#i will draw jules seriously sometime shes so cool

[piepiepiemag]

...oops?

[the-edge-of-great]

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ friendsgiving ♥

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The silence that immediately follows “How did you spend your holidays?” is brief but deafening. Her heart sinks. She looks to Luke for help, but he’s watching the guys on the couch, eyes jumping between Alex and Reggie; the weight of the conversation seems to rest on their shoulders, and they don’t notice because they’re too busy avoiding everything, especially their bandmates.

So Julie backtracks, quickly. “I’m sorry,” she says, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t—Forget I said anything.” She reaches to fix the sheet music but realizes it’s already perfectly straight, and her hand falls flat, and there’s still an awkward silence, so she begins playing the start of Finally Free, which isn’t at all what they were working on, but this hasn’t happened before. She’s always been careful asking about their past because she doesn’t know how far is too far. And until now, she hasn’t struck out with any questions. They’ve been cool about it, mostly answering anything she wanted to know. If they didn’t want to talk about it, they kindly changed the subject. At some point, she thinks they became open books to her, and she them.

That’s why this question tumbled out so casually.

And that’s why the silence is scaring her.

Luke, finally, saves her. “We’d spend Thanksgiving with my dad’s family,” he tells her with a smile, which she immediately mirrors as her shoulders slump with relief, “and for Christmas, we’d go to my aunt’s place to party with my mom’s side. She actually lives in Pasadena.” He chuckles. It takes her all of five seconds to realize why that’s funny to him, and then she breathes a laugh and rolls her eyes.

“Holidays were always hectic for me,” Reggie says next. Julie’s heart flutters. “Like, three or four days of traveling to make sure we see both sides, both sets of grandparents, and somehow not barf from all the food.” He and Luke share a laugh, and Alex smiles faintly as he jumps to his feet.

“I just remembered,” he says, stepping over Luke, “I’m meeting Willie today.” He looks back at them briefly, his smile weak and probably forced, before vanishing.

Reggie and Luke share a look. Mumbling something about the beach, Reggie disappears too.

As soon as he’s gone, Julie’s face drops to her hands. “That was a disaster,” she groans.

“Family’s just a hard topic for them,” Luke replies quietly.

Chewing on her lip, Julie takes Alex’s spot next to him. “Tell me why?” she asks softly.

“Sure, since they outed all of my shit last month.” He chuckles.

“Whaaat?” Julie shakes her head. “They didn’t—” The look he gives her makes her stumble. Sheepishly, she adds, “They were trying to help.”

“I know.” Shaking his head, he explains, “Reggie’s parents fought a lot. So much that he didn’t like us coming over, like, ever. It was, seriously, all the time.”

“Fighting, like… arguing? Or…?”

“Just arguing,” he reassures. “They’d scream at each other, and sometimes at him if he got in the middle of it, but…” Luke sighs. “Just arguing.”

“And… Alex?”

He pauses, gaze dropping to his lap, and Julie’s stomach turns. She reaches for his hand, half to grab his attention again, half because she feels she’ll need a better alternative to digging her nails into her palm when she hears whatever he has to say. He intertwines their fingers, locking her hand in a grip tighter than she expected. If she wasn’t nervous before, she is now.

“Alex’s parents weren’t cool with him being gay.”

Julie sits up straighter. “What—What does that mean?” She needs better clarification because she knows what that could mean—she’s seen it on the news, on Tumblr and Twitter and Instagram, heard about it through the grapevine of high school—and her heart aches at the idea of Alex—sweet, caring Alex—going through anything of the sort.

“They didn’t kick him out which, I guess, is something, but they just… stopped caring. They stopped acknowledging him.”

Julie shakes her head. “They don’t deserve any praise for not kicking him out,” she says quietly, lip curling at her words. “Not for doing less than the bare minimum of being parents.”

“Getting angry over it is a lost cause.” He smiles sadly at her. “You don’t know how many times we talked about getting him out of his house. Both of ‘em. Bobby and I would spend nights out here, drawing up plans to run away to Vegas or something.”

“I should’ve never brought it up,” she mumbles. “I know holidays are hard for some people.”

“Hey, no, it’s okay.” He shakes his head, turning to her and taking her other hand in his. “It’s okay. You didn’t know. Besides, it was bound to come up eventually. Family’s just… different, you know?”

Julie sighs, shoulders slumping forward. She watches Luke’s thumb rub across her knuckles. Thanksgiving is in a few days; her house is going to be lively with the whole family. When Mom was alive, the studio was a place for the kids to hangout. Obviously, nobody went near it after she died. Dad locked it up before people began arriving. Julie wonders, as she looks around the room, if they’ll open it to the family again. Or maybe it should stay closed for the guys’ sake.

“So… No holidays?” she asks. “At all? ‘Cause… I have an idea…”

Luke raises an eyebrow. “What’re you thinking?”

“It’s this thing called… Friendsgiving.”

~**~**~**~

Star Wars and other movies downloaded to the computer? Check. Computer hooked up to the projector? Check. Two white sheets borrowed from Flynn strung up in front of the instruments? Check.

“Are the lights too much?” Julie asks, waving her phone around the room to show off her decorations. “They feel too much.”

“No, fairy lights are cute!” Flynn exclaims through the phone. “And you went through all the work hanging them up.”

“I know we think they’re cute, but will they think they’re cute?”

“Jules, they’re like puppies; they’ll be excited about anything.”

“Okay.” Julie nods. “Okay.” The lights are weaved around the loft railing and framing the sides of the sheets. She had to improvise with Christmas lights, so when she turns them on, instead of faint white, a soft rainbow glows off the loft and cascades down to the floor.

“Look okay?” she asks Flynn again. She doesn’t know why she’s so nervous. It’s just Luke, Reggie, and Alex… But Reggie and Alex haven’t had a good Thanksgiving in a while. So, okay, maybe there’s a little pressure for things to be perfect. Or a lot. Maybe the lights is overdoing it—

“Dude, what’s up with you?” she hears Alex say outside.

“They’re here!” Julie stage whispers.

“Okay?” Flynn says just as soft. “Go talk to them? And the lights are cute! Keep them on!”

“As Julie would say,” Reggie adds, voice getting louder as he nears the studio, “you’re acting hella sus.”

“Wait, wait,” Luke says, probably trying to stop him. “Just—Wait a second.”

“I’ll text you later,” Julie tells Flynn as she heads for the door.

“Julie!”

“What?!”

Flynn smiles at her. “They’re going to love it, okay?”

Julie stops, hand inches from the door handle. Taking a deep breath, she returns Flynn’s smile. “Thanks, Flynn.”

Feet shuffle out of the way of the door that swings open a few inches. Julie pokes her head out. “Hi there,” she says, grinning.

Alex squints at her. “You’re in on it too, huh?”

“Alex, honey, I planned it.”

Luke, who froze in the middle of holding Reggie back with arms around his chest when Julie stepped out, backs off and joins her by the door.

“And you guys never figured it out!” he says proudly, fist bumping her.

Reggie and Alex share a look that makes her think yeah, no, they totally figured something was going on. She giggles.

“Well, uh…” Julie glances over her shoulder. “You guys want to see what the secret is?” She leans against the door to push it open and waves them past. “Ta-da.”

Along with the Christmas lights is a lamp beside the couch, covered by a blanket to dim the brightness. In place of the coffee table she pushed to the side are pillows and blankets layered over each other. Board games she found in the loft are stacked high in the chair next to the couch. They’re a mixture of generations: some she received as Christmas and birthday gifts, and others that have been around for as long as she can remember—favorites among her family, especially her parents. Maybe the guys will remember them too.

The shelf behind the couch is empty except for the projector. She had to find an extension cord to plug in her computer and leave it safely on the couch (she may have tried to balance it on the shelf with the projector, but one close call was enough to look into alternatives).

After the door is latched behind her, she joins them in the middle of the room, playing with her hands. “I’m sorry about yesterday,” she begins. “I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.”

Alex shakes his head. “It’s not your fault, Julie. You didn’t know.”

“But I do now. And… I don’t know how you guys feel about the holidays, but I hope you give this one a chance?” She steps around them, kicking off her shoes as she goes. “It’s not an official holiday, but over the years, it’s become more popular.” She steps onto the couch and looks back at them with a smile. “It’s called Friendsgiving. Families suck sometimes, and you can’t choose them. But, you can choose your friends.” Standing on her tiptoes, she flips the projector on. A light beam shoots past them and shines across the bed sheets. Two was a better decision than one, it seems. The picture has plenty of room to spread out. Perhaps not the best quality, but at least they can watch it full screen.

“I have all of the Star Wars movies downloaded,” she continues, stepping off the couch, “along with a few others if we get sick of the marathon. I don’t know if you like board games, but I found a few in the loft?” She points at the stack.

“You did… all of this for us?” Reggie asks, almost breathlessly.

“Well, yeah. And Luke helped.” Luke smiles when the guys look at him. Julie adds, “I don’t think I could’ve guessed your movie taste without him.”

“There are some good ones on there,” he promises.

Alex huffs a laugh. He spins in a slow circle, taking in everything. “This is awesome, Jules.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but… You’re wrong about one thing.” She freezes. Luke and Reggie look back at him. Alex shoves his hands in his jacket pockets, looking over each of them, the corner of his mouth curved in a smile. “You can choose the family that matters.”

“And it’s us?” Luke teases. “We’re your Chosen Ones?” As he and Reggie share a laugh, Alex walks away from them.

“C’mere,” he says with a laugh, pulling Julie into a hug. Alex gives some of the best hugs. He’s tall enough to tuck her head under his chin, and she can bury her face in his chest.

Luke and Reggie must move in, because Alex walks them near the couch. “No, no, she’s my Chosen One. You two go away.”

“We were here first,” Luke whines.

“But it’s Julie,” Reggie reasons. He shakes his head, a fond smile on his lips.

Luke nods. “Good point.”

“Still, you’re crazy if you think I’m just going to ignore group hug potential,” Reggie says, lunging for them. Alex pretends to try getting away, but he actually opens an arm for him, and now Julie’s squished between them. Not even a second later, Luke’s on her other side. They’re a mess of laughter until someone missteps. They fall in slow motion, it seems. Julie rolls off of Alex’s chest and into the arms of Luke, who hugs her to his chest immediately.

“Good thing Julie has all of the pillows of the universe here,” Alex jokes.

“Oh yeah, I called in every favor. They asked how many I wanted. I said yes.”

Reggie pushes himself up. He squints at the stack of board games. “No way! You have Candyland?”

Luke chuckles in her ear. “Are those Christmas lights?”

“I improvised.”

“I like it.”

Alex is looking at them. “Me too.”

Julie grins. “Thanks, guys.”

“Reg, Candyland or Star Wars?” Alex asks, rolling onto his stomach.

Reggie pauses, board game in his hands. “Can we… We can do both!”

Julie laughs out loud.

After a few minutes of clearing away the pillows (“Oh good, I thought we’d never see that rug again.”), setting up the game, and playing the movie, they’re ready: Candyland and Star Wars. Not how she ever imagined spending the day before Thanksgiving.

“Hey,” Julie says as she draws a card. It’s green. She looks up at them, smiling. “I love you guys, you know?”

