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#i love how palpable both the love and the nerdiness in it are
taurnachardhin · 2 months
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Johnny O'Neal mentions Lightweaving and Seeking in the same sentence as examples of magical abilities that are built to be able to work with other magic systems and I am once again tapping my "Marsh deserves to worldhop to Roshar and become a Truthwatcher" sign!
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r3starttt · 1 month
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okay okay!! how about reader gets back late from patrol (so tlou au) and ellie was all worried and it’s super cute and fluffy?? (change it to your preferences if you like :)
THESE WALLS
PAIRING: Jackson! Ellie x reader
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CW: fluff. outbreak|tlou universe. brief-non detailed mention of overwhelming thoughts such as fear of loosing loved ones and stress.
DON'T BUY TLOU | PALESTINE MP PALESTINE LINKS | DAILY CLICK
TAGLIST
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The night lay thick with a stillness so profound that even the faintest sound seemed to echo with unsettling clarity. Ellie, trapped in the small sanctuary she had carefully curated, paced restlessly. Her gaze was perpetually drawn to the door, its unyielding silence a stark contrast to the usual rhythm of your return. Each passing moment stretched infinitely, laden with a tension that seemed to deepen with every tick of the clock.
The dim glow of a solitary lamp cast a soft, golden haze over the room. Walls adorned with wooden murals and comic book covers. Delicate strands of Christmas lights wove their way across the space, their faint twinkle casting a gentle, warm light. Yet, despite the serene ambiance, Ellie’s heart was a storm of unease.
She attempted to distract herself, but the mundane details of her surroundings blurred into an indistinguishable haze. Every action seemed to drift by in slow motion, her frustration mounting with each fruitless effort to quell her growing anxiety. She knew in her rational mind that the patrol was fraught with danger, but her deep-seated fear of losing those she loved clung stubbornly to her thoughts.
The creak of the door shattered the quiet, sending Ellie’s heart leaping to her throat. She dashed to the entrance, the door swinging open to reveal you, looking slightly disheveled but otherwise unharmed. Relief surged through her, though it was quickly overwhelmed by a tidal wave of emotions.
As you stepped into the room, the scene before you was both touching and a little comical. Ellie’s usual dorky charm had been replaced by a palpable anxiety. The carefully decorated room, filled with her beloved nerdy trinkets, faded into the background as your focus honed in on her distressed face.
“Hey, sorry,” you said, offering a weary smile. The concern in her eyes was evident, and you could tell she had been struggling.
“We ran into a few more infected than we expected. It took longer to clear them out,” you explained, trying to reassure her.
Ellie’s response was sharp, but it was laced with an undertone of deep-seated worry. “I was starting to think… I don’t know, shit had happened.” Her eyes, usually so full of mischief and laughter, were now wide and brimming with concern.
You stepped closer, the old floorboards creaking softly beneath your feet. Her fingers drummed impatiently against her thighs, her gaze darting over you in a frantic search for any signs of injury.
Ellie let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temples as though trying to ward off a headache. “It’s not just about being late. It’s about you being safe.” Her voice faltered, and she turned away momentarily, struggling to regain her composure.
You reached for her hand, gently enveloping it in your own. “I’m here, Ellie. Safe and sound. Nothing is going to happen to me.”
Her eyes met yours once more, shimmering with a blend of relief and lingering anxiety. “I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier—never mind,” she murmured, her words softening as the harsh edge gave way to a tender vulnerability. Her usual playful demeanor was momentarily eclipsed by her raw, heartfelt fear.
Drawing her into a tight embrace, you felt her tense muscles slowly unwind against you. “I’m here,” you whispered into her ear, your voice a soothing balm to her frayed nerves. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
You gently cupped her face in your hands, pressing a soft, loving kiss to her lips. When you finally pulled away, a small, contented smile graced her face, her eyes reflecting the warmth of your affection.
“Hey…” you murmured, leaning in closer. “How bad do I smell?” You playfully nuzzled against her, inhaling her comforting scent, the familiar fragrance and the fabric of her hoodie enveloping you in warmth.
Ellie chuckled, a soft hum escaping her as she considered your question. “Baby diapers," your quiet laughs mingling.
Your lips beushed over hers, one last tender kiss on her lips, savoring the moment. “I love you."
“I love you too,” you replied, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “And I’ll always come back to you.”
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floshav · 5 months
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want you so bad.
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Peter Parker x fem! reader
summary: Peter likes Mj. You like Peter. Everyday is hell when they're both in each others vicinity and you're sitting right behind the madness. You're so close to professing your love for him but you keep it under wraps because it seems like an impossible feat.
Warnings: intense yearning, slight steamy scene, kissing, alluding to smut
He brings his hat down, pushing his fluffy bits of hair to flair out at the ends of his hat. You quirk your head to the side wondering who he was trying to hide from or who he saw. Yet it was no surprise to find that it was Mj.
She walked in with her curly, unruly hair which made her look so, so beautiful. The freckles which danced on her face making her glow and it made you jealous. Why did her natural beauty shine through more than your own? Why couldnt Peter see that in you. Why couldn't you see anything in yourself.
His eyes darted around the park outside your school and finally landed on you. You looked at him with a knowing expression.
"Don't need to play it cool Parker. The whole school can smell your crush from here." You smirk.
He scratches the back of his head and pretends like he doesn't know you till' he gives you a defeated look.
"Whatever you say y/n...." It only takes a few more moments before he breaks
He musters out a breathy whisper which you've heard a billion times before. "Is that really MJ?" Peter gravelly asked, hands at either side of his head, giving in to the fact that he was definitely head over heels for her.
You try to hold in a sigh, " Yes, Peter. It is MJ. For the hundredth time this week!" You yearn out, half joke half seriously.
Peters shoulder's tense up as a dorky smile carves his lips. "Is she looking our way? Or is her nerdy ass stuffed in a book." Peter asks with wide eyes. The eyes which you found so adorable, palpable yet so far from the personal touch of your own fingertips.
You slowly turned your head around to glimpse at the curly haired girl who was indeed lost in a book.
"Yea, shes reading her book." You say as you shoot Peter a tight smile and hate Mj for being the stereotypical mysterious girl. You Wondered if he could sense the hurt beneath you. Of course not. He was just a boy after all.
"I wonder how her long eyelashes feel against her eye bags as she slurs through the words. Or how the spine of the book feels as her soft fingers inch it to crack. Ugh, I just want to count every freckle on her beautiful face. Ya think she's ever thought of me before?" Peter began to ramble sweet nothings to himself as if you were giving him your utmost attention and not thinking about how stars practically lived in his eyes as he talked about her. How you wish he was talking about you.
You felt that familiar soul crushing, heart sinking feeling that you knew too well. The feeling that every boy you've ever liked has given you. The feeling of being so close yet so far away was the final blow.
He placed both his hands on either side of his face again and began to softly bite his lip as he giggled to himself stupidly.
"What're you thinking about Parker." You ask playfully trying to lighten the mood for yourself.
"Her lips... her eyes.... her hair." He smiled to himself so oblivious to the fact that every compliment he gave her was a dagger to your heart.
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2 months
2 months pass and Peter has started talking to Michelle. Instead of walking past him, she smiles, she waves occasionally and has even said small hi's to him. The progress aches your yearning heart further into abyss but you ignore it anyway. Michelle has a new glow to her, she radiates beauty and the colour yellow ever since they started conversing. While you stay stagnant, radiating a plain old indistinguishable grey.
You're in Peters room, you two have just finished a major lego piece you've been putting off and the nights going great.
buzz
There goes your night you think to yourself.
Peter picks up his phone only to reveal his dorky smile again. Hes immediately stuck like glue and you hate it. You hate her. Even though you shouldnt, you couldnt care less.
You lay beside him as he smiles at his phone when in fact he should be smiling at you.
You snatch his phone and crush it, crush it to bits imagining it was Michelle jones, every bit of it Gone. gone to dust.
you snap out of your fantasy and return to see him stuck in her spiders web.
"Hey Peter" you coon
"Whats up?" He sets his phone aside and turns to face you.
Unknowingly you inch closer, and closer but the gap is barely noticeable.
Your eyes flicker down to his lips and you take in a breath. He notices the subtle gesture and his mind wanders.
"Have you ever wondered.." You trail off
"Wondered.....?" He repeated
"Wondered what it'd be like to.."
"to... kiss someone." You shyly whisper knowing you both haven't had your first kisses.
"I think it'd be amazing. Especially with someone you like. Imagine the feeling, the sparks flying. Just everything put into place." He says as he searches your eyes for a deeper meaning behind your facade.
"Yea... Someone you like." Your heart pounds solemnly at the thought that you'd never share your first kiss with your first love because he was tangled up in a love story of his own.
"Why'd you ask?"
"Just... felt like it."
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a month passes since that conversation and you see Peters lips locked onto Mj's as they share soft kisses beside the vending machine. You should feel happy for him but he's all you've ever wanted and you've just lost him. You want to scream, shout, cry but you don't have it in you anymore. You just don't care.
Peter pulls away and Mj has a wide smile plastered on her face. Something you rarely ever see from her. Your mind wanders to what Peters lips would feel like. Soft.. Plush and warm. The wetness of lips on lips makes you aroused. The sounds he'd make if you did something a little more. He was seemed like the type you thought to yourself. The way his face would be so flushed after you'd litter him with affection and kisses. Him gaining more confidence as you went on. Mj watching on the side. You hadn't even realised a dampening form on your panties until you shifted around. You wanted him so so bad, but all you could do was watch from the side.
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mooncademia · 2 years
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meet you at the finish line (The Bad Batch Tech x fem!reader)
summary ~ come again? did Tech really volunteered to a race?! with a heart rate that would deem unhealthy to your boyfriend, you watch Tech race to the finish line, reuniting with him with something else on ur mind but hmmm, on the same theme of course! ;)  
genre / warnings ~ drabble! fluff, suggestive themes (!) ahead (but cute i promise)
** a/n:  ya’ll ever since the racing ep of tech, my life was forever changed. a whole episode dedicated to this nerdy boy?! can i be any more in love with him.
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“OK. So not only are you telling me that you are going to race in a vehicle that you’ve never even driven before, but you also have the slightest chance of getting seriously injured or KILLED?!” you exclaim, hands on your waist as you eyed your boyfriend incredulously.
You knew Tech was smart, in fact, maybe even too smart. But for him to volunteer abruptly to such a race where there were barely any rules, well, you couldn’t help but get a bit defensive (and okay, angry too) at his commitment to this.
And of course, like most of the arguments the two of you have had, Tech is glued to his holopad yet again.
Sigh!
“The degree of me being injured is almost insignificant. Given my calculations, I will most likely win the race,” Tech replies nonchalantly as he bops his head to himself.
“Most likely-???”
He finally releases his eyes from his holopad to look at you through his helmet.
“You don’t need to worry, Y/N.”
You scoff, face contorted into a deep frown. You knew all too well that of course that would be his response. You walk closer to him, placing your hand gently on top of his holopad so he is forced to dart his attention fully to you. You raise both of your arms to both sides of his helmet, and with a wordless nod of approval from him, you took it off. His brown hair ruffled cutely when you took off his helmet, and you took a deep breath as you look into his eyes clearer. “Tech... I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Trust me, mesh’la. I’ll be okay, I promise.” Tech shares a sympathetic smile. The kind of smile that says you’re cute when you worry. He steps closer to you, and gently tucks a piece of hair behind your ear, trying to wipe that angry pout on your face.
You let out a sigh. You know that no matter how much you try to sway him to reconsider, when Tech’s mind is onto something, it’s almost impossible to change his mind unless there is substantial evidence to prove that there is an alternative solution that would be just as convincing (and clearly you don’t have the time for that!). But the reassurance in his eyes and determination in his voice settled your nerves a bit. And it wasn’t necessarily what he said that calmed you down, but his voice-- soft yet confident. Warm yet tender.
You abruptly pulled him into a hug, smiling a bit to yourself at Tech’s quirkyness as he readjusts himself to properly hug you back. Despite being with him for so many months, his awkwardness never fails to make you smile. You finally pulled away, throwing in a kiss on his cheek for good measure which won you back a smile -- something that he rarely shares with anyone.
“Fine,” you eventually agreed as you tried to work up a grin. You took another deep breath and gave him an encouraging look. “Go win that race, racer boy.”
Tech looks at you blankly and darts his gaze from your eyes to your lips rapidly as if he’s calculating equations in his mind.  He finally leans down to kiss you on the lips, catching you a bit surprised.
“Don’t have to tell me twice, mesh’la. I’ll see you at the finish line.”
Your eyes widened, startled by that rather suave comment Tech threw at you. You watch him put his helmet swiftly back on and enter the crowd. The excitement exerting was palpable; air thick with curiosity as the people await to see who will be the next racers in the starting line.
//
And raucous crowd never died down...
Especiallyyyyy when Tech removed all his weapons.
Yes.
ALL his weapons.
Oh, this man...
“TECH!!!”
You shriek through your comm, pulse racing violently in protest. You ran your hands through your frazzled hair of what feels to be like the billionth time. The only response you get was a factual reason of his actions, which only made you roll your eyes and worry even more.
You groaned to yourself. Honestly, this man owes you so much for the loop of emotions you have been feeling ever since the race kicked off. But now you couldn’t focus on that, not during the very last lap. You tried your best to collect yourself, making sure your emotions don’t bubble and tip over or else your you would be throwing something sharp and hard at the monitor in front of you.
Tech zooms through the left tunnel.
Out he comes...
And.....
“HERE THEY COME!! IT’S GONNA BE CLOSE!!!”  You hear the announcer exclaim.
Your heart stops.
“AND THE WINNER IS...”
And then finally...what feels like to be forever, you see that all too familiar pod rush pass the finish line in a matter of seconds.
“TECHHHHH!!!!!!!” The intercomer acknowledges his praise to him and the crowd roars with cheers.
You scream, hands flying to the air as you jump up and down, unable to hold in the pride for your boyfriend. Relief swelled in your heart and you quickly race out, wanting to tackle Tech and throw him a few curses before smothering him in kisses.
But you paused your feet when you heard the screaming of the crowd chanting his name repeatedly. You watched the whole scene close enough to make sure Tech gets the attention that he deserves.
Tech hops out of the pod and removes his helmet smoothly. Noticing his own name echo throughout the arena, he stares at everyone dumbfoundedly before throwing in an awkward (but the absolute cutest) grin to everyone, making the people yell even louder.
Smiling, you internally fought the urge to just hug him right then; your heart ached to just kiss him because you totally did not have doubts! (doubts who? never!)
Suddenly, he turns to you with eyes locking with yours immediately. And of course, it leaves you with butterflies in your stomach once again. The same ol’ butterflies you had when you first met him, when you had your first date with him, and just like when you had your very first kiss with him. Eyes locked so seriously it felt like you two were the only ones in the world.
After greeting the crowd, he walks towards you and you notice the squaring of his shoulders and the edge of lips just tilting ever so slightly upwards.
The energy around him is...different.
Pride?
Confidence?
Seeing him like this makes your pulse race even more, but in a different way. And the more seconds pass, the more you felt yourself growing hot.
Winning sure does look good on him.
“You look surprised,” he says interlacing his hand with yours, allowing you to pull him closer to you into a shadow crook of the room so people won’t see the two of you so intimately.  
“Me?”  You breathe, running your hands through his hair in the way you knew that he liked it. You grin mischievously and Tech’s breath cuts short as you press your hand on his chest and push him against a nearby wall. “Never.”
There’s a lavcious look on your face that makes Tech widened his eyes but then chuckle as he readjust his goggles. And before he knows it, you press your lips impatiently against his to show how much you missed him.
Oftenly after a kiss, the two of you will pull away and Tech will be flushed and awkward and you would just laugh and tease him.
But oooooooh no, not today.
You weren’t sure if it was the confidence pooling in him from his victory or what, but you felt a different sensation from him in the kiss. A rush of excitement dusts over your skin as you moan into his kisses.
It was needy, lustful, and satisfying.
But most of all, it was fucking hot.
You felt a confident smirk coming from him in-between kisses, and when your lips finally part, a feverish feeling of want poured over you after waiting so impatiently for him. Tech then travels down to trace kisses on your neck and you let out a loud gasp from his bold move.
“Tech-,” you whispered, body slightly shaking with anticipation.
Tech finally lifts up and you let out a giggle as you raise a hand up to wipe off the smeared lipstick of yours on his lips. He shoots you a small grin.
“Well that was...”
“Quite different from our other intimate moments I would like to say.” Tech finishes with a sheepish smile. “You’re pupils have dilated rather significantly.”
