“Don’t listen to her. She wants five miniverse balls and those Mary Jane leather heels from the thrift store on Melrose,” Billie cut in, looking at her brother with a determined expression.

“No,” Finneas shook his head, convinced she was asking for too much.

“Then no song,” Billie crossed her arms.

Hesitation flickered in Finneas’s eyes as he stared down his little sister, who shot the energy right back at him. Storm glanced back and forth between them, unsure if she should intervene, but knowing the family as well as she did, Storm figured it was better not to—otherwise, She’d be the one on the receiving end of their glares.

“Fine,” Finneas groaned, realizing he’d lost this battle with Billie leading the negotiation. He extended his hand, letting Billie shake on the agreement, while Storm trashed the music sheet she been working on and opened the sketchpad app on her iPad.

Or maybe none of that was crazy. Maybe the real craziness was me, an eleven-year-old, writing a song about how looking into my best friend’s eyes made me feel.

“Hellooo!” Billie waved her hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my trance. “Pay attention to me! Why do you keep looking at me, then going back to writing?”

I've been watching' you for some time

Can't stop staring' at those ocean eyes

Burning cities and napalm skies

Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes

Your ocean eyes

“If you don’t say anything, I’m going to put together one of your miniverse balls right in front of you,” the blonde threatened, but she was ignored yet again as Storm glanced up from her tablet, made brief eye contact, and returned to writing with renewed intensity.

No fair

You really know how to make me cry

When you gimme those ocean eyes

I'm scared

I've never fallen from quite this high

Falling' into your ocean eyes

Those ocean eyes

Letting out a frustrated breath from deep within her lungs, Billie stood up from the left side of her bed and walked over to where Storm’s new miniverse balls lay. “I’m holding them…” she waved the wrapped balls in her hand, voice laced with mischief. “I’m going to open them…” 

Still, nothing. The moment she began picking at the wrapping, however, Storm’s head snapped up, and her pout quickly formed.

“Nooo,” Storm whined softly, not wanting Billie to open them. Everything about Miniverse was special to her—from unwrapping the tiny treasures to arranging them neatly on her shelf with the others.

“Are you going to talk to me?” Billie tilted her head to the side, eyebrow raised.

“I have to finish writing,” Storm groaned, already anticipating Billie’s disobedience as a form of punishment.

“You can write and talk to me,” Billie shrugged, peeling further at the wrapper.

“Don’t touch those!” Storm protested, wanting her rewards to stay intact.

“You erase anything from my wall if it isn’t ‘happy,’ so I think I’m allowed a little revenge,” Billie replied, defending her actions.

“Because… I don’t get why you’re so sad,” Storm pouted again, her voice soft with concern.

“Because you’re still a kid, Peaches,” Billie replied, finally setting down the miniverse balls. She didn’t really want to open them; she just wanted her best friend’s attention.

“You’re only two years older than me,” Storm crossed her arms defiantly.

“Yeah, and within those two years, I’ve experienced more than you.”

“You said the same thing when you got your period before me.”

“One day, you’ll understand… but, hopefully, that day never comes,” Billie sighed, sitting cross-legged in front of her friend on the bed, her face softening.

“Is it really that bad?” Storm looked up at her, innocent eyes wide.

“It’s the worst,” Billie whispered, leaning forward and resting her head gently on top of Storm’s, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax.

“One day, I’m gonna make all the sadness go away so you don’t have to feel it anymore.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Peaches,” Billie murmured, sighing softly.

“But it will, Honeybee,” Storm smiled, sensing her friend’s body sink further into relaxation. “You just gotta believe.”

“And what if I don’t believe that?”

“Then I’ll believe it for you,” Storm replied warmly. “That’s what best friends do, regardless of age.”

True friendship knows no age; it's a bond that bridges years, laughs in shared moments, and finds wisdom in each other's hearts.

“It didn’t sound right,” Storm judged as Finneas and his bandmates looked at her and Billie, awaiting feedback on their performance of the song she had written and composed for them.

“It was awful,” Billie shook her head.

“It wasn’t awful,” Storm nudged Billie’s thigh. “It just wasn’t… beautiful. Maybe try a softer approach and create depth.”

“Huh?” Travis, the drummer, looked at the two young girls, visibly puzzled.

“She means you guys are screwed,” Billie stated flatly.

“They’re not!” Storm stood, smiling with encouragement. “We’ll help you.”

“We who?” Billie raised an eyebrow.

“Us we,” Storm grinned. “Now, stand by the microphone and sing. I’ll add depth with my voice.”

“Ugh, fine,” Billie groaned, taking her older brother’s place behind the mic alongside Storm.

“Yay,” Storm’s soft, dark eyes sparkled. “Okay, start from the top.” 

The band picked up from the beginning, creating the soft, melodic sound Storm had spent the last two days carefully crafting and refining.

Billie | Storm

I've been watching' you' for some time. 

Can't stop staring' at those ocean eyes 

Burning cities and napalm skies

Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes

Your ocean eyes

No fair No fair 

You really know how to make me cry You really know how to make me cry

When you gimme those ocean eyes those ocean eyes

I'm scared

I've never fallen from quite this high

Falling' into your ocean eyes

Those ocean eyes Those ocean eyes

The music stopped leaving the two girls confused. “Why did you guys stop?” Billie turns to them.

“T-That was amazing,” Finneas said, looking at the two girls, his eyes wide with awe. He’d heard them sing together before, but it had always been lighthearted and playful. This was different—an almost out-of-body experience as their voices intertwined, creating something otherworldly.

“It was like… a melodic acid trip, with angels singing while it’s thundering outside,” Travis murmured, slowly processing what he’d just experienced.

“I was awful, and Storm was amazing. I totally ruined it,” Billie laughed, her disbelief clear as she shook her head.

“You were incredible, Peaches,” Storm replied with a soft smile, genuinely unconvinced by Billie’s self-criticism.

“No, I wasn’t,” Billie insisted.

“It was so good,” Finneas said, his voice sincere. “I have to post this on SoundCloud.”

“Just for it to get, like, one listen,” Billie jokes, rolling her eyes.

“I think it’s going to be a hit for Ferb,” Storm encouraged, giving a supportive smile to the older boy who was like a big brother to her.

“Thank you, Kitten,” Finneas grinned, feeling lifted by her words. “I’m posting it right now.” He moved to upload the recording from his laptop onto the platform.

To everyone who listened, Billie was the voice, and I was the experience. Together, we created a whole spatial audio universe.

Do the dance, do the dance

The way you move is a mystery

Do the dance

You're always there for music and me

Do the dance

The way you move is a mystery

Do the dance

You're always there for music and me

Storm bounced around her family’s home, singing the lyrics to "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice while mimicking the dance moves from her Just Dance game on the Wii. It was Sunday, which meant family night—an evening reserved for movies, laughter, and simply enjoying each other’s company.

In their lively, culturally rich household, three family members filled the space: Roman Siren, a 35-year-old Samoan native from Los Angeles; Veronica Dash, a 34-year-old African American woman from New York City; and their eleven-year-old daughter, Storm, whose unique white hair complemented the vibrant personality that inspired her name after her favorite superhero. 

Roman and Veronica weren’t a couple in the traditional sense. They were best friends who had met in college, bonding over their shared vision for life and the belief that relationships, as typically defined, weren’t for them. However, they both wanted to experience family life and saw a deep-rooted friendship as the foundation for it. So, they decided to have a child together through insemination, a decision that brought Storm into their lives and made them a family. 

Together, they raised her as co-parents and friends, forming a close-knit family under one roof—a beautiful balance of friendship, love, and the progression of family on their own terms.

Under the spotlight

Neither black nor white

It doesn't matter-

Storm’s singing was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of her rose gold iPhone 6. She looked down at the screen and saw a picture of her and Billie flash across it, signaling her best friend was calling.

“Hi, Bi—”

“We’re on the radio! Turn on the radio!” Billie’s words tumbled out in a rush, so fast they blended into one muffled sentence.

“Huh?”

“Turn on the radio! We’re on the radio!” she repeated, voice brimming with excitement.

Roman, noticing the commotion, paused the music playing on the TV. Following Billie’s instructions, he opened the iHeart Radio app on his phone and quickly navigated to their local station, KCRW. With a tap, the familiar sounds of the station filled the room, and Storm listened with wide eyes, anticipation buzzing in the air.

I've never fallen from quite this high

Falling' into your ocean eyes

Right away, the room filled with the blend of Billie and Storm’s voices, unmistakably playing over the radio. It was official—they were on the radio.

“I-I’m on the radio,” Storm stammered, unable to believe her work was really airing on the actual radio, open for anyone in the region to hear. “I’m on the radio! Mommy, come quick, I’m on the radio!” She jumped up and down, and her father began recording the moment to share with family back in his homeland. “Mommy, come quick! My song is on the radio!”

“I’m coming!” Veronica’s voice echoed from upstairs as she hurried down, feeling a mix of pride and a strange tension brewing in her chest. “I can’t believe my baby is on the ra—”

“Ahh!” Storm’s excitement turned to horror as she watched her mother trip on the stairs, tumbling harshly and hitting her head as she fell. “Mommy!”

“Peaches?” Billie’s voice, once joyful, now sounded afraid from the other end of the phone. “Peaches, what’s going on?”

I was on the radio and thought my life was going to change…It did, but not in the way I’d imagined.

“It was a stroke,” Storm heard the doctor say, though his words seemed distant, with only fragmented phrases fully reaching her. “Expressive aphasia.”

“W-what’s that?” Storm asked, her confusion mounting as she looked from the doctor to her dad.

“It’s a condition affecting a third of stroke survivors. She can understand speech but may have difficulty speaking fluently and with movement,” he explained gently.

“What’s the recovery rate?” Roman’s voice was strained, seeking hope.

“I’m sorry,” the doctor replied, and Storm felt the rising hum in her chest build louder, almost drowning out his words. She didn’t want to hear it. In every dream or other life, her mother stood strong, head held high, dressed in her neatly pressed pantsuit with her signature So-Kate heels. She was her steadfast mom, who brushed Storm’s white curls and assured her she could achieve anything she dreamed of. “There’s a ten percent chance that Ms. Dash will return to her previous state.”

“It’s going to be okay, Peaches,” Billie said softly, squeezing her best friend’s hand as Storm sat next to her in the sterile hospital hallway.

“No, it’s not,” Storm whispered, as tears slipped down her cheeks. She turned to look through the doorway at her mother lying unconscious, bed-ridden, surrounded by tubes and wires. “She won’t be the same. My mommy won’t be my mommy anymore.”

“Yes, she will, Kitten,” Finneas crouched down in front of her, gently wiping away her tears. “Everything is going to be okay.”

“Finneas says he’s going to make us superstars,” Billie murmured, rubbing Storm’s hand soothingly. “You’re going to be a world-renowned composer, Peaches.”

“I just want my mommy to be okay,” Storm’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“And she will,” Billie said firmly, her own voice filled with determination.

“How do you know?” Storm asked, looking into her friend’s eyes, seeking something to believe in.

“Because I believe it,” Billie replied with conviction. “And it’s okay if you don’t—because I’ll believe it for you.”

taglist @billiesrighthand @bilswildflower @bilsluckyheart @billiesgoodgirll @billsvip @billieshrry @dandelions4us @factsbybriggs @rhearipley-69 @cierraonline @amberg1998 @crystalblue88 @mercurylvd @saffsblog @ihavenoideayimhere @umadirectioner @harajukub4rb1e @sun81rise @jamiemundy7773 @cyberdreamlanddeer @steampunkprincess147 @zendayasredbottoms @efemerous @lady0ftheflowers

[minniethemoocherda]

Iridescent: Chapter 24

A/N: Less than a month to Transformers One! Also so excited to hear whatever Studio Trigger is working on! Xxxxxx

Ao3

FF.net

Prowl had walked onto battlefields with a more than 99% chance of failure.

There was no reason for him to feel that same sense of dread going to visit his sister.

Yet as Prowl opened the doors to the makeshift med-bay, the energon pulsing through his spark felt as stodgy as the tar-like substance the twins called moonshine, clogging up his arteries and threatening to choke the flow to his veins.

Inside he could see that Bluestreaker was sat up in her berth, a serious state of determination on her face as shaky servos added extra details to the Happy Upgrade Day Poster that she had previously made in what felt like vorns ago.

Sunstreaker was sat by Bluestreak's side while Sideswipe was beside Bumblebee. The twins made themselves scarce when they saw Prowl presence and Bumblebee tactfully decided to feign being asleep.

When Bluestreak noticed him heading her way, that serious scowl quickly slipped away into her signature sunny smile. For once that smile was unable to lift his soul as for the first time, Prowl was able to take in the sight of her injuries in person.

The metal of her skin was still singed black, the windows of her wings were shattered and whilst she tried to shift herself to hide it, welding scars were still visibly seared into her back.

"I’m sorry." Prowl said.

Bluestreak looked at him as though he had just told her he wanted to quit his job as a tactician and become a pole dancer.

"Why?" She asked. In the tilt of her head, Prowl saw the youngling he cradled in the ruins of Praxus and for the first time since that day he felt tears prick the corner of his eyes.

"Because I made a promise that I would protect you.” He closed his optics, trying to force those tears from falling. But all he could see behind his closed eyes was the lifeless look of her body. “I failed you.”

Prowl felt a hand close over his balled fist. He looked up to see bright blue eyes gazing at him with love and admiration that he felt he did not deserve.

"You did the right thing Prowl. I can't hate you for that." Bluestreak smiled. "You are the reason three lives were saved instead of two. If you'd tried to save me instead then Ratchet would be dead and who knows how many people would have died because of that. And don’t even think about trying to work it out!” She scolded, pointing a shaking finger at him.

Prowl couldn't deny the logic in her statement, nor could he deny how her eternal endeavour to look on the bright side, brought light into his own life.

Suddenly all the anger he’d been stabbing at himself, redirected in brain towards Silverstreak for attempting to snuff out that ray of light.

Prowl could not understand the logic of why a Praxian would betray them to the faction that nearly annihilated their race. But then again, Prowl had found that logic rarely dictated any of the Decepticons actions. And when they had obliterated Praxus, the entire Deception faction had been too large a concept for Prowl's brain module to focus the entirety of his hatred towards, especially when he had more than enough reasons to hate them already. Now all of Prowl’s laser focused anger was directed at one singularity, Silverstreak. And he would not rest until she was brought to justice. Which in Prowl's mind equalled death, regardless of what the Prime's stance would be on the matter.

Prowl was distracted by his thoughts as Bluestreak tried to stifle a yawn.

"I will let you rest." As Prowl stood up to go, the hand over his wrist refused to let go.

"Wait!" Bluestreak cried, looking every bit like the child who once was unable to sleep without nightmares. "Stay with me? Please? For a little while. Just until I fall asleep." Unable to refuse her request, Prowl nodded, sitting by her side until her breath evened out and her hand went limp.

When Prowl finally left the med-bay, before he could give himself time to think about it, he opened up a private comm.

"Hey Prowler. What's up?"

Prowl was unsure what to say. He had not been in this position to request such a thing before. He did not know how to request what he was asking for. Thankfully, Jazz understood what he was unable to find the words for.

"I'll be there in five minutes."

For once Jazz was actually on time as five minutes later, when Prowl arrived back at his quarters, the spy was waiting outside the door. Neither said a word until they were both inside and Prowl closed the door.

"Bluestreak forgave me." He told him.

"She's your sister." Jazz stated as though that was supposed to explain everything. Hands that Prowl knew had killed hundreds, potentially even thousands gently cupped his face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Then Jazz's lips were on his and they didn't talk for the rest of the night.

[gayhoediaz]

moth to a flame

T | 1.7k | also on ao3

It’s the softest kiss Buck has ever received in his life; the softest moment he has ever experienced.

It catches him completely off guard, as well - it comes out of nowhere, really. One moment, he’s leaning back against the row of lockers, the metal cool through the cotton fabric of his shirt. He’s telling Eddie about his decision to break up with Natalia - and granted, he’s probably sounding a little bit too self-deprecating and melancholy - but he can’t help it.

“I mean - how do I know if - what if I made the wrong decision?” he sighs. Things were good with Natalia - really, they were. Simple, in a lot of ways. Easy. Things made sense with her. What if he just fucked it all up for no reason? 

“You made the right decision, Buck,” Eddie sighs, shaking his head to himself as he pulls his own shirt down over his chest, before proceeding to pick his watch up off the bench and fasten it around his wrist.