They each share looks, grinning at one another. To her left, Luke draws next. “We know, Julie,” he says, moving his character forward. When he meets her eye, he tell her, “We love you, too.”

“Now, keep that in mind when I completely destroy all of you in these games,” Reggie warns.

Julie raises a challenging eyebrow.

“Bring it.”

[airi-p4]

Perfect asymmetry

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Epilogue

My fav. fic yet :)

Warning: Rated T for mild language

Warning 2: Includes art (1 simple totally SFW drawing)

Thanks to @livrever​ for the corrections!

Available in Ao3 too

____________________________________

It was late night and Juleka was crying in her room. Fortunately, or unfortunately, her room was shared with his brother, Luka, whom, having a trained ear from his music studies, could hear her sobbing clear and loud.

Luka was sleepy in his bed. He had been trying to sleep, but now he was internally debating if he should leave her sister alone or ask her what’s wrong. Kindness was one of his main traits, and he couldn’t deny he had a soft spot for his beautiful younger sister, so it didn’t take long for him to get out of his bed, stand up on his feet and move towards Juleka’s part of the room, crossing past the partitions that separated both areas.

“What’s wrong, Jules? Don’t cry please.” He said while looking at her curled up in her bed, in a fetal position using her pillow to hide her face.

“I… I’ll never be able to become a model anymore…” she managed to say between her crying hiccups.

“Don’t say that… You’re pretty, you know that. I’m sure you can be an excellent model. It’s your dream, right? You just have to be confident and trust yourself.” Luka sat on the bottom part of her bed, where her feet would be if she weren’t all curled up hugging her knees. He was stretching to pat Juleka’s head as he talked.

“No… I can’t… Not anymore…” she mumbled.

“Why? What happened? Tell me.” He had a soft smile on his face, and just that was enough to make Juleka relax a little.

“It’s embarrassing… I… I can’t be a model anymore because… because…” Juleka paused for some seconds. Luka was willing to listen to her closely and, with a welcoming look and slightly nodding, he encouraged Juleka to continue what she was saying. Trusting absolutely in her brother, Juleka continued talking in a very low voice. “My chest… my breast sizes… are different… They're not symmetrical at all…not pretty…”

‘Well, that was unexpected’, Luka thought. Nothing he could do about it except encourage her and try to make her feel better.

“Hey, Jules, it’s OK! I heard having different breast sizes happens to most women. I would say it’s pretty common! So, don’t overthink it, you’ll be fine as you are! Even Marinette’s are-” Luka gasped as he noticed his mistake, covering his mouth with his hand and looking away embarrassed. “Forget this last part. I just mean it’s OK, it’s normal and nothing that can crush your dream. So stop crying, OK? Just get some rest and you’ll feel better tomorrow”. He spoke nervously and faster than usual. Just as he stopped talking he kissed his sister's long purple hair before getting ready to take his leave “Sleep well”.

Luka stood up fast, in a rush to leave as soon as he could. But he found it impossible when Juleka rapidly grabbed his arm, VERY strongly, impeding him from moving farther. She had returned to a sitting position after his brother had kissed her hair, in order to stare fiercely into his brother’s eyes. Good thing she had stopped crying, but she had now a killer look on her face and Luka knew he was screwed.

“I’m not forgetting any of your spoken words. It’s your turn to explain to me now. HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MARINETTE’S BREAST SIZES!?”

Luka choked at how direct was the answer that came out of her sister’s mouth. He immediately got his brain cells working to think a way out of the mess he got caught in because of his slip of the tongue. An excuse (or a memory, to be accurate), didn’t last long to appear in his mind.

“You know, we went to the pool together some days ago and… I just noticed… You know, she was wearing that pink and black bikini… the…" Luka blushed at the memory as he paused "You know which one I mean…”

“Oh YES. The flashy one. No, the SEXY one. Of course I know. I couldn’t stop staring at her for a long while! No one who was there could! Not until you lend her your jacket to brush the pervs looks off! I’m thankful you did that, you know? She kind of made me feel like a horny girl. God, she looked so gorgeous!”

Luka couldn’t help it but to internally nod in agreement while his sister talked. But there was more talk coming, the type of talk that meant trouble to Luka and caught him unprepared.

“That’s why I know you are lying. Because I myself stared at Marinette long enough to memorize every detail of her beautifully sculpted body, from her toned abs, legs and arms, to her delicate hands, face, lips and ankles, and, of course, her beautifully round boobs she was almost exposing to everyone there! And you know what? That even with all that staring, I couldn’t notice any asymmetry in her body at ALL. So, don’t you dare to LIE to me. I’ll ask you again: HOW DO YOU KNOW MARINETTE’S BREAST SIZES?.”

“I- I don’t know, I just-…“. Luka had run out of ideas and immediately knew he had no escape. But he was too embarrassed to talk about Marinette’s chest with his sister. It just seemed wrong. But Juleka was not a patient girl and she was not willing to lose her time with an unclear answer.

“Look. I’ll ask you directly. DID YOU GRAB HER BOOBS, YES OR NO!?”

Luka choked. God, THAT really was a direct question. A hell of an embarrassing question. How is he supposed to say yes to that without sounding like a pervert? How is he supposed to give his sister details about how she made out with her close friend? Luka short-circuited at the thought, and Juleka wouldn’t give him any second to breathe, pressuring him further. He could notice she was grabbing his arm even stronger.

“ANSWER ME NOW!”

“OK, I did. I DID! I touched her breasts, OK!? That’s why I know there’s a slight size difference between them. That’s it, I answered you. Can I go now?” it was rare to see Luka impatient and flushed with red all over his face, but Juleka was not satisfied with that answer. She wanted to know more.

“Why? How? I need to know! Are they as soft as they look?”

“God, Juleka! Don’t ask me embarrassing things like that! I’m your brother! This could haunt me forever!” Luka had his arm still grabbed by his sister, but he used his remaining free hand to partially cover his face. “And hell yes, they’re even softer than they look…”. The musician couldn’t help but slightly smile at the memory. “Ugh… I feel like a pervert now… Don’t make me say this kind of thing, please!”.

“You know I can just ask her instead if you prefer… Or maybe I’ll ask her to let me touch them too… God, I would love to touch them…”

“Jules, NO!”

“Why? Is she your girlfriend? She isn’t as far as I know…” Luka seemed to have lost his usual cool. She got him just where she wanted.

“No… she isn’t my girlfriend. At least not yet? I think…? I mean- We really did have a private moment together but… I don’t know… I want to ask her tomorrow if she wants to date me but… What if she says no? God… I’m a mess and full of nervous. I don’t want to lose her…”

“You touched her boobs.”

“Well, that’s right but-”

“You grabbed them. And most likely massaged them. And with her permission, I assume. I know you wouldn’t do it otherwise” Juleka sounded partially angry and pretty confident.

“Well, that’s true but- “

“Did you kiss? God, don’t tell me you didn’t even kiss her before grabbing her boobs, ‘cause I’m going to punch you”

“No, I- I did… I kissed her. But even so-”

“Enough of ‘buts’! If there is a chance you are the reason she was wearing that fricking sexy bikini for at the pool, and I think there is a pretty likely, I’d say it’s pretty obvious she is more than INTERESTED in you. God, the oblivious girl didn’t even notice the pervs staring at her, she only looked at YOU and your embarrassed reactions!”

“Wait, really…? She did…? Are you sure, Juleka? ‘Cause I don’t want to be heartbroken again. Not after what happened with Adrien…”

Overconfidence wasn’t one of Luka’s main personality traits but, seeing him in such low spirits was unusual. He is mostly a positive boy, who is used to encourage people but not used to be encouraged. Good thing Juleka knew exactly how to handle him.

“JUST ASK HER OUT YOU IDIOT! My God… she let you kiss her and grab her boobs! What else do you need!? I’ll ask her out if you don’t!” Juleka’s voice wasn’t low anymore. She sounded angry and kind of… smitten?

“Wha-…!? Don’t you dare to sabotage your older brother! You’re interested in Rose!” Is she teasing me? Luka thought as he talked back to the girl.

“I’ve always had a thing for Marinette too, so I wouldn’t mind trying… If I’m lucky enough I could… you know… grab her BOOBS, maybe?” She couldn’t hide a chuckle as her teasing continued.

Luka, noticed her teasing and knew she wasn’t talking seriously, so he cooled down a little and decided to tease back, backfiring where it hurt her, but knowingly doing it avoiding any real damage. He smirked as he let his voice out.

“What the hell happened to your crying and your breast size complex, sis? I was supposed to be the one encouraging and cheering you up. Shouldn't we return to that topic? I can let you touch my chest too if you want...” Luka was talking in a sassy way, his hand over his chest.

“Ew, gross! But hey, you already did cheer me up! I’m in high spirits now! Thank you for telling me even perfection is not perfect. I feel way better now. And maybe, if she says yes tomorrow, which I’m sure she will, I’ll get to see your girlfriend’s boobs in the flesh. Don’t mind me if my hand slips and I ‘accidentally’ touch them sometime…”.

“I don’t know how I should feel about that…" Luka pouted "but I’m glad you feel better and that you’re not crying anymore.” He ended his words with a sincere smile on his face.

“You’re the best, Luka. Dumb, but still the best. Go get your girl tomorrow!”

Luka couldn’t tell if Juleka was serious or joking, but it could perfectly be both. At least she had a teasing but genuine smile on her face, and that made him feel relieved she was back to herself. She wouldn’t usually show her true self to anyone, not even her friends, so it made him happy she could express like that around him. He loved her laugh and, knew exactly how to summon it.

“YEAH! Bring it on! Rock and roll!” trying to imitate Jagged Stone’s accent, voice, tone and pose, Luka let out an unusually loud voice.

“OMG This is the worst imitation of Jagged Stone I’ve ever seen!! How can you be so bad at it!?”

Both siblings started laughing effusively, playing a little more their imitation games before going to sleep.

______________________________________________

The next day came peacefully as the light entered through the round windows of the cabins inside the Liberty, the houseboat Luka and Juleka lived in. Luka couldn’t sleep much due to his nervousness but rested well enough before waking up from the first rays of sunlight of the day. He woke up early and saw Juleka was waking up too, as the sun illuminated her pretty round face.

“Good morning,” Luka said.

“Good morning…” she was sleepy, but after remembering the previous night conversation with her brother, she immediately got cheerful and smiled at him as she got up out of bed. “Ready for today? Remember you’re not allowed to chicken out!” she teased him, giggling.

“Yes, yes… I know. I don’t want you to steal her from me” He smiled and giggled back at her, ruffling her hair. “I’ll make breakfast. Why don’t you get ready and prepare your things meanwhile?”

Juleka nodded and went to the bathroom. With their mother sleeping from the tiredness of her night-time job, Luka was normally the one in charge of the cooking. There was another reason for his cooking responsibility: the last time his mother cooked something the boat almost got incinerate, and Juleka was still terrified of fire after that life-threatening experience.

After the siblings peacefully finished eating their breakfast, Juleka was in charge of the dishes. They would always save some breakfast for Anarka, that Juleka made sure to wrap with transparent film. It was then Luka’s turn to get prepared for University. It was already his second year in Music Degree and he still couldn’t get used to it. He sometimes hated it, and sometimes loved it. He hated to ride the crowded metro at rush hour the most, but he loved composition lessons, which made it worth it. Perfection doesn’t exist, I guess… He thought, but then he was instantly reminded of Marinette, the girl he considered perfect in all aspects. ‘God bless cold showers’, he whispered before grabbing a towel.

