#i understand claire she is like my brother in arms (we would both fucking love sliding down the steeper part of the path instead of the

[datastate]

i need to go up the mountain again i neeed to for my health ok? ok.

[raestarz]

Rookie Hour

Chapter One - Welcome to Raccoon City.

A/N: Gonna keep it real I haven’t written in years since the days of Wattpad but I’m trying to adapt😭 Kyaire is very much black and I love her with all my heart :)

Ty @neteyamsmunch for inspiring me to post something that I already wrote😭

Word count: 1.6 k

————————————————————————

It was raining, but honestly what was new? I was walking down the road after buying some blunts. I see a cop car pull up to the side of the road where I was and roll down the passenger window. It was a man driving and a woman in the passenger seat, she was pretty with brown hair and blue eyes and the man that was driving was, well he was handsome…Not like a runway model type handsome or something you see in a porno magazine. But, like..he was a pretty boy handsome. I already noticed his blonde hair and blue eyes. Shit. He looked so…like he knew nothing. Well this shithole was gonna hit him right in the face. After a couple of moments of the pair looking back at me and me looking back at them, “Can I help you two…? Or do you guys just always stare at random people?” I ask sort of annoyed. I was already having a shitty day, I didn't need to have two shitty tourists bothering me as well.

The man cleared his throat, “I just…wanted to say I think you should hop in there’s…some pretty dangerous stuff going on around here.” I laughed at his response, “Yeah, like what?” I ask getting closer to their car and smirking. The woman cuts in tired and impatient, “Look, there’s some damn monsters back there where we just came from, eat your face type. I think you might wanna cut the snippy attitude and get in.” I roll my eyes and groan under my breath, “Fine.” I mutter and get into the back seat of the car near the drivers’ side incase, this man was clinically insane. Like, you guys have seen shit like that right? Bro, might crash the fucking car on purpose. Closing the door behind me, I cross my arms and sit back, kind of happy that I’m in a dry area. “Nice to meet you both, welcome to Hell.” I state plainly as the man starts to drive toward the city. The woman laughed softly as I made my comment, “It can’t be that bad,” I snort at her hopefulness.

“It can be indeed.” I respond and sit back. We all sat in amazing silence for a couple of minutes. The woman looks back worried about something, before she finally speaks, “What the hell is going on?” He looks back for a moment as well before responding, “I don’t know…Hopefully they’ll have some answers at the police station.” This peaks my interest and I sit forward, “Wait, you're a cop?” The man takes a breath, “Yeah, Leon Kennedy. You are…?” The woman responds first enthusiastically for some damn reason, I don’t understand how she could if this dire situation is…Real. “Claire ─ Claire Redfield.” She sits back, still looking around worried causing me to start to be a little fucking worried too, these two seem too damn calm about this shit. Claire looks back at me, as if she’s expecting me to introduce myself as well, “I’m Kyaire ─ Kyaire Birkin.” Leon nods in acknowledgement of the names, “So uh…either of you live around here?” I smirk, “Isn’t it obvious I live around here?” I ask sarcastically.

Claire interjects, “No, looking for my brother. He’s a cop, too.” Leon looks at Claire with a soft smile, “Well, it’s a good thing we found each other then. I don’t know what to expect anymore…” Leon finally looked a little damn shaken up and I looked out the window, spotting the “Welcome to Raccoon City; Home of Umbrella.” I scoff at how ironic it would be if my adoptee parents were somehow involved in this epidemic.

…

The three of us finally get into the city, and holy fucking shit it looks like Hell. Cars crashed, bodies piled up, random things burning, I gasp softly thinking of Sherry who my adoptee parents stupidly left at fucking home. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I grab my head thinking, praying I can find my little sister in this mess. I hear an announcement over the intercoms in the city, “Attention all citizens: Due to the citywide outbreak, you are advised to take shelter at the Raccoon City police station.” I take in more of the surroundings as we pass by, just more crashed cars and of course rain, this shit is never ending… I start to drown out the emergency announcement and I hear Leon and Claire talking but I’m so focused thinking about Sherry and how worried I am about her. I take a breath, she’s a smart kid, hopefully she was smart enough to stay home. I finally hear their voices back in focus hearing Claire’s doubtful voice, “Yeah, but what if we’re the only ones? What if there’s no survivors ─” Leon immediately interrupts her, his voice stern but hopeful the complete opposite of Claire, “No. There’s survivors. It’s a big city…there has to be.”

I lean forward and say, “There’s definitely survivors, these people are like roaches, never dying.” Leon nods toward me, “See even the emo kid, has some hope so you should too Claire.” Claire grimaces slightly and sits back, we reach a blockade that blocks the rest of traffic and Leon clicks the car into park, “Looks like we’re walking from here.” I look out the window and see two literal human fucking beings chewing into another one, I bite back a fucking SCREAM. Because what in the literal fuck, I guess Claire notices my look of panic, and matches it as she looks at the scene I’m witnessing as well. The pair of zombies look in our direction, “More like running.” I state plainly. Leon turns his head and sees the scene, “Yeah, good call.” He mutters. Zombie’s pop up and jump on the windows, scaring the shit out of all of us, Claire yells, “Jesus Christ!” And leans back from the window and I let out a small scream from zombies showing up even more, fuck this is like Night of the Living dead, “Leon! We gotta back up!” I shout, Leon responds with a right, and puts the gear in reverse. I turn back and see lights behind us, “Holy fucking shit!” I shout, and Claire whips her head around and sees exactly what I see, a big ass FUCKING truck approaching us looking as if it wasn’t gonna stop, Leon eventually turns and looks as well, muttering, “Holy shit!” I kind of snort at his response. Leon acts quickly, “Guys get out! Get out NOW!” We all start pushing on the doors to get out of the police car, it quickly becoming a death trap other than a safe haven. The zombies pushing back against the doors, trying to get in and well obviously eat us alive. I start to panic somewhat, “I can’t!”

Leon looks back and shouts, “Hold on!” I quickly grab onto the headrest of the driver's seat and whatever the hell else I can grab before this truck collides with us. The truck finally collides into us, which makes us collide into the barricade. The truck topples over, and we crash into the side of another car, I silently start to climb out of the car opening the backdoor of the car and see Leon open it as well, we both fall to the floor for a moment. Leon gets up quicker than me and grabs my hand lifting me up, “C’mon we gotta go…” We both start to limp away from the crashed police car as soon as we get far enough it explodes, Leon covering the both of us with his arm, “Woah!” He gasps and looks down at me as we both stand up straight, “You okay?” I nod silently and Leon looks over, he gasps, “Oh no.” I look over as well and we both try to run away from the nearly ready to explode truck. And the truck explodes knocking Leon into a nearby car and me further back onto the street, “Fuck.” I grunt and get up slowly then Leon runs to me and softly pulls me to my feet despite his own self grunting in pain from the explosion.

Leon looks around the fire and I notice Claire isn’t with us, Leon does as well, “CLAIRE!” He steps forward looking around the fire, blinking through the rain. I grip my side and look around the fire as well, feeling unable to speak, just too out of breath, Leon continues to yell through the fire, “CLAIRE, YOU OK!?” I sigh, starting to think she’s dead until she responds, “YEAH! I’M ALRIGHT! HOW ABOUT YOU GUYS!?” I look around seeing zombies come out through the fire and I nudge Leon pointing, “Hey, rookie.” Leon seethes in annoyance from the zombies popping up, “WE CAN’T STAY HERE! IT’S NOT SAFE!” Claire seems to acknowledge his response, “GO ON AHEAD! I’LL MEET YOU GUYS AT THE STATION!” I huff and respond, “WE’LL BE THERE!” I glance at Leon and see him pull out his handgun shooting two zombies in the head so we can get around and run to the station.

…

We finally get to that station, I run in first and Leon runs in behind me. I'm panting out of breath as Leon takes both hands to close the gate sliding the bar into the lock position. The zombies bang on the gate, I stop panting and full stand up turning toward the huge police station in front of us “Kyaire, are you ok…?” Leon asks, putting a hand on my shoulder, I nod. “Are you?” I ask, giving him a once over making sure he isn’t broken, he nods back giving me a small smile. Well fuck, his smile could light up a room and it’s only a small one. I turn away from Leon and look back to the station.

Fuck…I can tell this is gonna be a long night.

[more-cardigan-than-woman]

Just for the Weekend// Part 1/10

Summary: You lied to your old friends and told them you had a partner when you didn't. And now one of them is getting married and you need to produce the man you bragged about. Your bestie comes up with a plan to help you both out.

Characters: ReaderXJason Todd, Dick Grayson

Words: 1.3k

Warnings: Slowish Burn, Fake dating, acquaintances to lovers, weekend wedding, close proximity.

“Dick,” you sigh, “I just don't know what to do. I told them that I've got a boyfriend.”

You really shouldn’t have lied to your old school friends at the bridal shower when they asked if you were bringing anyone to Jamie's wedding. But Claire wouldn’t stop telling you about how far along her wife Liz was in her pregnancy and how well she was doing at her new law firm. It was a petty lie, a stupid one, but admitting that it was one? Fuck, that would be even worse.

“But you don't,” Dick says, pointing out the obvious. You’ve been so busy working the last few years you barely had time to breathe let alone find a partner.

“Exactly. And now Claire is going to show up to Jamie’s wedding with her perfect new baby and her beautiful wife and rub her stupid little happy life all up in my face.” Fuck you’re being petty, you know you’re being petty. Claire is lovely. Her and Liz are going to be great parents, but the only love you had in your life was sitting on your bookshelf with your name on it and the little placard they gave you when you became a bestseller.

“I could come with you,” he offers, patting you on the shoulder and laughing when you recoil.

“Thanks, but ew.”

“How rude!” He exclaims placing his hand over his chest, “I’d be a great pretend boyfriend. Name one person who knows you better than me.”

“I love you, but even to pretend?” you gag, “No thanks. It’d be like incest.”

“You could ask Bruce?”

“Right, because no one would recognise the most famous man in Gotham, the same man who's very publicly engaged to Selina Kyle.”

“Tim?”

“He's 18?! Do you want me to come off as a cradle snatcher?”

“I mean there's always-” you know what he's about to say and you can feel your cheeks heating up, “we could always ask Jason.” he leans back as if registering your reaction.

“Oh,” you tangle a stray piece of hair around your fingers, “no. No, right? That would be-”

“Perfect,” he cuts you off, “he's only a year older than you. He's smart and can lie like well- like him.” He grabs your arm, pulling you from the spot you were sitting on the floor of his room and dragging you along behind him.

“Dick, I don't think this is a good idea,” you protest half-heartedly, you want this. But it's a weird thing to want. You’ve had a crush on Dick’s brother for nearly a year now, but you haven’t told anyone about it. Too worried that it would make things weird between your best friend and yourself. How are you going to hide that fact if he agrees for whatever reason? You should at least try to protest. But before you know it Dick has dragged you down the hall to Jason's door and is knocking on the hardwood.

“What do you want?” Jason asks, looking between his excited brother and you hiding behind him.

“She's got a question for you,”

“What? No. I- sorry to bother you,” you say sheepishly, trying to move further behind Dick to try and hide just how embarrassed you are.

“Just ask him,” Dick encourages, “Worse case he says no and you’re stuck with me,” he draws you out from behind him.

“Go on then,” Jason eyes the way Dicks hand is so casually on your shoulder and how comfortable you are around him. You'd never been like that with him. He always tried to be friendly, you were Dick’s friend, he wanted to get along, to get to know you. Shit, he wanted to know everything about you. But you never even look at him, like he scared the shit out of you. What could you possibly want from him? Was this a prank? Would be pretty typical of Dick to do this kind of shit, “Go on, ask me.”

“Willyoucometomyfriendsweddingiwthme?” You blurt out so fast you hope he didn't understand.

He looks from you to Dick, why didn’t you just go with Dick? Why him? Either way he wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to get you alone and figure out why you hated him so much. If he could figure that out, maybe he could figure out why he can’t seem to get you out of his thoughts or why he seems to note your location whenever you're in a room together.

“Ok, when,”

“Really?” Dick exclaims, “told you,” he nudges you in the arm. “Thanks Jay,”

“Whatever,” Jason shrugs.

“My flights tomorrow at 11, we're going to Malibu so-”

“Be here at 8.” Jason says, shutting the door. He takes a big breath, a smile plastered on his face. He's finally going to get you alone and in Malibu of all places. No Dick to interrupt or work to hide in when he tries to speak to you for more than 5 minutes. Maybe if he can show you a good time over the weekend you might open up? Maybe even like him? It would be nice to see you without Captain Flips a lot around all the time.

Xx

“I can't believe he said yes,” you say to Dick, “he's never exactly liked me.”

“If you say so,” Dick shrugs, “now don't you have packing to do? Need me drive you home?”

“No, I'll be right. I'll see you in the morning,”

“Don't forget to pack some nice knickers!” Dick jokes as you descend the stairs to your car, seeing the figure staring out the window from the second floor, “wouldn't want to have your date see your grandma panties!”

You flip him off as you get into your car and drive away faster than you should. You need to find a new nicer dress, not to impress anyone. No. And certainly not so someone doesn't have a revelation and realise how hot and cool you are. Not at all.

Xx

You pull up to the manor at 7:45, fuck why are you so nervous? He's just Dicks brother and if he doesn't talk to you all weekend that's fine. He's just there so that you're not going to be the woman who lied and told her childhood friends that she has a boyfriend, when you haven’t had anything more than a fling in years. As long as he can play the role, it'll be fine. It's only for two nights. You can manage that.

“Hey there Bestie,” Dick says as he flings the front door open. You step in settling your luggage on the ground, ”are you excited?”

“That's one word for it,”

“Don't worry, I spoke to Jay and he promised to be on his best behaviour,”

“Really?”

“Kind of, he did promise not the get wasted,”

“A wins a win I guess. Dude hates me Dick,”

“He doesn't hate you. If he did he would’ve told us to fuck off.” he states plainly, leaning against the banister of the large staircase, “I'm sure it’ll be fine and if not, it's only 3 days. Plus if he's mean to you, you call me and I'll do my scary big brother voice on him.”

“Somehow I don't think that'll work,” you say, rocking back on your heels and stuffing your hands into your back pockets.

Your mid argument with Dick when Jason steps down the large double staircase with his duffle bag and suit bag both slung over his shoulder, his brown leather jacket and black t-shirt fluffed up at the sides to reveal just enough skin and his fuckin pants hug his thick thighs so tight you feel like your mouth might start dripping on the floor.

You somehow feel underdressed even if you are wearing essentially the same thing. You've got your favourite robin t shirt that Dick gave you for Christmas last year, blue jeans and a green cardigan.

“Nice shirt,” is all he says as he passes you, picking up your suitcase and stepping out onto the grounds.

“Better go,” Dick says giving you a big hug, “and if he's any trouble-”

“I'll call Alfred,”

“Probably a better idea. Now go have fun.”

Part 2

[pretend-writer]

Demolition Lovers (Hargreeves x sibling!reader)

Summary: Klaus and Y/N helps their brother, Luther find a perfect date.

Title Reference: Demolition Lovers x My Chemical Romance

Word Count: 1.6k words

Warning: swearing, mention of sex

✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤

It was a typical day at the Hargeeves mansion. Klaus and I hanging out as we lay across the couch next to each other, scrolling through our social media and sharing celebrity gossips that was trending that day.

Diego would then barge in, bothering us to get up and be productive but then end up eaves dropping and joining our conversation.

Then we'd have Vanya that'll feed us our daily snacks. She was like a mama bird; Hearing the rest of us complaining and bickering then feeds us the goodies to shut our mouth. It honestly worked every time and now I start to wonder if that was her trick all along.

After our snack was nap time, where Klaus and I would lay there for two to five hours, usually get up when the sun was down. Then we would plan our night, typically out for dinner or a night out if it was the weekend.

But our schedule, our precious paradise time was ruined by the one and only. Luther Hargreeves.

It wasn't supposed to be this way; Allison would go out to run errands, Ben worked all day like the responsible man that he was, and Five would just be Five, roaming town and doing God knows what. Luther would be home to research and dig through dad's old stuff.

Today however, wasn't the case.

He instead came in during mine and Klaus' precious nap time, groaning and yappin' about some girl on an app. Didn't know why he had to do this in the family room but there he was.

'Do you not see us sleeping here?' I complained as I lifted my head from the pillow, trying not to move a lot so that Klaus could stay asleep.

'Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to be loud.' He apologized as he stared at his phone, depressed and upset.

Klaus rolled his eyes. 'Well you are and you're still here.'

Luther froze in place, continuing to stare at the screen. Klaus and I looked at each other, nudging one another to see who was going to talk to him first.

The both of us got up, sitting down side to side as we looked at Luther and back at each other. Klaus seemed like he was unbothered, so I sighed and broke the silence. 'What's wrong buddy?'

'Nothing.' Luther frowned.

Squinting my eyes, I grabbed the pillow from the couch and threw it on Luther's head. 'You bitch! You woke us up from our nap and you're going to say "nothing" is bothering you?'

'Ow!' Luther rubbed his head. 'Okay, okay. Damn. It's this girl on tinder, she doesn't want to go on a date with me.'

'Well, what did you tell her? Did you say something stupid?'

Luther got up, 'See. This is why I didn't want to tell you guys becau-'

'Sorry, sorry.' I stood up and pulled Luther back onto the couch. 'Mind if I see the conversation?'

His face immediately turned red, 'Uhm. Do you have to?'

'If you want me to figure out why she's turning you down, yeah.'

Hesitantly, he pulled up the messages he had with the girl and then passed me the phone. Scrolling through the messages, I shook my head. 'Luther, she's DTF.'

'Yeah, I know that's why I don't understand why she turned me down. She brought it up first.'

Klaus blinked, 'What do you think DTF stands for?'

By the look on Luther's face, I knew he was confused. He looked over at the ceiling, thinking for a while before he replied to Klaus. 'Don't tell me I was wrong this whole time.'

'So what do you think it says?'

'Uhm... Date This Friday?'

Klaus awed, shaking his head as he left my side and took a seat next to him. He wrapped his arms around Luther, 'Buddy. No. That's not what it stands for. But that's cute of you.'