“Why? I mean, how-“

“You didn’t love her.” Eddie interrupts, raising an eyebrow from across the locker room. “You said it yourself.”

Sinking back against the lockers, Buck sighs. A part of him knows that Eddie is right - he usually is. Buck knows that he didn’t feel the way he should have - but he can't find a good reason as to why. Natalia is beautiful, and sweet, and caring, and interesting, and smart - nothing about her - about them - is wrong. It all makes perfect sense. And yet, he broke up with her. Ruined it. And he can't seem to shake the way in which his skin seems to itch at the thought of starting all over again.

"Remember what you said when I was with Ana? About how I owed it to her to be honest?" he asks, raising an eyebrow as he gathers his remaining things into his bag. "You were right. You're right now, too - so what's this really about?"

“What if…” Buck sighs, cutting himself off with a slight grunt as he shifts his eyes to the floor, shaking his head once before gathering the strength to lift his chin again, eyes on Eddie’s - who stays standing there a handful of feet away from him - watching; waiting - listening. “What if she was my last chance? The only one who…” he trails off with a sigh, shaking his head again. It's not a rational thought - he knows that; logically, he knows that there will be others. That he will be in love again. Probably. Emotionally, though? That's a different story. And he doesn't want to say it out loud, but he thinks he needs to - and he knows that Eddie will listen. He always does.

“The only one who what?” Eddie asks, his forehead creasing - but the look in his eyes tells Buck that he already knows what he’s going to say. He always does.

“You know…” Buck sighs, shrugging. “What if she was my last chance at finding someone who… made sense, you know?” As he’s talking, Eddie starts making his way across the locker room, shaking his head slightly - exhaling softly. Not of amusement, though - it sounds more like frustration. And Buck knows that Eddie doesn't agree - logically, he doesn't even agree, he's not nearly as insecure as he used to be - but he still can't shake the feeling. “Someone who’s nice, and - and makes sense, and who loves m-“

It takes a moment for Buck's brain to catch up - to understand what is actually happening. Eddie comes close, his hands come up - they graze his shoulders, and he is fully expecting them to land there. He's expecting Eddie to grab him by the shoulders, do a slight, barely there shake, as if he's trying to rattle Buck's brain back into place. Then he's expecting him to look him in the eye, raise his eyebrows and remind him once again that he did make the right decision. That there will be other people - other people to meet, other people to love, other people to love him, other people to build a life with. Buck is expecting Eddie to give him a firm, yet somehow gentle nudge back on track - to remind him that everything is going to be okay.

That's not what happens at all.

Eddie's hands do come up to his shoulders - but they don't land there; instead, they frame his face - the pads of his thumbs warm where they rest upon the thin skin below his eyes; the rest of his fingers don’t curl into a real grip, there’s no grabbing or cradling. - they stay just as gentle - not even cupping, actually - his hands stay relatively flat - fingertips gentle against his temples, the side of one of his pinkie fingers barely brushing against the shell of his ear. The heels of his palms add just enough pressure to barely be worthy of the term grasp.

Meanwhile, his lips are on Buck’s - just as gentle, sweet and achingly tender as the feeling of his thumb caressing the apple of his cheek in a single sweep.

It’s not deep - it’s not desperate - but it’s slow. The inside of Eddie’s mouth is warm, soft as his lips gently cradle Buck’s top one. It’s so tender that Buck’s stomach drops - he didn’t know that that feeling could be a result of something good, but it is.

Eddie’s kiss is so gentle that Buck aches.

From the way in which he could be pushing Buck back into the lockers and cage him in - but is doing anything but. To the careful, barely-there hold on his face, and the sweet brush of his lips - light as a feather, no pressure added, tongue absolutely nowhere in sight.

Eddie’s kiss tastes like;'You don’t have to be anything for anybody'. and '...because, Evan,' and 'You act like you’re expendable - but you’re wrong.'

“Sorry,” Eddie whispers softly, his breath warm as it washes over Buck’s parted lips. Perhaps Buck should be opening his eyes, but he can’t bring himself to do that right now - he wants to stay right here, in this moment, for just a little bit longer. He needs to stay right here, in this moment, for a little bit longer. “I shouldn’t have done that without asking, but you’re-" he cuts himself off with a slight exhale; it sounds like gentle frustration. "You're walking around acting like no one loves you, and I just. I can’t handle it,” Eddie continues, voice just as quiet - but his breath disappears a little bit, as if he’s leaning back again - and when his hands start to ease their barely-there grip, getting ready to let go of Buck’s face, Buck’s own hands immediately come up to find his wrists, stopping him.

Eddie must have his eyes open by now, but Buck still can’t bring himself to join him. Not yet.

“Why’s that?” he asks, swallowing as he lets the pads of his thumbs caress the insides of Eddie’s wrists. A soft exhale reaches his ears - the breath warm on his face again; he doesn’t have to open his eyes in order to see the twinkle in Eddie’s eyes, or the way the corners of his mouth twitch in careful amusement.

I love you.

That’s what Buck is expecting to hear - but at this point he should really know Eddie better than that.

“You can’t settle, you’re too good for that. You deserve everything you want."

“I want you to kiss me again,” Buck hums, voice just as quiet as Eddie’s while he lets the words sink in - a warm, glowing sensation spreading through his chest, settling in his soul. Quite frankly, he’s not sure how he could have missed it - missed them - but it’s so incredibly, utterly clear now. So much so that he thinks he can feel it in every beat of his heart; Edd-ie, Edd-ie, Edd-ie.

Of course.

“Buck, I uh - I’m serious, I shouldn’t have done that…” Eddie sighs, his breath a little bit further away again, hands once again trying to let go of Buck’s face - but Buck keeps them there, slowly allowing his eyes to blink open, taking in the view of Eddie’s slight frown. Their eyes meet, and Eddie swallows, shaking his head slightly. There's real, true, genuine regret in his eyes - and Buck understands why - of course he does. It's not like Eddie to do what he just did - especially not since Buck is pretty sure that he was just spiraling. That kiss, though - it stopped the spiral; completely. He's never been so grateful for anything in his entire life; It feels as if he just woke up out of a daze. Of course it's Eddie. How could he ever have thought it to be anyone else? “Look, you’re going through some stuff, and maybe - maybe you’re looking for something that makes sense, and this makes sense,” Eddie nods once. “I mean, we’re best friends, that’s kind of the dream, right? But just because I feel that way about you, doesn’t mean that you have to feel the same way, or that you can’t take some time to-“

Keeping one of his hands locked around Eddie’s wrist, Buck loops his other arm around his waist, easily flipping them until he’s able to pin him back against the lockers. They clatter slightly, and Buck hears a sharp intake of breath from Eddie - unable to stop the way in which the warmth in his stomach spreads even more. Grows warmer - an eclipse of moths dancing around the flames, happy to have found their way home.

“Shh…” Buck sounds, unable - and completely unwilling - to control his own grin as he leans in to brush his lips over Eddie’s - not kissing, just grazing. Fitting his hands to cradle Eddie’s face, he lets his eyes fall closed again, gently nuzzling the sides of their noses together. “I know what I want - less talking, more kissing. I love you, baby, come here.”

“We’re doing baby already, huh?” Eddie mumbles, and Buck feels his mouth stretch up into a smile as a single chuckle clicks in his own throat. There's no way he's holding back on this one. Edd-ie. Edd-ie. Edd-ie.

“Mhm,” he hums, their grins growing wider, teeth resting against each other's, more quiet chuckles shared between them.

“Well then, I love you too, baby,” Eddie clicks his tongue, subdued chuckles still rumbling through both of their chests as Buck feels the pad of his thumb caress the shell of his ear, right before he fits his hand to the back of his neck, the gentle grip steering them into the rest of their lives.

[reigningqueenofwords]

Training

Word count: 1,268

Read on AO3

Part 3 of Looking for the Captain

It was hard getting used to living at the tower. You’d been allowed to go back to school, but you always had two security guards with you. Or, shockingly, one guard…and Steve. He was easy to talk to, and you found yourself drawn to him. While he didn’t always have time to hang out, he did when he could. It made the adjustment go a tad smoother. It wasn’t that the others weren’t nice, you just clicked with him. 

Your mother was off in the wind. They’d offered her the chance to stay with you, but she didn't like that idea. Just days after Steve told you that they’d found her, he went to check on her for you. She was gone. No note, no way of contacting her, nothing. Just like before you were born, she was on the run.

That led to now, two months after you’d gotten that envelope. You were lounging, studying for an upcoming test. Steve wasn’t too far, simply reading. You glanced at him and smiled before going back to your notes. He looked so relaxed and peaceful when he was able to focus on something non-Captain related. You wondered what other hobbies he has aside from reading, and made a mental note to ask.

A few moments later, he broke the silence. “I have an odd question.” 

“No, those pants don’t make you look fat.” You joked without looking up from your notes. 

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Good to know, but that wasn’t my question.” He told you, smiling when you finally looked up from your notes. “Have you thought about learning self defense?” 

You raised an eyebrow. “Now, why would I do that? I have you.” You smirked, taking him off guard. “But, that was random. What’s on your mind?” You tilted your head slightly, curious.

“I just thought I-we’d feel better if you had some moves under your belt.” He explained. “Sure, there’s always someone with you when you go out, but it can’t hurt to have you more prepared.”

His logic did make sense, but he seemed flustered. And you couldn’t help but pretend to not get what he meant. “I do have moves under my belt.” You countered innocently. “But being here I may be a bit rusty. Hard to meet guys when you’re living with the Avengers, and have bodyguards.” You said simply. “And don’t worry, mom had the talk with me in high school about being prepared.” You assured him.

His cheeks turned red. “I-what?!” He blinked. That’s not where he had expected things to go!

A grin made it’s way across your lips. “I’m just messing with you.” You giggled. “It’s so easy.” You shook your head, looking back at your notes. “But sure. I can do some self defense lessons. Would it be you doing them?” You wondered. “Or would it be Nat?” 

“Uh, not sure. Do you have a preference?” Would you be more comfortable one way or the other? He pushed down you ‘messing’ with him like that.

“Nah, but I mean, we spend a lot of time together. If you’d like a break you can see if Nat or someone can do them.” You didn’t want to force the man to spend more time with you. 

Steve thought for a moment. “We all have different styles. Maybe I’ll talk to everyone about taking turns. This way you get comfortable with different defense moves, and how people you fight against are all different.” It wasn’t like every person you’d possible need to defend yourself from would all fight the same way.

“Makes sense. I assume Tony won’t be in that rotation? I’ve never seen him in the training area.” You’d been in there a few times to study and hang out with the others. Sometimes it was way better than studying alone in your room.

“He has a fighting ring on another floor. He has boxing lessons there.” He explained.

You looked up at him. “That’s so cool! Do you think he’d let me join?” You looked excited at the idea of learning to box. 

While Steve wasn’t a fan of the idea, he knew Nat also boxed. “I’ll see what I can do.” He promised. 

Everyone had agreed to Steve’s request. The first person you were going to be training with was Nat, but Steve ‘happened’ to be in the training room at the same time. You came in wearing workout shorts, a sports bra, and a loose tank. “I didn’t know what to wear, so I just wore my usual workout gear.” You chuckled. 

“Anything works. You never know what you’ll be wearing when you need to fight back.” 

“I’m picturing you kicking ass in a club dress and heels. It’s an amusing thought.” You smiled, glad she was so laid back. 

Nat laughed, nodding. “Oh, what a show people would get.” She joked before getting into it. “Now, you’re not going to have time to stop and stretch if you need to defend yourself, but I’d rather work in stretching and other workouts alongside actual self defense moves.” She explained seriously. “I don’t know what the others will do, but we’ll start with some stretching, do some cardio, and alternate between self defense and weight lifting.” In her mind, your self defense would be improved by you being fit. 

You let out a breath. “Alright. Warning you, I tend to just do yoga. Maybe some pilates here and there.” 

“So, I take it you're flexible?” She asked. 

Both of you were surprised when Steve simply walked out without saying ‘goodbye’. “Alrighty, then.” You muttered. “And yeah, I am.” 

“Ow.” You groaned the next day as you sat at breakfast. You couldn’t remember ever being so sore in your entire life. How was Nat not always in pain?

“You okay?” Wanda asked, concerned. 

“I trained with Nat yesterday.” You explained, earning a knowing nod. “I’m sore in places I didn’t know I could get sore, and my ass and thighs still burn. I’m glad I’m not doing anything again until tomorrow.” 

Clint looked amused. “Sorry, I won’t go easy on you. You’re with me tomorrow.” He told you. 

Nat came in and smiled at you. “She picks things up quickly.” She said happily. “Keep up with that yoga, too. Maybe do that before bed at night. It’ll help in the long run.” 

“You told me you do yoga because it helps in bed!” Clint gasped at her. 

“It helps.” You and Nat said at the same time, making Wanda snort. 

“Should we be talking like that around Y/N?” Steve sighed. 

The others looked confused. “She’s talking like that, too. And she’s an adult.” Clint pointed out. “I’ve seen her instagram. She’s not innocent, at least not when out drinking with friends. Speaking of, how’s that club you went to the month before you came here? The newer one.” 

“Gigi’s? I like it. It’s not the best, but I can’t complain.” You shrugged. “Maybe one weekend we can all go!” You got excited. “I haven’t been out since I came here.” You half pouted. “I have clothes that no longer get to see the neon lights of nightlife, and that is a shame.” 

“I can’t see why not. I mean, you’ll be out with all of us, so you’ll be safe.” Wanda agreed. “Tony will agree in a heartbeat.” She mused. “I just don’t think Bruce or Steve would go, though.” Neither seemed to be into nightlife, which was fine. 

Steve wasn’t sure if he would want to go or not if he was being honest with himself.

[tragicfrabricofdreaming]

Dark Hearts .3

Summary: Cori Douglas has lived a somewhat quiet life in mystic falls. Despite a few slip ups, she has managed to fly under the radar with her best friends. That is, until her junior year when two new mysterious men roll into town and shake everyone up, including her best friend Elena. What will Cori find out about these mysterious men and about herself? Mostly follows the storyline of tvd show but may take some creative liberties.

“She swore vengeance on all men with dark hearts.”

― Lisa Papademetriou, Siren's Storm

Series Masterlist

“Career fairs just make me sad,” Cori says to Elena as they walk through the school hallways, glancing at the various tables that were set up with prospective jobs the students could go with. Things had been relatively calm since Halloween, other than Elena informing her that she and Stefan were breaking up and he was moving away. Although, he was still making appearances in town like a lingering cold. Cori wasn’t necessarily happy that Elena and Stefan had broken up, she knew that he made her friend happy and she had grown to like him, but she was somewhat glad that she was able to spend more time with Elena. 

“Sad?” Elena chuckles, “Why? 

“There are just so many things that I could do, you know?” Cori groans, looping her arm through Elena’s as they walk, “But I only have one lifetime so there’s no way I can do it all, which just makes it incredibly hard for me to decide, and making decisions makes me sad, you know this.” She tugs on Elena’s arm. 

“You could be an artist, like your dad.” Elena points to the table Hayden had set up down the hallway. 

Cori laughs, “You’ve seen my painting skills…I may have gotten my nose from my dad but that man did not pass down his artistic abilities.” 

Elena laughs with her friend and they stop at a table run by the local bakery, Elena picks up a brochure, “What about a lawyer?” 

Cori looks at her friend, “Every argument I have I end up crying in the middle of it.” 

“True.” Elena and her move on from the table and glance around the hallway. Elena notices Matt further down the hall and touches Cori’s arm, “I’m gonna go say hi to Matt, I’ll catch up with you.” Cori nods, watching curiously as Elena goes to approach the blond quarterback whose sister is still missing. While Elena and Matt were dating, Cori and him were civil with each other but had never really bonded. She always thought Matt was really nice and Elena a year ago would be perfect with him, but the Elena of the present day was not the same. It made sense for her to move on, even if it was hard for Matt to accept. 

Cori notices their new history teacher, Mr. Saltzman, perusing the tables close to her and she approaches him. Her dad had known Alaric when they went to Duke together and had given Cori a heads-up when he was hired as the replacement for Mr. Tanner who had died the night of the first football game. She liked Mr. Saltzman, he was nice and seemed to be passionate about history. 

“Hey, Mr. Saltzman,” she greets him, standing at his side at the table for the police station, “thinking of joining the force?” She jokes. 

