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collisiondiscourse · 4 years ago

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meet you in the middle // bkdk (ch. 306) fic

Katsuki meets him at the edge of the world.

Standing on the rubbles of a once-thriving city that his people had called home, Katsuki sees him at a distance. A lone figure, standing beside broken statues that overlook a cliff of failures and broken promises. Katsuki sees him at a distance and feels something inside him break like a dam of something unmentionable. The glass beneath his worn combat boots crunches and cracks like the remains of his heart, every step heavy with the weight of the world around him slipping unto drooping shoulders. He says nothing, knowing the other runaway could hear his approach all the same.

Deep purple bruises set themselves under dull viridian eyes, the mixture of color out of place but lovely all the same. His hair’s a mess--greasy in the way that tells Bakugou he hasn’t showered in days, yet Katsuki would love nothing more than to bury his face in the tangled mass of green. The suit and armor he wears is torn, dented, fractured, dirty; it’s scarred like the skin it tries its best to hide. Deku stands still and watches him approach.

The blond halts in his steps.

In that moment, when red and green meet at the edge of the world, time stops completely. The broken concrete beneath their feet feels like a vast and endless void of nothing, silence wrapping around them beautifully and painfully. Between them, the few meters feel like blocks, to miles, to lightyears apart.

It is endless.

Between them, there is pain and sorrow. There is a hurt so deep that neither of the boys could begin to comprehend it--old scars and fresh wounds mending and tearing open, pace akin to the shift of the weather. Between them, Katsuki can feel things that feel like they should be impossible but aren’t. Between them, Katsuki can feel the contradictions that ripple beneath the surface of their skin.

Between them, Katsuki can feel it all.

The distance is staggering. It chases after the two of them like they had chased each other, something like a curse that pulls them apart while simultaneously keeping them at arm’s length.

Katsuki used to beg for it, he knows. (God, does he know.) He used to spend day-by-day stretching that distance, yanking the string that kept them tied together in hopes that eventually it would snap.

Yet that same distance had become something he’d grown to hate. He hated it in the way that it caused Izuku to close himself to the world and nearly cost him his life when Shigaraki had pierced him in battle. He hated the way it shut doors and cuffed him to his hospital bed when he’d found out that Deku was in a coma.

And he hated that distance the most when it brought Deku all the way here.

“Kacchan,” Deku says, the old nickname leaving his mouth simultaneously like a prayer and a pained gasp of fear. “Why are you here?”

The ‘why’ rings in the blond’s head like the sound of a gunshot, piercing and painful at the audacity to even ask such a thing. Why? Why did I come here? Why did I leave everything I’d ever dreamed of in order to chase your dumbass here?

Because. Why the fuck wouldn’t I come here, Deku?

“I got your letter,” Katsuki grunts out instead. His hands clench and unclench, tired and a little bit pained from his journey to find Izuku as fast as possible. The stupid fucking paper rests inside the pants pocket of his hero costume, setting his insides ablaze and leaving the taste of battery acid at the back of his throat.

“You still shouldn’t have--”

“--Shouldn’t have what, Deku?!” He inevitably yet suddenly explodes. The green-haired boy startles from across the building’s roof, jaw shutting with an audible click. “Shouldn’t have dropped out of UA? Shouldn’t have left every single person that loves me and sent myself out on a suicide mission? Shouldn’t have left my fucking mother without even a proper ‘goodbye’?!”

Deku snaps, “You damn well know it wasn’t that simple, Kacchan--”

“It never fucking is! It never fucking is that simple, Deku! You think I wanted to abandon our class? You think I didn’t care about the fucking fact that I just dropped out of UA and will probably never become a fucking pro-hero because of it? I destroyed my own dreams, you idiot!”

“Then go back!” the other boy replies, furious tears welling in his eyes. Katsuki feels paralyzed, unable to move through the surge of emotion that overtakes his mind. Deku takes a step forward, shaking so hard that the blond fears he might pass out. “Go back, you ass! Don’t let me take anything more from you, Kacchan, just please don’t. I can’t handle something like that! Go back and become the number one hero like you always promised, please.”

(A dozen meters apart.)

Izuku’s voice trembles and wavers, desperation seeping from his figure as teardrops fall to the tarmac below. He stands firmly on his two feet, but Katsuki can feel the way his heart begs on its knees. Bakugou’s glare softens.

“I can’t do that, Deku.”

He sniffles. “Why not?”

Tentatively, Bakugou takes a step forward, pacing himself. He opens his mouth to answer, but can’t seem to find the right words and looks away with a frustrated snarl. Deku’s eyes, red-rimmed with agony, peer up at him through his unruly green hair and the wound on Katsuki’s abdomen throbs with heat.

“...Because. I nearly died for you, didn’t I?” the blond eventually replies. “Because I know you think that that means you have to go and fucking do things alone because you don’t want me to nearly die for you a second time, but that’s exactly fucking it.” Katsuki huffs. He takes another step further, watching Deku crumple to the ground as sobs rack his figure.

“Kacchan got hurt, but it wasn’t your battle. It’s mine,” he chokes out anyway, stubborn as he is in the way Bakugou had grown to admire. As much as the blond’s soul rattles with anger, with hatred at the society that forced his childhood friend to bear the weight of the world upon his shoulders, he forces himself not to shout.

(Five meters apart.)

“‘Wasn’t’, was the word. Now, it is. I’m not letting you do this alone whether you fucking like it or not, shitty nerd.” Katsuki sucks in a breath. “You never gave me a choice, did you? I didn’t have a choice into knowing about your cursed fucking quirk, I didn’t have a choice into you leaving us to fight Shigaraki alone, I didn’t have a choice in knowing whether you’d be okay or not in the hospital after I myself nearly fucking died--and now that I finally goddamn do have that choice, you better make sure you let me have it, Deku.” Another step.

Deku lets out an anguished gasp for air between his hiccups and tears, and wails, “But why? Kacchan, you have the choice to be safe and let yourself win without One for All getting away! Why would you let me bring you more harm like this?!”

“Because you never fucking let me apologize to you, shithead!” The blond succumbs at last, yelling in hurt and in pain. The distance between them is so small, yet every goddamn particle feels like a world’s away in which Kacchan and Deku were made to fall apart. His skin prickles, air buzzing with the energy of a feeling so big contained in something so small. The moment suspends itself in time, fragile as glass and broken shards twice as painful, “I wanted to say that I was sorry, okay?!”

“Kacchan--”

Bakugou growls, “No. Let me say this, Izuku.” He waited, so goddamn long, for an opportunity to say what he wanted--no, needed--to say. The distance that felt like a whole galaxy between them burned something fierce, a serendipitous inevitability that felt like it was reaching its boiling point as the world around them reduced to ashes. The blond musses up his hair and exhales heavily, letting his angry demeanour calm for Izuku’s sake.

“I used to resent you. So much.” Katsuki starts. He’s close enough to Deku that he can see the subtle way the shorter boy scrunches his brows together, letting out a shaky breath of incredulousness. “When we were in middle school, I tormented and bullied you under the guise of hating you for something that you couldn’t control.”

“The truth is, that wasn’t why I resented you.” He blows out a breath. Deku looks up at him in shock, so Bakugou ploughs on. “I resented you because I didn’t understand you. At that time, I couldn’t understand how anyone, especially someone virtually powerless like yourself, could somehow still be a better person--hell, a better hero--than I was.”

Ruby red eyes gazed at the horizon.

“I always thought myself to be the best at everything. Always knew I was destined for victory. That hasn’t changed,” Katsuki swallows as Izuku pulls himself back on to his feet. Now standing, Izuku looks at him as if he’d suddenly had the revelation of his life, (which, Bakugou assumes, was paramount to this in any case.) “What has changed now though… is that I think I finally get it.”

He coughs.

“... I think I finally get you,”

(Two meters.)

“Katsuki… I’m--” Deku swallows, eyes shiny again as he tries to compose himself. He nods at the blond and in that instant Katsuki knows he’s been forgiven a long time ago. The distance tugs at the pit of his stomach, feelings of something warm and strange writhing inside. What once was a flood of misunderstanding that crashed and pulled the two of them apart had dried into a lively valley. Deku takes a step closer.

“But it isn’t just that anymore,” the blond is quick to blurt out. He looks at Deku and for once instead of a regretful past or an ongoing development, he thinks he sees a future.

“If this were all for atonement, I wouldn’t have left UA like you said. It’s… deeper. I’m workin’ on it, but there’s just something that pulls me to do this. It pisses me off, but it also makes me want to keep you at an arm’s length.” Katsuki shakes his head at the bullshit that spews out from his own mouth.

“I don’t fucking know what it is, but I know how it makes me feel.”

Izuku stares into his eyes, wide and innocent in a way that used to make him angry but now only makes him… dazed. “And how does it make you feel, Kacchan?”

He huffs a laugh of rueful acceptance. “Fucking weird. Like I suddenly want to chase you to the ends of the fucking earth just to make sure you’re alive. Like I want to be close to you again and again and again even in our next fucking lives.”

Katsuki takes another hesitant step forward.

“I want a lot of things now. I want shit that I can’t name but I sure as hell know won’t relate to becoming the number one hero. I want to keep you within sight, keep you close and alive because of the fact that it’s you and nothing else. I want…”

(Three feet.)

The distance around them is reduced to a little less than an ache. Issues like theirs aren’t solved overnight, but for the small distance they have between each other it feels less like a curse and more like the moment before an inevitability. They can’t quantify all that they are to each other--can’t begin to measure it in fickle things like centimeters or miles or inches or lightyears--but in that moment Katsuki supposes one could label what they have as ‘love’.

He’s never spoken this much in such a short amount of time, never let himself be wordy when his concise speech was efficient and easy. Yet, something about freckles and scars and green hair makes him want to run his fucking mouth off and list his every feeling under the sun. The vice-like grip over his heart that had been there since the moment he’d woken up in the hospital eases a little, and Katsuki’s broken heart feels like it is coming home.

(Two feet.)

“You want…?”

Katsuki looks into Izuku’s eyes, really looks. He looks and he sees life and salvation and something that he’d been missing for so long that tasting it for the first time has left him wanting like a man in a desert. He reaches out an arm, now fully within reach and gives Deku a pleading and weak stare that says everything and nothing at once.

“I want everything that I can get. Everything you can give me. No matter what the cost.”

(One.)

Deku crashes into his embrace, pulling him close and meeting Katsuki somewhere in the middle as the chase finally fucking stops. To Katsuki, it feels like the birth of a star as the warmth engulfs him fully, setting alight to every one of his nerves. The feeling of holding Deku fills him with all the words he cannot name and it feels like he’s reached some impossible height at the top of the world.

The war has not been forgotten, and the road ahead of them is long, but the distance between Kacchan and Deku--Katsuki and Izuku--is now nothing more than a physical concept. The hug blurs the line between the two young heroes, shaping itself until it is indistinguishable where one ends and the other begins. There is a sensation, one that is burning like an inferno but comforting all the same because at this point in time, Katsuki vows to run after and find Izuku Midoriya in every lifetime after this, in every world that they’ll be in. He vows with all his heart that he’ll be the one to watch Deku while Deku watches the world, to protect Deku while Deku protects the others. Katsuki vows to take Deku for everything that he is and isn’t, wholly and unconditionally because the distance is gone and there’s nothing now that can stop him from following this boy to the ends of the universe.

