#i may have lost in the dad department but his sister is the shit

[iveneverseenthesebowlsbefore]

This is what my aunt does. She sends me little mystery boxes all the way from CA...

Hmm what could this be?

 Oh it’s a tiny stamp how cute! Let’s try it out...

It’s so nice to be so seen <3

[mynumberfivethings]

I Heard A Rumor...

They land back in 2019, which is a relief, of course, until it’s not. 

“What the fuck even is the Sparrow Academy?” Diego grouses. “Lame ass bird fucks.” he chucks one of his knives across the cramped motel room they’re currently occupying and watches it get lodged firmly into the tacky wallpaper. 

Allison grabs the second knife Diego’s about to fling out of his hand and glares  daggers at her brother. “We’re staying here for free, because I rumored the motel staff into not noticing we exist, so maybe don’t wreck the place?” 

Luther nods in agreement. “Allison’s right, we need to be as inconspicuous as possible right now.” 

Diego rolls his eyes. “Whatever. So Five, now what?” the siblings all go to turn to Five for the answers they’re so desperately seeking, only to be met with the sight of the pseudo thirteen year old laid curled up on one of the beds, sound asleep. 

Luther frowns. “How in the hell can he seriously sleep at a time like this?” 

Allison leans over Fives still form and not so gently shakes his shoulder, jarring him awake. She feels a little guilt upon seeing the initially panicked look on his face as he comes to awareness once again, but damn it, she just wants to see her kid again, is that too much to ask? 

“We need to figure out a way to get back to our timeline.” she tells him, arms folded over her chest.

Five scratches the sleep from his eyes, unaware he’d even passed out in the first place, wincing as he sits up fully on the mattress. “This is our timeline.” he informs all of them, his voice coming out scratchy and thin. God, he’s exhausted. And practically everything aches. 

“What do you mean?” Klaus shakes his head. “In our timeline Ben is very much dead-not some weird emo douche who flocks with a crew of birds-so please do explain how the actual hell this makes any sense.” 

Five sighs, “We changed the linear time of events and the order in which they were supposed to originally occur when we were in the sixties and now this is, for all intents and purposes, our timeline.” 

“Screw that. We need to reestablish our actual timeline.” Allison counters. “I’m not staying in this weird alternate bullshit dimension any longer than we have to-we still have the suitcase, right? Let’s go back to the sixties and fix what we broke. Easy.” 

Five looks at her like she’s lost her mind. Which, she very well may have, he thinks briefly. “Look, I know you want to see Claire again, but you need to consider-”

“No.” Allison interrupts angrily, tears starting to fill her eyes. “You don’t understand at all. How the hell could you? You haven’t had anyone for years, but me? I’ve had people, people I care about-which might be a foreign concept to someone like you, but-” 

“Right,” Five cuts her off in turn, unwilling to linger on the sting her words have caused. “I just need time to-” 

“Time? Haven’t you had enough of that, already?” Suddenly the room is engulfed in complete and utter darkness and the Hargreeves go into high alert, trying to figure out where the hell that voice is coming from. 

Could it be one of the Sparrow Academy heroes? Could they have followed them to the outskirts of town? 

“Show yourself, you coward!” Diego shouts, knives at the ready to attack their intruder. 

A flash of thunder illuminates the room for only a split second before the lights come back on and the Hargreeves find themselves frozen in place, unable to move even a muscle, try as they might. 

Save for one: Five. 

“What the hell...” he mutters, as he watches his siblings struggle to try and move from their positions. 

“Now, Allison.” that same disturbing voice commands. 

Allisons eyes go wide as her mouth begins to move without her permission and out come the words, “I heard a rumor you killed your brothers and sisters.” 

They watch with dawning horror as Fives eyes roll to the back of his head and turn an off shade of blue before he seamlessly plucks Diegos knife from where it was embedded in the wall earlier and faces his family, where they stand, helpless. 

“Shit!” Diego curses, trying in vain to move even a single digit. 

Vanya tries to conjure her own powers but finds that she can’t for some reason. “Five...” she calls out, knowing it’s futile. 

Five blinks over to Klaus first, who yelps in surprise, he barely has time to beg Five to reconsider when Five brings the knife down-

There’s boisterous screaming and panicked yelling and general chaos and Klaus is so sure this is it, that Five has plunged the knife straight into his heart and done away with him, until he opens his eyes and realizes nothing is protruding out of him...

Instead, Five has thrust the knife into his own leg. He’s breathing hard, his trembling fingers still hovering over the hilt of the weapon. 

The disembodied voice booms, “Allison!” 

And Allison curses, but she can’t stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. “I heard a rumor you stabbed me in the jugular.” 

Fives eyes go pale blue for a second time and without even flinching he takes the knife out of his upper thigh and blinks so that he’s facing Allison this time. 

They can all see him struggling, perspiring, fighting against the rumor as he brandishes the knife in one hand, raising it up above his head slowly. 

Allison tries to let out another rumor, a contradicting rumor, perhaps, the way she had done when Five had been in front of Klaus, but again, the words get stuck in her throat. 

Whatever being is in the room is in total control of her powers... 

Allison feels something collide with her neck but it’s not the sharp sting of a knife she’s expecting. It’s Five’s forearm against her, protecting her from his own attack as he shoves the knife directly into his flesh. He’s panting now, with the force that it’s taken him not to obey her mind control. 

“Kill them.” the voice demands angrily. 

“Fuck you.” Five bites out through clenched teeth. 

As if those were the magic words, the voice departs and the Hargreeves can feel their limbs and move about once again, the tense atmosphere dissipating. 

“Holy shit!” Klaus gasps out, “What the fuck, Jesus!” 

Five grunts as he removes the knife from his forearm and wields it threateningly. “Allison,” he practically begs, his voice strained. “Unrumor me. Now.” 

Allison is more than happy to comply, hurriedly saying, “I heard a rumor you didn’t want us dead.” 

The knife clatters as it hits the floor and Five collapses next to it a second later, exhausted and hurting something awful. 

“Shit,” Diego grabs a bunch of hand towels from the bathroom and kneels down. “We gotta stop the bleeding.” He presses two towels against the stab wound on Fives forearm and Vanya grabs the rest to press against the one on his thigh. 

Five tenses up beneath them, his face scrunching up in pain. “Fuck!” 

“I saw a first aid kit in the lobby by the front desk, I’ll go get it!” Allison calls out, already halfway out the door in her haste. 

“Should we move him to the bed?” Luther asks, hovering over his siblings, concern and anxiety eating away at him. 

Diego curses. The hand towels are drenched in blood already. They need to stop the bleeding and soon, or else. “Elevate his leg.” he orders, letting Luther help Vanya try to stem the bleeding there. “Klaus, go get more towels from one of the maids if you can.” Klaus scurries to obey while the others continue to put pressure on Fives multiple injuries. 

Klaus and Allison arrive back at the motel room almost simultaneously, one with a stack of clean towels in their arms and the other with a giant red box in hand. 

With the extra towels and the supplies from the medical kit, they’re somehow able to stop the bleeding long enough to move Five up to the bed. Luther’s extremely gentle as he transfers him from one spot to the other. 

When it’s time to stitch him up, Vanya and Klaus volunteer to do it. Five is too exhausted, both mentally and physically to pretend to be stoic about any of this. He throws his good arm across his face, shielding his eyes from the light. 

“What do you guys think that was?” Luther asks the room at large, when the silence stretches on too long. 

Klaus doesn’t look up from where he’s threading his needle on Fives thigh, replying dryly. “Yet another person place or thing that wants us dead?” 

Diego scoffs. “It’s gotta be one of those Sparrow fuckheads. Who the hell else? I bet it was that goddamn cube-I still can’t believe dad adopted a fucking cube-Christ.” 

“Whatever it was, it was in control of my powers.” Allison frowns deeply. “When I tried to unrumor Five nothing came out-even when I tried rumoring one of you into being able to move again, so that at least we would stand a fighting chance against our little serial killer over here, nothing.” 

Vanya nods, “Same here. I tried to use my powers but it was like there was some kind of a block or something? Like when I was still taking those prescription pills.” She looks at Fives pale face-what she can see of it, from underneath his forearm-and risks the question, “Five, how did you manage not to....you know...?” As someone who’s had first hand experience being unwillingly rumored by their sister, she knows it’s not something one can easily brush off. 

Quite frankly, it’s a miracle they’re all still breathing... 

“Yeah, I thought for sure we were dead.” Diego walks over and playfully ruffles the top of Fives messy hair. “Good job not making yourself an only child.” he jokes, freezing entirely when in response to his teasing Five lets out what can only be described as a faint whimper. 

“Five?” 

“I almost killed everyone.” Five struggles to get the full sentence out, his breath hitching. “Fuck.” he curses, unable to stifle a sob. It’s a pathetically sad little noise, but it brings the rest of his siblings to his side immediately. 

“Hey,” Allison kneels down beside the bed and places a careful hand on his knee. She feels him flinch underneath her. “You resisted my rumor-twice. Do you know how rare that is? You saved us.” 

Five scrubs his face with the sleeve of his white button up shirt and finally uncovers his eyes. They’re red and puffy from crying, eyelashes wet with his tears. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” he admits brokenly. “I can’t lose you guys again.” 

“Shit Five,” Diego leans down and briefly touches their foreheads together, the palm of his hand cupping Fives head. “You’re not alone, we’re right here. Not going anywhere.” 

Vanya nods determinedly. “That’s right. You’re stuck with us.” 

Luther towers over the group with a faint but genuine smile. “You know, I always figured you loved us, but I guess I didn’t realize the extent until today.” 

Five sniffles, wiping away more tears he can’t seem to stop from coming. “I would trade you all up for a decent cup of coffee.” he lies, feeling more exposed than he has in literal years. 

Klaus smirks. “Nuh uh, no take backs, Fivey. You loooooove us.” 

Five rolls his eyes but it doesn’t have quite the same effect it normally would, considering the fact that he is still very much crying. 

Allison clears her throat, squeezes his knee again, this time to get his attention, and says, “And we love you. I’d ask if you know that, but honestly I think the answer would make me too sad.” she sighs. “Five, I’m really sorry about what I said before-I was taking all my frustrations out on you and I spoke carelessly, without thinking.” 

Five shakes his head, overwhelmed. “It’s ok.” 

“It’s not.” Allison insists. “Five, I don’t know if anyone’s said this yet, but I think it’s long overdue. I’m so happy to see you again. I missed you, you know. A ton.” 

Five didn’t think he was childish enough to still need to hear such silly sentimental things. He’s not the type, he’s tried to convince himself. It’s not as though he was expecting some big tearful family reunion upon his arrival, after all. So he wasn’t crushed or anything when his return was met with little more than perhaps confused contemptment. He had things to do, apocalypses to stop and all that jazz. 

That’s what he told himself, of course. 

But it doesn’t ring very true now, not when he can’t help but let out another sob. 

He’s too old for this, he thinks, as Diego pulls him gently to his side and Allison grabs hold of his hand. 

He doesn’t need them to love him back, he thinks, as Klaus finishes taping up his wound with a tenderness only reserved for those he loves, as Vanya wraps gauze around his forearm with care. 

He’s been fine all this time, he thinks, even as Luther says, “Good to have you back, Five.” 

It’s good to be back, he thinks, turning his head so that it’s buried against Diego’s shoulder when he lets out another sob. 

.

[maxineswritingcenter]

You Saved Me - Derek Hale x fem!reader part 24

--------------

2004 

“We lay to rest a beloved member of the community. A mother. A friend. A daughter. A wife. Claudia Stilinski...” We stood on the lawn of Beacon Hills Memorial Cemetery, watching Aunt Claudia’s casket being lowered into the ground. She had been sick for so long and it was starting to turn ugly... But she was in a better place now, that’s what Uncle Noah said. When he spoke at least. I looked past the grieving people, like Ms. McCall, Scott, the entire police department, and looked at Stiles. He looked so tired. His cheeks were tear stained and his eyes were red from crying. 

Once people started to disperse, my parents and I made our way over to Uncle Noah and Stiles. While the adults talked, Stiles and I just continued to stare at the grave. The grounds keepers were starting to cover her body with dirt. 

“Do you want me to spend the night tonight?” I whispered, reaching over and holding his hand. 

Stiles shook his head, chewing on the inside of his cheek, “I want to be alone tonight.” He gave my hand a squeeze.

“Wouldn’t tonight be the worst time to be alone?” 

“I just want to be at home with my dad. I need some time for myself.” 

“(Y/N).” We both turned at my father’s voice, “Let’s go, sweetie.” We both looked back at the grave.

“Okay. Well, call if you change your mind.” I gave his hand a squeeze before letting it slip away. 

We got into the car, making our way back home. 

“How you holding up, sweetie?” Mom turned back and looked at me over the sink. 

“I don’t want to be alone tonight.” I said, looking out the window.

“Well, you don’t have to.” Dad said, “We’ll get into our pjs and watch Disney movies. You know how much Aunt Claudia loved Disney movies.” 

I swallowed thickly, “Actually... I was hoping that I could go to see the Hales. If that’s okay.” Dad sighed loudly and mom smacked him subtly. 

“Sure, baby.” Mom said, a sad smile on her face, “I’ll call Talia when we get home.” 

-

When I was dropped off at the Hales’, Talia welcomed me with open arms, a blanket, and a hot chocolate. I guess what I needed was away from the whole situation. We played games, Laura braided my hair, we made friendship bracelets. At the end of the night, Laura and Cora had fallen asleep to the movie we had been watching and Derek had snuck us both onto the roof of the Hale house. We were on our back, looking up at all the stars in the sky and the moon shining down on us. We had been in silence for a while until Derek cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“So, uh, are you excited for high school next year?” 

I sighed and shook my head, “After today? I don’t think I’ll be ready for anything.”

“Yeah...” He turned on his side to face me, “I’m sorry about your aunt. I know she was important to you.” 

“Thanks...” I turned, “I guess I’m just kinda worried about everything. I don’t know what life is going to be like without her. And I’m worried about Stiles too.” 

“I bet. I don’t know what I would do if I lost my mom.” He said. Then, he reached out and grabbed my hand, “Whenever you feel like this again, let me know. You can come over and we can do this again. Whatever you need, I’ll be there.” 

I smiled, a slight blush to my cheeks that I really hoped was hidden in the dark, “Thanks, Derek.” 

“Of course.” He smiled, “It’s what friends do.” 

-

The communication with Beacon Hills was slim to none. And, ya know, that didn’t feel great. I understood that everyone was busy living their lives whether it was being a high school student or fighting supernatural beings or being a supernatural being or the sheriff in a town full of both. But unanswered texts and calls were starting to get to me. 

The ones I got weren’t great either though. Stiles occasionally sent me a long email about the events that had happened since long distance calls weren’t in the phone plan. 

I had learned more about the alpha pack - a blind one, a woman who could definitely use a manicure, a strong man, and twins who could morph into each other. I was almost a little happy I didn’t have to deal with that. 

All the betas were missing except Isaac who had stayed behind. Even if he did get in trouble every now and then. 

And then missing turned into dead. Hearing that Erica was dead really hit me hard. I barely knew the girl, a few moments and quick chats usually didn’t mean that much. But they found her locked in a closet, rotting. It was horrifying. She was a child. She was finally enjoying her life - a new life without seizures and bullying, her parents had taken her to get pictures taken; happy to see that their little girl loved herself for the first time. Now she was gone. 

They found Boyd alive, thankfully. And surprisingly, they had found Derek’s sister: Cora. 

Not forgetting that there were flocks of animals committing mass suicide and kids turning up murdered. It seems home is getting more and more dangerous. Not only was there an alpha pack but there was a creature called a Darach, a dark druid. 

The leader of the alpha pack, Deucalion, was trying to get Derek to join his pack. He also wanted me to join as well, apparently he had been asking where I was. To join, he would have to kill the betas. Derek, who I’m sure was done being manipulated, refused. To keep him safe, Derek kicked Isaac out of the depot to live with Scott. 

Speaking of dead...

Even thousands of miles away, the vision of falling three stories still hurt as much as if I was actually there. A battle between the alphas, Derek and Scott. And honestly, I wasn’t sure if Derek was alive or dead. Every little message I thought to him just echoed in my head. I had cried, tried forcing myself to work through it. But nothing really worked. I still woke up in the middle of the night, naked on the castle grounds having shifted my feelings or else I was instinctually trying to search for him. First it was anger, next it was denial, then more anger. And that was all just last night. 

Hell, not even forgetting to mention the fact that the test Lachlan ran on me was a little more than just a blood panel. They checked for human chorionic gonadotropin hormone aka the pregnancy hormone. And things were just getting better and better. Because it was positive. I am pregnant. And the father may be dead. 

-

Sending a preemptive long distance fee to Stiles’ PayPal account, I called the house phone. It didn’t have caller ID but it was something. Michael didn’t think it was a good idea, however, it was gonna be a cold day in Hell before I listened to his double agent ass. Lachlan thought I deserved closure. And I trusted him more. 

“Stilinski residence.” Stiles’ voice was a little scratchy, but still loud and clear. 

“Stiles, if you hang up on me I swear you will live to regret it. I still have access to your secret YouTube channel.” There was a pause on the other end, then a sigh. 

“Hey (Y/N). I was wondering why I got an email from my PayPal."

 "Is there a reason I've been on everyone's pay no mind list? Because it's starting to piss me off."

"Well... Derek said that we shouldn't worry about or get you stressed out."

"So not talking to me for months is supposed to help?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Uh... Ya got me there."

I groaned and started tapping my foot, "I just...." My mind seemed to go blank, my heart rate going up. That's not right. I wasn't doing anything to make it spike like this.

"I know, I know. And I'm sorry, I wish I could contact you more. But there's a lot going on here with the alpha pack and Lydia and-and Derek-"

"Shit." I wheezed, sitting down on the bed. My body felt so warm and not in the way it normally would.

"Yeah I know, it's a lot right now-" His voice was drowned out by my senses taking over. It was the familiar warmth of intimacy. But not from me. It was Derek! He was alive. But he was with someone. And that someone-

He was kissing her. Touching her. His heart racing. Her touch set his skin ablaze and nothing else mattered. Not even the wounds on his body that nearly killed him. But all that mattered was her intoxicating touch. The touch of a woman he didn’t know. But her whole being enveloped him.  

I screamed loudly in anger, but behind that anger was so much pain. My chest ached and felt like it was being pulled across the world. I dropped the phone, holding my chest.

"(Y/N)? (Y/N)! What's wrong?!" My breathing was erratic and my thoughts were going wild between what had just happened and what I was thinking and what I had to do from here. I felt so helpless and alone. What could I do?

Then... There was an answer. Maybe it was the stress? Maybe it was my raging hormones? But I had my answer.

I picked the phone back up.

"(Y/N)! Talk to me, what's going on?"

I inhaled and exhaled deeply, "Derek’s alive."

"He is?"

"But not for long." I hung up.

How dare he? HOW COULD HE? AFTER EVERYTHING WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH OUR ENTIRE LIVES AND HE JUST- JUST THROWS IT ALL OUT? And for what? Who could have been more important than me? I'm his stupid mate for Christ's sake.

But if he wants to sleep around?

Fine.

Fine.

He could for the next thirteen hours. Because I'm going back to Beacon Hills for the soul purpose of ripping his heart out like he did mine. And if this emotional trauma affected my child? Well, there were repercussions for that too.

-

Michael and Lachlan were in my room, watching me as I threw together a bag to take on the plane. Remarkably, as a member of the Lunar Circle I would get free airfare courtesy of Lachlan mostly because the guy was insanely rich and he agreed with my revenge plot, for the most part.

"Okay, let's think rationally here." Michael said, taking things out of my bag as I was putting them in, "He's a total douche bag for doing this. We all agree. But in your state, I don't think you should fly. I mean anything could happen."

"I can fly until I'm thirty-six weeks along." I said curtly, grabbing my things out of his hands and putting them back in the bag.

"Come on, think about what you're doing-"

"I have thought about it. And I'm going to kill him."

Michael looked back at Lachlan who had his arms crossed over my chest, only observing.

"A little help here, Praetor McLeod?"

Lachlan shrugged, "Seems justified to me."

"Murder? Murder seems justified to you." He asked incredulously.

"It's the werewolf way." Lachlan said simply.

"Thank you, Lachlan." I smiled.

"Anytime."

"Okay, what about this?" Michael stood in front of my path to my bag, "Murdering him seems like a great idea right now, I totally get it. But-but if you do that, it will weigh heavily on your conscience."

"The Lunar Circle has excellent insurance, including therapy." Lachlan chimed in.

I moved Michael out of the way, "Duly noted."

Michael sputtered, "And-and your baby? What about your baby? That's their dad."

"Their dad who decided to stick his penis in another woman." I raised my eyebrows at him, "That one? Yeah, what a stand up guy."

“But you love him. Don’t you think killing him-”

“Michael!” I slammed my suitcase shut, “Shut up.” I turned and faced both of them, “You’re right, okay? I do love him, which is the worst part. I hate him so much but I still love him. I dedicated my life to him and I thought he had dedicated himself to me. I was wrong.” I zipped the bag and made my way out the door, “I’ll be back at the end of the week.”

-

Getting on the plane didn’t take long. Relatively short lines, quick ticket, fast boarding. Like someone was looking out for me as I went to kick Derek's ass. Becoming alpha to Derek's pack was starting to sound better and better as the pain continued to radiate through my body. Eventually, I just felt numb.

The people on the plane were nice. I sat next to an older gentleman who slept for the most part so I could whisper profanities under my breath. The stewardess had been kind, making sure I had enough to drink. It seems someone had tipped them off I was pregnant, probably Michael. The guy had been a nervous wreck since he found out I was pregnant. He wouldn’t even let me train, not like he had much of a choice in what I did. But he sure knew how to annoy me out of a room. Lachlan had been supportive, talking about adding an additional room onto mine for a nursery. I told that it wasn’t necessary since I wouldn’t be staying in Scotland that long. 

After the plane landed, I was met by a very tired looking Stiles. We didn’t speak much, just began the drive back home. 

"So...." He swallowed, his eyes darted from me to the road ahead, "Pregnant," He chuckled nervously, "That-that's great! I'm so happy for you.” He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. He was hesitating, he wanted to say something else, “Uh...Speaking of-” I groaned loudly, another lecture. 

He ignored my dramatics, “Maybe you shouldn't kill him. That's not good for the baby..." 

“It wasn’t good for the baby when he decided to take our bond, step on it and rub it in the dirt.” He was silent, but not for long.

"Yeah-but you see we kinda need Derek to help with some big bads. Like Deucalion and the Darach and ya know, other stuff." 

"I remember you telling me about it. I tried to do some research but Lachlan said that we didn’t have too much information on them.” 

“Well that’s not too helpful.” 

-

We made it back to the house at sunset, which was perfect timing. The cover of night would be great to conceal me in the dark. Sure, he would smell my scent but he would have no idea where I was coming from. I pulled on the handle on the door but stared at it when it didn’t budge. Still locked. I looked back at Stiles. He looked tired, a wreck.

“Would you just... See dad before you cover yourself in blood? He was really excited to hear you were coming home.” Like he always seemed to be, Stiles’ was right. I should see Uncle Noah. 

“I will. I need to rest anyway. Besides, I can’t kill him on an empty stomach.” I winked.

“You terrify me.” He unlocked the doors. We got out just in time for Uncle Noah to jog down the driveway. 

“There she is!” He grinned, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me tight. 

“I missed you so much.” I said into his shirt, giving him a soft squeeze. He pulled away and looked over me, “Look at you.” He motioned to my stomach that looked more like I was bloated than a fetus growing inside of me, “This-this is... Mhm. Exciting!” 

I chuckled, “Thanks. Very mhm.” 

“Uh, you hungry?” 

“Starving.”

-

Dinner had been extremely awkward, the conversation mostly coming back to the child growing inside of me. Lots of questions from both of them. Mostly how I hadn't called. In actuality I had called approximately twenty times a day with no answer from anyone per Derek's request. Unfortunately for him, his requests were now being put on the back burner. I excused myself to my room.

My room was kept the same, I'm certain no one had been inside besides Uncle Noah. And from the ruffled blankets, maybe Stiles. Back when we were kids, we used to sneak scary movies and had to sleep in a huddled pile because we were too scared to sleep by ourselves. 

I grabbed a jacket and opened up my window, I was half way out of it when my door opened. Stiles stood in the doorway. We stared at each other for a minute. 

“I may regret saying this one day because I don’t care for Derek, but don’t kill him.” He said, “Kick the living shit out of him, sure. Get in a few punches for me. But don’t kill him. We need him.” Of course, all it took was Stiles to talk me off the murder-ledge. 

“I won’t kill him.” I smiled, “I’ll be home soon.”

-

Odds are, with the alpha pack threat Derek will have the depot protected. What he failed to remember was that the most dangerous being in the world had a key to every place in the depot. I simply walked in the front door. Almost like he was expecting me.

His scent was so strong, like the forest after it rained. It made this ball of emotion well up in my chest bringing me back to all the love and memories we had shared together. Not all the memories were life and death. They weren't all fights. Some days, Derek and I would curl up and bed and never leave, only grabbing food here and there. His smile would light up his whole face, sometimes it would even reach his green eyes and make them sparkle. When he would nap, he would lay his head on my chest and sleep, like he was finally at peace with himself and the world. That was the person I loved. 

I walked through the main room at the depot, getting to the stairs. The worst part here was the pictures, us together, the pack. I want to make the depot less abandoned and more homey for the betas to have a place to go and relax. Some of the pictures had turned heads at the photo developing counter (but I had managed to convince them that it was for a theater class). The worst part was that on my way here Boyd had been killed. If only I had been here soon, if only I had been here at all. Only two of the pack remained, Isaac and Jackson who was no longer a killer lizard thanks to Lydia. Say what you will about Peter Hale but sometimes he knew what he was talking about.  

If Derek knew I was here, he hadn’t tried to make a move. Smart. 

After wandering a bit, I finally decided to face the music. I found him hunched over his desk in the main office room. Rain was dancing against the fluorescent lights from the street lamps down below. He hadn’t looked up at me the whole time that I walked up to him. He felt defeat and alone. He had lost everything. He was looking down at his desk, his hands laced together. He looked up slightly, more looking at my shirt than my face. 

“I...” His voice was soft and quiet, something unlike the loud, booming man I was used to, “I messed up.” 

“Yeah, you did.” It was silent for a moment, then he spoke again. 

“Who’s with you?” He asked, his eyes scanning the room. 

I narrowed my eyes at him, “No one.” 

“Then why do I hear another heart-” His eyes widened. He stared directly at my stomach. I thought I almost saw his ears perk up. 

“Are you...”

“I am. I’m having a baby. Emphasis on the ‘I’m’.” I really hadn’t wanted to do much talking, I really hadn’t planned on saying anything besides obscenities and screaming at him. He stood up from the desk and quickly came around, he reached his hand out towards my stomach but I smacked it away. 

“You have no right to touch me. Especially when I can still smell her stench on you.” I scrunched up my nose and sneered. 

“Look,” He licked his lips, “I can’t give you a good answer or an excuse-”

“Good, because I don’t want one.” I glared. 

He looked at me a moment then continued, “I don’t know why I did what I did. Something just came over me. Please tell me you believe me.” He put his hand on my shoulder. 

He really should have taken a lesson out of his own book. With amazing speed, I grabbed him by the throat and threw him across the room. When he landed, my features shifted and my eyes glowed red. He groaned, holding at his waist. That’s where he had been injured in the alpha fight, it had healed but it was still sore. 