You burst out a laugh and a huge smile as you let out a petulant Techhhh; not wanting his factual confirmations ruin the heated moment the two of you are having as much as you love him.
“Do you want to take.... a little break ....before heading out with the others? ” You look up to him curiously, eyes telling more than the few words that you spilled out. “My treat!” You added with a cute smile.
Tech shoots you a questionable look, but you could see it in his face that he knows exactly what you’re thinking.
“Well...it would be rather rude for me to decline that request, wouldn’t it?”
“After giving me what felt like ten separate heart attacks?” A smile tugged your lips. “Very.”
He cocks an eye at you. “You were that doubtful?!”
You throw him a very obvious glance. “Makers, you’re my boyfriend. I can’t have you injured! W-who will entertain me with all the science-y, big brain-y facts everyday?! Or pepper me with so many questions that I don’t have the answers to?! Or-OR! Remind me that my sudden outbursts are irrational due to my “hormonal imbalance”?
“They way you say that makes it sound like you don’t enjoy it, love ”  Tech laughs.
You grin and shrugged. “Eh, well, I sure am in love with this idiot.”
“Well...in that case,” He says smoothly. He interlaces his hand with yours once again, pulling you close so you could wrap an arm around his waist as the two of you walk out of the shadowed nook. He leans down, his voice rasps out against your ear, accent thicker than ever almost like a growl.
“Let’s get out of here, mesh’la”
Oh, winning sure does look good on him.
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mari-monsta · 6 months
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I was ?? abt alyadrien until I read a cute fic abt them. What are ur hc abt how they realized they had feelings?? How'd you think they got together?? Thoughts on what their dates would look like!
OKAY SO SORRY FOR THIS RANT INCOMING
So my thing about alyadrien that I had to accept to really take them into consideration is that I don't think they would happen/are possible in canon verse. Just because of them meeting and happening to become close to nino and marinette when they did and in the ways they did first.
I don't think there are any mutual feelings between them in canon whatsoever and I don't think there is ever going to be. BUT. They do have something that is integral to a relationship that makes me so interested in them: chemistry. These two have LOADS of chemistry enough that other characters have actually acknowledged it in canon.
Adrien and Alya are both excitable and high energy people by nature, something that if Adrien let her, Alya could naturally bring out in Adrien a lot more. Due to this their interactions as civilians are restrained and limited at best. Where we really get to see them shine is their hero forms. Nino was not just seeing things. Alya (in whatever form she takes) and Chat Noir have palpable chemistry and get along with an ease not seen between a lot of other characters. They're both extremely playful, which they amplify in one another, and somehow seem to fall into accidentally flirting with each other whether they're conscious of it or not (hint: they're definitely not)
Because of this, and because of the way that Alya and Adrien individually approach relationships, speaks a lot to their potential in the right circumstances. Alya and Adrien, of the main characters, honestly approach romantic relationships in kind of a similar way. It has been remarked about Alya constantly through the series that Alya is the type of character who would not fall for someone who she doesn't truely know. Adrien on the other hand has been shown to be someone extremely steadfast and loyal in his feelings, and likes to nurture trust and intimacy with someone as he gets to know them. Alya had been able to develop feelings for Nino despite having previously not thought of him that way at all, while Adrien spent many seasons trying to glean the exact nature of his feelings for Marinette. For both of them, they had strong instances of platonic love come first for their current relationships. This to me means that if the opportunity presented itself, they might be able to see something there.
Alya clearly has been attracted to Adrien in the past, while that doesn't mean she has any feelings for him, if she didn't have significant reason not not having feelings for him as she does in the series, why not?
ANYWAY. I think Alyadrien is the type of couple who is just. SO casual. You would not know that they were dating unless they told you because they act like best friends more than anything, but at the same time they're always together and always sharing excitement about something. I think they'd like doing nerdy things together like playing DnD and seeing superhero movies. Adrien is definitely the romantic of the two and it makes Alya embarrassed.
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9 and 11 NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO PICK FAVORITES BY ITERATION BWUAHAHAH! XD
Seriously keep up the amazing work, big fan!
*hugs you*
9 - If you could change one thing about TMNT, what would it be?
Probably that so much attention is paid in-canon to Raph and Leo's "rivalry", at the expense of other, different forms of tension. Now, don't get me wrong... I do like it when they have little disagreements, but the point to which it has become the central theme of so many stories just make me wanna, you know...
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11 - Favorite turtle (iteration specific)?
See what you have done! You have opened the proverbial can of worms, and I will now be naming my favorites in every version of the TMNT that I have ever watched or read! Mwahaha!
*ahem* In (more or less) chronological order...
Mirage Comics - I never had much of a preference between the guys in the old comics, though Donatello always had a great appeal to me.
1987 - I totally had a crush on Donatello back in the day. He was the toy that I played with the most, and the one I chose when me and my friends were pretending to be the TMNT (which was pretty easy, since I could use a broomstick as my bo staff).
1990 - There aren't many versions where Raphael is my favorite (I mean, I always love him, but other Turtles usually appeal to me more), but I loved his journey in the first TMNT movie.
1991 - To me, Secret Of The Ooze was all about Donatello. I loved how he had an emotional stake in what was basically a silly little movie.
1993 - How could you not love cute little lovesick Michelangelo? And plus, him being all heroic and rescuing Yoshi!
TMNTA (Archie) Comics - Although Don is dear to my heart in this version, I am going to go with Michelangelo. He is a sweetheart, an artist, he likes poetry, in the future he runs an orphanage, and he is one half of the only TMNT ship I ever actually had... and also, the Blindsight storyline is, in my opinion, the best in the comic's run.
Image Comics - Although I read most of the Image comics, I am going to be honest and say that none of the Turtles really stood out to me. If I had to choose, though, it would probably be Donatello, because of all that cyborgification he went through. Poor guy.
2003 - I know, you know, we all know... Leonardo is my boy in this version! Such a ball of stress... so relatable. Don is a very close second, though!
2007 - Gotta be Donatello! The dude had so much to take care of being the de facto leader while Leo was gone.
2012 - I have to confess that I have not watched enough of this series to develop an opinion, but on behalf of my 12-year-old daughter, I am compelled to say Michelangelo!
2014 - In the first Bay movie, Donatello really shined for me. His nerdy badassery stole my heart.
2016 - While I also really liked Don in the second Bay movie, Michelangelo was my primary focus. How he went back and forth between being the goofy goober and his heartbreak at being perceived as a monster was fascinating to watch.
2018 - Again, I have not watched much of Rise, but based on the movie alone (which I did watch, several times), I would like to say this is another instance where Raphael stood out to me... though it was really hard to choose between him and Leo!
Batman Vs. TMNT (movie) - I loved the way Leonardo was portrayed in this one! His primary fear of failing his brothers was both palpable and understandable, and his fight with Ra's al Ghul is one of my favorite TMNT battles of all time ("I'm sixteen, and I learned this from a rat!")
2024 - Baby... baby boy Leonardo... he needs a hug so bad!
If an iteration isn't listed, then assume I haven't read or watched it enough to form an opinion! Yes, this includes IDW (the concept doesn't appeal to me, for some reason), and The Last Ronan (my heart can't take that)... and although I did watch some of The Next Mutation back in the day, I can't actually remember any of it.
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cooloddball · 3 years
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something i love about cockles is that because there is so much of them at a young age that we can see in either filmography or photography, we really can picturehow the two looked for fics at certain times. like i always found it funny to read destiel fics years ago where dean was this bad boy and cas was the geeky shy boy or something and like i CANT PICTURE IT because misha was so weirdly good looking in a quirky way as a teen and then as a young adult i always picture him with the long hair and he is SO HOT and the Jensen is like this choir boy-boy scout as a teenager and then as a young adult was like a twink ken doll and also SUPER FUCKING PRETTY and im like my god if 21 year old jensen and 25 year old misha had ever been in the same frame, it would have been nuclear. i always wonder how they would react to each other at that age. like looks wise and personality wise. thoughts?
OMG, this is an ask that requires a person with very high analytical skills and while I don't think I am either qualified or well equipped to answer it perfectly, I have never been one to back away from a challenge so I will give it a try.
First, we have young Jensen who is so pretty it's unfathomable how he became this extremely handsome man. It's like he gets finer with age. His face is just perfect and I love that he’s more than his looks, he works really hard, gives his all and is super smart and thoughtful.
Have I mentioned I love him so much. I love Jensen. Even my bf keeps saying “Yes I know you love Dean. I get it.” I always have to remind him I love both Jensen and Dean because they are different. Anyway I’m sure he’s dreading watching s3 of The Boys with me because I will keep re-watching all the Soldier Boy scenes. He rolls his eyes every time I re-watch spn because he knows I will be talking about Dean for weeks thereafter.
Moving on from my unwarranted ramblings about Jensen. 
As you said, when he was younger he looked like a Ken doll and gave off twink vibes. I mean...
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Jensen is was the kind of pretty that was unreal and kind of unapproachable in the sense that you wouldn't feel worthy standing in front of such magnificence.
Jensen was on a whole other level. You know like those models, you see on magazines advertising clothes and you know or even if you bought those jeans or bought that dress you would never look as good as them because there's only one of them.
Then we have Misha. Misha has always been handsome. He has maintained his features. Even now that he's older, he still looks the same not much has changed.
Young Misha looks like he was one of those nerdy kids in HS who didn't know how good-looking they were and was often surprised when both boys and girls were drawn to him.
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Misha is handsome and has all the features that every handsome man has, a sharp jawline, those cheekbones. Also, Misha's eyes are so big and so gentle. IDK what to say. His beauty is gentle in that he is approachable and he looks relatable.
God, I hope this makes sense because if it isn't, I have failed, but I keep trying until I answer your question.
Then we have them young long-haired.
Long-haired Misha is making my knees weak. He looks like he's so bad, he's the guy your mama warned you about. Long-haired Jensen looks like if you kissed him he'd ask you to pray with him because the good book says you have to wait until your wedding night or something akin to that.
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This is getting long so more thoughts below:
Here is young cockles alongside each other.
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Jensen here looks like the kind of guy who knows he's pretty and he owns it while Misha looks like that shy kid who is too sweet for his own good and Jensen takes him under his wing and shows him the ropes of how everything runs.
I actually think if these two had met when they were younger, it would've been total sexual annihilation. I mean the sexual chemistry between them is palpable. It hangs in the air every time they are close to each other. I mean they are middle-aged men, Misha is pushing 50 and somehow Jensen still can't get enough of him. H pops boners left and right. Well, mostly left because that's how he hangs but man, I honestly can't even imagine what our world would be today if these two met say 20 years ago instead of 13 years ago.
I 100% believe either of these things could've happened:
neither of them would have a career in Hollywood;
they would be the hottest gay couple in Hollywood with 3 kids;
one of them would have a successful career and the other one would've lost it all,
it would be much like it is today with them living in the shadows. Only now there would be way more rumours.
I also doubt if they had met 20 years prior that Misha would've been hired to join spn because every director/producer would know of their chemistry and we know cvv hates the gays so we wouldn't have destiel. I can't imagine a world without destiel in it. Can you?
Btw it is also imperative to note that back then Jensen was a staunch Christian. I'm not saying that he isn't now but he was the guy who used to thank Jesus Christ when he won an award.
Misha on the other hand was a rebel. He's the guy who ran naked in Chicago with a group of friends in a snowstorm. So they were two very different people back then and although they still are different, I think they met at the best time possible and that's why they have lasted this long.
As for Cas and Dean, I think they met when they were relatively young, Dean was 29 & Cas was only a few billion light-years old. But I think it wouldn't have mattered when they met, they would've still made the same choices they made and defied all odds and Chuck to save the world.
I honestly don't know what I'm on about anymore but that's my two cents. Hope it makes sense.
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i rlly want to see private nickname for Rodimus and Ratchet 👀. i think it would be cute 🥺
It absolutely is because they're adorable. And because I'm indecisive I even included bonus nicknames for each that you can enjoy!
Rodimus
Bonus Potential Nicknames: Hotimus, Prime Daddy, Roddy Pie, Hotcakes, Cherry Blossom, Captain Kirk, Skipper, Fantabot, Firecracker, and countless others including many you can't say in polite company...
·As far as everyone knows, you just call him "Roddy" or "Rodders" like everyone else, at least once you get to know him. He actively encourages nicknames for every bot that likes them because they build camaraderie, so hearing the human on board make use of him gets him pretty happy.
·The start of your relationship is marked by "Captain" or just "Cap" becoming your unique little name for him in public, typically said with just a tad of goofy exaggeration that makes both of you smile and snicker whenever it's used. It's only for the two of you though, as "captain" with a certain level of formality is all he'll accept from most anyone else.
·In private, he's open enough to pet names to have many, and prefers those that emphasize what you like about him. Thus, casual usage of "Hot Stuff", "Big Guy", and just the general "Handsome" get thrown around a lot and he really likes it. It's not even a suggestive thing, he just likes hearing you compliment him with nice and fun nicknames, and you being so tiny makes many of them possible. He's even fine with most being said in the company of others, so long as everything is relaxed and the bots you're with are cool enough not to tease. If he can he'll absolutely take a second to brag about having a human partner with endless nicknames for his coolness.
·There's one nickname that's more personal though, as it has some connotations and you tend to only use it during extra tender moments, though it's really just a reference to how cuddly and warm he is in the berth. That might be why he's so shy about it, actually, since it sounds indecent but is actually just a cute way for you to emphasize how much you love his softer and gentler side...
·Unfortunately the other bots don't know that, so the shock is palpable from every inch of the ship when you accidentally agree to something he says with a "You got it, Sweet Heat" and it's heard clear as day. Everyone freezes without a clue on how to react, with Rodimus himself a blushing beacon in the center whilst you try and fail to stutter out a correction before managing an escape, and only a scolding from a flustered Ultra Magnus on inappropriate contact can get time moving again.
·Despite the potential for ego death from the hit, Rodimus surprises you and everyone by owning the nickname right there and daring anyone to try and mock him for having a cute human partner who likes him enough to have pet names, something no one else on the ship can actually claim. He'll wear the name "Sweet Heat" with so much pride it's emblazoned on his doorway by that same time the next day, though in private he's still just as tender as he was so please don't stop cuddling him over this, please, please, please?
Ratchet
Bonus Potential Nicknames: Ratty, Docbot, Surgeon Sawbones, "Pediatrician", Universal G. P, Wrench Expert, Dr. Grump, Cure All, and a host of others that he's had banned in his presence.
·Being a doctor makes one rather accustomed to dealing with bots incapable of saying much, but being willing to accept any title a recovering patient may use doesn't mean he's open to nicknames. Bots who can say his name are expected to do so, or to refer to him as "doctor" or "medic" for the sake of convenience, but he'll also accept "docbot" if he likes you. As he quickly comes to like you, plenty of crewmembers hear you refer to him as such, but just assume it's friendly informality.
·While he's still not one for nicknames in private, you admittedly have a way of making him loosen up, and your flirting and bantering ultimately produces a nerdy and only moderately embarrassing pet name that he lets you use freely when no one is around. It doesn't sound much like his name, but the personal significance it has between the two of you is what makes you find it so fitting for him.
·The ease with which you say it ultimately proves quite inconvenient when the medbay is crowded with bots seeking answers regarding some scientific conundrum related to a mission. After Ratchet requests a tool just small enough for you to lift, he thanks you for bringing it casually enough that you think nothing of replying with "No problem, Panacea" as you always do. It doesn't even register to either one of you until you both realize the room has gone deathly silent.
·Having just enough time to blush before somebot finds the courage to perplexedly ask what you just called Ratchet, and in that moment you and the medic share a look of near panic. There's a flood of halting explanations from you both that overlap and trail off as the seemingly innocent nickname suddenly sounds so much more intimate as you try to break it down, specifically when you reference how it means cure all and you apply that to Ratchet... because... um... Only the need to get things moving for the mission saves you both from blushing to combustion.
·Ever a force when he wants to be, Ratchet quickly silences any and all teasing in the following days with a literal arsenal of wrenches ready for whacking at a moment's notice. Though you mostly travel by vent to avoid the not badly intended but very embarrassing questions, you find Ratchet insists you move through the ship without reservation, and to simply send any busybodies his way. While he may have been a little mortified in the moment, he's still your "Panacea", and his cure for this particular ailment is to clobber anyone that crosses his tiny human partner.
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kyle-valenti · 3 years
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highschool milucho au drabble for @laufire
Lunch period arrives what feels like all too late after a hectic morning where Michael Guerin had punched Wyatt Long in the face for Maria. While she still thought he was an idiot for having done it, she downs a brownie for sustenance and brings Rosa along outside with her to go check on him. Unsurprisingly he was in the spot she had expected, clearly having ditched at least one class prior, and Rosa skipped over to him and roughly grabbed his hand to check on the bruise. Rosa scoffed, putting her hand to her chest with what was only half-kidding offense. “You fought him without me there? En serio? How dare you!”
