#i only said bye to wh during hi touch yet he always give me that loving smile 😭😭

[softbunnywonho]

wh: " will you be..... mine?"

[thenovelartist]

A Blanc Slate, Chapter 8

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22. Cosplay

“I’m going to face Ladybug tomorrow.”

The atmosphere shifted in an instant, time stopping for a moment. “Oh?”

“I can’t put this off,” Chat said. “And… I think I’m ready to, anyway.”

While part of Marinette felt relieved, part of her was panicking. Because apparently, she had one day to think of what to say to her kitty cat to convince him to… well, to keep in touch in some way, she supposed. She couldn’t convince him to continue being Chat if that ring was killing him, but there was no way she was willing to let him go yet. Not when he still meant the world to her.

“I’m proud of you,” was what she ultimately said when all other words seemed to fail her. “You were fighting that for a bit, so it must have been a hard decision.”

Chat looked down at his ring. “I… it was,” he admitted. “But mostly, it has to be done. And my friend… she said some things that kinda hit me and made me realize I had to do this.”

“I’m really glad to hear it,” she said, keeping up her smile and pretending it actually wasn’t tearing her up inside. It hadn’t been her to help him, and a part of her hated that.

He shrugged. “So… I guess you can say today’s visit is a good-bye.”

Her expression fell. So this would be the last time Chat would come by before he gave up his ring. But she also realized Marinette wouldn’t know that. She quickly scrambled to respond appropriately. “Oh? You’re not going to stop by anymore?”

He shook his head. “I’m giving up being Chat Noir… er… Blanc.”

“Noir,” she countered. “You’ve always been Chat Noir, even if you’re white at the moment.”

He huffed, bitter smile picking up his lips. “You know… when I first turned white, felt like I was cosplaying, but now I don’t even know what it feels like to be Noir anymore.”

“I never really thought there was a difference,” she said. “You’re still the hero of Paris in my eyes.”

The smile he gave her this time was bittersweet and sorrowful. “Then remember me like that, Princess. Please.”

She nodded. “I promise.”

He relaxed at her answer, as though that weight on his shoulders eased a little. “Promise me one last thing, princess?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Will you stick by Adrien’s side?”

She blinked a few times, trying to wrap her head around his words. Because while she hadn’t known what to expect, that certainly wasn’t even in the ballpark of possibilities. “Wh… what do you mean? I mean, yeah, of course I’ll stay by his side, but—”

“That’s all I need to know,” he said. “He needs you.”

Her brow furrowed, her confusion rising by the second. “What made you say that, though? I didn’t know you knew him.”

“I do,” Chat said. “In a way.”

“That’s vague.”

He shrugged.

“You’re really not gonna tell me?”

For a moment, his expression turned soft. “Maybe in time, Princess, you’ll figure out why.”

“But you just said this was your good bye.”

“It is,” he confirmed. “But you’re not saying good bye to Adrien.”

Understanding slowly dawned on her. It seemed like Chat was hinting Adrien would tell her someday. Maybe that was one of those many secrets that sat on his shoulders that was weighing him down so much.

But she supposed Chat was right when he said ‘in time’ because she wouldn’t push Adrien for anything right now. She’d wait until he could stand on his own feet again, at least.

“Well,” she continued. “Tit for tat, right?”

Chat quirked a brow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that Ladybug seemed really distraught over the thought of loosing you,” she started, trying to chose her words carefully. “So, will you promise me that you’ll reassure her you’re not going anywhere?”

His lips tugged down int a grimace. “Princess…”

“Because maybe this is just my perspective, but a Ladybug without her Chat Noir seems… really weird and wrong.”

Chat bit his lip while a war of emotions played out behind his eyes. In the end, he sighed. “Okay. I promise.”

“I mean, you love her, right?”

“I do,” he murmured.

“Then wouldn’t it be harder to leave things strained between you?”

Chat seemed flustered by her challenge, his ears falling and lips curling into a confused frown. “I… yeah. It would.”

He grinned, able to relax a bit. Because she knew her kitty well enough to know he meant those words. There was hope yet.

23. Video games

Something told her she wasn’t supposed to catch him on her balcony. After all, he told her yesterday that he wouldn’t be coming by anymore, and he looked rather shocked and flustered by her sudden appearance on her balcony.

“Uhh, hey,” he said, giving her a weak smile.

“Fancy seeing you here,” she said, grinning as she hopped up onto her balcony, pretending as though she wasn’t just about to transform to go meet him. She begged her panicked heart to calm down all while being super thankful he hadn’t caught her. She didn’t know how he’d take that and the last thing she wanted was to make her cat run away during her last chance to convince him to stay.

“What brings you by again?” she finally asked before spotting the wrapped gift in his hand.

He seemed to realize he was holding said object, startling before extending the pink papered box out to her. “I owe you a sincere thank you,” he said. “So I just… wanted to leave you a little something.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to,” he said. “I thought you deserve it. And more, but this is the least I can do.”

She took the extended gift. “Can I open it now?”

He shrugged. “I guess. If you want.”

Careful to not tear the paper to the best of her ability, she snapped the tape with a fingernail and opened the gift, only to see the newest video game she’d been saving up for. “How’d you know?”

“A guess,” he said with a shrug and a smile. “And I thought you’d appreciate some down time since you’ve basically been working on nothing but commissions while babysitting… er, well, two grown men.”

She chuckled, holding the gift close to her chest. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

He nodded, but contrary to what Marinette thought would happen, he didn’t immediately turn to leave. “Hey, um… do me a favor?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Maybe… take that over to Adrien sometime,” he said sheepishly. “Because I think the workaholic could use a break and might only take one if you force it on him.”

With a sigh, she smiled before giving him a nod. “Something tells me he wouldn’t be up for it right away. I’d settle for seeing him sleep more and eating properly, at the moment.”

“Something tells me you’ll see that in time.”

“I really hope so,” she softly spoke. “I hate watching him suffer like this.”

Something in Chat’s expression softened. “I think he really appreciates your concern. Just be sure to take care of yourself too, okay?”

“I’ll work on that,” she said with a wink.

24. Jealousy

“Hey,” Marinette asked right before Chat was about to leap away. “Do you want some cookies or anything sweet before you go? Or did your friend force feed you again?”

He paused, leaning back against the railing to steady himself. Marinette couldn’t miss the small smile that picked up the corners of his lips. “She force fed me again. And not to mention she’s a pretty good baker herself.”

Suddenly, the amount of jealousy she was feeling towards chat’s mystery friend spiked. It took her a moment to realize that it was because she felt… like she was being replaced. This girl seemed to hold a special place in his heart beyond either her as Marinette or her as Ladybug. She thought Ladybug was the love of his life, but whenever he mentioned this friend, he got a little twinkle in his eye. And that hurt more than she ever could have expected.

But she tried to cool her head. If this person was the only person to get through to Chat, then she’d take it, even if it broke her heart in the process. Because… just as he loved Ladybug, she loved him. Saying it was a strictly romantic love may have been a stretch, but this man…

No one would ever replace him. And she didn’t want anyone to.

“I’m glad to hear it. But, I’m a pretty good baker, too, you know,” she said with a wink, hoping to smother those intense feelings of hers.

“You are,” he admitted, with a teasing smile. “But I would have to say she’s on your level.”

“I’d gladly hold a bake-off with her and prove that wrong.”

Chat burst into a giggle fit that soon turned into a coughing fit. “Ahh, princess,” he eventually choked out, shooting her a strained smile. “So competitive.”

“You better believe it,” she said, trying not to calm her worry. He was trying to brush it off, slowly regaining his composure. Part of her wanted to get him to sit down while she got him some water, but he seemed to be steady again. However, it was a good reminder that now might be a good time to let him go. He had to go see the other her, after all, and she was anxiously looking forward to that. “Now, I’ll let you go to go see your lady.”

Any joy that had been on his face faded, his smile turning sad as his ears drooped. “Yeah. Wish me luck?”

You can have half of it, kitty. Because I’ll need the other half to get you to stay. “Good luck, Chat. And it’s been wonderful knowing you.”

Warmth returned to the smile he gave her. “Thanks, princess. It’s been wonderful knowing you, too. Never change.”

And with that, he leapt off into the night, a white blur on the horizon.

Marinette watched him disappear, then took an extra moment to put the game on her bed before hopping back out on her balcony to transform. She was ready to face her kitty. It was now or never.

[angst-king]

I didn’t ask for this pt1

(Trigger warning, Rape against a minor. Mention of selfharm, teen pregnancy, not graphic but well we’ve all got our own versions of ‘graphic) (i don’t own BNHA or any canon characters)

Kaminari was on his way back to UA from his boyfriend's house, even though his lover offered to walk him Kaminari refused. Sure it was dark out but Shinsou's house wasn't too far from UA. Grabbing his shoes and putting them on he gives tator-tot and nacho one last 'good bye' before he stood up to kiss his lover. "I'll see you on Friday Toshi, I love you." He smiles standing on his toes looking the witch in the eyes, Shinsou smiles back kissing his forehead before hugging him. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk with you, its late love." Denki chuckles softly "Toshi I'm not a child I don't need you to walk me to school, I'll text you when I get back to my dorm, I promise Hitoshi." "alright then, have a good day at school." With that the door opened and Kaminari left to head back to UA.

Shinsou watched the other leave as the kittens did so too, when the other was far enough. Shinsou sighed and closed the door. Picking up the kittens he takes them to go and play with them in the bedroom. As Denki walked a man came from behind as he passed and alley. the man remained quiet, his footsteps unheard even as his pace quickened until he grabbed Denki from behind! Denki yelped and thrashed "the hell man let go!" lighting up a little. The man dragged him deep into the alley way where he shoved a cloth gag into Denki's mouth with a smirk on his lips he darkly chuckles "I might just keep you awake during this" he says while grinding his hips onto him. Continuing to thrash and cry out, Denki's yelling was fruitless but did start clawing and hitting. The man grumbled and groaned "I usually like a fiesty bottom but, this is too much." Using his quirk, a hand traced up from Denki's waist to his neck. His fingers had an orange padding that left hickey like burns on Denki. A soft whispered 'fall' which would spread a feeling paralysis to Denki's legs and arms, scrambling his brain into nothing. Keeping him conscious but unable to move, the man held Denki in a way to keep him up while he did as he pleased with the teenager. When he was done, the man left Denki in the alley way. Pulling up his pants and casually walking off, leaving the young blond in his mess on the ground. Denki would be able to wake up with some feeling in his body. Denki was knocked out cold. Waking up about an hour later, a ton of emotions hit him like a truck, he....he really did inside!  Breathing quickly and shaking heavily, the young Kaminari was having a panic attack which lasted a whole twenty minutes before he was forced to calm himself down. He called the first person on his emergency call list, ...Aizawa. Aizawa was asleep with Yamada when his phone went off. He grumbled waking up to it and answered, "what is it?" he didn't sound too pleased to be woken up at this time of night.. Still groggy and half asleep he yawned sitting up in the bed.

"S-Sensei hic...” Denki was crying and sniveling. “S-sensei pl-please I-I need you“ He could barely hold back his sobs, this instantly woke up the teacher. Quickly shaking to wake up his husband next to him who shot up out of his deep sleep. "huh what?" Aizawa was already getting out of the bed "We're on our way Kaminari sit tight. Come on Mic we need to go now!" "wh-what's going on?" Asked the sleepy blonde, Aizawa told him that one of their students needed them urgently. So Hizashi put on some clothes, grabbed the emergency bag while Aizawa grabbed his binding clothe in case anything escalated. When both men were ready to go, they headed out of the dormitory and to Kaminari's location that Aizawa asked for before they'd hung up.

A sickening sense of dread filled the raven haired male, he would rather this be a prank than be right about something terrible happening to one of his students. Hizashi asked what Kaminari told him which wasn't much help but they were at least close by. When the reached near the place Kaminari gave them, the teachers began calling out to the first year student. They didn't need to hear the other to find him, turning on a flash light Hizashi gasped upon what he saw through the light. A curled up blonde who's hair was a mess, various bruises, blood drawn from harsh scratching and pushing. Covered and dripping with visible semen, his clothes ravaged on the ground leaving the small Kaminari bare and naked. "Oh my god" Eyes wide at the boy's state the teachers hurry over and kneel down. They could see Denki was shaking, not only from the chill of the night air but from anxiety and fear. Tear stained cheeks, white knuckles digging into his bicep.