Katsuki Bakugou vows all this because here, right now, on top of the ruins of a city he’d once known and arms full of a boy he’d been trying to chase for a lifetime--Katsuki comes home.

(Zero.)

#bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bakudeku #katsudeku #ktdk #bkdk #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #decchan #bkdk fic #bnha 306 #katsuki bakugou #bakugou katsuki #izuku midoriya #midoriya izuku #codi.docx #DONT LET THIS FLOP ITS SO SEXY

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lov3nerdstuff · 4 years ago

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Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 6.14}

*Severus Snape x OC*

Summary: It is the year 1983 when the ordinary life of Robin Mitchell takes a drastic turn: she is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the struggles of being a muggle-born in Slytherin, she soon discovers her passion for Potions, and even manages the impossible: gaining the favor of Severus Snape. Throughout the years, Robin finds that the not quite so ordinary Potions Professor goes from being a brooding stranger to being more than she had ever deemed possible. An ally, a mentor, a friend... and eventually, the person she loves the most. Through adventure, prophecies and the little struggles of daily life in a castle full of mysteries, Robin chooses a path for herself, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, and two people abandoned by the world can finally find a home.

General warnings: professor x student, blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing

Words: 4.8k

Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!

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On the other side of the door, inside the classroom, Robin closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. Obviously she hadn't added anything to the antidote, hadn't even had the time to, but she might as well make use of his fear for her in that regard. He undoubtedly believed that she had given him a sleeping draught, and she was glad for her bad reputation for once. Even more, she was glad that it had just been a work of magic. There was still nobody who sincerely cared about her, and she found herself almost relieved at that, even if for a reason she did not quite understand. Perhaps because she wouldn't have to deal with Julius anymore, nor any other idiot, if she just was incapable of being loved. Or perhaps because it was what she thought she deserved after all.

"How did you know it was a love potion?" Snape's deep voice ghosted through the room, quiet and haunting.

Robin's blood froze over with a start, and she stood perfectly still in her spot. "What?" She asked in a whisper while her heart exploded into a frantic drumming. There was nobody here but them… There was nobody he could be speaking to but her.

"He didn't show the usual signs of forced infatuation, so how did you know his affection wasn't real?" He asked in quiet sincerity, uncharacteristically quiet even, and Robin's eyes flew open in time to observe how he moved from the edge of his desk to a stool behind it.

"Oh, come on... As if anyone would actually care about me like that." She scoffed quietly, and her legs started carrying her through the room on their own account until she stood next to her own desk again.

"Whyever not?"

"Because nobody even likes me at all these days! I'm hardly tolerated wherever I go, and even that is only because people are too scared to send me away. There's nobody who actually wants to be part of my life."

"I sincerely doubt that." He said quietly, and something within Robin finally and irredeemably snapped.

"How would you know, huh? You haven't talked to me in three bloody months!!!" Robin yelled at him without a single care in the world if it was in the middle of the goddamn night or not. "Cas is always gone since she and Simon started dating, Jorien is blaming me for her best friend's absence, and don't even get me started on my bloody parents! So yes, there is literally nobody who cares about me at this point!"

She was tired of the anger, of the pain, and of her own crumbling walls that lay in ashes at last. She didn't even notice herself moving in closer to him until he turned in his seat to face her. She didn't notice until it was too late to go back.

"I care about you." Snape replied instinctively upon her words, a blurt of truth that had evaded his facades, and he seemed surprised himself that such a thing had escaped his lips so freely after so long. His torn neutrality started crumbling slowly, when finally he added, "A lot."

"Do you, really? Because as far as I'm aware, people don't just ignore someone they care about without any bloody reason! From one day to the next you just cut me off entirely, from our work and from talking, and from yourself! Do you have any idea how much that hurt me?!" Robin's voice grew thicker, laced with tears that started falling from her eyes with all the anger and hurt she didn't care to hide anymore.

"I was wrong, and that is painfully obvious to me now." Snape said, and while still spoken in honest certainty, his voice grew more quiet with every word. "I made a mistake."

"You damn well did!"

"I know." He held her gaze for a moment longer, eyes like a mirror of her own emotions, until at last he had to look away. But his voice equalled his eyes in sadness either way. "I am truly sorry."

"Sorry doesn't nearly cover it this time! You used to ask for my honesty, so here you have it now: I cried myself to sleep more often than I care to admit ever since new year's. I was lonely to the point of shattering, and I kept asking myself just what I have done wrong. What could I possibly have done to deserve to be treated like that, by someone I care about so deeply." Robin started out loud and ended in a whisper, honest words spoken for him to hear and yet as her own catharsis all over again. A better one, this time. A crescendo of emotion. "But then I realized that I hadn't done anything wrong at all. I didn't deserve to be treated like that, and I didn't deserve the pain. I still don't."

"I never thought that you would blame yourself for any of this. I never meant to hurt you." His gaze still lingered on the ground, but what Robin saw of his face was painted in sorrow. The last walls crumbling, facades but burning ashes. "I was wrong in all I believed, and I made the most terrible mistake by doing what I did. You didn't deserve any of it, which makes it all the more reasonable that you must hate me now."

"Sometimes it's easier to hate something you know you can't have anyway." She replied in an almost quiet calm, allowing the pain that lingered to wash over her while the anger faded into shallow dust and smoke.

"I know." He breathed gravely. "All too well."

"And you know that I'm not one to take the easy way out of anything of importance." Robin took a deep breath, then moved again closer to him in certainty. One step, then another, while her voice stayed steady as herself. She had made up her mind, she had long ago. "I could never hate you. I promised you that I wouldn't give up on you, and I won't. You really screwed this up, you hurt me, and I'm going to be mad at you for a while... But I still forgive you."

"I don't deserve your forgiveness, Robin. Not this time." He finally looked up at her in that rawest kind of honesty, his voice both hoarse and laced with equal sadness as still consumed his eyes. His soul was bleeding, seeping emotions pouring into the open in a way Robin had never seen before. Not like this. It broke her heart to see him like that, and she wanted to make sure she never had to again.

"Forgiveness isn't something that's deserved. It's given to those who need it." Her words were gentle, her voice soft in ways she had never risen up to until now. Without a speckle of doubt on her mind she took the one final step to stand directly in front of him. "Mistakes are the foundation of change, and also of improvement if only they are forgiven first. I'm not going to stand in the way of us being better than this, both of us, and I need you not to either." She held his gaze of drowning sadness with a deep intensity in return, and every bit of desperate hope she felt was out in the open now. Forgiveness really is the highest art of loving. "Be better with me. Please."

Snape merely stared up at her for a few seconds, in that overwhelming unveiled honesty, until at last he nodded, slowly, but in growing certainty no less. Robin released a breath she had held without her knowing, fighting the tears that lingered in her eyes, but it was a fight she was doomed to lose when he dropped his head once more.

Slowly as if afraid to break her, he rested his forehead against her torso in a tender touch, without a word, without a breath. Robin's heart skipped a beat, and another and another, and it now was her who seemed to be frozen by a single touch. She understood him now, understood what such a simple gesture could do to you. Her chest filled with the unceasing warmth of pure adoration, and she slowly placed her hands on his shoulders first, careful in the unusual touch, before she allowed herself to gently wrap her arms around him entirely.

A few seconds passed while Robin drew soothing circles on his back, and she kept reminding herself to breathe. A terrible idea, really, for her breathing hitched the very second she felt his arms encircling her in return, large hands resting on her back while pulling her ineffably closer until she had no choice but to stand flush against him. His hold on her waist tightened, more and more while yet his forehead remained pressed against her upper stomach, keeping his gaze directed to the stones beneath them. Robin closed her eyes against the waves of roaring tears, and gladly let herself tighten her hold on him in return.

"I missed you." Snape finally said, barely above a whisper, but he managed to hold her closer still, clinging onto her almost as if she would vanish any moment now.

"I missed you too." Robin breathed back, and her voice cracked when her tears finally won the fight, spilling down her cheeks only to catch on her lips and drip down her chin into rivers of black. Finally, she couldn't help the small smile that took over her lips no less.

They both were too overwhelmed to say any more after that, for seconds, minutes, eternities… and the silence had mercy on them for the longest time while they simply held onto each other. They needed this, both of them.

"Will you stay with me if I let go of you?" Snape eventually asked, quietly but also calmer than before, less shattered but still uncertain of what the answer might be.

"Obviously." Robin smiled in return, as she couldn't help teasing him even if just to bring a little light into the moment. A few seconds of silence passed, she almost feared that she had actually done wrong this time, but then he started chuckling softly. At first Robin felt it more than she heard it, but after a moment when it became audible indeed, she had no choice but to laugh as well. For no reason, and yet for all of them at once.

They did let go of each other then, reluctantly, but in the knowledge that it had to be. Robin took a step backwards to give him some room which he used to rise to his feet, finally lifting his gaze as well to meet hers once again. The openness had prevailed, but the deep sorrow was retreating, and taking the hurt with it. Good. A sight to behold.

"I better go clean up my desk, huh?" Robin stated more than asked, giving him a half smile while she walked backwards to keep her gaze locked with his. Somehow the idea of letting him out of her sight right now seemed entirely impossible.

"Don't bother, I will have the third years take care of it in detention tomorrow." He replied as his eyes followed her every movement as well. "I believe I still owe you a coffee. How would you like that instead?"

"You owe me far more than one coffee. More like… three months of coffee." Her smile widened a little as she only grabbed her backpack before moving back towards him. "But we've got to start somewhere after all."

He looked relieved upon her words, more so than she had expected, and Robin once more had to realize just how afraid he actually was that she would change her mind, would choose to hate and abandon him after all. But she would never, couldn't for anything in the world, and she would do her best to make him understand that from here on. She wouldn't make the same mistake he had, only to send them both into a devil's circle of common misery. No, she would be better than that. They would be.

As they ought to, they moved over into the office for coffee, to sit at the small table in their usual spots, and in a way, it felt like it had been just yesterday that they had been sitting here last. Snape made coffee while Robin let her gaze wander around the room, taking in its deterioration in comparison to her last visit. It was almost amusing to her in a way, that whoever else came in here surely must deem the space tidy at the least, if not even pedantically organized and neat. To Robin however, who had spent more time here than she should probably admit, the difference was undeniable. Usually the only space that would be a small mess was the lab, and she was sure he only allowed it to be because nobody but him and her ever came in there, but now the office had become more of a mess than the lab had ever been. She found herself curious to see how it would develop from here on.

Finally a mug was placed in front of her, and she was drawn out of her head when Snape took his seat across from her. Taking a deep breath, Robin looked down at the steaming black liquid and smiled, then frowned a little.

"This doesn't smell like I remember it to… Is it the same instant coffee we've always had?" She looked up with a smile and slightly raised eyebrows, inhaling the unusually rich scent of the coffee once again.

"No… this is real coffee, for once. It should taste better than what we used to have."

Robin's curiosity got the better of her, and she took a careful sip even though it was still way too hot. And indeed, it did taste better, a million times even, and that made burning her tongue worth it as she took another sip. They both stayed quiet for a while after that, in the simple enjoyment of the situation that used to be such an essential part of both their days. Somehow, Robin knew that it would be again after today.

"Will you tell me why you put us through all this?" She asked after a while, a calm and careful inquiry only. "As much as I can't quite grasp anything that happened in the last three months... I am starting to understand that this hurt you just as much as it hurt me."

