#i need to convine my brother to watch this with me

[https-milo]

PLEASE DO SOMETHING MEGUMI I WILL BEGGGGG

no need to beg brother, I got youuuu!

BROTHER'S BEST FRIEND!

Megumi Fushiguro x Reader

Summary: Being the sibling of Yuji Itadori had its perks... Like the fact his best friend was a total cutie!

m. list

1.1k words

Reader is adopted • Yuji is 16, the reader is 15, Choso is 19 • No sorcerers AU • slight miscommunication trope • fluff

"Fushiguro!" My brother greeted his friend happily at the door as he let him in. The spikey black hair silhouette was one I was all too familiar with, seeing as he came over every couple of days.

"Hi," Megumi greeted. He noticed me standing in the doorway of the kitchen and waved. "Hey, Y/N."

"Oh um, hey, Fushiguro," I replied. I didn't let him get another word in before I rushed off to my room and closed the door behind me. I jumped onto my bed and screamed into my pillow. My older brother, Choso, walked in. He must've heard me scream from his room since the walls are thin and I'm right next to him.

"Uh, Y/n?" Choso asked once I stopped. I refused to move my head and just hummed, a sound that was muffled by the pillow. "Are you okay?"

I sighed and sat up, holding the pillow close to my stomach. "No, blueberry is here."

Choso's eyes lit up and he sat beside me. "Yuji said he would be. How does that make you feel?" He teased as he poked my side.

I hit him with my pillow. "Shut up, you're so annoying. Man, curse Yuji for having cute friends." I groaned and leaned my head against Choso. "Every time he is here, a piece of me dies." Choso patted my back comfortingly. I sighed dramatically and walked downstairs to the living room where Yuji and Megumi were.

I found Yuji on the couch but Megumi was nowhere in sight, I looked around confused. "Where'd Fushiguro go?"

"Oh, he had to use the bathroom," Yuji explained as he used the TV remote to look at different movies to watch with Megumi. I nodded and sat on the loveseat that was next to the couch. I watched as he flipped through the different movies Netflix offered in its catalog. Megumi came downstairs and sat on the end of the couch. He looked at me and tensed when our gazes met, his eyes quickly darted away from mine and faced the TV. I blushed furiously at just looking at him and covered my face with my hands, trying to cool my face down.

"Uh... You okay, Y/N?" Yuji asked.

I swiftly removed my hands and nodded enthusiastically, "Yep! Ahahahah why wouldn't I be?" Yuji quirked a brow at me and Megumi squinted in my direction from the corner of his eye. 'Oh my god! He is so cute! Someone euthanize me!' I internally squealed with glee. My face only flushed redder and I tried looking away from him as the movie started, but I would find my gaze back on him occasionally throughout the movie.

Halfway through the movie, Choso called me away. I went upstairs to his room and lightly punched his chest in excitement. "Oh my gosh, Cho! He's so majestic and ethereal! Like an angel on earth!" I squealed.

"That's why I yelled for you," Cho said, taking my punches. He pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of the living room. In the picture, I was staring at Megumi with visible hearts in my eyes while Megumi and Yuji watched the movie intently. "I went and got some water a couple of minutes ago and saw this. You're so obvious."

"How can I not be? He's so dreamy," I sighed whimsically. "Curse Yuji for bringing him around!" I huffed with faux anger. "It's torture being around someone I can't have constantly!"

"Sounds like you need to do something about that," Choso said with a shrug.

Megumi hadn't come over in two weeks. I honestly felt like I was going through withdrawals from not seeing him. I was doing my homework when Yuji appeared in my doorway, "Hey, did you say something to Fushiguro the last time he was here?"

I tilted my head, "No? I didn't say anything except hello. Is everything okay?"

Yuji nodded, "Yeah. He's just been avoiding coming over here lately." Yuji shrugged. "Well, whatever, I'll just have to convince him. I want him to watch Human Earthworm 3 with me again."

I deadpanned, "Haven't you already forced him to watch it with you like... 10 times?" Yuji nodded and walked away. I sighed and looked back down at my homework.

A couple hours later, Megumi Fushiguro was at my front door. I was the only one downstairs, so I answered it. "Oh hey, Fushiguro," I greeted with a red face.

"Hey, Y/n," Megumi replied as he stepped into my house and took his shoes off.

"I'll go get Yuji," I said. I was about to turn away but Megumi grabbed my wrist and made me look at him.

"Do you hate me?" He asked solemnly.

I was in shock looking at his hand around my wrist, but I snapped my head up at his question. I fervently shook my head. "What? No of course not! Why would you think that?"

Megumi let go of my wrist and crossed his arms, "I heard you and Choso talking. You said; 'Every time he is here, a piece of me dies' and 'Curse Yuji for bringing him around'." His eyes narrowed at me.

I blinked and my eyes widened. "You heard that?! That's so embarrassing..." I groaned in annoyance.

Megumi's eyebrows furrowed, "So you do hate me?"

"No... there's more context for those," I sighed and bit my lip in contemplation. "I don't know how to explain it other than when I'm around you, I feel the need to be fatally shot."

Megumi's eyes widened, "What?" He was utterly confused.

"W-well, it's just... You're so beautiful and cool I don't deserve to be in the same vicinity as you! I like you a lot and I know I shouldn't because you're Yuji's best friend but I can't help it." I hid my face in my hands. "Ugh, I look so dumb right now, huh?"

Megumi chuckled before nodding. "Only a little. How crazy do you have to be to admit to wanting to die because of how attracted you are to someone?"

I chuckled lightly, "I think it runs in the family."

Megumi hummed, "Well, I think you're pretty cool too." He rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, me and Yuji had a talk about me liking you a while ago. He said he didn't mind." His face was a bright red as I looked up at him with stars in my eyes. "I think that's why I was so worried about you hating me."

My eyes widened. "You better not be joking right now. I swear, if you are I'm going to kill you."

Megumi shook his head. "I'm not." He cleared his throat and looked at me bashfully. "So... will you give me the honor of being your boyfriend?"

"I think I'm dreaming..." I mumbled before nodding enthusiastically. "Yes, literally 1000% yes."

Megumi smiled, "I'm glad. Do you want to watch Human Earthworm with me and Yuji?"

I sighed, "Anything for you. This will be my 100th time rewatching it though."

Megumi chuckled, "Yeah, I think he can say the script by heart at this point."

© https-milo. please do not repost, steal, copy, or modify my works!

Thank you so much for reading <3

[alittlebitofloveliness]

Grew in my heart

Heres part 2! Part 1 is linked here.

*******************

“Is he ever gonna wake up?”

When Pony wakes it’s to a not hushed enough whisper. 

“Course he is dumbass,” that whisper is a lot quieter, “but he’s little and he’s hurt, he’s real tired.”

“He was fine earlier.”

“He was overwhelmed,” the voice corrects, “he was bound to crash sooner or later.”

Ponyboy blinks his eyes open. Soda, Darry, and Johnny are all in a line in chairs watching him, but they quickly pretend to be busy. Doing what, he isn’t sure. He already caught them looking.

“There’s those darling eyes,” Mrs.Curtis’ voice is soft as she smiles down at him, “how did you sleep, honey?”

“Good.” He mumbles through a yawn, somehow still tired, more cozy than he can ever remember being. Somehow though, he still finds himself shy again, and he hides his face in her shoulder until she laughs, peppering his head with kisses and squeezing him gently, coaxing him out of the fabric. He lets himself enjoy it. It won’t last, he knows, but he can let himself pretend, have some good memories to hold close to his chest when he ends up alone tonight in a stranger's house, on a lumpy sofa in a yet another spooky, cold basement. 

“Curtis family?” Suddenly, the door to the office across from Ms. Summers opens and a lady with curly hair Ponyboy has seen a few times in the past when he’s been in the waiting room sticks her head out. She smiles the way Ms.Summers does, in a way that never really reaches her eyes, “Sorry to keep you waiting. I’ve got the paperwork all ready here, I just need the mother and father’s signatures, and then you just need to get it signed by a judge to make everything official.”

“We’ll be right back,” Mrs.Curtis promises them all, standing up and placing Ponyboy down on her chair but not before kissing his cheek almost absentmindedly, the way he’d seen moms at the park near Mr.Fuller’s house do with their babies sometimes, “be good boys for me.”

“Darry, keep an eye on your brothers, will you?” Mr Curtis adds, and Darry nods easily from where he’s lounging in his seat, reading a magazine.

“Does Johnny need to come in too?” Mrs.Curtis wonders as she follows the social worker into the office.

“He can if he wants to, but it’s not necessary for this part.”

“Well Johnnycake?” That was Mr.Curtis, looking at Johnny like he was the whole dang world, and Pony feels the same hatred from earlier bubbling up inside him, which definitely wasn’t fair, especially after Johnny and Mrs.Curtis and all of them had been so very nice to him all day. “Whaddya say? You wanna come with us or wait here with your brothers? We won’t be long.”

Johnny kind of shrinks with everyone's eyes on him. Pony knows the feeling.

“I’ll stay out here.”

“Ok kiddo,” Mr Curtis ruffles Johnny’s hair and follows his wife into the office. 

Even though he has no reason to be worried, the sight of the closed office door with its faded paint and frosted windows makes Ponyboy’s heart sink. Logically he knows its stupid, that something good is happening behind it, that it’s making it so Johnny can get adopted, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s the same door that closed behind his mother when the state made her sign away custody of him, and that it’s the same office every foster parent who ever returned him ran to as soon as they stepped inside the child services centre.

“Hey,” Johnny nudges him gently, keeping his voice low so Soda and Darry- who appear to be arguing, though Ponyboy can’t tell what about- can’t hear, “you ok?”

Johnny’s got eyes that are inky black and a scar on his head that says maybe he’s got a past life a whole lot like Pony’s current one.

“I-I don’t know.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Pony breathes. He glances at the shut door again. 

“That’s okay.” Johnny promises, simple and sure and kind. “You don’t have to know.”

Pony can tell then that Johnny really does understand, maybe more than anyone has ever understood before.

They lapse into silence. Soda appears to be trying to convince Darry to read out the advice column of the magazine, while Darry is doing his best to ignore him and read one of the sports articles. 

“Johnny,” Pony murmurs while Soda is dramatically wailing about the merits of Dear Abby and the plights of many he needs to weigh in on, “can-can I ask you somethin’? You don’t gotta answer if you don’t wanna.”

“Ok.”

“Did they take your mom away too?” 

Johnny doesn’t say anything but his eyes flash dangerously and Pony finds himself trying to explain.

“It’s only- they took my mom. First they took her away in a different police car, and then they took her into Ms.Summers’ office and then she was gone and I wasn’t allowed to see her anymore.”

Johnny raises a hand to his mouth, chews anxiously on his thumbnail.

“Yeah,” He admits softly after a minute, “yeah they took her. My dad too.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” 

Ponyboy kicks his legs, trying his best not to glance at Johnny. He often had trouble meeting people’s eyes, but that went double anytime he was uncomfortable.

“What about your dad?” Johnny asks after a minute, looking anywhere but at Ponyboy.

Pony blinks. “What about him?”

“Did they take him too?”

“No,” Ponyboy shakes his head, “he’s in jail. I don’t even know what he looks like.”

“I’m sorry.”

“S’okay.” Ponyboy shrugs. It really is too. He didn’t spend much time thinking about his dad, mostly because he usually forgot he ever had one. 

“Pony?”

“Yeah?”

“You ever miss your mom?”

“Yeah,” Pony admits quietly. It feels blasphemous, even as he says it, but it is true, “sometimes. But I still don’t ever wanna go back to living with her ever again.”

Mom was cold and mean with her vicious hands and quick temper, for all she could be nice sometimes. She’d pressed his hand to the hot stove once and threw stuff at him everyday, even if she did read him bedtime stories a few times a week. He’d had worse foster parents since they took him away, but not by much, and those people weren’t his mom. It made sense they didn’t want him. It never made sense why she didn’t.

“Me neither,” Johnny agrees.

“It’s different though,” Pony points out, “you got the Curtis’ now. No wonder you don’t wanna go back.”

“It ain’t different,” Johnny glares, and suddenly he looks like every kid in every group home Pony’s ever met, mean and defeated, “it don’t change the fact she didn’t love me even when I wanted her to.”

“Hey you two,” Darry’s suddenly in front of them, hands on his hips and a frown on his face, “how come you’re arguin’?”

They both hesitate.

“I was bein’ mean,” Pony admits, shamefaced, looking straight at Johnny, “You’re right it ain’t different. I’m sorry Johnny.”

Johnny’s eyes stay hard for a second until they melt back to something soft.

“It’s okay.”

He understands. Pony sighs, relieved.

“Ok,” Darry looks confused, “ well. Glad y’all are good.” 

He sits down again.

Pony can’t help it. He giggles.

“What’re you laughin’ at, huh kid?” Darry sounds mad but he’s smiling as he says it, so Pony thinks maybe he’s only pretending to be.

“Your face.”

“My face?”

“Yeah,” Pony says, “you look funny.” He demonstrates, pulling an exaggerated version of Darry’s puzzled frown, and Johnny laughs.

“Funny huh?”  Darry exchanges a grin with Soda, Johnny perking up beside him, eyes lighting in understanding, “we’ll show you funny.”

The next thing Pony knows he’s being tickled to death, all three older boys teaming up against him until he’s squealing and red faced from laughter, begging for mercy.

“What on earth is going on out here?”

Pony freezes. Darry, Soda, and Johnny all do too.

Ms.Summers has emerged from her office, hands propped on her hips, eyes blazing. She looks mad. Proper mad. The kind of mad adults get before they slap him or send him to bed without food.

Without really meaning to, Pony scoots a little behind Darry.

“Sorry ma'am,” Darry steps a bit more in front of him, putting himself in front of Soda and Johnny too, and gives Ms.Summers a winning smile, “we were just playin’ around. We didn’t mean to get so loud. We’ll be more quiet from now on.”

“See to it that you do. Where are your parents?”

“Signing some paperwork with your colleague, ma’am.”

“Hm,” Ms. Summers huffs, “well, behave yourselves until they get back. Ponyboy, if you can’t be good you’ll have to sit in the corner again without your new friends. Do you understand?”

Ponyboy forces himself to meet her gaze. She never liked it when he was impolite, and that meant he had to look at her when he was speaking.

“Yes ma’am,” he manages, just barely above a mumble. Ms.Summers hates mumbling.

“Good.” She gives them one last severe look and closes her office door with a snap.

As soon as she’s gone Soda starts snickering.

“Did you see her face?” He pulls an exaggerated frown, eyebrows scrunched down and cheeks puffed out a bit, and props his hands on hips the way Ms.Summers had a second a minute ago.

 “Stop bein’ loud!” He mocks in a high falsetto, a poor approximation of Ms.Summer’s actual voice, “no havin’ fun on my watch!”

Pony laughs. He’s learning that Darry wasn’t wrong earlier when he said Soda was just like that. 

“Ok, ok, settle down,” Darry chides, but even he cracks a grin, “c’mon and sit again, and I’ll read out that stupid advice column.”

“It’s not stupid!” Soda protests, but he obeys, pulling Johnny down beside him. It seems almost reflexive, Soda dragging Johnny around absentmindedly and the shorter boy following him without question. 

“You too kid,” Darry nudges Pony gently, “come sit.”

Pony sits and tries to listen to Darry’s soothing baritone, but finds he can’t quite focus on the story. Instead, he worries. 

