#i’ve noticed i’m a little more well-adjusted than my parents

[rotarywires]

it’s really interesting (to me, at least) to observe how all the different people in my house react to certain things, especially when you puzzle in things about their life

idk i think it’s fascinating to see how the same stimuli can have wildly different reactions from people

[wolverigrl]

The first date

Hugh Jackman x reader (actress)

!Disclaimer! I made some small changes in the last parts! The movie they made is a fictional one about Lady Deadpool. Everything takes place in 2015. Y/n is in her late 20s. Blake and Ryan got married long before and I changed the ages of their and Hugh's kids so it would fit more!

Warnings: none, only some swearing here and there and a bit fluff, not proofread!!

Enjoy!

Previous part

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The early morning breeze was cool as I jogged through Central Park, the soft hum of the city waking up in the background. The familiar rhythm of my footsteps against the pavement was oddly comforting, almost like a meditation. I pulled my black baseball cap lower, shielding my eyes from the rising sun, and zipped up my running jacket a bit more. My leggings clung comfortably to my legs, and I felt grounded, my mind clear, my body moving with ease.

Jogging here had become part of my routine, a way to escape for a moment. The quiet mornings felt like a reset. As I slowed my pace and started walking toward the park exit, my breathing still steady, I noticed two people approaching from the side, their faces lighting up in recognition.

"Excuse me... are you y/n?" the guy asked, his voice a little shaky with excitement.

I smiled softly, adjusting my cap. "Yeah, that’s me."

The girl next to him looked at me with wide eyes, already fumbling for her phone. "Oh my God, we are big fans! Can we take a picture with you?"

I chuckled, nodding. "Of course, let’s do it."

We huddled together, her phone snapping a few pictures. The guy, who looked like he was around his early twenties, lingered for a moment longer, hesitating before speaking.

“You probably hear this all the time." he began, "but you really inspired me. I’ve always wanted to act, but I didn’t have the courage to pursue it. Seeing you do what you love gave me the push I needed so I just joined a local theater group."

For a moment, his words hung in the air, and I felt a rush of warmth. It wasn't every day someone said something so meaningful.

"That’s amazing! I’m so glad I could inspire you. Keep at it, okay? It’s tough, but if it’s your passion, it’s always worth it."

He nodded, his face full of excitement and we hugged each other as a goodbye. As they walked away, I called out, “You made my day! Love you guys!” Their faces lit up even more, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for moments like this.

This encounter left me with a good feeling, and as I walked back home, I couldn’t help but feel lighter. Connecting with people like that reminded me why I started this journey in the first place.

Back in my apartment, I kicked off my shoes and collapsed onto the couch. My mind wandered to everything that had happened over the past few days—work, interviews, photoshoots—but one thing stuck out more than the rest: Hugh. I had been thinking about him more than usual, and after yesterday’s intense moment, it was hard not to.

Still, before I let my thoughts drift too far, I got got into the bathroom for a quick refreshing shower. After that I changed into a comfy office look, grabbed my phone and dialed my parents. I hadn’t caught up with them in a while, and I missed hearing their voices.

“Y/n! Pumpkin! How’s our superstar?” my mom’s voice greeted me on the other end.

I smiled, sinking into the cushions. "Super busy, as usual. But everything’s going well. I'll have a meeting with the team today. lots of interviews coming up."

We chatted for a while about my schedule, how they were doing, and the usual family updates. I purposely avoided mentioning anything about Hugh. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell them, but I wasn’t ready for that conversation yet. Not when things between us were still so undefined.

After saying goodbye, I got up to get ready for my meeting at the office. As I was applying a bit of makeup, my phone buzzed on the counter. Hugh’s name appeared on the screen.

HUGH: Good morning, beautiful❤️ How's your day starting?

I couldn’t help but smile as I typed back, already feeling my heart speed up a little.

Y/N: Good morning handsome🥰 Doing pretty good so far. Just came back from my morning run. How about yours?

Almost immediately, his reply came through.

HUGH: I still don’t know how you can enjoy running😅 Mine's good too. Picked coffee with a friend and now we're at his house already working.

Y/N: Maybe you're just getting old?👀

HUGH: Why so mean? Did you trip on your run?

I snapped a quick selfie in the mirror with my tongue out and send it to him.

Y/N: I'm not mean. It was a legitimate question. I'm heading to the office now! Wish me luck!😘

HUGH: Looking great as always! And good luck, though you don’t need it. You always kill it sweetheart😘

A moment later, another message appeared, this time with a photo of Hugh, standing in what looked like an unfinished house. He was wearing a tight-fitting shirt, his arms slightly dusted with sawdust, his hair messy in a way that only made him look better. I paused, biting my lip. He looked really good. And my mind, much to my frustration, flashed back to that kiss.

Y/N: Somebody pls call the fire department🔥

HUGH: Lady, stop exaggerating😂

I chuckled, shaking my head. There was something so annoyingly attractive about how casual he was, even when he looked like that. After a few more texts, I realized I had to leave or I’d be late.

The management office was buzzing with energy when I arrived, as usual. I greeted everyone warmly, settling into the meeting room where we began discussing upcoming interviews and events. Everything was going smoothly, just the usual PR talk—until one of the managers, Sam, leaned forward with a more serious expression.

“So, we’ve been thinking,” he began. “The buzz around you and Hugh has been great for both of your images. The movie’s coming out soon, and the fan speculation has been... let’s just say, active”

I nodded slowly, already sensing where this was going.

“We think it would be smart to keep that momentum going." Sam continued. “Even after the release of the movie, we want you two to keep up the appearance of having something going on. Publicly, deny it in interviews, of course. But tease the people a bit more. Keep them guessing.”

I blinked, processing what he was saying. "So, you want us to pretend we’re together, but not really confirm anything?"

Sam nodded. "Exactly. It’ll keep the public engaged, and your fanbases will stay hooked. It’s good for both of you."

The idea sat heavy in my chest. I could see why they wanted it—it made sense from a PR standpoint—but the thought of turning something personal into a game made me uneasy. What if it messed things up between Hugh and me? What if it turned whatever we were trying to figure out into a spectacle?

“I’ll talk to Hugh about it." I said carefully. “And I think it’s best if you reach out to his team as well, just to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

Sam smiled, satisfied. "Good call. Let us know what you both decide."

They nodded, and we moved on to other topics. I was particularly excited when they mentioned a potential collaboration with a fashion brand. Modeling for a brand had always been a dream, and eagerly agreed.

After sorting out some paperwork, I left the office, my mind still swirling with everything we discussed. As I stepped outside, my phone rang. It was Chris.

"Hey!" he greeted me. "I'm in New York earlier than planned. Are you free?"

Of course, I agreed, and we arranged to meet up at his hotel. Soon, we were stroling through the city together, talking about everything from movies to work. Even though my phone buzzed several times, I ignored it, wanting to be fully present with Chris.

After a while, Chris turned to me with a grin. "So, about those rumors with you and Hugh... anything you want to share?" I felt my stomach twist. Lying to I Chris didn't sit right with me, but Hugh and I had agreed that only Ryan and Blake knew about us. So, I gave him the standard answer.

"We’re just friends,” I said, not quite meeting his eyes. “You know how the rumors go. Our Managers want us to play along because it looks good. That’s all.”

Chris raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced but letting it slide. “If you say so.”

Then, with a sudden shift in tone, he said, “Actually... I’ve been meaning to tell you. I met someone.”

I blinked, surprised. "What? When?"

“Not too long ago. Her name’s Alba. She’s incredible—smart, sweet, talented and down-to-earth. We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately.”

As Chris spoke, his eyes lit up, and I could tell he was smitten. I felt a surge of happiness for him, pulling him into a tight hug. “Chris, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you.”

He smiled, clearly touched by my excitement, and we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the city, talking about Alba, his family and how things were going. Eventually, I had the idea to skip the pub and order takeout instead. Chris agreed, but only on one condition.

"We have to watch a Disney movie!" He said with eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Deal!" I laughed.

After heading back to my place, we posted a photo of us together on Instagram, and as expected, the comments looded in.

>>ginainabottle: Where's Hugh?😭<<

>>markix69: Y/n always with the dilfs. QUEEN💯<<

>>teddy1xoxo: How is it living my dream?❤️😭<<

I finally checked my messages and saw a few from Hugh.

HUGH: Have fun tonight😘

HUGH: Meeting up already?

HUGH: Everything okay?

Guilt twisted in my stomach and I quickly called him.

"Hey.." I said softly when he picked up. "I'm so sorry I didn't respond earlier. I was just... you know how it is... We've been talking non-stop."

"Y/n it's fine." Hugh replied, but there was something off in his tone. "What've you two been up to?"

I told him everything--how we spend the day walking around, catching up and now were getting ready for a movie night.

"Chris is still here, actually." I added. "We're about to watch The Little Mermaid."

There was a pause before Hugh spoke again, and I could swear there was a hint of something... maybe jealousy? But I brushed it off.

"I miss you." he said, his voice softer now.

"I miss you too." I replied, smiling at he thought of seeing him soon.

"Oh, by the way." I added remembering the management's idea. "My team suggested we tease the fans a bit more online. Even after the movie releases."

Hugh chuckled. "Yeah, we can play around with it. Deny everything but drop a few hints. But what do you think?"

I bit my lip, thinking back to the conversation with my team. "I'm not sure, honestly. I don't want the media or public pressure to affect what we're building between us, you know? But if you're okay with it, maybe we should continue."

Hugh chuckled, the tension easing from his voice. "Like a soft launch, huh? So, we hint at things but never really confirm it?"

"Exactly." I said, smiling at the idea now that it was being said out loud. "We can have fun with it. But still deny things if people ask outright."

"Deal," he said, his tone light again. "Let's tease them a little, but keep the mystery alive."

We both laughed at the absurdity of it, and the playful tone of the conversation helped ease my earlier guilt. Then, Hugh's voice turned a bit more serious, though stillwarm. "By the way... how about gym and breakfast tomorrow? Just the two of us?"

I hesitated, not out of uncertainty but because of how much I wanted it. "Like... our first real date?" I asked, grinning into the phone.

"Yep. Our first official date." he confirmed, the excitement in his voice clear.

"Then, it's a yes!" I said, feeling butterflies stir in my stomach at the hought. "Where should we meet?

We hashed out the details and after a few more minutes of casual banter, we finally said our goodbyes, both of us feeling lighter.

As soon as I hung up, I turned to find Chris giving me a curious look from the couch. "So. first date, huh?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.

I sighed, knowing I couldn't hide it anymore. "Yeah, fine. You got me," I admitted, plopping down beside him. "Hugh and I... there's something going on. But we're keeping it quiet for now. Chris grinned, clearly happy for me. "I had a feeling. And honestly? I'm happy for you. Hugh's a good guy He was always super nice when I had the chance talking to him."

"Thanks, Chris. It's just complicated, you know? With the media and all."

"Yeah, I get it." He said with a knowing nod. "But if anyone can handle it, it's you." He then smirked, his teasing side coming back. "So are you guys gonna do a soft launch like the rest of us normal people, or something more dramatic?"

I squealed and shoving his arm. "What the heck?! He mentioned a soft launch too! What are you? Telepathic?!" And we both bursted into laughter.

We calmed down and shifted our focus back to The Little Mermaid. Chris singing along to Part of Your World with exaggerated enthusiasm. It wasn't long before he dozed off, his head lolling back against the couch. I smiled fondly at him, his mouth slightly open, snoring softly. The day had been a whirlwind of emotions, but it was nice to end it with someone I trusted so much.

Grabbing my phone,I snapped a quick picture of Chris, chuckling to myself as I did and quickly posted the photo to Instagram with the caption:

>>y/n instagram: Disney and chill with my favorite co-star🧜🏻‍♂️<<

The comments poured in almost instantly, but I ignored the notifications, setting my phone on the coffee table and grabbing a blanket to drape over Chris. After making sure he was comfortable, I turned off the lights, heading to my bedroom. I slipped under the covers, the events of the day replaying in my mind. Hugh, Chris, the PR idea and the upcoming date.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Chris moving around the apartment. I got up and changed into comfy clothes as I walked into the living room where he was packing up his things, looking like the human version of a Disney prince as usual. As I stretched and rubbed my eyes, he glanced over at me with a soft smile.

“Morning, sleepyhead." he teased, zipping up his jacket. “I’ve got a meeting downtown, but I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”

I sat up and gave him a playful wave. “Didn’t want me to think you snuck out, huh?”

“Exactly. I’m not that kind of guy,” he joked, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Then his tone softened. “Hey, keep me updated on the Hugh situation, okay? I’m curious how things go. And don’t forget to tell me about that first date.”

I smiled, the warmth of his support making me feel even more confident. “I will. Thanks, Chris.”

He leaned down and gave me a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “See you soon, y/n. And don’t forget, I’m always just a text away if you need me.”

“Will do. Good luck with your meeting!”

With a final wave, he headed out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts—and a mess of nerves about my first official date with Hugh later that morning. I had no idea what to expect, but I hoped it wouldn’t turn into a disaster.

After Chris left, I freshened up, threw on my workout clothes, and made my way to the gym where Hugh and I had agreed to meet. This wasn’t just a casual workout—it was our first date, so I kinda did a big deal out of it.

When I arrived, Hugh was already there, looking ridiculously good in his gym gear. He waved me over with that easygoing smile that never failed to make my heart race.

“You ready?” he asked smiling down at me.

“I was born ready!" With this Hugh opened the door and let me go in first.

We started with some light cardio to warm up, and things were going smoothly—until we hit the weight section again. I’d watched Hugh easily lift a set of dumbbells like they were made of air, and, in a moment of misplaced confidence, I thought 'Why not?'. I grabbed a barbell and decided to push myself a bit further than usual. The first few reps went okay, but as I tried to push the barbell up again, my arms started to shake. I tried to power through it, but I quickly realized I had overestimated my strength. Just as the weight became too much, Hugh was beside me in an instant. “Need some help there?” he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes. I tried to save face. “I’ve got it, just—just give me a second…” Before I could protest further, he gently but firmly took hold of the barbell, lifting it with ease and placing it back on the rack.

"Yeah, you totally had that under control." he teased, his smile widening. “Okay, maybe I overdid it a little." I admitted, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks.

"No shame in asking for help." he said, giving me a playful nudge. “Just don’t hurt yourself trying to keep up with me.”

I playfully groaned and lightly slapped his chest. He just laughed, pulling me tighter against him, his arms wrapping around my waist. I looked up at him, grinning, my gaze lingering on his lips for a beat too long.

“Do you need a kiss to forget that little mishap?” he teased, moving his face closer, eyes sparkling with mischief.

I smirked, voice dropping to a whisper, “Oh, I’ll need more than one to forget that.”