"It did." Snape replied quietly, while his expression turned into seriousness instead of sorrow at least. "There were multiple thoughts involved, but none of them are reason nor excuse for what happened. I simply was wrong, and I did wrong in return."

"I would still like to know." Robin insisted with a half smile. "Please?"

"The easiest one happens to also be the gravest." He sighed, peering down at his coffee, his hands, the table… anywhere but at Robin. "I was afraid. And fear makes people do terrible things."

"Afraid of what?"

"A variety of matters, really, but ultimately only of myself. Of how attached I have gotten to you without even being aware of it."

Robin frowned while yet her heart skipped a beat upon his reply, but she tried to understand instead of basking in it. "Why is that something to be afraid of? Isn't attachment an essential part of every close… friendship?"

"Certainly, yet that is the other issue... I believed that it might make your life easier if you didn't have to endure me as a friend."

"Well, we both saw how not having you in my life turned out." Robin rolled her eyes before she could help it, but when he looked up at her once more, her expression softened immediately. "You see now how stupid that thought was, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Good." She gave him a half smile, in an attempt to cheer him up. "Who else would have coffee with me in the middle of the night, huh? You're my best friend; that's in your job description."

His lips tugged upwards into a small smile, which yet grew tainted all too soon. "Unfortunately, I am also your professor as for now. For a class you don't need, in a subject you know just as well as I do. Perhaps even better, in some regards. It really is a ridiculous predicament we are in... It has been for a while now."

"It won't be for much longer." Robin shrugged, looking down at her almost empty mug while swirling the remainder of the coffee around the bottom.

"What do you mean by that?" Snape asked almost reluctantly, and his tone took on that barest hint of fear again that made Robin look up at him in an instant.

"I mean that Professor Dumbledore approached me a while ago and suggested that I take the N.E.W.T.s for potions and herbology this year already. He brought forth pretty much the same argument, actually, saying that it simply wouldn't make sense for me to attend those classes for another year, and he believes that the extra time I'll thereby gain would be better spent with my own studies. I agreed with him, and he had it approved by the ministry a few weeks ago."

"I had no idea..." Snape mused quietly, surprised and even a little hurt perhaps, then however his brows furrowed into a deep frown. "Have you been preparing for those exams all by yourself this entire time?"

"Obviously. N.E.W.T.s are a real challenge even for me, and if I'm skipping a year of classes, I have to work even harder." Robin shrugged yet again, but tried to keep her face positive nonetheless. "I might be good in the subjects themselves, but there is still a lot of work to do before the exams. Either way, the excessive studying has been quite a good distraction over the past few weeks."

"I should have been there to help you from the start." Snape avoided her gaze yet again, and instead frowned at the bookshelf on the opposite wall. "But I had to be a pathetic fool and turn a blind eye to everything that involved you."

"Perhaps it's a minor form of punishment then that I've been doing pretty well without you, actually. Academically, I mean... Everything else not so much. Or… not at all."

"Why would that be a punishment? I couldn't see your success as anything other than delightful even if I tried." His eyes were back on hers in an instant, questioning, frowning.

"Well, I know how much you enjoy knowing better, or elaborately telling me all the ways in which I'm wrong." Robin said with a small smirk, teasing him yet again even if it probably was the last thing any sane person would do. "It must be a setback for your pride to see that I don't need your knowledge to be good at potions."

"I believe 'good' is an understatement." Snape replied in pointed factuality, with the worst feigned innocence ever, which in return contradicted the fact that he was being entirely honest. "And quite frankly, I could not be more relieved to know that you do not need me at all to be beyond outstanding in any subject."

"It's not fair if you're being all honest with me now..." Robin protested with a groan and laugh, and an equally feigned pout. "How am I supposed to tease you without feeling like an idiot?"

At that, Snape actually did smile. "You will find a way."

"You can be certain of that."

… … …

They stayed sitting in the office for hours, slowly catching up on all the things that had happened in the past months, while Snape kept on making them coffee without a single word of complaint or tease. Robin appreciated it, both the gesture and the coffee itself, but she also kept on telling him that he didn't have to, that there were no conditions for her to stay. (Nor for her to love him, which her eyes kept saying but her lips wouldn't dare to.) He kept on making her coffee nonetheless.

It was dawning when they noticed how much time had passed, and it was three seconds later when they decided that they didn't care. They kept on chatting about Robin's situation with Cas and Jorien, about the impending detention for whoever had given that love potion to Julius, and lastly also about Morgan's eclectic behavior ever since the ball.

It took Robin a while to convince Snape that while it certainly had been horrible to deal with Morgan and his crude shenanigans alone, she yet had come out alright after every instance of confrontation. Nonetheless, neither of them had to mention that things would hopefully be better again from now on. Morgan didn't stand a chance against either of them, but together they were better nonetheless.

When it was about time for breakfast at last, they wordlessly agreed that it probably would be better to get cleaned up and changed first, for they both had a long night painted on their faces, and the smell of fire and coffee clinging to their robes. But at least Robin did get him to agree to actually attend the meal for once, which in her opinion was about as good a start into the day as she's had in a long while.

When they parted in the crossing of hallways at last and Robin henceforth made her way towards her room, she couldn't help wondering where exactly Snape's quarters were located in the castle. Probably in the dungeons somewhere, sure, but where exactly? There were too many hallways, too many locked doors and ineffable possibilities for secret rooms behind uncountable pictures and stones. Perhaps, one of these days she would actually muster up the courage to ask him. Just out of curiosity. As reference for a future that would never come to be.

When Robin entered her room, Cas was painting her face with that horrible brown paste while Jorien was just getting dressed. A normal morning, then.

"Hey guys." She greeted them with an almost happy little sigh, but her mind soon came back to reality and she had to realize that the conflict with her roommates hadn't just disappeared overnight. And it definitely hadn't solved itself just by talking about it with someone at last.

"Oh look, she's happy." Jorien grumbled to herself, then turned to walk away. "Who cares."

"Hey Robin! You won't believe what happened last night!" Cas started in excitement, but kept her eyes trained on the small mirror in her lap.

Robin ignored Jorien's comment for now and dropped her bag onto her bed, then went on to change into something less wrinkled. Meanwhile, she only partially listened to Cas rambling on about whatever it was that Simon or one of his friends had done this time.

"Isn't that just the cutest thing ever?!" Cas finished at last, while Robin was about to make an unnoticed excit.

"Yeah, perhaps. You must know best, huh?" She replied without actually knowing what she was agreeing to, but Cas didn't pay much attention to her reply anyway, and thus Robin could slip away into the bathroom without being held up by any more questions.

When she returned ten minutes later, both Cas and Jorien were ready to leave for breakfast, but neither of them spoke to the other nor made any attempt to even acknowledge the other's existence. And honestly, Robin was fed up with the childish behavior of all individuals concerned, herself included. She had been able to sort out the far larger problem last night, and she would be able to solve this one as well. Really, she should have done this long ago. Would have, hadn't everything else come in the way.

"I would like to see both of you after breakfast. We haven't done proper tutoring ever since Christmas, and I believe it would be a good idea to start with it again. Foremostly because the three of us seriously need to start talking to each other again." She said into the open room while effectively blocking the door to the hallway. Gods, she hated playing the superior part in this, but quite honestly she didn't see another way. A simple attempt to talk to either of them hadn't worked in the months prior, and it surely wouldn't work now.

"Can't." Cas was quick to reply, shrugging. "Sorry, I'm meeting Simon after breakfast."

"You surely can meet him just a little later for once, can't you?" Robin sighed with a neutral expression and an attempt at a calm smile. "All I'm asking for is one hour."

"Just because you're all happy again for once after being gone all night doesn't mean you can order us around like that!" Jorien snapped an instant later, and Robin honestly felt as startled by the sudden outburst as hurt by the comment itself.

"Have you gone mad or what's your bloody problem?!" Cas yelled back at Jorien before Robin could intervene. "Honestly, what's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into YOU is the real question here!" Jorien returned, ignoring Robin now just as Cas did. "You and your pathetic excuse of a relationship! Do you even realize that there are other people on this planet than bloody Simon?!"

"Stop. It. Now." Robin cut in before either of them could continue, in a tone as sharp as a dagger and likely as dangerous, but she didn't yell. She didn't have to, for both girls turned their attention to her immediately with almost startled faces; Robin never spoke to them like that, and she honestly regretted that she had to now. "If you act like children, I will treat you like children. And since you refuse to settle this like adults, I will be seeing both of you for detention after breakfast."

"You can't give us detention." Jorien scoffed and crossed her arms in defiance. "Don't make yourself more important than you are."

"I most definitely can, so you better find yourselves in the potions classroom after breakfast if you don't want me to drag you there while your friends are watching." Robin said in the cold calm she usually would use on people she wished to intimidate, and it honestly felt weird to use it under these circumstances now instead. But she would rather have both girls be friends again and hate her together for what she was doing to them now, than to watch their friendship crumbling apart over a relationship that probably wouldn't last until the end of the school year. Either way, she saw no version of this that had all three of them being good with each other again, and if that's what it took, she would gladly sacrifice her own connection to them to save their friendship at least.

"Okay." Cas finally replied quietly, staring at her own feet with a small pout.

"Not okay!" Jorien protested however, and Robin had to do her best not to roll her eyes. The girl really was quite as stubborn as Robin herself could be, and Robin honestly understood why Snape had been so annoyed with her at times in the more distant past. But Jorien wasn't giving up on it. "I refuse to have a bloody student on an ego trip give me false detention for nothing!"

"You insulted me twice now, does that make you feel better about yourself? Or is it part of your own justification for the anger you direct at me?" Robin merely asked her in return, entirely calmly (as difficult as that was), and turned on her heels to open the door. "If you don't want to believe me, we can ask someone who most definitely will confirm that for you two, my word is law indeed."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Jorien scoffed and left the bedroom after Robin, following on her heels while Cas closed the door after them and even then stayed a few feet behind.

Robin counted her breaths as she made her way towards breakfast, calming herself down as much as possible, while she felt bad already for what she meant to do. Really, bothering Snape with this had not been on her agenda for today. They had been good again for mere hours, and now… oh well. Perhaps it did have a positive side to it though; at least it would be another piece of proof to him that she definitely didn't withdraw from him at all. Things were going to be alright again from here on; she was going to see to that at last.

______________________________

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etherealwaifgoddess · 4 years ago

Text

Run To You - Chpt.2

Summary: Steve calls Bucky to tell him he was right and the two get to know each other a little more. Still drawn to one another, the guys go out on their first date. Master list is HERE :)

Content Warning: mention of past child neglect/ abuse in regards to how Bucky lost his arm. It’s only a couple paragraphs but it’s depressing AF.

