#i wonder how many times mikey tried to save his family that didn’t make it

[ccomilk]

hey i wonder if the reason future mikey looks so old is bc he IS actually super old by that point. leo seemed to already be aware of mikey’s time portal abilities, so had mikey done similar stuff before? had he been sending himself back in time in small increments to save people? a few minutes’ foresight could be the difference between life and death. how many times would mikey have had to turn back the clock so he now looks 30 years older than leo? how many times has he watched his family die while he escaped to save them again?

[mochiimadness]

Hello! I saw your witch! S/o and I absolutely loved it! I was wondering if you could do the same for me?

ROTTMNT turtles (each turtle separately!) x Elegant fighter! Kitsune! S/o hcs?

Also you have a lovely day / afternoon / night and a WONDERFUL YEAR!!

(Also if you are uncomfortable with this request please ignore it!!)

Ofc!

Neon Leon

Leo is a pretty flashy fighter

He knows it, you know it, we all know it- he’s a show off

Which means, he pays attention when someone’s fighting style is different than normal

The first time Leo sees you fight, he has to do a double take

He also portals straight into a wall but shhh

Not only are you an amazing fighter-

You look mesmerizing while doing it??

He’s never seen anyone knock out a rampaging mutant so gracefully before

Definitely leans on his sword and whistles

“Look at those moves! That kitsune right there is my s/o everybody- don’t get any ideas!”

Raph scolds him for flirting in the middle of battle

Portals next to you to flirt some more

“Y’know if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were dancing- why not dance with me instead of them?”

'Them' being the mutant that’s two seconds from sending him flying

Pls save your dumb, but lovable, turtle before he gets himself knocked out

Outside of battle, Leo always brags to anyone who’s nearby that you are his s/o

Thinks you’re the most stunning, badass, and loving creature to ever exist

So, so, so many photos together

You two definitely have spa days together

Loves to brush your fur

And loves when you scratch his shell

Especially loves how silky your tails are

If you’re okay with it, one of his favorite things to do is just sit down and bury himself under your tails.

“They’re like the softest pillows in the world!”

Don Tron

His username is literally Bootyyyshaker9000

You can’t tell me he doesn’t appreciate dance

He often tries to learn about different styles of dance

When he sees you fighting for the first time he gets so excited

Your elegant style has him fan boying

And while your fighting style isn’t actually a dance, there are some movements that look pretty similar here and there.

Definitely asks you to teach him a move or two

He'll get so hyped when he does the move correctly for the first time

If he gets a second or two to himself while fighting, he'll look over to you

Just admires- also brags to Leo that you're his s/o

"You see that wonderful kitsune with fighting moves you could only ever dream of doing?? They're my s/o."

"Donnie you do this every time-"

Outside of fighting, Donnie is extremely curious about your species.

Definitely asks a lot of questions about your life, family, family's history, etc.

"Can people actually get cursed if they touch your tails without permission??"

"Where did you hear that????."

"Can you set things on fire-"

"I mean, anyone can set things on fire if they really want to."

"Can you really Shapeshift!?"

"...yes."

He's just fascinated by you- I promise it's not an interrogation.

Sometimes he gets a bit carried away asking questions,

Just brush one of your tails against him and watch him immediately wrap it around himself

He loves silky smooth textures

And your tails are his favorite 'blanket' in the world.

Mystic Mike

#1 hype man right here

He can- and has, cheered for you whenever you fight

I feel like your elegant style will pair well with his kusari-fundo (his weapon)

He will start jumping up and down, cheering at the top of his lungs, if you ever use his weapon in a fight

You're flipping and turning ever so gracefully

The chain looks like it could be a dance ribbon with how easily you twirl it around

Mikey is definitely loosing his voice after that battle.

Even if you don't use his weapon, he adores your style

“I can watch you fight for hours!”

You are absolutely his muse

He’ll ask if he can maybe take a picture of you while fighting- or better yet, ask you to pose for him in one of your moves so he can make a painting of you

If you do he’s over the moon about it!

He will pick you up and spin you around happily

“Thank you so much s/o!!! I promise I’ll make you the most wonderful painting ever!”

Don’t get him started on your fur

Absolutely thinks you’re the most amazing kitsune ever

Oh my gosh- if you let him, he’ll totally paint your fur and tails with safe dye (whether it’s permanent or not is up to you!)

I can see you two painting elegant swirls over your bodies with glow in the dark paint/dye and heading out for a night around the town

He also finds your species history interesting-

Though he’s more interested in the art depictions ofc

May or may not have tried to use one of your tails as a paintbrush (with your permission ofc)

Surprisingly effective

And you can use multiple of your tails to paint at once

He thinks you’re so cool!

And if you have mystic powers???

Like shape shifting or illusion magic????

You two are going to prank everyone

10/10 painting and pranking couple

Big Red

Raph is a worry wart

So no matter what your fighting style is, he’ll be nervous about you going into battle

Especially when he sees your elegant style

He panics at first, thinking your style isn’t suited for the fight

But when you absolutely obliterated your opponent, his jaw dropped

Your style makes it seem less threatening

But it’s anything but

And he’s absolutely amazed

Definitely asks to see you fight again.

Spar with him!!

He might be nervous at first, but you can absolutely hold your own

Especially since your styles are so different

It gives him a new perspective.

He even tries incorporating your moves with his own fighting style every now and then

It may not always work, but he still loves it

If you somehow include your tails in your style he might just faint

Your tails look so soft and delicate

But they’re strong enough to send opponents flying through a wall!?!

You always continue to amaze him

(This is not to say he thinks your weak or anything, he absolutely thinks you could kick anyone's ass. He’s just a big worry-er, no matter who it is.)

He’s so proud of you

“That’s my s/o!!!”

“My s/o can kick your butt any day!”

He also thinks your appearance as a kitsune helps to disarm people

You’re majestic, and your tails are amazing

But you are an absolute powerhouse

You can be terrifying if you want to

All while doing it gracefully

He also loves to play with your tails

Can you blame him??? They’re so soft, he just wants to cuddle with them

After a long hard day, one of his favorite things to do is cuddle with you- your tails wrapping around him

It makes him feel so safe- not only are your tails soft, but he’s seen how strong they really are

You make him feel protected

Falls asleep like a baby

I hope you enjoyed! I had fun writing this

The boys are absolute simps for their kitsune s/o

Now I want to draw Mikey and his s/o with the glow in the dark body paint/dye

Reblogs appreciated :3

[whiskery-louis]

Game Night

** Hi everyone here is my first imagine in a while and it is pretty long and there will be a part 2!

Synopsis: Luke and you broke up 6 months ago. Ashton invites you over for game night.

Luke Hemmings x reader

Warnings: None

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!!

*not my photo*

“Come on Y/N you have to come see us! We’re traveling across the country just to see you!” Ashton whined through the phone.

“Well I didn’t ask you too Ash. I can’t risk seeing him-”

“He’s not coming, he’s staying here with her. Hell I don’t even think he knows we left.”

You sighed, “Who exactly is ‘we’?”

“Me and Mikey,” you could hear the smile in his voice. You had always been the closest to him and Michael. Not that you and Calum weren’t close, it was just different.

“What about Cal?” you asked.

“He’s staying back so you know who doesn’t get suspicious about the three of us all leaving for a weekend.”

“I don’t know Ash,” you sighed again. “I have work and stuff. Plus I was supposed to see the twins this weekend, and I wanted to go to Target…” you trailed off as you rattled on with excuses.

“Oh please, you know you miss us just as much as we miss you. It’s been six months Y/N, just come hangout for the night. I promise it’s not gonna be anything big. Just you, me, Mike and Crystal. We’ll just do pizza and play some games. Please Y/N, we’re already at the airport and if you don’t come willingly we got your new address from Lacey.”

You mentally cursed your best friend, she knew you specifically didn’t give any of them your new address for this very reason. You were out of excuses and you could hear Ashton’s smirk through the phone. He had you cornered and he knew it.

“Fine. Text me your Airbnb info and I’ll come over tomorrow when I’m done work. But you better be getting the good pizza, and there better be drinks.”

“Yes she’s in!” you heard Mikey yell in the background. You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the smile that spread over your face.

“Bye boys, safe flight.”

You hung up the phone and put your head in your hands. While part of you was very excited to see Ashton and Michael again there was still a part of you that was worried. There was too much history between you and him so of course they all knew about it. They tried not to take sides during the break up but everyone knew he had Calum and you had the other two. It was part of the reason that you had moved back home instead of trying to find a place to stay in L.A.. You could feel the tension that was building between the four of them and the last thing you wanted to do was ruin their friendships or their band. It was all way more important than you. 

You hadn’t really spoken to any of them much other than the casual ‘how are you’ texts here and there. But from him it had been radio silence for six months. Now here you were, five minute after speaking with Ashton and you were already more stressed than you’d be in week. What did you get yourself into?

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

It was nearing 6:15 and you couldn’t bring yourself to pull up to the house, you had been circling the block for almost 20 minutes and every time you were about to stop you told yourself one more lap. You weren’t sure what was wrong with you, you knew it was only Ash, Mike and Crystal and yet just the thought of being around his friends was enough to make you sick. 

“Fuck it,” you muttered, finally pulling into the drive. You grabbed your bag, and although you hated to admit it, you were excited to see your old friends.

You walked up to the door and hesitantly knocked on it. As soon as your knuckles hit the wood you could hear yelling and footsteps running up to the door.

“Y/N!!!” Ashton yelled engulfing you in a massive hug.

“Can’t breathe…”

“Oi sorry, I’ve just missed you lots.” 

“I missed you too.” you grinned at him, wondering what you had been worried about all day. It felt like no time had passed.

“Well let her in the door man,” Michael spoke up from behind.

You smiled as you entered the house and walked over to Mikey hugging him hard.

“It’s been too long,” he muttered as he let you back.

“Well yeah, that kinda happens when there’s a global pandemic and I move across the county.”

You could tell Michael was going to tell you off for moving but Crystal came in the room then and thankfully saved you from talking about him.

She wrapped her arms around you giving you a quick hug, “It’s so good to see you, I’m glad you made it!”

“Me too, though if I didn’t come willingly I knew you’d show up on my doorstep.”

“You got that right,” she laughed, “It took all my energy to keep them in the house all day.”

“Well I appreciate it, I had a lot of work to get through today figuring I’ll still be hungover on Monday from this weekend.”

It was fitting that as soon as I mentioned being hungover we walked into the kitchen to a full stocked bar.

“Man I forgot you guys really go all out for game nights,” you couldn’t help but laugh at some of the fond memories.

“Okay so what game are we playing first?” Ashton asked as he handed you a drink.

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

Two hours later and you really didn’t understand why you were so nervous to come. It was one of the best feelings catching up with your old friends and thankfully they didn’t bring him up once. You were in the middle of an intense game of charades, Crystal and you were kicking the boys asses.

“Alright do you guys want to give up yet? You’re never going to beat us so why not save yourselves the embarrassment.”

They both looked annoyed at how the game was progressing, “Well maybe if Mike could draw anything other than stick figures we would’ve stood a chance.” Ashton grumbled.

“And now you see why I always make sure someone else gets stuck with him,” Crystal laughed as she dodged the pen Michael threw at her.

You all laughed as you cleaned up and you went over to the stack of games, contemplating what you wanted to play next. You guys had made your way through a few different games and a few rounds of drinks and honestly you were exhausted. Since moving back home you didn’t hang out with many people other than Lacey and you forgot how much energy it took to be around people. You were tired but it was the best kind of tired. 

“Can we just watch a movie now? I’m tired of losing,” MIchael whined from the couch.

“That’s exactly what a sore loser would say,” you shot back.

Michael just smiled and shrugged his shoulders looking at you, “At least I know it, but I so call picking the movie.” He picked up the remote and started searching through Netflix looking for a good comedy that everyone would watch.

“Anyone up for another round?” Ashton asked and you nodded following him into the kitchen to help. It was silent as he rummaged through the alcohol looking for something new to drink. You hopped up on the counter waiting to see what he would make.

“So how have you really been?” he asked, breaking the silence.

You looked up at him, startly by his question and you could see him looking at you intently and knew exactly what he was talking about, or more so who he was talking about.

You chewed on your bottom lip as you contemplated what to tell him. “I’ve been fine.” you answered shortly.

He scoffed at your answer, “Come on Y/N, I know you better than that and as relaxed as you seem, there is still a part of you that is on edge. You ghosted us all when you left and it was like we lost a member of our family. So tell me the truth, how are you really?”

His answer startled you, and you blinked to keep the tears at bay. “Ash I really don’t wanna ruin the night and talk about him. Can we just table it for now and go back in there with Mike and Crystal. I really don't wanna bring the mood down.” You stared back at him and there must’ve been something in your eyes because he dropped it. He handed you a drink and the two of you went back into the other room. 

“Hey what were you two talking about?” Crystal asked as you sat next to her on the couch, a knowing look in her eye.

You elbowed her subtly, “Debating if Mikey was gonna pick a shitty movie or not,” you laughed.

“Don’t hate until you see it, it’s a good one you all like.” He pointed to the TV and you saw Shrek was on. “Also you could say thank you I ordered a pizza and it should be here in about 30 minutes.”

“Didn’t you just eat a plate of buffalo chicken dip and mac’n’cheese?”

He shrugged, “If it’s a problem Y/N then you can’t have any.” He stuck his tongue out at you.

You held your hands up in defense “No, no. Just asking, I’m for sure eating that pizza.”

“That’s what I thought,” Michael replied smugly.

You just rolled your eyes at him and sat back to begin the movie. Not even 10 minutes later and there was a knock on the door.

“Y/N since you were so judgy you can go answer the door.”

“Fine, fine. Though you suck at telling time Mikey, this was way less than 30 minutes.”

You got up from the couch and made your way to the door excited that the pizza was here much earlier than anticipated. There was another knock on the door as you were opening it. You froze when you saw who was there. 

Luke.

He must not have been expecting you either because he had a dumbfounded look on his face, and his fist was frozen in mid knock.

“Y/N?” he breathed, his eyes boring into yours.

It was silent and you both just stood there and stared at each other. It had been six months since you had seen him and although there were some noticeable changes he was still the same Luke who broke your heart all those months ago. His arms were larger and his shoulders slightly broader. His hair was longer, his roots growing out which somehow suited him more. He had shaved his quarantine beard but the stubble was growing back. His eyes were the same blue that you fell in love with, but they were missing the usual mischievous glint.

“Luke why are you just-” Calum was caught off walking up behind Luke, his face lighting up when he saw you. “Y/N?! What are you doing here? It’s so good to see you!” He squeezed past Luke and pulled you into a tight embrace.

You had no words as you hugged Cal back, you were still in shock at them being here and you couldn’t take your eyes off Luke,

“What the hell is taking so long?” Ashton came around the corner and froze when he saw the new additions to the party. “Oh you guys are early…” he trailed off.

At his statement you felt the rage building in your veins, you pushed Calum off of you turning to Ashton the anger seeping out of you. “I’m sorry what? They’re what Ashton?”

He looked sheepishly at you, “Surprise?” he shrugged his shoulders, with a slight smile on his face.

You couldn’t believe this. It was all a setup. The whole night was a trick for you to see him again when Ashton knew more than anything that it was the last thing you wanted. You were at a loss for words, as much as you wanted to yell, you didn’t have the energy anymore.

“Look we can explain…”

You held your hand up cutting him off, “Don’t Ashton, just don’t. I don’t want to hear it. I’m leaving.”

You stormed into the other room, to get you things. MIchael was trying to look busy but the guilt was written all over his face. Crystal was sitting next to him with her arms crossed glaring at her fiance, she looked up when you walked in.

“I am so sorry Y/N, I had no idea or I would’ve never let them pull this stunt.”

You gave her a weak smile, “I’m just going to get my things and go.”

Michael turned and looked like he was going to say something, but one look from Crystal silenced him.

“Thanks for the fun while it lasted, but please don’t reach out again,” you heard footsteps behind you and knew the others had followed you into the room. “I thought maybe I could be friends with some of you,” you pointedly looked at Luke, “But if this is the shit you are going to pull them I am out. I’m sorry but I cannot go through this again. I just can’t.”

With that you grabbed your bag and all but ran out of the house. As you sat in your car you were thankful that you didn’t have too much to drink and were able to drive yourself home. The thirty minute drive seemed to take forever. All you wanted was your bed and to be distracted by Netflix. After what felt like an eternity you pulled into your driveway and walked into your house. You threw your bag on the table and couldn't believe the night you had. You knew Ashton and Michael had wanted you to talk to Luke when you first broke up, but that was six months ago. You never thought that they would pull this shit tonight. It was almost more painful this time as you realized you had to cut all of them out of your life and not just Luke. 

You hadn’t expected to see him tonight and it really messed you up. You had spent the last six month erasing him from your life, as much as you could. You put everything he gave you into a box that was hidden in your basement. You tried to throw it away but it felt wrong somehow. He was too big a part of your life to completely get rid of. Lacey once asked you why you didn’t get rid of it all and you knew she thought it meant you still loved him but that wasn’t it. You just couldn’t bear to part with everything that had once brought you so much happiness. You hadn’t opened the box since you moved back home, as you went downstairs to bring it to the kitchen, you knew it was going to hurt more after seeing him tonight, but you couldn’t stop yourself.

You spent over an hour looking through all the memories the two of you had made during your time together and you were a mess sitting on the floor with tears rolling down your face. Maybe it was from the exhaustion that raked your body or the alcohol that was still in your system but you left the contents of the box sprawled over the island and slipped on his old Nirvana shirt before going to your bed and finally falling asleep.

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

The next thing you knew you were being jolted awake by a banging on your door. You looked at the clock and groaned when you saw it was only 8:00am. Who the hell would be here so early. Hoping it was just a package you rolled back over and tried to fall back asleep, when the person knocked again.

You signed as you rolled out of bed and trudged downstairs in nothing but the old shirt you fell asleep in. Rubbing your eyes as they adjusted to the brightness, you opened the door and had to squint to see who was there.

“Y/N, you uh forgot your phone and I wanted to make sure it got back to you safely.”

You hated that your heart skipped a beat as your name rolled off his lips, your eyes focused on him and the events of last night came back to you instantly.

“Luke.”

[remmushound]

Chapter 9 - Dinner Drama!

Summary: The Splintersons have a look around the home and then try to enjoy their dinner with their hosts.

Tags: @brightlotusmoon @scentedcandlecryptid @selfindulgenz @digitl-art-monstr @ilo-artistry

After a swift perimeter check to ease their nerves, the visitors finally started to settle into the lair. It was still so new, so enclosed, that Leo couldn’t see himself being comfortable any time soon. Not until he could confidently locate all the exits, and all the entrances, and where weapons were stored. Not until everything was as secure and as open as his lair was. It wasn’t his right to change the place, but it was his right to not feel comfortable when there were so many places enemies could be hiding unseen. So many dark corners, concealed cubbies that could be hiding threats. So much potential for danger.

When Leo got an opportunity alone with Leonardo, he immediately knew what he wanted to ask. “Hey Leonardo, is your Raph still… you know, calling the shots?”

Leonardo had been anticipating that question all day. He gave a pointedly loud sigh and rolled his eyes as he slumped around to be facing his counterpart, “You ask that every time we see each other. You know that?”

Leo felt his cheek grow hot and his head shrank slightly. Trying to save face, he was quick to defend himself. “Well— a lot can change in six months!”

“Six months…” Leonardo sighed again, and this time it was more genuine and heavy. The revelation of just how long it had been washed over him like an icy bucket of water. Yes, it had been six months, hadn’t it? The time seemed to slip away from him. “Yeah… and a lot has changed. But that hasn’t.”

“I just figured… your whole situation would have changed by now. Especially with you boys growing up.” Leo made an effort to explain, awkward now that he knew he was wrong in his assumption. And he had been so certain too! Since he and his brothers had arrived, Leonardo was acting so confident, so much like a leader! Had Leo just imagined all that?

“Well you figured wrong.” Leonardo said, and now his voice had a defensive edge, “Raphael is just as capable as ever. He is and will always be our leader. Do you have a problem with that?”

“No, no, not at all!” Leo put his hands up in an offering of peace, “i was just wondering.”

“Yeah.” Leonardo made sure to side-check Leo as he passed, “Sure you were.”

~~~

“Hey little Mike, you got a minute?” Raph waved at the smaller version of his brother.

Michelangelo looked back, and then skipped over to Raph while humming a happy, upbeat tune. “You’re really risking it all by calling me little again~! What do you need?”

“Er…” It took Raph a second to brush past the threat laced into the happy voice, “Just… y’know… I saw a pool during the tour and was wonderin’ if it was recreational or jus’ for training?”

“Well we usually swim laps in it for warmups, but I don’t see why you couldn’t swim whenever. We got floaties if you need ‘em! Mine have sharks on them!”

Raph grinned. “Do they now?”

Michelangelo nodded eagerly. “Yeah! I’m not allowed to go in the pool without them cause I can’t swim so good.”

“Aw.” Raph nodded along, “That’s too bad.”

“Yeah! I‘m too heavy— I sink like a rock! Can you swim?”

“Eh, more or less.” Raph gave a so-so motion. “If my life depended on it, sure. Never really had much access to water that wasn’t a cesspool or Amazon river.” He shivered at the memory of being dropped in the water, the current pulling him and his brothers along like they were little more than skipping stones.

“Oo! Sounds fun!” Michelangelo chirped, “But do be mindful of Piebald; she likes to swim in there sometimes!”

“Piebald?”

“Oh, she’s a mutant goldfish. She was dad’s pet, but then we flushed her and she mutated and then pretended to hunt us with a hook, but it was really all just an elaborate prank from her and dad to punish us for lying.”

Raph stared. “Oh.”

“Yeah, but she’s totally nice now and not at all sadistic and revenge-driven! No worries.”

“Wasn’t worried at all.” Raph lied.

~~~

After their quick assessment, Leonardo and Donnie had come to the decision that Mikey needed the simplest medicine of all: rest. Raphael had been more than happy to stay with Mikey until the turtles could adjust to the new environment, but exactly when that would happen was anyone's guess. Mikey was sat in Raphael’s bed, wrapped in the snappers heaviest comfort blanket and hugging Cheech as he listened to the snapper chatter with all the joy of a child. Klunk had settled in and was sleeping on Mikey’s lap in a tight orange ball, purring to his hearts content.

“Oh oh oh!” Mikey chirped quickly, “Tell me more about the capybara tell me more about the capybaraaa!”

“His name’s Todd.” Raphael indulged, “He owns a puppy farm in the woods near here.”

“Puppies..” Mikey sniffled softly and hugged Cheech tighter, “This day just keeps getting better and better. Are he and the mantis friends?”

“Todd’s friends with everyone.” Raphael answered.

“Oh my gaaaawwdd…” Mikey fell back down on his carapace, laughing weakly as he stared up at the ceiling. “That’s awesome…”

Raph moved to carefully reposition Cheech in a way that Mikey could still hug him while laying down, fixing the blanket and pillows to make sure the shinobi was as comfortable as possible. Mikey’s eyes were closed now, the stuffed bear drawn to his chest as he laid peacefully. Raphael stood slowly and made his way to the door.

The moment Raphael’s hand touched the handle, Mikey sat up straight. “Where are you going?”

“Oh— sorry. I thought you were asleep.” Raphael said, and he returned to Mikey’s side.

Mikey settled back into the bed, cuddling deeper into the blankets and giving a series of high pitched chirps that eventually faded to nothing. Raphael gave it a few more minutes before slowly getting up and going to leave again.

Like Dracula out of his coffin, Mikey sat up again and spoke so suddenly that Raphael couldn’t help but flinch. “What about the other mutants?”

Raphael took a deep breath as he spun around on his heels to face the turtle who still wasn’t asleep. “What do you wanna about them?”

Mikey grinned. “Everything!”

***


Donnie didn't think anything could top him meeting Shelldon that night— and then he saw Donatello’s lab for the first time. The beautifully artistic designs mixed with a generally futuristic style made for a gorgeous display of technological genius . Just like Donnie’s own lab, Donatello had several screens activated at once, scanners and alarms and traps all set to be activated at the simple trip of a sensor. The entire room was lit up in a peculiar violet hue, almost as if it was under one big black light. If that was the case, then Donatello certainly kept his room spotless.

“Oh my kami…” Donnie gulped, his eyes emeralds in the darkness. “Can I live here? I wanna live here…”

“You gotta pay rent.” Donatello said.

“I’d give anything to have my lab like this!”

“Would you give your right cornea?” Donatello leaned against the wall.

“Eh, my eyes are useless. I would give up a kidney or a gallbladder though.” 

“I’ll grab the bone saw.”

“I’ll sign the consent form…”

***

“Dinner is served!” Michelangelo presented a simple dish of pizza gyoza to the table; one could say it was just homemade pizza rolls, but that ruined the magic! Besides, they were more doughy like a dumpling than anything crunchy. 

The two families were gathered around and eager to eat, seated around two tables that had been pressed together to make enough room for ten diners; each set of brothers were on opposite sides of the table, while the heads of the table were reserved for the Splinter’s. The absence of one of the two fathers didn't go unnoticed.

“Itadakimasu.” Splinter said to the proud Michelangelo, “The food looks delicious. Won’t your father be joining us?”

Another chill came to the room. Another exchange of unsettled looked.

“Dad asked not to be disturbed.” Leonardo said simply.