'Wait, huh? So this whole time me and her were on the wrong page? What did she mean then?'

'She wanted to fuck you.' I blurted, I felt bad that Luther was so confused. 'It stands for Down To Fuck.'

It was a dead giveaway that he had no clue what his whole conversation really meant, his whole face turned redder than ever. He buried his face into his hands. 'Oh no.'

'I didn't think you were talking to girls, honestly.' Klaus chuckled. 'You clearly got game, your noggin is just a little... outdated.'

'I got what? Game? No, I just deleted Candy Crush, it was too addicting.'

Klaus kept his laugh in, curling his lips as he slowly nodded back at his brother. 'Oh my gosh.'

✤ · ✤ · ✤ · ✤ · ✤

It had been about two weeks, helping Luther get a dream girl that he deserved. Despite Luther being the annoying sibling, he had been there for me countless times and I wanted nothing but the best for him.

We've tried talking to the girls on the app, few weren't looking for anything serious, some trolling in the messages. After constant matching and messaging, Luther found someone he potentially saw a relationship with.

'Did you check your message from Claire yet?' Klaus asked.

'No. I'm kind of nervous, actually.' Luther laughed a little under his breath, shaking his legs as he gripped onto his phone.

Resting my hand on his shoulder, I reassured him. 'Don't be nervous, I'm sure she said yes to your date.'

Luther sighed, turning on his phone and scrolling through his messages. As his face lit up, he jumped off his seat. 'She said yes!'

Klaus got up and cheered, hugging Luther tightly. 'I knew it! So what time and where?'

'Ah- Uhm. Why... do you need to know?' Luther paused.

'Cause we're coming to watch.'

'No, no, no. I don't need you two spying on me. I'm already nervous as it is.'

'Yeah, Klaus let's just let him be. He's a big boy now.'

'But-'

'Let's give him the space he needs, Luther definitely needs his alone time with his girl.'

Klaus rolled his eyes, 'Okay. Have fun and tell me everything when you get home.'

A smile hasn't fade away since he saw the text; He was grinning widely than ever, never seen him this happy in my entire life. 'This is going to be so awesome!'

'Good luck buddy.' I smiled as I watch him do his little happy dance going up the stairs to get ready.

Klaus groaned, crossing his arms and pouting like a little child. 'Why can't we go spy on Luther?'

'But we are. I just wanted him to think we weren't.' I wanted nothing but the best for Luther, if it meant that he was going to have a perfect night with his perfect date, I was going to be protective of my brother.

'Perfect! I need to get my spy gear on.'

✤ · ✤ · ✤ · ✤ · ✤

With the binocular in my hands, I looked into the restaurant Luther picked for the both of them. 'Oh my gosh, he looks so cute with his little bow tie.'

Luther was blushing, talking nervously with Claire. It seemed like it was going well, no awkward moment or embarrassing moment between them.

I looked over at Klaus, who was being too quiet next to me in the passenger's seat. He had a rather thick file in his hand. 'What are you reading?'

'Claire's life.' Klaus chuckled. 'She's smart as hell, really pretty. I'd say we did a pretty good job helping Luther.'

'How did you get a file on her life?'

Klaus smiled innocently, 'Ah. I followed Diego into his ex's job and got Ben to steal it for me.'

'You what?' I leaned my head back, staring at the car ceiling as I sighed. 'Klaus, Eudora is my friend. If she finds out that you stole someone's files from the police department, she'd hate me.'

'My bad, Y/N. If it makes you feel better, Ben rejected me a bunch of times. I made a deal with him that he could take over my body for three hours for the files.'

'Whatever.' Looking through the binoculars again, I asked him another question. 'So you didn't ask Diego to get it for you?'

Klaus shook his head. 'Nah, if I ever told him I knew he'd want to come with us to stalk Luther. I wanted some Klaus Y/N alone time.'

'Aw.' I said but immediately stopped. 'Are you saying this to make me forgive you?'

'Is it working?'

'Depends how the night goes.' After a sarcastic smile, I snatched the file off of his hand. 'Why did you want to steal this anyway?'

'You ask so many questions.'

'I know.'

It was rare for Klaus to do "the responsible thing", that was more of a me, Allison or Five's criteria. I couldn't think of a possible reason why he'd go out of his way to take a file to investigate on this girl.

'It's Luther, you know. I wanted to make sure he was going out with someone that won't screw him over again.'

'That's the nicest thing you've ever said.'

'Luther better appreciate this because I'm not going to jail for this shit.'

I smiled at my brother. 'Don't worry. I gotchu.'

A loud scream came from the entrance of the restaurant, Luther approaching us quickly as he eyed the both of us.

'Duck!' I yelled at Klaus as we tried to hide ourselves from his sight.

'Don't bother. I saw you guys from the restaurant!' Luther said as he knocked on the window. 'Why are you guys here? You told me you wouldn't come.'

'I know, I know.' I rolled the window down and squealed as I reached for his bow tie. 'I just couldn't resist! You look so adorable, brother.'

He grunted, 'Stop. Guys go home, you're going to ruin this date with the woman that I love.'

'Woah! Love!?' Klaus and I said in sync.

Luther covered his mouth. He mumbled into his hand. 'Pretend I didn't say that!'

'Pretend?' I laughed, 'Luther. I can't pretend, I'm sorry. That was sort of funny. A little little little bit cute but mostly funny as hell.'

Klaus reached over me to grab onto his hand. 'Dude, you're already whipped but that's okay. But Y/N's right. It's a bit funny not going to lie.'

'I'm whipped?' Luther cocked his head. 'I don't do that sort of foreplay during se-'

'Luther, that's not what it means!'

[bre-meister]

This is gonna hurt, but “Why can’t you just look at me for one god damn second!” and/or “Let go of my hand” for cleon :’)

So this story is completely self-contained and is not affect/doesn’t affect any of my other stories or the “canon” universe that I have created in my own little brain.

It does take place in the time period after Leon’s mission at the beginning of Vendetta but before his mission with Chris.

He’d known about her upcoming mission for a while now. He should have had time to come to terms with it. All things considered, it wasn’t that bad. Terrasave’s work was mostly done after all the fighting and bloodshed had ended. With the amount of armed, trained guards patrolling the area, Claire probably couldn’t be safer. And yet, his mind still ran rampant with images of monsters and men and traitors. All of them always end in the same way - Claire bloody and lifeless on the ground.

So, when it came time for her to leave that night, Leon couldn’t find it in him to let her go.

“Stay” he’d said. One simple word that held so much weight.

“Leon, you know I can’t. I’ll be back in no time.” She’d responded candidly, leaving a gentle kiss on his lips before attempting to pull away.

Claire was used to dealing with a pouty Leon when leaving for an assignment. She assumed this time was no different. He’d complain, they’d go back and forth for a bit, she’d kiss him and then he would let her go so she could do her job and return to him. Sweet and simple. This time, however, was neither sweet nor simple.

This was the part where Leon was supposed to let go, except he didn’t. Confusion flooded Claire’s features while Leon’s hardened with seriousness. 

“I’m not joking Claire. Stay. Don’t go. It’s dangerous.”

“It’s always dangerous Leon but that’s never stopped us before.”

He was resolute both with his words and the way he was holding her - like if he loosened his grip at all she’d be ripped away from him forever.

“Well, maybe it should.”

 Claire stepped as far back as his tight hold would allow. Looking up at his face Claire saw a look in Leon’s eyes she’d never seen before. Hearing the great Leon Kennedy talk this way was unsettling.

“Leon, you don’t… you don’t mean that. You’re just tired from your last mission -”

“No, Claire, I mean it.” his arms moved from around her waist and up her arms until he was holding her just below her shoulders. 

His grip was tight, squeezing as if he could forcer her to understand without words.

“I’ve never meant anything more in my life.”

“Leon,” Claire began slowly as if talking to a wounded animal and, in some ways, Leon was.

“Leon, let me go.”

“Not until you tell me you’ll stay.”

“Let me go.” was all she repeated.

He huffed but let go of her. Immediately she turned her back to him and, for some reason, that only seemed to agitate him further.

“You know I have to go. It’s my job to help..” 

“Then help from here. Help from home. I mean, stuff like this probably comes with a shit load of paperwork right? Why can’t you do that? Stay here where it’s safe - where I can keep you safe! Please”

Claire turned to speak over her shoulder but she still wouldn’t look at him directly. Leon could feel a part of himself breaking - he knew what was coming next.

“You know that’s not possible Leon.” Claire sighed, “ We all know it’s more than just a job,” Leon knew that the all she was referring to were the people that made up their little family of survivors, “It’s a duty. It’s our duty to put an end to this. This assignment is my duty, Leon. You know I have to go. I can’t believe you’d ask me not to.” 

Claire began to move around the room gathering her things. Leon watched silently as she put on her signature red jacket and a pair of sneakers. He called her name when she moved to grab her purse, checking it for her phone and keys. He begged her to turn around but she only made to move towards the door and the small suitcase that awaited her there. 

“That doesn’t sound like you, Claire. That sounds like something Chris would say.”

Claire paused at the mention of her brother but still refused to look at the broken man behind her.

“And what if it is. If Chris said it or not it doesn’t make it any less true.”

At that, he snapped.

“Look at me Claire, look me in the eyes and tell me this life is what you want and not what Chris is making you believe you want.”

She didn’t turn around. Instead, she continued to stare at the door as if it were personally insulting her. 

“Why can’t you just look at me for one goddam second!” His cry was loud and desperate. He saw her flinch at the severity in his voice and, quite honestly, he’d scared himself a little too. He’d never talked to her that way before.

That seemed to be a recurring theme tonight.

“I can’t look at you, Leon, because I know if I did I’d be too weak to do what needs to be done.”

“You mean to leave. You’d be too weak to leave. The world doesn’t need you to save it all the time Claire. Please, don’t go.” 

At that, Claire turned to look at him. He’d hoped when their eyes finally met there would have been love and understanding flowing through those blue irises. Instead, it was a burning determination, and immediately, Leon knew he should have chosen his words more carefully.

“ Oh, so the world doesn’t need me? But you and my brother, it needs you? You get to keep risking your life, right? It’s ok for you but not for me. “

Claire abandoned her spot at the door and made her way towards him still firing off questions she had no intention of allowing him to actually answer.

“Why are you so adamant I stay Leon? Hmm? I never try to stop you when you get a new mission. I never tell you how much it hurts to see you walk out that door every time never knowing if it will be the last time I see you. I never tell you because I know how much your job means - to you and for, well, everyone! So I let you go despite how much it scares me, despite how much it hurts!

“I thought you were proud of me Leon, I thought you supported me! What happened to what you told me during Harvardville? Why -”

“Because I just lost my whole team, Claire, and I can’t lose you too!”

The sudden outburst sent her into a bout of silence.

“I can’t - “ his voice broke, “I wouldn’t be able to survive it.”

He felt heavy and tired. Leon couldn’t hold back the tears anymore as he fell to the floor, crumbling in on himself.

“I can’t” he whispered over and over, “I can’t.”

“Leon,” in an instant Claire was at his side.

“Is that what - you never told me. I knew it was hard but…” Claire didn’t know what to say.

“I didn’t want you to know. How could I tell you I failed, Claire. How could I tell you I let all my men die when I’m supposed to keep you safe?”

“Leon.” His voice was solid, the pillar that he needed right now to lean on. 

Claire grabbed his face, pulling him up to look at her this time. 

“ I’ve never doubted one moment that you wouldn’t do everything in your power to keep me safe. But it’s also my job to keep you safe. Let me help you, Leon, open up to me.”

“I’m sorry,” was all he managed to get out through the tears.

“It’s ok.”

Leon opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a shrill sound coming from Claire’s bag by the door.

“Shit!” she cursed, as she got up quickly to silence the offending object.

“Fuck, it was Neal. He’s probably wondering where I am.”

“It’s ok. You need to go.”

“Leon,” Claire turned to see Leon was now leaning against the couch, still on the floor but now upright.

“I can’t. Not right now.”

“The world needs you.”

“You need me!”

Her protest died at Leon’s signature smirk. It didn’t look quite right on a face red and swollen from tears.

“Funny how the tables have turned.”

“I’m serious, Leon. This is serious. I’m going to call Neal back and tell him that something with family just came up and I can’t go.”

“No, you’re going to call Neal back and tell him that you’re running a little late, but you’re on your way.”

The look Claire gave was unamused. Leon knew she wouldn’t want to leave him, not after what had just happened. But, she was right earlier - this was her job, her duty. She needed to go.

After a long moment, Claire seemed to have come to the same conclusion. With a sigh, she made her way back to him.

The kiss they shared was long and slow, filled with all the thoughts and emotions that were both said and unsaid. When they broke apart, Claire rested her forehead against his. Leon closed his eyes, relishing in her presence as long as he could before she inevitably had to leave.

“I love you, ok?”

“I know. I love you too, Angel.” Leon felt more than heard Claire sigh at the use of his favorite nickname for her.

“I’ll be back. I promise. And you better be here when I get back.”

“I promise.”

They shared another kiss before being interrupted by Claire’s phone again.

Claire was able to answer this time, repeating the message Leon had told her to earlier. When the call ended, Claire made her way back to the door.

“See you later, Leon,” she called as she turned the knob.

“See you later. Claire” he answered before the door closed behind her.

Neither mentioned the fact that Claire chose ‘see you late’ over ‘goodbye’. They both knew why though, and Leone was grateful. He wasn’t sure he could handle a goodbye; see you later was just bearable. And still, neither mentioned how, as Leon promised, he couldn’t look Claire in the eyes. 

Eventually, Leon made his way to the bathroom to clean up. When Claire did return because that was the only option - when - he’d never be able to admit that he couldn’t even look himself in his own reflection as he called Hunnigan. Some time away would do him good. At least, that’s what he told himself as he requested Hunnigan make him a reservation somewhere far away and secluded. Somewhere no one would be able to find him.

[emptysatellite]

breaking and entering according to hy + gar-bear

Ao3

one.

“This is a horrible idea.”

“No, it’s genius.”

Hyacinth was skipping ahead in the moonlit field while Gareth just mopped in amazement. It was midnight and they were at the one place they shouldn’t be; Clair House.

They were only there because of that stupid journal Hyacinth was translating. Gareth’s grandmother, Isabella, had written it throughout her entire marriage, when she moved to England with her new husband. The journal was written in Italian, a language Gareth couldn’t understand in the slightest, leaving Hyacinth to translate for him (although, as she made clear, she was not fluent). Most of the entries centered around Isabella’s daily life, but Hyacinth discovered a secret; a little while before her death, Isabella hid diamond jewelry in the house so her money hungry and gambling-obsessed son couldn’t sell them.

Once Hyacinth found this out, she rushed to Gareth’s, demanding they go to his father’s property at once. Lucky for them, Mr. St. Clair was out of town on a hunting trip, leaving the house completely empty.

“Hyacinth,” he attempted to reason with her, “we could get in trouble for this. Like real, legal trouble. Trespassing and breaking and entering are crimes.”

“Good thing my brother’s a lawyer. Anthony would defend us, no questions asked,” she retorted, hiding behind a tree to get a good look at the dark house.

“I think there would be lots of questions asked, Hyacinth. Lots of questions asked,” he leaned against a nearby tree, although completely in sight of any passerbys.

“I don’t think so. I’m Anthony’s favorite sister.”

“I don’t think that matters in the court of law… Aren’t you studying law? Shouldn’t you know this?”

“I’m studying politics and international relations, actually,” she tore herself away from the tree, strolling closer to the house. “Do you have a key to this place?”

“No.”

“What? Why not?” she froze in place.

“I don’t live here, why would I have a key?”

“I don’t know, you used to live here so I just assumed,” Hyacinth whisper-yelled, turning back to him. She gave Gareth a pointed look, “how are we supposed to break in if we don’t have a key?”

“We could break a window like they do in all those karate movies.”

“This isn’t a karate movie, Gareth! Besides, we can’t break a window; the neighbors might hear something and call the cops!”

“Like the neighbors wouldn’t call the police if they saw two suspicious individuals go through the front door when they know my dad lives alone and is out of town.”

Groaning, she said, “well, do you know anyone we could get a key from?”

“My grandmother, maybe?” he suggested, his calm exterior crumbling upon meeting her angry gaze.

“Professor D?” she demanded.

“I’m sure. She has a collection of keys from homes and apartments she doesn’t live in.”

“Perfect,” Hyacinth gave him a wide smile of pearly white teeth. “I’ll call her tomorrow morning and get the keys by lunch so that we can both come back at nightfall.”

“Aren’t we going on a date tomorrow night?” asked Gareth.

“Oh right! Well, we’ll come here after our date, then.”

There was no point arguing; when Hyacinth’s mind was made up there was no use debating it. They’d be back tomorrow, no doubt in Gareth’s mind.

two.

“God, I love your grandmother.”

“More than me, apparently.”

“Oh, knock it off,” Hyacinth gave Gareth a light shove, playing with Professor Danbury’s key to Clair House in her free hand.

“I wore the cologne you like to dinner and you still wanted to come here to find some stupid diamonds instead of back to my apartment,” he replied.

“Okay, well, three things. First, diamonds are not stupid, they’re my best friends. Second, I love the cologne you wore to dinner, it smells so Gar-bear St. Clair. And third, I still want to go back to your apartment, but when we get the diamonds,” she explained, taking a tangle of manila rope out of her bookbag, with a (seemingly) heavy rock tied to an end.

Her whole statement was questionable. Gareth barely knew how to respond. “Gar-bear?” is what he finally managed. “What is that ?”

Hyacinth laughed, covering her mouth with her hand in order not to wake the neighbors. “It’s your nickname,” she said at last. “Isn’t it cute? I think so. I came up with it last night, when I was making this!”

She pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of the pocket of her leather jacket. “Read it and weep,” she thrust it into his hands.

“ Breaking and entering according to Hy and Gar-bear? ” he demanded. “What the fuck , Hyacinth?”

“I’ve done loads of research on breaking into houses. I’m practically an expert,” Hyacinth replied, throwing the rope up onto the balcony with a huff. “I just thought I should add your name too, even though you didn’t contribute because we’re partners. Get it? We’re partners in crime .”