Word Count: 3.3k

Author’s Note: Hello lovelies! There is a smidge of angst in this chapter and I had never really intended for it go that direction. Damn characters not behaving the way I want them to! I apologize in advance for giving you some sad feels on this one, I got myself with them too. But hopefully there’s enough fluffiness to balance it out. XOXO - Ash

Chapter Two

Becca sleeps the day away but it’s a restless fever ridden sleep with her waking up every few hours to cry that her stomach hurts. Bucky manages to catch cat naps while she sleeps but they’re both exhausted by the time the day is over. He manages to get some fluids in her once she’s fully woken up and she keeps most of it down, much to Bucky’s relief. He hates seeing his baby girl sick and is thankful for his medical training, so that he knows what to expect and look out for. It’s just past seven o’clock at night and while they would normally be doing Becca’s bath time routine, he doesn’t have the heart to disrupt her. She finally drank the rest of her Pedialyte and is half watching an episode of Wonder Pets while her eyes droop sleepily. He waits until her eyes stay shut for a few minutes before awkwardly scooping up the little girl to carry her off to bed. He doesn’t have a free hand to turn off the TV, having taken off his prosthetic the second he got back from the bodega, but figures he needs to go back out to clean things up for the night anyways.

“Bucky?” Becca slurs sleepily as he lays her down in her bed.

“Yeah, Becs?” He pulls up her comforter, getting it tucked tightly around her body like she prefers.

“Love you.” she half says, half yawns.

Bucky fights back the tears that prickle in the corner of his eyes. “Love you too, bug. Get some rest.”

Becca gives a little nod and then sprawls out into her usual sleeping position.

Bucky shuts off her lamp and closes the door, leaving it open just a crack in case she needs him in the night. She seems to be getting to the otherside of whatever virus she’d caught but he knows it isn’t always a sure thing. He hopes he’ll only have to miss one day of work staying home with her but knows it’ll most likely be two.

There isn’t too much of a mess to clean up but Bucky busies himself with turning off the TV and clearing the coffee table. He’s washing the dishes and debating his dinner options when his phone buzzes angrily in his back pocket. Drying off his hand, he pulls out his phone and sees Steve’s name on the screen. Bucky swipes to accept the call and nestles the phone between his shoulder and jaw. “Hey, Steve.”

“Bucky, hey.” Steve replies eagerly. “So I’ve spent the last six hours doing nothing but reading history articles and I gotta say, you were right.”

Bucky smiles as he rifles through his cabinets for something to eat, “I suspected as much. How far off is it? Out of curiosity.”

Steve sighs heavily through his nose and Bucky wondered how exasperated the other man must look. “It’s pretty fuckin’ terrible.” he finally admits.

Bucky laughs, “Wow, you really do know how to curse!”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, ya jerk. It was just… surprising, I guess, to see how much these so-called experts missed. Don’t get me wrong, I know some people had it okay and some people had it a lot worse, but the way they make the whole thing feel so… sterile... I don’t know. They don’t seem to capture the feel of the times. Like yes we had food rations, but they don’t tell you how small those rations were. And how even if you got your stamps you might not be able to find the food you had a stamp for. My mother had to go all the way to Queens one time just to buy eggs so we’d have something with protein to eat.”

“That sounds terrible, I can’t even imagine.” Bucky juggles the phone carefully as he pulls down a tin of tuna.

“We made it, somehow. And it wasn’t all terrible all the time, but it was a sight worse than they make it out to be. It’s like that now too, isn’t it? The world isn’t quite as progressive as people like to think it is?”

Bucky pauses, trying to sort out his words. “It is and it isn’t. I think my experience is a little different than most but it’s definitely not the rainbows and goodwill that they say it is.”

Steve’s voice is low and rich like good bourbon pouring across the phone lines. “Tell me what it’s like for you, then.”

Bucky stills, shocked by the raw earnestness of Steve’s words. There’s an undercurrent too, like something whispered in a lover’s ear in the dead of night. It stirs things inside Bucky that he hasn’t had the time or inclination for in a really long time. Figuring he should reciprocate the honesty Steve has afforded him so far, Bucky hops up to sit on the kitchen counter and gets himself comfortable to tell his story. “Well, I grew up in a little backwater town in Indiana. The biggest export of our town was meth and most everyone was affected by that. People used religion like a weapon and thought The Republican Way was gospel. I didn’t fit in to any of that from day one and it made growing up there hard.”

“What were you like as a kid?” Steve asks, curious.

“I was pretty much everything that town wasn’t. My parents weren’t really able to take care of me so I figured out early on how to care for myself. I was angry a lot because of that once I got older. I didn’t really try to fit in. I studied hard, worried about getting good grades so I could earn scholarships to a decent college and get out of there. I didn’t care much about religion and was fiercely liberal from the time I understood what politics were. And I’m queer, that didn’t help me fit in either. I, uh, I hope that doesn’t bother you.” Bucky falters, knowing Steve’s generation was a lot less forgiving about that sort of thing.

“It doesn’t. I’m bi, actually. We did have homosexuality back in the thirties despite what the historians think.”

“Holy shit.” Bucky blurts out. Captain America is bisexual.

“It’s not something that comes up a lot, but I don’t hide it when asked. Somehow it never seems to make the news though.”

“I think it would seriously fuck with some people’s world view if it did. That’s good, though. That you don’t have to hide it. It’s one of those things that isn’t quite like the news reports it. Sure, things are a hell of a lot better now for queer folk, but we still get bullied, discriminated against, sometimes even killed.” Despite himself, Bucky yawns deeply. He’s beyond tired but unwilling to hang up.

“You sound exhausted.” Steve notes, “I should let you go.”

“No, it’s okay. I just had a long night followed by a long day. I’ll crash soon and hopefully Becca sleeps in tomorrow.”

“Becca is your… daughter?”

“My sister, actually. I adopted her when she was born. She feels like she’s mine but I never wanted to hide that fact that I’m her brother, not her dad. I don’t want her growing up not knowing who she really is.”

“You’re pretty amazing, Buck.” And Steve means every weighted word of it.

Bucky shakes his head, almost dislodging his phone in the process. “Just got lucky enough to make a better life for myself, and her. That’s all.”

“I think there’s a lot more to it than that, but okay. Really though, I should let you go. We can talk another day? Maybe grab that lunch together?”

“Yeah, definitely. My schedule is a little crazy but I have off rotation in a few days, we could go out Thursday while Becca’s at preschool?”

“It’s a date. I’ll text you later this week so we can figure out the where and when.”

“Sounds like a plan. Night, Steve.”

The warm smile on Steve’s face practically shines through the phone line, “Night, Buck.”

Bucky hangs up and stares around his tiny apartment in amazement. If you had told him a week ago that he was going to insult Captain America to his face and end up befriending him, he would have called you crazy. It’s a little odd having to separate the public persona he knows as Captain America, from Steve, the real guy under the cowl, but Bucky is looking forward to getting to know the real him better.

xxXxx

“The best pizza in Brooklyn, huh?” Steve questions, squinting up at the shop’s sign.

Bucky nods enthusiastically. “Definitely. They still use the old fashioned brick ovens and homemade sauce. Fresh herbs, locally sourced cheese. It sounds fancy but it’s really just good, old school, pizza.”

“We’ll see. Sam recently introduced me to the concept of a dollar slice, and I think anything will be better than that.”

“Oh man, yeah. Some places are decent, but most are shit.”

Bucky and Steve order a large pie to share, picking a small table in the back to sit at. Steve is amused when he spots a cooler with real glass bottles of soda and grabs one for each of them. Bucky smiles when he sees the bottles, able to guess Steve’s amusement at seeing something familiar.

The pizza is up before they know it and Steve is moaning at the first bite. “Sorry.” he mumbles around his mouthful of gooey cheese. “It’s really good.”

Bucky swallows quickly so he can respond, “Told ya.”

Steve nods, properly contrite. “You did. Thanks for bringing me here.”

“Any time.” Bucky smiles over at him and wonders what it would be like if they were out on a real date. One that ended with Steve walking him home and kissing him goodnight. He tries to shake the fantastical idea from his mind but it lingers, coming to the surface whenever Steve looks at him a little longer than most would find polite.

They’re quiet through Steve’s first two slices, Bucky finishing his first as Steve goes for a third. Bucky has a healthy appetite but Steve is something else. “Super soldier, sorry.” Steve tells him with a shrug when he sees Bucky eyeing up his plate.

“No judgement here. Everyone’s gotta eat.” Bucky assures him.

Steve slows down enough to make conversation after a little while, asking Bucky questions about his job and Becca. Steve is infinitely impressed with Bucky’s job as an ER nurse considering his mother had been a nurse and he knows first hand what a toll that profession can take on people.

Bucky catches Steve glancing at his sleek metal prosthetic but the blonde is too polite to bring it up. “You can ask, you know. Most people just make assumptions about it, none of which are even close to the truth.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve apologizes, “I didn’t want to be rude.”

“You’re not. It’s not my favorite topic but I’m better talking about it now. Go ahead, ask.”

Steve hesitates but trusts Bucky to know his own mind. “Okay, then. Bucky, how did you lose your arm?”

Bucky takes a steadying breath and dives into the polite for public version of how he lost his left arm. His parents took him to the lake one summer when he was six, he’d begged for months and they finally agreed to drive out to spend a day there. He got a scratch on his arm and it got infected from the lake water. His parents weren’t too great on the whole “parenting” thing and didn’t notice when it got infected until he collapsed. At that point the arm was too far gone and the doctors had amputated it just above the elbow.

What Bucky leaves out is that the scratch had actually been a gash and he’d gotten a beating for being careless before they headed for home. Sitting sorely in the backseat the whole bumpy ride home, using his own tshirt to wrap around his arm to help slow the bleeding. It was his transformers tshirt and it had been his favorite. Bucky leaves out the week of agonizing pain as the gash got worse, the infection burning and itching horribly until he couldn’t handle it anymore. Both of his parents were too strung out to notice and he’d tried, the best he could at that age, to put band-aids on it but then he caught another beating for using up all the band-aids. Bucky doesn’t tell Steve that the days he spent in the hospital were some of the best he could remember back then. The nurses were nice and brought him hot food three times a day. On Friday an ice cream cart came around. There were books he could read and other kids he could play with. When it was time for him to go home, he’d cried the entire way.

Bucky notices Steve is staring at him expectantly and realizes he's gone silent, lost in the less than pleasant memories. “Sorry, it was a long time ago.” he clears his throat, pushing past the ugly memories and moving on, “I got this bad boy through a grant from a children’s hospital when I was fifteen. It was strange having two arms at first. Up until that point I’d spent most of my life with just the one. It was after that hospital stint that I decided on nursing. The nurses who cared for me during both of my hospital stays were just amazing. They took what could have been really scary experiences and made them into something good. I wanted to be able to do that for someone else, someday.”

“Nurses are definitely superheroes.” Steve acknowledges. “My ma worked in the TB ward when I was a kid. She just had this way about her that she could spin any negative life threw at her into a positive. She was incredible. And I wasn’t an easy kid by any means.”

“Yeah, I heard something about that in the history books. Something about you being a feisty little shit always getting himself in trouble.” Bucky smirks, waiting for Steve to dispute it.

“It wasn’t quite as bad as they say it was. I only broke up a handful of fights over the years and always bullies who deserved it. I was as sick as they claimed though. The medical records were all real and my poor ma worked herself to the bone just trying to keep my lungs and heart going.”

“I feel for her. Even with medical training, it’s awful watching your kid get sick. Becca has some issues, she was born premature, and even though I know exactly what’s an annoyance versus a true issue, it’s still so hard watching her struggle.”

Steve’s expression falls, “I’m so sorry, Buck.” He reaches out across the table on impulse and grasps Bucky’s hand in his. “What, uh... if you don’t mind me asking, what issues does she have? You’ve seen my list and part of that was from being a preemie myself. It’s not like mine, is it?”

