#i wanted to post this before i went to sleep so i low-key hurried

[kazthisnuts]

the shanks + luffy sketches i made got me thinking about my sea glass lu au and how the gomu gomu fruit would actually affect him

small 3-page comic for y'all

[ref] [masterpost]

i was inclined in making luffy an exception to the sea water rule but i eventually went with canon.

he just doesn't drown, since the sea is still his mother (however, he won't be able to stay afloat just like he used to do. sea water does not heal him anymore.......... sweet water does tho!)

yes, shanks does feel guilty

not used to actual comics so this, along with the two i made before, is a first 🙏🙏

[abominationvault]

Session 10: Sat 9 Sep 2023

Some of us have levelled up! Some of us are doing our homework on the bus again… It’s getting dark. We are told the haunt will reset every night. We don’t want to rest here overnight. We could stay with Tangletop? Joto doesn’t want to, because he looks like a pervert. And Mick Hucknall. But he is closer, so… We crash at his place. And wake up with (level x CON mod) more hit points! Hartvig does a Heal before we sleep as well.

Rested and with spell slots back, and one less level of drained, it is late afternoon so we decide to head back into town. We set off, in no particular hurry, but it is starting to get dark as we approach the town. Out of the corner of our eyes, we notice a horrible, sickly pale light suddenly blazing out of the tower. It shines on the graveyard next to the town rather than the town itself… It looks like we haven’t stopped the haunting altogether.

Joto: “Are we the Ghostbusters now?”

We decide to go and see Wrin to see what we should do, and turn in our quest. We did our bit, after all. Whatever this is won't be our problem, surely. As we pass the stone circle outside of town, we see that everyone has come out of their houses and are staring in horror at the graveyard. There are guards standing outside it looking panicky. It looks like it might be our problem after all. We head in that direction.

Hartvig asks one of the guards what is happening. They don’t know, but they’ve sealed off the graveyard. Skabb wants to scale the wall and have a peek. Joto boosts her up to the top.

The soil is churning with corpses rising from their graves. They all rush to the south, and down a cliff? To a library I think?

What’s special about the library, Joto wants to know. Well, we went there for healing, it’s also a temple. (Oh, that library.) Not all of them have jumped, Skabb sees. The ones that have jumped are dashed to bits.

Joto: “Ah, problem over.”

He wants to know how big the undead are likely to get, but the guard he is questioning is distracted. Joto shakes him for an Intimidation check with help from Nadia’s new feat, Intimidating Glare. The guard shakes himself. Just regular size corpses!

Skabb wants to do a Disrupt Undead. What’s the range on that? 30 feet; there are no undead within range.

Are there points where we (our long range fighters) could stand on the wall, Nadia wants to know? Only on the gate posts, we gather.

Joto wants to sneak in and have a look through the gate first. He’ll have to get a key from the guard. He shakes him a bit more. “Dammit man, give me the key!” The man buckles under the pressure and unlocks the gate. Joto meows at it pathetically until someone actually opens it.

He sees a building but not much else; it’s dark. Hartvig joins him, as he has Darkvision and is okay at sneaking. He sees a skeleton walking around. “That ought to be lying down.”

The DM reconsiders the light situation; there is a ghastly beam shining right into the graveyard, so we should be able to see a bit better. He adjusts the light level accordingly.

There are regular skeletons, and some zombies… Hartvig sees 6 skeletons and 3 zombies.

Joto: “Sounds like a party.” He sees some coffins as well.

How many can fit on the gate posts? Luna quite likes the idea of being out of the range of attacks.

Skabb wants to sit on Nadia’s shoulders atop the gate post, and Luna shimmies up to the other one. The DM rolls secret stealth checks for us all, and Skabb is distracted by a daddy longlegs who has invited itself into hers and Joto’s house. Joto catches it, and removes it. We continue…

The guards say they will lock the doors behind us; Nadia and Luna want to know if they, you know, want to do their fucking jobs and help us maybe? Luna makes a Society check, but it’s too low; zombies are above his pay grade. Luna curtsies and scuttles away.

We do a surprise round, with Joto going first. Joto sneaks up and tumbles behind one, hoping to make it flat footed. He trips it, and stabs it. How de do dis! He does a Mortal Kombat sweep, draws his sword, and cuts it in half. He then makes a reflex save - huh? an 8. The skeleton explodes in his face. All the bones shatter, flying in all directions, and Joto takes 1d6 slashing damage. 1! Phew.

Skabb recalls information to see if she knows if it’s the light that’s making them explode; she doesn’t know. Sprocket does, though! At four days old, he’s MADE of knowledge. He tells us that some skellybums explode after we kill them, some collapse and reform, the bloody ones can heal themselves, and some can remove their skulls and fling them at us. Woof. He shrugs, unsure where this information has come from.

Skabb: “He’s like an olde worlde Alexa.”

Nadia screws on a silencer, and we roll initiative…

Can Joto tell by looking which ones explode, and which ones fling heads?

DM: “Nope!”

… Okay. He tumbles at another one, and does some stabbies. He misses, goes again, misses again.

Skabb blasts an Icy Ray against the flat footed one. She hits it squarely - but it reduces her 8 damage to 3. She whips a sling bullet at it - it goes through the head, but doesn’t explode. It does die though!

Luna is too far to shoot anything with her bow, so she is unsure what to do. She can sneak and move at half speed, if she wants to climb down from the gate post. She does so, but misses. She rerolls and kills it! How de do dis! It does explode but there is no-one in range. She uses her next action to shoot at another one, but ties herself into her bow with a natural one.

Nadia is over encumbered, so she drops her artisan’s tools on the other side of the wall, hops down from the gate with Skabb on her shoulders and moves closer, next to the mausoleum behind which Luna and Hartvig are sheltering. They crouch down.

Sprocket does some measuring, and he and Augustus move forward. He casts Shield on himself. Oooo!

Hartvig Produces a Flame, with appropriate sound effects. 12 misses. “Ohhhh.” That was all his actions.

Joto spots some more wet undead in the distance. It’s their turn… One shambles at Joto; he admires how juicy it is. It punches him. “Ow!” 7 bludgeoning damage. “… That was a good punch.”

The zombies and skeletons all shuffle closer, but still a little way away yet. Joto starts his turn within the zombie’s Rotting Aura; his open wound starts to fester.

He begins his turn… Scimitar strike - 21 hits. It takes 2 of the 7 damage he deals.

The DM: “… Well that doesn’t trigger that, so that’s good.”

Joto: “Oh, good.”

(There is something about pustules; I missed it and I’m not sad about it.)

Is it two actions to take out a torch and light it? It’s one, as he’s wearing it. He uses his last action to try to set fire to the zombie in front of him. 6 misses. Wait - scimitar does slashing damage, yes? The zombie doesn’t reduce the damage from Joto’s first attack, as it turns out. In fact, it takes ten! Joto is allowed to retcon his last two actions in light of this new information.

“Slashies, slashies!” 12 hits. “Slashies!” 3 damage, and it takes all 8. It is not dead, though. 14 to hit. “How about now?” How de do dis! “Legs, then, arms, then head.”

Skabb, is up. She can add 2 to her AC as well as she’s pressed against the wall with Nadia. She whips her slingshot around her head again. Is she going for wet or dry undead? She wants to do wet, because hopefully it’s still far enough away that it might not disease anyone if it dies. She does dry instead, as Hartvig has softened that one up. How de do dis!

She takes aim at the wet one as well, but misses. She can attack again or move - she scuttles up onto the crypt and sits on the roof, swinging her feet over the edge.

Luna shoots at a wet undead but misses. She moseys up next to Augustus, and performs her new trick - Electric Arc!

Her target crit-fails, yeah! It takes all 8 of her 4 damage, and she earns herself a Hero Point. In fact, her target is close enough to another one that the spell arcs - that one takes half damage as well.

Nadia jumps out from behind her wall and shoots a wet undead, bursting some of its pustules. She is sick in her mouth a bit and retreats back behind her wall.

Sprocket directs Augustus to pull out another new trick - he manga-style electric arcs another wet one. It fails, taking 5 damage, and Augustus can choose which target the spell arcs to - wet or dry? The wet one is closer. It fails as well and takes another 5. Electricity crackles off Augustus’ nail hands, and Sprocket gives him a thumbs up. He toddles away a bit for some cover.

Hartvig has two targets to choose from, and shoots the further one with fire. 13 hits! It takes all 3 fire, but no more. He moves back a bit so the nearer one can’t reach him on its turn.

Zombies are slow, on account of being zombies. One scoots up to Nadia, but it’s run out of actions by the time it gets there. Another shambles up to Sprocket and has a go at him. 13 hits, as it bites him. Some of its teeth and gums fall out. A third shuffles over to Augustus and does this to Sprocket:

22 hits.

“It… woah… okay.” It has attempted to demoralise both Sprocket and Luna, who have to make Will saves. Sprocket is four days old, so when he aces his save it’s because he has no idea how unforgivably rude it is to take your head off and fling it at people. Luna also makes her save, but I imagine it’s more disdain than ignorance of etiquette in her case.

Joto moves up to Sprocket and does a tumble where Luna can see him so she knows he’s the fancy one, and proceeds to roll a ten Acrobatics. He doesn’t fumble it entirely, but no-one’s impressed. He vaults over a zombie and lands behind it. Fancy cat gets a 22 for this one! He does a scimitar attack and gets the how de do dis, cutting it in half. “I’m the cool one!”

Skabb shoots another Electric arc - it makes the save and only takes half damage. The spell arcs to a skeleton which also makes its save - but curiously, takes no damage. She uses her sling again, at the skeleton, and hits for 1 damage. She feels proud.

Luna stabs the skeleton in front of her with her rapier and hits for 7 damage. It only takes two, however. She punches it in the ribs. No wait, the head! It’s flanked, so 14 hits - how de do dis! She knocks its block off. She can heroically run away for her third action - she does that.

Nadia has a new friend but she doesn’t like the look, so she runs away and shoots a different wet one instead. She crits for 12 damage and gets the how de do dis! She also gets a hero point for, by complete chance, killing the last rotting aura zombie, which might have killed her friends if it had been allowed another turn! The pustules explode going quite a distance, landing at Joto’s feet.

Sprocket will keep the head that was flung at him, and will visit an “aggressive bideting” on its previous owner. How de do dis! The water sprays out from between its bones. Augustus does a two handed bop on another one.

DM: “Rude. How de do dis?”

Augustus tears it in half, and it explodes. They get a hero point as both of them got a kill on the same turn.

Hartvig shoots more fire at the last (?) remaining skeleton but misses. “I am bad at fire.”

Joto closes in on it and swings his scimitar, but misses. “I am angered by this.” He busts out the claws, and gets the how de do dis, punching its head off. Luckily, it doesn’t explode.

Skabb has a zombie right next to her, though she is a little bit above it. It isn’t appearing on her map...? It turns out she couldn’t see it because she was above it - “I was doing pirouettes on its noggin!”

She jumps on its head with her sickle in hand - 18 hits and she rolls 1 slashing damage. She does a Disrupt Undead and it fails its save. She rolls 5 damage and it takes 14 - it explodes, showering her grinning face in goo. She gets a hero point because that was badass. Also, if she’d used piercing damage, it would have exploded its pustules on her, potentially diseasing her. Phew!

We won! Joto wants to loot the corpses. Not the graves. The light is still shining from the lighthouse. Skabb wants to send Grabby Cat over the edge to have a look at the library at the bottom of the cliff. She sees splattered zombies, and a bunch of clerics of Sarenrae including our friend Vandy Banderdash. They are cleaning up the mess. The villagers look absolutely horrified at what’s happened to the remains of their loved ones.

What do we want to do next? Luna wants to look at the gravestones to see if the risen undead have anything in common; she can’t see any patterns. Joto wants to gather the jewellery from the undead and return it to their families.

Hartvig, ever practical, wants us to heal ourselves before we do anything else, and earns himself a Hero Point for his pragmatism. He does a Mass Heal, if we will all gather around.

The light from the lighthouse gives us goosebumps as it hits our skin; we think something might be about to happen. (We also think that the dead might keep on rising until we find a way to turn that light off for good...)

Is there about to be a second wave? The gooseflesh on our arms intensifies, and the beam shrinks down to a single spot among all of us - and this appears:

We hate it as a free action.

[mosshead-lover]

Warm me up, Bakugou

Bakugou Katsuki x reader

fluff, envy ,make up...

A/n-1: How are y’all doing? I am so excited for you all to read this piece. I wanted to post it sooner but I had a butt load of stuff going on. Phew. I'm finally in my happy place (yayy). Hope you enjoy reading it - ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

Summary: When on a mission during a snowy storm, you end up soaking wet and cold. Your friend/classmate, Shoto ends up saving you from the misery while there wasn't much your boyfriend Bakugou could do.

The Hero University holidays were not meant as leisure at all. You managed to intern at a top-notch hero agency, as did your boyfriend and your two other classmates. You, Katsuki, Shoto, and Momo were tracking down a juvenile gang of villains, who were based on the hilltop. Despite the harsh winter and the storm, you decided to locate their base and put an end to it. Everything went according to the plan with one set back being, the guy you took on manipulated water, and your win came with a soaking wet body. The cold got the better of you. You began developing frostbites as your shivering got worse. Bakugou was paranoid and tried to keep you warm by lending his coat. It was of no use.

"Bakugou,"

Shoto called him out in an undistinguished tone. Bakugou knew he had to step away and let Shoto handle the rest. He did so, Reluctantly.

Shoto wrapped his arms around you and used his quirk to warm you up till the rescue arrived.

--

You were fine, thanks to Shoto, and were able to attend the little celebration party that the agency had organized, appreciating their interns' good work. Bakugou left the party early saying, he needed to rest. On the way back, you drop by his place to pick some of your stuff and check on him.

'He must be fast asleep’

you thought.

You didn't want to disturb him so, you opened the door cautiously to make no noise and let yourself in.

(You had a key, obviously!).

Bakugou was on his bed, undoing the tie when you quietly entered his room.

"Oh!"

You exclaimed on seeing him awake.

"What?"

He questioned, confused by your reaction.

You sat down next to him.

"It's just that... You left saying you needed to rest. I thought you would be asleep."

He looks away.

"Are you okay?"

You were a little worried.

"Yes,"

He answered, still looking way.

You knew he tends to be all moody when he doesn't get enough sleep. And, the past few days had been hard for him. He would stay awake late studying the reports on the culprits or strategizing long after you and the rest called it a day.

You held his face in your hands and turned it towards you.

"Just go to sleep, baby. You will feel better tomorrow."

You kiss him gently and get up to leave.

"I don't need to sleep. I need you."

He replies like a stubborn kid.

You turn back and find him on his feet too.

"We don't have to...You know you need to sleep."

You comfort him.

Although you wanted to stay, make love to him. Over and over for it had been so long. You turn to leave before he tried to convince you again.

Bakugou throws his undone tie around your neck and gently pulls you closer to him. He pulls it down a little more to make you lift your head and rest the back of your head on his shoulder.

"I said, we are not done yet!"

He whispers in a devilish tone.

Bakugou walked his other arm around your waist and held you closer to him. You let out an involuntary sigh. He started kissing your face at places he could reach and then moved to your neck and ears. His lips felt magical against your skin and never ceased to, not in a hundred more years. Not after doing it a zillion times. Never. It was always as magical as it had been the first time. He lets go of the tie. You turn to face him, your arms around his neck. You step on his feet, raise your heels to reach his face, and steal a kiss. Bakugou rests his forehead against yours. You could feel his lips curling up, satisfied with how you were giving in to his stubbornness.

"I Love you, [First/name] Goddamn [Last/name]."

He says in a low yet stern voice and continues.

"You are mine. Only mine!"

Bakugou Katsuki states like a military officer before going all the way out.

--

Next morning...

You were woken up by feeble crackling sounds. You could hardly open your eyes with the sun rays hitting your face, but you managed to see Bakugou's hand that was up in the air. He was trying to activate his quirk as little as possible. Just when you began to wonder what he was up to, He brought his hand closer to your face.

"Do you feel warm?"

He questions, his eyes reflecting remorse and concern. He had been thinking about that day all the while. You felt a little bad for not figuring it out sooner. You kiss his hand, wrap it around you, and move closer to rest your head on his chest. He adjusts his position so you can comfortably lay in his arms.

"You warm me up with your presence already."

You innocently reply despite knowing that Bakugou didn't like cheesy comments. Or pretended not to, in your case.

He sprung out of bed in response. You almost had a heart attack.

"What was that?!"

You ask, still trying to calm your heart down. You were certain you didn't say anything that shocking to deserve this response.

"Go freshen up, Dummy"

He avoids your question, pulls you up, and directs you towards the bathroom.

"Wait! Let me at least wear something,"

You grab the nearest garment you could find, which was his shirt from the last night, and put it on. He walks to the kitchen in a hurry while you yawn and take lazy steps towards the bathroom.

You were making the bed when you heard Bakugou stepping out of the kitchen. You turn to see him in his boxers and apron tied around his naked body. He was holding a ceramic cup that he hands over to you.

"Here. I know nothing warms you up like [your morning beverage]"

"Did you seriously put on Apron just to prepare [your morning bevrage]?"

Not that you were complaining. In fact, this boxers-apron-wearing-Bakugou would go down as the sexiest Bakugou in your relationship history.

"Shut up, it's kitchen etiquette."

He pouts and looks away. You set the cup down on the coffee table. You almost jump from the bed and hug him tight in excitement. You had to. He was being so adorable after all. You wrap your legs around his waist and let him carry you. You weren't letting your precious boy go any time soon.

"The [your morning bevrage] is getting cold."

"Shhhhhh,"

was your reply. You squeeze as if your grip around him wasn't tight enough.

"It is supposed to warm you up, dummy"

He mutters.

"As I said, Nothing and Nobody warms me up like you do, Bakugou Katsuki."

----

A/n-2: I just can’t transition from Fluff to Smut (Please forgive me for being so incompetent 😭)Also, I was worried that it would get too long.

So,let me know if you want to read a smut detailing *The Night*.

Will make a separate post.

[bowlegsandbiceps]

Suptober Day 5: Nostalgia

General | De-Aged Sam Winchester & Big Brother Dean, Implied Destiel and Rowena/Sam | 2,005 Words

Read on AO3

Suptober Masterlist (A03)

“Cas.”

“Dee!” The small child in front of Dean raised its arms and made gimme hands.

“CAS!”

Dean took a step back from the small boy sitting where his brother used to be, his arms curling in as if cringing away. It looked like Sam at eighteen months, just the slightest swirl of brown hair near his forehead, the rest of him bald as a cue ball. The child blinked up at him, arms still outstretched but his smile wavered and his hands gestured more insistently.

“Castiel get your feathery ass over here!”

The sound of hurried footsteps loomed behind him and he felt the weight of Castiel’s hand on his shoulder as the other man came to stand beside him.

“What is it?”

Dean nodded down at the baby. Castiel looked at it and blinked.

“Who is that?”

Dean knew who it was. “I dunno.”

“Where’s Sam?” Castiel looked around and Dean felt the lump grow in his throat.

The child had clamored onto his knees and was crawling across the cement towards them. Dean recoiled and Castiel stepped in front of him on instinct. The child merely went around him and grabbed onto Dean’s pant leg, grunting as he pulled himself up to his feet.

“Dee!” He said again, chubby face gazing up into Dean’s. “Up!”

“Dean?” Castiel’s voice was cautious as Dean leaned down to pick the child up, settling him on his hip and the boy immediately rested his head against DEan’s chest, one thumb going into his mouth. “I… I think that’s Sam.”

Dean gulped, looking down into intelligent hazel eyes. “I think you’re right.”

#

Dean and Castiel sat at one of the large library tables each just staring at the baby they’d placed in the middle. Neither men had spoken the entire drive back to the bunker, Dean driving with Sam in his lap while the kid made vroom noises and held onto the wheel. The chair creaked as Castiel shifted in his seat. Sam blew a spit bubble then giggled when it popped. Dean put his head in his hands.

“What do we do?”

“I could try and heal him,” Castiel suggested and Dean looked up at him.

“You can heal this?” 

Castiel shrugged with guileless eyes.

Dean dropped his head. “I can’t raise this kid again, Cas.” Dean pressed his hands together, his mouth puckering against the knuckles of his thumbs as he looked at Sam with terrified eyes. “I did it once. I can’t do it again. I’m too fucking old.”

Castiel laid a hand on Dean’s shoulder. “We’ll fix him. We’ll call Rowena.” Dean snorted. “What? She has a vested interest in getting Sam back into his adult form.”

Dean closed his eyes, holding up and hand and gagging for good measure. “Don’t remind me.”

#

Rowena was in New York and wouldn’t arrive until morning. Dean bit the bullet and went out for supplies - bottles, diapers, wipes, baby food, and a pack of onesies he just guessed on the size. When he got back to the bunker he could hear Sam wailing from the other side of the heavy iron door and he nearly broke his neck in his effort to descend the stairs all at once.

Sam was sitting in the middle of the table in the exact same spot he’d been when Dean had left. Castiel was now standing, staring down at the hiccoughing child with his head canted to the side. Dean dropped all his bags on the floor and hurried over, bundling Sam up in the flannel Sam had been wearing before he de-aged and cradled him to his chest. Sam immediately stopped crying and rested his head on Dean’s shoulder.

“What the fuck, Cas?”

“I tried everything, Dean.” Castiel held up his hands in a helpless gesture. “He didn’t want to play with my keys. He didn’t want any mashed potatoes. He threw the cup of water I tried to give him. He didn’t urinate or defecate on himself-“

“He wanted to be held!” Dean stared at Castiel as if he were some kind of monster and Castiel leveled him with a glare.

“I tried that first. He didn’t want to be held.”

“Well looks like he does now,” Dean snarked, shrugging his shoulders up and Castiel rolled his eyes.

“He wanted to be held by you, Dean.”

Dean looked down, trying to see Sam’s face but the child turned further into his neck and sighed. Dean pursed his lips. “What’s your problem short stack?”

“Dee,” Sam started and began to babble, lifting his head about halfway through his diatribe. He looked to Cas who was staring at him critically as if trying to decipher every word and Sam immediately looked away.

“Do you think he’s all there? Like adult Sam but just…a baby?” Dean looked into his eyes and Sam huffed, grabbing onto Dean’s face with his hands. Dean didn’t bother to pull back, knowing from experience the kid didn’t let up with this kind of thing. He stuck his fingers in Dean’s mouth and Dean dutifully let him poke at his teeth.

“I don’t think so,” Castiel reached forward, pulling Sam’s hands out of Dean’s mouth and Sam slapped at him, reaching again for Dean’s lips.

“Are you-“ Dean cut off nearly biting the kid’s finger off. “Are you hungry or something?”

“Dee!” Sam exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air and then he patted his tummy which made Dean laugh. 

“Yeah, the bear in there is growling huh?” Sam nodded emphatically and Dean bobbed his head with him. “Alright alright. Bottle it is.”

Castiel helped Dean carry the supplies into the kitchen and stood by as Dean went about making the bottle, formula mixed with a little cereal, with Sam perched on his hip. He huffed when he finally got the cap on and handed it to Sam who finally let go of his neck and grabbed the bottle, immediately shoving the nipple in his mouth. Dean looked up at Castiel.

“Like riding a bike,” Dean quipped looking down at Sam as his brother gazed up at him over the side of his bottle. “Right Sammy?”

Sam merely hummed. 

#

“You know, this isn’t so bad,” Dean mused gazing down at Sam who was now dressed in a diaper and onesie, sucking away at a pacifier. 

They were posted up on the couch in the Dean Cave, the TV playing Dora The Explorer in the background. Castiel’s gaze was fixed on the television and he was having trouble pulling his eyes away.

“He is much more enjoyable when he’s quiet,” Castiel admitted and Dean snorted a laugh, one finger trailing over the soft skin of Sam’s cheek. The baby shook his head.

“You know bedtime routine was always my favorite.” Dean smoothed the silky strip of hair near his forehead and Sam’s eyelids fluttered. “The winding down period at the end of the day. We’d be in some crap motel and Dad would have us all on one bed, Sammy between us while he talked us to sleep.”

“Talked you to sleep?”

A small smile pulled at Dean’s lips as one of Sam’s fat fists clutched at his finger. “Yeah, John Winchester did not sing. Or tell bedtime stories. He bored us to sleep with car maintenance tips and tricks.” Dean let out a spastic chuckle, marveling at the length of Sam’s lashes, the rosiness of his cheeks. “God, I’d forgotten all about that.”

Dean resettled, arms tightening around his brother and Sam’s eyelids fluttered, his head nuzzling into Dean’s armpit. Dean let his fingertips whisper across Sam’s forehead, a sense of longing settling in his bones. He glanced over at Castiel who was bent in half, intent on the TV.

“You know it wasn’t all bad. How we were raised.” Castiel glanced at him and then his gaze held. “I never thought I’d miss it but,” Dean let out a small chuckle, “This right here’s got me waxing nostalgic.” Dean chuckled again, gave a shake of his head. “It wasn’t all bad. Some of it was actually kind of great. You ever think about having kids, Cas?”

“It’s forbidden,” Castiel said, eyes back on the TV. “Angels can’t mate with humans.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Yeah well, I ain’t got a uterus so we wouldn’t get one the old-fashioned way anyway. Seriously, man. You’ve never thought about it?”