"Oh Kaminari, we're here now its gonna be okay. Does anything hurt?" With a small whimper Denki stammered to them as Mic went through the bag. "I-I f-feel numb s-sensei" Pulling out a thick blanket, Hizashi draped it around Kaminari. "What feels numb Kaminari, what happened to you?" Aizawa didn't wanna be right with his suspicion, his thoughts swam as he noticed all the slick of the man's doings. "I-I" Kaminari was terrified and Aizawa knew that what just happened to him must've traumatized him. The boy shook harder as tears rained down from his cheeks, eyes darting around until Aizawa lightly put  hand on his shoulder which made him jump. 

"Denki shhh its gonna be okay, we just need to know what happened so we can help you kiddo." Denki stuttered out an explanation of what happened, hearing this, Aizawa and Yamada both share a horrified look. "Oh Kaminari we're sorry you had to go through that kid but. We're here now." Encouraged Yamada in a soft parental voice, with a small sniffle Kaminari whimpered and nodded but then grabbed his head wincing. "does your head hurt bud?"  Aizawa earned a nod "okay why don't we get you to recovery girl and get you checked out, cleaned up, and resting yeah?" Denki had never heard Aizawa speak this softly to him, but it was comforting. Aizawa then leaned down and picked Denki up. Holding him on his hip and letting the blond's head rest on his shoulder. Standing up fully, Aizawa adjusted the blanket and told Hizashi to call recovery girl as they walked back to the dorms. Soft sniffles, whimpers, shakes, and sobs, Kaminari felt like a child as he clung to Aizawa. Aizawa wasn't the best with feeling and comfort in certain scenarios but, right now he knew that his student needed him emotionally. Something in his brain clicked, the students and staff recognized that Aizawa always had some what of a fatherly side when his students needed him. This was happening again, Aizawa's parent mode turned on. While they walked he rubbed the blond's back, hushing him, gingerly combing his fingers through Denki's hair to sooth him just a little.

When they got to UA, Hizashi opened the door for Aizawa, they both head to a tired recovery girl's office. Coming in, Recovery girl has the exam bed ready, which Aizawa placed Denki on. Holding the blanket to cover himself up, Denki made a small sound as Recovery girl approached. "Kaminari dear, what happened?" Denki could barely say "I-I d-didn't wa-want this" It broke them all, Recovery girl sighed. Aizawa told her what Deki said earlier and she was just as terrified as much as she was disgusted. Recover girl the asked Denki if she could examine him, he quickly shakes his head and curls up. She sees him wince and hold his head so she asked. "Does your head hurt Kaminari?" Kaminari nods "can I see?" another nod, so Recovery knows she'll have to take it slow with the electric blond. She sees that he's traumatized and doesn't really want to be touched, but she's breaking down small bits of his walls. It takes some coaxing and reassurance from his teachers but they got Denki to let recovery girl help him. She bandaged up the multiple cuts, abrasions, bites and other injuries. Giving him medicine for the pain, Recovery girl gave Denki his space now. "Well Kaminari, for the time being everything seems to be okay physically. Please take these antibiotics until you finish the bottle okay and if you start to feel sick or your chest or something isn't acting right come to me." Denki had barely said a word since her first question still only nodding to answer her. She then turned to the teachers and motioned them to speak privately. 

They followed her to the far side of the room and spoke quietly. "We should have the police investigate this matter, maybe warn the students when it comes to going out during the night times." Aizawa folds his arms over his chest "I agree, but I think we should keep Denki's situation out of our mouths. Its his decision on who he tells and if he wants to. Still we need to start an investigation and we will need him to speak but if he's unable to do so in person then I will speak on his behalf." Hizashi spoke up "I feel terrible for him, if I were in his shoes I probably wouldn't be able to articulate much to authorities....this was just like Yuu's situation but, for a girl now you at least were taken a little more seriously than a boy would." Hearing the memory of their fellow pro hero's pass predicament from their late high school days. "True she ended up pregnant and carried her little girl to full term though.. I fear that Kaminari may have the same fate but not handle it like Yuu did." Recovery girl explained, the pro heroes frowned "I've heard that the rate of young males being pregnant and surviving at Denki's age is low.. I read it in an article I'd saw online a month or so ago. They die from depression, anxiety, isolation or a combination of things in those wheel houses." Aizawa's tone seemed dull yet serious but his eyes held a hidden rage of a thousand suns. Mic gulped nervously eying his student who was bundled in the warmth of the blanket. "We should keep an eye on him shouldn't we?" Inquired the long haired blond, the two other heroes agreed. Coming back to their student who was curled up in a ball, wrapped in the blanket Mic had put on him as a cover up. His eyes closed with tears staining his flushed face, his body limp and bandaged in various places. When they noticed he was asleep, Recovery girl had told the adults to head back to their dorm. She ensured them of the young Kaminari's safety but Hizashi still had to drag Shota away from the nurse's office.

[notafightr]

It fic exchange!!!

so here's my reddie fic for @disneyfan567​ for the it fic exchange event! no trigger warnings, sorry for any mistakes or lack of skill this displays as i havent written in a long time and this is the first time ive written in this fandom

(°﹏°)

  Eddie was 13 when he moved to Ohio. Sonia decided she had had enough of Derry, and the small town was doing more harm than good to her delicate son. To describe Eddie's reaction, reluctant was an understatement. He was leaving his 6 best friends, his only real friends, all because of his mother's glorified temper tantrum.

  The past 3 years were (in)arguably the best years of his life. He met his best friends, more of a family than his own (which really just consisted of his overbearing mother), he had irreplaceable experiences and memories with his best friends, these friends entirely shaped and nurtured his character. So to have his mother rip all of that away from him, well it understandably upset him. Most of all, he didn't know how he was going to cope with the frequent flashbacks and nightmares that taxed him emotionally and mentally several times a week, dutifully owed to that short, albeit rather traumatic summer of 89’.

  For 3 long, yet oh so short years, Eddie coped with these strains through the support of his friends, especially a loudmouthed, annoying boy with Coke bottle glasses and slightly bucked teeth, named Richard Tozier, who couldn't find it in him to ever stop annoying Eddie, or stop telling him how much he loved him, or stop picking flowers for him on walks because he knew even though Eddie denied it, they really did make Eddie happier than he cared to admit.

  How do you cope with a demon clown terrorising you and your friends’ lives for an entire summer, haunting you as your worst fear, using unholy tactics to scare you in unimaginable ways, trapping you in its crack den, and almost killing you miles below land level, all at the ripe age of 10? Hopefully you found yourself down there with your 6 best friends. You also let your mind do the forgetting. Well, what it can. There's some things you can't forget.

  Until you leave Derry.

  Eddie started forgetting the moment the plane took off, whether he realized it or not. He managed to remember his friends for a short while, but vaguely. He didn't remember the poems Ben gave him every birthday, or that the friendship bracelet on his left wrist was made by thee Beverly Marsh. He didn't remember that the reason his room was always so tidy was because Stan Uris couldn't help himself every time they chose Eddie’s place as the hangout spot (when Sonia wasn't home of course), or all the scary stories Bill liked to tell at their weekly sleepovers at the ass crack of 3 am. He didn't remember how Jessica and Will Hanlon were by far the superior parents of the friend group and the snacks they so generously provided to said group were the best he ever had, no doubt that Mike directly inherited their kind and generous traits.

  When he woke up at the end of his plane ride, he didn't even remember that the lily flower in his hand was given to him as a parting gift by Richie, whose parents picked him up from the airport after he gave one last hug goodbye at the gate and waved Eddie off with flower in hand. Even after intently looking down, confused, and finally remembering it was indeed Richie who gave him the flower, he still didn't remember Richie’s endearing flower giving habit.

  He promised them he'd stay in touch, but it wasn't long before the initials BH, BM, SU, BD, MH, and RT were just meaningless letters next to a series of unknown house phone numbers.

  It wasn't until he forgot one particular conversation with Bill during a sleepover one night in 6th grade that he forgot Richie completely.

  “Bill?” Eddie whispered, lying down in Bill’s bed, not even sure if Bill was awake.

  “Y-yeah?” Bill replied after some silence.

  “So, we're best friends right?”

  “Well y-yeah, I m-mean all-” Bill started before being interrupted.

  “No I mean like, I know the seven of us are best friends obviously, but I mean, we’re best-best friends, you know what I mean? Like even before the lucky seven it's always been us right?”

  “Oh. Yeah I s-suppose.” Bill reassured him.

  It took Eddie a second to try and gather his thoughts and articulate what he was trying to say.

  “Well, I feel like, Richie’s different from all of you.”

  “Yeah n-no sh-shit Eddie, that k-kid can't k-keep his mou-” Bill was again interrupted.

  “No, that's not what I mean. I mean,” Eddie again had to organize his thoughts in his head, which proved to be difficult when not even he knew what he was thinking. “I mean I feel different with him. Like when he gives me flowers and stuff, and he's the only one that calls me Eds. But I know you're my best friend. My best-best friend. Am I wrong? Maybe Richie is my best-best friend?” At this point it felt like Eddie was just saying it out loud for himself.

  After a few seconds, which felt like several minutes to Eddie, Bill giggled.

  “What?” Eddie asked, almost panicked.

  While Bill didn't necessarily believe this, the thought amused him greatly. “It s-sounds like you have a c-cr-crush on h-him.”

  “Wh-... you th-” Eddie just about got whiplash from Bill’s statement. “You think I have a crush on him?!”

  “I n-never said that… I j-just said it s-sounds like you do.”

  “I'm not… I don't like boys like that. My mom told me what it means if you do and what happens, and I don't think I do,” he backtracked.

  At this point, Bill was almost asleep. “Okay Eddie, that's fine,”

  “I think maybe you're just both my best friends,” Eddie assured, but undoubtedly he said this more for himself than for Bill. Bill probably succumbed to slumber before Eddie could even start.

  Once any evidence of this conversation having occurred left his brain, any trace of Richie was buried deep under newer things. The others were already long gone. The nightly nightmares he experience fizzled out eventually, but they did resurface every once in a while. On the other side of the same coin however, he did have dreams about the good times with the losers. He never remembered them when he woke up, though.

  Not to mention, he was frequently frustrated at his lack of motivation to clean his room properly, wondering why his always clean room in Derry suddenly had no place in his new life in Ohio. Where's a Stan Uris when you need him?

  He tried to make friends. For a bit he was even in a nice friend group of people he clicked fairly well with, they were funny and kind and they welcomed him with open arms. But nothing felt right. They were funny, but it hurt to laugh at their jokes, they were nice, but almost too nice. If anyone so much as cracked a your mom joke, Eddie's first thought was an annoyed “Stop trying to be-” but always stopped short right there.

  Stop trying to be who?

  He didn't know. He didn't remember.

  So at the end of his sophomore year, when he asked his mom to sign his permission form for the classes he wanted to take the upcoming school year, his mom declined.

  “Eddie Bear, we're moving back to Derry this summer.” Sonia said apologetically, understanding he'll have to say goodbye to the friends he doesn't have.

  “Wait, what?” confused was an understatement. He had to rack his brain for a moment to even remember what “Derry” meant.

  “It’s getting difficult for me to support us financially here, so we're moving back near your Aunt Jodie and she's going to help us a little bit. We should start packing no later than the end of May, we’ll be out of the house and into the new one at the beginning of July in time for you to to get settled and start school at Derry High.”

  Eddie had never felt more indifferent in his whole entire life, while also feeling an inkling of hope he didn't quite understand. If anything, his biggest curiosity was why he didn't feel even a whisper of sadness for leaving the people he knew in Marietta, Ohio. While Eddie didn't care about moving back to Derry, and it meant almost nothing to him on the surface, the Eds inside of Eddie couldn't help peeking through.

  So they moved back. Eddie finished packing up his belongings before the deadline his mother gave to start packing had even passed, and he didn't bother telling any of his “friends” (perhaps acquaintances is a more applicable word) that he was leaving because the truth was, it was more trouble than it was worth. They would no doubt care more than twice as much as he did, so he left without so much of a trace of a goodbye.

  Now that Eddie was 16, he could drive. While Sonia wouldn't buy Eddie his own car, not over her dead body, she did allow him to use hers when it was available, and given her physical state and social life, it was almost always available. After a solid 8 hours of unpacking his things in his new, snug room on an otherwise uneventful July evening, he picked up his mom's keys.

  “Bye Mom!” he shouted loud enough for his mom to hear without bothering to hear her response as he shut the door.

  He shoved the key in ignition. Despite not having been in town for 3 years, he was still able to navigate the area without assistance. He drove to the coffee shop that he had vague memories of visiting during middle school winters for hot chocolate with some friends whose faces he couldn't quite remember yet.