The Hamato family turned their eyes to their food, working with the same mind to scarf down the gyoja as fast as possible, filling their mouths so they wouldn’t have to speak. The Splinterson family took the same opportunity to look around at each other, all but Mikey having the same, constricted looks on their faces; Mikey was already lost in his own mind, his eyes blank as he smiled and shoveled the offered dinner into his mouth.

“Surely your father would prefer to eat his supper while it is still hot?” Splinter insisted.

Raphael stood abruptly. His plastron bumped into the table and made the dishes clink and glasses splash with the force of his motion, but chair screaming as it was pushed back.

“You know what? You’re right.” Raphael hurried to gather another plate and pile it with gyoji, his eyes avoiding Splinter’s as he piled the dinner on a tray with freshly brewed tea. “I’ll bring this to him right away.”

When Raphael left, he took the conversation with him. He returned minutes later but the air of the room remained quiet and tense. Eager to break the silence, Leo finished off the last of his gyoji.

“Gochi sou sama deshita.” He said, and bowed to Michelangelo, “And while I am thankful for your hospitality— we all are— this isn’t a social visit. We really need to get back to our world. Can your gift do that, Donatello?”

“Should be able to.” Donatello said with a nod, “It was designed for two trips, here and back.”

“Great, then what are we waiting for?” Leo looked around for an answer but no one offered one, “Those creatures are still in our world, could be targeting our people, our city!”

“We need a plan first Leo.” Donnie tried to reason, “We can’t just run in blind.”

“Then we should be planning instead of just hanging out!”

“Can’t plan on an empty stomach.” Michelangelo said, pointing his chopsticks at Leo. “We’re eating!”

A sharp hiss came from Leo’s throat. “Don’t. Point. It’s rude.”

Michelangelo put his chopsticks back down and shrank away from the violent hiss, the retreat as instinctual to him as going into his shell.

“Leonardo…” Splinter tried to reason, “Please settle down and allow us to have a nice supper before discussing.”

“But we need to discuss this now!”

Leo’s disobedience of his father made his brothers gasp, Raph pulling back slightly while Mikey even broke out of his minds wandering to tune back in. Leo flinched at his backtalk and fell into a quick, clumsy bow.

“Shitsurei shimashita, sensei.” Leo said in a low voice before regaining his composure, “I just feel like these guys aren’t taking this situation seriously.”

“And I feel like you expect us to pull a solution out of our asses.” Leonardo hissed back.

“Now now, there’s no need for vulgarity…” Splinter tried.

“I’m not suggesting that you have the answers, I suggesting we need to find them instead of doing house tours!” Leo snarled back.

“If you don’t like it, you can get out.” Leonardo didn't back down.

“Leo, it’s fine, cool it.” Donnie tried to mediate, grabbing a hold of his brother’s arm; he was almost convinced Leo might lunge over the table at his smaller counterpart if this went on for much longer.

“I am cool!” Leo pulled his arm free, knocking Donnie back in the process. That got Raph involved, the box turtle standing up ready to confront his brother. Before he got so much as a word out, however…

“Everybody COOL IT!” Raphael slammed his fists down on the table.

The table splintered under Raphael’s slamming weight, chips of wood flying out like dangerous projectiles. The words, with all the force of a hurricane knocking trees out from their roots, brought a silent stalemate. Raphael looked pissed. His eyes were white, entire body like a taut wire that would snap at the slightest breaths. His nostrils flares, and when he had screamed, white, foaming spittle flew across the table. Now, it dripped down his lopsided jaw and chin.

“Not another word.” Raphael said, this time calmer as he left the table once more. All eyes followed him to the doorway to find a small, gray rat standing there watching them.

Yoshi’s mouth was pulled down in a tight frown, eyes glossy. His paws, shaky as they were, held his tray of dirty dishes that he had been intent on cleaning; for now, he just… stared. His fur seemed several shades paler, his hair tangled and unkept, and though it was hard to tell through the clothes. he looked skinny. The mutant looked around at the table, at the turtles and the rat he had paid many visits to, but when his eyes passed over them they held no recollection. No memory. Just dark confusion, empty and cold.

“Dad…” Leonardo said softly, but at Raphael’s threatening chuff, Leonardo said nothing more.

“Hey pops— here, let me get that for you…” Raphael took the tray from his father and hurried over to throw them haphazardly into the sink. He came back after, his massive hand completely engulfing Yoshi’s back to guide the old rat away away. Yoshi followed the snapper at a slow gait, though his feet dragged as if they were made of the heaviest lead and it took a while for him to get anywhere. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed okay?”

Everyone watched as the father and son disappeared out of the dining room, none of them daring to breathe, nonetheless utter a word.

[ray-jaykub]

Hello... Could you write a Story with Leo? Have a first date, romantic evening or something else?

I tried and for the first time in awhile i finally feel like im somewhat put of the rut i was in. I hope this gives you good people good dreams.

Leonardo x fem reader

Warnings:none, just love and amazingness

The past few years have been nothing but new for Leonardo. A good new that left his heart racing and face flushed. Laying awake at night with a wild grin on his face from just thinking about them. Them being you.

April needed a new roommate after hers ran off and you had tooken up the oppurtunity. Only a week into living with her did you run in on the most obscene thing. They had dropped by to say hello, which had Mikey flirting and making jokes, Raphael ended up knocking over boxes of your belongings and Donatello had tried to pick them up all while Leonardo just wanted to have a decent conversation. But then Keys jingled on the other side of the door.

Now imagine... April trying to shush Mikey, Raphael knocking over yet another 3 boxes from standing to look out the door and Donatello getting stuck in the window. Leonardo tries to shove at Donnie's butt, praying that maybe they'd drop their keys or it's the wrong person but the door swings open. Leo turns to the door and his heart nearly stops.

The most heart-stopping, butterflies in the stomach inducing girl had walked in. Even when looking stunned she was stunning. Somehow she kept her cool and steady, shoulders back and curious of him and his brothers. It seemed as if quickly you both took a kin to eachother, you were absolutely fascinated with the art of meditation and his katanas. Sharing so many similar beliefs and ideas of what you wanted for your future lives.

That ended up allowing you both to get together. His father happy for him and brothers estatic. You made him feel loved and cared about more then ever and that's why he's planned today. A velvet box sat in his pants pocket, something he saved up for at the beginning of your relationship. He felt that you deserved the world but for now he settled on just a simple silver ring with the phrase 'Together and always' engraved on the inside. He wanted to get you sapphires and lapis lazulis just like the other hot shot men out there but Leo wasn't exactly working a paying job. For years he would sit at his little desk twirling it between his fingers and polishing it, for years he thought of you as his wife doing the same thing.

Leonardo wanted to give you a good dinner with the stars above you on the rooftops. Mikey would help him cook grilled chicken and lemon. Raphael was setting up the table and Donnie was stringing lights around the place. April was keeping you busy for the day and Leo would sit with his father trying to take in the wisdom of a widowed husband who would help him prepare for his speech. It were moments like these where the help and efforts of his family really shown how much they loved him and how happy they were for him. But before he could whisk you away from April and surprise you things took a turn for the worse...

Your sniffles and coughs echoed through the lair and made his heart ache. Your face was tear stained and you shook like a leaf underhis touch. Donatello had reassured him that it was the common flu and that leo just needed to worry about taking care of you and putting his plans on hold. But that didn't stop him from giving you love and attention. Nice warm teas and plenty of blankets. Leo would be on his knees at the edge of your shared bed waiting for you and whatever ypu needed. You could convince him fighting a bear would make you feel better if you wanted, he would do it and win. On multiple occasions you tried to sit up and get things but it was always the same.

"Love, you need to stay in bed. I can't risk you hurting yourself." You groaned, barely able to put up a fight against his strong hands against your shoulders.

"But I have things I need to get done, places to go."

"Well let me do them, your self rightchousness will be the end of you." Finally you decided that maybe a nap would sound good and while dosing off you tried to los off the chores you were going t get done. Laundry, bathrooms, and finally organizing that god foresaken pantry.

Laundry and bathrooms were easy, albeit he had to go in there after Raphael used it. The major problem was straightening the pantry. Even before you came into his life Leo had avoided that task, a too great a feat for him. Yet you were determined to get it done and he felt silly for trying to put it off in the first place.

Cartons of food and cans laid all over the kitchen as he tried to empty the damn thing. Michelangelo watched him in wonder, never thinking he'd see the day it was bare of things.

"Yo, what're you doin? Thought you sworn off doin this." Mikey was impressed with the determined look in Leo's eyes. How he looked like a man on a mission.

"Y/n wanted to get this done herself but since shes sick I decided to be a good hubby and do it for her."

"Correction, good boyfriend." Leo gave his little brother a sharp look and heaved a heavy sigh of sadness. The sight of all this junk laying in the kitchen made him feel even more defeated. Mikey patted his shoulder in an attempt of comfort.

"Maybe proposing to her will make er feel better?" Leo scoffed at the idea and went to looking through expiration dates.

"This is supposed to be perfect, not while she's got nasty sickness." Leo's back was turned to Mikey, who had rolled his eyes. Of course Fearless would  think that.

"Listen Lee, as a master of the women I'm gonna share a secret with you." His big brother turned to him now, arms folded and an eyebrow ridge lifted in scepticy. Mikey leaned in as if to whisper a dirty secret or confess his sins.

"They don't care-" "That's ridiculous, of course they do!" Mike shook his head, giggling at his brother's incompetence of the matter.

"What they care about is that you asked in the first place. They don't want fancy dinners and have you serenade them! They just want you... at least if she really does love you that is. Y/n does love you right?" Leo sputtered and he felt almost offended at the question.

"Yes!" Mikey was now giving him a toothy smile and nodded.

"That's exactly what she's gonna say when you ask." With that, his little brother left him standing in the kitchen to think by himself. Think and sort the godforesaken pantry.

---

It was later in the night, exactly 12 a.m., when you woke up. Your body was still sore and you felt light headed but overall better then since this afternoon. The soft light of the lamp drew your attention to the oak desk. Leo sat with his back to you, fiddling with something in his hands. What you saw of his face seemed in deep thought and when you sat up he tucked away whatever was in his hands and turned to you.

"Do you feel better?" You weakly nodded and opened your arms as an invitation. Leo came and snuggled into your neck, arms wrapped around you. Before you could drag him to lay with you though he pulled away. Leo was never usually nervous save for your more physical of firsts so his behaviour worried you.

"What's wrong?" Your voice, barely a whisper.

"I want to talk to you about something that i've been thinking about for a long time... years in fact." Now you were more curious then worried. What could possibly be bugging him that badly? His hands grasped both your own as he opted to sit in front of you. Leo was nearly as shaky as you but he cleared his throat and continued.

"I... i recently have been thinking about it more and more though. It's to the point where i think of it everyday." You squeeze his hands in comfort and he starts to tear up. "I think of you and me, for the rest of our lives, everyday. I think about seeing you and me grown old and have kids and anniversaries and moments." Leo's rambling now, too scared. For a moment he closes his eyes and sees these images flash through his brain yet another time, like so many before. He opens them, strikingly blue and now overflown with tears.

"I think about marrying you..." he whispers the last part, knowing his voice would have cracked and the dam would break. Leo reaches into his pants pocket pulling out the velvet box and opens it before you.

"Do you think about it too?" You both know what he means by that question and there was no hesitency. You nodded, almost frantic, and sob when he hugs you like never before. He hugs you like a husband, strong and full of love all the while you cry into his shoulder and grab onto him as long as possible. 

[anystalker707]

YOU

Pairing: Gerard Way x Reader Genre: Angst / fluff TW: Stockholm syndrome, kidnapping Summary: [Inspired by the Netflix series YOU] Gerard kidnaps (y/n) after noticing his feelings aren’t returned.

"I know, Ray, but what the fuck can I do if I don't love Gerard back?" I release a frustrated sigh as furrowing my eyebrows to show it better how desperate I am about the subject. My eyes travel to the empty cup of coffee resting in front of me; I start playing with the small spoon next to it in an attempt of keeping a part of my mind too busy to freak out. "I know much he tries to show it or get me to love him back, but it just..." At the lack of the answer I look for, I wrinkle my nose. "doesn't tick off, y'know? I like him so much, but he isn't the one." And it kind of leaves me guilty knowing so, but I can literally do nothing about it. Pressing my lips together, I look at Ray without expecting an specific reaction, just showing him I really got no clue about what to do.

At first, there's no response coming from Ray, but he exhales tiredly a few seconds later, raising a hand to rub his forehead - I don't judge, we've been in this for long enough to Gerard confess to me in five different ways with a considerable amount of time between each confession. "It's just..." He chews on his bottom lip, seeming to be in a constant argument with his own mind as his eyes dart around the cafe, like if the answer for all of our problems would be in a random detail or a word coming from the other costumers while they talk. "He seems too in love, y'know? He doesn't even seem to be anywhere near accepting you don't love him back and it worries me. The higher you fly, the worst is the fall." Desperation shows itself across his features too, mixed with a kind of worry that's shared between both of us.

We know Gerard is a good guy. Both of us consider and like him a lot, as a friend, so it's difficult seeing him in such state. I don't even know how to act when he confesses to me and I need to do something that isn't too harsh, but doesn't give him any hint that I'm interested in him too. I'm constantly worried I'll do something wrong that ends up in him hating me or falling in depression or something. It's the dilemma the guys and I are facing now - Ray is mainly trying to trace a plan while Frank and I observe Gerard; analyzing the previous confessions, observing how he acts now and trying to predict the next one.

"I don't know how," Ray catches my attention once again, raising his eyebrows and locking a strong eye contact to show confidence. "but we're going to sort this out, okay?"

I'm even kind of relieved when walking back home after Ray and I said our goodbyes, but it felt like a brick was placed over my chest when I saw Gerard waiting for me, sitting on the sidewalk in front of my house. He notices me approaching when I'm about two houses away, so he promptly stands up and watches me expectantly, until I'm finally standing a foot away from him.

"Hi, (n/n)." Gerard says with a sweet smile, tilting his head as he gazes at me. "I was wondering if you didn't want to come over to mine?"

Oh, no... "Gerard..." I say in a hopeless tone, forcing a smile.

"Please!" His eyes widen in desperation, like if his life depended on me accepting to go over to his place. "It's going to be nice. I just want to talk with you. I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to, hm?" He furrows his eyebrows as looking at me through his eyelashes. Impossible to refuse.

.

Slowly, I come back to consciousness. Whatever, it's Sunday, so I don't need to be up so early, right? Shifting on my place, I shift closer to the wall to notice it's... different. The texture, it's like glass. Curious, I open my eyes, blinking them until I'm able to see clearly. And it's really glass I've got my forehead against. Wait, where the fuck am I?

The panic makes me sit up immediately to analyze my surroundings. This place... it's not familiar at all. It looks like a normal wide, dark bedroom and what catches my attention is a shelf - in which a lot of books and animation figures rest. My eyes avert to analyze the glass matter and I realize I'm inside what seems to be a glass chamber - inside it, there's a desk with some books over it, holes so I can breathe, the mattress I'm over and it's connected to a wall with a door on it. There's also a small compartment with doors on both sides, probably so things can be passed from a side to another. It creeps me out the way my shoes and jacket are carefully placed aside; like if someone wanted me to feel comfortable.

My analysis isn't able to go further since a voice startles me. "I see you're done checking the place." And, on a spot next to the dresser, Gerard leans against the wall with arms crossed over his chest and a calm smile over his face.

"G-Gerard?" I stutter, not understanding what's happening. Why am I inside this place? Did he lock me in here? No, he wouldn't. While questions continue to flood my mind, I slowly stand up with trembling legs until I'm against the chamber's door - which's locked - then place my hand against it, with my eyes fixed on Gerard. Blurry spots form themselves around my hand and on the place my breathe reaches. "Why am I here?" I ask weakly.

Silence is all I have until the male moves, stopping once he's in front of me. His extremely calm expression is confusing, not to mention how it looks... relieved or happy, I guess. "(N/n)..." Gerard blinks a couple of times in an almost disappointed manner. "I've already told you about it so many times... How can you still not comprehend it?" Even with me expressing how confused I am, his expression doesn't change much, only gaining a pitying touch. "I love you!" He demonstrates a confidence that gets me admired. "If I don't have you," Gerard's eyebrows furrow in a worried tone as he observes his own finger tracing my hand from the other side of the extremely thick glass. "someone else will," The fact sounds like if it's the worst thing in the world. "and only I can love you the way you deserve." His hazel eyes flicker over mine, somewhere between expectant and... dazed?

"Gee." The word is barely heard from above my breathe, disappearing in the quietness of the room - a complete opposite to my head, where loud, loud thoughts try to be processed, trying to answer all the questions that began to flood my mind in the moment I woke up. Gerard's smile getting wider right before he starts to speak again is what snaps me out of it. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing is able to stop the yells that come from my mouth, yells for help while the male explains something about making the cage comfortable to me in a way he even gave up on the his bathroom and some books for me. "Help!" The yell even hurts my throat as I release it through one of the holes on the glass, even slamming my hands against the surface a few times.

"No one will be able to hear you!" Gerard chuckles, watching me with entertainment and an adore that I refuse to accept. "The basement is made in a way who's up there" He points to above us. "can hear nothing from here and vice versa. I thought very well about this." About what? And, as if reading my thoughts, he answers: "About where to keep you, sugar!" He says it in an obvious tone. "I knew you'd ask for help because you won't understand it at first, of course, and I was right." His eyebrows raise lightly, demonstrating certain pride. "It took a lot of work to do that." He knocks against the glass. "Thankfully Mikey isn't home most of the time, neither does he come down here. You're all mine, sugar..." Gerard's voice gains a dark tone that scares me; his pupils dilating as they flicker over me.

My brain seems to have forgotten how to react properly to things since all I do is to stand there, looking at Gerard with tears pouring down my face nonstop. Impossible, impossible, impossible! Gerard can't have done that, he can't...

"(N/n)? Sugar?" Gerard called after what seemed like hours of me firstly trying to find a way to escape and exploring the bathroom - to find out there's nothing to help me either - then leaning against the wall and sobbing almost until my head hurt. He stands there outside the glass, pulling a Starbucks cup along with a paper bag to inside the compartment. "I brought you coffee and some of your favorite food." Honestly, I don't find any will inside me or secure enough to answer him, even more in a way I don't demonstrate to be weaker than I already show to be. He patiently waits for the reply that never comes.

"You need to eat, dear." The sweetness and care laced on his voice make my stomach churn - how can someone sound like this while doing something so cruel? "We don't want you all weak in there, hm?" By the corner of my eyes, I'm able to see the sickening smile. It takes about a couple of minutes until he finally moves, walking to his bed to sit by its edge, pulling a phone from over the mattress - the phone seems to be mine. "Also, don't worry about your friends being worried and all, because I already let them all know you needed to leave in a hurry because of unexpected family matters." As Gerard speaks, his eyes never leave the screen while his fingers work on pressing on it. "I'm liking and saving these band pictures for you because I know you like them so much, I'm also posting some little things like you do, so don't worry."

And why the fuck would I worry about that in a moment like this? What happens in his mind...?

And it's like this for a long time, around three nights, in which I watched Gerard's usual routine - he stays in his bedroom for most of the day, reading or drawing; he leaves before lunch and just comes back at night, after he probably solved all of his matters outside and spent some time with Mikey; sometimes he watches a movie before going to sleep or continues working on his art and the TV is on most of the time he's here, playing some popular channel or series in the background. The latter is honestly a good advantage since there isn't much to do in the cage. During the day, Gerard brings me things to eat - I also found clean clothes over the desk in one of the mornings - and is always trying to start a conversation with me.

Through the time, I concluded that if I want something to change, it being to get out of here or just the slightest improvement in my conditions, I inevitably need to talk to him. Something I learnt is that either I'm nice to him or there's no food. So, I've got to at least pretend to agree with him or something similar until he frees me. That leaded me to the current situation.

"Two movies." Gerard says, not even finished writing down the three games I mentioned some seconds I ago. He sits next to me by the other side of the glass with a small notebook and pencil in hands as I have my usual place on the mattress, having my back against the glass.

It gets me thinking for a moment, trying to decide something between what I like and what he likes, considering if I've got some kind of knowledge about the movies in case he wants to talk about it. "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and The Nightmare Before Christmas." And my answer seems to please him considering how he smiles, writing the names down with a nod.

"And finally," Pausing, his eyes travel over the sheet of paper briefly, probably checking something. "a series."

"Doctor Who."

Gerard is about to write down my immediate answer when he stops and looks at me with narrowed eyes. "Classic or current?"

"Classic." I answer confidently with a smile, making another one show across his lips as he writes down the answer. Of course he'd be pleased by it, I'm frequently seeing images of the Doctor, Sarah Jane and K-9 playing on his TV's screen, not to mention the books he's got on his shelf.

While Gerard reads what he's written in the past minutes - what's basically answers I gave him about my tastes in entertainment, from ten items to one per topic - I lean my head against the glass, observing him. Y'know, he looks kind of... cute like this. Some strands of hair are tucked behind his ears so they don't fall on his face; their dark tone contrast to how pale his skin is. The black shirt and Star Wars themed pajama pants give him a certain childish air that's increased whenever he cheers in excitement because of one of my responses. And he's not like the other kidnappers, y'know? The ones you see in movies or read about in the news. He's caring, cute. He actually cares if I'm eating properly, if I'm comfortable and if I'm not bored. I... I appreciate that.

My stare seems to be felt by Gerard and he looks up, his hazel eyes meeting mine with the same adore from days ago. His features soften when I raise a hand, resting it over the glass - he places his hand over mine then leans his head against the glass too, never breaking the eye contact. The moment is just comfortable, in a way I think I'm finally, for once, feeling okay while trapped inside the cage.

The following days aren't much different, apart from the fact I start really talking with Gerard. Like, normal conversations and friendly hanging outs, y'know? Sometimes he sets, still outside the glass, some pillows on the floor then sits on them with his blanket while we watch a movie of my choice and eat popcorn. We also continued playing small games like hangman or stop and, when he's out, I'm mostly distracted with a comic or book he gives me as music plays in the background. My favorite moments are when we're next to each other, still separated by that stupid glass, and talking about trivial things, like his day.

Sometimes I get to the point I forget my friends outside there, even if I like them a lot, and decide to let myself get lost in his hazel eyes. I think I never had noticed how beautiful he is until now. His skin seems to be so fucking soft and... I wish I could touch him. Hug him. It angers me how this stupid glass is set between us.

Thankfully, one morning, I'm awoken by the sound accidentally made once Gerard exchanged my used clothes for new ones, setting over the desk as usual. He stops himself from taking a step to outside the cage once hearing me calling his name quietly, in nothing above a whisper. It startles him and he turns around, smiling as walking backwards and pulling the door with him.

Wait, he's leaving? "No!" I call, fighting against the sleep that remains taking half of my consciousness, and sit up with an arm stretched towards him while the other gives me support to stay in the position. That makes him stop. "Please," I say hoarsely. "I-I need to touch you..." To show my need better, I move my fingers lightly. A confused glare is earned by me; looking around, Gerard throws my used clothes on a chair with his ones already covering it then leaves the glass door slightly open before moving towards me carefully.

"What's wrong, sugar?" His voice is all sweet and soft as he grabs my hand crouching down beside me. Ignoring that, I throw my arms around him to bring the male for a hug, which he thankfully returns - I melt in his arms as soon as he does that. So long. So fucking long since the last time I touched or was touched by anyone. Being involved by his arms is the best thing I've ever experienced in my entire life. Gerard is warm, he makes me feel better and... butterflies fly around my stomach. His smell fills my lungs like some sort of toxic substance, making the thoughts about him - that already fill my head permanently for a time now - go wild as I try to enjoy every single detail of the hug.

"Gerard..." And I can't even control how the words leave my mouth. "I love you, Gerard." I needed to say these words, I needed to. To let him know how much I appreciate everything he did, to express the way I need him like I need oxygen, how I need his touch. "I need you, Gerard." I say quietly, against the side of his face as I rub mine against it. My hands clutch around his shirt in case he leaves. But he won't, right? Well, I hope he doesn't. "You, you. I love you."

His chest vibrates due to the chuckle he releases, giving me a good sensation. One of his hands run up and down my side in an affectionate manner and he plays with my hair using the free one, clutching me close. Gerard's actions get me soft, melting in his arms. "I love you too, sugar. I've told you about it uncountable times." His lips speak against the side of my face, causing an amazing sensation as they move against it. "Only I am able to give you the love you deserve. You deserve the best." There's a soft kiss pressed to my cheek before he pulls away lightly - causing my grasp on his shirt to tighten - so he's able to lock our eyes in an intense gaze. "You deserve someone who knows you properly." And, finally, his lips meet mine in the best kiss I've ever experienced. It's so sweet and natural. Like if I'm in eternal thirst and it's the so much wanted water. "I love you too, (n/n)." The words are lost between another kiss we share.

[keysszz]

A Talk

A Rottmnt Fanfic

He felt useless.

Hours before, he and his brothers had encountered a new mutant. They of course had to fight them since the mutant attacked first, but the slider felt like he hadn't done anything. Donnie and Mikey attacked the creature from both sides as Raph hit it from its front. The battle was supposed to end with Leo making a portal to send the beast away from them, that way the city would be safe once again.

But things just had to go wrong, didn't they?

As Leo swung his sword to create the portal, nothing had happened. The sparks shot out of his odachi like normal, but the portal hadn't formed. Standing there like the complete idiot that he knew he was, he looked at his brothers in fear.