Sitting up a little more against the metal bleacher column he had been leaning against, Michael gave a casual shrug. There’s still a smirk on his face as he does so. “Can’t help it if you’re always late to wake up, Ortecho.”
“He was dumb.” Maria said, a scolding look on her face that didn’t quite match her eyes. Both sat down without caring about chairs, Rosa too lazy and Maria liking to feel the earth underneath her. The shade provided overhead was just enough and while the teachers usually checked underneath here, the school was luckily short staffed due to a field trip. Also lucky was the lack of campus security in a small town. 
“No, he was right.” Rosa huffed. “Fuck Wyatt Long.”
“Thank you,” said Michael, turning to Maria with a smug look in response. Maria rolled her eyes, but Rosa still looked angry and displeased at the idea of Wyatt Long being within feet of Maria, because she continued, “Are you gonna hate me if I run over and slap him?”
“Yes!” Maria exclaimed. “Stop with the violence, you two! He’s not worth it.”
Rosa made a disgruntled sound, muttering, “Pacifist.”
“I am a lover, yes.” Maria replied with a teasing tone; one that Michael couldn’t help but use to flirt with a sultry, “Tell me more.”
She hit his arm and although the other girl rolled her eyes, Rosa was still distinctly smiling as Michael winked Maria’s way.
“Gross, stop.” She huffed, no meanness in her voice. “Even Kyle Valenti thinks we’re dating.”
“Kyle?” Rosa laughed. “Kyle’s not remotely observant enough to think that.”
Michael made a noise at that. “He was just being an ass because I commented on how he was clearly in love with Alex Manes.”
Maria glared now. “Be nice to my favorite gay and the clearly repressed football jock.”
“Here I thought you were about to pick a favorite bi.” Michael joked.
“Why would she?” Rosa challenged with a smirk. “I’m right here.”
“Right,” Michael drawled sarcastically. “Just because you two have sleepovers--,”
“Oh my god, you two.” Maria snapped, but that was the wrong decision because the two mischievous partners-in-crime looked at her with sudden interest. Michael was the first to pounce. “We making you uncomfortable, Deluca?”
He’s all but grinning, not even hiding behind a smirk, eyes alive. Even Rosa is clearly amused and holding onto laughter.
“Why the hell did everyone have to go on that museum trip?” Maria huffed, trying to ignore both of them and the feelings that rose up when the direct attention of two people who hated the world but liked her was suddenly her way. She definitely needed more friends, or at least less nerdy ones. “I need Liz.”
“You’d really use my baby sister to get out of flirting?” Rosa asked, letting out the laughter now.
Maria could feel her cheeks heat and she folded her arms stubbornly. “I’m about to use Kyle to get out of this. Luckily I have tests to study for.”
“What test?” Rosa replied, one eyebrow arched. “We have all the same classes.”
“And you suddenly pay attention?”
Rosa gave in with a playfully exasperated expression. “Okay, okay, mi vida; we’ll stop.” Then, amending as she looked conspiratorially at Michael, she said, “Well. I’ll stop.”
“I’ll try.” Michael shrugged, pretending to look as thought it would be heavy work. “I have considerably less self-control.”
Quirking her head, Rosa retorted. “Challenge accepted.”
Michael raised his eyebrows in response, before laughing. “Yeah okay.”
“Why am I always babysitting you two?” Maria sighed. “Please, tell me.”
“You’re the one who brought the pot brownies to school.” Rosa pointed out.
She couldn’t say much to that. Home had been stressful with her mother’s sudden memory lapses when it came to finances and worrying about colleges after SAT scores was even more anxiety inducing. If she was rich and privileged like Isobel Evans, maybe she could afford some xanax, but in the meantime her anxiety attacks would have to be treated herbally. Childishly, she pointed at Michael. “He’s the one who brought the flask.”
Definitely unapologetic, he shrugged. “Less teachers, more fun.”
“Fun?” Rosa asked. “We haven’t had fun in a while.”
“True.” Michael added, lighting up even further. Maria groaned. “Is this another ‘steal the principal’s desk’ situation?”
“No, but that was fun.” Rosa said thoughtfully. “We should have more… teenage fun. We have the drugs, the alcohol, now--,”
“I am not having sex under the Roswell High bleachers!”
Rosa gasped before laughing awkwardly, and Michael’s grin took an even brighter turn. “Wow, Deluca, I see where your mind’s really at.” Then he turned to Rosa, who noticeably looked pinker, and paused. Slowly, he inquired. “Do you want me to go?”
“No.” Rosa replied. It wasn’t like she and Maria belonged to each other, true, but something about the mischievous Michael Guerin staying around after Maria’s slip seemed to create palpable tension. Fumbling, the beautiful brunette added, “I mean we’ve all kissed before forever ago, right? Why don’t you pick your favorite bi, Maria.”
“I’m not sure choosing favorites qualifies as fun.” She retorted, trying not to withdraw into herself. She was safe with them, she knew that, but it still felt dangerous somehow. She looked at Michael. “No sudden objections?”
Michael scoffed. “You actually think I’m going to object to being kissed by two hot girls? I’m only human, Deluca.”
Biting her lip after rolling her eyes, Maria tried not to think about how attractive her last name was every time he said it, because that was such a ridiculous thing to find attractive. Rosa had picked up on the habit, although used it far more rarely, and now she was stuck in between them.
“We don’t have to--,” Rosa began. Shaking her head, Maria came to an abrupt decision. “You decide who goes first.”
“Ladies first.” Michael declared congenially.
When Rosa turned to Maria she looked hesitant and unsure. Charged moments weren’t exactly new to them, but they didn’t exactly kiss outside of spin-the-bottle or seven-minutes-in-heaven games. Any heterosexual excuse to be made, somewhere between Rosa’s Catholicism and Maria’s fear of being vulnerable to someone. 
Only two seconds pass before the hesitation is over and then Rosa’s lips are soft and inviting like Maria remembered, tasting of cinnamon gum and tajin mango suckers. It’s an addictive flavor, especially with the flood of emotions it foretells every time. At first it’s closer to chaste than not, given the company, but like many times before it deepens until they hear Michael shift and quickly break apart. 
Maria expects some dumbass comment about not needing to stop for his sake, but either he’s too turned on to make it or he simply knows better for the moment. Shockingly, it seems like the second choice with the almost exposed look he has on his face now. For whatever reason, maybe because of his general outward mask, she had thought that while she’d be safe this would still be a fun game to him and not something where his eyes would be soft and his body language almost nervous.
More than anything else, that makes her choose to kiss him first. 
With Michael she can only taste the cheap whiskey he’s been drinking all afternoon, but his skin smells like desert rain, and it’s quite possibly the most confusing contradiction for him she could ever conceive. The shape of his lips might be a contrast to Rosa’s but he still uses them quite well and by the time she pulls back out of mindfulness for Rosa, she’s breathless yet again. 
 “Obviously I’m not actually choosing.” Maria said primly, trying to cover the fact that she had to clear her throat.
“Well I feel used.” Michael teased, but a miracle had happened because it looked like he was blushing too. Michael Guerin. Blushing.
Rosa made an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “As if you’re not getting off to this tonight.”
“Rosa!” Maria snapped, actual hurt rising. It was silly to be upset about offhand humor from either of these two, she knew that. They both felt more than they would ever let on and jokes and sarcasm were their defense for almost everything. Rosa went to apologize, but the overwhelming feeling in her chest was too much. “Don’t. I’m just—I’m going to go sober up.”
They both called after her, but she ignored them both.
“I should really avoid weed, huh?” Rosa deadpanned sadly.
He raised his flask. “I can’t say anything. You gonna follow her?”
“You?” she asked without an answer.
“You’re her best friend.” Michael countered, and while it wasn’t technically sexist she still narrowed her eyes at the ‘you’re both girls’ vibe it gave off. Either way, it was still a painful statement and she muttered, “Yeah. Friend.” Michael went to say something—either an apology or a lecture—but Rosa shook her head. “I’ll give her a head start. You should check on her later too, though.”
Michael scoffed. “Come on, Rosa, she doesn’t want me. I’m just a guy she can use to pretend she’s straighter than she is.”
“Ay, you’re dumb.”
“And if she did want both of us?” Michael demanded, turning things back into their normalcy of confrontation and stubbornness.
“At least you’re not ugly.”
That seemed to take the wind out of his sails at least, but he did give her a look. “Glowing endorsement, Ortecho.”
She smirked. “And I guess you know how to kiss for a white boy.”
“That I’ll take.” He replied, chuckling despite himself and looking annoyed about it.
Rosa gave him a two finger salute as she got up to go after Maria.
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chipper9906 · 4 years
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Bound To You - Chapter 11: Always Happy To Bleed For The Winchesters
< - - - Previous Chapter
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 15
NOTE: Pairings and Ratings Will Change As Story Is Updated
Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester
Rating: General Audiences
Chapter Word Count: 7,338
Overall Word Count: 84,673
Status: Multi Chapter Fic - In Progress (11/?)
Chapter Preview:
The smug, knowing look that crossed Claire’s face was not one Dean was expecting at his stuttered answer (if it can even be called an answer), the young woman turning to Kaia with a roll of her eyes and a good-natured slap to the arm. “See, what did I tell you? Knew he’d do it eventually…”
“Uh… do what?” Dean asks.
“Oh, not much,” Claire says with a grin much too sly for Dean’s liking. “Me and Kaia just had a bet going on which one of you would confess to the other first. I bet Cas would do it first. Kaia bet you’d do it first, but I said you were way too emotionally constipated to manage something like that.”
“You just cost me ten bucks…” Kaia mumbled in Dean’s direction.
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Character Key For Telepathic Conversations
'Italic Text' - Castiel
'Bold Text' - Dean
  The second time Dean rides as a passenger in the Impala since… the incident… is different from the first time. That car ride home was nothing less than awkward, of stale silences and anxious side glances from his brother.
This time? Dean has a smile on his face. The mood is light, the silence replaced with soft rock blasting from the cassette player, of airy laughs from Eileen whenever he taps her shoulder from the backseat and tries to sign the lyrics to a song he’s taken a particular liking to, and Sam’s grunts of telling him to knock it off and stop distracting him; even when he’s got a smile on his face, too.
To put it simply… the hope is palpable. They’re celebrating like they’ve already got Cas back. Like they’ve already won.
Dean tries his best not to let his nerves at that show.
“You really should have let me call Jody ahead and let her know,” Sam throws at Dean over his shoulder as the sign for ‘Sioux Falls’ flashes by them.
“You telling me you’re not looking forward to seeing the look on their faces when they see me like this? And find out that Cas is chilling up here with me?” Dean retorts.
“But did you have to knock my phone out of my hands?” Sam complains, turning the Impala towards the exit ramp of the highway. “Concrete floors aren’t great for fragile glass screens, you know.”
“Your nerdy ass loves any chance to tinker with toys. I gave you a reason to replace your screen. You’re welcome.”
‘Considering you two live off of scammed credit cards, you’re very care-free with your expensive electronics.’
‘Thanks to Charlie, we don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff anymore. Nothing better than scamming credit card companies, Cas. Bastards do all they can to bleed people dry.’
‘If you say so. Perhaps you’d see it differently if you were actually earning a wage.’
‘Oh God, I forgot you didn’t properly get to ‘meet’ the us from the other world… They got paid to hunt monsters, and you know what? I’d rather live off credit card fraud and be myself than be… whatever the hell they were… assholes had their own damn plane…’
‘Are you saying you wouldn’t want your own plane?’
‘Don’t like flying Cas. Prefer to keep my feet on the ground, thank you very much.’
‘You don’t like flying?’
‘Hell no. Trapped in a stuffy metal tube with hundreds of other people, babies crying throughout the whole damn flight, eating overpriced and stale snacks? Oh, and the fact that I’m not in control of the plane whatsoever? And even if I was - if something were to go wrong? Not much you can do but hope you go quick.’
‘Oh. I suppose it’s different for me. I love… um, I loved flying. Plus there’s the fact that we as angels were designed for flying whereas you… were not.’
‘Yeah… and you have a few billion years’ experience over me with flying. Probably as natural to you as walking.’
‘Hmm… I suppose that’s where angels and humans are different. Our ability of flight… it’s part of who we are. A major part of what makes up our true form is our wings. The ability to travel the entire globe, even to anywhere within the Universe if we so pleased – in the span of a second? I’ll admit, it was something I took for granted.’
‘You still miss your wings, huh? I mean, I know you still have them, but…’
‘But they’re broken. It’s okay Dean, you can say it. And, yes, I still miss them. I always will. But it gets easier. You adapt to these things. You learn… there’s more important things.’
‘Yeah… that’s… that’s some words to live by, Cas. Kind of wish I could have seen your wings. I mean, I know you did the whole shadow puppet thing when we first met to show off – and don’t deny that wasn’t what you were doing; I got that smug face of yours seared into my brain. Hell, not even just your wings. I wish I could have been one of those ‘special people’ who get to see your true form.’
‘You… you do?’
‘Course I do, Cas. Sure, I think of you and I see Jimmy’s face, and… well, Jimmy’s face and his body are you now, in a way, but… I don’t know, you’ve seen both my physical form and my soul, and then… I’ve never been able to see the real face of the angel I’ve fallen for.’
‘I don’t think you’d truly want to see me… an angel's true form is… ‘unsettling’, to say the least.’
‘Cas, I don’t care if you’re really ‘the size of the Chrysler building’ and have multiple animal heads like Zacharia did. You’re Cas. You could be in Jimmy’s body, in some random dude's body, your true form, whatever. It doesn’t matter to me. So long as I know it’s you in there? I’ll love whatever is staring back at me.’
‘…what if I was possessing Sam?’
‘Not only did you ruin the moment, but you made it super weird. I’m kinda impressed.’
“What are you two gossiping about now?” Sam’s amused voice brought Dean back into the present, realizing with a startle that they were already pulling into Jody’s driveway.
“Eh, nothing much. Cas just wanted to know If I’d still bone him while he was possessing you.”
“What?!” Sam spluttered, slamming on the brakes a little harder than he intended.
‘That’s not what I meant!’
“That’s messed up, Cas!” Sam turned wide-eyed to face Dean, his startled and disgusted look boring straight through to Cas. “I hope you told him no, Dean!”
‘Technically, you haven’t said no-.’
‘NO, Cas! I would still love you, but that is a line I am not willing to cross.’
“What the hell is happening?” Eileen had her arms braced against Baby’s dash, not at all expecting the rather sudden stop.
“You don’t want to know,” Sam signed towards Eileen, giving Dean one last offended look before switching off the Impala’s engine.
Sam and Eileen had only just transferred Dean from the Impala into his wheelchair when the front door to the Mill’s home swung open, an already welcoming smile plastered on Jody’s face as she took in the sight of Sam and Eileen.
“I thought I heard the Impala’s obnoxiously loud engine,” Jody joked, leaving the front door open a crack as she steps out into the driveway. “Where’s-,”
Jody’s face dropped as Sam shifted to the side, catching sight of an oddly cheerful-looking Dean Winchester sat within a wheelchair. She hadn’t meant for her mouth to drop open the way that it did, or for her mind to fully expect for Dean to jump straight out of the wheelchair and all three of them to burst into laughter at her reaction in what would be some sick prank. But he doesn’t. Instead, he wheels closer to her, the cheerful smile on his face wavering as the seconds tick by.
“Okay Sammy, maybe you were right… Probably should have warned her…”
“What is…” Is all Jody can get out at first, clearing her throat and shaking her head at the ridiculousness of the situation. “What happened?”
“Now that is one hell of a story…” Dean says with a half-hearted laugh. “And it ties into the reason we’re here.”
“I did want to tell you first, but Dean decided he wanted to be an asshole about it,” Sam offers, giving Jody an awkward wave. “Oh, and… this is Eileen.’
“Hello…” Eileen greeted the sheriff with a wave that was somehow even more awkward than Sam’s.
“Right… well, um… you should probably come in…” Jody says, glancing back to the front door. “I’m guessing you’re not just here to catch up?”
“Afraid not. We, uh… we actually need to speak to Claire, too.” Sam said.
Jody frowned at that, crossing her arms across her chest as she stared them down. Typically, when the Winchesters needed to speak to you, it was either because you were in trouble, or they were about to get you into trouble. “…What for?”
“It’s probably best Claire joins us first. Just so we can get the whole story out in one go.” Sam tells her.
“You’re telling me that the reason Dean is… you know… ties into you needing Claire?”
