#i saw somebody else point out that they see candy rose as rose at her worst
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well most importantly to me, the panel art of the latest upd8 was absolutely spectacular!!!!
#tuna.txt#upd8 spoilers#i thought the writing was interesting but maybe could have gone on a little longer#i think kanaya should have gotten to speak a little more#im not crazy about jades characterization in. all of 2#i think it this they did better-ish but shes still not the jade i know#also i think the.... cringe? of candy is based in that i think candy is supposed to reflect maybe the worst possible outcome for earth c?#idk. im not sure how to word it but i mainly read 2 for its panels lolz#how do i put it.... its like the fallout 3 of homestuck?#there are lots of aspects i actually like about it!#but in comparison to its predecessor i think theres a lot 2 doesnt understand about hs proper?#someone out there probably knows a more eloquent and thought out way of saying it!#also i actually really like ruby. shes such a little punk and reminds me of 13 year old rose#i saw somebody else point out that they see candy rose as rose at her worst#which i think furthers my idea that candy is meant to represent most of the cast at their worst#or being effected severely by the others being at the worst#i guess its not a horrible way to rewrite lore reasons for the kind of misogynist air of making jade rose and jane be at their worst#to ME the true post canon is kittyquest lol but 2 presents some *interesting* character avenues!
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âď¸ Synopsis: Bakugou just might have the biggest tiniest crush on you, but that doesnât mean heâs going to admit it to anyone â or even himself. Inspired by: âI wonât say (Iâm in love)â from Hercules.
âď¸ Character: Katsuki BakugouÂ
âď¸ Type: Scenario. Pure fluff and in denial Bakugou.
âď¸ Warning: Light cursing.Â
âď¸ Note: This is the first long fic Iâm doing for this blog, so i guess this is a especial moment? As promised, the Bnha x Disney songs is here! Kirishimaâs next on the list, can you guess which song was chosen? Tip: lights.
"I'm not saying it!" Bakugou says, glaring daggers at his best friend before huffing and averting his gaze to the door he so desperately wanted to reach.
"Oh, c'mon Bakugou!" Insisted Kirishima, still blocking the blond's way. "You like her ever since that day."
That was undoubtedly true, even though Bakugou wouldn't admit it to himself or the others.Â
You both first met on your first day at UA, and you were just another classmate he didn't really pay attention to. You tried to be friendly with Bakugou at first, just like you were with the rest of your classmates, but the explosive boy didn't seem to be open to the idea of friendships, so you eventually gave up. If you didn't cross his way â which you usually didn't, no words were exchanged.
But that changed with time, after the fateful day Bakugou was rescued from the league of villains.
You were never really close to him, but the guilt of not being able to help your fellow classmate was eating you inside out, especially because you were so close to grabbing his hand when he was taken. So you joined the rescue team alongside Kirishima and the rest.Â
The smile you had on your face once he was safe and the hug he found himself unable to run away from made his heart beat faster than ever before.
"And you're terrible at hiding it too, dude." Teased Kaminari, who was the first to notice the sudden change in Bakugou's behavior whenever he was around you. âWhy deny it?â
That too was true.
Bakugou found it harder than ever before to maintain his cool when you were around. It was like his already sweaty palms got sweatier whenever you got too close to him, he could feel his heart pound against his ribcage and wondered if his heartbeat as always been this loud and if people can hear it too. He found himself sighing more and getting lost in thought while staring at you.
It was like the stupid third-grade crush he had all over again, only that this time it didn't last a week.Â
"I mean, how could he hide it? They're so pretty!" Chirped in Mina getting dangerously close to his face, but this time he couldn't even shove his pink friend away because his mind was wandering elsewhere.
You were really pretty, no one could go against that.Â
You couldn't blame Bakugou for staring at you for a second too long. Who wouldn't?Â
He eventually caught himself noticing small details he never did before.
Like the way your eyes twinkled when you ate your favorite meal during lunch, or how you would scrunch up your nose when eating sore candy. Sometimes he couldn't help but smile whenever your tongue would stick out of your mouth when you were doing difficult math exercises. Only to realize he's been smiling at you for the past thirty seconds and bury his face in his hands in frustration.
Oh God, he's really seeing you through rose-colored lenses and it was so obvious.Â
"Just admit it." Now it was Sero's turn to intercept. "You got it bad." The raven-haired boy snickered and nudged his friend's side with his elbow, causing Bakugou to huff in annoyance.
"Okay, let's say I have this small interest on them â which I fucking don't!" He adds before the rest of the group could use it against him. "Why does it matter?"Â
He really couldn't see what confessing his very minor interest in you would do. Okay, he might get really nervous when you're around, recognize your scent if you walk into a room, and even let you touch him more than anyone else without yelling or huffing, but so what?Â
"You confess and tell them how you feel?" Kirishima said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, earning a "are you fucking serious?" look from Bakugou back. âJust give in, youâre in love!â
âAre you crazy? In love? Me?â
"Confess? Really Kirishima?" Mina asked, and pointed at Bakugou who was still staring at Kirishima as if he had grown a second head. "This guy can't even admit to himself he has a crush on them." "I don't-"
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.Â
The sudden notifications coming from everyone's phone expect for Bakugou's was enough to stop the ensuing argument. The blond cursed under his breath while the rest checked their phone and cooed at whatever they were looking at.
"What the fuck is so damn interesting?" He asked crossing his arms and peering over Kirishima's shoulder.
His eyed widened once he caught a glance of the image and he snatched Kirishima's phone from his hand to get a better look at it.
He wished his eyes were deceiving him because there you were sitting next to a guy he has never seen before. The guy's arm was over your shoulder and you were smiling â the smile he really liked â to the camera.
"Who the fuck is this guy?" He literally spat. "Why didn't I get this picture?"
"Bakugou, youâd leave the group chat every time I tried to add you." Kaminari deadpanned. "They send pictures like this all the time."Â
"You should've added me again then!" He snapped back before swiping to see the rest of the pictures you sent to the group chat.
You really sent a lot of them. Some smiling, others cutely pouting at the camera, and some with the other classmates.Â
His eyes widened when he realized you sent a picture of you pouting and pointing to him in the background. The caption read "grumpy Bakugou won't join us for game night :(" He could feel his face get warmer after knowing you actually realized he was missing during the group activities. He swiped again and his eyebrows furrowed when he saw another picture of you and this mystery guy.Â
"Okay, that's enough of staring for today." Kirishima said, taking his phone back from Bakugou's grasp.Â
"Who's that guy?" Bakugou was enraged, there was no other way to describe it. Why did you have so many pictures with the same guy? Why has he never heard of him before? And why did he care so much?
"Take a chill pill dude." Kaminari sighed. "That's just her cousin, he visited one and everything, don't you remember? â oh you were sleeping." Kaminari words felt like annoying prickles to Bakugou and he was getting really tired of his friend's nuances.
"But you see that irritable feeling you had when you saw them with another person? That's called jealousy." Mina sang. "And if you don't confess soon, they'll find someone to actually date."Â
"They wouldn't do that."
"Why not? They're single" She continued. "And not to mention, super attractive!" Added Sero.Â
"Shit..." Bakugou muttered and sat down on Kirishima's bed.
He was in it deep, his friends were right. But having a crush this big was just something he never imagined would happen so soon in his hero-in-training life. He didn't want to be slowed down by things like love, but it's not like you would slow him down right? You were strong and capable, and maybe, just maybe, you could even help him reach new height, right?
Oh, there he goes again. He really can't stop his brain from making up scenarios in his head and finding an answer every time he comes up with a reason why he shouldn't have a crush on you.Â
"Okay..." He whispered, loud enough for his friends to hear and stare down at him. "I might have a little crush on them."Â
"I fuckING KNEW IT-" Kaminari couldn't even finish his sentence because Bakugou sent a pillow flying to his face, successfully throwing him off balance.Â
The rest of the group simply ignored Kaminari's complaints and focused on Bakugou's speech.
"I... I don't want to see them with somebody else."
"Then confess! Tell them you like them." Cheered Mina.
"Do I really need to say it out loud?" He averts his gaze. Bakugou really wasn't the one to turn down a challenge, but the risk of rejection seemed too high to his liking.
"How else would you say it?" Asked Sero, cocking his head to the side in confusion.
"I don't know! This is my first time doing something like this, how am I supposed to know?!" He says in frustation, grabbing a handful of his hair.Â
"First say it out loud! Just admit to yourself first." Said Kirishima, sitting next to his best friend while patting his back as a sort of comfort. He could realize that while he was really book smart and strategic, he was still emotionally dumb. "Just say it."
"Okay, whatever." He breathed in and out, before opening his eyes in determination. "I like â fuck, this is stupid."
"Just say it, OH MY GOD." Even chill Sero was losing his temper.
"OKAY FUCK I LIKE THEM OKAY?!" The whole room fell silent with Bakugou's sudden burst and his friends could only stare at him. They were used to Bakugou's outbursts of rage since they happened almost daily, but they rarely came accompanied by red blush across his cheeks.Â
"Great!" Kirishima was the first one to break the silence as he got up and grabbed his best friend by the arm, pulling him up with him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Asks Bakugou once he's on his feet again.Â
"Now you go out there and tell them that."
"Right now?! Are you crazy?" Bakugou backs up. Oh hell no, he couldn't confess yet. Just admitting it to himself and his close group os friends was too much for the day, he didn't know he could handle confessing to you right now.Â
"Do you want someone else to beat you to it?" Asked Mina while typing away on her phone.
"Of course not, I said that alre-" Before he could end his sentence, Mina showed his her phone, which had a thread of texts between you and her, asking you to meet her outside in five minutes. "Then go Bakugou."
Bakugou cursed to himself before opening the door that led out of Kirishima's room. "You're all screwed when I get back." He states before slamming the door behind him.
"Your love muses will be waiting." Was the last thing he heard before starting this walk.
Bakugou mind races as he walks towards the spot he was supposed to meet you, opting to take the stair so he had more time to think. Admitting he had a crush on you to the world was hard enough, but confessing seemed like a whole ânother level. He couldn't help but think about all the possible negative outcomes that could come out of this decision.Â
âFuck... what am I doing?â
Maybe things were good as they were right? Sure, he couldn't hold your hand and kiss you like he has been picturing the past few days, but at least you talked to him and made the effort to be in his life. What if after he confessed his dumb feelings to you, you just straight up rejected him and things between both of you get awkward? How was he going to handle that?
"Bakugou?"Â
The familiar voice was enough to pull him out of the trance-like state he was in. He was so deep in thought he didn't even realize that he had reached the meeting spot and you were there waiting already.Â
Damn, did he make you wait? Maybe he should've taken the lift, I mean, summer's coming but it was still spring and maybe you're feeling cold. Oh shoot, you're staring at him, maybe he should answer right?
"Hey..."
You smiled realizing it was really Bakugou and what your eyes weren't playing games with you. Ever since you've realized that the admiration you felt towards Bakugou was only platonic and that you had a big fat crush on the hot-headed boy, every single attitude he had seemed to mean something more. His long stares, the way he would get nervous when you were around and the oh so light smile he would send your away would make your heart flutter and send you back to your room overthinking his actions.Â
"I thought Mina was supposed to meet me here?" You asked, still glad it was the blond who came over to meet you.Â
"Yeah..." Bakugou couldn't concentrate on the matter at hand. How could he when you looked so good just by standing there? You were already on your summer pajamas and he couldn't help but blush at the sight of the moon shining on your skin. " I actually need to tell you something."
"Ah, sure! I'm all ears" You tried your best to sound as confident as possible, but the truth is, doing so is hard when you have your crush standing in front of you. Everything about the situation screamed "cliche rom-com confession scene" to you and you didn't know if your increasing heartbeat was because you wanted it to be exactly that, or because you were afraid he was just going to ask for your English notes.Â
"Look, this is my first time doing something like this, so if I fuck it up just bear with me for a second okay?"Â
God, he must be sounding so stupid. So weak. So vulnerable. So not him.
But then again, this wasn't something he would normally do. Heck, his original plan was to graduate without even having the need to make friends or get into a relationship. He just wanted to be the best, but there he was. He had a small group of friends and was even considering bettering his relationship with Deku.
Nothing like that was ever part of his plans but they happened. And he sure as hell wasn't backing away now.Â
"I think I like you, no fuck it, I do like you!" He said staring at you dead in the eyes. "I didn't want to admit it at first but the truth is that... ever since that day, you helped shitty hair and the others, I've felt a different way towards you, and if you don't feel the same way then-" "No."
"What?" Bakugou stopped on his tracks and he could feel all the air getting sucked from his lungs.
"Oh Gosh, that sounded really bad." You say panicking. "I meant, no don't say that because... I really like you too Bakugou!"
Everything about the situation felt unreal.
From the way his words left his mouth to the fact that you were hugging him at the moment, breathing in his caramel aroma, making you melt to his touch. All of those nights overthinking about his actions and imagining how things could go if only you had to courage to confess would cease to exist, and now you would actually live every single scenario you made up in your head.
Bakugou was only glad he listened to his friends and told you how he felt. Not that he would tell them that, he sure wouldn't. And he also wouldn't forgive the fact that they were spying on you at the moment, but he could deal with that later.
Now he wanted to find out if your lips were as sweet as he imagined.
#bnha#mha#bnha x reader#mha x reader#bnha fic#bakugou x reader#bnha bakugo katsuki#bakugo katsuki#katsuki bakugo x reader#bakugou scenarios#bakugou katsuki scenarios
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Okay so I don't have a prompt from, like, a list? But: either Peter or Harley taking their younger sister trick-or-treating and ending up getting scared by somebody? Idk it's not a great prompt but
I kinda took this prompt on a little adventure but here we are (late as always lmao)
This is also incredibly AU so oops ,,,
*
Harleyâs incredibly reluctant when his mom shows him the costumes she picked out for them. He would do pretty much anything for his siblings, but this was a little over the top.
Apparently, Abbie had begged to do a group costume this year, and theyâd decided on Winnie the Pooh.
Jonah, the second youngest of the Keenerâs at three, got to be Winnie the Pooh, and Harley would be lying if he said he wasnât the cutest little kid on the planet.
Daytonâs seven and he chose Tigger.
Piglet went to Aspen, the middle child at 10 years old.
Abbie claimed Eeyore before Harley could.
Leaving Harley as Kanga, and the baby of the family, Bentley, as Roo.
Itâs embarrassing, walking around his hometown dressed as Kangaroo with his baby sister in his pouch, the train of Keenerâs following along behind him.
The anxiety is a lot higher than the shame, though. With five children to look after singlehandedly, Harley feels like heâs going to lose his mind, counting them every few minutes to make sure they havenât lose anybody.
Rose Hillâs generally a pretty safe town. Itâs small enough that everyone knows everyone. If any of these people saw one of the Keeners in danger, theyâd be sure to stop it. Harley trusts the people in the town.
But Rose Hillâs also a popular trick or treating spot. Everyone in neighboring towns come to theirs because nearly every house will have candy or chocolate available. They always go all out. So thereâs a lot of strangers about.
âCâmon! Itâs Tayâs house!â Aspen shouts, racing ahead, hand linked with Daytonâs. âShe said sheâd have special treats for us!â
âAspen!â Harley chastises with no results. Abbie shakes her head, holding onto Jonahâs hand. The pair system generally works alright but leaving the two middle kids together doesnât work out quite as well as Harley was hoping for. He tries to pick up the pace to catch up, but Bentley is proving to be a difficult addition to their team.
He loses sight of Aspen suddenly, lost to the groups of people on the streets. He grabs Jonah from Abbie. âGo catch up to the others and then wait at Tayâs until I get to you.â
Abbie jogs off, bag of candy tossed over her shoulder. Jonah whines pitifully at being left behind and Harleyâs forced to lift him into his arms to soothe him.
Now saddled with two kids and three bags of candy, Harley struggles to keep his cool.
âHelp!â
Harley turns, fear chilling him to his very bones. It could be one of his kids, voice high and scared.
But when he sees the source of the voice, itâs a girl he doesnât recognize, probably eight or nine years old, eyes wide and a deep shade of brown.
âEverythinâ okay?â Harley asks, shifting Jonahâs weight to lean down to her height.
She shakes her head, mouth settling into a pout. âI canât find my brother.â
âAlright, honey, Iâll help you out. Can I guess heâs dressed as Peter Pan?â
The girl nods. Sheâs dressed as Tinkerbell, a little green dress and wings and the iconic green shoes with white balls on the ends. âI got scared but I canât find him anymore.â
âOkay, well, Iâm Harley and this is Jonah and Bentley. Whatâs your name?â
âMorgan. And my brother is Peter.â
Bentley babbles wordlessly from Harleyâs kangaroo pouch and Jonahâs fist curls into Harleyâs hair.
âWhere did you see him last?â Harley asks. He canât help looking over his shoulder, still worried about Abbie, Aspen, and Dayton. âDo you remember?â
She nods. âIâm not allowed to tell you. Itâs a secret.â
âI canât help you if I donât know whatâs happening.â
She leans in closer, eyes so wide and earnest, voice dropping into a stage-whisper. âHeâs Spider-Man. He saw someone who needed help and he told me to stay put but I got scared.â
âSpider-Man? I thought he was Peter Pan?â
âNo, heâs Spider-Man, for real. My daddy is Iron Man.â Morgan rolls her eyes like Harleyâs silly for thinking otherwise.
Instead of continuing to argue, Harley just accepts this and moves on. âAlright, well now that youâve told me that, we can retrace your steps and find your brother, yeah?â
She nods, lighting up in a smile.
âFirst,â Harley says, unable to stop the constant waves of fear, âLetâs go grab my other siblings, yeah? And then you can lead the way.â
She grabs onto Harleyâs tail, keeping herself attached as he leads the way, not having a hand available for her.
They get to Tayâs driveway, waving the three kids over.
âWhatâs up?â Abbie asks, frowning at Morgan. âI know thereâs a lot of Keener kids to remember, but I think I would recognize this one.â
âShe canât find her brother, so weâre going to help out.â
Dayton frowns, shaking his bag of candy. âBut thereâs still a lot of houses to hit.â
âWe can go later. First, weâre helping Morgan.â
He shifts Jonah again, weighed down by everything. Bentley babbles some more. Morgan looks like she might cry if Harley doesnât find her brother soon. Dayton and Aspen look a few seconds away from throwing twin tantrums.
âAlright,â Harley says, taking a deep breath. âAbbie, keep Dayton and Aspen together and following. No running off this time. Morgan, youâre leading the way. You can all have one piece of candy before we go.â
He gets a lollipop for both kids and one for Morgan too, at least itâll keep them occupied for a little bit. And then he makes sure everyoneâs good before they start off again, following Morganâs lead.
At the very least, she seems to know where sheâs going, but she seems nervous, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure Harleyâs still there.
Harley feels like he might cry, shoulders aching and back throbbing in pain as Jonah falls asleep against his shoulder and Bentley squirms against his stomach. And at one point, Dayton starts complaining about his feet hurting, so Harley passes off his bag of candy to Abbie, and lifts Dayton up onto his shoulders, making sure he doesnât accidentally hurt Jonah.
âI was standing right here,â Morgan finally says, eyes sparkling. âPeter went down that road and left me here.â
Harley nods, looking around. âDid he say heâd come back to meet you here?â
She nods.
âAlright, I guess, letâs wait and see if he shows up. Heâll know youâre waiting here for him. In the meantime, AbbieâŚâ
Abbie nods, already understanding what heâs asking of her. She puts the candy bags down. âIâve got my phone on me and Iâll just check down this road. Iâll be twenty minutes max.â
âBe safe please. Mom would kill me if I lost you.â
She takes off and Aspen sits down against the brick wall with Morgan. Harley doesnât want to wake up Jonah and he canât get Dayton down without Abbieâs help so he just leans against the brick wall and hopes it wonât take long or else his shoulders will fall off.
And then, as though the universe is out to get him, Bentley starts crying.
He canât hold Bentley, his only ability is to try to soothe her with words.
Morganâs eyes go wide, like she might cry too. And Harley doesnât think she could deal with that right now.
âSpider-Manâs not going to save you now.â
Harley turns quickly, pushing himself in front of Morgan. This is probably what scared her earlier. âListen, man, we donât want any trouble.â
He steps out of the shadows and Bentley cries harder. The manâs holding a gun, pointing it right at Harley.
âSpider-Man hurt my business. He ruined my life. I just want the girl.â
Harley quickly slides Jonah onto the ground, leaving him with Aspen, and with his hands free, he can pull Dayton onto the ground as well.
Abbie rounds the corner and she freezes, staring at them. âWhat- Harley?â
âAbbie, take Bentley,â Harley orders, keeping his hands lifted and eyes on the man. âWe donât want any trouble, okay?â
As soon as Bentleyâs safe, Harley takes another step forward, putting as much space between the kids and the man as possible.