Raph had noticed this and he decided to take matters elsewhere.

He told Leo to work on the portal while Donnie and Mikey helped him lead the mutant somewhere else. They had left Leo alone with his thoughts and his sword, and that didn't exactly make the slider feel any better.

Leo tried to create a portal, but nothing had worked. He knew that he had to focus, but that same voice in his head kept coming back and it just distracted him more.

"Come on..." Leo muttered. "Make a portal already!"

You're such a failure.

That voice was back again. That sentence would be engraved into Leo's mind and he tried to ignore it, but it would just get louder and louder. Sometimes it got to where Leo couldn't hear anything else.

His brothers had returned back to him cheering, and that made Leo feel even worse.

Nothing. He did nothing to contribute to the fight. He had one chance and he blew it.

He had masked it behind his smiles and one-liners, so his brothers didn't think anything was wrong. Leo knew this would happen, and that's why he did it, so that his brothers didn't see how weak he really was.

But now it was hours later; 2:05 in the morning to be exact, and the slider was wide awake while his mind wandered. It kept going back to the fight, and that chant was still in his mind.

You're such a failure. No wonder your family doesn't trust you.

His family did trust him though!

Right?

Most of the time they did... But...

Leo groaned as he looked up to the ceiling of his bedroom. He grabbed his phone from his desk to check the time again as he stood up and put all of his gear on. He grabbed his odachi from the corner of his room and walked out towards the entrance of the lair.

He needed someone to talk to. His brothers were definitely out of the question, and he knew that April wouldn't be up at this time, so that left only one person.

                                                          ~~~~~

As he served the last customer and waved goodbye to them, the skeleton let out a sigh. It had been a busy day today; it seemed like everyone had wanted a slice of pizza from his restaurant. He didn't blame them though, the pizza was just that good.

As he flipped the sign on the door to "I'm sorry, we're closed.", he walked over to the tables to start cleaning up. It was then when he heard an knock on the door and sighed. Some customers just couldn't take a hint. The sign was clearly up, and they just had to ignore it, didn't they?

Hueso had done this before though. He would go through the same old speech and say that the restaurant was close and to come back tomorrow, and if he was lucky he would get the understanding customers and they would leave.

"I'm so sorry, but we're close," he said as he walked towards the door. "Please come back-"

He stopped as he looked at who was standing on the other side.

"Pepino?" He questioned as he unlocked the door. Leo looked to be in pretty bad shape. He had bags under his eyes and he was shivering pretty badly. The temperature was extremely cold today, and it had only gotten colder that night. His face also seemed to be wet, but it hadn't been raining. No other part of him was wet either, so what had happened-

Oh... Hueso thought to himself. Is it one of those nights again?

"Hey, bone man," Leo said with a small smile. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure," Hueso said as he let the slider in. "You look terrible."

"Wow, thanks," Leo said sarcastically.

"I don't mean like that," the skeleton replied as he led Leo to a table. "Are you feeling ok?"

Leo looked up at Hueso and opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it quickly. He waved his hand as he sat down at the table; dismissing the skeleton's question.

"Busy day, huh?" Leo smiled as he looked around the room. "The restaurant's a mess."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't exhausted," Hueso replied. He knew that Leo was trying to avoid his question, and at the moment he would let off on asking the slider if he was alright. He had to coast into the question instead of just saying it suddenly.

"Are you hungry?" Hueso asked him. Leo looked up and smiled, shaking his head slightly.

"I don't wanna put more work on you," he said softly.

"Since when have you ever felt that way before?" Hueso chuckled. "Just tell me what you want and I'll make it."

The slider smiled again as he ordered his food and waited patiently for Hueso to come back with it.

As he sat though, he couldn't help but have his mind wander back to the previous fight they had earlier.

Why did his sword have to be so stubborn? Why couldn't it work like his brothers' weapons?

Or was it not the sword that was the problem, but instead it was him?

Don't blame the game, blame the player...

A saying that Leo knew a little too well. He would say it all the time when he would play video games with his brothers, and his mind would chant it to him whenever he was dealing with moments like this.

Why did you come here? You're only making things worse.

But he wasn't trying to make things worse! He had only come here to seek help from Hueso.

You're taking up his precious time. He only let you in out of pity.

But Hueso didn't even know why he was here... Right?

Hueso was always nice enough to let the turtles in, even after hours. But Leo felt so sure that he was cutting in on the skeleton's time that he couldn't think straight.

He was the worse. The absolute worse, and even more he was a complete failure.

                                                         ~~~~~ 

"Pizza's done!" Hueso called out why carrying out the food. "Sorry it took so long, I was trying to-"

He stopped as he looked over to Leo's table, seeing that the slider's head was down and he was shaking.

"Pepino?" He asked concerned. He walked over to the table and placed down the pizza as he put his hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Are you ok?"

Leo looked up slowly and wiped his eyes as Hueso frowned. He could see that Leo had been crying for quite some time now since his eyes were red. Hueso's frown only deepened; he looked so sad, and it was hard to look at one of his most cheery customers like this.

"Yeah... I- I'm fine..." Leo answered with a sniffle.

"You're clearly not, Leo," Hueso replied as he sat down beside the blue masked turtle. "Did something happen?"

Leo didn't answer and Hueso sighed softly. He was going to have to do this the hard way, meaning that he would have to guess.

"Did something happen to your brothers?" He asked. He got a head shake from Leo and smiled softly.

At least he knew that his brothers were safe now.

"Did you fight with them?" Hueso questioned; earning another shake of his head.

"Did you loose something?" Hueso asked. Leo then chuckled slightly and that made Hueso smile a little.

"It'll take you all night to figure it out at this rate," Leo replied.

"Well then, are you going to tell me?" The skeleton asked.

"I guess I have to now," Leo answered quietly.

He sighed as he began to speak again.

"Am I... Do you think I'm useless?" He asked as he turned towards Hueso.

"What?! No!" Hueso responded in shock. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Because I'm useless..." Leo sighed. "I can't do anything for the team, I have no special talent, and I'm a failure. So what's the point of helping my brothers if they can manage just fine without me?"

Hueso sat quietly as he thought about what Leo had said. He didn't realize how bad the slider had been feeling. Calling himself useless and a failure meant that he didn't believe in himself, and Hueso didn't like seeing Leo in this state.

He looked over at Leo and saw him facing the other direction. He realized that he still hadn't answered the slider's question, so he cleared his throat and started to speak.

"Leo, you are not a failure," Hueso began. "If anything, you're a hero."

Leo scoffed at Hueso's statement. He looked up and stared.

"How am I a hero?" He asked.

"Well for one thing, you save the city of New York every day," the skeleton replied. "And when your brothers need help, you are so quick to helping and or giving them advice."

Leo listened quietly as Hueso continued.

"You also have many talents," Hueso said. "You can cheer up anyone when they are feeling down, you bring out the best in people, and you're great at making up plans on the spot. And aren't you the doctor of your family?"

"Yeah," Leo responded.

"Then that's another thing you do to help your family out," Hueso smiled.

"But I fail so many times," Leo said with a sigh. "I failed today in a battle. I had one chance to make a portal to send away a mutant, and I blew it."

"Everyone fails in their lives at some point," Hueso said. "Even me."

"Oh really?" Leo looked up. "Like when?"

"Remember when I had to call you and your orange brother here since I scheduled for the Makers of Brutality and the Master of Barbarianism to dine on the same night?" Hueso asked, which earned a smile from the slider.

"Yeah," Leo chuckled. "Those were some rough guys to deal with."

"Exactly," Hueso smiled. "Everyone makes mistakes and or 'fails' at times, but that doesn't make you a failure."

Leo smiled at Hueso and looked down at his pizza. He took a slice and ate it while he smiled the whole time.

"Thanks, bone man," Leo replied after eating another slice. "For the pizza, I mean."

"Sure, Pepino," Hueso chuckled. "But just know that if you need anything, my door is always open."

"That's not really true though," Leo laughed. "Because it was locked when I came here."

"That's not what I-" Hueso groaned, but he then began to chuckle.

He could yell at Leo any other time. But for now, he was just happy to see the slider back to his usual self.

[ahatintimestorybook]

AHIT Twin AU- Magic Twins

Okay enough with the angst...for now. Let’s get into some sweet fluff. Yes, I said for now because I’m writing a three part angst story and it may make you cry!!

Enjoy ^^

@winterpower98

It was night time and MJ and Luka just finished celebrating their 8th birthday. However, they weren’t done celebrating just yet their dad had one more surprise for them and they were excited. “I wonder what dad has for us?” MJ asked holding on to his white wolf like plushie.

“Maybe we get to have ice cream before bed! Or we can stay up till 7:00 am in the morning!” Luka exclaimed, guessing what their father, Richard had for them.

MJ shook his head. “I don’t think we’ll be allowed to stay up till 7 in the morning.” He disagreed.

Luka leaned in close to his brother. “You may never know.” He sang. MJ grabbed his brother and ruffled his hair as Luka tried to push his brother off, but his older twin brother held him tight continuing to ruffle his little twin brother’s hair.

The brothers shared a laugh as Richard came in smiling at his little boys. “I see my boys are excited for their surprise.” Richard said. The twins let go of each other and got comfortable ready for the gift. Richard gave a chuckle and sat down between his sons. “Now ready to see your last gift of the night?” He asked.

“We’ve been waiting!” Luka wined. “Tell us! Tell us!” Luka bounced on the bed with his hand on his dad’s shoulder.

Richard chuckled and pulled his sons close to him. “I am. I am.” He repeated. Richard took a deep breath and told his story. “Well now that your 8 years old I think it's time we had a talk about something, well something in my family.” He started. MJ and Luka looked at each other confused at what their father was going to tell him.

“W-what is dad?” Luka asked.

Richard sighed. “You two know about magic, right?” He asked.

Luka and MJ looked at each other shocked and nodded. “Yeah! We do!” They both shouted. “Like the magician we saw at the Christmas Party?” Luke asked.

“Well not exactly.” Richard  replied. “You see magic is real, and your now 8 years old, which is the age you guys might be experiencing magic.” He explained.

Luka and MJ looked at their father in shock before smiling. This was just like in their favorite super hero TV shows! “Like on TV?” MJ asked. Richard nodded. “Awesome!” MJ beamed. “We can finally be super heroes Lulu!”

Luka chuckled. “Yeah! Using our magic to fight bad guys and steal their souls!” Luka beamed.

“Eh, let’s not steal souls.” MJ replied.

Luka chuckled. “I was kidding.” The boys shared a laugh over their fantasy of being a pair of super twins saving Subcon from trouble.

“Boys may I-” Richard was cut off as his sons still continued to talk about their magic superhero fantasies.

“We can find other kids with magic as well make a super hero team!” MJ beamed.

“And we can wear cool costumes so no one can know its us!” Luka added.

“Luka! Michael!” Richard spoke up louder. The twins stopped their fantasy and nervously chuckled realizing their dad still hasn’t finished with her story.

“Sorry dad.” The twins apologized.

Richard chuckled. “You're forgiven.” He replied. “Now, before you boys decide to go superhero. I’m sorry to have to say this, but magic doesn’t work that way, it's taboo.”

“What does that mean?” Luka asked.

“It means: it's banned to talk about.” Richard answered. “Well we’re talking about it because I know a few people who had magic and I figured you need to know.”

“Who dad?” MJ asked.

“Well, my grandfather, your great-grandfather had magic and my aunt had it.”

“What were their powers?” Luka asked.

Richard sighed and frowned. “I didn’t know what my grandfather’s power was.” He whispered. “He died due to his magic.”

MJ frowned and held his father’s hand tight. “D-did the magic kill him?” He asked.

“No.” Richard paused for a bit before continuing. “Its because he had magic that he was killed.” MJ gulped and looked at his little brother, who looked scared too. They were just about to ask before Richard told them more. “You see not a lot of people accept magic and well they either get killed or sent away because of it.”

“Sent away?” MJ gasped.

“K-killed.” Luka stuttered.

Richard sighed, he didn’t want to scare his boys, but its the harsh truth when it comes to magic. “Sorry to scare you boys, but its true.”

“But why? Has anyone tried to fight for it?” MJ asked. “There’s no way people can be this blind to magic users!”

Richard sighed again. “I don’t know why either, but people are just blind to those who are...different.” That was the only straight answer he can give his boys. The boys frowned and still wondered if being twin super heroes was a bad thing. Richard needed to think of something positive about magic and fast. “But, my aunt’s power had to do with air and wind and during the hottest of summer days she’d knew how to make things cool.”

MJ and Luka smiled, which is what Richard wanted to see. He ruffled the boys hair making them laugh before hugging them tight. “So magic doesn’t sound so bad.” Luka commented.

Richard chuckled. “Not at all Lu, its just you need to be careful with it and keep it a secret.” He reassured. “But like I said there is a low chance you guys may not have magic at all.”

“Well magic or not! That was a great story dad!” Luka beamed. “Even though it did get sad.” he mumbled.

Richard chuckled and ruffled Luka’s hair before picking him up. “Well its getting late, and you two need your sleep.” MJ yawned and got under the covers holding his white wolf-like plushie tight. Richard tucked Luka into bed ruffling his hair once more. “Night Luka.”

“Night dad!” Luka replied.

Richard walked over to MJ’s bed and ruffled his hair too. “Night Michael.”

“Night dad.” MJ replied.

Richard turned off the lights and left his son’s room to let them get some sleep. A few minutes passed and Luka opened his eyes. “MJ. MJ.” He whispered. MJ groaned and opened his eyes turning to his little brother. “Are you asleep?”

“No.” MJ groaned. MJ moved a bit on his bed, and Luka jumped out of his bed and laid down next to his twin brother.

“What did you think of the magic story?” Luka asked.

MJ sighed. “Its interesting.” He replied. “I can’t believe we have a chance to withhold magic!”

Luka chuckled. “I know!” He smiled and wondered what kinds of powers they’ll gave. “What power do you think we’ll have?” He asked.

MJ turned and faced his little brother. “I’m not sure.” He replied. “There’s so many endless powers we can have, but I want us to have the same magic.”

Luka smiled agreeing with his older twin brother. “I hope so too!” He hoped. Soon Luka yawned and his eyes fluttered before closing and falling asleep.

MJ smiled and tucked him and his brother. “Night, Lulu.” MJ whispered before falling asleep hugging his little brother.

Two years have passed, and now the twins were 10 years old. Summer has finally came and that gave the twins a ton of fun things to do together. They went to the water park twice, gone on hikes, and today they just did some paintings with their dad. Now the twins were in their room relaxing; MJ decided to draw in his sketchbook while Luka picked up a video game to play.

MJ smiled at his drawing and thought it would be nice to color it, and went to look for his colored pencils. He checked his desk and saw his colored pencils was no where to be found. He spotted them in his bag next to Luka. “Lulu, could you get my colored pencils?” He asked.

“After this level, Mikey! I’m in first place!” Luka beamed. MJ sighed, but something surprising happened.

His hands then released red string that tied around his bag as he was able to grab it. MJ’s eyes, now glowing red was surprised Luka got it for him. “Thanks Lulu!” MJ beamed.

“For what?” Luka asked still focusing on his game. MJ froze and looked at his hands seeing strings on them. Luka paused his game and turned to his brother and looked scared seeing MJ’s eyes. “Uh...MJ your...eyes.” He nervously said.

“W-what’s wrong with them?” He asked getting up from his seat. Luka grabbed his twin brother’s hand and took him to the bathroom and made him face the mirror. MJ stepped back scared at his eyes. MJ’s eyes were blood red and glowing. “M-mom! Dad!” MJ screamed.

Footsteps ran upstairs as Angela and Richard rushed into the bathroom to see what the boys were yelling about it and froze seeing red strings from their older son’s fingers as well as glowing red eyes. “Oh boy.” Richard whispered.

“M-mom! D-dad what’s happening to me?!” MJ yelled.

Richard went over to his son and put his hands on his son’s shoulder. “Michael. Take deep breaths.” He said in a reassuring voice. “This is your magic, and you need to be calm.” MJ blinked surprised this was his magic taking over.

MJ listened to what his father told him and tried to calm down. Soon the strings started to disappear and MJ’s eyes went back to normal. Richard smiled and hugged his son seeing he’s alright. “D-dad was that really my magic?” He asked.

Richard nodded, but was confused. “Though I never heard of someone with puppeteer magic?”

Angela chuckled. “Thankfully I have.” She responded.

“You know magic too mom?” Luka asked.

Angela nodded. “ I may be a lawyer, but I’m a lawyer who has clients that have magic, and MJ I helped with two clients who too have puppeteer magic.” She explained.

This peeked MJ and Luka’s interest. “Really?” They both asked. Angela nodded and hugged her two boys. Luka and MJ looked at each other and smiled.

The rest of the night, MJ was having fun with his magic as well as using it to help his mother with setting up dinner. While MJ was setting up the table with his magic, Luka tried to see if he too got his magic as well, but nothing happened. The younger twin frowned and glanced at his older twin brother who was able to grab the glasses with his strings without breaking them.

Later, the boys were asleep well MJ was asleep but Luka wasn’t. Luka looked at his hands and saw he didn’t have his powers yet. He wondered why. If his older twin got it shouldn’t he have gotten his powers too. “MJ?” Luka asked hoping his brother would wake up. Luka sighed and turned around and tried to get some sleep.

Summer came and went and still Luka didn’t have his powers. The younger twin wasn’t jealous of his older brother, just disappointed that they didn’t get it at the same time as they hoped.  It was already September and starting Monday would be the first day of school for the twins.

To make sure the last few days of summer were the best the twins went to the park to play till sunset. MJ brought over a purple ball they bought at the store to play with. They had the whole baseball field to themselves today so no one would bother them as they kicked and threw the ball around.

“Luka! Think fast!” MJ yelled as he kicked the ball high in the air. Luka looked up and held his hand out ready to grab the ball. Luka stepped back and caught it loosing his balance in the process.

“Got it!” Luka shouted. MJ chuckled and went far ready to catch the ball. What the older twin didn’t notice was Luka’s hands turning a dark purple color as blue flames started to appear from his hands. Luka threw the ball, but as MJ saw the ball in flames he got out of the way. MJ looked up and saw Luka’s eyes glowing yellow. With a smile he went over to his brother in joy.

“Luka! You got your powers!” MJ shouted.

Luka blinked and smiled. “I did?” He asked. MJ nodded. Luka looked at his hands and saw they were engulfed in blue flames. Luka and MJ smiled at each other picked up their ball, which surprisingly didn’t turn to ashes and ran home to tell their dad before anyone else caught them.

“Dad! Dad!” The twins shouted running home. Richard was finishing up a painting and saw his twin sons running towards them in joy. “Dad!” MJ started. “Luka got his magic!”

“He did?” Richard asked. MJ nodded. “Well what is it?” He asked. MJ and Luka didn’t say it, but showed it. Luka’s eyes glowed yellow as blue flames appeared from his hands again. Richard’s eyes widen seeing the flames on his youngest son.

“ANGELA!” Richard screamed caring Luka carefully so he would not get burned or at least burn the house down. Angela turned to her husband and saw her youngest son smiling in glee.

Angela chuckled. “Well looks like we are dealing with super magic twins.” She joked.

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

Author’s Note: The plushie MJ has is based off a beta design of Moonjumper that looked plush like.

[let-me-write-shit]

Somebody To You: 27

SURPRISE!!! Posting Friday’s chapter a bit early!!! Please, if you haven’t read Chapter Twenty Six yet, go back and read it or this might be hella confusing! Let me know what you think. Next chapter will be out on MONDAY!! 

Word Count: 3,450

Warning: Fluffffff

Click Here For Previous Chapter & Other Completed Stories

PLEASE let me know what you think

-----------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

She felt Michael’s attention snap back and forth between his ex-girlfriend and the famous singer, dumbfounded and confused, unable to speak. She knew he had recognized Harry right away and was debating whether he was seeing things or not. Harry’s eyes flickered between the two ex-lovers who had just been laying side by side on the trampoline together as he stepped closer, sheepishly smiling giving them a little wave. 

“What are you doing here?” She spluttered, sitting up straighter, the trampoline bouncing slightly from her change in position.

“I wanted to talk,” Harry’s voice sounded small and unsure, worried that he had just interrupted something important.

Zoey’s eyes widened, her face twitching, “So you flew here instead of calling?”

Harry realized how silly it sounded and attempted to hold back a chuckle as he explained, “Well...I wanted to see you, too.”

“I’m sorry, what is happening?” Michael finally spoke up after forcing himself out of his astonished trance.

Zoey, amused at his confusion, introduced the two, “Harry, this is Michael…” Harry gave a nod, friendly smile, and a quick wave as Zoey continued, “and  Mikey, this is my friend, Harry-”

“Yeah, I know who he is,” Michael cut her off with a laugh, “I’m just confused as to how the hell you know him and why I’m just now finding out.”

“It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in tomorrow, okay?” she looked at him, tilting her head and urging him to leave with her eyes.

“Yeah, okay, I better get going, anyway. See you tomorrow,” Michael got the hint and gave her a quick one-armed hug before shimmying towards the end of the trampoline, jumping down and holding a hand out for Harry, offering a friendly handshake. To Harry’s surprise, it wasn’t the typical death-grip he usually got from men who felt threatened by him; it was loose and casual. “It was nice meeting you, man,” Michael nodded, looking him up and down in a way that made it look like he was still in disbelief.

“You too,” Harry grinned, watching as Michael disappeared into the house to leave.

Slowly, Harry turned to face Zoey, her eyebrows raised, still confused. He tried to hide his anxiousness as he made his way over, climbing onto the trampoline which caused it to bounce a bit more. He settled in sitting across from her, close enough to where their kneecaps touched, folding his hands together and looking at her.

“So…” she finally spoke, “you wanted to talk?”

He didn’t know why he was so nervous. Over thirteen hours he sat in his flight thinking of what he wanted to say, worrying about how she would react when she saw him, wondering what her response would be. He had it all planned out, rehearsing it in his head on the drive over. But now that he was here, looking into Zoey’s eyes, the words seemed to fly away. Be honest, he heard his mother say.

He took a deep breath, wanting to just get it all out there, “Well, first, I wanted to say that I am sorry for what I said last night. It was fucked up and I honestly didn’t even mean any of it. You were right. I was just being insecure.”

“Okay. That’s a start,” Zoey nodded, urging him to continue. His voice was so deep and soothing that it was hard for her not to smile. Especially knowing he flew across the ocean just to ‘talk’. And how could you be upset when his green eyes lit up so beautifully under the night sky?

He flashed a grin at her before his expression turned more serious, “I don’t know why I found it so hard to be honest with you about how I’ve felt. Maybe because I was still confused about everything and I didn’t know how to relay it to you because I didn’t fully understand what I was feeling myself. So I’ve been thinking a lot, trying to figure out everything going on in my head, and this is what I’ve come up with so far,” he prefaced, looking into her eyes. She could sense the earnestness in his voice as he spoke, “You came into my life unexpectedly. Like, literally stumbled in, dropping your bags full of shoes on me while I was seeing someone else - unexpectedly.” 

They chuckled at the memory before his demeanor trickled back into being more serious, “I’ve never had someone I felt like I could open up to as quickly, or as deeply as I have with you. And that scared me at first,” he admitted, earning a grin and nod from Zoey. “But it never felt forced or unnatural. You spoke to me like a person. You called me out on my shit and were there for me when I needed the reassurance. And somewhere along the line that friendship started to fizzle into something else. And I contributed it to you becoming my best friend. It felt like the right thing to call you, at the time. I mean, you were. I talked to you every day, I told you everything, I thought that had to be it.”

He paused, searching Zoey’s face for a sign of understanding, but she just listened, holding her breath, not wanting to jump to conclusions. He continued, “My friends and family kept making jokes about it being more than that, and I kept pushing them off because, you know, I have a type” he emphasized, rolling his eyes at himself which made her snort. “But the more we talked, and the more I thought about it, it started making sense. It got harder to hang up the phone whenever I talked to you or say goodbye whenever I visited. It got harder to hear about you with other people, and to see you with other people made it even worse. Then, in Italy,” Harry shook his head as the memories rushed back, smiling in amazement, “Italy was one of the most amazing weeks of my life and I realized that my friends were right. I did like you. A lot. And that scared the shit out of me. Because you were my best friend. Or my soulmate, whatever you want to call it. You were meant to be in my life.”

Harry took a deep breath, voice a little shaky. She could tell this part was hard for him to say. She wanted to reach out and hug him, but instead, she let him continue, “I always say my biggest fear is death. But that changed after I met you. My biggest fear became losing you. You know I don’t have a great track record with relationships. They’re always short-lived and don’t always end on the best terms. So, when you asked me where our relationship stood, I panicked. I was so scared that if I took the leap and we started dating, it would end up like one of my past relationships and you’d end up hating me and we’d never speak again. I couldn’t handle the thought of you not being in my life, so I lashed out and said some fucked up things.”

He took Zoey’s hands in his, desperation thick in his voice, eyes pleading, “I’m so sorry for saying those things, and I completely understand if you’re still too pissed off at me and need some space because if anyone said those things to me while I was going through the same thing with my stepdad, I would have lost my shit. And I know how selfish this sounds, but I need you in my life. I need to be able to hear your voice, and see your face, and talk about all the stupid shit that keeps us up until two in the morning. The thought of me being just an old friend, or a passing fling, or just some guy you slept with in Italy a few times is enough to absolutely destroy me. I don’t want to be just some passing phase. And if that makes me selfish, then I’m okay with that. Because I need to be somebody to you. Even if it’s just as friends. I can’t lose you.”