Alaric smiles at her, “Hi, Cordelia,” he laughs, “I don’t think they’d want me fighting crime, I’m a horrible shot.” He says, abandoning the brochure he had been looking at. 

“That's a relief,” Cori says, “I would hate to have a third history teacher three months into the year.” 

Mr. Saltzman gestures to the rest of the tables around them, “What about you? You have your future all planned out?” Cori exhales deeply, shaking her head. 

“Not even a little bit. I have a lot of ideas, but I’m not sure which one will be the right one.” She admits. 

“Well, you have time,” He assures her, “And the first choice you make doesn’t have to be the right one, you can change your mind.” 

“See, logically I know that, but part of me can’t fathom not making the right choice the first time around.” She chuckles softly, “I’m a bit of a perfectionist.” 

Alaric laughs, “I noticed that from the assignments you’ve turned in so far,” he says, “reminds me of your mom.” Cori finds herself smiling widely. It wasn’t often that people in Mystic Falls really remembered her mom being around so it was nice to talk to someone who knew her well. Despite not being close with her mother, Cori always admired her and it was a comparison she didn’t mind getting. Looking over Alaric’s shoulder, Cori spots Stefan lurking down the hall. She furrows her eyebrows together at the sight of him. 

“It was nice talking with you, I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” She departs from Alaric and makes her way towards the younger Salvatore, a friendly smile on her face, “Hey,” she greets, snapping him out of his intense observation of Elena. 

“Oh, hey, Cori,” he slides his hands into his pockets, feeling like he just got caught doing something he shouldn’t. 

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” She admits, leaning against the wall next to him. Stefan shrugs, a non-response that makes Cori sigh, “Stefan, look,” she takes a breath, getting his full attention,  “I like you. I think you’re a good guy and you made Elena really happy.” His eyes dart away from hers briefly, a sadness within them that makes Cori chew on her lip, “I was rooting for you guys. But, you keep telling Elena you’re going to leave and yet here you are.” She gestures to his stature, standing there in the school hallway, “It’s messing with her. If you’re going to leave, you need to do it.” She places a gentle hand on his arm as if to remind him that she isn’t trying to be harsh but this is just the truth. They share a quick goodbye and Cori leaves him alone to think about what she said. 

After looking at all the tables set up in the hall and witnessing a fight breaking out between Jeremy and Tyler, Cori decided it was time to go home. Unfortunately, she had ridden here with her dad and he had to stay until the fair was over since he was running a table. Deciding she didn’t want to wait and having walked home from school a million times before, Cori heads out to the parking lot by herself. 

She’s barely away from the building before a truck pulls up beside her, “Hey, damsel in distress,” the driver, Logan Fell, has his window rolled down and that signature charming smile on his face, “need a ride?” He asks. Cori knew Logan the way most people knew him. He was a familiar face on her TV screen since he was a news reporter but he had also babysat her a few times when she was younger. 

“Hi, Logan,” she smiles at him, her hands stuffed into her denim jacket pockets. “I was just going to walk home, it’s really not far.” 

“Oh, come on, Cor, I’m not going to let you walk home alone at night,” he says, “It’s practically on my way. Hop in.” Logan insists. Cori gives in, accepting his offer and walking to the opposite side of his truck, opening the passenger door, and climbing inside. 

“Thanks,” she says, “I was supposed to wait for my dad to be done, but I’m just so tired.” She huffs, looking at Logan in the driver's seat, “Do you remember the way?” She asks, noting that he hasn’t started driving yet. 

“Of course I do,” he smiles, “But first, buckle up.” Cori grabs her seatbelt and leans down to buckle it in place. After that, everything goes dark. 

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

“Shit,” Damon hisses when he opens the passenger door of Logan Fell’s truck. The newly turned vampire had just run off in the middle of Damon’s interrogation, successfully avoiding the question of who turned him. Logan had called Sheriff Forbes after kidnapping Cori from the parking lot, threatening to turn her into a vampire as some weird attempt at proving he meant business. Unluckily for him, he was still easy to track and Damon found him before he could do any more damage. Now, he was left with a passed-out Cordelia with a head wound. 

“Hey,” Damon taps her cheek gently trying to get her to wake up. He could hear her heartbeat in her chest so he knew she was very much alive. He holds her face in his hands, keeping her head from lulling side to side, “Cordelia, can you hear me?” The only response he gets is a whimper from the back of her throat. Just as he’s considering feeding her some of his blood to heal the wound, two cars pull up behind Logan’s truck and he stops himself. “Alright, come on.” wraps his arms around her back and under her knees, lifting her out of the car smoothly. This movement seems to stir her a little bit, her eyelids fluttering. 

“Damon?” She groans, not able to keep her eyes open for longer than it takes her to realize who was carrying her. 

“Yeah, I got you,” Damon assures her, rounding the front of the truck to see Sheriff Forbes and Hayden Douglas rushing out of their cars to meet him. 

“Oh my God, Cori.” Hayden rushes up to the Salvatore brother, his eyes locked on his unconscious daughter, “Is she okay?” He touches her head gently, worried eyes scanning the fresh wound on her head. 

“Yeah, I think she’s okay,” Damon says. He turns his attention to the Sheriff, “Logan got away, I’m not sure where he went but we got here just in time.” 

Carol Forbes nods slowly, her brows frowning in concern as she looks at the limp girl in Damon’s arms, “We’ll find him,” she places a reassuring hand on Hayden’s back, “why don’t you take her to the hospital, get her checked out?” 

Hayden brushes his hand through her hair, chewing on his bottom lip in concern, “Yeah, okay,” he nods, “Let’s lay her down in the backseat.” He nods to Damon. 

Damon follows him to his car and carefully lays Cori down in the backseat, taking extra care of her head as he sets her down. He straightens up, facing Hayden as the father closes the door, “Thank you,” he says softly, almost like it was hard for him to say. Their last conversation was when Hayden had explicitly said to stay away from his daughter. He had never been so grateful that his wishes were ignored, “For saving her…I owe you one.” 

Damon claps him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry, I’m just glad I got here in time.” He backs away slowly, wanting to get back on Logan’s trail as soon as possible to find out who had turned the son of a bitch, “Get her home safe.” 

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

“Dad, I’m fine,” Cori swats her dad’s hand away as he attempts to help her out of the car the next morning. She didn’t remember anything after she walked out of the school building last night. The first thing she really remembered after leaving the career fair was waking up in the hospital in the middle of the night with a terrible headache. Her dad was there holding her hand from where he sat next to her bed. According to him, she had slipped and hit her head on the steps when she was leaving. Damon had found her passed out on the ground and was the one to ultimately come to her rescue. 

Cori was shocked that she couldn’t remember any of that, but the doctors who were observing her said that it was normal for the type of head wound she had endured. They kept her in the hospital the whole night just to observe her but let her go home in the morning with the promise that she would get plenty of rest and limit her screen time. 

That was where she was now, her dad hovering over her like she was a glass doll who was going to shatter into a million pieces at any second. She really felt fine, the meds they had given her at the hospital had helped with her headache and despite feeling tired and a little dizzy she was only left feeling slightly confused. 

“Just…take it easy on the stairs,” Hayden says, his hand on her lower back as she attempts to walk up the steps to her room. 

“Dad,” she groans, “The doctor said I would be back to normal tomorrow, which means I’m 85% normal today. Which means I can walk up the stairs to my room by myself.” She glares at him. Cori knew he meant well but she just wanted to lie down and be alone. 

Her dad sighs, dropping his hands in defeat, “Fine,” he says, “Go upstairs and rest, I’ll make you something to eat.” 

She smiles at him in gratitude and climbs the rest of the steps by herself, only tripping on the very last one. She can hear her dad rushing to help her again but she holds up her hand, “I’m okay!” She insists, “I do that all the time, that isn’t a sign of a brain injury.” 

Cori rubs the back of her sore neck as she enters her room, toeing her shoes off before she roots through her purse in search of her phone. After retrieving it, she groans at the flashing battery image that appears and plugs it into the charger on her nightstand before she heads into her connected bathroom to start the water for a hot bath. 

With the tub filling up, she heads back into her room to collect her now alive phone. She has a few missed calls from Caroline and Bonnie with a few corresponding texts but the most alarming amount of calls has come from Elena so she decides to start there. Keeping the phone plugged into the charger, Cori selects Elena’s name and sits on the edge of her bed while she listens to it ringing, having a clear view of her bathtub so she can make sure it doesn’t overflow. 

After a few rings, her call is answered but instead of Elena’s voice it’s a deep, male voice that says, “Hello, Elena’s phone.” 

Cori frowned deeply, pulling her phone away from her ear to make sure she had actually selected Elena’s number. Sure enough, she had, “Elena? Do you have a cold or something?” She asks. 

“Elena is…unavailable at the moment, Cordelia. But I’m glad to hear you’re conscious again.” 

Her cheeks flame intensely as she realizes who she’s talking to, “Damon,” She says slowly, “Why do you have Elena’s phone?” She asks. 

“She left it in my room last night I don’t think she realized yet.” There’s a faint protest on the other line and Cori rolls her eyes, realizing Damon was just trying to stir the pot. “She was just so distracted after the night we had.” 

“Well, if you aren’t going to let me talk to Elena can you just tell her I’m fine, I saw that she called.” Cori winces at a sharp pain in her head, rubbing at her forehead like she would be able to massage it away. She pauses and says, “Thank you, by the way. My dad told me you’re the one that found me outside of the school after I fell.” 

There’s a long pause from Damon before he answers, “It’s no problem, kid.” She rolls her eyes at the nickname, “I didn’t want to see you bleed out on the pavement.” 

“Very generous of you,” she chuckles weakly as the pain in her head decreases. 

“Yeah, I think Stefan’s hero complex is starting to rub off on me,” Damon says thoughtfully. 

“We’ll have to do something about that, then,” She pinches the bridge of her nose and squeezes her eyes shut tightly, “We wouldn’t want your bad boy reputation getting tainted.” 

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want that.” She can practically hear his eye roll from the other line, “But you’re okay, right? The doc cleared you and everything?” His tone takes a turn to concern and if she wasn’t in so much pain Cori would have been surprised. 

“Yeah, I just have to rest and I should be back to normal tomorrow.” 

“I won’t keep you, then. I’ll tell Elena you called.” 

Cori rolls her eyes, “Give her phone back, freak,” she scolds him and then adds on, “Thanks again, Damon.” 

“See ya, kid.” He hangs up the phone and the jolt of pain that strikes Cori is so strong that she drops her phone and doubles over on the edge of her bed. Her vision goes blurry and she hears the faint sound of running water coming from the bathroom. 

Shit, the tub. She hadn’t been paying attention at all and the water from the rub was now overflowing onto the bathroom floor. She tries to get up to turn it off but the speed of her movements causes the room to spin and she falls to her knees. 

Come, darling… A voice whispers and there’s a faint ringing in her ears as she desperately tries to get her vision to focus. Cori pushes herself to crawl toward the bathroom despite her bones feeling like they would give out on her at any second. 

Closer darling…The same voice whispers when she passes the threshold into the bathroom. The tile floor was soaked with water, she can feel it soaking through her jeans and her socks as she scoots across the floor, her vision still blurry and spinning. She doesn’t know where the voices are coming form but all she can think about is getting to the faucet and turning off the water. Finally, she reaches the tub and holds herself up on the edge of it, “Closer, still…” it whispers again as she reaches a shaky hand forward, her fingers grazing the faucet handle, “You have nothing left to be afraid of, now…” 

Just as she grasps the knob to shut off the water, a hand shoots out and grabs her wrist. Cori screams so loud her throat burns. The hand is a murky green color with scales crawling up the forearm and nails so sharp they were practically claws. Before she can scream again, the hand pulls her forward with such incredible strength that the front half of her body falls into the tub. She struggles against the hold of the hand but the more she fights the stronger they become, almost as if multiple hands were holding her underwater at once. She’s slowly losing air, thinking back to those times in the pool when she saw the same hand in the water and how she had felt this same sense of fear. They weren’t this strong before, though. She was under for too long, even as a champion swimmer she couldn’t hold her breath this long and she could feel the pain in her chest increase as she fought to keep water from getting in. 

As she was fighting the urge to allow water into her lungs, she noticed the water around her was dark and depthless, unlike the tub she had assumed she was inside. It was like she was in a dark lake, looking down to see if she could spot the bottom. From the darkness, she sees something move. Long, dark hair moving with the water, and a face like nothing she had seen before. Smooth features covered in iridescent scales and eyes so bright blue it was almost like they were glowing. But what would really send her over the edge was when the face opened its scaly mouth rows of sharp teeth were revealed. 

Cori opened her mouth and screamed in the water, forming bubbles all around her. The creature simply smiled at her fear, moving closer to the frightened girl. 

Just as she was about to reach Cori, a hand grabbed her from above the surface and yanked her out of the water. 

Suddenly, she was back in her bathroom, kneeling in front of her tub. The water had overflowed and was still soaking the bathroom floor but there was no darkness within the bathtub and no scaly hand reaching for her. Cori was still screaming. Over and over again she was screaming at the top of her lungs, her sopping wet hair sticking to the side of her face. She’s looking around the room with wide, frightened eyes while whoever had pulled her out was trying to comfort her by wrapping a towel around her. 

“Shhh, Cori, you’re okay.” It was her dad’s voice, he was the one who had pulled her out of the tub, “Hey it’s me, it’s dad, you’re safe. Just breathe.” He soothes her as she coughs repeatedly, ridding her lungs of the water she has inhaled. He keeps repeating ‘you’re okay’ over and over again as she catches her breath, her coughs turning to sobs. 

After calming down, Cori’s hoarse voice breaks through her sobs, “What’s happening to me, Dad?” She asks. 

Hayden smooths her wet hair down, holding her to his chest, “I don’t know, honey,” he whispers against the crown of her head, squeezing his eyes shut when he hears the pain in her voice, “I don’t know.” 

But Hayden Douglas did know what was happening to his youngest daughter. He knew very well what was occurring within her body and mind, he just couldn’t figure out how to explain it to her yet. 

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

While Hayden had fought against her return to school very hard, he was no match for a stubborn, stir-crazy Cordelia who was insistent that she get back to some semblance of normalcy. She had chalked up the incident in the bathroom to a symptom of her fall and had promised that she would tell her dad if she experienced anything else out of the ordinary. The one thing she did compromise on was not driving to school which was why she was now climbing into the front seat of Elena’s car. 

“Thanks for picking me up.” Cori smiles, closing the door behind her and setting her coffee cup in the cupholder. 

“Hey,” Elena greets, looking over at her friend and gesturing to the bandage on her head. It was significantly smaller than what she had started out with and she could mostly cover it up with her fringe but it was still noticeable, “How’s the wound?” 

“It’s fine,” Cori huffs as she buckles her seatbelt, “just a reminder of my humiliation.” 

“Come on,” Elena scoffs, rolling her eyes as she pulls away from the Douglas home and heads toward school, “it’s not humiliating, it could have happened to anyone.” 

“No, Elena, this has Cordelia Douglas written all over it,” she insists, “I mean, it wasn’t even raining or anything. How does one just slip and crack her head open in the middle of the school parking lot?” 

Elena bites her tongue, fighting the urge to tell her friend what had really happened. It could be a blessing that Cori didn’t remember being kidnapped by Logan. The more she could keep her friends out of all this business the better. Which reminded her of something as she rolled to a stop at a red light. “I got you something,” She reaches into the center console and pulls out a small box, handing it to her friend.

Cori gasps, taking the box, “For me?” She says in a high-pitched voice, “What’s the occasion?” 

Elena chuckles and shrugs her shoulders, “I just saw it in a store and thought of you,” She says simply, hiding the real meaning behind the gift. Cori slides the lid off the box and gasps again, “Do you like it?” 

“Like it? I love it!” She carefully retrieves the bracelet from the box and admires it. It was a classic bracelet of pearls with a sparkling pendant in the middle to hold them all together. She had never seen anything more beautiful in her life. Aside from her family’s necklace, of course, this was a close second. “Thank you, Elena, you really shouldn’t have.” She smiles genuinely at her friend as she carefully places the bracelet on her wrist. 

“Consider it an ‘I’m sorry you got a concussion’ gift.” Elena returns the smile as the light turns green and she continues in the direction of the school. 