Behind him, not only is Bentley crying, but it sounds like Jonah, Morgan, and Aspen are as well.
âIf you donât move, Iâll kill you too.â
âIâm sorry, but Iâm not going to let you get at any of them. I canât. Just put down the gun and we wonât have any problems, alright?â
The gunman flicks off the trigger and Abbie shouts wordlessly, sitting against the brick wall, holding all the kids with her.
Harley keeps his hands raised in surrender. âPlease, donât do this. Theyâre just kids.â
âMove or I shoot.â
Harleyâs hands are shaking, fear running his blood cold. But he doesnât move.
And then, swinging down from a nearby rooftop, is Peter Pan.
Peter Pan knocks the man to the side, hat barely staying on his head, and webs the gun to the bricks, too high for anyone to grab. The man doesnât have much fight left to give, and Peter Pan webs him to the ground pretty quickly.
As soon as he does, he spins around, eyes darting until he sees Morgan.
âOh thank fuck,â he breathes, racing over and lifting Morgan into a tight hug. âYouâre okay. You were gone and I was thinking the worst. Christ, I was so scared. Donât do that to me.â
Harley turns, falling to his knees and immediately checking to make sure everythingâs alright.
âIs everyone okay? Nobodyâs hurt?â
Abbie shakes her head. âWeâre okay. Donât fucking do that, though. Youâre so stupid.â
Harley takes Bentley back, hugging her and pressing a kiss to her forehead in an attempt to soothe her. He gets out some more candy for Dayton and Aspen, hoping itâll be enough to keep them calm.
âHey, Morgan said you saved her.â
Harley looks up at Peter Pan. âIâve got five younger siblings. I know what itâs like.â
âThis is different. You couldâve let him take her to save yourself and your siblings, but you didnât. You protected her.â
âItâs not a big deal. You saved me from getting shot, so weâre even.â Harley shrugs, offering a little smile. âDo you live around here?â
Morgan shakes her head. âWe drove super long to get here.â
âNot super long, just a bit. We live nearby. Her parents needed to get out of the spotlight and this is what they came up with.â
âCome on then, I live just a few blocks from here-â
Aspen frowns, voice going high and whiny. âWeâre not going to keep trick or treating?â
âYou really want to-â
âPlease!â All of them shout, even Morgan.
Harley sighs harshly, but Peter shrugs. âYeah, alright, we could do a couple more houses, huh, Harley?â
Peter takes Dayton and Morgan, Abbie takes Aspen, and Harleyâs left with Jonah and Bentley. Harley introduces Peter to all of them.
Itâs so much easier to have another âadultâ with him to watch the kids, even if thereâs an extra kid to account for. They trick or treat at another three blocks worth of houses before calling it a day and heading back to the Keener Household.
Harley puts Jonah, Bentley, and Dayton to bed. Itâs late enough as is, before he sets Abbie, Morgan, and Aspen up to watch a movie.
And then, he takes Peter into the kitchen.
âYou hungry? Thirsty? Anything I can do for you?â
Peter laughs, shaking his head. âTake off the Host Hat.â
Harley turns from the fridge and nods before getting distracted. Itâs not his fault, really, itâs just that Peterâs wearing tights and a very definingly tight green shirt with a belt cinched around his small waist. Heâs got little freckles drawn onto his cheeks and black eyeliner that makes his doe eyes look so pretty.
He probably looks so silly dressed as a kangaroo in comparison.
âI canât thank you enough for everything you did today, Harley. If it werenât for youâŚâ
âItâs really not a big deal. Weâre even.â
Peter smiles softly. âYouâre a really good guy, Harley.â
âYouâre a superhero, Peter. Thereâs no way I could beat that.â
âItâs not a competition.â
Harley takes a step closer. âYou make a really good Peter Pan. It fits.â
âWhat fits? The role or the tights?â
âBoth,â Harley smiles, close enough now to cup Peterâs cheek and lift his head up to meet his eyes. âThe hatâs cute too.â
Peter grins. âThe kangaroo look is adorable, it works for you, believe it or not.â
And then Harleyâs kissing him, tugging his body flush to his, and hands tangling into his curls and knocking his hat askew.
It only lasts a few minutes before Abbieâs wolf-whistling from the doorway.
âGod, Abbie, buzzkill, much?â
She laughs and shakes her head. âMom just left for her shift at the hospital. Morganâs determined on having a sleepover with Aspen so I sent them both up to her room, and Iâm heading up to get some homework done. Keep it down, alright?â
âAbbie!â
Peter laughs, hiding his face against Harleyâs chest.
âGuess youâre staying the night, huh?â Harley asks as soon as Abbieâs gone. Peter laughs some more before kissing Harley again.
Taglist: @littlemissagrafina  @spidey-reids-2003  @romeoandjulietyouwish @c-artara @shadedrose01 @likeaphoenix13 @misskirkstark @you-get-killed-walk-it-off @kitkatwinchester  @emo-girl10  @hold-our-destiny @imalivebecauseirondad @spiderman-peterman @dykeragee @maryserrao @heeeyitskay @parknerandirondad @lilacsandlilies4 @loveliestdisappointment @joyful-soul-collector @genderfluid-and-confuzled @fallenstar07 @gyurolls @zanderljones {Let me know if you wanna be added or removed}Â
#lyss writes#lyss answers#parkner#harley keener#abbie keener#peter parker#morgan stark#parkner fic#dayton keener#aspen keener#jonah keener#bentley keener#tagging it just in case i use the characters again lmao#sorry this is like a week late
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For You: Stand By Me
Taglist: @jineunwootrash @angels-from-california @jayjaydawn
If you would like to be added to the taglist of any of this blogâs works, please ask!
Recommended Reading: For You: 4 OâClock; these works have separate, independent, but deeply interwoven timelines.
Chapter 9: The Girl Who Grew Up (While He Was Blinking)
Sehun POV Had I known when he asked me to hang out that Donghae would take me out on his boat to fish, I would have dressed more appropriately for the mid-summer heat. Or maybe I would have made up some excuse to stay home.Â
I didnât have any particular issue with nature or anything; I just knew that I was the kind of person who thrived in air-conditioned environments. Plus, I thought that fishing was kind of boring. Out of respect for Donghae, though, I kept my complaints to myself long after I set my fishing rod down on the floor of the boat, where it soaked my new leather sneakers with water from the river.Â
We had been on the water since the sun rose, and by sunset, Donghae had said a total of about five words. Because I didnât really know how to break silences, I focused my gaze on that distant line where the crystal blue water met the sky, painted shades of pink, orange, and red. I had never really been in the habit of watching the sky, so I couldnât remember a time that it had ever looked that way before. Golden. The moon, which I had to squint to make out through the thinning cotton candy clouds, was a crescent shape.Â
Itâs a shame that I didnât think to take a picture, but I think I can still see that sky when I close my eyes. Itâs too bad that I canât paint it for you. Just take my word for itâ the sky was never prettier.Â
Itâs a shame that nobody else saw that sky with me. Donghae was too focused on his line in the water. His jaw was tense, and unfamiliar creases were forming between his eyebrows. He seemed so deep in thought that I was reluctant to ask, âWhatâs wrong?â In the end, I decided to disturb the silence because I could probably count on one hand how many times I hadnât seen Donghae wearing a smile.Â
He flinched at the sound of my voice, met my eyes, but didnât offer his characteristic smile. âItâs nothing, really,â he said before pulling his fishing rod out of the water to set it beside mine.Â
Before I could narrow my eyes at his dishonesty and counter that it didnât seem like nothing was bothering him, he said, âIâve just spent these past few days, weeks, or months trying to figure out when Lei grew up.â I donât think he heard my breath catch in my throat over the sound of his own voice. âIt seems like she was a little girl just yesterday. Just yesterday, she was sitting at that table by the vending machine at the S.M. building with those dolls I got her for Christmas. And Iâm trying to figure out when she found the time to trade the doll for that boy, andâ it happened too fast. I think it happened while I was blinking.âÂ
Lei growing up was the last thing that I wanted to talk about, but I tried to have a little compassion for Donghae. He knew Lei longer. He knew her when she was younger. He was attached to her little gap-toothed smile and childish honesty before I was. It was probably hard for him to let go of the past, too. Maybeâ maybe it was harder for him than it was for me.Â
âTime flies,â I agreed with a defeated sort of sigh. âThereâs no point in clinging to it. Itâll slip away no matter how hard you try to hold on.âÂ
Donghae asked, âWhen did you get so wise?âÂ
I couldnât blame it on Junmyeonâ I had learned that lesson on my ownâ so I joked, âMaybe it happened while you were blinking.â
Donghaeâs laugh lifted some of the weight from my shoulders.
Although Lucas was the second to last thing I wanted to talk about, I felt light enough to tell Donghae, âItâs only natural for Lei to make friends. Itâs only natural for Lei to meet boys.âÂ
âI know that,â Donghae admitted, sighing. âIâm not disappointed in her or anything. Iâm just worried. I was never this worried when you were the only boy she noticed.âÂ
When I glanced at Donghaeâ my eyes had drifted back to the skyâ he was studying me. His eyebrows were still gathered together and drawing worried lines on his face, but this annoying little grin tugged on the corner of his lips. âOh,â I said dumbly. âSo you know about that?â For some reason, I was too embarrassed to keep looking at him.Â
âYeah. Lei never considered her crush on you a secret, you know.â
I cringed, first, at imagining how many people knew about feelings that were none of their business. Then, I realized that Donghae was speaking in the past tense, and something about that made me squirm and drop my voice to an almost whisper. âShe still doesnât.â I picked at my nail beds. They were bleeding, but they didnât hurt. âAnd she and Lucas are just friends, by the way.âÂ
I felt Donghaeâs eyes on me, but I wouldnât meet them. I told myself that was the best way to express disinterest, but I think I knew that I was afraid of what he might find if I returned his stare.Â
He asked, âDo you like Lei?â so casuallyâ so kindlyâ that every muscle in my body shouldnât have tensed. My stomach shouldnât have lurched. My pulse shouldnât have quickened.Â
My answer was an instant, flat, unwavering, âNo,â but I heard in the following silence that Donghae didnât believe me.Â
Eventually, he asked, âYouâre, what, five years older than her?â I stiffly nodded my head and hummed in response. âFive years wonât matter forever.âÂ
I suppose he was giving me permission to like her someday, but I didnât want to.
And I suppose that he was probably right, but I didnât want to think about that. I didnât want to count down the days until five years didnât matter. I didnât want to wish time away like that. All at once, I was so uncomfortable in my skin, even when Donghae finally looked away from me, that I would have walked away from the conversation if we werenât in the middle of the lake.Â
âCan we talk about something else?â I balled my hands into fists. I guess I was begging. âAnything else?â
Donghae said, âIâm sorry I made you uncomfortable.âÂ
And I lied, âIâm okay.â And I didnât blame Donghae for doubting me.Â
Pinching at the bridge of his nose, he huffed, âThis time when sheâs between childhood and adulthood is uncomfortable for all of us, you know.â He must have been talking about Leiâs mom, himself, and the other members of Super Junior who made up their family unit. âEven though weâre all older than Lei, weâve kind of grown up together. Itâsâ itâs kind of sadâ the day that you realize youâve outgrown certain memoriesâ the day that you realize youâll outgrow something new every day for the rest of time.âÂ
I didnât know what to say. I had never heard Donghae talk like that. Figuring that I could only listen while he trusted me with his feelingsâ as uncomfortable as they made meâ imagining that he was speaking for both of usâ I turned back to the sunset.Â
âI wouldnât be thinking like this if that boyâ Lucasâ didnât follow her everywhere. The first time I saw him, I dreaded the day when Lei might outgrow him orâ worseâ the day when he might outgrow her. Iâve tried to imagine what Iâll say if that happens. Iâve tried to figure out how to pick up the pieces and keep her whole if he breaks her.â
Donghae was never the kind of person to express fears about the future. I had only ever known his optimistic side, but maybe loveâ wanting whatâs best for Leiâ made him feel afraid too.Â
Although I didnât want to believe that Lei was as fragile as we feared, I swore, âIf anything ever breaks Lei, you wonât be the only one picking up the pieces.âÂ
Of course, I was thinking about Yesung and Heechul, who would seek revenge on her behalf. I was thinking about Siwon, who would let her cry on his shoulder. I was thinking about Ryeowook, who would know all the right things to say to comfort her. I was thinking about her Mom, who would inspire her just by existing nearby. And I was thinking about myself, who wouldnât know what to say or doâ who would still try to help.Â
As if it would comfort us, I said, âBesides, Lucas plans to stand by Lei forever, or at least thatâs what he told me. Iâm pretty sure he meant it. He had this stupid little grin on his face the moment I said Leiâs name. He loves her, or whatever.âÂ
I rolled my eyes at the memory of our conversation at the S.M. building. Since I admitted it to Lei, Iâll admit it to you: I was grossly jealous of Lucasâs effortless ability to make her smile that broad, bright, unrestrained, smileâ and snort when she laughedâ and forget that somebody was always watching. It was always clear that if Lucas ever hurt Lei, it would be an accident. It was always clear that he was the kind of person who would apologize before her eyes were wide and shiny with tears.Â
All in all, Lucas was a good personâ a good friendâ and I should have been grateful that he was everything I didnât know how to be. I tried to be grateful. Gratitude was just hard to muter when I hated him for reminding me of my shortcomings.Â
âI canât tell if that makes me feel better.â Donghae scratched at the back of his neck. âI want Lei to have friends. I donât want her to be lonely, but I keep thinking that the longer he sticks around, the likelier he is to learn things that he shouldnât know. I never want Lei to suffer for things that arenât her fault.â
Suddenly, I couldnât understand what Donghae meant. âWhat do you mean? What could be bad enough to scare Lucas away?â Mind you, they were inseparable at that point. I never saw one without the other.Â
In Donghaeâs defense, he preceded the heavy secret with many disclaimers.
âYou canât tell anyone,â he said first.Â
I dismissed that one by promising, âI wonât tell anyone.âÂ
Then, he said, âOnce I tell you, youâll always know.âÂ
All that did was fuel my curiosity. The secret was one of those that, once it was on the tip of the tongue, had to be spoken. There was no way to hold it back, but Donghae tried to bite his tongue even after I said, âOkay. Tell me anyway.â I shouldnât have pried it out of him when he was so inclined to guard it, but I told myself that I needed to know to protect Lei.Â
He chewed on his lip. âYou have to promise that you wonât treat Lei any differently, okay?â
Wiping my clammy palms on my jeans, I assured him that nothing could ever change my friendship with Leiâ not even the frown that contorted Donghaeâs face as he blurted, âLeiâs mom is the idol who never debuted.â
I guess the effort to hold the words in his mouth blurred them all together once they were out in the open. Unable to make sense of whatever he said, I blinked at him. âWhat?â
Donghae whined and cradled his face in his hands, and I almost felt bad for making him repeat it. The second time, he spoke slowly, enunciating each word. âLeiâs Momâ Manager Kimâ is the idol who never debuted.âÂ
Even when he spoke clearly enough for me to catch every word, the weight of the secret didnât hit me. I couldnât attach any meaning to the words. I felt stupid asking, âWhoâs that?â before Donghae dropped his jaw and looked at me like I was an idiot.Â
âYou never heard of the idol who never debuted?â
âObviously not,â I mumbled. Nobody likes feeling dumb. My ears burned. I either developed a sunburn or I was embarrassed again. âIs that some kind of TV reference or something? I donât keep up with dramas, soââ
âNo!â Donghae almost laughed at my cluelessness, and I was almost relieved after watching him mope all day. âI thought instructors warned trainees about becoming like the idol who never debuted!â
âWell, Iâve never heard about that before!âÂ
The whole phrase sounded suspect to me. How could anyone be an idol when they hadnât debuted? If they didnât debut, they were just a traineeâ a failed one at that. I couldnât begin to imagine Leiâs Mom as a figure in an S.M. cautionary tale when the story didnât even make sense to me.Â
When I strained my memory a bit to remember trainee daysâ when I strained to decipher the millions of whispers I heard throughout the day (that I threw away because they didnât pertain to me)â I remembered the brief lectures barked at Chanyeol if he stood too close to girls during co-ed training. âDonât stand too close. Donât look too long. Donât laugh too loud. You donât want to end up like the idol who never debuted.â I never thought twice about it because it had never been said to me.Â
Donghae explained, âManager Kim trained to be an idol at S.M. years ago. She was very popular at the agency. She was even scheduled to debut, but she dropped out when she got pregnant with Lei.â
âWhat?â I gasped. The idea of Leiâs Mom as an idolâ no, as a failed traineeâ contradicted every idea I ever had of her as a responsible career-driven woman. She was such an efficient, passionate manager that I never would have imagined she had any ambition other than to manage artists. âHow?â
A furious blush stained Donghaeâs face when he cut his eyes at me. âHow did she get pregnant?â I was embarrassed by the question the moment it fell out of my mouth, but it sounded worse in Donghaeâs voice. Still, he answered, âApparently, she was dating some bastardââ I choked on Donghaeâs unexpected languageâ âwho left her as soon as he got what he wanted.â
My face burned as it turned a shade that rivaled Donghaeâs blush. While I knew that Leiâs father wasnât involved in her life, I tried not to think about the circumstances. I tried not to think about things that could only hurt herâ that could only hurt me. âDoes Lei know?â
âShe knows that her father left before she was even born,â Donghae growled, and I chewed through my cheek. It hurt enough to make my eyes water. Donghae took a deep breath. âBut she doesnât know that Manager Kim trained as an idol. She doesnât know anything about the scandal.â
Instantly, relief washed over me. I had known Lei long enough to predict that she would blame herself for ruining her motherâs dreams. It didnât matter that I didnât think those feelings would be rational; I didnât want Lei to experience them. I didnât want her to suffer for something that wasnât her fault. I wouldnât have known how to comfort her through the burden of that knowledge. I couldnât imagine that anyone would have been able to comfort her through something like that.Â
And yet, I rambled to Donghae, âSomebody has to tell Lei. What if the media gets a hold of that information? You know how some people look for every way to tear us down. Not only would a story like that ruin Manager Kimâs reputation and Leiâsâ Lei would be so caught off guard and vulnerable, and IââÂ
I bit my tongue, closed my eyes, and told myself to stop imagining the worst-case scenario, but I couldnât. It was my job to protect her, but how could I protect her from something that happened in the past?Â
Out loud, I said, âI donât want to see her hurt like that,â and I wouldnât have cared who heard me.Â
âItâs a well-guarded secret,â Donghae said as if he hadnât just spilled it to me. âI understand where youâre coming from. It would be terrible if somebody tried to hurt Lei with the past she doesnât even know about, but itâs not our place to tell her, Sehun.â I opened my mouth to disagree, but Donghae continued, âItâs not our secret. Itâs Kimâs. If you tell Lei, you could seriously damage the relationship between a mother and a daughter.âÂ
That convinced me to bite my tongue. Lei told me on the bus once that her mother was everything to her. If her world was just one person, it would be her mother. Remembering how she leaned into my side and cried because those girls insulted her mother, I resolved to hold the secret. I didnât know if anything could ruin Leiâs perception of her mother, but I never wanted to be the person to inflict such a deep wound.Â
Carding a hand through my hair, I wheezed, all at once nauseated. âDonât you think that Manager Kim is being irresponsible by keeping this secret? If itâs about her reputationââ
I cut myself off once I noticed Donghaeâs glare. âI think you should be careful about how you speak about herââ he was clearly referring to Manager Kimâ âto me.â He held his hands in fists too, and nothing had ever been more glaringly obvious than the fact that Donghae was in love with her. I donât know how I didnât see it before.Â
While I sat there, slackjawed, I wondered if Heechul, Donghae, and every other member of Super Junior all had a thing for Leiâs mother. I hoped they didnât. I was already disgusted with Heechul for losing Lei while he was on that date at the drive-in. I didnât want to believe that everybody could be so irresponsible with Lei while trying to impress her mother.Â
As I tried to count the years separating Donghae from the object of his affectionâ as I concluded that it had to be somewhere around ten yearsâ twice the amount of time between me and Leiâ Donghae scolded, âI told you so you could protect Lei, not so you could judge Kim.â
Considering the hearts in Donghaeâs eyes, I realized quickly that it would do no good to explain that I hadnât meant to judge anyone. My apology didnât wipe away the scowl that settled on Donghaeâs face, but I wasnât going to beg for forgiveness just because he was hypersensitive.Â
Minutes passed in tense silence before Donghae decided to set the boat toward land.Â
Feeling that I knew too muchâ more than Donghae even meant to tell meâ I rubbed at my temples and griped, âI wish I didnât know this.âÂ
I think he might have noticed the last few seconds of the sunset before the stars came out as he sighed, âMe too."