Before he could respond, I closed the gap between us, pulling him in with my arms wrapped around his neck. My fingers tangled in his messy, sweat-damp hair as our kiss deepened, the heat between us rising instantly. He brushed his tongue over my bottom lip, and I parted my lips, welcoming him further. His hands gripped me firmly at the waist, keeping me pressed tightly against him, while my hands couldn’t stay still, roaming over his broad shoulders and chest. Every nerve in my body felt like it was on fire, completely overtaken by the moment, the world around us fading away.

I didn’t even realize when my hands slipped under his shirt, fingertips grazing his warm skin. But just as quickly as the moment ignited, Hugh pulled back, breathless, his forehead resting against mine.

“We’re only on our first date,” he murmured, his voice thick with amusement, a crooked smile playing on his lips. “I haven’t even given you flowers yet.”

I chuckled softly, my head still spinning, and nodded. “You’re right. We said we wouldn’t rush things… and, well, making out in a public gym might be pushing it. I don’t think our management would be too thrilled if the media caught wind of this.”

Hugh laughed, loosening his hold on me, though his hands lingered for a moment longer. “Yeah, I can already hear the headlines.”

Reluctantly, we stepped back from each other, both grinning, but still feeling that magnetic pull between us.

After that little incident, we wrapped up the workout, and I offered to cook us breakfast back at my place. It was the least I could do after Hugh saved me from total humiliation. But as soon as I started cooking, I realized maybe that wasn't the best idea.

The eggs burned almost immediately, the toast was so hard you could break a tooth on it, and I somehow managed to get pancake batter all over the counter.

Hugh stood nearby, watching the chaos unfold with a mix of amusement and concern.

"I swear, I'm usually better at this." I said, desperately trying to salvage something from the mess. Hugh laughed, leaning against the counter. "Better at lifting weights or cooking?"

"Oh shut up!" I laughed and tossed a burnt piece of toast at him, which he dodged easily.

"You sure you don't want me to handle this?" he asked, his voice filled with amusement.

"Hugh, I already said no. I'm perfectly capable." I said defensively, though the evidence clearly suggested otherwise.

"You keep telling yourself that." he teased.

I flipped another pancake, only to see it land halfway off the pan.

I let out a dramatic sigh, slumping my shoulders in mock defeat. Hugh chuckled and wrapped his arms around me from behind, pressing a quick kiss to my neck. The warmth of his lips and the slight scratch of his beard sent a shiver down my spine, goosebumps rising instantly. I turned my head towards him, and with a soft smile, he said, "Looks like the universe is giving you a day off from cooking. Let’s clean up and eat at the café instead."

Eventually, we gave up on my culinary attempt and decided to head downtown to the next café. We settled into a cozy corner table, ordering some coffee and toast. As the food arrived, I couldn't help but laugh.

"At least this can't go wrong, right?" joked, gesturing to the perfectly normal-looking plate in front of us. Hugh raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't be so sure. With us, anything's possible."

I pretended to look horrified. "Don't jinx it!"

He chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "So, What do you think of our first date so far?"

I paused, meeting his eyes.

Hugh leaned back smiling. "Well I've gotta say, it's been pretty great so far."

I chuckled, feeling the warmth spread through me. "I agree. Disaster-prone, but definitely memorable."

We spent the rest of breakfast chatting, laughing about the little mishaps from the past couple of hours, and just enjoying each other's company. It, again, felt easy and natural, even with the nerves of a first date hanging in the air.

As we finished up, Hugh reached under the table for my hand and squeezed it gently, giving me a soft look that made my heart skip a beat. "You know, I'm really glad we do this."

"Me too, Hugh." Iadmitted, feeling the same.

Later that afternoon, Hugh and I met up with Ryan for an interview promoting the movie, which finally releases tomorrow. It was just the three of us sitting in a comfortable setup, no live audience, just cameras, and a quiet room. I always looked forward to interviews with Ryan—he had a way of making everything fun and unpredictable.

The interviewer greeted us friendly with a firm handshake and began with the usual questions about the film after introducing us to the already recording camera.

"So, y/n, how did it feel stepping into the shoes of Lady Deadpool?”

I smiled, leaning forward slightly. “Honestly, it was a dream. She’s such a chaotic, yet deeply emotional character. Playing her meant getting to do some wild action scenes while also diving into her personal struggles. Plus, I got to wear a lot of leather.”

Ryan jumped in, grinning. “And kick some serious butt. Let’s not forget that.”

The interviewer nodded and turned to Hugh. “And how about you, Hugh? Wolverine is such an iconic character. How was it returning to the role?”

Hugh smiled, looking relaxed. “It’s always an honor to play Wolverine. This time around, the dynamic with Deadpool—and Lady Deadpool—added a whole new level of fun. The banter, the action sequences, it all just felt... electric.”

Ryan leaned in dramatically. “But let’s be honest. It was terrible. We all hated each other on set!"

Hugh, the interviewer and I bursted into laughter as Ryan continued, completely straight-faced. "No, seriously, it was a nightmare. Every day was a battle I'm surprised we even finished the movie."

"I mean, you were pretty hard to work with.: I teased, leaning into the joke.

Ryan shrugged dramatically. "I do my best to bring chaos wherever I go."

The interviewer then introduced a fun segment: Fan questions pulled from Twitter. “Alright, we’ve got some tweets here from fans. Let’s see what they want to know.”

He read the first tweet aloud. “@MarvelFanGirl asks: ‘What was the funniest moment on set?’ "

Ryan immediately jumped in. “Oh, I’ve got this. There was actually a pretty intense kiss scene between y/n and Hugh in the original cut of the film, but - spoiler alert - it got cut because the film was running too long. Marvel classics." Hugh chuckled, already shaking his head in amusement.

"And I swear by the mother of my children, Blake Ellender Lively!" he dramatically paused. "They just kept going after the director's cut! The crew didn't know if they were still in the scene or... well, if it was method acting, if you know what I mean."

At this point the interviewer started laughing uncontrollably and held his hand in front of his mouth.

I laughed, hiding my face in my hands. “Why do you always bring that up?”

“Because it’s comedy gold!” Ryan laughed, clearly enjoying himself.

"Don't listen to him, Hugh said, grinning. "He's just upset he didn't get a kiss scene."

"Eeeexactly!" Ryan exclaimed, pointing at Hugh. "Where's Deadpool's kiss scene, huh? It's an outrage!"

Even the crew behind the cameras started laughing and the interviewer moved on with the questions, still giggling.

"Ryan, if you could switch roles with anyone in the cast, who would it be?" asked the interviewer.

Without missing a beat, Ryan replied.

"Y/n, hands down. She got the sexiest costume, the coolest weapons, and she gets to kick more butt than anyone else. Plus, let's not forget--she gets to kiss Hugh."

I groaned, shaking my head while Hugh laughed. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Never!" Ryan said with a grin.

The next tweet came in, and the interviewer read it out. “@WolverineLover asks: ‘If Wolverine and Lady Deadpool had their own spin-off movie, what would it be about?’”

Hugh pretended to think seriously. “I imagine it would be about trying to stop Lady Deadpool from blowing up everything in sight.”

I shot him a mock-offended look. “Hey, Lady Deadpool isn’t that destructive.”

Ryan snorted. “Oh please, she’d turn the whole thing into a circus. Wolverine would just be there for damage control.”

We all laughed as we moved on to the next question. “@DeadpoolRocks asks: ‘Ryan, how much of Deadpool is actually you?’ "

Ryan grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Oh, about 90%, I’d say. The other 10% is just me trying to look cooler than I actually am.”

As the interview wrapped up, we exchanged a few more lighthearted jabs, and I couldn’t help but feel how much fun we had together. Ryan and Hugh had a way of making every moment a little less serious and a lot more entertaining.

“Alright." Ryan said, standing up as the cameras shut off. “Who’s ready for round two tomorrow?”

I moaned, already dreading whatever he had in store. “I’m not sure my dignity can handle it.”

Hugh laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we walked out. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there to save you. Again.”

“Let’s just hope there are no weights involved this time,” I quipped.

After the interview, we walked off stage, and Ryan clapped Hugh on the back.

"Man, I'm still disappointed they cut the kiss scene. We were all waiting for the slow-motion sparks."

Hugh just laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'm sure that's why the audience would come to watch the movie. For that."

Ryan wagged his finger. "Don't underestimate the power of romance, Jackman. Fans live for that!"

I shot both of them a look, trying to keep a straight face. "As long as no one mentions the breakfast disaster, I'll consider this interview a win."

Ryan blinked, clearly intrigued. "What breakfast disaster?"

Hugh grinned mischievously, but before he could spill, I put my hand over his mouth in protest. "Nope! Not happening. What happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen."

Ryan raised his eyebrows, clearly enjoying my embarrassment. "Im going to get that story out of one of you. Just wait!"

"Ha! You wish!" I called over my shoulder, heading out of the studio with them.

Eventually, we split off, with Ryan going in one direction, and Hugh and I in another, after we said our goodbyes.

Hugh opened the passenger door for me so that I could get in. After my little "Thank you", he closed the door with a smile and sat down on the other side. "My place or yours?"

I kissed his cheek. "Let's go to your place."

With that, Hugh drove off, placing his hand on my thigh as he drove.

Smiling, I looked out of the window and stroked the back of his hand with my thumb. What a day.

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@spectorrrhgf @tinawantstobeadoll @appetencyfortacos @weskerussy @kellyxo1 @larkkyoris @shukirschtein14 @corvusmorte @carefree-flowerchild

Next part

Sorry if it's not proofread! Struggled with a migraine today but still wanted to finish this part. But I tried my best! And I hope I didn't confuse anybody with the small changes.

[babyfoxflower]

Professor

Human! Professor! Alastor x Fem! Reader

Modern College AU

Part 1 of 2 (Part 2)

Warnings: 18+, MDNI, Age Gap (Alastor is 32 and Reader is 22), Mentions of Cheating, No Smut but Suggestive, There will be smut in part two

It had been a rough night. You broke up with your boyfriend after you found out he cheated on you. You practically chugged down a bottle of coconut rum and were now outside your handsome Communications professor’s apartment.

Is this a good idea? I don’t know but I just want to forget.

You knocked on the door. After a few moments, it opened. There he was, Professor Hartfelt, his normally gelled hair looking a little messy. He was still wearing his work clothes, white buttoned up shirt and black slacks.

“Y/n? What are you doing here at this hour?” He adjusted his round glasses.

“Professor Hartfelt! How are you on this fine night?” You slurred, leaning one arm against the door frame.

“Are you drunk, dear?” His eyes were filled with concern.

Your courage seemed to falter, “This was a bad idea, I should go.”

You turned to leave but a large hand gently took hold of your hand, “Wait, I can’t let you wander about at this time of night in your current state. Please, come in, Darling.” 

You stumbled into his apartment, he helped steady you. He led you over to the couch, “Here, sit down.”

You plopped yourself down on the couch.

“I’ll get you some water. You’re probably dehydrated.”

You giggled.

“What’s so funny, my dear?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Thank you, it’s just you’re acting like my parents did whenever I came home drunk from a party.”

“Well, you seem like you need someone to take care of you right now,” Professor Hartfelt smiled softly at you.

“I’m not a child,” you puffed out your cheeks.

“I know, but you are not exactly in the state of mind to take care of yourself, are you?”

“I guess…not?”

“Let me go get that water. Would you also like a Tylenol for the inevitable headache?”

“What good is that going to do me now?” You gave him a puzzled look.

“Trust me, Darling, I’ve had my fair share of drunken nights. I know how to deal with as well as prevent hangovers.”

“Alright. I’ll take one.”

“Good girl,” he praised.

His sexy smooth voice sent a shiver through your body, your heart skipping a beat. You took a look around his apartment, it was a studio. Along with the couch you were sitting on, it had a kitchen area, a bed, and room off to the side that was most likely the bathroom. On the walls were some framed pictures and abstract art. The thing you noticed right away was there was no television.

“You don’t have a TV?” You turned to him as he was getting you some water from his refrigerator.

“No, I don’t. If you’re bored, you can turn on the radio if you like.”

“Who listens to the radio now of days?”

“I do. It’s less brain rotting than television,” he laughed.

“It’s also boring,” you scoffed.

“That we’ll just have to agree to disagree on, my dear.”

He walked over with a cup of water and a bottle of Tylenol. He took a seat next to you and handed you the water. You took a few sips.

“Would you like one or two?” Professor Hartfelt asked while opening the bottle.

“Let’s start with one and then see how I feel,” your speech slurred again.

“Alright,” he pressed one into your hand.

“Thank you, Professor,” you put the pill in your mouth and used the water to swallow it.

“Now, I want to ask you something.”

“Yes?”

“Why exactly did you choose to come here? Did something happen to you?” Concern washed over his face.

You took a few more drinks of water, before finally answering him. “I broke up with my boyfriend. He was cheating on me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Darling. What a fool he was, throwing away a relationship with a girl like you.”

“Well as you can see, I got hammered and now I’m here.”

“Yes, but why are you here? Surely you have friends, you could have gone to.”

“I do but…”

“Go on.”

“I…wanted…to see you,” you shut your eyes tight.

“You wanted to seem me?” A surprised expression on his face.

“Yes, I have a big crush on you. I was hoping that maybe you could help me forget?”

“Oh, I see. You were trying to…”

“Seduce you.”

“How did know I wasn’t married?”

“Easy, I’ve never seen you wear a wedding ring. And you are the formal, old fashioned type. If you were married, you would wear a ring.”

“Good observation. But how did you know I would even be interested?”

“Well…I’ve seen you looking at me. And it wasn’t just once or twice, you seem to have a habit of looking at me when you think I’m not.”

His face flushed just a bit, he chuckled before rubbing the back of his neck, “I’ve been caught, hmm?”

He thought for sure he was being slick about it. That you wouldn’t catch on, but you were a clever one. That’s another reason why he had a thing for you. Or as you said, ‘a big crush.’

You put your glass down on one of the coasters on the table, “Please, sir. I want to forget about that bastard! Just one night, I promise.”

“Dear, I can’t.”

“Why? Because I’m your student?”

“Not so much that. More so the fact that you’re drunk and I’m not going to take advantage of you.”

“Oh, come on! I consent! Please, fuck me. You won’t be disappointed,” you said the last part in a sultry voice.

“I’m sure I wouldn’t be, but I still not going to sleep with an intoxicated woman. It’s wrong,” he said firmly but with a tenderness in his eyes.

You started to cry, “Please…please.”

Suddenly, he scooped you up into his arms before carrying you over to his bed. He set you down gently, wiping away the tears from your eyes, “A pretty girl like you shouldn’t cry.”

“Are you?”

“No, Darling. I’m simply tucking you in. You need some sleep.”

You reached up and kissed him. He gave a tiny peck back, restraining himself, he wanted to kiss you more, give you what you craved. You weren’t even aware of how badly he wanted you. But as he said he was not going to take advantage of you.

“I promise, if you’re still interested in the morning when you’re sober, I will give you exactly what you want,” he whispered in your ear.