“Har-har,” his response was much more sarcastic than intended, “disrupting the peace is so funny.”

“We’re not disrupting the peace,” Hyacinth rolled her eyes. She added, “I can’t believe I’m stuck with you.”

“For better or worse.”

“Little early to be saying that, don’t you think, Bud?”

“Nope, your face is adorable.”

“Damn, you know flattery gets you everywhere with me.”

“I know.”

“Climb up the rope.”

“Wait, what?” he was shaken out of the blind flirtation. “You want me to climb that?”

“Of course,” said Hyacinth. “That’s why I brought it. I thought you’d be too wuss to scale the building, so I thought the rope might help.”

“Is it even secure?” Gareth asked, glancing upwards, for any sign (or omen) he should not pull himself up the rope because it was a risk to his health. “Like, will that rock support our weight?”

“Yes; I wouldn’t tell you to do something if I didn’t think it was safe. And the rock should support us… I tried like five other rocks before picking this one.”

“You’ve… already tried this?”

“Obviously.”

“How heavy is the rock?”

“Not sure.”

“Why are we climbing up to the balcony, anyway?”

“To go through the balcony door. Duh.”

“Why can’t we just go through the side door. No one would see us.”

“No one would see us go through the balcony door, either.”

“But going through the balcony door seems more complicated.”

“You know, we’re spending all this time arguing when you could just climb the damn rope and we could find the damn diamonds.”

“No.”

“Do you want me to go first?”

“Yes, that would make me feel better.”

Without another word, Hyacinth caught the rope, pulling herself up in a way that vividly reminded Gareth of secondary school physical education class. Still, she made it to the balcony.

“See, it’s totally safe!” she called down. “Now, come on.”

“I don’t know, I’m still nervous, Hy!” he replied.

“I’m holding the rope tight,” promised Hyacinth, “I won’t drop it!”

“If you drop it, we’re breaking up and I’m suing you.”

“Noted. I won’t drop you.”

And she didn’t. Gareth was able to scamper up the rope safely to see Hyacinth’s wide grin at the top.

“I told you that’d you’d be fine,” she said.

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved a hand dismissively. “You wanna do the honors?”

Hyacinth nodded, taking the key out of her pocket. Carefully, she put it in the deadbolt, twisting it unlocked, then doing the same with the door lever. “Aha!” she exclaimed, opening the windowed door. “It worked!”

three.

“Old Dicky may be an arsehole, but he has good taste in books.”

“Never once in my whole childhood did I ever see Richard in the library.”

“Well, then Grandpa St. Clair had good taste in books.”

“Right-o.”

“Hm,” Hyacinth ran her fingers along the book spines. “So much Shakespeare.”

“God, I hate Shakespeare,” said Gareth, fumbling with his flashlight.

“Literally stop. We’re breaking up. Right now,” she replied, turning her nose up. She sneezed.

“Bless you.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“I have dust allergies, just so you know.”

“Good to know.”

“Now, Isabella wrote that the diamonds ―or another set of clues that will lead us to the diamonds―should be in the place where the imagination can run wild,” Hyacinth said, “so I assumed it was the library. What do you think?”

“It could also be the nursery,” suggested Gareth, “because my brother and I would play there all the time; I assume Dick and Uncle Ed would have done the same.”

“That’s true,” she scribbled a note on her arm. “We’ll check the nursery after we finish here.”

“Hyacinth?”

“Yes?”

“It’s going to take us forever to go through here,” Gareth said, spreading his arms for dramatic effect.

Hyacinth seemed to think on this for a brief moment, tapping her marker against her chin. “Hm,” she finally replied, “it won’t take forever if we get started now.”

“Capital plan,” he commented, rolling his eyes.

“I know right,” she retorted. “Besides, even if we tear this room up, we can just leave it; we’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, too?”

“Of course. We’re not resting until we find these damn diamonds.”

“Dick is coming home in less than a week.”

“We’ll just have to be very thorough and efficient then,” she replied. “Now, do we want to start by ripping the books off of their shelves? Or go through all the drawers and cabinets by the desk?”

“I’ll do the desk and you do the shelves.”

“Works with me.”

They went to work, flashlights glowing in the dark library. They didn’t talk, concentration ruling their motions.

“I think I found something!” Hyacinth called, after less than an hour of searching.

“What?” Gareth replied, looking up from the stack of dust-covered papers he was flipping through.

“Hold on, I’m translating,” she paused. She looked up at him, saying, “basically, the hint is that the diamonds are in a washroom.”

“There are five washrooms in this house!” he groaned, collapsing onto the nearest chair.

and four.

“We’re literally going to jail. We’re going to spend the night ―and probably quite a few nights―in jail! ”

“It’s okay, Anthony will defend us in court. Simon will too, I’m sure; I’m his favorite sister-in-law. He got me a miniature pony for my sixteenth birthday, you know.”

“Hyacinth, I’m glad you and Simon and Anthony have good relationships, but we’re still going to jail! ”

“Lower your voice, you’ll upset the cop,” Hyacinth shushed Gareth, placing a finger on his lips.

“I think the cop is already upset,” he replied, grumpily, “because he just arrested us for breaking into my father’s mansion and we didn’t even find the diamonds.”

“Okay, to start, Richard is not your father ―” she started, waving her hand dismissively.

“Believe me, he’s made that clear―” Gareth interrupted.

“But Edward is.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Edward is your dad.”

“Edward? As in my uncle Edward ?” demanded Gareth.

“No, as in your dad Edward,” Hyacinth replied.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course I am.”

“Uncle Ed was my dad?”

“Yes, didn’t you hear what I said?”

“I did,” he breathed in amazement, “I just―it’s hard to believe.”

“You can come to therapy with me, if you want,” Hyacinth suggested. “I have my weekly sessions on Wednesdays.”

“Honestly, I might have to take you up on that offer…”

“There’s no shame in it. My therapist is the best, I’ve been working with her for years.”

“Nice, nice.”

“Oh! I forgot to add,” she reached into her jacket, pulling a trinket ―no not a trinket, a necklace, bracelet, and set of earrings―out of her pocket, “we did find the diamonds.”

“Holy shit!” exclaimed Gareth.

“Shh, the cop will hear,” she mumbled, untangling the jewelry from one another.

“I just… Hy, you’re amazing!”

“I know,” she flipped her hair with her free hand, “I’m told all the time.”

“Where did you find it?”

“In Clair House. Duh.”

“No, I meant , where in Clair House?”

“Under a floorboard in the nursery washroom. When we split up and you were in the master washroom.”

“We’re here, hooligans,” the policeman peered at the couple through the rearview mirror.

Hyacinth locked eyes with Gareth, slowly putting the diamond jewelry back into her jacket. She smiled at him and he returned a favor.

Still, they spent the night in jail.

[daydream-believin]

Recipe For Disaster 2: Electric Boogaloo

Summary: Jim is NOT happy about his sister’s boyfie. (not a part two despite the confusing name)

Warnings: swearing, a gilmore girls reference, divorce kids got daddy issues

Word Count: 5560, my longest yet woohoo

A/N: here it is im finally done with this. i- im tired. i love jim he was my favorite until doux came along but he can be a little bitch boy sometimes. and the word of the day is giggle im so sorry

tags: @alovesongshewrote​ hope i can deliver now that you have expectations lmao

It was a good Saturday. The trollhunters trio had gotten an early start on training, and thus Blinky had released them for an early lunch. It was a particularly successful day, with Claire really getting the hang of the shadow staff, so they decided to not make poor Jim cook for once and go out for a treat. And Toby really wanted a sandwich from Benoit’s.

They opted to walk to downtown instead of biking, as a way to cool down. Plus, it would give them time to digest their food on the walk back, before they returned to training once again. Although that was more of a problem for Jim and Toby, since Blinky wanted Claire to start reading a certain book this afternoon. She’d be in the library, quietly sitting while the boys go back to running around and fighting. The spring flowers had just started returning to Arcadia Oaks. The flowerbeds that decorated town added a cheery air to the day. Happily, Jim ran up in front to kick a pebble as they came up towards the bistro around the corner. He stopped in his tracks.

“Is Y/n’s boss flirting with her?”

The other two teens came around Jim to see. Y/n laughed at Douxie’s dumb joke and put her hand on his shoulder.

“And is she flirting back?” Jim asked incredulously.

Claire didn’t take this the same way Jim did. “Aww, that’s so cute.”

“No it’s not. It’s weird. And wrong.” Jim asserted.

“What are you talking about,” Claire lowered her brows with an annoyed tone.

“No, no. he’s right. Y/n doesn’t flirt. Or date. I’m not even sure she crushes.”

Claire shook her head, “That can’t be true, TP. She’s like, old. You two just didn’t notice it.”

“Oh, no, we noticed it. She went to every school dance alone, even senior prom.” Toby added. “It was kind of sad to be honest.”

“Remember that time that big movie star came into town? He was the prettiest guy I’d ever seen, and Y/n was just like ‘eh he’s okay, I guess’. We literally had a fight over that one.” Jim chuckled.

“I literally can’t imagine Y/n in a relationship. She’s just too all over the place.”

Claire rolled her eyes and gestured her hands towards the scene in front of them. “Well, she seems to be doing just fine now.”

Jim didn’t know why, but this made him a little huffy. “Whatever. It’s just a crush, anyways. She’ll get over it soon enough.”

Douxie leaned over to give Y/n a quick peck goodbye before he headed into Mr. Benoit’s to start his shift. He had swapped shifts with one of his coworkers for the day, so he could have the evening off. Y/n headed back to the bookstore. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she left, smiling to herself. The three trollhunters still stood right where they were, staring.

“I don’t think it’s just a crush, Jimbo.”

Jim was outraged. How. How was this happening. He could understand her not telling her family, their mother could be a bit nosy sometimes when it came to her daughter’s personal affairs. But his sister had often said she didn’t have enough time to pursue a love life whenever their mother probed her. There was no way she just started having said time. Right? It was curious, too, that out of all the people she could have chosen in Arcadia, she chose Douchey. That guy had girls fawning over him wherever he went. There was no way Y/n was into that.

Come to think of it, Y/n had been acting really strange ever since she had gotten that job at the bookstore. It was so easy to make her laugh now. She was actually wearing her hair in different styles instead of her signature. She actually enjoyed Barbara’s cooking. Or at least complimented it a lot now. Still a baffling action nonetheless. It was if she was experiencing the side effects of something. And that bookstore reeked of magic. Magic had the power to drive people out of their minds. He’d had plenty of first-hand experience with that. This whole situation was fishy.

“Well, I think it’s so cute they’re together now.” Claire said cheerily. He loved her but she wasn’t exactly the best when it came to making judgement calls. Hell, the fact that she was dating him after all he’s put her through was enough proof of that.

“Well, I think its magic.” Jim deadpanned.

“What.” Claire snapped.

“He’s got a spell on her! Some sort of enchantment. A charm!”

Toby was too tired from training today to deal with this. “I’ll agree, he does have charm, have you had him as a waiter? But not the kind of charm you’re implying here, Jim.”

“Douxie is my magic teacher, Jim. I promise, he’s a really nice guy.”

“Nope. There’s no way my sister would be into a guy, let alone a guy like,” He tried to find the right words but just sputtered, “Like that!” he motioned to poor Doux, who was changing the specials sign out front. Douxie was one of those bistro employees who always got asked to draw up the sign because his calligraphy was so good. Doux had to admit, his handwriting was messy compared to Merlin’s standards, but to Mr. Benoit’s he was a calligraphy god.

Toby looked Doux up and down. “I don’t know man, Y/n is kind of alternative.”

“Yeah, who do you think helps me dye my hair all the time? And sneaks me into concerts?” Claire added.

“Okay. I get that. But he’s just not good enough for her.” Jim said through gritted teeth.

Toby sighed. “Then who is?” he asked wearily.

Jim got defensive. “I don’t know! A prince, maybe. One that’s in line to be king. Not one of those waiting-for-a-brother-to-die ones, but a real one.” He nodded his head like any of that was realistic. “Definitely not just some wizard who works in a bookstore.”

“She’s just some wizard who works in a bookstore, though.”

There was no getting through to Jim. “Think about it guys, my sister, suddenly getting cozy with a magic man? Bushigal. She’s under a spell. I’m going to fight him.”

“No, no you’re not,” Claire asserted, “You’re going to have lunch like we planned AND you’re going to be civil.” Claire and Toby both grabbed one of his arms and dragged him towards the bistro.

***

The hostess guided them to the table. Claire sat across from Jim and Toby. They were handed the menus. Claire showed interest in the lunch specials while Toby flipped to the sandwiches. Jim just brooded while he stared unblinking into the first page. And by chance, and by the fact that this scene would be boring and or pointless if not, Douxie was the waiter for said table. After handing off the check to one of his other tables, he waltzed over to the trio, happy to see his protégé.

“Ello lads, how’s it going? How’d that test go today, Claire?” Douxie ruffled her hair. Jim narrowed his eyes at the sight.

“Horrible! I bombed it for sure!”

Toby rolled his eyes, “You say that about every test, Claire, and then it turns out you aced them.”

“No I mean it this time, TP. I didn’t even finish the last three questions. It was so bad!”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Douxie chuckled. Oh to have the problems of these youngsters. Claire and Toby got into some sort of glare match where they both just made more and more aggressive funny faces at each other. Both finally conceded and they fell into giggles. Douxie was glad to see Claire having so much fun, but he noticed someone else at the table who was not having said fun. His apprentice Claire’s boyfriend, his master’s champion, and his darling Y/n’s brother, looking like his dog ate his homework, or whatever teenagers got angry about these days.

“Cheer up, lad.” Doux grinned at Jim, “Hangry? I get that. You look like you could use a good meal.”

“Well strangely I am in a cafe”

Claire kicked Jim under the table. He tried his best to stifle the grunt of pain. “Don’t mind Jim, he’s a tad grumpy from a bad training session. And we’ll take waters all around.” She smiled. Doux hurried off to go get their glasses.

In the end, Toby couldn’t pick a sandwich. He had three favorites and couldn’t decide between them yet. Jim and Claire had his back. They both got one of them and he got the third. Then they would all share the halves. A good plan. And it was a delicious one. Toby was thankful for his partners.

***

After finishing up training and walking Claire home, Jim and Toby went their separate ways. Toby had promised his Nana he’d go with her and her boyfriend to see a play in the next town over. Jim had promised his mother he’d be home for a family dinner. He wasn’t able to be home in time to cook, so this was going to be a roulette wheel when it came to food. He was betting on Y/n. As he came to the front door, he cracked it first and smelled the air before going inside as to make sure his candid reaction wouldn’t be bad. The aroma coming from the house was heavenly. Alright, Y/n. Jackpot.

Jim swung the door open wide as he strutted in. Everyone was in the kitchen, it looked like. He put his bag up and called to his family that he was home. Which was met with the two voices he had expected, but one he hadn’t. And it was a voice he didn’t want to hear right now. Douxie. Hisirdoux fucking Casperan. In his house. In his kitchen. In his territory.

Jim immediately felt his muscles tense up. He took a deep breath and put on his best fake smile before heading into the kitchen. Y/n was sautéing something over the stove. Barbara was stirring something which meant that she had insisted on helping and Y/n had done the equivalent of giving your younger sibling a game controller that wasn’t plugged in. The offending wizard was leaning over the bar counter from the other side, chatting away as if he had any reason to be here.

Once Y/n caught sight of Jim, she bubbled. “Jim! How was hiking? You three have fun?” she knew where he actually spent his Saturdays but they had to keep up the rouse for their mom. While Y/n particularly didn’t care for the lying, she also agreed with Jim that some things are best kept from worrisome mothers. Barbara gave her enough shit already for her frequent homecomings from bars and shows in the wee hours of the morning with scrapes and bruises. If their mother knew about Jim’s marginally more dangerous late-night escapades, she might actually have a nervous breakdown.

“Oh yeah, it was great. We saw a deer. It had a baby with it.”

“Majestic.” She turned and gestured to the man at the counter, “You remember Douxie, right?”

“Of course,” Jim said through gritted teeth forced into a smile. “In fact we just saw each other at the bistro earlier today.”

A timer went off. Y/n expressed her delight that something in the oven was done. Barb got some plates out of the cabinet, while Y/n pulled the main course out of the oven. She handed Jim the plates and silverware and sent him to go set the table. Jim supposed this was better than having to talk to Douxie. Until Douxie insisted on helping him. Great.

“So, Jim, I’ve heard a lot about you-”

“I’m sure you have.” Jim cut him off. Douxie was a bit confused, but figured he was still grumpy like he was earlier at the bistro. He’d leave the moody teen alone then. Perhaps he be in a better mood after getting some food in him and spending time with his family. Doux would try for conversation again then.

Jim did not get any less grumpy, to Douxie’s dismay. And Y/n’s. Y/n really needed both her family members to like her boyfriend. They were all each other had, and any strife would put a strain on their tiny closely-knit family unit. Y/n loved Douxie, and she wanted Jim and Barbara to love him to. To accept him. It would help put a validity to her feelings. If they liked him then she had made the right choice. She could never be with someone her loved ones hated. And as a bonus, it would be nice if she could give Douxie the family he never had. He deserved as much.

Luckily, Barbara had taken quite a liking to Arcadia’s most charming waiter. Jim however, was subtly hostile. Or at least he thought he was being subtle. It was very apparent to the other three at the table. As Douxie was animatedly telling Barb some story that she was laughing very hard at, Y/n turned to glare at her brother. Jim tried to feign innocence. Y/n rolled her eyes and put some more salad on her plate. Jim noticed the bracelet on her wrist. Funny, she had never been one for jewelry before. But she started wearing this one everyday right around the time she started working at the bookstore. Interesting.

Douxie finished up his story and turned his attention to Jim. He’d try once again to engage the trollhunter. He knew how important this was to Y/n. Douxie was going to make this little man like him if it was the last thing he did.

“I saw the school play you were in a couple weeks ago, Jim. You were quite the actor, and I know Shakespeare’s tough. Have you ever thought of going into it professionally? Claire’s told me she wants to. You two could be one of those celebrity power couples.”