#sehun fic#sehun fanfic#sehun drabble#sehun drabbles#sehun imagine#sehun imagines#sehun scenario#sehun scenarios#sehun fluff#sehun angst#exo fic#exo fanfic#exo drabble#exo drabb#exo imagine#exo imagines#exo scenario#exo scenarios#exo fluff#exo angst#for you: stand by me#kpop fic#kpop fanfic#exo au#sehun au#kpop drabbles#kpop imagines#kpop scenarios#kpop fluff#kpop angst
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The Secret Chord pt 3
I am very thrilled with my poetic serious title and my chaotic mess of chapter titles that donât do the title justice.
Anyway this entire chapter is Nick-centric and contains some negative self-talk so if you have difficulty with that (like I do) proceed with caution and stay safe and okay pretty please.
Also, we stan Carrie in this house thanks.
Read it on Ao3 here
And also below! ~2100 words
Nick was pretty sure this was a terrible idea.
Itâd seemed like a great idea last night when he was watching Julie and the Phantoms at the Orpheum. The music was loud, and the crowd was electric. The bass kept up a steady rhythm pounding in sync with his heartbeat and it joined the audience into one body perfectly in sync. Heâd felt so alive as if all of his nerve endings were firing at once. His joy came out as an endless ache while he watched Julie perform her heart out, her own enthusiasm evident in every note and movement.
She shone so bright on that stage, more so than anyone heâd ever seen. Heâd long since known of her grit and determination, the perks of being in school together since elementary school. Over the years he watched as the little girl with the big voice and no fear stood up to bullies, teachers, and during what came to be known as Fallout 2016 her (ex)friend Carrie.
Julie held her head up so high as she walked through the hallways and he was in awe of her even then. There were still some things he was still working out about himself and she was so unapologetically herself. Heâd often wished for her bravery to be that strong.
At the same time, he watched Carrie struggle to keep her head above water. Her dad loved her, but he was absentminded and often off on the road or some tour or party or something, leaving Carrie alone in that big empty house. Before thereâd been the joy and laughter of Julie and Flynn echoing in the hallways, but now she sat alone in her thoughts.
It was almost imperceptible to anyone who didnât know Carrie, after all sheâd always been a little rough around the edges, but Nick watched her harsh mask develop. He watched her use deflection and bravado to hide her fraying internal state. Nobody seemed to notice her growing intensity and focus on Dirty Candi, but it seemed like someone needed to do something.
Admittedly his feelings crept up on him. At first, heâd started small interactions as a friendly gesture. Little things like a smile or a wave so he could try to communicate somebody saw her. While she seemed a little confused at first, she soon started flashing him a smirk and a friendly sarcastic comment. Rather quickly their friendship grew, it turned into long conversations at lunch or studying together in the library. What started out as concern turned to pride and warmth as he watched this girl who hurt so much use her unwavering force of will (and a little pink glitter) to get up and meet each day with a take no prisoners attitude.
Once he saw her perform for the first time, he was a goner. That little smirk just did something to his insides. He asked her out and he was happy. They were happy.
Until Julieâs mom died. Whatever fallout might have happened between her and Julie, Carrie loved Rose. Sheâd been the closest thing Carrie ever had to a mother, and the loss hit her hard. Nick knew Julie wouldâve granted her a temporary truce and welcomed Carrie with open arms to grieve. He was even pretty sure Carrie knew deep inside herself somewhere too, but the walls sheâd built were too high and too wide to bring them down.
Nick did his best to be there for Carrie, but he knew he wasnât what she needed. She needed Julie and the Molinas, but it wasnât going to happen. Not yet. Instead her unresolved feelings ate at her morphing into jealousy and anger and acid. He watched this beautiful typhoon of a girl let the acid and anger consume her. Defenses and walls started going up against him too, until she treated him as little more than an accessory or a chess piece in her one-sided match against Julie Molina.
Beautiful burning Julie Molina who after a year of retreating into a cocoon, hiding from the world and her pain burst onto the stage like a firework. She maintained her grace and inner fortitude whatever the world, or Carrie, threw her way. Above all else though, she was kind. After months of being treated like a doormat, he craved the kindness and gentle protective ferocity that was Julie Molina.
He knew he followed her around like a lost puppy, but even if he couldnât be with her just being around her made him feel like he could do anything. Be anything, even himself. Her music lived and breathed inside him, the words filling him up and offering him a lifeline when he didnât even know how close he was to drowning.
He ached to return the favor of her steady reassurance and unconditional acceptance and support. She was incredible and she deserved to know. If he could emulate her even just a little bit, he wanted to try, wanted to practice being like Julie Molina.
Of course, this was how he found himself pacing the sidewalk for twenty minutes, gathering the courage to bring her these flowers. It shouldnât be this hard. Flowers were a regular post-performance kind of gift. I mean, he did have a crush on her, but she seemed to be into her guitarist? Would she think he was creepy or weird or persistent? He didnât want to scare her off. Maybe this was a bad idea. He probably didnât have a shot with someone as incredible as her anyway. Heâd like to think he stood a chance since her guitarist was a hologram, but the way they looked at each otherâŚ.
What did it matter? These flowers were not crush flowers. He wouldâve gotten her Dahlias for that. These were simply good job flowers. Theyâd performed at the Orpheum! That was a big deal. This is fine. This is normal.
A small burst of confidence propelled him forward while he gave himself a mental pep talk in his head. Later he would kick himself for not being more aware of his surroundings, but to be fair no one really expects a tall, mysterious demon man to sneak up behind them.
Yet here he was staring at this man in some steam punk adjacent costume, a smug plastic grin on his face and a mildly threatening atmosphere. Heâd rang the doorbell, but he hoped Julie didnât walk out here while this creep was still around.
âHow sweet. The brokenhearted teenager fighting for his girl.â
Nick was taken aback. For one thing, brokenhearted was not the right word. He was hopeful. For another- âDo I know you?â
âNo, but you will.â
Nick didnât even have a chance to react before Calebâs hands were around his neck. It felt like fire was racing through his veins, consuming him. He couldnât move, his arms spread wide, but his insides struggled against the invasion. Thrashing and shrieking he screamed inside his mind.
It started in his fingertips and toes, his body feeling like it was too crowded. Like something was growing and pushing him out. He fought so hard trying to stretch and stand up to the purple smoke that was blinding and dividing him. Yet he was losing the battle with every moment. Feeling himself getting shoved and squeezed until he couldnât feel his arms or his legs or the breaths he took or the beating of his own heart. Until he couldnât feel the weight of his own tongue.
The world went quiet first. Then it went dark.
Nick came to in a room of boundless dark. He thought about being afraid, but it wasnât a place where things lurked. He could tell it was just empty. A brief glance showed that he could see himself, slightly translucent maybe, but still there. The space seemed to go on forever and the longer he looked the more anxious he became. His eyes darted from space to space, but it was a never-ending sea of nothingness.
A voice echoed around him, making the world rumble and shake. âNow now, Nicholas. My name is Caleb and itâs nice to meet you.â
âWho are you!? What do you want!? Where am I!?â Nick shouted at the disembodied voice, hearing the fear and trembling in his tone and wishing desperately for the confidence and bravado typically attributed to jocks. What he wasnât prepared for was the jolt that through him.
The pain stabbed in his gut and it felt like it was ripping him open, piece by piece. He fell to his knees with a scream, doing his best not to sob as the feeling lingered. Caleb laughed before continuing. âtsk tsk tsk. I am speaking, you just need to listen. I am⌠borrowing your body for the time being. This little lifer girl and her trio of ghostly boy band made a fool of me. And NOBODY defies my will and gets away with it.â
âWhat does that have to do with- aghhhhâ Nick couldnât hide the sobs as another jolt shot through him.
âYeah, Iâm going to need you to be a fast learner Nicky-poo. Iâm in charge and thereâs literally nothing you can do about it. Just sit there and be quiet and maybe Iâll return your body back in one piece. Besides you may not know what Iâm talking about, but youâre close with that lifer brat Julie. Her ghosties would never let me get close, you on the other hand, well they canât stop you.â
Nick felt icy terror roll through him. Julie? This madman demon was after Julie? âNoâ he wheezed. He kept repeating the word as if it would give him power as he progressively got louder until he was standing and screaming it into the void, damn the consequences. âNO. I wonât let you hurt her.â
Another jolt ripped through him as an invisible force knocked him back. The laughter seemed to echo around the space reverberating into an endless mocking loop. âYou? You wonât let me? What exactly are you going to do Nicholas? After all, you couldnât even defend yourself against me. What makes you think youâre capable of doing anything at this point to stop my plans?â
Nick sagged against the ground. There wasnât anything he could do. His insides felt hollowed out as hopelessness descended upon him. Useless. He was absolutely useless.
âThere you go! Now youâre getting it. Anyway, this is the inside of your head and it can be manipulated into whatever I want. Behave and Iâll make sure itâs somewhat comfortable, continue to fight and defy me and Iâll make sure you relive your worst nightmares. Got it?â
Nick nodded, curling up on himself in defeat. If only heâd stayed home today.
âGood, now I just need to borrow your memories real quick and we can get this show on the road. After all, I have a fight too.â
It felt like someone was slicing his brain into pages and flipping through it like you would a book or a deck of cards. Heâd grabbed his head at the pain and briefly resisted before giving into the feeling. It was almost like he could feel the fingers turning through the pages. Flipping through his life as if it were nothing. As if he were nothing. He hoped Caleb got a cosmic papercut.
And then for a brief shining moment there was nothing. No Caleb, no jolts, no rummaging through his psyche, no noise. No world. Unfortunately, what looked like a big screen popped up in front of him. Was that the Molinaâs house? Were these his eyes? He almost couldnât watch as Julie opened the door. Then there he was again. Alone in the dark vastness of nothing. He let out an empty laugh. Of course, he was. That was him, always alone. Always hiding. Unable to make any true impact on the lives of the people around him. Heâd failed to help Carrie battle her darkness and Julie certainly never needed him.
He wondered briefly if anyone would even notice if he was gone. If anyone would even realize this thing that occupied his body was using him like a puppet. He doubted it. No one ever managed to make it past his walls. No one ever viewed him as more than as that blonde lacrosse player, or Carrieâs boyfriend.
He was as unseen and unheard in here as he was for every other moment of his life.
The disembodied voice never said anything, but Nick was sure he could feel Caleb roll his eyes and mutter âteenagersâ. Suddenly a couch poofed into existence and Nick settled into it, finding it oddly comforting. He curled himself around a pillow that heâd dragged into his lap, ready to watch his life spin out of his control.
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Good Graces Pt. 2
Finally got the second half of this fic together. Find it on Ao3Â or the first part here on Tumblr.Â
Nothing explicit takes place, however, the non-canon talk is of a sexual nature. Also, Dabi is a masochist and likes being ordered around. But we knew this already, didnât we?
Words: 2,789
Rating: M for language and sexual themes
The wait ended two days later in the same spot. Dabi was in the process of pouring himself his second drink of the night when a misty-edged hole opened in reality behind the bar. From it stepped the tall, elegant form of Kurogiri. Dabi had never really considered what a demon might look like, but the Leagueâs second-in-command/butler/voice of reason provided plenty of inspiration. Impeccable suit. Ability to show up anywhere. Form too immaterial to hurt, but still capable of making someone pay for trying. As always, Dabi gave him a polite nod and fought back memories of how it had felt to unexpectedly be elbow-deep in that shifting darkness.
âAh, Dabi. Just the person I was hoping to see.â Deep. Smooth as high-end nihonshu. The kind of voice that could talk somebody into trading away their firstborn. Or into joining a half-assed villain ensemble.
Dabi paused with his glass to his lips. He made a sound he hoped came across as Yes, Iâm listening rather than Help, Iâve swallowed my own tongue in mortal terror.
âShigaraki Tomura wishes to speak with you at your earliest convenience.â
This was it. This was not a drill. Dabi put down the glass without taking a sip. âWhere?â
âHe is in his room at the moment. I will open the way, if you wish to go now.â
Heâd just slid off the stool when the words registered. The air behind him changed. It was like the faint static charge living things gave off and a feeling of being watched all at once. Except Dabi knew if he turned heâd see only a hazy oval of black floating there, the perfect width and length to swallow him completely.
He didnât want to use the warp gate. No fucking way. Problem was heâd already gotten upâcouldnât sit back down without looking like a coward or a dumbass or both. And he sure as hell wasnât about to admit he already knew where Shigarakiâs room was to the person who amounted to the closest thing the guy had to a father.
So, Dabi grabbed his glass again. Knocked back the contents. Pretended it was just like jumping into a cold pool on a summer day as he turned and plunged into the waiting darkness.
Nothing existed anymore. Not time. Not space. Not self. Then somethingâmaybe Kurogiriâs will or just simple momentumâcarried him back into being. He returned to reality with a gasp. Catching his balance, he blinked and took stock of his new surroundings.
Shigaraki sat on his heels not a meter away, staring up through the stiff fingers of his favorite fashion statement. Large sheets of paper littered the floorboards in front of him. Maps, Dabi realized, noting the grid lines and coordinate markings. Somewhere way out in the sticks, if all the green and brown were any clue. Turning his head, he saw shelves lining the walls. Books? No, too many the same size and too thin. Cases for gamesâhundreds of them. More than one person could finish without giving up on everything else in life. Then again, what did he know? Heâd never been allowed to have any as a kid. Never been allowed to have anything that might distract him from the glorious future planned out for him since day one. And just look at how well that had gone.
At any rate, the room didnât seem to have the right ambiance to banish or murder someone in. Dabi let his hopes peek out from the bunker of suspicion.
âWhatâs this stuff for?â he asked, nodding to the maps on the ground.
Nothing from Shigaraki for an adrenaline-spiking second. Then, he crooked the fingers of one hand. âSit.â
Dabi obeyed, pacing himself. Step in closer. Let one leg fold under him. Just bend the other so the sole of his boot lay flat on the floor. Rest same side elbow on knee. Prop the whole casual façade up with the other hand behind him.
âYou got something you wanna say?â Cool nonchalance despite all the spit having vanished from inside his mouth.
Closing those intense eyes, his boss-and-possibly-more drew a long inhale. Didnât even gag on the musty museum specimen smell of the taxidermy clutching his face. Then it was Dabiâs turn to suck in a breath as Shigaraki pulled off the gray hand with fumbling fingers, setting it aside.
âI want you to lead the others on their first job,â he said, complete with direct eye contact.
Any pretense of self-assurance abandoned Dabi. His stomach clenched as if braced for a punch. He pumped his brain for something droll, snappy, cocky in response. The well had run dry. He settled for practical.
âWhat do you want us to do?â
Shigarakiâs shoulders relaxed a fraction, though his stoic expression never wavered. âI was given some interesting information about UAâs precious fledgling heroes. Seems theyâre headed to a remote training camp in the mountains for the summer. No one will be looking after them except two of their teachers and four pros who specialize in wilderness rescue missions. I want you to ruin their little retreat.â
Dabiâs spine went stiff and straight as an exclamation point. âI didnât sign up to kill kidsâeven baby heroes.â
But Shigaraki was already shaking his head halfway through. âKilling them isnât the point. That would generate too much outrage, hypocritical or no. The police might actually pry their heads from their asses and make a united effort to hunt us down with that much public pressure on them. Not to mention every third-rate pro in the country would crawl out of the woodwork, looking to make headlines. Weâd be finished before we ever got started.
âNo, what I have in mind is some training of our own.â
Attention swapped places with apprehension. âOh?â
âNone of us have worked together. Most of us havenât worked on a team at all. This is an opportunity to test how well your quirks and styles compliment or clash with one another.â
âSo, what? We crash their field trip and start fucking shit up? Flee the scene when the fighting gets too heated?â
âI came up with a level objective for you to focus on.â From on top of the maps, Shigaraki scooped up a thick manila folder and handed it to him.
Taking it, Dabi flipped to the first set of pages inside. His expression stayed set in stone while his stomach took a cliff dive.
A pretty girl with skin the color of bubblegum and squiggly little horns peeking out of her cotton candy hair smiled out at him from the photo in the top corner.
Name: Ashido Mina
Age: 15
Quirk: Acid
âYou got hold of the studentsâ profiles? Impressive.â And a potential fucking disaster waiting to happen.
Shigaraki shrugged modestly, lightly scratching a new crop of scabs that had popped up in jagged furrows on both sides of his neck. Scabs that hadnât been there a few days ago. âItâs just their teachersâ assessments of their quirks and performance during class assignments. Personal information like relatives and home addresses were better protected.â
The vice slowly closing its jaws around Dabiâs thumping heart released. Regardless, he made sure not to linger on any one student as he leafed through several of the profiles. Just focused on breathing normally and pretending to read for what seemed like a reasonable amount of time before moving to the next. Heâd wait until he didnât have an audience to allow himself to register anything.
âWhatâs this objective supposed to be?â he inquired.
âCapture one of the stronger, more notable students and ask him to join us.â
A muscle in his cheek jumped when Shigaraki reached over and flipped to a report in the middle of the folder. Dabi forced himself not only to look but see.
The boy scowling out of the picture was blonde. Broad-shouldered. Red-eyed, though not as beautifully as the one sitting across the way. Dabiâs pulse evened out.
âBakugou Katsuki,â he read. âIsnât this the kid they had to bind and gag at UAâs Sports Festivalâeven though he won the damn thing?â
âThe same.â
âThe hell do we want him for? I thought we were full capacity on lunatics already.â
A sigh. âTo spook the schoolâs supporters and society at large, for one. Itâs not enough to kill heroes. More will just take their place. We have to convince people to withdraw their support of them. Turn against them, though that wonât come until later.â
Dabi snorted. âThis little asshole will never agree to sign on with us. Heâs obsessed with proving heâs above everyone else. I know the type.â
A twitch of interest crossed Shigarakiâs face. Instead of pressing, though, he filed the slip away in that mysterious brain of his. âI donât give half a shit if he agrees. All that matters is he blabs to anyone whoâll listen that we targeted and tried to corrupt him once we let him âescapeâ.â
Tapping his fingers on the stack of papers, Dabi let the big picture come into focus. âInstead of outright attacking the school, weâre undermining their image. Making all the mommies and daddies wonder if a career as a pro is as great as they thought it would be for their precious snot-nosed bastards. Getting donors to think twice before reaching for those wallets. Weâre playing the long game. Smart.â A thin smile tugged at one end of Dabiâs mouth. âWhich leaves just one question. Why have me lead instead of yourself? People might accuse me of sleeping my way to the top.â
A lovely shade of pink, like the inner coating of a seashell, livened up Shigarakiâs cheeks. âWe neverâ!â He huffed and turned away, pink deepening to rose and spreading to the tops of his ears when he noticed Dabiâs smile had widened to a grin. âYouâre fucking with me, arenât you?â
âGuilty. Well, on the last part anyway.â
Shigaraki continued to fume, hopes of an answer dwindling with each second of silence. Then, just when an apology was in the works, âBecause Iâm a shitty leader.â
Dabi exchanged his smile for arched eyebrows. ââAnd you think Iâd make a better one?â
âYou take initiative when you need to, and show restraint when you should. Youâre able to read people without giving away much of anything about yourself. The others respect you. They like you. Anyway, from a purely tactical standpoint, since your quirk is long range you can attack and give orders without getting swept up in the melee. AndâŚâ Blood-soaked irises looked at him through a tangled curtain of white hair for a moment before flitting back to the safety of the maps. âI trust you.â
Every response Dabi had lined up crumbled. With them gone, he couldnât pretend not to notice what theyâd been hiding. Exposed to proper light and air, it bloomed, bright and bold despite the ruin it grew from.
âI wonât fail.â The words were hoarse, but came out easily enough for a promise heâd swore to make to no one except himself ever again.
âI know you wonât. Because this isnât about winning or losing. I want you and the others to test yourselves as individuals and as a team. Do your best. Find what works. What doesnât. Weâll figure out where to go from there. Together.â
Heâd joined the League of Villains looking for a means to exact revenge. Being told what heâd always wanted to hear made for a hell of a bonus prize.
Dabi pounced. His mouth mashed into Shigarakiâs, muffling an astonished yelp. Cold hands latched onto the front of his shirt. Not Decaying. Not shoving. Clinging. Insisting. He obliged, wrapping his arms around the other manâs waist and shoulders, then letting his weight carry them both to the floor. They rolled across the maps, scattering stolen papers as they went. Lips and teeth and tongue combined in different ways between every panting break for air.
Winding up sprawled on top, Dabi relocated his kisses to Shigarakiâs neck. The whimper that came out of him when just a bit of suction was applied under the corner of his jaw went directly to Dabiâs dick. Shigaraki writhed, supple and strong, yet unsure and overwhelmed. His fingersâthree on each handâclutched hard enough to hurt through a carapace of scar tissue. The scabs crosshatching his neck scraped the tongue and tasted of rust.