Castiel looked back at Dean. “No. Have you?”

Dean shrugged. “Not really. Never figured I’d live long enough to raise one, plus I thought I’d had my fill with Sammy here.” Dean dipped his head, pressing a kiss to the child’s hairline.

“And now you want children?” Castiel’s voice was low and slow, clearly trying to discern if Dean was teasing him or not. Dean’s ears turned red.

“I dunno. No. Maybe.” Dean looked down at Sam and then looked back up at Castiel, his gaze helpless. Castiel merely smiled, reaching a hand out to rest on Dean’s shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.

“I would be honored to raise a child with you, Dean.”

Dean looked back, a little grin pulling at his lips. “Yeah?” Castiel nodded seriously and Dean looked down at Sam. “What do you think, Sammy? You want a niece or nephew?”

Sam slept on.

#

“I take it back,” Dean insisted, gagging and covering his mouth as he lifted Sam up by the ankles, the dirty diaper sticking to his butt. “I never wanna do this again.” Dean looked over his shoulder at Castiel. “Hey, Mr. Angel of the Lord, you wanna give me a hand here, maybe toss this dirty diaper and hand me some wipes.”

“The smell is most unpleasant.”

Dean rolled his eyes, snatching the wipes Castiel offered. “No shit Sherlock. Get rid of that thing will you?” Dean gagged again.

#

“How on earth did you manage to turn your brother into a baby?” Rowena exclaimed by way of greeting.

“Dean, Rowena is here.”

Dean having startled awake cringed as Sam started to wail. “Yeah, Cas, I got that, thanks.”

“Was it a curse?” Rowena was kneeling down, trying to look into Sam’s face but he clutched at Dean’s flannel like a lifeline, hiding against his chest. “A spell?”

“A spell we think,” Castiel said over Sam’s sniffling sobs. Dean had hoisted him up over his shoulder and was rubbing his back rhythmically. Rowena frowned. “Sam was the first to enter the room-“

“Ah, I know exactly what this is.” Rowena smiled, triumphant. “You leave it to me, boys. Samuel will be grown again in no time.”

# 

“Rowena!” Dean yelled over the siren-like wail of the now giant baby sitting in the center of the library. 

“Don’t panic!” Rowena insisted, flipping through an old book while rummaging around in her bag.

“Panic?” Dean questioned. “There’s a ten-foot baby-“ His voice cut off as a hand clamped around his bicep and he was jerked off his feet to face plant into Sam’s clammy chest. The kid started to squeeze the life out of him and Castiel moved forward, trying to pry his arms off. “Rowena!”

#

“I can’t believe she turned me into a ten-foot baby,” Sam snorted from where he sat at the kitchen table, once again fully clothed and his normal age and size.

“You were quite agreeable up until then,” Castiel mused.

“Oh yeah, you get to practice your babysitting skills?” Sam asked and Castiel gave him a tart smile.

“No, you wouldn’t let anyone else touch you but Dean.”

Sam’s eyebrows rose, his gaze moving to his brother who stood at the stove, working on a grilled cheese. “Yeah, I’d forgotten what a clingy little shit you were back then.”

Sam scoffed. “Well, I still haven’t forgotten what an overbearing mother hen you were.” Sam crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m never having kids. Dealing with my own childhood was enough.”

Dean glanced at Castiel who gazed back, and a small smile tugged at his lips. “It wasn’t so bad. Except for the diapers.”

[padfootagain]

Grumpy

Hi everyone! I'm back with a very cute little drabble for Christmas! We're one week away from Christmas, and I'll try to post a few of those little drabbles before the 25th!

This is a very cute, grumpy Ben with a cold! I hope you like this!

A little comment is greatly appreciated, if you have a second to spare!

Pairing: Ben Barnes x Reader

Word Count : 1672

Ben was grumpy.

It wasn't in his nature, and it wasn't in his character at all. He was a rather shy, goofy and quite adorable man with a mischievous sense of humour most of the time. There were only a few instances that brought him to a more bitter state of mind: the remnants of a hangover in the early morning, being stuck in traffic for a long time, and being sick.

And now, Ben was sick.

Nothing dramatic, but a seasonal cold that would have disappeared in a few days. But for the moment, Ben was in the dark phase of the disease.

A runny nose, a sore throat that was sometimes scratched with a rough cough, fever and a migraine that made him feel like someone was piercing his skull with needles. He had no energy for anything and was stuck in his bed, under a pile of blankets and pillows you had brought for him.

And it would have been bearable, had you been there with him to distract him from his miserable state, give him cuddles and bring him regular doses of his favourite tea. But you were at work, and he had to survive four more hours without you. And the more time he spent on his own, the grumpier he became.

It was snowing outside upon London, large snowflakes brightening the days of children and turning the old city into something a little enchanted, a little magical. Low clouds almost as white as the snowflakes they released hovered lazily above the tall buildings and worn-out stones, businessmen hurrying under the cold weather while the more innocent kinds carved faces for snowmen and threw snowballs at their friends. Cars of those reckless enough to try to drive through the city under this weather honked loudly, punctuating the rhythm of the city that never slowed down, especially at the approach of the holidays. And Ben would have loved the spectacle it offered, had he moved to his window to glimpse at the outside world. He would have dragged a chair by the window, and enjoyed a warm cup of coffee while watching peacefully as the snowflakes fell in his garden. Or perhaps, had you been there, he would have enjoyed looking at strangers running down the slippery street, imagining with you crazy lives for these people he didn't know. You would have found an astronaut in their midst for sure, you always did, for some reason. Ben's theory was that it was because of how much you loved the stars.

But again, you were not there, he was alone in your shared home with a buzzing brain that was slowly turning into jelly, and sore limbs, and a nose that wouldn't allow him to breathe. And now, the snow annoyed him, the cold weather the cause of his pain, after all.

He checked the time again, and heaved a desperate sigh as he counted – with much difficulty – how many more hours he had to survive through without you. He had never cursed your job more than now, as he grumpily mumbled a string of curses under his breath, wrapping himself even more in his blankets until the only part of him still visible was his forehead and messy dark hair.

He counted the minutes till you'd be back to fall back to sleep, and he spent most of his afternoon tossing around, somewhere between sleep and reality, in a daze that wasn't peaceful and didn't bring to his tired frame any rest. He reached for a book after a couple of hours, but the words written on the page required from him way too much concentration and his migraine got worse after only a couple of pages, so he discarded the item once again. He checked the time one more time.

He had two hours left.

He made an almost-unbearable effort to extract himself from the covers and finally head for the shower, figuring that some warm water would help.

And it did. The shower gave him enough energy to carry his set of pillows and blankets to the sofa instead, moving his mess to the living-room so he could watch some stupid things on the TV.

He spent most of the rest of his time alone watching some old episodes of Columbo, keeping an eye on the time while he waited for you, hoping you wouldn't be delayed by the snow on your way home, his mood darkening some more at the mere thought.

And when you finally walked in your shared home, Ben couldn't refrain a relieved sigh.

He waited for the sound of your keys to drop on the little bowl by the door, for the sound of the shuffling of fabric as you took off your scarf, beanie, gloves and coat, and finally the thud sound of your shoes being kicked off. Finally, the muffled thumping of your footsteps on the wooden floor echoed through the hall, and you appeared by his side, your hair a little wet because of the snow, but you still seemed warm and cosy in your warm jumper.

"How are you feeling, baby?" you asked in a soft voice, tilting your head in wonder, and Ben swore that he had never seen anything cuter in his life.

He let out a groan, pouting dramatically.

"I feel awful," he mumbled, letting out a grumpy growl and holding his cover closer to him.

You sat down by his side on the sofa, and rested the back of your hand against his forehead.

"You still have fever, babe," you told him in the softest voice you could muster, your fingers sliding from his forehead to his hair, soothingly travelling through the dark strands. "Have you taken a shower?"

He nodded, before sneezing very loudly, the noise echoing throughout the room, and letting out a frustrated groan.

"I hate being like this," he pouted.

"I know, love. But you need to rest to get better, that's all we can do. I'm gonna make you some tea with honey, it'll help, okay?"

You were about to get up when he quickly grabbed your wrist, pulling you back to your seat gently. The quick gesture seemed to exhaust him even more, but he didn't mind, for once.

"No, stay. You'll do that later."

"It would be good for you…"

"No, please. Please stay with me. I've waited for you all day. Just… stay."

His eyes were watery because of his cold, and his nose all red, and his cheeks flushed with fever, and he was poutier than ever, buried under three blankets. There was simply no way for you to say no to him.

And it was unsaid, right now, but it wasn't hard to read in his eyes that he meant to add I love you to his plea.

So, you settled properly in the sofa, opening your arms for him to snuggle into your side.

He heaved a sigh, finally relaxing, as he tucked his head in the crook of your neck.

"I hope you don't get sick holding me like that," Ben mumbled into your skin, his voice muffled and barely audible, but you were so used to his voice by now that it wasn't hard for you to decipher what he was whispering.

You smiled a tender smile, that he couldn't see and that you barely noticed yourself as it formed across your lips, but it didn't matter. It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular anyway. It was just how he made you feel all the time.

"Well, if I do catch your cold, you'll have to nurse me back to health too, then," you replied, making him chuckle, his first laughter of the day.

"That's a deal. Besides, I'm gonna be a little selfish here, but I need you too much now to really care if you get sick or not."

It was your time to laugh, and your heart was filled with love as you did so, the bright sound illuminating the whole room.

"Well, you're feeling very bad, so, I won't hold that selfish act against you," you reassured him, and Ben closed his eyes as you started running your fingers in his dishevelled hair again.

"Thanks. Because I really do feel awful."

You hummed, focusing on the TV before you, but only for a moment, as Ben spoke again. He had missed your voice too much during the day, after all. And if having you in his arms was already working wonders on his mood, still, he wanted you all to himself, and you seemed to give way too much interest to the crime show on TV.

"How was your day, baby?" he asked in a hoarse voice, before he would be shaken by a cough.

"It was okay, a bit long," you admitted as Ben settled back into your arms.

"Tell me everything that happened, please?" he asked, looking up at you with puppy eyes, and you could only let out a fond chuckle as you kissed his forehead and proceeded to tell him everything about your day at work.

"Well, Marjorie broke the coffee machine this morning, which was undoubtedly a good odd for the rest of the day!"

You went on for a long time, sometimes slowing down to a stop when Ben's eyes remained closed for a while, and you thought he had fallen asleep, but he kept on asking you to continue then, his eyes still closed, so you did. He did fall asleep though, once you had finished your story and settled back in a comfortable silence with him nestled in your arms. You didn't mind, despite your position growing a little uncomfortable after a while. You watched TV while Ben caught up on some most needed sleep, a soft snore coming out of him once in a while making you smile fondly at him.

Yes, Ben was grumpy when he was sick. But then again, sometimes, he wasn't that grumpy, even if sick, for as long as he had you.

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

Taglist :  @ponycake27 @horsesreign @xinyourdreamsx @jbluevelvet@notkeppeki @daynigt-dreamer-stuff @fudgeflyss @stuckupstucky@snek-shit @suchatinyinfinity@i-padfootblack-things  @buckybsarmy @heyohheyitsgabi​@jigsawlover10 @emyyjemyy @addictedtofictionalcharacters @staringmoony​@geeksareunique​ @giggleberts​ @sad-orange-thoughts​ @aylinnmaslow @benbarnes-world @ladyblablabla​ @madamrogers​ @drinix​ @joelynnp @mxrihollxnd @rockintensse​ @newtstarmander​ @iammadeofstarsandlazyness @shinebrightlikeafanbase​ @wangmangagavroche​@presstocontinue @ilmiopiccolounivers0​

[antiherocorner]

Niki Lauda - The White Wolf

A Werewolf! Niki Lauda x Reader fic (18+)

Headcanons: 

So... This is my first AU ever... And also this is my first smut... Kind of... Thing... Ever... Sex scene, let's go with that... I was debating to post it in smaller parts, or a bigger one. I decided the second one might be better.

This is a mess, and a random idea... This could be a psychedelic trip, while you're watching fucking Twilight... Yes, I am familiar with the Twilight Saga... No, I wasn't Team Jacob... No, I didn't intend to base this on that... But it might has some similar stuff (no vampires)... Small stuff... All of them were unintentional, really.... Well... 1 or 2 things weren't, but most of them.

English is still not my native language, apologies for the grammatical mistakes, I tried.

Taglist: @rumblelibrary (you are my first tag in a fic written by me aaaaaaa🥺❤️🔥)

Summary: Your car broke down while you're on a road trip, on your own. You need someone to fix it. There's a small town. What could possibly happen?...

Warnings: smut, unprotected sex (don't do it kids), swearing, possibly smoking, drinking, mention of scar (nothing big or serious), google translated German, bad dog jokes, puns, and no, i didn't make a "real" wolf fuck the Reader, i'm not that kinky, i imagined the Reader to be female, but can be gender neutral, no name, or age mentioned, no use of y/n either... That's it?... Idunno, still new to this

(collage made by me, i don't own the pictures, i just used them, it's also very amateur, I haven't done a collage in ages)

🐺🤍❤️

You were in your car ‘till your waist. The damn thing broke down half way into your road trip. You have had enough of your monotonous everyday life, so you decided to pack up the essential stuff of yours, get your car together, and head out into the unknown. You have already seen beautiful mountains from a distance, gone through deep, mysterious forests, taken many pictures. You have tried to live in your car, but occasionally you have stayed in some cheap, low budget motels for 1 or 2 nights. You always had trust in your car, yet there you were. It didn��t run out of gas, it just suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, just outside of a small town. It looked rather friendly, and not busy at all. There wasn’t any other car passing by, so you did what you thought was the best decision: packed your bag, locked the car, and started walking into the town, praying to find someone, anyone really, who can maybe lend a helping hand.

The people you saw were really kind, it seemed they didn’t really get too many outsiders in their small town, and they seemed happy for you. They told you that there was one car mechanic in the town, a little group of guys. They also told you about a motel, which was always open for travellers, and due to the lack of them, it was basically empty. You decided to go to the motel first. The receptionist was a friendly old lady, who, again, got very excited to finally have someone at her place. You got your room, for a very small price, went in and unpacked some of your stuff. You really wanted to know what was up with your car, or if it could be fixed at all, so you didn’t waste much time in your new temporary place. After a few minutes you headed out to the streets, to the direction where you were told before to find the mechanics.

It was one of those warm days, so you were glad you found what you were looking for. You heard music coming out of an open garage. Above the doors you read “The Rat's Den”.

- Hello?... - you popped your head in the garage.

- Can I help you with something? - a tall, blonde haired man, with broad shoulders approached you. He had a cheeky smile on his face, sweat under his long locks. Oh, and shirtless.

- I uhm.. My car broke down just down the main road - you gestured with your hand where your car was - And I was just wondering if you could help me with it… I don’t know what could be the problem, I have been traveling with it for the past few days, weeks, everything was fine up until now. I just can’t get it to work.

- Sure, we can take a look at that thing - you turned your head to the direction from where another voice caught your attention. Another man just slipped out from under a car. He had curly hair, slimmer body than the blonde one, but still tall. You looked him in the eye as he came over. His eyes were like a river of caramel pudding, and they were glowing like a forest fire in the middle of the night. Your mouth watered.

- Thank.. You… - you said shyly. What’s happening? You normally aren't this shy… - When can you do that?

- Are you staying in that old motel? - asked the curly one.

- Yes.

- Alright. Is that good, if I go there around 7 am tomorrow, so I can take a look at it before I open the garage?

- Y-yeah… sure.

- It’s a date then. I’m Niki Lauda, by the way, that’s James Hunt. - he gestured towards the blonde one, James. You didn’t even notice him leaving you two. You told him your name.

- It was nice meeting you. I’ll be there at 7.

- Okay. See you then. And thank you.

- It’s no problem.

And with that you headed out of the garage. You turned back before you completely went outside. You saw a tattoo on James' right shoulder. You didn’t see every detail, but you felt a strange feeling. Unconsciously your eyes wandered to Niki. He was wearing a white shirt, but you could still see a glimpse of something similar, at least as you guessed, just under his neck. Strange.

You went back to the motel. You couldn’t go to sleep during the night so easily. You had a weird feeling about The Rat’s Den. Some kind of an aura was around it. It looked like any other garages where they repair cars and that’s it, but not there. There was something. You couldn’t really describe what you were feeling, or grasp what you should even be looking for. Something was up, you were sure about that.

🐺🤍❤️

After a few hours of sleep, you woke up. Niki could be here any minute now. You freshened up a little bit, you felt like shit due to the lack of sleep. Suddenly, you heard a loud car noise. You were the only one there at the motel, you guessed that was Niki. Honk. Yes, most definitely. You opened the door for an old, shiney Ferrari, with Niki sitting at the front.

- You’re coming or no, Schatzi?

You blushed by the petname, but quickly composed yourself, locked your room’s door, and jumped into the passenger seat. The man asked you about where you left your car. You answered and he drove to the correct directions. The short journey was mostly silent, with small talks. You stared out of the window, so you missed the spectating eyes of his.

- You’re good? You look exhausted…

- I’m okay, I just haven’t slept much. - you turned to him.

- Well, that makes the two of us.

You looked at him with curious eyes, but he remained silent, eyes focused on the road. You couldn’t read him, but tried to observe his features. He was pale, especially his knuckles as he was basically suffocating that poor wheel. He was taking deep and slow breaths. He looked like he was having a hard time in his own car.

- Is that your car? - Niki snapped you out of your thoughts.

- Yes, yes, that’s it.

Niki stopped his car in front of yours. You got out, and walked to it. He asked for your keys, so he could open the hood of the car. You took them out of your packet, then placed them in his open palm. Fingers briefly touched. He was warm. Surprisingly warm. For a moment you thought you heard him sharply inhale, but he quickly busied himself with your car. He has a nice butt. You immediately scolded yourself and turned your back to him, leaning on the side of the car, while he was working. After a few minutes, awkward silence, and some rattling, he straightened himself and turned to you.

- The engine gave up. Although it’s nothing serious or expensive, it will take some day to fix it properly, so it won’t die again. - so I stuck here yey - How long will you stay?

- As long as I don’t have a car I guess… - you massaged your nose, the lack of sleep started to catch up - I took it to a mechanic before I left… That’s just great…

- Well, that asshole did a shit job… It’s obvious what’s wrong, and it didn’t happen overnight. - he shrugged and closed the hood - I can’t take it back to the garage now, but during the afternoon I will come back for it with a more usable car.

- Sounds like a plan - you nodded and extended your arm to take your keys back.

Your fingers brushed against his, again, but this time the contact shot electricity up in your arm, which caused you to drop the keys. You instantly crouched after it, but what you grabbed weren’t your keys. It was a hand. Niki’s hand. How does he have these quick reflexes? You looked up, still holding his hand, and just realized that your faces were just a few centimeters away from each other. Both of you froze. Niki even seemed like he wasn’t breathing. His eyes were on yours, before he looked down to your lips. You licked them unconsciously. He purred. What?

- We should get back to the town.

He jumped up, leaving your keys on the ground. You tried to get yourself together, picked up your keys and sat back into his car. The way back to the garage was in complete silence. He didn’t purr, did he? He just breathed weirdly… I am imagining stuff… Right? You were confused.

🐺🤍❤️

Not much happened during the rest of the day. You tried to look around the little place, bought some food and just relaxed in your room. When the sun started to settle down you realized that you didn’t give your car keys back to Niki. You left each other in such a hurry, after he took you back to his garage, none of you had it in mind. You couldn’t call him, you didn’t have his number, and you didn’t really want to walk there. Throughout the whole day you had a strange feeling. Something was definitely up. You just felt it in your guts. Niki was like any other man and yet, he had an aura that just gave off some vibes which you just couldn’t grasp, no matter how hard you tried. You were pacing in your room when you looked out of your window. A red Ferrari just stopped in front of the motel. What, is he a mind reader too? You opened your door, spinning your keys in the air with your right hand.

- Catch! - you shouted, throwing them at his back, but before it could hit him, he turned around and caught them in his left hand with incredible accuracy.

You weren't expecting that. He didn’t say anything, just smirked and winked at you, as you locked eyes. You blushed deeply, and he disappeared just as quickly as he came by.

🐺🤍❤️

During the evening, you couldn’t rest. Again. This time you decided to go for a little walk. You weren’t really paying attention to where you were going. You just wandered around the quiet, calm town. It seemed like everyone was fast asleep. Not a single person, not a single soul was up. You arrived at a little dirt road which was leading you to a forest, next to your temporary home. You didn’t know why, you followed it. You got to a little field which was shielded with huge trees from the outside world. Some rays of sunshine were still peeking through the bushes, giving it an angelic look. Little red flowers covered your newly found small area. It felt like you were in a fairytale. But you weren’t. You heard a branch break behind you. You turned on your heels, just in time to see a huge, black wolf coming out from the bushes. It looked unusual, there was something in its face, in its eyes that was off. Human? It had a human kind of amused face expression. In the middle of your observation you just realized it was coming close. You panicked. Just when you thought it was going to rip you apart, another one jumped between the two of you, from behind you. This one was white, and slightly bigger. It growled at its own kind, like it was telling him to fuck off. The black wolf looked at you one last time and took off into the trees. The remaining animal calmed down, before it turned to you. It looked majestic. There was something royal in its posture. Around its neck and on his chest it had little patches of curly fur, like a mane. It had a cut on its lip, probably just had a fight, maybe with its prey. It looked deep into your eyes, like it was staring into your soul. There was something familiar in those eyes. The eyes were glowing, and like a river of caramel. Wait. You took a step forward and it instantly disappeared into the shadows. You really did needed to sleep.

🐺🤍❤️

You jolted up in your bed. You were covered in sweat, hair was messy. You massaged your face while you were trying to catch your breath, even your breathing. You looked at the clock. 1:30am. You managed to sleep for about an hour, before the nightmare woke you up. You saw the wolves again. They were circling you. The black one jumped forward and tackled you to the ground. Your sight got blurry, but you could still make out the silhouette of the white one. It changed into a man. It had curly hair. You felt like someone or something was watching you. You walked to the window, and pushed the curtain aside. You saw a wolf, watching you from the otherside of the road. A white wolf. That wolf. You immediately turned around, hands were burying in your hair. What the hell is going on? Am I going crazy? What is this place? A knock on the door caused you to jump. With shake legs and hands, you went to the door and opened it. Niki was leaning on the door jamb, with his left hand.

- What an earth are you… - you started with a confused look but it quickly changed into a shock, your eyes got wide when you looked at his lips. He had a fresh scar there. - There’s no way…

- I can’t do this anymore. You drive me crazy. - he looked at you with a beast-like expression on his face.

- What do y- - you couldn’t finish your question.

Niki technically broke into your room, then kicked the door closed. He didn’t mean to scare you, but he was on the edge of completely losing control over himself. He took a step towards you. You didn’t step back. You couldn’t. That animal look on him made your legs weak, your mouth dry. The lust in his eye made you want him. You licked your lips. That was the last straw for him. The next thing you knew you were thrown against the wall. His mouth was on your neck, sucking and biting like a hungry wolf. He didn’t want to hurt you, but he didn’t plan to go easy and kind on you either. He hooked his hands under your knees, picked you up and you instantly wrapped your legs around his waist. His fingers dug into the flesh of your ass and thighs.

- Your smell is intoxicating to me. I still don’t know how did I manage to not to rip your clothes off and fuck you on the hood of your car, when there were just the two of us, alone. - he confessed into your ear, and that made you feel all kinds of incoherent thoughts.

You wanted to answer, but when he sucked on your collarbone, the only thing that came out of your mouth was a moan, which could have been heard in Hell as well. He growled in response, grabbed your shirt on the back, and tore it in half with such ease, letting it fall to the carpet. He took you away from the wall, then placed your back on your bed. He sit up, just to took of his shirt. He placed himself between your legs, arms next to your head to keep himself from crushing you. He looked you deep in the eye. The warm that radiated from him was unbearable. It made your stomach turn in itself. He leaned in to capture your lips, but he stopped just millimeters away from you. There was a silent question in the air. He got his answer when you closed your eyes. When your lips met, you felt like you jumped to another dimension. He tasted like a mixture of cigarette and beer. Your hands found their ways into his curls. His breath stuttered for a second, before letting out a purring sound into your lips and mouth. He liked that. No. He loved that. His left hand wandered down between the two of you, to pull your pants down. You let him. Then it was your turn to free him from his pants. He let you. He was bigger than you would have imagined, and thick. And also hard like a rock. You gently grabbed him to pump him a little bit, but he didn’t let you have your fun for too long. He needed you badly. He wanted to bury himself in you. He pulled your hand away from him, and just as you were to pull your legs up for him to get a better angle, he tightened his grip on your arm a little bit, and turned you around like he just picked up a feather. You got confused for a second but when you felt him at your entrance you put the puzzle together. Oh. He is half wolf after all. And without a second word he trusted his hips toward and filled you up. You pressed your face into your blanket to suppress some of your cry.

- I’m sorry, but you really bring the animal out of me... Meine schöne Beute...- was all he whispered, but waited for a little bit for you, to get used to him, before he started moving.