Mrs. and Mr. Curtis are still in the social worker’s office but he can’t imagine they will be for much longer, and when they come back out the papers will be signed and Johnny will officially be theirs, and they’ll leave.

Ponyboy really doesn’t want them to leave. Not Mrs.Curtis, who’d held him in her arms and let him sleep on her lap, or Mr.Curtis, who never looked scary even when he was stern, and whose eyes were always laughing, even when they shouldn't be. He doesn’t want Soda and his effervescent energy to leave, returning the waiting room to the same, stuffy, suffocating place it always was before today. He doesn’t want Johnny to leave, even though he’s happy for him, because Johnny wasn’t mean but he also understood things, and that was something Pony had never found in any other person, ever. Most of all, he doesn’t want Darry to leave, because Darry just saved him from Ms.Summers like some sort of superhero, and because he’d never been mean to him. Every other teenager Pony came into contact with hurt him or ignored him, but Darry Curtis hadn’t, not once.

He knew this would happen. As soon as he put down his book and went over to play cards he knew he’d get attached. He can feel hot tears prick at his eyes but he blinks them away rapidly. He’s not some stupid little baby. He is not going to cry just because one family was nice to him for one day and now he doesn’t ever want to see them go. That’s stupid.

Maybe he should go back to the corner. Tell Darry he isn’t feeling well and hide behind Great Expectations until they’re gone. It might hurt less if he could do the leaving first.

He’s still psyching himself up to move away from Darry’s soothing voice when the social worker’s door flies open. Instead of the Curtis’ leaving though, the curly haired social worker hurries out, casting a curious glance in their direction as she knocks on Ms.Summers’ door.

“Keisha, could you give me a hand with something, please?”

“Of course.” Ms.Summers emerges from her office looking equally as puzzled, and follows her coworker into the other office.

Johnny and Pony exchange a look. He can see the alarm in the older boy’s black eyes and wishes he could reassure him, but anything he said would sound false to his own ears. Any kid who’s ever been in the foster system knows that things go badly when the social workers start acting like that.

“What’s goin’ on?” Soda sounds scared, looking up at Darry with wide, frightened eyes, “they ain’t…I mean, they promised Johnny could stay for good, right Dar? They said they got the papers and everythin’.”

“Everything’s fine,” to his credit, Darry sounds so sure Ponyboy could almost believe him, “Johnny’s ours for sure, that ain’t in question.”

He ruffles Johnny’s hair, and the dark haired boy manages a weak grin, but Ponyboy can still see the panic he’s trying to hide in the way his hands are trembling, tucked under his thighs. He doesn’t believe him, not really. Pony doesn’t either. Pretty lies are and always will be just that: lies.

“Y’know…” Darry looks at the closed office door, something like realization dawning, “I think things’re gonna be more than ok actually.”

“What do you mean?” Soda wonders. 

Darry shakes his head, suddenly fighting a grin. It’s such a stark 180 from the worry he was trying to hide a second ago it’s a little startling.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Darry!”

“Seriously, little buddy, don’t worry about it.”

“You oughta tell me,” that was Johnny, voice small, “if you know something I don’t. It’s my life we’re talking about here.”

“You’re gonna be just fine Johnnycake,” Darry promises, “I mean it. We all are.”

They will be. Pony is glad for them, as much as he can be- which currently isn’t much, with the envy and the loneliness battling for dominance in his gut. 

“All of us.” Darry looks right at him, blue green eyes bright, “that means you too Ponyboy.”

He’s trying to be nice. Ponyboy knows he’s trying to be nice, but it still stings knowing their fine is so much better than his own. Their kind of fine meant love and safety and warmth. His meant survival and a half decent dinner. Sure, they’d all be fine. But not the same.

He’s saved from having to say anything by the office door opening.

“-tell him.” Mrs.Curtis is saying, Mr Curtis beside her with a thick manilla envelope and a smile shining brighter than the sun.

“There’s my boy,” Pony thinks Mr Curtis looks like a boy himself, his handsome face young, open and  joyous as he crosses the room in three steps and sweeps Johnny into a bear hug, picking him up and swinging him around, “how does it feel to officially be Johnny Curtis, huh?”

Soda perks up.

“It’s official?”

“Signed and sealed,” Mr. Curtis presses a kiss to Johnny’s hair and sets him down, but keeps an arm around his shoulders, “just gotta file these with the judge downtown.”

Soda cheers, and Darry lets out a whoop, both of them swarming Johnny and Mr.Curtis, half tackling them until they’re all wrapped up in one group hug, and it’s the best thing Ponyboy’s ever seen and all he wants to do is cry.

A touch on his head has him flinching away before he realizes it’s just Mrs.Curtis gently carding her fingers through his hair, watching her husband and three sons fondly before looking down at him.

“They’re real special, aren’t they?”

“Yes ma’am.” Pony agrees. 

She hums, and Pony can’t help but lean into her gentle touch. They’ll be leaving soon. She’ll be leaving soon. It’s okay, he thinks, to enjoy her kindness as long as possible. He’d already tried not to, and it hadn’t worked. Trying to ignore Mrs.Curtis’ love was like trying to ignore his growling stomach on the nights he went to bed hungry. No matter how hard he tried to forget it, when he next got a taste of food he couldn’t help himself from eating as much as he could stomach, simply because he didn’t know how long it would be until his next proper meal.

“Y’know,” Mrs. Curtis says, “I think you’re pretty special too.”

Her smile changes, still soft but now there’s a secret hiding in her eyes, and a specific kind of love Pony doesn’t understand pulling at the dimple in her cheek. 

“I talked to Ms.Summers,” she says, and Pony’s heart twists. Ms.Summers has a way of making him into a bother to people who don’t even know him. He doesn’t want Mrs.Curtis to think that, “and she said you don’t have anyone to go home to tonight. So I thought maybe you might wanna come home with me and the boys.”

His heart stops.

“W-what?”

“Well,” she sounds almost casual, but her shining eyes and mischievous grin give away how false it is, like Darry’s had when they were playing cards earlier, an actor on life’s stage, “there’s an extra bed in Darry’s room, now that Johnny and Soda have bunk beds, and some chocolate cake in the fridge I really think you’d like. Besides, Soda and Johnny are always talkin’ about how they wished they had a little brother to teach things to, and I know they had a ball playin’ cards with you earlier. So what do you say? You want to come stay with us for a while?”

He wants to. More than anything he wants to. It sounds like a dream come true, like a storybook come to life. He lets himself imagine it, sharing a room with Darry of all people, eating chocolate cake with Mrs.Curtis, and getting to play with Soda and Johnny who actually liked him, maybe even not having to worry about being slapped all the time.

“Why?” he has to know. It doesn’t make sense why she would offer this. She has enough little boys, with Soda, Johnny and Darry. Why would she want him too? “Why would you wanna take me? You don’t need me.”

She wasn’t like Mr.Fuller, who’d needed an extra hand to help out on the farm, or Mrs. Delvine who had three babies and no husband. Mrs.Curtis has a husband who looks at her like she hung the stars and three boys already to help her out with chores. She doesn’t need him. It doesn’t make sense.

“Oh honey,” her eyes get sad, and Pony hates himself for making them that way even if he doesn’t know what exactly it is that he did, “I think I do need you. I think all of us do. But more than that I think you need me.”

“I ain’t your baby,” Pony reminds her, because it feels like maybe she’s forgotten that, and it doesn’t matter if he feels like he does need her, because she ain’t his mom and she doesn’t deserve to be stuck with him. “You got no reason to be stuck with me.”

“Hmm,” her mouth presses into a thin line, but she doesn’t look angry. Stern maybe, but that doesn’t feel quite right either, “you cried in my arms and slept on my knee, so I think you are my baby now, at least a little bit. I got more babies than just the three I brought with me today, and I needed all of them just as much as they needed me. So.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” she cups his cheek, “there’s Soda’s friend Steve, and Darry’s friend Keith, and Johnny’s friend Dally. And they’ve all cried in my arms and slept on my knee at least once, and they always come stay at my house whenever they need. And they didn’t grow in my belly but they grew in my heart and they’re still my babies anyway. So I think you could be too. If you want.”

If he wants. Ponyboy is used to wanting things, and even more used to not getting any of them, but he can be one of Mrs.Curtis’ babies if he wants. 

“Really?”

“Really.” She promises.

“Ok,” he breathes, “ok, yes, I’ll go with you.”

“We’re keeping Ponyboy too?” Soda whoops, half jumping on Mrs.Curtis in his excitement,  “this is the best day ever!”

“I knew it,” Darry claims, shaking his head at his parents but grinning all the same, “I knew as soon as that other social worker got called in there that you two just couldn’t leave him here if you tried.”

He knuckles Pony’s hair and grins down at him, inviting him to share the joke. Pony thinks he might actually be dreaming, because he still can’t quite bring himself to believe this is happening, that he’s gonna stay with the Curtis’.

“I’m real glad you’re coming with us,” Johnny murmurs in his ear, as Ms.Summers hands Mr.Curtis  Pony’s file and his meagre backpack of belongings, before bidding him a perfunctory farewell.  Ponyboy can’t help but agree. He’s real glad he’s going with them too.

It won’t last forever. Hell, it might not even last a week. They could get sick of him or he could get moved anytime, but as Mrs.Curtis takes his hand, and he follows the Curtis family out of the family services office and towards his latest new life, Ponyboy Hewitt lets himself believe for the first time that maybe, somehow, this fairytale might last. 

[sunwarmed-ash]

🔥Sinful Sunday🔥 MEGAlist 2022-2025

Heyoooo! We are hitting a milestone here folks! It's been a 3 YEARS since I started doing this thing! I hope you've been enjoying the weekly updates, I sure as hell have!!!

If you're new or just want to know where all the Sinful Sunday updates are, I've made a masterlist here. I'm planning on continuing Sinful Sunday for as long as I can! Check back every week for new works/chapters!

Thank you all again for the continued love and support, I really couldn't have done it without y'all! 😈🔥😍

🌟=Newest update; Sorted by fandom

Stranger Things

HOT TO GO! (summertime harringroveson) Vain for my blood (vampire!billy harringrove) Eastside (harringrove->harringroveson) Jawbreaker (Harringrove: MGK AU) Empathetic Asshole (Harringrove: Body Swap AU) my ex's best friend (Harringrove: L.A. Modern Actor AU) Ride with U (Harringrove: Superpowers AU) You Know What They Say About Assuming (Steddiegrove) Death Changes Everything (Mungrove) Watch me come apart (steddiegrove) Figure You Out (steddiegrove, Rydon, Eddie/Brendon) Here (In Your Arms) (Mungrove, PWP, finger sucking) Love me or hate me, I just don't care (Billy centered, fighting, angst w/happy ending, harringroveson smut) Neverender (Billy centered, angst, eventual metalsandwich)

Spiderman/Multiverse

Deja Vu (Parksborn, Peter 2/Peter 3) Separation Anxiety (SpideyVenomBrock, parksborn, spideypool) The New Kid (Parksborn: No Powers 2000's AU) Cat got your tongue? (SpiderCat: Insomniac Games) Mirror Images Part 1 (Petercest 1/2/3) Mirror Images Part 2 (Peter 2/Peter 3) Mirror Images Part 3 (SpideyDevil: Peter 1/2/3/Matt Murdock) He can't do it on command (Petercest 1/2/3)

Detroit Become Human

Brothers (Hankconvin/Connor/OC's) The Eden Club Sequel! Hurt me baby, I can take it (Hankvin, PWP) The Eden Club (Hankcon/Hankvin/Convin: Undercover Sex Work AU) Fire up the night (hankconvin900) Tantrum (hankvin) Happy Birthday Gavin (Hankconvin900) Call me when you want, call me when you need (Hankconvin) My love language is misery (angsty eventual hankconvin) Gavin Reed Fanart-SFW, NSFW DPD Christmas Party (PWP GavinxNinesxHankxConnor) Deviant Droid Convention (FANART-Nines, Connor, Johnny 5, Bee)

Harry Potter

Certainly Professor (Drarry: HBP Canon Divergence) Silence Isn't Golden (Drarry: Sequel fic)

Emo The Musical

Best/Worst Day Ever (Bradley/Ethan)

The Gay And Wonderous Life Of Caleb Gallo

If love was easy, they'd name it after you (Billy/Caleb/Karen)

True Detective

Haunted Houses (Rust/Marty)

Ted Lasso

Locker Room Stress Relief (Roy/Jamie) 4 AM (Roy/Jamie) Fever (Roy/Trent) Triangles are the strongest shape (Keeley/Jamie/Roy)

New Girl

Naked (Nick/Schmidt)

The Office-US

How's your summer? (Jim Halpert/Ryan Howard)

House M.D.

Plenty to go around (House/Chase, Chase/Everyone)

Twilight

Love bites, but so do I (Jacob x Bella x Edward)

White Collar

Secret Gay-gent Man (Peter/Neal, P/E/N) 🌟Alpha Dog and Omegalomaniac (P/E/N, the ABO poly rewrite) 10 year anniversary (Neal FANART)

[connorandersons-blog]

Convin 27: Gavin teaches Connor how to ice skate

Winter Prompts

Pure fluffy cuteness!!!

Hope you enjoy!!

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

Connor had never gone ice skating, never had the chance with the whole revolution. So now it was a year later and Gavin had insisted on it.

A year ago he would have laughed at your face if you even thought of telling him he'd consider Gavin a close friend. He'd probably deck you and then make sure you're ok mentally if you told him he would be absolutely and completely in love with Gavin too. Yet here he was, staring at the rink.

It wasn't like he was scared, but there were a lot of people, humans, and androids all skating around. Some we're good at it, even little kids were spinning around at dizzying speeds while others fumbled and slipped, falling down. At least he wouldn't be the only one skating for their first time.

"You'll be fine! Hey, don't worry so much, you'll fall at least once but that's only natural." Gavin bumps their shoulders as they laced up their skates. He hadn't known Gavin took skating lessons when younger, but ended up doing it just as a hobby. He still loved it and skated every year, having his own skates.

Connor shook his head, tying off the strings before leaning back up. "You know I don't like falling." He hated the feeling, he hated the rush of wind around him as the ground got closer and closer.

Gavin frowned and looked up at him, putting a hand on his knee. "It won't be like that. It's like if I just pushed you over right now. Sure your ass will hurt and you'll be a little cold but I promise it won't be that bad. I'll be right there too, I'll try to catch you or pull you up if you do fall." He thumb soothed circles through Connor's thick winter pants, and Connor took in a slow calming breath.

"Ok, thank you. I can do this, I'm the most advanced android in the world, this should be a piece of cake." He tried to stand and wobbled, but Gavin grabbed his arm with a chuckle.

"Yes you are. Walking will feel weird, I'll tell you that. Most of the time you take the guards off once stepping into the ice, but don't wanna lose em so that's why I said to leave them here."

"You don't have to explain everything." He did have the internet at his fingertips.

"If you're going to learn you're going to learn correctly, even the basics." Gavin carefully led them over, getting onto the ice first. "Now, it's going to feel slippery, but you have to trust yourself."

Trust himself, yeah, that was totally the easiest thing in the world. Not like his body had been taken over even after he deviated, so he could very easily trust himself.

He put one foot on the ice and whined when his foot easily slid even when he didn't want it to. "I-I don't know, Gavin. I'm not sure I can do this."