He surpassed any fantasy conjured up in the past few weeks. Because he was real. Unpredictable. And, in that slice of time at least, he was Dabiâs.
Shigaraki gasped and arched at the feel of a hand slipping up under his shirt. Dabi became so absorbed in the smooth, cool texture of the skin beneath his fingertips he didnât think anything of the arm that snaked around his own, or the heel hooked behind his knee until, with a sharp twist of hip, he was rolled. The air rushed out of him in a huff as he hit the floor. Shigaraki didnât look it, but he was solid, planting himself on Dabiâs chest and pinning both his wrists above his head.
âNo,â he said, decisive if out of breath. âWe do this my way.â
Dabi kept perfectly still. One wriggle, one shift, and he wouldâve cum in his pants right then and there. So, he relaxed one muscle group at a time. Controlled his breathing. Showed his boss what a good boy he could be.
âWhat did you have in mind?â he asked, already positive heâd like the answer.
Despite his command of the situation, Shigarakiâs gaze wandered off to the side. Unsure. Shy. God, it was going to be fun fucking both descriptions right out of him.
âI donât haveâŚexperienceâŚwith this, ah, subject.â
Dabi had to keep his teeth clamped together to keep from laughing. Good. He had to be good or he wouldnât get any treats.
âSo, I thoughtâŚmaybe we could each make a list. Of things we likeâor might like. And of stuff we donât, or arenât interested in. ThenâŚpick and agree on an option. UntilâŚuntil someone gets bored or just doesnât want to anymore orâŚwhatever.â
The habit of exceeding expectations was quickly becoming one of Dabiâs favorite things about his new boss. âIs that what youâve been up to these past three days? Thinking about what you want to do to me?â
Shigaraki shifted his weight forward a bit, breathing definitely speeding up a notch. âNot the entire three days,â he muttered.
Dabi rested his hands on slim hips, keeping them still before they sent him over the edge. âWhen did you want this list?â
He considered, worrying his already cracked bottom lip with his teeth and then catching the trickle of blood with the point of his tongue in a way that made Dabiâs toes curl in his boots. âWeâll need to start meeting regularly to work on the plan anyway, soâŚtomorrow, at this time.â
Meaning he had already made a list and wanted to see what Dabi came up with. âDone.â
âWell.â Shigaraki cleared his throat lightly. âItâs settled then.â Carefully, he started to slide his leg over. Froze when a soft hiss escaped Dabi. A finger stroked one of the staples in his cheek before pulling back, remembering permission to do so hadnât been agreed on yet.
âDid I hurt you? When we rolled over?â
Absolutely precious. Dabi smiled. âNot as much as I want you to.â
Red eyes blinked rapidly, wide and startled. âIâmâŚsorry?â
âDonât be. Now go on. Let me up.â
Still looking a bit lost, Shigaraki did, sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs. Dabi sat upright on a long exhale. Paused to collect himself. Got to his feet when he was reasonably sure he wouldnât ruin his last clean pair of pants doing so.
âYouâre leaving?â
The note of disappointment in Shigarakiâs tone almost toppled his resolve. He looked over through lowered lashes. âI have something pressing to take care of at the moment. Unless you donât want to wait for a list to find out what it is.â
One glance below Dabiâs belt transformed confusion into open-mouthed understanding. âOh.â Shigaraki buried his face in his knees. âSorry?â
âI already told you. Donât be.â And before his willpower evaporated completely, âSee you tomorrow.â
Heâd made it to the door when a final thought sprung on him. Pausing with his fingers on the handle, he peered back over his shoulder. âYou didnât come up with this whole training camp plan just to score some alone time with me, did you?â
The choked sound that came from Shigaraki was answer enough. Dabi finally allowed himself to laugh as he let himself out.
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Survey #437
âyou get what you pray for / you donât get anythingâ
Do you tell your mom and dad everything? No. Who was the last person you talked about something that was bothering you with? Most likely my mom. Whatâs your favorite musical? I don't like musicals. Who did you last share a taxi with? I've never been in a taxi. If youâve ever tried drugs or alcohol, what was your reason for first trying it? I've never done drugs, but the first time I drank was actually an accident. I'd come in from a long, hot walk, and I desperately needed water, and Mom offered me what I thought was just pink lemonade. Turns out it was a Mike's Hard Lemonade and I CHUGGED it before everyone around me was like "NOOOO!" because it was alcohol lmaooo. If you were far from home and needed to sleep for the night, would you choose to rent a crappy motel room for $60 or sleep in your car for free? I'm sleeping in my car. I'm afraid of things like bed bugs. Is there a situation where you caved into peer pressure and regretted it? I don't think so? Have you ever rolled off your bed in your sleep? Pretty sure no. What is your favourite planet? Saturn! Do you enjoy Mario games? Not really, honestly. They're just not my style. Mario Kart is fun every now and again, though. What flavor fruity drink is your favorite? Strawberry, in most cases. Ever done a keg stand? No. Who is the last person you lent money to? My mom. Do you have any health problems that are unusual for your age? I have carpal tunnel in my wrists from typing so much, but I'm not sure how "unusual" that is for young adults nowadays... I feel like there's something else, but it's evading me right now. Do you bite your nails? No, I pick/peel at them. :x Whatâs the longest nap youâve ever taken? Oh god, hours. To the point it no longer really qualifies as a "nap." When people ask you about school, what is your usual response? Do you enjoy talking about school? Why or why not? I get all awkward and just reply that I gave it numerous shots, but my mental health couldn't handle it. I hate talking about school because I feel like a failure. Do you know how to fill a carâs tire with air? Have you ever had to do it? No to both. Do you like your best friendâs parents? Why or why not? Omg I LOVE them. They are spectacular people with massive hearts. I especially am drawn to her dad, whom I find incredibly inspiring. Both her parents are just great. I miss 'em. What do you like in your hot cocoa - marshmallows, whipped cream, candy canes? Do you even like hot cocoa? I loooove hot chocolate. I really just prefer it plain, but you can toss a few marshmallows in there. Which do you have a problem with: over-eating or under-eating? I'm way more likely to over-eat than under-eat. A girl likes her food lmao. The last boy you kissed, good-looking? He's by no means ugly, but I wasn't physically attracted to him personally. Do you love him? Not romantically, but definitely platonically. Do you like cherry Pepsi? I like cherry Coke. I don't like Pepsi. When was the last time you were given flowers? Ummm... I want to say the last time was many years ago when Tyler visited for the first time when we started dating. What do you want to name your children? I don't want kids. But hypothetically, Alessandra and probably Damien. Would you ever write a letter to someone you havenât met yet, like your future spouse? No. I'd probably get too emotional anyway. Do you carry a mirror in your purse? No. Do you believe that there is beauty in everything? I've always thought this was such a stupid idea that tries to make reason out of life and its tragedies. Like yeah, cancer, rape, murder, etc. are definitely "beautiful." There is absolutely no beauty in a vast plethora of things. The first time you smoked, did you cough like a fool? I've never smoked before. When you were younger, did you have a Neopets account? Oh, yes. I loooooved Neopets, but not quite as much as Webkinz. I've actually remade a Neopetz account multiple times because I'd forget my info, ha ha... Who was the last person you got in a fist fight with? I've never been in a physical fight. Did you and your mom ever have a big fight that caused you to move out? Not "move out," no. We did, however, have a fight where I stayed with Dad for I want to say a week, maybe a bit less. Do you dislike anyone? Why? Well, yes. I don't know anyone who doesn't dislike somebody. There are a few people, in my case, that I'm not going to spend time going through and pointing out what I don't like. Do you think you will be in a relationship 2 months from now? No. Do you always feel like youâre making mistakes? Like constantly. Does your animal sleep with you? Roman usually does, yeah. Do you have any baby pictures of yourself on your computer? No. Mom has those in photo albums. What kind was the last chip you ate? I want to say traditional Lays? It was at my nephew's bday party. Do you eat onion rings? No, I'm not a fan. What was the last thing to disgust you? I think it was some thumbnail I saw on YouTube, even though it was (weakly) blurred. Where do you see your ex in 5 years? "The" ex, I don't want to think about it. Probably somewhere great for him, but would break my heart if I knew. Do your parents swear? Dad swears big time, while Mom tries to hold it back. You won't hear her say something like "fuck" unless she is SERIOUSLY upset. Do you ever drink warm milk? Warm milk sounds literally disgusting. Would you be really upset if Facebook ceased to exist tomorrow? No. I literally just came back from my break from it, so it'd be more funny than anything. The universe's way of telling me "nah, son." Who do you know that wears the most makeup? My friend Summer, but then again she's a cosmetologist. Have you ever had bronchitis? No, thankfully. Jason had it BAD once and I will neeever forget that cough, good Lord. Do you like to wear makeup? I hate applying it more than anything. Like, I love that it can help me feel prettier, but I pretty much never wear it because it's just a pain to put on, especially by myself because I have bad tremors in my hands. How many times have you been to the ER? Way too many times for being suicidal. How often do you feel lonely? Honestly, pretty much always. When are you most uncomfortable? I dunno, man. I'm always uncomfortable about one thing or another. Has anyone ever revealed a secret about you? Not that I remember... Have you ever revealed anyone elseâs secret? No, that is such a shitty thing to do. Have you ever had a family member/friend that was hospitalized? Yes. Have you ever been in trouble with the law? No. Is there anything you want to experiment with? I mean, nothing that quickly comes to mind. There are things I want to try, but nothing major. What do you hope happens to you after you die? Mixed feelings. Sometimes I hope there's some sort of nirvana-like state we experience, I think it'd be wonderful to be reunited with loved ones, but I also sometimes think it'd be best if we just... stopped existing. Consciousness just stops. I dunno. I'll find out eventually. What is the most disgusting thing you have seen in person (not on TV)? Probably a maggot-infested deer corpse that I faintly remember from where I used to live. I thought it was the sickest thing ever lmao, in both senses. What is something others make fun of you for? Always holding some sort of technology. Just don't fucking comment on it. It makes me self-conscious as hell. Is your life turning out like you pictured it would? QUITE THE FUCKING OPPOSITE. Do your initials spell out a word? No. Has anyone ever given you roses? Yeah. Last baby you held? My older sister's youngest daughter. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or groomsman? My aforementioned sister's. What is something you would never do to your body? I mean, there's a large number of things. There are certain piercings and tattoos I wouldn't dare to get, I plan on taking care of my hair as best I can to avoid ruining it despite wanting to dye it a lot... *shrug* Stuff like that. How are you planning to decorate your house for Halloween? I don't know if we'll decorate. We haven't really for a few years now... I don't have the motivation to do it myself, and now that it's just me and her and I'm grown up (I know, I'm laughing too), Mom doesn't really bother with doing it. I know I DO want to carve pumpkins this year, though. Dunno what, but I'll figure it out. Ever lived in a trailer park? No. Do you like salsa that has fruit in it? NOOOOOOOOOOO Can you count in binary? No. Do you like hard or soft pretzels better? I'll eat both, but I have a strong preference for soft ones. When was the last time someone kissed you on the cheek? Who was it? I'm sure that was either my niece of nephew when I was leaving their house when I last visited for Ryder's birthday. What kind of ice cream did you eat last? Whereâd you get it from? It was chocolate. I had a scoop at the aforementioned birthday party. Do you like flowers? What is your favorite kind to receive? I love flowers. I don't have a favorite to receive, really. Have you ever unblocked someone that you blocked before? Yes. Has anyone slapped you across the face before? If so, why? No. Do you prefer to have more or less in common with your significant other? I like to be pretty similar. Would you take a shot of heroin for a million dollars? No. I don't fuck with that, even for that much money. Why donât you talk to your ex anymore? He wants nothing to do with me. Do you think it is okay to drive while high? Obviously not...? Do you find Halloween or Valentineâs Day more exciting? Halloween. Has anyone you know ever had serious surgery before? Yeah; my mom immediately comes to mind in both instances she had cancer. When she had kidney cancer, the tumor was larger than the kidney itself, and she lost the entire organ. When she had ovarian cancer, she had to have a complete hysterectomy because the cancer was EVERYWHERE along her reproductive system to an almost fatal degree. My mom's pretty metal. If you had the last person you kissedâs Facebook password, would you go snooping through their stuff? Why or why not? No, because that's a violation of privacy? You don't do that shit. Have you ever fainted? If so, when was the last time? If not, have you ever came close to? Yes. The only time that I remember was maaaany years ago, like, maybe '14. I've nearly fainted plenty of times since then for various reasons, but mostly just from low blood pressure. Ever take a keyboarding class? Do you type using the skills you learned in that class or how you used to before you took the class? Yes; I believe one course was mandatory in middle school. I type the proper way, yeah. Ever cut your hair (the entire thing â not just the bangs or a little part) yourself? Noooo. Would you ever open your own business? If so, what kind of business could you imagine yourself having? Well, I'd like to be a freelance photographer, but to be real, I'm starting to loosen up on that dream. It's been too long, I just don't see it happening anymore. Baby steps are one thing, but I've barely managed any of those in forever. Ever meet and talk to someone from an online dating site? No. Would you date someone you werenât physically attracted to? Why or why not? Yes; I've done it before. I just care way more about emotional chemistry. Besides, historically, me liking someone for their heart has made each person a lot more attractive to me as a whole. Last person to hang up on you? I dunno. Whatâs your favorite scary movie? The Blair Witch Project. The second one is great, too, plus The Crazies. Which urban legend is your favourite? Oh man, you can't ask me this. I LOVE cryptids and conspiracies 'n shit. Are any of your fears completely irrational? Yes, like whale sharks. A whale shark ain't gonna hurt u boo but I see that mouth and am like no thnx Where is the light switch in your room? Funnily enough, I don't have a light switch; there isn't a ceiling light in this room. I instead have two table lamps that I can turn on on either side of my bed. Would you make a good lawyer? Hell no, I cry when I argue lmao. It's funny tho because I remember in TWO instances, in-depth surveys recommending jobs for you brought up me being a lawyer, and each time I was just like,,,,, no???????? Why did your family decide to live where youâre living now? It was more necessity than anything. Our old house had a LOT of issues to it, and with Mom's cancer diagnosis, she needed the cleanest environment possible, and that was NOT our old place. The house we live in now is owned by a family friend, and when the previous owner died, the timing just... kinda worked out to where that family friend I mentioned helped us pay our way into here. We really don't like this place because of the location, but it had to work. What was the best pet you've ever had? All things considered, I have to hand it to my boy Teddy. That dog was someone special. Very, very special. If you were allowed one murder without punishment, would you do it? Nah. Name one song you can play on an instrument, any instrument! I can probably still slam out "Hot Cross Buns" on a recorder. \m/ Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle? Noooo, I'm scared to. On the opposite sex, do you prefer muscles, average size, or scrawny bodies? It depends on the person, ig. I can be attracted to any of those. Just not EXTREME muscle. Not my thing at all.
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Thicker than Water Sneak Peek Ch. 13
Has not been edited nor put through Grammarly. Â
âSomethingâs wrong,â Marty muttered, talons tapping the back of his phone as he awaited a response.
âNothingâs wrong,â Shard told him with a lit cigarette between his teeth. Â
âShe hasnât texted back . . .â
âIn give fuckinâ minutes. Sheâs probably on the john or busy with somethinâ. Give her time.â
âI need to go in there.â
âHow? They arenât going to let a chump like you in there,â Shard retorted, tapping ashes out the window. âJust be cool.â
âSheâs in there with the Von Eldritchs.â
âRight and sheâs with Angel Dust, the celebrated porn star. Theyâre probably just brushing elbows and tryinâ to chat âem up. Nothinâ to worry about.â
The car was parked in an alley, just a street down where they could see the front of the Midnight Song glowing like a beacon in the night. He should be in there with Liz. She didnât know all the dangers Hell could pose for her and if sheâs mingling with the Von Eldritchs . . .
âI can go invisible and . . .â
âYouâre not going to do shit,â Shard replied with a dangerous edge in his voice. âA place like that has wards to keep out any magic or unwanted guests that go through the front door. And if ya do make it in there, what then? You gonna offend the Von Edritchs, one of the top noble families in Hell because they talked to your daughter? Give her away her disguise and paint a big fuckinâ target on her back?â
Marty wanted to argue, hell, he wanted to deck Shard for saying things that made too much sense. Taking a deep swig from his flask, he checked his phone for a response and his worry deepened when none came.
***
She returned to consciousness in phases. First she could feel the cold floor beneath her, then hear a voice calling her name, then smell a sweet candied musk.
âHey, hey, Liz, baby, ya gotta snap outta it,â the voice was telling her. Â
Who was that? She recognized the voice, but not the name attached to it. Whoever it was, spoke as if they knew her. And why did her feet ache?
âHey, wake up!â Â
A slap across her face made her eyes water, but she was able to focus on the source of the voice. A pink face with large heterochromia eyes hovered above hers and she was able to pluck a name from memory. âAngel Dust?â
âYeah, doll, yeah, thatâs me. Are ya alright?â
âI will be . . .I just need a few minutes.â Her head was pounding and she was very tired. âHow long . . .how long did it last?â
âToo fuckinâ long. Jesus, maybe a minute?â
âThatâs good . . .â
âWhat the fuck happened, Liz? You blacked out and began twitching.â
Sighing, she tried to sit up and her head swam. Nope, wasnât quite ready for that yet. âI have epilepsy.â
âShit . . .â Angel Dust breathed. âDoes Marty . . .â
âNo, he doesnât know and you donât tell him,â Liz shook her head and regretted it as nausea almost made her gag. God, she hadnât taken her anti-seizure medication since the night the imps attacked her. That was two days ago so the medicine must have left her system by now, especially since its been in overdrive with all the stress of everything that's happened since sheâs been in Hell. âIâll tell him . . .but not right now.â
âWhat if you . . .ya know . . . black out again?â
âI shouldnât black out again for a few more days,â Liz promised. âAt least, I donât think I will. Jesus, my head hurts.â
âI got some vicodin,â Angel Dust offered, snapping open his purse. âItâs great for hangovers.â Â
âYou have vicodin? In Hell?â Â
âOh yeah, you get all the drugs down here, doll.â
Hope rose in her heart. âWhat about gabapentin? Or phenytoin?â
âNever heard of those, but I ainât never looked for âem neither,â Angel Dust shrugged. âIf theyâre prescription drugs or narcotics, then someone is selling it somewhere in Hell.â
She felt a heavy weight lift off her shoulders at the possibility of controlling her seizures down here. It was a good feeling that her nausea ebbed away and she was able to sit up, but with some help from Angel Dust. After a drink of water from the sink to swallow the vicodin. She kicked off the stilettos as her legs were still wobbling and her sense of balance completely back yet. Â
While she recovered, Angel Dust began smoking a cigarette that gave off an oddly crimson line of smoke from the lit tip. It didnât have that noxious smell of burning nicotine, but a sweet musk that send a pearl of desire through her lower belly. It must be a positive sign that the throes of the seizure was leaving her. Â
She checked her phone and saw over a dozen messages from Marty. âShit, Dad, just calm down.â
âWhat?â Angel Dust asked, lowering his cigarette which continued to fill the air with its fragrance. Â
âMy Dad is worrying about why I havenât replied to each and everyone of his texts,â she muttered as she sent a reply assuring him that everything was alright. Iâm fine. Angel and I went to the restroom. Â
Martyâs response was so quick, she believed he had been staring at the phone awaiting her reply. Did you get away from the Von Eldritchs?
She texted: For right now.
Marty texted:Â Stay away from them!
âAngel, can you tell me who those guys were?â She was tired of being warned without being given clear information of why. âI take it from how you handled them that theyâre important somebodies that you donât want to cross.â
âGot it in one, doll,â Angel Dust said, dropping the cigarette into the toilet. âThe Von Eldritch Family is nobility and close to the royal family. So much so that prick Seviathan used to date the princess.â
âReally? Thatâs the one that said something about Hell being purer earlier.â She opened her purse and checked her makeup. It was a bit smeared around the mouth, but easily remedied.