“I don’t want your apologies.” I growled, walking towards him, “I want you to feel what I felt. The pain and the suffering. The violation...” I chuckled darkly, “You know that I felt her hands on you? Touching the most private parts of your body that only I was supposed to feel. Do you know how disgusting I felt afterwards? I felt used and dirty and it wasn’t even my body.” I stepped on his chest with my boot to keep him down on the ground. He still wasn’t looking at me. I snarled, grabbing him by his shirt and shoving him against the concrete pillar he landed on. 

“Look at me!” I roared, “You broke me into a million little pieces. You didn’t answer my calls.” I punched him. 

“You kept me hidden in the dark about Erica’s death.” I hit him again. 

“You wouldn’t let my family communicate with me and when they did they couldn’t even tell me everything that was going on. I was begging to hear from someone, anyone, I was all alone!” I threw him across the room. 

“You blocked my number two months ago.” I stalked over to him, ignoring the tears running down my face, “I couldn’t even hear your voice on your goddamn voicemail!” I got down on my knees and grabbed his chin so that his eyes met mine. 

“LOOK AT ME!” I screamed, “Look what you did to me! For months you’ve been using our bond for your own strength, strength that used used to heal and have sex with another woman!” My voice was starting to crack as all the things I had thought about were coming out, “See how much my heart broke when I felt how happy you were with someone other than me.” He was finally looking at me. The worst thing though was that his eyes were full of so much love for me, that special twinkle that Peter said only happened when he looked at me. I wasn’t angry anymore, I was devastated. 

“I came here to kill you.” I sniffled, my features shifting back to normal, “I wanted to tear your heart out. But I can’t... I can’t because I love you and I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I shouldn’t have hurt you, but I want to because of what you did.” As the anger fogged cleared, I realized that I was just as bad as he was. 

“You had every right to hurt me-”

“No, I didn’t. I shouldn’t have hurt you. I’m sorry.” I looked down at my hands, “I felt so out of control. I thought I was getting better at it.” 

“You were.” Derek sat up slowly, “It’s the baby. All of your emotions are going to be heightened. More than usual.” 

“It doesn’t matter.” I made my way towards the exit, not caring that he was calling after me, running to catch up to me. I just left him there. Even when I got home and he tried to get into my window, I just ignored his pleading. What I did wasn’t right, I shouldn’t have hit him or punched him. I was just so angry and that anger clouded my vision. 

Weren’t we a pair - one cheats and the other goes into a blind rage. Perfect. 

------------

Please comment below or message me to be added to the taglist!

Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!

YSM Tag:

Read part 25 here!

@nyotamalfoy

@fruitloopzzz

@babygirl-angel-love

@aestheticeggs

@akuri-shinsou

@geli2297

@coruscaret

@oh-my-gosh-everything-is-taken

@bellabadacadabra

[marjansmarwani]

just say you're hurt, we'll face the worst

Carlos & Owen || Tarlos || 2.9k || ao3

This is a birthday fic for actual ray of sunshine Paige - @sunshinestrand 

You’re a lovely human and you deserve the world, but I hope you’ll take this instead. I hope your day is as wonderful as you are my dear 💕

Additional shoutout and thanks to both @officerrxyes and @terramous who helped me fix this when I was stuck for quite a while. I would be lost (and still staring at this fic) without you both!

One last note: if this seems familiar that’s because it was inspired by one of the parts from my tarlos week fic that’s when I knew - I just took one of the vignettes, expanded it, and told it from Carlos’s perspective. 

------------

In hindsight, maybe he should have called first. 

Standing on the front step was probably the wrong time for that realization but here he was: on the front step of the Stand house facing the confused expression of his boyfriend’s father. 

“Carlos,” Owen said in surprise as he opened the door, “TK’s not here right now.”

“I know, he had a shift.”

Owen raised an eyebrow at that, but didn’t push. They stood in silence for a few more moments before Carlos elaborated, “I’m here for you, actually.” 

This got a look of surprise from the older man, “Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah, everything is fine. I just...wanted to know if you wanted a ride to chemo today?” 

It came out rushed and Carlos couldn’t blame Owen for his bewildered look. He rushed on with his explanation: “I know TK has been taking you and he had to work today but I’m off so I figured I would take you—if you wanted.” 

“Did TK ask you to do this? Because that’s very sweet of you both, but you don’t need to waste your day off on me, I’ll be fine on my own. Which is exactly what I told my son but he seems to have selective hearing on the matter.”

Carlos shook his head, “No, he didn’t ask me. But I could tell he was worried about it so I figured it would make him feel better if he knew you hadn’t been there alone.” 

Owen studied him for a few moments before shrugging, “I’m not opposed to the company, as long as you are sure about wasting your limited free time with an old man.” 

Carlos held up his keys, “Great, I’ll drive.” 

---------

The ride there was silent. Carlos went to open his mouth a few times, to try and start some sort of conversation, but each time his mind went blank. He was fairly certain Owen was having a similar problem, if the glances he kept shooting Carlos were any indication. 

He wasn’t entirely sure why he felt so nervous about this — it wasn’t as if he hadn’t spent time with the Captain before. Nights spent with TK had taught him that both he and Owen were early risers, and sharing a cup of coffee in the morning hours had become a routine for them. Those were largely silent moments though; each man taking the time to savor the coffee and the quiet of the start of the day. In all honesty, Carlos wasn’t sure what to talk to the other man about. As far as he knew they only had one common interest: TK. 

Of course, there was a lot to talk about when it came to TK Strand. Carlos could easily rave about him for hours. But while talking about how easily he could drown himself in TK’s eyes, never once even thinking about coming up for air with Michelle was one thing, doing it with TK’s father was something else entirely. 

Just the thought of TK’s eyes and the things they made him want to do to him pulled him in and before he knew it he was interrupted from his daydreaming by a voice from his passenger seat: “So…” Owen started, “how are things with TK?”

Carlos cleared his throat awkwardly, prying himself back to reality and turning his face so Owen couldn’t see the blush creeping up his cheek. The man did not need to know the thoughts he had just been having about his son. He kept his tone decidedly nonchalant as he answered with a simple. “Good, things are going good.”

And they were back to square one.

---------

Thankfully, the drive to the treatment center was not a long one. 

They parked and Carlos hovered anxiously off to the side as Owen got signed in and followed his lead to the treatment room. He took in the surroundings with interest—he had never seen the inside of a chemo treatment center (thankfully). He couldn’t say it looked anything like what he had pictured. But then again, he wasn’t sure exactly what it was he had expected. 

He watched quietly as Owen was set up with the IV and smiled at the nurse as she passed by. Then it was just the two of them and they looked at each other with uncertainty.

“So,” Owen began. 

“So.” Carlos agreed. He glanced around the room awkwardly before his gaze settled on the IV in Owen’s arm. 

“Does it hurt?” he couldn’t help but ask. 

Owen shrugged, “it doesn’t feel great, but it’s really after that you feel it.” 

Carlos nodded but Owen kept talking, “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself? I really don’t know all that much about you, Carlos.” 

“Oh,” Carlos responded, surprised, “are you sure that’s what you want to talk about?” 

Owen shrugged, “Sure. I’d like to know more about the person my son is so smitten with besides,” he paused to lift up the arm with the IV in it, “what else do we have to do right now?” 

“What do you want to know?” Carlos asked, unable to keep all the anxiety out of his voice. 

“Where did you grow up?” 

“Here, or pretty close to here. We lived just outside the city.” 

“Are your parents still around?” 

“My mom is. My dad passed when I was a teenager.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

Carlos shrugged, “it’s not that I don’t miss him, but it’s been a while. It’s become normal, something I don’t really think about all that much anymore.” 

He paused as he realized the territory they were treading into. Given their current location, it seemed a little bit too much like tempting fate for Carlos’s liking. 

Thankfully Owen either agreed or sensed his hesitation because he selected a new topic, “Siblings?”

“Two sisters. They drive me nuts, but I love them.” 

Owen chuckled, “older or younger?” 

Carlos grimaced, “older, and they never let me forget I’m the youngest.” 

Owen laughed outright at this, but his laughter abruptly turned into a groan. Carlos sat up, looking at him anxiously, “Are you okay? Do you need anything?” 

Owen shook his head, “No, there’s just some...unwanted company headed this way.” 

Carlos furrowed his brow as Owen plastered on a smile and raised a hand in greeting. He turned in his seat to see an older man waving back at him, a broad smile on his face. 

Carlos gave Owen a skeptical look, “him?” 

Owen nodded, “him. He may look harmless, but trust me, you will be praying for the awkward silence once he gets going.” 

“It can’t be that bad.” 

“It can.”

Carlos was not convinced and Owen shook his head, “Fine, don’t believe me but when it gets weird I will throw you under the bus as a distraction without hesitation.” 

“I was raised here,” Carlos deadpanned, “they don’t call it southern charm for nothing. I think I can handle some small talk.” 

“I knew there was a reason I liked you.” 

Any response Carlos could have given was interrupted by Owen plastering the smile back on and nodding to the older man who was now approaching them, “Wayne, how’s it going?” 

“Still breathing so I guess I can’t complain. How about you? How are things in the fire fighting business.” 

“Busy, as usual.” 

Wayne, apparently, chuckled but his expression turned curious as he noticed Carlos. 

“And who’s this?” he asked as he settled down into the chair beside Owen’s. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.” 

“Coach, this is my future son-in-law, Carlos Reyes.” 

Carlos could feel the blush creeping up his cheeks and it took considerable effort to keep his voice even as he objected, “Owen we’re not...we haven’t even…” 

But the older man waved off his protests, “Please son, don’t even bother. It’s only a matter of time. It doesn’t take an expert to figure out that you’ll be there sooner or later and I do happen to be an expert in my son.”

Carlos was saved from the trouble of trying to form an answer to that by their neighbor clearing his throat awkwardly. 

“Well isn’t that something,” he noted mildly. “What do you do Carlos, are you a firefighter like the Strand boys?” 

“No sir,” Carlos responded politely, “I’m an officer with the Austin Police department.” 

Wayne turned to Owen, eyebrows raised, “A cop and a firefighter? I thought y’all didn’t get along?” 

Owen shrugged, “We try not to hold it against him.” 

The older man chuckled as he leaned back in his seat, “It’s good to see you with some more company here, regardless. Did you know this damn fool thought he could do this all on his own?” 

The last part was directed at Carlos, who looked over at Owen with a raised eyebrow but Wayne barreled on, “he thought he could keep it all hidden, didn’t want to ‘worry anybody’. Complete horse shit, if you ask me.” 

“We didn’t,” Carlos thought he heard Owen mutter under his breath but the coach carried on undaunted.

“I told him that was crazy talk, of course. Not even Superman could do this on his own, and you ain’t him, my friend.” 

“That hurts, really.” 

Wayne scoffed at him and looked about ready to go for round two when Carlos interrupted, “You’re right, but it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have a choice anymore — he’s not alone. He has a whole team behind him. Whether he wants it or not,” he added as an afterthought. 

Both of the men are looking at him now, with differing expressions. Eventually, Wayne looked back over at Owen, “I like him.”

Owen was studying Carlos, who met his look and refused to drop his gaze, “He has his moments, I guess.”

----------

Things passed roughly in the same for the remainder of the appointment. There was a steady stream of conversation between the three men and as much as Owen may claim to be annoyed by the older man, Carlos had a sneaking suspicion that it was mostly a front. As they were wrapping up and saying their goodbyes, Owen insisted that he would take Carlos to lunch. But by the time they reached the camaro, the spring had decidedly left Owen’s step and he sunk into the passenger seat in a heap, face pale and drawn. 

Carlos frowned at him as he climbed into his own seat, “Are you feeling okay?” 

There was silence for a moment and Carlos could see him considering — trying to determine how little of the truth he could get away with, he assumed — before he sighed and shook his head. 

“I think that took a lot out of me. I’m just feeling kind of worn,” he winced as he looked over at Carlos, “rain check on lunch?” 

“Of course,” Carlos assured him without hesitation. Owen gave him a thin smile as he turned on the car and pulled out of the parking lot and back towards the Strand house. 

They rode in companionable silence for a few blocks until Owen spoke: “What did you mean back there, when you were saying I wouldn’t be alone?” 

“I was saying that you have a family here in Austin, and that family is not going to let you go through this alone. We won’t let you.” 

“We?” 

Carlos swallowed nervously, but his voice was firm when he responded, “We. That family expands outside the firehouse and your crew.” 

“And includes you?” 

They arrived at a stop sign and Carlos took the opportunity to meet Owen’s gaze. It wasn’t accusatory or smug. It was simply curious, and maybe a bit hopeful. 

“Yes,” Carlos confirmed, “I’ll be here when you need me. You’re the most important person in TK’s life and whatever is important to him is important to me. I will be here.” 

There was silence again as Carlos pulled through the intersection and they continued on their way. When Owen spoke again his voice was thick with emotion, “I don’t think I am the most important person in his life. Not anymore.” Carlos looked at him sharply, but Owen just smiled; “I think you have that title now, and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

Carlos turned his attention back to the road, heat rising up in his cheeks. Owen chuckled from beside him, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to overwhelm you. I just—I just want you to know how happy I am that you make him happy. How happy I am that you two found each other.” 

“Yeah,” Carlos responded softly, “me too.” 

--------

Owen made it into the house on his own, though Carlos stayed close to his side, just in case. As soon as they entered he seemed to deflate. He looked sadly at the kitchen and sighed. 

“I thought I would at least make lunch for us since going out didn’t happen but…” 

Carlos shook his head and gently turned Owen towards the hallway containing his bedroom, “Don’t worry about it, I can scrounge something up if I get hungry. Just go lie down and rest for a bit, I’ll hang out until TK gets home in case you need anything. Then maybe the three of us can try dinner later, if you’re feeling up to it.” 

“You don’t need to hang out here, you’ve already spent your entire afternoon with me.” 

“My mind’s made up, you’re not going to change it. Now go, before you fall over.”

“Are you sure you’re not too good to be true?” 

Carlos rolled his eyes and Owen chuckled before turning to head down the hall. He paused at the threshold of the hallway, turning back again, “Carlos?” 

“Yes?” 

“Thanks, for everything.”

Carlos smiled, “Don’t mention it, I’m happy to help. Besides, I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon.”

Owen shook his head at him in exasperation, but his smile betrayed him. With a wave he disappeared down the hall and Carlos waited until he heard his bedroom door close before grabbing a glass of water and settling on the couch to wait. A glance at the clock told him that TK should be home soon so he grabbed a magazine that was sitting on the coffee table to flip through idly, killing time and trying to keep his mind from racing. 

It’s not that he’s worried about TK’s reaction exactly, but it did feel like he crossed a line today. Things in his relationship with Owen had decidedly shifted. While that wasn’t a bad thing, Carlos still felt weird about it happening without TK’s knowledge. They always made an effort to communicate clearly; to avoid miscommunications, to ensure that they were always on the same page. 

Any worries he had were quickly banished from his mind by the sight of TK stepping through the front door. He paused on the threshold, eyes widening as he noticed Carlos on the couch. 

“Carlos?” he asked as he set down his keys, “what are you doing here? I thought we weren’t meeting until later?” 

Carlos set the magazine he had been pretending to read on the couch, a bright smile spreading across his face at the sight of TK. “We were,” he confirmed, “but I wasn’t here to see you. Not that I don’t want to see you,” he added hastily, “hi - how was work?”  

TK rolled his eyes but his smile betrayed his amusement as he crossed to the couch, leaning over the back to give him a kiss: “Nice save. Work was fine, have you seen my dad?”

Carlos nodded, the smile on his face from seeing TK and getting to kiss him fading with the shift in topic, “he’s resting, the chemo session took a lot out of him today.”

TK nodded solemnly. He turned in the direction of the hallway likely with the intention of checking on Owen but paused, turning back to face Carlos with a curious expression.

“Wait,” he said slowly, “why would you come to see my dad today? You knew he had an appointment…” he trailed off and Carlos smiled sheepishly. 

“I knew how worried you were about him going alone and I had the afternoon off, so I went. He was surprised, but I think he appreciated the company.”

TK was giving him a strange look so he stopped and frowned, his mind slipping into overdrive, “Was that not okay? He didn’t seem to mind…” 

“No,” TK said quickly, “no, it’s fine. It’s more than fine actually, I just...you spent your afternoon off sitting with my dad at his chemo appointment?”  

Carlos shrugged, “I like your dad. Besides, it was important to you so it’s important to me.” 

He meant every word of it. 

There was silence then as Carlos looked at TK curiously, not sure what to expect. TK for his part was staring at Carlos as if seeing him in a new light. Carlos was just about to ask what was wrong when TK leaned down again, placing a deep, lingering kiss on his lips. Carlos leaned into it, savoring the feeling on TK’s lips on his own. When they pulled apart, TK’s eyes glimmered with unshed tears. 

“Thank you, Carlos,” he said, voice low and sincere. 

Carlos smiled at him, reaching across the back of the couch to grab his hand. He intertwined it with his own, holding TK’s gaze all the while. 

“I’d do anything for you,” he said simply. 

The smile he got in return filled his soul and in that moment, Carlos came to a realization. He was hopelessly in love with TK Strand and there was no going back. 

Even as he thought it, he knew one more thing without a doubt: he didn’t want to. TK was it for him, and he could be happy loving him for the rest of his life.  

[read on ao3] 

[controloffandoms]

Buck Begins Fic Recs

For @thisissirius 

Here are a couple of fics that I have written. And I’ll probably add a couple of favorites that I’ve read along the way!

Nothing I Ever Did Was Good Enough

Buck bit his tongue, looking away from his father. It was too early in their get together to have a blow out. He especially didn’t want to have that blowout in front of Chim and Albert. “You know, firefighting, until recently, has had a huge amount of off duty suicides due to improper care of mental health. The department has changed to help firefighters through hard times of losing patients or families in fires by hiring departmental psychologists and having service animals available for visits to the firehouses after really tough calls. If someone isn’t in the right mindset, we could lose more people, not to mention our own people and that person. Mental health is no joke,” Albert stated. Buck had to hide is smile, but he turned to Albert, giving him a knowing look and small smile. His parents spluttered for a few seconds before Phillip turned to Albert. “I don’t think I was talking to you. Mind your own business, this was a family matter.” “Don’t talk to him like that,” Buck nearly growled. “He is family.”

~~Or the one where the parents visit and Buck is in over his head...luckily his family has his back.

~~~~Part 1 in the Nothing I Ever Did Was Good Enough series

Nothing I Ever Did-

~~~~Part 2 in the Nothing I Ever Did Was Good Enough series

"Watch your attitude, Evan," Margaret glared. "Why should I? All you've ever done is put me down and compare me to Maddie and try to make me into her. News flash, I'm my own person and I'm different! I get that nothing I ever did was good enough, but I don't have to keep trying to appease you and let you walk on me or my family. So if you could kindly drop the attitude and rude comments regarding Eddie and Christopher, it would be much appreciated. They invited you into their home and you've been nothing but assholes since you got here! Clearly you came here with opinions and baggage and a want to have your way, but that's not going to fly here. You best just head out of town tonight, you're not wanted here in my life or Maddie's life. We don't want your toxicity melting into our families because I'll be damned if the shit you've said tonight will ever affect my niece or my kid!"

~~Or the one where Eddie hosts the Buckley parents and just tries to be supportive in general...but the parents are nightmares. Featuring cuddles with Chris, Eddie, and Buck.

Not The One You Wanted

“Evan, I don’t know what you expected us to do.”

“Love me anyway,” it had been said like his heart had been ripped out...which, it felt like it had. Because that was the truth, wasn’t it...all he ever wanted was for them to love him anyway. He wanted his parents to give a damn about him but they never did...it was like he was a responsibility that they never wanted.

Maddie had said that their parents had been different back then when they were sentimental and made a box for her...and now Buck knew why. Daniel. His older brother Daniel...a brother that he didn’t even know existed until he sat down with Maddie to look at all the baby photos in the box...and there were plenty...Buck can hardly remember ever getting portraits like these done during his childhood….but his parents were different back then.

-OR- Evan Buckley deserves love and hugs because of how shitty his parents are.

*This is honestly one of my favorites that I’ve written...it’s like a character study while Buck was trapped in the warehouse with some liberties surrounding the reason Buck’s in the warehouse*

Secrets

He’d been lied to his whole life...Maddie had never thought to tell him about not being his actual sister...his parents were acting like it didn’t matter...like he should just get over it. Buck’s eyes met Chim’s...and his whole body went rigid. “You knew,” he whispered, looking directly at Chim. “You knew and you didn’t tell me?!” He rounded on his sister, “you told him, but not me?!”

“Evan, I was trying to protect you-”

“No, you don’t get to do that! You don’t get to try and protect me! I’m a grown ass adult, I deserved to know but instead of telling me, you told him and even though I’ve known him longer he still didn’t tell me!” Buck shook his head, backing from the room. “I can’t do this,” he whispered.

-OR- Buck finds out the secret Maddie's been keeping from him while his parents are visiting...he is understandably betrayed.

*Basically, Buck Begins and the Daniel scenes hadn’t happened yet and I wanted to know what the secret was, so I came up with this.*

Ambush of the Parents

Based off the new Promo (or the one I just saw) where we see Maddie, Chim, Albert, Buck and (who I believe) are Buck and Maddie’s Parents. Buck’s dad says “you’ve been seeing a therapist?” and Buck responds “Well, the job can be stressful.”