He went over to the couch and picked up a book from the coffee table. You huffed before removing your shoes. You turned your body away from him as you got under the covers. Slowly, you fell sleep to the soft jazz tones that were coming quietly from his radio.

Alastor sighed as he rubbed his temples, his cat who was hiding under the bed, came running into his lap. He stroked the cat gently, she purred.

“It’s always nice when the person you like, likes you back, isn’t it, Luna?” He smiled.

She meowed as if in agreement.

Stay tuned for part two!

[thevoidstaredback]

Tales of Conquest, Warnings of Fools:

Letters Between Brothers

Damian Wayne, Dec. 31, 2011

Ha! I sent the last letter of the year! How satisfying victory is.

Anyway, I know exactly what ‘incriminating’ means! I just really wanted to talk to you. It’s been five years since we last saw each other, let alone talked to each other, I wanted to make sure you were okay. Life is- It’s different out here. It’s so much bigger than we thought. There’s so many people and things and places to explore! I didn’t have anyone to talk to when I first got here. I wasn’t about to let you go through this huge adjustment alone. I know I waited a year, but we’ve already established that I’m a coward.

I’m curious, though, about the research you’ve done. What was it for? A project with father? Your own interest? Pray tell.

Questions! You flipped them back at me, so I hope my answers are to your satisfaction, ahki! Though, I don’t exactly remember what questions I asked, so I’m going off of your own answers.

My parents, as I assume you’re wanting to know about them, are less parents and more fosters. They haven’t ever offered to actually adopt me, but they haven’t thought of sending me to a different foster home. Not that I’m really complaining. There are places a lot worse than this place that I’d rather not risk going to, especially because these guys are the perfect example of where Grandfather and Mother would never think of looking for me if they had even an inkling that I was still alive.

Drs. Jack and Maddie Fenton are who I’m staying with. Not quite as famous as father and you and your siblings, but they are still quite well known for all the wrong reasons. They’re known as crackpots in the scientific community; laughing stocks. I have to admit, though, that their research is interesting. I don’t believe a word they have ever written or spoken about the subject, seeing as they have almost no proof of any of it, but it’s interesting. I recently got to see the little phial of “proof” that they have. It looks exactly like the Pit Water. Best to keep Grandfather and Mother as far away from them as possible.

Jazz, short for Jasmine, insists that I call her big sister. I would say it out loud, but it feels weird. I’ve never had a big sister before, are they supposed to be this pushy? She’s been studying psychology and reading parenting books since about two months after I got here. I’m worried. She won’t listen to me, though. Says that she’s older, so she knows best and that I shouldn’t worry about anything because she’s got it handled. She refuses to understand that I lost the option to be a “normal” kid when I was born.

I live in Amity Park, Illinois, a few miles from Elmerton, actually. I didn’t want the Drs. or Jazz getting ahold of our letters, and I couldn’t set up a P.O. Box here in Amity for some reason, so I went and set one up in Elmerton! The Drs. don’t really notice me and Jazz too often, I actually think that they literally forgot that I was neither their child nor adopted, so it’s really easy to take a bike out of town. Sure, it’s almost two hours each way, but it’s more than worth it. Then again, I also have a delivery deal set up with one of the staff there, so I don’t always have to go all that way.

Going to school was a good idea at the time, but now I just find it unnecessary. Like you, none of the others can really keep up. I don’t want to call attention to myself, though, so I’m not gonna complain too loudly. Though, keeping my grades exactly average is a really fun challenge. I hate P.E., though. Way too boring. If I could, I’d sleep through it. I’ve two friends, though! Tuck and Sam are cool. Tuck’s my ride or die, and Sam mostly hangs out because her parents disapprove of our friendship. She says she’s sticking it to the man, which I get.

I want to get a dog, but I don’t think it’d be safe to stay in the house. Or on the property. The Drs. seem to think that lab safety is a suggestion. OSHA’s a good topic to stay far away from. On the bright side, though, Jazz won’t have to pay taxes when she grows up, so...

Lets see, I don’t have a lot of hobbies; nothing ever really caught my interest after I got here. I didn’t really actually relax until just before we turned ten. Constant vigilance doesn’t leave time for anything else. Though, I still like the stars. Jazz got me an encyclopedia about stars and space and stuff last year! There’s so many more stories I’ve learned that I want to share with you!

Have you met Martian Manhunter? Or Superman? Or Green Lantern? What am I talking about, of course you have! I’m so jealous. Do you think you could get me an autograph from them or something? No, that’s a stupid thing to ask. You guys are technically coworkers. Boo.

I’m glad you still have it, though I don’t know why you’d keep it on you; It’s wooden! It’s not very sharp, either. More likely to break before it broke skin.

I guess weapon making could be a hobby? But I haven’t really indulged since I left. Sure, I’ve whittled a few shanks, but those are easy. Would you like another dagger? One that’s actually sharp and more likely to do damage to your opponent?

That’s cool about the holidays and stuff. I was kinda hoping, last year, to get to learn more about American cultures and holidays, but I don’t think the yelling and fighting and the food biting back are normal. Me and Jazz did a gift exchange, though! She got me a rocket puzzle and I got her the Chronicles of Narnia. I want to celebrate the Solstice next year, though. Both Summer and Winter.

Were my answers to your satisfaction, Your Highness? /j

Danny Fenton

***

In a town as small as Amity Park, the New Year Celebration was a big deal. Any holiday that involved fireworks was a big deal, but New Years happened to be the biggest one. The biggest park in the city, right in the edge of the residential area, was decorated for the occasion, just as it was for every holiday. Black and gold streamers lined the fences; the pavilions were all decorated to the T; food and drinks were set out buffet style, every family having brought something to share; picnic blankets and lawn and camping chairs had been scattered around the place; people mingled; children ran around every which way; and the fire department had set up a pyrotecnic’s area in the road to shoot off fireworks as soon as the time switched over into the New Year.

“A shame Sam’s stuck in Washington,” Tucker said between sips of his hot chocolate.

“Yeah,” Danny agreed, “Amity Park has the best New Years celebration.”

“I know, right! We get to set off fireworks! Do you know how many other places in the world celebrate New Years with fireworks?”

Danny knew. Of course Danny knew. Tucker told him the same thing every year. It was almost like a tradition at this point. “One?”

“Zero-!” He blinked. “One?”

Danny nodded. “Yeah. China ushers in the new year with fireworks to ward off evil spirits.”

Tucker grinned. “That’s so cool, dude! How do you know that?”

Because they have this exact conversation every year. “I like mythology. A lot of it ties into the stars.”

Tucker snorted, “Of course. Don’t you ever get tired of learning the same things about space? Most of it is empty anyway.”

Danny shook his head slightly, very happy to get to talk about his special interest. “That’s why it’s called ‘space’, Tuck. And, no, none of the stories are the same across mythologies and cultures. Some are similar, sure, but none of them are the same.” He pointed to a cluster of stars. “Like Orion the Hunter. In Greek Mythology, he declared that he’d kill all of the animals that roamed the Earth. Gaea, Earth Herself, obviously didn’t like that, so she sent Scorpio to kill him. When Orion died, Zeus turned him and Scorpio into stars, forever locking them in battle. But, in Chinese Mythology, Orion doesn’t have a story. Instead Orion the Hunter is called Shen Xiu, ‘Shen’ meaning ‘Three’ and ‘Xiu’ meaning ‘Place for rest’. The three stars that make up his belt are where the moon rests in Chinese Myths.”

“What about the Zodiacs?”

“Which ones?”

“Um, the Twelve Zodiacs? You should know about them, man, since you’re obsessed with stars and stuff.”

“I am not obsessed!” Danny defended, “And, yes, I do know the Twelve Zodiacs, but China has different Zodiacs they recognize.”

“Well that’s not confusing at all.”

“It’s really not.”

“Sarcasm, dude.”

“I know, but they aren’t that hard to keep track of once you know all their stories.”

“Yeah? Then please, enlighten me.”

Danny settled into his seat, shifting to look better at his best friend. Tucker, who was almost done with his hot chocolate, also turned to face him better. “Okay, so, I’ll start off with the Chinese Zodiac because their story is easier to explain. Millenia ago, the Jade Emperor, Yudi, the ruler of heaven, decided that there should be a way to measure the passage of time, so he created a calendar. He invited all earthly creatures to participate in a race. The first twelve to cross the finish line would be granted a place on the calendar. The Rat knew its size would be a disadvantage, so it convinced the Ox to carry it. At the last moment, the Rat leapt off the head of the Ox, taking first and forcing the Ox into second place. Next were the Tiger and the Rabbit. Then, despite its ability to fly, the Dragon came in fifth because it had stopped to help some villagers on the way. The Horse was startled into seventh place when the Snake slithered past it into sixth. The Sheep, Monkey, and Rooster worked together to cross the river, finishing eighth, ninth, and tenth. The Dog, who had stopped to play in the river, finished eleventh. The Pig came in twelfth because it stopped for a snack and a nap. However, the Rat and the Cat had been best friends. The Cat liked to sleep in during the mornings, so the Rat had promised to wake it for the race. Some renditions say that the Rat forgot to wake the Cat, others say that the Rat tricked the Cat into missing the race.”

“I was gonna say that we could totally be the Rat and the Cat,” Tucker sighed, “But I don’t want to be either.” A half beat. “You wouldn’t be the Rat, right? You’d tell me if something important was happening?”

“Of course.” Was Danny’s immediate reply.

Tucker narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion before nodding. “Alright. What about the other Zodiac?”

“Well, unlike the Chinese Zodiac that cycles every year, the Western Zodiac cycles every month and almost none of their stories connect.” He shifted in his seat again. “They’re separated into four categories: Fire, water, earth, and air.”

“Like Avatar?”

“Like Avatar. Aquarius the Water Bearer, Pisces the Fish, Aries the Ram, Taurus the Bull, Gemini the Twins, Cancer the Crab, Leo the Lion, Virgo the Virgin, Libra the Scales, Scorpio the Scorpion, Sagittarius the Archer, and Capricorn the Sea-Goat. Air, water, fire, earth, air, water, fire, earth, air, water, fire, earth.” He took a deep breath, almost sighing his exhale. “In Greek Mythology, Aquarius is said to be the representation of Ganymede, the son of Trojan king Taros. He was so beautiful that Zeus granted him immortality and brought him to live among the gods as their cupbearer. In Babylonian Mythology, Aquarius is said to be the god Ea and is associated most with the violet floods they suffered.

“Pisces, also Greek, is one of the oldest known constellations. In order to escape the titan Typhon, father of all monsters, Aphrodite and her son Eros - Venus and Cupid in Roman myths - transformed themselves into fish. Another ending says that the fish carried Aphrodite and Eros to safety. Yet another myth says that an egg fell into the Euphrates River and was rolled to shore by two fish, where doves sat upon it until it hatched, out of which came Aphrodite. As thanks, she added fish into the night sky, tied together by a ribbon.

“In Babylonian history, Aries was first known as ‘The Agrarian Worker’ or ‘The Hired Man’. Then, in Egyptian Mythology, after the transition in depiction from a man into a ram, Aries became associated with the god Amun-Ra, who’s depicted as a man with a ram’s head. In Greek Mythology, Aries is associated with the Golden Ram who rescued Phrixus and Helle on Hermes’ orders.

“In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Taurus the Heavenly Bull is sent to kill Gilgamesh for spurring the advances of the goddess Ishtar. To Egyptians, Taurus was regarded as sacred, associated with renewal of life and spring. In Greek Mythology, Taurus is identified with Zeus who took the form of a magnificent white bull to kidnap Europa, a Phoenician princess.

“Gemini the Twins: Castor and Pollux. In Babylonian stories, they are regarded as minor gods; The One Who Has Arisen From The Underworld and The Mighty King. In Greek, Pollux is the son of Zeus and Leda while Castor is the son of Tyndareus and Leda. When Castor - who was a mortal - died, Pollux - a demigod of Zeus - begged his father to give Castor immortality. Granting his wish, the brothers were reunited, living on as stars.

“Zeus, king of the Olympian Gods, slept with Alcmene, giving birth to Heracles, Roman name Hercules. Hera, goddess of marriage and Zeus’s wife, turned her anger onto Zeus’s child, causing him death and suffering for a lot of his life. When Heracles made it to adulthood, he married the princess Megara and they had several children. Hera then provoked a fit of madness upon Heracles, in which he killed his wife and kids. As penance, the sibyl - oracle - of the Delphi Oracle - high priestess of the Temple of Apollo - ordered he perform ten labors. Eurystheus, Heracles’ cousin and judge for the ten labors, deemed two of them invalid because they couldn’t be done without help, resulting in the famous Twelve Labors of Heracles. During his second Labor - killing the Hydra of Lerna - Hera sent the giant crab Carcinos to assist the Hydra. Enraged, Heracles killed the crab before killing the Hydra with the help of his nephew, Iolaos.

“Another one of the earliest recognised constellations, Leo was known in Babylonian astronomy as The Great Lion. In Greek, Leo is identified as the Nemean Lion which was killed by Heracles during his Twelve Labors.

“In most stories, Virgo is depicted as a virgin maiden associated with wheat. In Greek and Roman, she is related to Demeter, Roman name Ceres, and Persephone, Roman name Proserpina. The myth of Parthenos tells of how Virgo came to be. In another Greek myth, Virgo is associated with Erigone, the daughter of Icarius. In Egyptian Mythology, her presence is marked as the beginning of the wheat harvest. In Christianity, the birth of Jesus to a virgin mother is symbolically linked to Virgo.

“Libra has almost always been associated with law, fairess, and civility. In Babylonian astronomy, Libra is called ‘scales’ or ‘balance’ or ‘Claws of the Scorpion’. The scales were held sacred to the sun god Shamash, patron of truth and justice. Ancient Greece also recognised Libra as the Scorpion’s Claws. All the ‘claw’ names are because Libra was a part of the Scorpio constellation until the Romans made it its own.

“Orion the Hunter was a giant who proclaimed that he would kill every creature that roamed the earth. Gaea, Earth Herself, didn’t like that, so she sent Scorpio the Scorpion to hunt and kill him. Now, even after killing him, Scorpio hunts Orion; One constellation rises when the other sets, forever locked in chase.

“Sagittarius is known to Greek Mythology as Chiron the centaur. He is most known for mentoring heroes such as Achillies, Jason, Heracles, and Asklepios. He is the wisest of the centaurs, whose higher intelligence forms a bridge between Earth and Heaven.

“Capricorn has been depicted as a fish-goat since the Middle Bronze Age. He was used in Babylon as a symbol for the god Ea.In Greek, he is sometimes seen as Amalthea, the goat who suckled baby Zeus after Rhea saved him from being devoured by his father, Chronos. It is also said that his broken horn was turned into the cornucopia, AKA the horn of plenty. Another Greek rendition says that Capricorn depicts the god Pan while fleeing from Typhon via the river.”