“Sounds weird, but yeah,” Dean says.
Jody can only sigh at that, uncrossing her arms and waving at them to follow as she turns back towards the Mill’s family home.
“You boys do like to test me…”
 * * *
Dean had never felt so out of place. Sam and Eileen were sat comfortably on the couch in the living room whilst he was sort of just… off to the side in his wheelchair. Yeah, he could have sat on the couch if he wanted to, but a) he’d rather not be squashed up against Sam and Eileen, and b) …he’s too lazy to move back and forth from the wheelchair.
Plus, even though he feels bad for how distraught Jody looked at the sight of him, he still kinda wanted to see Claire’s reaction.
Sam’s right, he is an asshole…
Speak of the devil, those bounding ‘taking two steps at a time’ footsteps stomping down the stairs could only be those of teenage angst, two other pairs of footfalls following just behind, though much calmer than the ones of the blonde-haired girl that appears in the doorframe leading to the living room.
“Sup dorks-,”
It seemed that Claire is taking after Jody more and more every time that Dean sees her, considering the fact that her expression is pretty much identical to Jody’s, her eyes drawn to Dean sticking out like a sore thumb in the room.
“I know,” Dean says as seriously as he can. “I just get more handsome the older I get, don’t I?”
Claire was so frozen in place that Kaia, who had been following just behind, nearly ran into the back of her. Kaia’s eyes widened upon seeing them, partly hidden by Claire with a hand hanging onto Claire’s sleeve as what could ever be a comforting gesture for Claire, or an attempt to ground herself.
“Oh my God…”
“Nope, we took care of him,” Dean joked.
“Jack took care of him,” Sam corrected him. “We got our asses handed to us.”
“Whatever.”
“Come on then,” Jody’s voice booms from the bottom of the staircases, striding into the living room and brushing past Claire and Kaia as she went. “Apparently, we’ve got a story to hear.”
Claire finally snapped herself out of her frozen trance, taking a few timid steps into the living room with Kaia following close behind as usual. “How bad is it?” She asked Dean, unable to tear her eyes from his limp legs.
“I can’t walk so, you know, not great. Still got my arms and the use of little Dean though, so-,”
“Let’s not get too detailed,” Jody cuts him off, holding out a hand to stop him with a grimace. “Did you… did you break your back?”
“More like shattered. But, uh… probably best we go from the beginning, like Sam said.”
“Wait…” Claire stopped Dean before he could start, her eyes darting between all three of them. “Where’s Castiel? And no offense, but uh… who’s this chick?”
“Claire!” Jody scolded her surrogate daughter. “It's not a crime to remember manners every once in a while, you know.”
“I’m Eileen,” Eileen answered, the off-rhythm tone of her voice getting Claire to raise her eyebrows in recognition.
“Oh! Are you, um… hard of hearing?”
“Lost all my hearing as a baby to a banshee,” Eileen answers. “I can read lips, though.”
“A banshee? Does that mean you’re a hunter, too?” Kaia piped up, starting to shift away from her hiding space behind Claire.
“Born and raised, pretty much,” Eileen answers.
“We met Eileen a few years go on a banshee hunt – the same banshee, actually,” Sam adds. “She, uh…”
“I was killed by a Hellhound set on me by the British Men of Letters,” Eileen finishes the sentence Sam struggled to say.
“Oh…” Claire is just about able to get out, staring bug-eyed at the female hunter in front of her. “And now you’re…?”
“Don’t worry, she’s alive. And human,” Dean reassured them. “Sam went all witch-mode and brought her back.”
“You… Sam, you did what?” Jody spluttered in her mom voice.
The power of ‘the mom voice’ had Sam instinctively cowering in submission. “The spell was mostly completed already…”
“Okay…” Claire butt in before Jody could scold Sam for dabbling in witchcraft. “So… where’s Jack and Cas? Could they not make it…?”
“Technically… they’re both here, in a way,” Dean says with a grin.
Sam sends yet another classic bitch face his way. “Dean-,”
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop being cryptic,” Dean mutters in defeat. “So… you remember when Jack got sick? After he died… Cas found him in Heaven. Along with the Empty… Cas decided to be a dumbass and make a deal without telling us. Jack came back and… Cas’s life was exchanged for it.”
The grief-stricken look that passed across Claire’s face had Dean scrambling to continue. “He’s not dead! Not right now, anyway. He, uh… he sacrificed himself for me. Death was coming for us – and I’m talking the literal Death here – and Cas used his deal with the Empty against her.”
“Wait, I’m confused-,” Jody interrupted Dean’s story. “What exactly was the deal Castiel made?”
 “He took Jack’s place in the Empty. Except, the Empty decided it wanted to be a dick about it. It would only take Cas once he ‘experienced a moment of true happiness’, so…”
“So… Cas forced himself to experience a moment of true happiness to… save you?” Claire asked. “How does that work?”
“The Empty… kinda had a grudge against Death. When Cas summoned the Empty to us, the Empty took Death along with Cas.”
“Oh… and, um… the moment of true happiness? What was that?”
Dean’s words froze in his throat, reluctant to leave his lips. There was something about the fact that he was saying it to Claire… the daughter of the guy his angel wears… he could only hope she didn’t find it too weird…
“Well… uh… he…”
The smug, knowing look that crossed Claire’s face was not one Dean was expecting at his stuttered answer (if it can even be called an answer), the young woman turning to Kaia with a roll of her eyes and a good-natured slap to the arm. “See, what did I tell you? Knew he’d do it eventually…”
“Uh… do what?” Dean asks.
“Oh, not much,” Claire says with a grin much too sly for Dean’s liking. “Me and Kaia just had a bet going on which one of you would confess to the other first. I bet Cas would do it first. Kaia bet you’d do it first, but I said you were way too emotionally constipated to manage something like that.”
“You just cost me ten bucks…” Kaia mumbled in Dean’s direction.
“Excuse me-,”
“The only way I could see you making the first move would be to kiss Cas at some random ass time, panic that you did it, and then run away,” Claire told him, counting the events on her fingers.
“I…” Damn, she was probably right… “Uh… you knew?”
Claire scoffed at that, feeling comfortable enough to walk further into the room and drop down into the armchair opposite, leaning back against the cushioned pillow with her arms crossed. “Please. I don’t have many memories of my dad, but I remember the way he would look at my mom. Cas has the same damn look when he looks at you.”
‘Well… it IS his face…’
‘Yeah, and that probably freaks her out a little so… maybe not mention that?’
“Hey, me and Eileen had a bet going too!” Sam says jovially, the amused smile on his face slipping away as he caught sight of Dean’s fiery glare. “Sorry…”
“Alright, alright, everyone knew me and Cas had a thing for each other before either of us did. We got it…” Dean grumbles, copying the moody teenager opposite by crossing his arms, glaring at the concealed smiles of the others in the room.
Claire perks up as she picks out something Dean had just said. “Uh… did you just say we?”
‘Time to shine, Cas…’
Jody, Claire, and Kaia startle at the piercing blue light that overtakes Dean’s eyes, unsettled by the unnaturally blank and tense posture that comes over Dean. Three pairs of frantic eyes shift over to Sam and Eileen, only relaxing marginally when they see the two aren’t phased by what was happening.
The blue slowly fades away as Dean slumps back into his chair, shaking his head and blinking sluggishly as the disorientation of possession switching clings to him. He raises his eyes up, settling on Claire with a light smile that was oddly familiar to the teenager, yet looked so foreign on Dean…
“Hello, Claire.”
She didn’t know how, but she knew straight away. Perhaps it was the strained, constipated sounding way he spoke, or his voice dropping deeper (which she thought was impossible already), or the way Dean’s eyes had lost that playful and joking edge they usually held with her, replaced with a much softer and more… more fatherlike look.
“Castiel? Is that… is that you?”
“It is for now, yes,” Castiel answers. “Dean and I… we are currently sharing possession of his body. To repeat Dean’s earlier words, Dean decided to ‘be a dumbass’-,”
‘How dare you-,’
“-during a hunt and got himself injured.”
“Like… ‘shattering your spine’ injured?”
“More than that,” Sam says darkly, gritting his teeth against the harsh memory of that night. “It was a pack of Vamps that had been around for a while. And when I say a while, I mean our Dad once tried hunting them. One of them managed to get ahold of Dean and it… it shoved Dean into a rebar.”
“The rebar pierced through his back and into his chest,” Cas embellished, the others grimacing at the image. “It punctured his heart, along with a lung. And, as you can imagine, it did some devastating damage to his spine. Fortunately… Dean made the decision to pray to me. Dean saved me from the Empty, and in return, I saved his life. But… my grace is running low. I used a majority of it healing Dean’s wounds, but it wasn’t enough-,”
“I thought your grace recharged itself?” Claire asks.
“It does, usually. I’m not entirely sure the reason for it, though I believe it may be connected to Heaven’s weakened power… Either way, it’s still not replenishing itself. In fact… it’s doing the opposite.”
“You’re running out of your grace?” Claire leans forward as she says this, her brow pinched in worry. “What does that mean for you? Will you…”
“I could die. Or I may live in Dean’s body, forcing him out and killing him.”
“Oh… And, um… what happened to… to my dad’s body?”
Castiel frowned at the way Claire’s voice seemed to shrink on itself as she asks him this, for a moment seeing the frightened little girl that stood in the doorframe, asking for her daddy as an alien being takes him away from her forever.
“That’s the reason we’re here, Claire,” Castiel tells her. “I know I’ve taken so much from you already. And now… I have to ask more of you again.”
Claire shuffled uncomfortably under Castiel’s intense and sorrowful gaze. Kaia is by her side within seconds, hovering near the armchair as she senses Claire’s clear discomfort. “Is this going to be dangerous?” Kaia asks on Claire’s behalf.
“No, it shouldn’t be,” Cas answered, unable to see Sam looking uneasily at him in a quick side-glance. “I am asking you… for your permission; your permission to use your father’s body once more as my own. We believe it might be the only way to keep me alive, as transferring me to another vessel may just use up the last of my grace, but seeing as I already had your father’s permission…”
“Right…” Claire mutters, clearing her throat and dragging her line of sight back up to face Dea- no, Castiel. “I’m not going to lie to you Castiel, it’ll always be kind of weird for me. But… I know Dad’s up there with mom, and that they’re happy, and… asides from my actual dad, you’re the closest thing I have to one, so… If this means I don’t have to lose you too, then yeah. You have my permission.”
Claire stubbornly fights back the burning tears in her eyes at the watery smile Castiel gives her, always taken aback to see the once stoic and hard-ass angel showing such raw emotion.
“Thank you, Claire. There’s… one more thing I need to ask of you.”
“Actually-,” Sam interrupts, much to Cas’ surprise. “There might be two things…”
Both Eileen and Cas frown up at him, racking their brains to try and remember the extra ingredient that they apparently needed from Claire.
“We found a spell that might be able to re-create your dad’s body without needing his soul,” Sam begins to explain to Claire, ignoring Eileen and Cas’s inquisitive stares. “One of the ingredients requires a vial of blood from a relative of the vessel. And… you’re the only surviving relative that we know of.”
“That… seems easy…” Claire says, suspicious at how simple this was all sounding.
“That one should be no problem, but uh…” Sam sighs, switching his gaze over to Castiel. “Listen Cas, I didn’t want to bring this up back at the bunker because I kind of had a feeling you’d shoot it down before I could even ask Claire.”
“…Sam…. What are you talking about?” Castiel asked, already dreading the answer.
Sam sighs deeply once again, tearing his gaze away from Cas and back to Claire. “Thing is, we need to use Cas’ grace for the spell. Problem with that is that there’s not much for us to use, and… we don’t really know what could happen if we don’t use enough. The last time this spell was used, the spell caster used pretty much all of the angel’s grace. I’m guessing we need all the grace we can get, and um… I was thinking about it, and… you see, the thing about possession is that the angel typically leaves a piece of their grace behind inside the previous vessel. And, if I remember right… Cas once possessed you.”
“No,” Castiel said sternly, the harshness in his tone making everyone in the room startle at the reminder of the powerful angel in their presence. Castiel knew what Sam was getting at. He knew what this was leading to.
“It’s worth a shot, Cas,” Sam argued, not backing down from Castiel’s ticked off glare. He holds Castiel’s gaze for a few moments before breaking it, turning back to Claire as he continues. “There was a time when I was possessed myself by an angel. We were able to use a, uh… kind of like a big needle to extract the grace from me-,”
“And it nearly killed you!” Castiel spat out. “We might not even need that much of my grace for the spell. Sam, it is not worth the risk-,”
“We don’t know that. And we won’t go all the way, Cas,” Sam assured him before turning desperate eyes back to Claire. “We won’t, Claire. I promise we won't. We managed to extract some grace from me without killing me. It won't extract all of Cas’s grace, but… that extra bit of grace from you could be the difference between this experiment failing, or saving Cas’s life. It’s all up to you, okay? If you don’t want to do this, we won’t force you into it.”
Nearly everyone in the room looked uneasy at Sam’s plan. Hell, even Sam didn’t look like he liked his own suggestion, but mostly… it was a look of desperation, of understanding, patiently waiting when you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for the answer. Claire got to take this all in, along with Dean’s – or Cas’s, she supposed – conflicted grimace, unable to meet her eyes.
“What about this makes it dangerous?” Jody’s voice broke the tension. “You mentioned a needle?”
Sam nodded his head, reaching down to the duffel bag by his feet and unzipping it. All eyes in the room focused on him as he rummaged through the bag, their faces paling at the imposing metal syringe Sam held in his hands.
“The Grace has to be extracted from the neck…” Sam tells them, his own face twisting into a grimace at the reminder of his own experience. “That’s what made it dangerous. To get all the grace… you need to push the needle in further and further. But we’re not going to do that, okay?”
Sam placed the syringe to the side, picking up on how Claire was unable to tear her gaze away from the menacing instrument. “Cas can monitor you the whole time, right Cas? We’ll keep to a safe level, extracting what we can.”
Claire nodded her head, just barely noticeable, her eyes drifting across the room as she sits, lost in thought. “And… doing this… it’ll help you?” Claire directed the question at Castiel, her eyes briefly flickering up to meet Dean’s.
“I… I suppose so, yes,” Castiel begrudgingly admitted. “Every piece of my grace would help, but Claire-,”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Castiel’s mouth swung shut at her answer, taken aback by the assured confidence in her voice.
Kaia looked to Claire, torn between wanting to say what was on her mind, but also wanting to respect her decision. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Claire insisted with a soft smile at the girl behind her. “I’ll be fine, I promise. Cas is looking out for me.”
‘Huh… you know, you and Claire have the same smile. I mean, I know it’s Jimmy’s smile, but… you smile at me like that, too.’
“I can’t say I’m feeling all that jazzed about this decision,” Jody says. “But… I also know it’s not mine to make. Just… be careful. Please.”
“I’ll intervene before even the slightest bit of harm could be inflicted,” Castiel assured Jody in that sincere grovel of his that the Winchesters know mean he’s ready to sacrifice himself if it comes to it. “I give you my word.”
“Okay, let’s just…” Claire tried not to shudder at the thought of what that needle would feel like in her neck… “Let’s get this over with…”
* * *
Claire was able to hold back a wince as the marginally smaller needle slid out from the crook of her elbow, barely even able to get a glimpse of the puncture wound it left behind before Jody was swabbing at it with the gauze from the first aid kit.
She did get a glimpse of the small glass vial filled with a dark crimson liquid that was once running through her veins, now held in Sam’s hands. He carefully screwed the lid back on the top, avoiding spilling any of what was – technically – a precious ingredient to them now.
“Never liked getting blood tests taken…” Claire mumbled, rolling her eyes at the brightly colored care-bears band-aid that Kaia stuck over her arm.
“Better than having to slice your palm open a few thousand times for spells,” Sam said, handing the vial over to Eileen for safe storage. “Makes handling weapons a pain for a few weeks…”
“Maybe you guys should just keep bags of your blood around or something for that,” Claire joked from the couch. “With how often you guys get injured, it would probably be useful.”
‘Doubt a bag of blood would have fixed my heart, but it’s the thought that counts.’
The joking smile on Claire’s face disappeared the second the ridiculously big syringe was back in Sam’s hands, the sight of that long and sharp needle sending chills up her spine.
A small smile of sympathy hitched at Sam’s lips at the clear apprehension on Claire’s face. He takes the few steps over to the couch where Claire was sat, followed closely behind by Cas as he wheels himself next to Claire.
“You might want to lie down for this,” Castiel tells her. “The procedure is… unpleasant.”
Claire swallowed nervously at his warning, shifting around on the couch until her head was resting against the mountain of pillows that Jody had quickly built for her, placing trembling hands across her stomach as she waits for something that’s going to be – well, ‘unpleasant.’