Disclaimer: Please don't read if verbal abuse from parents triggers you.

~~~~Or Buck’s parents  are absolutely horrible and Buck’s family defends him.

Buck Begins

Buck always tried to please his parents. He wanted to be recognized and loved. He tried to get their approval but it was never enough. *Includes flashbacks, this was before Season 4 was even in production*

~Evan had thought that the SEALs would make his parents proud. He tried out for the SEALs, he went through training, but it still wasn’t enough. Then he’d dropped out. That had been the icing on the cake. Evan had never had a big blowout with his parents. He’d always tried to appease them. He tried to be the perfect son…but they never thought he was good enough. So when he dropped out of the SEALs, having a shouting match with his father as a consequence, he left for South America. He bartended and had fun. Then he’d gone to LA and became a firefighter and he hadn’t contacted his parents since the blowout. 

Here are some fic recs that are not my own works

double vision wrapped in last night’s party clothes by amirlywritingfanficnow

"I have always been honest with you." When Eddie's voice cracks, Buck's composure almost cracks with it. "Why can't you just be honest with me?"

or

When Buck is let in on a long kept family secret, he doesn't know what to do. He almost ruins things with the one person that keeps him from feeling like he's floating away with no way to land, but it ultimately turns out okay with help of a little communication.

*This one pulled at my heart strings a little*

but i leave it in my heart, cause I don’t want to stay in the dark by neoncrayolas

Buck hadn't meant for the confession to come out like it did. He'd wanted it to be more eloquent and not so full of snot and tears.

But once it was out, there was no going back.

Or, part character study of Buck, part coda to 4x05.

*Basically, Buck isolates himself, Eddie gets worried, and Buddie is endgame

Learning to Breathe by TearsThisSideofHeaven

Boy, he thinks as the city lights blur a little in his vision, my therapist is going to have a field day with this.

*Short little fic that delves into Buck’s emotions with Eddie trying to support him

Finally Safe by WinterLioness

In the aftermath of finding out a family secret Buck finds himself going to Eddie. Christopher and Eddie use their Diaz charm to help.

*This picks up on the emotions Buck feels not only because of the family secret but because Maddie kept it from him (not full on hate, but what any normal person would need to work through) and Eddie is there to support him. Features cuddles with the Diaz Boys.

Not Related to the story line of 9-1-1 but has a whole ‘Buck Begins’ vibe because I was world building: The Life We Live

*The Old Guard AU no one asked for* "Athena had seen many a millennium and many men, women, and children die. She had seen the rise and fall of civilizations. She had felt the pain of loneliness and the happiness of community...but she’d never, in her many years of living, seen something like Eddie, Buck, and Chris. She’d never seen this profound of a bond, even between herself and Bobby. After Buck lost Abby and, later, Ali, Athena wasn’t sure he would have let his heart reach out to another person that he could lose...but she was proud of him. He built something that was hard to come by in their way of living. He built a home."

*I’m really proud of this one, it turned out well*

Not Related to the Story Line of 9-1-1, Fics by others!

Please Don’t Say You Love Me (because I might not say it back) by Queerfeministdork

"Say I love you loud, and say I love you often. It was an easy sentiment, and it was a beautiful background picture. But something clenched tightly in Buck’s chest when he saw it flash open as he handed Hen her phone. Because he knew it was a simple thing for most people, that most people could just let those three little words slip out without a care. But he couldn’t. They always got caught in his throat, stuck behind his chest. Tamped down before he could think to breathe them out."

Buck always wished he could just say the words. Turns out, maybe people just know.

*Basically, Buck can’t say ‘I Love You’ as easily as everyone else and panics about it...but eventually, everyone understands.

everything is blue by amirlywritingfanficnow

When Evan Buckley is ten, he discovers nail polish.

-

In which Buck paints his nails, Eddie is flustered, and May is a matchmaker.

*Basically Buck and Eddie saying fuck toxic masculinity. Buck enjoying painting his nails and Eddie is definitely in love with him.

Coming Home To You by kariberri13

The 118 want to know more about Buck, but the man won't give them many details. That is until the biggest detail walks through the station's bay doors.

*Not focused on his past, but a different story focusing on the fact that Buck is married to Eddie and has a kid that he didn’t tell the Fire fam about.

There are tons more, but this is what I could think of off the top of my head! 

Hope you like them!

[slippinmickeys]

Five Seconds (5/8)

If you’d like to read on AO3, you may do so here.

October 15, 2018

The leaves were beginning to change outside the window; the maples turning russet, the birch yellow. Scully felt pendulous and gravid, the child in her belly more active than her previous two combined. Sleep was becoming difficult, but by day they’d fallen into a comfortable routine, safe and unmolested from the dangers that were beginning to feel as though they had never existed at all.

She stretched and left Mulder, half his face obscured by his pillow, his lips soft and pliant in sleep. A fresh pot of decaf awaited her in the kitchen, its automatic timer set by Mulder late last night.

The kids were still asleep, as far as she could tell -- she'd heard Lily come home well after midnight. She'd been up reading anyway when her daughter had popped her head into their bedroom door and whispered "I'm home." The girl had been wearing a small smile and Scully recognized the look. Lily was falling in love.

Will shuffled into the kitchen sleepily, a palm rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He approached Scully where she stood at the counter and put an arm around her shoulder, leaning on her. He still smelled like the sleepy little boy who liked to cuddle into her side to watch nature shows when he was six.

"Morning Mom," he said, taking a snuffly breath. He leaned down and rested his cheek against her head (he was almost as tall as Mulder, though still as skinny as a maypole). Scully wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him in closer. Affection from her kids was getting fewer and farther between now that they were active teenagers. She was determined to enjoy whatever she got.

"Morning," she said, giving his back a little rub, "you're up early."

"Yeah," he said on a yawn. "There's an open rink this morning and a couple of buddies are going. Is it okay if I join them?"

Scully nodded. "Just make sure you tell your dad, too. Know the exits before you go and keep an eye on the crowd."

Will squeezed her once and then let go, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl on the counter and holding up like James Bond. "Call me Double O Billy," he said and sidled back to his room off of Scully's bemused chuckle.

She spent an hour catching up on email that had been routed through the Gunmen and Darlene -- coded messages that they interpreted and sent to her mother, sister and brothers. Melissa was giving her a hard time about not letting her fly to Europe (where she thought they were) to be her doula when the time came to give birth. She was tempted to send Byers to her sister's house to explain exactly what was happening, but rejected the impulse. Their mother -- the only person other than the Gunmen and the X-Files triumvirate at the FBI who knew their situation (though not their location for her own protection) -- would talk her down eventually.

Mulder came padding up behind her as she closed the laptop and she felt a soft, drawn-out kiss on the side of her neck.

"Morning," he mumbled into her skin.

She reached up and threaded her fingers through his hair, then turned to receive his kiss.

"Morning," she said.

"I’ll be back shortly. I'm going to drop Billy off at the ice complex and then take Lil to campus -- she suddenly started liking football."

"I think it's the company rather than the sport," Scully said, turning in her chair to face him.

"...I'm going to choose to believe my version," he said.

Scully reached out and linked their fingers briefly. "Tell her to be careful," she said, "she's spending a lot of time out of the house."

Mulder nodded and squeezed her fingers. "I will," he said, "and when I get back, I have a few ideas for how we can spend our child-free afternoon." He waggled his eyebrows at her and let go, backing out of the room like the charmer he was.

XxXxXxXxXxX

“So why UVA?” Travis asked her. He had his head propped up on an elbow and his other hand was wrapped loosely around her foot, his thumb rubbing circles into her arch. She was on the couch in his dorm room and he was on the floor -- she’d been helping him study for mid-terms. They had been officially dating for five weeks and had seen each other at least every other day in that time. He’d introduced her to a couple of friends as his girlfriend.

“What?” she asked. It was hard enough to concentrate while getting a foot massage, and she’d been staring at the index cards in front of her, trying to find a question that would stump him.

“Why are you going to UVA? Brain like yours, you could have gone anywhere. I don’t think I’ve ever asked you why there.”

“Other than the in-state tuition?” She had told him that they’d moved from Virginia, but hadn’t elaborated.

“Other than that,” he smiled.

“I’ve always wanted to. When I was a kid, my dad would occasionally get called in to consult there and he would take me with him. I kinda fell in love with it.”

“What did your dad consult on?” he asked, “You don’t talk about your parents much.”

Travis tapped her other leg, and she switched feet, silencing a groan when his knuckle hit a particularly sensitive spot.

She had purposely avoided mentioning her family much and debated how much was safe to share.

“UVA has a Department of Perceptual Studies,” she said, and she saw him tilt his head in question.

“A department of what?”

“Perceptual studies,” she said, smiling, “it’s a research group devoted to the investigation of phenomena that challenge mainstream scientific paradigms regarding the nature of the mind/brain relationship.” Travis stopped rubbing her foot and looked at her. She went on, further quoting her dad’s friend Dr. Stevenson: “Their mission is the scientific empirical investigation of phenomena that suggest that currently accepted scientific assumptions and theories about the nature of mind or consciousness, and its relation to matter, may be incomplete.”

“You’re shitting me,” he said.

“I shit you not.”

“What kind of phenomena?” He narrowed his eyes at her.

She tried not to smile, “ESP, poltergeists, near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, claimed memories of past lives.”

“And what did they want with your father?” he asked, sitting up.

She shrugged. “He’s a shrink,” she said, being deliberately vague.

“This is an accredited university?” He teased her. She kicked at him, and he ducked out of the way and laughed, then looked at her thoughtfully. “You know, I myself had an out-of-body experience with Trudy Carmichael under the bleachers when I was sixteen. Pretty sure I saw through time.”

Lily chuckled, then playfully challenged: “Do I need to worry about this Trudy Carmichael?”

“I doubt it,” he said, hanging his head, “I lost my virginity, and she lost my number. Not my finest hour.”

“A whole hour?,” Lily said wryly.

“One way to find out.”

He looked at her then and she looked back. The moment was charged and sat in between them. The truth was, Lily was still a virgin. She and Travis had messed around, but fairly innocently, and she’d demurred on action below the waist/under the clothes. “I’m not waiting for marriage,” she’d told him a few weeks back, but she did want to wait for love. If only she knew what that felt like.

“Hey, Frisbee,” Travis said when she didn’t say anything, “please don’t take this as a negotiation tactic -- you’ve been clear on your limits and I totally respect that -- and with the full understanding that you don’t need a reason, and you do you and all that -- but… do you want to talk about it?”

“Talk about what exactly?” she asked, clarifying.

“When I say ‘no pressure,’ I mean it,” he said, reaching out to squeeze her foot.

Lily looked around his sloppy dorm room. There were clothes strewn about, though mostly out of the way— socks balled up near the laundry hamper, a sweatshirt hanging on the back of a chair. The wooden loft that held his bed was posted around the couch, made of flimsy-looking two-by-fours, and did not look like it could hold his weight, much less hers in addition, and remained untried (though Travis swore it had passed inspection). His desk was more fastidiously kept, a reflection of his mind, a structured order in the midst of chaos. He was kind and smart. His smile could make her insides go liquid.

“Honestly?” she finally said, “it’s my parents.”

“Super religious?” he asked.

She had to stop herself from laughing. “No, it’s… My parents love each other. More than anyone I’ve ever known. Their love is like… romance film love. It’s practically written in the stars.”

He looked at her contemplatively. “That’s a lot to live up to,” he said. “Is that what it is?”

“Yes,” she said, then, “no.” It was and it wasn’t. She didn’t know if there was a love out there that could compare, she suspected there wasn’t. Her real hang-up, and she hadn’t been able to get it out of her head since she found her father’s first wedding picture in their attic -- was that her father had obviously made a mistake. What if she did too?

She laughed, annoyed at herself. This wasn’t Regency England. Sex didn’t mean marriage. It didn’t even necessarily mean love. Still...

“Come on,” she said, sitting up and grabbing for his class notes, “this bio exam isn’t going to take itself.”

XxXxXxXxXxX

A sound woke her. Her hips were in agony and sleeping was difficult, so initially she was more annoyed than anything; she could rarely line up more than 90 minutes straight of deep slumber. And then she heard it again.

She reached over, squeezed Mulder's bicep until she heard him sniff sharply awake and silently, pulled out the sidearm she kept inside her bedside table. Mulder, slipping out of bed without a word, pulled out his own gun and went to the door. He held up a hand, trying to tell Scully to stay back, but she shook her head angrily -- she would have his back whether he liked it or not.

When he moved into the hallway, she stepped on the back of his heel and he ended up ramming his shoulder into the doorframe. He swore low under his breath. They were out of sync.

She watched as he put his head into the kids rooms as he made his way down the hallway, nodding at her that they were both accounted for. One more thunk from the living room.

He sidled up to the wall that led to the room and backed up against it. He mouthed one-two-three and they went in, but where she usually went low and he went high, this time they rammed shoulders and stumbled into the room. Mulder flicked on the light when she finally had her weapon aimed true.

There, sitting on a high bookshelf sat Apgar, her black tail swishing merrily. Maintaining eye contact, she swiped one more of the professor's knick-knacks off the shelf and onto the floor.

Mulder dropped his weapon and heaved a sigh, tipping his head back in frustration. "Fucking cat," he hissed.

Mission completed, Apgar jumped down with a thump and weaved a figure eight between Mulder's legs.

"She must be hungry," Scully said.

"Hangry was invented by cats," Mulder mumbled, reaching down to pet the cat with his free hand.

"Our tactical coordination was atrocious," Scully said, flicking the light back off and holding her gun at her hip.

"Yes," Mulder agreed.

"When was the last time you went to the range?" she asked.

"It's been months," he said tiredly.

"We're going tomorrow," Scully said. Mulder knew better than to argue.

XxX

There were more than a few Molon Labe bumper stickers in the parking lot. Scully had to remind herself that they were in Michigan Militia territory. "Michitucky," she'd heard it called by a few guys at the Bureau. Nevertheless, she pulled up to the firing range with fire in her blood. She might not share their politics, but she would share their space, and show most of them up to boot.

They signed in and bought ammunition. She got a few extra looks for being a visibly pregnant woman, but most of the men (and they were all men) who were at the range gave her begrudging looks of approval. Mulder stood, standing straighter and closer than normal, practically growling at anyone who got too close. She had to admit that his fierce protective nature was more than a turn-on.

The range was outdoors -- different than what they were used to at Quantico. And where there were metal tables and dividers and state of the art equipment at the government facility, here it was all beat-to-shit plywood tables and sunburnt grass littered with shell casings and old ear plugs. They took the lane at the end.

They both loaded and checked their weapons, snugged earmuffs over their heads.

"You want to go first?" Mulder asked, double checking the safety on his pistol and setting it on the table behind their station.

"I can do that," Scully said, looking down at her Sig.

"Care for a little wager?" her husband asked.

"You can't afford me, Dr. Mulder," she said, admiring the still-lanky line of his physique.

He raised his eyebrows, and leaned back against the tall wobbly table. "Oh-ho," he said, "I suppose that depends on the currency." He had a smug look about him that she wanted to wipe off his face. She was a better marksman and more competitive than anyone gave her credit for.

"What are you offering?" she asked.

"Dishes?" he offered, "Laundry?"

"We had children for the menial labor," she challenged, "I can win this with one hand tied behind my back. Make it interesting for me."

He licked his lips. She had him.

"I liked the part about 'hands behind the back,'" he said, "Winner decides who wears the handcuffs."

"You're not exactly incentivizing this, Mulder."

He had a flushed look about him; his nostrils flared.

"Prove it," he said, and she felt a flush. Second trimester hormones could be a beautiful thing, she mused.

It took her several rounds before she got back into the groove. It actually had been too long since she'd practiced and she was rusty. Considering their current situation, she ought not to let it happen again. Her last few rounds were dead center. Once her clip was empty, she cleared her weapon and stepped back.

Mulder's turn.

He wasn't quite as out of practice as she was initially, which irritated her to no end. However, his fourth and fifth shots were a bit wide, and he ended around the edges.

When he was clear, she stepped back up and took a bracing breath. She raised her weapon and fired rapidly; all her shots were center mass except the last two, which she swung up and finished with perfect shots to the head of the paper dummy.

When Mulder stepped forward for his turn, she nudged him.

"How big would you say the back of the Yukon is?'" she asked casually.

His first three shots went wide.

XxXxXxXxXxX

October 17, 2018

“Mom?” Lily asked. There was a hesitancy in her voice that made Scully look up from where she was chopping vegetables for dinner. “How did you know you loved Dad?”

Scully set the knife down and turned toward her daughter. “That’s a big question, Lil.”

“What’s a big question?” Mulder came breezing into the kitchen, shooting Scully an intrigued look.

Scully suspected something was up, but didn’t want to embarrass their daughter. Lily had always had an inquisitive streak and would occasionally come to Scully with problems or questions, but she was apt to clam up when pressed.

“Lily was asking me about how I fell in love with you,” Scully said, trying to catch Mulder’s eye.

“It was the day she met me, no doubt,” Mulder said. He grabbed an apple out of the bowl on the counter and shined it on his sleeve before taking a snappy bite. “I’m catnip to the ladies,” he said around the mouthful. Lily smiled. Scully rolled her eyes.  

“Suddenly, I’m struggling to remember,” Scully said with mock derision. Mulder gave her a cheeky grin.

“Did you know right away?” Lily asked.

Scully paused. “Not… Not right away,” she said thoughtfully.

Lily looked back and forth between her parents. “I guess it was a long time ago, huh.”

“Love in a time of sarsaparilla,” Mulder said dreamily. Scully shook her head and he caught her eye. “It wasn’t that long ago, Lil,“ he went on, and Scully felt the low bloom of feeling that always accompanied a look from her husband. For as long as she lived, she would always remember the first time she felt it; on the Tooms case, when he’d hooked his finger in her necklace and pulled.

“No, what I mean is… it was complicated,” Scully clarified.

Lily nodded and turned to her father. “You were married. Before Mom.”

“Yes,” Mulder said.

“Did you love her? Your ex wife?”

“I thought I did.”

“When did you figure out that you didn’t?” Lily asked.

“When I met your Mom,” Mulder said.

“So what you felt with Mom…”

“... was so much bigger than I was, that I couldn’t contain it.”

Scully felt her eyes well up. Mulder still sometimes had the ability to make her feel things all the way down to her toes.

Lily smiled, but looked pensive.

"But you thought you loved this other woman? I mean, enough to marry her?" she asked.

Mulder narrowed his eyes at his daughter. "What are you asking, Lil?"

Lily shook her head, her cheeks pink. She grabbed a soda from the fridge and walked out of the room.

“Oh boy,” said Scully.

“What?” Mulder asked.

“Travis,” said Scully. “She’s trying to figure it all out.”

“Jesus, he didn’t propose, did he?” Mulder asked. The look on his face was enough to make her laugh, but she held it in.

Scully turned fully to Mulder and leaned back against the countertop, crossing her arms in front of her.

“You want to know what I think?” she asked. Mulder nodded. “She’s trying to decide whether or when to...” She made a vague gesture with her hands.

Mulder looked at her, still not understanding. Scully gave him the stare of the dotard husband.

“Mulder…” she said, glaring hard.

Realization dawned and Mulder swallowed. “I should have had that boy killed,” he said.

Scully turned back to the vegetables she’d been chopping. “Let’s refrain from wetwork while we’re on the lam.”

“I make no promises,” he said, and slid up behind her, stepping in close and putting his hands on her waist.  

“I had the guys check him out by way of Darlene,” Scully said. “He is who he says he is. And he seems like a decent kid. Let’s let her navigate this on her own, huh?” She felt his fingers squeeze and then they drifted down to rest on her hips.

“I don’t like it,” he mumbled, and leaned down to rest his chin on her shoulder.

“You’re not supposed to,” she said. “But you do have to accept it, and trust that we raised her to make these decisions for herself.”  She remembered being nineteen and in college and in love for the first time. “You want to hear about Kevin McAvoy, my freshman year boyfriend?”

Mulder squeezed his fingers again and then started to turn her slowly toward him. She set down the knife on the counter and let him. His head was bent toward her and she felt his breath fan her face.

“No,” he said, leaning even more into her personal space.

“I was his Little Red Corvette,” she said playfully, tipping her head back in challenge. He smiled, but she saw something rough pass through his eyes. “He’d put on Prince and --”

Mulder leaned down and silenced her with a kiss.

XxXxXxXxXxX

In her room, Lily sat on the bed, the can of soda from the fridge sitting unopened on her bedside table. Condensation beaded on the side of it, sliding down silently to pool at the base, unnoticed.

Crusher liked to sleep on her pillow, and had left a black felted indent in the feathers, which Lily brushed away and fluffed. She looked about the room. Not much about it spoke of the young woman who slept there and had for months; no posters on the walls, no pennants hanging or pictures of friends. It was a sterile guest room decorated with the mute tones of an unmarried 60-something and lately it had been making her feel like she wasn't even herself.

She stood and walked to the desk, the one place she deposited her things. Her wallet, the phone Darlene had given her that she rarely used and usually kept switched off. Her purse was half hanging off -- likely knocked into such a position by a passing cat -- and when she righted it, she noticed the picture that sat under it. The photo of her father and an unfamiliar brunette, who's face conveyed confidence -- almost a smugness -- and a certain charm.

She stared at the picture. And she wondered.

XxX

October 20, 2018

Lily glanced over her shoulder when she sat, feeling as though she were doing something illegal, something fraught.

No one really used the computer labs anymore -- if you needed to, you could write an entire paper on your phone, though Lily found the practice ridiculous and immature. Nevertheless, there were one or two students sitting at the various desktops around the small library lab, and she checked to make sure no one was paying attention to what she was doing.

She tried to be careful. She had told Travis that she was hoping to log into the university's network to prep for some of the classes she’d be taking at UVA next semester and so she was using his password and login information. She'd checked to make sure there were no cameras on the area where she sat, and that her back was to the one aimed at the larger area.

With a bracing breath, she logged on.

It was surprising what you could find with a simple Google search, and the commonwealth of Virginia's vital records office would send you a copy of any marriage certificate for a fee of $45. Knowing better than to use a credit card, she'd opted for a more in depth search, and found what she was looking for in the Daily Press -- the local newspaper of record in Newport News, Virginia.

It was a wedding announcement, complete with two pictures -- one, the same picture she'd found in her parent's attic and the other of a similar style -- of Fox William Mulder and Lauren Edith Williams, married on August 17th, 1988. According to the article, Lauren had been a recent graduate of Georgetown University and had been employed at Schuster and McClure, a PR firm in the District of Columbia.

Lily looked at the new photograph on the screen before her. Her father looked so young. Only a few years older than herself. Lauren was pretty, had perfect posture, and was staring into the camera like a dare; her dress was all frills and white froth, the material of the dress ruched in large poofs at the shoulders, a crown of satin flowers around the lush brunette curls on her head. She looked like someone Lily wouldn't have dared talk to back in high school. She looked nothing like Lily's mother.

Lauren Edith Williams, she wrote down, and stared at the paper in front of her.

XxXxXxXxXxX

October 21, 2018

Lily was on the bus when she noticed him. It was his age that first drew her attention. Most everyone that rode this route (it went right into campus) was either a student or a professor, and something about him seemed the antithesis of scholarly. He had a sharp face, was dressed in loose clothing, a plain, black ball cap pulled low over his head. His knee bounced where he sat. She thought she could make out a tattoo curling onto the skin under the sleeve of his jacket. He could have been custodial staff for all she knew, but her parents had raised her to trust her instincts, and something inside of her pinged.

He hadn’t so much as looked in her direction, but she reached up and pulled the cord that requested a stop anyway, keeping him in her periphery when the bus rolled to the next stop. She was five blocks further away than she would have liked -- she was supposed to meet Travis just off campus for lunch. The man didn't move or rise from his seat. Nevertheless, she ducked out of the back door and onto the sidewalk, shouldering her purse and pretending to look at her phone. Only when the bus left with the man still on it would she exhale. The bus had just started to roll forward when it chirped to a stop and the front doors opened. The man in the cap trotted down the steps and onto the sidewalk, glancing briefly at her before turning and walking slowly west. Adrenaline awash in her bloodstream, she turned east.

The man had had a nondescript face. He was of average height and build, not someone you'd notice. She wracked her brain trying to remember when or if she'd seen him before, and had a hazy recollection of someone who might have been him: waiting outside of Travis's dorm when she'd come to visit him a couple days prior, or maybe even standing behind her in line at a coffee shop the day before. She should have been paying closer attention. Her parents had taught her to pay closer attention. Up until she'd done a search on her father and his ex-wife, she had. Lily silently cursed at herself.

She looked at her reflection in the shop windows along Grand River Avenue, trying to catch a glimpse behind her. She caught movement, but there were plenty of other people walking up and down the sidewalk. She needed a better look.

She swung up the stairs of the Student Union when she came to it a moment later, remembering walking in with her brother and dad only the month before, and felt the sharp pang of guilt.

When she reached the top of the staircase, she stopped to retie her shoe, glancing back behind her as she did so. The man in the cap was there, and had paused a ways away, looking down at his phone. Lily finished fiddling with her shoe and casually walked to the door, holding it open for a girl who was coming out, her heart hammering in her chest as she did so. Through the large doorway was a wide set of stairs going both up and down. When the door closed behind her, she bolted down the stairs to her right. There were a number of study spaces and she could pass through each one fairly quickly -- the day was busy and there were students everywhere; if she was lucky she could get lost in the crowd.

She ducked through the main lounge and past the small coffee shop on the lower level, looking behind her. She saw nothing, but that didn't mean he still wasn't coming. Seeing the full racks of clothing in the Spirit Shop across the hallway, she went inside, bending down to pretend to look at a few items on the bottom shelf.

Peering through underneath the hanging shirts, she watched as the man in the black cap came down the hallway outside of the shop and paused, turning toward it. Her heart leapt to her throat. He did a slow turn and then turned to keep walking. She kept her head down.

From the corner of her eye she caught her own reflection in the mirror outside the tiny dressing room -- she was wearing a bright blue shirt and her hair -- as bright and reflective as a stop sign, and always a part of herself she was fond of -- would give her away.

She stood, scanning the hallway outside the shop, and then she hastily pulled a green knit cap off a nearby shelf and pulled the tag off, shoving it over her head and tucking her hair up under it as quickly as she could. She grabbed a large tee shirt off the rack nearest her and took it plus the hat's tag to the counter, pulling some cash that her parents always had her carry out and plunking it on the counter.

"I don't need a receipt, thanks," she told the young woman helping her, and turned away.

"But what about your change?" the girl called after her.

"Tip jar," she said, turning back and keeping her voice low.

Once outside the store, she pulled the tee shirt over her head and made her way for the lower level exit that emptied onto campus. Seeing no one behind her, she took the steps out as fast as they would carry her and ran.

XxX

Darlene narrowed her eyes at Lily, and opened the door. “Quickly,” she said.

“Thanks,” Lily said, as Darlene let her into the house, peering around the block. “I didn’t want to use the phone.”

“I get it,” Darlene replied as she ushered Lily into her kitchen, where Lily sank onto one of the stools that sat before the peninsula of the counter.

"You want a lemonade or something, kiddo?" Darlene asked, leaning forward against the counter herself and giving Lily an expectant look -- there was more to it than just polite hospitality.

"No, thanks," Lily said, feeling the weight of Darlene's gaze and her own guilt in equal measure.

"Did you do something stupid?" Darlene asked outright and Lily, taken aback, sat up straighter, but didn't answer, thus confirming Darlene's clear suspicion. "How bad?"

"I think they found us."

Darlene huffed a breath. "Elaborate," she said.

"I... I ran a search. A couple days ago, in the university library. I was careful, but maybe not careful enough."

"What did you search?"

"My dad's ex-wife."

Darlene gave a low whistle. "Kiddo," she said, a statement.

"I know."

"Have you considered just asking him about her?"

Lily hugged herself.

"I have. I did. But… I wanted to know. For me. I don't want his version of this woman. I wanted to see for myself who she was. Is."

Darlene moved to the window and peered out, lowering the blinds as she did so. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Lily once again felt a pang of guilt. She looked down. "Not really."

Darlene moved around the counter to a sideboard table on the dining room side of the counter and began shuffling through a drawer.

"What makes you think they found you?" she asked.

"I think there's someone following me," Lily said, "I think maybe I’ve seen him a couple of times on campus, but I don’t know. I lost him and came here."

"Just one someone?"

Lily began to second guess herself.

"I think so?"

When Darlene straightened from the sideboard she was holding a pistol.

"Call your father right now, and tell him to get over here. Armed." Darlene's words were cold and calm. Lily's stomach dropped in her gut.

She reached for Darlene's phone, a relic from another time which hung on the wall, its cord coiled like a snake.

Darlene walked to the sliding glass door as she dialed the numbers, each tone sounding long and drawn out, Darlene pulled the long curtains closed with a snap.

"Dad?" Lily said, when Mulder answered.

"Hey Lil!" he sounded so relaxed, excited just to talk to her though he'd seen her that morning.

"Dad, I'm at Darlene's. She says to get over here. She said to bring your gun."

She heard his sharp inhale. “I’m coming,” he said, and then she heard a dial tone.

"Lily," said Darlene, walking over to her computer, which was booted up and sitting on her dining room table, cords snaking out of it and across the floor. She quickly typed hunt-and-peck with her right hand, the gun still clutched in her left. "I want you to go into the top right drawer in my dresser. In a small lockbox, code 9-10-9-3, you'll find an old Nokia phone. It should be fully charged. It’s untraceable. Do not turn it on. Take it. Put it somewhere safe -- your bra or your sock or underwear. Then get under my bed."

Lily walked to the hallway, her body on autopilot, her heart hammering and her blood roaring in her veins.

Darlene finished typing, clicked a few things with her mouse and then peeked an eye out the closed curtain toward the backyard, tapping the gun against the side of her thigh.

Pausing in the hallway, Lily turned back to Darlene.

"Is someone coming?" Lily asked.

"Kid," Darlene said, shooting her a look, "they're already here."

[optimistic-dinosaur-nacho]

The Search - Requested

Andy Barber x Daughter!Reader

Warnings: Murder, Disappearance, Language

Summary: Andy is on the Ben Rifkin’s case who happened to be murdered. And the same day, Y/N doesn’t return home. After hours and hours of searching for her, Andy finds her in the elementary playground. And she wasn’t in good shape.

I’m sure there won’t be a part 2 cause it will go crazy in the next one and I feel like I’ll mess up the next part so this is just it.

Also things may not sound like the right information, it’s just to bring the story together.

~~~

Andy had gotten a call from Duffy that there was a murder reported in Cold Spring Park. Andy had just started his morning and his case on the man with battery had already been done and he had to skip a meeting with Lynn.

Cold Spring Park was just by the Archer Middle School. And that’s where Y/N and Jacob were. The two would take the trail down. He hoped the two were okay in the school.

Andy parks his car on the side and steps out to see Pam waiting for him. He walks over, “What do we got?” He asked. Pam follows him towards the yellow caution tape, “Ben Rifkin, 14 years old, stabbed three times.” 

Pam watches Andy come to a stop and she knew that look, “Shit,” She says. Andy sighs, “Jacob knows him. Anyway, keep going.”

Pam nods, “The scene was sort of spread out. We found a trail but it stopped midway. They’re taking blood tests on the body and the blood trail.”

“Could it be the suspects?” Andy asks, he looks over and indeed saw the trail of blood leading up to the trail, running off or running towards the boys body if it happened to be a struggle from Ben.

Pam shrugs, “We’ll see in a few hours. This woman here found the body. A neighbor even heard distress what sounded like a woman or a child. He didn’t seem to think it was something bad.”

Andy looks over, “Well that was a dick move. But a woman? Could be an adult murderer.”

“Could be.” They walked up to the body and could smell the blood and mud. Men in hazmat suits surrounded the body and took pictures. Andy would give his regards to the parents. Jacob and Y/N knew him, Y/N was actually good friends with Ben.

Her and Jacob had some disagreements but it wasn’t something. Andy feels his phone ring and he turns, “Will you give me a minute?” He asked. Pam nods and he turns away to answer the call.

“Jake? You okay?”

“Yeah. Our school’s on lockdown. Is everything okay?” Andy looks over to the body and turns away, “Yeah. I can’t talk about it right now, you’re safe. Have you heard from your sister?” 

“She hasn’t texted me...” 

“Okay. Well, I got to go. Just listen to what your teachers say, okay?”

“K...”

“Love you, buddy.”

“Love you too.”

Andy pulls his phone in his pocket and he sees one of the men slip something into a bag. He saw the shape of it, knowing it was a phone. He nods at it, “That’s a cell phone?” He asked.

Pam looks over her shoulder, “Yeah. Not sure if it belongs to the victim, we’ll take a look at it tomorrow.” Pam and Andy leave the scene. They haven’t found the backpack nor did they find anything tied to the case. Weapons. Only blood was gonna be tested. They were sure if the suspect had gotten blood on their clothes but it was a needle in a haystack.

They didn’t have much. He heard his phone ring and he saw it was Laurie’s ID caller. “Laurie?”

“I just heard about the murder on the news. You okay?” She asked. Andy looks down the road, seeing cars drive down as he stood out by the stairs in front of the courthouse. “Yeah. Did you get the kids?”

“I got Jacob and Derek, they’re upstairs. Jacob said Y/N was going to a friends house but she’s not answering her phone.” Andy looks up and breathes in, “Okay. I’ll try her cell. Just stay home, okay?”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Andy hangs up and pulls up Y/N’s number, pulling it up to his ear. The phone buzzes. Again. And again. And again. “Come on, Y/N.” He heard the phone click knowing she picked up.

“Y/N, it’s dad. Mom’s worried.”

“Andy?”

The man froze at the sudden voice of someone else. He immediately reacts, “Duff? How do you-?”

“This was the phone that was turned up at the scene. I was taking it in for evidence and you happened to call it.” Andy raises his head up and rushes over to his car. “I’m coming to the department. Something’s not right.” 

Andy jumps in his car and speeds down the road. Andy pulls out the screen on his car and searches for Laurie’s number. He began to call her back. She immediately answered. “Andy? Did you talk to her?”

“Laurie... the phone that we turned up at the scene... it’s Y/N’s. I’m rushing over to the department.”