  Walking in it didn't look much different. Not that Derry would care enough to update the coffee shop, or any shop for that matter, for any reason.

  “Hi, how can I help you?” a blonde girl at the register asked uninterestedly.

  She definitely hates her job, Eddie thought while pointlessly perusing the menu, already knowing what he planned to order. Sophomore year was not academically kind to Eddie, and a caffeine addiction to compensate for the mass amount of all nighters pulled did occur.

  “Can I just have a black coffee with sugar?” he asked while digging through his tattered black wallet he received as a birthday gift in seventh grade. He then flinched his head up in response to hearing another employee drop an entire pitcher of coffee on the floor.

  “Oh, fuck,” said worker pointedly exclaimed, which not only stirred a giggle out of Eddie, but his voice in combination with his oddly familiar black curly hair caused his heart drop, though completely lost as to why.

  “Your name?”

  “Hello?” She asked after a moment.

  “Hello!” the blonde girl repeatedly nagged, trying to catch Eddie’s lost attention.

  “What? Sorry I missed that,” Eddie finally grounded himself. Unfortunately his attempt to catch the other employees face failed as he stayed turned away and then hurried to his hands and knees on the floor.

  “I need your name for your order.”

  “Oh yeah of course, Eddie.” Not even seconds after his response, he heard something nearly inaudible, completely not understandable from the employee on the floor, which was confirmed by the blonde girl, which Eddie now gathered from her name tag to be Sarah, who exasperatedly asked about the other employee’s struggle.

  “You alright down there?”

  “Yeah, I’m just peachy, Sarah,” hearing the voice even clearer instilled a visceral reaction even stronger in Eddie once again.

  Sarah took Eddie’s cash, distributed his change, and set his cup down on the back counter for when the other employee to make when he was done cleaning up his mess. He picked a seat close by the counter and waited. After a few minutes, longer than probably usual, given time dedicated to cleaning up the coffee on the floor, Eddie heard his name called by the same antagonist and saw his coffee set on the counter, but employee was again out of sight. Eddie grabbed the coffee and with no reason to stay he made his way back to the car.

  Drinking his iced coffee on his way home, at a stop light he picked up his drink and studied it curiously. He noticed the boy who made his drink must have added his name for some reason because when Sarah set it down for him to make, there was nothing written on it. However, clearly on the cup, was his name:

  While looking at the little flower next to his name made him smile, it was a cute gesture, it filled him with a familiar sense of longing and loneliness, as if he was missing something. He got home, finished his coffee, continued unpacking, dreadfully argued with his mom about leaving the house without telling her where he was going, and went to sleep. It was less of a need for caffeine but more of an eagerness to learn about a curly headed, clumsy employee that brought him back to the coffee shop the next day.

  So he came back. He came back at the same time too, to have his best chance of the boy being on shift.

  “How can I help you?” Sarah asked.

  “Black coffee with sugar, Eddie.” successfully staying on track with Sarah this time around.

  Again, she set the blank cup on the counter and just like before, his name with a dainty doodle of a flower beside it. Unfortunately, even if he wanted to say anything to the employee which Eddie now knew wears a big pair of glasses, his introverted nature wouldn't allow it. Back to home it was, to continue setting up his new room.

  The next couple of weeks was the same routine, and quite lonely. Being in the middle of summer, with no school to be his vessel of socializing, and no friends, it was him, his lonely self, and his mom. For all intents and purposes, him and his lonely self.

  However one morning, in a hurry as he had a family gathering for brunch to attend to, he knew he wouldn't be able to get to the coffee shop in the evening so he came in the morning, despite knowing the shift would likely not be the same.

  He walked in and noticed it was in fact not Sarah at the register but didn't look further.

  “How can I help you?” The boy at the register was looking down.

  “Just a black coffee and sugar. Eddie.” He got the cash from his wallet and told the boy he could keep the change as he was already late to his aunt's house and confident he could do without the dollar and 74 cents. As he walked to the counter to get his coffee as soon as it was ready, he noticed the boy scribbling his name and a flower on the cup but his brain didn't process anything other than how late he was. He took his coffee eagerly and made his way back to his car, knowing his mom (who was already there after being picked up by her sister) was no stranger to yelling at Eddie for “caring more about himself than his family”.

  On the drive to his house he allowed himself time to think and thought about the boy at the register. He was familiar to Eddie and not just because he's seen him every day for two weeks, making his regular order with ease.

  The Coke bottle glasses.

  The flower.

  The unkempt, black, curly hair.

  But that was still too out of reach for him. He thought about it for as long as he could without having an aneurysm from working his brain too hard and decided he would come back the next morning for the same shift.

  Sonia greeted Eddie outside before he was able to come inside.

 “Eddie bear, why are you so late?”

  “Sorry ma, I was up late finishing my summer assignment and I stopped to get coffee when I left,” Eddie started despite knowing this wouldn't be enough to appease his mom.

  “Aunt Jodie is being very kind to help us out and this is the first time seeing family since we've gotten back, you should show your gratitude properly. Say thank you when we come in.”

  “I will, Ma. Why didn't you just wake me up and take the car here?”

  “Aunt Jodie wanted to catch up with me before everyone else got here. She took us to breakfast. I figured you'd have enough autonomy to drive yourself here on time. Are you feeling well? Did you sleep enough?”

  “Yes, ma!” Eddie spoke as he got out of the car and locked it, handing the keys to his mom. “I just overslept. Sorry for being late.”

  However, while his cousins and aunts and uncles were asking him how Ohio was and if he was sad to leave his friends and if he left a broken hearted girlfriend back in Marietta, all he could think about was the coffee shop employee who never failed to doodle a flower next to his name.

  He got home late, worked on his summer assignment, because against what he told his mom, he had in fact not started yet. He made sure to wake up at the same time as the morning before and headed to the coffee shop. To his pleasure, the boy was at the register.

  “How can I help you?”

  Eddie stared at him.

  “Uh,” He couldn't help but chortle as Eddie stared, wordlessly, and then it appeared as though a freight train of memories hit him square in the head.

  “Oh my God,” Eddie nearly dropped to the floor. “Richie? Richie fucking Tozier? Is this a joke?”

  “Ya know Eds, I was starting to think you really forgot me. Or maybe you just hated me.” Richie allowed himself to laugh.

  “I… I did forget you? But how? We-” and at that moment Richie could visibly see It creep itself back into Eddie’s memories.

  “Holy shit? You forgot about that too? Do you have amnesia? What happened to that pretty little head of yours?” Richie put his hand on Eddie's forehead and pretended to feel his temperature.

  “Oh my God,” whiplash had struck Eddie again. “I need to sit down,” He started to move to a chair nearby when he remembered more. “The others! Beverly, and Ben, and Stan and Bill and Mike!” he quite literally felt like someone waking up from a 20 year coma, rediscovering everything that happened before he fell asleep.

  “They're peachy. Stan's actually getting back from visiting his family in Florida today.” Richie informed him. “Any reason you never stayed in touch like you said you would? Left a man hanging.”

  “It's like, wait- those initials were yours!” Suddenly three years of wondering who those house numbers in his binder belonged to clicked. “It’s like I forgot you guys as soon as I left,”

  “That soon? Ed's, you wound me,” Richie teased. “But you're still wearing the friendship bracelet Bev made.” He held out his wrist and displayed a bracelet of the same pattern but in different colors. “What’s she got that I don't?”

  For the first time in 3 years, Eddie let out a genuine laugh.

  “Are you busy, cutie? I'm on break in 15 minutes and I can get someone to cover the rest of my shift,” Richie asked, hopeful.

  “Yeah that's fine.. uh.. have you been working every day? All day?” Eddie asked, concerned.

  “Well the past couple of weeks at least a couple of us from the gang has been visiting family or doin’ some crazy shit so I figured I'd make use of time and make some money, we're doing a road trip in a couple of weeks.”

  “Oh that's cool-”

  “You're invited, if you want, obviously. What better way to celebrate you coming back than a road trip? Ed's, just wait till’ they find out you're back-” Richie cut himself off when he noticed another man walk into the shop and they both decided to end the conversation there so he could order. “Okay hold on I'm gonna take his order, and I'll be out in 10 minutes, you can wait here if you want?”

  “Sounds good,” Eddie couldn't help the smile on his face, it's contagiousness showing in Richie's smile.

  After waiting for a bit, Richie came from the back out of his uniform, a bag on his shoulder, and a rose in his hand. He held it out to Eddie.

  “Do you just, carry flowers with you?” Eddie looked at him curiously.

  “No but I- after I saw you yesterday morning and I passed this one on my way to work, something told me I should grab it.” Eddie took it. “Flowers still get ya goin’?” Eddie punched him in the shoulder.

  “Thanks, Rich.” He smiled.

  “Where to now, spaghetti?” Richie put his arm around Eddie.

  “For 3 glorious years I never had to hear that, don't call me spaghetti!”

  “Okay Eds, answer the question!”

[a-sliver-of-hyacinth-blog]

I finally got around to writing my first piece for @kagehithere‘s new writing challenge! Our first segment is focused on soulmate AUs, and I was challenged with: There’s a black stain where you and your soulmate make first contact. 

“Hey, Shō-chan, my family’s going to a park this weekend.” Hinata’s best friend, Izumi, turned around to lean his elbows against his desk. “You wanna go? Kōji is coming, too.”

“Oh, sure!” Hinata flashed him an appreciative smile. “Which one?”

“Tsutsujigaoka,” Izumi replied after a moment of recollection. “Ever been?”

“Only once.” Hinata faintly recalled going there when he was about 5, though he couldn’t really remember it all that well. The only details he could call to mind were the blobs of bright colors from the thousands of blooming azalea trees. Nevertheless, it would be fun to go see it again and bring home some pictures for Natsu.

“Great! I’ll pick you up on Saturday then.” Before the two of them could be scolded for talking, Izumi turned back around and resumed jotting down history notes.

Hinata tried to follow his example, but his mind kept wandering. It was raining outside; a deep, all-encompassing rain that turned the world into a blurry impressionist painting of blues and grays. He always found it hard to concentrate when it was storming, especially so when the wind was howling and the sky was rumbling like the stomach of a hungry god.

He stared out the window and watched an arc of blue lightning flash across the sky and strike a tree, lighting it ablaze for a millisecond before the torrential rain washed the sparks away. Hopefully, this weather wouldn’t last until the next day: Then they wouldn’t be able to go to Tsutsujigaoka.

Lately, the three of them hadn’t had enough time to hang out together, what with junior high graduation and final exams coming up. Since it was the beginning of May and nearing summer break, they only had a little time to relax before finals, and Tsutsujigaoka’s azaleas would be in perfect bloom this time of year.

Another crack of thunder resonated through the air and Hinata jumped, grimacing in annoyance. He wished the storm would let up soon…

Miraculously, the rain stopped only a few hours before Izumi was supposed to come get Hinata. He was standing, halfway through putting on a shirt, when he realized that the thrum of the rain no longer filled the house, resulting in an almost eerie silence.

Hinata paused to look at himself in the mirror, angling his torso to see the handprint on the left side of his waist, then the right. He was usually too embarrassed to look at them, but sometimes he forgot what they looked like and was too anxious to refrain from peeking.

At least they were hideable. The only people who had ever seen them were his parents and Natsu, which was a relief. The prints showed where your soulmate would someday first touch you, and the waist was a mortifying location, at least in Hinata’s opinion. Natsu’s was on her shoulder, and Izumi’s on his wrist, though his had faded into a dull outline as he’d already encountered his soulmate—Kōji.

Hinata could remember when the three of them had first met in elementary school and those two had discovered their connection by accident when Izumi tripped over a pile of books and Kōji grabbed him by the wrist to catch him. It was still funny to remember, seeing how flustered the two of them became, and Hinata snorted thinking about it. Now, though, the two of them couldn’t be closer, and it was hard not to be a bit jealous of their good fortune.

“Nii-chan, Yuki and Kōji are here!” Natsu screeched loudly from down the hall. As Hinata finished pulling on his shirt, she barrelled into his room and attached herself to his leg, nearly taking him down. “Hurry hurry hurry hurry hurrrryyyy!” she insisted, tugging on his jeans to drag him haphazardly down the hallway.

“Stop pulling!” he whined, sliding dangerously on socked feet. “Natsuuuu!”

He barely managed to save himself as she released him suddenly and sprinted towards the door to tackle Izumi and Kōji instead. “Yuki-niichan, Kōji-niichan!”