From slow and sensual trusts, you quickly arrived to needy and shameless fucking. His occasional growles got mixed with your load moans. Niki kept biting your neck and shoulders, and you couldn’t do anything, rather just take it. Not that you had any coherent thoughts about doing anything in that position. As both of you were coming closer to reaching your desires, Niki’s hands found their ways to the back of your own ones, interlocked your fingers, and raised both his and your arms above your heads on the bed. You saw the finish line, but before you could register the checkered flag, your pleasure hit you like a racecar. The man behind you finished the race as a close second. He stayed inside you until he got soft, then collapsed on the bed beside you. After you stopped seeing stars, you looked at him. He was already looking at you with his big caramel eyes. You felt this urge to cuddle him, you were already missing his warmth, although he wasn’t that far from you. He looked like he sensed your thoughts, because he opened one of his arms, invitingly. You quickly snuggled to his side, head on his chest. He was drawing circles on your back with the hand that was behind you. You reached up to the back of his neck, and started to slowly massaging the hair on it. He instantly started purring.

- I love this sound… - you slightly chuckled.

- I can get used to this… - he smiled.

- So am I... - the broken car was long forgotten.

Both of you drifted off to sleep like this, in the arms of each other. The last thing you heard was Niki’s heartbeat. Thump. Thump. Thump. Honk.

You shot your eyes open. You were in your car. In a parking lot. You sit up, confused, trying to solve your thoughts. You were tired, so you stopped to sleep a little bit in your car, before you reached your next destination. Was this all a dream? You climbed over to the driver’s seat. Started the car. Looked in the mirror on your right, on your left, then on the middle one. You saw a little purple spot under your shirt, around your neck. You pulled the shirt aside. A hickey on your collarbone.

🐺🤍❤️

The End?...

[satendou]

⟼  inopportunity is key

⍣ clueless chemistry series | previous | next

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⇢  pairing: bokuto kotaro/f!reader/kuroo tetsuro

⇢ au: clueless chem!au, college!au, poly!au

⇢ summary: kuroo has a conference call, but bokuto’s just come home from a week away. you really can’t help yourselves.

⇥  masterlist

⇥  requests are open! | rules

⇢  warnings: established relationship, polyamory, smut, fingering & oral, couch sex, teasing of kuroo, masturbation, voyeurism

⇢  word count: 3.7k

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⇢  a/n: this is technically posted the day after it was supposed to be but no one will notice right? thank you as usual to @keijiskitten​ for editing this for me, yk ilysm. uh...thinkin about redoing this header but it’s 3am and i’m not doin it tonight.

“Uh, remind me what this is for again?” you asked, glancing over your shoulder at Kuroo. You were standing at the counter stirring a cup of tea while he fixed his tie in the fridge reflection, mouth twisted into a frown as he fought with it. “That would be easier with a mirror.”

He groaned, glaring at you from the corner of his eye. It had taken him ten minutes to get the tie right the first time, and then Bokuto had kissed him just a few minutes after and screwed it up again. He was frazzled and annoyed. “It’s for a science conference with the rest of the group. We have to discuss the potential impact of praseodymium on the environment if used in industry.”

You hummed thoughtfully even though you had less than no idea what he was talking about. However he always sounded so passionate about it that you didn’t care, trying to be interested even though he always lost you six words into his tirade. You suspected he knew as much because he had started slowing down his explanations, taking the time to explain certain things when your brows furrowed in confusion.

“Just come here, Tetsu. Let me fix it so that you can get started,” you said, waving him over. He sighed in relief and stooped over in front of you, chin tilted up while you fiddled with the knot. After a few moments, you patted his chest. “All done. Go get ‘em, tiger.”

He kissed your forehead, sighing against it. “Thanks, babe.” Then-- “Bokuto.”

The third slice of your trio poked his head around the corner into the kitchen, looking every bit like his name sake. Yellow eyes wide and innocent but sparkling with yet undecided mischief. “Yes, Kuroo?”

You snickered behind your hand and turned back to your cup of tea, now cool enough to drink. Taking a sip, you listened to Kuroo lecture Bokuto, who was now leaning against the doorframe, nodding even though he had clearly spaced out. It was all going in one ear and out the other, his eyes locked on you and a small grin on his face. He had something planned but you couldn’t fathom what.

“...and this is really important so I really need you guys to behave. I know how you get when you get bored, but _____ please try to corral him.”

You put on your best serious face and nodded when Kuroo turned to look at you. But as soon as he turned around, you snickered. He had missed it, but Bokuto had given you a very corny eyebrow wiggle. He was not taking this seriously and you were going to have to find something to occupy him before he actually did interrupt Kuroo’s conference. You loved him, but Bo was all volleyball and that left no space for seriousness.

Kuroo stomped around him and into the living room. You knew his laptop was already set up and open to the chat app the group was going to be using. It had been agreed upon that you and Bokuto could watch TV or hang around in the living room so long* as you-- but mostly Bokuto-- didn’t create a disruption. Kuroo plugged his headphones into the computer and then you heard him talking quietly.

“So, what should we do? Movie?” you asked, moving to stand in front of Bokuto. He towered over you, all broad and rippling muscle and you wondered if you’d actually get through a whole movie. He had only just gotten home from an away game the day before and, after a week away, you had missed him. His arms came around you and you fell willingly into his chest, soaking in the warmth you had been missing for days. Nothing felt right when either of your partners was gone, and you nuzzled into his chest, breathing in the warm smell of fabric softener and your own vanilla body wash because he insisted on using it instead of his own.

“A movie sounds good, so long as you sit in my lap,” he pouted, rubbing his cheek on the top of your head, “I missed you and need cuddles.” It was hard since you were several inches shorter than him, but he wasn’t above bending in half to get affection. Away games sucked, and he had to get by with video chatting, which he demanded every night before the three of you went to bed. He absolutely could not sleep without hearing your voices and seeing your faces.

You led the way into the living room, pulling him along behind you by the wrist. Pausing to kiss Kuroo on the cheek while he chatted, you received a round of waves from the rest of his group and waved back before moving to the couch. Before you could sit, Bokuto caught you up in his arms and fell down, dragging you into his lap just like you promised.

“Alright, alright,” you said, trying your best to stifle your giggles as he peppered your neck and shoulder with kisses. “Tetsu is gonna get mad at us and we won’t be able to watch the movie.”

Bokuto whined in the back of his throat and nipped at your neck, right over your sweet spot, and you squirmed at the heat that it caused. He pulled away, resting his chin on your shoulder and grinning as he picked up the remote. The TV buzzed quietly in the background until he flipped it to Netflix, the familiar sound jarringly loud, and he glanced at Kuroo, who was staring at the two of you with a glare. Bo shrugged, letting a guilty grin slip onto his face as he turned it down in a hurry.

Pushing at him, you guided him to relax against the back of the couch as you got comfortable, sliding off his legs and crossing yours over his thighs. He whined and gave you a pout until you settled in right against his side, and he threw his arm around your shoulders, preening as you snuggled against him. 

He flipped through the movie list, humming in thought at a few until he landed on Terminator 2 and looked at you for confirmation. He knew you weren’t going to be paying attention but the way you laid your head on his shoulder, trying to cuddle closer, made up for it.

Kuroo’s voice covered the sound of the movie, except for a few of the louder sound effects from time to time, but it was as low as it could be without being unable to hear it, and the subtitles were already on. You shifted, crossing your ankles and catching Bokuto’s attention. You were still absorbed in your phone, giggling at something he couldn’t see, and you jumped when you suddenly felt his fingers drift up your calf.

“Ko, stop, that tickles,” you whispered, swatting at his hand half-heartedly, but he only snatched his hand away and did it again, eliciting another giggle. You had set your phone aside and wound one arm around his thick neck, tugging as you tried to pull your legs from his hand. 

He caught your ankle in his grasp and pulled your leg back straight, holding it in his iron grasp and looking down at you. Your face was twisted with amusement, a wry smile on your face as your eyes glittered with happiness. 

“_____, you’re so fuckin’ pretty,” he whispered, and watched the glitter intensify as your eyes widened, pupils blown wide as he let go of your ankle and swept his hand up to your thigh, squeezing it just below your crotch. You weren’t the only one who was pent up, and he had half a mind to take you to the bedroom.

You could immediately tell you were in trouble when Bokuto’s eyes narrowed-- that mischievous glint he always carried increasing tenfold as he asked, “Can you be quiet?”

Throwing a glance over his shoulder, you caught Kuroo looking at you with what might have been a glare, which was overpowered by the interest his eyes held. Something in the chat gathered his attention for a moment as they asked if he was alright. Tugging at his tie, he nodded, glancing at you quickly before trying to focus on his work.

If the two of you really wanted to play, he would be the adult and ignore it. Or so he thought, until another glance at the two of you revealed Ko’s fingers sliding underneath your shorts. Your lips were parted as he whispered something into your ear, your eyes fluttering while you nodded.

“You’re so wet already, baby. Did you miss me that much, _____?” Bokuto breathed, nipping the shell of your ear while your thighs clenched around him. You pulled at his hair, breathing out a shaky moan as one thick finger probed at your slick folds. “I missed you, babygirl. Need my cock in this tight pussy to make up for it, you want that?”

You nodded, a high whine leaving your throat as he crooked his finger, walls clenching around him when his thumb ghosted your clit. It wouldn’t take long for you to come undone; the way his finger thrust in and out of your tight pussy was mind blowing, and when a second finger forced its way in, you lost it. A sharp gasp escaped before you could help it, barely containing a moan and you bit your fingers to stifle anything more.

Kuroo lost track of the conversation again as he watched you come undone all over Bokuto’s fingers. He would never get tired of the flush in your cheeks and the arch of your back, and he already knew there was a mess in your panties.

You squeaked when Bokuto withdrew his fingers, drawing one into his mouth and savoring the taste. There was nothing better, in his opinion, than tasting you after he’d made you cum. It was like a reward for his hard work. “You taste so good, baby. Here, see?”

His other finger still glistening with your juices prodded your lips and you opened obediently, letting it settle on your tongue. He was throbbing as your tongue wrapped around his finger, sucking like you would his cock. He thought that sounded pretty damn good too, but Kuroo was watching, humming along with whatever his group was saying. He was just managing to give them some semblance of an answer to their questions, and Bokuto intended to give him a show.

Smirking at him, he quickly yanked your shorts off your legs and threw them, landing just beside Kuroo’s laptop. 

One of the members ask what that was Kuroo passed it off, saying you had dropped something on the table beside him and glared at Bokuto. He was aggravated that his partner had decided to play this little game, but there was no denying that he was enjoying himself too. Knowing that he had a show to occupy himself while his group sat oblivious, droning on about their work with no one to tease them. He was living the dream and he knew it.

But he was still annoyed.

As Bokuto pulled his shorts down his thighs, you pulled your shirt over your head, pinning Kuroo with a coy smile and cupping your own tits, pinching and pulling at your hardened nipples. As much as you tried to deny it, he knew you enjoyed teasing him just as much as Bokuto-- probably a product of spending too much time with him.

Kuroo almost moaned when Bokuto positioned the two of you so that you were facing him, Bo leaned against the armrest with you sitting just above his leaking cock, your back to his chest. You wrapped a hand around it, pumping a few times and smearing precum across the tip. Bokuto’s head was tipped back, eyes closed while you worked him up, fingers kneading and squeezing your hips.

“Can’t stand it, babygirl. I’m gonna cum if you keep it up and I wanna paint your pretty insides white,” he growled at last, using brute strength to lift you up and settle you over his cock. Your hand was still wrapped around him as you guided him in, your jaw falling slack as his fat dick spread you wide. As always, Bokuto was far too large to handle, but you wanted more, sliding down even as tears rolled down your cheeks at the intense stretch. 

Kuroo had a clear view of your gaping pussy, thighs trembling with a mixture of pain and pleasure and his fingers curled into his palm as he stared. He heard the call of his name and glanced at the screen, finding them waiting for him to answer the previous question still. 

“Um, yeah, three should be fine, but make it five if you can,” he said, knowing he should end the call early, but something kept him rooted to his seat and his mouth firmly shut. Maybe it was the taboo, or maybe he just had a voyeur kink. As much as he wanted to join you, to punish the both of you for your teasing, there was a larger part of him that was getting off on just watching.

A whine tore from your throat when Bokuto thrust his hips up experimentally, burying his cock fully in your tight heat and your eyes rolled back. It felt like he was dragging out of you, your tiny pussy clinging onto him so tight that you could feel every vein rubbing against your walls. 

“Fuckfuck,” you gasped before clapping your hand over your mouth.

In punishment for your slipup, Bokuto reached up and harshly pinched one nipple, his head falling back when you squeezed down around him in response. “So good, baby, so fuckin’ good. Do that again.”

To make you, he pinched your other nipple, hips still moving at a languid pace in and out of you. The slick noises your cunt was making was just barely audible to Kuroo, and he hoped the interference in the video chat prevented his group mates from hearing. They didn’t ask about it, only commenting on his lack of focus and asking if he needed to go. But he shook his head, forcing himself to pay attention for a few moments, watching you bounce from the corner of his eyes.

Your head was tossed back against Bokuto’s shoulder, the veins in his arms standing out as his muscles flexed, pushing and pulling you like you were his own personal fuck toy while you gasped and whined in his ear. In the back of your mind, you really didn’t* want Kuroo to get in trouble, but it was too good to stop and catching his eyes on you made you warm. They were filled with arousal and the promise of payback, and you shivered in Bokuto’s arms.

“Play with your clit, babygirl. Make yourself cum all over my cock while I fuck you,” he whispered, hips curling. He was slamming you down, forcing the breath from you with every thrust, watching Kuroo’s eyes follow his cock disappearing into you. He could feel the mess you were making all over his cock, dripping down his balls and to the couch and he moaned a little louder. Tangling his fingers in your hair, he littered kisses up your shoulder to your neck, and you bucked your hips up when his teeth sunk into your neck before he began to suck, working to leave as large a hickey as he could.

Even from across the room, Kuroo could see the vivid red mark on your skin, slick with saliva and shiny like Bokuto’s lips. His eyes met Bo’s, who was almost feral at that point, eyes wide and wild as he pounded into you. He followed the slide of your hand down to the juncture of your legs, thighs tensing as the first pass over your clit sent jolts of pleasure sparking through you. He wetted his lips at the way your lips parted, wanting to slide his aching cock between them and punish you for torturing him. But it could wait, he decided, discreetly adjusting himself below the view of the camera. He knew you were close, knew your tells. The way your back would arch, your toes would curl, breath leaving you in pants--

You almost shrieked when Bokuto flipped you forward without warning, leaving you empty for just a moment before he was forcing his thick cock back into you. You swallowed him so easily, already fucked open and the head of his cock met your cervix with the new angle. His large hand met the center of your back and pushed, forcing your back to arch and your chest to meet the couch. With your ass up in the air, he wasn’t taking care to keep quiet anymore, his hips pistoning into without mercy and forcing broken moans and whines from your lips.

You were too fuzzy with your looming orgasm to care about Kuroo’s partners hearing, nails scrabbling for purchase on the cushions while Bokuto held you in place with one strong hand.

Kuroo was quick to realize he couldn’t hide it anymore and muted his mic, typing into the supplied chat that he wasn’t feeling well and had to go. It took his computer far too long to register that he had exited the chat and he groaned in relief when it closed, slamming the laptop shut. His belt buckle clanked as he undid it in a hurry before pushing his slacks down to his knees. He was so hard it was painful and he moaned when he wrapped his hand around his weeping cock. There was a wet spot in his boxers where his precum had soaked in, and he had no trouble coaxing more out with a few thrusts, but it wasn’t enough. 

Spitting on his cock, he grunted, squeezing his length tighter and forcing his cock through the tight ring of his fingers. Eyes locked on you, listening to the slick noise of Bokuto fucking your tight cunt and imagining it was him pounding you.

“TetsuTetsuTetsu,” you cried, his name falling like a mantra from your lips and it sent a jolt through him, his hand squeezing his shaft and the dam broke. 

“Fuck, princess,” he snarled, drinking in your fucked out, wide open expression. Focusing on the sensitive spot just underneath his head, he worked himself through his orgasm, drawing it out and splattering cum on his dress shirt. “You’re so pretty, taking his cock. You gonna come for him? He’s treated you so good, it’s the least you could do to cream all over him.”

You whined at his dirty words, watching him slump back and relax, his softening cock rest on his stomach and his arms slung across the back of the couch. His eyes were narrowed and teasing as he stared at you, licking his lips and smirking, looking very much at ease. 

“Gonna cum, Ko, please make me cum. You fuck me so good, baby, I can’t think, can’t think fuck,” you babbled, clenching down on him. A twist of his hips had him rubbing along that one soft spot inside you, head slamming into your cervix and you toppled over the edge with a scream of his name. 

He didn’t stop as he chased his own high, eyes locked onto his glistening cock covered in your cream, groaning as he forced himself into your clenching pussy again. You were whining with overstimulation, still squeezing around and he choked out a curse as he hilted himself inside you and came. He doubled over, resting his forehead on your back as he pumped you full of his cum, hips rocking to jerk himself off with your tight pussy.

“Fuck, babygirl, you’re so amazing,” he whispered, voice hoarse. He swept your hair to the side and pressed open mouth kisses all over the back of your neck and shoulders, tasting the salt on your skin. You shuddered as he pulled out of you, the mess of his cum spilling down your thighs, and he helped you to lay down.

Kuroo was already there with a wet cloth and together they cleaned you and then Bo up, Kuroo’s rough hand gently running the cloth over his soft cock and the mess you had made all over it. Dropping the cloth, his hand trailed up over his abs, watching them twitch and flex until he could cup his chin.

Pressing a kiss to the corner of Bokuto’s lips, he grinned, a feral, manic look in his eyes as he whispered, “You two are in so much trouble. Better rest up now, because when I’m done you won’t be able to walk or practice for days.”

The grin Bokuto gave him screamed mischief, and Kuroo laughed under his breath as he realized his partner had planned this. Carefully, he scooped you up in his arms and you snuggled into his chest, leaving lazy kisses to the underside of his jaw and down his throat. The tie had long been undone and flung somewhere behind the couch, and your nimble fingers plucked open the top buttons of his shirt, your lips blazing a trail on the newly exposed skin.

He could hear Bokuto’s heavy footsteps behind him as he walked down the hall, kicking the bedroom door open with his foot. 

Depositing you on the bed, Bokuto crawled in beside you while Kuroo undressed, watching the two of you cuddle up and whisper together, giggling like co-conspirators and it dawned on him that the conference call was never going to end any other way.

“You two are such little shits, you know that?” he growled, kneeling on the bed and towering over the two of you. “Hope you’re ready, _____. You have to make it up to me.”

Your answering smile was as brilliant as it was devious. “Come and get me then, daddy.”

⇥  return to masterlist

⇥ taglist: @umihami​, @kunimwuah​

[stormcrawler75]

Blood of the Sea Part One

Summary: Virgil leaves his parents behind as he sets out to the one place he remembered feeling safe at. Little does he know, there’s a study going on at that sanctuary. And he just became part of it.

Notes: . . . Hey, guys! I’m still alive and posting TS. Just taken over by the MHA bug. I’ll reblog this with my taglist once I find it, promise. This is the spiritual rewrite to A New Kind of Experiment. Not a Rewrite really but definitely influenced by it. Updates will be slow but they’ll be there. Hope you like it!

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The moon was high and full on the night that Virgil crept out of his bedroom with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and his father’s car keys gripped tightly in his hand. It was a good thing that it was. It helped him walked down the hallways without tripping on anything and alerting his parents to what he was doing. It would be hard to explain what exactly he was doing at midnight with a bag full of clothes, money, and pieces of pizza stuffed into a container. It would be even harder to explain what he was doing with the keys to his father’s prized Acura.

Not that Virgil really had an explanation other than he was scared and needed to leave. He knew that after the conversation with his dad the other day that he couldn’t stay until it was time to go to College. Virgil wasn’t sure that his heart could take it.

He vividly remembered the tense, one sided conversation that had taken place just a few days earlier. Virgil had sat in the kitchen and listened with a blank stare as his father laid out exactly what would happen if he ever disrespected him again. He knew even then that he couldn’t wait the two months until College started. It was time for him to leave.

A part of Virgil thought that he might be blowing this entire thing out of proportion, but he knew that he wasn’t. His father had never made empty threats before and Virgil really doubted that he was going to start now. It was time for Virgil to leave. Unknown to his father, his college tuition was already paid for and, thanks to his Uncle Janus, he had a place to stay. He just needed a place to stay for the two weeks until his Uncle could come pick him up. Virgil couldn’t exactly bring a stolen car to his Uncle’s house. His Father would blame Uncle Janus for everything just like he always did, and Virgil would be brought right back to square one.

Virgil winced as the stairs creaked and he paused, only relaxing when he heard the sounds of his father snoring. He kept walking until he got to the front door, carefully and quietly opening it. Virgil closed the door behind him, letting out a breath that he hadn’t realized that he had been holding until just then. Hopefully things would be easy from here on out.

Virgil quietly snorted. Who the hell did he think that he was? His father? He had the blood of the sea in him, just like his Uncle, and nothing ever came easy to those with the blood of the sea.

Virgil thought back to the memory where he had learnt about the blood of the sea. His uncle Janus had taken him out for fishing when he was just a toddler and before Virgil’s parents had cut him out of their and Virgil’s, lives outside of polite Holiday phone calls. Virgil had gripped his Uncle’s best rod, Uncle Janus behind him with his hands pressed over Virgil’s and reeled in a cod. Though, Virgil thought back in amusement, it had been more of his Uncle’s catch than his. But that wasn’t what his Uncle had claimed.

“Would you look at that,” Uncle Janus had laughed, grinning down at the toddler proudly. He ruffled Virgil’s hair with one hand, holding up the cod with the other and showing it off to the family who was having a beach day. “My little nephew caught himself a cod, first try! I knew I wasn’t the only one with the blood of the sea in me, Virgil. You’ll be allowed out on the boat with me in no time, won’t he,” he asked, directing the question to Virgil’s mother who had been nursing a glass of wine.

“Oh, I think he’s a bit young for that,” she had said dismissively, offering a placid smile. She looked away from him, seemingly having given up all of her energy to care. “He doesn’t even know how to swim. And I don’t want you teaching him either,” she said firmly. “He’s not ready for that.”

Uncle Janus glanced down at Virgil and winked, like they were two men sharing a secret and not Uncle and nephew. “She doesn’t understand one bit, Virgil, my boy. She doesn’t have the blood of the sea in her. Not like you and me. Just wait until you’re older.”

“What does that mean,” Virgil asked softly, reaching up to tug at his Uncle’s sleeve. “What’s blood of the sea?”

Uncle Janus grinned, crouching down in front of him, his scar crinkling a little with the movement. “It means that we were descended from the people of Atlantis,” he stage whispered, making Virgil’s eyes go wide. He laughed and grinned. “Your father has it too but,” he rolled his eyes, “my older brother doesn’t believe in all of that.”

“The people of Atlantis drowned, Janus,” his father huffed from his place on the docks, rolling his eyes. He took a long drink of beer before calling, “You better not be filling my boy’s head with nonsense about Atlantis and mermaids.”

Virgil gasped softly, standing on his toes. “Mermaids?”

Janus smirked, calling back to his brother, “Not all of them drowned, Ajax. And they’re not all mermaids, Virgil. There are men down there too. But we share the blood of the people of Atlantis. If our ancestors didn’t leave the city in time, we’d be down there with the rest of them.”

His father sighed, waving Virgil over. “Stop listening to all of that, Virgil. Atlantis isn’t real and neither are mermaids. Come sit with me.”

“But-“

His father’s voice hardened, turning unyielding. “Now, Virgil.”

Virgil left his Uncle’s side and went to sit by his father. He smiled though when his Uncle whispered, “I’ll tell you more later.”

That was the last time that he had talked to his Uncle face to face.

Virgil didn’t believe in mermaids. He didn’t believe in any drowned city. But he did believe in good luck and knowing when it was time to leave, just like his ancestors. He wasn’t about to drown under his parents’ influence. He was the blood of the sea and it was time to swim.

Virgil opened the back door of the Acura, tossing the duffle bag into it quietly. There was two other duffle bags and a computer bag that he had snuck out there after dinner. He slipped into the front seat and winced as he slid the keys into the slot and turned on the engine. He waited for the longest moment of his life and when he didn’t see any lights turning on in the house, he slowly drove down the driveway. Within minutes, he was on the highway and driving away from his house. His former house.

Virgil let out a long breath, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He didn’t think that he was going to relax completely until he was far away from the city. He could drop the car off at a garage not too far out and then he’d catch the bus. It helped that Virgil knew exactly where he was going too. He might not have a plan, but he had a place to lay low until he thought of one.

He didn’t even turn on the radio, too afraid of drawing any attention to himself. Virgil was too anxious for that. He stayed on the right side of the speed limit, knowing that he was screwed if a police officer pulled him over for speeding. The ride to the garage was tense and quiet, Virgil gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He pulled into the parking lot of the garage, pulling his hood over his face to keep it hidden. Not that it really mattered. His parents would know exactly who had stolen the car. Whether they’d care to report  it was another matter entirely. His mother would swoon at the very thought. 

Imagine what the neighbours might say!