Gavin took his hands, easily stepping closer. "Con, I've got you. This is the hardest and scariest part. Do you trust me?"

He didn't even have to think of his answer, not anymore. "Of course I do."

"Then trust me with this. Once you start gliding you'll love it. Just gotta get past the hard parts." Gavin gently pulled him and Connor let his body be moved onto the ice. He wobbled and would have fallen right on his face if Gavin didn't have a hold of him. "There you go! Scariest part is done, proud of you."

Connor flushed blue and stared down at his feet. Well, he would have if Gavin didn't let go of one of his hands to tilt his chin up.

"Second rule, don't stare at your feet. It won't help and can actually make it worse." Gavin smirked, taking Connor's hand again and pushing to skate backward. He did it so effortlessly, but Connor felt like he'd fall into a split if he moved an inch while being pulled.

"You're too good at this. I bet you can do those spins and jumps," Connor glanced at the people quickly moving around the rink and the person in the middle doing perfect spins.

Gavin shrugged and kept pulling Connor, glancing back every now and then to make sure he wouldn't run into anyone. "Yeah, but I'd rather be doing this."

Connor went to duck his head but remembered the rule. He kept his eyes up and therefore on Gavin who was staring right back. "I'm glad we're doing this, even if I can't move my feet."

Gavin snorted and slowly slid to a stop. "Ok, I wanted to get you a little more comfortable, time for you to actually skate."

"No, no, no, I like this. Please don't let go," he gripped Gavin's hands, pulling himself closer.

"I won't let go, you've got this though." Gavin moved them so they wouldn't be near the edge in the way of the kids and adults clinging to the railing. "Make sure that you keep your knees slightly bent at all times when skating. If you lock your knees you'll fall. Lean on the inside of the skates and keep your legs shoulder-width apart for now."

Gavin kept hold of Connor but pushed and pulled him into the right position. He had his back straight, stomach in, and shoulders back. "Start by moving the right boot off to the side and use your toe area to push away whilst maintaining the majority of the weight in the left leg.  

Your right leg should push out to the side, not the back.  The left leg does not move direction, its job is to glide. Stand there and I'll show you, ok?" Gavin slowly let go of Connor, making sure he was steady before going a bit away. He easily pushed forward, exaggerating his movements. "See? Normally you hold your arms out to keep your balance at first, but I'll hold your hands I'd you want."

Connor nodded, reaching out and gripping Gavin's hands. "Yes, please. I can… I can do this." He pushed forward and promptly slipped, crashing into Gavin who just laughed. "Shut up," he sighed.

"It's fine! Come on, you can do this. Just be confident." Gavin pushed a little bit so Connor was standing back.

It took a while for Connor to get a hang of it, but once he did he was gliding along. Gavin skated beside him, still holding his hand. "See? Knew you'd be good at this." Gavin smiled, letting go to do a small spin.

Connor rolled his eyes and took his hand again when offered. He only fell on the ice twice, but it wasn't too bad. Standing up was a pain, though.

Gavin pulled him into slow spins, ignoring the people that skated past them. "Shit, watch out!" Gavin called out but a bit too late. Someone ran straight into Connor, pushing him forward and making both of them fall to the ice.

"I'm so sorry!" The person called out but Gavin waved them off. Connor tried to push up and get off of Gavin but his hands kept slipping on the ice.

Gavin huffed and laid still for a second. "Teenagers."

Connor hummed and finally found friction, managing to wobble to a standing position. "I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it. Need a hand?" He wasn't sure he was stable enough on the ice to actually help, but he'd at least offer.

Gavin shook his head and stood up with much more grace than Connor. "Yeah. Seems like it's clearing out, though." It was getting a bit later and the families had taken their little ones home.

Connor hummed and interlaced their fingers again, this time they just took their time gliding on the ice, their shoulders bumping.

Only a few couples were left, but neither Connor nor Gavin wanted to leave the ice yet, didn't want this moment to end.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Gavin said, eyes trained forward even though there really wasn't anyone to run into.

Connor glanced over at him, tilting his head. "Of course, anything."

"Would you come to Christmas with me? I normally just work that day, but my family insisted I come home and… I haven't seen them in a long time. Hank can come too, but I really want you there." They slid to a small stop and Connor tugged on his hand until they were facing each other.

He hadn't expected this, for humans, the holidays were special no matter what they celebrated. He knew it was common for children to bring home partners or those they considered family.

Connor was going to just spend the day with Hank, making sure he was ok. It was a hard holiday for him, understandably.

"You don't have to! My parents can be a lot, there's plenty of drama and my brother will probably bug you, but he's… he means well. We always end up having fun, and I, I just want you there with me. But you really don't have to come, I get it if you aren't ready or don't even care about the holidays. I, or you could be working, which I should have thou-" Gavin started to ramble but Connor cut him off.

"Gavin, I'd love to. I'm not sure Hank will be willing, but I'll ask. And you have a brother?" He had no idea, it wasn't in his file. Now that he thought about it, there was very little in his file, and absolutely nothing about his family or that they even existed.

"Oh, yeah. Um, you should probably know now… Elijah Kamski is my half-brother."

Connor was pretty sure his jaw was on the ground. The creators of androids, of Connor, was Gavin's brother. Huh. "Oh. That's, wow, that's a bit shocking."

Gavin chuckled and nodded, fiddling with Connor's hands. "Yeah, he doesn't talk about me either. You saw him, right? I don't know all the details but uh, he did mention you when I was invited."

"Yeah, he made me do the 'Kamski Test' which wasn't very fun." He still could feel the gun in his hand as he pointed it at Chloe, but thankfully couldn't pull the trigger.

"Yeah," Gavin winced, "sorry about that. He's a bit eccentric, always have been."

Connor nodded, that would make Christmas very interesting. "That's ok, is he bringing anyone?"

"Oh! Yeah, he's bringing Chloe. I guess you don't know but he kept the original Chloe and fell in love, she deviated and stayed with him."

"Aw, that's sweet! I'd be honored to meet her." He had thought she'd been destroyed, but it made sense that Kamski would have saved her.

Gavin nodded before a grin spread across his face. Connor squinted, knowing Gavin was up to something. What he didn't expect was to be spun before being pulled flushed to Gavin. "I… Connor, can I kiss you?"

His eyes widened as he processed what Gavin had said. Then he burst into joyful laughter, nodding his head. "Yes! Fuck yes, oh thank god."

Gavin beamed and cupped his cheek, leaning forward to gently kiss him. They broke about quickly but pressed their foreheads together. "Wow, I didn't think you'd say yes."

Connor shrugged, putting his hands around Gavin's neck. "I've kind of been madly in love with you for a bit. I know, I was surprised too. Can, can I still come to Christmas?"

"Yes! I love you too, I had no idea how to tell you. I didn't want to lose you as a friend, and I didn't want you to hate me. Can we date? If you want?"

Connor pressed forward, stealing another kiss. "I'd love to, this is actually happening?"

Gavin nodded, letting out a shaky sigh. "It is. Magic of the holidays or whatever. Not to be cheesy, but this is the best gift I've ever been given."

Connor snorted and shook his head fondly, but knew what he meant. "Yeah, God, this is amazing. Do you want to get hot chocolate or something? I'm sure you're freezing by now."

Gavin shrugged but started to guide them to the opening in the railing. "Sure, does this count as our first date?"

"I wouldn't mind that," he'd gladly take all the dates with Gavin he could get. "I love you."

"I love you too."

[detroit-becomenerd]

Sass and Trash

Summary: A commission for @disney-princess-izuku who requested, “I was thinking old married couple ConVin, boyfriends that sass, love, and care for each other very much.”

[[MORE]]

Connor and Gavin were a couple who definitely had a strange start. Not just anyone could flash a brilliant smile and talk about how they had to punch their lover unconscious in an archives room while he tried to put a bullet through their skull. Their once hateful “bromance” blossomed into a surprising romance, which Gavin claimed happened after Connor pinned him against a wall after getting tired of his bickering nature.

That is what brought today, where Connor had to care for Gavin.

“I told you not to go after him, Gavin.”

“He stole twenty thousand dollars Connor-“

“And was planning to trap us both in that warehouse to kill us. You’re lucky you got out with just a few injuries.” Gavin gave a groan and let his head fall back against the pillows Connor had propped up for him.

“God, you sound like my brother-“

“No,” there was a beat in between as Connor’s voice shifted to Elijah’s voice, a smile plastered to his face, “now I sound like your brother.” Gavin made a face that had Connor laughing, his voice returning to its original settings.

“You’re never getting laid again.”

“Awe, don’t be a poor sport Gavin. You know I only mean well.”

“I’m going to die right here, right now, to prove a point of how terrible it was.”

“And I will follow you into the ether and drag you back to your body.” It wasn’t really funny, but Gavin couldn’t help but laugh. His boyfriend, so determined to keep him in this world with a little pout on his lips was too much for him. It was absolutely precious.

“Alright, Alright, I wont die.”

“You better not, who else will I torture at work?”

“...Dying again.” Connor bursted into giggles as he kissed his cheek.

“I’ll go get your lunch. Would you like me to let the cats in?” Gavin nodded, which earned a soft smile from Connor as he opened the door. A flurry of three cats came in to check their owner, meowing and jumping onto the bed to examine Gavin. Gavin snorted and lazily pet one that had come to sniff his face, appreciating that he had not only his three cats, but a loving boyfriend to worry about him.

The next few minutes were spent with his cats, waiting for Connor to return with his food. It was a simple sandwich from a cafe not too far from where he lived, and a bag of baked chips. Though not a spectacular four star meal, it was one of Gavin’s favorite comfort foods. He grinned as Connor handed him the food and gently moved the cats so Gavin could eat.

Gavin dug into his meal, humming as Connor sometimes stole a kiss or played with his hair. He’d brush the messy locks back, watching how it fought to go back to its original position, and then give a soft laugh and kiss his forehead and temple.

“Thanks for getting me this, Con..”

“Of course love. I also bought you some of that caramel and chocolate ice cream you like as a dessert for later.”

“Wait, really?”

“Mhm, I got it yesterday while waiting for the doctor to call and approve your dismissal.” Gavin’s eyes screamed pure adoration for the other, reaching his uninjured arm up to cup his lover’s cheek and pull him into a kiss. The gentle dance of their lips and Gavin’s hold were enough to scream how much he loved Connor, how much he appreciated everything he did.

After a few moments, Gavin broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Connor’s. He was melting in those chocolate orbs as he spoke to him.

“I should marry you with how much you do for me..” Connor gave a shy quirk of a grin, resting his hand on top of Gavin’s.

“Oh? What’s stopping you?”

“Not knowing when to give you the ring I bought.” Gavin then paled. Shit, did he really admit that? Connor looked absolutely shocked, and he’d even pulled back a good inch or two in his surprise. Fuck, did he jump the gun? He knew he should have waited longer, waited until they were both ready, waited until—

Oh. Oh, those were lips on his. The kiss was a bit messy, but it was filled with love and acceptance. They pulled away when Gavin needed to breathe and Connor looked ready to burst into tears.

“Now. Now’s the perfect time.. I love you, Gavin Reed...” Gavin gave a shy chuckle as he caught his breath.

“And I love you, Connor Reed. Look in the bedside table, the ring’s in there.” Connor did as his boyfriend, no, his fiancé instructed. The ring box was a plain blue velvet, through it was soft to the touch. He pulled it out, and Gavin opened the box for him. The ring was a plain, silver band, but on top there was a set sapphire with intricately wove cubic zirconia surrounding it.

It was absolutely breath taking as Connor pulled it out from the box. There were definitely tears from Connor’s end as Gavin helped slide the ring on his hand, delicately kissing over top the ring.

“Now we can finally be the old married couple everyone says we are.” Gavin playfully joked. Though it was turn into a groan as Connor hugged him tight, seeming to forget about Gavin’s gun shot wounds.

“Con- I love you too but- Gun shots-“ Connor made a face and pulled back.

“S-Sorry- I’m just— I’m so happy-“ Gavin grinned at him before kissing his nose.

“Good. You’re always gonna be happy from now on. I swear.” The look of determination was clear on his face. Connor deserved everything in his eyes, and as his lover and husband, he’d damn near do anything and everything he could do to make sure that Connor’s smile never left his face again.

“Now, let’s start planning this wedding while I’m healing up?”

“Ah— Where do you think we should have it—?”

“Somewhere nice.”

“City junkyard it is.”

“Oh my god, Connor-“

[detroitbecomevulcan-blog]

worlds apart (DBH Reed900 Star Trek AU)

Pairing: Gavin/RK900, Convin (one-sided) (...for now)

Word Count: 1,200

Summary: Nines and Gavin are stuck in their honeymoon phase, and Connor is horribly, horribly jealous.

“Will you ever get off my case about that shit?”

Completely unprompted, and out of nowhere, Lieutenant Gavin Reed’s voice cut through Connor’s careful concentration on his PADD.

Startled, Connor’s gaze flew up just in time to see Gavin drop his food tray onto the table, directly opposite to Connor. He considered responding, for a second, since Nines hadn’t moved an inch.

Gavin continued, “Yeah, whatever. At least my food actually tastes like something.”

Again, Nines made no move to indicate he was listening. Gavin didn’t even seem irritated about it.

Perhaps this was another of his mental breaks.

Silence lapsed over the table once again, and Connor turned his focus back to his PADD. There were more important things to be dealing with— like approving the new layouts for the restrooms on the engineering deck.

He managed to get as far as calculating the extra water wastage that would result from five sinks rather than four, when a brash sound interrupted his calculations.

Gavin was laughing.

Not an unusual occurrence, if not for the fact that nobody had spoken.

Connor considered opening a light connection with his brother to enquire after Gavin’s well-being, until he saw the briefest of smiles on Nines’ face.

Self-consciously, Connor looked down at his shirt. Had he done something?

“Is something amusing?” he asked in his best Captain voice.

“Huh?” Gavin’s obnoxious chewing halted for two point one seconds. “Oh. Nah, sorry.”

‘Apologies,’ Nines’ mental voice came, immediately afterwards. ‘Gavin is still still mostly unaware of his vocalisations whilst attempting to communicate through our bond.’

Connor slammed the connection shut between their minds so quickly that even the ever-apathetic Nines flinched.

Of course. The bond.

The realisation struck not long afterwards that Nines would find the immediate cut-off strange. Feigning a look of sudden concern, Connor said, “Excuse me. My presence has been urgently requested on the engineering deck.”

He wasted no time in speeding out of the mess hall, not sparing a glance back. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he enjoyed this particular perk of being the Captain— nobody would interrupt if he happened to look busy.

Not to say he wasn’t busy— he just happened to find elsewhere to be, after any particularly forward public displays of affection between Gavin and his brother.

‘That was weird.’

Starting, Connor’s fingers froze as they reached out to the turbolift controls.

That was— unmistakably— Gavin. Or, his mental voice. Connor turned just in time to see the turbolift doors close in front of him.

‘You think he’s okay?’ he continued, mental voice still clear as day.

Connor felt his mind reach out tentatively towards the source of the interruption. ‘Gavin,’ he tried. Again, a little more desperate. ‘Gavin?’

A few seconds stretched by with no response.

‘He has been exhibiting common symptoms of stress recently.’

But that— he’d recognise Nines’ mental voice anywhere.

Connor came to the slow, uncomfortable realisation that he was overhearing his brother’s and Gavin’s conversation through their shared bond.