Bucky wants to melt through the booth into a puddle at the warm heavy contact of Steve’s hand over his. “No, not quite so bad. Her immune system isn’t the greatest, she has asthma that we have relatively under control, a heart murmur that the docs still think will close as she gets older, she’s anemic but has meds for it, and she’s never quite been out of the danger zone on the growth chart. She’s just a tiny little thing, but she's the cutest little girl you’ll ever lay eyes on.”

“I have no doubt. She’s really lucky he has you.”

They’re quiet for a moment, nothing to fill the silence but Steve’s thumb rubbing rhythmically over the ridges of Bucky’s knuckles. “Sorry, I didn’t exactly pick the happiest first date topics, did I?” Steve forces a painfully awkward laugh, taking back his hand as he tries to think of a less serious topic for them.

“First date, huh?” Bucky grins despite himself.

Steve blushes from the tips of his ears down past his collar and Bucky wonders just how far down that blush goes. “It doesn’t have to be. Unless you want it to be one. I had a really great time, regardless. I don’t get out mu-”

“Steve!” Bucky cuts him off, waving his hand in surrender. “Breathe a minute so I can answer.” he pauses and Steve takes a slightly dramatic breath, shooting Bucky a wry smile. “There we go. I had a really great time too. And yes, I’d like it if this was a date. And if there are more dates following this one.”

“Oh,” Steve is rendered speechless by the warmth blossoming in his chest. “That would be swell.”

“Swell? Really?” Bucky laughs in disbelief.

Steve’s blush flares to life again. “Sorry, sorry. Old man word, I know. What are the kids using these days? Nifty?”

Bucky groans, “Cool, Steve. Just stick with cool.”

“Okay, cool.” Steve sasses playfully.

Bucky rolls his eyes before checking his watch. It’s almost time to go get Becca, they had spent two hours talking and it still feels like not enough time. “Shit. I gotta head out for Becca. Preschool lets out at three.”

“Not a problem, I’d say I’m sorry for keeping you so long but I really enjoyed myself.” Steve snatches the paper slip with their bill on it and hurries over to the counter to pay. “You were right, so lunch is on me.” he insists.

“That’ll teach you not to bet against me, huh?” Bucky quips.

“I don’t know. This worked out pretty well for me. I learned a lot of new stuff, broadened my perspective on some things, went out with a cute guy, ate the best pizza in Brooklyn, and it sounds like I’ll get to go out with that cute guy again. I think this turned out pretty good.”

Bucky laughs and gives him a playful shove as they leave the pizza shop together. They pause along the brick wall of the shop, neither man wanting to part ways just yet. “I don’t have off rotation for another three days but I’d like to see you again.” Bucky says, toying with the hem of his shirt. He feels like a damn teenager again.

“Whenever you want, Bucky. My schedule is flexible unless I get called away for a long mission. I’ll take whatever time you’re willing to share with me.” Steve doesn’t want to push, but he’s willing to do whatever he needs to in order to see Bucky again.

“I appreciate that. I know my schedule isn’t traditional but it’s my life for right now.”

“And that’s okay.” Steve assures him, though he looks pretty nervous suddenly. He clears his throat twice before he finally asks, “Would it be too fast if I asked to kiss you right now?”

Bucky’s pupils flare at the question, his reaction answering Steve before his voice does. “Not at all.” he murmurs moving closer to Steve.

Steve’s lips are a breath away from Bucky’s as he whispers “Oh good” and takes the kiss that Bucky so freely gives. Steve fights for composure, they’re on a public sidewalk for heaven’s sake. Bucky’s mouth slots against his like missing puzzle pieces, both warm and insistent as the kiss deepens.

Steve kisses like he’s drowning and Bucky is reeling to keep up. How something so innocent turned so quickly is beyond comprehension but Bucky doesn’t want it to stop. The alarm on his phone reminding him it’s pick up time for Becca ends things quickly though. “I’ve gotta get Becca. Like, now.” he breathes raggedly against Steve’s mouth.

“Okay. Okay.” Steve repeats like he’s convincing himself. “To be continued?”

“To be continued.” Bucky agrees, leaning in for one last quick peck and then heading off to go pick up Becca.

#stucky #stucky fanfic #shrunkclunks #modern day au #modern au #non winter soldier bucky #nurse!bucky #parent!bucky #captain america #steve rogers #steve rogers x bucky barnes #kid!becca barnes #adopted child #marvel #marvel fanfic #marvel fandom

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hutchhitched · 5 years ago

Text

Maybe This Summer, Prologue

After many months and several delays, I’m excited to finally share Maybe This Summer with you. Last year, I offered an auction for a 50,000+ word story for @fandomtrumpshate, and @ldyglfr62 won the bid. She gave me free reign to create a mild age gap!Everlark story with Gale as Katniss’ best friend. With a little inspiration from Dirty Dancing and the second season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Maybe This Summer is the result. The story will post on Tuesday mornings at 11:00 am CDT.

Big thanks for @ldyglfr62 for bidding and trusting me to create this story (and being patient and gracious as I worked through some personal issues) and @xerxia31 for mad beta skills and turning the nine pictures I sent into this gorgeous graphic.

Summary: Katniss Everdeen needed a vacation. On a whim, she reserved three months at Panem Resorts in North Carolina. She expected to spend her time recovering from the recent death of her sister, exploring the nearby nature reserve, and reminiscing about happier times. What she didn’t foresee was bumping into Peeta Mellark, one of Panem’s most valued employees, during his early morning run. Neither did she think she’d grow to admire him when she’d hated him from first sight, but his killer smile and gorgeous blue eyes had a way of breaking down the walls she’d built around her heart. Maybe this summer she’ll finally get what she’s always deserved. AO3

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Winding Road

A canopy of trees shaded the ribbon of asphalt as Katniss Everdeen sped along the winding country road. She hadn’t been there in ages, two decades passing since the last time her mother requested time off from work and bundled her daughters into the car and took them on vacation. She’d chosen the same place for nostalgic reasons and was determined to find something to smile about during her time at Panem this summer. She needed that.

Things hadn’t gone too well for her over the past few years. Her mother and she had almost no relationship anymore—not since her younger sister Prim passed away—and it was hard for Katniss to care about much of anything anymore. She still had her best friend Gale Hawthorne and his wife Madge, but otherwise, she felt more alone than not. When her boss noticed her increased stress levels and a few minor mistakes in her data that could have been much worse, he ordered her to take some time off and center herself before coming back to work. She should be grateful he hadn’t fired her, and she was, but she also had no idea how to fill her time without spending it in the lab at West Virginia University.

Katniss didn’t like to sit still, and the weeks had loomed before her when she sat alone in her empty house. On a whim one night, she flipped through an old photo album she’d taken from her sister’s place after her funeral. On the third page, she stopped, troubled by the happy smiles jumping off the page and making her heart hurt. After a sleepless night, she maxed out a credit card booking three months—from Memorial Day to Labor Day—at the resort. She needed something. Maybe, just maybe, this was it.

“I wish you were with me, Little Duck.”

Her voice echoed in the empty car, but if she tried really hard, she could almost hear her sister answer.

I wish I was, too. We had so much fun the last time.

“We did, didn’t we?” Katniss chuckled. “You remember that little girl we made friends with? Rue, I think her name was. You two were so alike. Both tiny and sneaky. You used to slink out into the night and meet up with her. I never could catch you, but I knew you were doing it. Mom never did figure it out—or believe me.”

She saddened at the memory. “You were always her favorite.”

Of course, I was. I’m the baby! Was the baby.

“You’ll always be the baby, Prim. No matter how old we get.”

And you’ll always be my hero. The big sister who can do no wrong, who can slay dragons and bullies alike. The one who protected me all her life and made everything that much better when I was still with you.

“I couldn’t protect you from that.” Her voice broke on the last word, and she heard Prim agree.

No, you couldn’t. No one could.

“I should have been able to do it.”

You should stop blaming yourself.

“Maybe someday.”

Maybe someday. Maybe this summer.

Her smile faded as her sister’s voice trailed into silence, and Katniss shook herself and looked at the GPS. Prim was gone, and they hadn’t seen or talked to Rue since that one summer twenty years ago. She wasn’t thirteen anymore. She was thirty-three, a professional agro-botanist working in a grant-funded lab at a major research university. She didn’t have a sister anymore, and she certainly wasn’t going to encounter either one of the young girls dancing in her memories at the resort this summer.

Still…she wanted something more than what she had. Why did the past pull at her so hard?

“Just a little bit of time. That’s all you need,” she muttered to herself, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or merely fill the quiet. When her phone rang, she cursed as she was jerked from her internal dialogue and jerked the wheel before righting the vehicle and pressing down on the brake.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Catnip,” Gale rumbled from the other end. “How’s the drive?”

“Terrible,” she snapped and narrowed her eyes when he chuckled.

“I’m sure it isn’t that bad. You should be almost there by now unless you stopped every five minutes to take soil samples.”

“Well, fuck. I should have stopped every five minutes to take soil samples. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“I’m sure you’ll work that in some once you’re there. Ferns, leaves, bark, soil. You’re a super nerdy scientist through and through. You picked that place for a reason, Kat, and it’s not just because you and your sister had a good time there back when you were teenagers.”

“You don’t know me,” she grumbled but had to admit he was right. She was hoping to get some work done while she was there, despite strict orders to leave the lab back at the university. A real scientist always observed, and if she happened to do that through a microscope that just happened to be in her backseat…well, then, that was just part of the charm of spending her summer at a resort surrounded by a nature preserve called The Woods.

“I know you better than you know yourself,” he retorted. “That’s also why Madge and I booked a cabin next to yours for the week of the Fourth until mid-July. Thought you might be ready for some company by then, and Madge loves getting out of the city for time by the pool. I figure you two can have some girl time, and then I’ll steal you away for nature walks and the like.”

She was so pleased she couldn’t quite stop the smile from tugging at the corners of her mouth. Unwilling to admit her glee, she joked, “Fine. You do know me. And Gale…”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

She was serious, and he knew it. He’d been there through everything—her father’s death when she was eleven, her mother’s snap with reality, Prim’s diagnosis and demise, her own depression as she mourned and floundered. Gale was a godsend friend who shouldered her burdens without making her feel like she owed him. The fact that he’d married her only other real friend solidified his presence in her life in a way that made her grateful that he cared about her and relieved he respected her independence. She hated owing anybody anything, and she especially didn’t like taking anything from strangers.

“You’re welcome,” he answered gruffly. “Text me when you get there, and try to relax a little bit, okay? You really do deserve some time to yourself. You’ve never had time to grieve properly.”

“I mourned Prim,” she reminded him, but that wasn’t all he meant.

“Your father, your mom, Prim, all of it.”

“Yes, all of it. That’s enough, Gale.”

“I’ll talk to you soon, Catnip. Safe rest of the trip.”

“Goodbye, Gale.”

She hung up and checked the screen again. Two more miles, and then she’d take a left into the nature preserve. Just past that was the entrance to the resort’s lodge, and she was ready to be there. Ready to take a shower and get the road off her skin and hair. She wanted a nap and a good dinner before escaping into the book she hadn’t quite managed to finish before leaving on the trip.