Virgil wasn’t sure if all of this secrecy was really necessary. Would his parents really care if he left? A major part of him thought that they were just going to wash their hands of him but a small part of him almost wished that they would care. That they’d come looking for him to bring him home. It was just a pipe dream though. Once his father found his baby at the garage, they’d pretend that he never existed. 

That was for the best. Virgil wouldn’t be leaving in the dead of the night if it wasn’t. He grabbed all three of his duffle bags with one hand, wincing a little at the weight and grabbed his computer bag with the other. He locked the car doors, ducked his head to hide from any cameras, and hurried out of the parking lot. It was just a few blocks from the 24/7 bus station. He’d relax then.

Virgil moved from a trot to a run when he saw the bus at the station, calling out, “Hold the bus,” frantically. If he missed the bus now, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Luckily, the bus didn’t drive off, waiting for Virgil to awkwardly scramble onto the bus and dig out his free bus pass. He had been saving this pass for forever and it was time to use it.

There was only one other person on the bus besides the obviously sleep deprived bus driver. They looked like a drunk college student, staring out the window with half lidden eyes. At least Virgil wouldn’t have to worry about either of these two saying anything about seeing him.

Virgil settled into one of the front seats, dropping his bags into the seat next to him. He curled up in his seat, hugging his knees to his chest. No turning back now. It was either sink or swim from this point on and the blood of the sea didn’t sink.

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“Last stop, Divergent Springs! Last Stop, Divergent Springs!”

Virgil jerked up, scrambling out of his seat. He had been dozing and nearly missed what the bus driver had said the first time. Virgil nodded to the bus driver and hurried off the bus, nearly tripping on his last step in his haste. He sighed in relief when the bus drove down the road and disappeared from sight. It felt like he could finally breathe now. He was safe.

He hitched his bags up on his shoulders and started walking. The sun was just rising, meaning that it was around five or six o’clock. There wasn’t anyone walking around the small town, but Virgil walked at a brisk pace, wanting to go to where he was going before anyone saw him. There was a lot of things that Virgil had to do now that he was on his own. And the first thing that he had to do was to find his family’s old beach house.

He didn’t remember it that much. The last time he had seen his Uncle face to face was the last time he had seen the old beach house. Virgil couldn’t really remember why they ever stopped going except his mother complaining about how the beach hair made her hair frizz. But Virgil had a very fuzzy memory of a fight Uncle Janus and his father had at beach house the last night they had spent there. 

“I told you not to fill his head with all of that non-sense, Janus, I told you! There’s no such thing as this blood of the sea or mermaids or any of that! You’re sound like Ya-ya and that’s not a compliment!”

“What’s the harm in telling him stories, Ajax? He’s four, nearly five, he’s not going to run off to find mermaids just because I tell him a few stories! And what’s wrong with those stories? Do you think you’re better than the rest of us for not believing in this, Ajax? Why can’t he learn about his family?”

“Because none of it is true! Tell him stories about Pops being a Doctor or me starting up my own business! Tell him of Ya-Ya arriving to the country with only six dollars in her pocket! Stop telling him stories about something that never even happened! Atlantis wasn’t real, it never drowned! Our family lived in Greece before Ya-Ya moved to America! She told us stories about Atlantis because we were little kids but none of it was ever real!  There’s no such thing as Blood of the sea, what the fuck does that even mean?”

“You know what it means, Ajax. You know what it means. And that’s exactly why you refuse to teach Virgil how to-“

“You’re insane! You’re fucking insane, Janus! You know what, don’t bother taking me and Virgil out fishing tomorrow, we’ll be gone by lunch tomorrow.”

Virgil shook his head and pushed the memory out of his mind. It didn’t matter anymore. Whatever the reason, Virgil hasn’t been to the beach house for over ten years at this point. The only person who ever used it was his Uncle, who was currently spending his summer in Greece with their distance family, which was why Virgil was here instead of calling his Uncle immediately to come help him. He’d rather live out of a beach house alone for two months then spend another two months with his family, tense and just waiting to say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing and have his father take away everything from him. Virgil was seventeen, eighteen in a few months, almost an adult. He could do this, he could do this. His Great-Grandmother was only sixteen when she came over here. If she could make a life for herself then so could Virgil.

Virgil let out a shaky breath when he saw a sign pointing in the direction of the beach, the words, “Lineage Beach,” faded a little from time. He could see the little beach house from the road and Virgil quickened his pace to get to it. The beach house looked just like it had when Virgil was a kid, Uncle Janus refusing to let it go to ruin. Virgil remembered Janus mentioning once that he came out here a lot, not just during summer. And just a few months ago, when Virgil had initially called his Uncle for help when things at home was getting more and more tense, Janus had mentioned off hand that he paid the bills for the beach house year round just in case he wanted to spend a weekend down there. Virgil wouldn’t have to worry about electricity, plumbing, or even WIFI. 

It was a relief, one that almost matched the relief of Virgil realizing that he remembered the correct place where Janus kept the spare key. Right where it always was, and where Virgil remembered his father complaining about the stupid hiding spot, underneath the little sea serpent statue that Janus had brought and placed in front of the beach house. Virgil tilted it and grabbed the spare key taped on the bottom.

Hey, no one had broken in yet.

Virgil unlocked the door and walked in, sighing a little in relief. The beach house was a little smaller than he remembered, a little chilly from the heat not being on. But it made him relax. He was safe now. His father wouldn’t think to come here to look for him. Not at the place that Virgil hadn’t been to since he was a toddler. He’d think that Virgil wouldn’t even remember this place. Luckily, he was wrong. 

He dropped his bags off by the door, closing it behind him. Virgil stretched and winced at the crick in his neck from sleeping on the bus. He quickly turned the heat up a little, not too much, just enough to get the chill out of the house. He grabbed his computer bag, pulling out his computer, charger, and the small jar packed to the brim with money. He had spent the last three years working at a local diner and saving his tips. He thought that he was going to be saving it for something for himself but this would have to do. 

There was almost four hundred dollars packed inside of the jar and it was going to have to last him two months for food. Lucky for him, Virgil had done well enough in school to get a scholarship for the art school he had been accepted into and his Uncle had already said that he could live with him during College. He could spend this money without any worry for the future. But that was an issue for later. 

Virgil plugged his computer in, put the jar on the coffee table, and collapsed onto the old, mustard colour couch. He was so exhausted that he drifted off to sleep immediately, the smell of the sea sending him off to a dreamless sleep.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Patty, Darling, I love you. But if you don’t get back to base to rest soon then I’m going to lose it.”

Patton rolled his eyes from his station not too far out from the beach, staring out at the Human dwelling. He had binoculars pressed against his eyes and was watching the figure poking around the house closely. “Give me just a few more minutes, Remy. I want to see what’s this Human is doing.” He lowered the binoculars and breathed in deeply. The ocean air filled his lungs and so did the scent of the Human.

Whoever this Human was, they belonged to the same pod as the Human who was here regularly. Patton couldn’t see the Human that well from where he was treading water, but he was fairly sure that this was a hatchling. What was a hatchling doing out at this hour without a member of their pod? He knew that Humans let their Hatchling out of the pod earlier than Atlanteans did but really. At this hour?! Horrible.

Remy sighed from behind him, pushing himself closer and plucking the binoculars from Patton’s hand, tucking them into his front pocket carefully. He ignored the huff of his friend and poked at Patton’s tail gently. Patton was small, 3’6”, with pale skin, curly blond hair, dark blue eyes, and a yellow seahorse tail that curled at the end. “C’mon, Pat. The Humans are going to be up soon, and you’ve been studying this beach for the past ten hours.” He arched an eyebrow when Patton pouted. “Hey, you said when you were stationed at this post that you’d listened to Explorers first and foremost, remember? You promised.”

“. . . Five more minutes?”

“Sea snakes, you’re going to be the death of me,” Remus groaned, throwing his head back. He tilted back and floated on his back, flapping water at Patton lazily with his tail. He was tall, his long pink dolphin tail only adding his height. Compared to Patton, he was a giant. He had dark brown skin, dark brown eyes. with long almost black hair pulled into a ponytail. “Fine, just a few more minutes,” he grumbled.

Patton grinned at him, patting Remy’s tail gently and pulling out the pad from the bag slung around his shoulder. “Thank you, Rem.” He clicked his tongue and called out, “Nelly!” He grinned when he felt something nudge his tail, reaching down trustingly and grabbing the fin of the dolphin below him. The dolphin pulled him underneath the water and swam in the direction that Patton pointed to. They swam closer to the beach, watching the Human dwelling closely. The hatchling had gone inside of the dwelling at this point, hopefully waiting for their pod to return before venturing out again.

Patton wrote a few observations down on his pad, glancing up every so often. It wasn’t so often that a scientist got to observe a Human, let alone one with the Blood of the Sea in them. And now Patton got to observe a hatchling with the Blood of the sea in them too. And people said that this station would be boring.        

[jestermawz]

Low-key..... I had motivation pop into me to try and write, I was looking at my liked posts and went "Low-key....I feel like writing something", like where did that come from?!

Anywho, I'm not sure what to write, but this could be an attempt of how ranboo and Tubbo met in my au. Not sure what kind and if I need any warnings, so if I need some just tell me lol, I would say I don't bite, but I do 😂

(I dont know how to change font things lol)

An unexpected meeting (Scent!AU)

Tubbo's heart raced as he sprinted through the forest. A massive creature close on his trail. Tubbo looked behind him to see how far of a distance he had from the creature, hoping it was decent, unfortunately the creatures feet were not far from him. Tubbo's breathe hitched as he turned back around only to face-plant into tree. He kept quite in hopes the creature would think he was still running. Just as Tubbo thought it was gone a huge purple eye peered from behind a tree beside him. He screamed as he tried to run again, but was instead snatched up by a large claw. The claw was slowly lifted up to a face that stared intently at Tubbo. In the dark Tubbo couldn't clearly see the creature, other than the purple tint of it's glowing eyes. Tubbo held his breathe as the creature sniffed and prodded at him, almost as if it was checking him for injuries. It then held Tubbo close to its chest as it batted its wings and took off back towards its den.

Once the creature got back to its den it looked Tubbo, who had passed out of fear during the flight. The creature simply walked further into its den where a small campfire was lit. The creature layed Tubbo down on a small cliff before walking off the grab some food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Ranboo awoke from his enderwalking he realized he was in his food storage and quickly walked out. He shook his fur out as some water residue hissed softly at his skin. Once Ranboo made it back to the main part of his den he noticed the small human curled up on a cliff. He stared at it wondering how a human found him, but instantly thought about how it could've been his enderwalk. He slowly approached the sleeping human and sniffed at it. Fear and exhaustion dripped off the humans scent and overloaded Ranboo's nose. He sneezed from the tingle of scent, but quickly recovered to a more quiet state. He must've chased the human down in enderwalk and scared it half to death. He shook his head and slowly began to shrink as he gently grabbed the cliff side, his body morphing to a more human look. As his shrinking slowed his grip tightened, and when he was finished he looked like a normal human hanging on for dear life on a cliff. He hulled himself up to the flat of the cliff and layed near the human. 'Maybe if I look human when they wake up, they wont be as scared!' he thought as he slowly drifted off in his own slumber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tubbo woke with a jolt and a scream. He quickly bolted up and spun his head around looking for the creature that had been chasing him that night. He slightly calmed at the sight of no creature, but worried more as he saw another human laying next to him. He quietly scotched over to them and shook their shoulder. They woke with a slight jump and slowly turned their head to Tubbo. "So it got you too?", He asked as he slowly looked around again. They looked confused before their eyes widen. "U-uh, yeah, yeah! It chased me through the forest...", They said in a slight hurried manner. Tubno looked at them and gasped, "it chase me too! Wonder what it wants with us.". They only shrugged their shoulders lightly as they sat up. "I'm Tubbo, by the way!", He said as he reached his hand to the other human. They looked at Tubbo's hand before grabbing it and shaking it, "I-im Ranboo, nice to meet you...". Tubbo smiled then continued looking around. He noticed a poorly carved staircase in the wall leading to the floor of the cave, a perfect shot of escape! Tubbo quickly stood and reached for Ranboo's hand. "C'mon! I found a way to escape!", He said as he started to drag Ranboo to the stairs. Ranboo jolted as he was dragged, "W-woah!", He shouted as they started to descend the stairs. Once they reached the bottom Tubbo sped up as he ran towards the exit. Ranboo tried to break out of Tubbo's grip, but it was no use as his grip was too strong. Tubbo turned to look at Ranboo with a smile as they entered the forest. "We made it!", Tubbo shouted as he kept sprinting, Ranboo's hand still intertwined with his. As they ran through the forest Tubbo kept shouting cheerfully. He would finally be able to go home after that hectic night! Soon, they reached a bustling Street filled with cars at turn. Tubbo looked at the street and smiled with determination. "You can stay at my place once we get there! If you want to of course.", Tubbo said as he started to run into the busy road. Ranboo screamed as they ran into the street, barely being missed by a few cars. "H-HEY, YOUR GONNA GET US KILLED!", Ranboo yelled as they approached the sidewalk on the other side. "I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!", Tubbo shouted happily as they ran onto the sidewalk and continued to dash to a small apartment. Tubbo opened the door and smiled ushering Ranboo inside. "This is my place! Make yourself at home while I get us some breakfast!", Tubbo said as he jogged to the kitchen. Ranboo side as he stretched to his full height, his hands barely brushing the ceiling. He walked towards the kitchen where Tubbo had disappeared too. Once he entered the kitchen he saw Tubbo scurrying around making plates of fruit for them to eat. Tubbo turned to see Ranboo enter the kitchen. "Wow, your quite tall boss man!", Tubbo giggled as he grabbed both plates. Ranboo looked down at Tubbo and shrugged, "I guess I am pretty tall.". Both of them walked to the couch and sat down, relaxing from the rough morning. Both teens gobbled down the fruits, happy to have something in their bellies. Tubbo sighed as he sink into the soft material of the couch, Ranboo repeating his actions. That was the most eventful night and morning either of them had ever had.

Yay! I finished it, now I'm gonna go muster up some motivation to design some more characters, hope y'all like this!

[barbasbodaciousbeard]

I can see us Lost in the Memory

Summary: Caring is not an advantage. To Mycroft, this was a belief he found through the calculated logic that ruled his life. If was analytical and detached and certainly had nothing to do with Sherlock or the childhood neighbor.

Love You to the Moon and to Saturn

A/N: In a break from my regularly scheduled SVU writing, here’s a four part Folklore inspired Mycroft Holmes thing.

Salt air, and the rust on your door I never needed anything more Whispers of "Are you sure?" "Never have I ever before"

When the Holmes parents invited Ruth on their vacation to start the summer, she couldn’t resist the chance. Her mom would be busy, and the family would be staying on a beach in a little house for a week. You’re just so good with both my boys Mrs. Holmes had said with a soft smile as she pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Since Christmas, she’d had late night phone calls with Mycroft regularly, sneaking the handset for the phone to her room and staying up to happily listen to the minutiae of his day and tell him about her own. To help calm his worries, she took to dropping by to visit Sherlock. But this trip in May would be their first time together save a stolen weekend after midterms where she’d made it to Oxford.

When she arrived at their usual home, not the country house she was so used to, Sherlock darted out, wrapping around her as she laughed. He was almost not a little boy anymore, though she was certain he’d find something broken that they’d try to rebuild together.  She could see Mycroft’s frame in the doorway, and her breath caught. He’d only gotten stuffier since going to Oxford, always in a suit. It worked for him or she’d have teased him mercilessly for it. There was also the fact that she was simply overjoyed to see him. 

“Missed you,” she said softly, looking up at him as Sherlock watched them suspiciously before going back into the house.

“And I missed you, Ruth.”

“Mummy, I think Mycroft and Ruth are going to start snogging.” The youngest Holmes ran to the kitchen, and Ruth flushed a deep pink and giggled as the very tips of Mycroft’s ears changed color.

“Do you care if she knows?” Ruth asked, and Mycroft was acutely aware of the power he had to hurt Ruth in that moment. He would never dream of it, but this would potentially be over in three years, at which point hurting her would be inevitable. But still he held out hope he could balance both.

“Not at all,” he said softly, the same dignified air he always carried. But instead of staying away as he led her in, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her into the house. His mother and father had the kindness to leave them be, and the drive went smoothly. When Sherlock became antsy, Ruth watched as Mycroft told him about people he’d encountered at university, problems in the dorms. It was a game the pair had always played when Sherlock had to be kept still too long. The younger Holmes would tell Mycroft how obvious it was his roommate's girlfriend had been eating all the food from the common area, and Mycroft would pretend he hadn’t figured it out with the same reasoning.

“Ruth, come here,” Mrs. Holmes had said, calling her to the kitchen as she left the boys to unload bags from the car. “Are you dating my son?”

“I love him very much.”

“The boys are in the last room on the left. You’ll be the first on the right. Behave yourselves, allright?”

“Yes ma’am.”

The evening found them watching Sherlock as Mr. and Mrs. Holmes went to dinner, and since Christmas, he’d discovered documentaries again, sprawling on the couch to watch one on pirates. It was good to see some things didn’t change. What had changed was that Mycroft was willing to give him a little more space. They cooked dinner together, and Ruth was rewarded with soft brushes of his hand over her back as he passed. She suspected he’d always be himself, not one for casual affection when someone could see. But when his brother was tucked into bed, there were soft kisses that grew more desperate and whispered confirmation they were both sure. She stole the Oxford sweatshirt from his bag after, determined not to let his mother find them anything but decent but wanting to keep everything on her as some extension of him.

“I don’t know why they got you a sweatshirt anyway,” she teased lightly, watching him smoke in the dark. “I’ve never seen you in a shirt without a collar.”

“I suppose mummy thought I might wear it to sleep. I don’t think she expected it to be worn by someone else during a post-coital cigarette.” He wore cotton pajama pants and a plain t-shirt, though she expected he had sets with collared shirts for when he was at school. The wind blew in from the water, and she wished she’d grabbed pants instead of letting the crewneck serve as a dress. He noticed her shiver, holding out an arm as he exhaled smoke. She pressed against his side and his arm wrapped around her. 

“Just someone?” she teased. “You know, I think I might be your girlfriend.”

“How is that any different than we’ve always been?”

“It means we build a future together. Don’t date other people. Communicate regularly.”

“I suppose you are my girlfriend,” he said, though she could tell he didn’t particularly care for the word. 

“So you think about a future with me?”

“Constantly,” he admitted, choosing to omit how much of that was grappling with the danger Rudy’s position could put her in when he took over. That he’d have to eventually tell her about Eurus. But he was young and selfish and certain he could separate it.

Your back beneath the sun Wishin' I could write my name on it Will you call when you're back at school? I remember thinkin' I had you

Ruth had never been able to get Mycroft to the beach in anything but a polo shirt, but it seemed the way the last of his baby fat had melted off at university meant he was willing to join his brother and Ruth in the water. He still wore a polo shirt and boat shoes with his swim shorts, but he slipped both off and followed when Sherlock beckoned he and Ruth to join him in finding the sandbar. He almost said no until he saw how giddy Ruth looked as she peeled the other unworn bit of Oxford merchandise he’d acquired: a t-shirt that would have fit had he not lost weight. He liked seeing it on Ruth; it made him realize he was getting territorial.

“C’mon,” Sherlock called to them from the water’s edge. 

“We’re coming, Sherlock,” Mycroft scolded gently. “You must wait so we can be sure the tide doesn’t whisk you away.”

“Don’t scare him,” Ruth said, swatting his arm before she hurried and ruffled his brother’s hair. “We’ll find the sandbar, but then Mycroft and I are going to come back to land. I think you ought to see how big of a sandcastle you can make. Maybe even big enough you can hide in it.”

“Do you think there are artifacts in the sand, Ruth?”

“Probably not ones we’ll want to keep. But maybe bottles or keys.” The tide was low enough when they waded to the sandbar that Ruth and Mycroft could sit on it and watch as Sherlock ran along. He could dig as well, finding shells and loading them into the pockets of his swim shorts.

“Why must we be in this wet sand instead of on the towels on land?” Mycroft huffed, and Ruth poked his side.

“Your brother missed you. He likes you being close, even if you aren’t a part of his excavation. He’ll want to build soon, and since shells aren’t restorable like a trowel, he’ll go back to land for a sandcastle.”

“He only yells when I call him.”

“And what does he yell about?” Ruth had heard Sherlock during one of these calls. One of the calls where Sherlock yelled at Mycroft for leaving. But this would pass. She always promised Mycroft that it would pass, and Sherlock would understand his big brother would always come home. 

“Don’t look so proud,” Mycroft huffed.

“It’s not often I’m the one who’s right.”

“You’re often right when it comes to feelings.”

“I love you. My big brained robot.”

“I love you, my darling.”

“That sounds way more romantic than big brained robot. But god, I like hearing you say it. I know it isn’t easy for you.”

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” He had a glint in his eye as he looked down at her, and she smiled broadly up at him, delight apparent.

“You read Jane Austen?”

“Everyone does.”

“You only store things you want, Mycroft.”

“When I read it, I thought of you. I was fifteen. I was a fool and didn’t process what that meant for another year. But whenever I read a poem or a novel and they talk about ardent love, your face is my first thought. I wish I were someone who spoke so eloquently of his own feelings. But I do not understand why I love you. It honestly perplexes me. You are wild and hard headed and love the most mindless things. But I would gladly listen to you describe popular music or the intricacies of a flower crown for hours because of the way your smile and laugh sound more melodic than any symphony. What is unbearable in others only serves to make affection blossom when it is in you. Perhaps it’s because I feel I understand you like I can’t understand most, and I feel that you see me not just as some big brained robot but as who I am. And I am grateful for that, even if it perplexes me to no end.”

 “God, you really can be sappy,” she said, tearing up as she wrapped around his middle. Without his parents or peers there, he was more comfortable to stay sitting as perfectly upright as ever, but slip an arm around Ruth and press a lingering kiss to the top of her head. “You’ll keep calling when you go back to school, right?”

“I will. And we’ll figure how to see each other. I know it hasn’t been easy. Uncle Rudy has so much for me to do on top of my course work.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, Mycroft. It’s four to six years we have to get through. We can do that.”

“Have you thought about university?”

“Cambridge or Oxford. The latter, while a delightful institution, is due to a bias for a certain student.”

“What do you want to study?”

“I think I’d be a good teacher. Kids Sherlock’s age.”

“You’ve always done well keeping him engaged. That’s a feat in and of itself. But, I always expected that you’d pursue English. Write.”

“I need a job.”

“Writing is a job. You could work in editing too. But, you write so beautifully. And it makes you so happy. I’m certain you would flourish. It may be harder, but you’re intelligent enough to parallel plan and work until you’re published.”

“You really think so?”

“I know. And I’m always right.”

“Cambridge is about as far as London from you. Or maybe I’ll go to Oxford.”

“I just want you to select the institution you wish to learn from. I’m sure we can find a halfway point. If not, we can alternate visiting each other.”

“You wouldn’t feel weird if I showed up in your daily life?”

“You’re a part of my daily life. It would be a perpetual summer. Who wouldn’t wish for that?”

“We’ve just only ever had the summer.”

“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there? I suspect you’ll tire of me when you realize I’m relaxed in the summers.”

“I imagine you wear suits everyday. And your socks, tie, and pocket square all match.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, darling. I don’t wear a tie every day.”

“Oh, there are pictures of  Mycroft in a suit with no tie. Is the top button undone? This is simply scandalous.”

She stretched herself up to kiss him, no hesitation now and fingers brushing through auburn hair. Only the screeched order to Stop being so gross from Sherlock convinced them to pull apart, and Ruth was quite sure he was grinning down at her.

Back when we were still changin' for the better Wanting was enough For me, it was enough To live for the hope of it all

“Are we going to have to chase the two of you from each other's rooms all summer?”

“Mummy, she is my girlfriend. Is it the worst thing if I sleep beside her?”

“You’ll do more than sleep.”

“Yes, Violet, because a bed is the only place teenagers will shag. Never a field or a car or the storeroom at their job. They’re good kids. Leave them be.”

“Siger, this is the third time in a week! Do you want to deal with her mother when we return? She’ll be chasing our boy from her house night after night.”

“Since when does Ruth sleep in her own home? She’s in our guest room most nights. We can feign propriety if it is of such importance and say ‘Oh! I didn’t know he’d snuck into her room’ if for whatever reason Debora learns.”

Ruth was by Mycroft’s side, cheeks pink as she watched his parents. They’d tried to be careful, but she never woke up in time to hurry to her own room. She wanted to tell them her own mother wouldn’t notice anyway, so she should be able to climb into bed with Mycroft. They were talking about flats at Oxford, little ones they would stuff full of books and she’d ensure were always stocked with flowers. She’d made up her mind she’d go there. Mycroft was ready to tell Rudy he was in love, and it didn’t matter what the job entailed; Mycroft could balance it if it meant he’d have Ruth. For once, he was hopeful.

“Both of you, listen to me,” he said firmly, arm around Ruth. “Where do you think she stayed when she visited me at Oxford? This began at Christmas, so I hardly believe it to be a phase. I love her, and upon her graduation, we intend to get a flat near the university. Accept it now, or accept it later. It does not matter to me. This is the reality.”