Luka’s had to cross half of Paris by metro to reach his University. That meant he had to leave home way earlier than his sister and return later too. Still, with his delivery job to do, it would be late when he could actually get to see the girl he loved. And he still had to ask her if she wanted to meet today. Since he had some minutes left before leaving, he messaged the twin-tailed girl.

“Good morning, Marinette.”

“Could we meet today? I have to tell you something”

Marinette didn’t reply to him before he had to leave, so he only got more and more nervous. Juleka had told him she was probably still sleeping, but he was feeling uneasy. ‘Be positive’, he told himself. But classes started and there was still no reply from her, even if the ‘read’ signal was on. Negative thoughts kept his mind busy as classes went on. He would later need to ask his classmates to lend him their notes.

______________________________________________

Marinette panicked when she saw Luka’s message on her phone. ‘Is it time? Is it finally coming today? The long-awaited confession? Did he finally get my hints? God, I hope he’s not backing off and telling me he doesn’t want to see me ever again! I feel like I could die if he does!’

Marinette was in her last year of High School, but even being older now, she didn’t change much. Of course, she matured physically and mentally, but she had a WILD imagination that wouldn't let her act cool when it came to her crushes. And not only a crush, this time she was IN LOVE, which made things even worse. As her messy thoughts occupied her mind, she didn’t realize she still hadn’t written a reply to the boy she loved. And just like that, it became midday.

During lunchtime at High School, Juleka approached Marinette, who didn’t notice her: she was still immersed in her thoughts about a certain blue-haired boy.

“Good morning”

“Aah! Juleka, you startled me! Good morning” Marinette had jumped what seemed impossible from the surprise.

“What’s wrong? You seem down?” the purple-haired girl asked.

“It’s nothing…” she said while thinking about how she didn't have the courage to tell her about her older brother.

“Is it about Luka? He told me about… well… that.” she had some blush on her face, which made Marinette think of the worst possible scenario.

“WHAT DID HE TELL YOU!?”

Marinette's voice was very loud and it made all the students nearby turn around to look at the girls. She blushed and covered her mouth and the crowd rapidly lost their interest.

“Calm down, Marinette. What are you so nervous about? Haven’t you read my brother’s messages?” she asked her friend.

“I did! I’m meeting him today! He said he wants to tell me something! I- I- Do you know what it is? Tell me, please!”. Her arms were moving quickly, showing her nervousness.

“Marinette, you should have told me you cared so much about him. Wow, you two are really idiots. Take a look at this” Juleka reached her pocket and took out her smartphone, turning it on to show her friend the instant messenger app screen.

Luka: “Jules, Marinette hasn’t replied to my messages yet and I can't keep my cool anymore. I'm going crazy. Could you ask her during her free time to meet me at 9 PM at Pont des Arts, please?"

Juleka: “Leave it to me”

Luka: “Thank you, you’re the best”

"Wait. I thought I had replied!?" The girl switched on her smartphone to check her messages with Luka and noticed she had never really replied. "OMG how can I be so stupid!? I’m scared. Should I really go??" Marinette was being her panicking self, saying nonsense, according to Juleka, who was already tired from their useless fears.

"OMG not you too! Give me this". She snatched her friend's mobile phone and messaged her brother as if she was Marinette:

Marinette: “Message received from Juleka. I’ll be there.”

"Done" Juleka said, tossing the smartphone back to her friend.

"What have you done!? Now I have no excuse for not going! I can't make him wait and I have to get ready! OMG I have to wash my hair and choose my clothes and… so many things! I'm scared..."

Marinette's rambles were her usual type, so Juleka decided to ignore them and focus her efforts on the couple, trying to help them out.

"Marinette, I assure you nothing bad will come of that. You already kissed, didn’t you? It will be ok, you'll see” Juleka was smiling both teasingly and honestly.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT!?" Attention from all students was on her again, as she blushed and hid her face. Her friend continued talking.

"Marinette, it will be fine, I assure you it will. Luka is not like Adrien, you know that. Everything’s gonna be alright. Trust me” Juleka's confidence and soft smile made Marinette calm down and feel better immediately.

"Thank you Juleka, you’re the best! Let me know if there’s anything I can ever do for you!"

Marinette's eyes were sparkling while she took her friend's hands into hers in a grateful way. A little blush formed on the long-haired girl's cheeks, as she smiled. Then, her smile became a smirk. 'Anything, huh?', she thought.

"Well… there’s one thing..."

______________________________

It was 7:40 PM when Luka finished his delivery errands. He would usually finish 20 minutes later, but he rushed his bike in order to finish earlier. The extra effort left him sweating and exhausted, but thanks to that, he would be able to go home and take a shower before meeting Marinette.

His nervousness hasn't stopped for any second during that day. He was scheming and considering which one could be the best way to convey his feelings. He wanted them to reach the girl's heart, in a pure and sincere way. It's not like this was his first time confessing to her, but this time was different: he was going to ask her for an answer. He wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend and only two possible answers were in the picture: YES or NO. He tried not to think about the next step after that. Juleka was encouraging him to be positive, so he couldn't afford to lose to pessimistic ideas.

When Luka finished taking a shower it was already 8:25 pm. He felt bad for calling on a girl so late at night, but he couldn't wait any longer, and, since it was early June, he knew the sun would still be out. He wouldn't have chosen this time to meet her otherwise. He didn't want her to walk alone at night around Paris dangerous streets.

The place of the meeting was strategically chosen too: close to Marinette's house and even closer to Luka's houseboat, where he still lived.

He had been planning to rent an apartment for himself for a while, but he didn't want to share it and, finding a good apartment on a budget that he could afford in Paris was almost impossible. Because of that, he still hadn't moved away from his mother's boathouse, but he was getting impatient to go live on his own: sharing a room with his sister at his age wasn't healthy for him anymore, even if he loved and enjoyed being with his sister and mother. You know, men’s needs.

As soon as Luka finished getting ready, he put a slim jacket and some cologne on, made sure his hair was looking good, and brushed his teeth. He wanted to arrive earlier than Marinette so she wouldn't have to wait for him, so he left home 15 minutes early, in order to arrive 10 minutes earlier than the accorded meeting time.

When Luka arrived at Pont Des Arts, Marinette hadn't arrived yet. Some tourists were still strolling around, mainly couples, but the approach of nighttime made them leave little by little. Dinner time was on too, so the chosen time was beneficial in that aspect too. He wouldn't like to have public when he confesses, especially if it ends up with a rejection. 'No negative thinking, damn it'.

Time felt like it wasn't passing for Luka. His nervousness was consuming him, so he decided to grab his guitar and play a little to calm himself down. He didn't succeed, and soon people had approached to listen to him. Some even tossed some coins inside his guitar case.

It was 9 pm and Marinette hadn't arrived. 'Late as always' he thought. But then it was 9:10, 9:15, 9:20... and nothing, still no sign of her. He had been playing his guitar while he waited, but as it was getting too dark, the remaining people had decided to leave. He had only stopped playing when the big arrow was pointing down on his watch.

After returning the guitar inside its case he gazed at the river, losing hope of the girl coming anymore. He wondered if he should throw himself into the river, but the view was nice and he stood up on one of the lower parts of the fence to have a better look of the water of the Seine.

"Luka!!! Nooo!!! Don't do it!!"

Marinette came rushing towards the surprised but extremely happy boy, who was also confused by her words. She ran as fast as she could in her high heels until she lost her balance, spin on her right foot and almost bumping into the fence of the bridge, and almost falling down if it hadn't been for Luka, who placed his hands over her hips and pulled her towards him to miraculously avoid any collision. Luka's pull was so desperate he couldn't control his strength and Marinette fell on him.

Marinette was panting hard from her run. She was on top of Luka, who was on the floor, sitting but almost laying down. Marinette was very close. He could tell she had spent a lot of time styling herself: clothes, hair, and makeup. And even if the race there had messed up her hair, she looked more beautiful than ever.

"You look beautiful," he said.

Marinette suddenly blushed, looking down in embarrassment… only to find the boy's hips under her, with something standing out (literally) and she couldn't take her eyes away from it. The blush on her face couldn't be redder.

"OMG I'M SO SORRY!!" she was screaming while she got up. "I'm so sorry for making you wait… I was styling myself and… I didn’t notice the time... and… all for nothing… it's ruined now…" she looked genuinely sad. "But don't throw yourself to the river, please! I don't think I could live without you! I need you!" she desperately added.

Luka had already stood up from the floor and was staring at the girl in front of him. Marinette had begged, with crying eyes ruining her makeup, for him to live for her, and he was astonished. She had just told him she couldn't live without him and that she needs him. Marinette gasped flustered in red as she noticed her words and Luka couldn't shut his mouth out of the surprise.

"Marinette, what did you say right now? Do you really mean it...?" Marinette shyly nodded, face looking to her feet. "Is it ok for me to think of it in an egoistic way… I mean… Is it ok for me to have hope...with you?" Marinette's eyes were meeting his now, opened as plates as she nodded shyly. That little nod gave Luka all the courage he needed.

"Marinette, I love you. I can't live without you either. Please, be my girlfriend."

Luka had a serious but slightly shy look on his face. A mix of happiness, embarrassment, surprise and hope. On the other hand, Marinette couldn't stop her grin from growing wider on her face.

"Yes!! Finally!!!" She said, completely excited. "I thought you would never ask. I was afraid you didn't feel the same for me after those years and I've been trying to impress you and I've been so desperate recently I can't believe it myself and-"

Luka's face only grinned his happiness as she mumbled things he couldn't hear. "Marinette" he finally called her. "Look".

The sun was already setting and a beautiful sunset had formed and reflected on the river.

"Isn't it pretty?" Said the boy, turning his face slightly over her.

"Yes… so pretty…"

Orange colors were all over their view, their eyes and faces matching with the color of the sky. Luka then took Marinette's hand softly, and linked hands with her as they enjoyed the view. After a few minutes, the light was replaced by the one from the streetlights.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Sorry I called you so late. I wish I could spend more time with you, but it's already this dark. I don't want your parents to worry…What kind of boyfriend would I be?" Luka said, still trying to assimilate his own words.

"It's ok, Luka. We have a whole life to spend together. I'm your girlfriend now and I hope that when I'm not anymore, it's only because I've become your fiance, and then your wife. I love you and I can't live without you. I really mean it."

Marinette was smiling softly and Luka was stunned by her. Not only she had confessed first, but she also shared his same feelings. He couldn't help it but feel extremely happy but also a little stupid for his passivity and negativity.

"I feel so stupid. Not only you confessed to me first when I was the one who called you here with that purpose, but you also talk as if you have stolen my words from my mouth. I feel exactly the same, Marinette. I love you. I've loved you since the first time we met and I hadn't stop loving you since then. Thank you for becoming my girlfriend. It means everything to me".

The new couple was smiling softly and Luka finally leaned in to kiss his girlfriend. It was a romantic kiss filled with pure love, leaving butterflies inside their stomachs and giving them electric vibrations on their lips. With darkness surrounding them, their senses intensified, making them feel like only them were existing in the world.