“Well, if that’s the case maybe I should get concussions more often.” Cori holds her arm out in front of her, admiring the piece of jewelry in the light shining through the windshield. 

Elena narrows her eyes, “Not funny.” 

Cori shrugs, “Kinda funny.” She says. 

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

While she had never understood why this school did so many decade dances, Cori couldn’t fight the appeal of the poofy skirt on her dress. She was standing by a table with Bonnie and Caroline who were having even less fun than Cori who was currently swooshing her skirt back and forth. Everyone had nailed it with the costumes for this dance, she had to admit. She had picked out a white dress with small blue flowers all over it for herself and had styled her hair in such a way that her bangs covered the bandage she still had to wear on her head. 

“Hey,” Elena approaches them, fidgeting with one of her earrings, “having fun?” She asks. 

“No,” Caroline answers instantly, making Cori snort. The blonde was just upset that Matt had to work and didn’t ask her to be his date to this thing. That girl could sulk like no other. “But this took two hours,” she gestures to herself, “so I’m trying to stay for at least half of that.” Elena laughs. 

Bonnie seems disengaged from the conversation, her eyes focused on something across the room, “What’s Damon doing here?” She asks. The remaining three friends turned and looked in the direction she was facing and, sure enough, Damon Salvatore was snaking through the crowd in the gymnasium. 

“He wanted to come,” Elena says, turning to look at her friends who were all now giving her a disapproving look, “I promise he’ll behave.” The behavior that Cori had been scolded for when Damon had first come to town seemed to be the norm, now. She wasn’t going to bring that up, though. 

“So what is this, like, a threesome now?” Caroline asks, failing to conceal her jealousy, “You and the Salvatore brothers?” 

Elena rolls her eyes, “No, but, if I want to be with Stefan I’m going to have to learn to tolerate Damon.” She explains but the girls don’t seem convinced, especially Bonnie and Caroline, “It’s not like I can kill him.” 

Bonnie’s eyes are still locked on the elder Salvatore as she says, “There’s a thought.”

“Mmm, I’ll help,”  Caroline adds, clinking her punch glass with Bonnie’s. Elena looks down, trying hard not to smile at their comments, Cori goes back to swishing her dress back and forth. 

“The twirl capabilities of this dress are astronomical.” She says as her attempt of changing the subject, “I mean, there’s a lot about the 50s that should stay in the 50s but I’d really love for these to come back in style.” 

For the most part, her friends ignore her and look around the gymnasium wistfully, as if wishing for the fun night they had been expecting to have. Elena eventually wanders off to find Stefan, leaving her three friends alone once more. The vibe was so off tonight and Cori couldn’t put her finger on it. Bonnie seemed more irritable than normal, especially since she found out Damon was here, and Caroline was pouting uncontrollably. Cori had hoped this night would be fun enough to distract her from the other issues in her life that her friends didn’t know about. As it was panning out, it didn’t seem tonight would be the turning point she had hoped. 

To make matters worse, Damon approaches their table with a confident smirk on his face, “Hi Bonnie, wanna dance?” He asks, extending his hand to her. 

Bonnie looks disgusted, holding her hands up like that was her final straw, “I’m outta here.” She says, moving to walk away. 

Damon is quick to step in front of her, closing off her escape route, “Please,” he says, looking into her eyes, “give me another chance.” Cori frowns at their interaction, wondering what had perspired between them that she had missed. 

Bonnie ignores him, sidestepping his form and making her way out of the gym. Caroline sighs, moving to follow her, “Back off, Damon.” She glares, her dress swishing as she follows her friend out of the dance. Cori sighs, defeated by the fact that they had just walked away. 

Damon turns back to Cori, opening his mouth to say something before Elena and Stefan approach, cutting him off, “Where did they go?” She asks Damon, craning her neck to hopefully see where Bonnie and Caroline had retreated to. 

Damon shrugs, “I don’t know.” 

Stefan eyes his brother carefully, “What did you say to them?” He asks his older brother who scoffs. 

“I was perfectly polite.” He defends himself. In all honesty, if his history with all of them didn’t exist you could have assumed he was being perfectly polite from that one interaction but Caroline and Bonnie obviously saw right through it, “Elena,” Damon turns his attention to his brother’s girlfriend, “would you like to dance?” 

Cori watches the interaction closely. To her surprise, and everyone else within earshot, Elena says, “I would love to,” she then looks up at Stefan, “May I have this dance?” Damon’s smile falls quickly and Cori has to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Stefan seems quite pleased with his girlfriend’s wittyness and offers her his arm which she takes happily. After they slip away to the dancefloor, Damon turns to look at Cori with a look that said ‘can you believe that?’ 

She’s leaning her elbows on the table in front of her, holding her chin in her palms, “You kind of walked right into that one.” She shrugs. 

Damon sighs, holding his hand out to her, “Would you like to dance, Cordelia?” He asks. 

She looks from his hand to his face, scrunching her brows together, “What? Now that I’m the only one left?” She asks. 

“No,” He says quickly, his confident smirk making another appearance, “because you owe me one,” her eyebrows shoot up, “you know, for not letting you bleed out in the parking lot.” 

She sighs, rolling her eyes in defeat, “Right, your hero complex, I forgot about that,” she hadn’t forgotten at all. Cori finishes the contents of her punch glass and smooths her skirt out before reaching forward to take his hand, “Fine. One dance.” 

Damon grins in triumph, taking her hand firmly in his before twirling her in a quick circle and pulling her into his chest. Cori giggles in surprise, placing the hand that wasn’t wrapped in his on his shoulder. She glances up at him as he expertly moves them further onto the dancefloor without missing a step. Her cheeks flush at their closeness and she curses her completely normal bodily reaction. “Don’t spin me too much,” She says, breaking the silence, “I’m still getting dizzy easily.” 

‘Ah, right,” Their hands are clasped together tightly as they sway to the music and the hand that Damon has resting on her waist lifts up to her forehead, pushing her hair to the side so he can get a better look at her bandage, “how’s that head of yours?” His voice is barely above a whisper and she can hear him clear as day due to their closeness. 

She shrugs and her skin erupts in warmth as his hand returns to her waist while her’s slowly slides down to his bicep, “It’s been better,” she says, “But I’m sure it would be a lot worse if you hadn’t found me when you did.” 

He seems indifferent to this observation, shrugging his shoulders and glancing over the top of her head to observe the room around them, “You’ll have to start being more careful,” He says, leaning down so that his lips are right by her ear, “I might not always be around to save you.” 

When he pulls back from her slightly, she frowns in a sort of frustrated grimace and he feels her fingers tighten on his bicep, “I can’t figure you out, Damon.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” she sighs, “One minute you’re set on being the villain in everyone’s story, and the next you’re trying to get a redemption arc.” Their eyes are locked as she talks and the song they’re dancing to is coming to an end, “One minute I can’t stand you, and the next it’s like…” 

“Like what?” Damon prods. 

“Like I tolerate you,” that wasn’t what she was originally going to say but he didn’t need to know that. 

“Oh, well, that’s just my irresistible charm, kid,” she rolls her eyes at the nickname but his tone turns serious, “But trust me, you don’t want to try and figure me out.”

“That’s like telling me I don’t want to breathe, Damon,” Cori tells him. The slow song they were dancing to fades into a more upbeat one and Damon reluctantly releases her hand and steps away from her. 

“Thanks for the dance,” he smirks, “consider your debt paid.” He slips through the crowded gymnasium and Cori suddenly feels cold with his absence. She walks back to the table where she finds Caroline standing with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“That looked cozy,” she remarks, that judgemental smirk of her’s very evident. 

Cori frowns at her and comes to a stop right in front of her, “I thought you guys left?” 

“I forgot my purse,” she holds up her small clutch, “Bonnie and I are gonna go to The Grill.”

“Oh,” Cori nods, reaching for her own bag that was sitting on the table, “I’ll go with you.” 

Caroline rolls her eyes, “I don’t think so.” Her friend freezes, frowning on the blonde. 

“What’s wrong?” 

It’s like a switch is flipped in Caroline and her eyes narrow as she points an accusing finger at Cori, “You are such a hypocrite, Cori!” She exclaims, drawing the attention of some close by dancegoers. 

Cori looks around her, embarrassed by her friend raising her voice, “Excuse me?” She raises an eyebrow. 

“You were so quick to write off Damon when I was with him,” Caroline explains, “but the second we break up you jump at the chance to get close to him.” 

Cori holds her hands up in defense, blinking in stunned silence while she processes what one of her best friends just accused her of, “Okay, first of all, it was one dance. I wasn’t jumping on him.” She clarifies, “And second of all, he sort of saved me from extreme blood loss when I fell the other night so I was just thanking him.” 

“Why don’t you write him a thank you note next time?”  

“I didn’t realize it would upset you, Caroline, I’m sorry.” 

“I don’t believe you.” 

“What do you mean you don’t believe me?” 

“I think you knew it would upset me and that’s why you did it. You’re jealous of me so you want something that I can’t have.” 

“How can you say that? It’s like you don’t even know me.” 

“Well, maybe we don’t know each other like we thought we did.” Cori opens her mouth to respond but no words come out. She had no idea where this was coming from but she felt horrible for hurting her friend the way she did, “Find your own ride home.” Caroline spits before turning around and walking out of the dance. Cori can feel a few eyes on her as the argument drew a bit of attention. She wraps her arms around herself and ducks her head down as she heads for the bathroom, hoping something else will happen while she’s in there to make people forget. 

She really hadn’t meant to hurt Caroline. She thought that dancing with Damon would be harmless since Caroline had been having this new thing with Matt and had seemingly moved on from her fling with Damon. She had been wrong. She felt awful and humiliated but also a little bit angry. Caroline had just assumed that Cori’s intentions were malicious without even talking with her first. As if Cori had done anything to purposefully hurt Caroline in the past. Had she not been as good of a friend as she thought she was? 

A few girls leave the bathroom as she’s entering and Cori finds herself alone, something which she’s grateful for. She braces her hands on the sink and looks at herself in the mirror, examining her reflection. Did Caroline really see her as some sort of threat? If you looked at them side by side there had to be no comparison. Caroline was slim and beautiful. Her hair was always perfectly styled and her skin flawless, it was like she had an immunity to humidity. Her clothes always looked perfectly styled and she could start a conversation with anyone. 

Cori was awkwardly taller than all of her other friends, sticking out like a sore thumb in all of their pictures together. She wasn’t nearly as slim as the rest of them and her skin had way more imperfections. No matter how much hairspray or heat she applied to her hair it would always manage to frizz up and look a mess. Everytime she was picking out an outfit she felt like a child playing dress up. 

Sweeping her bangs out of the way, Cori examines the bandage on her forehead to make sure it was still in place. Satisfied with the look of it, she moves her bangs back and tries to smooth down her flyaways the best she can. Sighing, she grabs a paper towel from the dispenser and starts to wipe off her red lipstick, not feeling like staying at the dance any longer now that her mood was killed. She would have to find another way home, though. Maybe Elena would still be around if she wasn’t mad at her also. 

After a few more moments alone in the bathroom, Cori heads back into the gym to collect her bag and steps out into the deserted hallway to dial Elena’s number. Unfortunately, after it rings a few times it goes to voicemail. Cori decides to leave a message, “Hey, Elena. Caroline and I had a littel argument and her and Bonnie left. If you’re still at the dance would you be able to give me a ride home? If not it’s no big deal, but I just thought I’d call and see. Talk to you later. Bye.” Cori exhales, hanging up the phone and aimlessly scrolling through her contacts to see if anyone else would be able to give her a ride. Just as she was about to dial her dad and ask him to come get her, she feels the presence of someone coming to stand in front of her. Cori looks up, sighing at the sight of Damon. 

“Need a ride?” He smirks at her. He looked slightly more dishelved than he had when they were dancing but Cori doesn’t dwell on that. She did indeed need a ride but she wasn’t sure if that was a good idea after the altercation she had with Caroline over a dance. 

She tucks a stray curl behind her ear, “I’m gonna call my dad, see if he’ll come get me.” she holds her phone up. 

Damon waves a hand, “Come on, don’t make your old man come get you. I was just heading out, anyway. Let me take you home.” 

Cori is faced with a decision she didn’t really want to make. On one hand, she had just been told explicitly by Caroline that her being around Damon upset her and accepting a ride soon after that would not translate well. On the other hand, Caroline had left her here and told her to get another ride home. This was another ride home. What were the chances of Caroline even finding out?...Pretty high considering what a big mouth this town had. But Cori was desperate, tired, and just wanted to go home to bed. “Okay,” she nods at Damon, tucking her phone into her bag, “thanks.” 

He leads her out to the spot where his car is parked. She’s slightly impressed by his blue camaro but not exactly surprised, “Nice car,” she remarks as they both get inside. 

“I know,” Damon says as he starts it up and revs the engine, smirking over at her, “It’s a babe magnet.” 

She rolls her eyes at him, “I always thought that guys who have loud cars like this are compensating for something.” She looks dead in his eyes, “You know….for the size of something.” 

Damon scoffs, putting the car in gear, “Trust me, sweetheart, I don’t have anything to make up for.” She directs her gaze out the passenger side window to hopefully hide her blush. She directs him on which way to go as they pull out of the parking lot and there’s comfortable silence before he speaks again, “Blondie and Bon-Bon ditch you?” He asks. 

Cori sighs, smoothing her hands over the skirt of her dress, “Yeah, uh, I think they went to The Grill.” She shrugs. 

“Why didn’t you go with them?” He glances at her out of his peripheral. 

She chews on her bottom lip, “Caroline didn’t want me to.” Damon frowns but doesn’t verbally pry, although his curious silence is enough for Cori to open up, “She was pretty upset about me dancing with you. She thought I was doing it to upset her on purpose.”

“Were you?”

Cori whips her head around to look at him, her eyes narrowing, “No, I wasn’t!” She snaps, “God, does everyone think I’m some bitch all of a sudden? I would never do that.” 

Damon holds up one hand in defense, “I was just asking.” He says, gripping the steering wheel with both hands again, “You don’t seem like the type to do something like that.” 

Cori scoffs, holding her hands in her lap while she starts picking at her cuticles, “Try telling that to Caroline. Apparently she doesn’t know me as well as she thought she did.” Her tone is somber and Damon glances at her again at how hurt she sounds. 

“Caroline seems like the jealous type. I’m sure she’ll cool down soon. What we had wasn’t serious.” He tries assuring her but it doesn’t seem to have worked. 

“I just don’t get why she would be threatened by me dancing with you one time,” She sighs, “I mean, look at me and look at Caroline. If, for some messed up reason, we were in competition against each other I wouldn’t stand a chance.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Damon snorts, taking a right turn in her direction. 

She starts waving her hands around like the right words will suddenly appear in front of them so she doesn’t have to explain it, “She has it all. She’s smart, pretty, charismatic…she’s just like my sister, honestly.” Why was she talking to him about this? He didn’t care. It was stupid, petty teenage drama. He was just trying to be nice by giving her a ride home and she was oversharing big-time. 

Damon surprises her by what he says next, “You can’t always compare yourself to other people. You’ll never be Caroline and you’ll never be your sister. But you have to be…content with that.” He explains. Cori stares at his profile as he talks, “The world already has a lot of Caroline’s, they don’t need you to be another.” He takes a deep breath and continues, “A lot of people in my life have tried to compare me to Stefan. They wonder why I’m not more like him. Why am I not as nice as him? How come my brother can be so good and I can be so unlikable?” Cori redirects her gaze for a moment, feeling like she was staring too far into his soul, “And, I’m not saying that kind of stuff doesn’t get to me anymore, it does sometimes.” He pauses and she thinks he might be done but, after a moment, he goes on, “We were both in love with the same girl at one point, Katherine,” Cori frowned at the name. She thought Elena had mentioned Stefan’s ex-girlfriend before but she didn’t know Damon had loved her as well, “I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t enough, why she had to keep Stefan around. Sometimes I think I made myself so opposite of Stefan to keep everyone from expecting me to be like him.” 

He had no idea what it was about the girl sitting next to him that made him want to open up with her. This was stuff he hadn’t told anyone before and he had to fight the instinct to kill her instantly for making him confide in her. 

Cori ponders what Damon had told her. She felt a sense of…pride in the fact that he had been so open and a deep sense of understanding for the things he has felt throughout her life, “Careful, Damon,” She says as he comes to a slow stop in front of her house, “I might just figure you out.” 