Only—

It wasn’t like Nines to so carelessly broadcast his thoughts like this. He had always possessed the superior mental strength between the two of them. He’d never.

‘If even I can see it, it must be fuckin’ awful for him.’

‘I will broach the subject with him tonight,’ came Nines’ reply.

Connor could feel a little worry seeping through the connection, wherever it was coming from. Whether it was from Nines or Gavin, he couldn’t tell.

‘I thought tonight was date night,’ Gavin responded, a teasing lilt to his thoughts. His tone was light. Happy.

It shouldn’t have sent Connor’s heart lurching in his stomach. He knows it shouldn’t have.

Vulcan culture dictated that one should be respectfully distant towards a family member’s bondmate. And that, essentially, was a big part of Connor’s job as a diplomat— representing his culture, and Starfleet, in a positive way.

But the longer he spent around the couple, the faster he came to the conclusion that he didn’t give a fuck about Vulcan customs.

He was angry, and he hated it.

‘You are correct.’

He knew, rationally, that no man-made force in the cosmos could influence a t’hy’la bond. Even so, Nines would never have done something like this, even if he could.

There was no single entity Connor could blame. It was almost worse, that way.

Knowing that he never even had a chance.

And Connor— Connor remembered how it felt. When he thought that, perhaps, he had found his t’hy’la. He remembered the brimming hope that he might have found someone who would love him for his soul, and not his title. He remembered looking into Gavin’s eyes as their hands made contact, and the pure emotion in the way that Gavin looked back, like he felt it too.

He remembered the searing pain that struck his chest when he first saw his brother touch Gavin in the same way. When he first heard his brother say that word to Gavin, like it was theirs alone.

T’hy’la.

He could barely stand the thought of the word now. Once, the word held a tentative promise of being free. Living a life filled with love rather than duty.

Now it held nothing but an empty dream and that one look in Gavin’s eyes that Connor would have to treasure for all it was worth. All because Connor had to go and touch Gavin like that, because he had dared to hope.

‘Do you have anything special planned for me?’ Gavin teased.

Connor closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Reaching his hand behind himself, he felt around the wall for the emergency stop. He couldn’t leave like this— there was no doubting what a sad, shaky sight he must have made.

‘Do I not always have something special planned for you, ashayam?’

Connor was sure he couldn’t have stopped the grimace if he tried.

‘Name one time you’ve planned anything. Absolutely fuckin’ anything.’ Gavin didn’t even have the mirth to pretend to sound indignant.

‘I believe last night took enough preparation for it to be considered. Remember, you—’

‘Alright, alright, okay!’ Gavin interjected.

And instead of being subjected to only the description, images began to flash through Connor’s mind. They came and left quicker than Connor could have had the foresight to do anything about it— visions of Gavin spread out across his own bed sheets— three different positions— a silk rope tied delicately around both of his wrists— a bead of sweat dripping down his beautifully arched back as he let out a barely-contained moan— begging for more, more, Nines, more—

The images disappeared in a flash, left Connor gasping, desperately gripping the pieces of mechanical equipment he’d ripped straight from the turbolift wall.

It was as though the universe had set out to play these cruel tricks on him. First, it had taken away his soulmate and given his bond to someone else.

Not just someone else, but his own identical brother.

The universe had left Connor to watch, not even from afar, and wonder. Why him? Why not me?

It had left him to become accustomed to the sharp stabs of anger, always followed by the overwhelming waves of guilt.

And then, as though the pain of seeing his soulmate with someone else wasn’t enough, the universe decided he needed to see more of it.

He needed to see— this.

Fucking t’hy’la.

[byeolbitsky]

The Fourteen Swords of a King #8

The Homesick

Airship Dock

"Wen Junhui, you better get over here right now before I leave you behind!" Jun's Father yelled at him and he just rolled his eyes at his elder.

They were currently boarding an Airship and he was struggling to get all of his Belongings onto the said ship, his Cousins giving him questioning looks.

"Since when did you had that much stuff on you?" One of the Twins asked, tapping a certain Crate with his feet. Jun immediately pushed him away from it, panic written all over his features. "Woah, sorry man." His Cousin stepped away and helped his Uncle load the rest of their Belongings on to the ship.

"Please, do not touch my belongings. Some of them are highly breakable." Jun never acted that way with his stuff and his Mother was getting suspicious about it

"What are you hiding, Wen Junhui?" He jumped at his Mothers voice and covered the Crate with a blanket only to fail when the blanket flew off from it. His Mother raised a brow at him, her handfan tapping the Crate, examining it.

"Mother, it's nothing really. There are just boy stuff in there that I recently got and I-" His words were cut off short when the Crate started to shake, his Mother immediately shooting him a glare. Jun rubbed his nape, embarrassed that he got found out.

" You did not go back there to get that feral Cat, did you?" The boy didn't even need to answer his Mother when a loud hissing sound came from the Crate and the Claws of the said Cat peeking through the little holes it had for breathing purposes, probably trying to get out of its convines.

"Mother, the Cat reminds me of Grandma's Cat from back Home. Please let me keep him." He literally went down onto his knees and begged his Mother, his eyes slightly welling up with tears so that he could convince her. His Mother rubbed her temples, already sensing the people around them looking at her.

"Okay okay, you can keep him but please stop the acting and wipe those fake tears away. We have to board the ship now, hurry up." Jun jumped in joy, his face lighting up like the sun and he helped the worker to carry the crate up in to his own chamber.

"We are going to be on this Airship for a while, don't mess around with the workers or the maids like you did last time. Behave for once children." His Father gave him and his little brother a warning glare but replaced it with a smile and a wink when his mother had turned to walk away.

They both looked at each other and giggled to themselves, their Father slowly closing the door of their Chamber to go and chase his wife down the hallway.

"What are we going to do now? Gege, I am already bored." His brother started to cling to him, his arm being pulled down by the shorter one.

Junhui was thinking, he can't pull pranks right after they got warned so maybe visiting the kitchen and getting them snacks to eat would be a better idea.

"How about we get some snacks?" He asked the younger one and the childs eyes lit up in an instant.

"We can prank whoever we meet on the way there too." His brother giggled, his hands rubbing together at the idea and Junhui shook his head at him, opening the door to leave.

"You do it alone then. I am not going to get in trouble now."

Just where did he get that mischievous character trait from? If he had it, one of his parents must have it too. He sighed as he looked at his brother pranking a poor maid. She was literally walking around the corner and his brother had scared her out of her shoes while he started to giggle at his success.

Junhui walked by the poor woman and bowed to her as a quiet apology.

"If Mother finds out about it, you are done for. You know that right?" They had to at least spent four days on the ship to get to their destination and he was already getting home sick eventhough they had just lifted off from the docking station.

"Nah. She won't know. At least I hope so..." He heard him mumble the last bit and had to smile at the youngers cuteness.

"By the way, doesn't the Cat needs to eat something too? Are you going to keep him in there forever?" He watched as his brother skipped into the kitchen, the workers in there greeting the both of them, some of them pulling out chairs and silverware for them to use before resuming with their initial work.

" I don't know. I was hoping to let him out soon but he had been anxious ever since we boarded the ship and he might attack us if we are not careful enough. I wish grandpa was here with us, he would have known how to tame the cat faster." The Chefs in the kitchen settled out some plates and bowls for them before a maid had poured two cups of tea for them to enjoy.

"I miss grandpa and grandma. Why did we have to leave home? Wasn't it fine the way it was? Did something happen?" Junhui sighs and pats his brother on the back, handing him a cookie to eat.

The Move was definitely very sudden but the reason for the move was because of his acceptance into the Kingdom to train as a Knight and his father immediately agreed to just leave everything behind and start a new life over there, whilst his mother was more reluctant to go. She had to leave her Parents afterall. Which the both of them didn't mind but letting go of your grandchildren was harder for them than to let go of their own daughter.

Junhui had always studied at home and had seeked out for other things in life. More fun things to do than to study all the time, to go out, make friends, have fun and enjoy life but he was an odd ball with a quirky personality which some people around him find too strange to handle. They were all too stuck up and he was way too nice for them to play with.

Now he was hoping that becoming a knight and leaving his home for that would bring him some more fun and joy in his life. Maybe make some friends along the way too.

*****

If you can not tell by the way I tell the story, the years in which they happen are all mixed up and thus making their ages unmatching to each other. They all go by their IRL age order but... for the story telling its mixed up and kind of confusing because here Junhui is around 15 to 16 years old and Soonyoung the chapter before was 13. Just to clear up some confusion, no the years are not the same in which their events happen.

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Masterlist

[thirium-coffee]

Gift From Eli

Short Snippet from a Convin Roleplay. Summary of Roleplay An AU in which Elijah made Connor specifically for Gavin as an apology for being a horrible brother and that maybe, just maybe, it might mend broken relationships. An excuse Kamski used for the gift, is Gavin's promotion as a Detective.

Detective Fuck Boy: Me Slut Sent By Cyberlife: @detroit-becomeslut

Detective Fuck Boy Here's the thing with Gavin. People thinks he loves sleeping, often seen passed out in his desk at work. When actually, he just has bad sleeping schedule, undiagnosed insomnia, and fucking noisy neighbors that ranges from college students partying to divouring adults that found themselves nearly having a screaming contest each night.

And tonight, after he manages a thirty minute sleep, it was a surprise that greeted him. There weren't awful dub music or shattering glasses that could be heard, what greeted Gavin were the lewd noises of two people moaning and groaning and a shitload amount of dirty talk and the words, he shudders, daddy.

He didn't hesitate to retreat out of his room, and thank fucking god, he was safe now in the living room.

Or so he thought as he was reminded of his Android sleeping peacefully on his couch. There wasn't any amount of guilt in his system as shakes Connor awake. He had work, and Connor can always sleep while he's gone.

"Hey, buddy, wake up. Just- look ya don't even have to leave. Just scoot over a little and let me pass out."

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor looked startled and drowsy as he was awoken from stasis, LED turning yellow before he shifted over. Even though he was taller than him, he was quite petite.

He didn’t have as much muscle definition as some other Androids, but he was definitely toned. Connor yawned as he buried the side of his face into the pillows.

Even though he wasn’t human, he moved much like one did when they were tired, waiting for Gavin to join him as his LED turned blue.

Detective FUCK BOY Gavin dropped down beside Connor, not really caring he's practically sleeping beside an Android but if it means he'll get more rest then fuck it, he'll take it.

He did, however, noticed it's odd how they just... fit together perfectly in his little couch. Okay maybe his couch is actually bigger than normal, it's how he bought it, since Gavin knows he'll spend a lot of nights sleeping in it, but still.... it was weird. When he had exes and they sleep here, it never happens, it fails. Just not comfortable yet here he is, actually falling asleep despite the body beside him.

And a third party enters as Lucky settle in between their legs.

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor gave a sleepy giggle as Lucky giggled. He was soon back into stasis, sleeping soundly next to Gavin. His chest moved up and down, a soft breath leaving his nose.

He even breathed like a human even though he didn’t really need the oxygen. Yet another small feature that Kamski added.

Detective FUCK BOY Connor's breathing was settling into a rhythm that slowly lull Gavin to sleep.

He ended up having a dream that didn't involved the smell of blood or a knife going through his neck, instead he had a dream of blue fireflies and a pair of brown eyes, staring rather lovingly at him.

When Gavin stirred awake, blinking his eyes open, he was met with inches away from a person's face.

He screamed, and shoved, and fell. Head hitting the coffee table as his legs got left hanging to the couch.

"Fuck!" he tightly shuts his eyes, rubbing the soreness and fucking hell, that hurt.

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor was startled awake when he was shoved, wincing a little as he got up.

“Detective-“ Connor immediately helped him up and raced to get him pain killers and an ice pack.

Detective FUCK BOY "Hey, no, I'm fine- fuck it." He drops to the couch, sighing. Leaning on his elbows and covering his face with his hands.

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor came back, a worried expression on his face. He crouched neck to him, resting a hand on his knee.

“Detective? I apologize for scaring you-“

Detective FUCK BOY Gavin sighed then leaned on the couch, arms crossing, "Sit down on the couch, let's talk for a minute."

He can't believe he's doing this. He fucking can't believe he's doing this.

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor did as he was told, setting the painkillers and ice pack down.

“Yes, Detective Reed..?” He even sounded nervous as those brown eyes stared up at him.

Detective FUCK BOY Why did Eli had to place him in a situation like this?

"You're right about the fact we should just make this experience a little less shitty, 'cause like it or not. We're stuck together, so hell, let's do it."

He faces Connor, feeling a little like Tyler Durden announcing the rules of Fight Club.

"First of all, don't call me Detective. Gavin's fine. You're inside my fucking apartment not in the precinct. And you're just begging to be bullied. Not exactly a good cop, keep that in mind if you wanna be less hostile with each other.

Second of all," he had to briefly close his eyes, not really wanting to voice it out but... he looks at Connor, "Don't. Just don't. I'm not gonna hurt you... you look fucking pathetic always cowering away and apologizing to me, when- you get it, alright. Just don't.

And third of all, stop babysitting me. I hate it. I really fucking hate it. You don't have to worry or shit or be a maid. Pretend that you're my roommate. Surf the internet, use my Netflix subscription, read my books, I don't care.

Got it?"

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor seemed to lag, like he was buffering and struggling to comprehend what the other said.

“A..Alright Gavin...” The word was foreign and soft on his tongue, like an infant trying to say its first word.

“Though I don’t know what to do with myself. As an Android, I am built to take tasks and do as I am told, not to be free willed. It’s strange to be told to deviate from my specific purpose.”

His eyes flickered up to look at Gavin.

“I know you do not want to be taken care of, but if I am going to be considered like your roommate, may I at least help lessen any stress here? I can at least do minor things like do groceries and cook meals in return for you even keeping me here.”

Detective FUCK BOY "Yeah, sure. If it makes you happy."

Gavin nodded and was about to stand up, when he remembered something, "Oh yeah one last thing. You have any preference in clothing?"

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “I do not have any preference as I am expected to wear my uniform to identify that I am indeed an Android.”

Detective FUCK BOY "Cool..." he said it boredly and just stood up.

It was times like this that Gavin wished he had a best friend to talk to, just to rant about the stupid Android in his house or help him decide what kind of clothing he'd go buy for Connor.

Instead, he was left on his own to deal with this Android and shit fucking shit. He's slowly beginning to realize more why Eli have given him Connor.

When Gavin came back that evening, he dropped the gray hoodie and black sweatpants on the couch, and had to mentally slap himself as he looks at Connor.

"What are you doing?"

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor had been in the middle of playfully pinning Lucky. She was lying on her back with Connor pinning her front legs down while she stretched.

“We were playing.” He said it like it was obvious before letting Lucky go and watching her run off with a soft purr as she returned to her food. Connor got up and dust himself off.

“What are the clothes for, Gavin?”

Detective FUCK BOY Gavin is horrified. Eli had given him a new pet, a dog. It made sense, it's why Lucky likes him.

"It's for you."

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “Oh.” He picked the clothes up before examining them. Suddenly, a smile broke out on his face.

“Thank you, Gavin. I rather like these. Would you mind if I change into these now?”

Detective FUCK BOY "What do you think was the purpose of me giving you that shit early?"

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “I see. My apologies.” The faintest of blue could be seen on his cheeks as he entered the bathroom quietly. After a few minutes, he came out in the new clothes, uniform folded neatly in his arms. The clothes were a bit baggy on him, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Do they.. look alright?”