“Natsu, don’t attack them like that,” their mother scolded, dragging her back by the straps of her sunflower-patterned summer dress. She offered Izumi and Kōji a friendly smile as Hinata pulled on his sneakers. “Bye, boys! Take care of Shōyō, and have lots of fun!”

“Yes, Hinata-san.” Izumi bowed respectfully. “We’ll have him back before dinnertime!”

As the three of them retreated down the steps, Natsu shouting and waving goodbye, they piled into Izumi’s mother’s car and buckled up, chattering excitedly. As they pulled down the block, Hinata settled down a bit and stared out the window, watching the grey rain clouds recede into a clear, crystal blue void.

Izumi and Kōji held hands loosely and Hinata sighed, gazing out at the passing countryside. A strange feeling filled his chest, like cotton surrounding his organs. Even though the lightning had long since passed, a tingly feeling of anticipation lingered in the spring air.

When they arrived at the park, Izumi’s mother left them to their own devices and departed to wander the park alone. After looking at a map, they headed off to the Four Seasons Garden. After taking a lap around to admire the trees, they splashed around a little in the fountain before heading off to the sailing pond.

They hit up every location from the Interaction Center to Large Grass Square and Shirouma’s boat tours. By the time they stopped for lunch, Hinata was exhausted already and his feet were killing him. While the azalea trees were beautiful, blooming in what seemed like a million different shades of pink and red, his shoes were new and hadn’t quite been broken in yet, and Hinata was sure his heels would be covered in blisters when he took them off.

“You okay, Shō-chan?” Izumi asked with concern. “You look pale.”

“I’m fine; these shoes are just killing me.” He gulped down some water and wiped the sweat from his brow with a tired sigh.

“Just take them off,” Kōji said around a mouthful of food. “I’ll put them in my bag for you. The concrete is mostly shaded, so you should be okay barefoot.”

“Good idea!” Hinata brightened up a little as he peeled off his shoes and socks, sighing in relief as the spring breeze tickled his feet. He handed his sneakers off to Kōji and he packed them in his backpack as he Hinata wiggled his toes mercifully. “Ah… much better.”

“Then let’s finish up here and go see the wisteria tunnel,” Izumi suggested, finishing off his takoyaki. “It’s supposed to be super amazing this time of year, plus I’ve heard if you make a wish there, it comes true!”

As Kōji finished his food and went to throw away their trash, Hinata looked at his bare feet under the table and frowned in thought. A wish, huh? But... what would I even want to wish for?

Hinata had been expecting something grand, but the wisteria tunnel was utterly breathtaking. It spanned about 80 meters long, a trellised tunnel overhung with white and yellow wisteria that hung down and tickled their heads as they entered. It felt like entering a magic tunnel to another world, the outside completely blocked by the luscious flowers.

Hinata hung behind Izumi and Kōji, completely absorbed in the scenery as the smell of the wisterias filled his nose and the cool concrete cooled his sore feet. It was beautiful; definitely worth staying for. It was hard to believe that he was really still in Tsutsujigaoka and not in some magical fairy garden.

Even though there were other people on the path, Hinata felt like he was completely alone underneath the canopy of delicate, bell-shaped flowers. The smell was so intoxicating, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back to better absorb it. It was almost overpoweringly sweet, like honey.

I wish for...

He was so mystified, Hinata didn’t realize that walking with his eyes closed probably wasn’t a great idea. It only took him a few seconds to realize this since his foot got caught up on a loose stone in the pathway and he tripped theatrically.

Well, he would’ve tripped. Right as his traitorous momentum sent him careening towards a painful concrete hug, two hands steadied him from behind, literally lifting him off his feet, saving him just in the nick of time.

Hinata, realizing he was quite literally hanging in midair, placed his feet back on the ground and straightened up with a shaky exhalation as the stabilizing grip evacuated from his waist. “Wh-whoa…! That was too close...”

“You should be more careful,” a voice scolded roughly from behind him, reminding Hinata of his manners. He quickly turned around and bowed so fast and so low, he nearly smashed his face against his knees.

“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going!” He straightened and gripped the stranger’s hand, giving it a few rough shakes, still slightly shaken from his narrowly escaped face-plant. “Thank you very much for saving me!”

As he released him, the stranger stared down at his hand for a moment before looking up and into Hinata’s eyes—or, rather, down, considering he was significantly taller. His eyes were about the bluest thing he had ever seen, like the ocean during a storm or a starless night sky. The ebony hair framing them made them stand out a thousand times more.

The spots where his hands had been still tingled, as if his touch had never left.

Hinata’s whole world stopped so suddenly and completely, he got whiplash, like someone had pressed pause on his surroundings. The river of thoughts in his head slowed to a thin trickle until a single one remained to slip through the cracks:

He touched my waist.

“Excuse me for just one second.” Hinata turned his back on the blue-eyed stranger and raised his shirt, staring at the sides of his waist in disbelief and slight stupefaction as the black marks faded into a dull light gray on his skin, like the faint outline of handprints on foggy glass.

This can’t be happening.

“This can’t be happening,” he echoed his thoughts aloud, pulling his shirt back down and clutching the sides of his head in an attempt to squeeze out the shock that had him rooted to the spot like a tree, legs shaking and heartbeat echoing erratically in his ears like the frantic drum of hummingbird wings.  

“Sorry to interrupt your panic attack, but I think we probably need to talk.”

“Ah!” Hinata jumped, having forgotten about the stranger’s presence in his state of panic, and whipped around to face him. “Oh— oh my God!” He covered his face helplessly as his face heated up to an almost unbearable degree. He finally understood Izumi and Kōji’s reactions from elementary school…

“Hey, you don’t need to be so embarrassed...” His words weren’t too convincing considering the red tint in his own cheeks. “Um, I guess I should probably… introduce myself. I’m Kageyama Tobio.”

Hinata parted his fingers half an inch to glance at him sidelong. “Hi-Hinata— Shōyō...” He covered his eyes again and whined into them, overwhelmed by his own anxiety. “I— I’m sorry, I just r-really wasn’t expecting this at all...” He lowered his hands and gripped his elbow diffidently, unsure how to continue.

“It’s, um— it’s nice to finally meet you…” he began lamely, wishing the hanging wisteria would just descend and bury him alive.

But Kageyama did something that surprised him: He let out a loud laugh, covering his mouth with one hand to conceal the bright sound that drew Hinata for an utter blank. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” His eyes sparkled and his smile left Hinata staring dumbfounded when he moved his hand away. “Sorry for laughing, but I’m just… really surprised.”

“Ah… i-it’s fine…” Hinata tried not to stare, averting his gaze with a nervous gulp. Uwah, what is this? He’s way too handsome when he smiles… “U-um… should we maybe… go somewhere else?” He glanced around to emphasize the several people staring at them, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. The scene probably looked even stranger considering he was wearing no shoes…

Kageyama smiled again, nearly sending him into cardiac arrest, and nodded. “Sure… I’d like that.”

As they walked back towards the exit of the tunnel, where Hinata could see Izumi and Kōji waiting, he stared down at the tops of his bare feet and blushed, remembering his silent wish. It had been so stupid, he hadn’t even considered it would ever come true...

I wish for… a fated encounter.

[thelastspeecher]

Spy AU - Unexpected Developments

Hey, I finally finished writing all the scenes I wanted to post in one thing.  Both of them involve “Mission: White Picket Fence” in the Spy AU, and have to do with some complications to an already thoroughly complicated mission.  Oh, and Ma McGucket, the BAMF to end all BAMFs, shows up.  Enjoy.

              Ford tugged on his uncomfortable polo shirt as he waited for Fiddleford.

              You’d think that a fancy, rich school would have more comfortable uniforms.  I’ve been undercover for a little over two weeks and I’m still not used to these clothes.

              “Hey, Nicky.”  Ford looked up.  It was one of his classmates.

              “Oh, hi, Clark,” Ford said.  Clark nodded at the bench Ford was sitting on.

              “Mind if I join you?”

              “Go ahead.”  Clark sat down next to Ford.  “Are you waiting for your mom?”

              “She’s my step-mom,” Clark corrected, “but, yeah, I’m waiting for her. She always takes a long time to get here.”  Ford nodded silently.  “What about you?”

              “My dad’s already here, but I’m supposed to wait for my little brother before I go to the car.  Mom and Dad don’t like Ryan being on his own.”

              “Yeesh, it must suck having a little brother.”

              “Well, Ryan’s nice.  It’s just annoying that I have to walk with him whenever we go places.”

              “Are your parents gonna be this weird during trick-or-treating?” Clark asked. “‘Cause I know some people whose parents ruin Halloween from being overprotective like yours.”  Ford nodded silently before remembering that Nicholas Young wouldn’t know about American Halloween traditions.

              “Trick-or-treating?” Ford asked.  Clark clapped a hand to his forehead.

              “Oh, duh!  You didn’t grow up here.  Do they even have trick-or-treating where you’re from?” Clark asked.  Ford shook his head.  “Trick-or-treating is when you dress up in costumes on Halloween, and you go knock on people’s doors and they give you candy.”

              “That sounds fake,” Ford said decisively.  Clark shook his head.

              “Nuh-uh, it isn’t!  It’s real! And sometimes you go with your family, but sometimes you go with your friends.”  Clark’s eyes widened.

              Oh, no.  He’s going to ask me to-

              “Do you wanna go trick-or-treating together?” Clark asked eagerly.  

              Dammit.

              “Um, I guess,” Ford said reluctantly.  “But I’ll have to ask my mom and dad, and like you said, they get a bit weird about things, so I don’t know-”

              “I’ll have my dad call.  Your dad really likes mine,” Clark said.  Ford swallowed nervously.  “It’s gonna be great, trust me.”

              “Nicky!” a voice called.  Ford looked around.  Fiddleford had finally peeled off from the mass exodus of students leaving school. Ford got to his feet.

              “What took you so long?” Ford asked.

              “Anna was telling me about trick-or-treating,” Fiddleford said.

              “Heh, that’s funny, I was telling Nicky about that, too,” Clark said.  Ford took a hold of one of Fiddleford’s hands.

              “We’ve gotta get going before Dad freaks out,” Ford said.  “I’ll…ask my parents about trick-or-treating.”  Clark grinned.

              “Awesome!  See you tomorrow!”

              “Yep.  Bye, Clark.” Ford and Fiddleford headed towards the parking lot.  “Did your classmate invite you to go trick-or-treating like mine did?” Ford asked Fiddleford quietly.

              “No.  Anna doesn’t like me.  She was teasing me because Ryan doesn’t know what trick-or-treating is,” Fiddleford answered.  Ford sighed.

              “You might be able to get out of doing it, then.  But Clark is really persistent.  Don’t forget to tell Stan and Angie about this kid teasing you, by the way.”

              “I know, I know.  Conner and Laura won’t let anyone mess with their kids, and their kids tell them everything.”  They arrived at the parking lot and began to look for the silver minivan.  “Oh, he’s over there,” Fiddleford said, pointing. Stan was standing outside the car, a deviation from how he normally sat inside, waiting for Ford and Fiddleford. As Ford and Fiddleford approached, they could make out a drawn, nervous expression on Stan’s face.

              “Hey, boys!” Stan said cheerfully, barely managing to mask the distress they had just seen.  “Did either of you learn anything interesting today?”

              “No, not really,” Ford said.  Stan nodded silently.

              “Do you think you will soon?”

              “In a couple days, yeah.”

              “Good.”  Stan clicked the car keys, opening the doors.  Ford let go of Fiddleford’s hand and climbed inside.  Fiddleford looked expectantly at Stan.  Stan didn’t seem to notice, instead staring off into the distance, worry evident on his face again.

              “Uh, Dad?” Fiddleford prompted.  Stan looked over at him.

              “Yeah?”

              “You’re supposed to help me get in.”

              “Huh?  Oh! Yeah.”  Stan picked Fiddleford up and buckled him into the safety seat. “Sorry, kiddo, I’ve got a lot on my mind.”  He clicked the car keys to close the door, then got into the driver’s seat.

              “Stan,” Ford said.  Stan looked at him.

              “Yeah?”

              “It reeks in here.”

              “Sorry.  I, uh, I got stressed and needed a cigarette.”

              “It smells more like ya had a whole pack,” Fiddleford said, wrinkling his nose.

              “Okay, maybe I had more than one.”

              “Conner Young hasn’t touched a cigarette in his entire life,” Ford said. Stan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, now staring straight ahead.  

              “Yeah.”

              “There’s no reason for his car to smell like this.”

              “I know.”