Her eyelids flutter shut at the comforting touch of Castiel’s hand on her forehead, able to feel the gentle hum of Castiel’s grace just beyond the skin of his hand. It was weird to think that it was searching through her body, taking account of her pulse, her rate of breathing, the smallest sign that something was amiss.
“Are you ready?” Sam’s voice filters through her thoughts. Keeping her eyes firmly shut, she nods her head. She didn’t want to see the needle again. She especially didn’t want to see it going in her neck…
‘Unpleasant’ was not the right word, she very quickly decided. In fact, ‘unpleasant’ was pretty damn far from the word she would use to describe the burning pain that takes over every other sensation in her body. ‘Unpleasant’ was a word used for heartburn, or when you scrape your knee falling off your bike as a kid.
She finds her hands digging into the couch underneath her, gripping onto the soft material in a vice-like grip. She has no doubt that Jody isn’t going to appreciate the gouge marks she makes in the expensive leather with her nails, but that’s a problem for future Claire. Right now, present Claire has to focus on remembering how to breathe, on keeping the scream that wants to burst out from her lungs settled in place, on easing pressure in her jaw as she clenches her teeth in case she ends up biting her tongue.
The needle slides in further and, somehow, the pain gets worse. She didn’t think it could, but oh boy, was she wrong. It’s a damn miracle she’s able to bite back the scream, but even her tightly clenched eyelids were unable to stop the few tears that squeezed their way out. There’s a hand brushing through her hair – likely Jody’s – and another hand gripping onto hers almost as tightly as the other is burrowing into the couch – one she knows for sure is Kaia’s. She almost can’t feel them, but… they’re distractions. They take away from the pain in just the slightest, but quite frankly, she’ll take as much as she can get.
“That’s enough.”
Dean’s voice had never been so relieving to hear, even if it was in that freaky deep voice that sounded like Dean trying – and failing- to mimic Castiel’s. You wouldn’t think the feeling of a needle slipping out of your throat would feel good, but anything was better than the agonizing pain she had just been going through.
“There. It’s over.” Sam’s relieved voice finally gets her to pry her eyes open. The sight of the wispy, cloud-like blue gas shifting around within the syringe is almost mesmerizing to see. That grace was inside her – still inside her, in fact – and she had no idea. She can never feel it, it’s just… there.
Seeing five heads peering down at her was rather jarring, even if she knew they were doing it out of worry for her. “Jeez, could you guys back up a bit? I promise I’m not dying…”
“Technically, she’s telling the truth,” Castiel said, his hand slipping away from her head. “I can’t sense any permanent damage done. You might feel somewhat weak for a few hours, possibly a day, but you should recover fairly quickly.”
“How are you feeling?” Jody asks, the worry in her eyes remaining despite Castiel’s diagnosis. She offers a hand to Claire, who gladly takes it, allowing herself to be pulled up into a sitting position.
“About as well as you can after having a needle in your neck…”
‘I think she takes after me more than you, Cas.’
‘You passing on your sarcastic deflections is not something to be proud of, Dean…’
‘Hell yeah it is. Being honest is for losers.’
‘Huh…. For so long, I worried that Jack was going to take after Lucifer… I should have been more worried he’d take after you.’
‘Damn. Don’t get me wrong, that was a great burn, but also… screw you.’
‘Actually, I was waiting for you to do that.’
‘Ha, that’s… Wait, wha-,’
“This spell of yours better work after all that…” Claire tells Sam, getting one last look at the vial of Castiel’s grace before it joins the other vial of her blood that’s tucked away inside Sam’s duffel.
“Thanks to you, it just might,” Sam responds with a grateful smile.
A flash of blue pulls Claire’s gaze away from Sam, glancing over to see the last second of Castiel before being greeted by eyes she knows belongs to Dean Winchester. She can only grunt in surprise when Dean’s arms are wrapping around her back, yanking her towards in a rather clumsy and awkward hug.
“That’s from both of us,” Dean says quietly in her ear, his arms tightening around her side.
Claire chuckled at the unusual softness Dean was displaying, along with the fact that Dean was very nearly dragging her off the couch with his hug. “You went back into the bad place to get Kaia back, so… only fair I did what I could to get Cas back to you.”
Another laugh bubbled out as she felt the heartfelt hug turn into more of a tense hold, patting Dean’s arm in sympathy at what she knew was going to be an awkward question from Dean once he pulled away from the hug.
“Uh, actually, about that… Me and Cas were kinda wondering…”
“Just try and reduce the number of times you two suck faces around me once you get Cas back,” Claire tells him, much to Dean’s – and Cas’s – horror. “It’s gonna take me a while to not see it as you kissing my dad…”
“I’m not too sure what I just walked into, but it sounds like a juicy topic.”
The new voice in the room gets everyone to jump, those with weapons tucked away pulling them out in a smooth practiced motion, training them on the unexpected newcomer. Sam’s eyes widen over his pistol’s iron sight, lowering the gun instinctively once his brain registers that the woman smirking over at them was someone he knew.
“Rowena?” Sam splutters in surprise, gesturing for Jody to lower her own gun – which she did somewhat reluctantly. “How did you-,”
“Just a heads up deary, your devil's trap has been damaged. Think you might have some little micey’s nibbling away at your floorboard.” Rowena tells Jody with a sweet smile and an equally sweet-sounding voice.
“Who the hell are you?” Jody asks, pistol still held firmly in hand.
“Rowena. As Samuel over there just stated.”
Jody’s eyes narrow at the stranger in her living room. Sam’s judgment was the only reason she had her gun pointed to the floor, and not at this fiery woman. “Okay, I’ll be more specific; what are you?”
“Centuries-old witch. Freshly created damned soul. Demon. The Queen of Hell.” Rowena’s impressively fake friendly smile only widens at the discomfort that washes over Jody with every new title she provides. “Take your pick.”
“Sam...” Jody takes a step back from Rowena, instinctively moving closer to where Claire and Kaia were – nearly bumping into Castiel in the process.
“What are you doing here, Rowena?” Sam asks her, sensing the need to defuse the situation before Jody starts shooting.
“What I said I would do,” Rowena answers, sauntering over the armchair Claire was occupying not long ago and dropping into it like it was her own home. “Imagine my surprise when my demons pick up on an angel's grace on Earth that’s not occupying a vessel. I sent some of my men to investigate and… what do you know, they report back to me that the Winchester’s are involved. I could only assume this is a part of your little plan to save the angel?”
“I have a name,” Castiel grumbles from his spot by the couch, mostly blocking Claire and Kaia from view.
“Oh! I suppose that means Dean’s been placed in the timeout corner for the time being?”
‘…the timeout corner…?’
“If you’re asking me if Dean is currently the one not in possession, then yes.”
“Uh, I’m sorry, you guys are friends with a witch?” Claire leans away from Castiel to try and get a better look at the witch that was currently sitting in her favorite chair.
“Ah, well, you know the saying,” Rowena mused out loud, leaning back against the comfortable pillows of the armchair. “Keep your friends close…”
“Yeah… and I’m guessing you’re a powerful enemy to have?” Claire asks.
“Good instincts, that one,” Rowena notes to Jody.
“You still haven’t explained why you’re here,” Eileen interrupts, bringing Rowena’s attention over to her. “You were able to sense Castiel’s grace and… then what?”
“As I said, I can only assume this is a part of your plan to bring back Castiel here. I did say I’d help, didn’t I?”
“You? Are willing to help them?” Jody asks incredulously.
“Aye. It’s only fair I help them after they got me killed.”
“Um… you say that like you wanted to be killed?” Kaia asks.
“Oh no, not in the moment, heaven’s no. But it turned out that dying was the best thing that ever happened to me. No mother should outlive her child, but… it’s only right that I should take over my son’s throne, isn’t it?”
“Your son? Your son was the former king of-,” Jody stops as her brain makes the connection, looking between Rowena and Sam in disbelief. “Crowley? Crowley was your son?”
“You’re acquainted, I presume?”
Jody huffs out a laugh at that. “If you call trying to kill me on the first date ‘acquainted’, then yeah.”
“Ah, that sounds like my son… Both the ‘killing’ part and the ‘trying’… poor boy had so many ambitions, just always failed to reach them…”
“Are you saying your son ‘trying to kill me’ is an ambition-?!”
“Alright, alright, let's -,” Sam quickly jumped between the two ladies to defuse the tension, sensing an argument that could only end poorly. “Yes, we found something. One of the Men of Letter’s – our grandfather, actually – managed to create a spell with the help of a witch back then, uh… Anikka Whitmore?”
“Ah, Anikka…” Rowena drawls out the witch’s name, shaking her head in what Sam could only assume was fake pity. “Shame what happened to the poor girl… She just needed to help people… had a soft spot, you see… Every witch worth her money knows that helping the needy just attracts unwanted attention. She found that out far too late, I’m afraid…”
“Yeah, we… we found the pictures…” Sam says with a wince. “Actually, I have the spell on me right now…”
Sam hurriedly searched through his jacket pockets, pulling out the little folded square of delicate paper and rushing over to Rowena to hand it over. Rowena took the paper with careful hands, long nails unfolding the old paper before taking in the written spell.
“Hmm… Ah, that makes sense… perhaps a bit risky using angel's grace, but… the human blood should help to temper the grace’s volatile power…”
“Does it… does it seem like it will work?” Eileen asks, unable to stop herself from worrying over the fragile paper crumbling away in the witch’s hands.
“I don’t see why not, considering it says here that the experiment was ‘technically’ a success… just not in the way this poor lad was expecting…” Rowena tells them, handing the spell back over to Sam – much to Eileen’s relief. “Except…”
‘Ah, dammit. Of course there’s an ‘except’. Another ‘but’, or ‘however’. Always something… ’
“I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, boys. But I have to say it. The amount of grace is… it’s a problem. The grace is essentially the power of this spell. It’s… it’s almost like the glue that puts the body back together. Creates new atoms, replicating DNA from the blood, then binds it all together. And since you said Castiel doesn’t have much of his grace left…”
Rowena’s sentence drifts off at the sight of Dean’s eyes flaring blue, watching as Castiel fades away behind green eyes. Those blank, unoccupied eyes quickly shift to ones of worry, of impending doom as Dean Winchester once again takes control of his body. “It’s not going to work…?”
“I’m not saying that,” Rowena said gently, keeping her gaze focused on Dean alone despite the four other pairs of eyes staring at her. “It’s hard to know for sure when I have never performed the spell myself – as well as it only being done once. There’s every chance this could work with the grace you have, but…”
“Don’t sugar coat it for me,” Dean insisted, his voice coming out weaker than he intended. “We need to know the risks.”
“If it’s not enough… the spell will break apart mid-way through. The body will begin to disintegrate back to nothing as the grace burns away, and once it's empty? That will be it. Castiel will be gone.”
“Is there anything you can do?” Dean asks. Though, ‘pleads’ would probably be a more apt word… “Something that can boost the spell?”
“There’s nothing I can do myself, no. The spell is simple enough, able to be cast by whoever. I’m afraid it won’t matter who casts it, as the power of the spell all comes down to one ingredient: the grace.”
“What about using another angel's grace, or-?”
Rowena stops Dean's blabbers with a shake of her head. “It has to be the grace of the angel that possessed the vessel. Unless another angel possessed the vessel?”
“Uh… that would be Lucifer…” Sam mumbled uncomfortably.
“Ah. Probably best not to go down that route…”
“So… how likely is it that… that this isn’t going to work?” Dean asks Rowena. “What’s the chance that…”
‘That I’m going to lose him,’ Dean thinks the words his mouth can’t voice.
“There's a chance,” Rowena's answer doesn’t make him feel any better. “But you want my honest opinion? Make sure you say all you need to before the spell. Don’t leave regrets.”
Rowena stood up from the armchair, feeling an unusual pang of sympathy in her chest at the crushed look on the elder Winchester’s face. “If you do make it back to the land of the living, Castiel? I expect an invitation to the wedding.”
And with that, Rowena was gone as quickly as she had come, leaving behind a room of uneasy stillness. Perhaps, in another world, Dean would roll his eyes at Rowena’s parting comment. He'd brush off whatever snarky comment Sam would add, perhaps even make a joke of his own, pretending he wasn’t picturing what that would be like; a private wedding, most likely, small and familiar, just the people he cares about most.
He doesn’t want to picture that in this world, though. Maybe even just a few hours ago, he’d let himself delve into such dangerous indulgences, of things he never thought he'd have. Hell, things he didn’t even know he wanted.
Now, though… what was the use of imagining such things, when in a few weeks he might just be falling asleep clutching the trench coat of who was once the husband in those dreams?
Next Chapter - - - >
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earnmysong · 4 years
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what are some of your favorite underrated alexis and ted moments from schitt's creek and why?
hi hi, anonymous friend! thank you for hitting me up to ramble about my most favorite bbs. here are the best alexis/ted moments - in my opinion, however esteemed one may find that to be! as for underrated, well, you can be the judge of that! [these are in no kind of order whatsoever! i’ll also be cutting myself off at ten - if and when i get that far :D!]
1. ted riding up on his motorcycle and alexis slowly realizing it’s him! - i love this moment because they had a palpable difference in their chemistry here! although it was - understandably, given their parting - slightly awkward, i as a viewer could tell they were headed somewhere grand and totally different than the first time! 
2. the whole mittens being dead discovery, where’s she all ewwww how do i pretend nothing happened and he’s all alexissss - i love this because their faces are always perfectttt, but here they’re particularly nerdy and stunning! step two on their road to itemhood for me! 
3. the whole feelings airing at mutt’s party in ‘happy anniversary’ - i love this because this, right here, is where my brain went yes, i trulyyyyy adore them and they will end up together again eventually. and thennnn i laughed, almost cried, and was essentially beside myself. i drank the peach schnapps you left in my fridge / with you it just took a little longer / sorry. / it’s okay / staff dance? / yesssssss! basically? utter perfection!
4. the bunny cam reveal! - i love this because ted’s all should i wave? and alexis is, like, no dummy but exceedingly lovingly! and then there’s touching and proximity!
5. the lice help, but specifically where ted’s all it’s not that bad, oh waitttt, it’s fineeee - i love this because ted’s perfectly at ease but still like this particular one here is gross. and then when he sees alexis’ face he’s like we’re totally cool because he doesn’t want to upset her!
6. the high-five after the twig pencil gifting / attempted kiss! - i love this because OG alexis at the start of the series would have had a veryyyy hard time doing this! it really shows her growth to me - and it’s adorable as hell! 
7. graduationnnnnn, good god, but, specifically, ted kneeling next to alexis’ chair and them talking in those positions for a while - i love this because first, he came because he wanted to support her success! second, the kneeling blocking is so simple but so touching for me! it’s a stance reallyyyyy good/close friends or comfortably in love couples take. and it very much did me in!
8. the singles’ week surprise - i love this because, while it’s not underrated at all, i remember being super ecstatically shocked by it. like, to the point of waterworks :D!
9. ew, ted, what am i thirty-two? - i love this because i am, in fact, that age and cackled delightedly for an embarrassingly long time about it ahahaha!
10. it’s time for ted to galapa-go now! - while this is meant to be a pun-based joke because ted is nothing if not punny, it actually made me tear up ahahaha. because this simple line both shows how much alexis has grown and shifted - for the better - and how much she loves, cares for, and listens to, ted!
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writethehousedown · 4 years
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New sensations, sweet temptations: Chapter 2 (Crygi, jan/rock)
a/n: we’re here with chapter two and ngl this was my favoruite chapter before i even wrote it, and huge thanks to emerald for betaing all this and helping me brainstorm, catch me over @soulfulwinter if you like, enjoy the girls at summer camp!
ao3 link
“Rock, how did you know you were gay?”
It was a sudden question that made Rock jolt. Why was Jan asking? She swore Jan was straight, she’d never mentioned anything remotely gay in the years they had been friends. She tried to shake off the confusion, resolving to help her friend and not prod whatever questioning might be happening.  
“Oh, you want a story time? Do you wanna come inside and listen to auntie Rock tell you a story of lesbians?” 
Jan laughed, of course Rock would respond with her usual brand of endearing stupidity. It made her heart flutter. The confusion and anxiety was quickly becoming too much with all these new feelings. But she knew Rock wouldn’t question it, only trying her best to keep Jan amused and not thinking too hard about things. She was like that, and it made Jan’s head spin even more at the thought of how good her best friend truly was. 
“Jannifer, I asked you a question and you’re just staring into space. Did the sun melt your brain?” Rock joked, but inwardly worried for Jan. She was acting off but it wasn’t the right time to question her about it. Not if what she thought was true. It was better to let Jan figure it out for herself and be as supportive as she could every step of the way.