Jim just offered a short thanks that was less hostile but not exactly enthusiastic either. Well, at least Doux was getting somewhere. It’s a start. Y/n was content with this. Jim would warm up to Douxie eventually. It didn’t have to be right away, even if she would have liked that.

After the dinner conversation had died down and the food long gone, Y/n set out to clear the table and clean the kitchen. Barbara also went to help her, but Douxie assured her he’d take care of it. He was a world class waiter after all. He stacked up the plates as Y/n grabbed the dinner dishes. And so the two set off to the world behind the wall, to clean or canoodle or whatever. Jim wasn’t too keen on thinking about it. His mother pulled him into the living room to sit on the couch and preceded to ask him twenty questions about Claire. He was almost happy when the lovebirds came back.

And then his mother made them all play some card game for three hours straight. All while the lovebirds flirted away right in front of them. It was like they had no shame. This guy just had to have Y/n under a spell or something, Jim was sure of it. There was no other explanation. As she giggled at another one of Douxie’s stupid jokes that weren’t even funny, Jim felt sick.

Finally it came time for that douchebag to leave. Jim rolled his eyes at his mother and sister fawning over Doux as he made his way to the door. He slinked over behind them to watch the guy leave and make sure that he left. As Douxie went through the door he gave Y/n a quick peck and said the stupidest line Jim had ever heard. Who does this guy think he is. Once the door was shut and Doux had indeed walked away, Jim scoffed.

“Bet that guy has a bank of pickup lines he’s memorized. There’s no way he came up with that on the fly.”

***

Jim was furious. He fought like a madman during training. Draal was just making it worse by encouraging it; he really liked the kid’s fire today. Draal had no idea what was up with him right now, but Jim was giving it his all. The trollhunter was rarely this aggressive. Blinky looked on as Jim growled and shouted with every strike. He hadn’t seen his son frothing at the mouth like this before. It was glorious. Keep this up and Angor Rot won’t know what hit him.

Claire and Toby were also training, with Arrggh, albeit with not even half as much gusto as Jimbo. They were also a wee bit distracted, trying to wind Jim down from said gusto. He came over to where they were to get some water. Taking this opportunity, Toby tried appealing to him once again.

“Dude, give it a rest, this is just like how you got all pissy about your mom dating Strickler.” Toby was exasperated.

“Y/n can’t date guys, my mother can’t date guys, no men should be frequently invited into our household! No boys allowed! Me and Toby are the only boys allowed!” Jim growled. He stormed off across the keep to go land another hit on Draal.

Blinky blinked. He was taken aback at the hostility from his charge. “So, do either of you have any idea as to what that was about.”

“Right now the winning theory is that this is like, about how heartbroken his mother was when his dad left, so now he doesn’t want that to happen again or something,” Claire sighed. Her teacher really was a good guy. Lonely too. Just like Y/n. They were going to be good for each other. Her boyfriend should be happy for them. Jim took a particularly dirty swipe at Draal. Toby grunted in sympathy. “Or maybe Douxie just poked Arcadia’s most possessive bear.”

***

Jim and Toby were walking downtown, enjoying their free time after a trollhunting mission on this fine Sunday afternoon. That is, until they came in sight of the bookstore. Jim felt that bitter feeling in his stomach again. He knew Y/n wasn’t working today. Douchey would be all alone. Now was his chance to confront this and end it before it got any worse. Toby noticed the malice in his eyes as he stomped towards the bookstore.

“Woah dude, what’re you doing?”

“I’m just going to have a little chat with Mr. Casperan that’s all.”

Toby threw his head back in exasperation. “There no talking you out of this is there?”

“Nope”

The bell jingled as they walked in. The bookshop smelled like Christmas. And Jim was about to try and talk politics with his racist uncle at the dinner table. Douxie came over and greeted them cheerily.

“Good afternoon, lads. Looking for any book in particular?”

“I’m not a part of this. I just happen to be with him physically.” Toby quickly asserted. Douxie quirked a brow at the odd statement. Jim pushed forward aggressively. Doux had the sense to back away from the boy.

“I’m onto you, wizard. Just what did you do to my sister? Did you slip her a love potion? Is that bracelet she’s been wearing charmed?” Jim growled. Toby cringed on the sidelines.

Douxie blinked. “Excuse me?”

“There’s no other explanation for your ‘relationship’. You’ve got to be magicking her. And I won’t just sit here and let it happen. That’s my sister and it’s my job to protect her from creeps like you.”

Douxie took in the boys words, and a deep breath. He tried his best not to sound too defensive and provoke the kid further, “Okay, wow. That’s quite an accusation there, friend.” He moved away from where the boy had backed him into a bookshelf. “You know, out of all that you just implied, the part I think I’m most offended by is the fact that you’d think I’d mess with Y/n’s free will like that.”

Douxie straightened some books on a nearby display. “You know Jim, when it comes to love-” Jim stormed out of the bookstore before Doux could take his lecture any further, grabbing Toby by the arm so he’d follow. Toby mouthed a big ‘I’m sorry’ to Doux as he was pulled out of the store.

***

Jim’s pencil felt abused. He was furiously scribbling the answers to his homework with a heavy hand. He still had a lot of pent up rage, even after accosting poor Doux. After snapping his lead for the seventh time in the hour, Jim decided that switching subjects to Spanish instead of math for a bit might help him calm down. He moved to his bed to start the assigned reading. He laid on his stomach, propping up his head in his hands to see his textbook. His blue eyes perused the paragraphs punctuated by cheesy cartoons. He was halfway through the third page when a knock came at his door. Taking a deep breath, he called for whoever it was to let themselves in. His sister stepped into view.

Jim ran a hand through his dark hair. Here comes the scolding. He didn’t even have to ask if Y/n had heard about what he’d done today. If Douxie himself hadn’t told her then Tobes certainly did. Jim wasn’t proud of it, now that it was all said and done. He knew he deserved whatever Y/n was about to dish out. He sat up and crisscrossed his legs. She pulled his desk chair over and sat backwards in it so that she was facing him on the bed.

That’s it. No scolding came. She just sat and looked at him, neutral faced. He squirmed at the nothing. She lifted up the coffee mug in her hands and took a slow sip, not breaking eye contact with him. Jim began to sweat. He tried to avoid her gaze by looking down at the floor, but he could still feel her eyes upon him. Sighing, he had to admit defeat.

“Okay, so I do feel bad about what I said to Douxie today.” He looked back up to meet Y/n’s eyes. She raised a brow. “It was wrong of me to jump to conclusions like that, I’m sorry.”

Y/n appeared to be satisfied by that. A smile spread across her face and she nodded to him. She stood up, and ruffled his hair on her way out. Still refusing to break her silence, she motioned for him to follow her downstairs.

***

Y/n set her coffee cup down on the table. She pulled another mug out of the cabinet for Jim. Grabbing the coffee pot from its nest under the coffeemaker, she filled Jim’s mug and topped off her own. Sliding the mug across the table to Jim, she sat down. Jim could smell the aromas of the several colorful dishes baking that he could see through the screen of the oven door. Strange, it was already half past nine. There was cinnamon in the air, so at least one of those dishes contained dessert. Jim’s stomach growled at the thought.

“You know I’m not the one you should have to apologize to, Jimbo.”

“I know, I know,” He looked at the ground, “I’ll go talk to him tomorrow after school.”

Silence filled the kitchen again. Y/n took a sip of coffee. This conversation was going to be hard. She wasn’t particularly looking forward to it. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. She took yet another long sip of coffee to figure out a good enough way to word this. She took a breath.

“So, uh- listen Jimbo. I- I know it’s tough, ya know, with it just being us. And our family’s tight because of it. But you can’t get so protective that new people can’t join it. Or even try.”

Jim took a breath, “I know it’s just, I-, what happens when we, when you, get so attached to him, and he decides that he doesn’t care for you anymore. When he turns out to be bad. When he just disappears. Like- like they do.”

“Oh, Jim,” She reached across the table for his hand. “That’s my risk to take, Jim. I fully recognize that what I’m doing is hazardous and I could get hurt really bad. But I still chose to do it. I choose it every day. We all do, when we fall in love.”

Jim took a sip and lingered, staring into his cup. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” He chuckled, “I know I’d be devastated if Claire ever wizened up and left me.”

“Look, you gotta trust me okay? Douxie isn’t dad or Strickler. I promise. He’s kind. I trust him. After you apologize, I think you really should start to make an effort to get to know him. If not for me, for Claire dude. And I think you’ll really like him. Promise you’ll give him a chance?”

Jim sighed in defeat. “Alright. I promise.”

She stood up and stretched out her back, making those stretching noises that people do. She checked the food in the oven. The buns were ready, but the quiche still needed a few minutes. She took out the pans and put them on the cooling rack. After fanning them for a few seconds, she turned to Jim, “So you want a spinach bun or a cinnamon bun?”

“How is that a question?” Jim laughed.

“Spinach bun it is then,” She teased as she tossed him the cinnamon one.

“What’s all this for anyway?” He gestured to the oven and the buns.

“Oh, uh, its actually for a date tonight?” She looked warry of how he’d react.

“Okay,” He guessed now would be as good a time as ever to start letting this go, “You crazy kids have fun.” Y/n laughed, relived.

Douxie had just finished up the sweeping and was ready to close up. As he headed to towards the front doors, he took one last look around the place to make sure he didn’t miss anything. All clean and tidy. Whoever opened tomorrow would appreciate it. He flipped the neon sign from open to nope and started locking up. Which is when his girlfriend pounced on him and almost gave him a heart attack. She just appeared out of thin air to tackle him into a hug. Scared the living daylights out of him. Y/n apologized profusely when she noticed him freak out but was still snickering between sorries so she probably didn’t mean it. He asked her just what the hell she was doing here and she picked up a picnic basket that was on the ground to show him.

“I just knew a certain wizard hadn’t eaten yet tonight.”

***

Y/n felt the ground beneath her back through the picnic blanket. The new spring growth had made them a cushion of sorts. Her head rested in the crook of Douxie’s shoulder as his arm was wrapped around her. It was nice here. Comfy. She could smell his hair and feel his chest move as he breathed. Their heartbeats made a nice rhythm to accompany the cricket song and the noise of the trees swaying. The stars were so lovely tonight. Stellar.

Douxie broke the quiet. “So I brushed up on my astrology.”

“Oh yeah?” Y/n quirked her brow. Astrology was one of her biggest interests. She’d loved it since her grandmother had given her a book about it when she was small. It was a well-worn, well-loved book. Her grandmother had handwritten things in the margins too. She’d been talking Douxie’s ears off about it during work earlier that week. Something was just so fascinating about how there were gorgeous balls of light in the sky that could tell you the future. There really was magic embedded in the fabric of the universe. It was sweet that he would care enough to learn about her interests. Very sweet indeed. The fact that he went out of his way just so he could talk to her about something she loved? Tooth-rotting. She wasn’t sure if her heart sped up because she was excited to talk about astrology or because of the sugar rush he just gave her.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve needed to look at constellations, we do have GPS now, but I think I remember enough,” He pointed to the sky, “That’s Pisces, right?”

“Yes!” Y/n couldn’t stop herself from smiling so wide her cheeks hurt.

“And that’s Aries, which marks the beginning of spring,” He looked back at Y/n who nodded to him, “oh, and look! We can see Venus tonight.”

“Hey Douxie, I love you. And You’re really making me want to kiss you right now.”

He chuckled and wiggled his eyes brows teasingly, “Ah, yes, I am aware of the effect I have.” She rolled her eyes and put her hand on his face to push him away. If he saw the blush creeping up on her, he’d just get flirtier. She wasn’t sure she could handle that. Something caught her eye and instantly stole her attention.

“Look! A shooting star! Make a wish Doux.” She pointed to the streak of light that flashed.

“I don’t need wishes when I’m here with you, Love.” If her face was pink before it was bright red now.

Y/n hid her face in her hands, “No! You were supposed to say something silly,” She came back up to look him in the eyes, “not something that makes me want to kiss you even more.”

He leaned his head in closer, “Well, what’s stopping you, Y/n”

Well, that was obviously a dare. She couldn’t not kiss him now. So she did. They melted into it instantly. At first it was sweet and slow, but they got a bit hungrier, and the kiss got a bit sloppier. Douxie smelled like the bookstore, Y/n loved the smell of the bookstore. It was everything safe in her life. He was everything safe in her life. Her best friend. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek. He loved how her lips just fit together with his perfectly. Y/n Lake was everything he’d been waiting for all these years. Soft and kind, with such a beautiful heart. Not to mention, a badass. Yet, even with all his ancient baggage, she still cared for him. Made him feel like new again. Out of all the wizards of Arcadia Oaks, she chose him. He still couldn’t believe it. They pulled apart way sooner than either of them wanted, but they did have to breathe, so it had to be done. Locked in Douxie’s gaze, Y/n broke the intensity to giggle.

“But really, I was setting you up for a joke. You know what you could have done with that, Doux?” She teased.

“I’ll remember that for next time, Love.”

“Ah, they’re super rare. This is the first time I’ve ever seen one in all my stargazing years.”

“Well, we’ve got plenty of time to see the next one. And the next one. All the shooting stars you want. Only seeing them every few decades could make them a special little thing for us.” He said so nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t just implied that he expected their love to last for countless decades. As if it were a given. Suddenly it hit her. She could live thousands of years by his side. She would live thousands of years by his side. This was it. She wasn’t even sure humans could turn this vivid a shade of red. Y/n’s heart was gonna pop if it beat any harder.

“Stars, are you just hellbent on making me combust tonight? It too hot out here for this.” Douxie just laughed, a twinkle in his eye. She focused on her beloved stars to calm her down. She sighed, “The stars really are beautiful tonight.”

“You know what else is beautiful?”

“Me?”

“You- aww, you’ve heard that one.”

Y/n’s snort rung in the air. So, he does just have a bank of pick-up lines he’s pulling from. Interesting. Guess it must be tough having to be Arcadia’s most charming waiter. They stilled again. The comfortable silence embraced them. And they could have basked in it all night, if Douxie had not a burning question he had been waiting to ask his beloved.

“So- uh,” She looked to him expectedly, “Do you think there’s life out there?”

Y/n tried not to laugh too hard with Douxie’s very serious tone, “Yeah, yeah I do.”

Now it was Douxie’s turn to smile so wide his cheeks hurt. “Really?”

“Yeah,” She said, “I think it’d be kinda arrogant to assume that with all that vastness up there that we’re the only ones who exist.”

“That’s a really good point.” Douxie said excitedly. He pulled her tighter into his embrace and snuggled. “I think I’m going to use that on Zoe next time she tries to tell me that I’m crazy and aliens aren’t real.”

“Yeah Babe! Win that argument!” Y/n encouraged.

She peppered his face with kisses. That big smile stayed on his face as he closed his eyes in delight. He repaid her with a nose kiss. And she repaid that by starting another snogging session.

***

Little did they know that shoot star was really aliens akiriddion spaceship crash 3below wait shit the akiriddions landed in like season two and ive set this in one ugh just pretend like this makes sense hfhadhiufs

[morganaspendragonss]

this is the part where the silence takes hold

in which i say fuck the sparrow academy and dump 1300 words of angst because i’m not over it. 

spoilers for season 2 in case the tags don’t filter it

ao3

Five days after Ben saves the world, there’s a knock on Klaus’s door. He hasn’t really left  his room since they got back to 2019, sometimes venturing out for food or another bottle of Dad’s booze, but he hasn’t spoken to his siblings. 

They’re all staying at the Academy for a while, save Allison who went back to LA to see Claire as soon as she could. Diego and Vanya will probably be leaving soon, too, and then it’ll just be Klaus and Luther and Five. 

He should be happy. They saved the world twice over, all in one fell swoop. Everything is back the way it was. He finally has some peace and quiet - something he’s been searching for his entire life.

Thing is, Klaus kind of hates the quiet.

Quiet means Ben is really gone. He forgets sometimes, and goes to say something, a, “Hey, Ben,” slipping from his lips before the silence drags out and Ben is gone.

So he gets drunk. He plays loud music and ignores his siblings because they don’t get it. How could they? They did their grieving thirteen years ago, or seventeen, depending on how you look at it. 

Five days after Ben saves the world, four days after they come home, there’s a knock at Klaus’s door. He doesn’t answer, hopes whoever it is will go away, but the knocking just becomes more insistent, driving spikes into Klaus’s head.

“Klaus, open the damn door,” Diego calls, impatient. Klaus rolls his head to stare at the door but doesn’t move otherwise. Easier, he thinks, just to wait for Diego to let himself in.

A minute later, he does. He raises an eyebrow at the empty bottles scattered around the room, at Klaus slumped on the bed, but doesn’t appear otherwise surprised. Maybe Klaus would be offended by that if he could even feel anything right now.

“Come on, Klaus,” Diego says, voice unbearably soft this time. “Dinner’s ready, and you haven’t eaten and - Jesus, Klaus, have you just been existing on booze since we got back?”

Klaus shrugs. Turns away from Diego. “Just leave me alone.”

“I’m not leaving until you get your ass out of bed,” Diego says. His hand lands on Klaus’s shoulder and for a second Klaus can pretend it’s Ben. But the hand is too heavy and too big and the grip too tight as it tries to pull him up and out, and Klaus tries to fight against it. 

Problem is, Diego is far stronger than Klaus. He yanks Klaus into a semi-upright position, scowling at him now. “You know,” he comments. “Ben wouldn’t want this for you.”

And Klaus sees red. “Fuck you, asshole!” he yells, summoning all his strength to shove Diego away. “You don’t know what Ben would want, you don’t know shit about him!”

There are tears stinging Klaus’s eyes and Diego looks like he just slapped him across the face. Klaus would feel bad, but now his anger is draining out of him, leaving his chest yawning and empty. Ben’s disapproving face mocks him in his periphery, but Klaus blinks and he is gone, really gone, Ben is gone.

Klaus sighs and slumps against the wall. “He would be so pissed at me,” he says quietly, just as Diego turns to leave. “You know I was sober for three years back in the 60s? Fell off the wagon just after I met Allison.”