Detective FUCK BOY "Fucking better." And Gavin broke into a grin, his hand open, asking for Connor's uniform.

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor took a moment before realizing what he wanted. He handed him the outfit, a confused expression on his face.

Detective FUCK BOY "You're not attach to this, right?" Gavin said as he starts walking to his window, taking the LED band from the uniform.

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “Not entirely, but I still need identification that I am an Android, Gavin-“

Detective FUCK BOY "And goodbye motherfucker!" He says, happily throwing the uniform out the window.

He stands beside Connor, smiling at the flying uniform in the sky, then he looks at the Android, "What?"

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor’s mouth was agape, and his mouth opened and closed as he tried to figure some sort of response.

“G-Gavin— I needed that-“

Detective FUCK BOY "Not anymore."

Gavin tosses the LED band go Connor, smirking, "That's enough identification. Trust me. You don't need that ugly white uniform. Gray suits you well more."

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “I..”

Software Instability ^

“..Alright..” He didn’t sound totally convinced as he slid his arm band on. Suddenly, there was an action that no android had done before. A nervous tick of lip biting.

Connor brought his plush, lower lip between his teeth absentmindedly and chewed on it as he tried to fully process what happened.

Detective FUCK BOY Gavin would be lying if he isn't finding this ordeal fun. "So what's for dinner?"

Gavin was staring at the ceiling, feeling the tiredness of his eyes intensifies as the seconds grew, and even though he had brought up music to try and silent the noises from next door, my fucking god was this bitch having a good time did her moans grew louder and louder and, Gavin's a little sad he can't hear Alex Turner's voice anymore.

He decided to grab the comforter this time as he heads into the living room. "Hey."

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor was curled up on the catch, cuddling with Lucky. He looked up and tilted his head curiously.

“Hello. What are you doing up so late, Gavin?” He had thought the other had went to bed hours ago, reading his internal clock to see it was 1 AM.

Connor had played something quiet to break the silence, a random movie that he wasn’t really interested in playing in the background.

Detective FUCK BOY "Do you mind scooting over? My neighbors are trying to make a new kid next door, and I need to sleep."

He glances Luck a look of betrayal. So that's why she's not in his room, when normally she cuddles with Gavin. Wow.

Slut Sent By Cyberlife It took Connor a moment to understand what he meant before giving him a quick nod.

“Of course-“ He moved over, Lucky jumping away to curl up on the arm of the couch and watch the two.

Detective FUCK BOY Gavin settled down on the space, wrapping the blanket around him. He turns around, not facing Connor and just starts closing his eyes.

But then he found himself, twisting and turning every few seconds and shit, he's gonna be awake for the next thirty minutes, isn't he?

He exhales, looking back at the ceiling. He needed to waste energy and distract himself, just allow sleep to take over instead of forcing it but the thing is, he forgotten his phone in the bedroom, and he was too lazy to retrieve it.

He probably would never do this fully awake, but right now? His sleep-derived thoughts aren't working anymore, and next thing he knows, he started talking.

"Honestly I don't know who's she's having sex with anymore."

Slut Sent By Cyberlife Connor was surprised Gavin was talking with him, and Connor gave a shrug.

“From what little I know, I assume it must be the young man I’ve seen enter her apartment.”

Detective FUCK BOY "Derek must have been gone for the week then. Could only explain why Annabell's doing the nasty. Derek and Annabell are siblings. Derek's been living in that apartment nearly as long as i've been here. Annabell? About four years ago, after she graduated college.

Don't know much about them but they're nice. Kind of weird, especially Annabell. She's the type that looks prim and conserve but trust me, she likes bad boys." He smirks, looking at Connor, "She actually asked me out once when I was on my motorcycle."

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “Ah.” He then furrowed his brows at the comment about her asking him out. A strange feeling blossomed in his chest at that comment.

Software Instability ^

“It’s illogical to assume you are a “bad boy” just because you ride a motorcycle. A fallacy in reality, honestly. You seem like a rather good man to me.”

Detective FUCK BOY "Seem.. like a rather... yeah, giving a lot of confidence that i'm a good guy here, tin can."

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “I apologize, but I’ve only known you for a few days. Though, from how well you treat your cat, I can already tell that you are kind.”

Detective FUCK BOY Gavin gazes up above him, on the sleeping Maine Coon, "Fucking traitor."

He then snorts, as he turns to the side, pulling the blanket near him, "Yeah, well, try not to judge people base on their actions to others. I might be nice to my cat, does't mean i'm nice others. Luck's my cat, it would make sense why I should treat her right."

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “But, humans react to animals, much like they would children. I can tell you probably sympathize with children, especially if they’re victims. And you may not like others, but it doesn’t make you horrible.

After all, you don’t really like me, but unlike other humans who don’t like Androids, you’ve never attempted to truly hurt me or intimidate me much.”

Detective FUCK BOY Gavin looked over his shoulder at Connor. How the fuck did this piece of shit managed to look through his layers with just spending two days with him?

When Eli had spend years with him and yet, couldn't even go pass the first layer.

"Don't read too much into it. You'll end up overheating." he looks back ahead,

Slut Sent By Cyberlife “Perhaps I wouldn’t mind overheating if it lets me learn more about you. After all, you’re one of the few fascinating people I’ve met. Everyone else I’ve seen, encountered, they all hold an underlying motive, a front they hide behind.”

He gently brushed fingers with Gavin, though it was unclear if it was an accident or on purpose.

“You’re one of the few who don’t feel the need to hide them self.”

Detective FUCK BOY Gavin didn't dare to look behind him, just kept curling on his blanket, and just muttered a quiet, "Night, Tin Can."

That night, Gavin dreamt of sitting on his motorcycle while a pair of arms were hugging his waist. He couldn't see the person behind him, their brown hair the only thing poking out as their bury their face on Gavin's shoulder, but what struck to him most, where the fabric on his arms.

They were wearing a gray hoodie.

[skysquid200]

Convin biker AU, I hear?? 👀👀👀

Okay so. 

I may have had a sudden burst of inspiration and wrote 3k worth of a Convin biker AU. I’ll for the most part just throw down my sad attempt at understanding biker culture and basically keep everything the same. This also means that you’ll have to deal with how messy I make my outlines and notes for fics (as well as the random tense changing). So, enjoy I guess! Also this is also heavily inspired by the song, Low Beam by Her’s. (which, by the way, is such a Connor song and I could probably make a separate post on that)

Connor and Richard “Nines” Stern live two different lives. Nines left and ran away when they were in their teens. But came back reluctantly. He was always pushing boundaries while Connor colored in the lines. But they still loved each other. Nines gets into space engineering of all things and Connor gets into English and aims to be a professor. Amanda also works as a professor at a nearby collage.

One day while in their late 20’s he leaves suddenly and without warning. He leaves a letter telling Connor that he’s sorry but he’ll see him again one day and that the sciences weren’t for him.

Its years later in their mid 30’s when Nines visits again looking like a street racer. He says he’s sorry and gets briefly caught up. Connor is working as a clerk despite his degree (and he’s disappointed that he only saw Amanda at his graduation). Nines says he’s between jobs working as a mechanic and leaves it at that. He confesses that he got into some trouble and he regrets not visiting sooner. He has to leave, but Connor tries to sus out what kind of trouble he’s in and suggests Amanda’s help. Nines looks hurt and disappointed. He promises that he’ll come back when he’s safe again. It occurs to Connor that he’s in so much danger he’s visiting now in case he’ll never see him again.

So he leaves and it eats Connor up inside that he’s not safe, older brother instinct kicking in. A few days after he leaves he convinces himself to go after him, damn laws and his work. He misses and loves his brother more than anything.

Connor tries to retrace his steps and uses clues to find him. Instead of leading him to an inkling of an idea to take to the police he gets caught in a biker gangs supposed territory.

Hank catches him and is about to warn him to stop looking where he doesn’t belong but he freezes and recognizes him. In the dark it’s hard to tell so he calls out “Nines?”

Connor is thrown and forgetting that this man could snap him in half he asks hurriedly where Nines is. They talk and Hank figures out that his brother is looking for him. Connor introduces himself obligating Hank to do the same. “Uh look maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this but we can’t find him either. You probably know more than we do.”/“We?”

Hank suddenly gets a call from Gavin asking where the hell he is and that Tina may have a lead. Hank glances at Connor and he shivers. Hank says he may have one too.

Hank offers him his helmet and tells him that if he want to find Nines, he might have to break a few… rules. Cementing himself into finding him Connor takes the helmet. Before he gets on he muses that Hank doesn’t have one. He laughs and tells him to hop on. Tentatively he places his hands on his sides but as the bike ride gets more extreme, telling Connor of his skill he panics and holds on tighter. [Sidebar: Wear a helmet when riding a bike!!!!!! Don’t do this!!!!!]

They meet up, catching Tina and Gavin off guard in an old bike shop. It’s unclear if the bike shop is used in the daylight. Either way once Gavin sees that this guy ain’t Nines he’s openly hostile, criticizing his look and appearance. After Hank buts in he demands that Connor tells them everything he knows about Nines’ whereabouts. Going so far to shove him against a wall. Connor tries not to let it get to him, but he’s clearly terrified. Tina just watches all this go down. Gavin punches him in the eye and before Connor gives in Hank pulls him off and starts yelling at him. Along the lines of he’s are only chance besides the lead you got, no he won’t tell us anything now that you got him scared. Gavin argues that he’s just getting in their way. Hank spares a glance over to Connor who crumpled onto the ground like wet paper. Sighing, Hank agrees.

At hearing this Connor looks up. There’s a part of him that’s revolted. Whatever cult or gang his brother got himself into here, it’s not enough to scare him off. Even if he feels like running. Connor speaks up and says that he’s not going anywhere without finding his brother first. Gavin rolls his eyes and walks away a bit. Hank looks tired, like Connor took up all his patience. “Listen kid.”/”I’m not a kid.”/“You should just go back to where ever suburb you spawned from. Once we get Nines back we’ll give him shit for it and he’ll visit you. And everything can go back to normal.”/“Get him back, what the hell you mean by that?” G: “Way to go Hank now you’ve fucked us all over.”

At last Tina finally buts in. “Y’know Nines is usually the diplomat here, but I guess that job falls on me now huh.” Tina then goes on to explain their ‘evidence’ which is the suggestion that a rival gang grabbed him. She then says that Nines told her he had to go see someone. G:”We knew that.” T:”You idiot he was going to see Connor. That means he’s the last one to see Nines before he rode off and or got kidnapped.”

To investigate to see whether or not the rival gang took Nines or not they gotta go consult a source of theirs. But since Connor won’t leave Hank sticks with him at the shop while Tina and Gavin leave. Hank keeps vague as possible about the shop, he simply gives him an ice pack for his eye and tries to apologize on Gavin’s behalf. Connor interrupts him saying that if Gavin was sorry he would apologize for himself. Hank agrees and retracts his statement. Connor then thinks about how this all happened in about an hour. It was the middle of the night really he should go find a place to sleep. He observes the garage they’re in. Hank kept avoiding questions about where they were near where they were standing Connor spots an unused bike. As Hank kept talking he walked over to the bike. Hank caught on and walked over. He explained that was Nines’ bike and asked Connor if he had any idea what his brother did. He shook his head. “He told me he was taking odd jobs working as a mechanic.”/“Well he wasn’t really lying to you.” At last Hank confesses that this is his chop shop and Nines and the others work here. Hank realizes and explains that Connor at first seemed like the type to turn them in to the cops on the off chance they would do something illegal but now that he’s fully committed they’ll have to work together. “There’s rooms upstairs I got a couch you can sleep on until Gavin and Tina get back.” Connor finds a cat. Later they get back and they only get vague info.

[Alright this is the section I moved from a story format to a more bulleted format just to get my ideas down. Disclaimer, i’m sorry I made Markus a villain. I tried my best not to make him too bad of a person, but whoops.]

Thought the Red Blood Boys took him after Tina found a threat in their style [I took the rival biker gang name from the song.]

Talk to their in on the RBB and he was vague and high. But said that Nines did make a lot of enemies. This causes Gavin to think about Connor and see if he knows anything about enemies of Nines.

Connor won’t saying anything but is willing to let up about his enemies. Doesn’t talk about Amanda.

Connor believes there are two different people who would be considered Nines’ enemies. Hank and Tina will try one and Connor and Gavin will try the more likely suspect. Hank the leader forces Con and Gavin to work together against Gavin’s will because he needs to learn how to get along.

Hank and Tina turn up nothing but the name Amanda (no idea that’s the mother). They decide to look into it after Gavin and Connor return from their mission.

The other person turns out to have had their life ruined by Nines. It’s Daniel. He confuses Connor for Nines. They get into a shootout. Connor is able to talk Daniel down. But he runs off shortly after. Gavin calls it a draw and jokingly praises Connor for his negotiator skills.

Gavin finds a pamphlet from some cult, ”could be worth looking into.” It’s called Jericho.

They go find some food and they kinda get along. He reveals what Nines told him. It’s nothing but a goodbye message and nothing more. At least they got different leads. Soon they get back, Connor’s dead tired and promises to share info he knows with the rest of the group once he wakes back up. The other’s reconvene.

In the morning Gavin decides not to say anything about Amanda. They just go out again looking for clues about Jericho. Tina and Hank run into Josh while looking into the Professor Amanda thing. They find out that Josh has relations in Jericho so Amanda is dropped.

Josh is threatened and reluctantly tells him a location. Which Tina relays back to Gavin. The place is a set up and North ambushes Con and Gavin when they check it out. They’re able to make it out and Gavin shows that he cares about Connor. They drive back and Gavin stops for a smoke. Connor reveals who Amanda is. Bar scene and Connor gets hit on, Gavin acts a bit jealous.

While Connor sleeps he and Tina go look into Amanda. They find a stuck up professor who threatens to call the police. Gavin makes the connection of Nines’ stuck up personality and Connor’s proprietary-ness. They leave with nothing.

Meanwhile Nines is stuck in the basement of some dude’s mansion. He’s treated well and has breakfast with a fellow named Markus. He knows him. He fixed a car for him, but later when it was needed for repairs again he was given an offer to get it scrapped so he did. And then blanked Markus. Nines won’t say anything but Markus keeps monologuing how he’ll get his father’s car back hell or high water. At last he speaks saying if he wants it back he better have someone leave a ransom note for his crew. Markus agrees and muses that the fun was over once your crew threatened his friends.

Their leads die off and Jericho is unfound. Luckily a few days after the Amanda thing they get a note. It tells them to return the car or their friend will die in 14 days, no address is given. Connor is shaken up. Tina tries to find receipts. Hank goes to see if they scrapped it from sources. Gavin is told to do the same if Tina can’t find the proper receipts. Gavin encourages Connor.  

Tina calls them to say that it’s a good thing Nines was so prissy about record keeping. Except for the scrap jobs which were often illegal. There’s a note for a vintage red car and a successful exchange. Then there’s another one but no return receipt, just the order which implies the car got dropped off so it had to go somewhere. Tina confirms that the handwriting is the same.

She goes and tells Hank. Gavin banks on him scrapping it so he says to Connor that he knows just the place to get a car like that.

They meet up with Hank at this street racing gig. Sure enough after a bit of asking around they find the car that’s about to be won in a race. Simon is there and the race it’s about to begin. They watch it go down and the pure skill this Simon fellow is showing is startling. He wins and per race rules anyone can challenge him. All four muss about who will go. Gavin wants to, but Connor interjects. Silent Gavin lets him. Connor wants to say if he fucks up Gavin can just race him, but once he steps up to his still warm bike Simon does announce that if he can’t be beat twice then it’s a guarantee Simon wins.