The pair continued into Rock’s house, Jan trying her hardest to not seem off or raise suspicion. Rock sat across from Jan, posing herself like an old story teller ready to bestow an old legend onto some unknowing children. 
“It all began many years ago, a whole 4 years ago to be exact. You remember that summer camp? It was then.”
—– 
A young Rock, anxious and awkward as any kid her age would be, got dragged into a summer camp by Jan. Her parents said it would be good, they spoke so much of how it would help her to come out of her shell and make new friends. It didn’t feel like that though. 
Rock didn’t fit in with her peers. She was weird and she knew it. She always had been, and few people wanted to associate with the quiet nerdy girl who only seemed to talk to one person. 
Jan was everything to her though. She never judged Rock when she got excited over a cool anime she had watched recently or begged Jan to play a video game with her. If anything she encouraged it, always laughing and being excited along with Rock. Jan was different too. No one had the same energy as her. That bright bubbly infectious spirit that lit up everyone around her. How Jan wasn’t the most liked person confused Rock. She considered herself very lucky to have such a good person as her close friend though.  
They had made it to the camp in one piece, Jan was ever excited and had made a friend in the 5 minutes they had been there. She introduced her new friend, a timid looking girl with bright green curls falling just above her shoulders. She stood out and yet, seemed to want to run away from anyone who looked at her the wrong way.
“Rock, this is Crystal. You two both like art and stuff, I think you’ll get along well!” 
In hindsight, Jan was absolutely right. The pair got along very well and became good friends in their first year of high school, still a summer off however. 
For now, the one thing they shared was the anxiety of making new friends in such an unfamiliar place. Jan being the energetic 5 year old she was and would always be had dashed off, talking to more people and just generally being the social butterfly Rock had come to rely on.  
“Hi, I’m Crystal. Your friend is very…uhm friendly isn’t she.”
Rock picked up on the nervousness in the other girl’s tone. As much as she related and would rather run away than ever talk to someone, she felt an opportunity to find someone like herself in this strange place. Maybe it wouldn’t be awful if she tried to make a friend.  
“Yeah, she’s super friendly.”
The awkwardness in the conversation was palpable. But Rock knew if she ran back to Jan, the blonde would question it. She wouldn’t be harsh, but any bit of disapproval from Jan would destroy her. 
Rock pushed forward, trying to ignore the anxiety eating up at her, so far from her comfort zone in the first hour of the camp.  
Before their conversation could continue too much further, everyone was called over and one of the camp instructors started explaining everything. He explained how everything was going to work and Rock almost zoned out before Jan lightly shoved her. That made it even harder to pay attention though, but the pair managed with similar small smiles, trying and failing to hide their amusement. 
Room orders got sorted out, Rock sighed with relief upon realising she was in a decently small 4 person room with 2 people she already knew. It was to be her, Crystal, Jan and a girl called Jaida. 
They got settled into the rooms soon after, with the four chatting away while putting their stuff into the room. It was mostly Jan talking to Jaida, the blonde ball of energy was as sociable as ever, clearly having already befriended her.
Despite having stayed mostly silent since they got into the room, Rock was a little bit shocked when Crystal approached her with a nervous smile.
“Hey, you brought a sketchbook with you too? Oh, I was so worried I’d be the only one and be the weird art kid. Nice to know I’m not alone.”
The stark contrast in Crystal’s attitude was jarring. She had gone from sitting alone in a corner, glancing at the girls, not daring to interject with any of them to grinning excitedly at Rock, the genuine joy in her face made the other girl feel giddy, had she made a connection with someone? She hoped so desperately. 
“Well, I guess that makes two of us weird art kids!”
The loud, jovial laugh Crystal let out before regaining her grin made Jan glance over. She felt a surge of pride knowing her nervous friend was hitting it off with someone without much intervention. She wanted nothing more than for Rock to be more confident with people. 
“So what kind of stuff do you draw?”
Rock smiled nervously, inwardly cringing at the question. The reaction to her art from anyone apart from Jan was rarely what she liked. Would Crystal judge her? She tried to shake it off and be proud of herself, like Jan always advised her to do. She opened the sketchbook to reveal many drawings of different characters. The intrigue on Crystal’s face eased her anxieties. The green-haired girl gestured to something, smiling even more.
“Woah that’s a really good looking Eevee! Rock, your art is so cute!” Crystal squealed in excitement, making Rock bloom in pride. 
“What about you? What kind of art do you do?” 
Crystal’s art was intricate. She flicked through the pages of her own sketchbook, filled with sketches and watercolours of plants, trees and general landscapes. It was stunning, Rock was in awe of the girl’s art. 
Watching their conversation unfold, Jan had a huge grin. She always loved seeing Rock get excited about her art, and having someone else join her in the excitement was incredible. Jaida noticed the shift in her expression, curious as to what caused it.  
“Chile, what are you doing looking at her like she’s a kid who just learnt not to burn herself?”  
Stifling a laugh at Jaida’s phrasing, Jan tried to articulate a response through her giggles. 
“You know, I saw her burn herself once. She was trying to cook something but didn’t wear an oven glove and burnt herself on the tray.”  
Although they had known each other for all of 10 minutes, Jaida got the vibe Jan was an absolute airhead. She was extremely correct in her assumption, sighing inwardly upon realising she seemed to be the only one in the group who wasn’t off in their own world. Or jantasy as she had heard already. The puns were going to get tiring.  
The girls came to bond quickly over their shared time at the camp. They’d learnt they were all going to the same high school. Crystal felt immense relief knowing she would know people going into a new school. The fear of once again being an outcast hung over her still. She couldn’t help but question if they all would become good friends or split off once they started to get to know other people.  
That and her blossoming feelings for one of her campmates. It wasn’t the first time she had such feelings for a girl but it was hard to deal with. She didn’t know if the girl in question was even gay. Or even if she knew of her own sexuality. That was until one night in their room. She was half-asleep when she caught onto some quiet voices.  
“Chile, you are absolutely gay for her. We’ve seen the way you look at her . It’s cute.” 
The voice was Jaida, Crystal vaguely wondered who she was talking to before another, quieter voice piped up.
“Do I? I don’t know anymore. It’s so confusing. How do you even figure something like this out?”
Crystal recognised the second voice, her chest tightening at the thought of Rock talking about another girl. 
“I can’t tell you what you feel. But give it some thought. If she makes you more nervous than anyone else, makes you smile like no one else does and all that other sappy stuff then it sounds like a crush. I personally think you have a crush on Crystal. But you have to figure this out for yourself. I know it isn’t easy but know we’re here for you during this? Okay?“
Crystal froze at hearing her name. Rock liked her? Or was she just hallucinating while half-asleep? She woke up fully, head spinning with what she had overheard. Could it have been a dream? She decided not to push it, and to just observe how Rock was acting. 
The pink-haired girl seemed to be acting odd as the day started. She was practically attached to Jan, whispering things to her periodically. The moment she made eye contact with Crystal, she froze up. It was clear she was trying to act through the anxiety but she came off as shaky and nervous during all their conversations that day.  
It sent Crystal on a journey of mixed feelings. On one hand, she seemed to be causing the same feelings Rock caused for her but she hated to be a source of confusion and anxiety for the girl. She wanted to intervene but realised it would be smarter not to. Letting Rock figure herself out before talking about anything related to her feelings.
All the confusion and anxiety built up slowly in Rock. She had a lot of long periods of thinking, trying to make it all make sense. She liked girls. It made sense. She could accept that, what was harder was her feelings for a certain green-haired art kid with the cutest smile, the squeals she let out when her art got complimented and just every little thing about her. 
She had spoken to Jaida more, trying to explain her feelings with the brunette telling her that it sounded more and more like a crush the more she spoke of it. 
She had yet to speak to Jan though. Jan who had been by her side for years, who was always there when needed. She was terrified as to how her best friend would react to her newfound sexuality. She knew Jan wasn’t homophobic, she had argued with the homophobic kids a lot in the past. But the paranoid thought of her having a bad reaction tore Rock up inside. 
Eventually, after some days of it boiling up in her, Rock had to tell someone. She piped up in a quiet moment before they went to sleep. 
“Hey, can I talk to you guys about something.”
The nerves in her voice were immediately obvious, Jan got off her bed, making her way to Rock’s side quickly. She supportively grabbed her shoulder with a wide smile that lit some much needed confidence in Rock. 
“I think…”
She trailed off, anxiety flowing through her with 3 sets of eyes on her at once.
“I’m a lesbian.”
Jan’s reaction was instant. Gaining a rare serious expression, she put her hands on Rock’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes before speaking. 
“Hey, Rock. No matter what you are or who you want to date. I’m always here and I’ll always support you okay? It’s nothing to be afraid of and you’re super brave for telling us.”
Rock could only try to hide her face, not wanting Jan to see the tears forming. Her emotions were at an all-time high as Jaida and Crystal came over, offering the same sentiment as Jan.  
“Hey Rock. I’m proud of you for that.” 
“Hey, we’re both gay weird art kids now, isn’t that cool!”
Crystal’s brand of comfort made Rock laugh, she felt lighter at the support her newfound friends gave.  
“Thank you guys, so much.”
—–
“That was when I really realised and accepted myself, it’s weird, it’s been a good few years now huh?” 
Jan nodded, clearly engrossed in the story. Rock couldn’t help but smile at that. Jan was always listening to whatever she said and Rock hoped it would never change.  
“Oh, I remember you and Crystal. What an interesting time.” Jan smiled, wistfully reminiscing on the short-lived relationship. They had a lot in common, making a good couple. But it had ended for some reasons she still wasn’t too sure of. Although she felt slight relief, knowing Rock was single now. Not because she wanted to date her though?  
Right? 
“Hey, what happened with you guys anyway?”
—- 
The rest of the summer passed by in a flash. The anxiety of starting in a new environment set in and shook the girls. After camp had ended, numbers had been exchanged and a group chat kept them feeling closer than ever.  
They all reacted differently to the new situation. Jan was excited, always the one to shrug off her friends’ anxiety with pure optimism and eager energy. Crystal and Rock were similarly anxious, confiding in each other in the lead up. Their feelings had only complicated more since camp. Neither quite had the courage to approach the other. Although Crystal knew there was a high chance Rock liked her back, it was almost impossible for her to admit her own feelings to the girl. 
“Hey Rock, how are you dealing with all this? I’m kinda scared. You can’t help but wonder if it’s going to go well or if you’re going to mess something and alienate yourself for the next 4 years. Oh, I’m scaring myself. It’s so spooky!” 
“It do be like that sometimes.” 
Crystal snickered at the deadpan response, knowing it was meant in a loving way. Rock had a habit of blanking, only replying with things that somewhat made sense but made people question her. Although she had seen Jan poke fun of Rock for it, Crystal found it adorable. It was part of her unique charm.  
“Crystal. Seriously though. You don’t need to worry yourself so much. You’re great, funny, nice, talented, uniquely yourself and one of the prettiest girls i’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Everyone’s going to love you and if they don’t then they’re really stupid and you’re better off without them.” 
Whatever daze Rock had been in shifted quickly. Her serious face and voice was a strange transition from her normally chaotic and sweet demeanor. It was obvious to Crystal that it was all very heartfelt though. Her chest tightened, much like it did when she first overheard the conversation between Rock and Jaida at camp.
 “Rock, you’re so sweet. But you’re making it sound like you have a crush on me .” 
Although her tone was lighthearted and fun as ever, Rock froze at Crystal’s words. How did she know? She desperately wanted to shake it off, joke back with the cute green-haired girl and act like it was just banter between good friends. But part of her wanted to let it out. Express her feelings even if she got shot down. It was worth a try. But the fear was paralysing. 
Crystal noticed the conflict in Rock’s expression. Her heart hammered as she blurted something before thinking. 
“I like you more than a friend.” 
She spoke fast, but Rock knew what she heard. It snapped her out of her conflict, soon stammering out a confession of her own.  
“Crystal. I….you…” she paused to gather herself. “I like you like that too.”
“Honestly? I think it was Gigi. Not intentionally or anything but you know she was attached to Crystal the moment they met. Also we really did just work better as friends in the end. It’s not like it was too bad or anything. If anything we came out better friends. Plus I don’t think I would’ve wanted to be on the receiving end or the target of a jealous Gigi.”
Jan nodded, in hindsight they did make better friends. She couldn’t complain about Rock being single though. It made her heart feel somewhat lighter knowing she had a shot.
Wait what? 
She wanted a shot with Rock? No? Maybe? Of course she did. They worked so well together. They understood each other. Rock was the one person Jan felt the most comfortable with but she wanted more. The realisation hit her like a truck. 
She was gay for Rock.
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:: “Memoirs” :: post-Frozen 2 Time Travel AU
======= CHAPTER 8 (END) I open at the close =======
“Okay, I know you can’t tell me what I said in the future memory and also what you said, and also what Kristoff said, and what my daughter said...” Blabbered Anna with a fast voice, already gasping for air under Elsa’s amused eyes. “But there must be a thing... Or two... That you can tell me without dropping major stuff, right?”
Elsa finished smiling before thinking. They were seated on the ice floor of Ahtohallan, Anna with her forearms on her bend knees, and Elsa in lotus position close to her, an elbow on her leg as one hand held her cheek with a touched grin on her lips. Anna had been adorably curious since she woke up from the visions of the future.
“Well... I saw three different memories, from three different moments. One was when you were pregnant, one was after you gave birth, and the third one...” 
Anna instantly blushed.
“Oh my goodness, please don’t tell me that you saw Kristoff and I... Doing the...”
Elsa frowned in confusion, then choked on laughter. 
“No!” She wheezed, trying to catch her breath back, and Anna let out a relieved gasp. “No, are you crazy?!”
The blonde lifted her head, still laughing. “You would never show me that kind of thing, would you?” She asked to Ahtohallan. 
The glacier flickered with bright lights, and the sisters interpreted from it a mix of an offended gasp, a ‘Of course, duh’ and a loud laughter. 
Anna massaged the back of her neck. “Okay, sorry for interrupting. What was the third memory?”
“Your daughter was grown up, aged of 10 years old, I think - that I can say, it won’t make any impact - and we were telling her a bed time story.”
The redhead melted with a touched smile and wet eyes. “Awww.”
She then bit her lip with a grunt. “Hnnnn, it’s so hard for me to not ask you what her name is!!”
“Yep. I get you. And there’s no way I’m going to tell you.”
Anna’s nails scratched the ice under them in an exaggerated upset gesture. “This is torture!!”
Elsa giggled. “I’m sorry. Hold on, maybe I can think of something else...”
Ahtohallan sent a warning pulse to her mind. She winced a bit at it. “Yes, yes, I’m careful, I promise.” She mumbled, looking up at the magic ceiling. 
The redhead smirked, her gaze alternating between the magic source and Elsa. The Snow Queen pouted as she thought. 
“Hmmm... Something that doesn’t reveal too much...” Her thinking Scrunch then switched to the most emotional and touched expression. “She looked just like you. Truly your spitting image.”
Anna’s smile stretched to all her face, and she gasped as tears now fell on her cheeks. She let out a cute giggle, and looked up to Ahtohallan. ‘Is she allowed to say that?’ seemed written on her face, but the glacier didn’t react, and her face melted as she stared at Elsa again. The elder shared her smile. 
“Though I have to say, she looked a bit like Kristoff as well.” 
The Queen fanned herself with her hands. “This is adorable.”
The blonde laughed. “If that makes you this emotional, just imagine me who saw the whole thing.”
Anna gasped, and grabbed her hand. “True. Oh my gosh, how did you even hold the secret about the fact I’d have a daughter for so long?” She admired. 
Elsa snorted. “I told you less than 24 hours afterwards. I blurted it out in no time.”
The two sisters laughed together, their voices echoing in the giant room. 
“Hey, you haven’t told me: what did you look like?”
Elsa started to blush. “How is that important?”
“Come on, I’d freak out in the best way if I saw my own self in older version. Tell me!”
Elsa now blushed deeply, and looked down with a shy smile. “I looked great. I mean, I... I looked okay. Very... In shape.” 
Anna had an amused smirk as she stared at her elder being bashful. Whatever she had seen, it had marked her. In a good way, she presumed, given her blush. She didn’t insist much, and simply replied with a nod and a smile. 
“So, I can’t really ask you more, uh? All I’m supposed to know is that, I’ll have a daughter with Kristoff; that the reason why you won’t be there at her birth is because you will be saving Ahtohallan from raiders; and then that we’ll be the best mother and aunt ever?”
The Fifth Spirit smiled tenderly. “Pretty much, yes.”
A silence passed. 