âOh, donât listen tâ that bullshit,â Angel Dust said, rolling his eyes and fluffy out his hair and chest puff in the mirror next to her. âIf it wasnât for us Sinners, then Hell would be nothing more than fire and brimstone. Where do ya think the nightclubs, television, porn, and smartphones they enjoy so much come from? Oh, please, whenever the hellborn nobles got somethinâ to bitch about, itâs always about the Sinners and how weâre muckinâ up the purity of Hell.â
âSo what do we do? Theyâre looking for Rathel too.â Â
âDunno. If it was anyone else, Iâd say get to work on Dorkon. Thatâs one who has loose lips,â Angel Dust said, checking his makeup. âHe may be a little shit, but heâs the Von Eldritchâs little shit. They donât exactly like others tâ make fun of their clowns, ya know what I mean?â Â
âDamn,â Liz sighed. âSo we can either cut our losses and sneak out of here or take a risk and use them to find Rathel.â
âItâs your call, doll,â Angel Dust shrugged all four shoulders. Â
***
âWould you relax? You did all that panickinâ and they were just on the john like I said,â Shard groaned.Â
âShut up, Shard,â Marty snapped, thumbing a text message to Liz. âIâm calling this whole thing off.â
âWhat the fuck, man!? They got a lead on Rathel!â Shard grabbed the phone from Martyâs grasp. Â
âI donât want her anywhere near the Von Eldritch. I want her out of there now.â
âJesus Christ, she said it herself theyâre fine. What are you going to tell Tony Shark? Telling him that Rathel is connected to the Val Eldritch will not be enough and you know it.â
âI donât give a shit.â
Marty didnât know how to explain the sudden weight in his stomach that told him something was wrong, that something had happened to her inside. He hated this feeling of helplessness or this restraint that kept him from running inside and taking her out of there, even if it was over his shoulder.
With his attention on the Midnight Songâs gibbous glow, he failed to notice the street darkening as shadows crawled along the walls and pavement. A cane tapped the asphalt while tap-shoes clicked along while a low musical hum carried an old tune as the figure continued along the street, a pinstripe coat swayed with each step, catching a silent wind. Â
Oblivious to the sudden change in atmosphere and the figure strolling past the car, Shard was yelling at Marty. âAre you out of your fuckinâ mind, Marty!? Tony is going to bite your goddamn head off if you donât pay your dues.â
âAnd I will! But not at Lizâs expense!â
âSheâs the reason why youâre in this mess!â Shard hissed, baring his teeth in barely contained fury. Â
âGive me back the phone, Shard,â Marty growled, tail lashing his legs and floorboard. Â
âNo,â Shardâs eyes were narrowed into yellow slits. Â
Martyâs eyes began to narrow, then suddenly went wide. âShard . . .â
âWhat?â Â
âWhatâs going on over there?â Marty was pointing at something up the street behind Shard. Â
âYou've been watchinâ too many cartoons,â Shard retorted sardonically. âIf you think Iâm just gonna turn around so you can punch me in the back of the head and get your phone back.â
âGoddammit, Shard, look at the club! Look at the moon!â
It wasnât much as the ferocity in Martyâs voice, but the fear in them that made Shard turn around. The Midnight Songâs neon sign of the moon was blood red and people the people lined outside were fleeing for their lives in all directions.
A couple were charging down the street towards them. Shard rolled down the window and stuck his head out. âHey! Whatâs going on? Why ya runninâ?â
A female demon with yellow fur stopped, but her boyfriend, a demonic horse, almost dragged her along in his haste to get away. She managed to shout before being towed along, âThe Radio Demon just went into the Midnight Song!â
âOh shit,â Shard breathed. âMarty . . .â
But Marty wasnât there. He was already sprinting up the street towards the Midnight Song, going invisible as he went.
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Once A Year 3- Your Golden Lies [Billy Russo x Reader]
A/N: Hello my darlings! <3 I hope youâll enjoy it, and please tell me what you think, kisses and hugs! <3
Summary: Bars are good places to meet old friends.
Warning: Explicit language, mentions of guns and violence. As usual, I donât condone any of the messed up stuff happening on the show or in this story.
Word Count: 2681
Due to the linking issue, the earlier chapters are on my masterlist<3
The next day after the shock wore off, you had only one thing in mind;
You had to find Billy, and lucky for you, you knew just where to start.
You took a deep breath as you pulled over in front of the building, staring at it. Even though you had never been there, internet had proven to be so helpful as always. You drummed your fingernails on the steering wheel, frowning slightly before you pushed open the door and walked to the entrance. You knocked on the front door, but when you could hear no one, you opened it.
âHello?â
âOver here!â The familiar voice called out and you walked inside, flipping the keys in your hand before putting them into the pocket of your coat, and followed the hall that led you to a room with some chairs scattered along.
âWe said we would start at-â he stopped talking as soon as he turned to you and you put your hands into your pockets, looking him dead in the eye.
âHi Curtis.â
âWell, itâs been a while,â he said as he put down a folding chair, âWhat, two years?â
âSomething like that,â you said, without averting your gaze, âDid you know?â
âStraight to the point as always.â
You smiled slightly, âHi Curtis, itâs very nice to see you, we should catch up sometime, you me and Billy and hey, maybe even Frank. Did you know?â
âIf I had a dollar every time you or he came to my door, asking that questionâŚâ
You pulled your brows together, momentarily distracted,
âWhat?â
âI mean-âCurtis smiled, âHe was in the hospital anyway, itâs not like heâd be able to join the engagement party.â
âDid you read the news?â
âYeah. Then I listened it from him. You should try it sometime.â
You clicked your tongue, a bitter taste appearing in your throat,
âSubtle,â
âYou couldâve let him know,â he motioned at your ring, âHe wouldâve. But I guess we all know it wouldnât happen, huh?â
âI donât understand what you mean.â
âYou donât?â Curtis asked you, âNot even a clue?â
âNo no, it wasnât like that at all!â You protested, covering Billyâs mouth while basically climbing on top of him, âBesides, he punched the guy-â
âHell yeah I punched the guy!â
âSo yeah, that was how I got dumped,â You told Maria as Frank let out a laugh.
âThat sure sounds fun.â
âIt didnât feel fun when I had to ice the bruises on his face.â
Curtis scoffed, âYou got beaten up, huh Bill?â
âYou shouldâve seen the other guy.â
âNo come on you two, itâs sweet,â Maria said as you leaned your head on Billyâs shoulder out of habit and he relaxed his shoulder, slipping in his seat just a little so that you could be more comfortable. âEven if he got beaten up.â
âYeah he was just looking out for his bro.â You held up your fist so that Billy could fistbump you while Curtis looked between you,
âHis bro?â
âYeah, he once called me his bro and it stuck,â you let out a laugh, âI mean obviously right now Iâm not the only one, but hey, I got used to it.â
âOh you know, with them itâs nothing,â Billy grinned, âI just didnât wanna hurt you, but youâre the one for me.â
âYeah, itâs just the thrill with them?â
âExactly, and also, you know itâs in our biology babe,â
âAnd itâs not what it looks like?â
âYeah Iâve just been very stressed lately,â he continued the joke and you let out a laugh as you put your bottle down.
âNext roundâs on me.â
âY/N, come on-â
âItâs one step closer to having you as my sugar baby.â You winked at Billy who made a face,
âYou wouldnât be able to afford me.â
âWhatâs there not to afford, your hair products?â You asked as Frank and Curtis wolf whistled, cheering you on and Maria rolled her eyes at them, then stood up as well.
âIâll help you,â she said as she followed you to the bar, and you ordered the drinks.
âI gotta say,â she said as she leaned back to the bar, âWhen Billy said she was bringing a friend, I didnât expect it to be just aâŚfriend.â
âOh yeah, I know.â You grinned, âHe messes around a lot, but trust me, heâd never let you guys meet one of his flings. The moment when Billy introduces a girl to you, is when you know he will marry her.â
Mariaâs eyebrows rose and you hesitated, what you had said just dawning on you.
âOh no- not me, no. I donât count.â
âWhy not?â
âWe just- we grew up together.â You shook your head, âWe never- we never thought about each other that way.â
âEver?â
âNo way.â
âI donât buy it.â
âWhat, we havenât-â
âIâm sure he did, even if you didnât,â Maria said as you grabbed the beer bottles, âIn fact, letâs ask.â
âWhat- letâs not!â You called out but she was already making her way back to the table, so you rushed after him,
âSo, Bill.â
âHm?â
âYouâre bros, huh?â
âYeah?â
âAnd you never saw each other romantically?â she asked, âEven when you two were younger?â
Billy shrugged slightly, âOf course not,â he said and ruffled your hair, âSheâs my Skittles.â
Jesus Christ, what was this?
You were being candy-zoned now?
Curtis scoffed but hid it by taking a sip while Frank just looked amused, and you nodded.
âSee?â You asked, trying to keep your voice nonchalant, âIâm gonna be his best woman at his wedding.â
âSo what I read on the news-?â
âHalf true, half false.â Curtis stated, âCongratulations though.â
You pursed your lips together, âThank you,â you said and took a deep breath, âSorry if I was being aggressive, I just-â
âWanted to know.â Curtis finished her sentence, âYeah. No, I know. But Y/N-â
âWere you with him? When he first found out about umâŚâ You trailed off and held up your hand,
âHe was with his girlfriend.â
Your head shot up, âHe has a girlfriend?â you asked, your stomach flipping for some reason, and Curtis smiled,
âYou have a fiancĂŠ.â
âHe didnât-â you closed your eyes for a second, âAnd is he⌠Is he safe?â
âBillyâs never been into safety, you know that.â
You opened your mouth to answer, but your phone started ringing, distracting you both. You looked down at the screen, then declined the call before looking up at him.
âCurtis I-â You ran a hand over your face, âHow did that happen? That whole gang thing- it doesnât sound like him at all.â
He looked you up and down before motioning at one of the chairs;
âWhy donât you sit down?â he asked you, âYou look tired.â
âI should-â
âYour phone calls can wait,â he said, âYou look like you havenât slept for a while.â
Even if you wanted to say no, you still found yourself pulling up a chair,
âIâve never been to war,â You shrugged slightly, âIâm not one of your⌠guys. No need for a sharing session.â
âNever said you were,â he said, âYou just look like you need somebody to talk to, thatâs all.â
You crossed your arms, casting your gaze on the floor.
âIs he okay?â You asked him again and he shot you a look,
âYou saw him. Lately, right?â
âYeah but we-â You paused, âWe couldnât exactlyâŚcatch up.â
âHeâs okay,â he said, âHeâs just- itâs been rough, Iâm sure you can see why.â
âWhereâs he now?â
âHeâs staying at a place, near his gangâsâŚheadquarters.â
âAnd you approve that? His recent-hobbies?â
âSince when someoneâs approval or disapproval stopped Billy?â
You slipped a little in your seat, heaving a sigh, âYou got that right,â you muttered, âItâs just that- the last time we talked, I wasâŚ.â
âNot yourself. Billy told me.â
You looked up, âHe noticed?â
âOf course,â Curtis said, âAnything you want to tell me?â
You could feel the discomfort making its way through your system but you pushed the thoughts back.
âOh just- stress.â You managed to say, âNothing to worry about. Iâm more worried about my criminal best friend, to be honest.â
âHeâll be fine. You know how he is.â
Your phone started ringing again and you cleared your throat,
âYou got an address, or a phone number?â
âLet me guess, he was in a hurry to make a dramatic exit so he forgot to give you his phone number.â
You made a face, âSome things donât change.â You stated, and he shook his head and scribbled down on a paper, then handed it to you.
âTell him to be careful, will you? He listens to you.â
âIâll try,â you muttered before you looked down at the paper, âA bar?â
âThatâs where he hangs out while theyâre planning their next gig.â
You folded the paper, then put it into your purse, âThank you,â you said, âAnything else you want me to tell him?â
âTell him to stop being a dick and answer my calls.â
âThat Iâll be happy to deliver.â You said before you got up, âIâll see you around.â
âSee you around, Y/N,â he said as you walked out, then grabbed your phone and touched the name and got into the car.
He answered on the first call.
âWhy didnât you tell me?â
There was no way he knew, yet you could feel the panic bubbling at the pit of your stomach.
âWhat?â
âAbout the robbery last night. You were there- what, you didnât think Iâd want to know?â
You leaned your forehead on the steering wheel, letting out a breath before raising your head.
âCarter-â
âBabe, you got attacked, you and your whole family!â
âIt was nothing,â you said, âThey just got the money and got out.â
âItâs all over the news!â
You shook your head, âIt honestly was nothing.â
âYouâre something else, Y/NâŚ.â he muttered, âDo you need me there? I know we said Iâd come when Iâm done here, but if you want-â
âNo,â you cut him off, âNo need.â
âIf youâre scared, I want to be there for you.â
âIâm not scared,â you stated, and he let out a curt laugh,
âOf course not. When have you ever been scared of anything?â
You shut your eyes, feeling a headache making its way to your temples.
âI missed you,â you tried to sound sincere, but it sounded almost mechanic even to your own ears.
âI missed you too baby.â
Wow. Unlike you, he sounded sincere.
âJust grit your teeth, hm? Iâll be there soon, Italy is boring without you anyway.â
âYeah,â you forced yourself to smile, âI love you Charming.â
Nailed it.
âLove you too baby,â he said, âI gotta go okay? Make sure to miss me more.â
âWill do.â You said and as soon as you hung up, the smile fell from your lips.
It was exhausting sometimes, honestly. Pretending that much.
âSmall price to pay,â you mumbled yourself, then took a look at the address and started the car.
                    *
The bar looked exactly like you thought it would. It was small, and it was poorly lit even by bar standards. No one important, with money or with some common sense would ever walk into this place, which you guessed was the exact reason why Billy had picked it.
He had always been observant after all.
And even you knew that you didnât look like you belonged there, not in the slightest. You took a deep breath, threw your shoulders back and walked to the group at the corner of the bar, who looked way too involved in their business to hear the sound of your heels on the old wooden floor of the bar.
âMind if I take this chair?â you asked, keeping your eyes on Billy whose head shot up the minute he heard your voice. The other men looked at each other, some mumbling something to one another but you just crossed your arms, while Billy eyed you up and down.
âLeave us.â
âIsnât that the chick from-â
âLeave us.â Billy repeated and just like that, they scattered along the bar. You smiled calmly as you sat down across from him, making him narrow his eyes at you.
âWell, arenât you quite the stalker?â
âI hope you can see the irony of hearing that from you,â You shrugged as you grabbed his beer, taking a sip.
âHow did you know I was here?â
âYouâre not the only one who can find people, Billy.â You placed the glass on the table, âCurtis told you not to be a dick, by the way.â
âOf course he did,â he said, before turning the glass and taking a sip just from the corner with the slight smudge of your lipstick, the small gesture sending a shiver down your spine but you forced yourself to focus.
âAny reason for this visit?â
âI wanted to see where Iâd leave your invitation,â you said, looking around. You had no idea why, but the anger was already spreading through you, âYou can bring your plus one, by the way. When do I get to meet her?â
Billy looked taken aback for only a moment before he smirked, âSucks, doesnât it? Hearing it from someone else.â
You shrugged, âI have no idea what youâre talking about,â you said, âSo? When?â
âSoon,â he said, as if he was enjoying this, âI think youâll like her. Itâs good, you know. Having someone who cares about you.â
And just like that, the look in your eyes sharpened,
âYou did not just say that,â your voice was low, âYou didnât.â
âWhy not?â
âI-you-â you tried to keep your expression stable, âYou think I donât care? This is me not caring?â
âI didnât see you at the hospital, Skittles.â
âFuck you Billy.â
He sucked in a breath, âCareful. People might think youâre losing your calm.â
You shut your eyes for a moment, still sitting up straight before you opened them and casted your unwavering gaze on him.
âIâm worried about you, asshole.â You told him, âThatâs why Iâm here. So yeah, this is me, caring about you.â
âSo heâs in Italy?â
You rolled your eyes, âBilly-â
âWhenâs he coming?â
âJesus ChristâŚâ You muttered, âWhatâs with the gang?â
âWhatâs with the fiancĂŠ?â
âI asked you a question.â
âSo did I,â Billy said, and you heaved a sigh.
This was the exact reason why when you and Billy had a fight, it was always terrible. Neither of you knew how to back down, but instead kept pushing and pushing stubbornly, until it got out of hand.
And it always got out of hand.
âYouâre being careful, arenât you?â you asked him, and the look in his eyes softened.
âAre you really worried?â
âNo, I just like hanging around trashy bars just to see my best friend and his criminal buddies.â
He thought for a moment, âWill you tell me to stop?â
âI know you too well to know it wouldnât work,â you said, âSo no. But I want your word that you wonât get caught.â
He pulled his brows together, as if he was surprised,
âYouâre serious,â he said, âYou wonât tell me to stop.â
âYou have your choices, I have mine.â
His dark eyes searched yours, silence falling upon you for a moment,
âWhat the fuck happened last year, Y/N?â
You could already feel the burning behind your eyes but you scolded yourself in your head, blinking a couple of times and making sure your face showed no emotions.
âI have your number,â you told him. âI will call you, we will meet just like the old times, and you will tell me the whole story of what happened to you.â
He heaved a deep sigh and you pushed your chair back, then stood up,
âDo you love him?â he asked you and you raised your brows.
âMake sure to pick up the phone.â You smiled at him, âBeer tastes horrible, by the way. Next time pick somewhere better.â
With that, you walked out of the bar, leaving him behind.
 Special thanks to: @theskytraveler @iblogabout-stuff @marauderskeeper  @asongofmarvelanddc @thorohdamnson @mellxander1993 @papercloudx @noisyinfluencerstrawberry @superwolfchild-fan @billyrussotiddie @lostkizzy @anxietysucks @finnickfoxes @luminex3 @rhabakoli @fictionalthrill @shadowhunterscloset @my-little-dumpster-fire @xpunishedx @aesstheticallypleasing  @utterlyhopeful@redrxbel @ilkaeliseb @rpo03 @pancakefancake @flowers-in-your-hayr @thescarsweleave @maelloute @we-are-all-wild-things @evilturtlemonkey @yesixoxo @xinyourdreamsx @demoncrypt1066 @go-crybaby @i-am-always-famished @delicatelilyflower @nightxshadex201 @mamaraptor and lovely anons! <3 Youâre awesome! <3
#billy russo#billy russo imagine#billy russo imagines#billy russo x reader#ben barnes#the punisher#the punisher imagine#the punisher imagines#curtis hoyle#billy#billy x reader#jigsaw#marvel#marvel imagine#marvel imagines#punisher jigsaw#jigsaw punisher#imagine#imagines
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Tabula Rasa
Detective Conan & Magic Kaito Characters: Shinichi/Kaito Words: 2000 ish Chapter: (1) ... (15) (16) (17)
Shinichi always finds his neighbour weird. But he didnât expect to find his neighbour lying on a patch of grass and donned in Kaitou Kidâs costume, too.
The distance between Beika Street and Kurobaâs old hometown was considerably near, but it wasnât the case between the latter and their current residence. And the distance only amplified when Shinichi didnât have his car and had to walk to take the public transport.
But despite how Shinichi had to change a couple of metro lines before he finally reached the station to get off, he didnât find the journey very long. Perhaps it was because he was lucky enough to get a seat in every cabin he entered, or that he didnât bother to check the time on his watch or phoneâŚ
Or maybe because his mind had been so preoccupied about the scene at the clock tower the entire way home.
Shinichi originally wanted to bring the blue rose for reasons he wasnât sure. As an evidence? For safe-keeping? But in the end, he didnât. He only stood in the same spot when he first saw the bench and stared at the rose for a long, long while before deciding to head home. The roseâs presence was already enough to prove his intuitive sense correct, and he found no rights for him to touch the rose, much less remove it from the place it was meant to be.
âItâs a gift for someone.â
Hands in his empty pockets, Shinichi walked out of the station and down the familiar streets. This was also the first time he noticed the large space and distance between each of the street's lamppost, making the residential area darker than the others. Nonetheless, it was again another observation he made when he wasnât driving in his car, but for the first time, he wasnât sure what to make do with this random information he hadâ
Ah... At least now he knew if any of Kurobaâs doves ever went missing, the best time to find it would be during the night; from a distance away, Shinichi could already spot a white dove sitting on his mail box.
âHey you,â Shinichi called out as he approached.
The dove stared at him.
Shinichi looked over at Kurobaâs house. There were no lights on. âWhereâs your owner?â he asked.
It cooed.
Shinichi sighed, not at anything but himself for his idiocy of trying to get an answer from a dove, again.
Deciding an alternative method of communicating, Shinichi unfastened the latch and tentatively took out his mail, and at the last moment, he waved it in front of the dove. But besides looking at Shinichi with its beady eyes, it showed no reaction.
âSince you didnât steal my mail, I supposed heâs fine? â Shinichi glanced at Kurobaâs house again. âOr maybe he hasnât even reached home yet.â
The dove cooed.
âThanks for the reply,â Shinichi mumbled as he began flipping through the mails. There were bills, bills, another postcard from his motherâŚ
âHey,â Shinichi said as he stuffed the rest of his uninteresting mails back into the mailbox and leaned a little closer to the dove. âDo you happen to know who this person named Aoko is?â
ââŚâ
âIt isnât hard to know this person is important to Kuroba, but I also have a feeling that sheâsâŚâ Shinichi bit his lip, feeling the end of his throat tightened at the thought of the word. He lowered his gaze and stared at his handâthe hand he remembered Kuroba clung so tightly onto during that night he fell.