They race. Simon gets the initial lead, but slowly Connor gains ground and makes clever use of shortcuts. At the end it seems like Simon will win but Connor thinks about Nines nearly dying and getting Gavin’s one of now three friends back is very important. He’ll win for both of them. To prove them all wrong. With another trick/shortcut he wins. [Cliche maybe, but it’s fun to read in write in a fic.] They give him his congrats and luckily no one challenges him to a race so the owner of the car give a 1 2 3 and sold. Simon’s pissed and rides off frustrated. Gavin pulls them aside and watches him ride off. He muses that he may have to memorize his face incase he comes back to kill them. Sincerely gives him a good job. Connor realizes that a real Gavin smile is one of the best things he’s ever seen. And that he may have a crush on this rat of a man. Connor also basks in the warmth of Gavin trusting him. Tina interrupts their pow-wow asking how are they gonna get the car back to the shop.

Tina looks further into the dude with the fancy car online while Hank, Connor, and Gavin talk. Hank wonders how they’re gonna get the small details down, only Nines would know. Gavin muses that the rich fuck probably doesn’t know how many miles are on the thing since these types of cars to old people are more cosmetic than anything. Tina finds out that the car belonged to a Carl Manfred and once he died it either went to one of his sons. His adopted son, Markus or Leo. No other info is given so they gotta go find out who was favored. They turn in for the night. 

Hank and Tina are the main mechanics and they gotta keep the shop alive somehow so Hank tells Gavin to look into Leo (Gavin also hates ’not doing anything’). Luckily they get a picture to go off of. They hit up the main spots for info, pretty quickly they discover Leo is a drug dealer now. They interrogate him (Gavin was making fun of the little cop dynamic they had going on) and easily find out that Markus got all the shit including the mansion. Leo gladly gives the address and tells them to make sure to send Markus a message from Leo, they ignore him.

As they stop for a now routine smoke break and drink at bar Gavin admits how much he hates rich folk. Connor can tell he’s speaking from experience. Gavin shares that he has a rich brother who left him and his mom once he got rich. Together they learned how to build with machines. Connor shares a story about the time Nines ran away from home. 

—Why didn’t Markus add any address? He doesn’t care about the life, only the car. So he’d rather make them sweat over how to get the car to him because that’s more entertaining over simply leading them there. — [I had to explain it somehow.]

They ride in, Tina in the car. They arrive to the gated lot and pull up to see Markus, and son of a bitch, Simon, North, and Josh are here too. Nines is not there. Hank does negotiations asking where Nines is and he’ll hand over the car soon as he’s released. Markus doesn’t respond he’s just staring at Connor. He smiles and turns back to an increasingly agitated Hank. ”If you want Nines to return back to his brother go to the location written on the orange post-it note in the glove box.” silence. Markus hums. ”I knew that idiot scrapped it. I’m an agreeable man. My people have let Nines go, he’s out of our hands. It’s not our fault you don’t know where he is now. I have made my part of the deal, time to do yours.” Gavin interjects and yells at him for breaking the deal. Markus pulls out a gun and leaves it at his side, North follows and Simon the same. Josh goes back into the house. Hank, Tina, and Gavin pull out their guns, Connor still doesn’t have one. Connor knows they’re out matched, North he knows from experience can kill all of them easy. Remembering how Gavin praised his negotiator skills he steps ahead. 

All three protest, but Gavin, even as Connor speaks keeps trying to get him out of there. Connor reasons with Markus on how they were able to find this place without an address, they can find Nines just as easily. The reality is that Markus is in trouble here. Connor also knows that losing one of his friends would be the worst possible solution to this, just give them some sort of address and we’ll leave the car. Markus puts away his gun. Hank and Tina lower their’s and scowl Gavin into doing the same. Markus gives them an address and tells them to get the hell out and never seem them again. Tina hops on Hank’s bike and they ride off to the destination.

It’s an old abandoned warehouse. There is one active street lamp. Gavin and Connor find Nines in a weird cage like room. Nines’ eyes widen once he sees Connor. Once he’s engaged he asks if he’s hallucinating before hugging the crap out of Connor. He asks with a ragged voice “how did you…?” But he turns to Gavin before he waits for an answer and hugs him. G:”Your cat misses you.” N: ”Thank you for taking care of him.” They get outside and they all hug it out and cry a little and joke. Nines recognizes that Connor has his bike and then pulls him aside.

He asks how he got into this mess. Connor tells him it’s a long story and he’ll tell him more once Nines is able to speak properly. Nines agrees and tells him that he should go home. He hugs him. Nines lets on and jokes about how the two behave around each other. Before leaving he walks over to Gavin.

N: ”Take him home. Treat him well.” He winks and Gavin blushes blushes. Gavin weakly kicks at his shins and tells him that he shouldn’t be driving. Nines says he’s getting soft and he’ll stop by a gas station and freshen up. Gavin throws a few colorful swears at him. Connor walks up and tells him to not mind his brother. “Oh don’t worry I’ve been dealing with his smartass for years now.”

Connor rides behind him. But unlike before with Hank he wasn’t scared, instead he leans into Gavin’s back and is tall enough to put his head on top of Gavin’s. [Once again, ride with a helmet!!!!] Connor loops his arms around Gavin’s stomach. (Little does he know Gavin is using all his concentration on trying not to crash his fucking bike.) Gavin walks him to his door and it’s clear that Gavin is stalling a little bit. Gavin asks what he’s gonna do now. Connor admits that he doesn’t really know what to do career wise. But he does know what to do about his love life. Without much hesitation he kisses Gavin against his door. He responds greedily. Before things get too out of hand Connor breaks it off and laments that he’s so so tired. Gavin smirks and teases him about the fact he wasn’t a night owl at all. “Yeah? When did you sleep?”/“In shifts dumbass.” Connor ends the conversation by wishing him goodnight. Connor gets ready to sleep in his own bed. He makes it clear to himself to make some changes starting tomorrow. Namely visiting his brother, distancing himself from Amanda and go on a proper date with Gavin. He’d like to see the rough and dirty biker wearing a suit in a restaurant. End with sweet anecdote.

That’s all I got. It’s sorta, in a way, dedicated to @barbaesparza. 

And here’s the song which helped inspire this monster. I also named this AU ‘Low Beam’ because of it. 

[tenaciousarcadeexpert]

I Don’t Wanna Lose You

My first Marvel oneshot. It’s a Fantastic Four/Marvel au oneshot on what might’ve happen if the Fantastic Four existed during Infinity War. It’s pretty angsty though, so be warned.

Tagging: @marvelfanlife​, @dontshootmespence​, @sunflowerpsalms​, @princesswagger14​, @lamujerarana​ (I’m not sure if any of you guys would like this given that it’s the Fantastic Four, but it’s still Marvel)

Caution: IW Spoilers, character deaths

The Fantastic Four had just returned from a long expedition in the Negative Zone and arrived not long after Thanos snap his fingers as half of the world starts fades into dust. Ben, Sue and Johnny didn't know what was happening but Reed did sense that something was wrong as they saw the streets covered in mists of dusts. "Reed, what's going on?" Sue asked, seeing that the almost empty streets shaken. "What happened here?" "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's doesn't look good. There-" Suddenly, his eyes widen as they see a helicopter rapidly hurling towards them. "GET DOWN!" He shouts as Johnny flew out of the way while Sue generated a forcefield surrounding her, Reed and Ben just as the helicopter crashes onto them. The impact caused the Reed and Ben to fall over, though Sue kept her guard up. Once the helicopter crashed, Reed stood up, coughing as he cleans himself up from dust and piles of rubble. "Is everyone alright?" He asked, seeing the rest of the teammates get up from the wreckage. They all turned to Reed, nodding as they clear themselves of dust. They then looked over to whatever was left of the helicopter. "That's odd, there's nobody here." Reed gasped as the team saw the pilot seat to be strictly clean. "You don't think the chopper was remote controlled, is it stretch?" Ben asked. "No. Even if it was, I do-" Before Reed could continued, he and the rest of the Fantastic Four see a group of people run towards their direction, screaming. As they look on, they are suddenly startled as half of the people crumble into dust with no explanation. Just then, one man walks up to Reed, grapsing his arms and shaking him back and forth, startling him while he rambles. "It's here, it's here." The man shouts. "W-what's here?" "T-The end, the end. The end times is here! Save yourselves!" He let go of his arms as he flees, only for him to crumble away. This left him the team confused. Sue walks up to him, shaken by what had just happen as her husband tries to figure out what is causing this phenomenon. "Reed, what the hell is going on?" "I don't know bu-" "G-guys." Johnny croaked as he hovers above his teammates. "Johnny, what's wrong?" Reed asked, seeing his brother-in-law clutch his stomach tightly. "I don't know, I-I feel kinda....funny. Oh....." Just then, he suddenly collaspe, disintegrating into dust before he could touch the ground. "Johnny!" Sue screeched as she gathered what was left of her brother. All that was left of him was a pile of ash, just as the flames extinguish. Sue was confused and heartbroken, with so many thoughts filling up in her head. Whatever  the phenomenon was, why did it happen? And of all the people it took, why take Johnny, her own brother? The only other family she had left. As she mourns her brother, Reed stretched his arm to her, trying to comfort her as he tries to figure out what was happening. While attempting to communicate with his friend, Stark  he suddenly turned to see Ben reach out to him. "Ben?" "Stretch....I uh-" Just then, Reed helplessly watched as his long-time friend and teammate collapsed to the ground, crumbling to dust before he could reach his hand. For someone with a high level of intelligence, even he didn't understand why something like this could happen, let alone have two of the people he holds dearly be affected by it. Just as more and more people start to vanish, he looks to Sue, still cradling her brother's remains. Knowing that it's only a matter of time before either one of them gets taken by the cataclysm, he grabs her arms, convining her to make a run for it. "Sue, Sue!" He begs as she took notice of him. "Listen to me, we need to go, we need to go now!" "B-but Johnny, and Ben, w-" "They're gone Sue, they're gone. I know it hurts so much, you know how much they mean to us, but there's nothing we could do to bring them back." He gently cupped his hands on her head. "But I'm still here, and so are you. As long as we have each other, we can overcome this." She wiped the tears from her face, nodding reluctantly, but was reassured, knowing that she still has her husband. "Just promise me that you won't leave me." He gave her a genuine smile. "I won't. Now, let's get out of here." He helped Sue get up as they flee the almost foggy streets. "Where to?" She asked as they ran. Reed looked around as he sees the Baxter Building not far from where they were. "The lab. Maybe if we get there, I can try to come up with something that could possibly identify what's causing these disappearances. But we need to act quickly." Sue nods and then generates a sphere-like forcefield surrounding her and Reed as they try to head to the Baxter Building quickly, only for them to be hit by falling debris caused by another helicopter crash, causing them to fall. Sue was able to creat a safe landing for them via forcefields. As She gets up, she sees that they were only a couple of streets away from the building. "Look Reed, we're not far from the building, we just need to run. Reed, Reed!" She shouts as she looks around to find her husband, only to see him from a distance as he stands still. "Reed?" She whimpered.  She ran up to him as he placed his arm on the right side of his lower chest. "Reed? Wha-What's wrong?" Unable to answer, all he could do was release his arm, showing her a small pile of dust in his hand before having it be blown by the wind. Realizing what this meant, her eyes start to water as the two of them collapse to their knees. "No, NO! This can't be, I won't let this this happen." She screeched in denial. "Sue, there's no use in trying to stop it." "No Reed, I'm not letting it take you from me. Please." She grabbed his arms tight. "It already took Johnny and Ben, I won't lose you too!" "Sue...." "Please Reed." She murmured as the tears streamed down from her eyes. "I don't want to lose you too! I can't bear losing you." "I know, I know." He gently grabbed cupped her cheeks, pulling her close as she felt the soft touch if his lips press against hers before pulling away, wiping the tears off her face. "I'm sorry if this is hurts you greatly." She then pulled his hands close to her chest. "Please don't leave me." He softly smiled. "I won't I promise." The two then embraced onto a hug as half of their word vanished without a trace. Seeing nothing but dust and ash in the sky, Sue hugged her husband tightly, refusing to let go as she fears for his life. He could almost feel the tears stinging his shoulder beneath his suit. Knowing how much she cares about him, he hugged her greatly. "Please don't go." She begged. "I won't, I love you, Susan." "I love you too, Reed." She closed her eyes as she continued to embrace her husband. tightening her grip as the dust starts to surround them. "Are you still there?" "I am, I promise I won't leave you." "Promise?" "I promise, Sue, I-" Suddenly, Sue woke up, no longer hearing the sounds of her husband's voice comforting her. As she looked around, she was suddenly startled to see Reed nowhere in sight and no longer in her arms. "Reed?" She shouts as she pulls herself up. "Reed! Where are you?!" So many thoughts goes into her head, realizing what the disappearance of her husband means. She suddenly covered her mouth. "No, no! This can't be, this couldn't have happened." Just then, she looked down to notice something shiny on the ground. Curious, she bent down to see what it was, only to gasp when she picked it up and saw that it was a shiny, silver ring. Realizing that it was Reed's wedding ring, her lips start to quiver and her eyes start to water. She tries to hold back the tears, but to no avail. Being the only member of the Fantastic Four to survive, all she could do was mourn, as she clutched the ring tightly to her chest and sobbed.

Note: I apologize for any inconsistencies regarding the characters themselves and the storyline itself since it’s the first time I’ve written something in relation to Marvel. I’ll try to fix it up next time

[magic-and-moonlit-wings]

Chapter 8: Bridge Bricks and Babysitting

Becoming The Mask

The Museum of Arcadia was very different during its hours of operation. Much more brightly lit. Much less filled with the uneasy feeling he might run into Bular at any moment.

Jim veered away from his scattering classmates to loiter near their history teacher and the museum curator.

Eli was peppering Ms Nomura with questions and Mr Strickler was watching with poorly-concealed amusement as she indulged the boy's curiosity about Renaissance-era pottery. After a few minutes she sent Eli off to the exhibit in question and fixed Jim with a piercing stare.

Jim flashed his eyes and Nomura's shoulders relaxed, though her expression remained sharp. She flashed her eyes back at him. They were green in both her human and troll forms, but when she was in human form they lit up gold and red like every other Changeling's.

"At least one of them was actually interested in the lesson plan this year," Ms Nomura said to Mr Strickler. "So few of your students actually appreciate the history of ceramics and how they influenced the build-up to the Industrial Revolution."

They casually walked through a partially roped-off doorway and disappeared behind a hanging tarp. Jim glanced around to ensure no witnesses – all his classmates were elsewhere or actually focused on the displays – and followed the other two Changelings.

"It's more than halfway done?" he gasped in amazement.

Killahead Bridge was mostly under sheets, but the shape was distinct, as was the gap where they hadn't yet finished building the arched form.

"Hidden in plain sight as an upcoming exhibit," Stricklander boasted. Nomura rolled her eyes at his pomposity. Jim sat on one of the wooden crates and started toying with the stones and bricks in the open crate beside him.

"I anticipate full construction within three months, if the latest rumours lead to the final stones," said Nomura to Stricklander. "But just in case they don't … In the interests of growing Gunmar's legion, we're bringing in someone new." Nomura glanced sideways at Jim. The most recently-planted Changeling sat up with an attentive expression. "Any suggestions for their cover?"