“Yet I can see in your eyes that you want to tell me much more.” Noted Anna. 
“There are a thousand things I also want to tell you.” Grinned Elsa. “But, each thing at its own time. You’ll have answers as they come naturally.” 
“Alright.” Smiled Anna, a bit disappointed but respectful. She also had enough wisdom to understand that if she asked too much, she would alter and maybe ruin her own future, and after Elsa’s retelling, she didn’t want any other than this one. 
They finished chatting then stood up slowly, facing each other, and Elsa suddenly held Anna by the shoulders. The move surprised the redhead, just like she had been when her elder had suddenly hugged her when she woke up from the memories, but she rolled with it happily. 
“Anna.”
“Uh-uh?”
“You were right all along. I wasn’t dead- I mean, I won’t be dead on that day. Your unique positivity led you right as always.”
Anna smiled, and passed a hand in Elsa’s hair to tuck it aside after a strand had fell in front of her face. She did all she could to make the gesture reassuring, soft and warm. 
“Of course you wouldn’t die, you silly.” She said, and she could see the emotion tightening her elder’s throat. “And of course I was right. I’m always right.”
Elsa chuckled at her humorous addition, that Anna had purposely made to light up her mood. It worked, and she nodded as a thank you. 
“Also, you can miss a birth anytime if it’s to be a badass in Ahtohallan and protecting it from invaders.” Assured Anna.
Elsa chuckled.  “I’m so happy that we finally found out the truth.” 
She then frowned, and lifted her eyes to the dome.
“What I don’t get is that… If you wanted to show me that event in the future, you getting raided and needing my help to defend you, then why did you not show me a memory of the raid? Why did you show me a memory of a moment I talk about it?” 
Ahtohallan didn’t respond, and Anna smirked.
“Maybe they didn’t want you to get too much details about the attack so that you would fight them without much indications. Just the essentials, only broadly speaking. Exactly like a bed time story.” 
The blonde nodded, but blinked in confusion. 
“And how come I already know about it in the future they showed me?”
Anna had a thinking pout, bending her head, then suddenly her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers, her mouth open in a O. “It’s a time paradox!! You know about it because you just learned about it. It’s a loop!”
Elsa’s eyes widened just as large. “Oh my God.”
“You can call me Anna.” Joked the redhead, sticking her tongue out.
She bounced in joy. “Now I get why you got so excited earlier. Nerdy theories are funny.”
Some lights brightened, and Ahtohallan seemed to approve.
“And that’s not even the most beautiful.”
“What is?” Asked Elsa. 
When she turned to her younger, she was smiling warmly. “The reason why Ahtohallan showed you those memories of my daughter... It’s a reward, as a thank you from them for saving the whole glacier from the raid. They showed you what you couldn’t see while you were here helping them.” She explained, gesturing at the magical source.
Elsa’s eyes glittered with emotion, and she gulped with a soft smile. She nodded to her sister’s analysis, and lifted her head. “Thank you.”
Ahtohallan’s lights flickered as a “You’re very welcome.” gesture.
Suddenly, all the floating beams turned to bright white, and the sister suddenly hissed and groaned at it. 
“Woaw, what is this?” Grumbled Anna, squinting and protecting her eyes with her arm.
“I think it’s our way back”, muttered Elsa on the same tone and with the same gesture. “I can feel the love emanating from it.”
“Love?” Repeated Anna. She knew that Elsa shared a special and unique connection with Ahtohallan, and that it’s how she was able to translate the glacier’s emotions to her, but that was confusing. Ahtohallan’s feeling in the end was love for them?
The white light turned to blue, and Anna let out a gasp as she recognized it. It was exactly the same than the one emanating from the magic rock she had touched in the Forest, and that had brought them two in the past in the first place. She could also feel that it was the same sensation, palpable in the air. 
“So that was caring love...” Murmured both sisters in one voice, then they turned to each other and grinned. 
“Thank you!” Smiled Anna to the magic source, as the light got even more intense. “That was quite an adventure. And even if the main goal was to show Elsa the future and thank her for it, you allowed us to see our parents on that day. Now I can tick ‘travel through time’ on my bucket list, and, honestly... Life goals.”
Elsa laughed by her side, and slid her hand in hers. 
“Are you ready?”
Anna looked at the light. “I was born ready.”
“Technically, you aren’t...”
“Born yet, yes. I’ve been thinking of that pun for two days now.”
They giggled, and all the white light condensed all along the dome to one spot, the size of a large door big enough for them to both go in, and Elsa recognized this spot on the wall as being the entrance she went through to dive into the past on her first visit. 
It made sense: now was a time when Ahtohallan was used to see memories of the future; so, in order to go back to 30 years forward, they had to go through there. Anna clenched her hand as they walked.
“Elsa... I wonder... If the Northuldra chief was indeed the Fifth Spirit and he saw memories of the future, then he knew that he would die that day because of our grandfather, right?”
Elsa nodded with sadness. “Yes. I suppose that he accepted that it was his destiny.”
The reminding of how the Northuldra chief died suddenly made something hit in Elsa. “Wait... When I went deep down in the memories, the first time I went here, through that frame... I actually connected with his part of Ahtohallan.”
Anna’s eyes widened. “Is that why you froze? I thought that it was just because you searched for a secret memory?”
“...Maybe it also was because I was entering a reversed Ahtohallan, with time memories going the other way...” 
Anna stopped right before reaching the frame.
“Do you think that the reason why you saw Ahtohallan in pieces 30 years later on your first visit is because it got flipped upside down, memories now going the other way, because you headed to the glacier with the intention to get answers about the past?”
The two sisters remained silent at all the possibilities this offered. 
“That’s another mystery we’ll maybe never have the answer of.” Murmured Elsa. 
Anna nudged her. “Don’t be pessimistic. We managed to solve this one, didn’t we?”
Elsa shared her smile. “That’s right. We did.”
Ahtohallan sent an insisting pulse to her mind. “Alright, alright, we’re going.” Chuckled the Snow Queen. 
“Back to present time, then.” Smiled Anna, and Elsa nodded.
They stepped to the light together, and felt cocooned as it came over them. It indeed was a light of love, and it was so bright that they clenched their eyes shut, and felt dizzy for a moment. 
=======
When they opened their eyes, they were standing in the Forest, exactly where they had been standing before Anna bowed to touch the glowing rock. 
The redhead looked down and noticed that it had disappeared, and startled when Elsa suddenly palpated her arms to make sure that her younger was alright. 
“I’m fine, Elsa.” Chuckled Anna. 
“Sorry, I just... I had to make sure. Did all that... Happened?”
“You didn’t dream. And I sure hope that all you saw of the future will happen.”
“It will. That’s the whole point.” Smiled Elsa.
They looked at each other and hugged, more by mannerism than anything else, just glad they both made it, and lived such a crazy experience. 
When they stepped back from the hug, they looked around, surrounded by the sounds of the forest. It felt like they hadn’t come here in ages, and it was actually literal. 
“THERE YOU ARE!” Suddenly yelled a voice behind them. 
Elsa turned around at Honeymaren’s angry tone. 
“I’ve been looking for you for a full hour!” Frowned the Northuldra, walking to them. 
“Only an hour?” Smiled Elsa, and she gave a side look to Anna, who chuckled.
“What?” Frowned Honeymaren when she was close, and this time, her voice was worried. “Where were you? I got really concerned.”
“Oh, we were... Here and there...” Shrugged Anna. 
“ANNA!” 
She briskly lifted her head at the sound of Kristoff calling her. He ran to them, glad they found them again. 
“We got so worried! I was about to prepare the cart to go back to Arendelle, and...”
He caught up his breath, his hands on his hips as he stared at the sisters. “Did you two purposely hide? Elsa, did you try to kidnap my wife so she would stay longer with you in the Forest this week?” He added with a laugh. 
Elsa laughed and shook her head. “No. I would never take her away from you. I promise.” She said, her gaze going to Anna as well. 
The redhead smiled, and hanged to Kristoff’s neck to kiss him deeply on the lips. He got surprised by the intensity, but gave it back to her.
“Okay. Time to go.” She blushed once she was done, tapping his chest awkwardly. 
He nodded and turned around, and as the redhead was about to follow him, she turned to Elsa. “See you next Friday, then.” 
“It sounds weird to say it now, isn’t it?” Whispered the blonde. 
“Totally.” Whispered back Anna. 
“What are you two whispering about?” Smirked Honeymaren. 
“Nothing!” Exclaimed the Queen. 
She trotted behind Kristoff, then turned around one last time. “Hey, Elsa!”
“Yes?” Smiled the blonde. 
“Any chance you tell me her name now?”
Elsa chuckled and shook her head. “None. Just go, you dork.” 
Anna turned around and giggled openly, filling the woods with the echo of her sunny laugh.
======= THE END =======
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jewels2876 · 5 years
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Guilty
A/N: @shield-agent78​ is celebrating 600 followers - congrats hon!  I took her Lawyer AU prompt and am also filling the same square, Lawyer AU, for my @star-spangled-bingo​  - happy reading!
Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader, mentions of Sam & Bucky, Rumlow, Wanda and Vision
Word Count: 1091
Warnings: mild violence
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Steve Rogers gathered the small pile of papers in front of him and gently tapped the bottom against the desk, then the left side, before sliding them into his padfolio. He glanced over at the jury then at the judge before rising. He fastened his coat at the middle button and turned to face the jury.
“Ladies and gentleman,” he started
You sat in the back of the courtroom, pencil in hand, waiting to see what kind of spiel he would spit out. You had been promoted to the news circuit from the bullpen and you made no secret of your fascination with the newest law firm: Wilson, Rogers, and Barnes Esquires. They had been slowly taking on the bullies of your hometown and earning a reputation for being extremely friendly, extremely successful in the courtroom, and for being even more successful with the ladies. As you watched Steve Rogers undo his jacket button and gently place one hand on his hip and the other on the jury box, you understood the last part. Tall, compact, with blond hair and a dazzling smile, he was every inch the man of your dreams. He was wrapping up his closing arguments so you tuned back into his words.
“These men, this company, who claim they’re doing you good have, in fact, been skirting the very letter and spirit of the laws that are supposed to keep them in check. They don’t deserve your support nor your trust, as they continue dumping chemicals into the things you assume are healthy and safe. Please keep in mind your own health as you consider their guilt or innocence.” As he looked around the room, after eyeing the jury, his glance fell on you. His stomach fluttered involuntarily as his smile grew just a touch.
You saw his gaze fall on you and noticed the slight smile, the crinkle of his nose and eyes just slightly. You nodded briefly and offered your own small smile.
*
Two days later, the jury came back with a guilty verdict; the courtroom erupted into chaos as the defense team and several guards held back the defendants and a few men in the audience. The tension was palpable and your pencil flew across your notepad, trying to record every single detail as it played out in front of you.
You felt it before you heard it. The sharp sting of heat and metal grazing your arm. Then you heard a loud bang close by, and the screams of the people around you. Strong arms guiding you gently into a seat and clear blue eyes staring back into yours.
“Are you okay?” Steve Rogers still held you in his arms, moving over you gently to feel for any other signs of injuries. You hissed when he moved back to your left arm. He moved his hand behind him; someone gave him a roll of gauze. He gently rolled your sleeve past the wound and wrapped the gauze, tucking an end in then patting you on the shoulder. “Miss, are you okay?”
Your mouth was dry, but you managed to whisper “I’m okay, I think?”
Steve’s warm smile gave your stomach funny flips. “Can you sit here please, and let someone double-check you? I won’t go far.” You nodded mutely as Steve approached the officers that had stormed the courtroom. You winced as you tried to reach for your notepad.
An EMT approached you with a stern look; her red hair stood out against her pale skin as she knelt down in front of you, doing a quick physical assessment. “Ms. y/ln, I know you want the whole scoop but give yourself a little time, would ya?” You cocked your head at her. “You did a story on me and my partner last month after an arson case. You nicknamed him Vision, after everything he told you had panned out.” Your brain kicked in, recognizing Wanda as the EMT, as she shook her head with a smirk. “He loves it and now he refuses to respond to any other name.” Wanda handed you a styrofoam cup filled with water, which you gulped down.
You licked your lips and took a shaky breath. “Did they arrest whoever shot up the place?” Wanda’s eyes sparkled even though she tried to remain stern. “I’m not really the person to ask.” A long shadow fell over both of you and Wanda straightened then excused herself. 
Steve took the seat next to you. “Wanda’s a friend,” he explained, “and seems to have given you the green light if you want to leave?” Your head shook, wanting to stay and get more for your story. “Can I ask you a couple of questions, Mr. Rogers?”
His chuckle had you holding back a small moan. Every inch of this man was doing something to you. You shook it off trying to remain professional. “Mr. Rogers makes me sound like an old tv character. Please, call me Steve.”
You took a steadying breath. “Ok then, Steve. Can you tell me if they arrested the shooter? Are there ties between the defendants and the shooter?”
Steve smiled. “You are tenacious, aren’t you, MIss y/l/n?” You smirked knowing he had been playing coy. “So Miss y/l/n, how about I answer these questions for you, over dinner perhaps?” His eyes darkened only slightly, but you wondered if his idea of dinner was different than yours.
“No, I’d like to keep this professional, Mr. Rogers,” you answered demurely. “It’s good to know you know who I am. Are you able to answer my questions now?”
His smile widened but his eyes darkened more as he finally took a long look at you. “If I do, will you go to dinner with me another time?”
You paused for a moment. This relationship was supposed to be secret; your presence in the courtroom was something he had asked for not knowing what would happen. If you went to dinner together… You finally answered with a smirk. “I’d be happy to go to dinner with you, but only if I can give my paper the scoop first?”
*
Your editor grinned at the two stories you dropped in her lap three days later. Steve had been true to his word, and the grin on your face should have been for the stories you turned in: MOB TIES TO RUMLOW INC and ROGERS AND Y/L/N ADMIT ENGAGEMENT - but no one else needed to know what really put that smile on your face, did they?
fin
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Top 10 Drarry Fic Recs
When I say the Drarry-ship saved me, I don’t kid. I stumbled upon this pairing (which is now my OTP) as I was going through a particularly anxious phase of my life. These fics made me laugh, cry and generally succeeded in distracting me from falling down a terrible anxiety spiral. 
I thought it’s only fair that I make a top 10 list in the hope that it may help others like me. I will forever be grateful to @capiturecs @justdrarryme @o0o-chibaken-o0o @sleepydrarry @drarryspecificrecs @dictacontrion @dragontamerdrarry and several others for their wonderful wonderful fic recs. 
(I’m super new to Tumblr so please excuse any mistakes I make on here)
Soup-pocalypse and The Great Curry Cataclysm by SquadOfCats @norelationtoatticus (104k, E) 
Eleven years after the war, Draco Malfoy leads a quiet, boring, and perfectly respectable life, thanks very much. Or, at least he does, until a sudden and very unexpected veela awakening causes him to throw soup all over Harry Potter in the middle of the Ministry cafeteria.
This fic was just 104k words of utter perfection. The hilarious and emotional moments are so well balanced that you can’t help laugh and cry alternately at 3AM. Parent!Harry to insecure wonderful Teddy is just lovely to read. Draco’s cooking shenanigans and his relationship with his house-elves had me in fits. I highly recommend this. 
Mental by Sara Holmes (186k, M)
Harry has had quite enough of sharing his mind with someone else, thankyouverymuch. A miscast Legilimecy spell says otherwise.
What can I say about this fic that hasn’t already been said? This was the fic that took me down the Drarry rabbit hole and boy, am I glad that I took the ride. Harry and Draco’s evolving relationship is so well executed in this one. It’s the perfect enemies-to-lovers transition. Plus, legilimency SMUT and super supportive friends! LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS. I would recommend everything by this author; especially Number Seven. 
Turn by Sara’s Girl (306k, E)
One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.
This one is long and will hit you right in the feels. I’m a sucker for ‘being-sucked-into-an-alternate-reality’ fics and this one is right at the top of that list. Artist!Harry, Journalist!Draco and their sassy pet snake are to die for. And little Maura is just adorable goodness. This was also the fic that made me ship Ginny/Blaise. It’s so well written and beautifully executed. Go read it!
Survival is a talent by @shanastoryteller (280k so far, T)
In the middle of their second year, Draco and Harry discover they're soulmates and do their best to keep it a secret from everyone.
Their best isn't perfect.
I tend to avoid WIPs but this one is truly worth the wait. If not for the adorable Drarry, read this one for the wonderful magical theory. Alchemy, necromancy, astral projections and charms theories sent my nerdy soul into a tizzy. I love a clever (bordering on genius) Draco, and this book delivers. It also has a wonderful Sirius/Remus relationship and their attempts at parenting Harry are so so cute! Nagini, Abigail and Theophania lived up to all my parseltongue dreams. Also I’m Indian, so a desi Harry sent my heart fluttering. (I know I’m gushing now but SIAT is just THAT good.)