              “If one of Nicholas and Ryan’s friends had gotten in, the cover could have been blown.”

              “I know,” Stan repeated softly.  Ford scowled.

              “What was so important that you risked the mission to-”

              “Angie’s pregnant,” Stan blurted out.

              “I thought that Laura and Conner were waiting,” Fiddleford said.  Stan gripped the steering wheel tightly.

              “I didn’t say that Laura’s pregnant,” Stan said in a tight voice.  “I said that Angie’s pregnant.”

              “Wait, she’s really pregnant?” Ford asked.  “As in, in nine months, I’ll have a new niece or nephew?”  Stan nodded.  “Oh.”

              “Now you understand why I’m stressed,” Stan said quietly.  Ford and Fiddleford nodded silently.  “Angie’s about a month and a half along, so she- she was pregnant when the mission started, but didn’t know.  And before you say anything, we hadn’t started trying yet, okay?  We were just talking about it.”

              “Are they going to bring in an alternate handler?” Ford asked.

              “Huh?”

              “If Angie’s pregnant, they’re going to pull her out of the mission, but this mission wouldn’t work very well with just one handler.”

              “They’re not,” Stan said.

              “Yer goin’ to be our only handler?” Fiddleford asked.  Stan squeezed his eyes shut.

              “No, I won’t.  I meant that- that they aren’t gonna pull her out.  HQ says that Angie has to stay in the field.  The mission could get compromised if Laura, a dedicated mom trying to get her sons settled into their new life, just up and left.  And it’s not out of character for Laura to be pregnant, since she and Conner were gonna have another kid.  So… Angie stays.”

              “That’s- they never have pregnant agents out in the field,” Fiddleford said.

              “I know.  We- we were surprised by HQ’s decision.”  Stan took a steadying breath.  “We were told to work it into our covers.  In a couple days, Laura Young is gonna find out that she’s pregnant with her third child and tell her husband and sons.  Conner, Nicholas, and Ryan are all gonna be excited about the baby, and despite being asked to not say anything, Ryan will tell all his friends at school that he’s gonna be a big brother.  Think you can handle that?”

              “Of course,” Fiddleford said.  Stan nodded and started the car.

              “Good.  And while Conner Young hopes that he’s finally gonna get a daughter, Stan Pines is gonna hope that the mission ends before his first kid is born.”

-----

              Sally walked up to the door of the Spanish-style house and knocked politely. There were some muffled sounds from inside.  

              “Coming!” a voice called.  Sally’s heart began to race.  The voice lacked a southern accent and was a pitch lower than usual, but she would recognize it anywhere.  The door opened.  Angie smiled at Sally for a brief moment before recognizing her mother.  Her smile disappeared, replaced by surprise.  “…Ma?” Angie whispered in shock.  Sally’s plan to remain calm despite the stressful situation vanished.

              “Oh, my baby!”  Sally flung her arms around her daughter.  “My baby girl!”

              “Ma, what-” Angie started.

              “I’m so sorry, junebug.  So sorry,” Sally whispered.  Angie’s eyes widened.

              “What for?” Angie asked quietly.  Sally broke off the hug.  “Ma, what’s going on?  How did you-”

              “Maybe that conversation should wait for inside,” Sally replied.  Angie nodded and stood to the side.  Sally stepped in.  “You ‘n Stan really made this place yours fast.”

              “Um, yeah, I, uh, I s’ppose,” Angie said, closing the door.  “We can’t do much, but what we can-”

              “Who was at the door?” Stan asked.  He poked his head out of the nearby kitchen.  His jaw dropped. “Wh- Sally?”

              “Nice to see ya wearin’ yer glasses fer once,” Sally said.  Stan turned slightly red and adjusted his glasses in a self-conscious manner.  “Aw, no need to get shy.  Where are Stanford and Fiddleford?”

              “Either still sleeping or pretending to be asleep,” Stan answered.  He shook his head.  “Wait, no, we should definitely be asking the questions.  How did you find us?”

              “I was the one who picked out this house fer the mission.”

              “You picked the house?” Stan asked.

              “You know we’re on a mission?” Angie asked at the same time.  

              “Yes, I picked the house, and yes, I know yer on a mission.”  Stan and Angie’s jaws dropped.  “Oh, sweethearts, don’t be so shocked.  Both of those things ‘re my job.”

              “Wait, wait, are you our boss?” Stan interjected.  Sally nodded.  “Since when?”

              “I’ve been the head of HAF since before either of ya were even born.”

              “Damn,” Stan said quietly.  Angie crossed her arms.

              “Ma, I get why ya kept it a secret, but why are ya tellin’ us now?” Angie asked.  Sally smiled sadly at Angie.

              “I had to apologize fer keepin’ ya in the field, sugar-cube.”

              “You made that call?” Stan rumbled. He walked over to Sally and Angie. “What the hell?  She’s your daughter!”

              “She’s also my employee,” Sally said firmly.  “I had to do what was right fer the mission and the organization, not what would make me feel better.  That bein’ said, it was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made.  I wanted nothin’ more ‘n to send my baby home.” Sally stroked Angie’s cheek.  “It was a decision that I only feel better about ‘cause I know if there’s anyone who could handle this sit’ation, it’s my daughter and her husband.”  Stan and Angie exchanged a fond look.  “Congratulations, by the way.  I know the circumstances ain’t the best, but I’m so happy the two of ya are bringin’ a child into this world together.”

              “Thanks, Ma,” Angie said softly.  Stan nodded and put an arm around Angie’s shoulders.

              “Ditto,” Stan said.  He eyed the bag Sally was carrying.  “Uh, whattaya have there?”

              “I’m a mom, of course I’m goin’ to bring some gifts with me when I visit,” Sally said.  “I’ve got some homecooked food ‘n Laura’s old maternity clothes.”  Sally chuckled at the disgruntled expression on Angie’s face. “Don’t worry, Laura’s got a sense of style closer to yours than to mine, sweetie.  You’ll like these clothes.  They’re new and fashionable.”  The sound of small footsteps came from the second floor.  “Oh, sounds like someone’s up.”  Stan glanced at his watch.

              “It’s eight, so, yeah, that’s the earliest they’re allowed to leave their rooms,” he said.  “Man, it’s weird doing all this stuff even when no one’s around, just in case someone stops by.”

              “The folks ‘round here do drop by without notice, though,” Angie pointed out.  Stan shrugged.  The small footsteps pattered down the stairs and Ford appeared, still wearing his astronaut pajamas and his hair a complete mess.  “Good morning,” Angie said cheerfully.  Ford nodded silently at her.  His gaze slid over to Sally.  He paled.

              “M-Mrs. McGucket?” Ford squeaked out.  Sally sighed.

              “Stanford, how many times do I have to tell ya, call me Sally.”

              “Sorry, I just- wait, how’d you recognize me?”

              “Turns out she’s our boss,” Stan said.  Ford’s jaw dropped open.  “That was our reaction, too.”  Another pair of small footsteps made their way down the stairs.

              “What ‘re we havin’ fer breakfast?” Fiddleford asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he joined the group gathered in the hallway.  Sally crouched down to his eye-height.

              “My, my, those folk in R&D really know what they’re doin’, don’t they?” she remarked, staring at her son.  Fiddleford gaped.  “It’s like I’m lookin’ at a picture in a fam’ly album.”

              “Ma?” Fiddleford asked.  Sally ruffled his hair playfully.

              “You betcha.”

              “What- how-”

              “As I was tellin’ Stan ‘n Angie, I was the one what made the call to keep Angie in the field.”

              “Why?” Fiddleford asked.  Sally stood to her full height.  

              “Well-” she started.  Something dinged in the kitchen.  “Is somethin’ bein’ cooked?”

              “Shit, the muffins,” Stan said.  He rushed back into the kitchen.

              “Did they burn?” Angie called.  There was a clatter as Stan opened the oven.

              “Uh, doesn’t look like it.”

              “Are we havin’ muffins fer breakfast again?” Fiddleford asked.  

              “Hey, I gotta practice,” Stan shouted.  “Conner’s a really good baker.”

              “Oh, that’s right,” Sally said.  “I forgot.  I’d hate to delay two growin’ boys from eatin’ their meals, so how ‘bout we have this conversation in the kitchen over some tasty food?”

              “Tasty is not how I would describe those muffins,” Ford muttered.

              “I heard that!” Stan said loudly.

              “Ma, was it really necessary to refer to Ford and me as ‘growin’ boys’?” Fiddleford asked as he followed Sally and Angie into the kitchen, Ford close behind. Sally smiled down at him.

              “Of course it was.  Ya may mentally be adults, but yer in the bodies of kidlets right now, and kidlets yer ages are always growin’.  Growin’, needin’ naps, learnin’ constantly.”

              “The serum does counteract some of the downsides of our current biological ages,” Ford said.  He took a seat at the kitchen table.  “For instance, Fiddleford doesn’t need to take naps.”

              “I pretend, so’s I can keep up appearances,” Fiddleford said.  He climbed onto a chair next to Ford with some difficulty. “Ma, how are ya here?  And why are ya here?”

              “Well, honey, as the head of HAF, I was, unfortunately, the one what had to make the call ‘bout yer sister stayin’ in the field.”  Sally sat down across from Fiddleford.  “I put my feelin’s aside and realized that, fer the mission and the greater good, Angie couldn’t come home yet.  It hurt every bone in my body to do it, but I had no choice.  So I decided to come here with both apologies and congratulations.  Congratulations ‘cause I’m ecstatic two wonderful folk are havin’ a baby, and apologies ‘cause, well, Angie’s stuck actin’ like her first pregnancy is her third one.”

              “Yer the head?” Fiddleford asked.  Sally nodded. “Yer our boss.”

              “Yessir.”

              “Hires go through you, don’t they?” Ford asked.  “You’re the one that hired all of us.”

              “Yes, I make the final decision on who we take on as new agents.  I must admit, I was quite startled to see my son and daughter’s applications, back when ya first applied. Like with the decision to keep Angie undercover, I put aside my personal emotions and did what was best.”

              “Wait, did you not want us to be agents?” Angie asked, helping Stan check the muffins, which were cooling on the counter.

              “Of course not!  It’s a dangerous, complicated life!  I don’t want my babies to deal with that nonsense.  But I understood that the two of ya were perfect candidates, and it didn’t make sense to reject ya fer my feelin’s.  So I hired ya.”

              “Wow, Angie, if your mom had decided that it was too dangerous for you to be an agent, we wouldn’t have met,” Stan said quietly.  Angie smiled at him.

              “I doubt that.  Ford ‘n Fidds went to college together.  We could’ve met eventually.”

              “Yeah, but would we be having a kid?” Stan asked.  He put one of his hands on Angie’s stomach.  “Our baby might only exist ‘cause your mom hired you.”

              “Yer such a sap,” Angie said.  She stroked Stan’s cheek.  “Let’s not focus on what could’ve happened.  Instead, focus on what is happenin’.”

              “What’s happening is that I might throw up,” Ford muttered.  Stan glared at him.  “Give me all the vicious looks you want.  The fact remains, ever since you two found out about the pregnancy, you’ve been all over each other.  More than usual.”

              “Aw, I remember that,” Sally said fondly.  “Each time Mearl ‘n I found out we were havin’ a baby, there was a lovely lil honeymoon phase, where we couldn’t get enough of each other.  We were just so happy to be bringin’ life into the world. We felt blessed.”  Sally shrugged.  “‘Course, once the symptoms really hit, it feels less like a blessin’ ‘n more like a curse.”  Angie grimaced.

              “Great.  I have that to look forward to.”

              “You’ll be fine, honey,” Sally said in a reassuring tone.  “There’s no need to be nervous or scared.”

              “Yeah, Laura won’t be.  She’s done this twice.  Angie’s…” Angie trailed off, worry etched on her face.

              “Listen to your mom, babe,” Stan said firmly.  “She knows what she’s talking about.”

              “Yeah, yer- yer right,” Angie said softly.  She swallowed.  “Ma, what- what ‘ll happen if- if the baby comes ‘fore the mission ends?”  Sally leaned forward and clasped her hands together with a somber expression.

              “Banjolina, this mission is high priority, and ya agreed to the responsibility when ya agreed to be Ford ‘n Fidds’ handler.  If the mission ain’t done, then I don’t think it’ll be Angie McGucket-Pines givin’ birth in that hospital room.  It’ll be Laura Young.”  Angie nodded woodenly, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.  Sally made a small smile.  “But Stanford and Fiddleford ‘re top-notch agents.  I know fer a fact that they’ll do what they can to end the mission in time.”