“Harry,” she hushed, placing a hand on his cheek to calm him down. The smile that was forming on her face had been replaced by concern as she said, “I’m not pissed at you. I was just disappointed that you felt like you couldn’t tell me any of this to begin with.”

Harry placed a hand over the top of hers that rested on his cheek as he nuzzled into it, relieved to hear that she didn’t hate him, “I was just scared.”

“Well, you had no reason to be.” she pulled his hands into her laps, “I’ve always been here for you, and I always will be here for you. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Do you know how many more jokes I have at your expense? How many more Princess Bride quotes I’ve been saving for the right moment?” she joked, making him chuckle. “Harry, I know how insane your life is and I understand if you don’t want to take certain risks that might affect it negatively, so I would never force you into anything. If you want to stay friends, then I get it. I won’t leave just because you don’t want to date me. But I want us to be able to be honest with each other about it instead of making excuses or deflecting. Besides, maybe we’re better off as friends, anyway. Save us the awkwardness of telling Nancy and Rory,” she giggled, avoiding eye contact and trying to find a justification.

Harry forced her to attention upwards, lifting her chin with his finger as he looked into her eyes with severity, “And if I did want to date you?”

Zoey stared at him in silence for a moment before a smirk formed, “Are you asking me out?”

He smiled, his dimples showing deep on his cheeks, blushing, “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Zoey beamed, launching forward and knocking him on his back, pressing her lips to his, forcefully, which made the two of them bounce and fumble from the movement of the trampoline. They laughed in the kiss before Zoey forced himself off of him and they fixed their hair that had gone awry, Harry’s heart beating wildly. He felt a weight lifting off of his shoulders, finally getting all of his thoughts and feelings off of his chest. The fear of losing her was still in the back of his mind, but it was dwindling at the knowledge that she was now his. For once, he didn’t want to think about the consequences of the press or his career. He was too excited right now to care. But there were a few people that needed to know.

“Guess we need to tell Nancy and Rory, now,” Harry said.

Zoey’s eyes widened, shaking her head, “No way am I doing that on my own.”

Harry laughed, pulling her into a hug, placing a kiss on her forehead and whispering “We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.” 

She looked up into his eyes and they began kissing some more. She melted into his embrace, wrapped up in the moment of bliss and euphoria. Harry holding her as they kissed, his hands entangled in her hair as she cupped his warm cheek, feeling the tensing of his jaw as their tongues swirled together. But as the trampoline bobbed, a realization had struck her and she pulled away, “Do my parents know you’re here?”

Harry shrugged, “I texted Katie letting her know I was coming. She let me in. I didn’t see your parents.”

“Oh, God.” she groaned,  sitting up straight, “You don’t have to meet them, do you?”

He laughed, “Technically, I’ve already met them.”

“Maybe we can just sneak you past them or something,” she muttered to herself.

“Come on,” Harry urged, “they’re not that bad.”

“Harry. You’ve only had to deal with them through a phone,” she warned.

The more Zoey tried to convince him not to, the more he wanted to. After a lot of back and forth, Zoey finally gave in, leading the way towards the house. Locking the back door behind them, she poked her head into the kitchen, living room, and dining room but the only person downstairs was Katie who was watching TV while scrolling through her phone. Zoey had Harry sit with her younger sister while she went in search of them upstairs.

Katie looked up at him with a grin, but her face screwed up as she got a better look at him, noticing how raw his lips looked and how disheveled his hair was, “Were you two…?”

Harry seemed to figure what Katie was referring to and instinctively wiped his mouth before running his fingers through his hair, causing Katie’s mouth to fall open. He shushed her, grinning, but that didn’t stop her from gasping and whispering back, “You and Zoey?!”

He nodded, chuckling, “Yes.”

“So you two are, like….dating?” again, earning another nod of affirmation causing the eighteen-year-old’s mouth to fall open and eyes to widen even more, putting her phone face-down on her lap. 

The clambering of feet descending the steps just behind the living room wall got their attention and Harry quickly got to his feet just as Zoey had rounded into the room, her parents in tow. When their eyes landed on him, they widened at his presence shouting out a sound of delight as they gingerly made their way over to him.

“Harry, what a nice surprise! We didn’t know you were in town,” Mary was the first to reach him, wrapping him in a hug. “You’re a lot taller than I expected you to be.”

Harry laughed, “I get that a lot,” he pulled away, shaking their dad’s hand as he explained, “It was a spontaneous decision. I didn’t know I was coming until this morning.”

Everyone sat scattered around the living room as Mary said, “I’m so glad to be meeting you in person. I don’t know if Zoey told you yet, but we are just so grateful for you taking our girls to Italy and making sure they were okay and had fun.”

“You’ve been great at keeping us updated and answering our million questions,” her dad agreed, adding, “We know we were a pain, but we just wanted to make sure our girls were in good hands, and they certainly were.”

“Of course, it was no problem at all. I completely understand,” Harry smiled politely, earning a quiet giggle from Zoey who had taken notice of how proper he had been sitting. 

“So when did you get here? And how long are you staying for?” 

“I came straight here from the airport, but I’m not here for long. I’ve got to get home and get back to work later this week.”

“So, wait. Where are you staying?” Zoey asked, confused.

He shrugged, “I was going to call around to see if any hotels have any rooms available. I’m sure I’ll find one.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay here, Harry,” Mary offered, “It’s the least we can do. We don’t have a spare room, but I’ve fallen asleep on the couch many times and it’s not too bad.”

Harry and Zoey shared a look, silently agreeing that it was a good plan, but they needed to warn her parents about their newly founded relationship. Sure, they were adults now, but it was still their house and they didn’t want to be disrespectful and cross any boundaries. It’s been a long time since she introduced a boyfriend to her parents after being in such a long relationship previously and she had almost forgotten how terrifying it was.

“Mom, Harry and I. We’re…” Zoey looked over at Harry, nervously pinching the fabric of her jeans, “He’s my boyfriend.”

The word felt strange to say in reference to Harry. It’s not that the word made her feel uncomfortable. It’s just, he’s Harry Styles. ‘Harry Styles the famous singer’ sounded right. Even ‘Harry Styles the style icon’, or ‘Harry Styles the famous lyricist’. But ‘Harry Styles my boyfriend’? She had to admit, it had a certain ring to it. 

“Well, yes, I figured,” Mary laughed as if it were no surprise. Zoey’s eyes widened in shock along with Harry and Katie as her mom explained, “Well, he took you to Italy for your birthday and flew Katie out in first class. Why else would he do that if he didn’t like you?”

Zoey spluttered, prepared to defend Harry’s actions from that statement. How could she possibly assume that? It wasn’t just Harry who had planned the trip. Her friends did, too. But the more she thought about it, the more she understood what her mom was saying. Things like that didn’t just happen to normal people like them. Not here. Not in the real world. Not even in Harry’s world. Sure, he was a very giving person. But Harry went above and beyond to make sure her birthday week was special. And he did that because he cared about her. Whether he had admitted it to himself, yet, or not. He wouldn’t have done all that for just any friend. He did it because it was her. She closed her mouth, grinning in defeat.

“So, you said you’ve got to get back to work? Is that in LA?”

“England. London, actually,” Harry nodded, “I’ve got a writing session scheduled for Thursday afternoon, so I have to leave tomorrow night.”

“Writing session?” their dad repeated, “Are you a writer?”

“Are you serious?” Katie bellowed, aghast.

“What?” His dad asked, both he and Mary looking between them, confused.

“Dad, he’s Harry Styles!” Katie responded. And when the information didn’t seem to register Katie’s shock only grew, making both Zoey and Harry chuckle as her little sister tried to explain, “He’s a famous singer! He used to be in the band One Direction.” When that didn’t work, Katie groaned, shouting, “He’s the one that sings Watermelon Sugar!”

“Oh!” both parents shouted in surprise, causing the new couple to laugh. “Oh my goodness, well isn’t that something? I’m so sorry. I don’t get around to reading the internet much. I had no clue you were a singer! How exciting!”

Harry nodded, still laughing, “Yes, it is. Thank you.”

“Well, do you think you’ll be able to stay for the BBQ tomorrow before you leave?” Mary asked, “It’ll be pretty small, but you’ll get to meet a few nice people. Bonnie and Christopher, Zoey’s best friend’s parents, will be there. And then there’s Paul, Carol, and Michael. Or would that be too awkward?” Mary trailed off, looking wide-eyed at her eldest daughter.

Zoey shook her head with a chuckle, “They’ve already met, ma.”

His dimples deepened as he smiled, clasping his hands together, “Yeah, I can stay for the BBQ. Sounds like fun!”

She couldn’t help but smile, looking up and seeing how relaxed Harry looked at having a conversation with her parents. It felt bizarre to have him meet them minutes after making their relationship official. It felt like she was breaking a cardinal rule or superstition. Was it bad luck to have a partner meet your parents so soon? She supposed he was right, they had already met. Maybe that was part of the reason why Harry seemed so comfortable; he already knew them. Still, she hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly.

But how would it be introducing him to her unrelated family? To Mr. and Mrs. Lewis or Michael’s parents? Would that be just as easy, or would it be significantly more uncomfortable? She had just got done explaining everyone how she was single, what was she supposed to say now? Especially considering they were bound to know who Harry was. Was she supposed to introduce him as her boyfriend? How would Paul and Carol react? She knew how much they loved her and knew they only wanted her to be happy, but would they be disappointed in her from moving on from their son? She didn’t want to make them uncomfortable. And Michael? He had moved on from her, so he wouldn’t be too upset, right? Would he take offense to Harry being there if he knew they were dating? Would it seem like she was trying to shove in his face the fact that she moved on with a hot, successful, British singer? Maybe she should just refer to him as a friend? Or would Harry be offended by that? She should have this conversation with Harry first.

KEEP READING

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Taglist for Somebody To You:

@thurhomish​ , @stilljosiegrossie​ , @odetostep​ , @apples2019​ , @stylesmioamore​ , @inyourhaven

[robinrunsfiction]

The Spike In My Heart

The third, and final, installment of the Like A Secret In Your Throat Trilogy

Adjusting to being a vampire was strange. It took almost a week of being laid up in bed as your body healed from dying and coming back a whole new creature, but you finally started to feel better. Your mouth hurt the worst because of the fangs that were coming in and you now understood why babies cried so much when they were teething. 

The first time you drank blood was when you knew there was no going back. It helped that Mikey brought it to you in your favorite mug, but the last shreds of human nature in you screamed to stop, while your brand new vampire brain reminded you of how hungry you really were.  The metallic taste repulsed you at first, but as it slid down your throat, it was as if there was nothing you could ever want more to satisfy your thirst.

But by far your favorite part of being a vampire was the closeness you now felt to Mikey. He had barely left your side, holding you close and whispering about how much he loves you, and how brave you are as you suffered through the healing process. Knowing how much he cared made you even more secure in your decision to spend forever with him. You had been getting that close before he disappeared and changed, but when he came back it was as if he was afraid he would be unable to control himself if things got too heated. Now that you were both vampires though, there was nothing stopping you.

You had just woken up, limbs tangled with Mikey's in the plush bed you shared. Mikey pressed a kiss to your forehead as you started to stir, his hand roaming over your now ever-cool skin. “Evening love.”

“Mmm evening,” you smiled as you stretched.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, brushing away a piece of your hair.

You paused and considered everything. “Actually better than I have since I was changed,” you replied. “Are we still going to meet Frank and Ray tonight?”

Mikey’s expression changed. “Let’s talk to Gerard about it first,” he replied.

“Ok,” (YN) nodded, confused by his response.

“Hey lovebirds,” Gerard said when you and Mikey emerged from the room.

Mikey rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. You, on the other hand, were more focused on what Mikey had told you when you woke up.

“Hey Gee, umm, I was wondering if we could maybe get out tonight, maybe meet some of your friends you guys are always talking about?”

Mikey and Gerard exchanged a look. “I don’t think we will,” Gerard said looking down. “Because everyone thinks you’re dead.”

“I mean I am, aren’t I?”

“Well yes, but we told them you didn’t survive the attack.”

“Why?” You asked, totally confused.

“We thought if they thought you were dead, he would stop trying to attack us,” Gerard answered.

“So I’m just supposed to spend forever here in this basement?” You cried. You wanted to be with Mikey forever, you were completely certain in this decision, but you didn’t for a moment think that it meant eternity trapped in one place.

“No,” Mikey answered. “We’re gonna finish what our great-grandfather started.”

~

Over the next few nights, a plan was devised to get revenge on Benedict, the vampire that had turned Gerard, and subsequently attacked you and Mikey. You would wait alone, late at night in an area that Benedict was known to hunt. Meanwhile Gerard and Mikey would be hiding, waiting to strike. They figured that if they fought together, they’d be able to overwhelm Benedict, especially if he was looking to feed. He might be weak enough for them to overpower him.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t need to be a part of this,” Mikey said walking up behind you and wrapping his arms around you as you got dressed.

“I’m not afraid Mikey,” you replied, turning around to face him. “Are you?”

“I’m just afraid of losing you,” Mikey said as he placed his hand on your cheek. “I’ve never been so scared as when I saw you laying there that night,” he trailed off, closing his eyes tightly.

“Hey, it’s okay,” you comforted. “It’s different now. I’m not as breakable as I was before, ya know.”

Mikey nodded. “I just love you so much (YN),” he replied.

“I love you too Mikey,” you replied before leaning in and kissing him deeply.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we gotta go,” you heard Gerard say from the doorway. Mikey sighed as you pulled back.

“Come on, let’s go get our revenge,” you smiled.

~

You sat on the park bench, alone, nerves finally settling in. It was almost winter by now, but you didn’t even feel the cold of the wind against your skin. Suddenly you knew you weren’t alone, and it wasn’t just Mikey and Gerard lurking in the shadows. You tried to keep calm to appear unaware of the other vampire’s presence.

Before you could even blink, Benedict had grabbed you by the neck and slammed your back against the tree behind the bench. “You think you can fool me that easily?” He laughed darkly. “Oh (YN), your blood was so sweet. Shame you never got to drink it like you planned, Mikey,” Benedict sneered.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Mikey emerge from the shadows. “You bastard,” he snarled. “We’ll make you pay for what you’ve done!”

“What I’ve done? You mean giving everyone you love immortality? Powers you could only dream of? You should be on your knees thanking me, Way.”

“I’m gonna finish the work my ancestors started,” Mikey replied.

“It’ll take more than just you to bring me down,” Benedict smirked.

“Good thing I have that whole immortal family to help me,” Mikey replied. With that Gerard stepped out of the shadows to stand at his brother’s side.

“Oh clever,��� Benedict sneered. “So be it. Neither of you are nearly as strong as your hunter ancestor so two against one is almost fair… for you.” With that he tossed you aside like a ragdoll. You skidded across the wet grass into the dark, your head spinning.

In the distance you could see Mikey and Gerard lunging toward Benedict, the fight was on. You didn’t know what was happening, or who was winning as they were moving too fast. Mikey and Gerard assured you that they didn’t want you in the fight, as they were unsure if you had fully regained your strength since getting turned. You had been okay with that decision until you saw Gerard getting thrown, hitting a tree in the distance and crumpling to the ground. You knew you had to help Mikey, or he might not win.

You ran over to Gerard, and found him groaning softly. “Gee, are you okay? Can you get up?” You asked frantically.

Gerard just groaned in response and you knew what you had to do. You reached into his jacket and found the stake he had at the ready. When you looked over at Benedict, he was holding Mikey in the air by the neck, and Mikey was struggling to break free.

You took off running, faster than you’d ever expected you could, another perk of becoming a vampire and launched yourself at Benedict. He whirled around, caught off guard, and dropped Mikey. You sank the spike into his chest with such force that he staggered backward and fell back into MIkey. They both hit the ground with a sickening thud. That’s when you realized how far into the other vampire the stake had been driven. And he had landed squarely on top of Mikey.

“Mikey? Mikey?!” You shouted, frozen by fear of what you’d just done. “Help me get him off Mikey!” You shrieked when you heard Gerard’s footsteps running over. You pushed fruitlessly at Benedict’s corpse until Gerard helped you easily roll him off Mikey and you rushed to your love’s side. 

“Mikey? Please be ok baby, please!” You pleaded as you tore open his shirt. A small cut marked his chest, but it didn’t pierce his heart. 

“He’s gonna be fine,” Gerard said with a sigh of relief.

Mikey opened his eyes and groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. “What happened?”

“(YN) staked Benedict,” Gerard smiled. “We gotta make ‘em an official Way now, to keep up the family tradition and all.”

You laughed and shook your head before throwing your arms around Mikey. “I’m just glad you’re ok. I was so worried I’d accidentally staked you too.”

“You aren’t getting rid of me that easily,” Mikey smirked before grabbing your face between his hands and kissing you deeply.

~

“Thank you all for gathering here today,” Gerard started and the murmuring in the room quieted. Your heart hammered in your chest from where you stood in the back of the crowd. “We are here to witness the joining of two who have proven they cannot be separated by life or death. (YN)?”

You stepped forward and the crowd of vampires parted and you stepped forward to where Mikey was waiting for you next to his brother. “Hi,” you whispered to him.

“Hi,” he whispered back as he took your hands, unable to hide the smile on his face, no longer afraid to show his fangs like he was after he was first turned.

“This was supposed to happen two months ago, but as you all know by now, (YN)’s turning ended up being more of an emergency situation, but (YN) and Mikey still want to have this moment to commit to each other forever. (YN)?”

“Mikey, when you offered to turn me into a vampire, I was scared at the idea for a moment, but then I realized, you’ll be there with me at every turn. I knew I would be safe forever because you’ve already saved me so many times. I love you so completely Mikey. I commit myself to you.”

“(YN), I was so afraid when I was turned that you would want nothing to do with me. But you embraced me and loved me anyway, even though I was a monster. When I thought I lost you,” Mikey paused, his voice breaking, “I didn’t want to live without you. I was so scared I wouldn’t be able to turn you in time, but you’re here now and that’s all that matters. And we’re gonna be together forever. I commit myself to you (YN).”

You heard a sniffle and looked over to see Gerard drying his eyes and you couldn’t help but smile through your own happy tears.

“Then it’s set. (YN), Mikey, as if you weren’t already, it’s now official. You are joined together for eternity.”

The crowd cheered and Mikey pulled you in for a deep, passionate kiss. It was a long road to this moment, but you were so happy you were here. And couldn’t wait for everything that lay ahead of you and Mikey.

[cosmicclownboy]

"Not that I don't mind our little bonding one to ones but may I ask why we are doing this again?" "So you know that my toxic masculinity bro days are over. Me and Rosa did a quiz today and turns out blue is my spirit colour so let's get to it, Manes". 

Excitedly clapping and inspecting the bottle with his fingers Kyle looks at peace so who is Alex to object to it. He can't say teen Alex expected this friendship to flourish again let alone be sitting in Kyle's apartment with a bottle of red painting Kyle's nails with a shade called Sultry Sapphire. But Alex knows more than anyone that adaptability is a huge part of life. Change is inevitable. And this is a change that he's glad for. It doesn't feel weird or out of place. It feels almost like he's slowly refinding everything he once lost. Jenga tournaments as kids turned into drinking games and poker and fishing turned into going to the same gym. Eventually, Isobel fishes out which gym and excitedly exclaims gym buddies. It's actually really fun even if he has to witness his training on her Instagram feed. Being in an alien exist clubhouse is difficult him and Kyle have pretty heavy-duty careers and having the most practical sense vs the people in said group who would prod a bear simply to see how it would react well their friendship blossomed. Finishing the last touches he goes for the wine in a latte mug.

"Right this will dry in a couple of minutes. Then it's my turn, Manes. I hope you're ready for iridescent fantasy 69". He almost groans at the choice in colour with swirls of blues, pinks and purples Alex is immediately taken to the pieces in Michael's bunker all shiny and beautiful. Judging by the smirk he gets the Ortecho Valenti sibling team-up happened behind the scenes. "Seriously where did Rosa get these from? there are two women on the front having sex" "Someone she met in rehab - don't ask"

"So....hows things in the dating universe?" "Forest and Liz signed me to Grindr without my permission.....and there's only so many times I can open up a message to see literal junk mail. I also went out on a date with a man who's fetish was sucking toes he seemed unnaturally interested in the prospect of banging a man with only the one foot. Four times. Four times I've been set up with someone with the oddest fetish". This seems to gage a reaction out of Kyle who rolls a little around the floor with a chuckle holding the brush from the nail polish close to his chest trying his best not to sour the rug. "Alex you've spent the last ten years fucking an alien. You have a rain fetish dude and don't even try it Liz told me about your rain scented angst candle sessions" Oh, he is going to have words with Liz. "Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I got pegged behind a target" Alex groans heavily.

Liz feigns ignorance when Alex corners her in the Crashdown and she, of course, tries to bat her eyelashes at him thinking it'd affect him. He's a man of stone. He will not be immediately forgiving by a kind smile.Nope.Not happening. It at least has to include a free hug and the first round of drinks which occurs a week later dressed in his tightest jeans and Kyle moping because Steph left had him. Liz and Kyle made it to Planet 7 a place Kyle thrives in. "Look it's glitter night Kyle you love glitter night the shots are half off".Liz is doing her best to brighten the mood despite her own romantic failings anytime the name Max is spoken she looks haunted. And hey who is he gonna judge he knows how easy it is to get an alien under your skin he's hitting 12 years in a month and he's wondering what it would be in anniversary terms. Google tells him it's silk he almost laughs at the idea of giving Michael any clothing in that fabric the man was rugged jeans and t-shirts. When his phone is stolen by Liz who pushes a shot in his direction he remembers why he's here. Have fun with his friends. Solidarity in suffering. The drinks flow easily to the booth he's had a pina colada some other fruity drinks and a bunch of shots. At first, he didn't feel anything, not even a buzz but after twenty minutes he feels sluggish and slow. Everything moving at a different rate then it did before. You should call Michael" Liz is shouting it off from the dancefloor of which she's tripped twice on and yet somehow she's beaming. Everything just kind of blurs together after that doesn't even realise he's on his bed until his hands are grasping the pillow. And faintly he feels a kiss on his head.

Drinking is a fun idea until the Hangover hits. He's starting to remember why he doesn't usually drink. His head is just throbbing he's trying his best to turn on soldier mode darting his eyes around trying to survey the room. Okay, the only clothes by the bed are his that's good. That's great one thing he doesn't have to worry about. There are a couple of pills on a plate by a glass of water with the box to show him what it is. And he's pretty sure there's a bin by the bed and end table... Someone took care of him. Who? He takes a very long shower water hits his skin until he feels anew or at least a little more bearable. It's only when he's drying off and hearing a faint hum of music that he remembers. Oh god.

"Guerin, it's me, Alex ... shoul-should of probably said Alex first how can you know it's me it's unspecific. Can you come home now my beds all big and fluffy and I want your fluffy hair in it.I miss your hair it's soft. Can you come save me Kyle keeps waving me over to dance with a drag queen and a stripper and I don't want to- "MIKEY WE'RE AT PLANET 7 COME DANCE WITH US" He really can't catch a break. "You know every minute you stay in there is a minute longer the pancakes get cold. And you should know I make a mean stack of chocolate chip pancakes"

He doesn't know what he's expecting when he first leaves his bedroom. He's nervous. After the song, he promised himself he would not make the first move. If Michael wants him he's going to have to say it in words to his face and communicate it to him. He's tired of metaphors and unspoken words. Trust drunk Alex to immediately ignore what he wants and skip right to the stroking Michael's hair part. Which yes he wants to do all the time. He finds Michael in the kitchen using a metal utensil as a mirror checking his teeth, his hair before straightening his shirt and patting his jeans down. He's nervous too. His heart stutters a little at the thought. Michael places the table settings and looks up with a small smile. "Hi" "Hi" He gestures to the table. "It's not much I had to run to the store you have the cupboard of an 18-year-old student" Even hungover and tired he can't fight the smile on his face. "Between my work hours and alien scooby sleuthing don't always have the time or energy" "I'm sor "If you apologise I will steal all your pancakes, Guerin" Despite his head throbbing and his leg killing him it's probably the best morning he'd had in a long time. A bird is flying past the window. His dog is sleeping soundly in his bed. The smell of flowers from the vase in the middle of the table is melding with the smell of warm chocolate. And if he dares a glance from his plate he sees the man he loves chewing on pancakes slowly with a small smile on his face. It's peaceful like something out of a movie.

"I don't know if you remember the voicemail you gave me you were pretty wasted. I gave all of you guys a ride home. Valenti threw up on my sneakers I uh was glad I wasn't wearing my good boots" Michael looks the most vulnerable he's seen him in years moving his fork around the pancake in front of him. He drops his fork and squeakily moves his chair closer and reaches for both his hands. "I'm so sorry for everything. This past year especially" Michael is trying his best to hold back his tears sniffing trying to get whatever words he wants to get out - out. "You know I've uh been seeing a therapist the last couple of months and she's great you know she calls me out on my victim complex crap and gives me all kinds of homework that sometimes bugs me but it's been helping. She asked me to write a list of things I wanted and at first, I couldn't do it for weeks I just stared at the page and couldn't I didn't think I deserved to write one. Eventually, I did. Can I read it to you?"