When they separated, both of them wanted to kiss again, but they were aware of the time, so they decided to hold their feelings back for now.

"I'll walk you home," said the boy, lending the girl his jacket. His girlfriend nodded in response.

They walked hand in hand to Marinette's home, while she talked about how disappointed she was she styled up for nothing and could have made better use of that time if she had arrived on time to their meeting. Luka could only smile at her rambles, thinking about how he had never been this happy in his whole life.

After kissing 'goodbye, see you tomorrow', Marinette went inside her house from the back door and Luka returned home with a smile he couldn't hide on his face.

_________________________________

Luka arrived home after a long day. He was physically exhausted, but his mind was floating in Loveland. Juleka received his brother at his arrival, as Anarka had already left to work.

"Welcome back," the little sister said, before giving him a fast scan. "I was going to ask you how it went, but your stupid grin is obvious enough. Eww, disgusting!”. She stuck her tongue out for a second before continuing “Congratulations on getting a girlfriend" she smiled, secretly happy for his brother.

"Thanks, Jules. I just can't believe it. Marinette is extraordinary. She's sweet, honest, and surprising. God and she is beautiful and her lips are made of magic..."

"Eww! Enough! Stop daydreaming about your girlfriend, skip the sugar when you talk to me. Let's talk about important things: you know you owe me one, right?" Juleka smirked as she teased her brother.

"Juleka, I owe you one. You're the best! Come here". Luka gave his sister a hug full of gratitude and fraternal love, which Juleka loved but would never recognize it all loud to anyone. Even less to Luka. She started to tease him in order to hide her feelings.

"Hey, Luka. You know? It's a B" she said.

"Pardon?" Luka blinked rapidly at the randomness of her sister’s words.

“Marinette. She wears a B cup” she specified.

"Of course you would know that just from looking…and you are a girl so..." Luka pouted a little for breaking the magic of their sibling hug.

*And listen, her actual sizes are…" Juleka had grabbed his brother's upper arms and made him go down a little, so she could whisper certain numbers to his ear. She let go of him and smirked when she became quiet.

“JULEKA. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?" Said Luka loudly, losing his usual cool. The blue-eyed boy opened his eyes surprised and grabbed his sister's upper arms so he could look her face to face.

“What can I say? You were right! There’s a slight difference between them” she sighed as she smirked.

"OMG Juleka you grabbed my girlfriend’s breasts!? You betrayer!" Luka couldn't hide his shock.

"She wasn’t your girlfriend yet and she was in debt with me. Of course, I would take the chance" the long-haired girl explained with a victorious grin on her face.

"JULEKA COUFFAINE YOU’RE NOT GETTING CLOSE TO MY GIRLFRIEND AGAIN!" He warned her, part joking, as he knew his sister was just teasing him.

"Too bad we’re meeting tomorrow… Maybe I’ll get to explore something more… You know: benefits of being a 'girl friend'" Juleka licked her lips teasingly after finishing her words and Luka choked.

"Don’t you dare touch my girlfriend, you traitor!". Luka frowned.

"I'm can’t promise you anything."

Luka thought of how Juleka was always able to make him lose his cool with her teasing and Juleka loved messing with her brother. They both knew she was just joking, as she only had eyes for Rose, but they enjoyed the fun.

And with that, one more day of giggles filling their shared room and houseboat ended. But this one was extra memorable: for their bonds as siblings, and with Marinette too, got stronger than ever. All thanks to a pair of beautiful small soft round pair of B sized breasts and a girl’s complex.

_____________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed this, because I’m already working on the prequel :)

[quickspinner]

Hey Gorgeous - Under Your Skin 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |  Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

A continuation of Hey Gorgeous Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Bonus Scene | Now on AO3

It felt like tradition, waiting for him on the stairs. 

Except when he arrived he was on foot, and he looked...really good. Not fancy at all, but his laid-back look suited him, and it was miles better than his work clothes. Marinette’s knees turned to jelly when he looked up at her and smiled a genuine, slow smile. “Hey Gorgeous,” he said, and it sounded different, warmer or softer or just...more. “Ready to go?” 

Marinette smiled and stood up, and Luka’s smile got broader as she came down the steps toward him. He held his hands out as she reached him and, blushing, she put her hands in his. 

“You’re a vision,” he said in that warm voice of his, and she ducked her head a little. She wasn’t that dressed up either, in jeans and the lace edging of her camisole peeking out of her pink pullover. But the admiration in his face was so genuine she couldn’t scold him. “I like your hair,” he added, glancing up at her twin buns. “Cute.” 

“Th-thanks,” she smiled. “I like yours too, n-now that I can sssee it.” She dared to reach up and play with a blue strand near his temple. “You l-look nice.” She let her hand brush his shoulder lightly as it fell and saw him swallow. 

“Well I didn’t have to do much to improve on the usual,” Luka chuckled. “You haven’t exactly been seeing me at my best.”

“Y-yet, h-h-here I am,” she pointed out shyly, and there were those eyes she told Alya about.

“Yes you are,” was all he said, but the way he said it, like he almost couldn’t believe it himself, was enough to stir up the butterflies in her stomach. He offered her his arm. 

Marinette put her hand in the crook of his elbow and let him guide her to the sidewalk.

“So—“ Luka began, but Marinette held up a hand. “What do you—“

“Oh n-no,” Marinette said, raising up a hand. “Wwwe t-talked all about mme last t-time. I want to know about y-you.”

“Oh,” Luka said, looking taken aback. “Oh, sure. Ah…”

“Y-you sssaid you had a sssister,” Marinette prompted. “Wwwhat about the r-rest of your family?”

“Oh, it’s just me, Jules--Juleka, my sister, I mean, and my mom. Actually apparently you’ve met Juleka. She said she modeled for a runway show you were working on.” Luka pulled out his phone and showed her the lock screen picture of he and Juleka together. “That’s her.” 

“Oh, I r-remember,” Marinette said with surprise, taking the phone to look closer. “She had sssuch an interesting l-look. R-really n-nice eyes.” She handed it back to him. “Mmmust r-run in the ffamily.” It amused her to see him blush at such a small compliment after all the lines he’d handed her over the past few months. 

“She’s beautiful, I know,” he deflected, pride evident in his tone. “A little short on confidence sometimes, but she’s working on that and she’s come so far. She has too much fun roasting her big brother though. We’re only a couple of years apart but she’s always been the baby to me.” He unlocked the phone and pulled up another photo. “That’s my mom.”

“Oh,” Marinette took the phone from him again. “Wow, she’s got ssstyle. She’s the kind of p-person I would ssssit down and draw if I saw her on the sstreet.” Realizing she had just snatched his phone away, she handed it back to him, blushing. “Sssorry.” 

“Don’t be,” he smiled, taking the phone back and slipping it back into his pocket. “I like seeing you excited. But yeah, my mom’s kind of an interesting person. Not the easiest person to have for a mom in some ways, but she’s definitely got personality.”

Marinette giggled. “Seems like that runs in the fffamily too.” 

Luka grinned at her and winked. They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. 

“So since I’m not allowed to ask any more questions,” he teased, “what else do you want to know?”

“What else d-do you think I shhhould know?” she countered with a playful sideways look. “What makes L-luka--” she paused. “I d-don’t know your last n-name,” she realized. 

Luka chuckled. “It’s Couffaine. Although it’s made up anyway, my mom changed her whole name when she left home. If there was a goddess of rebellious teenagers, it’d be Anarka Couffaine.” 

Marinette giggled. “L-luka C-c-couffaine,” she repeated thoughtfully. “Mine’s D-dupain-Cheng.”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” he repeated likewise. “Well, maybe it’s a little belated, but—I’m very glad to meet you.”

She squeezed his arm where she held it. “Mmme too. Sso what m-makes L-Luka C-couffaine t-tick?”

“Besides your eyes?” he grinned at her. “Music, mostly. My mother’s a musician and she had a guitar in my hands before I could walk. I’ve always expressed myself better with music than words.” 

“Th-th-that surprises me,” Marinette giggled. “Y-you nnnever seem at a loss for w-words.” 

“Oh, Gorgeous, it comes so easy when I’m with you,” he sighed, putting one hand to his chest dramatically, and then he dropped it and smiled at her. “Partly because have a week to think about it. And it makes you smile. I get the feeling maybe not enough people have been telling you how amazing you are, so I’m happy to pick up the slack.” He shook his head. “That day with the black dress, though. I think I forgot my own name for a minute.”

Marinette blushed. “Ssso w-w-what k-kind of mmmusic?”

“Listening or playing? I mean, all kinds, really,” Luka shrugged. “I’ll listen to almost anything, and I’ll play anything that catches my ear. I have a soft spot for folk music from all kinds of different places. I always seem to gravitate back to rock though. I play a few different instruments, including just about every kind of guitar there is, but the electric guitar speaks to me the most. I’ve been playing in bands since I was oh, about twelve or thirteen? Been writing music as long as I can remember.”

“Y-y-you write mmusic?” Marinette gasped, impressed. “Th-th-that’s sssoo c-cool.” 

Luka nudged her with a grin. “You don’t even know if I’m any good.”

“Are you?” 

Luka coughed, turning a little pink. “Maybe. Some people think so.”

“Mmmhmm,” Marinette quirked an eyebrow at him. 

“Including the school scholarship committee,” he admitted, lifting his free hand to rub the back of his neck. 

“I d-didn’t expect f-false mmodesty from you,” she teased.

“I don’t like to brag,” he said, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t want to jinx anything. Some days I still can’t believe anyone thinks my work is worth listening too. Sometimes I feel like if I tell the wrong person, they’ll realize I don’t actually have any talent and it’ll all come crumbling down.”

“I c-can relate,” Marinette sighed. “Mmmy b-best ffriend is always h-harping on mmme not to d-downplay mmmy accomplishments.” She bit her lip and admitted, “I’ve designed for Jagged St-st-stone.”

Luka stopped in his tracks. “Seriously?”

Marinette’s cheeks warmed and she wished she hadn’t said anything. But she had, so… “Yeah. Just a c-couple of s-small things.” He was still staring at her and for some reason she felt compelled to add, “And an album c-cover.”

“No way, which one?” Luka demanded. “I have all his albums.”

“R-rock Giant.”

“The one with the sticker? Man that was so fresh and original.” Luka cleared his throat. “I um...I sold one of my compositions to a producer friend of mine. It ended up being the base melody for one of Clara Nightingale’s singles.” 

“W-wow, that’s amazing!”

They exchanged a look of mingled embarrassment and admiration, and Marinette laughed. “W-w-we’re a p-pair, aren’t w-w-we.”

“I’d sure as hell like to be,” Luka said fervently, and then he bit his lip and his expression clearly showed he hadn’t meant to say that. 

Marinette knew her face was red, but she just bumped him lightly with her hip. “I th-think that’s a c-c-conversation that should wait a few mmmore dates.”

“Right. Sorry. Speaking of which--I was kind of hoping if things go okay tonight, maybe you’d like to come see my band play this weekend? You don’t have to answer now, just...think about it?” 

“I w-will,” she smiled up at him. “I’d l-like to c-come if I c-can.” 