              “She’s right,” Ford said.  “Fiddleford and I don’t want the two of you to deal with your child being born while undercover.  We don’t want that for you nor our future niece or nephew.”

              “Thank you,” Angie said in a choked-up voice.  The doorbell rang.

              “Aw, shit, who is it?” Stan muttered.  He kissed Angie on the cheek.  “I’ll go check, babe, you try to perk yourself back up for whatever weird neighbor it is this time.”

              “Mmkay,” Angie mumbled.  Stan exited the kitchen.  Sally got up from the table.

              “If you have guests, that’s prob’ly my cue to leave.”

              “No, Ma, please stay,” Angie begged.  “I miss the fam’ly so much.”

              “The longer I stay, the greater chance cover gets blown,” Sally said.  “We don’t have a detailed backstory fer me.”

              “But Ma-”

              “No buts,” Sally said firmly.  They heard the door open.

              “Hey, Lisa,” Stan said, using Conner Young’s voice instead of his own. “You’re here bright and early, eh?”

              “Sorry, Conner.  But Huron and Itasca wanted to play with Nicky and Ryan.  And I wanted to talk to you and Laura.  Apparently you two are expecting again?”

              “Wh- how’d you know?” Stan asked, feigning ignorance.  

              “Ryan told his class.  Was he not supposed to?”

              “No, he wasn’t.”  Stan let out a dramatic sigh.  “But I’m not even mad.  I love that little guy too much, and how can I be angry when Laura’s carrying our third child?  It’s impossible to be anything less than happy.”

              “Aw, you two are just the cutest.”

              “Laura, it’s Lisa and her kids,” Stan called.

              “Let them in!” Angie replied.  “Mom’s about to head out anyway.”

              “Oh, is your mother-in-law here?” Lisa asked.  

              “Yep,” Stan answered.  “But not for long.  She’s got to catch her plane.  She just stopped by to chat with Laura and congratulate us on our currently unborn bundle of joy.  But seriously, come on in!  Shoes off, kiddos.”  Sally walked over to Angie and hugged her tightly.

              “Stay in touch?” Angie whispered.  Sally tucked a strand of Angie’s hair behind one of her ears.

              “Oh, sweetie, I can’t promise that.  But I’ll do what I can, okay?” Sally said.  Angie nodded.  “Now, remind me where Laura grew up?”

              “Boston.”

              “Boston?  Good, I can handle that.”  Sally cleared her throat.  “Laura, ya best keep me in the loop, okay?” Sally said in a carrying voice that now had a Boston accent.  Angie’s eyes widened slightly.  Sally allowed herself to revel for a moment in her daughter’s impressed surprise.  “The minute ya know the sex, tell me.  I wanna know if I’m gettin’ a granddaughta or anotha grandson.”  Sally put her hands on her hips and looked at Ford and Fiddleford.  “Now, am I gonna get a hug from my grandsons before I leave or what?”

              “Say bye to your gramma, boys,” Angie said, changing her voice to match her cover like Stan.  Ford and Fiddleford exchanged a look before getting out of their chairs to hug Sally.

              “That’s mah like it.”  Sally ruffled Ford’s hair and kissed the top of Fiddleford’s head.  “Be good to ya motha.”

              “Yes, gramma,” Ford said quietly.  Sally winked at Angie.  She exited the kitchen.

              “Connah, watch ovah Laura like a hawk.  Ya hear me?  Like a hawk,” Sally said loudly.

              “Of course, Julie.”  

              “Good.  Love ya. Gotta go.”  Sally opened the front door, nodded at Lisa, and exited the house. She listened for a moment to the muffled sounds of continuing conversations.  Satisfied that she wasn’t needed anymore, she walked to her car. Her phone buzzed.  She looked down.  It was a text from her husband.

              “How did the visit to Stan and Angie go?”  Sally frowned, trying to decide how to phrase her response.  Before leaving, she’d told Mearl that she was checking on Stan and Angie, who were on a work trip.  It was difficult to keep the details as vague as she’d needed, but she managed.  Barely.

              “How do you think it went?  Our daughter picked a great husband.  They’ve got some exciting news that they said I could share.”

              “Exciting?  I think I might know what it is.”

              “Oh, really?”

              “This is about the point in a marriage that the Famous McGucket Fertility starts to act up…”  Sally chuckled and got into the car.  “Any word from Fiddleford and Stanford?”

              “Not yet.  But those two are always elbows-deep in research.  No more texts; I’ve got to get on the road.”

              “Love you, honey-bun.”  Sally smiled.

              “Love you, too.”  She looked up at the house for a moment, biting her lip nervously.

              I don’t like leavin’ ‘em alone like this.  Someone pulled apart the curtains of the kitchen window, revealing Ford, Fiddleford, and the neighbor’s two children devouring muffins.  Sally nodded, resolute.  They’ve been through worse.  They can handle it.  She started the car.  They have to.

[rinusagitora]

Her hands in ours.

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Characters: Shouto Todoroki, Momo Yaoyorozu, Kyouka Jirou, All Might, Class 1-A

Pairings: TodoMomoJirou, mentioned Izuchaco

Words: 4,500+

Summary: WARNINGS-- mentioned familial abuse. Momo is the definition of perfect. Everything is a mess without her. Thus, when Momo finally confesses her love to Kyouka Jirou, Shouto's entire day is screwed over.

AO3 | FFN

The uppermost echelon of heroes was nothing impressive. Maybe All Might aside, as he seemed genuinely concerned for the good of people and to Izuku. But throughout his life he was in proximity to the top five heroes with some frequency, and all he learned was that they were first and foremost human, and secondly had private lives like his father revolving around self-serving agendas.

By extension, his classmates were equally unimpressive until he met Izuku.

Izuku Midoriya, and then Momo Yaoyorozu.

He never really noticed Momo until their practical exam. She was bouncy and well-liked, if not somehow timid at the same time, but her brilliance caught his eye.

They gravitated the moment they started talking. So much so they spent their afternoons in the campus library studying together. Not necessarily as an exchange, like those study groups Momo held with the classroom-challenged, but in each other’s presence. He never really had trouble concentrating but Momo’s presence somehow exorcised the pressure Endeavor forced on him over the years. She smelled the books. The ambience of her highlighter squeaking across yet another molecular textbook was meditative, like rainfall on tin.

That was a fancy way of saying he was crushing on Momo like they were back in primary school, but he liked to keep things kind of classy.

He apparently wasn’t the only one soothed by Momo. He briefly glanced to them, Kyouka’s head laid in Momo’s lap as they read. Momo was popular and affectionate, Kyouka didn’t leave him with the same impression. He wasn’t exactly fluent in the subtle exchanges of teenage girls, but he wasn’t blind either.

But, he reasoned, he could also be jealous of their proximity. There were times flashes like film reel of Momo’s hand in his, Momo’s fingers in his hair as their noses brushed together, interrupted his focus. He found himself by Momo’s desk in the morning just to say hi. When his phone buzzed, he whipped it out with record-breaking speed and had to bite his lip to keep himself from smiling in the cases it was Momo messaging him with a cool-looking molecule or her pet gerbil.

But, again, he wasn’t fluent in girl. It could be just a friend thing. Gals being pals. That kind of thing.

His reverie was interrupted again by Kyouka stretching. “Thanks for keeping me, but I gotta go. I’ll see you later Yaomomo. Bye, Todoroki-kun.”

“Bye, Kyou-chan. See you tomorrow.” Momo’s arms slipped around Kyouka’s shoulders and they squeezed each other. “It’s icy out there. Don’t break something.”

Momo sighed as she turned back to her books. She was pretty, her dark eyes hooded as she diligently read. Her eyelashes were long, her hair was sleek and shiny in the glow cast by the LED lights above their heads. Her smile was even prettier. Momo disassociated talent from fame. She made learning pure and fun again.

“So,” Momo began, “how do you feel about Kyou-chan?”

“... she seems capable.” He frowned pensively. “Why are you asking me this out of the blue?”

Momo dropped her highlighter and cradled her face with upturned brows. “I-I’m in love with her. I want to tell her…. B-but you know me. I overthink things.”

Oh.

Oh.

He appreciated Momo’s forthrightness, especially with something generally regarded as taboo such as homosexuality, but he couldn’t claim he saw it coming either.

“D-does it bother you that I like girls?” Momo asked. She almost sounded desperate, like he hadn’t come to the point where he could turn her away with ease.

“Of course not. I’m glad you found someone you like. But do you know if Jirou-san is gay?” he asked.

“She is. W-we got talking about it a couple of weeks ago. But like… just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you’re into every girl you see, you know. Wh-what if she’s not into me? What if I end up making the entire class feel awkward because our friendship ends on a bad note?”

“You’re kidding yourself,” he told Momo. “She was just laying in your lap. You’re a catch, and everyone knows it. If Jirou isn’t into you now, I doubt she’d be foolish enough to turn you away.”

Momo’s smiled was sweet enough it could melt glaciers. “You think so?”

He nodded earnestly.

“Todo-kun… could you come with me when I tell her then? Tomorrow morning before class? Just knowing you’ll be there will help me work up the nerve to tell Kyou-chan I’m in love with her.”

“If you’d like.”

“Todo-kun, thank you so much. I-I’ll whip up an outline when I get home and text it to you to review s-so I know I won’t come across as awkward or overzealous o-or something!”

He stuck a highlighter cap between his teeth and pulled. He was happy for his friend. Momo was talented enough to balance a love life and their busy schedule. As her friend, wasn’t he supposed to assist in her happiness?

It didn’t stop his chest from aching.

Eventually, they collected their things so they may leave. Momo hugged him like she hugged all her friends. “Thank you,” she whispered, “I appreciate what you do for me.”

His arms hesitantly wrapped around her waist, like sin. He liked her but Momo was gay. It felt a lot like goodbye. “Of course,” he croaked.

She slipped out of his arms, like sand, he watched her back disappear. He dragged his heavy feet to his mother’s hospital. That was his routine-- school, study (with Momo most recently), visit his mother, sleep. Wash, rinse, repeat. It was different that day though. He was accustomed to his father’s fists and even the hot water his mother poured on his face once upon a time. That was a hurt deeper than that, though. Rooted in his pleuris. Like abandonment.

He’d crawl into his mother’s lap like he did as a child, but she was hospitalized. Away from his father she was much better, but psychiatric wards were sterile environments. She was still very sensitive and sheltered from the outside world.

His mother smiled as he entered, leaving behind the starry-eyed folks beyond the metal door. It felt a lot like a prison in there, only with a softer bed and a tiny plant his mother tended to.

“Shouto-kun,” she cooed. “Look at you, you’re covered in snow. You must be freezing.”

“No. It’s been colder. It’s only my left side that really gets cold, anyways.” He shed his bag and speckled scarf onto the table. “How’re you feeling today, Mom?”

“Splendid. These bags are only from age, you know. It’s pretty out today. I like it when it snows.”

“I do too. I can’t stand summer,” he said.

“Neither can I! That ball of fire always pounding down from the sky, I almost say it’s pretentious,” she snort as she crossed her legs. “How’s school, darling?”

“Keeping my grades up. I’m still in the top five of my class.”

“Making friends?”

“Slowly.” It was easier tolerating people after Izuku’s reality check during the sports festival. “It’s fun watching them at least. Iida is still totally oblivious to Midoriya’s and Uraraka’s crushes on each other, but they’re oblivious to it too. Bakugou is still a pain in everyone’s ass. I’m not sure when anyone could find likable about him…. I’m functioning, though. He’s easy enough to avoid. Predictable.”

“And… and your father?”

He frowned. “... that’s the first time you’ve asked about Endeavor,” he said. “He harasses me at public gatherings, like the sports festival, but he hasn’t touched me in years. I’m fine, I swear.”

“That’s good….”

“Y-Yaoyorozu has found someone nice.” He knew where those conversations concerning his father led, he’d rather exchange more pleasant topics.

“Like a boyfriend?”

He wished.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have mentioned Momo. It made his chest hurt. “No, a girlfriend,” he replied. “Please… if you don’t like gays for whatever reason, don’t go off on a tirade. Yaoyorozu is my friend and I’d hate for things to be tense between us so early into our reunion.”

His mother smiled. “I don’t mind. Sweetheart, I glad you have friends. So long as she’s good to you I don’t mind.”

He returned her smile, though melancholic. “I-I’m supposed to be happy for but it… it hurts Mom. I wanted her to be mine.” He wiped his face. “I’m so selfish.”