“Oh, my God. You think she did this?”

“No. I know she wouldn’t. Just keep Jacob home, I promise to call you back.” Andy hears her let out a huff, “Okay...” She says. Andy says bye and hangs up, quickly driving up to the station and doesn’t bother to lock his car as he rushed up the stairs.

He held up his badge to the police officer and she opened the door. He rushes up the stairs and immediately spots Duffy with the phone. “Hey,” She says, Andy takes the bag and looks at it.

“Have you been searching for her?” Andy asked.

“Well, we were just figuring out if she did it or not. They said a fingerprint was on the boy’s sweatshirt. They said the tests are here. Peterson was gonna bring them in a few.”

Andy shakes his head, “Just know... she didn’t do this. I know she wouldn’t do this.”

“You said Jacob and Y/N would walk down that trail, right?”

Andy shook his head, “Yes. But I’m not sure what the hell is going on. I have nothing and I...” Andy turns around and Duff raises her hand. “Hey, it’s okay. Easy.”

The two turn their heads to Peterson who walked up to them. “Andy, you’re here?” He asks, Andy quickly takes the papers. “What did they find?” Duffy asked. Andy began to read the papers, seeing the information.

“They found two different blood tests. One happens to be Y/N Barber’s including the Rifkin’s kid.” Andy looks up to him and his blood runs cold. “You saying my daughter was involved with the murder?”

Peterson shrugs, “We don’t have enough evidence to say she did it or not. This really turns a lot of heads though.”

“Can we send out patrols?” Andy asks, the two don’t reply and Andy turns to Duffy. “Duff, please.” Pam looks over to him and finally nods. “We’ll look around the park.” Andy nods at her and she gathers a few men and they began to head into police cars.

Andy was the first to leave the department.

He called Laurie and told her almost everything. She told him that Jacob had taken the road way instead of the trail. Y/N usually liked taking the trail cause it was quicker. Jacob and Y/N always had their disagreements a lot.

Especially as kids.

The fights they would have. Jacob was more of the damage. Laurie knew it but Andy didn’t. He thought they were just acting like siblings and they are the same age so they fight for the same things.

One thinks the other is spoiled but in reality they both are. Maybe Y/N found Ben Rifkin’s body and she fell, cutting a hand on the ground. No. Andy saw a lot of it. It had been hours since this happened. He reached for his beard in distress, knowing Y/N could be lying on the ground.

Dead.

One police cab had been following him while the rest had been going around the park and Andy’s neighborhood. An hour had passed looking for her. Andy had his windows rolled down for a sudden sound or thing. He then stopped. The elementary school. Their school had ended but he knew it was somewhere she’d be.

Especially the blood trail she left it leading up to this school. The cop was confused as Andy jumped out and rushed onto the campus. “Y/N!” Andy calls, he looks through the playground and looks by the swings. 

Nothing.

He tries the bushes by the school. Nothing. He checks by the bigger play structure and sees a huge slide with large obstacles. The slide was a large tube and he walks over, looking up at the top, “Y/N?” He calls. No one responds.

Looking out to the field, he couldn’t see her. Sighing, he began to walk back till a dark color caught his attention. On the edge of the slide. Was dark liquid. Blood. Andy leans over and sees someone laying in the slide, weak. “Y/N!”

He hears that she doesn’t respond and quickly waves at the officer. “Call the ambulance! I found her!” The officer nods and calls in his units to gather them all together again.

Andy leans in and holds his hand out. “Sweetheart, can you hear me? I need you to get out. It’s dad, baby. It’s me.” He gently grabs your ankles and tugs you down.

The shirt you wore was soaked in your blood. You surely lost a pint of blood. You were holding it. Andy slightly gasps. He reaches up to her cheek, seeing the fear in her eyes. “It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay. Stay with me, sweetheart. I know, I know it hurts.” 

Dry tears being layered with fresher ones, he tried to keep her calm. Till the ambulance arrived.

.

Y/N was rushed to the hospital and Andy had called Laurie. Andy would’ve lied if he said she didn’t cry. Of course, Andy would have a talk with Jacob. Why he would leave her on her own. But what he still didn’t know if she did it. If Ben Rifkin was the one to kill her, she turned against him and killed him instead. 

Or was she planning on killing him and he took it against her. He bled out and she fled. Andy couldn’t find the answers. If that fingerprint matches with Y/N’s, then they’ll have to assume. 

But they don’t know the true story. The fear in her eyes, he knew she wouldn’t have done it.

He jumped out of his car once he parked. Rushing up to the front desk, he blurts out his daughter’s name and the woman lets him go through. There was a waiting room because she had reported that Y/N was in surgery. They needed to transfer a lot of blood and stitch her up.

They said she was stabbed once. Missing the lethal parts of her body. Laurie couldn’t leave the house due to Derek being there and she didn’t trust leaving the kids alone, not even bringing in Derek into seeing their daughter in a hospital. 

She did tell Jacob. His answer was off but she didn’t mind it. Andy heard about it and he confirmed he will be talking to Jake about this. It wasn’t okay. Y/N could die in this very moment.

Andy would still love him but knowing that he left Y/N and she almost died. Andy sat in the hospital for the next hour.

It was around 7 pm now.

Andy had been waiting for 2 hours. And Laurie hadn’t called since. Being worried she didn’t want to know the updates. She’d want to hear it in person. “Are you Andrew Barber?” A man spoke, Andy looks up and the man in the white coat grinned softly. 

Andy stood up, “Is she okay?”

“We were lucky to put some blood back. Losing a pint and for her age it would’ve been fatal for her. When you found her, she’s lucky to be alive. We even caught a small concussion to the head but I’m sure that will settle in a few days.”

Andy drops the tension in his shoulders and sighed, “Is it okay if I see her?” The doctor nods, “Of course.” Andy followed the doctor after he grabbed his coat. Andy entered the room and saw Y/N on the bed. The white sheet pulled over her body. Bandages were on her forehead, small cuts and bruises. 

Andy thanks the doctor and the man left him in the room. 

He takes the chairs and pulls it up to the side of the bed. He noticed her eyes slowly open and he gently takes her hand in his, “Hey, sweetheart...” He whispers softly. Y/N slowly looks at him and inhaled sharply, “Dad...”

He kisses her hand and grins, “I’m here.”

“Jake...” She mutters, Andy sadly grins, “Your brother and mom are at home. They’ll see you tomorrow.”

Y/N looks to him and he saw the shook of your head. “What it is?” He asked. “He... did it.” Andy furrows his brows together in confusion. “Did Ben Rifkin do this to you?”

She again shook her head, “No... it was him...”

“Who?” Andy asked. Y/N looks over to him. She says his name in a low whisper.