Luka beamed back at her, and they started walking again. 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |  Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22

A continuation of Hey Gorgeous Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Bonus Scene | Now on AO3

[qween-of-air-and-darkness]

Im having serious baby carstairs feelings right now and I can't help thinking about all her extended family and how the react to her and her twin.

Like theres mum and dad, who worship her. Jem never thought he would live to the point of getting married and then once he became a silent brother he lost all hope he had left and now he has this little girl who is very much a daddys girl and she is a real blessing to him and he spoils her so much. And Tessa is equally as in awe of her but has to be the slightly sterner parent because otherwise she could get away with anything.

Kits obsessed with her, in the beginning he was unsure but now shes the little sister hes always wanted and he spoils her and takes her to mundane things like carnivals and stuff. Hes so gentle with her when shes a baby and is so overprotective but hes also the cool older brother (he thinks). She loves him and often wakes up crying for him. Jessa loves how well they get along and how ready Kit always is to drop everything to do something for her.

Will's ghost is there constantly. I headcannon that she doesnt cry much because she always can sense Will there comforting her and singing her whelsh lullabies help

And Jessa tell her bedtime stories about James and Lucie and Cordelia and all their adventures. And about Will and all their time together. Sometimes she likes to imagine what it would be like if James and Lucie were alive and her older brother and sister now.

Emma rocks up at random times sometimes with Julian and sometimes without and plays with the baby. She calls herself aunty emma to the baby and buys her lots of toy weapons. Emmas really impatient for the days when she can help train the baby. Baby is used to Kits sense of humor and finds Emma harious. Julian is really good with kids so of course she loves him but she just calls him Jules. When baby called Emma "enty memma" for the firs time she cried.

Jace is still confused with his relation to the baby i know there isnt really one shut up but he also pops around at random times to see how Kits training is going and play with the baby. Jessa are prepared for him though because Clary calls to let them know and goes with them. Shes a bit awkward around them but baby loves pulling at her red curls and when shes a bit older Clary loves sitting with her while she draws.

Magnus and Alec stop by regularly with Max and Rafe and often Tavvy for playdates. Magnus, Jem and Tessa gossip and reminisce over old times while Alec listens and watches the kids. Uncle Magnus always creates blue sparks and shapes to entertain her and she loves it and keeps giggling and saying more. Uncle Alec has had to pry his bow out of her hands on many occasions and she likes sitting on his lap and listening to shadowhunter stories.

Izzy and Simon came with clary and jace once to be polite and see wgat all the fuss was about. Simon mostly geeked out with Kit and watched from afar but Izzy. She doesnt consider herself one to melt around babies except maybe her nephews but baby carstairs runs straight up to her and takes an instant liking to her. Which is weird for izzy because thats never really happened. So of course Izzy has no choice but to give in and let her sit and watch her necklace in awe. Seriously baby carstairs is obsessed with watching the red necklace especially on the few occasions that it glows.

The only Blackthorns who really visit besides Emma and Jules are Tavvy who comes to play and Ty who comes to see Kit sometimes theyre gonna make up ok . Baby Carstairs took an interest in Ty especially as she got a bit older and he would show her different bugs and tell her about them while Kit watched and smiled.

Catarina came over sometimes when Tessa was pregnant just to sit with her and talk. It ended up becoming a routine which continued even after baby was born. Speaking of, Baby loves Catarina. Shes kinda like an aunt or godmother figure and baby carstairs loves watching her use magic and her blue skin which reminds her of max. Sometimes Catarina just comes to tell her stories about idiotic shadowhunters shes put up with.

When Baby begins her training its a full out custody battle between Emma, Jace and Alec even though Jem is the main one training her. Alec teaches her to use a bow and jace and Emma work together to familiarise her with shadowhunter weaons. Izzy comes with Alec sometimes and shows her how to use a whip. Shes mostly good with a sword but she loves using Jems old staff. She likes to run her fingers over the letters W.H and imagine hes there. Tessa helps her embrace whatever power she gets from her and how to use it. Magnus and Catarina are there often to help. Clary and Julian help her with the more artistic stuff, deciding that theres already ebough people training her. Kit enjoys being a more mundane older brother and hes still learning everything himself so he trains with her when he needs to train and helps her out but otherwise he avoids it. Too painful.

Jessa decide that they want to raise her to be able to fight demons if she needs to but not to be a shadowhunter so much. They try keep her and themselves out of all the drama of the clave but it can be hard. When Emma and Julian get married Emma becomes a Blackthorn and althoguh jem assures her she could keep the sword because she is still a Carstairs at heart, she decidea instead to pass it down to Baby carstairs. She loves the sword and it becomes her main weapon although often changed out for Jem's staff which he gives her once shes a bit older and hes retired from shadowhunting he would want to give it all up and just live his life as a normal person with his beautiful wife and kids fight me on this.

So if anyone hurst her theyll have her, whos been trained by some of the most famour shadowhunters and warlocks and who is 1/4 demon+her protective older brother+her immortal half demon mum and her 150 year old shadowhunter dad+the whole carstairs family+half the lightwoods+half a dozen warlocks+a handful of herondales+some blackthorns to answer too.

[wildfangz]

@liliithvatore tagged me in that simself thing thats been goin around DAYS ago but here it finally is! also thank you for the tag this was fun :-]

I tag @slythersim @thelurgoyf @seoulchii @weicyn @solitasims @daisydezem @raha-plays-the-sims if they want to do it & anyone that just wants to do it in general! message me and I’ll even @ u directly if u want. 

anyway lets DO THIS shitload of questions under the cut u’ve been warned!!!

1. what is your name?

julian

2. what is your nickname?

jewel, jules

3. birthday?

oct 26th

4. what is your favorite book series?

percy jackson and the olympians will probably always own my heart & soul

5. do you believe in aliens or ghosts?

yes & yes. tho i do think a lot of alien sightings and conspiracy theories and what not are bullshit

6. who is your favorite author?

maggie stiefvater probably? also cornelia funke but its been years since ive read anything by her so i cant be sure BUT i loved inkheart & the thief lord so much

7. what is your favorite radio station?

ummm when i listen to the radio at all i kinda just switch between two rock stations and our popular music station.

8. what is your favorite flavor of anything?

blue raspberry !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tasty and i love a blue tongue

9. what word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful?

cool. or bitchin’.  i play it simple

10. what is your current favorite song?

hands like houses - revive

11. what is your favorite word?

roulette and inhibition which i never get to use either as much as i want !

12. what was the last song you listened to?

emarosa - givin’ up ! its a bop!

13. what tv show would you recommend for everybody to watch?

the new she-ra on netflix its so good. and gay

14. what is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down?

moana. its also like the only movie i dont have trouble getting thru despite how many times ive already seen it

15. do you play video games?

16. what is your biggest fear?

idk... being inherently unlovable i guess n ending up alone? also spiders !

17. what is your best quality, in your opinion?

im fairly open-minded and laid back. Unless someones being like, purposely nasty or something I generally don’t get defensive or aggressive. also a lot of little quirks that piss others off dont bother me im very u do u as long as its not actually harming anyone and ive had people tell me this makes it easier to open up to me so thats probably my best quality....

18. what is your worst quality, in your opinion?

....at the same time though i do get very sensitive when faced w/ criticism even if its of the fair variety when its not phrased really gently for various reasons and i dont like that. especially since I have a tendency to not even talk to people about it. I’ll just immediately start distancing myself. also other than that i think overall I have a really high tolerance lvl but if you cross that line I hold a grudge like a motherfucker

9. do you like cats or dogs better?

cats! dogs are good too but cats are a lot easier for me to handle...and quieter generally but even when they’re loud cat sounds dont get to me quite as much as barks do

20. what is your favorite season?

autumn but im starting to really like summer for some reason? wack :/

21. are you in a relationship?

nope

22. what is something you miss from your childhood?

the lack of responsibility, probably. that sounds real bad lmao but for me its like...I know I’ve grown in various ways over the years but I also feel like so many of my experiences, my trauma, my mental health has held me back and I don’t think I’m mentally where I should be for my age. so all the responsibility of adulthood is just..really overwhelming for me sometimes, even though ive been given a pass from certain aspects of it and the rest is pretty simple its the idea!!!!

23. who is your best friend?

my ex

24. what is your eye color?

25. what is your hair color?

26. who is someone you love?

my mom

27. who is someone you trust?

not really anyone rn unfortunately...would like 2 work on that

28. who is someone you think about often?

are my OCs a fair answer because i am always thinking about my babies.....

29. are you currently excited about/for something?

my favorite webcomic (that also has two of my all time favorite characters in it) just came back!! the artist disappeared back in 2015 like the day after I binge-read the whole fucking thing & i was so disappointed but its BACK and 2018 has been redeemed

30. what is your biggest obsession?

sims probably! i could talk about anything relating to it for hours

31. what was your favorite tv show as a child?

there were so damn many its hard to even think and figure out the most notable ones...i really, really liked teen titans though?

32. who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone?

my ex, again

33. are you superstitious?

not terribly so but somewhat. I take certain things as signs and I mean I do believe in astrology & such to a degree

34. do you have any unusual phobias?

i used to be afraid of mirrors but thats all i can think of and its not even a thing anymore...the only other thing is tornadoes but i dont think its unusual. but it definitely sucks for me ‘cause i live in tornado alley!

35. do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?

behind it....like taking pretty pictures and dont like ppl capturing my image 2 film

36. what is your favorite hobby?

sims.....also singing!!! and drawing!!!! video editing!!!!!!!!! the works

37. what was the last book you read?

The Dream Thieves....havent finished it though because last time i went to read it a spider was lying in wait and im traumatized

38. what was the last movie you watched?

coco i think???

39. what musical instruments do you play, if any?

drums, various other percussion instruments, and violin mainly

40. what is your favorite animal?

ferrets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

41. what are your top 5 favorite tumblr blogs that you follow?

uhhhhh @bratsims @liliithvatore @cabsim @wildlyminiaturesandwich @keysims pls dont feel bad if i didnt include u these were just the first to pop into my head and ive been following some of them since I first made my blog!! and have kept up with their stories completely and enjoy them etc check them OUT !

42. what superpower do you wish you had?

shapeshifting!!! dysphoria? gone. ugliness? gone. want to morph into a fucked up clown and scare people when they realize all the classic clown features are a real actual part of my face? possible!