His mother’s hand clasped his shoulder. “Shouto, maybe you two shouldn’t talk anymore. I can tell you care about her deeply, but when loving someone just hurts, it’s not worth it. I learned that with your father.”

Her tone juxtaposed against what he knew Momo to be, like his friend was anything comparable to his father, sounded like a load of bull. His hands balled on his knees. Momo was sweet. He couldn’t give up on her so easily, however much it hurt in the moment. Even if he couldn’t have her as a girlfriend, he couldn’t bear to be without her as a friend.

“R-right,” he said. Cue another change of topic. “A-anyways. Iida’s doing a lot good. He and his brother are coping with his brother’s paralysis. Midoriya and Uraraka are extraordinarily superb support pillars for him.”

“It’s good to know he’s doing well. It’s such a tragedy what happened to Ingenium. He was good, know you. A moral gentleman if ever met one. How’s your homework, darling?”

“I’m keeping on top of it.” Momo’s company made it easier to unwind. He hoped that was the case after that day, at least. “It’s still pretty basic stuff as of now. I know next semester will be more challenging, though. UA has a steep learning curve according to the senior students.”

“You’ll do just fine, Shouto-kun.”

He nodded. Of course. All thanks to Endeavor. Perhaps his intellectualism was his own, but his power? All thanks to his father. He was working on separating himself but it would take time. “I won’t disappoint you, Mom,” he said. “I have to go home though. It’s getting dark and I still have a lot to do. I’ll come by again tomorrow.”

“I love you.” His mother stood and collected him in a hug. He was taller than her by that point, his nose touched her hair.

“I love you too.” Even more than he loved Momo. His mother filled a hole in life, real family, despite the mistakes made. “Bye, Mom.”

Out the hospital’s front door, his phone buzzed in his pocket. A lengthy text from Momo, certainly her scripted confession to Kyouka. He wondered how Kyouka would react. Part of him hoped favorably to Momo, he couldn’t bear to see his friend heartbroken, but he also hoped Momo would change her mind. The dynamics in their class were already good. Why ruin what they had?

He wait until he got home to read Momo’s text. He locked himself in his room, his siblings cultivated without a sense of privacy apparently, and laid on his back in the dark. Momo’s script was beautiful. Not only could she create elaborate and beautiful objects, but also moving and poetic writing.

It hurt how much he envied Kyouka, like the piece shoved knives in his intercostals. He bled inside. No, he could feel each blade, driven deeper with each breath. They plugged the wounds and kept him from bleeding out. He lived his life as a punching bag but to be a pincushion was a different feeling entirely. One wrong move and those knives would slip out and he would surely gush until he was but a dry sack.

“Stupid,” he scolded himself. So stupid, so selfish, awfulawfulawful little boy! Who the hell did he fool that was enough for anyone, let alone sweet Momo? Only himself.

He complimented her nonetheless. He couldn’t ignore Momo. But he turned into his pillow, mouth agape in a soundless, agonized wail, and turned into his pillow so he may weep without his misery passing through the thin walls.

Vibration woke him. His phone buzzed madly on his sheets. As he sat up, he grimaced. Fuyumi would scold him for falling asleep in his clothes and his crusty pillowcase. But Momo was begging him to hurry to school. He replied he would be there soon. It didn’t hurt like last night-- the ceaseless throb. He was just numb that morning. It was a blur dressing and brushing his teeth and combing his hair.

But he ran that morning. He supposed Momo didn’t care if his stupid hair was smooth or not when Kyouka’s was always immaculate.

Momo was out front. She rubbed her gloved hands together with her eyebrows knit worriedly. She practically tackled him as he approached. By that time, it was like reflex to wrap himself around her.

“Thank you so much for coming, Todoroki-kun. I-I know it’s weird but just having you here helps. Can you just… w-wait behind the gate? Please?”

“Of course. I’ll be rooting you on.” And simultaneously dying inside.

Momo squeezed him. “Thank you again, Todoroki-kun.” He hummed as she slid out of his arms. “Okay, now hide! Kyou-chan will be here soon!” Momo pushed him behind the gate and he obediently let her, like a dog told to heel. And loyally he wait, leaned against the cement walls of the entrance.

“Yaomomo!” Kyouka exclaimed, followed by the weird smell of tobacco. “What the hell are you doing out here? Aren’t you freezing your fuckin’ ass off?”

“Oh my god, put that away before someone sees!” Momo hissed, followed by the sound of crunching ice as she stamped out Kyouka’s cigarette. “B-but I am cold, so I’d like to make this quick if we can.”

“Oh��� kay,” Kyouka said hesitantly. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m in love with you.”

What ever happened to Momo’s script?

“Oh.” Kyouka shuffled. “Well, this is embarrassing. I was kinda hoping I’d get the balls to tell you that I liked you, but this works.” Kyouka laughed abashedly. “Does… this make us an item then?”

“Yes!” Momo squealed. “Yes it does! Yesyesyes!” The pair laughed, Momo’s bubbling like a rolling boil.

He was crouched, staring at the slush and swollen salt scattered in the courtyard, his hands clasped over his mouth. Was he supposed to ache as he did? Like the knives slid out from between his ribs and blood gushed down his front? Ethically, no. Momo was his friend. His friend had a girlfriend, and he could only hurt.

He was such a selfish little boy.

Kyouka and Momo passed him hand-in-hand. Momo couldn’t see his watery eyes as she craned her head to wave at him and wave him over to them. It hurt, but he stood like she summoned, wiped his eyes, and jogged to flank the happy couple.

They still held hands when they entered the classroom. Eijirou and Denki were first to congratulate them, and Fumikage slapped Mineru to the ground before he made any particularly vulgar statement. It was almost like a celebration, seeing all of Momo and Kyouka’s friends surround them with big grins. It was like fingers gouged his open wounds.

Izuku nudged him. “H-hey, Todoroki, are you okay?” He and Ochaco loomed over him like a pair of mother hens. “You’re looking a little sick.”

“I was up late studying.” It was only half a lie. He cried for something like three hours before he managed to fall asleep. Emotionally, he was drained and marveled he had anymore to still drain out of him.

Ochaco pouted at him. “You need to sleep, Todo-kun! You won’t keep your title if you’re sleep deprived, you know! Do you need me to tuck you in?”

“Gee, thanks Mom.”

“Heya,” Kyouka waved as she and Momo approached his desk.

“Good morning, Todoroki-kun.” He wished Momo would just call him Shouto. “I-I wanted to thank you for your support. You’re basically the reason we’re together now….”

“Whoa, wait, Todoroki played matchmaker!?” Denki shrieked.

He watched in horror as his classmates devolved into renewed hysteria as if encouraging his friend to pursue her happiness was bizarre. Perhaps if they knew it was at the cost of his own chance to be with Momo, but otherwise, he was sure it was the normal thing to do.

Shouta Aizawa entered their classroom and within the blink of an eye, his classmates were in their seats and perfectly silent.

It was all a blur. His notes were messier, he could barely process a word of their lecture, his English was jumbled. Momo glanced back, brow furrowed and her thin lips dipped in a frown. He sat, hot with same, until training rolled around.

They were before the urban training ground, All Might glorious as always with his broad smile and silver-screen costume.

“Today we will be conducting another capture mission!” He presented the striped lottery boxes. “You will be sorted into teams of two and be assigned as heroes or villains. Heroes, you will be capturing a biological agent from the villains. Your goal is to both escape the compound with the agent and have apprehended both villains before your fifteen minute time limit expires. Villains, you just have to apprehend both heroes or keep them from obtaining the biological agent for fifteen minutes. Heroes, if the agent is broken, you lose. Heroes and villains will be penalized for acting on their own or causing property damage. Good luck, kids! Let’s get started!”

He and Tsuyu were the first hero team, pitted against none other than Kyouka Jirou and Eijirou.

It made him itch. It made him taste copper, like anger.

“Todoroki-san,” Tsuyu began, “we should take this time to plan our attack, kero.”

He turned from the floor plan and nodded. “Do you have anything in mind?” He made sure to ask that before he went off on his own since the practical exams. Two brains were better than one after all. It wasn’t like UA was comprised of imbeciles after all. Tsuyu was even among the exceptionally talented.

“I do, kero. This place is riddled with windows. I doubt they’ll have an agent in a room by one especially since I can climb up walls, but once we secure the agent I can just crawl out a window.”

“I can occupy and apprehend Jirou and Kirishima while you make your getaway.”

“Maybe you can secure Kirishima, but Jirou’s soundwaves can break your ice easily given the time. There’s a security system I’m sure they’re watching too. You’ll have to rush them.”

“I should apprehend Jirou first since her soundwaves will prove the greatest threat. Kirishima will be hard to get close to if I’m not careful, but I think after Jirou can’t use her soundwaves to shatter my ice, I’ll be able to apprehend him most easily.”

Tsuyu nodded. “I’ll be following behind you. Try not to freeze the walls or the ceiling so I have something to climb on without having to worry about freezing off my skin.”

He nodded, they clapped on it, and he tucked his map in his pocket.

He rushed inside, skating over the icy floor. The villain team was smartly located in one of the rooms in the center of the building, away from any windows. Eijirou rushed him. It was a brilliant strategy for Kyouka to sit back. Eijirou’s metamorphic Quirk better suited him for combat, and in case he just froze over Eijirou, Kyouka was still free to destroy his ice and put Eijirou back in the game.

He ducked under Eijirou’s elbow and skid across his ice towards Kyouka.

The plan was to apprehend her, but it hit him like a freight train. Jealousy, like copper on his tongue.

Kyouka swung at him with her sword he caught it in his frozen palm. She swore as he swiped her feet out from under her. His fiery hand caught her jacket. Kyouka cursed again and ripped off her jacket. With a stomp, he froze her, flipped over Eijirou’s charge, and landing with his left, the cool room erupted in steam with the burst of heat.

Tsuyu’s tongue rocketed from the hallway and fished the three of them out in one go, Kirishima unconscious and himself squashed face-to-face with Kyouka.

They landed on solid ground and Kyouka swung at him with a punch. “You jackass, you coulda fuckin’ killed us!” she howled. “You realize you coulda toned that the fuck down right!?”

He hopped over Kyouka’s kick and wrapped his legs around her shoulders. He fell onto his arms and threw her in the building side. Tsuyu’s tongue caught Kyouka before she collided with the brick, and suddenly he was plucked off his feet by All Might.

“Todoroki-kun,” All Might’s grave tone somehow made his smile more fearsome. “Visit me in my office after class. We have much to review!”

He grimaced. Nonetheless, he obeyed. He passed Momo on his walk back to campus, with the same worried look she had during their English class. He was in for more than just an earful from All Might. Momo wouldn’t let him get away with being an asshole to her girlfriend.

The wall clock in All Might’s office ticked away. The queasy ball in his gut churned like curdling milk as it ticked away. That was the first time he was in trouble beyond a warning.

All Might finally entered, clad in his striped suit. They sat across from each other and he feared All Might could see him sweat bullets.

“Todoroki-kun, you and I both know you are an exceptional young man and hero in the making. However, you realize people could have died,” All Might said. “We are heroes. We apprehend, we turn villains in to the authorities. We do not murder people however heinous they may be. Now, I am gladdened that you are beginning to embrace the other half of your powers. But you cannot continue to conduct yourself in such a reckless fashion in or out of the classroom.

“I-I understand,” he said.

“Do you? Kirishima-kun is with recovery girl for the burns he received. Tsu-chan and Jirou-chan are receiving care for first and second degree burns. You realize you can’t do something like that in anything less than extringent, life-threatening circumstances, correct?”

He nodded. It felt a lot like his father’s criticism. However kind All Might may be, he always took scoldings personally. He wondered when he could take them as a gesture of love like his rational side understood All Might.

“Good.” All Might moved into the seat beside his and rest an enormous arm over the back. “Will you tell me what’s on your mind now? You’re so level-headed. I know when you lash out.”

He paused, recalling his mother’s advice the day before. He ached to see Momo with anyone but him, but he would be left hollow without her. He couldn’t hear how happy he would be without Momo again.

“I just got ahead of myself,” he answered, his fists balled on his knees.

“And why is that, Todoroki-kun?”

His eyes watered and he knew the gig was up. It just hurt so badly, it was so hard to hide. “I-I got jealous,” he said. “Jirou a-and Yaoyorozu are girlfriends a-as of today but… but I like Yaoyorozu too. I promise I-I’m trying to be happy for Yaoyorozu since she’s my friend b-but it’s so hard when it feels like I’m being stabbed again and again. It’s fucking unfair, and I’m so stupid and I’m a terrible friend to them.” He dug his palms in his eyes. “It sucks so much.”