He smiles at her, that familiar mischievous tone behind his grin, “Not a chance, kid.” She grabs her bag and places her hand on the door handle. 

“Thanks for the ride,” She says, pushing the door open. He simply nods at her in response, “I’ll see you around.” Cori steps out of his car and shuts the door behind her, jogging lightly up to her porch. Damon stays and watches her get to the front door and collect her key from her bag. 

As she successfully unlocks the front door, she turns and smiles at him over her shoulder, waving her fingers at him in farewell. Damon feels his chest tighten as he waves bag, a strange feeling warming him from the inside but it quickly vanishes as she slips inside and closes the door behind her. He shakes it off and puts his car into gear, speeding away from the house and the girl inside of it. 

[highfantasy-soul]

NATLA Episode 6 - Masks (5/5)

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.

Of course, full spoilers ahead.

<previous/next>

After Zuko's painful flashback, we get the animated series' convo between Aang and Zuko from the Blue Spirit episode - I like closing with this bit as it has built naturally from the conversation earlier. Instead of Aang just randomly telling Zuko he thinks they could have been friends out of the blue, he's built a connection with Zuko - they've humanized themselves to each other, so the comment about friendship actually makes sense.

I think the live-action did a really good job taking great concepts from the animated series and fleshing them out to make them more organic rather than a blunt 'here's the lesson, kids' thesis statement that comes out of the blue and you just need to take on faith because it's a kid's show and you just accept the leap of logic for the sake of the story (Katara claiming she's Aang's 'family' in episode 3 of the animated series vs her telling him that at the end of the live-action season after they've, you know, actually built a familial foundation with each other).

And just like the animated series, Zuko can't take the compassion, the kindness, the nudging toward a softer future, and just blasts with his firebending, pushing Aang away. He knows it won't really hurt Aang, it's not actually a strike to incapacitate, it's a blow to ward off any sign of weakness or 'humanity'.

The follow-up flashback with Ozai talking to Zuko as he's 'recovering' was such a good addition. Ozai GENUINELY believes he's doing a good thing for his son. He GENUINELY thinks he's helping. Again, I love the complexity they're giving Ozai and Zuko's relationship where there actually IS a chance that Zuko could get in his father's good graces - honestly, that makes his turn to join Team Avatar that much more impactful. It's not a 'well I was never going to get the approval from my father anyways' decision, it truly was a 'I could have had it all, but it wasn't right'.

To me, that's what made the OG redemption arc so good: Zuko DID choose to 'get everything he ever wanted' and turned away after he was secure in that - but there was still that little lingering knowledge that Ozai really never would actually accept him - it was all a ploy. The live-action strengthened that thread with making it so that Ozai really could accept him - it's a real thing Zuko would be giving up rather than a shallow imitation of 'acceptance' the animation gave Ozai and Zuko.

Ozai insisting that Zuko needs to be able to give up the weak in order to preserve the strong is such an interesting beat to keep hammering home with Ozai and his world view. He's obsessed with his own version of 'strength' and I honestly think there's a lot of trauma for him around that idea. When Zuko argues that the weak can become strong, I think that it actually shakes Ozai, that's why he lashes out in anger at that comment - just like Zuko does when Aang tells him that he can be better than what the fire nation is right now. Ozai mentions Zuko's mom and I think it terrifies him, the idea that the 'weak' can become strong - I think Ozai has been taught that either you're strong or you're weak, it's innate and unchangeable. He can't imagine he's created a weak child, so Zuko MUST be naturally strong, he's just been too sheltered so it hasn't been able to come out yet.

The idea that what Ozai thought was fundamental could actually change I think shifts Ozai's entire world view. If he accepts that, then it would mean all his 'sacrificing of the weak' would have been incorrect even by his own logic - and I think it could tie back to Ursa, his wife, as well. I hope we get more on her and Ozai's actual dynamic in season 2 as it was something I felt was lacking from the OG show. Ozai, I believe is struggling as to where, actually, to place Ursa on his 'weak' or 'strong' hierarchy and it's destabilizing to him. He has to keep up the idea that the strong are strong the weak are weak and it's just the natural order of the world that the fire nation is on top - because it means they're inherently strong and that cannot change.

AAAHHHHHHH the 41st reveal!!!!!!!!! Just, the genius of that move - the layers, the angst, the connection Zuko and the crew now naturally have - it's just so good. Zuko is surrounded by evidence reminding him of the biggest failure in his father's eyes - the reason he was punished right before him. Of course he's going to harbor resentment, then extra anger when they don't treat him with respect due to his resenting them. Of course he's going to have so many conflicting feelings about being surrounded by the people whose lives he saved - at the cost of his home, his dignity, and his father's love.

He didn't intentionally set out to sacrifice all that to save their lives, but his actions led to that outcome anyways and I think that's such an interesting take to have on a 'sacrifice to save lives' story. Zuko was just doing what he thought was right. He was trying to save people, and he took his actions not having a clue what it would cost him. It's not a cut and dry - I saw something bad happening and willingly took the consequence to save them, it's much more complex than that - a complex story where the one who unwittingly gave the sacrifice learns that it truly was a sacrifice and not a punishment. Someone who was forced into a 'hero' position who has to grow and change in order to fit into that hero mold their actions have already put them in. It's just a really fascinating angle to show a heroic act.

I've seen some issues about the 41st being Zuko's assigned crew, so I wanted to address that: I assumed that all Fire Nation military was the navy. They're an island nation and every single Fire Nation military group we see are on or from ships - and we see presumably the same soldiers operating the ship as we do on the war rhinos when they come ashore. So I didn't think it was odd at all that the battalion that was about to be sacrificed in a land assault was also the one running the ship. I also don't think it 'cheapens' Zuko's sacrifice or makes it so that it was a…idk, story choice that said 'see, it's justified what all happened'. Definitely didn't see Ozai's convo with Zuko after being burned as the writers saying 'see, all this is justified and we should see good logic in Ozai's choice here' - it was very clearly still framed as bad? Yeah, Ozai thinks he's doing the right thing, but like, media literacy y'all.

Ugh, Lieutenant Jee and the rest of the crew showing Zuko the respect a crown prince would usually get right after one of Zuko's greatest 'failures' of a mission. Zuko is confused at Aang's compassion toward him, angry that he's poking holes in his world view, and crawling back on board after having lost the Avatar once again - and being greeted with love and care and respect. "Our prince has returned" - It's not the home Zuko thinks he needs to return to, but it IS the home he and the crew have made for themselves over the past 3 years. It's a place he's being welcomed back to while he's still thinking the goal is to get back to the fire nation. Such a good message that unfortunately, Zuko doesn't see quite yet, but each little step in the right direction counts.

Again, linking the ending monologue back to EVERY character in the show - this time the narrative having drawn so many parallels to how Zuko retains his mask and then showing how his father reacts the same way - showing that Ozai is wearing a mask too, just one that's been welded onto him through many more years. This was truly Zuko's episode - and it's his mask that needs to slip the most - or rather, for him to realize that the Blue Spirit that saved Aang and connected with him wasn't the mask at all, but rather what could be his true face.

I really, really liked the alterations from the animated series they did in this episode. Yes, having Zuko fight his father in the Agni Kai was a HUGE change, having his father be more than a cold and distant disapproving figure was VERY different, but I think this is what the showrunners meant when they said they were taking a more 'mature' and 'GOT' tone with this adaptation: they were adding depth and nuance to the 'villains' and making them more grounded in reality than the heightened villainy of the animated series. Older kids (and adults) can handle seeing a villain have complex interactions - they can understand that even though Ozai BELIEVES he's doing the right thing by Zuko, that he ISN'T ACTUALLY (ok, some of us can see that, others seem to think the show was saying Ozai is good, actually but that's an issue with them and their media literacy, not with the writing of the show that expects the audience to have critical thinking skills).

Anyways, it was a fantastic episode and has provided much content for my essay about live-action Ozai that I'm writing.

[thegingerwrites]

It’s like tuning into a radio frequency. The dial spins without his control and suddenly the audio sharpens into something intelligible.

I bet your Master found you difficult at times.

He’s still new to this. Dying and then living on, they don’t come as naturally as one might think. He came to in Obi-Wan’s arms, filled with Light for the first time in years. The first thing he heard in his new sort-of life was his name, the one his mother gave him, and Obi-Wan’s voice. Anakin.

It was enough joy to nearly break him. The pendulum swung so hard as to nearly topple over before finding something like balance.

He likes the feeling of it, balance. He understands now why the masters at the temple harped on it so much. Obi-Wan says that he might be more balanced than any of them now, that he understands more intimately than anyone what lies in the dark and what it means to find the light.

There is so much and so little to do in this kind of existence. The whole of the universe has opened up to him and it’s overwhelming to say the least. Obi-Wan says it is natural to stay close to those one knew in life, guiding them when necessary but more often than not simply offering a comforting presence.

He never had much experience with Force ghosts in life. He didn’t have that kind of intimate connection with a Force user until later in life and then spent so many of his years denying it. He didn’t know that Obi-Wan sometimes sought guidance from Qui-Gon after he passed. He didn’t know how often he failed to receive it. The thought tears at him, a little. Even though it’s in the past.

Anakin never got to finish my training.

The sound of his name coming from her brings the scene rapidly into focus, like giving a holoprojector just the right thump, the image shifting from electric blue fuzz to life-like clarity in an instant. He sees Ahsoka, knows the conversation she is having and who she is speaking to. He knows what she is about to say even if he can’t quite make himself believe it just yet.

Before the end of the Clone Wars, I walked away from him. And the Jedi.

The memory doesn’t hurt him anymore. Once, it was a wound he was unsure he would survive.

She did the right thing then. She became stronger for it. He is so relentlessly proud of her even now.

Sometimes even the right reasons have the wrong consequences.

This is the part that makes him want to shake her, to appear physically and give her a piece of his mind. It takes him a second to process her meaning, but once he does, once he thinks he does, he wants to make her take it back.

“How could she say that?” Anakin says—shouts to Obi-Wan. “She thinks she’s responsible? For everything that happened? For me?”

He knows Obi-Wan wasn’t paying particular attention to this conversation, but he forces Obi-Wan to listen in. He suspects that his new presence in the Force keeps Obi-Wan more present as well. That without him, Obi-Wan might have already joined the great oneness that is the Force. He suspects Obi-Wan likes it this way instead.

“She doesn’t really think that, does she?”

Obi-Wan strokes his beard, a habit he developed in life and hasn’t given up in death. “She’s lived a long life. Plenty of time to come to terms with what happened.”

“But how could she blame herself? She was a child. She should blame me, blame Palpatine. Someone actually responsible.”

Obi-Wan smiles at him a little sadly. “I happen to know something of guilt myself and it isn’t always logical.”

Anakin scoffs. “I might not be able to tell her how I feel but I can knock some sense into you right now. You weren’t to blame either. I was an adult. I made my own choices.”

Obi-Wan holds up both hands in mock surrender. “Don’t worry, I accepted things as they are long ago. I only mean to suggest that knowing something to be true and feeling it are two entirely different things.”

A lesson Anakin has learned intimately.

“You’ll get your chance to set things right in due time,” Obi-Wan says, placing a gentle hand on Anakin’s shoulder. They aren’t exactly corporeal as they are but they both had bodies long enough to find the gesture comforting. “I know it.”

Anakin takes a deep breath—another unnecessary gesture but one that accomplished the goal of calming him down. He releases his outrage to the Force and finds the same understanding as Obi-Wan. The opportunity will come, he just has to be patient. He finds that patience comes easier to him now than it ever did before.

What do we do then?

We wait. We hope. We fight. And we do better the next time. We have to.

[saline-coelacanth]

Troubling Thoughts

(Quick Xenoblade 2 One Shot I wrote about Zeke and Pandoria taking place between Chapter 6 and 7)

Read on ao3

Summary: After Rex is injured and Pyra is taken away by Torna, Zeke is given some time to process his thoughts over everything that just went down. And luckily, Pandoria is there to listen to his thoughts.

Word Count: 1,899

_______________________

Tensions were definitely high in the group after their recent encounter with Torna. Everyone was still recovering, both physically and mentally, although none of them had it as bad as Rex did. He had been knocked out all day, resting in bed while the others waited for him to start feeling better. The group had spent most of their time waiting in the main lobby of the inn, none of them really knowing what else to do.

Nia stared at the table, her face scrunching up slightly before shaking her head.

“Rex better be ok after all of this,” she said. “He’s gotta start feeling better so we can get Pyra back.”

“With how severe his injuries are, it may take time for him to fully heal,” Dromarch reminded. “Even healing arts have their limits.”

Nia’s expression shifted at Dromarch’s comment, although it was subtle and it seemed the others didn’t pick up on it.

“We’re all worried about Rex,” Morag said. She closed her eyes as she remembered the fight. “He fought with more valor than any of us, and he paid the price for it.”

“Paid the price?!” Nia replied angrily. “He could have died! And Pyra, she-”

“Mind cooling it a little?” Zeke stepped in. He had been standing off towards the side the whole time, not really talking too much to the others, only now deciding to enter the conversation.

Nia turned her attention to Zeke, although her frustration seemed to remain the same. “We have no idea what Malos and Jin plan on doing with Pyra,” she vented, “and we can’t just go after them after that fight! So tell me, why exactly should I ‘cool it’?!”

“Because getting angry won’t change anything,” Zeke stood firm. “Best we can do now is try and stay level headed, yeah?”

Nia wanted to strike back with a comeback, but she was stopped before she could.

“Zeke is right,” Brighid chimed in. “All we can do right now is wait for Rex to get better and then plan from there.”

Nia was still clearly tense, but eased back as she felt Dromarch nudging her. Nia looked at her Blade who stared at her with a sympathetic gaze. She sighed, accepting defeat and sitting back down. The lobby fell silent once more as Nia calmed down. Zeke continued standing to the side, pretty secluded from the others except for Pandoria standing right next to him. Zeke kept his eye on the others, taking mental notes on how each of them were taking this whole situation.

Nia had obviously shown the most anger, although Zeke could tell it was just a mask hiding how terrified she was. Tora on the other hand had worn his fear more plainly to see. The Nopon looked up to Rex a lot, so this big of a defeat clearly left him shaken and worried. Poppi was about the same, and Zeke had assumed she had never even dealt with a friend this severely injured before. Morag, Brighid and Dromarch had seemed the most calm, and that made sense. They were the ones who were trying to remain composed and logical, not wanting to jump to any drastic conclusions. It was the same way Zeke had wanted to go about the situation, and he liked to think he did a good job coming across that way to everyone else. But even he couldn’t fully hide how he was really feeling about everything.

Without saying a word, Zeke started walking off. Morag and Pandoria seemed to be the only ones to notice. Morag stayed silent while Pandoria immediately followed the prince.

Zeke hadn’t gone far, he was standing just outside of the shopping district, his arms crossed as he stared.

“Just wandering off without a word, huh?” Pandoria questioned as she walked up to him.

“The mood is so down in there,” Zeke explained. “I didn’t want to damper things any more.”

“Damper? When do you ever damper things?” Pandoria asked. “Although I guess some people aren’t fond of your… how should I put it? I don’t know, but you’ve got this aura to you.”

Zeke didn’t respond. Silence like that was how Pandoria was able to tell he was really upset.

“What’s wrong?” Pandoria asked, dropping the overly cheerful tone.

“To put it bluntly, I’m bloody pissed,” Zeke responded.

“Care to elaborate?”

“There’s a lot,” Zeke admitted. “I haven’t stepped foot in Tantal for ten years, and now that I’m back, I can see plainly how nothing has changed. My old man still runs things like a coward. Even worse, he’s not even who he claims to be.”

“Ah, still upset about the whole Addam thing,” Pandoria realized.

“Of course I’m still upset about that!” Zeke replied, his voice a lot harsher. “The royal family has been lying for 500 years! And keeping that secret has cost this kingdom just about everything!”

Pandoria frowned. She was never the best at navigating these types of fragile emotions. In fact, between the two of them, Zeke was by far more emotionally intelligent than Pandoria.

“And now everything with Torna…” Zeke continued.

“You mean… with Rex getting injured?” Pandoria asked. “And Pyra getting taken away?”

Zeke nodded. “I want to try and stay collected for everyone’s sake,” he explained. “Last thing we need is this group falling apart.”

“So that’s why you walked off like that,” Pandoria said. “Just needed to blow off some steam, huh?”

“Yeah, guess so.”