“You’re following him to Oxford?” Violet seemed to be appraising her now. 

“Yes.”

“You really do love him?”

“Yes.”

“Just don’t make me a grandmother any time soon,” she said finally, obviously acquiescing as her husband followed her to the kitchen again with quiet assurances they’d be fine. Ruth’s cheeks were pink, but she wrapped around Mycroft and kissed him.

“What is that for?”

“You professed your love for me to your parents? You finally put your foot down over something and it's me?”

“I wish to maximize every moment I have you by my side between now and August.”

“I’ll miss you so much.”

“We’ll sort it out. Two terms. Then you’ll follow me to Oxford.” 

“Ruth will leave too?” The soft voice of Sherlock came from the hall, and she pulled away from Mycroft to kneel by him. 

“It’ll be just like the end of summer,” she promised. “It was harder with your brother because he lives with you. But, you usually only see me in the summer, and I’ll still be here for every summer. Who else will help me excavate the garden?”

“Why does everyone go to Oxford?”

“They don’t. But lots of people go to uni, and you will too one day. You’ll get a degree to be a detective or an archaeologist or marine biologist.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

“It’s a whole year away. You’ll be a teenager.”

“I guess that’s an okay time for you to go to Oxford.” He bent to look around her to his brother. “You could do well to learn from her, Mycroft.”

“You need to stop being so rude. He’s getting a degree so he can afford to keep you out of trouble forever and ever, kiddo.”

“I’m never in trouble.” 

“Mhm. Never, ever have I scooped you up before mummy could catch you performing experiments.”

“Shh!”

Ruth simply laughed, moving to stand again, Sherlock’s gaze again fluctuating between bored and curious about the world around him as she moved to sit in the arm chair beside the one Mycroft had settled into with his book. She opened her own, feet tucked under her, reaching towards him and resting her hand on the small table between them. He looked at it before resting his hand in hers.

“I like this,” she said softly. He made a noise of agreement, legs crossed. “I could get used to it.”

“We’ve a whole summer ahead, dear.”

That night found them tangled in bedsheets, not bothering to pretend he was going to be sleeping in the room with Sherlock. He rather liked sleeping by her, and he was grateful she was so content to lay against his side, close enough it was intimate and safe, but not requiring their bodies to be tangled. But she did like to play with his hands, especially in the afterglow. She would trace the lines of his palms or the veins on the back of his hand, watching her own actions in the moonlight. He stopped her tonight, letting his fingers slip between hers. She smile down at him, her hair a curtain as she leaned to press a gentle kiss to his lips. 

“Get some sleep, Ruth.”

“Does anyone ever take care of you, Mycroft?”

“I don’t need to be taken care of.”

“Everyone does. And I’m going to from here on out, okay?”

“I don’t need to be taken care of.”

“How often do you sit in the sun and read for pleasure at Oxford?”

“There isn’t time.”

“I’ll make sure there is when I’m there. You need to give yourself breaks.” He didn’t agree, but instead of arguing, he pulled her to his side, deciding he could tangle himself with her awhile, savoring the closeness. 

“You are too gentle for this world, darling. Please never change.”

[ellie-e-marcovitz]

An Addition to the family

@lifeofkaze I think I needed to kick off the Aftermath of The Darkest Year, before I could finish this one.

A/N: I know this can be a touchy subject for some people, especially in light of recent events in the US. That ruling doesn't exist in this universe.

14 February, 2008

I stared at the plastic stick, jaw slack, just trying to take in the two lines that had appeared, seemingly out of the blue considering how careful we had been as of late.

Why now?

It certainly wasn’t planned for. Between our jobs and work, and what passed as a social life, we were constantly moving. We’d both been so busy, me with classes, Charlie with the reserve, that we barely had time to do more than sleep.

Unless… I dropped the test, hearing it clatter into the sink, as I hurried for last year’s calendar, where it sat innocently waiting next to the most recent issues of Astronomy.

I flipped it open to December, finding both the holiday party for the university, and the week we spent at the Burrow very close together. I groaned.

A week relaxing with the Weasley family and no work, along with feeling like teenagers again and sneaking around was a very potent combination. And we hadn’t been the only ones.

I shook myself at those memories, before turning to the task at hand. I needed a doctor’s appointment of some kind, maybe St. Mungo’s, if I could find someone who would keep their mouth shut until the right moment. Just to absolutely confirm that this was happening.

I glanced at my watch, before grabbing my keys. Charlie was out on the reserve. I also grabbed the test, not wanting him to find it before it could be confirmed, sticking it in my purse.

I hurried to my car, before zipping my way down to Bucharest before classes started. Thankfully, only two for today, one tomorrow morning.

Classes passed smoothly enough, though I suspected the students were wondering if something was up with me. There was something up, though I needed more a concrete confirmation. I parked my car at the flat I rented for those times when getting back to the reserve wasn’t a possibility, along with an address for the muggle post I received.

It saved the post the difficulty of finding me for anything important. I grabbed the post that was sitting there, before changing into something for comfortable.

And portkeying to London.

Thankfully, the time difference between the UK wasn’t great, only two hours, but I still had to keep an eye on it. Mail was more or less bills (all low, I didn’t have much hooked up there), ads (all in Romanian), and… “Eleanor Marcovitz Weasley”

I got up, stuffing my mail back into my bag, so I could read the unusual envelope later. The meeting with the doctor went quickly. He asked a few questions, the answers all lining up with the results of the test taken this morning.

As we finished up, I asked a couple questions of my own, mainly wondering if Dr. Chesterton was still working at the hospital. It seemed to catch the doctor off guard some, as if he hadn’t heard that name in awhile.

Before checking the door briefly. “Dr. Chesterton hasn’t work here since you were discharged, back in ’98, ma’am. He disappeared the day after…”

I nodded, not sure what to think, tuning out his further ramblings, though I thought I heard something about a police box. I hadn’t seen one of those since I was younger.

“You’ll need to complete a blood panel, just be absolutely sure. You’ll be owled your results within the next day, at least. But, for now, congratulations.” Well, that was the closest confirmation for now.

I portkey’d back to Romania, arriving just in time for dinner. Somehow, I managed to find a few pieces of tissue paper, and wrapped the pregnancy test just enough that it wasn’t clear that’s what it was, tying it off with some string.

A pop, and I was back at the reserve, tiny but huge valentines gift in hand. I tried not to hyperventilate as I entered the house, though by Charlie’s concerned expression, I might’ve failed at that.

“You okay?” he asked, dropping a kiss on my cheek. I nodded.

“I think so.” I patted the pocket where my surprise was sitting, sniffing the air. I felt my stomach start to churn. “Erm, dinner almost ready?”

“Just about!” he replied cheerfully. I scrambled for the surprise, pulling it out and thrusting it towards him.

“Think we’re going to be parents…!” I rushed, before hurrying towards the bathroom, leaving him standing there with a dumbstruck expression on his face. I couldn’t blame him. I still felt that way myself.

Five months and a week later, one Imogen Rowan Weasley came screaming into the world.

[tomdiddlyumptious]

Hey! Ive been feeling a bit in the muds so could you do like and old type of fanfic...like a mob!tom on a retro phone just sweet talking the reader?

Only if your requests are open tho. I dont wanna be a burden

Aw baby you could never EVER be a burdon. Dont ever be shy to talk to me because im always here babe.

T.H| What a Sweetheart

Summary: 👺👺👺

Warnings: ah just some fluff- i went overboard i hope your okay with that-

A/n: I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER- HERE ILL POST A WEIRD VIDEO FOR YOU

There you sat. The baby pink everywhere as you laid on your stomach rocking your feet and reading a book, sucking on your lolipop

Ring Ring, Ring Ring

A smile and a giggle brought to your lips, sitting up and crawling to the old pink retro phone you answered, curling the wire around your fingers with the other hand holding the pop.

“Hey babyface” “hi tommy” he also laid there, in the darkness as he starred at the empty wall, shirtless and pantless, just in his boxers and in his socks rubbing his stomach and wanting to listen to your voice.

“I missed you” you laughed at his words “i missed ya to tommy” “i miss your voice...that pretty face of yours” “well i cant come see you, daddy stays at home now and he needs my help” “i dont need your help princess” you giggled at his joke “not youuuu, my real daddy”

“Mhmm princess, well what are you wearing?” You looked down at yourself then squealed “well i just got this fuzzy pink robe! Its so cute!” He chuckles and shifted in his spot. “Are you tired dollface?” Your lips go to the side for a moment, thinking before speaking.

“Kind of” “well, can i talk you to sleep” he desperately asked, biting his lip waiting for an answer. “Yeah let me go turn off the lights” you muttered, putting the phone down before getting up and walking to your door to switch the light off.

When you came back to your large bed you cleaned everything up and tom waited patiently, humming some songs to himself before you came back.

“Alright, what dya’ got for me” you asked, laying down on your side and holding onto the phone. “I just wanted to praise you bunny. Tell you how beautiful you are and how much i love you. How you speak and walk....your just everything for me ya know?”

“Really?” You said, your voice shrinking. “Of course baby, you deserve the whole wide world, do you know that? I feel like you should just sit on a cloud because your too good for this earth”

You sighed “thank you, but whats going on with you?” He bit his lip before answering, sitting up against the headboard “uhm, this job has been so stressful lately, i havent seen my family at all. I havent seen you- i just feel alone...”

“Oh...well i can ask my daddy to drop me off” you suggested. “No you dont have to, i only wanted to hear that sweet sweet voice” he chuckled, his head hanging low as he thought about what to buy you next.

“Im still listening!” You perked up making him laugh “i know you are princess, just lay down yeah? All ears for me?” “Got it tommy” “you ready?” “Mhm”

“I wanna buy you everything and more because your such a good girl for me, i wanna pleasure you in any and every way possible because you deserve it” “really? Give me some examples” “i dont know....rub your feet?” You both shared a small laugh “i know youve been wanting that fox fur coat..”

“I would fucking kill for that coat” “your daddy hasnt bought it for you yet?” He asked, a smirk on his face. “No, i havent asked at all” “whys that baby girl?”

You sighed before answering “because hes been so hard on me...hes getting old and-“ “you dont have to finish baby i know, i just wish we could all get together and be happy” “why cant we?” You asked rather innocently.

“Well...your daddy doesnt like my dad, and my dad doesnt like yours so we just continue to clash and fued” he wiped his eye. “Thats no fun, maybe i can talk to him” “what are you gonna say? That we are in love together and we wanna get married?” He sarcastically chuckled and your eyebrows furrowed.

“Well do you?” You asked. “Yeah doll...i do. Why dont we just run away and kill everyone in our path”

He didnt know why he was suggesting it. He in one of the biggest mobs and hes held responsible as one of the main people in the family, aside from you and yours. He really isnt the one for violence but he just wants at least a break of peace.

“Daddy wouldn’t like that” you shook your head. “I know, i just really miss you pretty girl” “i miss you to tom- thats why i wanna see you-“ “no itll just put you in danger! Stay home y/n” “what if i dont want to!”

“Then you cant come here. Im sorry!” “I dont care, bye-“ “wait-“ before he could finish you hung up the phone, dropping it back on its place before getting up and putting on your slippers and walking to the kitchen, finding your father eating.

“Daddy no carbs!” “Honey its 9 o’clock, give me a break” he glared at you, eating the piece of buttered bread. “Well i have a questionnnn” you distanced off, the slippers making a noise while you walked to the counter where your father was at. “Hm?” He groaned looking at you. “Dont get mad at me! Promise!” You said, holding up your hand and tilting your head at him.

“Spit it out y/n” “okay okay- can you pretty please talk to the hollands-“ he choked on the piece of bread “daddy!” You run up to him, aggressively patting his back. “Okay okay- im done! But you said what?” He looked at you with his eyebrows furrowed.

“The....hollands” you muttered looking away from him. “We have been against each othet for generations! And what makes you want to speak and collaborate with them” “daddy...theres this-“ “oh fuck off! Please dont tell me-“ you only nodded. “A white man?” “Daddy!” “What? Im being honest!”

“Whens the next meeting!” You asked. “In a week”

This is your first time ever coming to one of the meetings, and you were afraid. Your mob color is a dark brown so you wore it...daddy refused to let you wear anything too revealing because these men are dirty.

“Cover yourself!” “What are you talking about!” “Y/n.” “Finnneeee!” You stomped back to your room and your dad gifted you a tuxedo, so you wore it...

“Seeeeee you look great! Your grandfather would be so proud of you” news flash. All the women in the family ran away or whatever, they didnt know what they were getting their sleves into.

“Can we just leave”

Clank clank clank clank

You walked behind your dad and his close partners followed behind you, protecting you from toms family.

“You do not speak. You hear me y/n. Just sit down and listen” “yeah” you were nervous, ver nervous. So when you stepped in and seen absolutely no women at the tables you panicked. But when you made eye contact with tom you almost shit yourself.

He eyed you from afar, wondering why you were here. Why are you putting yourself in danger.

As everyone talked you sat there bored until someone made a comment about you. “Why is she here? Shes a beaut” he snickers, others laughing to.

Your dad stood “talk about my daughter again and i will kill you, understood?” He snapped, shrinking the man down to size. “Honey get out of here” he smiled at you and you stood, one of his friends pat coming with you outside.

“Why did you come here?” He asked, offering a cigarette but you declined. “I just wanted to see what its like” “no dont lie to me dollface, i know you were eyeing that boy” you side eyed him before groaning “is it obvious!” He laughed and took out his lighter.

“Very” “i dont like him” “well he likes you” he took a puff and put the lighter back in his front pocket. “How can you tell” you leaned up against the wall and crossed your arms. “He was only looking at you” he smiled, you smacked your lips. “You have em wrapped on your finger, you should take advantage of that”

“Well i dont wanna hurt people like you!” You whisper yelled. “Its business baby, has been for years” he shrugged. “Well maybe i can change it” “eh, it’s possible” he shrugged “but it aint easy”

You both heard the door get pushed open aggressively and turned around, seeing tom walking up to you. “Woah woah woah, slow your roll” pat said, stepping infront of you. “Can i just talk to her- give me like 20 minutes” “why should i do that” pat dropped the cigarette and stepped on it.

“Because i want to talk to her- if i dont make it back it twenty minutes i swear ill give you everything i have” “i dont want anything, y/n do you wanna go” pat looked back at you. You harshly swallowed before nodding your head, pat stepped aside and tom smiled, pulling your hand and tugging you to run with him.

“Baby” he said out of breath, both of you ran to the trunk of his car. “Y-yes tommy?” “I got you a gift” “what is it!” You perked up and he giggled “something youll never forget” he pulled out his key and opened the trunk, a large gift box with a pink bow on it. “Do you love me y/n?” He asked, looking at you.

“Yeah...i really do” you smiled and bit your lip nodding. “Open it” he muttered, you nervously took the bow out, slowly opening the top of the box “tommy i dont know...” “dont be scared! Open it!!” He edged you on.

Suddenly it started to sprinkle, soon turning into some heavy rain. “Y/n hurry up before you get a cold!” He said sternly and you did, a gasp left your lips as you raised the coat. “You bought it for me” you whispered and he nodded, he took the coat to put it on you, when you were finished your pressed your lips on his roughly, his hands hooking behind your knees to lift you up and put yout legs around his hips.

“I. Love. You. So. Much” you said between kisses. “I know princess, just know id kill for you if i had to” “i would too tommy, i would too” he smiled and pressed his forehead against yours, the rain coming down making your hair frizzy but he could care less, he loved you. “I wish we could be like this forever” you whispered against his lips before kissing him again. “We can baby, I promise” “how tommy?” You rubbed your nose against his “running away” “tommy i cant, you know this-“ “but arent you tired doll, it would just be me and you” he muttered, pinching your legs some.

You bit your lip before pressing a kiss on his lips. “Okay” “really?!” He smiled “yeah yeah lets go!” He carefully dropped you and slammed the trunk closed, he unlocked the car and you both hopped in, on the road you both go.

“I dont have any clothes!” “I can buy you everything you want and more princess, dont worry. Andddd letters. You always write your father some letters pretty girl” he smiled at you.

“Love you” “love you too”

[pinoyrella]

“A Love So Beautiful” Chapter 5

Chapter 5: “Miyagi Prefectural Qualifiers”

FT: Tsukishima Kei, Yamaguchi Tadashi, Hinata Shoyo, Kageyama Tobio, Yachi Hitoka, Karasuno Volleyball Team + Karasuno High School + Shiratorizawa.

TW: Mild Language, Minor Injury/Bleeding, Nishinoya makes 1 NSFW Joke

Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Angst, Coming of Age + Slow Burn 

- This chapter contains fluff, angst and drama.

WORD COUNT: 9,900+

Read it in parts:

- Part 1

- Part 2

- Part 3

“A LOVE SO BEAUTIFUL” Masterlist 🌸

A/N: AAHHHH early chapter release?!?!? i missed u guys so much!!! i hope u enjoy the new chapter! i’m so sorry it’s so long, i split it in different parts just incase you’d like to read it in that way!! another update, i’ve spent the past week working on this chapter, so chapter 6 will be delayed, im so sorry! i’d hate to leave it at cliffhangers, but this lil spice is okay hehehe🙈! love you! thank you so much💖!!    

The sound of the bus’ engine stops as the team members inside disperse from it.

“All Right! Get your things and head straight to the gym for a meeting!” Coach Ukai announces, waking the volleyball players up. “Right…” The team lets out a lazy reply.

As they begin to make their way to the gym, Kageyama gives Hinata a side glance. “You totally drooled, gross.” “My drool isn’t gross!” Hinata snaps immediately.

“Congrats!!!” You yell, causing the attention of the team to turn to you. You run making your way to the group, finding and tackling Tsukishima into a hug first. The blonde nearly loses his balance before you pull away. You turn to face the rest of the team, sharing high fives and hugs. “You guys were incredible!” You let out happily. You turn to look at Tsukishima before the sound of a voice yells from above.

“Hey! Boys’ Volleyball Team!” Those below look up to the other classmates.

“That was amazing!” “Good job!” “Congrats!” “Well done!” “We’re going to cheer you on tomorrow!” “You better win!” “Do your best!” The classmates above yell.

The team looks up in awe, and you turn to give Tsukishima a side glance. A small but visible smile is seen, and you can’t help but smile with him at this sweet and tender moment shared between the school and the team.

-

“Yachi!!!” You call to your friend as she gathers her belongings. “I can’t believe the team is heading to the final finals! I wonder how they’re feeling.”

As Yachi zips her backpack, she looks to you smiling. “Right? I’m sure they’re feeling just as nervous and excited!”

The two of you begin your stroll out of the clubroom, making the corner passing the gym. “Will you be coming to the match tomorrow?” She asks looking to the ground before turning her view to you. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, I want to be there for your guys’ big game, I feel so bad for not being able to go to the one today” You give a soft sigh. “Awh don’t worry about it, we know you were with us in spirit!” She reassures you as you walk by the gym doors, the two of you notice the sounds of rustling, before looking to notice the lights on.

“Huh? They couldn’t be…” Yachi lets out before peeking her head in first. “I knew it.” She lets out a sigh as you peak your head in after.

“Ah! Yachi-san!” Hinata calls after turning to her. You peak your head in afterwards, watching as Kageyama rolls the cart of volleyballs to the middle blocker.

“Y/n, you’re here too.” Kageyama turns and watches as you lean against the entrance.

“Could you two throw us some balls?” Hinata asks enthusiastically. Yachi makes her way in, passing you. “What? You guys had two matches today, so you should just go home and rest up!” She scolds.

You give a soft laugh, walking in after her, standing by her side before joining. “She’s right, you guys are going to use up all your energy before the big game.”

Hinata pouts looking between you two. “But if I went home right now, I’d be too worked up to sleep! So, please!” “Please!” Kageyama joins in.

Yachi looks to you before letting out a sigh, shaking her head. 

You both enter and set your backpacks down, grabbing the ball from the cart, then turning to face the two boys.

Hinata takes a deep breath, positioning himself before letting out “Throw it, please!”

You prepare to launch the ball “Okay!” you toss the ball just above Kageyama’s head, as he sets it to him. Hinata raises his right arm as he jumps, hitting it perfectly, the sound of the ball hitting the gym floor echoing throughout the gym.

“YEAH!” The two cheer in sync, you and Yachi watch in awe, clapping your hands together.

“Give me one more please!” Hinata asks as he gets back in position before Yachi throws another ball. Kageyama and Hinata continue to go at it, not missing a single one and getting every hit in.

For what felt like only a few minutes, turned to be half an hour. The two of you dip your hand into the cart, only to realize it’s now empty. The sound of someone stepping into the gym causes the four of you to turn your attention towards the entrance.

“What are you doing?” A soft voice asks.

“Ah- Sh-Shimizu-senpai!” Yachi lets out surprised.

You watch her as she looks to the opposite side of the net, noticing the volleyballs scattered across the floor before letting out a sigh, turning to face the two boys.

“Resting properly is another important part of preparing for matches, you know.”

“S-sorry!” The two boys apologise, hanging their heads in embarrassment as you turn to Yachi, the two of you exchanging an ‘I told you so’ look before giggling. “Come on. That’s enough. Let’s clean up!” Yachi speaks to the two.

Hinata lets out a whine. “What?” “Nope! Come on, hurry up!” She makes her way behind him before pushing him towards the other side of the volleyball net.

Kageyama looks at you before you give back a stare. “What? You want me to push you to the other side too?” You tease. Kageyama lets out a small blush before nodding his head relentlessly. You give a soft giggle before repeating the action to him as well.

Kiyoko watches the interaction from afar, as the two boys begin to bicker.

“We got in trouble because of you.” “You wanted to practice, too, didn’t you?”

You make your way with Yachi to your senior. “We’re sorry for helping them practice!” You both let out before bowing.

Kiyoko shakes her head before reassuring a “No, it’s fine.” She looks at you both. “Actually, thank you both for practicing with them. Y/n, Hitoka-chan, it’s already dark, so do you want me to go to the bus stop with you?” “S-sure-!”

Before you can reply, the presence of a tall silhouette lurks behind you before pulling you close. “I’ll drop her home.” You look up to notice Tsukishima looking to your senior before bowing. “Tsukki- You’re still here?”

Kageyama turns his attention to you two, before letting out a grumble.

Kiyoko lets out a confused nod, wondering where he had come from, before turning her attention back to the two boys. “When you both are done, you need to go straight home.” She states before turning her eyes back to Tsukishima “And make sure Y/n-chan gets home safely.” 

“Yes!” The two let out as you watch Yachi and Kiyoko make their way out of the gym.

-

As you were about to make your way out with Tsukishima, you hear Kageyama call out to you. 

“Y/n!” You turn and find him standing in front of you, Tsukishima giving a glare. “I’ll take you home too-” “Ah, don’t you have some cleaning up to do, king?” Tsukishima immediately retorts. 

You look between the two before letting out. “It’s okay Tobio! Tsukki and I live right next to each other!” You smile and Tsukishima lets out an internal sigh of relief. “Although-” He sucks the internal sigh of relief back in. 

You turn to face Tsukki, giving him a certain puppy eye look he knows all too well. “We could wait for you guys to finish up!”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes as you both wait for the two to finish.

-

You walk in besides Tsukishima, your two other friends in front of you, as you make your way off campus. Stopping right above the hill to take a look down at the small suburban view.

“I wonder how the Little Giant felt that day before the finals…” Hinata begins, you, Tsukishima and Kageyama turn your head to him. “I’m super nervous, but…” The boy takes a deep breath, you watch as his eyes sparkle underneath the lamp post before turning to look to you three. “Isn’t it even more exciting now?!”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. And you smile at him before turning your head to Kageyama, he slowly raises his left arm, holding his fist out to the other boy. “We’re going to win tomorrow.” He states as the boy raises his fist, bumping it with his. “Yeah!”

The four of you part ways, now you and Tsukishima making your way home.

-

“Tsukki?” “Hmm” You stop in your tracks, looking up to the sky. Tsukishima looks to you.

“Are you excited for tomorrow?” He looks at you bewildered by your random question. “Or, are you nervous?” You look to him. 

Tsukishima stares before looking to the sky. Letting out a sigh “Why would I be?” “Kei!” You whine and he turns his gaze to you, letting out an internal chuckle before continuing. 

“Well, considering we’ll be up against the top powerhouse school in Miyagi, with a guy who’s in the youth’s national team, also being known for his merciless spikes“ he looks down to you. “Maybe” He brings his pointer finger up to flick your forehead, proceeding his pace as you run after him. You huff, flinching back a bit before running after him. “Tsukki!”

-

As you make your way to the front gate of your house, you turn to face your long-time best friend.

“Thank you again for making sure I got home safely!” You thank. “We literally live right next to each other.” He bluntly responds. “Still!” You huff, missing the low chuckle he lets out.

The two of you share a moment of silence as you gaze into each other’s eyes. Tsukishima can’t help but stare at your features under the lamp post, watching as your eyes glisten underneath the illuminating light. ‘Have your eyes always shined like that?’

You look back up to him in confusion, before noticing his hand rising up to your face. You still, a bit shocked and confused as he brings his left palm to your cheek before squeezing it.

“Night pipsqueak” He lets go as you whine, your grip tightening to the straps of your backpack.

You watch as he makes his way past his gate before running to him.