“Oh, son,” All Might collected him in a hug, and he felt foolish how congested and tearful he was, like a child curled in his mother’s lap again. “Heartbreak is part of growing up, Todoroki-kun. I can’t tell you otherwise, and I can’t tell you that Yaoyorozu-chan will change her mind. But you won’t hurt like this forever. You’ll go back to feeling okay, and you’ll go back to being their good friend. Give yourself time to heal.”

He wiped his face on his sleeve. It didn’t feel like he’d ever recover, but All Might hadn’t lied to him yet.

“Alright, kiddo, go apologize now! You’ll feel a lot better once you get that off your chest.”

He would, of course, if nothing more than to preserve his friendship with Momo.

It was lunch hour by that time. Outside of All Might’s office, he sent Momo a text to meet him in their classroom so he could apologize.

Kyouka and Momo were in their classroom as he requested, sat side-by-side on one of the desks. He approached them and bowed before they could utter a word.

“I-I would like to apologize for my conduct earlier, Jirou-san,” he said. “I was jealous of you and Yaoyorozu’s relationship a-and I let it get to me. I am happy for you two and I promise to behave myself as your friend in the future.”

There were seconds of silence between them, his heart rose and rose into his throat. Momo finally wrapped her fingers around his chin and lifted his face. Her dark eyes were soft and again, finally, she was smiling. It eased his nausea.

“I want to apologize too, Todo-- Shouto-kun. I haven’t been completely forward with you. I-I’m in love with you like I’m in love with Kyouka. But I wasn’t sure how you’d respond to my relationship to Kyouka. Favorably enough if you’ve come to apologize.” She collected him in a hug. His heart pound with life anew, her heart and his both thundering. “If you’re okay with it… I want to be with you and Kyouka.”

It took him three, long seconds to put together what Momo meant, as if too good to be true. “Yes,” he said, breathless.

Momo’s fingers slipped through his hair and she pulled him down for a kiss. There were no fireworks, nothing of the sort. But he melt in Momo’s arms. He was complete, searing with glee.

They fell away, smiling like a couple of bashful fools, and Kyouka jostled him. “Asshole,” she griped with that cheeky grin of her’s.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “Sorry. Let’s get something to eat.”

“Ooh, I’m coming! Momo’s lap is the softest seat, you know.”

He and Momo stuttered bashfully. Nonetheless, her hands caught his and Kyouka’s like nets, calloused and strong, and they walked three-wide like a bunch of assholes, catching stares from returning students and instructors alike. Nonetheless, he was happy.

“B-both of them!?”

“Pick your jaw up off the floor, Iida,” he scolded Tenya. Izuku laughed nervously as they sat.

“W-we’re just surprised. It’s not exactly everyday people come out as gay o-or multiam---”

“Polyamorous,” Momo corrected Izuku, “it’s called polyamory. But I’m bisexual and polyamorous, and that’s a fact that won’t be changing in the near future.”

“I’m surprised no one noticed,” Ochaco chimed in. “Yaomomo gets this gooey look with people she’s got a crush on. It’s not hard to catch on to.”

He, Izuku, and Tenya clammed up. That was true, he thought, looking back to Kyouka and Momo’s interactions. How could he not have noticed Momo looked at him the same way? What kind of idiot was he?

“I think it’s a dude thing. I mean, he got jealous! They’re fuckin’ ignorant.” Kyouka sighed. “I need a cigarette….”

Momo combed her fingers through his hair and pressed a kiss to his temple. His face would hurt that night with all the smiling he did.

That was fine by him. Hero life was pretty good.

[spirify]

Artificial Flower― CH. 6

w. Rielin to never fade; only to live.

“Behind the flashiness of an eternal flower petal, there’s a liar who has never bloomed nor withered.” -Eddy Kim.

BGM | smyang piano: hug me at 4 o'clock | bts v

He was always alone. No one looked out for the young child, all of their attention was directed toward the other one. Not one person gave him a single glance. It was as if he was a ghost, as if his existence was never there to begin with.

Eid and Add.

Twin brothers. They looked and sounded extremely similar. Their hair, their eyes, nose, lips, height, voice, everything was indistinguishable, even their own parents got confused at some times. So similar yet they were so different.

Eid was the one who mastered his skills in every aspect. He was highly intelligent considering his young age. He was always so kind to every human being, not one person have seen him fury. He respected everyone, and was so careful not to make a wrong mistake. He was perfect. Everyone's dream.

And there was Add, the younger brother. The delinquent. Because of his temper, he always came back home with scars across his lips, his fingers had hint of blood. He wasn't necessarily smart, perhaps because he never tried. Not one person have seen him smile. He hated everyone, because everyone hated him. He never experienced love, except from his older, twin brother.

"You got in a fight. Again?"

Add was never jealous of Eid. Instead, he admired him. He wanted to change and be like his older brother. But how could he? How could he just copy his own brother and live his life like his older brother? He didn't wanted to get in Eid's way, he wished for his brother's success- even if that meant tearing his own life down.

"Don't mind it,"

"Let me see it,"

Eid said as he approached his younger brother while holding onto a bandaid. Add glimpsed down at the floor, afraid of showing his older brother his foolish self. Yet Eid stared at him with a gentle look, his lips were smiling at the sight of his younger brother acting like a child that's pouting.

"So…,"

Eid said and with those words, Add glanced up. Eid's eyes were filled with worry as he stared at the scars. As he placed the bandage on a tiny cut that has been made across Add's cheek, he continued.

"Who won?"

"What?"

"The fight. Who won?"

"...,"

"Don't tell me you lost… or I'm not gonna consider you as my twin brother,"

"What? Of course I won,"

"Hahaha,"

Eid chuckled at Add's reply. A hint of gentle smile was painted across Add's lips as he tried to maintain his poker face. Yet it didn't work out and the two bursted their laughter. Then at that moment, the sound of phone ringing echoed into their apartment.

"Oh a call,"

Eid said as he finished patching the bandage across Add's face. Eid quickly walked over to his phone, and as he stared into the screen, a rather big smile was painted across his lips. Add stared at him in confusion yet remained quiet as he watched his older brother.

"Hi, Eve…,"

An unfamiliar name was called by his older brother's name. Yet Add wasn't highly interested. Probably one of his new friend he made in college, he thought as he whipped his own phone out of his pocket. Add decided to play a game with his phone as he blocked out the conversation Eid was having with unknown, until he heard those three words-

"I love you,"

"...,"

"Bye,"

And Eid hung up the call. He pushed his phone into his pocket as he took a quick glimpse over to Add, who was giving him a mischievous smile.

"Who was that?"

He said with a rather playful tone.

"Um…,"

"Girlfriend?"

"Add…!"

Eid's face quickly turned into a color of a tomato as the word 'girlfriend' echoed into his ear.

"Let me see,"

"See what?"

"A picture of her,"

Add said with a hint of curiosity as he walked over to his brother. Add knew for a fact, whatever her name is, was his first girlfriend. Add knew his brother very well, that he could tell right away if he was hiding something rather important. Eid hesitated at first, but decided to show his little brother a picture of his precious one as he browsed through his gallery.

"That's her…,"

"...,"

"Isn't she pretty?"

"...Yeah…,"

Then the name that Eid called earlier during his call echoed into Add's mind.

Eve.

How pretty.

Even though all he saw was just one picture of her, he realized the weird, tingling sensation within him right away- he was in love with her.

The house was unusually quiet; there would usually be mixture of voices from television, the water sound from the shower, loud music coming from one of the rooms, yet there wasn't any of that. Add took off his earphones as he gazed around his room in silence. The only people in the house was just Add himself and his older brother. Add heard loud noises earlier, just mere ten minute ago it seemed as if Eid was furious, Add have never seen Eid yell with anger. He assumed he was on the phone with someone considering the fact that no one except Add himself is physically in the house to hear his screams. Yet the house was quiet now. Add carefully opened his bedroom door and walked out, only to figure out Eid's door was closed and locked. Add automatically assumed his brother wants to be left alone as he tried to calm himself. Add slightly wondered why he was so angry and who was his anger directed to, however he decided to quickly brush the thought away considering it's not his business.

Add walked over to the kitchen and looked through the cabinets, only to let out a sigh. No chocolate. He thought as he closed the cabinets and walked over to the front door. Add lazily put on his sneakers and threw his hoodie over his head as he walked out of the house. With a lazy sigh, the male opened the gate and walked out, only to be surprised at the sight of the female he always wanted to see.

"Eve…,"

Her name was unintentionally whispered by Add. However, Eve didn't seem to realize anything weird.

"Eid…!"

The name that his beloved called upon wasn't his name, but his brother's. Eve loved Eid. She doesn't even know Add's existence. It stung his heart, yet he wanted to see her smile.

"Eid, I'm sorry,"

At that moment, she quickly dashed up and embraced the male with her petite arms that could barely be wrapped around his waist. Her voice was filled with guilt as she shaked while being in his arms.

"What…?"

Although Add automatically figured out that Eid never told Eve about his younger twin brother due to his delinquent actions, he was extremely confused. What is she sorry about?

"The fight we had earlier… The more I think about it, it's actually my fault,"

Her delicate voice was stern and serious, even Add could tell her desperation of wanting to apologize to Eid. However, he wasn't Eid, he was Add.

As she spoke, Add glanced down and realized her cheeks were flushing hint of redness.

She's embarrassed.

The question about what kind of argument did they have, which was lingering within his mind for quite a bit quickly diminished at the sight of Eve acting shy in front of him. Although none of her words were meant for Add himself, it didn't matter- as long as he could hold her tightly within his arms just like this.

"Are you really sorry?"

Add asked rather playfully. Eve slightly released herself from his embrace and looked up with confusion, her golden eyes shimmering as the moonlight reflected her beautiful eyes.

Adorable…

Add thought to himself at the sight of the delicate female that was glancing up with the puppy-eyed look while being in his arms. She was so petite within his arms, it felt as if one, strong hug could break her; that's how precious she felt to Add.

"Of- of course!"

She stammered at the question that was suddenly asked by Add. However, that only made him burst into a chuckle.

"Then kiss me,"

With those playful words, Eve's golden eyes widened with surprise.

"Wh- what?"

Her cheeks were getting more and more red with mixture of embarrassment and shyness. Her two petite hands that were playfully tugging onto his hoodie were gripping onto his clothes with stronger force, and her lips that were slightly gaped closed suddenly as if she was determined. Slightly surprised at her sudden actions, as Add was about to take a step back, she stepped forward and pressed her lips gently onto his.

However, that only lasted for a second. It was a light peck.

Is this… what Eid do?

Add wondered to himself with a hint of disappointment. Do they call this a kiss?

Pathetic.

Before she could draw back, he quickly leaned forward and matched his lips against hers. Eve's eyes widened and her shoulders flinched as she felt the sensation of his tongue entering her mouth, gently caressing her own tongue. Indeed, it was something that Eid have never done. However, because it was something Eid had never done, it felt like something new, it felt like she was getting more closer with him. At the new sensation of the kiss that actually felt romantic, she gently closed her eyes.

After couple seconds, Add slowly backed his lips away from hers yet still kept the intimate distance between their lips. His forehead was gently pressing onto hers, and their lips were still touching one another, yet the distance between their lips allowed the two to whisper to each other.

"Do you love me,"

He whispered with a cautious voice, slightly excited yet afraid of her answer.

"I do,"

She whispered back without hesitation.

Liar.

Yet he knew, that Eve doesn't even know the existence of Add. Eve loves Eid, not Add. Although that fact painfully digged into his heart, it didn't matter. As long as he was able to see her like this, talk to her like this, embrace her like this, even if he lived the life as Eid, even if he threw away his life as Add, it was fine. Because he loved her.

note:

hi all! this chapter is mixture of Add's and Eve's past! Mostly focused on Add. /so you see Add wasn't a psycho before... lol.

sorry i had to break their dramatic scene from last chapter but this chapter is really important! it shows how Add falls in love with Eve and how he met Eve, and how Eid having Eve as his girlfriend is the only thing that Add feels jealous of!

next chapter will be back to the present, sorry if i caused confusion!

and why is this song so sad oml

oh and last chapter, i said whether if i should go on hiatus or not considering i only had this chapter written. but today for some reason i felt the need to write! this week, i've been on a role with new stories like Lucid Dream and Old Melody then i wrote the entire ending... lol. so technically, this story is finished! i will be posting one chapter every 2-3 weeks and the last chapter is chapter 10 :D

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