Diego half turns towards him, body still tight with anger. Klaus can’t blame him for that. “Oh yeah?” he asks, voice carefully controlled. “What happened?”

“Oh, you know,” Klaus says airily, waving a lazy hand. “Lost love, 60’s homophobia. The usual.”

Diego doesn’t seem to know how to respond, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. “The sucks, bro,” he gets out eventually. 

Klaus scoffs. “Yeah.”

“And…” He shuffles awkwardly, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. “I’m sorry about Ben.”

Something breaks in Klaus’s chest, an overwhelming pain erupting in his chest. He squeezes his eyes shut and curls into himself, tears beginning to slip down his cheeks. “I’m sorry, too,” he chokes out. “I shouldn’t have said he wasn’t there, I should have - I could have manifested him.”

“What?” Diego breathes. 

Klaus nods, a sob escaping him. “All those years we were together, he missed all of you. He hated being a ghost, hated that I was the only one he could talk to. I think he even hated me sometimes.”

“Klaus -”

“He was right to,” Klaus interrupts. “I was an asshole, and he was too, that was why I didn’t say anything. I wanted to get back at him. But now he’s gone, and he never even got to talk to you all, and it’s my fault, Diego, why did I do that?”

Diego is silent for a long time, so long that Klaus begins to suspect he’s left. Normally, he relies on Ben to tell him these things, but that’s the point of the silence, isn’t it?

“Well…” The floorboards creak, making Klaus jump as Diego comes to sit next to him. “I got to talk to him, you know? When he was -”

“Possessing me, yeah.” Klaus sighs again, looking up at Diego. “He shouldn’t have done that.”

Diego frowns. “He - What?”

“I didn’t want him inside me,” Klaus explains tiredly. “Can you imagine, having your body violated so...thoroughly? And by your dead brother, no less? I let him in for a little while because I felt bad for him, you know? The guy just wanted to talk to a girl, but then things got weird and you showed up, and I told him to get out of me but he wouldn’t. Fucking hell, Diego, it hurt.”

Diego looks suddenly guilty. “I told him to stay inside you,” he whispers, horrified. “Shit, Klaus, I’m sorry, I- Is that what happened at the bar with Dad?”

“Yeah, except he didn’t warn me that time. Asshole.”

“Ben was always the nice one,” Diego says. “When we were kids. Hard to believe he would do that.”

Klaus shrugs. “Not really. Being dead did wonders for his personality.”

Diego’s got that look on his face - not-quite guilt, not-quite grief, but somewhere between the two. “He sounds like a prick,” he says after a long while. 

Klaus laughs, mixed with a sob. “Yeah. Yeah, he was,” he says. “He would have fit right in with the rest of us.”

“Yeah.” There are tears in Diego’s eyes now, and Ben smiles in the corner of Klaus’s eye. Then Klaus blinks, and the smile is gone with the rest of him.

“How do you do this?” he asks Diego. He waves his hand - Goodbye - and hopes Diego will understand. 

“Do what?”

No luck, then.

Klaus chews on his lip, fingers tangling in his bedsheets. “You know. Move on. Say goodbye. I’ve never… Not even with Dave, but I’ve never had to - you know - with Ben. He’s just always there. And now…”

“Now he’s not,” Diego finishes quietly. He takes a trembling breath. “Man… I don’t know. It takes time. But we can help you through it. If you come down for dinner.”

Diego stands and holds his arm out to Klaus. Klaus stares at him in disbelief. “You’re a dick, you know that, right?”

Diego shrugs. “Makes two of us. Come on, you can’t change what we did back then, but maybe you can make up for it by telling us all about Ben.”

Klaus hesitates. He eyes up Diego’s arm, then glances at Ben’s corner. It’s empty, but of course it is.

Ben is gone, after all.

Klaus waits a second more, letting the hurt overwhelm him for a second, hurt over Ben and Dave, both dead, both gonegonegone. Ben is gone to a place even Klaus can’t reach, and he’s not sure he could summon Dave if he tried (and, oh, how he’s tried), and all he’s got left is memories. 

Ben’s smile. Dave’s laugh. 

Ben’s bitching. Dave’s embrace. 

Memories. His to keep. His to share. 

He takes Diego’s arm.

[andromedia5]

What’s in a Dance

They’re speaking.

The ballerinas are speaking with their bodies, so over exaggerated that she understands everything and it takes nothing. None of the words that have to fight through her mind to get to her mouth. Just pretty dresses and quick feet and music without words and it’s . . . beautiful.

She reaches for Bruce’s hand and squeezes, letting him anchor her to the world as the colors and the light and the life wash over her. He’s smiling at her; happy, calm, nervous.

Always nervous around her, but different nervous, hopeful nervous.

Hopeful nervous again, when she opens the ballet studio door to see him, sitting there waiting for her. He gets up, folding his newspaper under his arm.

“How’d it go, Cassie?”

She’s flung her arms around his neck before he can get another word out.

Bruce knocks at her door a few weeks after she starts ballet lessons with Madame Naomi while she’s lying on her bed listening to Tom Petty. Not just listening, listening with both headphones in and the volume up and her eyes closed letting Wildflowers wash over her and block out the rest of the world because she’s safe. He sits at the foot of her bed when she motions for him to come in and tugs at her feet teasingly, so her knees drop back down onto the bedspread. Cassandra pauses her music and takes her earbuds out, pushing back the hair that had gotten tangled in the wire.

“Good morning,”

“It’s not morning,” he points out, tilting his head towards the clock on her bedside table proudly displaying that it is in fact 2:25 and therefore; not morning.

“Happy see today,” That isn’t right, she knows it isn’t, it’s not complete and her mind starts to chase after the right words. Bruce runs a thumb over her knuckles soothingly.

“Take your time, sweetheart,”

Cass tries to slow down the words running through her mind so she can see them clearly. “Happy first time seeing me today,”

His eyes crinkle at the sides and he kisses her forehead “That, I am. Can you come down to the library with me for a second?”

She nods and swung her legs off the bed, following him out the door. Last time they had gone down to the library for a second it had been when he had given her that pair of his mother’s earrings. They had belonged to her grandmother before her and he had thought she would have wanted her granddaughter to have them but if she didn’t want them it was completely fine and they were old anyways and she didn’t even have her ears pierced so- at which point she had stopped listening to his rambling in favor of staring at the delicate gold flowers with the sapphires in the centers. Dick pierced her ears in his apartment a week later with a sewing needle and an ice cube and while he argued with a livid Alfred over the phone about how “It’s completely safe” and “That’s how I got my ears pierced at the circus,” Kory helped her put in the earrings and that glorious sense of belonging had washed over her, again.

The library smells of almond and old paper, sunlight drenching the leather armchairs and bouncing off the old grandfather clock. Cassandra lingers at the doorway watching as Bruce strides over to the old record player, carefully lowering a record onto it and turning to her. “You said you wanted to come to the gala this Saturday?” Something in her brain clicks as she realizes why they’re here and rushes over to him eagerly. “You don’t have to go if you changed your mind” he continues, “But I thought you might want to learn,”

“Different dancing,”

“Alfred made me go to lessons when I was your age but the last teacher filed a restraining order after I tried to send Jason when he was fourteen and he . . . well, you know your brother, you can imagine,” he turns and sets the needle on the record. Piano notes begin to play, simple and elegant like the way Tim’s fingers move across the shiny white and black keys.

“Clair de Lune, it’s a waltz but a very slow one, it’s easier to learn.” Bruce extends one of his hands and she holds it. Their hands look funny together, one tan and small, with uniform circular calluses and the other large and scarred with a thin dusting of hair up the back of his palm. “Now you put your hand on my shoulder,” he instructs as he rests his other hand on her waist and lower back, a bit like a hug.

She does so, albeit a bit impatiently “This isn’t dancing,”.

Bruce laughs and she pokes his shin with her toe as if it would wake his feet up and make them move. “We’re getting there. Now a waltz is mostly just a box step. There can be other elements but at its core it's just a box step. So we move back,” he gestured for her to take a step backward and then followed her with a step forward. “To the side,” they both side stepped in unison, “Foreword for you, back for me. And then to the side again and we’re back where we started.”

Cassandra looks up from where she had been tracking the movement of their feet in an attempt to memorize. It was surprisingly like a kata, or the five positions in ballet, simple. Maybe it was just that what she had seen had looked more like dancing than it actually was.

“That’s it?” she asks, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. He rolls his eyes and begins the box step again but faster this time, and this feels like what she’s seen other people do, the almost rise and fall of it, like a carousel. She trips over her feet a little but he holds her, not letting her fall until she’s memorized the rhythm of the steps. The same rush of euphoria she always gets from dancing comes swooping in as her father spins her into the light shining through the curtains.

They’re whispering, always whispering.

Cass has learnt a lot since leaving Cain. She’s learnt to speak English, she’s learnt to speak. She’s learnt that people don’t like her. Not for the bad things she’s done, not for Cain. Just don’t like her.

Jealousy.

That’s what she’s told causes it, first by Alfred, who merely pats her cheek and makes a passing remark about the green eyed monster coming after kind, pretty girls.

She can tell he’s lying.

Then again by Steph, “Bruce is rich, Cass. All rich people want to be richer. Well, except your dad, but maybe he’s so rich it skips him. That’s why those harpy faced bitches with earrings that could pay my tuition don’t like you. Ignore it,”.

She isn’t lying. But Steph hasn’t seen.

Jason doesn’t say it’s jealousy. Jason doesn’t really answer, just laughs that laugh where he doesn’t really think it’s funny and mutters something in Spanish.

“Gringo cabrones. They never fucking change, do they, Cassie?”

She learns the way she learns a lot of things that no one could even begin to explain to her; a combination of TV and Tim. An episode of Boy Meets World and now she at least knows what questions to ask, which he answers. Cold anger and no small amount of what’s either sadness or guilt (it might be both) in his pretty eyes as he does his best to explain. He has the same look now, knuckles white as the old women sitting at the table near them get drunker and louder. Like birds on a tree branch, but the birds that like to sit outside her bedroom window don’t say her name quite so often or so mockingly. Tim stomps away while one of the board members she and Steph have christened “Mr. Suckup With The Sex Offender Mustache”  is in the middle of saying something and walks straight to her.

“Dance with me?” he asks, much louder than he needs to. Tim’s hand is cold in hers but it’s there and he follows her into a waltz, the four corners of the invisible handkerchief marking out the box step. “Can you let me lead?” he whines and this is that thing Barbara says about the elephant. When people don’t talk about something they both see. But it doesn’t feel like lies and it doesn’t feel uncomfortable anymore. It feels like that pushing at her chest; the growing pains because she’s still adjusting to loving someone this much.

“Little brother,” she reminds him just in case he wasn’t getting ‘not a chance’ from her face, and Tim grins and squeezes her hand. Cass isn’t sure if the whispering stops or if she just can’t hear them anymore.

[thesassenachswiftie]

A Preview of Reputation (Lover Prequel)

The chaos of progress report grades, the holidays and you know, surviving a global pandemic have been keeping the muses away, so I haven’t been writing much. A few months ago I started writing the prequal to “Lover” where Claire and Jamie first meet. I haven’t been able to start posting it yet because the first couple pre-Jamie chapters involve Claire and Frank being very much in love and it’s not something I’ve been super inspired to write. However, I did write the scene where Claire and Jamie meet, and since it takes place on New Year’s Eve, I figured I post a preview! Without further ado, here’s a rough, unedited preview of Reputation: Chapter 3 “Gorgeous”

Claire was on her second glass of wine when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t ken anyone would be down here, they’re all outta whiskey upstairs and I was told there was more down here.”

Fuck. You’re so gorgeous it actually hurts. Claire couldn’t believe the man she’d been avoiding all night was standing before her, alone in the basement, lit only by the backlight of the bar.  “Help yourself” she answered, gesturing behind the bar with a flourish. “You ken?” she giggled “What is that, Sco’ish?” she mimicked in a poor, slightly tipsy attempt at his accent. 

He slipped behind the bar and pulled the whiskey bottle off the shelf. “Are you making fun of the way I talk, lass?” he chucked with a twinkle in his eye, picking up a glass as well. 

“You should take it as a compliment.” she lilted with a flirtatious smile. “By the way, There’s ice in the fridge if you need it” She didn’t want to flirt with him, but it seemed to come out naturally--and being several drinks in, she didn’t have much restraint.

“Thanks. You don’t exactly sound like yer from around here either, Sassenach” he pondered. Heading towards the ice maker with his glass.

“Sass-a-nack.” she pronounced slowly, savoring each syllable on the tip of her tongue. “What on earth does that mean?”

“It means something akin to ‘outlander’ it’s just that ye don’t really seem like you quite belong here, perhaps that’s why yer hiding in the basement? Where are you from anyway? I can’t quite pin down your accent.”  He was back at the bar now, setting his glass down.

“Allow me” she implored, taking the bottle from him and pouring. “My parents were English, but they raised me in Boston, after they died when I was 14 I traveled the world with my Uncle, I suppose I picked up on a little bit of everything.”  She handed him the glass, “one whiskey on ice, sir.”

“Ah, so you’re a true Sassanach then? From everywhere and nowhere all at once” They were drawing in closer, Jamie drawing closer to where Claire was perched atop the bar. 

“I suppose you’re right, I never thought about it that way...” she trailed off.  God, how did he seem to understand everything about her moments after meeting her? 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend, sometimes I let my mouth run off without thinking” he apologized, touching her hand in the darkened room.  The moment he touched her, it was like electricity surging through her veins.  Her face was flushed, her pulse was quickening.  Those ocean blue eyes were looking straight into hers. I think I might sink and drown and die. She couldn’t say anything to his face, cause look at your face, you’re gorgeous.  Their eyes and hands lingered on each other as they sat there in silence.  After what could have been a moment or an eternity, he lifted his hand from hers.  “Christ Sassanach, say something, if I’ve offended ye badly I’ll leave.”

“What can I say? I’m fine, no harm done, I’m just not used to people really seeing me like that is all.  I promise I’m not upset.”

“Good. I’d hate to hurt ya.” he said, finishing his whiskey and giving her a stunning smile that made her feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach.  It was getting too intimate and she had to change the subject.  

“So what brings a Scotsman to our lovely cul-de-sac?”

“Well, I’m just visiting my sister for the holidays right now, but I’ll be spending my summers here for the foreseeable future as well.  Ya see, my brother-in-law, who also happens to be my childhood best friend was in an accident.” he saw the look of concern on her face “don’t worry, he’s fine, just he injured his leg pretty badly and can’t do the farm work he used to. I came down this summer to help him plant and harvest before I had to go back to my wee tree farm.”

“In Scotland?” questioned Claire. 

“In England actually, not too far outside of London.” corrected Jamie.

“Ah, the motherland, that’s respectable.” she replied “It isn’t too much, managing two places so far from each other?”

“My godfather Murtagh oversees my place back home while I’m gone, the thing about trees is, they pretty much grow themselves.  I really just need to be there for the holiday rush.”  Claire looked at him quizzically “It’s a Christmas tree farm, ya ken?”  Claire could picture it perfectly: rolling snow covered hills,  families dragging small children along on sleds, trees being twined up on top of cars, twinkling lights decorating a barn.

“Sounds lovely” she expressed. She found she was noticing how large his hand was around the whiskey glass, wondering what it would feel like to have it wrapped around around her waist, gently caressing her face, what those fingers would feel like tangled up in her curls, what they would feel like inside her--

“Oh Claire, there you are.” Frank interrupted coming to the bottom of the basement steps, “What are you doing down here?”

“Frank, darling” she beamed, her face flushing. She felt like she’d been caught although she did nothing wrong. “I just needed to take a break from these heels for a few moments.”

“Who’s this?” Frank asked, eyeing the imposing Scotsman who abruptly sprang upright from his position leaning at the bar as soon as he heard that beautiful woman call this man ‘darling’.

“This is Laoghaire’s date, Mr….”

“Fraser. Jamie Fraser. Pleased to meet ye.” he stammered, extending a hand towards Frank. “Frank, was it?” 

“Frank Randall” he replied, accepting the handshake. They were polite to each other, but Claire felt a tension between the two of them, as if they were trying to one up each other, staring each other down.  Claire couldn’t help but picture them snorting and stamping like bulls, which it seemed could happen at any moment. 

“Ah Randall! This wouldn’t happen to be your lovely abode, would it?”

“As a matter of fact, it is, and my lovely fiancee’s, of course.” he professed smugly, sidling over to Claire, who was still seated on the bar and wrapping an arm around her waist, claiming his territory. 

“Aye, it’s a lovely home--you’ve both done a great job, great bar as well.” He said, gesturing to the whiskey bottle and heading towards the stairs, understanding the implicit message Frank was sending.

“Darling, we really should get back to our guests, it’s not appropriate for the hostess to be hiding in the basement.” Frank chided, helping Claire off the bar, and casting a cold glance in Jamie’s direction. 

[re-diesirae]

8. Chris

"What do you mean they are gone?" Chris snapped.

Jill had been trying to put a bandage around his arm as she gave him an update on the situation. Chris had separated from Leon halfway through the chase, and the oldest Redfield had ended up fighting the Ogroman alone until Barry and Jill arrived with reinforcements.

Chris had dealt with the B.O.W. like an expert, but he did not come unscathed from the fight. Multiple slashes and bruises covered his skin, but overall, the injuries were nothing but small scratches. After the battle, Chris got taken to TerraSave HQ to get checked.

When Jill parted ways with Chris and Leon in the basement, she returned to the lab with Barry and the others. She told them the situation, and Wallace, Claire's cybersecurity guard, proceeded to execute one of the security protocols. He explained to Jill that, amid her so-called paranoia, created a series of contention protocols in case of different possible biohazard scenarios.

Jill was not sure how, but as soon as the first B.O.W report happened, Wallace had set several of the protocols into motion. In less than 20 minutes, BSAA biocontrol forces were arriving in the city, and evacuation teams were gathering civilians and taking them to safe houses.

"Chris, can you stand still? I can't bandage you properly if you keep moving," Jill sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I can't," Chris groaned.