He squeezes his hands briefly before bringing his hands to his cheeks softly stroking in encouragement.

"Number 1, Don't be angry anymore it doesn't make you happy it hurts you and it's hurt the people that you love. Number 2, Spend more time with Max and Isobel as a family. Number 3, Remember you are loved and wanted by Isobel, Max, Sanders and Alex make sure to let them know that they are your family. Number 4, tell Alex that you stole his guitar on purpose that day you heard him play at work once and you just wanted to know him. Number 5, tell Alex that stealing his guitar and falling in love with him was the best thing that ever happened to me. You can read the rest if you want" The list is the closest thing to a love letter he's ever gotten off of Michael and everything he reads is everything he wants for Michael. He wants Michael to be happy to love himself to know he's wanted and love. Even seeing minor things like I want to hold Alex's hand makes him emotional. He wants all those things too. He wants a life with Michael. He wants Michael. And everything he reads and hears as Michael reads out the lines without the paper has his heart racing.

There no longer are metaphors in the air it's words pure and simple.

He supposes he should kiss Michael but he chooses a different kind of embrace one he wanted to do for a while he wraps Michael in a hug it's warm and tight he hopes he knows in this hug how much he loves him. And if he doesn't know he can say he'll say it every day until Michael understands it. "Want to watch a bad movie on the couch and cuddle?" Michael's grip on his shirt lessons and a muffled chuckle and a nod is conveyed against his chest. Armed with coffee and a bag of chips they make their way on the sofa. The question of big spoon is gone straight away when Michael makes grabby motions with his hands. His head is pressed into his chest and Alex feels at home and at peace. They flick through the channels. "Have you seen this one?" "Have I seen a film about a flesh-eating octopus fighting a giant shark? no, can't say I have". The movie is terrible as expected laughably so but the thing that makes it one of his favourites is Michael's anger towards the films plot. "So the giant shark was actually a robot designed by a bored rich kid who wanted to prod fish which caused the flesh-eating octopus to become feral and murder a bunch of people? They didn't explain anything about the flesh-eating octopus the whole plot doesn't make any sense" Rubbing his stomach in low circles and dotting a kiss to his collarbone he smirks at Michael's investment. "And another thing -mmph" He leans back. Michael's eyes are closed his lips are puckered he pouts when he realises he hasn't come back up to kiss him "You were saying?" "I'm shutting up now....hey come back up here and kiss me"

[spaceskam]

sing like we’re losing everything

Happy birthday, @chamblerstara! I know it’s a little late, but better late than never! This is a long time coming, so hope everyone enjoys it! Special thanks to @insidious-intent and everyone else who hyped me up whenever I posted a sneak peek :)

warning: gore, violence, mentions of child abuse

ao3

“Michael!”

“Liz!”

“Michael!”

Michael ran through the empty Walmart, headed for wherever Liz was calling for him from. He could hear her screaming and could only imagine what was happening and could only run faster. He hated taking her. He loved her and she was smart and she could do damage, but she was small and easy to lose. Too many fuckers were taller than her and he could never see where she was.

“Liz?!” he called as he had to slow down. In the stupid electronics section, a hoard of fuckers had accumulated and he could only assume Liz was somewhere on the other side. His stomach dropped when half of them started turning towards him. “Liz, you okay?” 

“Alive!”

“Good enough,” he said. Michael quickly retrieved his 9” fillet knife and his 17” machete from their respective sheaths. Another, shorter knife was tucked into his waistband and two more were strapped to his calves. Could never be too careful. “Bring it on.”

Slowly but surely, Michael began making his way through the hoard by aiming for heads. Beheading was much easier to achieve on rotting flesh. The fillet knife worked wonders when going through eyesockets and trying to fuck up the brain. He moved fast and relentless. He didn’t stop until they were all on the floor and he could barely breathe.

“Liz?” he asked, desperately gasping for breath. He’d gotten his cardio for the day, that’s for sure.

“Mikey,” Liz responded. He leaned against the counter and smiled when he saw her climbing out of one of the glass containers beneath it. If there was one good thing about her being so small, that was it. Well, that and her unmatched ability to run through a whole group of fuckers and not even get scratched. 

He accepted the hug that she threw at him, squeezing her tight. As talented as she was at not getting hurt, it never failed to scare him when it got risky. She was basically the only one left that didn’t annoy him.

“Did you at least find what you were looking for?” he asked, tucking fallen strands of her braid behind her ear. She gave him a smile that was only slightly affected by the adrenaline in her system and held up her bag. Inside was shampoo, hand sanitizer, and curl cream. He couldn’t help but laugh. “I swear to God, if I get killed because of that shit next time, we’re gonna fight.”

“Can’t wait.”

Neither of them had to wait very long when something grazed Michael’s back.

The fight instinct in him caused him to spin around. The fucker was close enough to grab him and Michael could feel his pulse rise. This could only go bad. Still, he swung. If he was going to die, he was going to die fighting.

The blade of his machete cut through the fucker's neck, but stopped halfway through as it clanged against another blade. Michael's eyebrows came together instantly in confusion. When the fuckers head fell off, another person stood across from him.

A breathing person. A handsome person. A live person.

He didn't know there was anyone left outside of his group. Seeing another person alive made his mind go blank. Sure, logically, there had to be at least someone else out there. But someone so close? Someone right here at the same time?

“Who are you?” Liz asked from behind him. Michael and the man still were standing blade to blade like they were in a fight scene. Her small hand moved around him and pressed to the center of his chest, pulling him away from the stranger.

“Did it scratch you?” the stranger said instead, looking straight at Michael. He looked like he was their age with dark, outgrown hair and facial hair. He looked like he hadn’t slept or bathed in days and his clothes were on in layers like he didn’t have anywhere safe to sleep.

“No,” Michael said, “Are you by yourself?”

"Who are you?" Liz asked again, firmer this time like she was really not going to put up with them skirting around the subject.

"Captain Alex Manes, Air Force," he answered, voice strict. It made Michael wonder when the last time this guy had seen another living person. “And you?”

“I’m Michael, this is Liz,” Michael said, ignoring the way Liz’s fist tightened on his arm. The guy was still just staring at them. “Are… are you alone?”

“Yes,” Alex said, looking between them, “You’re not.”

“We have people waiting for us where it’s safe. Do you have a safe place to go?” Michael wondered. Liz clutched him tighter, tight enough to make him look back at her. She gave him a very stern look and that just confused him more.

“She doesn’t want you to bring a stranger home,” Alex filled in. Michael looked back at him and saw that he seemed even more tired than before. It was like the last bit of hope in him had been snatched away. 

“Okay, but he needs somewhere safe, we all do,” Michael argued as he looked to Liz. She sighed.

“Times are bad, Michael, it’s not safe to bring a stranger in,” she said as if he wasn’t right there. Michael knew she was right. He knew that people had gone insane after this whole thing had started, hurting each other as if that was going to help. He knew that, if anyone was left, they probably had a strong “Us vs. Everything” mentality. But the problem was Alex was completely alone. 

“He just helped kill that thing. And we could take precautions. But would you want to be left on your own?” Michael said. Liz looked at him like he was skipping steps. They hadn’t had a single conversation with this guy and he was already trying to bring him home like a stray dog. But Michael was ready to go home and he wasn’t ready to let someone else go die. Too many people had died already.

“It’s fine. I don’t know you either, I don’t need help,” Alex said sternly.

“If you’re alone, you’ll die. You can only save yourself for so long. And there’s no reason you would’ve come to save me if you didn’t think that maybe you’d found someone else so you weren’t alone,” Michael shot back, “We took you in when you had no place to go, Liz. Why can’t we take someone else in?” They all fell silent for a moment as they mulled over the options.

Michael didn’t see how there were any other options. They were safer in numbers.

“You can come back with us and discuss it with everyone else,” Liz decided. Michael grinned and Alex simply stared with wide eyes. “You look like you could use a safe place to get a good night’s sleep.”

A couple more beats of silence passed before Alex whispered, “Thank you.”

They made their way back to the truck, quickly tying their finds down in the bed before sliding into the bench seat and heading back to the farm. Michael drove and Liz sat between them. Alex very obviously fought to keep his eyes open, but it was clear he hadn’t slept in a while. Not properly, at least. Michael felt a familiar wave of pride come over him that he could give someone a safe place to rest their head.

Elms Farm was the place Michael had called home since he was sixteen. He worked there for an elderly couple who treated him like he was their own son. It was the best family he’d ever had. It was to the point that he was in their will and, after Mr. Elms died a few years prior, the whole property had been left to Michael. Mrs. Elms had only passed recently.

Whenever shit hit the fan, Michael was blessed with property that had no people for a few acres in all directions. He took care of everything and tried to pretend it was normal. He checked the fence daily, he took water from the creek, he ate dinner alone. He hadn’t realized how lonely he’d been until he wasn’t alone anymore.

 When they pulled up to the farm, Isobel was already waiting outside. She put her hand over her mouth and visibly relaxed whenever she saw them. She was always so worried, but Michael loved her for it. There was nothing better than coming out of a scary situation to a big hug from someone who loved you.

Maria, Kyle, and Max came out as they parked and Michael got out of the truck first. They all greeted him, but Isobel was the one who wrapped him up in her arms while the other three went to unload their findings from the truck.

“There was a close call,” Michael admitted, his eyes closing as Isobel hugged him tighter. He could hear her breathing in his ear and he was able to relax.

“Who’s this?” Max said, a tone in his voice that threatened to take away Michael’s relaxation. Isobel patted his hair and kissed his temple in subtle retaliation.

“It’s okay,” Isobel said, unwrapping him from her grasp so he could deal with Max. Still, she gave him a kind smile. “I’ll go make dinner.”

“Captain Alex Manes, Air Force,” Alex introduced, voice stilted as it was before. Michael rolled his eyes.

“He’s alone and needs a place to stay,” Michael said, feeling redundant.

Max gave him a look that was a much crueler version of the one Liz had given him. “Can I speak with you inside?”

Michael rolled his eyes again, but allowed Max to pull him inside to have a “quiet” talk.

“We don’t know who he is, he could be dangerous,” Max hissed. 

“So could literally all of you, but I welcomed you into my house. It is my house, by the way, in case you’re forgetting,” Michael said. He had significantly less patience for Max than he did anyone else. “I know I usually make decisions as a group, but if you’re making a decision to throw someone to the wolves, I’m just gonna have to veto it.”

“And what if he’s dangerous?” Max demanded.

“Then I’ll make him leave. As for right now, he’s just a guy,” Michael sighed, “Plus, he’s really good with a machete, probably good with other shit, and probably has damn good survival instincts if he was able to survive this long by himself. I think we should give him a chance, he might be a good addition.”

Michael and Max stared at each other for a moment. Max tried to stare him down, but it didn’t really work and eventually, he caved. 

“Fine, but if he fucks us over, it’s on you,” Max said. Michael furrowed his eyebrows.

“Obviously.”

They walked back outside and saw Alex helping them unload the food and other items they’d gotten. Michael looked over to Max with a ‘see?’ look that just made him scowl. He tried to remember why he let him stay in the first place.

“Alex,” Michael said, easily getting his attention, “Come here, I’ll show you where you can sleep and I’ll give you a clean change of clothes.” Alex stared over at him with wide eyes, but slowly listened and followed him back inside.

“You don’t have to give me a change of clothes,” Alex said.

“Don’t be silly.”

Michael led him to the master bedroom which got a very confused look from Alex. He looked like he was ready to deny it, but Michael spoke before he could.

“I’m going to eventually bring a mattress up to the attic for you. I think it’s really important for everyone to have some semblance of privacy. Until then, you can take my bed and I’ll sleep with Isobel. I’d put you in the living room with her, but, no offense, I’d rather we get to know each other first before you sleep alone with one of us,” Michael explained. Alex nodded.

“Absolutely, none taken,” Alex said, letting out a slow breath. Michael could see the weight of everyone on his shoulders. He understood it well.

“There’s a well on the land for drinking water and there’s a creek a little ways behind the house that we use for bathing and washing clothes. We all pull our weight around here when it comes to cooking, cleaning, getting water from the well, hunting, and getting supplies. I’m assuming that won’t be a problem,” Michael went on.

“Absolutely not. I can’t really cook, but I can hunt and get supplies, obviously,” Alex said, “I’m good at keeping myself alive.”

“And others,” Michael chimed in, giving him a smile. Alex stared at him for a moment. Michael only broke eye contact whenever he walked towards the dresser that once held Mr. and Mrs. Elms’ clothes. He hadn’t moved them there until Max and Isobel had shown up at the door two weeks after everything had gone downhill. “Anyway, here’s some clothes. You can change and sleep, then we can properly introduce you to everyone. I’m sure you’re fucking tired after being out there for so long by yourself. There’s a lock on the door too if it makes you feel better.”

“Thank you, man, seriously. I really don’t know how much longer I would’ve been able to last out there,” Alex said, accepting the clothes with gracious hands.

Michael gave him a warm smile.

“No problem.”

-

Turns out, having a veteran with determination from God himself was beneficial to everyone.

“God, his *arms,” Maria sighed as Alex pumped water from the well into jugs. Everyone agreed that was a good task for him and it had absolutely nothing to do with how hot he looked doing it.

“His arms? What about his ass,” Isobel pointed out.

“Guys, guys, stop sexualizing him,” Michael insisted, “Why don’t we talk about more important topics? Like about how he manages to have fucking abs in the middle of an apocalypse.”

The girls laughed alongside him, but he couldn’t help but feel it a little more than they did. He’d learned from the last week of getting to know Alex that he was unfathomably attracted to him. He was clean and wellrested now which made him a million times hotter and it didn’t help that he was ridiculously fucking smart and kind. Somehow, in all the bullshit of the world, Alex could still smile and be funny and sweet and… so fucking hot.

“You think he’s into guys?” Isobel asked, nudging him gently. Michael rolled his eyes and focused on peeling the potato in his hand. Or, tried. It was hard when Alex took his shirt off to wipe the sweat off his face all while glistening in the fucking sun like a god.

“I think we’re at the end of the world and I shouldn’t be thinking about dumb things like if a boy likes me, much less be trying to sleep with anyone,” Michael said. Maria scoffed dramatically.

“I disagree. This is literally the time to think of nothing else,” she insisted.

“Mm, speaking of,” a voice hummed from behind them. All their eyes snapped to Kyle who was lingering behind them. He gave them all a nod in greeting, clearly exhausted from spending all morning with Max checking the land and the crops. Isobel gave him a smile and tilted her head back against his stomach when he walked up behind her. Michael watched as he leaned down and kissed her. Sometimes they gave him hope that maybe the end of the world wasn’t really the end.

“Oh, come on, there’s people here,” Maria said, but she still gave them a smile and a shake of her head. 

“Michael, you goin’ into town tomorrow? We’re gonna need more bottles with another body around and the guy still needs a mattress,” Kyle pointed out. Michael nodded and dropped the potato into the bowl.

“Yeah, I was gonna get him to come with me,” Michael said. Both of them ignored the girl’s cooing at the suggestion. “He survived out there for a long ass time by himself, I think he’s the best to take with me from now on.”

“And that has absolutely nothing to do with the way his ass fills out your jeans better than yours does?” Maria clarified. Michael shot her a look.

“Don’t scare him off,” Kyle added with a laugh, “He’s cool.”

“I’m not going to scare him off!” Michael defended. He didn’t like the way they all looked at him really skeptically. “What the fuck, I didn’t scare any of you off.”

“You also didn’t want to sleep with us,” Isobel noted. Michael rolled his eyes and stood up.

“Whatever, I’m gonna go ask Alex if he platonically wants to come with me," he said, throwing them a middle finger at the continued cooing. 

Michael made his way out towards the well where Alex was crouched and tightening the tops of the jugs. He looked up whenever he heard him come close. Up close, his skin was dark and shiny and his facial hair had been tended to recently. It was overwhelming to say the least. It felt like a glaring sign that it'd been over a year since he hooked up with anyone. God help him.

"Hey, so I need to go into town tomorrow so I can finally get you a mattress," Michael said, "You wanna come?" 

Alex slowly stood up, "Yeah, sure." 

"Good, good. Cool. Awesome," Michael said. Alex gave a little grin and nodded.

"Cool," he repeated and then lifted one of the jugs onto his shoulder. Michael licked his lips and tried not to think about his bicep.

"Cool."

The next day, Michael woke up with the sunrise and found Alex already in the kitchen. He was shirtless and fucking gorgeous and it was a sight to see, but he tried to bury that down. This wasn’t the time for that. It probably never would be unless a cure was found and he could allow to focus on things like romantic relationships.

“Here you go,” Alex said with a smile, handing him a plate. Michael’s eyebrows raised.

“You made eggs? You built a fire this early to make eggs?” he asked. Alex gave a small smile and shrugged. Michael tried to brush it off and not think about him too much.

However, being alone with him and relying on each other not to die made it kind of hard not to think about him.

“So, what’s the best way to go about this? I’m trying to think about the safest way to get a mattress,” Michael said as they drove into town. Every venture into town was a risky one and, wherever they went, they’d have to move fast. The longer they took, the more they risked running into one of the fuckers which risked their lives. Wherever they went, it needed to be somewhere they could get out fast.

“Maybe we can just go to a neighborhood, try to sneak into an empty house?” Alex suggested. Michael nodded, looking over at him. 

“Good idea.”

Slowly but surely, Michael found a pretty empty neighborhood. He drove a couple of laps around a cul de sac before parking in a house with the front door open. 

“Okay, we’ll just see what we can find and get out before we attract any attention,” Michael said. Alex nodded easily, grabbing his machete from where it laid beside Michael’s and running his fingers over the blade. Michael grabbed his own.

Quietly, they made their way inside. It looked abandoned, but not ransacked which was good. Alex nodded towards the hall and Michael jutted his thumb towards the kitchen before they parted ways.

The kitchen looked pristine as if not a damn person had gone through it since shit hit the fan. Michael opened the cabinets and thanked whoever might be listening for the number of cans he found. He pulled his backpack to the front and began loading it with any food that was still edible. A quick look inside the refrigerator revealed a lot of rotting food, but also a load of water bottles. He was beginning to think Alex was a good luck charm.

“Michael,” Alex called softly. Michael quickly scanned the room before looking towards Alex. He waved him over. Michael zipped up the bag and went down the hall, peeking into every room he passed before reaching the one Alex was in. “I figured this would be the easiest to move.”

“Fuck,” Michael breathed as he took in the bedroom that very clearly belonged to a child. The walls were decorated with planets and the ceiling had glow in the dark stars while the carpet doubled as a road map that must’ve gone with the giant toy box of Hot Wheels. The bed had spaceship themed sheets and blankets. “Poor kid.”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, “Maybe they’re somewhere safe. It looks like they got out fast.” Michael appreciated his positivity as bed he could and nodded.

“Yeah, maybe.”

The quickly stripped the bed of its sheets and stuffed them into Alex’s backpack before lifting the small mattress and beginning to maneuver it towards the front door. They both moved fast, not even trying to push their time limits as they strapped it down in the bed of the truck. After it was secure, they both looked around and saw not a single sign of any dead people roaming about.

“Should we raid the other houses?” Alex asked, “I mean, we can never have too much.”

“True, we might as well while it’s clear,” Michael agreed. They emptied their backpacks in the back seat of the truck before going back inside to see what else they could salvage.

“Where do you think they all go when it’s clear like this?” Alex wondered as they began stuffing their bags with food, toiletries, and blankets.

“I don’t know. They usually come in hoards.”

“Yeah, it’s like they’re migrating. Do you think if we went up north, it’d be empty?”

“Couldn’t tell you. Right now, I don’t want to leave. My farm is safe.”

“So it is your farm?”

Michael laughed, “Yeah, why?”

“Well, I know Max tends to act like big man on campus,” Alex said. Michael rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, he does that. It’s my farm, in my name. I’ve lived there since I was sixteen,” he admitted. Alex raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“Wow,” he said, “How did you find everyone?”

Michael shrugged one shoulder and made his way into the master bedroom with Alex right behind him. In the closet, there was a duffle bag that Michael quickly made claim on before shifting through the clothing. They were all on about two outfits a piece, most of which were originally Michael’s. While diverse clothing options wasn’t exactly a top priority, it wasn’t a bad thing to feel a little bit more normal.

“Isobel and Max are twins that the Elms’ fostered back in the day. By the time I moved in, they there about to move out and go to college, we only had about a year overlap before I didn’t see them much except holidays. Whenever things went downhill, they just came home,” Michael explained, taking one of the dresses that was in Isobel’s size, “I stumbled upon Kyle, Liz, and Maria when I was hunting. They had a bigger group, but they got attacked and most of ‘em didn’t make it, so they’d been hiding out in a fucking tent in the woods for a few days, so I took ‘em in.”

“Jeez, you’re a much better person than most people,” Alex breathed. Michael furrowed his eyebrows and gave him a confused smile.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, a lot of people would shut everyone else out. Fuck, your own group didn’t even wanna let me in because I was a stranger. You’re so open,” Alex praised. Michael felt his cheeks grow hot.

“Yeah, I mean, when times are like this, there’s no reason to make it worse by exiling people who haven’t done anything wrong,” he explained, “When I was a kid and I had a pretty sketchy past, the Elms’ took me in and gave me a roof over my head and affection. That shit makes a difference. I’m not gonna be the one to deprive someone of that.”

Alex huffed a laugh and shook his head. Michael watched him for a moment, watched the way he smiled and watched the way he pushed his hair out of his face. God, why couldn’t he have met him before the apocalypse?

“We should start heading back. We can always come back here and see what else we can find,” Alex said suddenly. It very quickly became apparent that Michael had been caught staring. Well, shit.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

"I'm sure you're ready to have your bed back," Alex said as they slowly made their way out of the neighborhood, "You know, even though I told you I could sleep on the floor."

"No, I don't want anyone sleeping on the floor," Michael chuckled, running a hand through his hair, "I want it to feel like home."

Alex raised his chin and cocked his head to the side. "You like playing daddy, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" Michael fumbled out, trying not to think about how dry his mouth felt.

"I mean, you take so much pride in making it feel like home. You take people in, like you said, and you give them what they need. You’re like the resident father figure,” Alex commented. Michael huffed.

“I don’t know if I’d go that far.”

“I would.”

This time, Michael caught Alex staring.

For the next few weeks, Michael found basically any excuse to go back into town with Alex. They’d go to new neighborhoods and slowly make their way through the houses. They got along, it was fun. Michael liked spending time with him, even to the point that killing the stray corpse they came across no longer felt like it took a piece of him.

He learned about Alex, too. He learned that he’d served almost ten years in the Air Force and had just decided to try something new whenever everything happened. Sometime a few weeks in, Alex’s father had been reckless and gotten turned and that he hadn’t heard from his brothers since the very beginning of it all. After that, Alex had survived so long on his own by sleeping in tiny, tight spaces that required too much effort for the average fucker to approach.

He even apparently saw Michael and Liz go into that store and took a chance by following them.

“I was sorta expecting you guys to just leave me, but I had to try. I couldn’t keep on like that, I was getting, like, an hour of sleep at a time,” Alex admitted as they lounged on one of the couches in this fancy house they’d come across. It was probably a little morbid, but it didn’t seem to matter. It was the only time they could chill and talk without someone breathing down their neck or making suggestive eyebrow movements. Yeah, Alex was hot, but he was a lot more than that.

“Well, I’m glad you approached us, you saved my ass,” Michael said. Alex rolled his eyes.

“Shut up, you had ‘em.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Things were easy with Alex. Sometimes he was even able to forget just how bad everything was‒Alex was just that good. Life felt a bit more than just a fight until the inevitable whenever they were talking. It was the highlight of his week, his life even.

“Oh shit, look,” Alex said from the kitchen of some fancy house. Michael quickly pulled his fillet knife out and prepared to attack whatever was in there, but instead found Alex standing with a smirk and an unopened bottle of champagne. Michael slowly put the knife down. “When’s the last time you had alcohol?”

“Can’t even remember.”

“Me neither.”

It took a little effort, but they eventually popped it open. The two of them divulged into hushed laughter at the loud pop, shushing each other and the bottle. Once they fell silent, Michael smiled at him and then did a quick scan of the room before going to lock all the doors.

“We’re gonna have fun and not have to worry about bullshit for just a few minutes,” Michael said, promising more himself than Alex as he sealed them alone together by locking all the doors. 

“Sounds fucking great to me,” Alex agreed and he took a swig directly from the bottle. For a moment, Michael let himself get lost in it. Just him, a hot guy, and a bottle of fucking champagne. What could go wrong?

“I wish we had fucking music,” Michael groaned, walking back towards him. Alex grinned a large, intoxicating grin.

“Who needs music? C’mere,” he urged. Michael obeyed without a second thought. Alex grabbed his chin and tilted his head back, pouring champagne into his mouth and over the front of his shirt. It just resulted in more laughter and leaning closer and the outright sinful act of Alex wiping up champagne from his chin and licking it off. 

“You are...” Michael started, but simply finish his sentence with a laugh instead of words. It was hard to say anything outright, but it was easy to watch Alex take another sip and hand the bottle over. It was easy to accept it and it was easy to taste Alex on the mouth of the bottle. 

They were half a bottle in whenever Alex leaned forward and fluttered those dark eyelashes. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Literally anything,” Michael said honestly.

“I feel free for the first time in my life,” Alex whispered, suddenly so damn close, “And it’s all because of you.”