Zeke stayed where he was, his arms still crossed as his thoughts ran through his mind. Pandoria made her way closer to him, gently resting her head on his shoulder.

“Well, despite… all of that,” she said, “it is kinda nice having a group of people to rely on for once instead of being on our own.”

“Yeah, you’ve got that right,” Zeke agreed. He glanced back towards the inn. “Definitely gonna have to keep an eye on that Rex. He’s got a lot of potential. Potential like that needs guidance.”

“You mean since he’s the Aegis’ Driver?”

“Not just that,” Zeke said. “People like Rex, they don’t come around often. He holds so much hope and optimism inside of him. Sure, some of it might be naivety, but I think he’s got more to him than that.”

“Hope and optimism…” Pandoria repeated before chuckling quietly. “Kinda reminds me of you when you were younger. Is that why you took such an interest in him?”

Zeke was quiet for a moment as he continued staring at the inn. Eventually, he did speak up. “There are things no person should have to witness in this world,” he said, “especially when you’re still young like that. I’m worried something might break that kid.”

Pandoria went quiet this time. She stared down at the ground. “Yeah, like when you were younger…” Pandoria looked up again. “But then again, you didn’t have a mighty Bringer of Chaos looking out for you.”

This actually got a chuckle from Zeke. “No, I did not,” he agreed. “And that’s exactly why I gotta look out for our chum. I gotta keep him on the right path. Can’t have two Zekenators running around, that would be too powerful for this world to handle.”

“Wow, that’s humble for you,” Pandoria joked.

The two of them laughed a little bit with Zeke eventually going quiet again.

“You know,” he said, “I get where my old man was coming from. At least a little. But I can’t stop thinking about what he tried to do. Things here probably would have gone much more smoothly if he hadn’t tried offing Pyra like that.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you for still being upset,” Pandoria responded. “Pyra hadn’t even done anything, and he just decided to get rid of her! And we see how that ended up going.”

“I get he had no way of knowing any of this would happen,” Zeke continued. “In his eyes, he would simply eliminate the Aegis and be done with it. But he gets on my case for how I act and then pulls that type of reckless bullcrap!”

“Let’s just be glad things worked out.” Pandoria paused as she realized her poor choice of wording. “Well, besides Pyra…”

“That girl really is a tough Blade,” Zeke commented. “And I’m not just talking about her being the Aegis. No, she showed more guts than any of us during that fight.”

“Yeah,” Pandoria agreed, somewhat quietly. “Let’s hope we can get her back.”

“As soon as Rex wakes up, that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Zeke insisted.

Pandoria nodded, a determined smile appearing on her face. Her smile then faded as her eyes shifted to look towards Zeke’s torso. His bandages were visible with his coat open like he had it.

“How are you holding up?” Pandoria asked.

“What do you mean?” Zeke questioned. “I gave you my grievances already.”

“I’m talking about your stab wound,” Pandoria clarified, her voice sounding more blunt. “You know, the one you got from Jin?”

“Oh, that,” Zeke realized. “It’s healing up fine, no need to worry about it.”

Pandoria shook her head disappointedly. “You can’t just brush off an injury like that,” she reminded. “You got lucky,” she said before mumbling, “For once in your life…”

“Hey, I heard that!” Zeke responded. “And I’m telling you, it isn’t that big of a deal. Do I need to remind you how quickly I recover?”

Pandoria still didn’t look pleased. “You’re starting to rely on that too much for my liking.”

“Look, I’d just rather not bring attention to it, that’s all,” Zeke explained, his voice going a little bit quiet. “I mean, we’re still sort of new to the group. Not sure how they’d feel knowing… you know…” Zeke placed a hand over his chest.

“Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from…” Pandoria replied. “I mean, they seem trustworthy. But… I don’t know if they really need to know about that either.”

“Yeah,” Zeke agreed. “And you know what? We can change the bandages once we head back to the inn. Would that make you feel better?”

“I mean, it’s your injury,” Pandoria replied with a somewhat teasing tone.

“Oi! Don’t say it like that!” Zeke got defensive. “If I die, you die too.”

“Oh, so now you WANT me to worry about it?” Pandoria continued teasing.

“Tch,” Zeke huffed. “There you go again, acting like a little bully.”

“Hey, someone’s gotta keep you humble,” Pandoria reminded. “Besides, you know I don’t mean it. You’re my Prince, I’d do anything for you.”

“Same goes for you, Pandy,” Zeke replied.

The Driver and Blade both smiled at each other, a rare moment of genuine warmth since everything went down against Torna. Zeke then glanced towards the inn again.

“I suppose we should be heading back soon,” Zeke suggested. “Don’t want to make the others worry needlessly over where we went.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Pandoria agreed. “And then I can check on that wound, maybe see if we can get it patched up a bit better.”

Zeke sighed as the two of them started walking back towards the inn. “How do we always find ourselves in these situations?” he asked.

“Well you’re really accident prone,” Pandoria reminded. “Probably has something to do with that.”

“I am not that accident prone,” Zeke argued.

“Yeah, yeah,” Pandoria replied, “you keep telling yourself that.”

[skylarmoon71]

Timeless Wells - Oneshot (Flash)

There’s a part of you that’s always been very keen to detail. 

When the red streaked speedster showed up, just like the rest of Team Flash you wanted to stop him. Barry lost so much, you felt like you owed him at least a sense of closure. Especially since he was risking his life for the people of Central City. 

So you worked hard. 

When the villain was finally caught, you thought that was it. But the entire case still bothered you. 

That’s why you went back to work. 

Standing in the lab that day, you ran through the logs one more time. Just to make sure. 

The vibrating figure stood before you as he usually did. Yet, there was something wrong. 

Typing vigorously on the computer, you were trying to make sense of it. 

But it didn’t make sense. 

You stared ahead, and when you clicked the button, the figure disappeared. 

You were frozen, because it must have been a lie. 

“Someone tampered with it..” 

It couldn’t have been just anyone either. 

“It seems I’ve been made.” 

You turned slowly, the sight of Dr. Harrison Wells standing right behind you was the last thing you thought you would see. He was looking at you. 

Smiling. 

“Dr. Wells…” 

He shook his head with a laugh. In a second, your feet were dangling off the floor as he held you by the throat. You gasped, clawing at his arm. 

“The name’s Thawne. Eobard Thawne.” 

You couldn’t think, couldn’t truly breathe at the moment. When he lifted his free hand, you sobbed. 

“I really am sorry about this.” 

There was no sincerity in those words. 

The vibrations of his right hand is the first thing you process. You prepare for it. The inevitable death. He moves in a slow fashion, like a taunt and you close your eyes, but you don’t feel any connection. You do hear him grunt, and you force your eyes open. He’s struggling against someone’s hold. Your eyes track the person, and to your surprise, he’s wearing the exact face as Eobard. 

“I’m not going to let you hurt her.” 

Eobard pulls back, releasing you. 

The new Harrison Wells supports your weight the second you drop and you clutch onto him. If anything you should probably be screaming. 

Running away. 

The only logical thing your brain processes is that this version of Wells just saved your life. 

“Are you alright?” 

His voice is soft as he balances your weight, helping you to stand. You look up at him shakily, nodding. 

“Who are you..” Eobard looks confused, maybe even scared. 

“I suppose you’ll never know.” 

His snarky response causes Eobard to snarl. He rushes forward and you jolt, grabbing at Harrison in a panic who merely snaps his fingers and you’re both now in a living room. 

You’re disoriented, looking around in shock. 

“W-Where did he go!?” 

You’re terrified that he’ll appear to finish the job. 

Harrison takes you by the shoulder. 

“You’re safe, trust me.” 

The last thing you should be doing is trusting anyone with that face but he’d literally just saved your life. You’re still somewhat hyperventilating. Harrison breaths slowly, urging you to do the same. 

In and out. 

It takes a moment, but your breaths finally steady. He smiles when he sees you become somewhat calm considering the circumstances. 

Now that you’re breathing at a fairly normal rhythm, you swallow. 

“Who..are you?” 

You feel as though you have to ask. Because the person you’d been working for turned out to be some psychotic killer. 

“I’m Harrison Wells.” 

“How is that possible? I-I know Harrison Wells. I’ve been working with him for about a decade. How is he…how did that man..t-that monster..” 

Harrison shakes his head. 

“That explanation would take longer than we have. All you need to know is that man is an imposter. You need to warn your friends immediately. Barry will stop him. He has his team. He has you.” 

You’re still trying to grasp it all. But the most glaring question is possibly..

“Why? Why did you save me?” 

His smile is easy, almost comforting. 

“I can’t say for sure why. With all that’s happened, so much as changed in the timeline. All I know right now is that you’re someone that I care deeply about in life. Even though so much has changed, you and I are..we’re something to each other.”

Just from his expression, you feel as though you’ll believe anything right now. 

“I’m sorry to say this, but we’re out of time. I have to go. I need to take you to Barry.” 

He looks like he’s about to do that, but you grab his hand. He pauses. 

“We’re not going to remember each other..are we?” 

His smile is solemn. 

“No. The universe needs balance. I was only supposed to save you. The rest is going to come after. If we really are destined to meet again, then I’ll find you. I can feel it.” 

You’d like to say it’s crazy. This whole thing is. But you feel it. That pull that he’s describing. To be with him, near him. You finally loosen your hold, and this time he holds both your hands in his. You take a step forward, and he’s a bit surprised when you leave a kiss on his cheek. Pulling back, you smile. 

“Thank you for saving me OG Wells.” 

He grins at the nickname. 

“Anytime.” 

With a wink, both your bodies fade out in a break of green sparks. 

~Ten Years Later~

“Barry!! I can’t find it!” 

“It’s in the back.” 

You frown from your spot, digging through your tools. 

“Just my luck. I take a two year vacation and when I come back all my stuff is scattered. For the fastest guy alive you sure are lousy at returning people’s belongings!” 

You’re still grumbling from your bent position. When someone walks into the cortex, you just assume it’s Barry. You fully intend to release your wrath. 

“Barry you really should-” 

Your words halt when you’re upright at the man before you isn’t Barry. 

“Woah..” 

All you can do is stare at the Wells before you. 

Barry and the others filled you in on what had transpired in the last two years that you were gone, but this was still a lot to take in. 

“Sorry, I hope I didn’t startle you. My name is Harrison Wells.” 

Technically he never really met you since you started working for him shortly after Eobard had already taken over his body. 

“Y-Yeah I know. I’m (Y/N), nice to meet you.” 

You hold out your hand from behind the desk and he smiles, moving over and taking it. 

You jolt at the rush of electricity that runs through your palm. Harrison looks down, just as startled. His eyes peer at you quizzically as he slowly pulls away. 

You’re both in a daze, clearly not noticing when Barry walks in. 

“Guys?” 

You finally process his presence. 

“I-I was just introducing myself to OG Wells.” 

Barry lifts a brow and you laugh nervously. 

“Well I mean, after all the ones we’ve met he is the original right? Right?” 

Harrison wears a smile. 

“OG Wells, I like it.” 

You return his smile, and Barry just stands there, obviously picking up on the vibe. 

Right about now he wishes he had Cisco’s abilities so he could remove himself from this very awkward situation.

[princesspastel8]

Chapter 44

Third POV

"She's stable."

Jeff swears his knees nearly gave out at the news, a relieving smile stretching his face. He makes a B-line to the door, but EJ stands in his way, holding his hand out to stop him. The killer raises a brow, trying to side step him.

"What the hell, EJ!? I want to see her- NOW!" he shouts.

"Jeff," EJ begins dryly. "There's a list of things you have to know before going in there."

He sighs, stepping away. "....What is it? What else is wrong with her?" He questions warily.

"We lost her... several times. It's a miracle she's breathing right now with brain activity. The reason why we struggled to keep her stable isn't just the amount of blood she lost - her body is malnourish."

"What do you mean? Get on with it!" Jeff huffs impatiently.

"She starved herself for about two weeks. Her body shows signs of extreme sexual abuse and...." he sighs, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "The amount of cuts covering her body is overwhelming."

"....Cuts? They were caused by that fucker right?...RIGHT!?"

EJ shakes his head. "No... they're self harming scars. Covering her legs and arms. The starving is also all her. But the bruising is all him."

Jeff laughs, a laugh full of doubt. He can't wrap his mind around what's being told to him. "Eboni? My girl starving herself? She's a damn foodie! And she wouldn't cut herself! I made that her first...rule...shit-"

begins piecing everything together. He remembers all of Eboni's messages, a few mentioning that this guy, whoever he is, knows he exists. She never gave any clues on how he would know, but all signs point to Taylor. He looks at Luna and Iris, needing to confirm something.

"That blonde bimbo- you two still cool?"

Iris lowers her head in sadness while Luna shakes her head no. "I saw a vision of the friendship coming to an end, but the cause wasn't clear."

"Do you two know who raped Eboni at all?"

"A-Alex....Taylor talked a-about him a few times before everything that happened. She seemed on edge a-about how Eboni and Alex knew each other b-before she did." Iris sutters, playing with her fingers nervously.

"Why would she give a shit about that?"

Luna sighs, debating if this is a good idea or not. She still doesn't trust Jeff based on the vision she had when she first laid eyes on Eboni, but seeing how he's taken responsibility for his part in all of this- she speaks, "Alex and Eboni used to be foster siblings. Eboni would always protect him from their abusive mother, who would rape and molest Alex, sometimes making her watch while tied to a chair. Logically speaking, Eboni had no valid reason not to trust him at the party. He never gave the insight on hurting Eboni like he has."

This revelation sends Jeff's heart into a frenzy. At first, Jeff blamed Eboni's naivety on what happened- hating how trusting she was to begin with. But now, it makes sense why she didn't think twice about watching him make her drink. Alex was someone she knew she could trust based on their traumatic history.

"....but Taylor entertained all of it just to get me out of the picture. Am I right, witch?"

Luna nods, moving closer to Toby. "Yes. Taylor has always been manipulative. My sister would've fallen prey to her hands if I wasn't in the picture."

Hoodie nods his head, bringing Iris closer to his chest and lowers himself to whisper calming words into her ear. Toby moves to wrap an arm around Luna's shoulder, bringing her close as well. Jeff can't help but chuckle.

"So... she knew that asswipe drugged my girl but wanted me out of the picture that badly - she let it all slide? Is that what you're telling me?" He questions through clench teeth, feeling his rage boiling over.

Luna shares a look with Toby, who nods his head to answer. "Yes....Yes. Iris and I were there when their fight took place. I could see Taylor was lying through her teeth. Everything she has done to Eboni has been out of envy and wanting to control her."

"And you two... don't like her either, yeah?"

"I-I never favored her. D-Didn't really care at the time." Toby shrugs.

"She tried it with mine. I warned her once. She backed down quickly. I never liked her from the start." Brian said truthfully, still surprising Jeff with how much he's talking.

"Fuuuuck.....now I really wish I killed Masky." Jeff huffs, pitching the bridge of his nose.

"What would that solve anyways?" Liu questions, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Nothing. It won't change a damn thing, but that fucker would be dead and his trailer park hoe would be left alone.....to fucking suffer." He whispers, a eerie sense settling within the air. Jeff couldn't be more serious.

As the killer begins his walk away from the crowd, Liu quickly grabs him - anger lacing his face. "You're doing it again."

Jeff yanks away, "doing what!?" He shouts, itching to fight Masky again.

"You were just crying your damn eyes out over that girl, and now you're going to do the same shit that got you into this mess? Really, Jeff!? Thought you changed for a second there - I guess I was wrong." Liu sighs in disappointment.

Jeff tenses, clenching his fist as he lowers his head. He didn't even notice. He's just been given good news that Eboni will make it, but after hearing all of what EJ said, he can't control that white hot rage boiling again. He truly is a ticking time bomb... without Eboni around.

He sighs heavily, squating to the ground, and holds his head in shame. His mind is all over the place, and his heart is a complete mess. A tsunami of unknown emotions are storming throughout Jeff, and he doesn't fully understand how to control them. Liu lowers himself in front of his brother, wanting to help rationalize his thoughts and emotions.

"Just admit you love her already. It won't kill you, Jeff."

"It could get me and her killed." Jeff grumbles, stress showing in his expression.

Jeff doesn't deny that he loves Eboni. He just can't come to terms with it yet. Something in him just won't allow it. He wants nothing more than for Eboni to be ok and out of harm's way. He doesn't want to cause the poor girl anymore damage, but he also wants to bring the ones that aided in her suffering a world of hell - for his own gratification.