âIâm so⌠so sorry.â
Shinichi tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but that pain and tightness didnât go away; it moved to his chest instead.
The dove cooed.
Shinichi glanced up. âYes Iâm alrightââ He blinked, staring questionably at the dove for a few seconds. âUh, were you asking me if Iâm alright?â
It cooed again.
âI think Iâm going crazy.â Shinichi rubbed a thumb between his brows. âAnyway, who exactly are you? Hiro? Curry? Or Tamaââ
âItâs Tamago.â
With how fast he turned his head, Shinichi thought he might snap his neck.
âYouââ Shinichi backed a few steps away from Kuroba and scowled. âWhy did you creep up behind me like that?â
âI didnât,â Kuroba said as he took a bite out of the chocolate bar in his hand. âDonât pin the blame on me when youâre a scaredy-cat.â
âIâm not aââ Shinichi shook his head; he had much more important questions on hand than replying Kurobaâs insults. âSince when were you behind me? And how much have you heard?â
âNow Iâm curious.â Kuroba tilted his head. âShould I have heard something?â
âNo.â
âHuh.â Kuroba glanced between Shinichi and Tamago. âDid you two badmouth about me?â
âIf that would satisfy you, then yes, we badmouthed you.â
Kuroba gasped and theatrically placed a hand over his chest. âI thought Iâm your best neighbour,â he said, before looking at Tamago. âAnd I just fed you your favourite sunflower seeds less than half-an-hour ago. Is this how you repay me?â
Half-an-hour ago? Shinichi glanced at the snack in Kurobaâs hand. âWhere did you go?â
âI went to get myself some treats.â Kuroba raised his half-eaten chocolate bar before revealing his pocket full of other sweets. âYou want one?â
âNo.â
Shinichi figured if he continued to pry about how much Kuroba had heard, he would only be digging his own grave throughout the conversation. But it was hard to figure out the answer from Kurobaâs reaction, or rather, from the lack of it. Not to mention when Kuroba's side hobby and talent involved disguising as people on a casual basis tooâŚ
Kuroba raised an eyebrow after he finished stuffing his sweets back into his jeans. âAre you okay?â
Shinichi blinked. âWhy did you ask?â
âYou look constipated.â
âIâm not.â
âIf youâre not constipated, then I guess itâs one of the three reasons that make you act like youâre constipated.â Kuroba lifted a finger. âOne, youâre upset about the aftermath of a case; but I didnât see any news about murders today, so I guess not.â
âIââ
âTwo.â Kuroba gestured to the mailbox. âTamago didnât poop on it. So thatâs out.â
âHasn't pooped sounds better," Shinichi warned. "Since you fed it half an hour ago, it might happen anytime soon.â
Kuroba rolled his eyes, but his face grew serious again as he showed the third finger in the air. âThree.â Kuroba paused. âIt is because of Mouri Ran?â
Shinichi stared back in silence.
âSo itâs about her.â Kuroba lowered his hand. âHave you gone to find her?â
âSpeaking of which.â Shinichi crossed his arms in defiance. âYou didnât tell me that she came.â
âI couldnât possibly break the promise I made with a fine lady like her, can I?â Kuroba grinned as he took the last bite out of his remaining chocolate bar before crushing the wrapper in his hand. âSo, since you know about this, it means you did find her.â
âYeah.â
The scrunching sound in Kurobaâs hand stopped. He looked perfectly stillâ almost like a statue.
âThen,â Kuroba began, âdid she forgive you?â
Shinichi nodded.
In an instance, Kurobaâs face split into a huge smile, and it was filled with so much relief and bliss that for a moment, Shinichi almost forgotten if it was he or Kuroba that was forgiven by Ran.
âThatâs great!â Kuroba said.
Shinichi nodded again.
The excitement in Kurobaâs face died away as fast as it came. He furrowed his brows as he observed Shinichi. âShouldnât you be feeling happy about it? Whatâs with your reaction?â
âWhat reaction?â
âLike this.â Kuroba then drooped his eyes and showed a pursed lips.
Shinichi frowned. âI donât look like that.â
âYou need a mirror.â
âNo.â
âItâs not a question.â Kuroba whipped out one from his sleeve and showed it to Shinichiâs face. Indeed, Shinichi looked exactly like what Kuroba had mimicked, much to his annoyance.
âIâm fine.â Shinichi pushed the mirror away.
Kuroba scoffed before looking at Tamago, who had been sitting on the mailbox silently all these while. âLooks like somebody is moody.â Kuroba not-so-subtlety pointed at Shinichi.
But Shinichi wasnât going to react or rebuke to Kurobaâs taunts; there was actually nothing else for him to say, because in truth (and how strange that Kuroba got it right), those three reasons should be the only three reasons that could ever make Shinichi upset, but there was a fourth oneâone that Shinichi could never let it be known.
At least not to Kuroba.
Besides how time doesnât heal all wounds, words can reopen them too.
So how could Shinichi possibly tell Kuroba that he knew everythingâabout his unconscious apology, the hospital conversation and the blue rose in front of the clock towerâand that he was also upset and frustrated at himself for the lack of his abilities to pull Kuroba out of his sad, sad misery?
He didn't want to be that guy again.
âUmâŚâ Kuroba leaned back and cast Shinichi a side-long glance. âAre you really pissed though?â
Shinichi rubbed a hand down his face, hoping to wipe whatever expression Kuroba was seeing to think of that thought. âIâm not.â
Kuroba nervously hummed, before pulling out a candy from his pocket and gave it to Shinichi. âMaybe this can help?â
Knowing it would do better to accept than reject, Shinichi wordlessly took Kurobaâs offer and popped the sweet into his mouth.
âFeeling better?â Kuroba asked.
Shinichi had to swallow the sweet, to stop a sudden lump that was threatening to rise in his throat again. He looked at Kurobaâs curious and unblinking gaze, and wondered why, even when his own life wasnât exactly full of sunshine, Kuroba could still be concerned over Shinichi, and even foolishly offering a sweet so it would make him feel better.
More than that, Kuroba even talked to Ran.
And he encouraged Shinichi to talk to Ran too.
âThanks, Kaito,â Shinichi said.
(And it wasnât just for the sweets.)
It was as though the world stopped for a second, and then Kaito blinked. âDi-did you just call my name?â
Shinichi smirked; it felt like a privilege to hear Kaito stutter for once. âI did.â
Kaito fished out a handful of sweets from his pocket and laid them out in his open palm. âAre these poisoned? Or are they actually drugs?â he muttered.
âThey are nothing but diabetes,â Shinichi said.
Kaito looked at him, askance. âYouâre being really weird today. Did Mouri Ran hit your head or something?â
Shinichi ignored him and gestured to the sweets. âYou shouldnât eat these junks at night.â He turned to Tamago. âTry to control your owner if you can.â
Tamago cooed.
Kaito narrowed his eyes at his dove and grudgingly shoved the sweets back into his pocket. âBetrayal.â
âIâm heading in.â Shinichi walked past Kaito and towards his house.
âAre you sure you donât want to check your head?â Kaito yelled at Shinichiâs back.
âNo,â Shinichi answered over his shoulder. âBut you should check my mailbox after your dove flies off. I have a feeling itâs going to shit on it soon.â
As if cued, Tamago suddenly stood up, waddling its butt around for a while before departing off to Kaitoâs balcony.
Kaito stared at the mailbox. âOh.â
Just one word was enough to make Shinichi laugh.
âDo you need company?â Shinichi asked, but he didnât wait for Kaitoâs reply as heâd already turned and started walking back to the mailbox.
âWow, how kind of you,â Kaito muttered. He then pulled a cloth out of one sleeve and a bottle of water from another.
Again, like always, the supposedly simple clean-up that wouldnât last more than five minutes somehow turned to fifteen and eventually dragged to thirty. And in between, there would be jabs, laughters, and if Shinichi was a little lucky, he would get to know another random, yet surface-level thing about Kaito that day.
Maybe Shinichi didnât have the power or ability to relieve Kaitoâs pain, but maybe he didnât need to do anything either. All he had to be was simply Kaitoâs neighbour, the one whose mailbox got shitted on a lot, the one who needed reminders to water his plants, and the one who would agree to eat fried rice at each otherâs house.
And maybe being just like the way they always were was the one and only best thing Kaito could ask ever for.
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Homestuck Candy p1-4
So, finally we've found the time to start reading the other epilogue, aka the Candy path.
You'd think COVID19 would have given us plenty of opportunity already, and yet... we always managed to fill our spare time with other stuff, XD.
But I think it's fitting that we'd start reading again, 11 years to the day after Homestuck started. Especially with the cherub theme of the epilogues. Not just the meat/candy dichotomy, either - apparently the books solved by VIZ Media feature a black & white Sburb logo as the symbol for these epilogues!
I wonder what differences both paths are going to be showing, and what twisted parallels. Are Dirk & Alt Calliope fully replaced as antagonists by an alternate Caliborn and... somebody else?
Crack theory: the Davebot shown in the final page of the epilogues is from the Candy path. :P I'm working from the assumption that the Candy & Meat path will merge at some point, though the Meat path kind of feels "more canon" to me, but then I'm biased for having read it already. Under that light, it would make sense that the final page would feature characters from both paths - and the Jade we saw seemed to be the Meat version of her Game Over self.
But I wonder how much the Candy path is going to stray over to the "Diabetes" side. I mean, it's pretty much a given everything is going to turn out a lot sweeter, but we know from the Trickster arc that that could delve into uncanny territory as well, no problem.
It stands to reason that there's going to be different POVs we didn't have in the Meat path, but even then, I think events will turn out differently on Earth C too. For want of a nail and all. For want of a John, the election was lost. So maybe with his continued presence, Karkat will be able to win. Then again, a lot is going to depend on who's the narrator(s) of this path, too. Dirk and Rose's evolution isn't just going to go away, now, is it? Unless the narrator replacing them (mis)uses their powers to depower their expanding awareness, of course.
In more immediate future events, no points for guessing John's clothes are going to become sticky and rifled with sugar bits from all the candy he's about to consume.
---
Page 1
What the SHIT.
Hahahahh, and directly we get a reference to how this path might be less influential, with John feeling less substantial.
And this talk about splinters and splitting leaf veins, hahah. It's possible the splinters were referring to Dirk and how his relevance might have become nullified now. And the splitting how, even if this timeline doesn't contribute to canon, Paradox Space MIGHT NOT CARE.
But then.
Roxy opens up to John, and they (she?) confesses how she was hoping for him to stay. It's a valid point to make - if they're no longer relevant, what's the use in fretting about things.
Though, then Calliope asks something of John that turns everything upside down. John freeing Gamzee?? I wonder if that means only freeing him X thousand years in the future, or retcon zapping him to then, when he would find Caliborn & Calliope's egg.
The more I think about it, the more it seems fitting. Candy John takes care of loose ends "outside" of canon, on Earth C, while Meat John went back into canon. It sheds more of a surreal light on Caliborn & Calliope's session though - they found a way to "re-enter" canon on their own! Also, they contacted canon from outside it - making them even more of a symbol for Homestuck's fandom and hatedom!
Now, Blaperile seems convinced that Gamzee's going to be given the time to make up with his friends and then finds the "serenity" (pardon the phrase) he has when we see him on LOCAM. Yyyyes, I mean, I can see how that'd work, but I'm with John - whether it's time for forgiveness or not, he's still a murderclown, even if he was suffering from withdrawal symptoms from sopor slime at the time of said murders.
---
Page 2
Well that happened.
Dear god though.
For a full minute I was actually genuinely convinced Gamzee was sincere, but yeah, like John says by the end - it really feels performative.
But, why in the blazes did Candy John go into canon after all? Didn't they bring the fridge along, then? Boy, this marks yet another split timeline, I guess, since now the fridge didn't go through all that bullcrap during [S] Collide. It also made Gamzee's suffering in the fridge less painful, well, physically, by a certain margin.
But I guess he did have some trouble breathing in there. Still, that's karma, seeing as what he did to Equius.
Note!
John contacted Terezi, and from the sound of the conversation it didn't seem all that exceptional that he could! While in the Meat path, they seemed to have been out of touch for a long time. So, like, does the Candy path in reality diverge a lot earlier than the Meat/Candy choice? (Well, from a certain viewpoint, I guess you could say the path diverges from the moment John went back to LOTAK to steal Gamzee, in fact. If you ignore the fact Earth C is outside of canon. So for want of a clown, the canonicity was lost, I suppose.)
If not, does this mean that this Terezi is the same as the one Meat John found? I seem to recall Terezi making some kind of weird remark to John regarding the time she spent in the blank remnants of the Furthest Ring. Does it retroactively mean she was talking to Candy John all this time?
Or are there now two versions of post-Collide Terezi, too? Ugh, gonna have to follow the MST3K mantra I think.
Gotta say, I REALLY wasn't expecting John to message her, of all people, but he's right! If anyone knows how to feel about Gamzee in a similar way, it's definitely her.
So, Blaperile voiced the theory that maybe Candy Calliope turns out to narrate the Candy path, and with how vaguely sinister and mysterious she's behaving, I'm inclined to agree. What, does that mean that this version of Dirk is going to take over the narration from her at one point? It would also mean that, from a certain viewpoint, Dirk & Calliope were narrating the epilogues in the exact same manner, until the Meat/Candy diversion point. Since Doc Scratch is kind of the Calliope to Lord English's Caliborn, and he shares slime DNA with Calliope's body & Dirk's mind, that's not that far out there.
---
Page 3
Wow. Okay, I started to think we wouldn't get any reference to Dirk's Ultimate Self narrator-overtake shenanigans from the Meat path.
But no. It seems Dirk is fully aware that he's no longer in the "relevant" path, and he's actually quite hung up about it!
He apparently immediately gives up on everything - his political plans, his fights with Jake - but I wonder why?? Does he know, in some immeasurable way, that whatever the Candy path has to contribute to canon in the end, it isn't that?
He also seems to acknowledge something is dreadfully bad right now.
It will just have to turn out whether he means something besides his own grand plans not having a chance of working out - or not!
I'm looking forward to him explaining just how John's choice will have an effect on EVERY living being on Earth C, and what that effect could be. (Crack theory - irrelevance is going to slowly start turning all of their personalities into caricatures, flanderized Trickster-like semblance. :P I might not even be half wrong in this!)
Does this mean that Karkat will still run for presidency, even? Maybe him and Dave still hear about Jane's cancelled plans and are inspired? If so, I wonder what'd be the unintentional bad effects of Karkat's presidential turn.
---
Epilogue Two Page 4
Well, now, if there ever was a page seemingly MADE to be read after the Meat path, it sure is this one!
Seems like Dirk's influence, or at least a certain foreboding sense of danger and stress regarding Rose's illness, was already making Kanaya and Rose slowly drift apart.
I know we're going to be seeing bad influences from the Candy path in due time, but for now, at least this makeup scene helps as a reminder that, whereever Rose and Kanaya ended up during the Meat path, they still have a chance to make amends later. (I do wonder how Dirk and Rose's narrative influence is going to be dealt with in Homestuck 2.)
---
This seems like a good, lethargic cathartic place to stop reading. I hope we're in for 28 more pages, since if I counted correctly, it would mean Candy & Meat together would then count 64 pages, aka 8x8. (Or 8^y, where y=2.)
#homestuck#reaction#homestuck epilogues#liveblogging homestuck#homestuck candy#john egbert#roxy lalonde#calliope#dirk strider#terezi pyrope#gamzee makara#rose lalonde#kanaya maryam
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Release the Doves
Fandoms- My Babysitter's A Vampire (Benny Weir X Magic Reader)
Warnings/Notes- No warnings. This is a continuation to Magic and School Don't Mix (http://luddlebubble.tumblr.com/post/175394139088/magic-and-school-dont-mix)
Summary- You're better at magic than Benny, so you try and help him a bit. Fluff at the end.
~~~
  Whitechapel had to be the best place you had ever moved to. Everything was exciting and there was so much to do with your new group of friends. You'd already saved the town more times than you cared to count. Sure, you had originally hoped for a nice, quiet, and normal time here, but you were happier this way. You used your magic more often than not and it just made you feel so good.
  You watched your friends walk up to you, tired faces looking at yours. Sarah hadn't had a break since earlier in the month. She was studying for finals and fighting monsters in her free time. You knew she hated the whole vampire thing she had going on, but it always made her feel good to save someone. You wished she would feel better about her abilities, but you didn't really know all the details about what she was feeling. After all, you didn't have to drink blood to survive. You had your powers since birth, unlike how Sarah was bitten.
  "Hey, Y/n." Erica nodded her head in your direction before her eyes were caught by something behind you. "And hello lunch."
  You watched her fangs slip out and she took off down the street. You sighed, wishing her attention span was better. You and Sarah were standing outside of Ethan's house, waiting on him and Benny to hurry up. There boys had said there was a vampire threat at this place on the outskirts of town. Some rich vamp was throwing a party and was probably going to kill every human there if you asked Ethan. The boys compared it to some animal cube or something along those lines. You had your spell books and some little items in your crossbody bag. Benny had a similar bag hanging across his torso and you felt warmth rushing through your stomach and squeezing at your insides.
  You were so similar to Benny. You both liked the same movies, books, and music. Not to mention the fact you both loved magic more than anything else. It was just the warmth that flooded through your veins and the way it felt- like snow settling down on your body. You knew Benny felt the same way about it. Even though your Magic Tell was lighting and his was stars, you both had similar feelings. Benny smiled at you. His eyes were a soft green today and he was wearing a black and grey striped shirt. It looked nice on him, the way it was fitted to him. He was wearing skinny jeans as well, most of his clothing was semi-tight fitting- unlike Ethan who wore the baggiest of clothes.
  "Hey, Y/n! Are you excited to fight some blood-suckers?" Benny asked, not even cringing slightly at the thought of multiple vampires and a mass murder. He was always so excited to do some good. You laughed softly and nodded your head. Ethan trudged toward you guys, backpack on his back. You assumed all of his Nerf weapons were in there. He was pretty creative, making Nerf darts into little wooden pencil stakes. You had questioned him on how the foam darts were able to fly so far with rather heavy pencils in them. He had no answer.
  The five of you- Rory had joined in, taking Erica's place mostly- were off to the party. Ethan and Benny discussed a plan on the way there. You quirked in with suggestions when needed, but mostly just listened. Their plans were usually pretty good, even if they were pretty useless in battle. Rory, Erica, Sarah, and you did most of the work. Your magic was better than Benny's, but you assumed it was because you were taught magic from a young age and he had just been introduced to it a year or so prior.
  "So if you guys see any openings, stake him. We can't risk anybody dying, as per usual." Ethan finished out the plan as you all arrived at the big building the party was at. It looked like a mansion party or maybe a frat party. Were there even any frats in Whitechapel? You weren't for sure. You all entered, making sure to be aware of your surroundings. You all split up, weaving in and out of the crowd and trying to spot the Undead Host of the party. You walked by several people who were grinding more than dancing. It was pretty gross.
  You heard a whistle, a long low note and then a sudden, high pitched, note to end it off. It was the signal that somebody found the vampire you were supposed to be offing. You moved towards the direction the whistle came from, which was pretty difficult considering the loud music blaring all around you. You found who used the signal- Rory- and grouped up with the others. You saw the target and slowly pulled out one of your spell-books.
  Earlier in the day you had bookmarked a page about vampire revealing. You could hit them with the spell from far away, and if they were a vampire, they would get a grey ring around the outside of their body. It was better than pricking Ethan's finger- his blood smelled very good apparently- and hoping for them to fang-out.
  "Princeor mobile arc!" Your lighting mark shot out of your fingers, the others watching intently, hoping for him to burst into fire and die. You waited for the grey light to appear around him- but nothing happened.
  "He's not a vampire." Ethan and Benny looked confused. You told them about what the spell was supposed to do, telling them that he really wasn't a vampire.
  "We came here for nothing? Ah, man!" Rory shook his head and was gone in the blink of an eye. Sarah rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
  "Call me if anything changes or he kills someone." Sarah gave a small wave and started to walk away from Ethan, Benny, and you. Ethan jogged after her and he left as well. It was just you and Benny now. He was looking around awkwardly, like you two hadn't just been ditched at a mansion party.
  "Wanna go to the park or something?" The taller boy looked at you, eyes glimmering with some form of excitement. He picked at the strap of his bag that was pressed against his chest. You wondered if he had something planned.
  "Why the park?" You asked. His cheeks turned a cute shade of pink and his left hand started rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. You figured he was asking you on a date, considering how even more awkward he had become.
  "I- I don't-" Benny sighed and squeezed his eyes shut. It took him a second before he gave you a decipherable answer. "My magic isn't the best and you- you're super good at spells and I was wondering if you could help me?"