Damn Toby for not being young enough to send to safety.

"What about the Nuñez baby?" Jim suggested. The question had been directed at Stricklander, but Jim wasn't sure Claire Nuñez gushed about her little brother to the teachers the way she did to her peers. He rolled a rounded stone thoughtfully over his palm. "Mrs Nuñez is involved in local politics, right? Might be useful to have an eye on the inside."

"It's a good thought," Stricklander agreed. "Now, Jim, Ms Nomura and I have more classified information to discuss. You'd best rejoin your class."

To some Changelings, that would be practically an invitation to spy. Jim tossed two of the three rocks he'd been toying with back into their crate and slipped the third, smallest one up his sleeve as he gave Mr Strickler a casual salute with his other arm.

I'm not ready. I need time; to think; to plan. We can't finish the Bridge yet. I haven't convinced anyone that Mom needs to stay alive.

It was selfish and petty and treasonous and he was being ridiculously foolish and he knew it. Gunmar would not reward the loyalty of a Changeling who delayed his escape.

But Gunmar didn't need to know. No one needed to know.

Jim would sneak the piece back into place once he had a guarantee of Barbara's safety. It should only take a short while longer to wrangle Stricklander into it. Otto might not even be back in the States until afterwards, with or without the Eyestone. Stealing a piece of Killahead was just a momentary fit of harmless foolishness for Jim's peace of mind. He'd give it back.

He slipped it from his sleeve into his pocket.

That night, in Trollmarket, he hid it behind one of the many bookcases in Blinky's library.

"Claire, I'm sorry, I can't babysit tonight."

"But you promised! Mom and Dad have that charity thing, and I have a Papa Skull concert – Papa Skull! I, like, live in their t-shirt!"

"Sorry, C-Bomb, but Dean finally asked me to a movie – and then Hank invited me out for ice cream. Tight Jeans Hank! Love can't choose, Claire!"

"But Mary, I need you!"

"I can babysit," Jim offered. Both girls jumped, having not noticed Jim and Toby listening in on their drama. Toby gave Jim a surprised look. Jim and Claire had worked on class projects together once or twice, but they didn't exactly know each other well.

"You can?" asked Claire excitedly. "Wait, have you ever babysat before?"

"Uh, yeah," Jim lied, and then added, truthfully, "Plus, my mom's a doctor, so I know infant CPR and everything."

"You're a lifesaver, Jim! Come to my house around seven? No sooner."

"Got it."

"I wrote his routine on the fridge – after playtime you can just put him down. He's a good sleeper. And he'd rather play with his food than eat it. He loves games. Peekaboo, hide and seek. What am I forgetting?"

"We'll be fine," Jim promised Claire. Enrique burbled delightedly and bounced in his swing.

"Here's the emergency contact numbers." She pressed a paper into Jim's hand. "Whatever you do, do not call my parents first."

"Because they don't know you're going to the concert, do they?" he teased.

"They'll be back late-late, and I should only be a couple hours. Three max. Um, help yourself to anything in the fridge … and if you eat babies, now is the time to tell me."

He forced a laugh and shook his head and tried not to think of Bular.

There was a honk from outside, presumably her ride.

"Hey – thanks for this." Claire smiled shyly and sweetly at Jim. "You're my hero."

"Have fun," he told her. Once she was gone, he lit his eyes red and gold. "So, Enrique, how's it going?"

The baby changed into a small green troll. It took a while for human vocal chords to develop enough for speech. "Fine enough. Pretty cushy assignment, even if I can't eat the cat."

"I brought some old argyle socks," Jim offered.

"Oooh, gimmie-gimmie!"

The smaller Changeling unbuckled himself from the swing while the bigger Changeling got the bag of socks from his backpack. They settled onto the couch. Jim switched forms as well. The couch felt strong enough to hold him.

"Yummy," Enrique mumbled with his mouth full. He'd bitten right into the zip-locked plastic bag like it was a calzone.

"Enjoy them while you can. After a few years in human guise, they start to lose appeal." Jim crinkled his nose. Even in his trollish form, he hadn't eaten cloth in years. At least plastic, glass, and metal still tasted good.

"Bossman send you to check up on me?"

"Nah. I just had a free evening." He scratched idly at the stub of his horn. "Plus I wanted to know how things have been on the other side, and you've got the latest news."

"Eh, what's to say? Still dark, gloomy, boring. Nobody knows how to have fun."

"What are the numbers looking like? There were thirty when I left, counting you."

"Down to twenty-three now."

Six Changelings lost was not an ominous death count for a fifteen-year period, Jim reminded himself, willing himself to keep breathing evenly. That averaged out to one death every two and a half years. They sometimes went decades without a death only to lose several in the same week.

"Hey, funny story," Enrique continued. "Somebody from this side's been sending blankets and candy and stuff through the Fetch once in a while."

Good; the Changelings left behind had been finding Jim's 'care packages'. He kept his expression mildly curious.

"They send books sometimes, and Dictatious hoards them if he finds them first." Gunmar's advisor was notoriously selfish with reading material. "But here's where it gets good. I've got some of those same books in the nursery here. They're stories for fleshbag kids! And he's been puzzling over the 'code' they're written in!"

Jim cackled at the mental image of Dictatious trying to 'decode' Dr Seuss or Robert Munsch.

His options for what to send had been limited to his own old things until a couple of years ago. Maybe he should print out the photographed pages of A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore and send that through, in case he needed Dictatious to do him a favour at some point. On the other hand, his 'care packages' were sent anonymously, and this was comedy gold.

"Hi, Mr and Mrs Nuñez!" Jim, sitting on their living room couch, plastered an I'm-trying-to-look-innocent-but-know-I'm-in-trouble grin on his once more human face. "I'm Jim; Claire and I go to school together. She –" was sneaking in behind them. "She's just in the bathroom. We were doing homework together, and Enrique started fussing, so we took a break to play with him."

They still looked suspicious, but now it was 'a strange boy was alone with our daughter' suspicious rather than 'we found a stranger in our house holding our baby' suspicious. Claire gave him a grateful look and ducked behind a door, closing it quietly and opening it loudly.

"Mom, Dad, hey!" She gave them the same nervous smile. "I, ah, see you met Jim."

"I should get going." He handed Enrique to Claire and grabbed his backpack from the coffee table. "I'll see you at school, Claire. Gracias for your help with the Spanish review. Let me know if you have more History questions."

"Bye, Jim!"

Jim ducked past her parents and bolted like – well, like a teenage boy who had just been caught in a teenage girl's home by her presumably-protective guardians while she was supposed to be home alone.

Damn it, his cover did not need this. He'd hardly ever get to compare notes with Enrique now.

Claire approached him at school the next day.

"Hey. Listen, I'm sorry about last night. I would've called to warn you they were headed back early but my phone died just after Papi texted me. But you were great. That was some pretty quick thinking. I owe you."

"Hey, no hard feelings. Did they buy it?"

"Mm. Sort of." She readjusted her backpack. "I'm still in trouble for having a boy over, but at least they think I was there the whole time. You might've even convinced them we really were studying. You should've tried out for the play."

"Ah … no, I'd never have found the time. Last night was … I've usually got a lot going on. But if you need a babysitter again, I could make time. Enrique wasn't too demanding; I really did get homework done."

Claire kissed his cheek. Jim was not sure how to react to that.

"Or maybe we could have a real study date sometime," she said.

He stared blankly after her as she walked away. Toby elbowed him in the gut and said something congratulatory.

Jim felt awkward and a little gross. Claire didn't know how much older than her he was, but he did, and her kissing him felt … not okay.

It was an innocent and unsolicited gesture indicating affection not necessarily of a romantic nature, he decided. As long as he didn't say or do anything to suggest he was flirting back, Claire flirting with him was no more inappropriate than Toby's crush on Dr Lake. And that was assuming she even had meant it flirtatiously. Platonic kisses and study dates were a thing.

Previous Chapter (Jim expresses affection through food and protective oaths)

Table of Contents

Next Chapter (Toby gets suspicious of Jim’s recent behaviour)

This was originally imagined as two chapters, 'Grand Theft Bridge Piece' and 'Grand Theft Baby'. But I couldn't stretch the theft of the Bridge piece out; it was more plausible for it to be an impulse decision on Jim's part, rather than having him sneak into the museum later for premeditated treason. 

As for Enrique, there would be too much risk of being caught if Jim were directly involved in stealing and swapping him, rather than letting the goblins handle it as they do in canon, so the Changelings wouldn't have sent Jim along on that mission. If he were already scheduled to babysit, they might have planned the swap to take place that night, but Jim babysitting was a very last-minute substitution on Claire's part which the Janus Order couldn't have planned for.

I hope Not Enrique being referred to as Enrique didn't confuse anyone. From Jim's perspective, they're both Enrique, because Changelings assume their Familiars' names. Not Enrique won't actually be called Not Enrique until non-Changeling characters find out that he's a Changeling.

Jim actually has no objection to troll-human romance. But he is an actual adult, if a young one (the troll equivalent of being in his early-to-mid twenties), so having an adolescent flirt with him is uncomfortable. If they were in college instead of high school, the ‘age difference’ would not be an issue. (Instead the main issue would be that he’s more attracted to trolls than humans, which, like his relative age, hasn’t come up in-story yet.) Jim’s relationship with Claire in this AU will ultimately be a platonic friendship ... assuming she ever forgives him after she finds out he had her brother kidnapped.

[willardswritindump]

Scott Dump

Part 1

My name is Scott, and I am a slave. Okay well that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, I'm actually a convience store clerk. I know what you're thinking, truly a pathetic existance and yeah for the most part you are right. However allow me to enlighten you on something, no one actually gives a shit about the asshole behind the counter.

Now while that might sound terrible to you its actually beautiful, I mean not having to deal with people's bullshit. I mean nine times out of ten an encounter at the counter is silence only broken when I have to tell some asswhipe the total price of ciggerets and mountain dew. Believe me its a beautiful thing, that is it was, until she ruined it. Ash Thomas, the bane of my quote profesional life.

Now I've know Ash for a long time before she decided to be the biggest pain in my ass. She actually works at my favorite video store and encounters there were much like encounters at my place of work, silence only broken by being told that I have to cough up two bucks in order to rent whatever Z grad horror shlock I decided to watch for a laugh. So is it too illogical to think that she should return the favor when she buys her friggin yoohoo?

Now I think I might be getting ahead of myself, this all really started about a week ago when she came in to the store for first time in a while. You see this job is ninty percent boredom and ten percent restocking so in order to keep myself from completely going nuts I've started mentally keeping tack of people who come into this run down hole in the wall. I mean with the exception of Ash and my brother Wally I don't know anyones name so I just give them nicknames like Dave and Jane, or just group entire bunches of people together like milk maids, protesters and egg testers. Shit I've lost track again havent I?

Now where was I, oh yeah so a week ago Ash comes into the store and she does the weirdest thing, she actually asks me to to show her something. I mean I shit you not she comes up to the counter to ask and I quote "Hey Scott right? Could you show me where the Yoohoo is?" I mean seriously, the one thing she buys here and she is asking me to show her where it is, what the hell kind of twilight zone episode is this? I mean after asking the only logical thing that came to mind "Are you sure you need me to do that?" she just nods and I let out sigh before leaving the counter to show her the freezer where the Yoohoo is and watched as she did that stupid little thing she does where she bites her lip like she's making some life altering decision as she grabs the drink so I could finally ring it up and go back to my peaceful day. Yeah I mean seriously, this place is a hole in the wall with like three rows of shelves and two freezer, I mean what kind of wack job disturbs a peaceful clerk like myself just to ask where a friggin drink in here is. I swear first this and the next thing you know its going to anarc... OH SHIT SHE'S COMING IN!

Part 2

My name is Scott and I am bored out of my damn mind. I've been debating with myself for about a year now about which day's are worse, with a shit ton of jackasses otherwise known as customers or days with none. Now the days with a shit ton of customers come with the downsides of having to both do more work with people and sometimes having to deal with the rather chatty types customers. However the days spent alone have the downside of now allowing me to endulge in one of my favorite hobbies.

Yes in all my time as a clerk I have found that it is actually quite fun to mess with customers. One of the easier ways I have found to screw with the dumbass customers of Nowhere, New Jeresy's pride and joy LJN Convience Mart is to simply play music. Well we aren't exacly the most sophisticated hole in the wall so we don't have a P.A. system to play it over but turns out the boss let me bring in a cd player that had some damn good reach. Now while Joe Schmoe who comes in just to buy a paper and ciggerets isn't going to hang around for it to make any impact but certain types who like to hang around have certain types of music that drive them insane. Take for an example the jackass teenager who is killing time while they skip school can't stand anything from before say 1998. I personally find that Frank Sinatra is a sure fire way to annoy them. Unfortunantly Frankie's music is something that is quite enjoyed by the older clientel of the store. No for them I find something more modern is of annoyence. Generally if they are over the age of 38 either punk rock or most rap are a sure fire route to annoyance. Some things that annoy all demographics is 90's Ska and the Salt'n Pepper Diner method but I believe I've started rambling again.

Then there are the other ways of messing with customers, rearraging the drinks in the freezer, changing the price tags, ect. ect. Sometimes I find its enjoyable to just go after a certain group like the milk maids, but first I should probably explain what the hell they are. The milk maids are the women who decide to take three hours to look through every single milk jug to try and find that one mystical gallon that that goes that doesn't go bad for like an extra week. I mean they don't really hurt anyone but I still find it funny to see the look of confusion on their face when I mix together all the different types of milk.

I suppose I could just clean the store again, but on a day like this that's usually the first thing that I go to and there is only so much I can do for this shit hole. I swear I don't know and probably don't want to know how half the stains on this floof got here. Hell I could almost tolerate the anarachist herself Ash showing up today. Key word there is almost, and yet the strangest thing I can't stop thinking about my last encounter with her. I try and I try to think of everything, hell anything else but I just can't help it. So the last time she came in, that stupid little smirk as always and this time she doesn't even try to look this time. I mean at least for my sake take the effort to look for whatever you want before you disrupt the peacful clerk. She just walks straight up to me and asks where the 3 Musketeers are. I swear to God you walked right past them and you have the nerve to come up and say "Hey Scotty, could you do me a favor and find the 3 Musketeers?" Seriously could you not just get them for yourself? I mean of course I did it because I may be an asshole but for some reason I can't stop myself from helping her. Is that weird, because even I can't figure it out. So I got up and showed her exactly where on the shelf that the 3 Musketeers were and then proceeded to take the buck fifty that they cost and took great joy in watching her leave the store. Now why on earth can I not stop reliving that afternoon? Anyway its about closing time so, till next time.

Part 3

Of all the lunchbreaks, of all the convinence store clerks, in all the country she chooses to barge into mine. Now if I just took my lunch break at the counter or closed the store to go out like a normal person that wouldn't be such a big deal, but when you take your break on the roof it kinda becomes annoying. I was just sitting in the folding chair that I stashed up there when I started working here and was peacfully eating my grilled cheese when I think I hear something. Turns out that noise was a ladder getting set up on the side of the store, she actually took time out of her day to get a ladder to climb onto the roof to annoy me. Am I the only one who see that as insane?