“Tsukki!” He stops and turns to you. “Make sure to get a lot of rest! I’ll be there to cheer you on tomorrow!” You give a soft smile. ‘“And… I believe in you.” You look up to him, your smile spreading wider before jumping into him, giving him a soft hug.

Tsukishima takes a step back, flustered by the sudden action before bringing an arm around, lightly holding you as he brings his face closer to your head, mumbling a “Thanks” into your hair before you let go. 

“Night-Night Tsukki!” You wave to him as you make your way past your gates and inside. 

Tsukishima stares at the front door you had entered before making his way into the comfort of his home. Settling his bag down and slipping into his house slippers, he makes his way upstairs to his room before shutting the door behind him, and leaning against it. He brings his palm up to his face, feeling how heated it was, before bringing the same palm to his chest, trying to catch the rapid beating of his heart. Oh fuck.

-

Greetings.

The sound of an alarm rings throughout the small room.

Tsukishima lets out a low groan, turning to his side to snooze the alarm, before sitting up and grabbing his glasses placed beside it, reading ‘08:00’ on his alarm.

Checking his phone, he immediately notices a notification, swiping his phone and he is taken back to the Karasuno Volleyball Club’s groupchat.

-

[KAWWWW-rasuno VB Bois 😎🏐]

Yesterday

17:16 p.m

Sawamura D. : “Tanaka did you lock up the gym?”

17:16 p.m

Tanaka R. : “OH SHIT M BAD”

17:18 p.m

Nishinoya Y. : “BWAHAAHAH RYUU”

17:19 p.m

Ennoshita C. : “You’re joking, tell me you’re joking”

17:19 p.m

Tanaka R. : “IM GOING- IM GOING BACK”

17:35 p.m

Tanaka R. : “I forgot the keys, going back again”

17: 53 p.m

Tanaka R. : “It’s locked already?”

17:56 p.m

Kiyoko S. : “Oh, Tanaka I’m sorry I just saw the messages. Hinata and Kageyama locked up the other night.”

17:58 p.m

Nishinoya Y. : “Kiyoko-san 👉🏼👈🏼🥺”

Read ✓✓✓

8 NEW MESSAGES

Today

07:42 a.m

Sawamura D. : “Good morning team, don’t forget to meet up in front of the school by 8:45”

07:43 a.m

Nuisance 1 : “DAICHI-SAN IM SO EXCITED!!! I’LL BE THERE 8:30!!!”

07:45 a.m

Nishinoya Y. : “OI HINATA THAT’S THE SPIRIT”

07:46 a.m

Nuisance 1: “NOYA-SAN!!!!!”

07:50 a.m

Sawamura D. : “ENOUGH. OTHERS ARE STILL TRYING TO SLEEP”

7:52 a.m

Azumane A. : “it’s a little too late for that…”

07:58 a.m

Sugawara K. : “listen to the captain!! n e wayz see u all in a jiffy!”

07:59 a.m

King Nuisance 2: “jiffy?”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes, exiting the group chat before heading to check his other messages.

1 NEW MESSAGE

Today

08:00 a.m

Yams: “Tsukki! Don’t forget to bring your sports glasses! See u soon!”

Tsukishima takes a mental note of what his friend sent him, replying with a ‘thx’ before exiting, and checking the last notification. It’s from you. 

5 NEW MESSAGES

Today

02:23 a.m

Y/n: “KEI!!! I know ur probably asleep right now but, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to wake up the same time as u guys.. So I hope you’ll see this message when u wake up!”

02:25 a.m

Y/n: “I hope you sleep well tonight and get a bunch of rest, you’re going to do incredible! There’s no other person who I know that can block as great as you!!!”

02:26 a.m

Y/n: “You can do it, you will do it! You’re gonna BWOOSH BAM WAPOW that big guy Ushi-something’s spikes!! I’ll be cheering you on tomorrow, don’t forget! Okay goodnight now love u!!!!”

02:27 a.m

Y/n: “ 🥺💓💖💕💘💗💞💓💘💕💓💕💓💘💖💕💓💘💗💞💕💘💓💘💖💗💞🗿💖💘💓💕💗💞“

02:28 a.m

Y/n: “AHHH I didn’t mean to send the Moai emoji please pretend it’s a heart ToT”

Tsukishima can’t help but allow a smile to creep past him, fortunately for him he was alone, in the comfort of his room.

07:07 a.m

Tsukki💞: “Thanks, see u later nerd.”

Tsukishima writes before hopping out of bed, heading straight to the bathroom.

-

“Oh? Tsukki!” Yamaguchi calls, the heads of the Karasuno volleyball team members turning as Tsukishima makes his way past the school gates, exhausted.

“TSUKISHIMA!!!!” Calls, waving his arms to his fellow middle blocker. “SHUT UP HINATA” Kageyama yells. Daichi immediately breaks up the duo, giving a deathly glare as the second years chuckle. “Sorry…” The two mumble before Yamaguchi and Yachi approach the tall blonde.

“Please place your bags in the compartment below Tsukishima-kun.” Yachi instructs, receiving a tired nod from the boy.

“Good morning kids” The group turn their heads to see as their Coach and Advisor make their way out of the school building, with a folder of documents in hand, along with a first aid kit.

“Alright, I know we’re all tired, so rest up as much as you can on the drive.” He starts before looking at the captain. Daichi nods before giving Tanaka, Noya, Hinata and Kageyama a side glare. The four immediately gulp as the team begins to board the bus.

-

The bus makes a stop as the boys inside begin to dissemble. Kiyoko and Yachi help clear the bottom cart of the bus, unloading the baggage.

“The drive didn’t seem too bad” Asahi yawns before hopping off the bus. The sound of a crow crying waking him up.

“All right, let’s go everyone!” Sugawara pushes. “Yeah” The team lets out as they begin to walk towards the entrance of the building.

Daichi stays behind as he exchanges a conversation with three of his fellow female classmates from the girl’s volleyball team.

-

“Thanks again for giving me a ride to the game Aki-nii! I didn’t know you’d be back in town so soon, did you come just to watch Tsukki’s game?” You jump out of his car as you turn to meet him on the other side.

“Shhh Y/n-chan! He doesn’t know I’m here… Well, let alone he didn’t want me to come” He adjusts his hat and sunglasses. “And it’s no problem!” He gives a thumbs up before you let out a soft laugh. “You go ahead, I’m going to wait before going in, just in case he arrived the same time as we did” You nod before waving and running off.

-

“Wow” Tanaka lets out “So this is the finals… There’re so many people.” Nishinoya turns to his brethren before reassuring him. “Ryuu, this is no time to be scared!”

The man turns immediately to him “I’m not scared!”

Nishinoya closes his eyes before looking down, placing a firm hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Listen, Ryuu. Picture this.” His gaze rises “The finals… Our opponents are Shiratorizawa. What do you think is going to happen when we play to a crowd this big?

Tanaka eyes him, confused “What’s going to happen?” Just as he questions, the sounds of girls chattering passes the two, he immediately jumps up.

Nishinoya dives, chest facing down as he extends his arms to save the ball from dropping to the floor. HUP

Tanaka jumps, higher above the net before spiking, not giving the opposite team a chance to react. BAM

The crowd of Shiratorizawa girls go wild, “AH NISHINOYA-KUN! TANAKA-KUN! YOU’RE AMAZING” They cheer excitedly.

The two let out a sexy and husky chuckle.

”Nishinoya-kun, Tanaka-kun” An angelic voice calls out, making the two turn their heads to meet miss Kiyoko Shimizu.

”D-do your best out there…” She quietly wishes before covering her face with her hands.

The two boys join hands, giving each other a look of great determination.

“Noya-san, I’m gonna do this! I’m gonna become a hero after this match!” Tanaka promises his friend, giving a snarky smile. “I’m not gonna lose, Ryuu!” Nishinoya replies, reciprocating the same snarky smile. “RWWWAAAAAAAAUURRRGHHHHH” The two growl, causing the attention of people around to judge.

Ennoshita watches besides Narita and Kinoshita unamused before his friend speaks “They seem more hyped up than usual…”

“Guts! Guts! Guts! Guts!” They scream before Ennoshita cuts them off. “Hey, you’re embarrassing us, stop screaming!” He scolds.

“I’m glad those guys never change…” Narita lets out a small laugh as the two continue their screaming.

“Guts! Guts! Guts! Guts!” The team turns their head to watch as their mates continue to scream before Daichi comes back, obviously unamused. Just before Hinata was going to join in,  “SHUT UP, YOU TWO!” The captain yells. Yamaguchi lets out a chuckle as Tsukishima lets out a sigh. “As expected…”

“Come on, let’s go!” “YEAH!”

As the team makes their way into the gym, Hinata is stopped by his two old middle school friend’s, exchanging a quick conversation before splitting and catching up to his team, before getting into yet another quarrel with Kageyama.

“Why, you!” The sound of Kageyama growling causes Tsukishima to turn and give a look of annoyance between the two.

“Hey! Stop it, you two!” Daichi scolds. “You’re wasting energy before the finals? Are you guys completely stupid?” Tsukishima butts in bluntly, watching as Kageyama continually tries to strangle Hinata.

Yamaguchi lets out a look of embarrassment as he turns to notice the gaze from others in the hallway. “Well, we might immediately lose anyways…” Tsukishima scoffs before reaching into his bag.

“Yams!!” Yamaguchi turns to notice you running your way up to him, noticing him immediately. “Y/n!” Yamaguchi greets happily. Tsukishima looks up to see your running figure as he zips his bag shut. 

Yachi’s attention turns to you before greeting you, along with the rest of the team. “Y/n! You made it!” “Yachi I told you I’d come!” You whine before taking her hands. The sound of a strap snapping causes your gaze to turn to Tsukishima, who is adjusting his sport’s glasses.

“Good grief. Come on, let’s go” The captain lets out, finally stopping the two from their escapades.

You walk in between Kiyoko and Yachi along with the team.

“All right. As soon as we put our stuff away, we’re going to warm up!” Daichi states as his team lets out a “YEP!” in sync.

“Y/n, this is where we’re going to split up for a little bit, I’ll join you up by the bleachers once official starts!” Yachi informs you and you give a small smile. “It’s no worries!” You turn to notice Tsukishima’s eyes on you, immediately looking away before making eye contact.

You turn to face the team, wishing them a good luck before making your way to Tsukishima.

“Tsukki! Remember, I’ll be cheering for you!” You give a bright smile before heading off.

The boy stands there flustered, obviously trying so hard to hide his reaction before his senior calls. “Tsukki~” Sugawara teases, ruffling the top of his head. Nishinoya and Tanaka join in on the teasing as Yamaguchi lets out a snicker.

“Alright let's go!” Daichi orders. “Let’s go!”

-

You make your way up the bleachers, finding a seat as you watch the boys practice. Getting up to watch, you rest on the railing before Kageyama looks to find you, giving you a wave. You smile giving him a wave back before finding Tsukishima in the audience.

Just as you were to call out to him, you feel a heavy weight shove you. You let out a yelp as you shut your eyes from the impact. The feeling of liquid trickling down your clothes before squeaking out an apology.

-

Kageyama watches the spilled “accident” before immediately making his way off court.

“Oi! Kageyama where are you going?!” Daichi calls, Kageyama ignoring him as he leaves through the doors.

Tsukishima turns his head to watch as the setter runs out, then looking up to find you and Manami in the audience, this doesn’t look good. His eyes widened slightly in shock, as he was about to run out to assist you- his senior calls for him. He looks between you and his senior before assisting his senior instead.

-

“I-I’m so sorry!” You yelp, feeling liquid triple down your now wet attire. You open your eyes to meet the harsh glare of Manami. “Oops, my bad.” She replies antagonistically before walking off with Watabe.

You stand there bewildered, looking down and letting out a sigh. You make your way from the bleachers to the bathroom, hoping you can dry and spare this day from being completely ruined with your soaked blouse.

-

Standing in front of the mirror, you let out a sigh of frustration and you aggressively press the layer of napkins to your blouse, trying to dry it, but it doesn’t seem to be working as much as you hoped it would.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, you toss the napkin away before making your way out, only to bump into Kageyama.

Kageyama stands in front of you, “Are you okay?” He asks quietly before you let out a small “yeah”. He takes his hand, bringing it closer to you. Looking, you watch as he is offering you his spare jersey to wear. “Oh! Kageyama it’s okay, really I-” “Please take it, you could get sick.” He states before you nod, taking it from his hands and thanking him.

Realization hits before you run behind him, beginning to push him. “Go back! You’re missing valuable time to practice, don’t worry about me!” He turns to face you, giving your head a pat before smiling slyly. He waves to you before running off, leaving you.

You quickly change from your blouse, tucking the useless piece of clothing into your little bag. You look up into the mirror and realize just how big it looks on you, draping nearly past your thighs. Zipping your bag up, you immediately make your way out of the bathroom to the bleachers.

-

“KAGEYAMA!” Hinata yells as the setter makes his way back into the court. “Kageyama-kun, are you alright?” Kiyoko asks before he nods. Explaining to her how he had watched as someone spilled their drink on you, only leaving to help you briefly. From this Yamaguchi and Tsukishima hear, they look back up to the bleachers to still find you gone. 

The two share a brief moment of silence looking at each other. Tsukishima is about to run out, before the coach calls for him. 

“Tsukishima-kun! Don’t think about leaving. Everyone get ready to line-up” He calls before Tsukishima nods, following his orders.

He looks back up to the bleachers, worried and wanting to give you his spare jersey to change into, thinking of how sitting through an entire game in wet clothes is bound to get you sick.

Yachi bids her team a ‘good luck’ before making her way off court.

-

You make your way back to the railing, just in time to meet the booming voice of your school’s Vice Principal. 

“Listen up, everyone!” He yells, you stop and turn your attention to him. “We need to cheer as loud as we can so our cheers’ becomes the players’ strength!” You let out a “right!” along with the other students, surprised by his behavior. “The vice-principal sure seems worked up about this.” You hear your classmate say to his friend besides you. “Was he always like that?” His friend replies as you let out a low chuckle.

“Go, go, Karasuno! Push it, push it, Karasuno!” The Vice Principal cheers, clapping the two cones in his hands together. The school repeats the cheer, but incredibly off sync. Causing the Vice Principal to let out another scold. “We just practiced this yesterday!” You watch as you homeroom teacher makes her way to calm him down.

“A-are they gonna be okay?” You hear the voice of another man besides you, turning to find a tall man besides another who you deemed familiar. ‘Yamaguchi’s mentor!’ You remember before turning your attention to hear a familiar voice whispering.

“I’m not anyone suspicious!” You watch as Akiteru is being pulled by gorgeous blonde baddie, making her way to the three of you by the railing. “I saw this suspicious guy wandering around!” You turn to look at the ‘suspicious man’, remembering the hat, sunglasses and face mask he was preparing when you two hopped out of his car. “He ran when he saw me, so I caught him!” ‘That is very suspicious’ you admit to yourself as she meets up to the three of you. “He could be a Shiratorizawa spy!”

And at that, you can’t help but laugh. “What?!” Shimada questions and you watch Akiteru trying to explain himself. “W-wait! I’m a relative!” He removes his sunglasses and mask, continuing his alibi. “I’m Tsukishima Kei’s older brother!” He proudly says.

“Tsukishima-kun’s older brother?!” The two men reply in shock.

“SHHHH! SHHHH! He told me not to come to the match.” You look down and notice Tsukishima glaring up to the stands, obviously aware of his older brother’s presence. You watch as Akiteru ducks under the railing, before looking down and giving him a wave. He waves back slowly before turning his focus back on his coach.

“Those two are nothing alike, especially their personalities.” The tall blonde man says to the shorter blonde woman. 

Your snickering causes the attention of the four adults to turn to you. “Huh?” You watch as the woman approaches you. “You’re so cute!” She lets out before looking down to notice your jersey. The other three adults following her gaze. 

Their eyes widen in shock, especially Akiteru’s. “Are you here for Tobio-kun?!” She asks, obviously loving the cute idea of wearing your significant other’s jersey to his game.

Akiteru watches you, awaiting your answer. Wondering if it’s true, confused on how the last time he had visited it felt so obvious you felt something for his younger brother.

“N-no that’s not it! He’s one of my friends, he offered me his spare jersey not too long ago because of an accident.” You reply, not noticing the sigh of relief Akiteru lets out.

“Awh, that would have been so cute” She replies disappointedly, resting her arm on the railing.

“I’m Saeko, Tanaka’s older sister, you can call me Saeko-nee” She winks and you are left flustered, exchanging a greeting back. “These two over there are Shimada and Takinoue” She points to the other two men, you share a greeting with them as well.

“And this one over here” She points to Akiteru. “Suspicious man” She laughs and you notice Akiteru fume again. “I told you I’m not suspicious, tell her Y/n-chan!” “Y/n-chan?” The women turns back to you. “Oh? Do you know him? Blink twice if you don’t” She jokes.

“Y-yes I do, don't worry! We actually came together. We’re neighbors!” You assure her and she lets out an ‘ah’ before you hear the familiar sound of your friend.

“Y/n-chan!” “Yachi!” She meets beside you, greeting the other four adults before her gaze falls onto your clothing.

“I-is that Kageyama’s?!” She asks flustered and you nod, explaining the same thing you have told the other four adults, not wanting her to think you had anything romantic going on with one of your friends.

The sound of a whistle blown causes everyone’s attention to turn to the court, you watch as the game begins, the team’s lining up on both ends as the reporter announces the teams. “We will now begin the Japanese National High School Volleyball Tournament, Miyagi’s Prefecture Qualifiers, Boy’s Finals.”

You watch in anticipation, feeling your heart race with excitement.

“Miyagi’s Karasuno High School. Miyagi’s Shiratorizawa Academy.”

You yell out a cheer with the crowd, watching both captains exchange a hand shake.

“Wow there's a bunch of TV crews” Saeko lets out.

“We will now introduce Karasuno High School’s starting line-up.” The speakers announce, turning everyone’s attention back to Karasuno’s side of the court. “Number 1, Sawamura Daichi. Number 3, Azumane Asahi. Number 5, Tanaka Ryuunosuke.” “RYUU!!!” Saeko cheers besides you. “Number 9, Kageyama Tobio. Number 10, Hinata Shoyo.” You let out a cheer for your two friends, before the last player is announced. “Number 11, Tsukishima Kei” With his name said, you let out an even louder cheer, with Akiteru, watching as he jogs across the court to meet his team.

Afterwards, the reporter announces Shiratorizawa’s line-up. You shake with Yachi in intimidation, watching the very tall boys jog across the court one by one.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please cheer on both teams and wish them the best.”

You let out a sigh before turning to the five people besides you. “Oh geez, I’m starting to feel nervous.” 

Let the games begin.

-

The crowd goes wild as Shiratorizawa takes the lead, you stand restless besides Akiteru and Yachi, watching as Tsukishima stands by the net.

“At the very least” Akiteru starts, you turn your attention to him first. “Kei is the exact opposite from the kind of player that moves based on sensations.” The other two blonde girls turn to him, in question. “He doesn’t believe in his own strength. And he doesn’t trust the senses he’s built up.” He says bluntly, Saeko seeing the resemblance now of the two brothers. “How could you say that? You’re his older brother!” She scolds lightly. “I’m complimenting him!” He responds back. 

You turn your attention back to Tsukishima on the court. “He’s right.” The three now turning their attention to you. “You see, the more Tsukki feels let down, the calmer he gets.” Their gaze turns back to Tsukishima on court. “He only believes the information that his eyes can see.”

You watch as Ushijima prepares for his spike, Tsukishima jumping right on time, only to be sent back down due to the harsh force coming from the opposite hitter.

The buzzer goes off and the teams take their time. You watch as Ennoshita wraps Tsukishima’s fingers, feeling a bit worried for the pain but believing in him.

-

The first set is completed by Shiratorizawa, you continue to watch restlessly as the second begins.

You notice half way through that a very tall red-haired man seems to be razzing Tsukishima, watching the glare he gives him from the other side of the court.

Just then, as the red-haired man was about to hit a time-lag attack, Tsukishima blocks the ball immediately, sending it flying on their side of the court.

You cheer alongside with the gym. “TSUKKI!!!!!”

Tsukishima had left the other boy agitated, bowing and giving him a passive aggressive smile. “You piss me off!” You hear the red-haired boy yell.

You watch as Ushijima continues to spike, Tsukishima and Hinata’s attempts to block not working, for the ball keeps making contact with their hands, but only to pass and fall on their end.

-

“They got the point again!” You hear Takinoeu cry before turning your head to Yachi’s voice.

“Is there something wrong?” You watch her ask Akiteru, his hand to his chin. “I was just thinking Kei was acting a bit strange… I might just be imagining it.”

Yachi turns her head back to the court. “His eyes seem much more lively than usual!” She cheers as you smile at her reply, before looking back down. You feel Akiteru lean closer to your ear. “Does Kei actually have friends at school besides you and Tadashi?” You give a soft laugh before giving him a look of amusement.

-

You turn your focus back on the court, watching as a weirdly cut-banged kid sets to Ushijima once again.

Kneeling a little too off the railing, you watch in anticipation, noticing Tsukishima’s focus on him.

Tsukishima’s eyes are focused solely on the ball, jumping in sync with Asahi just as Ushijima’s about to hit, you notice his arms turn at an acute angle.

Your eyes widen at the sight of the contact, his palms holding against the ball perfectly. The sound of the ball hitting the floor echoes throughout the court, and you are left there in shock. It had landed on Shiratorizawa’s side.

You feel yourself tear up as the whole venue goes quiet. Being the first to yell in excitement. “KEI!” You cry, watching as he glances towards his palms, before facing you. You both share a brief moment looking at each other, the sound of the quiet venue making it feel as you two were the only ones there, like time has stopped. His widened eyes look up to you, giving a small smile before clenching his palm. “He stopped Ushiwaka?!” The sound of everyone's cheers comes back, and you watch Tsukishima.

‘It was only one block. It was only a point out of 25. It’s just a club.’ The memories in his mind take him back to three visions.

-

The first vision; of his older brother, who he had looked up too, curled into a ball as he sobs into his bedroom floor.

“Kei, I’m so sorry!” He cries, not noticing his little brother watching him from the cracked door leading to his room. Missing the single tear dripping past his cheek. “Pathetic.” He whispers to himself before walking away to his room.

The second vision; of his conversation with Bokuto, Kuroo and Akaashi back during training camp.

“But once that moment arrives for you. That’s the moment you’ll be hooked on volleyball!” Bokuto explains to him, Kuroo beside with a smirk. “Now come help us practice!”

The final vision; is of you.

Tsukishima looks down at you, watching as you give him multiple reassurances before bidding a goodnight. He watches as you excitedly ramble, giving a soft smile before looking up at him.

“And… I believe in you!” He remembers the smile on your face spreading, before tackling him into the warmest hug he has ever felt.

-

Bringing his palm up, clenching it before bringing it back down once again. “YEEAAAH!!!” He cheers.

You bring your palms up, covering half of your face as you let tears flow down.

The members on his team cheer for him, proud and happy for their teammate stopping one of the most brutal spikers in the entire Miyagi Prefecture.

“Tsukishima!” Tanaka and Nishinoya yell before jumping onto him from behind.

You laugh, watching the two aggressively congratulate him. ‘Did Nishinoya just bite him?’

“I think Kei might have been waiting this whole time for the timing for Shiratorizawa’s tosses to skew.” Akiteru says.

You, Yachi and Saeko turn to him, before Saeko lets out a chilled sigh. “Eh? I can’t believe he thought that far ahead.” She lets out as she as the four of you focus your attention back onto the court.

“Tsukki is very smart” You begin. “I believe he is always thinking about volleyball, as well as other things.” “As obstinate as always” Akiteru jokes. You giggle before adding, “it’s just at that moment, I feel as if the only thing on his mind was stopping that block.” Resting against the cold railing. “Purely just… like he was solving a difficult question on a test.” You bring a palm to place under your chin before smiling softly. “I believe in him.” 

Akiteru watches your gaze on his younger brother, letting a small smile make his way to his face. “Yeah.”

Karasuno takes the set, Hinata making his way to his fellow middle blocker. 

“Tsukishima! That point was worth 100 points!” He gives a bright smile, before the blonde replies giving a sadistic smirk. “Thanks” Hinata is taken back, about to jump the man before Tanaka holds him back. “Calm down, Hinata! I’m sure he meant it as, ‘If you’re a middle blocker, you try it too.’”

-

The score between both teams continues to rise, one after the other. The sets evening out between the two, but Karasuno was able to take the last set.

The crowd cheers as the final set begins, if Karasuno is able to get this set, they’re to win.

You watch, your attention dedicated fully to Tsukishima as he prepares to launch himself up again, to block another spike.

You were fooled, you had followed the red-haired boy, Tendo, thinking he was going to hit the ball, until Ushijima rounds the corner, Tsukishima catching on immediately.

Just then, Tsukishima jumps, stopping the ball, only for it to hit the line on Shiratorizawa’s side by just a little bit, having it overruled.

You listen to Saeko sigh in frustration at Shimada, but bringing your focus towards the court, noticing something off about Tsukishima, but not noticing the other Tsukishima had left your side.

-

Coach Ukai has his head down in frustration, as Kageyama stares at Tsukishima on the court.