“Me?” Michael asked softly, tipsy eyes flickering down to Alex’s lips and staying there. It didn’t help when Alex licked those same lips and leaned a bit closer.

“You gave me a place to stay and you made sure I was welcome no matter what. No matter who I might be, what I might do,” Alex said. Michael finally dragged his eyes up to Alex’s and found it impossible not to lean in just close enough for their noses to touch. He’d wanted this since the first week he’d met Alex. He had sort of lost track of how long Alex had been staying with them, but he knew it’d been a while. He’d wanted this for a while.

“Is this where you tell me you’re a bad guy, tie me up, and steal all my things?” Michael asked curiously. Alex’s smile took over his whole face and he chuckled, shaking his head against Michael's.

“No, this,” he said, “is where I tell you that you are fucking gorgeous.”

“Oh, cool, that’s a lot better than you being a bad guy,” Michael said. Or, perhaps it was the champagne talking because that felt like an insanely stupid thing to say after it left his mouth. Still, Alex breathed a laugh and moved his hand to rest on Michael’s cheek. He leaned into the warm hand and felt his whole body malfunction when his thumb touched his bottom lip.

“You are the best thing about this entire shitty planet,” Alex went on. Michael’s eyes fell closed. “And I… I think we should probably go home before we get too drunk to drive on even empty roads.”

Michael’s eyes snapped right back open just in time to see Alex stepping away. He didn’t know what to say to make it go back to before. All he knew was that he wanted at least one kiss and that he wasn’t going to get anything. So much for a good day.

“Right, right, let’s go," he agreed, gulping softly as Alex turned away from him and recorked the bottle. Michael had to shake his head a few times to get out of the daze Alex had put him in. 

They both drank the rest of the water they had on them to clear their minds of the alcohol before awkwardly heading out of the house. In all the time he’d known Alex, it had never been awkward. He didn’t like it. He almost wished they’d never had an almost kiss in the first place if it meant they weren’t going to be able to be comfortable with each other. However, he would give it some time before he jumped to those conclusions. Well, technically, he’d already jumped to them, but Alex didn’t need to know that.

So, instead of trying to make the tonal shift more apparent, Michael simply got in his truck and began making the drive back to the farm. It would be easier once they got there. They wouldn’t be stuck alone and Michael could whine to the girls about how fucking stupid he was. Alex had just found a place where he was welcome‒why would he want to ruin that by hooking up with Michael? He wouldn’t. He didn’t.

“Pull over,” Alex demanded halfway back to the farm.

“What?” Michael asked, looking over at him. Alex was staring forward, but his eyes were set in that determined way that he only saw him use whenever they came across a fucker or two. It made Michael nervous.

“Just‒pull over!”

“Jesus, okay,” Michael scoffed, slamming on the breaks and throwing the truck into park. All of which he had barely enough time to do before Alex had a fistful of his hair and was kissing him senselessly.

Michael barely hesitated before kissing back, pulling Alex closer by his clothes. The shirt that actually belonged to Michael was wrapped around his hand and his thumb was pressed to the soft skin of his hip. Alex couldn’t seem to get close enough, pressing flush against him even despite the small space of the truck and putting his knee between Michael’s thighs which was just fucking unfair. 

It only stopped whenever they were both gasping for breath in a way that kisses never usually left them. Michael held him close, keeping his eyes closed to let it all sink in. If he were to die in the next few seconds, he would die happy. He was everything.

“I just needed to do that,” Alex said, gulping softly. Michael felt his eyelashes against his cheek which felt just as mind-warping as the kiss itself. “But we can’t do that again.”

Michael let out a dry laugh, not pushing him away as he opened his eyes. Alex was still staring at him. “Why not?”

“Look around. The world’s going to shit. We can’t get distracted by things like romance,” Alex said. Michael shook his head and smiled. Romance.

“I think we could find time for it,” Michael whispered. Alex shook his head.

“I’m not going to get you killed, so it’s best we just not. I just… needed to do that once,” Alex admitted. Michael nodded in understanding, rubbing up and down Alex’s side before allowing him to get back into his seat. “I… I don’t know if sexuality even matters in this version of the world, but I am gay and I am into you. We just… can’t.”

“I get it,” Michael said, staring towards the empty road and tried to shake the feeling of Alex on him. That wasn’t exactly helpful when he could still taste him. “I wish we could, but I get it. It’s just not the time to be putting effort into a relationship when we have to put all our effort into surviving.”

“Precisely,” Alex agreed.

“And maybe one day… If things calm down."

“If things calm down, yeah, then we can revisit.”

“Yeah, totally,” Michael breathed, “But… for what it’s worth, I’m bisexual and I’ve been into you since basically the beginning. Nothing’s hotter than a man wielding a machete.” Alex laughed softly.

“Says the guy who fucking walks around with a five knife minimum.”

“I am very self-aware, Alex.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

A few little laughs and exchanged glances later, Michael was able to put the car in drive, be an adult, and pretend he wasn’t in love with a guy who he couldn’t be with.

-

“Michael!”

Michael dropped the hoe at the sound of Mrs. Elms’ scream, bolting towards the car that had just erratically pulled up. She didn't even turn it off as she threw open the door and stumbled to him. She was a plump, elderly woman with graying hair that she wore in a long plait down her back every single day he had known her. Today, the plait was undone.

"What's wrong?" he asked, feeding off her frantic energy and becoming stressed himself. She hung onto his arms, catching her breath. He couldn’t understand how she’d been out of breath when it took at least twenty minutes to drive here from the entrance of town. He still held onto her. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t‒ I don’t‒ Have you heard the news?” she asked, shaking her head. He shook his head. He had never been so confused in his damn life.

“Mrs. Elms, what’s going on?” Michael said. She took a deep, heavy breath and then looked up at him.

“The dead are on their feet,” she said. Michael froze. He waited for her to say she was joking even though she was never one to make jokes like that. “I don’t know what’s happening. I just… I went into town and it felt normal, but people were chatting and Mary stopped me on the street to ask if I’d heard. She told me that there were sightings of the dead rising and-and, oh, she showed me a video and it was downright horrible.”

“I don’t understand,” Michael said. She shook her head.

“Then big military trucks appeared out of nowhere. I hadn’t even made it to the grocer!” she exclaimed, “They were telling people to go back into their homes because of what was happening. Take shelter and all that. But I think it was too late.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“I saw one with my own two eyes, Michael,” Mrs. Elms’ said, again losing her breath, “I rushed home as soon as I could to make sure you were still okay. We gotta take shelter, son.” 

“I-I don’t get it. What’s going on? It’s like zombies? Like, from movies and stuff?” Michael asked. He couldn’t rationalize what she was saying. It didn’t make sense in his mind. She nodded.

“Oh, it was horrible.”

“Okay, it’s okay. We’re gonna be okay,” Michael promised, nodding his head as he pulled her into a hug. She was panicked, but it was going to be okay. He could take care of them, he knew he could. She took him in when things were bad for him and now that things were bad in the world‒if she was right‒then he could take care of her. “Please, just calm down.”

Michael led her inside and made her a cup of tea and instantly started searching. He found proof of everything she’d said and even a president issued message telling people that the military would be coming to take care of it. Michael didn’t really believe that and decided he would just protect him and Mrs. Elms and that was it. He could do that.

He spent the next few hours barricading the windows and doors, only going outside once more to grab his machete from the shed. He decided he would venture out for food and other things the next morning when it would be safest.

Except, when he woke up, the house was empty.

While none of the barricades seemed to be moved, Mrs. Elms was gone. He called for her and got no reply. He searched and came up with nothing. It stressed him out more and more until he eventually found himself borderline hysterical. He’d given himself one job, simply to protect her, and he’d failed already.

It was eight hours after sunrise when he found that she’d died under her bed. The only logical thing he could come up with was that she’d panicked so much that she hid there and then the panic led to either a heart attack or a stroke or something he didn’t even know about. His hysteria turned into grief sooner than he’d anticipated.

Michael laid there on the ground with her stiff body for hours, trying to think of what to do next. Things were getting worse and now he was alone. What the fuck was he supposed to do? What was the point anymore? He’d barely had the fucking chance to understand what was going on and now he was alone. This was bullshit. Someone too powerful was playing a very, very cruel joke on him.

When night fell again, Mrs. Elms stirred.

“Mrs. Elms?” he whispered, watching her stir. It was slow and disturbing in the darkness. Hope flooded through them that she was okay and he wouldn’t have to go through whatever was to come alone. But Michael wasn’t stupid. This wasn’t a happy ending. 

Mrs. Elms turned towards him, eyes glazed over and baring her teeth. She hissed and made a low, animalistic groan. Michael’s bottom lip quivered. This was what was left of the only family he’d ever known. This is what it had come to. And, somehow, it got even worse. Whatever this was didn’t even need you to be infected. Everyone already was.

It was airborne.

“Oh, God,” Michael whined. He’d never felt so helpless and childish in his life. He didn’t want to deal with this. He wished it was like a spider and, if he just turned his head, the problem would scurry off for someone else to deal with. But it wasn’t and he couldn’t because she was getting closer and reaching for him. For the first time, he was scared of her.

It took longer than he would ever admit. It was more brutal than he would ever like to think about. He was quite sure he blacked it out, in fact, since the next thing he knew he was burying a badly mutilated version of his last family member in the backyard while covered in her blood.

-

“Alex!”

The panic that built-in Michael’s chest was too familiar, too painful. After their kiss, Michael and Alex had stopped going into town so much. It made it easier to deal with their agreement whenever they weren’t forced to be alone. But they used the last of their lighters and Michael was convinced that if he had to stare at Max try to rub two sticks together to light a fire for any longer he would lose it. So the two of them went into town.

Michael went into the little convenience store and filled his bag with lighters and bandaids and then suddenly he was alone. He called for Alex, searched for him, and consistently came up with nothing. He tried to keep calm at first, but how could he? Alex was gone.

“Alex!” he screamed. Michael couldn’t care less about what he might attract by being loud. It didn’t matter as long as he found Alex. 

This wasn’t fair. He couldn’t lose him like this. He would never forgive himself if he brought him out and then never saw him again. Or, worse, saw him again and he wasn’t alive. That sounded like torture. He finally found someone he wanted to be with and he wasn’t going to get the chance.

“Alex!” Michael continued to scream, feeling his eyes building with water as he continued to walk through the vacated street. He was in the middle of town, but instead it was full of ransacked buildings, abandoned cars, and trash. Up the street, there was a military base that had also since been abandoned. That felt like a good place to head when searching for a military man.

But the idea that he’d gone without telling Michael was concerning.

There was a different kind of loneliness that came when someone you care about vanished into thin air. It was something that Michael knew in his bones, even if the first time had only lasted so many hours, and it ached. It was worry that never ended, suffocation that never actually killed him, fear that warped the mind.

A shaky breath squeezed out of Michael’s lungs and he had to stop, grabbing a lamp post and trying to steady himself. However, that didn’t really work as fat tears started to fall over his cheeks. He knew, logically, that this wasn’t good. He was making himself vulnerable for any fucker who might’ve heard him or caught his scent. But he couldn’t pull himself up.

“Alex!” he cried out one last time. This wasn’t fair. This wasn’t fair. This wasn’t fair.

“Jesus Christ, are you trying to get yourself killed?” Alex's voice hissed out of nowhere. Air shoved back into Michael’s chest so fast that it made him breathless all over again. His panic drained and left him lightheaded. Alex was looking at him like he was crazy, but Michael didn’t care. He relaxed against the lamp post. “Are-are you crying?”

“You can’t do that. You can’t just leave. You have people that-that care about you now, you can’t just leave,” Michael vented, shaking his head. Alex stared at him for a moment, jaw tense. He gave a quick scan around the area first before taking a step towards Michael.

“Okay, just-just stop crying. I’m here, I didn’t leave,” Alex promised, grabbing Michael and pulling him into his chest. Michael buried his face into Alex’s neck and hung onto his waist. Alex’s slim fingers weaved through Michael’s curls, shushing him softly. “I didn’t leave, I was just looking around.”

“You didn’t tell me, you can’t do that, you scared the shit out of me,” Michael breathed, relaxing as Alex’s nails scratched at his scalp. “You can’t do that. You just can’t.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex whispered. He held him for a little while longer, until his breathing evened again, before he whispered, “I found something, though. I think you’ll like it.”

Michael didn’t let go. “What’d you find?”

Alex grabbed ahold of his neck and used his thumb to urge his jaw up to look him in the eye. Michael obeyed easily. There was something about Alex that he couldn’t say no to. Looking at him like this and feeling like he did, he wanted to kiss him until he couldn’t breathe. Fuck the current state of the world‒that gave him all the more reason to make the most of the time he had left. He didn’t, though.

“Come see,” Alex said softly, combing through his hair and then using his thumb to wipe away any stray tears, “Please don’t cry over me anymore.”

“Don’t fucking scare me and I won’t,” Michael shot back. Alex smiled and nodded.

“Okay, I promise. Now get your fancy knives and c’mon.”

Michael stayed close to Alex as he led the way. Even though Alex was fine and here, residual anxiety still stayed in his stomach and his fingers were still shaking. He wondered if Alex would hug him again or if he could just go home. Instead, he just went along with wherever Alex was taking him.

They made it to the abandoned makeshift military base that lasted all of a week after everything went down. Alex seemed to know just how to get inside and led Michael by the hand through the dark hallway with a dull flashlight. Eventually, Alex stopped walking and Michael stepped right up behind him.

“What is it?”

“A hospital-grade generator,” Alex said, a light air in his voice. Michael gulped slightly and grabbed a fist full of Alex’s shirt.

“You mean…”

“Yeah,” Alex breathed, “Running water.”

It took about an hour to get the massive fucking generator into the bed of the truck, but it served as a fantastic distraction. Michael was able to calm down enough from his freakout that he felt comfortable enough to drive, albeit very slowly. 

“Mrs. Elms went missing,” Michael admitted halfway through the drive. He didn’t bother providing much more information and Alex didn’t ask. Instead, he put his hand on his thigh and squeezed.

When they got back to the farm, exhaustion had all but taken over Michael’s system. He had lots of practice in pushing past that point and that’s what he did, but he knew he was going to sleep for an absurd amount of time. He couldn’t wait.

“Oh my God,” Liz said as she walked outside, coming up behind Isobel who was already heading towards Michael. He all but collapsed against her. “I’m gonna go get the guys and we’ll help you unload it, oh my God.”

“In the next couple of days, we’ll go do a gas run so we can keep it going. But for right now, it should last a couple of days,” Alex said proudly.

“You’re a fucking genius, Alex,” Liz praised. Michael heard the smack of a cheek kiss before Liz ran back inside to get Max, Kyle, and Maria to help. He stayed firmly in Isobel’s arms, his head feeling heavier by the second.

“Are you okay?” Isobel asked, stroking his hair. He didn’t answer. She squeezed him tighter.

When Alex’s fingers gently touched the small of his back, he jumped.

“Sorry,” Alex said softly, “If you wanna go inside and lay down, we can take care of it. I know… I know you’re probably tired.”

“Yeah, go lay down,” Isobel agreed, pressing a kiss to the side of his head before gently pushing him away. She forced a smile and patted his cheek. He was too drained to reciprocate and simply took the offer he was given.

It was hard to describe how mentally fucked he felt just from thinking Alex had disappeared for thirty minutes. He assumed he probably would’ve felt that way if any of his group had disappeared, but it had happened so fast that it was basically emotional whiplash. His body weighed 50lbs heavier because of it.

Michael laid in bed for what felt like an hour, listening to his friends all talk and discuss how to get it out of the truck and where to put it and how they’ll use it. He heard them discuss that it’s probably best that they save it for purely showers and mass cooking once a week.

“What about coffee?”

“Oh, fuck, we can have real coffee again.”

“Okay, we can spare enough for coffee.”

“Fine, fine, bathing, a full meal, and coffee.”

Michael felt guilty he wasn’t down there helping, but his body felt like dead weight. He was also logical enough that the guilt stemmed from the still heavy feeling in his gut. That knowledge didn’t make him feel any less guilty.

Everyone came back inside eventually, the soft patter of feet and the hum of voices that filled the bottom floor comforting him. He laid in a ball on his bed, still completely clothed down to his shoes still being securely on his feet. However, the thump in his chest was calm and he was able to lay partially comatose in bed.

“Hey,” Alex’s voice said softly as the door creaked open. Michael didn’t have it in him to turn around completely, but he stretched out his leg to show he was awake and listened. The door closed and Alex walked further inside. “I reset the well pump and the water heater. We should have hot, running water in about twenty minutes. Everyone agreed that we should get the first ones since we found it.”

“Okay,” Michael agreed, still not opening his eyes. Then the bed shifted and Alex began pulling the shoes off Michael’s feet. 

“I’m genuinely sorry. I didn’t even think that you’d notice I was gone. We were already on completely opposite sides of the store and I saw that fucking tank outside and it reminded me of the base. I knew they had a generator and I knew where it was, so I went to see if anyone already took it. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first, I really didn’t think you’d notice,” Alex explained, peeling the socks off Michael’s feet, “But… thank you for noticing. I’m sorry I stressed you out and basically gave you a fucking panic attack and drained you, but I’m not sorry that I realized you care about me. Sorry that it took that much for me to notice, but… I’m kinda stupid when it comes to stuff like that.”

“It’s okay,” Michael said, his stomach tensing for a completely different reason, “I just need a nap.”

“Yeah, but,” Alex said softly. Suddenly, he was higher up on the bed and his fingers pressed into Michael’s hip. “Don’t you want a warm shower?”

“You can take one first,” Michael said. Alex laughed a breathy little laugh.

“You’re kinda stupid about noticing somethings too,” he said. That was enough to get him to open his eyes and look over his shoulder at Alex. His face was worn and tired and covered in stubble, but his eyes were kind and his smile was soft. Alex pinched his hip gently. “Come shower with me.”

“What?” Michael asked, suddenly far more awake than any amount of caffeine could’ve made him. Alex smiled even wider.

“Save water, save electricity,” Alex suggested, shrugging his shoulder as if this wasn’t a massive thing.

“I thought you… I thought we…” Michael said. Alex sighed softly.

“We don’t know when this is going to stop or if it’s ever going to stop. Being here in this house is the calmest I’ve seen it. I feel like I’m wasting time not being with you and… Well, I feel like we’ve already gotten close enough to be a fucking hindrance towards each other, so why not go all the way?” Alex explained. Michael turned around to face him, his heart pounding in his chest all over again. “If you want, obviously. I don’t wanna push.”

“You want me?” he asked, ignoring how stupid he felt saying it.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind it,” he laughed, his hand laying on Michael’s cheek, “Obviously, normal relationship roles are a little arduous right now, but I would like to be with you in, like, a non-stressful way if that’s possible. If it doesn’t work, I don’t want it to cost us our lives, you know?” 

“Yeah,” Michael said, nodding.

“So, um… Shower?”

“Yes. Yes, please, yes,” Michael agreed. Alex smiled, scraping his nails over Michael’s scalp.

The plus side to being in the master bedroom was that they didn’t have to broadcast shit as they slipped into the bathroom. Alex turned on the shower and watched patiently as it took a few seconds for the well pump to make it all the way to the second-floor bathroom. When it started pouring, slowly picking up water pressure, Alex smirked and raised an eyebrow at him.

Michael gulped but welcomed Alex into his space against the counter. Alex breathed slow and leaned in, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. His eyes fell closed and he unwrapped his arms from around himself to, instead, put them around Alex. 

A soft hum buzzed in his throat as Alex’s cold fingertips slipped beneath his shirt. Everything seemed to move slowly as they undressed one another, shirts first before working on jeans. Alex stripped him of all his knives very carefully. They were both standing in nothing but briefs once the bathroom filled with steam.

“Is this okay? This isn’t too fast?” Alex asked. Michael managed a little smile and shook his head, his nose bumping against Alex’s.

“What’s too fast when the world could end tomorrow?”

“You’ve got me there, love,” Alex whispered, sending a shiver up Michael’s spine without any warning. Alex pushed his thumb beneath the waistband of Michael’s briefs. “Let’s not waste any water.”

Kissing Alex while naked under a steady stream of hot water was unparalleled. In fact, he almost felt normal. As long as Alex was kissing him, there was no apocalypse. Everyone was alive, the crops were thriving, he was happy. 

“I still need a nap,” Michael whispered in the middle of it all. Alex snickered and shook his head, grabbing a bottle of shampoo.

“We’ll nap soon, I promise,” he whispered, leaning down to press a kiss over his heart before using his fingers to untangle Michael’s hair. When he began washing it, Michael felt blessed.

“You’ll nap with me?”

“I would love to.”

Michael loved him, plain and simple, and, even though he wasn’t sure why he deserved this, he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

-

"Survival of the fittest, Alex," Alex grumbled to himself as he looked over the disaster plan his father had somehow required, "As military men, we're trained to survive."

Three weeks had passed since things went to shit and Alex couldn't remember why he hated his childhood so much. This was worse than anything back then. Now, his father seemed borderline insane, but what could he say? Alex couldn't tell him no whenever he was the one keeping him alive.

“Son.”

Instinct and fear snapped Alex’s body at attention, chin up and shoulders back as he faced his father who came through the door of the bunker. However, his father was the one that didn’t seem to be all there. His eyes were half-lidded and his face was pale, face dotted with sweat. His hand was clasped around his forearm and his body weakened, falling against the door frame.

“Dad?” 

Jesse took a deep, heavy breath. Which is when Alex noticed the blood.

“Is that…” Alex trailed off. Jesse huffed again.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, it was just a scratch,” Jesse said, nodding slowly. His hand slipped down just enough for Alex to see that it was indeed much more than a scratch. It was a scratch from one of them.

Alex smiled.

“Wipe that look off your face before I do it for you,” Jesse snapped, ever the hateful man despite the scratch. Alex nodded and did as he was told, but he could feel the excitement pulsing through his veins. He knew it was wrong, he really did, but he couldn’t help it. This was it. There was no getting out of this. A few more hours and the years and years of torture would be over.

So Alex sat like the good man he was. He gave his father water and cover him up when he was cold. Alex waited. He waited until Jesse Manes passed out and then waited a little longer to hear him take his last breath. Then he smiled again.

With machete in hand, Alex paced in front of the couch. He knew any moment now would be his moment. The moment. A borderline hysterical giggle bubbled out of him at the thought. It was going to be over. It was going to be over.

It was almost an hour to the minute whenever that low, guttural sound came from Jesse Manes’ body. For a minute, it had Alex convinced that he’d survived. Leave it to him to be the one to survive. But he wasn’t. He was dead. Really, really dead.

“Nice try, Dad,” Alex said.

He didn’t have it in him to care whenever his father’s head was so bashed in that it became one with the couch cushions, nor did he care when he dropped the disaster plan in the trash on his way out. Fuck it.

He could survive on his own.

-

Michael woke up to being squeezed gently and fingers threading through his chest hair. A body was pressed up behind his, touching him head to toe with a nose pressed into his neck so he could feel them breathing. No kisses, no ulterior motives, just… this.

"Alex," Michael murmured, stretching his legs out. 

Alex scratched over his chest gently, taking a deep breath. His knee slowly wedged between Michael's thighs and locking them together with a foot to his shin. Michael smiled. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this comfortable.

"We should probably get up soon," Alex whispered against his neck. 

"No," Michael whined. Alex laughed softly and gave him a little squeeze. He didn't know the words to give that would explain how he never wanted to move. They lived in a word where every day could go horribly wrong. He wanted to soak up every calm, sweet moment he could. "Never."

"We'll have to eat eventually."

"Kiss me?” Michael asked instead. With a small laugh, Alex pushed himself over Michael’s shoulder to just that.

Slowly, slightly clumsily, they got Michael on his back with Alex hovering above him and kissing him senseless. There was something weirdly romantic about not having a single knife strapped to him and being kissed like they had all the time in the world. He traced a finger up and down Alex’s spine and wondered if it felt just as special to him.

“Who’s the last guy you were with?” Michael asked against his lips. Alex didn’t pull too far away, their noses still touching.

“Oh, we’re going there? Okay, uh… His name was Tank Cahill,” Alex informed him. Michael sputtered a laugh.

“Tank? You slept with someone named Tank? Please tell me your kidding,” Michael laughed. Alex joined him, shaking his head.

“God, I wish I was. Guy had a big ego and nothing to show for it,” Alex said, “What about you? Who was the last person you hooked up with?”

“Um… Fuck, I don’t remember,” Michael laughed, “Too long.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere, so…” Alex promised, tracing his knuckle over Michael’s jaw. It urged him to close his eyes which simply got him kissed again. Despite everything, this was good. This was normal in the best way.

“Good.”

Stupidly and embarrassingly, the relationship he managed to create with Alex in the middle of a goddamn apocalypse might’ve been the healthiest one he’d ever had. They talked, ate dinner together, worked together without problems. There was honesty, there was trust, there was family. 

“Told you,” Maria sang softly, hip checking him as she passed him with a basket of corn that she, Liz, and Isobel had gathered from the field. 

“Told me what?” Michael asked, but he was already smiling. Isobel’s arms snaked around him from behind.

“That you and Alex are madly in love,” Isobel said. Michael’s eyes widened and tried to look at her, which was hard when her head was leaning on the back of his. 

“Uh, I recall saying that you guys should bang, but close enough. Point is, I was right,” Maria mused.