There were a few beats of quiet between the two, the noise of the people around them filling in the space. Danny took a sip of his now too cold drink before putting it down with a frown.

“Wow,” Tucker finally said, “That’s a lot. How do you know so much?”

Danny smiled again. It was small and melancholy. “I’ve loved the stars for longer than I can remember.”

“Can you read them?”

“Can I read what?”

“The stars. Can you read them?”

“What do you mean?”

“My mom said that people used to use the stars to track where they were and where they needed to go. So, can you read them?”

“Yeah,” was the answer. He and Damian had been taught by Mother herself how to navigate via the stars. “I can navigate via stars. It’s not hard once you get the hang of it.”

Quiet settled back over the two as Ticker let himself get lost in thought for a minute. Danny let himself people watch while he waited. What was left of the food had been packed up about an hour ago, leaving simple snack foods and drinks out. There was just under an hour before the year would change over. Maybe they could call Sam for a minute? That might be a nice surprise for her. Or she could be busy and they’d piss off her parents. 

Calling Sam it is!

Just as Danny was turning on his phone, Tucker said, “Do you think we could write a computer code using the stars?”

Huh? “Huh?”

Tucker blushed and hid his face in his scarf. “Well, I’ve always wanted to try coding something that not even the best of the best could get around. And, if we used something like the stars, then it’d take at least a while for someone to crack it because no one would ever guess they’d need a map of the stars to hack something.”

Danny thought for a moment before a grin split his face. “Tucker, that’s genius!” he exclaimed, “I could kiss you!”

Tucker blushed deeper and buried himself more into his scarf, mumbling something that Danny couldn’t hear.

“We don’t have the stuff on us to do anything now,” Danny said, “But we could totally start work on it Thursday. What’d ya say?”

Slowly, Tucker brought himself out of his makeshift turtle shell. “Tomorrow should be good. My place?”

“Yeah, that’d be best. Mom and dad  got this new ‘breakthrough’ a few days ago. They’ve also gotten it into their heads that me and Jazz want to and can be down in the lab. Neither of us really want to go down there, but are you going to tell the crazy scientists ‘no’?”

Grimacing, Tucker shook his head. “No thank you.” A beat. “Should we call Sam?”

“And rub it in her face that we’re having so much more fun than her?” His grin turned feral. “I was thinking the same thing.”

*

“Why do we gotta be the ones to clean up the lab?” Danny complained.

Jazz huffed from where she was putting their parents’ papers into folders. “I don’t know, Danny. Just like I didn’t know ten minutes ago. Or twenty minutes ago. Or thirty minutes ago. I don’t know what goes on in mom and dad’s heads!”

He cringed back, keeping the broom between himself and his sister as if it could stop her from suddenly attacking him. “Sorry, sorry! It’s just,” His gaze wandered over to the empty, still being built, portal. “That thing gives me the creeps.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Really? A ten foot tunnel with LED lights and glowing walls is giving you the creeps?”

He spluttered. “Well, I-” He groaned in frustration. “You haven’t been inside it. When dad pushed me in, it was a lot darker in there than it looks out here. Like, you’d think that it'd be brighter, seeing as there’s only one place for the light to exit, but it wasn’t. It was like all the light was being absorbed instead of reflected.” His grip on  the broom handle tightened. “And when I tripped, I could swear that I heard a voice.”

“A voice?” Because of course that’s what gets her attention. “Danny, hearing voices isn’t a good thing.”

“It’s not-!” He sighed and began sweeping again. “Just forget it. Let’s get this done so that I can get back to my project.”

She followed his lead. “What’re you working on?”

“Tucker had the idea to use a star chart as a guide to code something. In order to do that, we need a star chart, so I’m making one.”

Jazz smiled as she put the folders into the middle drawer of the desk, each one labeled accordingly. “That’s nice. Are you guys gonna let Sam in on it?”

He shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe, maybe not. Probably will. She has to come back for that, though.”

“She’ll be back soon, you big mother hen, stop worrying.”

“Only if you stop reading those parenting books.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Then it seems we’ve reached an impasse.” Danny hung the broom up on the wall of the landing at the bottom of the stairs. “Come on, Care Bear. You’ve got concerning books to read and I’ve got concerning friends to worry about. Besides, the sooner we get outta here the sooner mom and dad can ruin all our hard work.”

Chuckling, Jazz followed her brother back to the main floor of the house. “Why’d they even want us to clean down there?”

“Because they didn’t want to?” He shrugged, “Maybe they’re renovating? Who knows.”

She hummed. “I guess we’ll never know. Want a snack?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“You sure?”

“Yep.”

“Positive?”

“As my blood type.”

“Your blood type is AB-.”

“Exactly.”

“Danny.”

“What?” He was halfway up the stairs now. “Look, I’m fine. No need to nag me, mother hen.”

“Shut it, greedy chick.”

*

Waiting for the next letter was almost as bad as waiting for the letters before it. Was this anxiety ever gonna lessen, or was this a thing he’d be stuck with until he and Damian met face to face? If. If he and Damian ever meet face to face. ‘If’ is…decent.

Though, if they ever did meet up again, in person, where would they do it? Would they meet each other’s family? He didn’t mind the thought of introducing Jazz and Damian, and he figured it would be nice to meet his father, but he wasn’t sure he wanted Damian or his family to meet his parents. That would be an embarrassing disaster waiting to happen and Danny would like no part of that, thank you.

Starting a group call with Tucker and Sam, Danny only had to wait a ring and a half for someone to answer. “I am beyond ready to be back!”

“Hey, Sam. Nice to talk to you, too.” Danny joked.

“Don’t snark me, asshole, I can still kick your ass from two-thousand miles away!”

“Two-thousand twenty-three miles, actually,” Tucker joined the call.

“Yeah, yeah,” she scoffed, “Technicalities and shit. I was only off by twenty-three miles.”

“You would not believe the distance that covers, though.”

“La la la! I’m not listening!”

The three laughed after a moment, their usual dynamic falling easily into place despite the distance. After a few minutes, the line delved into a comfortable quiet, white noise from each side filling the space.

“So,” Tucker said after a moment, “What’d ya call for, Danny?”

He shrugged. “Dunno. ‘S just bored.”

“You could always come get me from Starling City?” Sam offered.

“And pull you from your rich person parties?” Danny feigned distress, “I could never!”

Tucker laughed. “Yeah, and I don’t think he’d be able to cross state lines, especially in a stolen car that you’re not old enough to drive.”

“An extraction plan would be easy,” Danny chimed, “Sneaking across state lines would be a bit more difficult, but not too bad. The real problem is when your parents report you missing and there’s a manhunt launched in Washington to find you.”

“You’re right,” Sam relented, “Though it’d be hilarious to watch the manhunt from the comfort of my own room.”

“You mean one of our rooms?”

“You’re grandma would probably help,” Tucker added on, “She’d probably even fund the thing!” The three laughed again.

“Does this mean you’ll come save me?”

“Nah. If you haven’t died already then you’ll be fine until you get home.”

“What’re you gonna do when I get home?”

“Don’t worry about it.” The two boys said at the same time. Then, Tucker added, “Have you seen the Arrow?”

“The who?”

“The Arrow!” Tucker exclaimed, “He’s like, the coolest hero ever, and he’s based in Starling City!”

“Really?” Danny wondered.

He just knew that Tucker was nodding his head so fast that he wouldn’t be out of place at a heavy metal concert. “Yeah, dude! And he definitely has a tech guy. I, for one, would die- perish, if I got to meet either Arrow or his tech guy.”

“What about other heroes and their tech guys?” Sam asked, humor in her voice. “I’d like to meet Green Lantern or Wonder Woman. They’re both known diplomats; I’d love to pick their brains.”

“What about you, Danny?”

Batman would be the obvious choice. However, “I’d like to meet Martian Manhunter and Superman. Can you imagine how much I could learn about space from actual aliens?” He sighed dreamily. “I could die a happy boy.”

“And risk coming back as a ghost?” Sam snorted, “You’d really disappoint your parents like that?”

Again, Danny shrugged. “I’m a disappointment in life, I’ll be a disappointment in death.” He heard the front door open and shut, his parents’ loud voices carrying into the house. “Sorry to cut this short, guys, but my parents just got home.”

“Speak of the devil,” Tucker said.

“I think I’d rather deal with him.” he sat up, “I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Are you still coming over tomorrow?”

“Yeah, see ya then.” He hung up, cutting his friends’ farewells short. Heaving a heavy sigh, Danny stashed his phone in his back pocket and crept into the hall, meeting his sister at the top of the stairs. They didn’t share anything other than a look as they watched their parents haul linoleum floor tiles and metal wall sheets down into the basement lab.

“How does Tasty Burger sound for dinner tonight?” Jazz asked quietly.

“Sounds good.” Danny responded in the same volume.

***

Danyal Fenton     Jan. 4, 2012

You’re insufferable, you know that, yes? Honestly, I don’t know how you’ve managed to survive any situation, especially not social ones. You need to work on written communications, but you should broaden your horizons and work on all forms of communication, just in case.

Yes, before you get too far, you did answer sufficiently. Must you act like I tortured you for information? Honestly, Danyal.

I understand your want of communication, though I don’t blame you for waiting for so long. I would’ve done the same, had I been in your shoes. Mother, for the most part, has left me and father alone, and our contact with the League is few and far between. Meeting in person, though, would be the best and most secure way of communicating.

I’d hardly call you sending your letter on the last day of the year a victory, but if your life is as mundane as you’ve been portraying it as, then I’ll allow you to relish in whatever you can get. Also, would you mind explaining what ‘/j’ means? I am unfamiliar with it.

The research I mentioned was about twins. There were some interesting studies that I happened across during some research for a project with father, and I read through them on my own time. I’m sure you have the same results as me. Emotional states are not shared between twins, but, more often than not, one twin can tell the emotional state of the other. It was an interesting rabbit hole, as Drake called it, to go down. I recommend looking into it if you’re bored.

However, there are cases of twins being able to tell when the other is in physical distress. We were not allowed to be close as children, though I always thought you were alive because I did not feel you die. I did not understand it then, and I still do not understand it now, but I am glad I was correct.

You’re family, to change the topic, sounds like a handful. Why does Jasmine not have to worry about paying taxes when she’s older? And why do the Drs, Fenton disregard lab safety? Are you in danger? Has their carelessness hurt either you or Jasmine?

I understand that calling another your sibling is weird. Call her however you are comfortable calling her. If she truly cares, she will understand and she will refrain from pushing you to call her something else.

I must say, I’m not sure I like Samantha, based on what you’ve said about her. To be friends with someone just to go against her parents does not sound like a healthy relationship in the slightest. Tucker, as I assume that’s his full name, on the other hand, sounds like he’s a good friend. Does he recuperate the sentiment, though? Are you his ride or die, just as he is yours?

Yes, I have met Superman and Martian Manhunter. No, I will not get you an autograph if I see them again. Green Lantern, at least the four that work with the Justice League, are all Earth Born.

Weapon Smithing does count as a hobby, yes. It’s unfortunate that you’ve been unable to keep it up, though I do encourage you to pick it up again. You were quite proficient when we were younger, and you will only get better.

I would love another dagger. Until then, though, I will keep the one I have on me. When you have created another, I will put the wooden one in the display case. But, only when you have given me another.

Celebrating the Summer and Winter Solstices sounds like a wonderful idea. The Summer Solstice, according to my research, is the celebration of the return of light, life, and fertility. The Winter Solstice is the celebration of rebirth, renewal, and the return of light. So, similar meanings, but celebrated differently. I think I will join you in celebrating, though we won’t be able to do so together properly until we meet in person.

Resorting to name calling, peasant? I thought I taught you better.           Damian Wayne

Part 2 Part 4

[infernal-house-demon]

Hey, so for anyone thinking about starting T, I know there’s a lot of info and warnings about side effects to consider, but it also really helps to hear from actual trans folks too! It felt super intimidating to me when I started but it’s been great so far. I’ll share the changes I’ve seen after one month under the cut for anyone who is interested! (For reference I’m on the lowest dose of the gel)

First change I noticed was my smell! I wouldn’t say my BO is worse or anything, I just smell a lot different when I sweat and I do find myself sweating a bit more

Fat redistribution! It’s very subtle so far but my face is definitely changing. My cheeks are less round and my chin is a bit more defined. I can’t tell as much with the rest of my body bc I wasn’t that curvy to start with

On the note of fat redistribution, I’ve actually lost some weight. This is probably far more specific to me and genetic factors but it is something I’ve noticed.

Attraction. I’m still very much bisexual and into women and non-binary people, but my attraction to men has skyrocketed. Especially like big, burly, hairy men. That or femboys, there’s no inbetween lol.

In general starting to find masculine qualities a lot more desirable. Considering getting a packer which is not something I thought I would like before. I think the act of transitioning is allowing me to open my mind more to what I want.

Sex drive. Holy shit this is the biggest change. They are not joking about the T horniness. It can be quite distracting at times which is really the only downside I’ve experienced. Even still, I prefer how I feel now to how I did before.

Slightly more breakouts. They warned me about seeing acne in the first few months, but honestly I don’t feel like it’s been that bad. Plus it’s a little affirming because it means the hormones are working! Again this is one that’s probably specific to me

Assertiveness. I know they warn you about the potential of becoming more aggressive, but as my doctors told me, it’s actually more that you have a lower tolerance for bullshit. Obviously if you do become genuinely aggressive/very angry you should get your dose adjusted. But for me it’s just been making me slowly more assertive in a way I like. It does mean I occasionally have to hold my tongue about things so I don’t say something I’ll regret. But this has been a huge plus for me overall.

Mood/crying. I would say my mood has been better overall. Probably because I feel very affirmed in my gender as I start to change. I also have moved out of my parents’ place and am living on my own so I imagine that has helped too. I’ve heard some people say they can’t cry as much and I have experienced a bit of that. When I’m reading or watching something my eyes might well up but they don’t roll tears. The only time I’ve cried since I started on it was when I injured myself (unrelated) and had a panic attack. But I can’t say for sure if it’s the T or it’s just that I am happier and have better coping skills than I used to. I will say it’s not my immediate stress response anymore, but I don’t feel like my emotions are pent up or anything.

Voice. This one is hard to say for sure because I had a cold recently that opened up my chest register a little more. Any changes are very subtle so far but I do find my resting pitch seems lower than when I started (I’ve been trying to do those “this is my voice day x on T” videos to track it. I’m terrible at remembering)

Cycle. My period has been coming a bit later each month and the pain seems to be getting a bit less intense. Again this one will be very specific to the user.

Bottom growth. Only a very very small amount. I only noticed because I was watching for it. What I’ve experienced more so is increased sensitivity which I feel is a positive.

Most importantly: I’ve been very very happy! I get occasional dysphoria but oftentimes when I look in the mirror I just smile because I can see myself becoming who I want. I feel more confident, I feel hot, and I really truly love myself through each step of the journey.