“Um…” The coach immediately looks to Kageyama. “There’s something wrong with his hand.”

Coach Ukai and Takeda-Sensei, along with Kiyoko immediately make their way to the court.

Tsukishima holds his palm, watching blood drip from the cut between his fingers. “Fuck.” He let’s out a pained grunt.

The opposite team hurdles on the other side of the net, watching the commotion as Tsukishima gets swarmed by his team.

“It must have been Ushiwaka’s spike.” Coach Ukai. “Narita!” He calls to sub, as he instructs Kiyoko to retrieve the first aid kit.

‘God damn it, at a time like this...’ Tsukishima stares at the injury before looking to the scoreboard. ‘Thankfully it was just my pinky, if I can just endure the pain- How long does it take for the bleeding to stop?’ He looks back down to a sudden sting, Kiyoko wraps the towel around his hand, applying pressure. ‘If we just tape it up so it’ll be stiff…’ His brain thinks in complete frustration. ‘The next rotation will have Hinata on the front line…’ 

“Kiyoko, get him to the infirmary” Coach Ukai instructs. ‘I need to figure out something by then…’ Tsukishima begins walking off court with Kiyoko, before looking to Hinata.

“You’d better buy me some time!” Hinata bites back. “By the time you get back, we’ll already be bound for nationals!” Tsukishima walks off as Hinata finishes, the feeling of his sensory receptors making him finally feel the absolute pain in his palm. He grips his hand tightly, bringing his head down.

-

Watching as Tsukishima and Kiyoko walk out, you hand your bag to Yachi before leaving to go to him.

-

Tsukishima sits in the infirmary, Kiyoko waiting as the nurse tends to aid.

“Kei!” Akiteru walks in, immediately heading towards his brother.

“Nii-chan? Why are you here? Though I’ve already knew.” “I came here to see my little brother fight bravely of course!” He looks down to the wrapped injury. “It doesn’t look like you’re going to die from that, that’s a relief” He sighs. “What do you mean die?” Tsukishima looks away from his older brother. “Even if I’m alive, I’m being pretty useless when it matters the most” He scoffs.

His brother gives him a scowl as he stands up straight. “My teammates will win, even if I leave them alone!” Tsukishima looks up in shock at his brother. “You have to believe in that.” He crosses his arms as his gaze softens. “And, you have to believe in yourself.”

He looks down, thinking of someone who had said something similar, something about believing in him. His mind goes to you.

The nurse walks in, Kiyoko leaving to give an update to the team on his injury and Akiteru aiding to go fetch a water bottle for his brother from the vending machine.

Just as the nurse finishes cleaning, and wrapping the injury, you run in through the door, exhausted, this entire building was a complete maze, getting lost is as simple as that. “Tsukki!” Your voice calling to him immediately lifts his head, turning his attention to you, feeling glad you came to check on him-

He notices the number on the jersey you’re wearing.

“Kei! Oh my god, are you okay?” You run to him, immediately kneeling and eyeing his injury. Reaching out carefully as you hold his arm. “It must be so painful, I’m so sorry. I anything I wish I could take and endure your pain for you.” He can’t help but stare at the jersey on you. You sigh, worried before looking up, meeting eyes with him. He immediately looks away, scoffing.

You sit beside him on the examination bed.

The silence feels a bit more tense than the usual comfortable silence you’re used to with him, you look down fiddling with your fingers, understanding the frustration he must be feeling, getting an injury so late into the game, just as they were about to win too.

“You were pretty incredible out there.” You begin, your gaze stuck to the floor, “That was so cool, when you jumped super high and your hands went WOOSH! And then you angled yourself so fast, I didn’t even think he was going to hit the ball, I thought that other guy was going to-” Tsukishima stays silent, cancelling out your rambling in his mind.

Countless thoughts racing through his head, why are you wearing Kageyama’s jersey? Did he really think he was finally going to have a chance with you? Even after all these years? Why Kageyama and not him? He’s known you longer, he’s been with you longer. Did he make a mistake? Did he really allow himself, even after all these years, to open up to someone? Why did it have to be you? Why is he feeling this way? Could it be just the adrenaline rushing through him, the stress from what would happen to his team? But his older brother told him to believe in them, to believe in himself. You told him you believed in him. You told him you liked him. But why is Kageyama in the picture?

Tsukishima stiffens up, completely frustrated and pissed. He feels he can explode any second, and he doesn’t know why. What is this feeling?

“You know” Tsukishima’s mind finally stops, the sound of your voice catching his attention. He knows he’s about to explode. “I always believed in you.” His gaze immediately turns to you. You turn to look at him, your eyes widening from the unfamiliar look Tsukishima is giving you. His gaze, filled with something so malice, so frightening, you have never seen Tsukishima give this look to anyone, not in your 11 years of knowing the boy.

“You know” He repeats your phrase. “You’re pretty fucking annoying.”

You sit there, absolutely flabbergasted by his demeanor.

“Tsukki-”

“Even after all these years, you think I’d be used to you by now.” You continue to stare at him in disbelief. This isn’t real, right? “All you do is whine and yap, especially about ‘Oh Tsukki, I like you so much!’.” He mocks as you shut your gaping mouth. “It gets pretty infuriating.” You look back down, staring at your shoes, clenching Kageyama’s jersey as your eyes begin to water. “You were embarrassing” You look back up to him, your eyes soaking. He wasn’t even looking at you. “I can’t believe you cheered when no one else was. How humiliating.” ‘For you? Or for me?’ He refers to earlier, when he blocked Ushijima’s spike, causing the entire venue to go silent, as you were the first to cheer for his accomplishment. “Pathetic.” He finishes with a scoff.

You immediately stand as Tsukishima’s realization hits him, he turns to you in shock, watching as your lip quivers as tears stain the eyes he had deemed stunning just the other night. 

You try to reply, but can’t, instead letting our quiet sobs.

“Tsu- Tsukk… Kei…” You begin. He listens, waiting for whatever you want to say.

Yell at him, hit him, go off on him. He hopes you do to himself, feeling guilt in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t mean what he said, he really didn’t. You didn’t deserve such degradation, especially when you made time for him, just to watch him play. Just to cheer him on, to be there for him.

‘Pathetic.’ Echoes through your mind. You shut your mouth once again, not wanting to annoy him with your ‘whining’ or ‘yapping’ or anything. You turn to look up at him once more, tears spilling from your eyes rapidly, like a never ending flowing river.

He looks into your eyes, the pain from seeing you cry stinging much, much more than the cut between his fingers, or anything he has ever felt.

You bring your arm up to wipe the tears from your face, though, it was pretty useless since your tears wouldn’t stop. You hear the sound of chattering coming down the hall, you look to him once more before giving him a look he has never seen you give anyone. The look of heartbreak.

You run out of the room, unfortunately bumping right into one of the people you had heard talking, Akiteru.

You notice Yamaguchi, Yachi and Kiyoko by his side, their chattering completely stopping, before looking at you in absolute worry.

You use Kageyama’s jersey to wipe your eyes before thanking Yachi and taking the bag you had asked her to watch, wrapping it around you.

You look to Akiteru. “A-Aki-nii, I’m going to g-go home now.” You look back to the floor, avoiding any eye contact with the four in front of you, trying to make your way past them, Yamaguchi uses himself to block you from leaving.

“Y/n, what’s wrong?” Yamaguchi asks in deep worry, bringing his hand up to lightly touch your shoulder, before you shrug him off. Yachi and Kiyoko share a look before Yachi calls to you. “Y/n?” You continue to look down, feeling tears stain your vision once again. “N-nothing.” You try to make you way past Yamaguchi but this time Akiteru blocks you.

“I’ll take you home Y/n-chan.” You look up to him, seeing the resemblance between the two, only reminding you of the harsh words the younger Tsukishima had said to you.

“N-no, it’s okay” “How will you get home?” He questions, regardless he is not letting you go home, not in your current state.

“I’ll take the bus.” “Okay, I’ll take the bus with you” He retorts. You give a fake laugh, before seeing an opening, you book it.

“H-Hey!” “Y/N!” The four call out to you, but you were quick to make it out of the venue.

Running by a bench, you sit, taking a breather. The mean words Tsukishima had told you, the horrifying look he gave you. You begin to sob, pulling your legs closer to you on the bench.

-

Just as the four were going to chase after you, the nurse had come back out with Tsukishima, confused with the worried expression on their faces. The nurse lets out a smile thinking of how wonderful it must be to have friends who care about you so much. But what they didn’t know, it wasn’t Tsukishima’s injury they were worried about.

Kiyoko, Akiteru, Yachi and Yamaguchi thank the nurse, before the five make their way back to the venue. There's an awkward and tense silence, Tsukishima can feel the glare his older brother is giving him from his back. Yamaguchi itched to know what happened, wanting to ask his friend, but choosing not to. Not now at least.

They make it back to the game, and it continues.

-

You pull your phone out, hoping you could ask for your parents to pick you up. As you were about to press ‘call’, you look up and notice a bakery right across the street.

Dropping your phone back into your bag, you make your way across the street and into the bakery.

The little ring of the doorbell somehow brings you back to a calming state, the air in the bakery smelling sweet and calming. You make your way to eye the beautifully displayed deserts in the glass cases, pulling your wallet out, you notice one of the cakes. A perfectly cut slice of strawberry shortcake, the frosting covering the top, the layers visible with vanilla filling inside, and a cute strawberry placed just at the top, finishing the look of the iconic desert, the desert Tsukishima loves so much.

You are taken out of your trance by an older lady greeting you from across the counter. You greet her and ask for a slice of the strawberry shortcake, her heart of gold noticing your state, she offers it to you for free with a drink. You decline, offering to pay but she doesn’t allow. 

You thank her dearly, before making your way back to the bench you had just sat at.

Placing your bag down, you begin to dig into the cake, remembering the time you got Tsukishima upset. The memory of you buying him his favorite food as a peace offering before planning to apologize, only to find him on his couch with a heavy fever.

‘He didn’t deserve the cake.’ You think to yourself. You didn’t upset him as much as he upsetted you now, where’s your apology cake? You stab the spoon into the desert, ravaging it in one go before his harsh words hit you once again.

‘Oh Tsukki, I like you so much’ His mocking voice repeats throughout your head. Feeling your tears swell up again. “If you don’t want me to like you anymore, then fine!” You huff, taking the carton of milk and drinking it in one swig.

Pulling out your phone, you notice the amount of missed calls and text messages coming from Akiteru and Yachi.

5 MISSED CALLS FROM “College Nerd🤓” and 7 MISSED CALLS FROM “Yachi-bear🐻”

3 NEW MESSAGES

Today

14:03 p.m

College Nerd🤓: “Hey, I know you might still be around somewhere, please come back to the venue.”

14:05 p.m

College Nerd🤓: “Let me drive you home, your parents would kill me”

14:06 p.m 

College Nerd🤓: “I won’t leave the venue until you come back >:(( “

You sigh, taking the time to think. The rationalized idea of you running off and just going home after Tsukishima’s words was silly. It’d be a hassle to call your parents to pick you up, and either way you had gone with Akiteru, and he lives next door. You should wait until the game finishes, at least cheer and watch your friends, it’s their big game too.

You reply back with an “Okay” before tossing out the package that the cake was once in.

You scroll, checking the other messages from Yachi.

3 NEW MESSAGES

Today

14:01 p.m

Yachi-bear🐻: “Y/n, where are you?”

14:02 p.m

Yachi-bear🐻: “Please don’t go home alone!”

14:05 p.m

Yachi-bear🐻: “Y/n? Just know I’m here for you, please call me when you can. Love you!”

You feel guilty for worrying your friends. Standing from your seat, you wrap the bag around you before heading back to the venue.

-

You make your way through the crowd of people in the bleachers, deciding to watch just from afar, but your presence doesn’t go unnoticed by Yachi. Yachi beams running to you, she was about to ask if you were okay but decides not to. Grabbing your wrist, she pulls you towards the railing, as you guys had been watching from before.

“Y/n- look at the scoreboard!” You turn your head, seeing as Karasuno was in the lead. ‘One more point…’ Your eyes widen, turning to Yachi in excitement.

Looking back to the court, you notice Tsukishima is back in-game. You shrug, Yachi noticing your change of mood, calling to you.

“Y/n! Look! Hinata and Kageyama are going to do their quick!” You find the two boys, watching as Kageyama tosses a perfect set, Hinata jumping high in the air, his arm extended, looking very focused.

The two of you hold your breaths, before Hinata attacks. The ball spirals down from his spike, as Shiratorizawa’s libero tries to prevent it from touching the floor. He doesn’t miss it, but the ball goes flying off court, landing. Karasuno had defeated Shiratorizawa.

You take a step back before cheering, clasping your hands with Yachi before turning your attention back to the court. The screams from your side of the bleachers, intensifies more than Shiratorizawa’s. You watch as Shiratorizawa fall in defeat, while Karasuno huddles, jumping in glee.

You look to Yachi, hugging her before turning your attention back down, watching as Kageyama and Nishinoya drag Hinata to line up, you giggle at the funny interaction.

The line up begins, and the teams share their thanks before leaving.

-

Tsukishima stands above the sink in the boys’ restroom. The water running as his glasses are to the side.

“Tsukki the awards ceremony is about to start!” Yamaguchi’s excitement booms as he opens the restroom door calling to his friend. He watches as Tsukishima aggressively splashes his face. “What’s wrong?” He asks in concern by the doorway. He gets no response, he’s had enough, especially from seeing the tears that had fell from your face earlier. 

“It’s Y/n isn’t it?” Tsukishima tenses, letting out a sigh of frustration and guilt. “Talk about annoying-” “NO!” Tsukishima looks back to his friend in shock, as Yamaguchi takes a big breath.

“You have no right at all to be the one upset here!” He enters the bathroom, shutting the entrance. “Look, I don’t know exactly what the hell happened, but I know it has to be you that’s at fault. Y/n came all this way to cheer you on, to support you, and yet, something just had to happen.” 

He sends a glare to his friend. “She was fine earlier, she was up in the stands cheering her heart out, but after leaving the infirmary, which you were in, it’s like her mood had gone from 100 to 0!” He looks down. “I have never seen her that hurt before” He admits before looking up. “What’s wrong with you?” He asks, irritated. 

“Are you stupid?!” He yells tot he blonde. “Stupid-” “Whatever!” Yamaguchi turns his back to his friend, proceeding to walk out. “This isn’t the time to be down, we’re going to nationals.” He says, letting the door shut behind him, leaving his friend to dry up.

-

The ceremony begins, Karasuno lined-up as medals are given to them. You watch in awe, the expression on Hinata and Kageyama’s face absolutely adorable. You look at Yamaguchi, feeling very proud for them. You want to feel happy for them, all of them, but you can’t find yourself to look at Tsukishima.

-

Just as the event ends, you run down the bleachers with Yachi, congratulating the team. Throwing yourself to each member, you share a tear and heartful ‘great job’ to each individual, while completely ignoring Tsukishima.

“Y/n!” Nishinoya screams, running over to you with Tanaka, before jumping on you. “Noya-senpai!” You cry as you fall, letting out a giggle as he helps you up. You don’t notice the stares until Sugawara makes his way over.

“Oh-hoho? Y/n-chan~” “Sugawara-senpai!” You greet. “Nice jersey, where’d you get that from?” You look down and notice the jersey adorned with Kageyama’s number. Turning your head to find an excuse, you look to Kageyama, who looks away, completely flustered.

“Y’ALL FU-” “NISHINOYA” Daichi immediately slaps Nishinoya, stopping him from making such an inappropriate joke. You can’t help but let out an uncontrollable snort, causing Tsukishima’s attention to turn to you from afar.

Seeing his team huddle around you, Kageyama to your side as he watches the light in your eyes beam again, listening to the happiness coming from your laugh.

He looks away, letting out a depressing sigh before walking off.

-

“Aki-nii?!” You call out, noticing the man standing right outside the entrance of the venue.

He sees you, immediately engulfing you in a hug. “Oh thank god you’re okay!” You laugh as he pats your head in relief.

“Ah, Tsukishima-kun, that’s your brother?” Asahi asks as he loads his luggage back onto the bus.

Tsukishima turns, feeling jealousy burn in him again, seeing his brother so close to you. 

“Aki-nii stop!” You whine. “This is so embarrassing I’m not 5 anymore.” He stops before pulling away, giving you a warm, caring and brotherly smile. “Let’s go home, yeah?” You nod.

-

“You wanna get Mcdonald’s with me?” He asks as he’s already pulling into the Mcdonald’s drive thru. Laughing, you ask him why he’s asking, he’s literally the one driving.

“You know when I came back home around spring, I remember asking Kei if he wanted to get Mcdonald's with me, only for him to yell at me-” He notices as you stiffen up in your seat to the sound of Kei’s name.

Akiteru feeling guilty, hands you a pikachu shaped happy meal box. “That’s yours” You eye the box, thinking of just how adorable it is. “Kei would think this looks stupid.” You let out a low laugh before thanking him. The two of you are finally heading home.

-

Tsukishima finally arrives home. Slipping into his house slippers, he immediately heads to his room. Shutting the door behind him, he drops his bag before slipping down to his knees. Shutting his eyes for a second, trying to ground himself before he opens his eyes again to get up.

He immediately notices a figure sitting at his desk, moving his eyes, he makes eye-contact with his older brother, who looks at him with a glare.

“Speak.”

Tsukishima is in for it.

-

You lay in your bed, your phone besides you. You had already told Yachi and Yamaguchi of what happened, as well as Hinata and Kageyama after much debate.

You turn to your side, looking out your window to his as tears begin to spill from your eyes once more.

Curling up into your blankets as you cry yourself to sleep, the last thought in your mind;

“If you really want, I’ll stop liking you.”

A/N 2: AAAAHHHH i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! thank you so much for reading. im so sorry again for the unfortunate news for chapter 6. i need to really think it through! in the meantime, ill see you guys next chapter! 💖 

TAGLIST: @cvlliesstuff​ , @strawberries-en-cream​ , @beanst0ck​ , @kimiiiiiiiiii​, @lucyheartfilias-wife , @lanatheawesome

PLEASE LEMME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS (OR IN ASKS) IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE TAGLIST!!!

“A LOVE SO BEAUTIFUL” Masterlist 🌸

[tngrace]

Prompt "is that my shirt"

Ah I love this prompt. Thank you nonnie ❤ also I'm apparently still not over this moment in 2.02 so have another version of Carlos waiting on TK 😍

Send requests from this list. Completed prompts- links to a masterlist for this little series. Everything requested is already listed and I will add links to it as I post them.

It was nearing five in the afternoon, and TK had been on shift for the last twenty hours. The calls had been non-stop and he was exhausted. Carlos had been off for the last eight, having gotten off at five in the morning and had sent TK a few text here and there. He'd crashed as soon as he was home but had gotten up a little after lunch trying to stay up until TK was home.

TK had told him not to worry about it, to get some rest, but Carlos wanted their days off to line up as much as possible and that included sleep schedules. TK honestly found it adorable that his boyfriend would go through all that for him, and he honestly couldn't wait to be home curled up in bed with him.

Before he could get fully comfortable to try and sleep the rest of shift away, the alarms blared once more and they all raced to the truck with a groan. They were being dispatched to a multi-vehicle accident, and TK just prayed they were off shift on time. He let Carlos know about the call and that he'd text him when he could before he pocketed his phone.

Carlos had done some house work while trying to keep himself awake until TK was home. He'd had a little nap and some coffee so he'd been able to stay awake. He loved doing these little things for TK to let TK know how loved he was. Plus Carlos always loved seeing how happy it made TK when Carlos made him feel important and special.

He'd just settled in on the couch with Netflix knowing, as long as the car accident wasn't too complicated, TK would be home within the hour. He'd turned the scanner on to see if he could keep tabs on how it was going, wanting to have a hot bath ready for TK when he got there. It was sounding like a rough one, but Carlos just hoped they would be done on time knowing how exhausted TK was.

It took three hours to pull people out of trapped vehicles, put out small fires, and make sure the vehicles were cleared from the roadway. TK had lost a driver on the call and he was too exhausted and emotionally drained from the long shift to actually process it. He'd done all he could to stabilize the woman until medical could get there, but in the end it hadn't been enough.

Thankfully by the time they were back to the station, next shift was in, and they were free to go. TK headed straight to the showers more or less ignoring everyone in the hopes of getting clean and getting out of there. They were worried about him, and how he was handling things, especially Judd, knowing how TK usually took each loss personally. Judd fired off a quick text to Carlos to let him know what had happened.

TK took his time in the shower, letting the tears flow quietly over the loss. He knew deep down he'd done everything he could, the damage to the woman being too much, but he still felt like he failed. He scrubbed and scrubbed until his skin was raw, but he felt clean. He tried to process enough to shove the emotions away in a box in his mind to deal with later, but that wasn't really how TK worked and he knew it even though he still tried. He was exhausted in every sense of the word.

He got out of the shower and dried off, before reaching for clothes out of his duffle without paying attention. Judd walked by ruffling his hair and TK gave him a tired slight smile. "Go home. Rest. Talk to Carlos," Judd said in a soft voice. "Call if you need anything," Judd calls out before getting in the showers himself. TK called out a quiet promise that he would as he got dressed. He gathered up all his stuff and sent Carlos a text that he was headed home and then left.

Carlos read Judd's text and let out a soft sigh. He knew TK would take it hard, and he always hated how hard TK was on himself afterwards. But Carlos would be there to remind him it wasn't his fault and he'd done all he could. He knew TK would've showered after a rough call like that, so he forewent then bath idea and decided to just shower TK with his love.

He went upstairs and put the big fluffy blankets on the bed knowing TK likes the comfort big blankets provide after a rough day. He made sure the curtains were drawn, even over the balcony doors. He turned a lamp on low so they'd still be able to see. Then he went back down the steps to wait. He'd thought about waiting on the couch, but decided the stairs would be fine and he would be in TK's direct line of sight.

He didn't have to wait long before he heard the keys in the door. He could tell how exhausted his boyfriend was by the way he was carrying himself. TK quietly dropped his bag right inside the door, and he when he saw Carlos waiting, Carlos could see him starting to break.

He opened his arms immediately as TK climbed the two steps and all but collapsed into his arms. "You're ok," Carlos whispers as TK clings to him. TK holds on tight not saying anything. Carlos just holds him for the longest before he gently eases TK up.

"Come on cariño," he whispers wrapping his arm around TK leading him up to their room. "Put your favorite blankets on the bed and got it ready for us to sleep."

TK just nods as he rests his head on Carlos's shoulder letting Carlos take his weight. Carlos knows how big these moments are that TK let's himself be this vulnerable with him, and each time it happens, he falls more in love with him.

Once in their room, Carlos turns TK to face him so he can help him strip to get comfy for bed. He can't stop the smile creeping on his lips as he takes in his boyfriend. He knows he shouldn't be smiling like this when TK is hurting, but he can't help it.

"What?" TK asks him when he sees the goofy grin.

"Sorry," Carlos says chuckling softly as he runs a hand down his face. "Is that my shirt?" He asks TK as he finally helps him strip.

TK looks down confused at Carlos's question. He takes in the faded blue APD shirt and can't stop the smile from creeping onto his face. "Yea I guess it is," he says with a soft chuckle. "I grabbed my clothes last night in a hurry and didn't pay attention. Maybe I just like wearing your clothes," he teases.

Carlos gets him stripped down and they crawl into bed, TK koalaing around him. "I don't mind. Maybe I like how you look in them," he smiles kissing TK's forehead. TK gives him a ghost of a smile as he snuggles in closer. He knows he needs to talk to Carlos about today or it will just fester in his mind, but for right now he's comfortable, safe and exhausted and he let's himself fall fast asleep.

[rq-s]

Title: Lucid Dreams - Chapter 1

Word Count: 2680

Warnings: Mingyu is featured heavily in the first few chapters and is directly involved in significant plot events. Due to recent events, I understand if reading these chapters may make you uncomfortable, but be aware that you’d be missing core story elements by skipping them. (Details)

Lucid Dreams Masterlist

Prologue | 

It was an hour after dawn, the streets were busy with students and workers on their commute. Yn gazed out of her apartment window, forlornly missing when she would do that. Why wasn’t I doing that? I should still be in college, worrying about scores and my social life.

She was still slowly waking up, with unfocused eyes and bad balance, as she sat at her desk. She shifted in her chair and faced her journal again, with two blank pages staring up at her.

It started as a school project, but it turned into a habit that Yn kept through her youth.

Yn stood and left it open without having written anything, frustrated with herself. If she had dreamt last night, it was long gone from her mind, and she had nothing else to write. There were more days like this lately. Update-less, absent days.

Eventually, Yn left the apartment complex with her phone and wallet and walked the familiar path. For weeks she had been going on walks around town, and she’d always somehow pass by the same peculiar store. She found herself lingering there, wanting to go in just to have her questions answered, but something within herself always stopped her. Online searches turned up very little. Just some patents, an under construction website, a local news article, and a few social media postings by previous customers. Everything she found only made her more curious.

The town seemed quiet, though it wasn’t ever busy. It made the journey to Dream Store a peaceful one, even as Yn's nervousness began to bubble.