“You guys are actually the worst,” Michael laughed. Two hands pressed to each one of his cheeks. One belonged to Isobel and the other was Liz’s.

“Oh, he’s blushing!” Liz cooed. He had to shake them off to keep them from squeezing his cheeks too hard. But he couldn’t help the smile on his face. “You really like him, huh?”

“Will you guys stop?” he asked. The prodding and laughter that followed felt like a resounding ‘no’. “C’mon, it’s not that serious.”

“Uh, I disagree. Alex doesn’t even sleep in the attic at all anymore, haven’t even seen him go up there in like two weeks,” Maria pointed out.

“So? We’re adults.”

“Adults who go to bed early and sleep in to have the maximum amount of gooey time,” Isobel said with a baby voice. Michael laughed a little harder.

“We’re just… good. We’re good together. I think we’re just… good. Good, good, good,” Michael listed. The cooing continued.

“I can’t believe you’re so happy during hell,” Isobel mused. Michael sighed, dropping his knife to turn around to face them.

“Look, I haven’t seen a fucker in days, I’m eating good, I have a family, and a hot guy in my bed. Life is arguably better than before,” Michael admitted. He liked the way they smiled at him.

“It has been pretty good,” Liz noted.

“Honestly, I’ve been getting kinda bored,” Isobel sighed, “You, Alex, and Liz are the only ones that go out into town. Max and Kyle and Alex and Maria hunt. I do laundry and cook and… that’s it. I’m a depressing housewife even long after gender roles don’t matter.”

“If you wanna come hunting with us, I’m sure we could show you the ropes,” Maria suggested. Isobel scrunched up her nose.

“No, I don’t wanna kill anything,” she insisted. Michael huffed a laugh.

“Okay, well, what do you wanna do? Because there’s nothing really super fun to do anymore,” Michael pointed out. She sighed dramatically.

“Couldn’t we, like, I don’t know, go into town and get a board game or something? I’m so bored,” Isobel pouted. Michael took a deep breath.

“Yeah, me ‘n Alex will head out in the morning,” he decided. She furrowed her eyebrows.

“I wanna come.”

“Izzy…”

“No, I wanna come. I want to get out of this damn house for a change.”

“It’s dangerous out there,” Liz tried. Isobel groaned.

“You go. You’ve all gone! Everyone else has left this place except for me. I’ve been here since this whole thing started,” she complained.

Michael sighed and exchanged a look with both Liz and Maria. “Fine, I’ll talk to Alex and Kyle.”

“Why Kyle? He isn’t the boss of me,” Isobel said.

“Yeah, but he’s your boy-whatever and I’m sure he’d like to come,” Michael pointed out. She scrunched up her nose but nodded.

“Fine. I’m excited!”

After an annoying logic-talk with Alex, Kyle, and Isobel after dinner, they decided they would leave in the morning, head to the Walmart in town, and grab a few games and see what else they could find for entertainment. Considering Michael, Alex, and Liz had killed most of the fuckers there, it felt like a safe place to go. Besides, Isobel was right. It was getting boring. Not really for Michael since he Alex as entertainment, but for everyone else. The thought made him feel so ridiculous that he had to fight a smile.

“What are you smiling at?” Alex asked softly as they headed up the stairs. 

“Nothing,” Michael said, “I just feel lucky.”

Which is how Michael ended up pressed against the door and warm hands grabbing at his hips.

“I don’t know what I did, but I promise to do it again,” Michael said, a helpless giggle fumbling out of him as Alex pressed in harder.

Alex flipped the lock of the bedroom door and slowly began leading him to the bed. He fell back onto the mattress, smiling up at the ceiling as Alex crawled on top of him. Those painfully skilled fingers danced up his chest and the heels of his hands pressed beneath his collarbones.

“Tell me something you’ve never told anyone,” Alex said randomly. Michael marveled up at him and grabbed his thighs, rubbing gently as he thought.

It took a moment to think of a good something and, staring up at Alex, he felt safe enough to say whatever. Besides, the outside world was fucked. What else mattered other than this?

“I actually met my mom,” he said. Alex furrowed his eyebrows. “Remember how I said my parents gave me up when I was a baby? I usually just tell people I’ve never met them, but I actually found my mom whenever I was 16 and homeless.”

“What happened?” Alex asked softly. Michael shrugged.

“She basically fucking ran the other way.”

Alex fell off his lap to lay beside him, leg still strewn across his hips. “Fuck.”

“It’s fine, I don’t really care. I already knew she didn’t want me. Besides, it’s how I even came to this town in the first place and found that the Elms’ were looking for a live-in farmhand. Was a blessing in disguise,” Michael said. Alex gave a little smile and put his hand on Michael’s cheek, his thumb grazing over his lips.

“You are the most positive person I know.”

“You tell me that too often.”

With a shrug, Alex gave him a soft and slow kiss. It ended with him nudging his nose against his. “My dad hit me.”

That took all the smiles out of Michael and he looked at him with worried eyes, his hand stilling against Alex’s waist. While Michael had suffered a lot at the hands of many assholes in his life, the idea of it being his biological parent sounded so much worse. 

“Oh my God, Alex, are you okay?” 

Alex let out a soft laugh, rolling his eyes. “I’m fine, it was years ago. My dad’s gone so it doesn’t matter.”

“It always matters, that shit sticks with you,” Michael pointed out. Alex’s hand never left his cheek even as he sighed.

“Which is why I told you. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while, but I didn’t know how to. So… there it is,” Alex said. Michael frowned and nudged his nose against Alex’s.

“You can tell me anything.”

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

“Apocalypse Now is a pretty bad movie,” Alex said. Michael rolled his eyes, but it was enough to get a smile out of him.

“But Marlon Brando is good in everything.”

“We aren’t talking about him,” Alex corrected, leaning forward and giving him a kiss, “God, that feels good to get off my chest. The thing about my dad, not Marlon Brando.”

“Yeah, I figured that out,” Michael mused, “Thank you for telling me.”

“Yeah, I kinda love you, so I figure it’s worth it,” Alex said in the most nonchalant tone that Michael almost missed it. He propped himself up on his elbow.

“You love me?”

“Kinda,” Alex teased, smiling even bigger now.

“Kinda,” Michael mocked, his heart swelling in his chest. He felt light-headed, but that didn’t matter because he was with Alex and that was all that fucking mattered. “I kinda love you too.”

“Good.”

Yes, this was definitely better than things were before.

-

"Can't we just never move?"

"Sorry, but no."

Still, Alex rolled on top of Michael and slowly kissed him and kissed him and kissed him until it didn't take any effort to open his eyes. Oh, how lovely life would be if this was it? It made him wish that Mrs. and Mr. Elms’ were still alive so he could show them how he found someone all by himself. He wanted Alex to get showered in all the love they gave him. 

“Wake up!” Isobel shouted from the other side of the door, slamming her fists against it. Michael groaned and threw his head back while Alex just laughed against his chest.

“We’re up!” he called, “We’ll be out in a minute!”

“Hurry! I want to leave!” Isobel added. Groaning, Michael complied.

The two of them dressed relatively quickly, making sure to have easy access to their weapons and flashlights just in case. Michael was in the middle of choosing a good-sized bag whenever Alex got on his knees and began strapping Michael’s sheath to his shin for him. His mind filled with comments to make but decided to say none of them in case it made him stop. There was something weirdly sexy about that one little act. Not as sexy as when Alex was actually sharpening his knives, but close.

Eventually, they were ready to leave, but Alex stopped him before he could walk out of the door. He grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and kissed him like it might be the last.

“What was that for?” Michael asked.

“Just in case. I love you.” 

Michael smiled. “I love you too.”

Alex, Michael, Kyle, and Isobel all squished themselves into the truck. Isobel had suggested taking Max’s SUV because it was larger, but Michael said that he knew his truck best and they would need that in case of a sticky situation. They found that hard to argue that.

Then they were off.

The drive to town was quiet just like it always was. Or, it would’ve been, but Isobel kept trying to find things to talk about as if to prove just how bored she was. Alex’s fingernails dug into Michael’s thigh as a very silent promise that he would kill her if she didn’t shut up.

“Izzy, look, we’re just gonna go in, grab a few things, and get out. I don’t want to be out here longer than I have to. I don’t want to be worried about you if anything happens,” Michael told her. 

“I feel like you’re being sexist.”

“We aren’t,” Kyle jumped in, thankfully, “We just all have more experience with fighting these things firsthand.”

“You keep calling them things,” Isobel said softly, “They’re people.”

“No, not anymore. They’re something else entirely and that mindset will get you killed,” Alex corrected. She made a noise of protest, but Alex shook his head. “I watched every man I worked with that didn’t flee turn into one of them. They’re deadly and you shouldn’t give them any sympathy. You have to be ruthless.”

Michael laced his fingers with Alex’s.

The rest of the ride into town consisted of Alex telling everything he knew about the fuckers to Isobel. He rambled off symptoms and how it took over, using his father as an example. He even included some things he hadn’t even told Michael. He hadn’t known the government had been working on a cure before shit got bad and hadn’t found one in time. Also, they apparently knew it was coming before anyone else did. Figures. 

“Basically, go for the head. That’s the only way to do it,” Alex finished as the truck pulled to a stop outside of Walmart.

“Cool, I can do that,” Isobel agreed.

“The hope is that you won’t have to,” Michael added. He turned the ignition off, but left the keys in it just in case. 

“Okay, so we just go in, find what we can, and get out. No stalling,” Kyle said. They all nodded. “Let’s go.”

Michael and Alex went in first just to scout out the front. While they had killed the ones in there before, it wasn’t impossible that another group had gotten inside. Upon further inspection, it seemed to be empty, so Isobel and Kyle entered.

“I feel like we’re on a top-secret mission,” she commented, holding onto Kyle’s arm.

“Yeah, to find you a fucking board game,” Michael snorted.

They walked further, looking around constantly as they made their way towards the toy section. Isobel made a happy little squeak and started choosing a few to bring. They all stuffed their bags and, within five minutes, they were ready to go. 

It was then and only then that they realized they were not alone.

“Go check the other isle,” Kyle whispered to Michael, jutting his head towards the sound they’d just heard. Michael nodded and slowly made his way over while the three of them froze. He held his machete out first and ever so carefully peered around the edge. His stomach sunk as he saw it was more than just one fucker. It was a ton.

“Run,” Michael said unceremoniously, “Run!”

There were too many. There was no way they could fight them all, the only solution was to run and hope for the best. They all bolted.

It was too much too fast and they somehow got separated which wasn’t good. Michael couldn’t see any of his family anywhere after a few minutes and that only proved to reignite the panic he thought he’d gotten rid of. He wanted to stop and look, but the number of fuckers just seemed to keep on growing. They were coming from everywhere, in all directions, and it just made no sense. 

“Alex! Isobel! Kyle!” he yelled, trying to find some way of escape. There had to be somewhere. They had to be safe somewhere.

This was too much too fast. Was the Earth simply playing a cruel trick on him? The minute he feels like everything is too good to be true, it all plummets. He finally found someone he loved, people he loved and people who loved him. He’d found his family and now this. They had to be okay.

He knew they would be okay. 

Michael swung his machete like it was a sword, cutting into skulls and necks and flesh. He was happy to diminish the number around him if it meant making less chaos for Isobel, Kyle, and Alex. He kept yelling to call the attention towards himself. He yelled until he was hoarse, he fought until the fuckers were climbing over their limp peers to get to him.

He’d calculated well enough that he was able to have them back him towards the bathroom. He needed to catch his breath before he fought more. With one more swing, Michael bolted into the bathroom and locked the door behind him, hoping it would hold as he was engulfed into the pitch-black room.

He leaned against the wall to catch his breath for less than a second before he heard similar panting coming from deeper inside the bathroom. He froze.

“Hello?” Michael called softly, his throat aching as he felt for his flashlight. He flicked it on and swung it around before it landed on a face.

Alex’s face.

“Oh, thank god,” Michael breathed, feeling content despite the fact that Alex looked scared and stressed and pained all at once. He walked closer, but Alex just shook his head.

“No,” he said, “No, stay away.”

“What are you talking about?” Michael asked. Alex’s bottom lip just quivered and he shook his head. And, for the second time, Michael’s stomach dropped. He slowly moved the flashlight down, down, down, before spotting the impossible-to-miss bite on Alex’s calf. His whole body froze.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, don’t worry,” Alex said, voice shaky and weak, but still Alex’s, “Just… make sure you leave before it happens, okay? I don’t want that to be the last thing you see of me.”

Michael’s throat ached from something else entirely now and tears pooled in his eyes. A cruel joke indeed. However, looking back at Alex’s face, he refused to give up. He barely had a few months with Alex. he wasn’t giving him up this easy.

“Are you showing any symptoms?” Michael asked, slowly reeling his emotions back. 

“What?” Alex breathed.

“Are you showing any symptoms? Feeling clammy, pale, lightheaded?” Michael listed, walking closer despite Alex’s warning.

“Not yet,” Alex answered slowly, “Michael, I don’t‒ There’s no cure. You can’t just‒”

“No!” Michael shot back, shaking his head. He pulled off his jacket and moved even closer, putting the flashlight in his mouth as he tied it as tight as he could right below Alex’s knee. “I am going to do whatever it takes. If you’re not showing symptoms yet, then it’s soon enough that maybe it hasn’t gotten too deep in your bloodstream.”

“Michael…” Alex said warily. Michael knelt and unstrapped the sharp, clean knife from his calf. 

“Once we get back to Kyle, he can fix the rest, but I need to get this off of you,” Michael said. It felt weird calling Alex’s leg this and needing it off, but his options were limited and he’d rather try his all than let Alex die like this.

“Michael,” Alex said again. Michael looked up at him.

“What?” Michael asked. He searched his face in the dim light and was beginning to think maybe Alex didn’t want to live. He waited patiently and hoped he did.

“I’m scared,” Alex admitted, his voice soft, “I don’t wanna die.” Michael gulped and nodded, grabbing Alex’s calloused hand and pressing a kiss to it. 

“Are you ready?” he asked. Alex put both hands on Michael’s shoulders to brace himself, already beginning to take labored breaths in preparation.

“No.”

“Do you trust me?” Michael decided instead, looking up to Alex one last time before he changed everything. Alex stared him in the eye without hesitation.

“Yes.”

With matching deep breaths, Michael began to cut beneath the makeshift tourniquet and tried to ignore the screaming. He had to ignore the screaming. Alex was the best thing that had ever happened to him, including all the normal years of his life. He refused to give up on that.

He refused to lose someone else.

He refused.

[flintsjohn]

if you're still taking prompts, how about one where michael realizes how fondly alex looks at him?

uhh so i didn’t proofread this and also almost forgot to post it so i’m sorry if it’s messy? also very canon-divergent with a hell of a lot of oblivious!michael and all of their friends being awesome :)

I.

“But do you think he likes likes me?”

Max heaves out a sigh and lifts his eyes from the worn copy of War and Peace he’s reading while chewing on an apple. Michael returns the look nervously, biting down on his thumbnail. His eyes fleet to Alex, sitting on a table not too far from them, laughing with Maria and Liz.

“Yes, Michael,” Max finally says after he swallows. “I don’t know why you keep asking me that, bud. You know how he looks at you.”

Michael takes one last moment to look at Alex, all smiles and shining black-lined eyes, and then turns back to Max with a pout. “He never looks at me.” Not once, in three years of high school together and one that Michael has been crushing on him, and not in that way anyway. “I had to steal his guitar for him to even look my way.” That had been a good day for Michael, crush-wise, even though he had been accused of being a thief which in that case, to be fair, he had been.

Max doesn’t seem convinced, by the state of his raised eyebrows, but Michael shrugs and goes back to his sad little salad, trying not to think of Alex Manes or his stupid eyes, rings, outfits, whatever.

II.

Michael has a physics essay to turn in for which the deadline is in three hours and if he doesn’t finish this now he’s going to be fucked, but Isobel doesn’t seem to care. He’s not even sure why she’s here, because visiting for the weekend doesn’t count when she’s at fashion school fifteen minutes away from his dorm on the UNM campus.

He’s only half listening to her latest rant on her relationship problems with Rosa as he writes his conclusion, but when he’s finally sent in the damned thing, cracked his back and focused back on her, she’s apparently moved on, because she’s now asking, “Why don’t you just ask him out?”

“Uh?” he says stupidly, eyes burning from being focused for so long on the computer screen. He rubs at them and yawns, reaching for a cup of coffee that is now lukewarm.

“Alex, dumbdumb. You know, your life-long crush.”

Michael snorts because yeah, right. Like he’s just going to gather up the courage like that after three years spent pining dramatically. Besides, Alex is always being swarmed by admirers nowadays, college having given him the freedom he’s never had in high school under his father’s thumb. He’s going on dates left and right with guys far more deserving of him than Michael is. He’s tried saying as much to Isobel, but she apparently hasn’t heard a word of it.

“You know, and I can’t believe I’m saying this because God knows I’m the only functional human being in our family, but Max is right.” She sighs, flicks him on the forehead, and finishes her sentence as she moves to the door like she’d come into his dorm just to tell him that. “You should take the blinders off and see how he looks at you.”

III.

It’s not like Michael and Alex aren’t friends. They are, ever since senior year of high schol, when they bonded over shitty childhoods and music. They still hang out in college – living in the same building, it would be weird if they didn’t – and their friend group has remained pretty much the same since high school in Roswell, so they can’t really avoid each other. So Michael knows, on a logical level, that Alex likes spending time with him. It’s just that he doesn’t think Alex will ever see him that way, and by now everyone but Alex knows about Michael’s crush and they’re not subtle about it.

“So, you two fucked yet?” Rosa asks as she drops on the free chair next to him in the middle of the busy café as Michael waits for Alex’s shift to finish so they can have their study-session. He rushes to shush her, even though Alex is so busy behind the counter that he couldn’t possibly have heard her. He blushes as Rosa rolls her eyes, and goes back to his text book, drumming the page with his pencil.

“Sooner or later you’re gonna have to talk to him,” she reminds him, not unkindly (she’s never as insolent as Isobel is, though her crass language would suggest otherwise). She takes a sip of her latte and stares at the busy crowd, probably waiting for her girlfriend’s blonde head to pop up.

“We talk.”

“Not about things that matter, Mikey-boy.” She grins at the glare he directs her way at the nickname and continues easily, “Like the fact that you love when he smiles and lovingly bats his eyelashes at you while you go on and on about science facts nobody else cares about.”

“Shut up,” he mutters, dropping his head on his book and slamming it down a couple of times. Sometimes he wonders why he’s friends with people like Rosa, who won’t know when to drop some topics, but then he always remembers that Isobel would have his balls if he didn’t make an effort with her girlfriend, so all he ever does in the end is shrug and try to change the subject or deny. “And he doesn’t do… That.”

“Dude. I’m in a band with him. He talks about you all the time.” He picks his head up just in time to catch yet another of Rosa’s patented eye-rolls, and then she’s squealing and jumping up to throw herself into Isobel’s arms. He makes a gagging sound as they kiss as he does every time he has to see that, without fail, but the thought of Alex talking about him when he’s not there keeps nagging him for the rest of the afternoon, even when the man himself joins him with complimentary coffee.

IV.

“Maria, please,” he begs, tugging at her arm for her to stay.

“Jeez, Michael, it’s just Alex. You’ll be fine.” She shakes her head and drops a kiss to his cheek before waving at him and going back to the bar to join the rest of the girls. Hell of a night for Max to be busy and leave him at the mercy of the meanest group of ladies he’s ever met. And, well, Alex.

It’s just Alex, Maria says. Michael snorts and shakes his head, thumb rubbing at the condensation on his beer bottle. Just Alex is always Michael’s problem. He gets tongue-tied and stuttery around Alex, the last four years of shared life experiences forgotten when Alex as much as looks his way.

Which is what happens next, more or less. Alex gets back with his drink and an added sway to his hips which Michael knows, because he’s had to witness it countless times before, means he’s already been hit on by the first guy of the night, and Michael settles in for a long, long night of sulking in his beer.

Thankfully, around the third guy that strikes up a conversation with Alex and offers him a drink, Liz comes to save him. Michael really, really loves Liz, and he hopes Max will pull his head out of his ass and ask her to marry him sooner rather than later so he can have her as his sister-in-law, because Liz is awesome. He tells her as much, because he’s tipsy and loose-tongued enough now that he’s not alone with Alex anymore. She laughs and wraps an arm around his waist and tugs him to the dance floor.

Five minutes later, however, Michael feels like taking back everything he’s just stated about Liz, because she’s swaying with him so she can yell in his ear. “Why did you let him leave?” She draws back to catch Michael’s reaction, which is just a frown, before she continues, “We left you two alone and with alcohol! It was the perfect opportunity, Mikey!”

Scratch awesome, all the girls he knows are downright evil.

V.

Pool night with the boys becomes a thing in college, and they bring it back to Roswell when they all end up moving back. No matter how busy Alex gets with teaching, or how swamped with deadlines for his current writing project Max is, or how tired Kyle is from shifts, or how forgetful Michael gets with new projects in his lab, they try to keep their one night a week going.

Michael is getting drinks at the bar, making small talk with Mimi, when Kyle joins him, clapping him on the back before he takes two of the glasses from him. He’s coming off a double shift and almost missed boys night, though he refused to force them to reschedule, so Michael guesses from his crazy hair and shining eyes that he’s still running high on caffeine. Unfortunately, a caffeinated Kyle is a chatty Kyle.

“So, tell me, what did I miss? It’s been a while since our last night out.” Michael throws a look his way and shrugs at the expectant look on Kyle’s face, which earns him a pout. “C’mon, man, as your best friend outside of your siblings-“

“Liz is my best friend.”

“As your best friend,” Kyle repeats more forcefully, glaring at him until Michael accepts the statement with another shrug, “You should talk to me about this stuff.”

“There’s nothing to tell, Kyle.”

Kyle’s expression drops at that, and he stops to put the drinks down on a random table so he can turn on Michael, even though they haven’t reached the pool table they’ve commandeered for the night yet. “What do you mean nothing?”

“I mean,” Michael sighs, running a hand through his curls. He throws a glance Alex’s way, but he’s deep in conversation with Max and doesn’t seem to notice Kyle is holding him hostage, “Nothing happened.”

“But you went on a date.” Michael nods, taking a sip of his beer since it looks like Kyle isn’t going to release him any time soon. “And you kissed. He told me you two kissed!” Another nod, and Kyle frowns again. “So?”

“So what? He doesn’t want a relationship, Kyle.”

“Did he tell you that?” Kyle crosses his arms over his chest, studying Michael as he shifts uncomfortably on his feet. Alex hasn’t actually said that, not in as many words, but Michael can read the signs, and he knows that date was a mistake. Kyle doesn’t seem to agree, because he mutters, “Por Dios, que idiota eres.”

“I speak Spanish.”

“I know! I want you to understand what a dumbass you are!” Kyle pushes a finger into his chest, and Michael barely has time to mutter an ow before Kyle’s hands are on his cheeks and he’s forced to look into the other man’s eyes, which is weird because he hasn’t been this close to Kyle’s face since they drunkenly made out at his graduation party.

“Now, you listen to me, Guerin,” Kyle says determinedly, “You go there, free Alex from Max, and ask him out again. I will not lose the bet because of your obliviousness.”

VI.

“Oh,” Michael breathes as the pictures pop up on the big screen set up appositely for the slideshow. He tried to avoid it, of course, worried about what photos Isobel would be able to unearth, but it was non-negotiable in Isobel’s wedding plan, and unfortunately Alex had been on her side. Alex, who now sighs happily and cuddles closer to him with an inquisitive noise. “That’s- That’s what they always meant.”

“With what, babe?” Alex presses a kiss to his cheek and entwines their fingers, both of them smiling sheepishly when their rings clink together. Three hours haven’t been enough to get used to that (Michael isn’t sure a lifetime will be enough to get used to the fact that he’s just married the love of his life).

“The way you look at me,” Michael whispers, just for them to hear. He nods at the screen, which is now showing a picture of them in college, a guitar in each of their laps, heads bowed together as they play. Michael’s eyes are focused on his fingers in the photo, but Alex is looking at him, an incredibly fond look in his eyes. He has the exact same look in most of their pictures together, and Michael gasps as he looks down to find it replicated on his husband, eyes crinkling with his smile.

“Yeah,” Michael breathes, pressing his forehead to Alex’s, “That look.”

Alex hums, pressing closer to Michael like he would want to fuse them together if he could. He smiles as he drops a kiss to the corner of Michael’s lips, causing him to shiver when his next words brush against his skin like a caress. “I never look away.”

[tmntxreader-fics]

COMMISSION MATCH-UP #1

Our very first Match-Up Commission, (squeeeee), is for my AMAZING friend @morte-witch ! 

Thank-you so much for your support and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

ALSO I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU’D LOVE THIS GIF CONSIDERING I ACCIDENTALLY SPOILED EVERYTHING BY SENDING YOU THIS ATROCITY XD

DISCLAIMER: This is a request for my written opinion. I, of course, do not properly know you and cannot be entirely accurate when judging your personality because of this. I have chosen a specific character based entirely off of my evaluation of the information given to me. Each individual’s personal opinions will vary but this is simply a requested fun use of observatory and literature skills combined. 

MATCH-UP: LEONARDO

WHY: 

You have a base connection with both your emotions, character and the environment that surrounds you, seemingly on a level that many don’t quite understand. The fact that you acknowledge these connections and their ramifications implies self-awareness in which you can directly identify your character, your strengths, and weaknesses that you need to improve on. 