When she turned the corner, she flipped off the air conditioner and rolled down the front windows. A warm, humid breeze whipped through the car until she slowed to the requisite 35 miles per hour speed limit. The hybrid motor was practically silent, and she could hear birds chirping to each other as she passed under the natural awning of oak, ash, and maple trees. It was absolutely beautiful, and her heart rate slowed a little as she meandered along the lane that led to her summer escape.

Excitement coursed through her, and she tamped down the tingling sensation that something life-defining awaited her in the next three months.

“I miss you, Prim. If only you were here to share this with me,” she whispered and listened to the wind rustle through the trees.

Maybe I am, came the silent reply.

#everlark #everlark fanfiction #maybe this summer #peeta mellark #katniss everdeen

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kingrii07 · 7 years ago

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Magic Chapter 5

Part 4 here

Izuku might have known his teacher for four years, but Izuku hasn’t any idea who really is Marga. On those four years Izuku sticks on the information Marga gave him which is she is a healing mage that secludes herself from the people with quirks. Why? Because Izuku believes in his teacher. Izuku uses his observing skills to know more about Marga because the older mage didn’t told Izuku anything more about her.

While healing the fawn, Izuku noticed the silence of his teacher. Marga is a quite person, she will only talk if she needed to, but her silence this time is different because the air seems to be heavy and depressing. Izuku glanced at Marga and noticed the disturbed look on her face. Izuku wanted to ask her what the problem is but shrugged it off because the older mage seems to be thinking deeply and the aura around her made Izuku a bit scared.

The sun had already set and darkness already filled the woods when Izuku completely finished healing the fawn and returned it back outside. Izuku is already readying himself to leave for today when Marga speaks up after being silent earlier.

“Izuku-kun,” Marga called.

Izuku had just opened the door of the nipa hut. “Yes, Marga-san?”

“Come back tomorrow in the morning. I have important things to tell you.” Marga said and gave Izuku a serious look.

Izuku felt something weird in his heart when he saw the seriousness in his teacher’s eyes, but the only reaction he made is a nod and followed by a ‘Yes’.

“Go, now. Be careful on your way.” Marga said and watched Izuku walk out from her nipa hut. She continue to watch Izuku from her window until she can no longer see Izuku’s figure in the darkness.

While on his way out of the woods, Izuku is still bothered about what his teacher told him earlier and because of his state right now, Loke came out from his key and Izuku noticed him immediately.

“Loke-san, what’s wrong?” Izuku asked the Celestial Spirit.

“I should be asking you that, Izuku-chan. We can feel that you’re worried on something.” Loke replied with evident worry on his face.

Izuku gasped at what the Spirit had said. ’Ah… I forgot that they can feel my feelings.’ Izuku said to himself.

“Well, you see…” Izuku started and Loke felt the worry in Izuku’s voice.

“Marga-san was acting very different today. She seemed to be disturbed by something and she told me that she will tell me something very important tomorrow.” Izuku said.

“Well… that was really disturbing.” Loke mumbled as he crossed his arms to chest then, he let out a sigh. “Don’t worry about it Izuku. I’m sure it is not something bad.” Loke continued with a reassuring smile. Izuku looked at Loke with his doe green eyes and gave a nod.

Loke stayed with Izuku until they got out of the woods and when Loke is about to go back to the Spirit world, he noticed a very familiar presence near them.

“Izuku-chan, would you mind going ahead? I felt like taking a walk for a couple of minutes.” Loke said with a smile on his face.

“Sure, Loke-san. Take care” Izuku replied with his blinding smile.

Loke chuckled and replied “I should be the one saying that.” And the two of them walked opposite ways. Loke’s smile didn’t disappear from his face while he walks towards the familiar presence. Loke stopped in front of an electric post and spoke. “Ya, Katsuki-kun. It’s been a while.” A few seconds later a teen with the same age as Izuku appeared from the other side of the pole and he has an ash blonde spiky hair and angry red eyes.

“What do you want, asshole” Katsuki said with annoyed tone. Loke was not intimidated by the teen. “Quite a flowery language you have there. I’m not here to pick a fight with you, I just want to clarify some things regarding about your broken friendship with my little brother [1].” Loke replied and the cheerful aura around him turned into serious.

Katsuki immediately noticed it. “Well, what about it?” Katsuki said and the frown on his face didn’t disappeared.

“What is your reason for breaking your friendship with Izuku-chan? “ Loke asked and his voice were very heavy and intimidating. ‘I have a hunch and I want to confirm it.’ Loke thought.

Katsuki’s frown deepened. “I ain’t gonna tell you.”

Loke let out a sigh after hearing that. “You know Katsuki-kun, I think I deserve a good explanation here. I’ve been tolerating your abusive actions towards our dear Izuku-chan because if I hurt you in any ways, Izuku-chan will hate me. You know why? Because he still considers you as his best friend.”

Katsuki was taken aback by what Loke had said. ‘What the fuck? Is he serious?’ Katsuki asked himself. “Well, if you really don’t want to answer it, it’s up to you. I hope you realize soon that you and Izuku-chan are not standing on the same ground.” Loke continued and turned his back at Katsuki.

“Many things have changed, Katsuki-kun. If you think you can change Izuku’s mind from being a hero by bullying him, then you’re wrong.” After saying that Loke disappeared in light speed.

Katsuki stared wide eyed on the place where Loke was standing before he disappeared. “He knew” Katsuki said and bit his lips.

Four years ago, before Izuku met Marga, Katsuki made a very big decision in his life and that is to bully Izuku. When they were four, Katsuki made a promise to himself that he will not let Izuku be harmed in any way as long as he is alive and when he received his quirk, the first thing that he thought is to use his quirk to protect Izuku until Izuku got his own quirk.

But when he learned that his precious friend was labeled ‘Quirkless’ he became more overprotective. Two years later, Katsuki learned that Izuku learned using Magic. At first he didn’t believe it until Izuku demonstrated it to him. Katsuki was fascinated with the beautiful circle and the sparkles that appeared from it and also when a person appeared from it. Katsuki was amazed by Izuku’s magic at first, but when he learned that Izuku kept passing out whenever he uses his keys, he started to pester Izuku to stop using it.

“Stop using it already! Look at you! You almost pass out again!” An eight year old katsuki Bakugou said to Izuku who is lying on the grassy ground after he opened Virgo and Scorpio’s key one at a time.

“But Kacchan, I won’t become strong if I don’t get used to it.” Izuku pouted at his friend despite being exhausted.

“And I will not become a hero if I stop. You know that I’m quirkless and magic is the only thing I have to make my dream come true.”

He was just worried.

He doesn’t want Izuku to be harmed.

If being a hero will harm Izuku, then he must convince Izuku to stop also his dream to become a hero.

“If you’re worried about the people who needs help, then I will do it for you! I’ll save thousands of people who are in need, so please listen to me.” Katsuki continued.

“That won’t do Kacchan. You have your own dream, you can’t just commit yourself on something you aren’t committed.”

Is it bad to be worried?

“Mom, why won’t Izuku listen to me? Can’t he understand that I don’t want him to be harmed?” Katsuki asked his mother while they were eating dinner.

Mitsuki was taken aback by his son’s question. “Katsuki, is it about his dream to become a hero?”Katsuki gave a nod.

“You know, Katsuki. You cannot change Izuku’s mind. You know that very well because the two of you have been together since you were babies.”

On that day, Katsuki decided. He broke his promise to his four year old self. If Izuku won’t listen to him as his friend, then he will do it as an enemy.

“Fucking Lion.” Katsuki mumbled in anger and kicked the trash can beside him. Loke’s words hit him like a truck.

When Loke returned to the Celestial Spirit world, he reported his earlier encounter with Katsuki to the Spirit King.

“Ou-sama, it seems like my hunch was correct.” Loke said when he appeared in front of the Spirit King.

The Spirit King let out a loud laugh causing the other spirits to look at him. “And? What did you told him?” The Spirit King asked with wide grin on this face. Loke adjusted his sun glasses and answered. “I warned him. I didn’t go to details because that child is smart and he will know the difference of magic and quirk, but I wish he realizes it sooner.” Loke replied.

“You’re right, Leo. Since Izuku had already learned that he is not the only one who uses magic in his world, sooner or later he will meet the powerful and evil ones. That child will be targeted for his power because of his magic can open doors to different dimensions.” The Spirit King said.

Loke let out an exasperated sigh. “I hope Izuku find some people who can he trust and can protect him when we can’t”

Morning of the following day, Izuku immediately ate his breakfast and after that he went to Marga. When he arrived there, Marga welcomed him and told him to sit. Marga sat opposite of Izuku.

“Izuku-kun. Listen to me very carefully.” Marga started. Izuku nodded and took a gulp as he waited for Marga to continue speaking.

“It took me a couple of years before deciding to tell you this, so make sure you listen carefully. The book you had consists only of Celestial and a bit of healing magic. It didn’t explain what the different types of magic. Am I right?” Marga asked.

Izuku nodded again. “Years ago and until now, there are only ten percent of the world’s population who can use magic. Magic may be used for offense, defense, or support. There are two main type of magic: Caster Magic and the Holder Magic. Caster type magic is where a mage uses magic without using any external items. You and I are example of this type of Maigc. We expel magic using our own body. On the other hand, Holder type Magic is the opposite of Caster type Magic. Mages uses items to expel magic, you’re the example, Izuku-kun, your magic which is the Celestial magic that uses keys.”

Izuku listens intently to his teacher as she spoke. “Inside every living organism, there is an Ethernano and also to our atmosphere. Ethernano is the source of magic of every mages and inside the body of every mages, they have a magic container. If the container becomes empty, the Ethernano in the atmosphere will enter the body and will fill up the container.”

Because of the explanation, Izuku’s curiosity kicked in.“So if there are different forms of magic, then there mages who can use time magic or something like that because if I can open a door of the Celestial world then it is possible that someone can control the time?” Izuku asked with sparkle in his eyes.

“Yes, there is mage who can use time magic, but that magic falls into the subcategory of the Caster type magic which is the Lost Magic.” Marga answered.

“Lost Magic?” Izuku asked.

“In short, it is a rare magic. Because of the immense power it holds and side effects of this magic, it was obliterated in the history of magi, but there are still who uses it.” Marga explained.

“Wait Marga-san. I’m going to write it." Izuku said and immediately took his note book and started writing there. “Please continue.” Izuku said while writing.

Marga watched her student who writing very fast. She let out a sigh and continued. “You see, there are three different types of mages: the Legal Mages, Dark Mages, and the Independent Mages. The Legal mages are the ones who belonged to a guild that is approved by the Magic council. The Dark mages belongs to the dark guild which are not approved by the Magic council because of their crimes. And lastly, the Independent mages. These Mages does not belong to any guild. They are also not officially approved by the Magi Council. Actually, I am belong here.”

Izuku stopped writing and looked at Marga. “Uhm, Marga-san, what is the Magic Council?”

“Well, Magic Council is the government of the Magic world. They have the outmost control of all things that has magic. To tell you the truth I hate these guys. They’re pretty annoying.” Marga said and Izuku chuckled when Marga said the last part with disgust.

“Now… to the main reason why I wanted to talk to you. I want to tell you who really am I.” The atmosphere around them changed and Marga’s expression became more serious.

“I didn’t tell you that I specializes in two fields. Healing using the Air magic and Medicine. I am expert in medicine, what I mean by expert is, I can create artificial limbs and organs using my magic and this is not like the artificial things doctors have invented. Mine are more real. The longer you use it, the more it becomes real.”