Luna steps away from Toby and moves to lower herself in front of Jeff. She stares at him, ocean blue eyes glowing brightly. The witch tilts her head, and new sets of visions flow in her mind in no particular order. These visions are full of smiles and a sick, twisted feel of happiness that matches both Eboni & Jeff. An idea pops into her mind, hoping this will bring a moment of clarity for the smiling killer.

"Would you like to see her memories?" Luna offers, shocking everyone.

Jeff raises his head, confused yet intrigued. "You....can do that?"

Luna smiles softly, raising to her feet. "Magic has no limitations. It may be an invasion of privacy, but I'm sure Eboni would rather it be you. I see that you're doubtful. You love her, but that guilt and burning rage won't allow you to accpet it. Maybe seeing that these feelings are mutual within her, your rage may die down. So... want to give it a try?"

"Hell yeah." He said without hesitation, standing to his feet and walking towards the door.

He places his hand on the doorknob, hesitant in opening it. He gulps, slowly pushing the door open. Nurse Ann is sitting at a desk, filling out paperwork while X virus is focusing on monitoring Eboni's vitals. Jeff's eyes land onto Eboni's limp body, the sight making his heart ache.

She has a breathing tube down her throat and a tube hooked into her stomach. He moves closer, the noises around him somehow fading out. EJ was right about everything - how could he doubt him? Just the sight of Eboni gives away that she lost a handful of pounds in just a short few weeks. He reaches to stroke her cheek, her skin ice cold - opposite from her normal warmth.

Luna moves to grab a chair, bringing it closer so Jeff can sit next to Eboni. "Just hold her hand, close your eyes, and relax."

He glances at Eboni as he reaches for her hand, interlocking their fingers together. He leans back into the seat, closing his eyes. Luna places her hands against both foreheads, the tips of her fingertips and eyes glowing brightly again. The witch hums softly, the killer beginning to fade into a dark empty void within his mind.

Jeff begins looking around the darken void, waiting for something to show. Slowly, video imagery of Eboni's life begins playing in front of him, from her birth to the events that lead to this moment. At the sight of Eboni's fierce eyes slowly dim, his heart begins cracking more and more.

Oddly enough, the killer now feels closer to her. The two really are similar in so many ways. He hated it at first, but now- watching her life play out before him, it opened his mind to different possibilities as to why he's been so drawn to her in the beginning.

After so many memories of Eboni's childhood, he's now witnessing the events of this month. He watches as Alex torments Eboni, beating, raping, and mocking her mercilessly. The mentions of himself did not go unnoticed either. Watching these memories brought rage, yes, but the sight of Eboni's cries and longing whispers for help crushed all trances of said rage.

If only he stayed. If only he protected her. If only he had listened. So many 'if only's - still, nothing Jeff could do now will revert what took place. He has to come to terms with it. He has to understand that fighting won't fix this. Violence won't heal Eboni.

Tenderness.

Gentleness.

Caring.

Understanding.

All things Jeff aren't, but will be. He'll force himself. His choke down the gag that'll raise at the feeling of these emotions. He'll stab himself if need be. He'll become whatever Eboni needs him to be, no matter how embarrassing or annoying he'll think it is. He will carry this out because Eboni has now become his priority. Eboni has become his world. And he'll be damned if something like this were to happen again because of him or anyone else.

Luna's spell ends, stepping away from the two with a sadden look in her eyes. Toby moves to her side, giving her a bottle of water. The witch thanks him, watching Jeff very closely. She hopes her idea aids in her visions coming to life and not altering in any way.

Jeff gently moves closer to Eboni, trying to climb into bed to lay next to her. EJ watches, not wanting Jeff to move Eboni to much thanks to the tubes inside her. The smiling killer leans towards her face, noticing how much her vitiligo has moved further onto her face as well as her legs and arms.

Fuck.....

Even in this state, she still looks so cute..

He can't deny his heart anymore. His mind is coming around. The once tsunami of emotions and raging thoughts has now calmed into a soothing current. Knowing Eboni is alive helped in that as well. Jeff gently showers her faces with kisses, wanting to see her honey brown eyes again. He misses them. Jeff misses her.

"Fuck...princess..I'm so sorry.." he whispers, yet everyone can hear.

Liu approaches them, a sly smile on his face. "She's a looker alright."

"I know.." he said quietly, eyes never leaving Eboni.

Liu looks at his brother then at Eboni. He chuckles bitterly, shaking his head. "Guess I should thank her when she makes up."

Jeff glares at his brother, wanting to shield Eboni from his sight - he's staring too much for his liking. "What for?"

"For giving my brother something I couldn't give."

"And that is?" Jeff questions impatiently, wanting to be alone with Eboni.

"Freedom, Jeff. Nothing more, nothing less." He smiles, feeling the odd obsession with his brother begin to fade after coming to terms with all that's taken place today. "I'll see you around." He waves, leaving the room and the mansion as well.

Jeff sighs, turning back to Eboni, and gently snuggles closer to her- wanting to warm her cold body back up. He blinks his eyes at everyone there, groaning in annoyance. "Alright, scram. Y'all get to see her now. Let me sleep."

Luna nods, wishing Jeff well as she leaves the room. Toby follows after her, giving Jeff a nod of acknowledgement - Hoodie doing the same while dragging Iris out. BEN grumbles, wishing to have seen more drama but leave nonetheless. X virus and nurse Ann stays while EJ gets much needed rest. It didn't bother him too much since he too is feeling exhaustion over take his body.

He gives Eboni a tender kiss to her forehead, allowing his eyelids to grow heavy and rest against the pillow lying next to her. He wishes to lay on her to hear her calming heartbeat, but being next to her will do. When calm, he breathes evenly, singling that the smiling killer has drifted off to sleep - knowing he'll never wake up the same ever again.

[jillvalentineisdaddy]

Getting Reacquainted

repost from It's Only Logical on ao3 😘

Summer vacation makes Claire feel like a teenager again. She’s back in Raccoon City killing time before her first year of law school. At least National City is a hell of a lot closer than Seattle. Claire felt the need to flee from Raccoon City after high school. Growing up with Chris made her yearn for independence. Her brother is her favorite person in the world, but the last year she lived at home was a nightmare. Space was good for the siblings. She spend the last four years dealing with her own problems. Her own life. She learned a lot and both Redfields matured. All in all, she was glad to be closer to her only family. 

She tiredly falls on the bed and stares at her old room. A couple of band posters still hang precariously on the wall. Wrinkled and yellowed from sun exposure. She scans old photos of high school friends still poised on the dresser. A couple still live in Raccoon City. She’s tried calling Marcy and hanging out, but four years changed them both in fundamental ways. 

That’s how Claire found herself at home on a balmy Friday night. She just finished up a shift at Emmy’s and is now methodically scrubbing the smell of stale coffee and greasy breakfast food off her skin. She tosses on an old shirt and some soft shorts and pads into the kitchen. Apparently Chris was working a couple of overnight shifts this weekend. With the house to herself, Claire grabs a beer and gets ready to put on the trashiest horror b-movie she can find. 

A steady knock interrupts her thoughts. She takes a quick swig of her beer and peers through the peephole. This is unexpected she thinks to herself. 

She opens the door to find a brunette balancing a couple of pizza boxes and a case of beer. “Jill?”

Jill Valentine wears a befuddled expression. “Claire?” Her brows furrow. “Is Chris here?”

Claire shakes her head and snatches glass bottles before they tumble to the ground. “He said he’s working the overnight this weekend.”

The woman clicks her tongue and shifts the pizza boxes on her hip. She looks utterly unimpressed. “He did, eh?” She rolls her eyes and Claire leads the STARS member inside. Jill mutters something under her breath.

Claire can feel the older woman’s frustration. She unceremoniously drops the beer onto the counter and turns back to the irritated woman. “Soooo, I’m guessing you guys had plans?”

Jill unloads the boxes and sweeps her short hair back. She tucks her hands into her pockets, sighing heavily. “No, not exactly.” The redhead waits for a further explanation. “He told me he wanted to talk this weekend. It’s been kind of weird between Chris and me for a couple weeks.”

This is definitely news to Claire. Chris and Jill have always been best friends. She fidgets awkwardly. “Look I-“

Jill holds a hand up to stop her. “I’m not trying to put you in between the insignificant bullshit your brother and I are dealing with. I’ll head out. Let him know I stopped by.” Jill turns to leave, but a quick hand grabs her wrist. 

“No, it’s okay. You should stay a while.” The younger woman has no idea why her mouth decided to blurt out an invitation. She knows this is only going to prolong the awkward visit, but she can’t help but feel that her brother is being immature about the situation. Call it a Redfield super-sense, but she knows Chris can be an emotionally constipated twat. “I’m not the Redfield you were expecting, but I’m still a good time.” Claire smirks at the low chuckle she receives. “Whatever is happening between you two shouldn’t affect us, right?” she says gesturing between them. 

Surprisingly, a small smile creeps onto the brunettes face. “Yeah,” she says quietly, “why the fuck not?” A tanned hand swiftly extracts an amber bottle from the package and in one smooth motion Jill smacks the top on the edge of the counter, opening the beverage cleanly. “Besides, you’re a hell of a better looking date.”

Claire tries not to the let her reddening cheeks look too conspicuous. “Come on. Bring the pizza.”

——

The two find themselves comfortably curled on the sofa, steadily making their way through a large veggie supreme. Jill laughs at the screen as yet another terrified teen is chased by a hockey masked mad man. “I forgot how bad the acting was in this one.” The teen screams and a flood of cheesy effects combine into a very uninspired death scene. 

Claire hasn’t seen much of Jill in the last few years, but she still has a soft spot for the woman. Jill Valentine is hard as nails and untouchable. Claire recalls crashing one of Chris’s parties when she was still a teenager. A rookie cop made the mistake of grabbing Jill’s ass and Claire vividly remembers how the woman felled a 250 pound man without even spilling her drink. The demonstration barely phased the Valentine’s colleagues, but it made an impression on Claire. Jill has always been the cool friend of Chris’s. She was always so stoic and level headed. At the time Claire felt a strong admiration of the woman. She soaked in all the information she could about Jill. It was only years later Claire realized she was crushing hard on the STARS member. 

The younger Redfield appraises the woman relaxing on the opposite side of the couch. Time had been good to Jill Valentine. She still had the same flawless tanned skin, short dark hair, and painfully chiseled biceps. Jill Valentine was a devastating enigma. Yeah, that crush was rushing back in record time.

Claire polishes off her beer and reaches for another. She briefly attempts to open it, before pouting and passing the bottle to Jill. Jill wordlessly pops the cap off and passes it back. “Soooo,” Claire draws out, “can I ask what’s up with you guys?”

Jill exhales loudly. “It’s dumb really. We had a tactical drill with UBSC a couple of weeks ago. Long story short, Chris and Carlos got into a pissing contest and I sided with Carlos.”

“Woof.”

“Yeah, logistically Carlos was in the right. Chris was making a shitty tactical decision because he was too emotional.” She picks at the peeling label of her beer. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. He’s been dodging me ever since.” she trails off. 

“Chris can be….” Claire pauses. “He just needs to get his head out of his ass.”

Jill falls back onto the sofa and closes her eyes. “Men are the worst,” she groans. 

“Yes,” Claire agrees, “but also, my brother has the emotional intelligence of a potato. You’re way too cool for him.” 

“No, I need him to stick around.” Jill’s head lolls to the side and she lazily opens one eye. “He always agrees to pick me up from the airport.”

“Priorities.” Claire opens and closes her mouth a few times, attempting to find the right words. “Jill?” the woman hums in response. “Why don’t I know anything about you?”

The brunette sits up a bit and furrows her brow. “What do you mean? You’ve known me for years.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know you, know you.” Claire folds her legs underneath herself and fully turns toward the other woman. “Like, I know that you’re in a special tactics squad. That you could probably bench press Chris. You’re a badass. But I don’t know you.”

Grey eyes study Claire for a moment. Jill decides something and rests her elbow on the back of the couch. “Okay, sure. What do you know want to know?”

Claire didn’t expect this. If Jill Valentine is known for anything, it’s her keeping her private life private. “I don’t know. Just like….” She gestures in frustration, sloshing a tiny bit of beer onto her shorts. “Okay, what’s your favorite movie?”

Jill smiles, certainly not expecting this line of questioning. She pauses for a moment. “Uh, Terminator 2?”

The redhead shakes her head. “No, come on. That’s too cool. God, you can’t be that cool. It’s unfair.” Jill barks out a laugh. Claire realizes she might be a tiny bit buzzed and maybe also mentions that fact out loud. Jill laughs again  and it’s the most emotion Claire has ever seen her express. Claire immediately decides she needs more if it. “Okay, how about…. what is the movie you put on after a long day? The movie you watch when you need the film equivalent of a hug.”

The brunette appears to actually consider the thought and takes a long drink from her bottle. “I don’t know. No one’s really asked me anything like that.” Claire follows the bob of a long tan throat as Jill finishes her drink. “What’s yours?”

“Easy. Pretty Woman,” says without pausing to think.

Jill nods. “I’ve never seen it.”

“What?!” Claire seems offended by the response. “You’re fucking me?!” Jill chokes on air. Claire giggles and sets her beer down. 

“No, I really haven’t seen it. The guys aren’t usually interested in watching anything without explosions. Or gratuitous nudity.”

Claire nods with her whole body. Yeah, she’s sailing into tipsy territory. “While those are great, you need to also watch classic romcoms too. It’s good for your soul.” 

“You’re passionate about your shitty movies.”

Claire gasps. “Shitty? I’m passionate about classic movies. Classic. And romance.” 

“See,” Jill utters sardonically. “Now you lost me. I do not understand romance.”

If Claire wasn’t paying attention, she surely is now. She levels Jill with a no nonsense look. “Come on. You’re painfully hot. You cannot have problems in that department.”

“I haven’t really prioritized it.” She pops open another beer and tosses the cap at the younger Redfield. “What about you? I thought you were seeing the that boy band member turned cop?”

“Huh?” Claire pauses and can’t seem to understand what Jill is referring to. “Oh, Leon?” Jill nods. “No. I mean, we made out a couple of times last year, but I’m not interested in him at all.”

“Wow, Claire Redfield, heartbreaker.”

“Psssh, nah, more just my slutty phase.” Jill laughs again. “It was also weird because I maybe, sort of, kind of, hooked up with his ex.” Claire grimaces and wipes her hands on her shorts. 

“Wait.” Jill leans forward. “Ada?”

“Yeah.” The redhead rakes a hand through her hair. 

“What? How?” Jill looks utterly lost.

The younger woman shrugs. “It was last year during winter break. She came into the diner when I was working and things just happened?”

Jill whistles. “Christ. You picked up a woman at a diner?”

Another shrug.

Jill leans back again. “Right. Slutty phase.”

Claire laughs, shaking her head. “I didn’t even know they dated until I saw a picture of her.”

“Yikes,” Jill replies.

“Yeah,” Claire muses. “I do not want to be part of that mess.” 

“That is a good instinct. They’ve been on and off for years. It usually makes for an entertaining show though.”

Claire pokes Jills leg. “I’m not letting you off the hook. What about you?”

“About my slutty phase?” She asks. 

“If you’re offering details…” Claire arches a brow. 

“Shut up,” the brunette responds, rolling her eyes. “I went out with Carlos for a second.” 

“Wait.” Claire screws up her face, trying to piece together remnants of Jill’s story. “The Carlos from before?”

“Yep,” the police officer sighs. “Carlos and I briefly dated, but he’s too much of a smartass for full time boyfriend material. He’s great. Hilarious even. Only in small quantities though.”

“Soooooo,” Claire draws out, “he’s fucking annoying.”

Jill groans, “god yes.” She stretches and settles her feet on the coffee table. Claire does her best to ignore flexing of smooth legs as the brunette toes off her sneakers. “So again, I don’t really date.”

“Mmm,” Claire hums in acknowledgment. “Got it.”

The conversation lapses into a comfortable silence as the pair resume watching the low budget caused by a chainsaw equipped maniac. 

“Clue.”

Claire turns to Jill. She looks like she’s close to dozing off. The brunette speaks softly. “My favorite movie is Clue. I used to watch it with my dad.” 

Claire smiles softly. “It’s a good movie.”