  "Yeah, yeah, of course I'll help." You smiled up at him, his face turning a darker shade of red and yours almost reaching a shade or two of pink. Some part of you wished he was asking you on a date, some strange feeling in your chest willing yourself to believe that's what he was going to ask you. He smiled back and you felt like melting.
~~~
  The park was deserted, probably because of the vampire problem in Whitechapel, so you and Benny laid your books out on the grass beneath some trees. The moon was full and tinted a darker shade of white, casting out bluish hues across the grassy area of Rosewood Park. The stars were bright tonight, making it a good night for Benny to perform magic.
  "So what is up with magic tells? You mentioned them when we found out about our magic." Benny was sitting with his legs crossed in front of you. You two had books cracked open between you. You licked your lips before speaking.
  "Magic Tells are specific to a witch or wizard. If you're around the object of your Tell, your magic tends to be stronger." You explained. You looked up at the stars and pointed. "For example, when you, specifically, preform magic, stars show that you are using your powers. So your Tell is stars. Thus, on starry nights, your magic is stronger. My Tell is lighting, meaning I'm stronger during storms. Do you understand?"
  Benny nodded before snapping his fingers, stars dancing and weaving between his fingers and rising slowly into the air- a rose appeared in his hand and he handed it to you with a nervous smile. You grinned, not being able to stop your smile from lighting up your face.
  "Thanks, Benvolio, I love it." You smiled but Benny shook his head.
  "Benvolio? Don't you mean Romeo?" Benny asked. You crinkled your nose and shook your head.
  "Benvolio is the only one who survives the play. I'd prefer you to be alive, thank you very much." Benny snorted when you laughed.
  "Who does that make you?" You thought for a second, barely being able to subdue the butterflies and bubbles swimming in your chest and stomach.
  "Whoever you want me to be." You had only meant to think the words, but they had slipped out before you could stop them. You hid you face behind your hands, too embarrassed to look at the cotton-candy eyed boy in front of that. The bubbles inside of you popped and the butterflies died and withered. God, you felt dumb. "Er- I mean-"
  "How about my girlfriend?" Benny's voice was soft and you felt his hand touch your arm gently. You slowly peeked through your fingers, not believing what you had heard. You thought that all of Benny's flirting had been playful, considering the fact that you thought he was in love with Erica. Sure, she'd never given him a second glance, but still.Â
  "I would like that. A lot." You admitted. Benny grinned, his eyes crinkling at the side. You concentrated and cupped your hands together. You imagined the grass sitting in your palms breathing and turning white. When you opened your eyes, a dove cooed at Benny. It was sitting in your hands, but quickly decided it didn't want to be there. It flapped its wings a few times before going air-born and flying off. Benny laughed in awe.
  "You so have to teach me that one."Â
#benny x reader#benny x magic!reader#benny weir x reader#benny weir x magic!reader#toby writes#Erica jones#sarah fox#ethan morgan#MBAV fic#requests are open#my babysitter's a vampire
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Yellow Curtains - Chapter One
Lucas Lallemant happens upon several people online who appear to be living lives quite similar to his own-- maybe even the same. (Or, all the alternate Isaks find each other online when Even becomes famous)
Lucas first saw the picture on his Instagram explore page, at three in the morning when Eliott was with his parents. He should have been sleeping, he supposed, but over the previous week theyâd spent together his body learned to gel with Eliottâs at night. He could only sleep with his arm draped over Eliottâs midsection. This problem should have been fixable; he tried to wrap his arm around a pillow, or a bundle of comforter, but the fabric didnât feel as warm and didnât have a chest that rose and fell with each rhythmic breath. It wasnât the same.
Hence, a late-night/early-morning browsing session.
He followed a lot of actors, meaning his explore page feed usually filled with photos from upcoming movies and low-budget indie films from all over the world. Eliott loved that kind of thing. He could sit and watch foreign language dramas, unsubtitled, for hours and hours commenting on the use of color in each scene and the smoothness with which each actor spoke. Lucas had never been one for cinema he couldnât understand. He appreciated the concepts, and English wasnât so bad to hear, but it wasnât his niche.
Really, the only reason he followed so many actors in the first place was to keep up with Eliottâs obsessive interest in obscure titles with equally obscure directors and plot lines. He didnât know half of the people whose pictures he liked.
 Well, he knew a few. Xavier Dolan posted a new photo. Lucas liked it without much thought. He would always appreciate the man who inspired his and Eliottâs art of a reunion, even if heâd never stayed awake through the entirety of one of his movies.
âItâs in French!â Eliott had yelled at him. âNo subtitles! Itâs in French!â
âNot my thing,â heâd replied.
âDubstep wasnât your thing either, and look at you now.â
âI donât actually like dubstep, I just love you.â
Xavier Dolan earned his like for the sake of that conversation alone. Lucas treasured when he had the opportunity to tell Eliott how much he loved him in some sappy way. He scrolled down past Xavier Dolanâs post and into a section of related ones, probably all from similar directors.Â
In the midst of his browsing, he found his attention drawn to a photo of two blond boys, standing together in a location tagged as Oslo, Norway. Call it fate, call it intuition, but he knew for sure something was different about these two people.
He tapped the photo so it took up most of the screen. One of the boys wore a gray sweatshirt similar to the one Lucas himself had in his closet. The other sported a jean jacket with a small pansexual flag pin on the pocket. The latter boyâs posture reminded Lucas of someone, although he wasnât quite sure just who. He oozed confidence. If you looked at his face though, he seemed quite shy and timid. Lucas scrolled downward to read the caption.
 isakyaki Congratulations to my wonderful boyfriend, Even Bech NÌshiem, on directing his first full-length movie. I love you and cannot wait to see everything else you have to offer.
 Even. The name stirred something in Lucas. He looked at the picture again. Which of the two was Even? Was it the taller boy with the jean jacket or the smaller one in the sweatshirt? He felt like heâd seen them both before, if only in passing, and surprised himself by feeling a tinge of resentment towards the shorter. Maybe they fought sometime? There was that whole mess with Alex, Charles, and those boys a while ago. He clicked into his Instagram messages and shot one to Eliott.
 lucallemant: Do we know Even Bech NÌshiem?
 Eliott took a millisecond to reply.
 srodulv: heâs a director
lucallemant: yeah, but do we know him
srodulv: no???
 Huh. Go figure. Lucas turned his focus away from the photo. He accessed his home feed.
Emma and Alex were together tonight (or rather, last night) judging by Emmaâs Instagram story. From what he heard from the girls on Sunday, they decided to be a legitimate couple instead of just a wild fling. He wondered what Yann thought about this development. The guilt was definitely still there, from when he made deliberate plans to break Yann and Emma up, because if he hadnât said anything to Camille about the kiss then they would still be together. He was friends with Alex, sure, but the guy cheated. Heâd done it once, and he would again. Lucas didnât want Emma getting herself hurt anymore.
Chloe posted something yesterday afternoon, too. She must have gone out with Yann to some coffee shop within walking distance. Another thing to feel guilty about. Even though he didnât totally forgive Chloe for telling everyone she could about him and Eliott, he knew heâd really screwed her over by pretending to be in love with her for so long. Regret-central on Instagram tonight.
He couldnât force himself to move through everyone elseâs posts. Heâd probably seen the rest, and if he hadnât then he obviously didnât care very much about the people involved.
Instead, he looked back at the picture of Even from earlier.
Logically, he knew he couldnât know either boy. They both lived in Norway, and one was supposedly somewhat famous, but he couldnât shake the feeling that heâd seen them both before somewhereâand not just in a foreign language movie.
 lucallemant: did we know him at one point?
srodulv: no
lucallemant: are you sure?
srodulv: pretty sure. why?
lucallemant: he looks familiar
srodulv: there are a lot of people on earth
srodulv: maybe youâre confusing him for somebody else
lucallemant: who would I be confusing him for?
srodulv: I donât know
 Lucas looked into the posterâs profile. Okay, so the shorter boy in the photo was Isak. Even was the taller, then, the one with the crazy hair and the sweet smile. The familiar one. He scrolled through Isakâs photos of the two of them together, noting at one point a girl who looked a lot like Emma. Something fishy was happening here. Heâd never seen these people before, and yet it was as if he had seen them every day for his entire life.
 srodulv: Could be the dynamic
lucallemant: what do you mean?
srodulv: they have our dynamic lol
srodulv: the artist and the grumpy one
srodulv: â¤ď¸ â¤ď¸
lucallemant: haha
 Lucas turned off his phone and sat back against his headboard. Eliott had a point. He could recognize Even because he seemed similar to Eliott in interest and posture-- thatâs what it was. His phone buzzed.
 srodulv: here, you can really see it here
 Eliott attached a YouTube link for something. An interview.
Lucas tapped to pull up the interview on YouTube and clicked on the subtitles. If he was to put them in French, they would be auto-generated. Auto-generated subtitles were never trustworthy, so heâd just have to watch the interview with English ones and fumble through the gist of what each person said.
âWhere did the two of you meet?â asked the interviewer.
Isak laughed and turned to Even. âDo you want to tell him?â
âKosegruppa,â said Even. âThank you, Vilde.â
âAnd how did you get the chance to talk with him?â
Again, both Even and Isak shared a glance and a giggle.
âHe took all the paper towels,â said Isak. âAll of them. Then he asked if I needed one, handed me one from the trash, and invited me outside to smoke a joint with him.â
Lucas paused the video. He met Eliott at a group meeting, didnât he? He first saw Eliott sitting in the back and they made eye contact for a beautiful moment. Afterward, when they met at the bus stop, Eliott took all the candy bars and offered to smoke a joint with him. That was⌠similar, to say the least. He made a mental note to Google kosegruppa later. He pressed play.
âAnd you found that charming?â the interviewer prodded.
Isak threw an arm over Evenâs shoulders and stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his forehead. âOf course I did. I was in love with him from the moment we locked eyes. I would have kissed him right there if it wasnât for Emma.â
The interviewer leaned inward, closer to the two boys. âWho is Emma?â
âEmma is my ex-girlfriend.â When the interviewer looked concerned, he clarified, âItâs okay, weâre on good terms now. Â Everythingâs smoothed over. She sat down right next to us and startedââ
ââsharing the joint!â Even finished. âIt was so awkward! I couldnât make her leave. But I guess things worked out in the end so⌠sorry, Emma!â
Again, Lucas paused the video. When he and Eliott were at the bus stop, the exact same thing happened with Chloe. The exact same thing. When he looked at Evenâs easygoing expression again, he realized heâd seen the same one on his own boyfriendâs face dozens of times. This was starting to get a little creepy.
He closed the app before he could watch the rest, and sent another message.
 lucallemant: did you watch that interview?
srodulv: yeah
lucallemant: with subtitles?
srodulv: they didnât have French
lucallemant: watch it
srodulv: itâs three
lucallemant: youâre not sleeping
srodulv: how do you know
lucallemant: youâre answering me
srodulv: maybe I am answering you in my sleep
lucallemant: they met the same as us. Watch the interview, please
srodulv: I canât, Iâm asleep
 If Lucas didnât love Eliott so much, he could have strangled him.
He reopened the Instagram app to explore Isakâs profile once more. He could distinguish the main characters in Isakâs life from the posts: Even, three other boys, and the girl who reminded him of Emma. Maybe she was Emma, the Emma Isak referred to in the video interview. This was all too bizarre. He also was a part of a four-friend crew, had a tag-along in Chloe for a while, and had a first-and-only kind of boyfriend. Lives donât get much more similar than that.
He figured he might as well send a message, ask about it. Isak probably wouldnât even see it in his inbox, since he dated a film director and their relationship seemed to be quite popular. He would not even notice the new message on top of all the others.
Lucas typed the words into the box and hit send before he could convince himself to do otherwise.
 lucallemant: Hello, I saw your interview and it was kind of crazy. You met Even the same way I met my boyfriend, complete with an annoying intervention. If I may ask, did you ditch a double date to have your first kiss?
#skam france#skam#elu#evak#skam france fanfiction#skam fanfiction#lucas lallemant#isak valtersen#eliott demaury#even bech nĂŚsheim#i hope this doesn't suck too much#and i didn't miss too many typos#i probs need more editing but yolo we'll see how this does
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Valentineâs Day (Sherlock x Gender Neutral! Reader)
Requested by sovereignoblivious
A/N) I was gonna publish this on Valentineâs Day but there was a school party and I ended up hanging out at my best friendâs house and I didnât have my laptop so yeah. Itâs here now though, so I hope you enjoy!
Request: a romantic and sensual Valentineâs Day one-shot of Sherlock x Gender Neutral! Reader (who are in an established relationship for like 3 years) where Sherlock and Reader have gone on a romantic date (Sherlock gives a bouquet of red roses given to Reader, Reader and Sherlock are dressed nicely to go to a fancy restaurant for their dinner date) and Sherlock has proposed to Reader and after they get back to 221B Baker Street, Sherlock tells Reader what I had put in my Valentine card and then they are kissing and touching each other.
âHappy Valentineâs day, Sherl!â You called out casually, strolling into the morgue with your hands stuffed into the pockets of your lab coat.
âHmm?â Your boyfriend said, glancing up as you walked to stand next to Molly and Lestrade with a cheeky smile. âI donât know what youâre on about, but I called you to help me on a case.â
âFlowers?â
âWhat are you on about?â
âCandy, perhaps?â
âFor some reason, Anderson gave a box of chocolate to Donavan this morning, so he has them, evidently.â He said obliviously, âCertainly Mycroft has sweets lying around; you could always ask him.â
You bit back a sigh, âYouâre hopeless, babe.â You huffed, blocking out the apologetic looks that Lestrade and Molly were casting you from behind your back. You sat next to Sherlock, watching as he analyzed a sample beneath the microscope, hyper-focused on whatever his latest case entailed.
You weren't sure what you expected. In the three years that you had dated the younger Holmes brother, you had never once been praised like every other significant other on valentines day. Honestly, you felt absolutely single on February fourteenth. Part of you must have just assumed that this year would be different now that John Watson had come into Sherlockâs life.
Maybe part of you had expected some of that emotion to carry into Valentineâs day.
âI told Lestrade it was the backpacker, of course, he didnât believe me,â Sherlock grumbled over the phone. You just rolled your eyes, murmuring some answer. On the other side of the line, Sherlock sighed. âAre you mad that I didnât go all out or whatever for this idiotic holiday?â âItâs not just the holiday; itâs like you hardly care about me.â You tried not to sniffle. âEvery day of the year,â
âValentineâs Day is a marketing scheme,â
âItâs a day where youâre supposed to show your affection like a proper boyfriend. Or at the very least, lie about it.â You scoffed. âIâll see you back at the flat. Molly asked me out to dinner. At least she had the decency to.â You hung up the phone, fuming, despite your better judgement.
You usually didnât demand his attention. Usually, you were fine with supporting him from the background, even when he became focused on a case and forgot you or anybody else even existed. But for one day, he could remember that you did. Was that too much to ask.
Itâs Sherlock Holmes, what do you expect? You told yourself, walking up towards the restaurant while wondering if heâd sent chocolate to Jim Moriarty. You strutted towards the front counter as you slipped through the door.
Molly had texted you earlier, apologizing for Sherlockâs behaviour and begging you to come to dinner for a girlâs night. She was single anyway, she told you. You agreed without putting up much of a fight, and she told you the name of the restaurant (packed with couples acting much happier than you) at which she had already claimed reservations.
âReservation for Hooper?â You asked, and with some typing, the waiter pointed towards a candlelit table twelve.
And in the soft flame, you made eye contact with a tall brunet; seated and nervously texting somebody, looking around frantically until you walked in. He smiled, reaching under the table.
You had not expected Sherlock Holmes to be the kind of man to bring red roses to date, but you were over the moon.
âWhat, you didnât think Iâd come through for you?â He asked, handing you the bouquet as you took your seat.
âI donât know if this is John Watsonâs influence making you emotional,â You giggled, taking the flowers, âOf James Moriarty making you dramatic.â
âBoth,â He decided, waving down one of the waitresses for wine and an order of fish. You asked for [Favourite Food].
âThis place has got to be expensive,â You said quietly, still awestruck as you observed the facility, âDid you prove the innocence of the owner or something? Thatâs usually how you get discounts at all the other places you take me to eat-â
âNo, but itâs not my problem. Itâs all going on Mycroftâs card.â He said with disinterest, âI couldnât give you much this morning because I needed to go to to the parliament building to run into him. Heâs always been easy to pickpocket.â
âNope, youâve been at morgue all morning.â You called him out with a grin, âTry again,â
âWell, since my attempt to impress you has failed,â The younger Holmes sighed, âAnthea originally got the reservation for her and Mycroft - itâs never hard for her to pull strings, she can get in anywhere. Anyway, there was trouble with the NATO board, and so heâs busy. I asked for the favour, and then used one of Mycroftâs credit cards that I stole a while ago. He has so many that I doubt he even knows itâs missing.â
You laughed fully, making a mental note to thank Mycroftâs assistant later. You and Sherlock continued to make conversation through the evening until your stomachs and hearts will full.
After receiving the check and offering a generous tip to attack Mycroftâs credit celebrate Valentineâs Day, you walked back to 221b, hand in hand.
You ran your thumb over his calloused fingers with a ghost of a smile, looking up at him every now and then to see that he was already looking at you with though sparkling blue eyes and an adorable smile that you wished you saw more.
âYour eyes are dilated,â He noticed. Classic, romantic, Sherlock; you thought as his fingers left the embrace of yours, moving up to your wrist. âWould you like me to take your pulse, too, Valentine?â You giggled.
âDo you think Ireneâs expecting candy from you?â âWell, I only do gestures for my favourite person.â He smiled, pecking you on the lips to get a soft giggle from you as you both kept walking.
âYou know, John is out with his girlfriend, and Mrs. Hudson has gone out for the weekend,â Sherlock informed you as he closed the door to the flat,
âGood for them,â You said, walking over the kitchen counter to fill a vase of water for your new roses. You turned around to find your consulting detective right behind you, his arms snaking around your waist.
âIâm implying that we have the flat to ourselves,â
âDoes it really take a genius to find that out?â Â You said with a smirk, pushing up onto your toes and running your hands through his hair as your lips collided, bruising the calloused skin.
âYou really are such a romantic, Sherlock Holmes,â You said, pulling away just for air as your arms lazily fell around his shoulders. Without any warning but a mischievous smile, he darted to hook his arms underneath your thighs, never stopping to look anywhere but your bright, smiling eyes.
âWell,â He remarked, âI try,â
#Sherlock Holmes#Sherlock Holmes x Reader#sherlock x reader#sherlock x gender neutral#sherlock imagine#sherlock imagines#bbcsherlock#bbc sherlock imagines#valentines#valentines day#romantic#romance
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Big Sisters 2
âDo IÂ really have to do this?â Jaune groused.
âYes!â three voices answered in unison. Saphron was flanked by her wife Terra and Jaune's it's-not-like-that-she's-just-my best friend Ruby. There would be no escape.
âStop whining and move a little to the right, you're blocking the hole. And hold that sign straight!â Saphron snapped, lining up the shot with her scroll. She'd decided to have this one printed and hung at that very spot once the wall was repaired. Or maybe she could leave the damage and hang the picture over it? That would tickle her to no end, but she doubted Terra would go for it.
âI mean, if you don't want to so badly then you could pay to have the wall fixed.â Terra offered, causing Jaune to flinch. Apparently damage caused by hissy fits were not covered under their homeowners insurance.
âAnd donât think youâre off the hook with just this, buster!â Ruby added.
Saphron snickered at that. Ruby had her arms crossed and cheeks puffed, trying to look intimidating. She still wasnât entirely clear on what had caused her brother to put a hole in her wall and subsequently landed him in the doghouse with Ruby. Judging by the sparkle in Rubyâs eye, however, Saphron thought that it wouldnât last much longer. She looked like she was putting on a mean face more to keep herself from smiling than anything else.
Jaune looked suitably miserable for his picture. Shoulders slumped and eyes looking away from the damage he had done, he held the sign up as Saphron centered her shot, making sure the words were readable.
I threw a temper tantrum.
Saphron snapped the photo and nudged her two accomplices so they could admire her handiwork. Terra nodded in satisfaction, Ruby barely concealed a giggle.
âPlease tell me thatâs good enough,â Jaune whined, squirming uncomfortably. He always cowed to his sistersâ demands but he could be such a poor sport about it.
âThisâll do,â Saphron allowed, âfor now. Here, give me that sign. Ruby, you go stand next to him. I want pictures while I can get them.â
Ruby skipped over to Jaune and took the sign from him, handing it back to Terra. It looked like Ruby already had a pose in mind. She stood at Jauneâs side, underneath the damage he had caused. She raised both hands and pointed back at the wall, a look of exaggerated shock on her face. Saphron laughed as she readied her shot. Jaune covered his eyes with his hand in frustration as she took the photo. Ruby followed that up by covering her mouth with her hands, looking up at Jaune in mock horror. Saphron took another.