“Jacob...”

~~~

No part two cause I don’t know if I can handle it.

TAGS:

@jtargaryen18​ @joannaliceevans-fanficblog​ @captain-a-rogerss​ @donutloverxo​ @stop-obsessing-over-those-actors​ @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​ @princess-evans-addict​ @patzammit​ @iguessweallcrazyithinktho​ @nbarnes​ @la-cey​ @lovepeacefood​ @void-hoechlin​ @mcntsee​ @ifuseekamyevans​ @cheeseburgersstuff​ @kayteewritessteve​ @rororo06 @axen-gers​ @bucksgoat​ @elliee1497​

Want a tag? Just ask!

[jojotichakorn]

@octopisunsets said: Her nephew literally tried to do the Bad Thing to himself because he was so worried he would hurt Yuhan. Of COURSE her first instinct would be to remove him from the very person that drove him to attempt the Bad Thing.

major trigger warning for discussions of suicide in this post !!

so , let’s talk about the aunt , shall we ?

first of all , yoo han didn't " drive yeon woo to his suicide attempt " . how can you even say that ? what drove yeon woo to it was the idea that he is a monster , that what he is is bad - the idea that the world ( his aunt included ) forced onto him repeatedly .

i'm going to give you a clear metaphor . a good chunk of queer people have an especially hard time dealing with both internal and external homophobia at this specific point . considering how homophobic society is , it is already very hard to be queer on your own , but when you have a partner , things really set in motion . who you are is no longer a theoretical thing homophobic people around you can ignore ( especially if you aren't visibly queer and/or are in the closet ) - because at this point you become visibly queer and you step out of the closet , you have a partner . and then imagine , you are already in this complicated situation , and then you come to your aunt ( the only family you have left and the woman you live with ) and she says she doesn't approve . it's very akin to the whole " you shouldn't do this , because the world is so homophobic and it would be so hard on you " and " i wouldn't want you to live the kind of heavy life those people live " . do those ideas come out of love ? perhaps . but it doesn't matter , because they come from blatant homophobia as well . and in immortal words of my best friend : love is useless if it hurts the other .

second of all , his aunt was against them from the start and she still is at the end of the series . even though she allows them to be together ( and thank gods for that ) , she does not approve .

when she first finds out about yoo han , the scene that happens between her and yeon woo is terrifying . 

both my parents are fucking shitheads , so i am all too familiar with the layout , which can sometimes be scarier than kicking and screaming . the silence , the angry disappointed look , it’s all there . 

she gives yeon woo time to bask in his own shame . she makes sure he comes to the conclusion of what he’s done wrong on his own . the impact is always stronger that way . and then the verdict .

it always comes . right away . it’s harsh , it’s unforgiving . sometimes , it isn’t even true . sometimes it’s just emotional blackmail that they hope will lead their child to the conclusion they want from them without too much fuss . the delivery is also often completely emotionless , to give the verdict an air of a fact rather than a decision that can be argued .

and then we see the aunt show her true face .

the face that’s selfish - first and foremost , it’s always selfish . they always have something that they want for their child ( or rather - for themselves in connection to the child ) , and it matters more than what their child themself wants . 

and don’t tell me yeon woo is selfish here as well , because in this clear parent/child power imbalance , the child can not be selfish . ultimately , the aunt makes all decisions , she is in charge of his life ( also known as the reason why children are oppressed and we have the convention on the rights of a child - i don’t actually know if yeon woo is a minor here or not , so children’s rights might not specifically apply to him , but the point still stands - the parent makes the decisions ) . this is not a balanced conversation . this is not a dialogue of what each of them wants - it is a monologue of what the aunt wants with yeon woo’s attempts to protest and have his opinion valued even a little bit .

she has lost her sister , and there is a possibility she will lose him too . her first thought isn’t what yeon woo wants - that he wants to try , that he knows the possibilities and dangers all too well himself . her first thought is her own wants and needs .

and she realizes it too . when yeon woo breaks down , she backtracks . 

but she doesn’t stop , does she ? 

she continues reminding him that he is acting exactly like his mother ( you know , the one that went MISSING , the one they LOST ) at every turn . you know what this reminds me of ? when i first came out to my mother back when i was identifying as a guy , she made every single conversation we had about how i am the most feminine girl in the world and i could never be anything , but a girl . 

it’s the relentless reminders , it’s this idea that they make sure to put into your head . they do it because they hope that one day you will hear it so many times , you will start believing it yourself . 

but may i remind you , this sister the aunt talks of is yeon woo’s mother ? it isn’t as if he hasn’t experienced the same thing she has - he lost his mom , who he loved more than anyone else in the world ! and she uses this fact to make him do what she wants . i also remind you that yeon woo’s mother - you know , an actual mono - was proud of who she was . she told yeon woo stories of how she met his dad , and how he will one day also meet someone who will be this incredible person that brings color and love into his life .

and don’t you dare tell me that the aunt , who is a regular ass fucking person , knows more about the hardships of being a mono than yeon woo’s mom ( who - i repeat - was an actual mono ) . the aunt doesn’t know shite about the experience , she is terrified of it and what it can do , and she is very much perpetuating the idea of it being monstrous , she always has . 

and then yeon woo breaks down , because he starts believing it . fully now . he is a monster . and after his aunt finds him , what is her first instinct ? that’s right - to send him to what is basically the equivalent of a conversion camp . ( no , seriously , the whole concept and the framing of yoo han as specifically saving yeon woo from there - it’s pretty straightforward ) .

and then a change happens . the aunt realizes that oop - actually , if she continues forbidding yeon woo and yoo han’s relationship , she will lose yeon woo anyway . and that , of course , won’t do , since that’s what she was so scared of in the first place . so she reluctantly allows them to be together . why do i say reluctantly ? well , because of this final scene with the aunt :

( pro tip : this is actually not what support looks like - just saying ! )

also , just to mention some quick statistics , being supported for who you are at home helps out children a lot . all children , but especially my dear lgbtq+ children . for example , my fellow trans folks have a suicide rate of 40% . according to different studies , it drops to anywhere between 20% to 15% in case of family acceptance . 

to say that yeon woo’s suicide attempt was due to him finding his probe and finally fully embracing being a mono is the same as to say that my suicide attempt three years ago was due to me being trans and finally accepting it . neither are true . it was because we both had shitty , unsupportive home environments . 

so actually , now that i have explored this whole thing more carefully , i retract my statement . the aunt isn’t just icky , she fucking sucks !

oh and by the way , don’t try to show me moments where the aunt was “ nice “ or whatever - that will only prove that you don’t know shit about the topic . it’s the one day in a week rule that so often confuses people , who end up in abusive relationships . “ oh , they are perfect almost every day , but then there is a time once a week ... “ - no amount of candy given every monday can make up for a bruise planted every sunday . 

- yours truly , unwilling expert on shitty parents ( no , seriously , i wish i didn’t know and couldn’t see any of this shit , but alas , my life took an ugly turn in the family department ) .

[magiefish]

hhhhhhhhhh guess who drew all the batim characters in prep for the comic they’re making!

yeah so it took like 4 days to draw all these guys, and it was actually pretty fun figuring out colours and designs and stuff!

(also, update on the Reveries Twisted comic, I have a plan for the first chapter but i have like, 7 tests next week and I haven’t started drawing it yet so it’s definitely not going to be coming out anytime soon sdfgsdfsj but i am still working on it!)

anyway, i felt like writing little descriptions for every character, so feel free to read these below the ‘keep reading’ line if you feel like it! My ask box is also always open, so if u have any questions feel free to ask

Bertrum Piedmont-he/him, gay/ace

-Started working as a mechanic at about 15 and worked his way up from there -Everyone in the studio @ him: why are u british -His big ego often gets in the way of things, but at his core he's a good person (doing bad shit but ultimately having good intentions is common among these guys shdgfs) -Wlw & mlm solidarity w/ Lacie, who is his most trusted confidant and friend -Actually treats his employees well, even when they do basically nothing all day, so he does a lot of work himself most of the time Linda Stein-she/her, straight as a ruler -Parents immigrated from Spain -She's very catholic and very into 'traditional family values' and that sort of stuff -She is sweet, but her strict morals and black and white ethics often make her do unintentional harm -She is also pretty oblivious to most things Jack Fain-he/him & they/them, pan/ace, OCD -Mother immigrated from China to France, and then he moved to America, it's confusing -Can play the violin really well, but is terrible at composing his own pieces -Peak friend material -Short and round and soft with a love of a good espresso -Kind and quiet but ultimately ineffective and happy to watch from the sidelines Daniel 'Buddy' Lewek-he/him, aro/ace, autistic, jewish -He is curious and observant, but very very naive -He finds it hard to pick up on social cues, and tends to daydream a lot -Never really had a father figure, and unfortunately kind of half sees Joey as one (baaaad choice), but his mother is great -Loves drawing and tends to chew on pens (and most objects really) -Too young Susie Campbell-she/her, demi -Her parents were Russian and she picked up their accent, but taught herself how to cover it up. She is now excellent at voice acting. -Has a birthmark most theatres turned her away for. But luckily voice acting gave her another chance at performance, and the music department really does not care about it. -Her dad was a butcher, so she now knows a concerning amount about how to cut up and dissect meat. -She gets easily attached to things emotionally, and has a whole pile of random bits and bops she keeps on her person because she can't throw them away. -Naive, but smart enough to know how to read and deceive people if needed. Ms Abigail Lambert-she/her, lesbian -A very gifted artist, who is quite frustrated with the business aspect of animation. -Picked up quite a few things about engineering from Lacie. -Stern, but kind. Motherly, if she likes you and you squint hard enough. -Used to fighting for things. -Giving her food is a pretty good way to get her to like you. Being an artist, she forgets to eat at the correct times a lot, so a meals always appreciated. Norman Polk-he/him, gay, albino -Knows how to fix things, knows how to fight, knows how to hide -General cool uncle vibes -He watches people a lot, and gives off some creepy vibes, but he does genuinely care about people -Knows something is up and is determined to find out what (even if he dies trying) -Fought in WW1, then worked at a cinema for a bit. Emma Lamont-she/her, heteroflexible -Keep dancing even when everything goes wrong -Bit of a 'i'm better than these fools' mentality going on -But she's pretty chill, and willing to act when needed -Basically every woman in the studio knows her on the basis that she chills in the girls bathroom. -Hates Joey, but knows those who stir up a bit too much trouble usually 'resign' Sammy Lawrence-he/him, (vocal-romantic) bi/ace, ADD -His dad sucked, so he ran away. He's also the reason he's largely abandoned his faith, but he still holds hope that there is some kind of god out there. -He and Jack are basically brothers, they've known each other for a long time. -He can compose music in his head, but can play basically every instrument. -Tall and thin and sharp with a love of black coffee. -He's actually pretty chill and nice, but the conditions of the studio (workload, noises, dreams) have left him quick to snap and a stressed out mess. -He's pretty oblivious to his own feelings and spends basically all his time thinking about music, so he usually only realises that he has a crush on someone if he hears them singing (hence the vocal-romantic joke) Johnny Hart-he/him (she/her), gay (trans), heart condition -A nervous wreck who avoids everything and everyone -Trans but doesn't realise it, he thinks this level of discomfort has something to do with his heart condition or something like that. -Speaking of which, if he gets genuinely terrified or panicked he could have a heart attack. -Hence why he's a recluse who remains in the organ room and interacts w/ literally no one. -Except Dot and Buddy (who forgets he exists and who he also has a crush on). Wally Franks-he/him, pan -Friends with literally everyone who isn't one of the older folks (and thomas) -Honorary member of the music department because he can play a harmonica and vibes with everyone there. -Tries to put a positive spin on everything, often beyond the point of reason -A mischevous, mildly selfish prankster with a heart of gold -Gossip pals with Susie and Norman The Violinist-she/her, nobody knows -Has literally never expressed an emotion ever -Seems to know things are going to happen before they happen -Just generally pretty weird -She isn't friends with Dot, they're both just vaguely interested in what the others doing -She looks a lot like Allison, but the two have never spoken and nobody knows if they're sisters Thomas Connor-they/them, gynephilia -He is just. So tired. -An actual mechanical genius who gets his work used for the wrong purposes. -Is very of the 'when you're on a path stick to it' mentality -Cold and hard exterior that vertually no one except Allison has ever managed to get through. -He can and will beat you up. Henry Stein-he/him, gay, vitiligo -Nice and hardworking. -Doesn't have many emotions other than to draw. -He's in fucking narnia he's so deep in the closest. -Feels emotions, but buries them deep down and doesn't express them too clearly. -Has difficulty setting healthy boundaries with people and represses himself far too much. Joey Drew-he/him, homoromantic/pansexual, bipolar disorder, alcohol and cigarette addictions -Chaotic, feral, short little man who lies to everyone -Charismatic as hell, but also a terrible friend and person in general -He doesn't blink enough, does not know the meaning of personal space, and hasn't aged for about 4 years, which are all very bad signs. -Doesn't understand how to run a business but does so anyway. Doesn't understand how to interact with people but does so anyway. Doesn't understand how to create life but does so anyway- -He isn't pure evil, he just gets into very bad mindsets and makes poor decisions that lead him down the wrongest way to go. -Does some self evaluation and goes 'maybe this wasn't the right way chief :/' just a bit too late Audrey Dempsey-she/her, lesbian, Borderline Personality Disorder -Feral conspiracy theorist -May or may not be related to multiple studio members -Everyone's called her crazy for years and made her feel like a burden, and she is hellbent on proving everyone wrong -Quite socially awkward, and rather sarcastic with a dark sense of humour -Works for Archgate Allison Pendle-she/her & they/them, androphilic/ace -Is forever lost in a vintage clothing store -Most people say she seems nice, but everyone just kind of subconciously registers that there is something up with her -Knows a lot about the supernatural -The person closest to Joey, which doesn't necessarily mean they're friends -Nobody has ever seen the right side of her face Dot Acciaci-she/her, pan -Her parents are Italian, and she speaks a little herself, usually using it to encrypt her private notes -Mischevious & curious, but ultimately kind -She will find out your secrets, and is very good at reading people -Great storyteller -Struggles with loneliness a lot Dr Eleanor Hackenbush-she/her, aro/ace -Science knows no bounds -Doesn't care what your motivation is, as long as you give her some cash and some experiments -Filled with nothing but utter spite Ms Reina Rodriguez-they/them, demi -Tired of everything -Although she puts up a calm exterior, Rodriguez is very attached to the studio and views it as her 'new family', having a terrible relationship with her old one -Her family drama connects to the fact they're very catholic, but she nobody knows what this drama is other than Joey Tessa Arch-she/her, straight -An absolute bitch -Trusts her husband far too much -Not very smart, but compensates for this for being good looking and rich Shawn Flynn-he/him (intersex), pan -Jovial, but gets angry quickly -Willing to do 'wrong' things if it helps someone else out, kind of like Robin Hood or something -His mother taught him how to sew and he helped her make clothes when he was younger -Found it hard to get a job because he's Irish, so despite being tired of all the bullshit of JDS, he is reluctant to look elsewhere -Friends with Lacie and Grant because they appreciate his humour Lacie Benton-She/her, lesbian, trans -Tougher than the toughies -wlw & mlm solidarity w/ Bertrum, who she views as one of the only genuinely smart people in JDS and who she has worked for for basically all of her life -Feels like something is up, but doesn't notice much if it doesn't connect to her work -Has automatophobia -Friend with Shawn and Grant because she respects their dedication to their work Grant Cohen-He/him, bi, depression, jewish -Absolute madlad at maths -Acts like he doesn't care what you think, cares far too much about what you think -Everyone wants him to just get therapy already -Doesn't have many friends, but has a weird 'we're both horribly overworked' kinship with Sammy, so they usually just chill and smoke together -Friends with Shawn and Lacie because they're actually mentally stable and he needs some rocks Nathan Arch-He/him, straight -You should hate him -You should hate him a lot -Super rich and doesn't pay his workers enough -Silver tongued -Basically a spider. Creates webs of manipulation and lies, sees a lot, and knows plenty about waiting for his prey to come to him.

[teenwolffanclub-me]

Season 1, Episode 7: Night School (Part Two)

Hey there beautiful reader! If you’re new here, this is a series I’m writing where each chapter is an episode from the first season of Teen Wolf. If you’ve been here before, hey! I missed you! Previous and future chapters are linked at the end of each part if you want to catch up.

Pairing: Stiles x Psychic! Reader (eventually)

Notes: Okay, this one is a lot too. I may have gotten a bit carried away, but so much happens in this episode! And it’s my favorite!

P.S. Jackson manages to be more suspect than the alpha, Allison needs a chill pill ASAP, and Derek is wanted for murder

                                                    ———————

“Why did you come? What are you doing here?”

Scott rushed the words out the second he laid eyes on Allison. She looked between the three of us, her gaze pausing over my underdressed state, before staring at him in bewilderment.

“Because you asked me to...” She held up her phone as proof, pointing to a text that was very much from him telling her to come here.

Scott’s eyes widened in shock and he snatched the phone out of her hands. She reeled back, surprised.

“I didn’t send this.” His voice was hard as he scrolled through their messages.

“What? What’s going on? Who sent it then?” Her eyes continued flickering between us, searching for answers.

The phone stated ringing in Scott’s hands and she took it back quickly. She glanced at the caller I.D, huffed out a breath of relief, and put it up to her ear.

“Where are you?” She immediately demanded.

Just then, Lydia and Jackson came striding through the lobby doors. They both seemed annoyed to be here, but at least Jackson didn’t look like he was actively dying anymore.

“Finally.” Lydia sighed, raising her eyebrows at us expectantly. “Can we go now?”

Before any of us could respond, there was a loud thud in the ceiling above us. The tiles started creaking as slow footsteps stomped around. We all froze. My heart instantly began racing again at the thought of the alpha so close.

“Run!” Scott yelled at the same moment it came crashing to the floor beside us.

He grabbed Allison’s hand and they took off, the rest of us not far behind. The alpha growled and barked as it chased us down the hall, which was honestly surprising. I never imagined werewolves barking.

I struggled to steady my breathing as we made our way down the hall and into the cafeteria. Scott slammed the doors before locking the deadbolts into the floor. Instantly, everyone started freaking out.

“Help me get these in front of the doors!” Scott was trying to use a table to baracade us inside.

“What was that? Scott? What was that?” Allison shrieked, tugging her hands through her hair.

“Was it in the ceiling?” Lydia added, throwing her arms up in confusion.

“Wait. Not in here.” I heard Stiles mutter, and I wasn’t sure if he was even talking to us or just himself.

“The chairs! Stack the chairs!” Scott was rushing around frantically, not even bothering to check if anyone was actually listening to him.

“Guys, can we just wait a second? You guys, listen to me!” Stiles raised his voice, annoyed that he was being ignored.

Jackson, Lydia, and Allison sprang forward and started grabbing anything they could to add weight to the table. I just wrapped my arms around myself and watched, worried about the level of noise they were all making.

“Guys? Stiles talking. Can we hang on one second please? Hello!” I jumped in surprise at his unexpected shout, and turned my attention his way.

Everyone else whipped around to face him expectantly, ditching their effort at the doors.

“Okay. Nice work. Really beautiful job, everyone. Now...what should we do about the twenty foot wall of windows?” He gestured toward the aforementioned windows with a jerk of his arms.

I cringed, knowing he had a point. The alpha was in the school with us now, but that didn’t mean it would stay that way. It had already proven its intelligence by trapping us with the dumpsters. I wasn’t about to make the mistake of underestimating it again.

“Can somebody please explain to me what’s going on here? Because I am totally freaking out and I would like to know why.” Allison’s voice shook as she tried desperately to fight back tears. She tugged at Scott’s arm and called his name when he avoided her pleading eyes.

Alright. Come on. This is when you tell her.

He pulled himself free and stalked over to a nearby table before letting his elbows rest on it and pinching the bridge of his nose. Allison threw her hands up in exasperation and her gaze moved to me in question. I gave her a one shouldered shrug, not knowing what else to do.

How the hell would we get out of this without telling them everything? A few moments of tense silence passed and I huffed in frustration. If he wasn’t going to do it, I would. I was beyond done with the secrets and the lies. I opened my mouth, about to spill the beans, when Stiles interrupted me.

“Somebody killed the janitor.” He sent me a pointed look and took a few steps toward where Allison, Lydia, and Jackson stood in a line.

I clenched my jaw and tightened the sides of his jacket around my torso. They were going to find out eventually. It would be much better if it came directly from the source.

“What?” Lydia looked terrified by that news, her emerald eyes widening in horror.

“Yeah. He’s dead.” He confirmed with a surprising lack of emotion, glancing around the room to gauge everyone’s reaction. I blame his weird fascination with his dad’s line of work. He’d seen way too much even before the supernatural was involved.

I’d somehow almost forgotten that had happened, and the reminder brought the seriousness of our situation crashing back down onto me. Someone was dead because of the alpha. And now we were stuck, bound to be next any minute.

“What’s he talking about?” Allison forced out a pained laugh and looked to Scott. “Is this a joke?”

“Wha—who killed him?” Jackson spoke up for the first time, not sounding completely convinced.

“No, no, no, no.” Lydia’s eyes welled with tears as she started breathing erratically. “This was supposed to be over. The—the mountain lion...”

“Don’t you get it?” Jackson interrupted harshly. “There was no mountain lion.”

“Who was it? What does he want? What’s happening?” Allison demanded, her voice hard.

I chewed on my bottom lip nervously, feeling like we were quickly losing control of this situation. Keeping them in the dark was making things so much worse right now.

“Scott!” She snapped when he didn’t respond, and he finally spun around to face us.

“I-I don’t know. I just—if we go out there, he’s gonna kill us.” His voice wavered on the lie and he barely raised his eyes from the floor.

“Kill us?” Lydia asked pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest with a pop of her hip.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Leave it to her to think she’d be exempt from a psychotic murderer.

“Who? Who is it?” Allison was nearing a complete panic attack at this point.

I was ready to end this whole thing and face the stupid consequences later, when he finally spoke up. He shook his head and pinched his eyes shut tightly with a sigh.

“It’s Derek.” He muttered, avoiding both mine and Stiles’ stunned expressions. “Derek Hale.”

What the hell was he doing? Derek is dead. And, not to meantion, pretty much the only person we know for sure isn’t the alpha. He must’ve lost his damn mind.

“Derek killed the janitor...?” Jackson narrowed his eyes at Scott skeptically.

Yeah, you’re onto something buddy. Maybe for the first time ever.

“Yes. He killed them. All of them.” He rushed the words out, still refusing to look at anyone.

My jaw clenched tightly. Why couldn’t we just tell them the truth? Would it really be that bad? They were already majorly freaked out. Might as well hit them with the supernatural shit too.

“But the mountain lion...” Lydia tried to reason.

“No. It’s been Derek the whole time. Starting with his own sister—”

“And the bus driver?” Allison was visibily calmer now that she had an answer, but her voice still shook with fear.

“And the guy at the video store. He’s in here with us, and—and if we don’t get out now...”

He finally raised his gaze to look around the room. His eyes were shining with several intense emotions including fear, anxiety, and guilt. He should feel bad. He just threw a dead man under the bus, and lied to his girlfriend in the process. It wasn’t going to end well on either account.

He let out a heavy sigh and carefully considered his next words before speaking. “He’s gonna kill us too.”

A moment of silence passed before Jackson scoffed in annoyance. “Call the cops.”

I had to agree that it seemed like the most logical choice at this point. I’m not sure what they’d be able to do, but they at least had more resources than any of us.

“No.” Stiles said immediately, shaking his head for good measure.

“What do you mean, no?” Jackson furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief.

“I mean no. What, do you wanna hear it in Spanish? No.” Stiles threw his hands down to his sides in frustration. “Look, Derek killed three people. We don’t know what he’s armed with.”

For some reason, his willingness to go along with Scott’s lie really bothered me. He was by far the most loyal person I’d ever met, so it wasn’t surprising, but it still didn’t sit well with me. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish the truth with them, and that made me nervous.

“Your dad is armed with an entire sheriff’s department. Call him!” Jackson raised his voice, his anger spiking at Stiles’ apparent hesitation to do anything helpful.

He had a point. I knew the last thing Stiles wanted to do was involve his dad in any of this stuff, but there came a time when we needed adults to step in. I’d say this was one of those moments.

“I’m calling.” Lydia pulled out her phone and began pacing away from their bickering.

“No! Lydia. Would you just hold on a second?” Stiles moved toward her, one arm outstretched, until Jackson stepped between them and shoved him away harshly.

“Hey!” Scott rushed to Stiles side, who just narrowed his eyes angrily.

Oh, God. The last thing we needed right now was a fight. They shouldn’t even be arguing about this, either. I didn’t care what it was, we just needed to do something—anything—to try and get out of here safely.

“Yes, we’re at Beacon Hills High School. We’re trapped and we need you to—but...” Lydia lowered her phone from her ear slowly in disbelief. “She hung up on me.”

“The police hung up on you?” Confusion seeped through my voice as I stepped toward her. Why would they do that?

Her eyes snapped up to mine, her bottom lip quivering. “She said they got a tip saying that there would be prank calls about the high school. She said if I called again, she’d trace the call and have me arrested.”

“Okay, so call again!” Allison cried from behind her, growing frantic again.

“No, they won’t trace a cell.” Stiles mumbled. “They’ll send a car to your house before anyone comes here.”

Once again, I was surprised at his level of knowledge about police procedures. Just how much had his dad let him in on?

“What the—what is this? Why does Derek want to kill us? Why is he killing anyone?” A stray tear escaped Allison’s eyes as they jumped around the room, hoping anyone could answer her questions.

They were all valid, and I felt terrible that she was so freaked out. Although, I had a feeling that knowing a werewolf was actually the one chasing us wouldn’t help to put her mind at ease. I wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth. What’s the worst that could happen, anyway?

“Why is everyone looking at me like that?” Scott asked upon noticing that all the attention was on him.

“Is he the one that sent her the text?” Lydia rushed the words out quickly, her eyes wide with fear.

“I don’t know.” Scott muttered through clenched teeth.

I wasn’t sure why they thought he’d have all the answers. I mean, he did have some kind of connection to the alpha, but they didn’t know that. To them, he should be as clueless as the rest of us.

“Was he the one that called the police?” Allison threw her hands up in exasperation as she desperately tried to piece any of this together.

“I don’t know!” Scott snapped, the sudden anger in his face immediately disappearing as he saw the way Allison recoiled from him.

Okay, this conversation was going nowhere, and fast. I grabbed ahold of Scott’s elbow and dragged him across the room as Lydia wrapped a comforting arm around Allison. Tensions were incredibly high right now, and everyone needed to chill the fuck out and stop fighting if we wanted to survive this.

“Okay, first of all.” I whispered with a raise of my eyebrows as Stiles quickly joined us. “Throwing Derek under the bus? Nice one.”

“I-I didn’t know what to say. I had to say something!” He tugged a hand through his hair as he tried to calm his breathing. “And if he’s dead, it doesn’t matter, right? Except if he’s not. Oh, God. I totally just bit her head off.”

He tried to sneak a glance at Allison over my shoulder but stopped when Stiles clasped a hand on his bicep. “And she’ll totally get over it. Bigger issues at hand right now. Like how do we get out of here alive?”

“But we are alive.” I cut in, voicing something that had been bothering me this whole time. “It could’ve killed us already. It’s like it’s...cornering us or something.”

“So, what? It wants to eat us all at the same time?” I glowered at Stiles for suggesting that ridiculous theory and he shrugged.

“No!” Scott whispered harshly. “Derek said it wants revenge.”

“Against who?” I couldn’t help but wonder which one of us could’ve somehow wronged the thing this badly.

“Okay, assheads!” I jumped as Jackson suddenly yelled and strode toward us with a scowl. “New plan. Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and decent aim. We good with that?”

God, what was his problem with Sheriff Stilinski? He’d made so many comments about him recently. At this point, it was getting weird. Everyone looked to be in agreement, though, which wasn’t good for Stiles.

“He’s right.” Scott said, surprising both of us. “Tell him the truth if you have to. Just...call him.”

“I’m not watching my dad get eaten alive.” He insisted harshly with a twitch of his eyes.

“At this point, the alternative is that we get eaten alive.” I hissed, annoyed with all of this back and forth. We just needed to do something.

“Alright, give me the phone—” Jackson lunged forward, ready to call the sheriff himself.

I let out a yelp as Stiles reared back before landing a punch square on his jaw. Allison immediately rushed to his side as he fell to the floor, clutching his face. Scott put a hand on Stiles’ chest to hold him back, but he looked pretty satisfied with the damage he’d done.

I didn’t miss the way Jackson smirked to himself, seemingly getting exactly what he wanted. I realized at that moment that he’d been trying to provoke Stiles to this breaking point the whole night, and he’d finally succeeded. But why?

I’d never seen Stiles so much as kill a bug, let alone punch someone in the face. His dad was a really sore subject, apparently. He huffed out an irritated breath and begrudgingly yanked his phone from his pocket. Our gazes locked as the call went to his dad’s voicemail, his honey eyes shining with fear as he left a hasty message. 

We all jumped as the cafeteria doors started rattling violently. Allison and Lydia ran over to where we stood, hiding behind Scott and Jackson. My eyes grew wide as I watched the large bolts bending in the floor from the force the alpha was using to try and get in. 

“The kitchen.” Stiles pocketed his phone and strode over to my side. “The door in the kitchen leads to the stairwell.”

“Which only goes up.” I reminded him, my attention still locked on the doors. They wouldn't be able to hold back for much longer. 

“Up is better than here.” 

With that, we all took off running again. We stumbled up the stairs and into a random unlocked classroom, falling silent as we waited to see if the alpha had followed. Allison stood with her back against the wall just beside the door, Lydia and Jackson huddled close in front of her. Me and the guys stood on the other side of the doorway. 

I tried to steady my breathing as I watched the hallway closely through the small window in the door. Scott leaned toward it, trying to listen for footsteps, until Stiles fisted his jacket and jerked him back. A shadow moved across the glass, everyone visibly relaxing once it was gone. 

“Jackson.” Scott whispered. “How many can you fit in your car?”

“Five, if someone squeezes on someone’s lap.” He breathed, bracing his hands against the table behind him. 

“Five?” Allison snapped incredulously. “I barely fit in the back.”

“It doesn't matter.” I shook my head solemnly. “There’s no way we’re getting out without drawing attention.”

Now that we were on the second floor, our chances of escape had dwindled to almost none. There were no exits up here. We couldn't jump from any windows without getting seriously hurt. There really weren't many options. 

“What about this?” Scott suddenly jogged toward a door in the corner of the room, and we all followed. “This leads to the roof. We can go down the fire escape to the parking lot in, like, seconds.”

“That’s a deadbolt.” Stiles snarked and pointed to the spot that held the door firmly locked.

I rolled my eyes at his attitude. Scott was only trying to help. Now was not the time for his signature sarcasm. 

“The janitor has a key.” Scott looked hopeful at the realization. 

“You mean his body has it.” I corrected, my stomach twisting painfully at the memory that someone had died right in front of us tonight.

So much had happened since then. I hadn't even begun to process it. 

“I can get it. I can find him by scent, from the blood.” He leaned toward us as his voice dropped on the last sentence. 

“Well, gee. That sounds like an incredibly terrible idea. What else ya got?” Stiles quipped. 

I had to agree. While using the fire escape was probably our only hope at this point, going out there with the alpha was not a smart move. According to Derek, Scott is the one it wants. What’s to say it wouldn't just kill or take him on sight?

“I’m getting the key.” He insisted, his face tightening with determination. 

He pushed past us, heading straight for the door, until Allison stepped in his way. “Are you serious?” Her eyes welled with fresh tears and she looked up at him desperately. 

“It’s the best plan.” He tried to reassure her, but she just shook her head in disbelief. 

I mean, it was a dumb plan. But Scott could handle himself. He’s a werewolf. Someone had to do something already. I was about to go out there myself if we didn’t get a move on. 

“You can’t go out there unarmed.” She tried to reason with him, but his mind was already made up.

He looked around before pulling out a flimsy pointer finger on a stick. I tried my best to hold in a snort at the thought of him defending himself with that. Everyone just stared at him, and he shrugged. 

“It’s better than nothing.” 

“There’s gotta be something else.” Stiles said hopefully.

It was obvious that he didn’t want Scott going out there, either. I wouldn't say I was thrilled about it, but I knew that someone was going to have to make a sacrifice to get us out. He was the most obvious choice, plus he was willing. Who were we to stop him?