——

Claire wakes up the next morning curled up on the couch. Jill remains sprawled out, head resting on a mess of accent pillows. Chris sheepishly tiptoes through the living room, doing his best to keep his lumbering gait quiet. 

Claire waves and heads to the kitchen. She is in dire need of coffee. Chris places his keys on the counter and smiles at his sister. “Late night?”

She rubs her eyes and glares at her brother with as much energy as she can muster. Which honestly is not much. “Jill said you’re being weird.”

“What?” Chris shout whispers. “I am not.” 

Claire stumbles to the coffee maker and measures out some grounds. “Look,” she sounds exhausted, “I don’t really know what happened, but don’t let your ego fuck this up. I like Jill. Don’t be an ass.”

Chris levels an irritated glare and taps his foot like he used to when he caught Claire sneaking in after curfew. Claire stares back, unyielding. 

A few tense moments pass and Chris gives up. “Okay. Okay, I’ll apologize.” 

“Thanks.” She offers. “Now help me make some coffee before I set the house on fire.”

———

Tuesday is finally Claire’s day off and of course she still finds herself at Emmy’s picking up a lunch order for her brother and his friends. At least he paid for Claire’s lunch too. Well, she used his card. Same difference. 

She winds through the hefty iron gates and waves a quick hello to Marvin. Claire says ‘hello’ to a couple of familiar faces and only ends up taking one wrong turn on her way to the STARS office. No matter how many time she visits the RPD will always be a labyrinth of nonsensical hallways and unorthodox locks. 

She trots into the office holding a couple of paper bags stuffed to the brim with food. Chris is no where to be found. Jill smiles from her desk and waves her over. 

“Chris ran down to the evidence lockers. He should be back soon.” Jill’s attention is captivated by the bags Claire’s still balancing. She grabs a sack from the redhead and starts out the door. “Come on,” she tosses over her shoulder, “Chris is smart. He’ll figure out where his lunch disappeared to.”

The two find a spot in the courtyard. Its sunny and the heat hasn’t become suffocating yet. The spot is quaint even with the oddly placed cemetery next door. “Soooooo, how are things with Chris?” Claire asks before taking a bite from her club sandwich. 

Jill pops a fry in her mouth and mulls it over. “He apologized. Well, he apologized in his dude way.” She picks up another fry. “Basically he was like, ‘Sorry I’ve been a dickbag. I’ll try to be less of a dickbag.’” Jill says in a gruff voice, puffing up her chest in a fairly accurate depiction of the older Redfield. 

Claire ‘hmm’s in acknowledgment. “That’s actual growth from him. My widdle Chris is finally figuring out how to talk about emotions.” Jill wears an amused smile. Claire steals a glance at her phone and sends a quick text to her brother. He should have made it to the courtyard by now. She looks up in time to see Jill dipping a fry into her chocolate malt. 

“Wait. The fuck? You’re an ice cream fry dipper?” Claire looks offended by the action. Jill simply eats another fry and shrugs. “You’re a madman, Jill Valentine.”

“You’re dramatic. It’s pretty good. Try it.” 

The redhead is skeptical. “Maybe.” Her phone buzzes and Chris finally confirms he’s on his way. She opens her mouth to relay the info when she notices Jill scooping yet another fry and offering it to Claire. Claire is mid text and she’ll be damned if she gets grease on her phone screen. The redhead impulsively eats the malty mess straight from Jill’s fingers. She doesn’t register that it may not be an entirely platonic idea until she notices how Jill’s eyes widen slightly then dart to her lips. 

Jill’s face immediately returns to an inscrutable state. She arches a brow expectantly. Claire chews thoughtfully. “Not bad.”

The brunette beams and points to Claire with a fry. “I’ll take it.”

Chris collapses into a chair and digs a hamburger out of the remaining paper bag. He unwraps it without preamble slumps further into his chair. “Vickers stopped me to chat about his newest date.” He takes a bite and talks around the mass. “God help any woman that agrees to go out with him.”

“He’s like a human yeast infection,” Jill mutters. Claire snorts in response. 

“Thanks for bringing lunch, Clairebear,” Chris manages between gargantuan bites. 

“That’s disgusting,” the younger Redfield groans shoving her hand in front of Chris’s open mouth.

Jill checks her watch. “Fuck, I forgot I’m meeting Chambers.” She eats a scoop of malt and grabs the rest of her fries. “I’m not gonna finish this,” she nods to the malt. “Either of you want it?”

“Yes!” Chris stretches to grab the drink. Claire darts to slap his hand. 

The redhead levels a glare at her brother. “Excuse you. I haven’t even made my case.”

Jill’s eyes snap back and forth between the siblings. She simply shrugs and gestures for them to continue. 

Chris scoffs. “Well, obviously I, your teammate, deserve this milkshake,” he puffs up his chest. Jill looks unimpressed. “Come on. I worked security detail for the mayor so you wouldn’t have to.”

Claire leans forward and smirks at Jill. “You should give it to me because you like me more.”

Jill silently stands and hands the drink to Claire. She sends a wink to the redhead.

“This is betrayal Valentine,” Chris calls after her. 

Jill waves over her shoulder, “no competition, Chris. She’s cuter.”

[myfairstarlight]

Changing Tides

AO3 Link.

Rating: G

Pairings: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame (Rei Membami). Side Kazuma Asogi/Ryunosuke Naruhodo

Written for Susahao Week 2022. Day 4: Future/Growth

Word count: 2k

-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-

Susato was ecstatic when they received the letter — Kazuma was coming back to visit and considering the time it takes for a letter to arrive from Great Britain, it was only a matter of days before he would touch soil on Japanese ground.

Haori takes things in stride on her part. Of course, working every day with Professor Mikotoba and seeing Susato just as often ever since her return, she finds herself equally excited — she has not seen Kazuma in two and a half years now. Her friendship with him is not the deepest, he is the brother of her best friend who she didn’t really have a reason to get to know better, but she still missed him, mostly because everyone else around her did and she has always been more of a follower than a leader.

She does not join them when they leave to wait for Kazuma at the dock — that is a family matter after all — but she does get invited for dinner, and she is not sure why.

Especially when Professor Mikotoba tells her Kazuma insisted that he wanted her there.

So here she is now, bringing her empty plate to the kitchen sink as she listens to the joyful and happy chatter filling the Mikotoba household like she has not seen in a long while. Ryunosuke Naruhodo is here too, unsurprisingly, and Haori hasn’t seen him leave Kazuma’s side all afternoon, she thinks.

“It feels like old times again, isn’t it?” Susato muses softly next to her. “Oh, how I have missed this!”

Haori smiles at her enthusiasm. It is true it is a sight that was much more familiar so long ago now, back before everything got complicated and everyone got separated by oceans… or a meddling detective, from what she understood.

“Has he mentioned how long he is staying?” she asks.

Susato frowns as if she just made a ludicrous comment. “I assumed he would be staying permanently. It has been a year, after all, he has no other reason to stay over there, does he?”

Haori bites her lower lip. She has not told her friend, but Kazuma had written to her too, this past year. She was quite surprised every time Professor Mikotoba handed her a new letter every other month with her name on the yellowing paper. Reading the letters, she could not shake the feeling that the man had found his place, in London, and was far happier there than he ever was in Japan. She wrote her thoughts back to him, once, and he had simply replied “Are you certain you study to become a doctor? That was quite an acute deduction.”

Except Susato usually is far more observant and level-headed than she could ever hope to be so she is surprised her friend has not picked up on her brother’s happiness through his written words, or perhaps she is momentarily blindsided by the joy of having her brother back after so long, or perhaps even she is purposely ignoring the possibility altogether before rationality catches up to her.

Haori is aware Susato tends to pretend everything is fine even when she struggles internally.

“Anyhow, I think he mentioned he wanted to talk to you as well, once Naruhodo-san lets him go for a minute,” Susato says.

“Oh?”

Susato nods. “I did not know… you wrote to each other?”

Haori blushes. “Ah, I did not think it necessary to mention. He only asked me how you and Naruhodo-san were faring, surely knowing you two would lie to not make him worry.”

“That would make sense. I should have done the same and written to Mr Sholmes! No, Iris rather.” Even so, Susato still looks upset. “Has he talked to you about settling down with someone, or something of the sort?”

“Um, no, I do not think so?” Haori replies. “Why?”

“It is that look in his eyes. He had the same one after declaring he would become a lawyer like his father. It is like he has found a new purpose in life. Surely the next logical step would be to find someone to settle down with?”

“Has he ever been interested in romance, though?” Haori wonders. In the years she has known the two siblings, neither of them seemed particularly into the pleasantries of romance like her.

“… It has been too long, perhaps he is now.”

There is an underlining of sadness in this admission and Haori instinctively reaches forward to hold Susato’s hand in reassurance.

“He holds you dear to his heart, I am sure he would tell you first if he were planning on courting someone. He would want your approval, after all.”

Susato smiles, squeezing her hand once. “You are probably right.”

Little did she know, her deductions were completely false anyway.

-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-

Kazuma asks to speak with her a little later and Haori tries not to let Susato’s suspicions get to her head as she is led towards the garden.

She fails, because as soon as they are alone, she blurts out, “I am not interested in anyone courting me, in fact, I already like someone!”

The man before her frowns in confusion and slight amusement. “Good for you?”

Haori blushes furiously, hiding behind her sleeves. “Oh dear, you were not…?”

Kazuma laughs, but it is not mocking, in fact, it sounds nervous, as if the thought itself is uncomfortable to him. “I have no idea where you, Susato or Professor Mikotoba all got the idea I intended to court someone…” he chuckles weakly. “Although I wish I could bring them news as happy as that.”

She sobers up then, understanding the seriousness of the conversation if Kazuma’s stiff posture is anything to go by. He sighs, crossing his arms as he looks around the garden for a few silent seconds. Haori doesn’t try to push him to talk, crossing her hands behind her back as she waits and lets the gentle breeze of the autumn night caress her skin.

“I… am settling in Great Britain. I have not told the Mikotoba’s yet,” Kazuma confesses eventually.

It is probably supposed to be some life-altering news but Haori is hardly surprised after all the letters and the time it took for the man to visit. Perhaps that is why he is telling her, for practice, it is, after all, easier to tell a distant acquaintance than your direct family, even so, she asks, “Why tell me first?”

Kazuma gives her a look, one of those infuriatingly piercing and intimidating one of his as if she just said something stupid, but Haori does not falter, to her own surprise.

“Because I have a request to ask of you. I most likely know how Susato will react. She always wants to help others and take care of them, I am aware that is why she chose the path of a judicial assistant, to be by my side and later Ryunosuke’s. I know she is capable, more than I can ever hope to be, truly, she is a force to be reckoned with but… I do wish she would let others take care of her as well. I cannot do that while oceans away, so that is where you fit into the picture.”

“You… you want me to take care of her?” she asks softly, feeling her cheeks burn again.

Kazuma nods.

“But Naruhodo-san…?”

Kazuma laughs. “Between him and Susato, who is the responsible one, do you think?”

She makes a face. “Alright, you have a point.”

“See? Although I will need to find a way to tell him too…”

Haori picks up some longing in his voice and her heart aches just a little for Ryunosuke. She does not know the man that well either, having only met him once he and Susato came back from Britain, but she could pick up the man’s feelings for his partner oversea easily. The look in his eyes whenever he talks about Kazuma, she recognised it easily as she is all too familiar with that feeling as well and would often encounter it in her own mirror when Susato was on the other side of the world and she would ramble on and on about how she missed her in the intimacy of her bathroom.

“He would follow you in a heartbeat again,” she ends up saying.

Something glints in Kazuma’s eyes at her words. Hope, perhaps, before it dims and he shakes his head. Oh you poor soul, Haori thinks faintly. “And I do not want him to, I have caused him enough grief. Japan needs him, just as I have found my place in Great Britain, although I am saddened I will not be able to see in person what an even greater defence attorney he’ll become.”

Her heart aches once again. It is sound logic, yet the sentimental romantic in her is disappointed that Kazuma is giving up on their “what could have been” so easily.

Although she is aware he must have pondered over this decision for months so it must not have been that easy, even if she cannot comprehend it.

“So do I have your words, then?” Kazuma prompts. “About Susato.”

“Oh!” Right, she did not actually reply to his request, did she? “Of course, I will look after her. I owe her my life and more than that, she is dear to my heart, I would have done so even if you had not asked.”

Kazuma smiles warmly. “I know, but I suppose I wanted the reassurance nonetheless. Thank you, Haori.”

He bows with a grateful smile, and Haori reciprocates, however when he starts walking away, Haori impulsively stops him by grabbing his arm.

“Wait, Kazuma.” He waits, lifting an eyebrow. “Do you love Naruhodo-san?” Kazuma’s face remains impassive as if he expected her to spell it out in the open.

“You truly have a very perceptive mind, Haori,” he replies, which might as well mean yes. “I had thought a year would have been enough for the feelings to fade but I underestimated them.”

“You should tell him,” she encourages then, having no idea why she is so invested, “even if you settle in Great Britain, you should not leave with any regret behind.”

Kazuma’s demeanour softens. Gently, he pries Haori’s hand away before he chuckles and rests a hand on her head. Haori blinks — she has seen him do that to Susato before, especially when Susato was rambling, the action would always halt her thoughts and bring her to silence.

And it seems it’s working on Haori too because her mind blanks.

“Thank you again, Haori,” Kazuma declares, “however may I redirect your advice back to you? If I were to confess, perhaps you should tell her too?”

“I…”

He ruffles her hair and she yelps, scrambling to get away. Kazuma laughs once again. “Ever since you and Susato became friends, you’ve always brought out the best in her. When she decided to defend you and risk everything… when I heard about it, I could not be prouder. It is not my place to say if she harbours similar feelings for you, but know you are already part of this family. Entering a romantic relationship with her would just be a formality.”

A smile blooms on her lips although some sadness still remains in her heart. It seems she has acquired an older brother right here, and yet he will soon hop on a boat and leave again, what a pity.

“Thank you, Kazuma.”

And with that, they part.

-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-

As soon as she walks back into the living room, Susato grabs her arm and drags her to her room instead. Haori only has time to blink before the door slides shut behind her and her friend is looking at her with an intense fire in her eyes.

“Haori.”

“Susato.”

Silence.

Susato clears her throat, in an awkward way Haori had never seen on her face before. “So… did he…?”

“Did he what?”

“… Ask if he could court you?”

The world comes to a halt and Haori almost forgets to breathe. She can feel her whole face turn red and she haphazardly tries to hide it behind her hands. “What?! What gave you such an idea?!” Never mind that she also assumed that earlier and in front of the man himself, so…

Susato flushes as well. “Well, I don’t know, he walked in looking really proud and then I find you all smiling and flustered! You used to be infatuated with him as well, one might assume!”

That was one time and she mistook Kazuma for Susato because the man had forgotten to cut his hair… “I have never— Oh, bother.”

Her friend looks dumbfounded, clearly bothered that her deductions were wrong. Was she hoping…? “So what did he talk to you about?”

“Ah… that I cannot tell,” Haori says with an apologetic smile. “He simply needed some advice and reassurance. Nothing to worry about, however!” she quickly adds when she sees Susato’s face fall.

“I apologise… I suppose I have jumped to conclusions. What would be better than my best friend and brother together? So I can be sure neither of you will find someone else and leave… oh how horrible I sound.”

Haori smiles, this time more fondly, as she walks up to Susato and gathers her in her arms. Susato stiffens for a split second before melting into the embrace.

“It is alright to be scared of what the future has for us, especially with how much our lives have changed just these past two years,” she whispers, feeling Susato’s hands grip the back of her kimono. “But I can assure you that nothing can ever pull me away from you, Susato Mikotoba.” I adore and admire you too much to ever let go.

Susato chuckles, her breath hitting Haori’s neck, making the latter shudder. “A part of me is relieved, I have to admit,” the other girl replies softly. “You definitely deserve better than my silly brother as your partner in life.”

Haori laughs, in what she hopes appears to be genuine joy rather than nervousness. “I already have you as my partner in life, do I not?” she says, cursing the fact she cannot see Susato’s face.

“Of course you have,” Susato says, well oblivious to Haori’s deeper meaning behind her words. “I am glad to have you.”

Haori holds back a wistful sigh. “And so do I.”

She knows she promised Kazuma she would take a leap of faith and confess, but she never said when. Now truly is not the right moment anyhow.

But someday. In the meantime, she will continue looking over Susato the way she deserves to be.

-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-