Izuku’s eyes widened at what Marga had said. “…Marga-san, you’re really amazing.” Izuku said in low tone but Marga can hear the amazement in it. Izuku may be amazed by her magic, but she’s not. Marga’s expression turned into gloom which Izuku noticed immediately. “I am not amazing, Izuku. Because of my power I made a mistake. A very huge mistake.”

“W-what do you mean, Marga-san?” Izuku asked in worry.

It took Marga a couple of seconds before answering. “…I was too amazed by the stories of dragon slayers which led to the creation of the second generation of dragon slayers. Dragon Slaying magic is one of the lost magic. The first generation are those who were taught by real dragons and the second generations are people who have Lacrima with dragon slaying magic implanted inside their body.

Years ago, before I met you, there are four teen agers who knew about my study of Lacrima with drgon slaying magic. They were also quirkless and begged to me that they wanted to have the Larima. Because of my young mind, I agreed and implanted the Lacrima’s inside them. I didn’t know that one of them will become a threat.” Marga said with full of regret.

“What kind of threat does he bring?” Izuku asked curiously.

“I’ve been tracking his actions for the past years, and learn from my other former students that he is looking for Celestial Magic users.”

TBC

#bnha #magic user izuku #fanfic #midoriya izuku #crossover with fairytail

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xsilversprings · 7 years ago

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Pokeshipping Week - Day Four.

Lost together.

It was a chilly November afternoon. The temperature was below freezing as snow hailed from above, falling in thin snowflakes that caked the ground with layers of icy frost. Anyone who stepped foot onto it would soon be into it with it up to their shins. There was hardly anything that could be distinguishable past three feet of whoever tried to see ahead of themselves. It could almost be described as the aftermath of a blizzard, or one that was on its way. The same could be said for the road that could only be identified by a path of tire tracks. But it was a new set that pulled to the side of it, ending in a brush of snowy undergrowth.

And it was something that Misty had the highest expectation of.

She and Ash had decided to make a surprise visit to see his mother. But what was becoming more of a surprise was if they would get there on time; Both of them had been on the road for over an hour now, trying to navigate through an unfortunate snowstorm before Ash had to pull over. Pikachu was inbetween naps in the backseat next to their luggage while she'd been watching him stare at the map that was becoming more useless by the second. He would glance up every so often, then check somewhere behind his shoulder. Which didn’t do them much good, considering that it was mostly snow capped trees and foggy air that surrounded them. And that was unfortunately the clearest sign for something that nobody needed a map for.

"You have no idea where we are, do you?"

"Of course I do." came Ash’s quick reply. He didn't even bother to take his eyes from the map before answering her, and likely out a reasonable amount of fear. If it was anything he learned out of how many times this has happened before, it was to never look at Misty if she already knew the answer to something she asked.

"I'm just making sure we're in the right place."

"Don't give me that. We've been sitting here for ten minutes, Ash. I'm tired and I'm cold. Either figure out where we're supposed to be, or stop somewhere to find out."

"I know where we are, Misty." he continued in a hopeless facade of knowledge. "I've done this before."

"You mean you've gotten us lost before." she quipped, rubbing her forehead in an attempt to ward off an impending migraine. Too many times has she been in this exact situation where she made the mistake of letting Ash take charge. And more often than not had they not made it to where they were going on time. She was starting to blame herself more than him.

"It's not my fault, you know. It's not like I decided to make it snow."

"No. But what you can decide to do is stop somewhere and ask for directions."

Ash visibly cringed. That was the one thing he hated almost more than anything else. There was no way in the hot place that he was about to pull in somewhere and ask some other guy to find out where he was. The idea of it crawled up his spine and made him feel like an idiot. And if that didn't do it, then the other guy he'd be stupid enough to ask would have. Because that's what it always ended up coming down to. Ash didn't know why, but he figured it was just written somewhere in the male code. Cause guys don't do that. They just don't.

"I'd rather sleep in the snow."

Misty eyed him lazily. "You'll be sleeping with the Quilifish if you don't do something to get us out of this."

"Well if you think you can do any better, then be my guest!" Ash suggested, halfway lifting up the paper to her.

"Fine, I will!" she snatched it from his grasp and splayed out the directions in front of her. She removed the gloves from her hands, practically hearing Ash pout. But she ignored it and flexed out the contents. The map itself was a neverending line of connecting roads, numbers and names while it now sat against the dashboard. Misty almost didn’t know where to start. And she was quickly coming to find that it was indeed difficult to pinpoint their exact location.

The minutes ticked by. Ash watched her, and soon it was his turn to be waiting for a result. She was scanning it with a wild pair of eyes and likely out of anger more than anything else. But he waited. She clenched her jaw on and off for a minute, pursing her lips here and there and turning it to the side every so often.

Then it hit him after about two more minutes of this.

"You don't know where we are either."

His voice was nothing short of shock and amazement. He even pivoted slightly in his seat toward her with his eyes wide open with wonder. Never in all his time of knowing her, had he ever been on the other side of the fence. And here he was now, watching it and feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. It was also more of a statement than a question, and Misty's angry eyes snapped right back to his face. Her cheeks flared with either embarrassment or the chilly weather, momentarily lost for a reply.

"You don't!" Ash was smiling now. "Ha! For once you don't have a clue!"

Misty's face was bright red by now as she clenched the paper in a pair of angry fists while Ash started to crack up. His back was partially turned to the window, dedicating his full attention to this moment. He waited a lifetime for Misty to be the one who didn't have the answers.

"I can't believe it!"

"I never said I didn't know where we are!" she shot back. "I'm just taking my time since you didn't! I'm doing what should've been done in the first place!"

Ash just shook his head with a grin. "No way, Mist. I'm not fallin' for it. Just admit that you don't know this time."

Her eyebrow twitched.

"You finally know what it feels like! Oh man, wait till-hey!!"

Misty had now taken the liberty of giving the map a whole new purpose by rolling it up and swatting Ash upside the head with it. And she was a force to be reckoned with. He recoiled at once, taken off guard by her retaliation and threw his arms up over his head.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was the least bit alarmed. The pokemon barely twitched an ear and peeked an eye open to see what it was about this time. But all he could see was Misty unleashing another bout of fury on his master, bumping her arm on the horn with every strike she delivered to him. But that wasn't enough to shut him up and Ash laughed inbetween hits.

"You still-" smack. "Don't know-" smack. "Where-" smack. "We are!"

Ash was still laughing while Misty kept thrashing him. She was leaning over the console to do it, not even bothering to take off her seatbelt, letting the map fly in all directions and land wherever it landed on him. It didn't hurt, of course, the map was only so big, and fell on him in dainty-sounding swats. But it was just the kind of thing that Ash was used to anyway. It's what always happened whenever she ran out of something verbal to throw at him. Even though he was pretty sure he detected a smile somewhere on her face. Through the cracks of his fingers, that is. And it wasn't long before both of them were laughing.

Misty drew back her arm and fell back into her seat, wiping at her face from the tears that streaked it. Ash pulled off his gloves and ran a hand through his hair as well. Not that anyone could tell if it were out of place beforehand; his unruly hair had a mind of its own. But both of them were out of breath. And thankfully for Ash's sake, no longer angry. The map lay in a crumpled heap on the floor as well. He then discovered that both of them were looking at it in the same moment, then turned their gaze back to eachother and started laughing all over again.

"We're gonna look crazy to anyone who's driving past us." Ash remarked while the last of their laughter dwindled down. The sound of Misty's giggling came next, even though she absolutely despised it being called that.

"If that happens, we should follow them. They'd probably know where they were going." there was no malice in her words, and Ash rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Or maybe their girlfriend bullied them to go stop someplace."

Misty stuck out her tongue and then smiled. A comfortable silence momentarily fell between them after that. The snow was still falling outside, and it was becoming more pleasant than bothersome. Then Ash shifted in his seat and asked the only question that he was pretty sure he knew the answer to.

"What do we do now?"

Misty shrugged.

"What we always do."

She was putting her gloves on again, tugging the purple cuffs over her wrists and looked back at him. And it was clear that the same thought was on Ash's mind as it must have been on hers. It was the one conclusion that they would come to an agreement about that would ultimately solve their problem. It was a sure-fire fix to any mishap that the two of them ran into, and the answer came from both of them at the same time in one simultaneous breath.

"Call Brock."

#pokeshipping week #pokeshipping week 2017 #Ash and Misty #day four #lost together #pokemon #pokeshipping #AAML

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shadeecare · 4 years ago

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Hana Kimura, victim of cyberbulling

Another Celebrity has fallen. Hana Kimura, professional wrestler and star of Netflix’s ‘Terrace House’, a Japanese reality TV series, fell victim to suicide. She left behind messages indicating that cyberbullying is the cause of her death. Recently there has been a deluge of celebrities sharing their struggles about the hurtful comments posted by netizens. Cyberbullying or trolling is an increasing phenomenon where people harass or post hateful messages about another person online. Living a life that is constantly under public eye, where your every movement, action and word is being scrutinised by the public can be daunting even for the most self-assured celebrity. Some celebrities however, have found ways around it Get therapy

Jesy Nelson, rose to fame with the pop band Little Mix. The online abuse started when Little Mix was competing in The X Factor and winning the title only made it worst for Nelson. She received a barrage of name calling and hurtful comments which caused her to spiral into depression. Recently, Jesy released a personal documentary, revealing the impact of online trolls on her mental health and her journey of rehabilitation. The documentary by BBC titled, ‘Odd One Out’ won the 2020 Visionary Honours award for Nelson. Watch Odd One Out here Take a Social Media holiday

Lizzo, famous not only for her singing but for her stand on ‘plus-size’ body positivity has taken a hiatus from Twitter stating that there were just ‘too may trolls’. Lizzo was bombarded with criticism over her comments on Twitter that a Food-delivery person had stolen her food. The food-delivery person fought back and claimed that she had unsuccessfully tried to contact the celebrity. Lizzo reiterates: "I apologise for putting that girl on blast. I understand I have a large following and that there were so many variables that could’ve put her in danger. Imma really be more responsible with my use of social media and check my petty and my pride at the door". However, the apology failed to undo the damage and the food-delivery person is suing Lizzo for inflicting trauma. But Lizzo says her departure is not forever. She says: "I’ll be back when I feel like it". Many other celebrities have also stayed away from social media including Millie Bobby Brown and Marie Tran.

Fight Back

Taylor Swift, ‘Pop Titan’ and best-selling musician of all times, has battled trolls throughout her singing career. Yet even before she amassed countless awards and accolades, it was her indomitable spirit that allowed Swift to bounce back every time. Just write a song about the one who slimes you, has been her signature approach to nasty comments. Swift has clearly mastered the art of teasing trolls and Taylurking with their own comments including featuring snakes in her album and Easter Eggs on social media in retaliation. Swift kept low for a year because of the Kardashian/ West conflict but rose from the ashes again. In her recent release ‘You need to calm down’, some believe that Swift was once again addressing her trolls in her song. You need to calm down.