She arrived a few hours before noon, the sunlight warm and shining brightly past the cartoonish and fluffy clouds. The well-tended potted plants, power washed sidewalk, and neon sign all had a strangely comforting feeling to them that welcomed her. Even the grey layered siding was sweet, despite how it clashed with the surrounding architecture. Yn stood on the sidewalk, facing the front patio, and hardened her resolve. Today would be her first time seeing what it was like inside; she refused to put it off anymore.

Yn approached the door in quick strides and read the print on the window before entering. “Dream Store | keeping hold of our hearts.”

Her breathing went still as soon as she pulled the door open. It was more spacious inside than the exterior led on, having a pastel pallet and being well lit. It felt like the door way was more then just the entrance to a business.

The first thing to see was the bar. A fairly long one, taking up most of the far wall, yet was still tucked in the corner. From the left wall towards the center were eight different taps, and on a counter behind the bar were two large blenders, a sink, and a small ice cream station with five flavors.  A small Bluetooth speaker on the end of the counter was playing instrumental lo-fi, and somehow the air itself felt light and bubbly against her skin. On the wall above the bar was a large LED menu with what appeared to all be beverages in narrow-necked glass bottles. On the little space that was left against the far wall was a freezer, decorated in stickers and notes. So it’s a juice bar? The tweets just mentioned ice cream. There was a hallway by the fridge, presumably leading to bathrooms and the staff area. In front of that and against the right wall were wood tables and chairs with mismatched cushions. There were similar tables meant for two on the left side, with what seemed to be medium sized square lockers, and two vending machines full of those same bottled drinks from the LED screen. It all felt surreal, it was too perfect.

“Excuse me?” Yn’s attention was brought back to reality by the voice of man, one she hadn’t even seen standing behind the bar until that moment. His fingers were intertwined and rested gently on the bar while he leaned forward, as if he’d been calling her for a while. Once he saw he had her attention, he stood upright and smiled sincerely.

“Welcome to our Dream Store!” It was as if the entire scenario was a prank, he was an actor and this business was a set. Everything was still and quiet, with nothing and nobody in existence but this store and the two of them.

Finally, Yn approached the bar.

Instead of a name tag, the name Mingyu was sewn onto the collar of his white dress shirt. He was very tall, and his uniform was clearly tailored for to fit him perfectly. His smile was kind and courteous as he spoke to her.

“Is this your first time here?” He asked gently, but with no less energy in his voice than before. Yn nodded.

“Gotcha, let’s find you a table then.” He chirped, and walked around from behind the bar, grabbing a physical menu from somewhere behind the register. “Do you like to sit by the window, or in the corner?”

“Anywhere that lets me see the exits, please.” She answered softly. Mingyu didn’t seem phased by her request and tapped his chin in thought while looking around. Only then did Yn notice one of the benches by the hallway was taken, where two teenage girls were fast asleep. It wasn’t uncommon to see college kids or overworked employees taking powernaps at cafés, but seeing them sleeping so peacefully while hunched over the table was something Yn found odd. Are those pillows matching the seat cushions?

Mingyu decided to seat her at one of the tables for two, the one closest to the taps on the bar. She could observe the whole store there, and had a clear view of the front door and the hallway, while sitting snugly in the corner by the vending machines. Yn sat down carefully as Mingyu set the menus in front of her. Sitting down brought her attention up, making her notice the peculiar ceiling with exposed beams, cords, pipes, and ducts, all painted white to match the ceiling itself. Something about the unconventional look of it was comforting for Yn, as if the establishment itself was being laid bare for her.

“First, thank you for coming in, we really appreciate your interest,” He smiled awkwardly for a moment before continuing, “I’m going to get someone from the back to watch the register for me, feel free to look at that menu in the meantime.” Mingyu lowered his head a tiny bit then swiftly headed down the hallway.

Thank you for visiting our Dream Store! All the staff here are proud of our beverages, passionate about our purpose, and excited to give you a safe, enjoyable experience when you spend time with us. We believe that we offer your community something special, not only with our drinks, but with our potential to give each visitor a unique and individualized experience.

Mingyu came back before she could read further, with another tall young man behind him, who promptly went behind the counter and washed his hands after smiling in acknowledgment to her. He seemed familiar, but she didn’t know why or how. Mingyu sat himself across from her with a sigh, feeling very nervous and struggling to act like he wasn’t.

“Alright, sorry about that. Did you get a chance to look at the menu?”

“Only the first paragraph.”

“Okay cool, the way the menu explains it is kind of weird, so it’s better that I do it.” Yn only grew more confused. She watched as Mingyu glanced over towards the other man, she wanted to look back to see what was going on, but didn’t. Instead, Yn watched as Mingyu squinted, shook his head in confusion, and then silently gasped in realization, all within a few moments. Mingyu swallowed and nodded to himself before redirecting his focus back to her.

“Is it alright if I know your name?”

“Uh, sure? It’s Yn.” He nodded formally and put on awkward smile.

“It's nice to meet you, I’m Mingyu. Like I said, thanks for coming in today.” He failed to fight the cringe on his own face and hurried past it.

“Essentially, we can offer you different kinds of drinks: juices, sodas, and smoothies. They’re all made by us, with our recipes, and you can either have them made for here or to go, or even from the coolers right here.” He leaned over and patted the cooler that had a variety of colored drinks in sturdy glass bottles.

“Why do you need to explain that to me?” She asked without thinking, having already picked up on the fact that this was a place that sold beverages. It was a selling point that they concoct them themselves, and that they can do all this seemingly without a big brand to fund them, but she doubted that it required introduction to every new customer. Yn heard the man behind the register chuckle, then try to hide it with a cough.

“I was getting there.” He stammered, his face flushing a soft red.

“If you’d like to have something here, there’s the option to make it a sleep aid. We call it a Sleepy. With those, we prepare the drink as we usually would, but instead of the liquid sugar we usually use, we use a mix of liquid sugar and drowsiness medicine. We’ve been able to use that in a low volume but effective dose to allow our customers to have a refreshing drink, followed by a recharging nap.” Yn watched him cringe again as he tried his best to explain it without making it sound as bizarre as it was. He continued as soon as she tried to comment, eager to get it the introduction over with.

“You don’t need to worry though! When a visitor picks one of our sleepy drinks, we give them a key to their corresponding table, and that key opens one of those lockers. You can put your things there beforehand so you know they’re safe while you sleep. We have cameras in here and outside, and there’s always at least one member of staff on duty who's trained to handle altercations of any kind, and all of us are trained in first aid and emergency procedures like CPR.” There was another chuckle from behind her, and he didn’t even try to hide it this time. Mingyu glared at him, and this gave Yn her opening to speak.

“So you take safety seriously, that’s good…” She was at a loss of what to say, having been bombarded with information, all of it outside of what she’d expected. She wasn't sure what the odds were leaning toward: him having a scripted yet speedy and thorough defense to any worries or questions she’d have, or that he’d flounder as soon as she asked for details.

“Of course we do. We know it’s a risk to just take a nap at a café. Especially one run but a bunch of young adult guys. But we’re trying something new that no one else in the world is doing, and we really believe in it.” Mingyu’s sudden sentiment was sincere, and his nervousness looked more like vulnerability now. Something compelled her to trust him. Maybe what he was saying about having something completely unique wasn’t true, Yn had no clue, but it might as well be for a town like theirs.

“You’ll notice that we have 13 distinct drink options available right now, each one named after a member of the staff.” Mingyu  opened the menu and flipped a few pages till Yn could see depictions of each of the drinks. They were colorful, and beautifully presented on the pages, with descriptions of each one. He stopped on a page of cool toned drinks.

“Let’s say you come in and decide to order a Sleepy Mingyu, that’s this one,” He pointed to the deep purple iced drink and tapped its picture fondly. “It’ll come in a medium glass bottle, with a straw and napkin of course, along with a locker key that corresponds to whatever table you pick. While we’re making it, you can put your stuff in the locker, and inside the locker will be a small pillow, but you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. We switch the covers after every use and wash all of them each night, so don’t worry about that either. You can decide to keep the key with you, or give it to whoever’s at the register for safekeeping.” He began to ramble again, wracking his brain to make sure he mentioned everything Yn could possibly need to know while to keep himself from growing too embarrassed. She sat there patiently, listening as he helped her understand. He seemed to grow more uneasy with each word.

“You’ll probably want to wait at your table till the drink is done, it usually takes less than five minutes. We’ll bring it to you.”

Mingyu paused and took a deep breath, biting the inside of his cheek in thought, picking his words carefully. He hadn’t looked at her since his sentiment about safety and now it seemed like he was actively choosing not to look up at her.

“The Sleepys only come in medium because the drowsiness medicine is fast acting, and we try to make sure that you’ll have enough time to finish it all before you fall asleep.” He looked to the man behind the counter, and this time Yn dared to look at him too. But he only looked at Mingyu, giving his coworker an encouraging, albeit aggressive, thumbs up. Mingyu shook his head.

“This is really weird, Jun. How do you guys explain this kind of thing without seeming creepy?!” He seemed deeply upset, frustrated and on the verge of tears. It suddenly felt like Yn was intruding on something private.

“Take a breath, okay?” The man came around the counter and spoke gently to his colleague, kneeling to the ground like a father would when speaking to a child. He was close enough now that Yn could read the name on his collar as Junhui. He put his hand on Mingyu’s knee and squeezed it a few times, urging him to relax. Then he turned to Yn.

“Once you finish your drink, you’re gonna fall asleep, and we’ll watch over you while you do. You’ll have a great dream, and we’ll wake you up at whatever time you told us to when you ordered, or after you’ve been asleep for 2 hours.” Junhui stood back up, and patted Mingyu’s shoulder while still looking at Yn.

“Mingyu is a really great guy. He cares a lot about people and about what we're trying to do here. And if you ask me, his drink is one of the best.” Junhui’s smile was warm and his tone of voice was calming as he praised his friend. Mingyu still couldn’t look at her, facing away from her entirely and looking downtrodden. Yn didn’t know what to say and instead decided to read the blurb about Mingyu's concoction.

A sweetly rich concord grape flavored soda! Mingyu’s soda brings one’s imagination to life, while remaining proud and inspired.

“I’ll try it.” She spoke casually, trying to imagine what such a drink would taste like. It had been so long since she’d had a grape flavored drink of any kind, and something carbonated sounded great in that moment.

“You don’t have to.” Mingyu said pitifully, assuming she chose his drink to help him feel better.

“The picture looks really pretty, I wanna see if it really looks like that.” Her bluntness stunned him, and he wondered if she was bluffing. Even so, he resolved to grin and bare it, standing up from the table. Junhui stepped back and smiled, leaving silently as Mingyu went back behind the counter.

“Alright… Let’s get it ordered then!” He bolstered, ready to reaffirm himself in the form of a fancy looking grape juice.f

[jack-is-lost]

PATCHES & PINS (CH 1)

A/N: This story revolves around a transgender, female to male, original character. LGBTQ+ topics are a given within this story. Gender and body dysphoria will come up as well since he is not out to his family — only close friends. If you dislike such a story premise please understand you do not have to interact with it at all. Leaving hate comments will be removed. Of course, constructive feedback is always welcomed.  

Pairing: Eventually Marko x OTMC

Story is still in progress and updates will be slow

Eventually it will be posted on A03 once I’m a few chapters in

Currently on Chapter one | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 coming soon

Chapter one

My life, for the most part, has always been unusual — a little different. Despite having parents that looked like any successful mom and dad ought to, and an older brother willing to stick up for me, things just didn't go according to plan. 

You see, my mother was excited to have a daughter finally. Someone to doll up and buy dresses for, maybe even enroll in a dance class. A stark difference to her firstborn, Tyler, who was all about karate lessons and throwing the ball with dad. Which eventually evolved to working on cars as he grew older. Our mother wanted somebody to share girly interests with, understandably. And, for a while, she was able to have it. The baby pictures are proof of that. Yet, as I grew older and became more aware of what I liked, the fewer things seemed cookie-cutter-perfect for my family.

"Are you not taking your bag to school, Jacklynn?" The mentioned item was nowhere in sight as the youngest of her children poured coffee — the action resembling someone needing every drop left in the pot as if to survive.

"It's the last day," came the grumbling response after a long, soothing sip. "I doubt most kids will even be showing up."

"Yeah, about that," Tyler, the oldest, spoke around a bite of toast. "Can't I be a minority and just stay home?"

"No, you only have one day left, guys." She smiled at her two kids. A graduate who had already filled out college applications, and is ready to further his engineering career. The other, soon-to-be senior, that seemed to have no real drive in anything but drawing and reading — and staying up too late apparently.

"Seriously," she spoke up again as they sighed in unison, deflating with their last hope crushed. "You two will survive."

Tyler nudged his sister, who leaned across the counter, jostling the coffee dangerously enough to receive a seething glare. "Want me to take you?"

It wasn't like Tyler to offer that too often, "Sure."

They both pulled away from the kitchen and made their way to the door, hollering goodbyes as Tyler grabbed the keys — the other sibling still nursing the coffee.

"Don't stay out too late!" Their mom called back, knowing full well she wouldn't see her kids after school. It seemed the closer summer drew in — the fewer tests to study for and homework to do, the more they came home later.

Tyler stepped into the car, unlocking the passenger door as he slid inside his cherry baby — A beaming red, 1983 Audi Sport Quattro, followed by his sister plopping down less elegantly. He glanced at her while starting the car.

"Talk to me, Jay." It was the last day, after all. Weren't kids supposed to be excited about that? "What's bouncing 'round that head of yours." He barely received any notion his sister was listening till she drew out a long sigh, head hitting the back of the seat.

"I don't know, man." It was drawn out, tired. "Didn't get much sleep, I guess."

Tyler nodded while giving the steering wheel a turn, making his way down the road. The school building wasn't very far when on wheels, and he pulled into a parking lot marginally less filled than it ought to be.

As his sister made to get out, he placed a hand on her shoulder, their eyes meeting as she paused halfway out the door. "Ever need to get a chip off your shoulder come talk to me, okay?" Her eyes rolled to the side, and Tyler gave her a little reassuring squeeze, "I'm serious. What are big —"

"— bro's for? I know, I know."

Tyler chuckled as he released her shoulder, "Good. Now," he slammed the door shut and leaned over the roof, "Go sleep in class or something." That at least drew a chuckle out of his sister as she turned away from the car.

The last day of school went how one could expect it to go. Some teachers put on movies and had extra treats for their students. Others went over lessons in the last semester, hoping it would stick to impressionable minds before three months of freedom — minds that were only thinking about freedom and not math.

It was by mid-day when a note made its way into Jay's locker. In gruff, almost unreadable handwriting, it merely said, 'Meet us by the big tree'. Jay instantly knew who it was from and folded the paper up.

A long night was probably ahead.

When the final bell rang, Jay had to wipe the drool off an impromptu pillow-desk before heading out and down the hall. Many of the kids loudly boasted about their summer plans while cleaning out lockers, jostling each other, and hurrying outside. Jay maneuvered around the hoard and quickly escaped out a side entrance, locker already empty since lunch.

It didn't take long to walk a block to the park, down a jogging trail, before splitting off into a cluster of trees. There, in the center of it, laid a large trunk of a dead tree. Upon it splayed out a makeshift map, bags, and — unsurprisingly, two brothers.

"Finally," Grumbled Edgar while raising his head, a red marker still poised over the map. "Where's Sam?"

Jay stared, unaware that Sam was supposed to tag along for the stroll after school let out. "Was I meant to wait for him or?"

"Forget it," came the short grunt, and Edgar was back to the more important matter at hand as Alan turned around to face Jay.

"I'm sure he'll show up. He's got the same note as you," he started to unravel what appeared to be a chaotic ball of cord in his hands. "Oh, hey—" he stopped as a thought struck him, "—Still a no go on the knife?"

Oh, not this again.

Jay leaned against the bare trunk, arms crossed and brow lifted. "Alan, we've been through this. Keep me on the books, but hand me a knife, and someone will lose a finger."

Of course, no one knew if Jay meant their fingers or not, and that was on purpose.

"Maybe some training will help," Edgar spoke up again, pausing on circling locations. "You need to prepare yourself for—"

"— the unexpected. I get it, Ed." Jay cut him off while peering closer to get a look at the map.

"Edgar," he corrected with a tired mutter despite it being useless. They've known each other for an entire year now. One would think it wouldn't matter at this point.

Jay tapped a finger on the closest circled spot, the cemetery. "Thought you marked this off?"

"One can never be certain," He nodded to his own words of wisdom. "It is a common ground for the dead."

"I'd say," Jay suppressed a snort, "It is where the deceased go to be laid into the ground."

Rustling noises announced Sam’s arrival as he pushed through, almost smacking himself in the face with a thin branch. His strained voice drew attention to him. “Guys,” he dusted a leaf off his overly styled coat, “We really need to find a better spot to meet.”

Jay lazily offered a salute wave, “Hey to you too, Sammy.”

“I’m serious,” Sam huffed while taking up a spot near Alan, hands shoved into his pockets. “What about the shop? Y’know, with school now over and stuff?”

Edgar grunted in thought. “Yeah, that ought to be doable.”

“Your grandpa still against us being at the house?” Alan spoke up.

Sam gave a partial shrug. “Sort of,” he eyed the map, then glanced at Jay, who returned the unspoken question with a tired look. Sam returned to explaining when Edgar motioned for him to continue. “You guys can visit, as you have, but you can’t — you know —” he shuffled his hands for the right phrasing, “— bring hunting business there.”

Jay had never actually been to Sam’s place, but the stories shared made it sound like a lot of stuff went down there — destroying property kind of stuff. So Jay could understand what the man was trying to avoid. The Frog Brothers being walking time bombs of destruction, after all.

“The cemetery again?” Sam squawked at noticing it. “I am not doing that again.” The sound of Jay snickering redirected Sam’s defiant stare. “Make Jay do it this time.”

“Wait, wha—”

“—He doesn’t have the qualification for it, Sam.” Edgar cut in before an argument could occur. This only made Sam huff, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

“So? I didn’t either last year.”

Alan stopped weaving the cord at this point, placing it down on the dead trunk. “Jay needs the experience. It could be good for him.” He simply spoke, agreeing with Sam.

“Hey, Jay’s right here,” he had pointedly avoided parading around Santa Carla for a whole damn year. Sure, his knowledge of supernatural things is what drew the Frog Brothers to him in the first place — and the free charge of ordering books at their shop kept Jay in the circle, but he was a good year older than them and didn’t feel like playing make-believe.  

Sam smirked in the way that screamed challenging, “C’mon, Jay, or are you scared of the dark?”

Jay narrowed his eyes, “I know what you are doing.”

“Then prove me wrong,” Sam continued.

“No.”

Despite that, Jay found himself amongst the dead at one in the damn morning. It was eerie, the cemetery, sitting in absolute silence and blanketed by a coat of darkness. The only noise now filtering through was shoes scrapping against the ground and low grumbles around him, voices hushed as not to alert anybody — or anything. Even their flashlights were ordered to stay off unless it called for it, as directed by Edgar.

“Exactly what should we be expecting to find here?” Jay spoke up quietly while trailing behind the two brothers, hands stuffed into his jacket. It was chilly tonight.

“Any signs of the undead.” Edgar simply said without much explanation, to which Alan filled in.

“Disturbed graves, tombs broke, drag marks.” he ticked off like a list.

“Ah,” Jay deadpanned. “So zombies?” the brothers turned to him, the moonlight hitting their frames but leaving their faces shadowed. “What?”

“Could be vampires too.” Edgar simply grunted. “Fresh ones crawling out of their dirt bed.” Alan nodded along with his brother, and Jay sighed.

“Sure, yeah. That too,” It wasn’t like anything of the sort actually existed, but Jay would humor the guys. They put up with his oddities, after all, so he could continue to do the same for them.

“Didn’t any of your books mention that?” Edgar continued while turning around, walking along a worn-out path again, and avoiding stepping on actual graves.

“A little,” Jay admitted as they continued on their trek.

A majority of Jay’s supernatural books were all about how one became something, the signs, and lore behind creatures — not exactly if they crawl out of graves or not. It made sense, though, if considering how people feared vampires in the past. How they would stake and behead someone during burial just in case their loved one decided to raise again.

Same could be said about leaving a bell.

Alan suddenly crouched down near the edge of a grave. “Look,” his flashlight clicked on to bask the empty hole in light. Edgar followed promptly as Jay stared at the two figures eyeing an obvious dug hole for a burial happening soon.

“It might be a sign.” Edgar rubbed a finger over the crumbling edges, dirt smearing and falling back inside the pit.  

“Or,” Jay leaned over them to get an exact look at the perfect outline, “It is the groundskeeper getting ready for a funeral. There’s not even a casket down there.” Jay simply summarized before leaning back.

Alan clicked off the light and stood, “He’s right, Edgar. It is too perfect.”  

“Hey!” the voice resonated out, cutting the muffled talking off as a beam of light frantically flailed in their directions. “What are you kids doing?!”

Without a shared word between the three, just mere glances at one another, they quickly split. Or at least Jay tried to do just that, but the brush of Edgar flying past him in a rush entirely threw him off balance. It wasn’t until tailbone smashed into dirt that Jay even figured out what happened.

“Fuck…” he muttered, then covered his mouth as the light grew brighter over the grave from above, rushing footfalls growing closer before fading away in the direction the brothers ran. Once it was clear, the curse slipped again with more fever.  

Jay eased to his feet and stared above his head, the wall towering almost a foot over him. “They truly mean six-feet-under,” he muttered while raising a hand to the ledge, just able to cup fingers over the lip, only to stumble back as it gave away.

The recent rainfall was not making it easy.

Again Jay tried to grab, shoes scraping along the wall in an attempt to gain some height — thinking if he just rushed up the wall it would give him enough momentum, only to fall back against the adjacent wall.

“Shit — fuck,” Jay didn’t even care if his voice traveled that time. He was stuck in a damn grave, after all! Screw it!

“Need a lift?” came a voice from above, and Jay shot his gaze upward to see a hand reaching down toward him. The moonlight didn’t offer much else to see but light curls and the frame of a coat.

Even if it were the security guard, Jay knew this would be his best bet. It wasn’t like waiting till daylight to be discovered was an option. It would not help much in regards to needing to be home before Jay’s parents could find out he even snuck out.  

He reached for the hand, feeling leather against palm and uncovered fingers wrap around his wrist. It took only one good heave, shoes against the wall and other hand clinging to the edge, to be entirely pulled out. Despite mud caking Jay from front to back, he could even feel it in his shoes; it felt good to be back on the surface. It wasn’t like he had a fear of enclosed places, but it still sucked regardless.

“Thanks,” he looked over at the stranger, still only catching the slightest glimpse of a smirk within the darkness. It was hard to make out any features, and the way the guy stood didn’t help anything.

“Were you takin’ a dirt bath?” he joked inquisitively, and Jay chuckled under his breath.

“No, not exactly.” Who would want to do that in a cemetery anyway?  

The beam of a flashlight washed over them again as rustling sounds drew near, and Jay stepped away from the pre-dug grave. Definitely not wanting to repeat that incident all over.

“Looks like we should start running,” spoke up the other guy, head turned away from Jay to peer toward the security guard.

What was once hidden was now lit up like a spotlight. A smooth curved jawline, willowed eyes bright with brown, and curly dirty blond hair glowed on display for a split moment. Until the flashlight jostled by the running security guard fanned over the area. And Jay would be lying if he said he didn’t stare.

“Avoid any more holes, yeah?” he easily teased before seemingly stepping in a direction with no real speed.

Jay floundered for a moment before taking off after him. “Wait.” Jay didn’t know the grounds that well, and the two idiots that did had left him.

The guy laughed while reaching behind him, grabbing Jay’s wrist again with no problem, then started to run as the worn-out guard hollered something. He seemed to avoid any lifted tombstones, flower arrangements, and small fences like it were daytime. All while Jay tried his best not to stumble, gaze more on the ground than anywhere else.

When they neared the exit gate, chained to prevent people at such odd hours to visit, he let Jay’s arm go and placed both palms out while crouching down. Jay didn’t have to ask and quickly stepped into the waiting hands. He felt the guided push upward as his own hands grabbed for purchase, trying to avoid being nicked by the gothic-style fence. Yet, as Jay’s leg swung over, his pants snagged and ripped — the gravity of his body spilling over the other side holding little resistance.

Surprisingly Jay landed on his feet, if not a little wobbly, and quickly looked through the fence to see the guy still standing there undeterred. “You coming?”

“Don’t worry about me,” he simply said. Jay wanted to comment, but the sight of the guard pushing past the nearest tombstones shut him up. “Go.” he laughed again — actually laughed as if nonplussed by the whole thing. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep him distracted.” Then he turned around and fanned his arms out as if directing air traffic before darting down the side of the fence.

And that was the last Jay saw of the guy before quickly hiding behind the bushes lining outside of the cemetery, not wanting to be seen as the flashlight shown in his direction.

The walk home was slow as he picked flakes of mud off his jeans. Jay could feel the dry mess on his face and in his hair. A shower was needed as well as a talk with the Frog Brothers tomorrow. No way were they getting off free from abandoning him in the damn graveyard! Even as he climbed back through the bedroom window, Jay was envisioning how he’d throttle them. It wasn’t until he was in the shower, scrubbing extra hard to clean the grime off, that his thought wavered to the stranger.

“Why was he even there?”