43. when and where do you feel most at peace?

chillin’ at the pool in summer during the part of the day when no ones there.... swimming is always relaxing 2 me then i love just resting under the sun and drying off afterwards especially since we have a little pond nearby and i can hear the water! its nice

44. what makes you smile?

always and without fail? interacting with anyone i have a crush on. i’ll look like a dope the whole time

45. what sports do you play, if any?

i used 2 play basketball a lot. Like not seriously but it was a thing

46. what is your favorite drink?

dr pepper and monster energy (original flavor) pumps through my veins at this point. we love a carbonated beverage

47. when was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody?

two years ago for my ex and I’s first year anniversary... I never got it mailed but I did at least take a picture of it (with included caption because my handwriting is atrocious). i was very up front about being a romantic and see heres the PROOF

48. are you afraid of heights?

nope! very excited by them actually

49. what is your biggest pet peeve?

i cant stand passive aggressive behavior. my stance is either get over it or quit acting like a bitch because otherwise im just going to ignore you thats the scorpio way (in all seriousness I really, really do recommend not putting up with it and ignoring it until they decide to be up front with you. it can be exhausting constantly reading into conversations and its not healthy for you or them. if they have something to say they need to learn to talk about it properly, and that lack of social skills is not ever on you)

50. have you ever been to a concert?

yep! i think about....six or so? i love them...which is really funny im autistic and EVERYTHING about them should freak me out and they do in other circumstances but at a show i just live for it

51. are you vegan/vegetarian?

nope! ive thought before id like to go vegetarian...but i couldnt do it with my health problems. also i love shrimp too much

52. when you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

ive always wanted to do something creative! when i was rlly young I thought a lot about singing and acting and writing in particular...all things im still interested in.... also i wanted to be a dictator ages 4-7 because i told my mom i wanted to be president of the world and make people do what i say and she said “honey thats a dictator not a president”. i then made that known at school and that turned into a situation!

53. what fictional world would you like to live in?

pokemon universe or bust. 

54. what is something you worry about?

never being able to do things i want to do or catching up with others because of my disabilities

55. are you scared of the dark?

yes but a reasonable amount i think

56. do you like to sing?

yes :]

57. have you ever skipped school?

yes i used to play sick a LOT and as my parents caught onto it id even go all out to convince them. i was good at school but i hated it so much

58. what is your favorite place on the planet?

dunno! malls maybe i love shopping and looking at material objects i wish to own

59. where would you like to live?

oregon! portland in particular thats been my dream for a few years now

60. do you have any pets?

a cat! he lives with my dad & grandma though...hes grown up there and likes going outside so I felt bad about taking him with me when i moved out but anyway this is him hes fat and stupid and i love him his name is coffee

61. are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

night owl because my rhythm is all fucked up but in my heart....an early bird...if i get a good nights sleep i’ll be up early yacking your ear off and so excited for the day

62. do you like sunrises or sunsets better?

sunsets are prettier...but sunrises feel more refreshing

63. do you know how to drive?

nope ! im gay !

64. do you prefer earbuds or headphones?

headphones. better sound quality also discourages people from talking to me slightly more

65. have you ever had braces?

nope! but i need them

66. what is your favorite genre of music?

post-hardcore maybe?

67. who is your hero?

every trans person living their truth and being open and loud about who they are past present & future. the worlds not particularly kind to us and our existence alone is considered a radical act, so its always given me hope to see others refusing to pretend to be someone they’re not in this environment and I’ll always have mad respect for that

68. do you read comic books?

i read manga and webcomics...ive always wanted to get into superhero comics but the amount of issues and different versions is ridiculous and makes it inaccessible 2 me 

69. what makes you the most angry?

i mean its hard to pinpoint what makes me angry the MOST...but a contender is definitely how some people feel free to treat others with cruelty and think its their god given right to deny or attack someones existence in some way, & how acts of kindness, even the most basic are branded as liberal bullshit or whatever....it goes against everything i was taught growing up

70. do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book?

real book! electronic device can be easier but....rough on the eyes after a while and nothing beats the real thing for me

71. what was your favorite subject in school?

language arts...at least when we did creative writing stuff

72. do you have any siblings?

two older sisters & an older brother that passed away years ago but. still my brother u kno

73. what was the last thing you bought?

mocha frappe baby!!!!!

74. how tall are you?

5′4″

75. can you cook?

a little bit....not as much as id like to though but im learning

76. what are three things that you love?

storms, cheesy breadsticks, and cat purrs

77. what are three things that you hate?

unnecessary rudeness, being talked down to or generally treated like im stupid, grapefruit which is the worst thing on this list

78. do you have more female friends or more male friends?

female i think?

79. what is your sexual orientation?

im the big bad promiscuous bisexual your parents warned you about

80. where do you currently live?

oklahoma. gofundme campaign to get me out

81. who was the last person you texted?

my friend jojo! just Now!

82. when was the last time you cried?

yesterday afternoon but im a changed man now thats behind me. i will cry about different things soon

83. who is your favorite youtuber?

the mcelroy brothers. also super best friends play. matt, pat & woolie are all great tbh

84. do you like to take selfies?

depends on whether i feel ugly or terribly dysphoric that day or not

85. what is your favorite app?

ummmm....love live school idol festival ive been playin for years its an addiction

86. what is your relationship with your parent(s) like?

dad = bad mom = okay. theres some issues that strain it but its not too bad

87. what is your favorite foreign accent?

i have no idea what the fuck australians are talking about half the time but i dig it anyway 

88. what is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit?

Italy, Greece, Germany, Japan, Mexico, various other states (ive only been out of state three times. twice to texas and then once to kansas. for five minutes)

89. what is your favorite number?

6!! 26 also

90. can you juggle?

ive always wanted to but alas.... :-[

91. are you religious?

i suppose...but im rlly not into organized religion

92. do you find outer space of the deep ocean to be more interesting?

space probably theres so fucking much of it man!

93. do you consider yourself to be a daredevil?

not to brag but sometimes i eat my mcdonalds hamburgers cold from the fridge so you can figure that one out yourself B)

94. are you allergic to anything?

pecans. not deathly allergic though so catch me eating turtle pie anyway! 

95. can you curl your tongue?

nope :[

96. can you wiggle your ears?

nope :[

97. how often do you admit that you were wrong about something?

usually as soon as i realize....unless someones being real smug and annoying then i might be stubborn about it

98. do you prefer the forest or the beach?

ive never been to the beach but i love her!!!

99. what is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you?

probably that you have to look at your accomplishments differently when you’re disabled or just struggling, to not be so down on yourself because its a fact that what might be a mole hill to someone else is a mountain to you and you have to judge yourself accordingly. Like maybe you weren’t able to clean the whole house, but washing the dishes and tidying your desk doesn’t usually get done but you did it. That that should be celebrated because while it would also feel good if you did more, you still did something and thats great all things considered.

100. are you a good liar?

sometimes, really depends what im lying about and if im like....into it at all. If my guts against it for whatever reason I’ll have trouble

101. what is your hogwarts house?

i always get slytherin or hufflepuff! usually with like 1 point difference

102. do you talk to yourself?

i am talking to myself right now as i fill this out

103. are you an introvert or an extrovert?

extrovert mainly! i used to think i was more introverted but now i think a lot of exhaustion when theres any comes from me just going the extra mile and actively trying to read people and pick up on social ques.... if I just chill im fine

104. do you keep a journal/diary?

nope...ive tried but i just cant keep up with it so i do the next best thing. shouting into the void on the internet to a bunch of strangers

105. do you believe in second chances?

depends on what you did the first time. Some people just don’t deserve taking that risk imo...but i can be a little guarded so maybe thats a bit too harsh

106. if you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do?

turn it in, unless there was no identifying things in it & it was found somewhere kinda random. Then I’d maybe hold onto it unless my gut challenged that

107. do you believe that people are capable of change?

absolutely. i mean thats all we do throughout our lives is change and evolve...that being said I think extremely drastic changes are maybe not entirely impossible, but extremely rare, and the residue of the former self usually sticks around in some form

108. are you ticklish?

yes, dangerously so

109. have you ever been on a plane?

nope

110. do you have any piercings?

one day hopefully!

111. what fictional character do you wish was real?

asra from the arcana.....even if he wasn’t my boyfriend thats just a dude u could chill and eat some pomegranates with u know. Before I downloaded the app my friends kept telling me he was made for me and he really was he ticks like everything on my Favorite Characters Feature List except villain but he has that particular allure & attitude i like so much in villains so thats not a single point off hes perfect

112. do you have any tattoos?

nope...one day! hopefully!

113. what is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far?

accepting my genderqueerness and bisexuality definitely. Self Love hasn’t been perfected just yet but that was such a huge step in the right direction

114. do you believe in karma?

yes! she doesn’t get shit done as much as id like however

115. do you wear glasses or contacts?

glasses. not contacts yet because my eye doctor is a bitch

116. do you want children?

I do....just not sure if id be a good parent. Its really important to me if I had a child itd be for the right reason and I could raise them well in a healthy environment & be able to take care of all their needs yknow

117. who is the smartest person you know?

probably my friend jojo

118. what is your most embarrassing memory?

one time i looked outside and the sunset was really pretty and i wanted to get a photo of it so i walked out.....and stood like right by the street so there weren’t trees in my way...and then i realized mid-pic 1) i am not wearing pants & my shirt is full of holes 2) id been depressed for days so my hair was a tangled mess. I tailed it back inside so i didnt even get a nice pic it was blurry!

119. have you ever pulled an all-nighter?

120. what colour are most of you clothes?

black i didnt even have to think about that one

121. do you like adventures?

they are pretty swell

122. have you ever been on tv?

a few times when i was little. always photobombing the news reporters 4 what i thought would eventually lead 2 fame & fortune

123. how old are you?

21

124. what is your favorite movie quote?

this is technically lyrics to that lil song in moana at the end but

“ They have stolen the heart from inside you. But this does not define you.”

hits me hard every time! emotional impact? i know her

125. sweet or savory?

sweet!!!!!!!! gotta balance out my bitter somehow

[mostly-optimistic]

Lunar Interlude: Family Bonding

This is chapter 19 of my twinswap au fic but it mostly works on it’s own and I’m proud of it so I’m posting it here. It’s just 5k of fluff. Taako is Ango’s dad, Lup is a Reclaimer and, minor spoiler for the fic: Julia is alive.

Angus spends some quality time with his family, even if he doesn’t know that’s what they are yet. 

Angus was on his way back to his dorm when Magnus flagged him down.

“Ango!” he yelled as he charged down the hall. Angus stopped in his tracks and waited for Magnus to catch up to him. Seconds later Magnus came screeching to a halt in front of him, barely managing to avoid running into him.

“Hello sir! Did you need something?” Angus asked while Magnus caught his breath.

“Yeah actually. I was wondering if you wanted to help me with a top secret mission,” Magnus said. Angus’ eyes went wide.

“What kind of secret mission?” he asked.

Magnus looked around dramatically before leaning down to whisper, “We’re gonna surprise Miss Julia.”

“I wanna help!” Angus said immediately. Magnus laughed at his enthusiasm.

“I thought you might. Here’s the deal. Julia’s coming up for a visit tonight and I wanna make it extra special since we haven’t seen each other in a while. I need you to help me set up and to buy me some time while I finish preparing. This is a very crucial role Angus. Do you think you can handle it?” Magnus asked with mock seriousness.

“I can handle it,” Angus said, trying to look serious as well before breaking into a smile.

“Good cause we’ve got lots to do. Let’s get started,” Magnus said, taking off down the hall without waiting to see if Angus followed. Angus trailed after him, eager to see what Julia’s surprise would be.

When Julia sees the glass sphere come to a stop in the field in front of her, she expects to be greeted by her husband. Instead, running excitedly in her direction is the curly haired little boy she’s met a handful of times since last Candlenights.

“Hello Miss Julia!” he greets her. Julia pulls him into a hug which he returns happily.

“Hello to you too Angus! Are you here to pick me up?” she asks. Angus pulls away just enough that she can see him nod.