So she just takes a seat on the air conditioner and starts talking to me. I mean seriously what kind of cruel joke is that? The guy who purposely goes out of his way to avoid human intereaction, the guy who takes his lunch break on the damn roof, you choose him to talk to. Are you insane, I mean why go through the effort? So I just sat there, trying my best to ignore the anarachist sitting across from me chatting off my ear. I started paying attention when she asked "Is that a peantbutter jelly sandwich?" I of couse responded "No, cheese toastie" because the British name is just more fun to say. She then starts go on "Oh well, I was just curious. I never actually had one. A peanutbutter jelly I mean, I kinda have a little bit of a sevear peanut allergy. I mean people always say they are so good and I always wanted to try one but again allergies, I would like swell up and die if did try one."

She went on rambling like this for another twenty minuets, I don't even think she noticed that I finished my lunch and read through like three comics. Then, right as I conteplated sneaking back down to the store she just gets up and says "Well been nice talking to you Scotty, see you round" and she just climbs back down the ladder and leaves like it was nothing. Of couse she left the damn ladder so I had to keep the store closed an extra ten minuets to drag the hunk of shit into the alley behind the store. Ah shit, its closing time, well until next time, I guess.

Part 4

I swear this town is filled with a bunch of savages I tell you. Come on I mean sure I don't like her but even I have the damn decency to not have just ditched her or stand her up like that. Damn, I mean that is just a dick move alright. Okay I should probably backtrack so you know what the hell I'm talking about. So my attempts to avoid she who will not be named had been going smoothly, with the exception of a few minor hiccups. Well I had a major flaw in my plan, in that I forgot to plan for the one place I never thought I'd see her, the comic store.

Yes the one place that gives me pure joy, the one place I was certain I would never have to deal with that damn thorn in my side, my second home and she attacks me there. So it was Saturday and I was going in for my usual pick ups and to see if there was anything else of interest. I go though the motions, say hi to Dante who was working the counter, grab my issues of Doom Patrol and Hawkeye then start looking through the back issues. When I looked up, what I saw (nearly) caused me to fall backwards, less than a foot away was a pair of ever so familiar blue eyes.

When I say fall backwards I don't just mean like a little slip, I nearly jumped out of my skin and almost slammed into a rack of marvel books. Of course Ash has to go to the same store I go to, of course the one thing I don't plan for and the anarchist strikes there. Anyway she helps me up and then she does the strangest thing, she says "Hey Scotty, didn't think you startled that easily. Well at least judging by your rental history at least. Anyway so uh some friends and I are gonna go to the arcade in the mall tomorrow. You wanna come?" Of course being the cool guy that I am, I barely stutter out "Sorry but I have a D&D game here tomorrow." So of course Dante being the dick he was, yells across the shop "No he doesn't" across the shop. "So you wanna go?" Ash asked and I don't know what came over me, or why I did it but I said "Um sure." "Cool meet me... I mean us at 11:30 at the mall food court." she told me.

So yeah, turns out sleeping in until eleven wasn't the greatest plan. Hey don't give me any shit, its not my fault the damn alarm was set for eight PM. Okay well it kinda was my fault but it was an honest mistake. So I rushed through my morning routine, threw on an old hoodie and book it down to the mall. After sprinting to the food court just to be on time only to see she isn't even there. I was so temped to leave, but low and behold I feel a tap on my shoulder and hear the familiar voice of everyone's favorite anarchist. I nearly jumped out of my damn skin when Ash began "Hey Scotty dude, I hope you like pepperoni cause that's all they had." It was probably a miracle that I didn't accidental knock the pizza out of her hand when she said that. So we sit down and I notice she only had two slices, promoting me to inquire "Hey where is everyone else?" She just calmly responds "Oh uh, everyone had to bail. Guess its just you and me today dude." The weirdest thing, she seemed happy about it. I don't know about you but when someone ditches me I kinda get a little pissed, but here she was smiling like it was the best thing that could have happened.

So we eat out pizza and then head to the arcade. Me still pissed about everyone ditching her and her still having that smile on her face. On the way she stops at the cookie stand and we had a little debate about weather or not it is part of the food court. I think that since it is an eatery it is a part of the food court but by her logic its an independent eatery for mid mall snacking. Now usually when I get into a stupid debate like this either one or both of us get pissed and hold a grudge for like a day or so, but the weirdest thing happened she actually doesn't get mad. Even stranger neither do I, its just so odd.

So we finally make it to the arcade and we get like ten bucks worth of tokens each. I search out the retro cabinets in the very back corner, and for some reason Ash did too. Yeah while I played my usual two bucks worth of Galaga she was going nuts on Digdug. I mean it was insane, she was more intense than I had ever seen her. Then when she dies she just looks up and gives that usual Ash smile that is so, shit whats the word? So we spend about an hour and a half going around playing different games, I think we got pretty far in the D&D beat up game. You know the one where when you put in a quarter it announces "Welcome to the D&D world." Man that game was always so cool. Anyway, we also beat one of the Time Crisis games, pretty sure it was three but at this point they all kinda run together to me.

Then as we are about to leave we are about to leave we run into him, Tommy Marino. Now this guy, this jackass has had it in for me since grade school. I can't remember the exact story but apparently his big brother and my big brother Wally were hockey rivals or something and that's why he hates my guts. So we were just about to leave when I hear that jerks tough guy Italian accent that he fakes when he's trying to intimidate someone. "Well well well, if it isn't little miss dork. How long's it been Ash?" Ash let out a long sigh and responded "Not long enough Jackass, considering I haven't seen you since graduation. Thank God." Then that greasy asshole just continued "Yeah, such a shame you never got to see me at my best. Only girl in the school who didn't if I remember right?" "I swear to God, what was with you're insane infatuation with me? Was it that I was the one girl who actually said no to you? Was it really that or was there more?" she retorted. Thankfully he hadn't noticed I was there, when I said he had it out for me I mean he really had it out for me. Like clockwork almost once every month the dude would come in and trash the store. When I say trash I mean he completely wrecks it, he actually broke some of the shelves, and I couldn't do anything because his goon of a brother held me back.

Now you may be asking "But Scott isn't that illegal? Why don't you call the cops?" Well to answer your question Tommy's daddy has a little we bit of power, and by that I mean he owns like a quarter of the businesses in this piece of shit town. I do anything about it and Tommy tucks tails and goes crying to daddy and I get sued or worse. So yeah, I'm completely shit out of luck. Now, to get back on track. This greasy asshole also puts his pride in the weirdest of things. For some reason he is extremely good at Dance Dance Revolution, I don't know maybe its boosts his ego and makes him think he can actually dance. So after a bit more of back and forth he finally realizes that im here. "I mean first you wont go out with me and then... wait are you seriously here with him?" he let out that annoying laugh of his and looks directly at me.

"You are seriously here with the biggest failure of our class. The piece of shit who just sat in the back of class and never talked. The one all your friends said was a waste of time back then, the voted most likely to disappear. The friggin joke who spent his weekends at that piece of shit comic store on fifth street and has been working for what two years at that shitty convenience store. You are here with him? That is just hilarious, the two biggest dorks in this town together." At this point I was ready to lay his ass out in the middle of the arcade, and just as I start towards him Ash stops me. I began to protest but when I looked at her I noticed the pure rage on her face. Her normally blue eyes burned as red as her hair. She tied back her hair, took off her jacket and like a redneck with a beer about to follow through with a stupid bet demanded "Hold my hoodie."

She just walks up to the machine and says "You me, any song, any difficulty" She actually was actually challenging this guy to a DDR game like this was some shitty anime. "Um excuse me, look around sweetheart. You see all these guys around me, they're all the guys I've beaten at this. I mean alright doll, I'll humor you, lets play. Hell I might even go easy on you. Wait what, you are seriously... There is no way you can handle that song on that speed." Now I may not know much about DDR but I can tell when someone pulled a Through Fire and Flames. By that I mean I can tell when someone has picked something extremely hard on the hardest mode. For once the arcade is dead silent, the countdown begins and then music kicks in. Both Ash and Tommy are going full throttle, I swear their feet were nothing but blurs. The music blared and then the strangest thing, Tommy began to slow down. He started to slip, and then he actually gets so tired and sluggish he fails. The look on his smug face, the only thing that could have made it better would be if the Black Hawk Down score played. He just stops trying, he actually failed. Everyone in the arcade was stunned, okay well not everyone but the people watching were.

Then she just hops off the machine, that same little smile of hers, wraps her arm around mine and suggests "Scotty lets go." I don't know how long we walked through the mall like that, it could have been ten minuets or ten hours. It didn't matter, and I have no idea why but I think I kinda liked it. So after I don't know how long we finally decide to leave. For some reason she hugged me and I begrudgingly told her I had a good time and then we just kinda left. I'm really just now beginning to wrap my head around this, so uh until next time I guess. I just gotta go think some man.

[sofiaruelle]

Hey Sofia! I was wondering, have you seen Stranger Things 2 yet If so, what did you think of it? love your art!! xxx

I’m glad you asked!I’m actually about to watch Episode 9 right this moment (on Nov. 8; 9:58am). (And i finished this 5:48pm writing this)

The CGI has gotten better 8)))))))))I LOVE THESE KIDS SO MUCH. They’re so good. Like we already know they’re amazing actors since Season 1. BUT LIKE THEY’RE EVEN MORE AMAZING IN SEASON 2 especially with Will’s and Mike’s PTSD.Ngl, i kind of stopped watching a bit around episode 3…. cause it was such a slowburn that didnt really hold my interest for so long.  I mean i’m all about slow burns in stories and the many perspectives is to set up everything for the last few episodes but yeah idk i got distracted by Net juu no Susume.Like i kind of wished they kept up with the DnD running theme that they had in the first Season?? or atleast kept with the Video Game references since they set that up in episode 1 just so everything is more tied up together… if that makes sense? I mean yeah sure they added that in the LAST part but like eh… THE LAST FEW EPSODES THOOOOOOOOO.

fersure i am dying in feelings.spoiler-y feelings under the keep reading (sorry for being all over the place i am not eloquent)

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for the long read. i have feelings.WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLike damn Noah Schnapp his acting is AMAAAAZING. LIKE HOLYYYYYYYSHITTTT. Especially this season everyone is just *EYE EOJIS AT WILL*. and BOOOOOOOOIIII did Noah step uppppp. I love how he’s wide eyed terriffied lamb protect at all costs and then the next he’s a stone cold intense.When Eleven was introduced outside of the Upside down so early into the series, I lowkey wished she stayed longer in the Upside Down cause they built it up in the first season that it takes her a while to recover after she uses her powers. i mean she was getting stronger…. but like you know…. idk. But i kind of liked the flashbacks of her surviving in the forest. And i also appreciate the fact most of the adult she has encountered arent mean to her. They’re always genuinely concerned for her well being and wished her well in her en devours.  8))))))

I like Eleven’s father-daughter relationship with Hopper. He’s relearning to be a dad and she’s learning how to human(?) and find herself. and its cute and they’re gonna be ok. (but i find the Mom files, that she finds, being in the cabin a little too convinent??? like hopper could have kept it in his house? but he also might have moved out to the cabin as well… *SHRUGS*) I’m just happy Hopper has an Arc of his own this season. The episode with her sister was kind of out of place? and kind of loses the urgency in the story and its feels disjointed??? but I also hope she’ll one day reunite with her sister and they’ll patch things up. (season 3!!!!!!!!!!!!)CAN WE ALSO TALK ABOUT LUCAS AND MAX?????????? THEY’RE SO CUTE. Lucas was really great. Im glad they gave him more screen time and really delved down to his character so he no longer seems like he’s angry 24/7. The glimpsed  we get of his home life is such a gem. I love it. especially his sister. WAHAHHAHA I sometimes think Max was added in for the sake of middle school romance and throwing a wrench in the boy’s friendship….. Like i dont hate her perse… i just didnt like how handled her character.  Like the time between after she helped out setting the trap in the junk yard; up until the time she stabbed her brother in the throat with morphine…. she was kind of tossed aside. i feel like there was some sort of deleted scene where she figures out how to drive a car ????? idk. I do hope she has a bigger impact next season. LET HER BE BEST FRIENDS WITH EL PLEASE.God Bless, Dustin. My sweet boy. I still cant believe he still has insecurities in his friendships (i cant believe he was fine with being replaced by Max in the party). I teared up when he kept calling out to his friends on the radios and no one was answering him. AND THE THING AT THE DANCE. ugh. that hit close to home. Nancy dancing with him ties up nicely with the first episode when he offers her pizza and she slams the door on his face. (Also i like how this didnt develop with out of place inappropriate pervy jokes at Nancy’s expense like in most movies when the comedic relief get the most beautiful girl in the end)

Also i love his new relationship with Steve. also i want him to be the Disney princess of the Demadogs. (i’ll probs draw that later)

STEEEEEEEEEVEEEEEEEEEEEEE. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTTTTTTT YAAAAAAASSSSSSSS. best baby sitter. best older brother. I wish he had closure with Nancy. Like girl dick move for cheating on him when you guys have ambiguously broken up. idk man. The way they wrote Nancy was disappointing. I dont want to blame it on her PTSD? but i wish she just said something when Steve was assuring her that it was ok. LIKE GIRL DONT JUST LET HIM WALK AWAY. SAY SOMETHING. (whelp there goes my hopes and dreams for a jonathan steve nancy sandwhich *SOBS*)  Nancy is a smart cookie and i wish they handled her relationship with Steve and Jonathan better. She was pretty bad ass for grabbing that shot gun tho. Like Hopper didint even question it. and she took it like a master gunsman? marksman? like she was born to wield that gun. Good job on continuity. 8))))))))))))))))))))))))

The Park scene was A+++.That Conspiracy theorist tho………. I was expecting him to be a red herring of sorts? The Vodka… the russian music… It might be him just being vaguely racist in the “If i drink this and listen to this i will get into that Soviet headspace“ kind of sense? But i was expecting him to be a Russian spy and maybe do some damage later on and not just be there to help Nancy and Jonathan realized their attraction and give Barbs her closure. IDK. (and like shouldnt the blue side of the american flag be on the left side when you hang it vertically? or the blue side being on the right mean war or something? idk im not american. please confirm.)Joyce………… man. Also good character development. Cant believe she went from “need to save my boy” to “must protect at all cost cause he a fragile” to “i need to hurt my son in order save him” like damnnn. i was expecting Jonathan to convince his mom to amp up the heat and not the other way around. MY GOD. BOOOOOBBB BOOOOOOOOOOOOOBBBBBBB. THE SUPERHERO WE ALL NEED. UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHH(I did not expect Samwise to be pretty tall. Also a friend pointed out that he was Sam and i’m just he’s the tallest hobbit). uggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh cant believe he died.Billy………………….Dacre Montgomery he’s so beautifullllllllllll. like his eyelashes are so fucking long and his jawline can cut me like a bitch. he’s a fucking beautiful man. and i am just fucking straight when i see his  but goooooooooooooood his character is such a fucking asshole. his lines were amazing. they tried to save his character by showing his shitty dad but i need one big redemption arc before i completely appreciate Billy. For now i will grumpily admire his eyelashes and jawline.ALSO I TEARED UP WHEN WILL SAW ELEVEN THE FIRST TIME IN 353 DAYS. AND I AM JUST SO HAPPY THEY GOT TOGETHER IN THE END. It wasnt too fan service-y (unlike Jonathan and Nancy) and it was just so sweet and right when they finally were together.ACKKKK SORRY FOR THE LONG POST. and the shitty grammar.