"Calm down, Chris."

Jill knew Chris well enough to know how worked up he could get when it came to his sister's safety. Claire was everything for Chris. She was his only family, and naturally, he was very protective of the woman, regardless of her age. In Chris's eyes, Claire would always be his baby sister, and he had to keep her safe.

"How am I supposed to calm down?" Chris screeched, "The fucking bastards have my sister! And hell, I don't fucking know where she is."

"They took Leon, too," Jill tried to soothe him, "I am sure he has a tracking device on him or something. The DSO is probably searching for him now. I am sure he is with Claire."

"Yeah? We don't know that. They could be in separate places for all we know."

Jill bit her lower lip. She knew Claire through Chris, and she considered her a friend, and she had grown fond of the woman after interacting with her few times. She was worried about the woman, too, but for now, they had to trust that Leon would be enough to keep her safe.

"Chris, I understand you are worried, but right now, we need to focus on the attacks in the city," Jill said, "B.O.W.s are crawling all over the place."

"Yeah, it's fucking zombie party," Barry said. "We have to deal with this before we can rescue little Red and superagent."

Chris let out a groan of frustration.

"Damn it. I don't know what the hell is going on here, attacking the city, abducting Claire. What the hell are they planning?"

Jill's guess was as good as his. She had begun conjuring possible theories, but all of them sounded irrelevant. The attack on Hughesville was on a small scale. The viral spread was relatively controlled, and B.O.W.s caused lots of destruction and chaos, but compared to other incidents, it wasn't as bad.

The number of victims was minimal, thanks to Claire's contention plans. Jill was amazed by the woman's work. Jill heard from Claire's colleagues that as soon as she had taken the reins of the NA Branch, she had made several changes in Terra Save's system. To the higher-ups, it all sounded like Claire was acting out of paranoia, but they had accepted her suggestions.

Claire had not only created a direct emergency line with BSAA, but she had also established an evacuation protocol and several "safe rooms" for the people. It was a complex system that Jill wanted to look into later on, and from what she heard, this was only a couple of the changes that Claire had introduced with her promotion.

Jill could see how proud Chris was when she told him, and she had to say it. He had all the right to be proud. It was the first time that they used the protocol, and the results were a success.

"Well, little Red is certainly something else, huh," Barry said, shaking his head. "She outdid herself with this. No wonder she's so busy all the time. If what they say is true, then this isn't the only surprise she left us."

"Well, that's Claire for you. She does a much better job than that Neil asshole," Moira said, crossing her arms. "That bastard was a traitor, and he is the one who left Claire with extra trauma."

"What do you mean, baby?" Barry asked.

"He broke her heart!" Moira groaned indignantly. "Claire was so biased about him, and he had to go and sell us to that Wesker bitch. Now she probably has PTSD with men. That's why she's still single and will remain so for the rest of her life!"

Chris choked.

"He what?" Jill asked, "Fisher and Claire had something?"

"Well, no. I mean," Moira said, "They weren't together or anything, but I think Claire liked him. She was so...sad when we found out he was the one who got us into that stupid island in the first place. Then he turned into that horrible monster and, well, I don't know how Claire managed to stay so calm despite all that crap."

Jill had not heard much about the incident. She knew as much as the reports had revealed, and she remembered that Chris had been a little frantic about it. Most of the details she knew came from Barry and Moira's tales, but Claire had remained quiet about the incident. It was a traumatic event, and they decided not to push it.

"There's nothing wrong about Claire being single. She's perfectly fine on her own," Chris said solemnly.

"Yeah, right. You say that because you're Claire's brother," Moira said, rolling her eyes.

Jill snickered. It was the first time in a long time that she got to see Chris in his Jealous Big Brother mode. It was hard to think that the man standing in front of her was the almighty anti-bioterrorist veteran. Suddenly, Jill's communicator beeped with an incoming call from an unknown number.

The woman looked at the screen with a frown before pressing the button to answer it.

"Valentine," Jill said into the phone.

"Thank goodness," a female voice answered from the other side, " This is Ingrid Hunnigan from the FOS. I am Leon Kennedy's operator."

Jill was surprised. She looked at Chris and Barry, and both men gave her a quizzical look.

"Yes, of course. I believe I have heard of you," Jill answered, "What can I do for you, Ms. Hunnigan? Did you get any news of Leon?"

"Yes, that is why I am contacting you now," Hunnigan answered, "He tried to communicate some minutes ago. His signal was not good, and we couldn't connect, but I think I have pinpointed an approximate location through the satellite."

"That's great news," Jill said, "Where is he?"

"Somewhere in the northern area of Bavaria, Germany."

"Germany?" Jill said, shocked.

"Yes. I can't give the exact position, but it is somewhere in the wilderness."

"I understand," Jill replied, "Please send me the location, and we will deploy a rescue team ASAP."

"Of course," Hunnigan replied, "I have no confirmation that Claire Redfield is with him, however..."

"That's alright. Thank you."

Jill put the phone away and turned to Barry and Chris. Both men stared at her expectantly.

"We can discuss Claire's love life some other time. I just talked to someone from the secret service. Leon's operator," Jill said, " He tried contacting her some time ago, and she has his probable location."

"Told you the guy would pop up," Barry said, "where is he?"

"Bavaria, Germany," Jill answered.

"Germany? What the fuck?" Barry groaned, "how the hell did they get them to another continent so fast?"

"Don't ask me," Jill replied, shaking her head.

"Did she say if Claire was with him?" Chris asked.

Jill looked at him apologetically and shook her head.

"Sorry, she didn't know. The call did not connect, so she didn't speak to Leon."

Chris groaned and punched the chair with frustration.

"I'm sure they're together," Barry said, patting his back.

"Together or not, it is lead," Chris sighed, "alright, team, time to get moving."

NOTE: if you guys want to come and chat about the fic, or just about CLEON in general. Feel free to drop by the discord and say hi! JOIN SERVER

[lochrannn]

Fanfic: Premiere Threads

Read on AO3

Thanks @pepperf for the prompt “You look amazing tonight”!

I also snuck in “Dance with me.” which came in with a choice of prompts from @ohrackham. Thanks as well!

Summary:

The Hargreeves + Lila head to LA for a film premiere.

Low-level hijinks ensue.

Lila gets off her plane at LAX after sitting in the damn metal tube for nearly eight hours. It was only supposed to be a six hour flight but they were delayed on the runway and sat around for nearly an hour with nothing happening. Lila will admit that she's not the most patient of people at the best of times and she had got used to travelling by briefcase, taking her anywhere in an instant. On top of that, she is just absolutely over the vastness of this country. Having to fly six hours to get from one coast to the other is just excessive.

Yeah, she's not in the best of moods when she lifts her heavy bag and then her rolling suitcase off the luggage belt, but does take a little bit of satisfaction from the fact she accidentally (no really, she didn't mean to) hits the guy who roughly pushed past her to get to the belt first in the knee with the corner of her suitcase.

It doesn't take Lila too long to get from baggage collection to the arrival terminal and when she walks out through the sliding doors, she's a little surprised that she can't spot Diego right away waiting for her.

She'd texted him about the delay and he had her flight number, so she wonders why he's not around yet, she doubts he'd be willing to spend any more time than necessary in an airport. In fact, knowing that, she'd told him it wouldn't be necessary for him to pick her up, she could just got a taxi to their hotel, but he had insisted again when she talked to him on the phone yesterday.

He has been in a weird mood these past few days and with the upcoming premiere of the widely anticipated documentary about The Umbrella Academy, she can understand why.

Diego flew out to LA together with Klaus a few days before Lila as she had a job to finish up, but Klaus and Diego wanted some time to spend with Allison and Claire as they've become deeply fond of their little niece.

Luther, Vanya, and Five are scheduled to arrive tomorrow only just making it in time for the premiere. Vanya is tied up with some orchestra thing and both Luther and Five offered to travel with her. Lila was relieved that nobody asked why she wouldn't travel with the others. She loves her new family, she really does, but being trapped on a plain with all of them and having to go through airports and security checks with the three oddballs would have tested her admittedly limited patience a little too much.

As she's annoyingly too short to effectively look over the crowd that's caused a throng just outside the arrivals door, she starts to wander about weaving past hugging families and drivers with signs held up for their clients, and finally spots Diego sitting on a chair at the side of the hall.

She immediately notices three things about him. The first are the large, square, plastic-y orange rimmed sunglasses, which absolutely clash with the grey t-shirt and black jeans he's wearing. The second are the people with him; Klaus on the outside lounging in his chair, also wearing sunglasses, between the two brothers someone who can only be Allison, also in sunglasses, but the actress has apparently wisely decided to make herself as unrecognisable as possible and is wearing a big sweatshirt with a hood up over her head. The third thing Lila notices are the large take-away coffee cups they're all holding and she comes to the conclusion that they must be desperately hung-over.

The three of them spot her before she gets to them and get up, throw away their cups, while Klaus picks up a take-away tray with what must be a fourth coffee they got for Lila, and start making their way over to her. That's when she notices the thing she should have probably spotted right away.

There's an obvious difference to Diego and she feels her jaw drop a little when she notices. He's a little unkempt and his usual designer stubble could do with some tidying up, but all that is inconsequential compared to the glinting flashes that catch her eye on both his earlobes.

He's wearing earrings.

She's about to comment on that, but then she's swallowed up in their madness.

Allison and Klaus are arguing good-naturedly as they come up to her. Allison takes the rolling suitcase from Lila, Diego takes her bag and swings it over his shoulder before heavily putting his free arm around her shoulders and tucking her into his side, while Klaus takes one of her now free hands, kisses it dramatically and then fills it with the remaining cardboard coffee cup.

All the while they do not stop squabbling to properly greet her, instead Diego has now got involved, siding with whoever he seems to think is winning.

“Long night?” she eventually directs at Diego, as the four of them make their way out to the taxi rank.

“Ugh, don't ask!” Diego answers with an exasperated chuckle.

“No, I'm definitely going to!” Lila counters with a pointed look at the side of his head.

“Fair,” Diego says as he lets go of her to put her bag in the taxi they've caught.

Once all her luggage is in the boot, they squeeze into the cab, Diego, Allison and herself on the back bench and Klaus in the front next to the driver.

Allison calls out an address that sounds vaguely familiar to Lila and they drive off.

“Where are we headed?” she asks no one in particular.

“My place,” Allison answers and then Diego adds, “All my stuff is still there.”

Lila nods at that and is about to say something else, when Klaus turns around in his seat and looks at her with a sly smirk, eyes peaking over the rim of his shades, and says teasingly, “So you're not gonna ask about the...?”, he flicks his own earlobe by way of explanation, and then waggles his eyebrows at Diego.

“Why? 's anything different?” Lila deadpans and hears Diego huff next to her, though whether it's in amusement or indignation she's not quite sure.

“Aw, we thought you'd have at least some opinion on the makeover we gave Crocodile Dundee over here. He's been fidgety all morning, wondering what you'll make of it!” Klaus almost whines and earns himself a grumbled “Fuck off, Klaus!” from Diego, “I think he looks dashing. Like a pirate!” Klaus chuckles and earns himself a more emphatic, “Fuck off, Klaus!” and “Leave him alone!” from Allison.

Lila decides that, firstly, there's no point in even attempting to match their energy, so she lets go of the idea and relaxes a little at the thought that she can just let herself be swept along as she's far too tired to come up with a better plan herself, and secondly, she's going to ask the only halfway rational adult in this cab, bar herself and hopefully the driver, to explain the situation. So she turns to Allison and asks, “You gave him the earring?”

Allison takes off her sunglasses, revealing dark shadows under her eyes, and Lila ends up feeling sympathetic even though she knows that tired look is very much self-inflicted.

“I know I shouldn't say this but he was asking for it. Like actually, literally!” Allison begins explaining with an exasperated sigh. “He said he'd always wanted earrings, that the only thing holding him back was his fear of needles, and we were pretty drunk already and you know Diego, he's a lightweight, so when he passed out on the couch, we thought we'd do him a favor...” she trails off a little sheepishly.

“All we needed was alcohol and some ice, which we had plenty of, a needle, and a potato!” Klaus counted off the items on his fingers with a flourish.

“That sounds unsanitary,” was all Lila could think to say.

“You're one to talk,” Diego finally piped up, “you cauterized my stab wound with a soldering iron and then rode me the next day...” but he doesn't get much further as he is interrupted by Lila slapping him in the chest, Allison mumbling “gross” and Klaus cackling delightedly.

“So this is how a bunch of unsupervised thirty-two year olds behave?” Lila asks the occupants of the cab at large, mostly to steer the conversation away from her sex life, to which Allison corrects her “I'm thirty-four.” and Klaus chimes in more or less at the same time, “I'm thirty-six, actually!”

“Great roll models to your little brother, then,” Lila teases with a big grin and pointedly ignores Diego's indignant “Hey!”.

They spend the rest of the taxi ride with much the same amount of back and forth arguing, but somewhere within that is Diego's explanation that really he'd always wanted to get earrings but went for his piercing first as any kind of jewelry outside of a uniform would not have fit police academy regulation and then he had never got up the courage to go anywhere close to a needle again. He hardly wants to admit it, but he is apparently kind of grateful to his siblings for taking matters into their own hands.

Lila takes this information in in her stride. It's his body and the earrings suit him, so she tells him as much and has mixed feelings about the way he visibly relaxes next to her when she says that. It has it's perks that he's so desperate for her approval, but sometimes it makes her a little concerned.

They end up having lunch delivered at Allison's and by late afternoon everybody is exhausted, so Lila and Diego take their luggage and get a taxi to the hotel Diego was meant to check in to three days ago, but he had ended up crashing with his sister instead. Lila hopes they will have a room available.

They do, and the two of them barely manage to drop their bags on the floor before they tumble on to the bed, not even bothering to pull back the sheets, only stripping off the top cover that Lila is always a little suspicious of in hotels, and falling asleep fully dressed.

----

The next day is mostly a whirl and Lila is glad that herself and Diego basically only had a quiet dinner the night before after their nap and then went straight back to bed, as she thinks they would be having a hell of a shitty time if they'd been sleep-deprived.

It's not that the day isn't enjoyable, it's just a lot.

Luther, Vanya, and Five arrive in LA and the siblings all congregate at Allison's.

Lila is fascinated to see the amount of work that goes into just maintaining a brand for something as simple as a documentary premiere, as there are also half a dozen professional make-up artists and stylists on the scene who are wrangling the Hargreeves siblings with impressive authority. Lila is offered a very elaborate evening gown but decides on a colourful mini-dress with high neckline and exposed shoulders, and by the time they head out to the theatre where the premiere and a subsequent Q+A session is going to take place – they've decided that only Allison, Vanya, and Klaus should be involved in that, as Luther would feel to awkward up on stage, Diego had to admit that he was quite certain he wouldn't get a word out anyway, and Five wasn't part of the film as he is still officially missing – they are all dressed to the nines.

At the afterparty there's still press milling around and some photographers get the Hargreeves sans Five lined up to take a bunch of pictures while Lila and Five watch from a bit of a distance.

“You feel left out, little man?” Lila asks Five.

He looks at her pointedly and then back at his siblings being arranged into good poses by Allison and unconvincingly says, “Not really.” Then he turns back to Lila and asks her, “Do you?”

“Nah,” she replies with the same lack of conviction Five had managed. Then she picks up her whiskey soda and switches it with the ginger ale that's in front of Five, as she knows he hasn't been able to get anything more boozy than apple cider – a non-alcoholic drink in this part of the world, Lila has learnt from an irate Five when she didn't quite understand his complaint – and receives a grateful nod from Five for her efforts.

Before he can even take a sip, they are called over by Allison, who explains that she's wrangled one of the photographers who she has a good working relationship with into taking pictures of all of them – not to publish, just for their own use.

Lila squeezes in between Allison and Klaus and doesn't mind that Five subsequently squeezes in between Klaus and herself. They've come a long way from trying to tear each other to shreds in the sixties.

When they finally disperse to go enjoy the party, Lila feels a hand wrap around her arm and Diego whisper in her ear, his breath ghosting over her exposed shoulder, “Dance with me.”

She doesn't answer, instead she takes his hand and pulls him along to the small dance floor near the DJ. She swivels around and lets herself be pulled in close by Diego and they start dancing to the lively music.

When she gets a chance, she leans close to his ear and tries not to shout, but says loud enough to be heard over the music, “You look amazing tonight!”

And he does. He's wearing a terra-cotta coloured suit with a white vest underneath and Lila really likes the changeup from his usual blacks and greys. But her favourite detail is the heavy chain that one of the stylists, in a stroke of genius, got Diego to put around his neck, and the combination of the vest's low neck-line exposing his chest hair and the cold metal is really doing a number on her sanity.

“Yeah?” Diego asks a little breathlessly. She barely hears him, rather guesses what he says from his open and slightly bashful expression.

She nods at him with a smile, then wraps her fingers around the chain and uses it to pull his face down towards hers and kisses him soundly.

When she pulls away there's a hungry look in his eyes and so Lila decides to make things worse by pulling on the chain a little harder now so she can get to Diego's ear without having to get up on tip-toes, and says evenly, “I think I could get quite the good use out of this,” and jerks the chain once more for emphasis.

To her delight her antics get the desired response as Diego growls at her words, bites her lightly on the jaw, which makes Lila yelp, and then surprises her by dipping her deeply, and with his nose touching hers, says in a low rumble that sends a shiver down Lila's spine, “You should know better, babe, than to say shit like that if you're not going to follow through with it!”

To Lila's annoyance he doesn't kiss her but rather pulls her back upright and spins her out, and Lila's reminded that they're technically still dancing. When she comes back close to him she drags a finger down his chest and says into his ear in the most sultry voice she can manage, “Oh, I'll follow through with it, don't you worry!”

They spend the rest of the night dancing and flirting with each other and drinking with the rest of the Hargreeves.

And when they get back to their hotel room, Lila makes good on her promise.