“Magnus said that you were coming and I was excited to see you so he said I could come get you,” Angus told her, doing his absolute best to sound convincing. Julia wasn’t totally convinced but she kept her suspicions to herself.

“Well that was very kind of you Angus,” she said instead. “Now let’s head up before that thing takes off without us.” She let Angus pull her by the hand over to the sphere and they both stepped inside and buckled themselves in. Shortly after they began floating towards the base.

The trip up towards the Bureau was still a little disorienting for Julia. She had only been up there a handful of times, Magnus usually came to her instead, so she hadn’t quite gotten used to it yet. She had to admit though, the view was always beautiful. The world stretched out endlessly below her, the last light of day painting the sky with pinks and oranges and purples. It was breathtaking. Almost enough to make her forget how sick the height made her.

Julia watched as the moonbase grew closer and closer until they drifted up into the entrance to the hangar. Once they landed, Julia hopped out of the sphere and looked around. Magnus was still nowhere in sight. Now she’s certain that something is going on. Angus tugs on her sleeve to get her attention.

“Miss Julia, I’ve learned lots of cool new spells with Miss Lup since I last saw you. Do you wanna see some of the stuff we’ve been working on?” Angus asked. Julia studied him carefully before answering. Wide eyed innocence was carefully painted across his face.

“Sure, Angus. I’d love to see what you’ve been working on,” she finally said. Angus grinned triumphantly and took her hand once more, guiding her across the campus.

“We have to go to the training room first just to be safe. I don’t wanna break anything on accident,” Angus said. Julia let herself be dragged along behind him. The more they walked though, the more she doubted that’s where they were actually going. They were walking away from the more populated areas, heading towards what seemed to be an empty field instead. As they got closer Julia could begin to pick out the silhouettes of people and soon realized that she’d finally found Magnus. He waved enthusiastically at her when he spotted her coming. Julia squeezed Angus’ hand before dropping it to sprint across the field, throwing herself happily into her husband's arms.

Magnus caught her easily, spinning her around once before pulling her into a kiss. Despite being in some weird moonbase she’d barely spent any time in, it felt like coming home. It had been far too long since they’d seen each other. When they finally broke apart, Magnus buried his face in her shoulder, pulling her impossibly closer.

“I’ve missed you, Jules,” he mumbled. Julia ran her hands soothingly through his hair.

“Missed you too, Mags,” she said, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head. “Now, are you gonna tell me what you’ve been scheming?”

“Oh yeah!” Magnus says, pulling away from her shoulder. “I was thinking we haven’t gotten to have an actual date in a long time, so we should have one tonight,” he explains as he guides her over to the picnic blanket and basket that he’d so carefully laid out. Julia gave him a completely lovestruck smile.

“I love you so much, you big sap,” she said happily before pulling him in for another kiss. When they part, Magnus moves to sit down on the blanket and start pulling things out of the picnic basket. Julia takes her seat next to him.

“Angus helped me make most of this stuff, so it’s definitely going to be good,” Magnus says as he pulls out a small feast. Julia glances around in search of the boy and finds him chatting with who she can now see is Lup. She’d been so caught up in her surprise she’d lost track of him for a bit.

“Magnus, is there another part to this surprise?” she asks with a pointed look at Lup.

“There might be,” he says. He quickly finishes up setting up dinner and hands her a plate. The two of them dish up and Julia waits in suspense for whatever part two might be.

Magnus waits until they’re both ready to start eating before shouting, “Lup, now!”

“You got it Mango!” she shouts back. She draws her wand and makes sure Angus is safely behind her before lighting up the sky with a beautiful display of fireworks. If there’s one thing Lup is good at, it’s pyrotechnics and she’s not holding anything back tonight.

Julia watches in awe as the different colors streak across the sky. She’d been to a few festivals where they had done fireworks before but she’d never seen any as skillfully done as this. She turns to face man who arranged this all and finds him already looking at her, watching her reaction. Julia smiles and scoots closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder and humming contentedly when his arm wraps around her waist.

“Thank you for doing this all for me,” she says. “You really did an incredible job.”

“Anything for you, Jules,” he says sincerely. Julia burrows further into his side and the two of them watch the rest of the display. They cheer Angus on when Lup lets him try a few fireworks of his own and clap loudly during Lup’s big finale. Once the show is over, the two of them join them on the blanket and help them finish off the rest of the feast. Angus leans against Julia’s other side and Lup sprawls across the rest of the blanket with her hands behind her head and her feet in Magnus’ lap.

They all stay there like that until it’s too late to stay up any longer. Angus has already fallen asleep. At some point he’d ended up laying in Julia’s lap rather than against her shoulder. Lup carefully picks him up, hushing soothingly when he starts to wake. Once he’s securely in her arms, she mumbles something about taking Angus to his dorm and wanders off, leaving the two of them alone.

They slowly get to work packing up the picnic. The excitement from earlier had died down and left them both exhausted. Dishes were placed haphazardly back into the basket and the blanket was balled up enough to carry. They could deal with it all properly in the morning.

The walk back to Magnus’ dorm was quiet. It was only when they had reached their destination and were climbing into bed that Julia broke the silence.

“I love you Mags,” she whispered as they settled under the covers.

“I love you too Jules,” he whispered back.

________

Merle was finally headed to bed after a long night of stargazing. He hadn’t intended to stay out for as long as he had, but he’d been too caught up in his thoughts to notice the hours slipping away. Part of him didn’t want to sleep anyways. Didn’t want to chance the nightmares. They weren’t always a regular occurrence for him, but every once in a while he’d go through periods where they’d plague him for days or weeks. The subject of them varied. Sometimes it was of his kids hating him forever after what he’d done, or of Lup and Magnus replacing him. Sometimes he woke up with static filling his mind and tears running down his face. He never knew what to make of those dreams. Lately it had been losing his arm. It had been such a stupid mistake. What kind of cleric couldn’t even recognize their own god? Sometimes he thinks that Lup and Magnus really should replace him. He couldn’t even keep himself safe, much less the two of them. They’d probably be better off without him.

Before he can spiral too deep into those thoughts he smells something baking as he walks past the cafeteria. He’s both hungry and curious enough to investigate who decided baking at 2 am seemed like a good idea, so he quietly wanders inside. The sounds of clattering dishes guide him as he makes his way towards the kitchen. He pushes past the swinging doors only to find Angus Mcdonald fussing over whatever he’d been making. Wonderful. Just who he wanted to see. He tries to back out of the room but the movement caught Angus’ attention.

“Oh. Hello sir,” Angus said, blinking at him in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I--I just wanted to see who in their right mind was up this late is all,” Merle said. Angus raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’re up too,” he pointed out. Merle didn’t have an argument for that.

“Yeah well...I’m going to bed. Goodnight kid,” he said as he turned to leave.

“Wait!” Angus called after him. “I made a bunch of macaroons and I don’t really know what to do with them. Do you, um, I was just wondering if you wanted some?” Merle glanced over his shoulder and considered him for a moment. Angus’ hands twisted at his shirtsleeves and his tiny pointed ears flicking nervously. Merle sighed heavily before walking back into the kitchen.

“Alright, fine. But only because I’m hungry,”  he said, resignation heavy in his voice. Angus’ face lit up.

“Ok sir!” he said, hurriedly plating the macaroons and bringing them out towards the tables. Merle slowly trailed behind him and took the seat across from him.

“They’re not as good as my dad’s, but I’ve been practicing a lot and they’ve gotten much better!” Angus babbled, trying to fill the awkward silence between them. Merle paid him no mind. He just picked up a macaroon from the plate and took a tentative bite. Immediately he was flooded with an overwhelming emotion that he didn’t have a name for. It was like...being reunited with something he’d missed dearly, except he couldn’t for the life of him think of why that might be. Everytime he tried to think of it, his thoughts turned to static. But that didn’t make sense either. They’d already been innoculated. So why....

“Merle?” Angus asked, jolting him from his thoughts. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m uh, I’m fine kid. What were you doing baking so late anyways?” Angus started worrying at his sleeves again.

“Well I couldn’t really sleep and it was getting frustrating just laying there so I just started walking around campus. And then I saw the cafeteria and it made me think of how my dad always bakes when he’s stressed and...I dunno, I just decided to try it I guess,” he said.

“What do you even have to be stressed about kid?” Merle asked.

“I’m a ten year old working for a secret organization on the moon, sir. I have plenty to be stressed about,” Angus retorted.

Merle snorted at that. “Is that what’s bugging you then. Working for the Bureau?”  

Angus shook his head. “No it’s not that. I love working here. It’s just...I feel like I don’t really fit in here I guess.”

“Seriously? But everyone here adores you,” Merle said.

“Not everyone,” Angus said with a pointed look.

“Most everyone then,” Merle amended. Angus just shrugged.

“I know that people here like me, but they don’t treat me like a peer. No matter what I do or how hard I work everyone just treats me like a little kid instead of an equal. And because I’m so much younger than everyone here it’s hard to find anyone who wants to spend any time with me and I just…” Angus cuts himself off to scrub at his eyes under his glasses. Merle is starting to question how he got himself into this mess. He should have just gone straight back to his dorm.

“Listen, Angus. They treat you like a kid because you are a kid. That’s not a bad thing. And it doesn’t mean that they don’t care about you or respect you any less. They might show it differently because you’re younger but that doesn’t make it any less real. Hell kid, you’re one of the most competent people in this whole organization. I’m the one who should be worried about respect, not you. At least you can do your job right.”

“What do you mean, sir?” Angus asked. Whoops. He said way more than he should have right there. He blamed the late hour. He was too tired to filter his thoughts right now.

“Nothing. Just forget it,” Merle said. Angus leveled him with a disapproving look. “Alright, fine. I’m just not very good at my job is all. Lup and Magnus would probably be better off without me. I can’t even manage to heal them most of the time.”

“They wouldn’t be better without you,” Angus said.

“It’s fine kid, I know I’m a shitty cleric,” said Merle.

“I mean it. They’re better with you there. They’re always happier when you’re with them. And you do take care of them, even if it’s not necessarily with healing magic. You look out for them and make sure they take care of themselves. And maybe they’re not religious, but I think that you’ve shown them how to have faith as well.”

“I don’t know about that, but thanks kid,” Merle said with a bitter smile.

“Well, I hope that you believe it one day Merle, because it’s true.” Whatever Angus was going to say next was cut off by a yawn. Merle was suddenly reminded of the time.

“Go to bed kid. It’s late,” he said.

“But I have to clean up the kitchen,” Angus protested. Merle waved him off.

“Just leave it. The kitchen staff can handle it in the morning.”

“I guess,” Angus said, still looking uncertain. His exhaustion must have won out though, because he got up from the bench and started towards the door.

“Goodnight sir,” he said as he left.

“Goodnight kid,” Merle replied. As he watched him go, Merle came to the horrifying realization that he was actually feeling fond for the kid.

Well shit.

________

Ever since Angus had joined the Bureau, Lucretia had found that she worked alone less and less. He’d come in to her office and start doing his research alongside her. This was perfectly fine by her. She cherished any time she got to spend with her would-be nephew. And having him by her side meant that she knew he was safe. Angus working for a secret and dangerous organization was worrying, even if she was the one running it. Especially then.