Obviously there’s a lot to consider, but if you feel like it could be something you want to try and your health is in a place where you can do so, do it! I am lucky to have a great clinic working with me who were very informative (and helped me apply for coverage when I didn’t have insurance!). I’m happy to pass along any online resources they’ve sent me if anyone is interested. Remember, you can always stop if you decide it’s not right for you or you’ve achieved the changes you want to see. It’s a personal journey and it’s entirely up to you. I found it all overwhelming when I was first considering it and I wish I would have had more people to talk to about what it really feels like. Hopefully this can help demystify it for anyone who is curious about what it’s like. We all deserve to craft ourselves into the person we want to be. 🏳️‍⚧️

[weareapackofstrays]

A New Kind of Love: Winter Break Bonus Chapter

Genre: Non-Idol college au, slight enemies to lovers (more like they annoy e/o at the start), friends with benefits, smut, angst, romance, drama

Pairing: Minho x F!Reader

Warnings: Mention of divorce

Word Count: 1,567

A New Kind of Love: Winter Break Bonus Chapter Prev | Next

Going home always gives you anxiety so you were honestly relieved when Yuqi asked if she could forgo winter break back home in China and tag along with you instead. Your mom and dad divorced when you were in high school and while you had no issue with their new partners, you still felt like you were adjusting to this new normal. You weren’t sure if you would ever shake off the feeling of walking on eggshells around your family.

After New Year's Eve dinner, you and Yuqi decide to go for a walk around the neighborhood to digest your food. The sun has mostly disappeared now and the air feels humid and warm,  like a summer night. You were starting to miss the cold weather at school. Yuqi notices you're quiet and nudges you for attention.

“Everything okay, babe?” You kick a pine cone and shrug. “You were extra quiet at dinner. Is it your parents?”

“No, thankfully. They seem to be getting along really well actually.” Yuqi hums in agreement. “I’m not sure what’s going on with me honestly.” The streetlights illuminate, capturing your attention briefly. “Maybe I’m just feeling anxious about the start of Spring semester.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Yuqi couldn’t help but wonder if this mood of yours was related to Minho. She decides to finally ask.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you...” Yuqi fidgets with the zipper of her sweater. “Did something happen that night at Max’s party?” You are surprised it took Yuqi this long to ask, but your friend knows better than to force anything out of you. Taking a beat too long to ponder your answer, you’re interrupted by Yuqi’s phone ringing. She grabs it from her back pocket and smiles. 

“Sorry, it’s Jisung. I think he wants to Facetime.”

“Yeah, girl, answer it.” You are happy for the distraction.

Yuqi looks at you before answering her boyfriend’s call. Her expression serious. “We’ll continue this chat after?” You give her an ok. Yuqi quickly brushes her hair with her fingers and dips under a nearby streetlamp for better lighting.

"Hey, my baby! Happy New Year!" Jisung shouts excitedly. 

“Happy New Year, Jiji! How’s the future?” 

“Perfectly adequate.” Despite their distance, you could feel the love radiating between the two of them. Yuqi and Jisung converse for a little while in Korean before switching back to English. 

“What time is it in Seoul?” Yuqi asks. 

“A little after 9 in the morning.”

“So early! Oh, Y/n, is with me by the way!" She turns to you. "Say hi!" You lean into frame and give a quick wave and hello.

"Hey, neighbor!" You return the genuinely happy smile Jisung sends your way. He looks off camera for a moment, mumbling something you can't understand before he pulls a familiar grumpy face onto the screen with him. "Minho hyung is here with me too!" Yuqi gives you a quick glance before saying hello to Minho. He awkwardly waves and greets her, while hesitating to meet your eyes. You notice his ears are turning red and your own cheeks begin to heat at the sight of him. Yuqi gently nudges you to say something. 

"Hey, Minho," you blurt out.

"Hi," is all he can muster. You hadn’t spoken with Minho since the party and everyone left for winter break shortly after. He did send you a text thanks to Jisung giving him your number, but you couldn’t bring yourself to engage. He chalked it up to being in different countries as the excuse for your lack of answer.

Jisung looks at Minho oddly and Yuqi gives you a similar expression. An awkward silence washes over the call and Jisung clears his throat to break it up.

“Okayyy, well we are about to head into a restaurant to meet up with some friends for breakfast. I just wanted to give my baby a quick shout." Yuqi giggles and blows him a kiss. Jisung pretends to catch it through the phone, making you and Minho audibly groan. The two of you walk out of frame and away from your embarrassing friends. Yuqi finally hangs up and runs after you, looping her arm in yours.

Jisung places his phone in his bag and turns to Minho. "Hyung, what was that about?”

“What?” Minho feigns ignorance.

“You and Y/n. You’re acting like 5 year olds on the playground. Just man up and tell her you like her.”

Minho feels himself growing agitated at the young one’s nosiness. “Who said I like her?” He protests. 

Jisung groans and gives up. “Whatever.” The boys walk into the restaurant and spot their friends waiting at a table. Jisung gives them a dramatic greeting while Minho follows behind with his head down. If Jisung really knew how bad Minho had it for you, he’d probably get the rest of his roommates involved and he couldn’t have that. As much as he wanted to get to know you better, you’d never really given him any indication that you were interested in him, other than physically. He was at least 98% certain he annoyed you more than anything else. Though he wasn’t sure what he did to make you feel that way. It was like his entire existence bothered you. Minho wasn’t even sure you were the relationship type anyways. Were you?

-

The plane ride feels longer than usual and you still haven’t been able to quell your anxiousness since winter break began. After Yuqi nods off, you try listening to music, but when that doesn’t work, you grab one of the magazines the airline provided. You flip through it aimlessly before realizing it’s an AARP magazine. Shutting it closed, you turn your attention to the window to admire the clouds instead. They’ve grown thicker with the mix of impending snow, but you can finally make out the familiar sights of campus below you. You’re about to check your phone for the 100th time when the intercom clicks on.

“Folks, this is your Captain speaking. The time is 9:15 AM and we’re about 20 minutes from landing. The temperature is a chilly 19 degrees and there is snow in the forecast. Please return to your seats and buckle up. We will be arriving shortly. Stay warm and thanks for flying with us. Go Lions!”

Yuqi stirs awake. “We’re home?” She blinks as she familiarizes herself with her surroundings again.

“About to be.” 

She claps her hands excitedly while yawning. “I can’t wait to see Jiji!”

“Is he already back from Korea?” You weren’t sure why you were surprised.

Yuqi pulls out her phone to take a look at it. “Not yet. Jisung said he’d be landing a little later this afternoon, but we’re going to get dinner once he’s back.” You notice she’s set her background image as a photo of Jisung making a duck face. 

“Sounds fun.” Your stomach fills with butterflies suddenly. Does that mean Minho will be home soon too? 

The two of you hail a taxi to share once you land. Yuqi chats with the cab driver because she can make friends with a wall so you pull out your phone to text Momo that you’re back on campus. Momo quickly texts back with “👅💦” and you roll your eyes, laughing. You put your phone away as you notice snow flurries start to come down.

When the taxi arrives at Yuqi’s apartment, you step out to help her grab her bags. “Thanks again for coming with me.” You pull her into a hug.

“Anytime, my angel. I’ll call you later, okay?” She squeezes you back and kisses your cheek. 

“Have fun with Jisung tonight. Oh, and tell him I said hello.” She nods and you give her a final wave before climbing back into the taxi to go home.

Finally inside your apartment, you drop your bags on the ground and fall face first into your bed. You inhale the familiar scent of lavender. Your bed tries to tempt you into taking a nap, but you feel a little gross from a day of traveling. After throwing your clothes in the hamper, you walk into your bathroom and turn on the shower head. You stick your hand under the falling water and wait for it to warm up, shivering a little from the exposure. Just as you’re about to step into the shower, you're interrupted by a knock at the door. For a moment you wonder if you misheard and wait for another. 

Knock, knock! 

You hear it clearly this time. Who the heck could be knocking on your door right now? Can’t be Yuqi, right? You take a quick glance at your phone in case you missed a call, but don’t see any. Not even a text. 

Knock, knock!

Finally letting curiosity get the better of you, you walk into your room to grab your robe and wrap it tightly around your middle. The tile of your apartment is cold on your bare feet as you scamper across and make way to the entrance of your apartment. Cautiously, you open your front door and feel your jaw drop when you see the source of the knocking. A beautifully bare faced Minho stands before you. His eyes sweep over your barely clothed form while you try to find words. He takes a step forward and you can hear your heartbeat thump loudly in your ears.          

“Hello, princess.”

MASTERLIST

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Tag List: @linocz @queenmea604 @felixs-voice-makes-me-wanna

xx

[chaotic-on-main]

Sunrise | ModernAU One-Shot

☾ Pairings ➼ Levi Ackerman x gn!Reader

☾ Content/Warnings ➼ best friends to lovers, parental emotional abuse, FLUFF, slight hurt/comfort

☾ A/N ➼ This might be a little self indulgent, but I hope y'all like it anyways. The things the mom said may or may not be things my mother has said to me. I'm okay, before anyone asks lol. I hope this is comforting to others out there. Love you guys! Time to start of June's outline. :3

☾ Word Count ➼ ~2.2k

text convo made by @humanitys-strongest-bamf <3

Your silver sedan sits in the street in front of Levi’s apartment, headlights glowing on the other cars around you. Soft rock plays through the speakers as you drum your fingers on the steering wheel in impatience, the vibrant blue console lights lighting up your face. You had sent him a ‘here!’ which was left on read, meaning he was still up but still nowhere in sight. Maybe he couldn’t find his shoes? No, that wasn’t like him. He has a cubby by the door for them, which he kept immaculate. Just as you were going through other impossible scenarios, there’s a sharp knock on the passenger door that makes you jump. It’s Levi, double fisting two teas in to-go cups as you requested.

“Will you get the door, dumbass? My hands are full.” You hear muffled through the glass. It takes a bit of strain, but you lean over to unlatch the door and push it so Levi can kick it open with the tip of his shoe carefully. The internal lights pop on, blinding you momentarily but when your vision adjusts, you see Levi extending a long-sleeved arm to you with your drink.

“You remembered!” You exclaim, grabbing the warm cup from him so he can place his own down in the cup holder before sliding himself in the seat next to you.

“You asked for it.” He grumbles as he buckles himself in and then stares over at you, deadpan. His eyes widen a bit as he takes in the sight of you. "Is that my sweater?" You were indeed wearing Levi's thick, gray turtleneck. His favorite one, at that. You notice he says nothing about the red puffiness around your eyes.

“Well hello to you too, grumpy.” You smirk over at him as you take a careful sip of your tea, ignoring his question and relishing the flavors that Levi chose. It’s a blend that Levi had made special for you a while back, strong and smooth and a little fruity. Levi wasn’t a fan of it, but you loved it - for more reasons than you wouldn’t dare say.

“I’m not grumpy. And I’ve been looking for that all week. I’ll take it from you by force if I have to.”

“Mmm, kinky.” He scoffs but says nothing, looking away. You shift in your seat so you're facing him, linking your fingers together and resting your chin on them as you stare over at him. He gives you a side-eye, then a scowl.

"I am not driving, forget it." Levi snaps at you.

.

“So, what was it this time?” Levi mutters over to you from the driver’s side. He has the window down, hair wind-swept as he stares out into the very early morning darkness. His index finger taps on the steering wheel to the beat of the song playing in the background.

“Hm?” You don't bother looking over you as you speak. You have your arms placed up on the door with your head resting on them, your face lighting up every couple seconds from the glow of the passing street lights.

“What kept you awake this time?” You think for a moment about how you want to word what made your heart ache today. Even after 17 years of friendship, you still struggle with talking about your feelings with him. An emotional disconnection you’ve had since before you met him so long ago. He understood though and never asked, which is why he sat so patiently while you pieced together your thoughts. Nothing coherent came to mind, though.

“I don't…" You trail off, clearing your throat in discomfort. You bring your hand to your mouth and start chewing on your thumbnail.

"…know how to word it?" Levi finishes for you. As always, he was so good at reading you.

"Look at you finishing my sentences. You know, the whole friend group thinks we're secretly dating. Hange even has a bet."

"Oh yeah? What did shitty-glasses wager on this one?” Levi quips without missing a beat. He rolls to a stop at a four-way and takes this time to give you a full exasperated stare.

"Something about cleaning Miche's and Nanaba's shared apartment if they lost.“ You laugh before taking another sip of your tea. It's sweetened just the way you like it. Levi is great at remembering the little things like that.

“Tch. Then they better start cleaning.” Levi grumbles as he pushes down on the gas pedal gently. Levi didn't press, but you knew the conversation was well from over. He would never tell you, but he always wanted to know what was on your mind, especially when you were this upset. To you, however, he didn't need to. His quick glances at you every other stoplight told you enough how present he is for you, and always would be.

You stick your head out the window and smile at the warm breeze against your face. When you stare up at the sky, your vision is filled with pale stars and a bright moon. A couple clouds float by, lit up from the moonlight. It really is a perfect right for a drive.

"Do we have a destination in mind?" He turns the volume dial up a bit, the same soft rock from before now at a moderate level. You wouldn't mind it being louder, but with Levi's question now lingering in the air, skull shaking volume would have to wait.

"I don't, actually. I was hoping you’d just drive and see where it takes us." You give him a huge grin and a finger gun, and Levi just snorts in response.

"Alright then. Let's see where this takes us."

.

Around an hour and half later, Levi and you find yourselves still in the car on a gentle incline. You have no idea where Levi was taking you but now with the faint light of the early morning, you can see you're somewhere with lots of trees. Both of you are far from tired, disposable cups now empty. You’ve been staring at Levi for the last ten minutes with glazed eyes as your mind wanders. His voice snaps you back.

“Before you say anything about the eye bags, just know you’re part of the problem.” He says dryly with pursed lips.

“Pfft, your sleep problems are yours and yours alone.” You roll your eyes at that, but you can’t hold back your smile. The car slows down before turning off on a dirt path to your left. It’s still quite dark from the canopy of leaves above, so your view is limited to what the headlights illuminate.

“Oh, is this the day? You’re finally going to murder me and dispose of my body in the forest where it belongs?? What is it, head bludgeoning or a gunshot?” You feign an excited tone, wide eyes and toothy grin to accentuate it.

“Trust me. When I get rid of you, it’ll be much more thrilling than either of those.”

“Boo.” You stick your tongue out and pout.

Levi rolls the car down the path slowly, keeping his eye out for anything that might be in the way. It was relatively safe with only fallen leaves and small twigs littering the road. There’s a light at the end of it and after a moment, the car breaks through and then Levi puts the car in park. Your breath is taken away in a mere second.

You unfasten your seat belt and throw yourself out of the car quickly. Not bothering to shut the door behind you, you run over to the edge of the cliff that you find yourself on. You’re not sure how high up you are but it’s a considerable distance because the trees that litter the valley beneath you are quite small. It’s all green, broken up by a wide river that you suspect is the very same one that cuts through town. A layer of low fog weaves through the whole valley, and you imagine how pretty the morning dew must be from it. On the horizon, you see the beginning of pinks and oranges start to paint the sky. The sun is about to break.