[tired0artist]

sing to me (part two)

paring: female!V x Johnny Silverhand

summary: a street kid V falls in love with SAMURAI music and idolises Johnny Silverhand. years later she finally understands the saying “never meet your idols”

warnings: angst and fluff, Johnny being a dick as always, arguments, Jackie and V are like siblings, Mama Wells is the best, grief, V plays the guitar, more/different warnings in the future parts

note: I’m describing my V, but you can imagine her however you want tho

•SAMURAI fan V (street kid)•

The rain was pouring outside. Stray raindrops hitting the window in her apartment, as she sat on her bed.

Her green eyes trained on her guitar that was hanging above the couch. It was old and worn from all the playing she’ve done ever since she bought it. The only thing new about it were the strings, as they snapped from time to time.

She stared at her prised possession without any emotion. Just emptiness. It’s been almost a week since, Jackie died and V didn’t even dare to touch her guitar. She didn’t hum to herself or sing along to some song on the radio, as she kept it turned off all this time.

Her holo brought her out of her thoughts, it was Mama Wells calling. V already knew why.

“Hello?” she said into the holo, her throat tight as she spoke.

The woman on the other end smiled sadly “Hello, V. Will you be coming? I’m calling because you said that you’ll be sooner than others”

V looked down, guilt eating her up as she said “I’m sorry. I’m on my way, now”

“V... you don’t have to, do it if you’re uncomfortable. I’m sure—“

“It’s fine... he would want me to. I’ll do it for Jackie...”

Mama Wells smiled once again “He always did praise your music... I’m sure he’ll be listening with everyone”

A lone tear made its way down V’s cheek as she nodded saying “I’m leaving now.. I’ll see you there Mama Wells”

With that she ended the holo and got up, taking and packing up her guitar she left her apartment. Her black clothes contrasting with the gloomy weather.

The drive to El Coyote was quick. A bit too quick, for V’s liking. She spent another good ten minutes inside her car just staring at the wheel.

Then she felt a small hint of comfort? Encouragement.

She smiled to herself. It seemed like the bastard had a heart after all.

“Thanks...” she whispered out loud, even through she knew that she didn’t have to.

V left her car, took her guitar and headed inside the bar.

As she walked through the doors Mama Wells walked up to her, hugging her tightly.

“Thank you for coming” she whispered.

V hugged her back, only whispering “I am so sorry”

The older woman pulled back and touched V’s freckled cheeks, looking into her eyes “Do not apologise, hija mia. It’s not your fault”

V nodded, tearing up a bit but blinked away the tears, trying to seem strong and collected.

Soon the ofrenda started and people started talking about Jackie, placing their chosen souvenirs for him.

And now.

It was V’s turn.

Slowly she stood up and walked in front of every one.

“Like many street kids, I never had a family or a home. I was all alone most of my life” she started, her heart hammering in her chest “I took whatever job that I could. And one of them, led me to Jackie. One minute he was ready to shoot me and another he was inviting me to have a dinner with his mama” she laughed a bit and so did a few people.

V looked at Mama Wells smiling “And Mama Wells took me in as her own kid. Even packed me food to eat later. After that Jackie and I started hanging out together, taking jobs or just fooling around. He was always talking about us becoming the best of the best. The Night City Legends. But even with this dream of his, he never forgot about his friends. His family”

“Jackie Wells wasn’t just your typical big guy from Heywood. No. He was much, much more than that. And I wish that other people could see him like I did. Like I still do” V said while taking out a bloodied and torn orange tie, smiling softly at the ugly thing “Jackie wore this tie, the first time I played here. He was joking around about being my bodyguard. But it turned out later that he wasn’t joking at all.

Couple of unfortunate souls dared to insult me rather loudly. I honestly didn’t give a fuck, but Jackie. Jackie got up from his place at the bar and beat the shit out of them. He then walked over to me and handed me his torn tie saying “chica, as long as your bodyguard’s on duty, no fucker will say a word to ya. Now go on and play something nice for your most devoted fan””

V then turned and placed the tie on the table, next to other things that people brought there. She looked up at his photo saying “Hang in there Jackie. My most devoted fan... my brother”

With that she went to sit down next to Vik, who patted her back in compassion.

They all drank for Jackie in a toast and not long after that, Mama Wells got V on the small stage where she was always playing.

At first V just sat there, her faithful guitar in her hands. When she remembered Jackie, his smile whenever she played for him. Him and Misty slow dancing in her shop as V played for them or just tested out a new song. His laugh whenever she was just fooling around and singing nonsense.

It all felt as if someone brought up all these memories up for her. Dug them out to remind her of happier times.

V smiled and started playing, her fingers skilfully yet gently strummed. The music was calm and smoothing, the memories kept coming and soon V’s cheeks were wet with tears but she started humming out loud. Both the guitar and her humming creating a beautiful melody, that had many stop talking and just listen.

Then she started singing along.

“It's been a long day without you, my friend.

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

We've come a long way from where we began.

Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

When I see you again”

She took a deep breath, her heart feeling lighter. V continued on singing. The lyrics coming to her out of nowhere, with each word, each chord her heart was becoming lighter.

“When I see you again.

When I see you again...”

She ended, softly.

Mama Wells started clapping and soon the whole bar joined. Many people were teared up, but Vik, Mama Wells, Misty and Pepe were fully sobbing.

V sent them all a shaky smile and got down, heading to the bar.

It was middle of the night as V said her goodbyes and left the bar. A bottle of whiskey from Pepe in her hand. Instead of taking her car, V walked home.

Her hair sticking to her forehead, her black clothes sticking to her body after her walk in the rain.

As she entered her apartment, the first thing she did was to put away her guitar. Then she got undressed and went to take a hot shower.

After that she put on her pyjamas and went to sit down on the floor next to her bed. Bottle of whiskey in her hand as she was holding a small device that she grabbed from her desk.

Taking a sip of the alcohol she activated the device. A hologram appeared in front of her, with a video playing.

“Come on, Jackie! Don’t record me!” V yelled as she was grinning in happiness “It brings bad luck!”

“Bullshit! I’ve never heard that, chica. And one day I’ll get a shit ton of money for recording the very first performance of the big music star Vivienne!” Jackie said coming into the view of the small drone that was recording them, wrapping his arm around V.

She pushed him with a snort, saying “If I’ll ever be a star, I’ll go by V. As always”

“Come on, chica! You’ll need a better stage name! Something rich, like that guy from that old band you like”

“Kerry Eurodyne?”

“Yeah, yeah! Something like that”

V laughed saying “I think that it’s his actual name, Jackie. And V is a good name, lay off of me”

“Sure” Jackie said before grinning “Vivienne”

“Okay that’s it!” she said and jumped on her best friend’s back, pretending to choke him “You’re going down!”

“Never! It would be embarrassing to be defeated by a sweet little girl named Vivienne” Jackie joked, pretending to throw her off of him but really he was supporting her so that she wouldn’t fall.

“Fuck off!” she said with a laugh.

Suddenly Mama Wells came into the frame, hands on her hips “Ninõs, stop playing around. V’s coming up in a minute!”

Jackie laughed and helped V get down as both of them said.

“Sorry”

Mama Wells smiled at them and shook her head, then pointed at the drone “Shut it off, Jackie. It’ll distract her”

Jackie pouted but nodded, his eyes glowed blue and the video ended.

V was sobbing by the time it ended. She could still remember that day, his laugh and the way he hugged her after her first performance at the El Coyote.

She smiled a bit remembering that Jackie still took a video of her, thanks to Pepe. He was bragging about how he would sell it, once she’s famous.

V calmed down a bit after finishing the whole bottle of whiskey and slowly climbed on her bed. She snuggled into the blankets on the bed and laid there for a few minutes.

The sound of rain hitting her window, triggered her as her mind went back to that Delamain. And Jackie’s lifeless body.

She broke down again and sobbed like a child, loudly and painfully.

“Jackie—“ she whimpered, bitting her lip.

I’m sorry, she finished inside her head, unable to speak at the moment.

Not long after that, the exhaustion and alcohol hit her, causing her to she fall asleep. Completely unaware of a body materialising at the end of the bed. Or the metal hand rubbing her arm that was covered by the blanket.

“You poor, emotional gonk...”

The next morning was tough for V. She laid in her bed, head hurting from the relic, hangover and crying. She was holding on to the photo of her and Jackie, that Claire took of them on their first visit at Afterlife.

V smiled at the memory, more tears gathering in her eyes. She hasn’t moved for hours, as she continued to stare at Jackie’s face.

“Kid, you gotta move” said Johnny as he materialised near the bed, his arms crossed.

She ignored him and closed her eyes, hoping that the rockerboy would go away.

“I won’t go away. I literally, can’t” he said, staring at the woman. Her hair was a mess, so was her face as all her mascara was now painting her cheeks and her nose was wet from crying.

“Fuck off” she said and turned so that her back was facing him, the picture still in her arms.

Johnny wanted to pull his hair out in frustration with the girl. He didn’t have time for her angsty teen act. He needed her to get to work.

He walked over and grabbed her arm, shaking her while hissing “Listen here you whiny cunt. Your choom died. Poor you. But guess what. People. Fucking. Die. So get your ass up and get to work or you’ll be joining hi—“

Slap.

Johnny was cut off as his face was forced to the side by V’s hand. The woman moved so fast that he didn’t even see the hit coming. He let go of her and took a step back, watching as tears were running down V’s cheeks. And yet. She was glaring at him, her whole body vibrating with rage.

“Fuck you” she choked out and got up, going to the bathroom.

As the doors shut, V fell on the ground. Sobbing like a little kid.

She doesn’t know how much time passed by, but finally she got up and made her way to the shower.

After showering and taking care of her other needs, she left the bathroom. To her surprise, Johnny was sitting on her bed staring at his hands.

V stared at him for a while, before going to lay down on her couch. She turned on the radio, leaving it at a low volume as rock station was playing.

She stared at her hanging guitar, fingers tapping in the rhythm of the songs playing on the radio.

“I’m sorry”

V looked up in shock to see Johnny standing near the couch.

He let out a sigh and sat down on the coffee table in front of her “Listen kid. It’s okay to grieve. But gotta be honest. It won’t bring him back, it’ll only affect your health. Which is going to get shittier with each day”

The woman looked down at her hands, whispering softly “But it hurts...”

Johnny sighed and reluctantly put his organic hand on her knee “And it’s going to hurt like a bitch for a long time. Probably will never stop. You’ll just get better at handling it”

“So what do I do?” she asked, feeling weak and vulnerable.

“You get your ass up and find how to get the chip out. You gotta live kid. From what I’ve seen, that choom of yours would give you an earful if he saw you slacking”

V smiled a bit “Yeah... he would, yell at me for wasting time”

Johnny smiled a bit too, as he felt a bit of the weight on V’s heart lifting. Then he looked out the window, to see the sun setting. He bit inside of his cheek, already cursing himself as he said.

“But we’ll take care of that tomorrow. Tonight you’ll rest up and eat something, kid. I can feel how hungry you are. Also get some painkillers, your head still hurts. Which is fucking annoying”

V nodded and went to get up, but not before awkwardly patting Johnny’s shoulder.

“Thank you...”

He nodded at her and stayed with her, that evening. They didn’t really talk much but he knew that, she felt a bit better with visible company.

That night, V fell asleep rather quickly without the help of alcohol or pills.

•english isn’t my first language so sorry for any errors.

•you wanna be tagged in the next parts? leave a comment!

•thanks for reading! hope you like it. I will be going through some parts of the main story and beyond. I’m planning it to be a bit longer so if you want something longer than 5/6 parts, this is for you

•tag list: @signwriting @missweatherwax

[impala1967dwinchester]

Baby Fever IV

*Not my gif*

Word Count: 1k

Mention of All befriended people of the Winchester boys 

Masterlist

Christmas had gone wonderful the tree sitting bright everyday. Hunts were tolerable nothing too dramatic or bizarre. The new year was stupendous the boys hadn’t made any foolish choices just yet. Sam and Dean had ended up treasuring their gifts. Dean had gotten a few things for his brother and a few things for me.

Recap:

“I’m so sorry Y/n. I didn’t mean to take advantage of you.” Sam said going to sit down at the now-empty table. “Sam, it’s fine. I kinda liked it.” I said the blush rising in my face.

I went over to Sam kissing his forehead, and said “good night Sam,”

I went into my room putting together the boy’s baskets, full of things that I assumed that the boys would like.

Some things were crazy, some were more sentimental. Sam on the other hand had thought about his gifts, clothes for Dean since he had a problem with washing his clothes after a rather gruesome hunt. Sam had also gotten Dean a few magazines, along with a new pair of boots. He also gave Dean a card inside of which held a gift card for the new year of pies. Something that Dean stood and hugged his brother for.

For me, Sam had gotten a few of the same things, new boots, new clothing. The different things were such as a heart necklace, the stone was blue with diamonds that crested the outline of the heart. And a new pair of jammies.

His brother went to tease him. “Oh look at you giving special gifts to Y/n” “Dean shut up, Or I’ll take your gift-card back,” Sam said with raised eyebrows. Dean pouted and then apologized.

“Do you like it?” Sam asked me. I giggled, looking up at him. “Can you help me put it on?” I asked. I heard a snort come from Dean as he looked up from his phone. “Of course Y/n” I pulled my hair to the side letting Sam drape the necklace over my chest. “All done.” I heard Sam say I let my hair go and turning.

He looking tracing the silver chain down to the crevice of my chest. “It looks good.” He smiled and winked at me. The new year was amazing the boys had gathered a few friends, a small party. Sam had decorated the map room and library. A mistletoe sitting above the entire way of the library. Something that I assume Dean or Sam forgot to take down. Food and drinks lining the table. A few poppers and glow sticks alongside the drinks.

Dean had invited Charlie, Jody, Donna, Rowena, Kevin, Garth, his wife, and his kids, Castiel, and of course Claire with her girlfriend Kaia. Like I had said before it was a rather small party. Dean had dragged his TV out of his room placing it at the end of the table in the library and looked for a news channel.

“So what’s up with the mistletoe?” Jody asked. Dean turned around “Shit, I forgot that. Whatever.” Jody chuckled

Finally, after drinking and dancing, it was closer to the end of the year. We immediately started to pair up with people sitting together and just being happy. I hadn’t been paying attention when I felt a large hand grab my hand. When I looked up it was Sam I sighed in contentment.

At that moment I think he had kind of made a whole life with me in his head. His bright smile only becomes brighter whenever he talked to me. His broad chest and ridged shoulders dropping when I grabbed his wrapped my arms around his neck.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see, Rowena smiling and watching the television. She winked at me. She had become a motherly figure to Sam and was always there on her own to protect him. That wink and smile had given me a sort of approval. For what I didn’t know yet.

“Yo, Lovebirds The count down is about to start,” Dean said. I rolled my eyes. “Dean If there weren’t so many people here right now, I come over there and punch you.” I slapped Sams chest “Stop and just enjoy the new year.” I said with a small chuckle.

In unison, we counted for the new year.

“10″

“9″

“8″

“7″

“6″

“5″

“4″

“3″

“2″

“1″

“Happy new year,” We all said, and Sam kissed me. I kissed him back. The kiss was deep, meaningful. Like Sam had waited his entire life to do kiss me. He left my lips, and instead of going to cup my cheeks.

Everything after that seemed like a dream. Sam was touchy. Which didn’t bother me at all. Not wanting to let me go for too long. He’d kiss my forehead and cheek. After a while of more drinking and dancing, the Winchesters friends started leaving. Leaving just Dean, Cass, Sam, and I.  

Having someone that is touchy with me is new. Before coming to the bunker, and being around the boys, I hadn’t been around the best of men. My father was abusive to my mother, which caused any other relationship that I was in to be abusive. It was like I attracted crazy, I attracted the abusive.

It started when I was in high school every boyfriend was horrible. I was either psychical beat or mentally abused. Nothing was off the table for the men that I attracted.

My first boyfriend Clyde was great at the beginning of our relationship everything was sparkles and rainbows. But after awhile Clyde started to mentally fuck with me. he’d accuse me of cheating when in reality I was only with my sisters. He’d come up to me in school and grab me harshly. Pushing and pulling me into a closet or teacher's bathroom.

For day afterward I’d have marks around my neck, and wrists. He left marks on me, and he hated when I would cover them. My scarfs and bracelets would be ripped from my person.

That was only my freshman year. In my sophomore year of high school, I was dating a much worse. I was thinking of sitting down in the library. “Y/n are you okay?” Sam asked me. I thought for a minute. He had kissed me twice under his own wanting. He wasn’t abusive to me. He was the kindest, emotional, caring person I had ever met. Maybe I should tell him about my past, just so he knows, maybe it will be okay.

“No Sam. I’m not okay.” I said playing with the hem of my jacket. He turned his head. “Is it something that I did?... I knew I should have asked if you wanted to kiss me!” He said. He sat down next to me. “Sam, would you stop overthinking everything,” I said.

He shook his head and wrapped his hand around mine. “I was thinking about my past relationships. You kissed me and I can’t stop thinking that I might fuck this up by bringing my past into everything.” I said “ I tried dating all of my high school years, all of which ended in me broken-hearted and more broken than I was before.

“Some people only come into your life to show you what love is not,” Sam said. Wow, I don’t think I had ever thought of it that way. “Sam? Can I just tell you about my past relationships so you understand where I’m coming from?” I asked.

He smiled squeezing my hand. “Of course, Y/n”. “My first boyfriend was harsh and emotionally abusive to me. Clyde was my freshman crush and my boyfriend for a short while. I spend the rest of my freshman year thinking that love was meant to be abusive and hurt each other.”

He hummed letting me know that he was still listening to me.

“My second boyfriend Otis was my sophomore crush. He was again nice at the start, but it turned quickly into me being a “bitch” and a “whore” who was only after his friends. He was so mentally abusing that I actually ended up breaking up with him.”

“I’m glad that you were able to get out of it. Be the strong you.” Sam said.

“My third boyfriend had actually been so nice, ya see Sebastian was so cute he’d bring me flowers, and get me coffee in the morning. My junior year was set seeing as my third boyfriend was not just thinking about himself. It ended when he just cut me off. The niceness stopped and instead of telling me why he just left me on the end of a hook.”

“Seems like a dick,” Sam said I giggled and rolled my eyes.