“There is.” Lydia glanced toward a cabinet filled with chemicals in various sized beakers behind me. I hadn't even realized we were in one of the chemistry labs. “In there is everything you need to make a self-igniting Molotov cocktail.” 

“Well, we don't have a key for that either.” I pointed out, turning around to inspect it. It didn’t exactly solve our problem. 

Jackson rolled his eyes with a huff and reluctantly stepped toward the glass case. With a scowl, he used his elbow to easily smash it to pieces. 

Well, there’s one way to do it. 

                                                 ————————

It had been nearly ten minutes, and there were no signs of Scott or the alpha. The five of us had barely spoken, simultaneously processing this insane situation and being too afraid to make any noise. The air between us was thick with tension. 

Allison had gone into full freak out mode when Scott left. She’d tearfully begged him not to leave, but he obviously didn’t listen. I understood her fear for his safety, but she had to know that it was our only hope. I had every bit of confidence in him. He would be able to get us out of this. 

Suddenly, an earthshattering growl echoed through the school. The floors beneath our feet shook with the sheer volume of it. Lydia winced and covered her ears as if the sound pained her. I glanced at Stiles, silently asking whether Scott could make that kind of sound. I’d heard him howl earlier, and it had been impressive, but it was nowhere near whatever the hell that was. 

I staggered back a step as Jackson unexpectedly fell onto his knees in front of me with a groan. He scratched at the back of his neck and began breathing heavily. Lydia and I grabbed each of his arms and hauled him back onto his feet as he continued wincing and moaning. He shoved us away, and I stumbled over my own feet. 

“Don’t. I’m fine.” He turned to face us, still rubbing at the spot where I knew Derek’s claws had dug into his skin not long ago. “Seriously, I’m okay.”

“That didn’t even look remotely okay.” I huffed, concerned. 

I mean, what the hell was that?

“Hey, what’s on the back of your neck?” Stiles peered over Jackson’s shoulder and stretched an arm out toward him.  

He swatted it away and avoided all of our eyes. There was no way that was normal. Why would he react that way to the alpha’s growl? It didn’t make any sense. 

“Well? It’s been there for days and you won’t tell me what happened.” Lydia crossed her arms skeptically. Clearly, it had been bothering her. 

“As if you actually care.” He barked harshly, and she looked away, tears glistening in her eyes. 

I was just about to lay into him for how not cool talking to her like that was, when police sirens sounded from outside. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and ran toward the windows, before looking down to confirm that help was actually here. 

For the first time tonight, I felt myself relax. We were going to be okay. 

                                                  ————————

I pulled the sides of Stiles’ jacket tighter around myself, shivering against the frigid night air. My eyes were locked on him and Scott as they talked to the Sheriff. He was called away, and they continued whispering nervously. I would’ve preferred to be right there, listening, but Stiles said he’d drive me home. So here I stood, leaning against his Jeep. Waiting. Freezing to death. 

I let my eyes follow them as they walked over toward an ambulance that Scott’s boss was sitting inside of. I had to admit, his mysterious disappearance—and subsequent revival—was insanely suspicious. I wasn't entirely convinced that he was the alpha, but he wasn't exactly in the clear, either. 

After briefly talking to him, Scott and Stiles went their separate ways. Scott joined Allison, who had already told Lydia and I that she was going to break up with him. She was doubting pretty much everything about him after tonight, and I couldn't really blame her. He was keeping a huge part of himself secret, and it was pretty obvious at this point. I didn’t envy him having to figure a way out of that one.

“You could've gotten in.” I jumped at the sound of Stiles’ voice next to me, but forced myself to relax as he popped open the passenger door for me. 

I climbed inside, buckling my seatbelt just as he slid into the seat beside me. My house was only a few minutes away, and I already felt my anxiety rising at the thought of sleeping there by myself after everything that had just happened. Mom was working the night shift again. 

My fingers began trembling in my lap as the weight of tonight’s events came crashing down onto my shoulders. 

I felt Stiles’ eyes on me, but kept my head down. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I sighed. It wasn't technically a lie. I was still breathing, and that counted for something. “I’m just not really looking forward to being home alone tonight.”

I felt heat crawl up my neck as I continued to avoid his curious gaze. I don't know what had compelled me to admit that. There was no reason for me to share that with him. I’d be fine. 

I finally looked at him as the car jerked to the left so quickly I nearly fell out of my seat. 

“What are you doing?” I balanced myself on the dashboard as we made a full 180 degree turn. 

“You’re staying over.” He’d said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

I gaped at him, shocked that he would even suggest it. The last time we did that... “Stiles—”

“It’s okay.” He interrupted hastily, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel. “My dad won’t care.”

“Stiles...” I let myself trail off that time, not sure what I wanted to say. 

I didn’t want to be alone, and the last time we slept in the same bed, I’d had the best night of sleep since moving. It wasn't a bad idea per se, but...I don't even know. It was Stiles. And he made me nervous. 

“Look. It’s really for my benefit. I mean, that was terrifying.” He let out a sigh, trying to make that sound believable. 

“Nice try.” I scoffed, shifting back in my seat now that we were driving straight again. “You’re so not afraid of anything.”

He glanced at me briefly. “What makes you say that?”

“It’s true?” I finally looked at him again, studying the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed. I took a moment to admire the view I had of his profile. The yellow lighting of the street lamps outside beautifully highlighted the freckles that dotted his skin, and pulled out the natural orangey tint of his eyes. 

“You’ve had all this supernatural stuff thrown on you, and you’ve just accepted it like it’s no big deal. You’re always jumping at the chance to help, even though you’re human, and you’re usually the one who figures things out first. None of that strikes me as someone who’s easily scared.”

He looked at me with a small smile, his eyes trailing over my face appreciatively, and I felt my own lips tugging upward in return. 

About ten minutes later, I was following him into his bedroom. It was much cleaner than I expected. It was small, nothing more than a bed with a plaid comforter—of course—a couple of bedside tables with a small lamp, and a desk. He shut the door behind us, and we stood there for a moment awkwardly. 

I wasn't sure if I should sit on his bed or the plush chair in front of the desk. He was still by the entrance, one hand on the doorknob while the other rubbed at the back of his head. I made my choice and walked over to the bed.

I plopped down, tucking one of my legs beneath myself while the other dangled off the edge of his mattress. I let my toes brush against the cool hardwood floors as I watched him consider his options. 

After some hesitation, he moved to join me on the bed. He sat about a foot away, and I was simultaneously disappointed and grateful for that little bit of distance between us. He played with his fingers in his lap and avoided my eyes. 

“We could’ve died tonight.” I breathed, mostly wanting to break the silence but also just beginning to process everything. 

He looked up at me tenderly and reached a tentative hand forward to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “But we didn’t.”

“Don’t you find that weird?” My skin erupted with heat as he let the tips of his fingers linger on my neck. “I mean, the alpha had so many opportunities to kill us and it just...didn’t. It was almost like it was playing with us or something.”  

I could practically see the gears turning behind his eyes as he studied me for a moment. He parted his lips, and it looked like he was going to say something before thinking better of it. “We should get some sleep.”

“Or...we could do something else.” I rushed the words out before I could let any doubt creep in. His gaze quickly flickered to my mouth as I chewed on my bottom lip nervously. 

“Something else?” His voice was barely above a whisper as his eyes moved back to mine.  

“It’s just...” I swallowed, trying to gain the courage to say what had been swirling around in the back of my mind all night. “Our first kiss was at school. While being chased by a psychotic werewolf...”

“Yeah.” He breathed, chuckling quietly. “That’s not really how I imagined it.”

I blinked a few times, only just then noticing that we’d been moving closer together this whole time. “We could try again?”

There were only a few inches separating us now. Stiles’ eyelashes fluttered as he leaned forward and connected our lips gently. He tilted his head, slanting his mouth against mine, and I couldn’t help but arch into him as my eyes slid shut. The kiss was timid, just a bunch of barely there caresses as we slowly got more comfortable with each other.

We both pulled away fractionally, our noses still barely touching. I let out a shuddering breath as my anxiety slowly melted away. This was really happening.

“Was that better?” He murmured against me, his warm breath fanning my skin.

“Much.” My hands found the sides of his face and I pulled him back to me, locking our lips together again.

My mouth parted against his as one of his arms snuck around my back to bring me into his chest. His hands trembled against me and I felt my lips tug upward into a small smile, reassured that he was nervous too. I let my fingers trail toward the back of his head and tugged him impossibly closer. 

A soft gasp escaped me as one of his hands squeezed at my hip before dragging me on top of him. With my legs on either side of his, I suddenly realized how quickly this was moving and pulled away. My eyes fluttered open just in time to see Stiles pout with a hum of disapproval. He leaned forward to capture my lips again, but froze at the sound of his door being thrown open.  

“Oh, dear God. Son, really?” 

I scrambled off of him as my eyes landed on his father. He was still wearing his uniform, so he must’ve just gotten back. I smoothed down my clothes and crossed my legs, trying to make myself look more presentable.

“Um. It’s not—uh...what it looks like?” I cringed at that sorry attempt at defusing the situation, and cleared my throat. 

“Mr. Stilinski.” I greeted, hoping the twitch of my lips looked more like a smile than a pained grimace. 

His eyes narrowed at me before moving to Stiles, who was stiff as a board beside me. “Call me Sheriff. And get to bed.”

With that, he was gone just as suddenly as he’d appeared. I let out a sigh, deflating with exhaustion. I had been through way too much for one day. We shared a quick glance before Stiles turned off the lights.

We crawled beneath his comforter and followed his dad—I mean, the Sheriff’s—advice. Once again, I quickly fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Episode 7, Part One          Episode 8

[minniemixe]

Beauty And The Beast

Gangster AU

Stray Kids Fanfic

Chan x Reader

Other Appearances: GOT7 BTS

Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

Warnings: Mention of rape, family drama

Beauty and the Beast Masterlist

Chapter 6

“What happened to your hand?” Moon’s mother asked pointing towards her bandaged hand as the two sat in the lounge, Moon cuddled up next to her mom “Oh this, nothing big, I was walking down the stairs and slipped, there was glass in my hand, it broke and I cut myself” she told. “I can bet you were running down the stairs. Sweetheart how many times have I told you to be careful on stairs, huh?” the older lady dotted “I’m fine mom, it’s just a cut” she looked up at her mom smiling, the mother kissed her daughter’s head, hugging her tighter, “MMhhmm, I missed my baby so much” she said repeatedly kissing her cheeks   “I missed you guys too, sorry for not contacting you much and visiting sooner” Moon replied, snuggling closer in her mom’s chest. “I’m still surprised you visited. I thought you’d be busy with your work, we’d have been happy even if you just frequently contacted us telling us you’re okay” she spoke “You’re not wrong, I am quite busy with my work, I was also surprised when my colleague asked me if I wanted to visit” she replied “Colleague?” her mother asked “Ah yeah, he had some work in this area so he asked me to tag along, saying I could visit you guys while he ran his errand” Moon replied “When is he returning? Why don’t you ask him to stay for dinner?” her mother said “He said he wa-” Moon was cut off by the doorbell “Is that him?” “I don’t think so, he said it would take him two or more hours. It hasn’t even been an hour yet” Moon replied, getting up to check. When she opened the door, Chan stood there with a bouquet of roses and a gift bag in his hands.

“Oh hey. Back so early?” Moon asked letting him in “Ahh yeah, I got done earlier than expected, so thought why not visit your parents” he said “Ofcourse, I’m glad you did, Mom was asking about you. Oh by the way, introduce yourself as my colleague, that’s what I told my mom” Moon said as the two made their way to the living room “Hello ma’am, I’m Chris, a colleague of your daughter's. These are for you” Chan introduced himself, handing the roses to her. “And this is for- where’s your dad?” he asked, looking around “Oh he’s not home, I’ll take that” Moon replied, taking the brown gift bag from him “Oh My God, this is so sweet of you, you didn’t have to do this” her mother smiled at Chan. "I couldn't visit empty handed for the first time" Chan reasoned, bowing politely "You didn't come empty handed, you brought my daughter with you" Moon's mother smiled patting Chan's back who smiled sheepishly in return. “So, Chris, I hope you’ll be staying for dinner” Moon’s mother asked “Ofcourse, I’d love to” he replied politely “Well, make yourself comfortable, I’ll go make dinner” her mother said walking out of the living room. “Wait mom!” Moon called out running after the older lady “Yes hunny?” she asked turning around “Can we have pizza? I really missed homemade pizza” Moon said playing with her fingers “Sure baby, anything you want.” the older lady replied kissing Moon’s forehead. Moon jumped up and down excitedly hugging her mother, “Thank you Thank you Thank you” she said repeatedly. Her mother laughed, cooing at her daughter affectionately “C’mon, lets make you some pizza”, walking towards the kitchen, with Moon skipping behind. Chan saw the whole interaction, smiling to himself about how cute and happy Moon looked. Her whole aura had changed, Chan loved every second of it and hoped that he’d get to see it more often. Chan too followed the two ladies, to the kitchen, opting to help the two. “Can I help with anything?” Chan asked entering the kitchen “Oh no honey, make yourself comfortable.” Moon’s mom answered “Please ma’am, I insist” he said “You can cut the vegetables, I’ll stir fry them” Moon said before her mother could say anything “I’ll make the dough, you guys get started on the topping” her mother said “Should I make the sauce?” Moon asked “No, I made pasta yesterday, so there’s plenty of sauce. I made extra yesterday” the mother replied, disappearing into the pantry. “Where is your father though?” Chan asked, folding his sleeves, Moon’s eyes focused on his veiny arms “Earth to Moon. Are you still here?” Chan snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, snapping her out of her thoughts “Oh huh? What?” Moon said “I asked, where is your father?” Chan laughed at her bewildered expression “Don’t know, don’t care. He left the moment he saw me” Moon shrugged. Chan didn’t know what to say so he just began at his task, glancing at Moon who was taking out the pots and pans. “You okay?” he asked, not being able to control the urge “Why wouldn’t I be. This isn’t the first time. I’m used to it. I don’t give a shit anymore” Moon said “What about your mom? Does she never confront him?” Chan asked “As if he’d listen. Besides, I don’t want mom to get involved, the man is unpredictable. The last thing I want is my mom to get hurt at the hands of that monster” Moon said washing the chicken “I’m -” he stopped mid sentence seeing her mother return to the kitchen “Sweetheart, please grate the cheese after you’re done with the topping” her mom said, getting started on the dough “Sure Mom” she smiled "So Chris. What line of work are you in?" Moon's mother initiated a conversation "I'm on the management side ma'am" Chan replied "Oh but isn't that different from hers, last I talked to her, she was in the web developing department” she asked pointing towards Moon “Ahh yes, but it’s a small system so there isn’t much with departments and stuff” Chan said “Oh I see” “Yeah, there are like 13, now 14 of us, each of us with a different role” “Mom, remember the client I had to meet out of town, that’s him, I edited a few things for him, and since it was up to his satisfaction he offered me a job” Moon played along “That’s nice. What is it that you guys do, like as a group?” the mother questioned “Well, it’s a lot of different things, we design websites, we do shipping for different online shopping mediums, photography, videography and event planning and management” Chan answered. Moon was impressed with how quickly he came up with something so believable “Well that’s nice” the older lady smiled. The conversation went on with random topics. “Oh I almost forgot. Baby your friend has been visiting a lot lately. He asked where you lived but I didn’t know where, but he kept coming back saying, he just wants to see you since it’s been so long. He even came yesterday” Moon’s mom told “Mark? But I met him a few weeks back” Moon said confused “No, not Mark, I think his name was something like Alan?” Moon’s mom said “I don’t know any Alans” she replied brows furrowed “No, I think it was something like Andrew or Andy?” the mother said “Andre?” Moon said grimacing “Yeah yeah, that was it” her mom’s face lit up “If he comes again, tell him I have nothing to do with him, never did, never will” Moon scowled “Why, was he a bu-” her mom started when the doorbell rang “Mavis?” Moon asked looking at her mom “But she’s in UK and she’s not returning until late tonight” her mother answered going out of the kitchen to check “Who’s Mavis?” Chan asked “My little sister” Moon answered. Moon’s mom walked in with a man beside him, who’s face instantly lit up seeing Moon. “Princess!!” he exclaimed, running towards her hugging her tight. Moon harshly pushed him away, slapping him hard across the face. “I’m not your fucking princess. Get lost. I never want to see your face ever again. Stay away from me, stay away from my parents.” To say Chan and Moon’s mom were confused about everything would be an understatement, their faces were contorted in utter confusion, looking from each other to the two, expressions bewildered. “Wha-” the man started “NO, NO Andre, I don’t want to hear it. And don’t even try to play dumb, you completely ruined my life, and I’m not exaggerating and you know that very well. I don’t want any explanation, I don’t want an apology either, I just want you out of here.” Moon said, her voice cracking “Please give me a second chance” Andre pleaded “Get lost before I kill you. Don’t test me, I really will kill you” Moon gritted “Hunny what is this about. At least hear the kid out.” her mother said “No mom, I can’t stand him” “Excuse me, Mr Andre, I think you should leave. I’ve never seen my girlfriend this stressed. I trust she has a very valid reason for it, so leave with respect while you can” Chan smirked “You may not want to hear this, but I really like you, I have, ever since highschool. And I’m not saying this because I want you to break up with him, but because I want you to be safe. He’s not what you think he is, he’s a gang leader” Andre said, the three’s eyes went wide and Moon’s mother let out a loud gasp. Moon wasn’t having any of it and his remark only angered her more. Grabbing the knife from the kitchen top, she lunged forward, “THIS AGAIN. YOU FUCKING BASTARD. I’M GONNA KILL YOU”. Chan quickly moved forward to stop her while her mother just stood there rooted to the ground, completely shook. Andre laughed maniacally, smirking at her. “What do you mean again?” Moon’s mother asked “Oh she doesn’t know?” Andre smiled like a lunatic “I SAID LEAVE” Moon shouted “But I think she deserves to know, look at her, are you really going to keep it from her?” Moon thrashed around trying to get out of his hold, but to no avail. What was supposed to be a nice reunion between Moon and her family, turned into something unimaginable. “If you’re not going to talk. Let me, your mother seems really confused and she deserves to know.” Andre spoke again “There is nothing to know about, get lost” Moon said through gritted teeth “Aww, are you really going to make your parents think you died in a car crash when in reality someone slit your throat or shot you in the head?” Andre questioned “What is he talking about?” her mother asked “Nothing mom, he’s just blabbering, this is what he does. This is exactly what he did in highschool” Moon answered “It was to protect you” Andre said “Protect me? You twisted sick creature. You completely turned my life upside down and you have the audacity to say that. Get out before I kill you” Moon said, Throwing a knife at him, he moved to the side and dodged it. “You’re going to regret this.” Andre said, turning around to leave. Moon released a breath and leaned on the kitchen top, burying her head in her arms while her mother rubbed her back. “Sorry mom, the whole day is ruined” Moon said lifting her head “No, no Sweetheart, don’t apologize, it isn’t your fault” her mother said “Here take this” Chan said, handing Moon a glass of cold water “Thank you” she said taking it from him “What was all that about? And what does he mean by Chris being in a gang, and is he your boyfriend? Were you really going to kill him?” Moon’s mother bombarded her with questions “Hey hey Mom, calm down, let me explain, he’s just getting in your head, take a deep breath, everything is alright” Moon said rubbing her mom’s arm to calm her down “Okay, but you better be honest about every single detail” her mom said “Yes, let's put the pizza in the oven first, we’ll talk while it bakes” Moon replied After putting the pizzas in the oven, the three gathered in the living room. Moon took a deep breath before speaking. “Back in highschool, he was my classmate. An annoying one at that. He would follow me around, complimenting me, giving me flowers and all that stuff. He confessed to me numerous times and I’d turn him down everytime, saying I wasn’t interested. He was a delusional psychopath, he’d always tell me I didn’t give him a chance because of Mark, seeing how close I was with him. He’d always try to pull stupid stunts to ruin what Mark and I had. And one time he took it too far, I have no idea what he had planned but whatever it was, it backfired, it didn’t affect him as much as it affected me. He went abroad two weeks after the incident while I suffered. The only explanation he gave was ‘I just wanted to keep you safe’ because apparently Mark was also in a ‘gang’. He ruined my entire life and for that I’ll never forgive him” Moon explained “What could he have possibly done to make you hate him this much, and if this is about your highschool life being difficult, don’t you think you might be exaggerating” Moon’s mom reasoned “I really didn’t think I’d ever have to tell you this” she sighed “It’s already out of the bag, might as well tell the whole thing” her mom said “Remember the sports day? The one that determined whether I got the scholarship to the college or not?” Moon asked “The one you couldn’t play in because of the mishap?” her mom questioned “Yes that one. But everything that happened that day was a lie” Moon replied “What?” she asked confused “I did go to the locker room to change into my uniform, but everything that happened inside was different from what I told you, or anyone for that matter. The only people who know what actually happened inside were Andre, Mark, Jaebum, Jinyoung, even I don't know. And the event that lead to what happened in that room, that only Mark, Andre and I know” she spoke “If it was something this big, why would you keep it from us?” her mom said. Moon took a deep breath before she started explaining "It's complicated, I was 15 and everything happened so quickly I couldn't handle it. When I did finally get around to telling you, well you know what happened" Moon said looking into her mother’s eyes. The older lady sighed, knowing exactly what her daughter was talking about

5 Years Ago

"I have practice after school today. I can see you tonight if you want" Moon spoke into the phone "When are you gonna get free from that?" Mark asked on the other line "Not sure, probably by 5:00 or 5:30, maybe after, maybe before. Why, something important?" She replied "Nah, just wanted to hang out, we can go out tomorrow as well, you'll be tired anyways" he shrugged "You're not wrong, I'm not even gonna bother walking back home, just gonna call an Uber" she laughed "Why? Isn't your mom picking you up?" He questioned "Not today. She said she and dad have some work so they won't be able to pick me up. It's no biggie anyways, I understand, especially with renovations going on, they have a lot on their plate already" she answered "I'll pick you. I'm free, plus it's safer" he said "Is that supposed to be a pun?" Moon laughed "How?" He asked confused "Free? And safe" Moon quoted the words "Oh, totally unintentional. And I want you to be safe" Mark laughed catching on to what she was insinuating "Well, no need, who knows when I'll get free anyways" she said, heart fluttering at his words "Too late, I'm already on my way" he said "Dude, my practice hasn't even started yet" she laughed "Yeah well, I haven't got much to do so might as well watch you practice. See you in 5 Bitty" Mark said "See you. Bye" she said ending the call. "Who was that" Andre asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere "What the hell! Stop sneaking up on me and it's none of your business" Moon replied walking away

"Mrs Smith, can I talk to you privately" Moon asked her coach, who was currently instructing a few girls "Of course, girls would you please excuse us" the coach replied "It's about the application" Moon started "Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry about that, I mixed up the applications. Yours was perfectly fine and congratulations, it got accepted. Now all you have to do is pass the audition. Coaches from the top colleges will be here on the final day. Practice hard, I know you can do it. Good luck" Mrs Smith patted Moon's shoulder "Are you serious. The application for scholarship was accepted? Oh my God, I'm so excited. I didn't think I'd get accepted" Moon said enthusiastically "Don't underestimate yourself. You've got great potential, give yourself more credit. Now get to practice, you have a scholarship to win" the coach cheered Moon giggled and walked away thanking the older lady. On her way back from the lockers she spotted Mark, Moon ran up to him and hugged him tight shouting enthusiastically. "Woah there little lady, why so hyper. Did you eat chocolate again?" Mark laughed "Okay so, oh my God, I'm so happy right now" she kept jumping up and down. "I can see that. So tell me, what's the good news" he laughed "Remember the application I told you about, the one which had some problems with it, guess what, my coach accidentally mixed mine with someone else's. I just found out mine got accepted. Now all I have to do is get a perfect score in my games and I'll get the sports scholarship" Moon told enthusiastically. "Bitty, that's amazing. See I told you everything will work out, you were stressing for no reason. I'm so proud of you, I knew you could do it" Mark exclaimed hugging her tightly, swinging right to left. "Not just yet, I still have to play in the finals and then pass the entrance test. The competition is tough, so I'm kinda nervous" Moon said "You. Are. Going. To. Do. Great." He said shaking her with every word. Moon laughed at his actions, smiling brightly at him. "Now get to practice, I'll cheer for you" he said turning her around and pushing her forward, Moon laughed running towards the ground with Mark following behind. "Alright girls, take 5" the coach called out. The team walked towards their benches to get a rest for a few minutes. “That was a good game. But you girls can do better. Nattalie, you have to work on your goal blocking strategy. Ruth and June practice on your kicks. The rest of you, you’re still lacking good positioning” the coach said. The girls nodding along to what they were being told “In the next game I want you all to change the positions, understood” the couch asked “Yes coach” the girls shouted in sync

“Weren’t you playing badminton?” Mark asked Moon, handing her a bottle of water, after another football game “I am, I’m playing both” she replied, gulping down the entire bottle “One game doesn’t scratch your itch?” he asked folding his arms “Nope, you know me. Need to play every single game. Life’s too short to play just one.” she replied “Why didn’t you try out for all of em?” he said sarcastically “According to rules, one person can participate in only two sports, otherwise, I would’ve” she replied “You are one of a kind Bitty” he laughed, patting her head

“Number 5, I need you to come with me, we need balls for the dodge ball” the coach called out to Moon. “Yes coach” she called out, walking towards the older woman. “Have you decided on any majors yet?” the coach asked Moon as the two entered the storage room “I haven’t got anything planned to be honest, I want to be an athlete so this scholarship would be a great boost for me. I guess I’ll see as I go along” she replied placing the needed stuff inside a basket “That is great. From the years of watching you grow, I know you have great potential. I wish you all the luck in your career.” she smiled at her student “Thank you ma’am” Moon smiled as the two exited the room “It’s stuck” Moon said pulling on the door “That’s weird, maybe something is stuck from the inside” the coach said. Moon went inside to check but saw nothing near the door that could be causing it to jam. “There’s nothing here” she replied. She tried opening it further but it wouldn’t budge. Pushing the door harshly, it moved a little, making a creaking noise. “It’s easier from the inside since I have to push, I’ll close as much I can from the inside, slip out and then pull the rest” Moon said “Let me help you, I’ll pull from the outside and you push” the coach said “No no, it’s alright. You go ahead, I’ll lock up and come back” Moon said “Are you sure?” the coach asked “Yes, it’s all good” she replied “Here are the keys.” she said, handing the keys to Moon and walked away. After 5 minutes of pushing the door, she was able to close it enough for her to easily slip out. She put a foot outside but before she could get out, someone shoved her inside and slipped in right after her. He harshly pushed the door and closed it from the inside. Moon looked up to see Andre standing right above her. “Finally. I have you all to myself” he said and leaned over her, Moon’s breath hitched as she tried to think about ways to escape. Kicking him in the leg as hard as she could, she ran towards the door, she tried to open in but it was jammed after opening just a little bit. Before she could pull on it more, Andre grabbed her by her hair and yanked her back, making her fall on the ground. “HELP!!! SOMEBODY HELP!!!! MARK!!!!” she screamed out. Pushing the door and closing it once again, he moved towards her and spoke “No one can hear you. We’re on the other side. Your precious Mark isn't coming to save you.” he said straddling her waist and pinning her arms above her head “STOP!! PLEASE STOP!! AAAHHHH” Moon sobbed “And when I’m done with you, he won’t even want to look at you, he’ll be so disgusted” he said kissing down her jaw to her neck. “PLEASE STOP, ANdRE, STOP IT” “Just like that, keep screaming my name” he said groping her.

“Okay boys team, you’re up.” the coach announced. The team got up from their benches and walked towards their coach. “1, 2, 3, 4 - where’s Andre?” the coach asked as she was counting the members “He said he was going to the toilet, it’s been five minutes now” one of the team members replied “HAS ANYONE SEEN ANDRE?” the coach turned around and announced. Hearing the announcement, Mark started looking around, having an uneasy feeling when he didn’t see Moon or Andre. Getting up from his spot he went towards the coach and asked about her “She and I went to get some sports equipment from the storage room, the door was stuck so she stayed back saying she’ll close up and get back. Why? She isn’t back?” the coach asked “No” Mark replied “Could you go check on her, see if she needs help with the door, and if doesn’t close, just tell someone from the admin and bring her here” the coach said Mark nodded his head and ran towards the storage area. Being an alumni, he was quite familiar with the building and didn’t have much difficulty getting to the storage room.  As he got closer he could hear Moon screaming, assuming she was stuck inside he fastened his pace, but what he heard next made his blood oil with anger and started running. Kicking open the door his fists clenched in anger at the scene in front of him. Moon was sprawled on the ground, her shorts halfway down, shirt riding up her chest and Andre on top of her groping her in the most inappropriate of ways. “You fucking bastard” Mark gritted and pushed him off her. Moon quickly scrambled to the side, fixing her clothes she curled in the corner sobbing harshly, her body shaking uncontrollably. Mark grabbed Andre from the collar of his shirt and pulled him up. Throwing him against the wall, Mark threw a punch to his face, making him stumble. Mark kept throwing punch after punch until Andre was lying on the ground. Mark was about to kick him when he kicked his foot under Mark’s, sending Mark stumbling back. Taking the opportunity Andre got up and ran out of the room. Mark wanted to follow after him but decided against it taking a look at Moon’s figure.   Getting closer to her curled up figure, he gently touched her shoulder. “AAHH, NO PLEASE, NO-” she started thrashing around, “hey, hey, hey, it’s me, it’s just Mark” he spoke soothingly “M...Ma….Maa…” she stuttered, eyes glossy, cheeks tear stained, face completely red and body shaking uncontrollably. “Yeah it’s just me, I’m here, I’m not gonna hurt you. I got you now, everything’s alright” he said wiping away her tears. Letting out a sob, Moon threw herself at Mark, wrapping her arms and legs around him, clutching onto him for dear life. “I...I..di...didn’t..th...thi….think...an...anyone wa..was gonna co..come” She spoke trying to calm herself “It’s okay, I’m here now. I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you” He said, rubbing her back, trying to get her to stop shaking. The two sat there in silence, Moon releasing deep breaths occasionally. “You better?” Mark asked as Moon loosened her hold on him and pulled away “Mhhmm” she nodded getting off of him and standing up, her legs still feeling wobbly “C’mon, we have to tell your coach.” Mark said, grabbing her hand, and pulling her out of the storage room but Moon stood there rooted to the ground “It’s no use” she said pulling him back “What do you mean? You’re not walking away without taking action, I’m not gonna let you. The bastard needs to be punished” Mark said harshly “You think I don’t know that. We’re gonna tell the coach, then what?” she retorted “The school admin takes action, that’s what” “How do you plan on proving him guilty? There are no security cameras in this room.” she folded her arms “What about the hallways? If we can catch him going in th-” “Come with me” she cut him off, dragging him with her. “Look at that” she said pointing towards the broken security camera “Ho-” he started “It broke this morning, A bunch of boys were throwing around balls and ended up kitting the camera, It’s supposed to be fixed tomorrow. Andre knew this too and took the opportunity. There's no point in telling anyone” she sighed hanging her head low, tears streaming down her face “I’m sorry. We’ll get him back, I’ll make him pay for ever laying a finger on you. I promise you that” Mark said hugging her small figure closer to him “Teach me, teach me how to protect myself. What if he does it again, and you’re not there” Moon said, lifting her head “I’m not leaving your side, ever. You don’t ever have to worry about me not being there” he said wiping her tears “But I still want you to teach me, I don’t want to depend on anyone” she said, taking in a deep breath, finally calming down “Okay, whatever you want. But what are you going to tell your coach. You look horrible” Mark questioned “Let’s go, I know what I have to say” she said walking away, with him following behind

“Number 5. What happened, you were gone for more than 20 minutes” the coach asked when Moon handed her the keys “I was trying to close it from the inside, when it closed and got stuck, I kept banging on the door since I didn’t have my phone, Mark opened it from outside” she lied “You look sick, your face is all red, are you sure you’re alright” the coach asked concerned “Yes, I just get claustrophobic in tight spaces, that’s all” “Oh, explains a lot. Leave the practice early today. Get some rest” the said “No ma’am I’m fine, I can practice” she said “Don’t tire yourself out, get some rest, There is a week till the final day, you’ll have plenty of time to practice. Go home today, rest up, get better and we’ll practice tomorrow. I don’t want one of my top athletes to pass out from exhaustion.” the coach said sternly “Yes ma’am” she replied and walked away to gather her things