Raising your hands above your head, you scream with exhilaration. A warm gust of wind blows against your face, throwing your hair back and tangling in the breeze. This was the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen, you think.

“Levi Ackerman, you jerk! How could you keep something like this from me!?” You yell as you turn around quickly, meeting his stormy gray eyes. He’s staring at you with a lopsided smile while he leans against the driver’s side door, arms and legs crossed.

“I can’t let you in on all of my secrets. That’s just not fair.” He shrugs with nonchalance.

“Does almost two decades of friendship mean nothing to you?” You smirk over at him.

Levi makes his way to the hood of the car and sits back on it, patting the spot next to him for you. You raise your eyebrow at him but amble over to him anyways before pulling yourself up as well. Your legs curl up under you as you cross them, noting the metal underneath you bending more than you’d like. Whatever, your car is on its last leg anyways.

You both sit in silence for a moment. Birds chirp and sing behind you in the trees, the rustling of the leaves signifies the start of their early morning routines. The sun still hasn’t made an appearance, and you gauge it’ll probably be another fifteen or so minutes until it wakes up for the day.

“So. What happened?” Levi pipes up next to you. When you twist your head to look at him, you notice a softness in his eyes; a look he reserves for when it’s just you and him. Pulling your legs up to your chest, you rest your cheek against your knee as you continue to watch Levi.

“My mother called me again.” You frown a little, now matching the one Levi points your way.

“You answered, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I told myself not to but then I got worried that maybe something happened. So, I picked it up. It started off okay…” You trail off as you reposition your head so that you are now resting your chin in the crook of where your knees met. The oranges and pinks glow brighter with every passing second.

“What did she say this time?” he asks gently.

“Oh, the usual. ‘You know how I feel about quitters’ and ‘it makes me sad to see your wasted potential’ then ended it with something along the lines of ‘being selfish’.” You laugh sardonically at that, heavy bitterness seeping into your tone.

“You know better than to-“

“Than to answer I know.” You snap. You continue to stare at an invisible airplane in the distance. The wind starts stinging your eyes, or was it tears? You blink hard to get whatever it was out.

“- than to believe any of that shit.” Levi retorts. He shifts next to you, the groaning of the metal underneath you both breaking up the momentary silence.

“I know, and it’s just so frustrating that it still gets under my skin. It’s been years since I’ve left. You’d think I’d be over it by now.” Your voice gives you away with a crack. You sniffle and rub your eyes with the sleeves of Levi’s sweater. Your tears leave dark marks against the gray. Levi mumbles your name, and you sit up and turn your head back to him. He just stares at you with his lips parted, thinking of what he wanted to say.

“Healing isn’t linear, nor is it clean. It’s going to have its moments where you feel like you’re falling back and it’s becoming too loud and chaotic. But you are healing, you need to be patient with yourself.” He says over to you gently, before bumping against your shoulder with his own affectionately. He’s a lot closer than you thought he was. “And don’t answer her calls anymore.” You continue to stare at him, this time in wonder.

“Hey Levi?” You ask softly.

“Hm?”

“You know you’re my best friend, right?”

This time Levi stares at you, but with what you’re not sure. You don’t get a moment to think as Levi leans into you, slowly. His lips linger across from yours, as if waiting for you to pull away. You don’t. Pushing yourself into him, your lips meet his and they’re so soft against yours. It starts off gentle, but then the kiss deepens as he moves his arm in a way to hold you closer to him. He tastes like bitter tea leaves and sweet honey. The sun breaks over the horizon, pale yellow now lighting up the surroundings.

When you both pull away, you notice a pink flush burning into his cheeks as he stares over at you. A laugh escapes you, loud and chest deep. A small smile tugs at his lips as he watches you. The way the early morning sun hits his face, you want it ingrained in your brain.

You grab his shirt and pull him back into another kiss, smiling into it as you do.

“Don’t tell Hange, I still want to watch them clean.” Levi mumbles against your mouth.

This moment, right here. You wanted to stay forever, you think.

taglist: @humanitys-strongest-bamf @averysmolbear @youre-ackermine @notgoodforlife @roseofdarknessblog @missamity @levis-squishy-cheeks @icansmellsouls @dkbktk420 @elnyrae @romantichomicide95 @sckerman @secretmoneybearvoid

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[munsonownsmyass]

Loving You Easy

Frank Castle x reader

Warnings: Oh, well... Plus size reader, insecurities, kissing. SMUT! oral (f receiving), fingering, bodyworhsip, praise, Frank saying 'Good girl' is a warning in itself, unprotected sex (wrap it up irl tho), creampie, cockwarming if you squint. And a little surprise.

Notes: So... Besides that little cameo in my Billy fic, I've never written for Frank. First full fic for him. Have I nailed his character? Probably not, but I still like what I made. Please be gentle.

And yes... This was super self-indulgent, I'm so sorry 🤣

This is part of the Thirsty for Cox april challenge, where we had to choose a song as inspo for our fic. My song was Loving You Easy by Zach Brown Band.

Words: 3.2 K

It’s the day most girls dream about their whole lives. The day they will go through countless of bad dates and the wrong men for, just to find the one guy that completes them. The one guy she can’t imagine living without.

This was that day. Dressed in white, looking more beautiful than ever. The wedding dress so beautiful it brings tears to your mother’s eyes. The hair and makeup flawless accompanied by a smile that would make even the darkest days brighter.

Unfortunately, this was not your day, but your sisters. While you were stuck somewhere between horrible dates and unfulfilling one-night stands, Jessie had found the love of her life. Matt was perfect. Lawyer, devilishly handsome and so kind and thoughtful.

And you were happy for them, you really were. But you could feel that little pang of jealousy, wishing you could have the same one day. And honestly, you didn’t even care about the big wedding and the whole ‘feeling like a princess’ thing. You just wanted someone to love and who would love you in return.

Sighing heavily, you adjust your dress one more time, looking into the mirror. Not even maid of honor, but that’s okay. Behind you the rest of the bridal party is giggling and having a great time worshipping the bride. Leaving silently, without them noticing, you walk outside to get some air.

“Need a drink?” A gruff voice asks, and you look up into a pair of brown eyes. The guy gives you a sideways smile, holding out his beer.

“What makes you think I’ll share a beer with a stranger?” You question, taking in his features. Dark brown hair, dark stubbles along his chiseled jaw and very kissable lips. Very handsome and definitely the type of guy you’d hit on at a bar. Of course, followed by a rejection, because a guy like that would certainly have someone.

“I’m following you down the aisle in 15 minutes, so we’re hardly strangers, princess.” He smiles, retracting the beer and take a sip, looking out over the beautifully decorated backyard of your parents’ country estate.

“I take it you’re Frank then?” You smile, stepping closer to him. Your eyes meet and he offers the beer once more and this time you take a sip of it.

“Yep. Frank Castle.” He extends his hand, and you shake it, giving him your name in return. For a while you just sit there, passing the bottle back and forth while making small talk, until your mother comes looking for you.

“Oh, Mushy, there you are.” She checks your makeup, visibly frustrated and takes the beer from your hands. “Would it kill you to act a little more ladylike, at least until after the reception?” Your mom walks back in, shouting for you to get ready. Frank gets on his feet, getting ready to go in with you.

“’Mushy?’ That’s not the most flattering nickname, I’ve heard.”

“Ah, well… I’m the chubby black sheep of the family.” You shrug, trying to seem unaffected even though you hate the nickname. Jessie had always been the pretty and skinny one, a real pageant queen kinda beauty, where you were not.

“Those are the best kind of people.” Frank winks at you with a soft smile, before you are both called inside.

The party is at full swing, and everyone is having a great time. Foggy have just given his best man speech, laughing with Matt and Karen, Jessie and the other girls are dancing, while you hide in the corner with a beer. In a glass of course, your mother almost giving you the evil eye when you tried drinking out of the bottle.

“Hiding from your mother?” Frank asks, stopping in front of you. You just nod, patting the chair beside you.

“Yeah, she can be scary.” You laugh as he sits down. Raising your bottle in a silent toast, you both take a drink of your beers. “I’m also hiding from my uncle. He always asks me to dance.”

“You don’t like to dance?” Frank asks with a soft smile.

“No one wants to see this-” you gesture towards your body, “twirl around the dancefloor.” You try to laugh it off, but by Frank’s expression you know he’s not buying it. He’s seeing right through you. He stands up, extending his hand to you.

“Come on, princess. Dance with me.”

“Frank, I…”

“One dance, that’s all I’m askin’.” He doesn’t remove his hand, just steps a little closer, insisting for you to take it.

You’re trying to come up with a polite way to turn him down, when it dawns on you. Here’s a gorgeous man willing to dance with you and you wanna say no? Are you crazy? Just when you take his hand, the band starts playing one of your favorite songs. Leading you out onto the floor, Frank takes a hold of you, swaying you softly to the music.

You make loving you easy

You make loving you all I wanna do

Every little smile, every little touch

Reminds me just how much it all makes

Loving you easy

As Frank swings you out and pull you back in, making you giggle, you notice how your sister is watching you. Hell, a lot of them are. This is why you don’t dance, unwanted attention. But still, you got to admit there’s one upside to it. Frank’s eyes looking into yours, his hand on your waist.

“Everyone is staring.” You whisper, looking to the side where your sister is whispering something to Matt, who only smiles.

“Probably ‘cause you look beautiful.” He muses, giving you another one of his cheeky smiles. Damn, is it even legal to be so handsome? You’re about to make a rebuttal, when Frank speaks. “And I mean it.”

Without warning, he dips you down towards the floor, making you squeal, probably drawing the attention of people around you. But you really don’t care, only focused on Frank.

Bursting through the door to your childhood bedroom, Franks lips never leave yours as his hands run down your body, caressing your soft curves. “Fuck, sweetheart. You’re gorgeous.”

“You’re drunk.” You giggle softly, kissing him passionately. He pins you against the wall, grinding his hard length against your heated core. You reach out for him, idle fingers unbuttoning his shirt. In a frenzy of hungry kisses and touches, your dress and his suit is soon spread all over the floor as you fall onto the bed with Frank on top of you.

Frank kisses his way down your body, licking and nipping at your sensitive skin. When he reaches between your thighs, he places soft kisses before diving in like a man starved. You gasp at the first contact, the feeling of his tongue making you shiver. But he slows down, wanting to take his time with you.

Slowly, he adds a finger, then another, stretching you open. Expertly he licks up your folds and sucking on your clit, leaving you a whimpering mess beneath him. “You taste amazing, princess. Making such pretty noises for me.”

“Fuck… Frank…” His name is barely a whisper, but it’s enough. Frank devours you like a man possessed. He finds that sweet spot in you that makes you see stars. With his name on your lips, you come.

More. You want more. “Please, Frank. Please fuck me.” You beg him, body writhing under his touch, your need for him strong, overwhelming.

On his way up you body, he makes sure to kiss every inch of skin, caress every curve. “So fucking gorgeous.” He mutters under his breath, placing another soft kiss between your breasts before he once again claims your lips.

His cock is at your entrance, begging to enter. He pushes in slowly, making you gasp as his thick length stretch you open. His eyes find yours so he can see your face twist in pleasure as he pushes deeper. As he bottoms out, you both pant in unison, his forehead against yours.

“You feel so good, sweetheart. Shit…” He rolls his hips a few times, fucking you slowly. You whimper softly, wanting nothing more than for him to move faster, harder. You don’t even care who might hear you, lost in the feeling of him, wanting more.

Franks is so lost in you, not wanting this to end. He kisses you hungrily before he snaps his hips harder. As you close your eyes in pleasure, he looks at you. How your face twists in pleasure, how your body move under him with every thrust. You’re so fucking beautiful, and he wants nothing more than to stay like this for hours. Wanting nothing more than to hear you moan his name over and over.

All day you’ve been talking and all day he’s been thinking how your smile was the prettiest he’s seen in a long time and how he wish you could see the beauty in yourself that he could see. He’d only known you for a few hours, but he already knew he’d want more than just today. He’s been burying his feeling for such a long time, but you make him want to live again.

He can feel himself getting closer, so lost in how good you feel, how good you make him feel. He pulls your leg up, pushing deeper, hitting your sweet spot over and over. “I’m close. Please cum for me, baby.” He drives his cock deeper and harder, reveling in the way you moan. “Be a good girl for me and cum.”

His words wash over you, the praise pushing you over the edge. You scream out in pleasure, digging your nails into Franks shoulder. It’s only a few more thrusts before Frank comes, pushing in deep as he empties himself in you.

Frank puts his forehead to yours, both of you breathing heavily as you come down from your highs. You kiss him deeply, holding him close. You can already feel yourself wanting to see Frank again, but you wont get your hopes up. A guy like that is probably swarmed by women, many prettier than you.

You look away, hating your intrusive thoughts. As if he can read your mind, Frank cups your cheek, looking deeply into your eyes as he kiss you passionately. “That was something else, sweetheart.”

“Something good, I hope.” You bite back with a grin, making Frank smile. That damned smile. Fuck, he is a gorgeous man.

“Very good.” He smirks, kissing you softly before pulling out gently. After he helps you clean up, he surprises you by staying. He had his own room, but he lays down beside you, pulling you into his nook. You talk for a bit, about nothing important really, but it’s still one of the best nights of your life.

-

When you open your eyes, the sun is so bright it almost hurts. Or maybe it was just your head. You really shouldn’t have drunk all those beers with Frank. Your memory flashes back to the two of you, sitting outside in your parents gazebo with a ton of beers between you, listening to each other’s stories.

You look to the side and your heart drops. The other side of the bed is empty, Frank nowhere to be found. Even his clothes are gone from the floor. So, yet another one-night stand then. You’re starting to get too predicable, and you hate it. With a heavy sigh, you start to get dressed, getting ready for breakfast. There’s a soft knock on your door and you reluctantly open.

To your surprise, you find Frank outside the door, dressed in new clothes and looking ravishing. “Wanted to pick you up for breakfast.”

“Oh, I thought…” You begin, but stop yourself.

“That was I was just gonna up and leave?” He shakes his head, leaning against the doorframe. “That ain’t my style, princess.”

You smile in surprise, walking out the door to follow him downstairs. Many of the guests have stayed over and the venue from last night had been turned into a breakfast buffet. Your parents had spared no expense for this wedding.

“Look, ‘bout last night, I-” Frank begins, but you stop him with a soft hand on his arm. Ever since your dance last night, you had feared this was too good to be true and when he kissed you after a few dances and too many beers, you knew it was probably only the alcohol talking. So it was better for you to stop him, than to be stung by his rejection.