The arrangement ended up being good for the both of them. On their own, both of them tended to get so caught up in work that they forgot to take care of themselves. At least between the two of them, one of them was bound to remember eventually. Lucretia found it was easier to remember that meals were important when a small child was in your care too. Though it was usually Lucretia who took care of Angus, every so often it was the other way around.

“You should take a break,” Angus told her from his side of the desk.

“I don’t have time to take a break,” Lucretia sighed. She had been reading through the theories and information the Seekers had submitted to her about the next grand relic. They were still looking for a lead on its location. So far, none of it looked promising.

“You’ve just been staring at the same page for the past five minutes,” Angus pointed out. “You’d probably get more work done if you took a break and came back to it.”

“Alright. You might have a point,” Lucretia said. “What should we do for our break then Angus?”

Angus thought about it for a moment. “We could do what my dad likes to do when we take breaks from magic lessons?” he suggested.

“And what’s that?” Lucretia asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

“Paint our nails and gossip. He says I’m fun to gossip with because I’m so nosy,” he says matter of factly. Lucretia can’t help but grin at that though her stomach twists at the mention of Taako.

“Alright, let’s do it. I think I’ve got some nail polish in here somewhere,” Lucretia said, digging through their desk.

Lucretia sticks with her signature blue but Angus choses a bright red. She tries her best not to read too much into that. The two of them carefully get to work on their nails while Angus fills her in on the latest Bureau gossip.

“I think that Carey and Killian are finally going to get together soon. Avi started a betting pool awhile ago, and I know I’m not allowed to join, but I heard Carey and Magnus talking earlier and…”

As he chatters away she can’t help but think of another moment in her life which was painfully similar to this one.

“Lucyyyyy,” Taako whined. “You’ve been at it forever. It’s time for a break.”

“I don’t need a break Taako,” she responded, not bothering to look up from her journal. She had been sketching some plants that Merle had brought back for her to document. He had said something about them having unique properties but she hadn’t been paying much attention. Listening to Merle talk about plants was a risk she hadn’t wanted to take.

“You’re taking one anyways,” Taako declared, plucking the journal from her hand and ignoring her when she protested. Instead he dropped down on the couch next to her and tossed the journal onto the coffee table. A bottle of nail polish was pressed into her hand and she instantly realized what was happening.

“You just want someone to complain to,” she accused.

“I definitely, definitely do,” Taako said, uncapping his bottle and getting to work. Lucretia rolled her eyes and followed his lead. There was no stopping him and she knew it.

“Is it Lup and Barry again?” she asked.

“Yes! I can’t work with them anymore Lucy, I just can’t! It’s so painfully obvious that they’re into each other but neither of them will suck it up and do anything about it…”

Lucretia smiled sadly at the memory. When she had first met Angus, she had been surprised at how much he contrasted his father. Angus was exceedingly polite, cared deeply and openly for everyone he encountered, and was very driven by morality and justice. He didn’t at all seem like he’d been raised by Taako. The more she got to know him though, the more she realized they were painfully similar. Some of their similarities were more superficial--both were sarcastic and blunt and had a tendency to show off. But it was more than that too. They were both loyal to a fault. They had the same thirst for knowledge, though Taako never liked to admit to that trait of his. They were both more powerful than they let on and used this to their advantage. And they both cared so deeply for others, even if they expressed it in different ways. Lucretia could see all the best of Taako in his son, and she was so proud. He’d done such a good job raising Angus, even after everything she had taken from him. And she knew he was happy in the life he had built for himself. She was so grateful that he was. After all, if anyone had earned that happiness, it was him.

________

Angus had been pushing himself past his limits for the past few days. He couldn’t help it. It was just so frustrating to get stuck in his investigation so soon after joining the Bureau. He’d done an alright job helping with the Philosopher's Stone mission. Sure, he’d been pretty sure he’d let all  the Reclaimers die at one point, but other than that it went ok. But now that he’d been assigned to help locate one of the Grand Relics, he’d hit a dead end. He couldn’t find a single piece of information about the Temporal Chalice.

The Director had told him that this one would be tricky to find. Apparently this relic was the only one to not have any record of destruction during the war. Whether that’s because it hadn’t been used or because it’s impossible to know if it had been used or not is unknown. All he knows is that he’d never been this stuck with a case and that it was driving him crazy.

So maybe he hadn’t slept properly in a few days. And maybe he’d been accidentally missing meals in favor of staying holed up in the library. But if that’s what it takes to solve this then he’d gladly do it.

He was currently skimming a book on the history of the relic wars, hoping to find some mention of the Chalice or even just inconsistencies in the timeline. Every few sentences or so he would get distracted by a coughing fit or his drooping eyelids. The trash can by his chair was now piled high with tissues. He felt fine though. At least, that’s what he told himself. He needed to feel fine so that he could finish this.

Ugly, broken coughs wracked his body for the third time in the past five minutes. When he finally recovered enough to get his breathing back under control, he looked up to find Davenport staring at him with a stern expression.

“Oh, hello sir,” Angus rasped. Davenport narrowed his eyes at him.

“Davenport,” he said disapprovingly.

“I’m fine sir, really. It’s just a little cough,” Angus said. Davenport shook his head.

“Davenport,” he said, more firmly this time.

“I just need a little more time. I’ll get this done and then I’ll get some rest, I promise,” Angus pleaded. Davenport wasn’t swayed. He just pulled the book gently from Angus’ grasp and set it aside. Before Angus could argue, he had already turned and began to walk away, gesturing for Angus to follow. Angus had little choice but to do as told, barely keeping up with Davenport’s surprisingly fast pace.

When Davenport finally came to a stop, it was in front of Angus’ dorm. He stood outside the door and stared up at him expectantly. Angus reluctantly pulled out his key and let them in. When he stepped into the room his bed looked more inviting than ever. Angus crawled under the covers without needing to be told. Once he was settled, he felt Davenport remove his glasses and put them on his nightstand. The covers were pulled up snugly around his chin and his hair was brushed away from his face. The last thing he heard was one final soft, “Davenport” before he finally drifted off to sleep.

When Angus awoke hours later he found that he wasn’t alone. Sitting at his desk in the corner of the room was his dad, watching him with concern written clearly across his face.  As soon as he realized he’d woken up, Taako had moved to sit next to him on the bed.

“Hey Dad,” Angus said with a sheepish grin. Taako frowned at him.

“Don’t you ‘hey dad’ me little man. How come I didn’t know you were sick until the Bureau called saying you were passed out in bed, huh?” Angus looked away guiltily.

“I just wanted to be able to find something helpful for this assignment. I know that there were a lot of exceptional circumstances when they hired me and...I just wanted to prove that I deserve to be here,” Angus admitted. Taako sighed heavily and pulled the boy into his arms.

“You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone Angus,” Taako said. “Everyone already knows you’re the world’s greatest detective or whatever. How could they not? I mean, do you see any other babies running around this place?”

“I’m not a baby!” Angus protested. Taako just ignored him.

“You’ve already proven that you deserve to be here boychik. You don’t need to get all discouraged because you’re having a hard time finding something that’s nearly impossible to track. And you definitely don’t need to make yourself sick doing it. Ok?” Taako asked.

“Ok,” Angus conceded. Taako nodded in approval.

“Good. Now come on, we’re going home and giving you the proper sick boy treatment.” Taako said as he stood, gesturing for Angus to do the same. Angus only raised his arms and looked at him with pleading eyes. Taako glared down at him before rolling his eyes in defeat. He bent down and scooped his son up in his arms, struggling before finally managing to lift him.

“You’re lucky you’re cute Agnes,” Taako said as he carried him out of the room. Angus didn’t bother replying. He just snuggled happily into his father’s arms and drifted off to sleep.

________

When Kravitz returns home from work he finds Taako keeping watch over a sleeping Angus.

“Is something wrong?” Kravitz asked, suddenly worried.

“Eh nothing much. Kid’s just a little sick is all,” Taako said with a shrug. “Now that you’re here though…” Taako got up and grabbed Kravitz’s arm, dragging him over to where he’d been sitting by Angus’ bed. He pushed him into his chair and turned his attention to his son, carefully pulling the cold pack from his forehead.

“This things been out too long, I gotta replace it. Think you can keep him from overheating till I get back?” Taako asked.

“I--I guess?” Kravitz said.

“Excellent.” Taako took his hand and gently laid it across Angus’ forehead. He gave him a “Thanks, bones” and a kiss on the cheek before walking away, leaving Kravitz alone.

The thing about sick children is that Kravitz didn’t know what to do with them. Logically he knew that Taako would be back soon but he still felt a little panicked at being left alone.

Angus began to shift and mumble in his sleep, startling Kravitz out of his spiraling thoughts. He took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves and started rubbing soothing circles into Angus’ forehead, trying to lull him back into restfulness.

Angus’ eyes blink open and he squints at him, trying to make him out through the sleepiness and his lack of glasses. It was obvious that he was barely conscious.

“Go back to sleep sweetheart,” Kravitz whispered, still tracing idle patterns with his thumb. Angus blinked up at him a few seconds more before closing his eyes and settling back in.

“Ok Papa,” Angus mumbled before falling back asleep. Kravitz froze. His eyes went wide as he stared at the sleeping child in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder. Taako hadn’t come back yet. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It was probably for the best since this wasn’t something that he and Taako had ever talked about. Sure they were serious about each other but Kravitz acting as a parent to Taako’s child was a lot, and their relationship was still relatively new. He knew that serious commitment still tended to freak him out sometimes. So maybe he should be grateful that Taako wasn’t here for this.

On the other hand Angus had called him papa and he was freaking out and didn’t know what to do about it. He wasn’t opposed to the idea it was just...a lot. It was just a lot and something he hadn’t thought he would even have to think about for a long time.

He tried to calm himself down. Angus probably wouldn’t even remember that this happened when he woke up. Taako wasn’t here to consider having a conversation that neither of them were ready to have. It was fine. He just needed to calm down and try to forget that it ever happened. If in the future they decided to have a serious talk about officially becoming a family then that would be fine. It would be good even. But for now, he wanted to take his time getting there.

Taako had heard what Angus had said. He may have been spying a little bit. Sue him, he likes seeing his boyfriend dote on his son. But after what he’d heard he retreated to the hallway to freak out in private.

He loved Kravitz. He really did. But Angus calling him papa scared the shit out of him. He wasn’t ready for that level of commitment. If there was anyone he could see himself eventually being able to have that with, it was Kravitz. But he still needed to work through some stuff before that.

Taako couldn’t just tie himself to people so easily. There’s still a part of him that sees everyone as untrustworthy, that thinks the only person he can count on is himself. He’d learned that lesson well early on and he couldn’t just stop believing it. The expectations that came with such a serious relationship scared him as well. He didn’t like having so much responsibility in another person’s happiness. He was always so certain that he would let the other person down. He knew that he was selfish. Putting other people first was hard for him. For most of his life, he’d never had to do it. Making a mistake like that would have gotten him killed.

Angus was the only exception to that. He’d had to learn to prioritize his wellbeing. It had been hard at first, and there were times when he messed up. Raising him had been so wholly against every one of his instincts. It had been more than worth it though. And one day Kravitz would be too. But that was something to worry about later. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy what he had.