“You’re coach is right you know, you don’t have to tire yourself” Mark said, starting the car “It’s just, you know how it is. This scholarship may be my only chance to get out, and I don’t want to risk losing it. Being completely honest with you, one of the reasons I didn’t want to tell anyone about what happened with Andre is because I don’t want it to hinder my scholarship. Yeah it’s because there isn’t sufficient proof to prove it was him. I could pursue it, but that would just take my focus away. I don’t want that” Moon explained “I wish you weren’t so hard on yourself all the time” he said “I wish the world wasn’t so cruel to me” she whispered looking out the window. Mark didn’t have much to say to her, knowing she indeed went through a lot on a daily basis. He just sighed and kept driving in silence.

The next went smoothly, Moon would practice after school, and after practice she would learn self defence with Mark. As promised, he didn’t leave her side.  It was the final day and everything was going smoothly. Moon’s football team won with a good score, and she was really ecstatic especially since she kicked the winning goal. Going into the girls locker room she began to change into her badminton uniform. After getting changed, she sat on the benches to put her shoes on. Halfway through Andre entered the locker room. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? THIS THE GIRLS LOCKER ROOM, YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED HERE” Moon shouted at him “Relax girl, I’m just here to grab something for June from her locker. I asked coach before coming inside” he replied “Where’s coach?” she asked “In the ground” he smirked at her. “But don’t worry. I’m not gonna do anything” he added before walking away. Moon quickly took out her phone, texting Mark, who immediately replied

Moon: Mark please come to my locker room Mark: Why? Everything okay? Moon: Andre, he’s here. He says he’s here to get something, but I don’t trust him Mark: Take a deep breath Bitty, I’m on my way. Moon: Please hurry

Putting her phone aside she quickly got to putting on her shoes. Chugging down her water, Moon quickly got up to run out. But as soon as she stood up, she started feeling dizzy and light headed. She looked down at the water bottle and cursed, realizing it was drugged. Releasing a laugh, Andre walked over to her. “Staaayyyyy awaaayy” Moon slurred, pushing him away. All the self defence tricks she learned now useless as her movements were very delayed “C’mon we have to get out of here before your boyfriend shows up” Andre said, dragging Moon’s intoxicated self with him. “Booyfrieend, I wiiiiish~” Moon giggled, completely drunk “As if that matters anyway. You’re mine now” Andre whispered. Reaching for the door. Mark was quick and smart. Knowing Andre was going to do something, he didn’t come alone. Pulling Moon towards himself, he pushed Andre towards Jaebum. “Take care of him, I’ll take her out”. Nodding his head Jaebum dragged Andre away. Picking Moon up, Mark walked inside. Sitting her down on the benches, he went to her locker and started rummaging through it. Silently thanking the Gods when he found a juicebox in her locker, he went to her and took her phone and texted himself

Moon: Hey could you bring me a juice box, I don’t feel so good

After sending the text he removed the previous conversation and manipulated the text time to make seem as if it was sent 10 minutes ago. Taking out his phone, he texted Jinyoung.

Mark: Bring Bitty’s coach here in 5 minutes Jinyoung: Why? I thought you’ll keep it under control Mark: Shit went down big time. We can’t get her out quietly now Jinyoung: Fuck Mark: Just text me when you reach near the locker room

“You look hot” Moon suddenly said. This caught Mark off guard as she was simply giggling to herself all this time “Say what now” he asked bewildered “Don’t act like you don’t know. You’ve always known how I liked you. I never said anything. But for some reason I feel like confronting you about it” she said walking up to him. Mark sighed “Bitty, this really isn’t the time. You’re intoxicated. Let’s talk when you’re sober” he said “No, I wanna talk right now. I’m completely sober. You’re the one who needs to man up. You never tell me you like me but your actions say otherwise. Either tell me you don’t feel the same and that your actions are platonic or be honest with me. Stop leading me on” she slurred stumbling. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her, before he could say anything his phone went off

Jinyoung: On our way, two minutes max Mark: Stall her till I come out. I have a situation Jinyoung: You’re kidding? What even is going on? Mark: Don’t have time to explain

“You’re being a real jerk here” she poked him “Gosh I can’t believe I’m gonna do this”  he whispered before kissing Moon. she was caught off guard but nonetheless kissed back. He felt horrible for taking advantage of her like this but he knew he didn’t have much time. Putting two fingers on her neck, he pressed on her pressure point until she fainted in his arms. Lying her on the ground, he took out his pocket knife. Apologizing to the unconscious figure he made a small cut on her temple. Letting a little blood pool on the floor he dipped his fingers in it before smearing it on the side of the bench. Once he made sure everything was in place. He picked her up princess style and walked out of the locker room. “Oh my lord. What happened?” Moon’s coach asked looking at her unconcious figure in Mark’s arms “I’m not sure. She texted me she wasn’t feeling well and that she wanted me to bring her juice. I did as told, but when I called her she didn’t pick up so I went inside the locker room. She was unconscious when I got there. I think she hit her head on the benches because there was blood on the bench’s corner.” He lied “Coach, we should tell everyone she won’t be playing. Mark will take her to the hospital” Jinyoung said catching on to Mark’s lie “Oh yeah yeah, please call me as soon as she wakes up, Jinyoung, you tell her parents, I’ll make the announcement” the coach said walking away “Tell aunt and uncle what I told the coach. I’ll take her to your apartment. Make something up and make sure they don’t ask to go to the hospital.” Mark warned “If she hit her head, she needs a CT scan” JInyoung said “No, she didn’t hit her head, she was drugged, I had to make her faint to get her out, made a little cut just to make up a story” he explained “It’s 2:00 right now, I can stall them until 6:00, 7:00 max” Jinyoung sighed “That’s plenty of time.” Mark said, turning around and walking away from him.

Head bent over the toilet bowl, Moon threw up. Her stomach emptied and the more she hurled the more her throat burned. Mark returned with a glass of water, he kneeled down next to her and rubbed her back. “Any better?” he asked as she looked at him “Water.” she told him. Mark handed her the glass and she chugged the whole thing down in one go. Handing him the glass back she stood up. “Do you have a spare toothbrush?” She asked flushing the toilet “Yeah, here” he handed her the new brush from the cupboard. Moon started brushing her teeth and Mark left the toilet giving her privacy.

“I made some hangover soup,”  Mark said as Moon walked into the kitchen. “Can I get something for a headache? I feel like someone is hammering my head” Moon said clutching her head “Yeah, here you go” he said handing her a glass of water and two pills “Thanks” she said popping the pills “So, what happened? All I remember is drinking water which happened to be drugged. After that, it’s like I blacked out. And what happened to my head?” she asked, touching the bandage on her temple. Mark was internally relieved that she didn’t remember anything. He really didn’t want to talk about the kiss “When I got there, you were totally wasted and were being dragged out by Andre. Thankfully we got to you in time. JB took care of Andre, while I got you out.” Mark said “Wait. I was wasted, please tell me I didn’t say anything stupid” she asked “You were just a giggly mess. Drunk you is like a 3 year old kid with candy” he laughed, handing her the bowl of soup. “Oh. how’d you get me out without anyone noticing? And what about my parents?” she asked taking a spoonful of the soup “Well, I strangled you until you passed out and then took you out” he shrugged. Moon’s mouth went wide open as she dropped her spoon in the bowl. Mark laughed at her expression before continuing “You have pressure points in your neck, I pressed on it and you were out cold. I made a little cut on your head, made your coach think you fell and hit your head. Voila perfect escape plan. Although I am really sorry about your head” “Nah, it’s cool, it’s better than being seen drunk. Especially since i’m a minor and it was an important day” she casually waved him off. Mark and Moon went over the plan one more time, before he dropped her back at home. “Wanna come inside, I’m sure they’ll wanna see you” Moon said unbuckling her seat belt “Yeah sure, let’s just get it over with” he said exiting the car with her.

The following week became a living hell for Moon. She lost her scholarship and her coach referred her to the school psychologist. After a few sessions, it was concluded that Moon was mentally unstable and should avoid extra curricular until she was better. Moon knew very well that she was mentally disturbed and knew exactly why, but her coping mechanism was different and she hated talking about her problems. So to avoid confrontation, she did everything she was told by the psychologist. The problem got bigger and bigger and Moon decided it would be better to just drop college altogether. After graduating from high school, Moon became interested in online games and started developing love for computers. Starting with freelancing she built up her skills with time and forgot about her highschool life and dreams.

End Of Flashback

By the time Moon finished explaining, the pizza was cooked and now the three sat there in silence and ate the pizza. “Did you really hate us that much to not bring up such a big thing?” Moons mother asked “At first I felt it wasn’t important and I just wanted to forget it, so I avoided talking about it. After the sports day, I wanted to tell you but I needed some time to accept it. Then the whole thing with the psychologist took place and when I tried to talk to you about it, I knew it was too late, Andre was gone and I couldn’t really do anything. You know how I can get, just like dad I too can get hot headed, and when I bought it up things didn’t exactly go as planned so I gave up” Moon casually answered “I’m sorry. We couldn’t be there when you needed us the most and you had to go through that all by yourself” her mom said “Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong” Moon said “I was hard on you sometimes. I couldn't protect you like I should’ve” “You did more than you could, I’ll always be thankful for that.” she said tightly hugging the older lady. “This must be really awkward for you. First time meeting your girlfriend's parents and all you get is drama” her mom said looking at Chan “Girlfriend?” Moon questioned “He did say he was your boyfriend” “I was planning to tell you after some time, we just started going out” Moon blushed “It’s completely alright ma’am. I was somewhat aware of Moon’s relation with her father, so you don’t have to worry about that.” he smiled politely.

“Thank you so much for having me ma’am. It was really nice to meet you. You’re an amazing chef. Thank you once again, I really enjoyed your company.” Chan said as the two were now getting ready to leave. “Oh you flatter me Chris. It was amazing to meet you too. And please, don’t call me ma’am, just call my Aunt” her mother said patting his back “Thank you” he smiled shyly, his ears turning red. “Bye mom” Moon said, hugging mom one last time for the day. “Bye sweetheart, visit again soon” her mother said “I will, ba-bye” she said waving at her, getting inside the car

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning Moon woke up earlier than expected. Finishing her morning routine, she went downstairs to the kitchen to whip something up for herself. Entering the kitchen, she was met with Bree and El preparing breakfast. “What’s for breakfast today?” she asked the older girls “Toast and egg. You want orange juice or mango?” Bree answered “Mango” she smiled, getting herself a glass of water “Hey guys” an unfamiliar yet recognizable voice spoke “NAY!!” Moon shouted turning around “SUNNY” Nay said with the same enthusiasm and  embraced Moon tightly “What are you doing here?” Moon asked as the two pulled apart “I should be asking you. No contact for a year and you’re in a gang.” Nay said “Yeah, long story” Moon smiled sheepishly “Your dad?” she raised a brow “Something along the lines yeah. What about you?” Moon questioned “Well you know my hoe-ish tendencies. Gotta sell my drugs somehow” she shrugged “Why am I not surprised” Moon laughed “Because you know me so well” Nay said swinging her arm around Moon’s shoulder “You girls seem close” Bree said “Been besties since high school” Nay replied “Speaking of highschool. How’s Madzi, what’s she been upto lately?” Moon asked, the two girls taking a seat on the bar stool near the counter top “Oh you don’t know?” Nay said “Oh no, I don’t like that tone. What’s going on?” Moon said “Well, it’s a long story. She was in a relationship an-” Nay started “Woah, I’m gonna stop you right there, was it an abusive relationship. Tell me where she is, I swear to God I’m about to kill someone” Moon cut her off “Slow down tiger. I like how you’re so feisty yet the tiniest of us three. Where do you store all that anger” Nay said, causing Bree and El to laugh “Ha ha, but for real, you know how I get protective over her, she’s the youngest amongst us” “Yeah yeah I know. Anywho. She was in a committed and happy relationship, but her parents found out.  Being homophobic, they were completely against their daughter being in a relationship with a woman. Things did not end well. She was forced to marry someone and break up with Didi. A month into her marriage, she found out that her husband is in a gang. And the last time I talked to her she didn’t sound really good” Nay explained “Didi from computer class? The cute shawty.” Moon asked “Yeah her. They made such a cute couple” “Literally everyone knew the two were whipped for each other, but neither of them said anything” “They were meant to be. The two met in a nightclub a few months after highschool. Both were drunk, guess it was the perfect opportunity.” Nay told “Can’t we do something about it? I mean you’re probably involved with more than one gang, maybe team up and get her out” Moon said “I checked. But her Gang has very strong alliances, so we can’t do anything” “Well, let’s just hope the universe has mercy on her” “Yeah well, there's not much we can do anyway” “So you tell. How’d you get into the whole drug business?” Moon asked “Well, Madzi, Didi and I started it about two years ago. We wanted to ask you but you were having issues of your own with your father, so we thought best to give you space. We didn’t think we’d succeed but damn was it fun once we got there. Didi and I are still in the business, Madzi however, well I just told you” Nay answered “What did you guys call yourselves?” “Stonewhores” she grinned “I- I’m not even gonna ask” moon said making her laugh “Alright girls breakfast is ready. Moon, go upstairs and get everyone”  Bree told “Yep” the younger girl replied and went up the stairs Knocking on everyone's door she did as she was told. “Hey, Min have you seen Innie? He’s not in his room” Moon asked Seungmin “I think he went to Channie’s office.” he replied “Oh okay, I’ll check, thanks” she smiled at him walking towards Chan’s office She knocked twice, waiting for someone to open the door “It’s open” Chan called from the inside. She opened the door and stepped inside. Chan and Jeongin seemed to be in the middle of some serious discussion. “Am I interrupting something?” she asked looking at their serious expressions. “No, it’s okay, we’re done. What brings you here?” Jeongin asked “Oh, Bree’s calling everyone downstairs for breakfast,” Moon said. Jeongin moved closer to Chan and hugged him “Thank you.” he said pulling away “I trust you, Don’t let me down” he said patting his back “I won’t” he said walking out of the office “What was that about?” Moon asked confused, looking at Jeongin’s disappearing figure. “He came to tell me about Him and Anessa. He said they like like each other and want to go out, came to ask for my permission” Chan answered “That’s so sweet and cute of him. You know he looks up to you a lot” Moon replied “Yeah I know. He’s a good kid, that’s why I didn’t object” Chan said, the two walking out of his office. “It’s cute, he even asked me to talk to Felix” Chan chuckled “What for?” “Seungmin and Liv also have a thing for each other, but they’re both afraid to tell Felix because of what happened when El and Woojin started going out. It’s like Romeo and Juliet” Chan answered “I don’t think so, in my defense Romeo and Juliet were dumb and dumber” “It’s a classical romance novel, what even woman” “I think if Seungmin ever came across liv’s unconscious figure, lying next to sleeping pills, his first instinct would be to try to wake her up or take her to the infirmary, not take the pills and kill himself. Whereas Romeo was a dumbass who thought that Juliet was dead, he didn’t even try to wake her up, just straight up took the poison and comitted suicide.” “I never knew you were into reading classical romance” he teased her “Oh please, it was compulsory in high school. I’m more into violent, gore, kinky, bloody kind of shit” “Kinky you say” “From the whole list, that’s what you picked up?” “I only hear what I wanna hear” he laughed As the two reached the kitchen Moon grimaced when she saw Hyunjin slap Nay’s ass. “Get your dirty hands off my baby” Moon said slapping Hyunjins back “What’s your problem?” he said “You just harassed my best friend, I’m not gonna stand here and watch” “Uhh babe, he didn’t harass me” Nay said “WHAT!?!?! Him? Seriously of all people, why him? Girl you could do so much better than him” Moon made a disgusted face “Well I’m offended” Hyunjin said overdramatically “Oh boi, she’s the best” Han laughed “What’s wrong with him?” Nay asked “Everything” Moon replied, everyone now seated on the dining table “But he has a nice dick and he knows how to use it” Nay shrugged “Ewww Nay, I’m eating” Moon pretended to throw up. Everyone just watching the two with amused expressions “I’m sure he’d be delighted to show you” Nay smirked “No thank you, I’d rather get stabbed by him again” Moon said “I can stab you with my  dick” Hyunjin chirped “Oh boi, bad move” El whistled “Why?” Hyunjin asked “Her boyfriend does not seem happy” Woojin said looking at Chan who had an unreadable expression “You do that and I chop it off” Chan said “Wait what? When did you two happen” Felix asked “Yesterday” Bree answered “Who confessed?” Han asked “Chan made the first move” Moon replied “Yess. Hwang, pay up.” Hyunjin grumbled and took out a $50 note from his wallet and handed it to Han “Come to papa” Han said kissing the note “You guys were betting on us?” Moon exclaimed “Only about who was gonna confess first” Han shrugged “Well, nobody confessed, which means both of you lost. So thank you very much for the money” Moon said reaching forward and took the money from his hand “But-” Han pouted “Too bad for you” Minho laughed “So Moon, How was your visit to your parents house” Liv said changing the topic “Oh it was great” she replied “Your mom and sister must’ve been happy to see you” Anna chirped “Well my sister was out of country so I couldn’t see her, but I met my mom and it was amazing” Moon smiled “When is she returning, I’ll take you to visit her” Chan said “Last night. Can we go this afternoon” Moon replied “I have some work this afternoon. You can take my car, but if you want to go with me, we can go tomorrow” Chan said “Oh it’s okay, I can go by myself” she replied “You sure?” “Yeah”

Moon rang the bell about three times but there was no answer. It was 4:00 in the evening and a Sunday so she couldn’t be at work. Not wanting to wait anymore she took out the spare key she always kept with her and unlocked the door. “I’m coming, I’m coming” her sister called out when Moon walked inside her apartment “Sis!!” her sister ran towards Moon and hugged her tight “What the pleasant surprise, and I see you still have the key” she giggled “And I see you still haven’t given up on your habit of sleeping around” Moon said taking in her appearance “C’mon sis, stop being such a party pooper” she said walking into the kitchen “Mavis. You know I don’t have any problem with the way you live your life, but please, this isn’t exactly safe. There are so many dangers, what if someone creepy takes advantage of you while drunk, or what about an STD. you have to be careful” Moon sighed “Sis, I understand your concern but don’t worry, I’ve gotten out of the habit of sleeping around with anyone. It’s just one person now. And no strings attached” “Well that’s good to hear, and I hope you use protection, because God knows where he’s been” Moon said “He too only sleeps with me, and yes, we do use protection if that’s what your worried about” Mavis said “Babe, should we order takeout?” a voice called out “He’s still here?” Moon asked “You’re the one who came unannounced” Mavis shrugged “Babe, I aske-” he stopped mid sentence when he saw Moon “YOU!?!” Moon’s eyes went wide wide

[jasiper]

golden

fine line series 1/12

you’re so golden

i’m out of my head

i know that you’re scared

because hearts get broken

A golden state of mind. That’s the California dream, isn’t it? The place where dreams come true, where fleeting thoughts can transform into a tangible reality. The place where the sun never seems to set. The place where nobody is sad—and if someone is sad, there are the means to not feel sad anymore.

Piper’s life seemed to begin—and end—in the golden state. Her dad was living the golden life, making money and walking the red carpets and flashing his pearly whites on the big screen. When she went to the store, his face was plastered on every other magazine cover. He was what the famous people called a California dream. He made something out of nothing. His daughter? Well, she was trying.

But even trying is a generous word for her. California is the place where her dad found his career but lost Piper in the frenzy of the media. This was the place she felt the most alone. This is the place she found herself in the backseat of a police cruiser. This is the place she appeared in court. This is the place where her dad told her she shouldn’t be. She found herself forced across state lines and as she stared over the desert, she saw that Nevada had golden sunsets. Just like California. Only there was no water to reflect the light—only miles and miles of dry land and broken dreams and white walls where bad kids like her resided. But Piper wasn’t a bad kid. She just couldn’t find a place in the golden state.

Dreams came true in California. Only her dream didn’t.

Most people found heartbreak later on in life. Piper felt her first heartbreak as a kid. She should have been tucked into bed by her dad after a bedtime story with a kiss on the forehead. She fell asleep alone, clutching a teddy bear to her chest because her dad was off shooting another movie. Dance recitals meant that she looked out at the audience without a familiar face in sight. She never attended a daddy/daughter dance. Her first heartbreak was due to her own father’s negligence. She promised herself that no one would ever hurt her the way her dad did.

As Piper expected, she didn’t experience a golden state of mind in California. She felt that anticipated bliss in the middle of the winter in New York.

After a whirlwind December, everything Piper thought she knew turned out to be false. Her entire world flipped upside down. It took her the whole month of January to learn the ropes of being half-god. Turns out, there are a lot of things to be taught when your mother is the Greek goddess of love, including how to fight with a dagger, how to detect monsters, and how to come to terms with the fact that an evil earth entity is waking up. Maybe Piper would never achieve the California dream her dad was living; how could she? Everything she ever knew was a lie. Even if she had believed in God or whatever before all of this, she isn’t sure she’d be able to handle the real truth well.

If not for Leo, Piper probably wouldn’t survive this. Not with her life in jeopardy. Not with the knowledge of being a charmspeaker. And certainly not with the fact that her boyfriend wasn’t really her boyfriend at all.

It seems shallow, even to Piper. Her dad almost died and she almost died and the world almost ended but the Mist incident was—and still is—the lowest blow in this entire mess. The closest thing to a golden state of mind was just a hallucination, an illusion, a dream. So ironic since her mom is Aphrodite; shouldn’t her one success be in the romance department?

It took two months for them to kiss (for real this time). It happened so fast, it felt like a dream. Piper was being her usual nervous self, fiddling with her own fingers and she was babbling away and suddenly Jason leaned in to kiss her. The warm feeling in her stomach didn’t go away for a whole week after the kiss. She was smiling like an idiot even while training. Leo gave her shit for her grin and Annabeth rolled her eyes, but she didn’t care. The boy she liked kissed her after everything she endured—Jason didn’t have to like her after the Mist gave her fake memories.

But Piper stopped smiling when reality sank in. Sure, she and Jason were now exclusive, but when did things ever go right for demigods? She heard of the tragedy of her late older sister, Silena, and her boyfriend Beckendorf. Things ended horribly for them. She looked to her new friend, Annabeth, and her tired grey eyes, defeated from dead ends in the search to find her missing boyfriend. There were picture frames lining the walls of the Big House. Half of the faces were strangers to her even though the picture was recent, and although Chiron would never say it, she knew they were dead. How many people really achieved a happy ending here? Camp Half-Blood was the self-proclaimed safe place for Greek demigods, but she felt like she was walking on a gravesite.

And even if Piper somehow were to beat the odds and live through this war, love was never kind. Anyone could see that, not just a daughter of Aphrodite. She grew up in Hollywood’s backyard—she saw the headlines reporting that celebrity couples were divorcing. Love, as powerful as it is, is cruel. It’s ruthless and even has gods at its mercy. Her mother is feared for a reason.

If her own father had the ability to break her heart, what was stopping Jason from doing the same thing?

The walls go up. Piper feels like a child again, staring at her darkened bedroom wall, wishing more than anything that she could live her life without fear.

Unlike her past, someone recognizes that her walls are up.

It must have been hours upon hours of sparring. A sidestep, a parry, a kick to the dummy’s chest. When the dummy fell, Piper would wipe her sweaty forehead, take a breath, pick up the dummy, and start again. A mindless, tedious routine. Anything to get the image of her bedroom wall out of her mind. Anything to chase away the irrational fear dormant in her chest. 

By the time she kicks down the dummy again, she looks up mid-forehead wipe and sees Jason. He stands about five feet away, frustratingly dashing in his black tank top with the sleeves cut off. His sword hangs from the sheath on his hip and by the look of his own sweaty brow, Piper can only guess he had been training as well. When he runs his fingers through his hair—which is glistening in the sun, may she add—she can see his tattoo, forever a reminder of the Mist.

“You’ve been out here for a while,” Jason finally says after several moments of silence.

Piper sheaths her knife. When she finally allows her body to relax, she notices how her arms feel like jello. She’s more exhausted than she thought. “Not too long. I’m still a little shaky on my technique,” she answers, voice hoarse.

Jason bends down and grabs her water bottle. He extends an arm and she gratefully takes it, taking a swig. As she’s drinking, he says gently, “Pipes, you’ve been out here for hours. Annabeth was ready to drag you away from the dummy herself, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate that when you’re so, uh, on edge.”

On edge? Am I on edge? Piper wants to ask, but she can see Jason’s concern even though he tries to hide it. There’s that crease between his eyebrows that develops when he’s worried. She saw it when she broke her ankle and got hypothermia. She doesn’t like how he’s worried. He shouldn’t be worried, right?

“I’m fine,” Piper replies, though she doesn’t sound so sure.

The crease only deepens between his eyes. “Really? Fine?”

Piper’s knuckles are white around her water bottle. Jason’s looking at her with a concerned, almost bewildered expression. This should comfort her; someone with the intention of breaking her heart shouldn’t be this worried about her, right?

But Jason is a good person. Break him down to his soul and that’s what he is: a good person. He’s the kind of guy who offers up half of his sandwich if someone forgot to pack lunch. He’s the kind of guy who holds the door open for a crowd of people even if they’re ten feet away. He’s also the kind of guy who jumps into the Grand Canyon for a complete stranger.

What’s stopping a good person from realizing he made a mistake and leaving and unintentionally breaking Piper’s heart anyway?

“Pipes?” Jason’s voice snaps her out of her reverie. “Are you okay? You look like you’re about to be sick.”

“I’m fine,” is her instant reply. Her voice wobbles and she winces because she does not sound fine. Jason’s look of concern grows more apparent and she clears her throat to try speaking again. “Really. Just… Wow, I am so tired. You’re right, I’ve been out here for a while and I’m tired and probably dehydrated—”

“Piper—”

Piper sidesteps away as Jason moves forward. She turns so she’s walking backward, careful not to turn her back on him to assure him she’s alright. “I really need to shower and probably lay down. I’m fine, really, I am, I just—”

Her ankle snags on something on the ground as she backpedals. She tries to balance her weight a moment too late, her body too exhausted to keep herself upright. She braces herself for impact as she trips ungracefully—pun not intended— over the mysterious object on the ground.

Before she can hit the ground, a hand wraps around her wrist and tugs her forward. The momentum of the pull sends her flying and she crashes into a warm, firm body. It takes her a few seconds to realize she’s in Jason’s arms, his hands gripping her biceps. She turns her head to see that she dripped over the dummy she had been sparring with a few minutes ago.

“Piper,” Jason begins slowly, worry laced in his words, “what is going on?”

The worry in his voice isn’t enough to free Piper from her fear. She looks into his eyes and irrationally sees the end to a very recent relationship and it’s all too much to handle. It’s dumb, it’s irrational, it’s flat-out stupid to think about nonexistent relationship problems with her perfectly kind boyfriend when she’s probably destined to die from Mother Nature herself but here she is, in Jason’s arms, and it’s all too much.

Piper pushes her perfectly good boyfriend away and tries to ignore the hurt flashing to his eyes. “I’m sorry, I have to—I can’t—”

A crowd has formed. The volleyball game between some Apollo and Athena kids has come to a complete standstill. Annabeth is in her usual spot for this time of the afternoon, perched in front of her cabin, a book in her hands, and even from several yards away Piper can see those disappointed grey eyes. The only thing making this situation less embarrassing is the fact that Leo isn’t there; he’s busy with his siblings working on the Argo II. If Leo had to see Piper like this…

“Pipes?” Jason makes one last attempt. “What’s going on? Talk to me. Please.”

“I can’t, Jason,” Piper manages, voice shaky, and the edges of her vision blur together as tears prick her eyes. “I can’t.”

It takes all of her willpower not to sprint back to her cabin. She lowers her head and tries to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest—the same sinking feeling she felt when she boarded a plane to Nevada—as she walks away.

***

“You’re going to have to talk to him, you know.”

“I know I do. I just… can’t right now.”

“You already missed dinner last night. And breakfast this morning. Are you really going to let your embarrassment keep you from eating and talking to Jason?”

Piper risks a look at Annabeth from under the pillow she has covering her face. Although Annabeth’s voice is a bit condescending, there’s no hiding the worry on her friend’s face.

“I just don’t understand, Piper,” Annabeth continues. “You chased after him for two months, hoping he’d like you back and within two weeks you’re, what, pushing him away?”

“It’s not that simple,” Piper protests, burying her face deeper into her pillow and rolling on her side to face away from Annabeth. “I’m not trying to do this.”

“You’re not trying to stop it from happening,” Annabeth says softly. “You’ve had every chance to go talk to him since yesterday and you’ve locked yourself in your cabin. You won’t even talk to Leo.”

“Leo won’t understand this.”

Annabeth’s hand, calloused from hours of training, rests on Piper’s arm. It moves down to rub her back. Annabeth isn’t one for physical comfort but she must sense Piper needs it. “Why won’t Leo understand? He’s your best friend, isn’t he?”

“Leo’s never been in a relationship,” Piper mumbles, her voice mumbled by her pillowcase. “I’m sure if I tell Leo how I feel, he’ll look at me like I’m crazy.”

“You’re pushing away the guy of your dreams. You are a little crazy,” Annabeth weakly teases.

Piper lowers her pillow and stares at the cabin wall. She stares at the picture of her and her dad in front of her face and her chest tightens. “Maybe he’s not the guy of my dreams.”

“You literally called him that after he kissed you for the first time.”

“Yeah, well, I was stupid and I wasn’t thinking straight,” Piper retorts. “I’m fifteen. What do I know about love?”

Annabeth sighs. “You’re the daughter of Aphrodite. I feel out of my element here. I’m not one for relationship advice.”

Piper chews on her bottom lip. She wonders if Annabeth would understand her crazy, irrational fear of Jason breaking her heart. If her dad, the person who raised her, could break her heart, what was stopping Jason from doing the same? Good guy or not, he has a history he still doesn’t remember, a family of Roman soldiers across the country who might change his mind. The uncertainty of her relationship—and her life—had been eating away at her sanity for weeks.

Before Piper could come up with a response to Annabeth’s comment, a knock sounds from the door. Annabeth calls out, “Who is it?”

“Uh.” Piper sits up because she recognizes that voice. “It’s me, uh, Jason.”

Annabeth looks over at Piper, eyebrows raised. Piper shrugs so Annabeth asks, “What do you need?”

“I know Piper’s in there,” Jason says through the door. “I need to talk to her. Piper? Can I please talk to you? Alone?”

“We’re not allowed to be alone in a cabin together,” is Piper’s pathetic reply.

Jason sighs. “Okay, then we don’t have to—”

Annabeth stands and quickly crosses the room despite Piper’s noise of protest. She opens the door, revealing a crestfallen Jason, and says, “I’ll keep watch. You guys need to work out whatever’s up, I don’t really know what’s up, but if we’re going to go on a quest in a few weeks, we can’t have miscommunication. Got it?”

“Understood,” Jason replies obediently.

“Piper?” Annabeth’s grey eyes flash.

“Yes,” Piper mumbles, still clutching her pillow to her chest.

“Perfect. I’ll be right outside. Yell if you need me.” Annabeth sends Piper one last stop being a baby look and shuts the door behind her.

A long silence follows the door closing behind Annabeth. Jason stands just inside the cabin, staring down at his feet, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Piper’s heart races inside her chest and she grips the pillow like a lifeline.

I just don’t understand, Piper, Annabeth’s voice echoes in Piper’s head. You chased after him for two months, hoping he’d like you back and within two weeks you’re, what, pushing him away?

“You can sit down, if you want,” Piper offers softly. Jason lifts his head and she pats the bed mattress beneath her. “I promise I won’t bite. Or yell. Or push you off.”

Jason cracks a smile and he chuckles. “Promise?”

“I promise. Come here.”

Jason finally walks over and sits on the edge of her bed. He turns his body to face her and for a moment, he studies her face. Her heart races and she wonders what he’s thinking. Although she’s getting better at reading his face, sometimes it’s impossible to know what he could be thinking.

“What… happened yesterday?” Jason asks quietly. “I noticed something was wrong a few days ago, but I didn’t… I just thought you were a little down, which is totally understandable. But yesterday you really worried me. Did I do something wrong?”

It takes Piper a few seconds to realize Jason blames himself. She blinks and rapidly shakes her head. “What? No, no, of course not. You haven’t done anything wrong. I mean it. If you did, I would tell you.”

“Are you sure?” Suddenly Jason isn’t the son of Jupiter, or Zeus, or whatever. He’s not the guy who fought the king of the giants with a piece of scrap wood. He’s not the guy who jumped into the Grand Canyon to save her. He’s a scared, insecure fifteen-year-old boy who looks worried about messing up.

If only he knew the only one messing up was her.

“Jason.” Piper pushes away the pillow and scoots closer to him. She takes his hands into his, threading her fingers through hers. She looks up to meet his eyes and she sees the fear. She has to swallow her embarrassment from yesterday’s blowup as she says, “You are… perfect. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I feel like I have,” Jason whispers. “You’ve been so distant. So quiet. I thought you were overwhelmed with the upcoming quest and the fear and everything because I’m scared, too. But yesterday it seemed like you were distant from me and me only.”