“Frank, you don’t have to say anything. I’ve already heard it all. ‘It was fun, but let’s keep it to one night’, ‘You are cute, but I’m just not ready for a relationship’ or ’It’s not you, it’s me’. It’s okay, I get it.” You put on a fake smile, willing yourself to look into his eyes. “I’m not the kind of girl men wanna date.” You turn, just wanting to get away.

“I was gonna ask if you wanted a coffee when we get back to the city.”

You stop, not even sure you heard him right. Did he really, this gorgeous man, want to see you again? For a date? In broad daylight in the city? You look at him and the expression on your face makes him laugh. Suddenly, you’re speechless. “I don’t drink coffee.”

“Beer and pizza then? I know you like beers.” He closes the distance, smiling as he looks into your eyes. And you just nod, smiling wide, already looking forward to your date.

Two years later

Frank is standing in the kitchen making you breakfast. It had been two years since he met you. The best two years of his life. After Maria and the kids he never thought he could be happy again. Especially with the things he had done, with all the blood he had on his hand and all the lives on his consciousness.

But you had accepted him, accepted every flaw and loved him for the man he was, the man he had been. You never saw all the bad, only saw him. That morning after Matt’s wedding you had chosen him and still to this day, you woke up every morning and still chose him.

Your footsteps sound on the stairs, your sweet yawn filling the air. You had been tired lately, so he just let you sleep in today, wanting to surprise you on your anniversary.

You always complain about how awful you look in the mornings, never believing him when he calls you beautiful. But you are, inside and out, the most beautiful woman. Even with your hair in a messy bun, mouth ajar in a huge yawn as you sit down, his hoodie covering your beautiful curves, he would still say that nothing compares to you.

“Morning, sweetheart.” He says with a smile, pushing your tea over the counter towards you. With a grateful hum, you take a sip of the tea, eyes never leaving him as he continues making breakfast. Putting the utensils down, he fumbles with his phone as walks around the counter and extends his hand to you.

“What?” You ask, but then the music of a familiar song fills the air. Loving you easy, the first song you guys danced to. You don’t even argue, just take his hand and let him swirl you around the kitchen as the pancakes bake on the pan.

As he swings you around the kitchen, you sing along to the song that has become your song. You love mornings like this, thinking life can’t really get any better than this. Frank place soft kisses on your neck, finding that one ticklish spot you have, making you giggle.

But the smell of burned pancake pulls his attention back to the stove, cursing as he throws away the ruined pancakes. With your help, you quickly get the rest of the breakfast ready and fill your plates before sitting down at the table.

“So, what’s our plans today?” You question before taking a bite of your pancakes, moaning over how great they taste.

“Somethin’ that makes you sound like that.” He grins, sipping his coffee as he winks at you. Breaking of a piece of your pancake, you throw it at him.

“Alright, alright.” He huffs, throwing his hands up in defeat. “Dinner at that fancy Italian place, a movie and then back here. I want your wrapped around me all night.”

“That can be arranged.” You grin, biting your bottom lip. He gets up and stops by your side to kiss you, before he walks to a drawer and take out a small gift.

“Here, sweetheart.” He places the gift in front of you and carefully, you start to unwrap it. Inside is a small box. Opening it, you find a small blue dog collar with a shiny little dog tag.

“You said you wanted to expand our little family.” He says softly, pulling his chair closer and sitting down. “We’re going to pick him up tomorrow.”

You throw your arms around him, kissing him hard. You and Frank already had a dog, a beautiful Pitbull rescue named Red (Frank thought he was so clever with that one), but you both loved dogs and knew you wanted more.

“Actually… I was thinking the same thing, when I made your gift.” You say nervously, standing up to get your gift. Frank just laughs, taking the gift from your hands when you return to the table. He tears the paper off, stopping completely when he holds the stick in his hands.

You’ve been so nervous to tell him, so scared of how he would react. You knew losing his kids had been a pain worse than death, not sure if he ever wanted to have a child again.

When he still hasn’t said anything, his eyes still fixed on the positive test, you get anxious. “Frank, please say something.”

Tearing his eyes away from the test, his beautiful brown eyes find yours. You can see the tears threatening to spill. “I… I’m gonna be a dad?”

“Yeah, but… Only if you want to.” You whisper, looking down at your hands fiddling with the hem of your sweatshirt. You feel Franks hands on your face, cupping your cheeks so softly. Bringing your gaze to his, you see the small smile on his face.

“I should have bought a ring instead of a collar.” He laughs, pulling you into a kiss. Wrapping his arms around you, he brings you closer until you sit on his lap. One hand moves from your back onto your belly. Nothing there to feel yet, still the notion makes you warm.

“I love you, Frank.” You kiss him again before snuggling closer to him.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” He whispers into your ear, holding you tight. Things might not always be easy and things were going to change, but one thing that would always remain was your love.

You make loving you easy

you make loving you all I wanna do

Every little smile, every little touch

reminds me just how much it all makes

loving you easy

TFC girls: @e-dubbc11 @itwasthereaminuteago @realfernmayo @pedrito-friskito @mindidjarin @mattmurdocksscars @saintmurd0ck @idrinkcoffeeandobsess

Tagging: @lucy-sky @darlingshane @boliv-jenta

[sturnsbaebackup]

CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS- MATT STURNIOLO

summary: you and matt meet at a wedding where neither of you have anyone to talk to, so you talk to each other.

warnings: drinking & family issues ig?? (this is lowkey based on an actual situation so i apologize that it’s oddly specific 😭)

—

your cousin is getting married tonight, and bless her heart for inviting you to be in the bridal party, but the last thing you ever wanted was to be apart of the wedding, let alone even be at it.

you’ve always been seen as less whenever compared to your cousin, and even your own parents were always fascinated in her. she was the smartest person you’ve ever met and also the prettiest. every family dinner you’d ever have was just filled with questions and conversations for her, and you’d just sit there in silence. no one in your family was ever interested in what you had to say, and you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t killing you inside to see her have an entire night dedicated to her. she always got everything you always longed for.

both sides of her family love her and showed up to her wedding, when you know that wouldn’t be the case for you. the whole entire wedding is just making you want to rip your hair out and curl into a ball, but you need to man up and be supportive. and that’s exactly what you’re doing. as you walk down the isle with your little bouquet of flowers, you watch as all of the eyes look at you with awe. you’ve never felt so appreciated in your life, but that was until you saw how everyone immediately turned to watch as she walked down the aisle. it felt like everyone had forgotten about you nearly instantly.

but what you seem to miss is a brunette boy tucked away somewhere in the first few rows staring right at you. he’s just as bored as you are, but he found it entertaining to his eyes on you practically the whole time. but unfortunately, you never noticed. seeing as you were too focused on trying to not fall asleep while standing in front of everyone.

eventually it’s time for dinner, and you’ve never been more thankful. of course you’re sat at a table with your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. and as expected, the only people who have talked to you have been your parents to tell you how beautiful you look, and they immediately went to join in on other conversations.

you sit through dinner in silence, downing your glass of champagne like you’re at a frat party. your mother glares at you as you nearly finish your second glass, and you just roll your eyes at her. you’re more than capable of pacing yourself, you just need something to take the edge off before you literally rip your hair out.

once dinner finishes, your family starts to linger around the room, leaving you alone at the dinner table. matt is sat a table not too far away from you, and he builds up the courage to come sit next to you. hoping you’re willing to talk to him.

“hey, i’m matt,” he says as he adjusts himself in the chair next to you.

“hi matt, i’m y/n,” you smile, immediately putting your phone down to give the mysterious boy your full attention.

“i saw you earlier and thought you were really pretty, and when i saw you sitting alone i thought it was a good time to take my chance,” he smiles bashfullly.

you chuckle a little, “yeah i’ve been sitting here alone for quite a minute now. you’re basically saving me from being the family outcast right now. so thanks,” you smile nervously. immediately from the look on matt’s face you can tell you’re already saying too much, “shit i’m sorry! that was weird to say… clearly i’ve had a few too many glasses of champagne,” you bite your cheeks awkwardly.

“me and you both, i’ve been drinking a bit too much of god knows what. this wedding is making me want to literally punch the wall,” he admits.

you nearly jump out of your seat when you hear this, “oh my god me too! i’m so glad i’m not alone! can i ask why you’re not having a good time?”

“well, the groom is my old friend from high school. we were never very close, but he was always such a show off. he always got everything he wanted, and it was just really annoying. i have no one to talk to at this wedding, so i’m not really sure why i came honestly. can i ask why you’re not having a good time? i mean you’re a bridesmaid!” he laughs.

“well the bride is my cousin and we were always close, but she was always so much better at everything than me. and like you said about the groom, she always got everything she wanted. maybe that’s why they’re a ‘match made in heaven’ or whatever everyone keeps saying,” you roll your eyes, mocking the people who keep calling the couple that.

“well shit, we really do have a lot in common. i’m glad i came over here. but um can i uh— get your number? maybe?” he asks, scratching the back of his neck.

“of course matt! i’d love that,” you blush.

he smiles at your reply, and you hand each other your phones. after exchanging numbers you both end up talking for about half an hour, before your mother begins practically dragging you away to come take a picture with her. you apologize for leaving matt, but he just gives you a teethy grin as he watches you walk away, admiring as you do so.

maybe coming to the wedding wasn’t so awful after all.

[toasty-melons]

Escaping Jackson (Part 3)

Ellie x reader

Part 3 of 6

i’m about to slow burn the fuck out of this series

Part 1 :) || Part 2 :)

After Ellie and Joel officially move into Jackson, Maria gives you the job of being Ellie’s partner on patrols. While Ellie is adjusting into Jackson, you’re planning on escaping it.

TW: mentions of deceased parents, swearing?

Tags: @kyleeservopoulos @nellbedumb @muthafuckingstargirl @s1decha

The town was quiet.. and cold. Most people having already turned in for the night, but there were still a few stragglers that passed by you. You cross your arms over your chest to hopefully keep some of the cold out and to help warm yourself up. Ellie walks beside you, her hands in her hoodie pocket. The walk is quiet. A bit tense but not uncomfortable per say.

You open your mouth to speak. Say something. Literally say anything. Nothing could be worse than this silence right now. You turn your head to face Ellie and she meets your eyes.

“…” You’re mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. Wow. Nothing? Really? She tilts her head in confusion or as a go ahead to continue you’re not sure.

Wow. This is embarrassing for you. You close your mouth and turn away to watch your feet. You hear her laughing. Glancing over at her and you find she’s still looking at you. This is so humiliating. You can feel your face heating up, thankfully it’s dark.

“Sorry don’t mean to laugh at you. That was just cute.” You bite your tongue before you say something rude. Cute? You face starts to feel even hotter. This is one way to warm up.

“Sorry.. i’m not good at small talk.” She gives you a small smile, one that says she understands what you mean.

“Yeah i’m not too good at it either. As you’ve probably noticed.” She chuckles awkwardly and you shrug.

“Well you’re better at it than me.” She nods and gives you a grin.

“Yeah.. I guess I am.” You scoff with a slight smile on your face and playfully bump your shoulder into hers.

“Rude.” She laughs a bit harder and pushes back.

“Just being honest.” You roll your eyes at her and try your hardest to tone down your smile. Mumbling a ‘whatever’ under your breath.

…

You walk down the street with Ellie, you’re both laughing you’re asses off at some totally stupid pun Ellie made moments before. Since you both had just ate it made walking outside much more bearable with stomachs full.

“That was the stupidest thing i’ve ever heard.” You clutch your stomach as a fit of giggles escapes your lips, completely contradicting with your statement. Ellie grins proudly and lifts her chin up.

“Yeah but you still laughed.” You roll your eyes as you start to calm down and catch your breath. The whole time you guys ate, Ellie was cracking jokes left and right. After about the fifth one she finally got you choke on your drink. You look ahead to see your house a little ways away and a feeling of disappointment takes over you. That’s weird.

“Hey um.. since we don’t have patrol tomorrow, you wanna keep hanging out? You totally don’t have too if you don’t want to.” You glance at Ellie and the back to your house. Maybe not a good idea. She wants to hang out with you. Does she? It could be fun.

“Well there’s not much to do at my place. It’s pretty boring.” Ellie is quick to respond. Her hand flying up and pointing her thumb towards a different direction then the one you’re going.

“We could go to my place? I borrowed some movies from Dina, we could watch one or two.” Dina. You could feel yourself internally cringe at the mere mention of her name. Oh god. She’s friends with Dina.

“Uh yeah we could do that. That sounds.. fun.” She immediately lights up at your agreement.

“Cool cool.” You smile softly as Ellie walks a bit closer to now, changing directions and heading to her house.

…

“You.. live in a shed.” You try to hold back your giggles. It’s not funny. It’s really not. It’s just.. unexpected yet, not that surprising.

“It’s not a shed.. It’s a garage and it would have been weird to live in the house with Joel.” You cover your mouth with your fingers to try and contain your self. Ellie bends down to untie her shoes, as you take a quick look around.

“I’m not judging you or anything.” She scoffs with a grin on her face which lets you know she’s not really offended.

“Then why’d ya laugh? Huh?” A few giggles slip out and you cover your face with your hands and peak through your fingers. Once she finally manages to yank her shoes off she stand up and makes her way over to a small shelf, scarce with just a few movies. “So I got some horror, action, romance.. please don’t say romance, aaand some mystery.”

You walk over to where she’s squatted and you bend down next to her. Your arms wrapped around your knees and your head resting against your arms. You run your eyes over all the movie options quietly. You can feel her gaze on you. She stares a lot. Don’t look it’ll be weird. You meet her gaze and as you’ve already guessed, she’s already looking. Dammit.

Giving her a small, somewhat awkward smile you point to the movie title that caught you’re attention the most. She takes a couple of seconds but eventually looks away from you and instead looks at the movie you picked out.

“Ah.. action. I more of a horror girl but this is a good movie.” It’s not one of Dina’s. Maybe it is. Maybe she got new ones that you haven’t seen. Probably. Two of them were hers. They were her favorite movies actually. She gave Ellie her favorite movies. Maybe she found new favorite movies.-

“Hey.. you okay?” You’re thoughts are cut short by Ellie’s soft voice. It’s comforting. Like Dina’s.

“Yeah i’m good. Sorry just.. spaced out.” She looks at you for a moment, trying to see if your lying.

“Okay. Come on i’ll start the movie.” Must’ve gotten better at lying. Or she just doesn’t care. You follow her over to the couch after she starts the movie and sit down next to her. Leaving enough space for another person. You lean back and rest against the couch.

Immediately the day catches up with you and a sudden feeling of drowsiness takes over. You sit up a bit straighter to help keep yourself awake.

“You can take your shoes off.” You glance at her and then at your feet, wiggling your toes in your boots. Leaning down you pull them off and pull your legs into yourself, sitting cross legged. “Better?” You nod and give her a sweet smile.

“I’m gonna go change out of these jeans, i’ll be right back ‘kay?” She speaks softly as she stands up. You nod and give her a little thumbs up. She gives you a quick smile and grabs some comfy pants and walks into her bathroom, shutting the door to change.