“You see my fourth boyfriend was that guy that ended up dying from the Djinn. Tobias was a wishy-washy guy. One day he’d hit me and the next he’d bring flowers home, praising me until I saw it was okay. Just when I thought he was a good guy he’d go and fuck it up. He’d never actually go to the bar and drink. he’d go to the bar and go find another girl to fuck.”

“Y/n? Why didn’t you say the truth when we asked you?” Sam asked. I think Sam thought I wasn’t going to tell him seeing as I was quiet. “I mean you don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry if I overstepped a boundary.” Sam said a small expression of sadness falling over his face.

“You know, you’re too nice to be with me. Where’d you get it from?” I asked a chuckle coming from within me. “Y/n it didn’t get anywhere. I’m just a nice guy with a heart. I promise that I won’t treat you like that ever.”

“You promise?” I asked my voice definitely starting to crack. I hadn’t talked to anyone about the boys I had dated, nobody knew about the shit they had done to me.

“Y/n. I promise that I’ll be better than they were. I can’t say that I don’t have my issues and things I need to work on, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want this to not work. We both have to put in the effort for this to work.” Sam said.

“I  know that this is early and that you’re still hurting, but I want to be with you. I want this to work for you. We can go slow, we can go fast. Anything you are comfortable with. I just want to be in your corner Y/n.” Sam said.

Completed 01/17/2021 

[fearfulkittenwrites]

Gala and “I’m allergic to bullshit.”

Word count: 2244

Link for it on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26180371

Notes: Hey! This was beta'd by @3ambird​ , who is an amazing sweetheart and improves evertything they touch. Thank you for the help!

Galas were never fun. Bruce had hated them as a kid, and hated them as teen, and he hates them as an adult. Still, he has to maintain appearances, so he always attends. And as his family grew, his kids were forced to attend as well.

Dick Grayson was particularly good at socializing. After he moved past his teenage rage, of course. He used to get in passive aggressive arguments with the rich CEOs and company owners all the time. He still does, but at least now he was good at it to the point where it almost couldn’t be recognized as an argument, instead of jumping on the necks of greedy millionaires that bought land out of poor people.

That was an interesting headline.

Jason sucked at galas. Soon enough, he figured out that if he started enough awkward conversations, people wouldn’t want to talk to him anymore. Especially the creepy single older women, pinching his cheeks and squeezing his biceps.

“Say, Claire, what’s your opinion on the alarming rate at which the bees are disappearing? They say that’s because of all the chemicals we put in our food.” He’d smile, carefully holding his glass. Bruce would struggle to hide his gasp, because Jason, that’s the owner of the highest earning pesticides company in the country.

“Well, Roger, I’m certain that the legalization of abortions would be a great thing, considering that now your mistresses won’t have to be sent overseas to terminate the unwanted preganancies you give them, right?” He’d say, and Bruce would nearly have a heart attack, because Jason, that’s the president of Gotham’s conservative party.

“Oh, you see, Sandra, I think that gay marriage should not only be legalized, but encouraged. If straight couples were to cease existing, then no more children would be born, and honestly, no one needs any more of those snotty gremlins running around, ruining perfectly good tapestry.” And Bruce would faint, because Jason, for God’s sake, that is the leader of the Gotham’s Motherhood Association.

Tim wasn’t all that bad. He could be social with a little effort, and he was far more used to galas than any of the other family members, having grown up attending them. Of course, all of that was only valid when he wasn’t sleep deprived, which, considering all he had on his plate, was roughly 32% of the time. When he was running on three hours of sleep and seven cups of caffeine a day, trying to finish a project, run his share of the Wayne Enterprises, and manage school work, he became a bit more irritable and impatient. And extremely impulsive. Which is mainly why Bruce asked Dick to stand by his brother through most of the night.

“We both know you’re his impulse control, Dick.” He said, adjusting his oldest son’s tie “Remember what happened the last time he was left unattended for fifteen minutes?”

“He got into an argument with a young Creationist and dunked his own head in an ice bowl after screaming ‘Fuck God! I can hear colors and dinosaurs rule!’” Dick sighed, “Yeah, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Cass despised them, but Bruce insisted she should attend anyway. More often than not, she’d just stay at the table, tasting as many appetizers as the waiters would bring her, and shooting murderous looks at anyone who sneered at her. Bruce was relieved that at least she wasn’t cracking any bones.

Damian was... Better than Jason and worse than Dick. He had an unamused expression through most of the event, and would unceremoniously swat away any hands that tried to pinch his cheeks. Other than that, he wasn’t much trouble. The real trouble were galas all Wayne kids attended. The five of them could cause enough trouble when they were apart, together they were the embodiment of chaos.

And this was supposed to be a calm, slightly boring family evening. It really was.

But Bruce just had to bring all five of them.

Everything had to go just right. As they walked in through the red carpet, the media was eating up the image of the six Waynes dressed formally; Each of them had a tie color matching their hero uniform (a cheeky thing they enjoyed doing to play with the theorists minds), Dick had a dark blue one, Tim and Jason slightly varying tones of red, Damian had a green one and Bruce had a black one. Cass wore a long black dress that sparkled when it was hit by the light in just the right way.

The first sign was the reporter, who, while aggressively pointing a microphone in their faces, asked pushy questions about relationships and the like, nothing out of the ordinary, until he shoved it in Cass’ face and asked her if she could even speak. Jason almost broke the man’s nose. Bruce silently thanked God for Dick, who stepped in front of the man before that happened.

“Try some shit like that again pal, you’ll hear from our lawyers.” He led his sister inside, a protective hand on her back.

They calmed down. And Bruce still had hopes that this would be a quiet evening.

Looking back at it, he doesn’t know why.

Because as Dick and Cass were at the bar, ordering drinks, a woman stood next to them, trying to make small talk. Neither of them seemed too interested in her; she is a hassle at every gala, making weird advances on all of the boys. Today, however, she was a little more tipsy, and Bruce couldn’t quite make out what exactly the conversation was about, but Dick was clearly uncomfortable and Cass was fuming. The woman kept grabbing at him, sliding her hands over his tie, squeezing his arms. And then she squeezed his ass, and it took Cass less than a second to break her nose.

If they were any other family, Cass would have been thrown out of the party, but they were the Waynes, and you do not throw a Wayne out of a party. If she punched a middle-aged woman, then she punched a middle-aged woman. Bring her a glass of water and some ice for her injured hand.

Of course, it didn’t end there.

Bruce was still surprised he didn’t have gray hairs yet.

Because Damian had discovered and made friends with a stray cat in the garden, and Jason had a laser pointer, because of course Jason had a laser pointer, and the cat ended up knocking down not one, not two, but three expensive pieces of pottery, shattering them on the gravel floor. And when the house owner saw the damage, he turned pale and had to hold back his tears. Jason laughed.

“-tt-.” Damian stated, adjusting his suit “You owe that cat a favour,those vases ruined the garden’s aesthetic. Regardless, I’m sure father will be more than happy to compensate you for the damages.”

He walked back to the party slowly, passing by the man who would need some time to make it back.

Once Jason broke him the news, Bruce thought (and hoped) that that would be it.

But no, the night was young, and there was so much time left and the batsibilings for sure wouldn’t waste it.

The previous statement about sleep deprived Tim?

Well.

Tonight, he had to pick a fight with an essential-oil-loving, antivax mother. Simply because he liked to torture himself. And because nobody realised he was alone until Bruce spotted him in the crowd, eye twitching as a woman rambled about all the heavy metals and chemicals that vaccines had in them. He thought about getting to him, but he knew it was too late. There was no going back now.

“Well, you see Karen,” He started.

“Uuum, my name’s Patricia.” She interrupted.

“I’m a billionaire’s heir, I don’t give a shit.” He said “Anyways. As I was saying, the thing is, I’d rather take the chance of being injecting myself with mercury than, oh, I don’t know, get meningitis and fucking die?”

The circle went quiet. Another woman, wanting to dissipate the tension, tried to restart the conversation.

“I-I mean, I don’t understand why can’t they make something safer, right? Like, when we used to throw those smallpox parties, why won’t they make something that works like that? So that we can build a natural immunity instead of all of those chemicals.” She laughed awkwardly.

Tim slapped his own face so hard that it attracted a lot of eyes.

“How. Do. You. Think. Vaccines. Work. Susan?”

“M-my name is Mary.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” He answered. And just in time, Dick swooped in.

“Hey, Timmy!” He greeted “Can I borrow this guy for a second?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he guided Tim out to the garden.

“Fucking idiots.” He muttered “I don’t know how they have so much money. They’re all fucking idiots, Dick. I’m surrounded by dumbasses.”

“There, there.” He said “Okay, we’re far enough.” He looked around “Go ahead.”

And Tim let out the most horrendous, rage filled scream any of those guests had ever heard. Because of course they heard it. Bruce sighed and shrunk on his chair.

“Better?” Dick asked as he finished, patting his back.

“So much.” Tim answered.

“You should’ve slept a little before this.”

“No way. I’m totally fine.” He answered “I had three cans of monster before we left, so I feel great.” Dick raised an eyebrow, worried.

“Whatever you say, buddy.” He led him back inside, tidying up his brother’s hair “Just... No more picking fights with moms tonight, okay?”

And Bruce thought that was enough. Bruce was certain that this would be the last incident.

But his kids just loved proving him wrong.

He thought that the best strategy would be to ask them to stick together, so that Dick’s responsibility and social skills would keep his feral siblings under control. He should’ve known it would backfire.

The last he checked, they were making small talk with some CEOs on the edge of the room, away from the dance floor. Jason, Cass and Damian seemed completely bored, Tim was clenching his jaw for some reason, and Dick tried his best to look polished and polite.

“So, I heard that Wayne Enterprises have a new project?” One of them asked, chest so projected forwards it looked like it was about to explode.

“Yes. Yes we do.” Dick said, smiling politely “We’re opening up a refugee housing program.”

“Oh, so that’s what those buildings are for?”

“Yes, exactly!” He exclaimed, opening his arms in a seemingly natural manner “We are building apartments to shelter them. It’s nothing fancy, but we can charge a cheaper rent than most, and not charge at all for the first six months, giving them a chance to properly establish themselves here.”

“Well, I must say,” Puffed up chest guy stated, “I can’t see why not to give them to good old Americans instead. There’s a lot of homeless people nowadays, you see.” He leaned forward as he talked.

Damian perked his head up, but didn’t say anything. Cass and Jason seemed to be listening. Tim’s left eye twitched.

“Actually,” Tim started “The company has very stable, successful projects to help the homeless.”

“I’m familiar with those, yes.” He arrogantly dismissed the teen “But, you see, I just can’t understand why not open the housing to tax paying Americans instead of some...”

“Potential terrorists?” Damian suggested, arms crossed, scowl on his face.

“...Foreigners.” He completed.

“Well, since you ask, we are currently planning on the possibility of eventually opening vague apartments to Americans too.” Dick answered, swirling the liquid in his glass around “But the priority now really are the refugees.”

“I don’t see why can’t we prioritize our own people.” He insisted “I’m simply concerned for the well being of our poorest patriots.”

Dick blinked.

And here’s why Bruce should have known it would backfire.

Because, yes, Dick was able to cool them down...

But they were able to fire him up.

And so, like the charismatic man he was, he covered his nose a little, rubbing at the end, and faked a loud sneeze.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” He started “You see, I have this strange condition.” Dick stared at the man in the eye, the guy who had bought an old building people were squatting at, just to demolish it and doom them to the streets with no care or compensation, and, knowing this and so much more, said “I’m allergic to bullshit.”

And his siblings went feral again.

Tim and Jason screamed an ‘Oooooooooh!’, Damian pointed at the man and laughed loudly, and Cass snorted, covering her mouth in surprise.

Dick didn’t break eye contact as he drank the last of his champagne.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” He said “I have to go look for better company.” Dick left the empty glass at the nearest table and adjusted his suit, smiling “Have a nice evening.”

As he walked away, the gang followed close behind, all of them very excited about how Dick, the composed, calm, cool, polite and polished Dick Grayson-Wayne, had just burned a millionaire in front of his economic allies. As the party reached Bruce, the man once again seemed to sink into his chair. Dick sat next to him, radiating confidence and charm.

“Do I wanna know?” The man asked.

“No,” Dick answered, grinning but not looking at the man “No you don’t.”

[cassfcky]

So, I'll finally open up about the finale, it took me a while to understand what I felt. I loved it and hated, I think it's beautiful and a hate crime, but I'll explain it as I try to cope with this feeling.

Things that I loved about it:

Dean(in the beginning) being able to move on with all the lost and sorrow he had just experienced, to see him going on was nice, I mean we know he was sad, but he wasn't giving up on it, he was living for those wo died for him and I don't mean just Cass, a lot of others have died in the past for the brothers and to see Dean living for them was good, he finally made peace with himself and I loved it.

Sam(also in the beginning) also living his life, hunting, but we can tell(maybe I'm just hallucinating) they weren't so deep on the hunt thing and for me this was good, cuz Sam was also going to get what he wants a normal life with his brother you know?

Kripke and Singer being their agents aliases

Heaven rebuild in a fantastic way and I did liked to see Bobby at the roadhouse, this makes me wonder and dream about Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Pam and Ash altogether in it, joking around and having fun.

Cass being alive.

The case

The fact that they were helping brothers, that reminded us of them.

The parallels with season 1 such as

"I can't do this without you"

Dean's death being almost like Sam's first death (both "stabbed/impaled in the back and dying in his brother's arms.

Things I hated:

Dean's death: There's no reason for it, I know the show is about Sam's journey and his life, but Dean being alive it's not exactly a set back in his development. So you can say they have a strong co-dependency, but isn't clear that their story was written by Chuck? Their choices? So now without the a**hole they not necessarily need to go on with it, they can be loving brothers with their separated lives, they can hunt together without dragging the other down, they can live a "happy" life without the other dead, they can be free without the death of the other. The show has always showed us how they're "happy" living their lives when the other is dead, like Dean with Lisa while Sam was in hell, Sam and Amelia when Dean is in purgatory. But it also shows how they let go of all of that when they comeback and this is Chuck's co-dependency writing. But now that they ARE free, they don't need to do it anymore, they can live, they can grow even more, they can get to know themselves again as individuals and not as puppets fighting apocalypse after apocalypse.

They ruined their own ideal. The show is now, not only about the brothers, but how you can make family out of friendship(personal note: this is my fav thing about the show, cuz I don't have a good blood family and I made my own with my friends, so this one hits hard on me). The whole "family don't end in blood" situation was totally forgotten when Sam, alone with a dog, made Dean's funeral. And do I need to remind you all that Dean wanted it big?? With music, lot of people? No?? Ok. But let's say make it half big, where's Jody? Donna? Claire? Alex? Where's all of them?? I mean just the close one's you know? The one's who was there for them when they needed the most?

Where the fuck was Eileen? They killed her and got her back, they created a lovely arc for her and Sam, a healthy relationship, something good for Sam. And when Jack uses the gauntlet to bring everyone back she's not back? Like where is she? Still in the gem?? And okay, that blurred woman could have been her, but they didn't even mentioned her name once? Wedding picture?? What is that?? They could've done it, I know, it's a fucking 15 year old running show, one wedding picture so we could dream would be enough(I guess)

Castiel being mentioned twice vaguely. So, your best friend confess to you that he made a deal that in the moment he experienced TRUE HAPPINESS he would be DRAGGED to NOTHING and then turns out HIS happiness consist in him telling(not even having it back, just telling) you that he loves you and that he is changed because of you and uses this to SAVE YOU and you don't tell you brother(his best friend too) what happend? When you get to Heaven and you hear the news that his actually alive and helping you don't get to want to see him??? Like not even asks or say anything?? Or like when Jack became God why didn't he asked for Cass back? He asked Chuck for it, Chuck, but didn't asked Jack?? Like wtf?? Kid would've snapped his finger so quickly that Cas would show up in Dean's lap like wtf?? That doesn't make any sense.

The 15 years of character growth thrown away.

Other topics related to this event.

Dean's deaths that were more painful, sad looking and more meaningful than 15x20

Metatron killing him (9x23)

His deal (3x16)

Dean's death reminds me of pointless deaths and how they were unnecessary in the show.

Charlie: she wasn't that stupid to leave with a book that can be traced by a deadly family just because Rowena was annoying, that still makes no fucking sense to me. I cry every time I watch it cuz she deserved better, way better.

Crowley: like they literally killed him for nothing, he sacrificed himself for nothing, there was no reason other than hold back a little bit Lucifer and he could've done it without killing himself.

Cas's death remind me of how only the brothers matter and in the end only Sam was important, don't get me wrong I love Sam, but the show praised hope, faith in one another and in the end it was just one of them going, not truly happy as he could be and to me that's too sad, cuz not only Dean didn't got to live what he deserved, but Sam also had a half empty life, the person who raised him, that was with him through all the bad moments, wasn't there for the good one. The idea of Sam having survivor guilt because Dean lived to take care of him and as soon as he could finally live for himself he dies will forever hunt me, it's just too much, he did not deserved it.

I guess that what the show did with the end was destroy all of my hope, they destroyed everything they created, the love, the foundation of a family and having faith and hope. This show literally gave me all of this, the idea of "it's bad now, but if I don't give up, it will get better", but they took it all. No friends at your funeral, no brother on your side at your wedding day, no hope. Like Dean only had peace when he died, do you know how serious this is? How depressing is this? Sam lived in grief(and yeah grief doesn't stop you from feeling happiness, but what was the reason for him to live with grief?)

I mean why did they make us dream and believe in life if they were just going to say "well you can live hell on earth and get your win, but you're not gonna live enough to fully enjoy it."

The resume is that this ending was cruel, not good or bad just cruel. Cuz they won, but they didn't get to experience it. You know what would be heartbreaking, but good and coherent with their story?? If they had died defeating Chuck, their ultimate fight, they get to save everyone, but unfortunately not themselves. It would be great, sad, it would make sense. This one gave Dean the taste of a good life, a normal life, the glimpse of it and took it away from him, killing him in a barn, scared. But hey, at least he got to tell his brother that he loved him right?? That's a win!!