âOh come ooooon, Jaune!â Ruby complained. When he didnât respond, Ruby dug a finger into his exposed side, causing the boy to yelp and jump away. She advanced on him, hands extended and fingers wiggling menacingly. âYou have to smile for pictures!â
âDonât you dare, Ruby,â Jaune whimpered, literally backed into a corner.
She sprung at him, hands a blur. He writhed and squealed with each successful poke and prod, begging her to stop. Jaune tried to meet her attacks with his own, causing the two to devolve into a mass of laughter and shouting, forgetting their audience.
Saphron had switched over to video when the tickle war begun and she watched happily, heart full to bursting. So wholesome! So pure! So damn ADORABLE! This was happening. She needed this to happen. She looked to Terra, beaming.
Her wife sighed and gave Saphron a tired smile. They had talked about this at length the night after they had cornered Jaune in the bathroom. Terra hadnât fought her on it but did urge Saphron not to push too hard lest the whole thing backfire.
Saphron stopped the recording and cleared her throat loudly, interrupting their battle. Jaune and Ruby froze simultaneously, finally turning their heads to realize they werenât alone. Their hands were on each otherâs waists, faces red from exertion. Saphron took the damning photo with the sweetest smile she could muster.
The teens practically leapt out of each otherâs arms. Jaune, having nowhere to go, slammed back into the wall, earning a sharp âWatch it!â from Terra. Ruby practically vanished and appeared several feet away, flower petals floating to the ground around her.
Saphronâs smile turned predatory. âOkay, now letâs-â
âJaune,â Terra cut in, âletâs go get Adrian up from his nap. I donât want him to stay up all night.â
âGreatidealetâsdothat,â he babbled as he scrambled away to safety. Terra looked to her wife and mouthed too hard as she followed Jaune out of the room.
Saphron huffed impatiently. How was that too hard? They were being so ridiculously cute all on their own. She turned her attention to Ruby, who was busy distracting herself by fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, face as red as her namesake. This is too much fun, she thought, but maybe I should dial it back a little.
âRuby?â she said, as she moved over to the couch. âI have some more photos that I didnât show the other day. Mostly family stuff. Wanna see?â
âS-sure!â Ruby squeaked, smoothing out her skirt as she went to join her.
---
âCâmon big guy, time to wake up.â
Terra leaned down into the crib, rubbing circles on her sonâs back. The boy squirmed under her touch and let out a huge baby yawn that she loved so much. She tugged down the back of his diaper and found him clean and dry â bullet dodged for uncle Jaune, who hung back in the corner, embarrassment still plain on his face from being caught earlier.
âYou lucked out,â she told him, âno diaper change needed.â
She saw Jaune sag in relief before lifting Adrian to her shoulder. The boy nuzzled into her neck immediately with a whine, not ready to wake yet. Terra turned for the door, calling back to Jaune. âLetâs go. Leaving Ruby alone with your sister is just asking for trouble.â
Jaune mumbled something under his breath as he followed her back to the living room, where they found Saphron and Ruby side by side on the couch. Ruby had a tablet in her lap while Saphron pointed things out on it excitedly. The girls shared a laugh and looked up as Terra approached.
âSomeoneâs still sleepy huh?â Saphron said, standing and taking her son from Terra. âLetâs get our baby bear some juice,â she cooed as she turned to Jaune. âGrapeâs his favorite.â
âYeah yeah,â Jaune groaned as he trudged off towards the kitchen. Ruby watched him go with a half-smile on her face, eyes lingering until he was out of sight. Was she checking him out? Terra glanced nervously at her wife. The look on Saphronâs face made it clear she thought the same, but before she could strike Terra moved to cut her off.
âSo! What are you showing her this time?â Terra asked, taking a seat next to Ruby to look at the tablet. It was a family picture, the entire Arc clan at a pond somewhere. A battle was being waged. Her father-in-law, waist deep in the water, grappled with the twins. The others were armed with water guns and other toys as they fought. A tiny Jaune watched from the sidelines, his mother carrying him on her hip.
Saphron joined them on the couch, taking the other spot next to Ruby. She glared briefly across at Terra for spoiling her fun but relented with a smile as she began bouncing Adrian gently on her knee to try to rouse him.
âHe was a bit of a mamaâs boy,â Saphron admitted before kissing her son on top of his head. âJust like somebody else.â
âI think having two moms kinda guarantees heâll be a mamaâs boy,â Ruby giggled. She lowered her voice conspiratorially and glanced towards the kitchen to make sure the coast was clear. âBut Jaune totally still is one.â
âOh? Spill!â Saphron whispered excitedly, scooting in closer. Terra rolled her eyes at that. Saphron could revert back to gossipy schoolgirl mode at the drop of the hat, even with her son in her arms.
âWelllll, we met on the first day at Beacon. I was having a pretty rough go of it, but he told me something that really helped,â she said, smiling to herself. ââStrangers are just friends you havenât met yet.â He said his mom taught him that. It was so dorky but it really helped, you know?â
What was Mama Arc teaching her children? Terra thought cynically. Itâs a miracle Jaune didnât get picked up by a windowless white van with âFree Candyâ written on the side.
Terra caught the gleam in Saphronâs eye. âAnd thatâs when you started to fa-â she started, before Jauneâs voice cut in from the kitchen.
âWhere are the cups?â Jaune shouted. âAnd Iâm not seeing any grape juice in here.â
âTo the left of the pantry!â Saphron shouted back. âJuice is in the door! So,â whipping her head back to Ruby, âwhen did you two first k-â
âNone of these cups have lids, Saph! And I think youâre out of grape juice!â
Saphron growled as she bit her knuckle in frustration. She looked to Terra, pleading with her eyes, but Terra just shook her head. With a huff Saphron passed her son to Ruby and rose from the couch, stomping towards the kitchen.
Flustered, Ruby held the boy at armâs length. Her eyes darted between the child and his mother, panic starting to set in.
âFirst time? Donât worry, he wonât bite. Well, he will if you give him something to bite,â she joked.
âI, uh, just donât, uh,â Ruby stammered, âI donât know how to, uh, baby.â
âRelax,â Terra urged. âHeâs not a Grimm. Heâll get comfortable himself and you just make sure he doesnât fall off the couch and crack his head open on the table.â
Terra saw Rubyâs eyes widened in fear and groaned. âIâm joking. Here.â She took Adrian, turned him around, and sat him properly in Rubyâs lap. âNot brain surgery.â
Her son giggled in delight as he leaned back into his new chair, looking up and reaching for Rubyâs face. Ruby stiffened and leaned away from the boyâs grasp.
âDonât like kids?â Terra asked.
âItâs not that,â she admitted, âI just never really dealt with them before.â Adrian began pulling at the top of her corset, causing Ruby to squeak. She quickly went to hold the clothing in place when he switched his grip to her hands, laughing and tugging.
âSorry,â she mumbled ashamedly, unable to meet Terraâs gaze.
Terra poked her son in the stomach, eliciting a squeal and a much needed distraction from Ruby.
âDonât be. I didnât like kids either until this guy here. Theyâre gross and noisy and grabby,â Terra chuckled. âHe still is. But thereâs more to it too, but youâll figure that out one day.â
âFigure what out?â Saphron interjected, sippy cup in hand. âAwwww, is Adrian hanging out with auntie Ruby?â
Ruby sighed in relief when Saphron handed the cup to the boy and he immediately went to town, leaning back into her once again but with both hands occupied by his drink. Terra watched as Ruby looked to Jaune as they both smiled awkwardly at each other.
Guess I can lend a hand once in a while, she thought, rising to her feet.
âSwitch me spots, Jaune.â Turning to Saphron, she asked, âHow about one more picture?â
Jaune groaned but still followed her direction, plopping down next to Ruby.
âSorry about this,â Jaune mumbled.
ââŚjust a picture,â she said quietly. âNo big deal.â
Terra stood behind Saphron as she readied her scroll. âOkay you two, scooch in a little. Pretend like you like each other!â Saphron teased.
The two teens made no move to scooch anywhere, leaving a fairly obvious gap between them.
âTerra?â Saphron asked sweetly. âCould you help them please?â
Terra moved around to the back of the couch, leaning and reaching around until a hand was on each of their shoulders. âThe sooner she gets what she wants the sooner you can run away,â she whispered as she pulled them closer to each other.
Jaune and Ruby relented and moved in so their shoulders were pressed together. Saphron gave her the OK sign and Terra moved back to her side. They looked awkward, stiff, and red in the face, but she figured Saphron actually liked it that way. Adrian was happily wiggling in Rubyâs lap, swinging his now empty cup in front of him.
âHere we go. Oh Adriaaaan,â Saphron cooed, âLook at mommy! Look here! Thatâs my boy! Picture time!â
Adrian waved his arms frantically, laughing like mad. âBig smiles from the happy family!â Saphron cheered. Terra to winced at her obviousness. âOne, two, thr-!â
Their son suddenly whipped both hands upwards excitedly. The sippy cup caught Jaune in the mouth and his tiny fist landed squarely on Rubyâs nose.
Both teens jerked back, hands going to their faces. Adrian just kept on flailing and giggling, worked into a fervor by Saphron, oblivious to the blows he had landed. Saphron started to laugh, nearly doubling over with humor. Terra peaked over her shoulder to see how the picture came out.
Saphronâs timing couldnât have been more perfect. Jauneâs eyes were wide as the cup made contact with his jaw and Ruby had one eye clenched as the boy socked her in the nose. Adrian himself smiled radiantly.
Happy family indeed, Terra thought amusedly. I'll give it to Saph, though. They are cute.
Saphronâs laughter slowly died down as Terra looked towards her unfortunate victims. Ruby had gone stock-still and ashen-faced. Jauneâs face crinkled in disgust as he leaned away from the girl.
âWhatâs the matter?â Terra asked, looking between the two.
âI-I-I-I think he justâŚâ Ruby stuttered.
Saphron snorted. âHe just drop a bomb on you?â
Jaune nodded rapidly, fingers pinching his nose.
âWell Jaune, you know the drill.â Jaune groaned at his sisterâs suggestion. âYou can take Ruby with you, show her how itâs done.â
âCâmon Ruby,â Jaune grunted as he swung to his feet. Ruby rushed to follow, holding Adrian out as far as she could in front of her.
âThanks!â Saphron called after them sweetly. âItâll be good practice for when you guys have one of your o-HEY!â
Terra delivered a swift swat to her wifeâs rear to silence her.
âToo hard?â Terra asked teasingly.
âWhatever.â Saphron grumbled, rubbing the sore spot. âAt least I'm not locking them in the closet together.â
#rwby#rwby6#jaune arc#ruby rose#saphron cotta-arc#terra cotta-arc#adrian cotta-arc#lancaster#rwby lancaster#writing
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[follows this]
The text came as his students were leaving, and thinking itâd be Niluferâs reaction to the class picture, Sarp reached for his phone.
 But instead it was Hana: When can I see you again?
 âWhoâs that?â Luli demanded, halfway through putting her coat on. Â
 Startled, Sarp looked up, reaching to help her find her sleeve in an attempt to look nonchalant. âJust a friend.â  A friend, yesâbut in a sudden dash of hope, he thought, maybe not just a friend.  Theyâd find out, anyway, wouldnât they?!
 âHa!â  Luli grabbed his arm.  âIf somebody makes you smile like that, you keep them!â
 Luliâd been married for fifty-seven years, so Sarp figured she knew what she was talking about.
 After the classroom was empty, he texted Hana back: Tonight?
 Maybe it was too soon; maybe sheâd think he was rushing things; maybe she still wanted to try backing off.  But after a few stressful seconds, she replied, Iâm free after five :)
 He couldnât help the grin that broke over his faceâone that lasted while he suggested a pizza place near the coffee shop theyâd visited before (where theyâd had their first date, he wanted to say, but he pushed that thought down) and she agreed to meet him there. And the feeling of buoyancy stayed with him all dayâŚat least, until he approached the restaurant and saw her waiting outside, and although his heart leapt to see her there was also apprehension, and something desperate and pleading and hopeful.
 It took effort not to kiss her cheeksâespecially when the night before sheâd said his not doing so had worried herâbut sheâd told him she had to think about everything, and heâd told himself so many times that day that he couldnât push her.  That he had to respect her space and give her time.
 But he did offer his hand and a half-smile, searching her eyes.  âFriends?â
 âNo.â
 He stared at her, strickenâhad she wanted to meet just to break up in person?
 But then she smiled, and the glow in her eyes was enough of an answer.
 Laughing, he surged toward her, cradling her face and kissing her forehead and then just pressing his forehead to hers, both of them grinning at each other, oblivious to the crowd streaming down the sidewalk or the diners watching through the windows or anything except each other.  âOkay,â Sarp murmured, and Hana echoed, âOkay.â
 When they finally made it inside, talking was easy againâabout their days, about their weekend plans (Sarp was teaching a class on Saturday; Hanaâd promised to go shopping with Pauline after Mass on Sunday, âbecause she wants a new outfit for when she meets Robâs parents,â she explained)âabout interesting coworkers and their cultures and their favorite parts of New York.  It was only when the second set of lights in the restaurant turned on, a response to the darkness thatâd crept in without either of them noticing, that they realized how late it was, and Sarp said, âThat class tomorrowâitâs at the Culinary Institute, out of the city.  Do you want to come with me?â
 For a moment, Hana faltered. âHow far is it?â she asked finally, instead of giving an answer.
 âAbout ninety miles,â he said, âI have to leave around nine, and the class is noon to three.  But look.â  He reached for his phone, searching for a photo from the last class, and passed it over to herâa group of beaming elementary-schoolers, each holding a chocolate or two, one boy draped over Sarpâs shoulders as he crouched among them.
 âOh,â she said softly, looking at the photo and after a moment zooming in on somethingâsomeoneâs face, surely, but he couldnât see whose, and he guessed it didnât matter.  What mattered was that she looked interested, in him or in the kids or the candy.
 âItâs a different group this week, but the same school,â he explainedâand then, although it was hardly necessary, âTheyâre very cute.â
 Then he grinned.  âAnd now youâre an experienced chocolatier.  I could use an assistant.â
 Matching his smile, Hana teased, âDo you give the children pear brandy?â
 âNo oneâs asked for it yet.â He laughed.  âThey care more about how it looks, if they can make swirls of white chocolate or caramel or something else they think looks cool.â  Tipping down the phone she still heldâit was zoomed to his face, and she blushedâhe scrolled over to show a little girl in an oversized t-shirt and a proud grin.  âShe wanted frosting on top,â he said.
 âDid you let her?â
 âOf course.â  He shrugged, a wicked glint in his eyes.  âI didnât know they had a long car ride home until after she ate a few.  She was probably bouncing off the walls.â
 Hana giggled, and Sarp rested his elbows on the table, leaning forward and watching her.  This, he thought, felt comfortableâtalking and laughing and watching her laugh, no matter how much time they had.
 âHave you ridden a motorcycle?â he asked after a minute, after theyâd both had a bit more pizza.
 She stopped chewing, looked at him, and swallowed, her forehead furrowing in what looked like the beginnings of understanding and maybe dread.  ââŚNo?â
 He grinned.  âThen tomorrow will be your first time.â
 She grimaced, and he was quick to assure her, âIâm a good driver!â  Pulling out his wallet, he tossed his license on the table, then the permit that made it valid outside Turkey.  âSee?!â
 She narrowed her eyes, looking less than thrilled but not saying no.  Her lips twitched in amusement at his license photoâit looked like a mugshotâand she pointed to the Turkish writing on the IDP.  âWhatâs that mean?â
 âIt says what Iâve been arrested for,â he told her.  âThe time Iâve spent in jail.  Itâs a warning never to let me drive anyone anywhere.â Â
 His eyes sparkled over the rim of his glass, and when heâd put it down he explained, âIt says, âInternational Driving Permit,â and thatâs âInternational Road Traffic Convention, 1949â--whatever that is.â  Pointing to the line below, he said, âThat means I got it in Istanbul.â
 It was strange to think sheâd have no concept of the place heâd grown up; just like he hadnât known anything about New York besides what heâd seen sometimes in movies.  But little restaurants like this; the gym; the fact that Hana lived in Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, United States and was kind and humble and had beautiful eyes?  Heâd had no idea.
 And he wanted to say: âOne day you should visit me.â
 But even if they were giving each other a chance, even if they were something more than friends, they were something less than forever, at least right now, and he couldnât keep pushing for more than that.  So instead he asked, âWhat was your neighborhood like in Slovakia?â
 And she told him about that and then asked about Istanbul; they talked about places theyâd been and they missed and the people theyâd left behind.  And when it grew too late to ignore and they finally stood, walking into the chilly night air and heading for the subway station, Sarp asked, âSoâare you coming tomorrow?â
 Please, he thought.  But also, donât push her.
 And Hana sighed. âWell,â she said, a grin tugging at her mouth, âI suppose I should make sure you donât let any other kid drown their chocolate in frosting.â
 Laughing, he nodded. âYeah, I think you should.â
 âFor their parentsâ sake.â
 âRight.â
 They grinned at each other. âCan I take you home?â Sarp offered, and then, a faint flush coloring his cheeks, ââI mean, to your home.  Iâll ride with you.â
 And she hesitated, but shook her head.  âItâs too far.  Iâll be fine.â
 âItâs not too far.â It was an hourâs ride, or it had been last time, and then heâd have to come another hour back home, and then go back the next morning to pick her up.  And for a moment, he thought, he could stay with her, on the couch or the floor where her parents could have no objectionsâbut it was too soon, and too much, and Hana didnât offer him that.
 Instead she said âI take the subway a few stops, then the bus.  You could ride until it leaves Manhattan.â
 The train was emptier than the last time theyâd ridden together, and that kept them from using the crowd as an excuse to stand close.  But on the bus they sat next to each other, and both bent over Sarpâs phone as they planned the route for the next morning, and the outside of Hanaâs thigh bumped against his as the bus moved.  And then, their plans made, Sarp tucked his phone back into his pocket and offered his handâand she took it.
 They didnât say a wordâbut they didnât have to.  The way she was looking at him, peeking up through her lashes, and the way his thumb brushed over her knuckles, her callused palm against his, said enough.
 As the bus approached the 2nd Avenue stop Sarp asked, âAre you sure you donât me to come with you?â  It wasnât even ten oâclock, but it was dark, and Hana was alone. Â
 But she was a city girl. Despite the roots sheâd told him about, growing up closer to orchards than skyscrapers, she was used to the city now, and he had to admit she seemed sure of herself.  âNo,â she said, âitâs all right.  Thank you.â
 He nodded.
 But then Hana offered, âIâll text you when Iâm home, all right?â
 âAll right.â  They could feel the bus starting to slow, and he said, âIâll be there at eight.â  He was already dreading waking up early enough to get from Harlem to Queens, much less down to Howard Beach to pick up the bikeâbut if Hanaâd come with him, heâd get up at the crack of dawn.
 And she smiled and said softly, âOkay.â
 For a moment they just looked at each other, then Sarp leaned forward, kissing her cheeks and then her forehead.  âGoodnight, Hana hanim,â he murmured against her skin.  Sheâd put her hands on his chest; his heart beat steadily beneath them, not the racing pulse of infatuation but the solid rhythm of comfort.
 âGoodnight,â she whispered.
 And he let go.
 But as he stepped off the bus and saw her wave from the window, his heart rose like helium, and as he caught the westbound bus back he was grinning.
 Hanaâs coming to class with me, he texted Nilufer on the way back to Sugar Hill.  The photo of the kids convinced her.
 Are you sure it was the kids?  Nilufer sent back a grin emoji, and the heart-eyes, and said, Have fun, oÄlum.
 And then, because she was his mother and couldnât stop mothering even from an ocean away: Drive safely.  Wear a helmet!
 Yes, anne, he answered, with an eyeroll and laughter.
 Just as he was unlocking his door, Hana texted, Iâm home! See you tomorrow.
 Bright and early, he promised.  And while he was thinking about it, he set his alarm, and a second one just to be safe.  Wear long pants and a jacket if you have it.
 I hope you donât plan to crash, she said.
 No, he answered, but you need to look the part.  A sunglasses emoji completed the text, and a wink, but then he added, Good night, tatlĹm.
 Good night, zlatko.
 He looked up the meaningâand despite knowing heâd have to wake up in a few short hours, he was still grinning as he fell asleep.
#I TOLD YOU I HAD A REASON FOR MOTORCYCLE RENTAL ADS#OTP: Sarp Bey and Hana Hanim#Sarp and Hana Stories
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