One wonders why people are still taking pot shots at this artist when the list of her philanthropic deeds is as many as her musical awards. Since 2008, Swift has donated millions and spoken up for victims of cancer, flood, online predators, sexual assault, discrimination, and most recently appeared in a concert to raise funds for the WHO Covid19 Solidarity Response Fund. She is also known to do sweet things for her fans. She would personally send flowers and gift to her fans, and have even showed up at a 96 year old’s home to sing for him. With 200 million fans online, Taylor Swift has all the muscle to speak her mind, shame the bullies and retaliate in the way she does. But I’m not Taylor Swift. So now what? You have trolls crawling out of your computer screen and you are not quite Taylor Swift! Here are some suggestions you can try:

Be careful who you befriend on social media. People may not be who they appear to be on these platforms. Do not post pictures and information that other people can use against you. Don’t respond to what the trolls say. Often, nasty comments are made to get a response from you and ignoring the bully will defeat their plans to get you down. Responding is also pointless if the bully hinds behind a false persona. Keep a record of the derogatory remarks so that you have evidence of what was said in case you need to raise the case to the authorities. Take a snapshot of the post with the name of the sender, date and social media platform visible. Change your social networking settings and block out the bully. Delete all information that was posted by the bully so that it does not create copycat behavior against you. Get help from forum moderators and report the abuse to the different Social Media site providers. Tell a more mature family member, friend or trusted adult and ask them to stand up for you. Upstanding Cyberbullying

Often, we wonder why in a busy public space like social media, where everyone is looking at everyone else’s pages and comments but nobody says anything when a vicious comment is posted. Bystanders do not take the initiative to help the victim for many reasons. Some fear retaliation and being bullied themselves Some may not know what to do to address the bullying. Some feel that it is not their business to intervene as they do not know the victim or what the real situation is about. Research has shown that often, the reason for bystander inaction is because everyone is waiting for someone else to make the first move to speak up against the bullying. Once someone starts to call out the bad behavior then other people will likely join in to do what is right. How can you upstand cyberbulling? Here are some suggestion. But remember to focus on the act and the behavior itself, not the person perpetrating it. Your response should focus at calling out bad behavior and supporting the victim rather than shaming the troll. It is totally pointless fighting bullying with more bullying.

Positive Offensive – Post positive comments about the victim, point out positive qualities or commendable actions by the victim. You can also defend the victim by saying ‘ You and I have lost it/messed up too, and that should be ok’. Delete the negative messages. - Do not forward the negative comments to other people. Gather more people to post nice comments about the victim. Change the topic or use Humour- Sometimes humour can lighten up a serious situation. But be careful that you are not poking fun at someone else as you do so. E.g ‘Whoa, someone is having a bad day to be saying such things’. Object to bullying – You could write: ‘ That’s not a nice thing to say. You wouldn’t want someone to say the same thing to you’ Reach out privately to the victim- Send the victim a private note sharing your displeasure about the bullying, express your concern and show understanding for how they feel. Provide help to raise the bullying to relevant authorities Unintentional vs Intentional Bullying

Sometimes written comments can be misconstrued, as it is hard to tell the motivation behind a comment when you can’t see the facial reaction or hear the tone of voice. Unintentional bullying can happen when people crack a bad joke not knowing that the recipient is sensitive to the statement. Many people also make remarks in a fly without explaining what they really mean. Some express comments that are really a reflection of their own fears and anxious thoughts. If you have unintentionally said something that hurt someone, Apologise! Forgive yourself! and Be more mindful next time. But if a person persistently causes hurt to someone else, it could be because they have unresolved issues in their own lives. Research has shown that some cyberbullies just don't know how to empathise with others. Some bullies are actually afraid of being bullied themselves as they may have been the target of bullies in the past. And of course there are those bully's who only know aggression as the way to solve problems. We do not want to validate bullying nor encourage behavior that is hurtful to others. But we do want people who resort to bullying as an outlet for their frustrations to get help for themselves. They should speak with professional counsellors, teachers, religious or community leaders about their struggles. Get help here:

A Different Perspective.

Lashana Lynch is most recently known for her role in the movie Captain Marvel, playing fighter pilot Maria Rambeau and best friend of Carol Danver a.k.a Captain Marvel. However, Lynch’s next big role in the James Bond movie ‘ No Time to Die’, was not well received by Bond fan’s. Many fans reacted negatively when it was revealed that Lynch would play the roll of 007, as they did not think an African American ‘Black’ women should be ascribed the role of 007. Lynch however, was unfazed with the comments and responded: "It doesn't dishearten me," she said. "It makes me feel quite sad for some people because their opinions, are not even from a mean place -- they're actually from a sad place. It's not about me. People are reacting to an idea, which has nothing to do with my life." Lynch went the extra mile and text some of them with a positive message causing a few to have a change of heart. She says their reply was like: "Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" She added: "But it's an interesting test because it reminds them that they definitely wouldn't say that to someone's face." Lynch demonstrates here that when you take a step back and look at negative comments with a clear head, you can be less emotionally affected. By identifying the reason behind the negative reaction of the Bond fans, Lynch recognized that the fans were actually disappointed because of the type casting of the 007 character which failed to meet with their own expectations.

Cyberbullying is a global problem and has claimed many casualties. However, for cyberbullying to stop, we need to recognize that everyone needs to play a part and take proactive steps to change the way we behave, react and communicate on cyber space. If you are a victim of cyberbullying, engaging in self-harm or having suicidal thoughts, please call for help now:

References: Englander, E.K, Muldowney, A.M. (2007). Just Turn the Darn Thing Off: Understanding Cyberbullying.. InMARC Publications.Paper 12. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/marc_pubs/12 Marano, H.E, (1995,2019) Psychology Today. Big Bad Bully- Bullies aim to inflict pain. But eventually, the one most hurt by the bullying is the bully himself. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/199509/big-bad-bully Steffgen, G., Konig, A., Pfetsch, J., & Melzer, A. (2011). Are Cyberbullies Less Empathic? Adolescents’ Cyberbullying Behavior and Empathic Responsiveness. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 14, 643-648. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2010.0445. Shultz, E., Heilman, R., & Hart, K. J. (2014). Cyber-bullying: An exploration of bystander behavior and motivation. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 8 (4), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2014-4-3 Image of Hana Kimura - Youtube: Word Association with Hana Kimura. Image/Video of Jesy Nelson - Odd One Out, BBC.com Image of Lashana Lynch - Captain Marvel Trailer, Marvel Entertainment. Image of Lizzo - Andy Witchger / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) Image of Taylor Swift - YouTube: The Best Outfits At The 2019 American Music Awards | Cosmopolitan UK] Read the full article

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yeahforsurejess · 5 years ago

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we are all people.

Wow, this picture says so much. I knew what I wanted to write about for this weeks blog and I started looking for an image that would communicate what I was trying to say, and I found it. Shout out to @mccutcheonphoto on Instagram for this amazing piece of art.

A few weeks ago I took a mini vacation with my hubs to LA for an LAFC game. Before the game, we spent time exploring our favorite LA coffee shops, because that’s our idea of vacationing honestly. Well, we happened to go to Dayglow in WeHo as our morning stop and while we were driving around I saw so many beautiful people who were just being... themselves. I couldn’t help but take notice and feel joy for them and their community. WeHo is like Hillcrest, near where we live. The majority of the community is LGBTQ and I LOVE the LGBTQ community, so much. It makes me sad to think that we might leave this area of SD someday and I find myself wanting to move closer to Hillcrest all the time.

As we drove through streets filled with people dressed in the most eccentric and inspiring outfits, I saw three guys, dressed to the nines (heels included), taking selfies outside of a restaurant and I turned to Mark and said, “You know what? I think gay people are the most empathetic people I have ever met.” Mark looked at me and asked me why I thought that and that question inspired this post.

I’m a fighter for the underdog. I absolutely hate injustice and I have a strong desire to see people raise up from the ashes into beautiful, joyful, and free people. Some people might ask, “But you’re a Christian, aren’t you supposed to hate gay people?” To which I respond, “NO! Absolutely not. Jesus never said to hate your neighbor, not a single time.” And honestly, what is it about gay people that offends Christians so much? Fundamentalist Christian worldview says that homosexuality is a sin, but also that no sin is greater than the other. So why is it that we can sit with prostitutes, liars, drug addicts, etc. but when it comes to a gay person, we freak? Why? I have never understood that.

This picture hit me in my gut because it’s how I view the LGBTQ community. While all of my friends who are LGBTQ hold very strong to their community and their (beautiful!) rainbow flags, they are more than a flag or paint on their face. They are people. Beautiful, courageous people. Every conversation I’ve ever had with someone in the LGBTQ community brings me to tears. Their struggle has been so real. Every... single.. one of them.

These people have taken some of the worst that life could have to offer them and have risen above it and then as they rise above it they get hit with slander, bullying, abuse, and anything else under the sun that could make a person go crazy. But they rise above it. My gay friends are some of the strongest friends I have, some of the best listeners I know, and the most empathetic, because they get it. They understand what it means to struggle and they understand the curveballs life can throw. When a person sits down with them to share their struggle, they actually listen, because there was a time where they weren’t listened to or acknowledged and they value that. It’s an honor to have these people in my life and we should see them for what they are. An honor, a privilege, and a blessing to this harsh world.

When I looked up the Jewish view and beliefs on the rainbow, I found that they look at rainbows as a true reflection of the sun's rays. God (the sun) shines through us (mist) to bring out the beauty of his creation (the rainbow). At the end of the day, whether you are straight or homosexual, you are God’s creation and He has made you fearfully and wonderfully. So please, if you are out or wanting to be out or feel like you’re struggling with who you are and what you should do, please remember that. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God LOVES you. No stupid soapbox sign could ever change that. And if you are Christian and you are trying to figure out your sexuality but feel like you’re alone and have no one to talk to. Please, talk to me or Mark. You are NOT alone and we LOVE you.

To my fellow Christians, I want to share a story with you,

I have a neighbor who is a lesbian and has lived in our complex since before we got here. We’re going on 6 years being here. One day, she overheard us talking about Jesus at our pool and at first wasn’t sure what to make of it. She had been hurt by the church and was cautious around religion but she sat and listened and came up to Mark and I later and asked if we were Christians. When we replied, “Yes.” She said that we must be the cool christians and that she had never seen people talk about Jesus or Christianity the way we did and she most definitely had not seen Christians be that comfortable around the LGBTQ community. That made me so sad, because like I’ve been saying, I LOVE them.

About two years into us being neighbors, her kitten died. She had just gotten her kitten and was completely distraught. When she got home after the vet appointment, she knocked on our door and with tears in her eyes said, “Can I have you guys pray for me?” My heart sank and I hugged her and brought her inside. She shared her story with us that afternoon and God gave me a word for her that was exactly what she needed to hear and so accurate that she was pretty taken aback. I told her it was Jesus and she was so thankful.

I’m not sharing this story to get a pat on the back. This should be normal. We should be loving on all people no matter what our “religious views” might be. I could give two craps about “religious views” if it means that I get to love on people the way Jesus did. Sitting and talking with our neighbor and praying for her was a PRIVILEGE. I am honored that God put me in this neighborhood and every day I spend time with the LGBTQ community I am more and more in awe of who God created them to be and how much he absolutely loves them. I urge you to please look at people who you may not agree with differently. At the end of the day, we are all people and we all deserve to be loved.

yeah, for sure,

- Jess

#yeah #forsure #yeahforsure #yeahforsurejess #rainbow #lgbtq #religion #christianity #christian #jesus #love #privilege #honor #truth #weho #lafc #dayglow #weareallpeople #people #community

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