Her stomach twists into knots. The hurt in his voice is so evident and it’s her fault. Her irrational fears have forced a perfectly good guy, a guy who likes her, to doubt himself. Some girlfriend she is.

“I’m… scared,” Piper breathes. Jason leans in closer, staring at her with such an intense gaze that she forces herself to look away. “I didn’t realize how scared I was until we got together.”

“Scared?” Jason asks. “Scared of… me?”

“No,” Piper assures him. She squeezes his fingers and he brings their intertwined hands up to kiss her knuckles as he sighs out a breath of relief. “Scared of… this.”

“This?” Jason keeps her knuckles against his lips. “Our relationship?”

As Piper hears it out loud, she realizes how stupid she’s being. She nods miserably, staring at her knees. “Scared of trusting someone this much.”

“Is it me? Or just in general?” Jason asks. His voice is so kind and understanding that it makes Piper want to cry.

“In general… and a little bit of you,” Piper admits. “I know that Hera’s meddling wasn’t your fault, but the Mist really messed me up.”

Jason kisses her fingertips this time. “Gods, I know. It would mess anyone up. I am still so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. The Mist and my dad and the whole demigod thing… It was a lot to swallow at once, you know? That and all of my baggage.”

“Baggage?” Jason sounds confused.

“You know. The relationship with my dad. Not having a mom.”

“Oh.” Jason tightens his grip on her hand. “Yeah. Not having a mom… sucks.”

Piper realizes how insensitive she sounds—she has a mom. Sure, Aphrodite is a goddess, but she’s still alive. She’s there in her own weird, annoying, immortal way. But Jason… His mom was abusive and she gave him away when he was a toddler and now she’s dead. At least Piper had her dad, which is more than what Jason could say; Jason has never met Zeus and judging by the tallies tattooed on his arm, his dad has had more than enough time to pop in and say hi. If Piper has it bad, Jason has it worse.

“It’s… so stupid and it’s unfair of me to be taking it out on you,” Piper continues. “But I thought I knew you and then it was all the trick of the Mist. I’m still getting to know you. And trust me, I like what I know. I really, really do. But my own dad broke my heart, Jason. He neglected me for years, thinking he was providing for us. He was gone for days and weeks at a time. He missed every dance recital, every parent-teacher conference. He didn’t see me graduate from middle school. He didn’t come to my first soccer game. My dad missed everything. I know it sounds so unfair because I had a dad, I had a pretty normal life and you didn’t, but my dad… I was a kid and he broke my heart. My own dad did that. If the person who raised me could do that much damage, what’s stopping any other person from doing the same thing? Is something wrong with me? Are you going to wake up one day and realize I’m not the person you want and leave?”

Jason is quiet for a long time after she finishes speaking. Her heart hammers uncomfortably in her throat and she’s afraid that she just drove him away. He probably sees the fifty shades of crazy she is and doesn’t want a part of that—who would want this? A BMW stealing girl who got sent to court for wanting attention? Someone who is pushing away a perfectly good person just because her dad wasn’t around? If he wants to run for the hills, she wouldn’t be able to blame him.

“My mom’s name was Beryl,” Jason says softly. “She was an actress. Hollywood’s starlet. Attracted Zeus himself not once, but twice. And when he left, she lost it. Drowned herself in every bottle she could get her hands on. I don’t remember this, but Thalia says she raised me. She was a kid and making my bottles and changing my diapers. I wouldn’t want anyone to be raised the way I was, but then to make matters worse, my mom abandoned me in the forest? She left a two-year-old in the forest with a wolf goddess to fend for himself. I didn’t even know any of this until a few weeks ago. I… I didn’t even know my mom broke my heart until recently, and I’m so angry about it.”

Piper’s chest tightens. “Jason, I’m so sorry.”

“No. I’m sorry. I’m so upset and I don’t even remember this woman. You know your dad. Your dad has recently hurt you, Pipes. You have a right to be upset. You have a right to be afraid of me. I don’t think I get that right because I hardly even know who I am.”

“I don’t accept that,” Piper argues. “You can be upset over something you don’t remember. Your mom changed your whole life. She forced you away from your sister. I’d be angry, too. I’d be furious. You’re allowed to be furious and you’re allowed to be afraid of me, too.”

Jason’s eyes are frustratingly soft when he whispers, “But I’m not afraid.”

“How?” Piper murmurs. She leans in even closer and when she does so, Jason raises one hand to cup her cheek. “How are you not terrified that I’m going to break your heart like your mom broke yours?”

“Pipes, even if you did break my heart, I’m sure I’d deserve it,” Jason says. “I was a baby then. My mom was a drunk. What she did… It wasn’t okay. That was neglect. I look at you and I’m not scared. I trust you with every cell in my body. You… you trusted me when I was just an illusion. You kept trusting me when you found out I was a Roman. You keep trusting me. You trust that I’m going to lead us to defeat Gaea and keep us alive. How could someone like you be someone I’m scared of?”

Piper’s heart skips a beat and she stares at him, a lump forming in her throat. “We might die.”

“You’re right, we might.”

“Gaea… she’s capable of killing us.”

“Yep. She is.”

“Aren’t you terrified?”

Without skipping a beat, Jason nods. “I am. But I look at you and it doesn’t seem so scary.”

It’s like falling all over again. She stares into his deep blue eyes and it’s a slow tug, a warm feeling pooling in her stomach, and she’s back at the Grand Canyon; he saved her from a death fall. He’s holding her upright, keeping her from hitting the ground. This boy in front of her is not her father. Even if he wanted to, she’s convinced he couldn’t break her heart. He could try and he’d never intentionally hurt her.

When Piper leans in, Jason meets her halfway. She kisses him softly, his warm hand cupping her cheek and his fingers burying themselves in her hair. His lips taste like strawberries and he smells of Old Spice. She melts against his lips and pulls him closer. He complies, both of his hands on her cheeks, soft and warm and comforting.

By the time they pull away, Jason’s cheeks are red and Piper’s breathless. He presses her forehead to hers and for a moment, they just look at each other.

“Next time you feel this way, can you please tell me?” Jason murmurs. “I’m pretty dumb and I can’t read your mind, even though I wish I could. I know years of abandonment aren’t going to be healed by a talk with me, but I want to help. I want you to know I’m here and I’m not going to leave you, Pipes.”

Piper feels her lips curl up in a tiny smile. “Thank you. You handled my crazy and that’s something I never asked you to do.”

“You’re not crazy, but you’re welcome.” Jason kisses her forehead. “Waking up on that bus… I felt so alone. I didn’t know who I was, and I’m still learning. But you… took control of my fears and you made me less afraid. You make me feel like me if who I am is the person I was before I woke up.”

“I don’t know who that person is either, but if you’re anything like who you used to be, I know I trust you,” Piper whispers. She pulls him in for another soft kiss. “I know you’re probably busy, but I haven’t eaten all day so I am starving. Can we head to lunch before going to Bunker Nine?”

Jason smiles and nods. “Anything for you.” He stands up and offers her his hand, which she takes. “Maybe we can take some strawberries before lunch. Sound like a plan?”

Beaming, Piper presses herself against his side. “You read my mind. Let’s go.”

And as they step out into the daylight, Piper can’t help but admire how the sun makes everything golden.

[palettes-and-prompts]

50 Weird Drunk Texts

1) "Tell your mom/dad I miss her/his nice ass." 2) "I need you to bring me a shovel immediately." 3) "Don't ask questions, just come over to my house and help me burn some stuff." 4) "I'm about to break the law, if you don't want me to do that you'd better come stop me." 5) "I think I'm about to die so just before I go I want you to know something." 6) "Your brother/sister is kind of hot." 7) "Do not bring another dog to this house, we've already got six thanks to you." 8) "I'm bringing a dog to the house, don't say I can't keep him because I've already named him so he's staying. Meet Jeremy." 9) "Hey, we need to get married or I'm gonna be thrown out of the country." 10) "Don't panic, but I need you to take me to the hospital." 11) "Don't ask why but I need you to bring a set of clothes to the woods." 12) "Hey, I need you to pee in a cup for me." 13) "Do you want to explain to me why there are cops at my door right now looking for you?" 14) "There's a stripper?? At my door??? What? Did? You? Do?" 15) "Do you remember how you said you love surprises?" "No, I specifically said I hate surprises." “Oh...” 16) "Can you get me eight blocks of cheese, it's very important." 17) "Hey do you think I should get this mole on my ass checked out?" "That's a chocolate chip." 18) "Dude, (insert person's name here)'s dad has got the fattest ass I've ever seen." "Look at the name of the person you're texting." "Tell your dad he's hot for me." 19) "Stop sending me nudes, it's barely noon and I'm at a funeral." 20) "Is your ass a cheese platter? Cause I could demolish it in seconds." 21) "I changed my screensaver to a picture of beans. Now it's a beansaver." "Lose my number." 22) "I'm taking a shit in your yard right now. Come outside." "I'm outside. You're not here. WHERE ARE YOU??!?!?!" 23) "Don't panic but there was a small fire." "THERE WAS A FIRE?!?!??!?!" "SMALL FIRE." 24) "So I kind of just came out to the bartender." "How?" "By having sex with them in the bathroom. Now either they're gay or they're REALLY GOOD at pretending to be." 25) "So, I may have just killed someone..." "I'm sorry, are you really telling me that with ellipses at the end for drama?" "It's a very dramatic story about how I may have just MURDERED SOMEONE, I think the ellipses are appropriate." 26) "You know how I told you your haircut looked fine? I was lying to you, it doesn't look fine. It looks not good." 27) "Dude, these cookies are good. What kind are they?" "What cookies?" "The ones in the paw print jar." "Those are dog treats." 28) "Dude, I just ate so many fucking dog treats thinking they were cookies." "What flavor?" "Peanut butter, but I don't see why that's important." 29) "I just vomited on your favorite shoes." "I know, you did it while I was wearing them." "Oh yeah." 30) "Dude, I can't find you in the club right now. Where are you?" "You're literally holding my hand right now." 31) "Oh my god, there's a hot girl/guy staring at me right now." "That's a cardboard cut out of Jesus." 32) "I'm about to see how many orbeez I can eat before I throw up." "Do NOT do that!" 33) "I'm freaking out and crying, dude, I can't find my dog anywhere and I've been searching for four and half hours!" "You? Don't?? Have a dog????" "Haha, oh yeah." 34) "I'm drunk, let's go get breakfast!" "It's 1:35 in the morning." "Perfect, we'll beat the early morning traffic!" 35) "I'm completely fine, but I need you to pick me up from the hospital." "WHAT HAPPENED?" "I only broke both of my legs, honestly I'm fine." "?!!?!?!!!" 36) "Let's go out right now, I'm feeling so good right now." "You just threw up three times." "That was hours ago!" "Ten minutes, I'm literally in your laundry room cleaning the puke off your shirt before I wash it." 37) "Why are you always trying to kill my vibe?" "Oh, I'm SO SORRY YOU CONSIDER ME TELLING YOU NOT EAT DOG FOOD BECAUSE IT LOOKS GOOD ME KILLING YOUR VIBE!" 38) "Hey, I'm gonna jump off my roof." "How about you don't do that." "Don't tell me what to do. I have a trampoline, I can make it." "NO YOU CAN'T. DO NOT DO IT!" 39) "Hey, this is B's friend [Insert name here], I just wanted to tell you I think you're really hot and I know you're B's mom/dad but like we should go out sometime." "This is B's girlfriend/boyfriend." "Oh, okay, I thought it was kind of weird that B was still calling their mom/dad Mommy/Daddy." "Wait, what?" 40) "Remember when you asked what I thought you were on a scale from one to ten I said nine and a half? I lied, you're a six." "I am right next to you." "I know, but I figured it'd be easier to read it than hear it." 41) "You know the phrase 'I've lost my marbles?'" "Yeah?" "I just lost mine. And by lost I mean I ate them. I just ate a bag of marbles." "Oh my god why would you do that?" "I thought it was candy that just tasted weird." 42) "I wish you were here, me and C are watching this movie and it's so sad. I can't stop crying." "C just told me you're watching Ratatoullie." "His family doesn't understand his love of cooking!" 43) "Dude, let's go fuckin' race some go carts." "Are you drunk? It's barely noon. Where are you? I'm picking you up." 44) "Dude B's hot and single friend is here, should I hit on them?" "No, you shouldn't hit on me here. This is a funeral!" 45) "Hey, we have to go. I'm a little drunk and the vibes here are fucking rancid." "We're literally at your wedding right now??" 46) "You gotta get me out of here, there's too many people staring at me right now and it's creeping me out." "For the last time, those are paintings and I told you not to over do it with the wine at my art gallery." 47) "You have to help me, I keep walking and I can't feel the ground and I'm not moving." "You're laying down in bed again." 48) "Can I come see you?" "You're drunk and just want to hang out with my dog." "Please? Cheeto loves me!" "Fine." 49) "You have to get me out of here, I'm about to fist fight the birthday boy/girl." "We're literally at a toddler's birthday? How are you already this trashed?" 50) "I would die for you, okay? I would literally jump in front of a bullet for you. I'd kill for you. So I don't understand why you can't do this for me." "Because it's embarrassing to call the fire department and have them recognize your voice immediately and be like 'Oh, is B stuck in the toddler swing at the park again?'"

[s-trawberryv-eins]

Have We Met?

NOT MY GIF

Have We Met? 

Summary: Caroline Stark and Bucky Barnes meet for the first time. Again.

Warnings: funeral flashbacks, mentions of grief, injury

Please read here before reading!

Stark!OC x Bucky Barnes

Word count: 1285

A/N: I despise the ending of this. It may change. Apologies 😊

-

CAROLINE’S LAB

AVENGERS COMPOUND

UPSTATE NEW YORK

In the months after her father’s funeral, Caroline threw herself into her work. Every waking moment was spent in the lab or in her workshop. A great deal had been lost during the Battle of Earth, so she worked tirelessly to replace it.

After the battle, Dr Banner returned to the compound, and a fast friendship grew between the two geniuses. They both saw Tony in the other, both a comfort and a curse. They worked together on many a project, both new and old. Bruce had even been the one to persuade her to see a therapist after it became apparent that she struggled to adapt after being resurrected to a new world.

However, since Caroline had been forced to reveal her true identity, she saw less and less of the professor, and found herself quite isolated. Pepper caught on, eventually sending Morgan on missions of her own: Project Cheer Sissy Up, as they called it. The youngest Stark took her solo missions very seriously, of course, going so far as to request her very own lab coat and goggles.

It was a mid-April evening, and the girls were busying themselves with their respective tasks when FRIDAY spoke up, startling Morgan.

“Good evening, girls-“ A gasp interrupted the AI.

“You made me colour outside the lines, FRI!” Whined the smallest Stark, earning a chuckle from her sister.

"Apologies, Miss. Sergeant Barnes requests access Doctor." Tearing her eyes away from the screen in front of her, Caroline studied the look on Morgan’s face. Her head was tilted, and her brows were drawn together in confusion.

“But Caroline, I’m working.” Unable to stop herself from smiling if she tried, the doctor jumped out of her seat to plant a kiss on the girl’s head.

“Let him in, Friday, thanks." Barnes had never stopped by before, not that she could blame him. Banner usually helped when needed. The super-soldiers trust issues were all but world famous. It didn't come as a surprise to her that he avoided the one who lied about who she is.

As the door was pushed open, only Bucky’s head appeared, lingering in the doorway as a sheepish look appeared on his face. “I’m sorry to bother you. I’d normally to go Bruce, but he said this is a little ways out of his expertise.”

“Come in, Sergeant, take a seat. What exactly is the – oh.” Barnes stepped out from behind the door, revealing his vibranium arm. The arm itself was a nonissue for her. Knowing his story, and being surrounded by robot tech all her life, she didn’t bat an eyelid. What she wasn’t prepared for, however, was a vibranium arm all but dragging along the floor behind him. Entirely disconnected from its socket, hanging on lamely by a few wires, she jumped forward and grabbed it, supporting it herself rather than risking the wires breaking.

“Shit!” Both adults turned on their heels to face the child, who was staring at the arm with wide eyes before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

“Who taught you that?” There was a long pause.

“Mom.”

“It was Dad, wasn’t it?” With a fond roll of her eyes, she offered an apology to Bucky who only chuckled at the whole exchange. Gesturing to a seat, she placed the robotic limb on the table between them and gathered her tools before taking a seat herself.

“I’m sorry for never really introducing myself,” the solider began as Caroline began to work at replacing the broken fixtures and mending the wires. "I'm sorry for never offering my condolences after your-“

“It’s fine.” She cut him off before the words could even form on his tongue, eyes flicking over to her busy mini-me. "thankyou, but, it’s fine. I didn’t really expect any of you would want to talk to me again anyway." An icy tension clouded above them, both unsure what to say.

“I saw you.” Keeping his voice low as to not alert the child of the subject of their conversation, he continued. “I saw you at the funeral. Afterwards, I think. You were sat on a bed upstairs. I, uh, got lost.” Caroline had stilled, her movements frozen as he recalled that October day. The worst day of her life, she’d decided. At least when Pepper returned from the battle to break the news to her children she didn’t need to hide. The memory singed into her brain. Limbs tangled together in an attempt to keep each other glued together. Hoarse voices, shattered hearts, tear stained everything. At the funeral she’d stayed hidden. Blended in, not made a scene. Only Pepper witnessed the aftermath of this decision late that night, when the guests had departed.

“You were crying, but everyone was so I guess I didn't think much of it. If I’da known, Caroline…” Blue eyes search for brown, but she refused to look away from his arm, not confident in her ability to hold it together.

"I shouldn’t have been there. Not after everything…” the stifled sob that fell from her lips shut him up. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was talking about. The Winter Solider had murdered her grandparents’ way back when. In the years since finding out about it, she'd never figured out how to fell about it.

“Please, Sergeant.” Her voice was weak and she cursed herself for it. “not whilst my sister is here.” Willing herself to meet his eyes, she was taken about by the guilt that visibly tormented him. In an attempt to lessen the unease, she smiled gently, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Let’s get you fixed up. Fancy telling me how you’ve shredded some of the best tech I’ve ever seen?” A smile appeared on both of their faces.

"Can I blame it on Sam?”

-

2 HOURS LATER

Tools clattered loudly as they were tossed carelessly on to the table. "All finished. Next time you wanna tear your limbs off, do it in the morning so that I can go home on time." Her attempt at a harsh tone was betrayed by the smile that painted her lips. Pepper had collected Morgan a while ago, the two living a short drive from the compound.

“Let me walk you back?” Flexing his newly fixed bionic, Bucky pulled his t-shirt over his head. Caroline forced her eyes to remain on his face rather than drift towards his ridiculous torso. “It's the least I can do.”

“Sure. Thankyou.” Evidently, she’d been staring at his face a little too hard, the smirk on his face causing hers to flush pink. Turning on her heel towards the door, she addressed the AI and touched her warm cheeks gently, embarrassment obvious. “FRIDAY, please lock up behind us?”

“Of course. Goodnight, Doctor. Sergeant."

-

Arriving outside her apartment door, Bucky leaned over the railing, looking through the glass wall of the fortress-like compound. "You can see our common room from here. That’s kinda cool.” The doctor observed as the soldier gazed around, the novelty of his home clearly still present.

“Thankyou for walking me back. I know you normally go to Banner for your arm, and if you want to keep it that way, it's totally fine, I get it,“ cringing at her own terrible rambling, Caroline sucked in a breath and started again. “My door is always open if you need anything. Dr Morgan and I would never say no to some extra company."

“Understood, Doctor. Goodnight." Remaining in the doorway until he was out of sight, she noted the sense of relief she felt after spending an evening with someone new. It was refreshing. Perhaps she would try again.

[fromthemouthofkings]

10 Favorite Characters

Thank you @wisteria-lodge​ for tagging me!!

1. Grand Admiral Thrawn (the Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn)

I stan 1 (one) blue alien Sherlock Holmes

[image description: the cover of The Last Command by Timothy Zahn, showing Thrawn as a blue-skinned humanoid with blue-black hair and glowing red eyes, wearing a white Imperial uniform. end id]

So I’m specifically talking about the book character here; I have no idea what’s going on in the Star Wars TV shows. But Thrawn of the Star Wars Legends universe (and the newer canon book, Thrawn) is hands-down one of the best and most interesting characters I’ve ever seen. He’s brilliant, creating battle strategies by studying his opponents’ cultural art to understand their cultural psychology and look for weaknesses in their thinking. And despite being a morally grey character, he’s not unduly arrogant and is actually extremely likeable--he has to work hard to get into the Imperial command structure that heavily discriminates against non-humans, his motivation is the best interest of his people, the Chiss, and he is always willing to explain his thinking to his close allies and friends. And who else would respond to being stabbed by smiling and saying, “But it was so artistically done?”

2. Beren (specifically, from Philosopher-At-Large’s script/screenplay adaptation of Tolkien’s story of Beren and Luthien, A Boy, A Girl, & A Dog: The Lay of Leithian Dramatic Script Project, which can be read in full here: https://rustbucket.net/leithian/index.html)

Do we not all want to yell at the gods about theodicy until they answer our questions to our satisfaction? I specifically pick Beren not from the original Silmarillion, as much as I love Tolkien’s work, but from Philosopher-At-Large’s script retelling, because A Boy, A Girl, & A Dog might just be my favorite work of literature of all time--fanwork, original fiction, or otherwise. I stumbled across it via a fanart of Beren on DeviantArt, like, six or seven years ago that referenced it, and my life has never been the same. It was hard to pick a favorite character, since literally all of the Script’s characters hold a special place in my heart, but I love Beren’s gentle, dry humor and his grim, determined, reckless stubbornness. His relationship with Luthien is of course the driving point of the story, but I thought that his relationships with Finrod and the other members of their company, and his backstory in Dorthonian and his interactions with the Valar were spectacularly done as well. This story is full of the grim determination to at least try and keep loving people, to keep throwing yourself at a problem and refuse to back down until you find a satisfactory solution, and Beren is right there at the heart of that, and I think that makes him pretty hopepunk.

3. Hamlet (Hamlet by William Shakespeare)

What is there to say about Hamlet that hasn’t already been said a thousand times by people significantly more learned and eloquent than me? I love him. He’s a genre-savvy protagonist trapped in a world where nothing! Fucking! Makes! Sense! My poor emo boy. I feel so much for him, being trapped in a situation where he needs to learn the truth in order to move forward and finally act, but there’s no way for him to get at the truth, so instead he just spirals further and further into fey, frustrated, erratic “madness.” Such a disaster bi. Definitely in love with his tired functional gay bf Horatio. Drama queen and Pretentious Asshole TM. In any decent modern au, he loves Hot Topic and gets all his clothes from there. I don’t even really do theater, but I’d love to have a chance to play him onstage.

4. James Dunworthy (the Oxford Time Travel series by Connie Willis)

The Oxford Time Travel series by Connie Willis ranges from hilarious (To Say Nothing of the Dog) to heartbreaking (Doomsday Book) and Mr. Dunworthy is right in the middle of all of it. For those who haven’t read it, the premise of the series is that time travel has been discovered, but we can’t use it to change the past, so instead it’s mainly just used by historians going back in time to study history, and Mr. Dunworthy is the head of the history department at Oxford University in the year 2060. He might be strict, but he has strong dad vibes, and, just, cares so much for all of his historians. He basically adopts Colin when Colin is stranded in Oxford over Christmas during an epidemic, he regularly puts himself in danger to look for lost historians, he helped invent time travel, and he knows that the point of studying the past is caring about the people who lived there. I want him to be my dad.

5. The 9th Doctor (Doctor Who)

Okay, I love 10 and 12 and 13 almost as much as I love 9, but 9 has to be my favorite Doctor. He was my first doctor, and what really got me hooked on the series was his kindness--hard-won and hard-clung to after the trauma of the time war. It isn’t always easy for him--the time war took everything away from him, and you can see how he’s tempted to be angry and bitter and harsh--but even so, he insists on helping people, on atoning for his mistakes, on nonviolence and using kindness and cleverness to fix things instead of violence and hate. He says, guns are bad and bananas are good, and every person is important, and when asked if he’s a coward or a killer, he says, “Coward. Any day.” And that philosophy, that choice, has left a deep impact on me.

[image description: gif of the 9th doctor saying “Who said you’re not important?” from New Who Season 1 episode 8, “Father’s Day.” end id]

6. Eliot Spencer (Leverage)

The whole premise of a group of thieves, criminals and con artists getting together to take down corrupt people in power is great, and Eliot is my favorite. He may have done some seriously bad shit in the past, but now he’s just devoted to taking care of the team, and particularly his hacker and his thief. I don’t know that he believes he’s worthy of their love, but he’s still somehow the most mature and emotionally stable member of the team; he knows how to control his anger and live alongside his regrets, and despite his grumbling, he dives headfirst into protecting the rest of the team and keeping them safe. Bonus points for being in an almost-canon ot3, and for the passion that he brings to his cooking. Also, I headcanon him as gray aro and transmasc, because I can.

[image description: gif of Eliot standing back-to-back with Parker and Hardison. end id]

7. Jon Sims (The Magnus Archives)

I’m only on season 3 of TMA so far, but I love Jon with all my heart. Working at a supernatural research institute, after having had a supernatural encounter of your own, and still choosing not to really believe in the supernatural until it knocks down the door to your office and riddles you with worms? Big mood. He’s a stubborn workaholic disaster ace, and I relate because I too struggle to interact with people and tend to get lost in obscure research projects for hours at a time. Somebody give this boy a hug and then a nap.

8. River Taam (Firefly)

Once again, there are a lot of good characters in Firefly, and I was hard-pressed to pick just one of them to put on this list. But River is a sweet summer child slowly overcoming trauma to find the joy and delight in the world around her that she had before the Academy, and I want all the best things for her. Bonus points go to Simon, who gave up everything he knew to save his sister, and Mal, who stubbornly sticks to his own code of honor even after loosing the war and much of his faith.

9. Lancelot (The Once and Future King by T. H. White)

A splendidly complex and morally grey take on our favorite legendary hero. T. H. White writes a Lancelot who struggles deeply with guilt and pride and imposter syndrome--who struggles desperately to do what is right and to channel the traits he finds in himself--both strengths and flaws--into doing the right thing. His scrupulosity is sadly relatable, and the lines “It is so fatally easy to make young children believe that they are horrible” and “ You could not give up a human heart as you could give up drinking. The drink was yours, and you could give it up: but your lover’s soul was not your own: it was not at your disposal; you had a duty towards it” are both absolutely haunting. It’s only implied in the book, but T. H. White admitted in letters that Lancelot enjoys pain, and is probably bi as well, and a bit in love with Arthur, and that he feels very guilty about it, and I just want a fluffy modern adaptation where Arthur and Guenevere and Lancelot can be in the kinky ployamarous triad that they deserve and just be happy together.

10. Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

While I have some problems these days with the Harry Potter series and the transphobia of its author, it’s possible to like something without minimizing its flaws, and this list would not be complete without Luna Lovegood. I spent significant portions of middle school pretending to be her. She taught me how to embrace my own unabashed weirdness, and I wouldn't be the same without her.

@a-nerdy-shade-of-purple @conan-concocting-chaos @one-supportive-august​ @the-lyra-cal-trans​ @the-eleftheria​ @dumpstertrash​

[wyattzimmermcn]

three deaths and a wedding.

self-paragraph by danji. tw: death, illness, guns, murder(?).

2009

He lost track of where they were about four hours ago, but, at least, he hasn’t lost sight of that pretty little blonde on his arm.

An inky blue-sky drapes over the New York City horizon. It’s as clear as he’s ever seen it, clearer than the haze of his post-grad years, bustling between internships, like the clouds have parted and the stars are twinkling because they know it’s his birthday.

He’s thirty. According to his watch, he turned thirty eight hours ago. They haven’t stopped celebrating.

“Zimmerman!” An old roommate slings an arm around his shoulder. He reeks of weed and cologne and the cud of spearmint gum being chewed between his teeth. “Remember your twenty-first? We were over there,” He points into the night, directionless, “Gramercy Park. You remember Rachel? God, I was gonna marry Rachel.”

Rachel had a penthouse. Beyond that, Wyatt can’t remember a thing about her. “Yeah, man. She was hot,” He slurs.

“Holy shit!” His roommate grabs his shoulders, shakes him, like he’s suddenly remembered–– “you’re thirty!”

He’s the first one of his friends to turn thirty. (First to have a job, only one not to leech off his father, or, God forbid, join a multi-level marketing business. But that’s just the perks of having Ivy League friends.) They haven’t stopped poking fun at him since they remembered his birthday was around the corner about a month ago. And now it’s here. 

Well, it was about to be over.

Was it wrong to feel a little down? Feel inflated, all that pent up energy escaping into nothingness? It reminded him that he hated birthdays.

Something buzzes in his pants. He digs out his Nokia, brows pinching together. “It’s my dad.”

“You’re not gonna answer, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“It’s three in the morning.”

A voice inside his head tells him to answer. “One sec.”

He holds his phone to one ear and cuffs the other with his opposite hand, moving to the outer-skirts of the rooftop bar, still feeling the music pumping through his veins. He’s tall enough that he could easily slide one leg over the top of the railing, hoist himself over the ledge, and free-fall into nothingness. 

Warm alcohol sloshes in his stomach at the thought. He groans.

“Dad?”

“Son.”

“What’s wrong?” He asks. “Is mom okay? Is Mila––.”

“Your sister died tonight. Few hours ago, actually,” He says, gruff as ever, “we’re going over to the hospital to get her stuff. You should come down. Your mother would like that. Yeah, she’d like that.”

“You weren’t with her?” He pushes the heel of his palm into his eye sockets, seeing stars.

“No.”

“I’ll… I’ll drive up tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Was she––?”

“Oh,” There’s a pause, “that’s the hospital calling. I’ve gotta run. Happy birthday, son.”

- 

He has no reason to suspect that today is going to be any different than any other. There’s campaign nonsense that crops up every now and again; finances, pushback, shitty scheduling. But, at the very least, Amanda usually has that covered.

It’s Sunday. He thinks, maybe, he should go to church. But, the second the thought crosses his mind, he finds himself deriding it–– who do you think you are?

Coffee is brewing. CNN is playing. Plaid sweatpants hang from his hips and the New York Times is flayed on the kitchen island, waiting to be read, as it flattens over the marble countertop. Timer beeps. He splashes half-and-half into his cup. Perches the reading glasses he swore he’d never use on his nose. 

Huffs–– in that way his father used to huff, “just because he’s old”– and sinks into his first sip of caffeine for the morning. 

Fuck, that’s good.

“Sorry, Bill. There’s a–– there’s a breaking story from Manhattan.” He lifts his gaze, briefly, to the news reporter tapping her earpiece. “The story is still breaking, but Fox is reporting that Jim Wittman is critically injured, yes critically injured, after a car crash in New York city. Mr. Wittman, who is a candidate for Speaker of the House is– is alive. We’ll let you know when we know more.”

He glances down at his phone. He makes a habit of keeping it turned off before eleven in the morning on weekends (for his own sanity). Maybe he lied before; today is a little different. Today he keeps it by his side.

A text message from his campaign manager lights up his screen.

Frank: Jim’s dead. Congratulations Mr. Speaker.

–

He’s been Speaker of the House for less than six months when Theresa Wright, President of the United States, is shot dead.

Zimmerman makes a speech at her funeral, shakes her family’s hands and addresses the sea of mourners who turn out at the White House, transforming the residency into a fucking garden–– with flowers and wreaths of mourning laid out on the law as far as the eye can see.

There are posters, too, demonstrating a renewed vigor in gun legislation. She’s in cohorts with Lincoln and Kennedy now. She’s a martyr.  

“Of all the ironies about Theresa, a woman I called colleague and friend, perhaps the greatest was this––.” Another camera flashes, another microphone butts against the head of a journalist inches from collapsing from the unusual heat. 

“A woman given the name of Saint Teresa was, in the end, the most selfless, compassionate, and honorable person I’ve ever met in Washington.” 

They don’t expect him to dab his eye, do they?

No, he leaves that to the sniveling congresswoman standing behind him.

“This is not coincidence; this was, and is, a shining example of Wright’s indefatigable conviction.”

He clears his throat; it feels hoarse. 

“And I wish she were still here today.” Maybe if she had quicker reflexes. 

He hangs his head low, and there’s a pregnant pause before he raises his chin, focuses on the crowds, watching them blend together. They were all wearing black; like a massive ink splot that just kept expanding.

Thank God he wasn’t wearing his contacts.

“From my family, to yours–.” 

He sees her father– a team of security insulating him – in the crowd. “We will get through this.” 

He meets with Berkeley a few days after he’s inaugurated. After the funeral. After the briefing, and the statement from the House in support of Berkeley’s Presidency. 

They toast to Wright. Ice cubes clinking together as they melt into whiskey. 

“To you, Mr. President. To your family. And to our dear, departed Theresa who has… paved the way to this very moment, unwittingly.”

There isn’t the slightest trace of melancholy in his voice.

– 

“Here’s a man whose luck doesn’t stop.”

They all raise their glasses to him, and to the bride by his side.

“It really doesn’t. I mean, who gets elected as Speaker of the House at forty? Who’s smack dab in the middle of the greatest political crisis since– I dunno, Chappaquiddick?”

Everyone laughs, including Donna. Wyatt’s lips crack into a grin.

“No, no. That’s always been the way Wyatt has rolled. Nothing ever got him down. Nothing’s out there to get him. And now, I mean, not that I noticed, but you’ve got a pretty hot wife, too.”

Wyatt’s father waves his hand, laughing as he does so, signaling that’s enough now as his wife curls into his side, a little teary-eyed, a lot tipsy.

“Here’s to Wyatt.” His eyes lower into the bubbles popping in his champagne flute. “May your luck never run out.”

“To Wyatt.”

“And may there always be more people who love you than hate you.”