All our secrets laid bare by @firethesound ​ (149k, E)
Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.
This fic is the answer to all the AurorPartners!Drarry requests. It’s so well written and the growing sexual tension is palpable.  Their fights and banter are spot on and you end up rooting for those two so hard. I recommend everything by @firethesound. I have read at least 6 of their fics and loved each and every one.
We Are Young (I'll Carry You Home Tonight) by @femmequixotic​ (68K, E)
Harry and Draco have been falling into bed on and off again since the last election five years ago, much to the amusement--and financial gain--of their circle of friends. But when Harry agrees to work with Draco to put Kingsley Shacklebolt into the Minister's office, they can't work side-by-side again every day and sleep together; that would be courting disaster. Wouldn't it?
Friends-with-benefits, housemates and oblivious Drarry! Need I say more? Also, I LOVED all the politics in this, including a crazy screaming Blaise. Again, I recommend everything by @femmequixotic​. The writing just makes me feel so many feels!
Eclipse by Mijan (287K, T)
You're dead, Potter... I'm going to make you pay..."
Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius's imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It's the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But when Draco's world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back.
Ahh, I don’t even know where to start with this one. Their enmity, careful hesitation, sacrifice and love had me in tears. I was so scared for them throughout their treacherous journey across the forest. This fic is super long and perfect for angst lovers. I was unable to put it down, EVEN TO SLEEP. The blood magic and clever Draco had me falling for it hard and I’m sincerely hoping there will be a sequel at some point. (Though it is old, so it’s not probable)
How I met your father by @dracogotgame​ (95K, M)
Harry sits his kids down and tells them a story. A very long story.
If you’re a HIMYM fan and are looking for a light Drarry fic, this one’s for you. The similarities to HIMYM were well done without being over the top while maintaining a ton of originality. The anticipation leading up to Harry and Draco’s first meeting was so good. Oh, and the ending was perfect, unlike HIMYM’s.
Men Who Love Dragons Too Much by fencer_x, IDoodleForNoodles (479K, E)
[Extensive re-telling of Deathly Hallows] ‘Kill Albus Dumbledore’ is less a challenging task and more a suicide mission, so when Draco Malfoy is presented with the option to either dispatch his Headmaster or suffer an excruciating and most ignominious death of his own, along with his parents, he reaches deep into his black little Slytherin heart and manages to scrape together enough courage to go with option C instead: Spend Sixth Year secretly studying Animagecraft in the hopes he’ll turn into something sufficiently imposing even the Dark Lord himself won’t be able to keep Draco under his thumb. But just his luck, his Animagus form turns out to be a dragon, and a rather randy juvenile at that, intent on finding its mate: one Harry James Potter.
Okay, I had to include at least one Horcruxes hunt fic. AND THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST ONE. How could it not be? Dragon Animagus Draco and his mate Harry? Recipe for perfection. It’s long and it’s an amazing read. NOW GO READ IT!
A change in perspective by Roozette (121K, M)
Once there was a potions accident... Ha! Harry turns five, much to the distress of the I don't want to be a Death Eater brigade.
I love adorable de-aging fics and this one is just too cute. The storyline is a little ridiculous but read it for the relationships and the cuteness. Harry’s love for his snakes is just heart melting and Draco is at his adorablest-best. Hermione’s pet name for Harry had me crying and laughing. Hands down, the sweetest de-aging fic I’ve read and I think I could read it again and again. 
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petri808 · 5 years
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Izuku dated Shoto and they broke up on bad terms and he didn't date anyone for a year or two and then he met Katsuki and he fell in love with him and wanted to date him and he asked him out and they got together and he wanted to make peace with Shoto so he went and talked things out with him and told him about katsuki and then he left but Shoto isn't able to move on and now he is sad that he let izuku go
A Painful Reunion
It had been a year since Izuku Midoriya had broken up with his boyfriend Shouto Todoroki and he really didn’t think he’d be able to keep going this way. The breakup had been painful for both of them, ending with such a massive fight over such a stupid little thing. He could throw himself into his work all he wanted to avoid the sadness, but at the end of the day he returned to an empty apartment.
“You need to get out again, Midoriya,” his co-worker Tenya Iida counsels the stricken man. “How about the new guy, I saw you looking at him the other day; interested?”
Quickly, Izuku’s ear start to burn. Yes, he had in fact noticed their newest partner at the firm. A man named Katsuki Bakugou had just been brought in as a junior partner, and something about the man’s feisty personality intrigued him because it was so different from Shouto’s cooler disposition.
“I take that as a yes,” Iida chuckles, settling back in his desk chair as he watches the cherry expression bloom on Izuku’s face. “In that case, as senior partner I am putting you both to work on the T.A.Y. merger.” He pushes a folder across the desk. “It should give you plenty of opportunities to get to know each other better.”
“Are you serious! I-I’m gonna be so nervous working with him!”
“Just think of it as any other case you’ve worked on with others. He’s new so it’ll be good for someone with experience in our style to partner with him for his first major case.”
Izuku runs a hand down his face, “I’ll do my best boss.”
“You’ll thank me later.”
He takes the folder and walks it down the hall to Bakugou’s office, knocking before entering.
“Hey,” Izuku holds the folder up, “Iida gave us a merger to work on.”
“We?” The man leans forward in his chair, narrowing his eyes. “I thought they weren’t gonna give me any till I pass probation?”
Oh crap, Iida didn’t mention that! “I don’t know bout that, but that’s the instructions he gave me. Could be why he has me working with you.”
Katsuki motions towards the chair across from him. “Sit, you’re making me nervous just standing there.” Holding out his hand, “let me see the file.”
Midoriya does as he’s asked, handing over the folder. He sits there quietly, fidgeting with his fingers in his lap while Bakugou peruses the folder. But Bakugou wasn’t blind to the other man’s plights.
“Do I make ya nervous?” Bakugou asks without looking up from the paperwork.
“No,” Izuku sits up straighter in the chair, trying though failing to be nonchalant about it.
“Tch, right.” He places the folder on his desk. “Well, where do we begin?”
“I know one of the CEO’s, I could call to set up a meeting.”
“Not bad,” Bakugou nods, “connections in high places, you’re one to stay close to Midoriya.”
Izuku flushes, scratching the back of his head with a wide smile, “nah, I just happened to have met him at a function.”
For the next several days, Izuku and Katsuki work at the details of the merger. Their client, T.A.Y. Corp. was moving to purchase a competitor, but that company A.F.O Inc. was trying to renege on the deal, despite the fact it would save them from bankruptcy. This merger would net their firm a sizable closing fee, so, many eyes were watching the pair. Some thought they were an odd match up. Izuku known more for his softer, meticulous approaches, and Katsuki as a bold, plan-as-he-went kind of guy. Both had impressive resume’s despite the differences, but it really was like watching two opposites somehow attracting like a magnet. Maybe their styles complimented each other, brought a balance they could tag team off of, at least, that’s what their bosses hoped for.
Their best bet to push things along smoothly, was to find leverage, and that took research, something Izuku specialized in. Katsuki knew he wasn’t very strong in that area, so he just stayed back and watched, lending a hand wherever he could. Negotiation was more of his strong suit, and that’s where he’ll come into play. He had to admit that despite being a nervous and nerdy guy, Izuku was overly sweet which normally irritated Katsuki, but this man was endearing to him. Every morning the man would show up in his office with coffee and snacks for the both of them. It was even odd how Izuku had guessed his coffee preference. Black, no cream, just a couple of sugar packets. But when asked, Izuku just shrugged and said it was just a lucky guess.
It took a week to get everything together, and a meeting set up between the two companies at their firm’s conference room. Izuku and Katsuki planned out their strategy, which came down to a good cop, bad cop routine. Izuku would handle pushing the facts, and Bakugou would focus on ratcheting up the pressure. Their client was on-board with the plan because all they cared about was gaining A.F.O. and in reality, shutting down some of its questionable operations.
And it worked!
Izuku had been so worried that Katsuki’s pushy behavior might make things difficult, but in the end watching that man work was like a really good thriller movie that you couldn’t keep your eyes off of! He was probably the only one in the room actually starstruck, but that was it for him. Izuku was in love. The exhilaration was palpable by the flash of Katsuki’s eyes, his fiery prose demanding yet coolly calculated. Katsuki was clearly a lion stalking its prey when he worked, and even Izuku fell victim to his deadly reproach. He, they couldn’t take their eyes off the man, and when it was finally over, it was Katsuki standing over A.F.O.’s CEO as the delegate signed on the dotted line.
“You were really amazing to watch in action Bakugou,” a darkening tinge filtering onto Izuku’s cheeks. “I could never be so bold as you.”
“Yeah, well I ain’t as good with all that research and stuff, so you did well on your part too Midoriya.”
‘Is that a blush on Katsuki’s face?’ Izuku wondered as they stood there, awkwardly complimenting each other. They were the last ones in the conference room, their bosses having led the client and other parties out by that time. So, there was no other reason to evoke embarrassment out of the brash man. “I guess… we make a good team?” he asks hesitantly, sweeping his eyes to floor in order not to see Katsuki’s response or reaction if it wasn’t a favorable one.
“Right…. Team…” Katsuki rubs the back of his neck, “speaking of team… we-well, I mean…. oi look at me when I’m talking to you!” Izuku’s eyes, widened by the sudden scolding, snap back to Katsuki. “Tch, better. I was gonna ask you if, you’d like to maybe go, you know, out to dinner or something to celebrate the win… with me?”
If Izuku’s eyes were big earlier, at that moment, he was pretty sure they could see space now. He couldn’t fathom that this man, this polar opposite in so many ways, would ever be interested in going on a date with a nerd like him. I mean sure, they got along fine working on the merger, and it wasn’t for a lack of wanting on his end, but he never any inkling that Katsuki would be interested in more than just a working relationship.
“Well? You gonna answer me or just keep staring?”
Right! He needed an answer! “S-Sorry, yes, Yes! I’d love to go on a date with you.”
Katsuki looks at his watch, “Then I’ll meet you by your car at 6?”
“T-That’ll be fine with me.”
“Good, and don’t be late,” Katsuki pats Izuku on the shoulder and walks out of the room.
Izuku follows not long after, beelining it for his office. Once inside he shuts the door and braces against it. The rush of adrenaline still funneled through his system, and he needed to calm down. He was going on a date with Bakugou tonight! Was this all a dream? Izuku pinches his arm only to find himself still standing, clutching the completed merger files in his hands, with his back against the door. It’s been a long time since he’s had such a rush of romantic emotions, sending his heart soaring, and anxieties through the roof. He didn’t want to hold out too much hope lest his heart be broken a second time in a year, but it did feel good to be wanted again.
That evening at dinner, Izuku did his best to reign in his nerves, and enjoy their time together outside of work. Two men in business suits didn’t quite look very romantic but, there was definitely electricity in the air between them and when Katsuki suggested winding down with a stroll in the park across the street, Izuku jumped at the opportunity. The glass of wine to Katsuki’s whiskey giving him a rosy glow.
At first, it was just the two of them walking along the path in idle conversation until they hit a more secluded area, further from the prying eyes of the lit sidewalks and city street. Katsuki reaches over, taking hold of Izuku’s hand, intertwining their fingers. If not for the shadowed lighting, they would have been able to see the darkening patches on each other’s cheeks. But they could feel a spike in temperature, warming the cooling night air that surrounded them. Neither said a word as the continued along the pathway, simply allowing the excitement to build and tension melt away. It was a step towards a new beginning.
The next several months were a whirlwind.
At the firm, they maintained a professional level, becoming the seamless team envied by other partners, but heralded by their bosses as the perfect storm, able to utilize their differences to affect great results. They really were very different in so many ways, yet once they married those divergent styles and personalities, they truly were a sight to be seen in a conference room. Iida couldn’t be more pleased with himself for pushing them together in the first place.
Outside of work was another story. In the confines of privacy, the bolder Katsuki drew out the quieter Izuku, pulling him not only out of his shell, but showing the shy man that happiness may actually be achievable. After the first couple of months, they were at each other’s apartments on a daily basis, switching back and forth on a whim. They took turns doing things to cater to each other’s desires, maybe a quiet movie at home for Izuku, or even a game of laser tag for Katsuki. Whatever one wanted, the other tried to make it happen.
“I want you to move in with me Izuku,” Katsuki places his arm over the man’s shoulder, pulling his attention away from the television screen. “You mentioned your lease coming due in a month, so it makes sense to just come here instead.”
A whole year had gone by, barely noticed really by Izuku. He’d been so happy about this relationship, but to move in together was a big step. What if things went wrong? His worried lip and furrowed brows trigger a sneer from his boyfriend.
“What? You don’t wanna live with me or something?”
“Huh?” Izuku flushes, “no I do! It’s just, its what killed my last relationship and…” moistures starts to gather in his eyes, “I-I’m afraid.”
“Tch, what’ll really change? I mean half your clothes are here already. You know my habits probably better than I do cause you’re so damn organized.” Katsuki laughs, and leans over, letting his cheek rest against Izuku’s. “I know it’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” Izuku breathes out. “I’ll put in my notice to the landlord,” he turns his face to Katsuki, peering up into the man’s crimson eyes. “And move in with you.”
“You sure?”
The flash in Katsuki’s eyes sends a shiver racing up Izuku’s spine. Was he? “Yes,” he nods adding a physical reminder of his determination.
“Good,” Katsuki kisses Izuku on the lips, then letting his trail over the man’s cheek. He whispers close to Izuku’s ear, “we should celebrate tonight, would you agree?” Katsuki places kisses along the nape, lingering at the junction of the shoulder, his canines dragging over the skin’s pulse.
Izuku could only nod and give in to his boyfriends demands…
If the bounce in his step didn’t relay to onlookers the cloud-nine feelings surging through Izuku’s heart, or maybe the ear to ear grin he sported at the idea that today was the day! He was officially moving in with Katsuki! Everything had been packed and moved already, but today was the final walk through, so he’d taken off to deal with it. Izuku pauses at the entrance of the apartment building and stares up at the imposing structure. He really likes it here. It was quiet, friendly, and close to work.
Well, Izuku glances at his watch, Katsuki should be home in a couple of hours, he should get dinner going, maybe even get a little more unpacked. He reaches for the handle of the double door, when another pair of hands grabs it first.
“Oh! I’m sorry,” he looks over. He’d been so absorbed with his own thoughts he’d missed another tenant right behind him. But as soon as he sees the man, all the blood drains from his face. “Shouto?! What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t ask you the same question, I live here.”
Izuku cracks a half smile, hoping to break the tension, “I-I’ve moved in too, today is officially my first day.”
Shouto’s eyes widen, “by yourself?” Had his luck improved, that the man he was still in love with would end up moving into the same building as him? He’d moved into this building to get away from the memories that lingered in their old shared one, and every day he kicked himself for not trying to stop Izuku from walking out the door.
“No, no,” Izuku waves his hands excitedly, “I moved in with my boyfriend.”
“Oh.” The man deflates but catches himself quickly not wanting to show his despair. “Congratulations.” Shouto opens the door, gesturing towards it.
“Thanks,” Izuku blushes and walks through. “So, how have things been going with you?” He makes idle conversation on their way to the elevators. Shouto responds with short answers, the whole time doing his best to avoid eye contact. When the doors open on the 5th floor, Izuku steps out. “Well it was nice seeing you, take care!”
“Yeah, you too,” Shouto gives a half wave as the doors close.
As soon as he makes it into the apartment, Izuku braces himself against the front door. Of all the people to run into here, his ex, but you know what? It wasn’t so bad. All this time, he’d been so worried about how he would react to seeing Shouto again, but now he knew the answer. It didn’t bother him. No racing heart, no lingering emotions for his ex, nothing. Izuku smiles, things really were going to be okay.
But, one floor above, Shouto Todoroki felt like his world had completely shattered. Izuku looked so happy the moment he’d mentioned a boyfriend. It was obvious his ex-boyfriend had moved on and that thought just killed him. He drops onto the cold tile floor, with barely the strength to keep himself propped up. Tears well up and he grits his teeth against the stabbing pains, turning his heart into a broken vessel. Stupid! Stupid! He punches the floor. “I should have chased after him!” It was too late now.
A few hours later, Izuku hear the tell-tale sounds of his boyfriend’s keys in the door. He walks out of the kitchen where he’d been finishing a roast to greet the man. “Hey babe,” he smiles wide and kisses Katsuki on the lips. “welcome home…”
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