Now, who else can we think of that has similar attributes and genuinely appreciates others who can understand and operate on a corresponding wavelength?

Appreciating the simplest things, reveling in the quiet and challenging the storm are kindred tokens of both your own and Leonardo’s personality. Even your aesthetics are similar; water (representation of both his color and his technique), the moon, dark colors and East Asian cultural appreciation. 

At your core, you and Leonardo are cognate; sharing the same foundations, values, strengths, and weaknesses. While most would argue opposites attract, in order for a relationship to truly work, the couple’s fundamental beliefs and values need to be at least very similar. Quirks, traits, likes and dislikes are what makes up the personality, sure, but it’s what’s at the very center of the other person’s being that captivates someone.

This is not to say that your differences in certain aspects are non-existent. It would undoubtedly be a difficult relationship at times, being so close in similarities but so far away from each other because of the simplest differences. However, even when considering flaws, the ironic oxymoron, ‘your imperfections are perfect for each other,’ serves incredibly well. 

STRENGTHS:

1. Your relationship would have a depth to it that is incredibly rare; with the both of you so aware, discussions of simple things that you’re appreciative of wouldn’t seem strange or pointless. There’s genuinity within your conversations of simple observations and positive affirmations of the world around you and life itself. (These conversations are probably where he’d attempt to convince you to learn to meditate.) 

2.a. Both of you help each other grow; contrary to popular belief, Leonardo loves to learn- though definitely not in the way Donatello does. Leo craves wisdom and emotional knowledge, and while he struggles with his own emotions, you are very in tune with your own and he would definitely take the chance to learn from you and grow with you. 

2.b. In addition to this, we know that Leonardo is incredibly observant, especially with those that he holds romantic feelings for. You can be sure that any cues that you may give, (intentional or not), will be picked up on; discomfort, anxiety, irritation- Leonardo will see it. He notices your difficulties when it comes to interacting with others, and while he struggles with similar issues, he would ensure that he helps you to this best of his abilities. Whether it’s whisking you away from a situation once he spots a cue or it’s subtle encouragement- he’s got your back. 

3. Minimal fighting; while there will often be petty tiffs or the occasional full-blown fight, they will be far and few in between. There are rarely misunderstandings between you both and even when things begin to get heated you are a very patient pair of people and generally, that is what proves to be the saving grace of your relationship over and over. 

WEAKNESSES:

Leo’s arrogance, stress, and frustration would become overbearing at times. Considering Leo is the leader both within the team and amongst the family, there’s a hierarchical driven arrogance that comes along with it. There will be times where you will disagree on certain things and he simply tries to take the decision by force; using his role as ‘leader’ as his weapon. 

He struggles immensely with his emotions and defers to bottling them in an attempt to pretend they don’t exist, so when he does lose control it’s horrible. Leo has never learned to properly cope with his issues and emotions and it is clearly seen within your relationship. During these moods or moments, he is intolerant, explosive and passive-aggressive. When he does try to communicate how he feels with you it never comes out correctly and you discover that you become irritated by his wording and arguments. It puts significant strain on you both and it worries you a little that whenever his control slips he embodies everything you dislike.

HEADCANONS: 

Basically just the initial stages of your friendship and romantic integration. Everyone likes their relationships a certain way so touching down on the beginnings is probably the best way to remain accurate.  

- Leo’s never been one to initiate casual conversation with anyone outside of his familial circle. In fact, the more he thinks about it, he realizes that even where April and Casey are concerned, he has little to no interactions with them unless it’s out on the field. He never intended to avoid them, he supposes he just never felt the need to connect with them on that particular level. 

-Even with this new revelation, he feels fairly comfortable with his introversion. So long as he remains polite, he is generally satisfied with everyone’s lives remaining their own.

Until you. 

- Suddenly, he wants to talk; he wants to hear you talk for hours about everything and anything you could possibly conjure. And you do, you talk, just not to him. Never to him. His brothers are more available for conversation, generally the ones to initiate it and make you feel comfortable in their presence. Especially Mikey, the youngest brother basically initiated friendship without your acknowledgment. 

- You’ve always wondered about Leonardo, you’ve simply begun to view him as the mysterious leader who wanders the halls; walking with purpose but no particular direction. If you were anyone else you would have already initiated conversations with him, tried to get to know him. Unfortunately, you simply can’t bring yourself to take that risk beyond the polite greetings, his demeanor both drawing you in and warding you off simultaneously. 

- Leo has made it his mission to try to talk to you more. He doesn’t exactly know why but you’ve become an itch that he desperately needs to scratch before it drives him to lose focus of his tasks. On the other hand, maybe he does know the reason. Denying his problems or anything that could cause future complications has been his specialty; he wouldn’t surprised if he later discovers he’s been in denial the entire time. 

- You’d be lying to yourself if you didn’t say that, as of late, he’s started to freak you out. The turtle would make an appearance out of nowhere, generally at times where his brothers were not in the vicinity, and talk to you. But, that’s not what’s made you apprehensive; it’s the way he’s tried to interact with you.

- Leo would start off with his generic greetings, polite as always, then drag the conversation to something equally as vague. It has always seemed as if he’s frustrated with himself and the energy puts you off a little, making things incredibly awkward. Well, more so.

- The reality is that he knows he’s not making any headway, he doesn’t know how to integrate into having a real conversation with you and the last thing he wants to do is ask you about the weather for the sixth time this week. Finally, you throw him a bone when he asks about the weather (seventh time), and instead of replying with a polite ‘good’, you smile and comment “it’s cleared up enough to see the stars out. The constellations are amazing when you really take the time to look at them.” 

- Your first conversation takes off. You find yourselves moving to settle in the dojo, distantly thanking whoever was listening that training was finished for the day. Without the interruptions from his brothers or the ill-timed intervention by Splinter, you both manage to engage in conversations ranging from the sky, to culture to things that you just found interesting. 

- You can’t say that the conversation was easy, initially. You discover Leo to be an incredibly intense person and you find yourself questioning every single one of your responses- especially when he pauses to watch you for a brief moment after you finish your sentences. You hate second guessing yourself constantly, it puts you on edge and you find yourself rigid in your seat. 

- Luckily, Leo is able to pick up on these cues and scrambles for ways to relax you without outright leaving the room. If he leaves, he knows that it will take him weeks to work up the courage to try this again. He can’t help the heaviness of his presence, when he’s nervous he either rambles like an idiot or shuts down and interrogates instead of conversating. 

- Eventually, you catch on to the way he consciously tries to appear less intimidating. The way he leans back onto the counter instead of standing upright, hands on either side of him holding the edge of the bench to support himself. A very casual position that implies an openness. His voice lowers to a softer tone that, to your complete and utter surprise, does something a little funny to your stomach. 

- The more he relaxes the more you relax and within ten minutes you both find yourselves laughing along to the conversation. It’s then you discover your similarities in interests. 

- After the conversation comes to a close, thanks to Mikey entering the room like a fucking tornado, he nods at you with a small smile and exits quietly. A small tug in your chest makes you raise an eyebrow. Of course, only you would manage to get mildly attached to someone after a single conversation. 

- Despite your inner scoldings, you find yourself trying to work up the courage to talk to him in the hallways. 

(You never do, you just give him an awkward nod and scuttle past before he has the chance to get a word in). 

-The funny part is that, on the other side, Leo has been doing literally everything within his power to have another conversation with you. Everything. Well, everything other than instigating it, of course. He’ll sit down near you, approximately three feet away to avoid discomfort, and wait for you to initiate the conversation. He’ll go to the kitchen exactly 3 minutes after you’ve walked in to try and catch you alone- a plan that always fails because the kitchen is generally hosting at least two people at a time. 

- The day of success is the day neither of you suspects. You’ve settled in on the roof of your apartment building, attempting to clear your head by embracing the cool night’s air. After an hour or so of drawing vague figures in the sketchbook you had brought up with you, you simply lie on your back with a huff; analyzing the stars in a hope to disperse the heaviness in your chest. 

- That’s where Leo finds you. It wasn’t on purpose, of course. He was on patrol and assigned himself to this particular section of the city. It was a quiet night so far, and whether he’d admit it or not, he was absolutely bored. So when he drops in on a roof with a random lying down on their back he’s not sure whether to immediately turn back or check if they’re dead. Instead, he settles for having a silent heart attack while he stares at the figure on the floor praying somebody would simply airdrop him the answer. 

- However, the longer he stares at them the more familiar they seem. Taking a few tentative steps forward, careful to remain in the dark, he realizes it’s you. 

- Cue another heart attack. 

- Moving into the light, he opens his mouth to say something, praying to whoever is listening that he doesn’t scare the absolute fuck out of you and make this awkward. Instead, the only noise that comes out of his mouth is a wheeze that vaguely sounds similar to your name. 

- Instantly, you bolt up into a sitting position, gaze snapping to where he stands frozen. Before a scream rips from your lips you recognize the Leader’s face, despite the ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ expression etched onto it. 

- You swear loudly, raising your hand to your chest and flopping back to the ground with wide eyes distantly staring into the night sky. 

- Immediately he’s sidled up next to you, apologizing profusely for his rude appearance. Frustrated, you motion for him to sit down beside you and be quiet, in which he grimaces but obeys. He tentatively lays onto his back, completely unsure of whether it’s appropriate or not but the adrenaline in his system tells him it’s worth the risk. 

- Both of you are quiet, your hearts settling back from their racing pace to a steady rhythm. When you do decide to talk, you turn your head to the side, observing his profile. Instead of asking why he’s out here, you instead choose to ask him about his views. Does he ever sit down sometimes and just take in the stars above him? Does he ever wonder about all the unexplored possibilities of life? 

- He tells you that he does, that on nights where his responsibilities get too heavy he lies on his shell and stares at the stars; almost hoping he’d get an answer from them. Then he turns to face you, heart beating beneath his shell. 

“I do wonder about the unexplored possibilities, but, lately I’ve been trying to explore them.” 

You turn to look at him, heart leaping into your throat when you catch his gaze. “What do you mean?” 

He clenches his jaw, wondering whether he should get it wired shut and communicate purely by sign language for the rest of his life. At least, then, his mouth wouldn’t talk before his brain could tell him to shut up. 

“As in, I’m exploring one right now,” he breathes, eyebrows furrowing slightly as he takes in your features. 

“Do you make it practice to scare the shit out of all of your unexplored possibilities?” You joke, unsure of how to appropriately respond to what’s beginning to sound like a confession of interest. “Because while it works for this possibility, I’m not sure about the others.” Your heart is literally trying to claw it’s way out of your chest at your lame attempt to flirt, but the way his lips quirk at your comment eases the nervousness. 

“No,” he smiles, “I generally reserve that for the ones that could actually lead somewhere.”

“You think this possibility could lead somewhere, then?” You question softly, eyes moving to take in the stars above you once more. 

“If you’d be interested in exploring it with me, then I’m certain it could,” he replies. You can feel his gaze on the side of your face and you pluck up the courage to turn back and face him. Instead of the intensity, you were expecting, his expression is gentle. There’s no pressure on you to answer the way he hopes you do, it’s an olive branch. 

With that realization, you smile. “Then by all means, let’s see where it could lead.” 

[xxfanfiction-emo-trinityxx]

Leagues - Mikey Way x Reader

Request: I know you'll be away from doing asks for a while and you have a long list of requests, but I would love a story with like a rich girl and someone (Gerard, Mikey, Pete, Brendon, who ever you feel like writing, idc) has a crush on her but thinks she'd never like him back, but she does k thanks xoxo

Reader: female

Word count: 1 887

Mikey could not help but stare at her as she walked past him in the hallway. She was looking as cute as ever as she strode past the other students. It seemed like she was untouchable, no one even dared walking in her way. But it was not the scared kind of making way, it was the impressed kind. She simply had something about herself that Mikey could not place his finger on. Maybe it was the way she dressed in simple clothes, a short skirt and a shirt that was a little too big for her, making her seem tiny and fragile, maybe it was her posture, the way she always held her head proud, but lowered so she glanced out from under her wild strands of tastefully messed up hair, maybe it was the way she walked so gently, as if she was almost floating. It was not something you would assume on the first glance, or the second, or the third for that matter, but Mikey knew her parents had money. Lots of money. Everyone in the whole school knew about it, and many kids still tried to befriend her just because of that, but not Mikey, no. He just loved watching her, and he melted inside when he heard her soft voice. There had been a rumor that she had gotten a car for Christmas, but nobody knew if it was true, since she always took the school bus, like all the other kids. Something that was no rumor though, was that she had had a long fight with her parents until she had convinced them to allow her to attend public school. Otherwise she would have been homeschooled.

“Dude, forget it, she’s out of your league,” Frank, Mikey’s friend snored and leant against his locker.

“Am I not allowed to dream,” Mikey wondered, annoyed that Frank had stolen his last precious seconds to watch her before she turned around the next corner.

“You always dream,” Frank whined and grabbed Mikey by the arm to drag him to class. “You should get out there and find someone who you could actually have a chance with.”

“Tomorrow maybe,” Mikey answered, his heart beginning to hammer in his chest when Frank dragged him towards the classroom door, that was right next to (Y/n)’s locker.

~*~

You quickly turned towards your opened locker when you saw Mikey being pulled down the hallway by one of his friends, a boy called Frank. You had successfully ignored him earlier, but now you felt your cheeks heat up at the mere thought of him. Something about him was different. You had gotten used to all the envious stares and glances when you walked in public. Not your fault your father was a bestselling author. But with Mikey it was different. There was tenderness in his eyes, interest that reached beyond your financial situation. His eyes seemed to follow you whenever you walked past him, but when you turned to meet his eyes, he always looked away. You loved the way he doodled on his notes in class, the way his quiet voice barely reached the front of the classroom when the teacher asked him to answer a question. He was really talented when it came to drawing and you admired that his notebooks were covered in superhero doodles that his brother had made, which Mikey had stuck on all of his school books. It really showed how much Mikey admired his brother.

Now he was being pulled past you, and only for a split second yours and his eyes met. You felt your insides warm up comfortably. Something about him made you feel safe, like he really was only interested in you and no one else.

When you finally took a deep breath and faced the corridor again, he was gone.

~*~

Music class was Mikey’s favorite class of the whole day. Not because it was the last lesson, but because you were in it. Nervously he tried fixing his hair in the bathroom mirror, but as soon as he stepped outside, Frank messed it up again but rubbing his head.

“Hey,” Mikey complained, trying to duck away from Frank’s attack but it was too late, his hair was already messed up again.

Of course he stumbled a few steps further, bumping into a girl, and when he looked up, his heart almost stopped. Of all the people in the school he could have bumped into, he had fallen against you, almost taking you down in the process. Quickly he extended his hands and grabbed you, saving you from a fall.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry, sorry, are you okay,” he babbled incoherently, his cheeks burning.

You had hardly realized what happened, only that two big hands were securely holding your upper arms, saving you from falling to the floor.

“I’m fine, thanks,” you mumbled, looking up into brilliant hazel eyes that scanned you worriedly and almost… afraid.

“I- I didn’t mean to- ahm- he- yeah, sorry again,” Mikey sputtered, letting go of your arms and waving around helplessly, pointing at Frank, trying to explain the situation.

“It’s okay…” you tried to tell the nervous boy, but he had already turned around and quickly disappeared around a corner.

~*~

You could barely concentrate in music class that day. Mikey was sitting at the other end of the room, absentmindedly picking the strings of an electric bass that was not plucked in, and you were dying to hear what he was playing.

So you took all the courage you could summon and walked over to him. At first he did not notice you, too focused was he on playing a little tune you immediately liked. But then, out of nowhere, Frank popped up at his side.

“Hello there,” he winked at you, making you roll your eyes, and Mikey look up.

He was obviously surprised to see you standing right in front of him and his cheeks reddened at the same time as yours once your eyes met.

“That sounded really good,” you complimented, deciding to ignore Frank’s comment.

“Thanks,” Mikey whispered almost inaudibly.

“He wrote it for a girl,” Frank added knowingly.

Mikey shot him an angry glare that you did not see, instead your heart sank a little.

“Oh,” you managed to get out, trying not to sound too disappointed, but that failed terribly. “She’s a lucky girl to get songs written about her.”

“It’s not a good song, so…” Mikey tried to explain, hoping that this would somehow not end up with him accidently confessing his feelings for her.

“I think it’s good,” you disagreed, “and even if it wasn’t, it’s still very special and incredibly valuable.”

“You think so,” Mikey asked, not yet allowing himself to hope that he might actually have done something that could impress you, you of all people.

“Of course! It’s something really personal, and it takes a lot of time and talent to write a song, or even just a melody,” you explained, trying to make him understand how much you adored his work.

“You think I’m talented,” Mikey asked with wide eyes, completely forgetting what Frank had just told him this morning; you were out of his league.

“Hell yes! That melody just right there was so beautiful, and dude, have you seen your art? It’s so gorgeous,” you told him excitedly, fully aware that you sounded like an excited fangirl.

“Thank you,” Mikey grinned.

For a moment you just stared at each other, and it felt like you had finally made a connection to the quiet boy you had been admiring from afar for almost a year now.

“The song is a really romantic gesture,” you finally said, breaking the silence, “I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“Really,” Mikey asked, deciding that he had waited long enough.

“Totally, she is really lucky to have you,” you answered, suddenly feeling sad again. You really hoped she was good to him. He deserved to be happy.

“Well,” Mikey hesitated, but then grabbed the notebook that had fallen shut next to his feet. He lifted it up and turned the pages until he had reached the one with the chords to the song he had been playing. He ripped out the page and folded it in half, handing the paper to you.

Confused you took the page out of his hand, and with a quick glance at Mikey you unfolded it again. Neat handwriting covered the page, lines of a song written down in tiny letters with chords for the bass written above it. You scanned the lyrics, a song about how the boy thought there was nothing he could do to gain the girl’s attention because she was too good for him, from a rich family while he was the son of workers. Only then her eyes caught the title. ‘For (Y/n)’.

Her breath caught in her throat as she read the title again and again, not realizing how nervous Mikey grew with every passing second.

“This is- this is so not true,” you finally breathed, looking up from the paper in your hand, “It so doesn’t matter who our parents are, or how much they earn or how big the houses are we live in, Mikey. And I am not, I repeat, not ‘too good for you’ or ‘out of your league’ because I don’t believe in that bullshit and also it would be really rubbish because I like you at least as much as you say in this song that you like me, and I really, really want to prove you wrong on the ‘not worthy of your love’ part.”

Mikey stared at you, still nervously holding his breath but with each second he felt like a weight was falling off his shoulders until he was feather light.

“Does that mean-“

“I like you, a lot,” you answered his question before he had finished it.

“Oh,” he mouthed.

“Don’t be so surprised, what is there not to like,” you laughed, feeling relieved to have finally admitted to your feelings for him.

“Uhm, a lot,” Mikey answered, still nervous and unable to believe he was not dreaming, “the glasses, the hair, the mouth…”

You shook your head.

“Your glasses are really cute, your hair,” you ran your fingers through the brown locks Frank had messed up earlier, “are super silky and your mouth,” you could not help the smile on your lips as you leant down to press them against Mikey’s who was still sitting with the bass in his lap, “are really, really soft.”

You leant back up and watched as a big grin appeared on Mikey’s face.

“Wow,” he whispered.

“Yeah, wow, pretty soft lips indeed,” you chuckled.

“No, I mean-“ Mikey put the bass aside and stood up, placing his hand on your cheek and gently pulling your face closer to his again, “this.”

He kissed you again, gently, without pressure and your eyes fluttered closed at the sensation.

“Hey guys, that was really, really kitschy, just so you know,” Frank commented from next to you, having watched the whole time.

“Shut up,” Mikey giggled, not finding it in him to care that Frank had seen everything. At least he had proven him wrong, you were not out of his league, because there was no such thing as leagues.

[tmntreasures]

Hi missed you around here.How would the guys react to there s/o being kidnapped by the foot?

Overall we think that the turtles would react mostly the same in this type of scenario. They would start off worried and concerned, then it would lead to anger. After they collected themselves, they would make a plan to rescue you. We feel there’s only a few actions that would make them different from the others. For example; Raph of course would be more physical with his emotions, Leo would probably be silent for the majority of the time, Donnie wouldn’t sleep until a came up with a plan to ensure your safety, and Michelangelo probably wouldn’t eat until you were in his arms again. Just some small things, but really not enough to differentiate them from each other. So instead! Here’s how the turtles would react to their s/o being PART of the Foot Clan:

Prompt:

You were part of the Foot Clan for a while now, but you were a low ranked member so you got the trash jobs. Cleaning up the hideout, monitor duty, washing uniforms, etc… Every once in a while you’d get assigned to something exciting like robbing the local Seven Eleven, or gang initiation, but it was very rare. You had heard the local myths about the turtles, but never dreamt of actually meeting them one day. You hoped you wouldn’t come across them either because after you had seen what damage they had done to your associates… Yikes! But your nightmares came to life one day when you were walking about New York at night, traveling as an average citizen instead of as the Foot.

A rivalry gang had approached you and was demanding you give up your valuables. While you were technically a ninja, you weren’t that proficient in Martial arts yet, so you were a bit thankful when the four turtles had come to your aid. You acquainted yourself with them and their home, hoping to pass on the information to the clan eventually, but you soon changed your mind about that idea… Even though the turtles were known for doing good deeds, one of them did the unthinkable!… They somehow managed to steal your heart.

Your relationship started out slow of course. You had to be cautious since you were still part of the Foot clan. So you kept the secret locked away behind your lips for as long as you could. You had never revealed the location of the turtles to the foot, but you had dropped subtle hints of things like when the turtles would be attacking, or where their patrol areas were. For some reason you felt like it was your duty to give out the information. However, there was one particular night were the turtles were especially upset when one of their ideas to foil the Foots plan had failed, and it was all because of you. You couldn’t take it anymore. The secrets, the lies, the mistrust… You had to confess, even if it meant the worse. 

Ranked from best to worst.

Michelangelo: 

He swore this was something straight out of a movie, and would keep telling you to “stop joking around babe.” Once the message got through his thick head that it wasn’t a joke and that you were actually part of the foot clan he’d freeze up. He wouldn’t have a clue of what to do, and wanted to ask his brothers for help; but at the same time, he wouldn’t want them to think badly of you. He was more confused, and worried for you than he was hurt about the slight betrayal. Mikey would ask you how much information you had given up to the Foot, and try his best to note it all down mentally so he could relay it to his brothers later. He would ask you if you were going to quit, many times and over; to which you’d replied “yes” each time.  Relief would wash over him when he felt convinced that you were really going to quit, and he laughed lightly at the thought of how much this was like a movie. You were the cute antagonist turned good by the all-loving hero! 

Donatello: 

The confession had clearly taken Donatello aback and he needed time to think about it. Of course he didn’t let you leave the lair until he was ready to talk. Thirty minutes or so had passed and he finally sat down at a table with you to discuss the situation. He was hurt that you would keep this a secret for so long, but your only saving grace was the fact that he knew you hadn’t given up their location. He knew that if you had, the foot would’ve come to attack by now. There must’ve been some good still left in you if you hadn’t given that up. Still, he couldn’t help but to be cautious from there on and out. He would ask you for the information you had spilled to the foot, as well as keep tabs on your whereabouts and forms of messaging you used. Whether it be personal or business, he just had to make sure you weren’t scheming against him and his brothers again. It would take time, but you could hold onto your relationship with Donatello. As long as you were willing to give up all your privacy and secrets for now on…

Raphael:

When you had confessed to him his eyes grew wide and his mouth fell slightly open in shock. You braced yourself for the wave of emotions that would hit him over the next few seconds. It went from confusion, to fear, to rage. There was no keeping it a secret now, everyone in the lair and the next sewer pipes over knew about it with how loud Raphael was being. He just couldn’t understand or believe you would do this to him and his brothers. You would plead with him to calm down, and try to explain to him that you were quitting the foot and that you loved him. You would do anything you could to make up for it, but he wasn’t hearing it. The rage in him refused to listen to anything you had to say. He was so mad he just had to break something. Luckily he had decided on throwing one of the kitchen chairs into a wall instead of you. You left that night with puffy eyes, tear-stained cheeks, and a runny nose. The only thing that comforted you now was the fact that Raphael had said “We’ll talk about this later,” before ordering you to leave. “We’ll talk about this later…” That meant he was going to try for your relationship, right? 

Leonardo:

Leonardo was dead silent after you had revealed to him you were part of the Foot Clan. He stared down at you for several minutes, judging you. The motion was too much, you had to know what he was thinking, so you begged for him to speak. Though what he said next you weren’t expecting… “You need to go.” He said bluntly. Shock and sadness spread across you face. Weren’t you even going to talk about this a little?! You thought. “Leonardo—“ you started, but he cut you off by throwing up his hand, gesturing for you to stop. “You are in no position to argue right now. You’ve broken the trust between me and my family. All I care about at this moment is making sure we are safe, and by you being here, we are not. Leave.” Your blood ran cold at his words. If this was all Leo had to say about it, then your relationship was over. You did as you were told and left the lair with your head hung low and tears overflowing. You tried contacting him afterwards. Days, weeks, and eventually months went by, but you never heard from him. You wondered how long it would take, or if he would even reconsider you at all. You couldn’t help but wonder if it would’ve been different if you had told him from the beginning…

Thank you for the ask! Hope you enjoyed it!SorryLeofans! XD;