You find your eyes wondering around the building. Staying put where you are on the couch, your gaze roams lazily, a yawn escaping your lips. You notice her messy bed and desk. The tiny, makeshift kitchen area. Has Dina been here before? The bathroom door swings open and Ellie is walking out jeans in hands as she throws them around the corner behind her bed. You watch as she approaches closer and plops down beside you, much closer this time. The couch bounces slightly, waking you up a little.

“So.. what’d I miss?” Oh. The movie.

“Did you get this from Dina?” It’s clear that she’s caught completely off guard by your question and to be honest so are you. What. The actual Fuck. Is wrong with you.

“Uh.. no. I found it.. on patrol.. Why?” She furrows her brows and you shrug.

“Just wondering.” You mumble and if she weren’t close she wouldn’t have heard it. Yeah because that’s totally convincing.

“You friends with Dina?” You pick at your fingers, fighting the sudden urge to bite them. You wanna bite them off you’re so angry with yourself for asking.

“No..” She pauses at your answer before speaking again.

“Did you two used to date?” You’re heart drops. It drops so hard. Her question makes you sick to your stomach and you’re breathing stop. You glance over at her and meet her eyes for a moments. Choosing not to answer.

“Wow. I mean I knew you gave off the vibes of liking women but.. Dina? Especially with the whole Jesse thing?” You bite the inside of your lip and look away. You’re so fucked. She’s gonna hate you now.

“They weren’t together.. and it was a long time ago. And I don’t like girls.. we were just.. experimenting.” Lie. A big fat lie. You can feel her watching you. The movie long forgotten and now just background noise.

“Ah.. well, that’s not what Dina said.” Her statement makes your head whip around to face her. Dina talked about you? Why?

“What? What did she say?” You can feel the panic grow in your chest. Did Dina out you? She wouldn’t. She might’ve. She wouldn’t do that. Would she?

“Gotcha.” You watch as her grin slowly grows on her face, confusion written all over yours.

“Dina didn’t say anything about you guys dating.. but you’re face totally did. You’re totally into girls and girls alone.” What. The. Fuck. How did she-? “But I mean no judgement I promise. I definitely understand why you would go for Dina.” You feel your chest tighten. Weird.

“You’re.. unbelievably.. ridiculous, Ellie Williams.” She grins wider and takes an awkward bow.

“Thank you thank you. And if you makes you feel any better about me knowing, I like girls too.” You stop picking your fingers. You stop moving. You probably stopped breathing for a few moments too. Again. Unexpected yet.. not surprising. You nod and feel a small smile replace your features.

“That actually.. that does make me feel better honestly. I don’t know why.” She nods and leans back further into the couch.

“Wow.. so you dated Dina. The Dina. What was it like? Does she have like a secret sweet side to her that she only reveals to her lovers?” You smile fondly at her joking tone. A bittersweet feeling bubbling in your chest.

“I can’t believe you’re making me relive this.. Dina was most definitely flirty. But.. she was sweet and caring. She’s actually really caring. No matter how hard she tries to seem tough, she’s too good of a person to say no when someone she cares about needs her.” Ellie listens intently and when you glance over at her you feel your mouth go dry. She looks really pretty right now. Stop. Please do not. Do not do this right now. Shut it down. Shut the feelings down. You don’t have time for feelings.

“Yeah.. a bit hard to believe but I see it. If you don’t mind me asking.. what made you guys.. uh, break up?” You don’t blame her for being nosy. It almost seems comforting that she cares so much about it. Almost.

“… We broke up a few months after my parents passed away.” You swallowed the lump that started to form in your throat. Holy fuck. Do not cry in front of her. “It was my fault we didn’t work out. I shut down and shut people out. I stopped leaving my house.“ Ellie was quiet and completely still, her full attention on you. You’ve never been this open about it. She’s so easy to talk to. “Dina came over one day and I just.. blew up on her. Said some really awful things to her and told her I never wanted to see her again.”

You could feel a weight slide off your shoulder at the confession. Ellie is silent. Feeing your cheeks heat up, you fiddle with your hands nervously. You opened up too fast. Too much.

“I don’t think she hates you.. if you’re worried about that.” You scoff at this and give her a slight frown. Yeah right.

“I seriously doubt it. I don’t blame her if she does hate me.” You don’t blame her. You blame you. It’s your own fault after all.

“Dina actually did ask about you when she found out you were my patrol partner. Asked how you were doing and if you looked healthy. I don’t think someone who hates you would ask those things.” You furrow your brows. She could be lying. Why would she lie about that? Dina doesn’t hate you?

“.. Really?” Ellie nods and you feel another weight lift off of you. A small smile growing on your face. “That’s.. really relieving to hear.” You try to stifle the yawn that escapes but you’re too tired to fight it. You eyes makes their way to the forgotten movie. Scooting down further into the comfortable couch.

“If you want you can crash here.” You shake your head and cross your arms.

“No no.. i’m good. I’m not even that tired.” It’s clear that you’re drooping eyes tell a different story but you just feel like being stubborn.

“Oh-kay. If you say so.” You can hear the smile on her face and you purse your lips as you keep your eyes on the movie.

…

You feel a strong grip on your shoulders and a feeling like you’re being shaken. It’s dark. You hear a voice. Faintly. They’re saying your name. Wake up.

You’re eyes fly open and you shoot up from where you’re sitting but you don’t go far because of something weighing you down. They’re hands on your shoulders. Someone is weighing you down.

Ellie.

Ellie.

“Woah hey hey.. it’s just me. You’re fine. You’re okay.” Her voice is soothing. Calm. Calm down. You can feel your heartbeat in your ears. You’re chest is heaving and your breaths are ragged. Calm down. You feel her grip on you loosen but she doesn’t let go.

“You fell asleep and after a while you started talking. You were having a nightmare and you got pretty upset so I decided to wake you up.” You place your hands over her arms, squeezing onto them, grounding yourself. You finally nod, taking in her words. Her eyebrows are furrowed and she’s clearly worried.

“I.. what did I.. i’m sorry.” She gives you a sympathetic smile and shakes her head. You don’t move as she places the back of her hand against your forehead.

“Don’t apologize. It was just a nightmare. I used to get them all the time..” Her hands slides down from your forehead to your cheek, “You’re face is warm but I don’t think it’s a fever.” You simply nod at her words. You’re heart beating fast. “Deep breaths.. There ya go.” You listen to her words and slow you’re breathing, yet your heart is still pounding.

She’s really close to your face. Like really close. Now is not the time. It’s hard to tear away from her gaze but you do. You notice a grey blanket laying over your legs that wasn’t there before. It must be Ellie’s. It finally clicks why Ellie hasn’t backed away from you when you feel your arms starting to get tired. You let go of her and she slowly pulls her arms away from you.

“You okay?” How embarrassing. You nod and glance up at her through your lashes. She tilts her head and gives you another smile. “You sure?” You’re heart tightens and your stomach flips.

“Mhmm. Just a bad dream.” She nods and takes a seat beside you, sitting with one leg pulled in and the other dangling off the edge.

“.. Wanna talk about it?” Staring off at something on her floor, a book of some sort, you shrug and lean back into the couch.

“I don’t remember it.” You can see her nod beside you.

“Okay. Wanna watch another movie. Take you’re mind off of it.” Thinking the offer over, you nod. Humming a quiet ‘mhm.’ You feel her move and stand up from the spot beside you.

Why can’t you remember? Why won’t you remember? What did you say in your sleep?

You snap out of your thoughts for a few moments when you feel something pushing against your shoulder. Not pushing. Leaning. Ellie is leaning herself against you.

Slowly relaxing all your muscles, you lean back into her touch. Ellie shifts down in her seat, making you two sit even closer against one another. She’s warm.

“.. Thank you Ellie.” She doesn’t answer you with words and instead gives a small ‘mhm’ in return. Drowsiness takes over but you fight it harder this time. Scared to go back into that dream again. The one you don’t remember. The one you never remember. You choose to stare at the tv instead. Pouring all your attention into the movie in front of you. Distracting yourself enough to forget but not enough to fall asleep.

After a while you look over at Ellie and see that she’s fallen asleep. She looks peaceful. The usual slight tenseness dissolved from her features. It makes her look younger. She’s right there, you’ll be fine. Not being able to fight sleep any longer you lean your head against her shoulder and close your eyes. A peaceful sleep quickly finding you.

[snackara]

A Million Dreams Are Keeping Me Awake (Mageborns Prequel)

They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy They can say, they can say we’ve lost our minds I don’t care, I don’t care if they call us crazy Runaway to a world that we design

Clara found Atticus on the rooftop. He was lying against a short brick wall, staring up at the stars above with his hands behind his head. He didn’t notice Clara approaching him until she spoke.

“What are you doing up here?” she asked, sitting beside him and adjusting her skirt.

“I’m just trying to clear my head,” Atticus replied, not looking away from the sky. “Are you sure your parents are okay with letting us stay here? I don’t want either of us to be a burden on them.”

“Oh, nonsense. You and Will are welcome to stay as long as you need to,” Clara said.

There was silence for a few minutes as they stared up at the stars. Finally Clara spoke up again. “So, what are your plans going forward?”

Atticus shrugged, sitting up. “Find a job to make ends meet until Will graduates and gets his own job. Then maybe I can go off and work with dragons like I’ve always wanted to.”

Clara nodded, resting her chin on her knees. “Dragons, huh? Sounds kind of…” she hesitated, trying to find the right word.

“Foolish? Halfwitted? Idiotic?” Atticus finished for her, a faint trace of a smile on his lips.

“I was going to say dangerous, but I suppose that works too,” Clara said. Atticus didn’t seem offended by this comment. Clara and him were good enough friends that little joking jabs like that were normal. “I mean, they’re dragons Atticus. They’re big fire-breathing beasts that do more harm than good.”

Atticus pointed a finger at Clara. “And that’s why I want to work with them. To prove that sort of thinking wrong.” He added as he saw Clara’s brows furrow in confusion. “They’re not monsters, they’re animals. And I want to show people that. I want to show other mages they shouldn’t be feared or hunted, but respected. Not just dragons either. Drakes, Lindwurms, Wyverns, all the animals that fall under draconology. If I just study them and educate myself enough, I can educate others and change their minds about dragons.”

Clara sat in silence for a moment, a little stunned by Atticus’s sudden burst of passion. “You’ve been thinking about this for a long while, haven’t you?”

“Of course,” Atticus beamed. “It’s one of those dreams that keeps me up at night. I want to leave the world better then I found it, and I think becoming a draconologist is the best shot I have at doing so.”

“Well, I know you will. And hey, maybe if that doesn’t work out you can come be a professor with me,” Clara said.

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Atticus said softly.

The two stared at each other for a few minutes. It was moments like these that made Clara wonder if Atticus liked her as more than just a friend. That warmth in his eyes when he looked at her. The way he seemed so much more comfortable around her than he did most people. How he smiled at her. But she thought if he did feel that way, he would have said something by now. She certainly wouldn’t mind if he did…

Clara cleared her throat and stood up, brushing herself off. “We should go back inside and get some sleep. Especially you.”

“I suppose so,” Atticus stood up and walked towards the door that led into the apartments. Clara followed quietly. She really hoped Atticus could become a draconologist one day. Perhaps even settle down with a nice lady and raise a family of his own. After the things he had endured for seventeen years, he deserved it.

But as Clara would come to discover years later, fate had different plans.

Author Notes

So yeah, I’ve recently been revisiting The Greatest Showman soundtrack and this particular song has become stuck in my head. I thought the first part fit child Atticus very well. But the rest of the song didn’t fit adult Atticus very well, especially the random woman. But when I thought of TEENAGE Atticus however, it lined up a lot better. So I got some inspiration to write a quick scene about him and Clara. I think the reprise of this song fits very well, but for very different, much sadder reasons down the line.

This takes place the day Atticus and Will left their abusive aunt. It was a very impulsive decision, thus they didn’t have anywhere to go. Except for Atticus’s one friend Clara’s home. Thankfully her parents were very kind and empathetic, especially after hearing their story.

I wanted to really show off how Atticus was before Will died and he was branded as a traitor. He had seen a lot, but he tried to not let that affect him. He remained really optimistic and kind, if not still very shy and reserved. He wanted to make the world a better place, even if he was seen as stupid for it. He’s a good person at heart. But that heart has been broken so many times, it’s hard to see.

Also I thought Clara thinking Atticus had a crush on her would be funny. Like no honey, he gay. You’re just the person he feels safest around besides Will.

And scene. Hope you enjoyed this snippet between my characters. It’s very rough, but I thought it was cute and just had to write it down. Might come back and polish or add to it later.

[monkeythefander]

A Witch and a Baby

Chapter 1: Prologue- The Day Logan Became a Dad

Content Warnings: None that I know of (let me know if I missed anything in the comments)

Summary: Logan lived by himself and didn’t exactly have any friends, until a baby suddenly appeared in his life.

(Aka: Logan’s guide to becoming a dad and making friends)

Click see more to read the fanfic.

It was late in the evening, and Logan was relaxing in his cottage in the Sanders woods. These woods are home to all sorts of magical beings. Logan happens to be a witch.

Logan was reading a mystery novel as he sat on his lounge chair in front of his fireplace. He was about to move onto the next chapter of his book when he heard a knock on his door. Logan waits for a moment before getting up, not expecting any visitors. He doesn’t exactly have any friends. The knock happens again, so Logan finally gets up and answers the door.

Outside of his house stood his ex-mentor, The Dragon Witch. Logan had first heard of the powerful witch with a dragon tattoo on her wrist as a teenager, and wanted to learn magic from her. When Logan turned 18, he went off to ask her for an opportunity to be her apprentice. She accepted him as her apprentice and he learned from her for four years. She taught him a lot of spells and gave him a place to stay so he could move out of his parents’ house. A few months ago, a now 22-year-old Logan felt that she couldn’t teach him anything else and decided to go off and keep studying magic on his own. So Logan told the Dragon Witch he was going off on his own, bought a cottage that was a good distance from a small village and made it his home. He told her where he was moving to in case she ever needed to speak to him. However, Logan didn’t expect his former mentor to want to see him again, since she seemed disappointed when he left.

“Hi, Logan. Long time no see.” The Dragon Witch says with a small smile on her face. It’s at this moment that Logan notices she’s holding something in her arms.

“Salutations, Ms. Dragon Witch. What brings you here this evening?” Logan asks curiously, while looking closely at whatever is in her arms.

“Oh, you don’t have to be so formal with me dear. You may not be my apprentice anymore, but you can still call me by my name.” She says.

“Okay, Delaney. Now, please tell me, what brings you here? And what’s that in your arms?” Logan says, tapping his foot slightly out of impatience.

“Oh, you mean this little one.” She says as she adjusts the thing in her arms to reveal it’s a baby wrapped in a blanket. The baby has a little bit of dark brown hair on their head and green scales on the left side of their face. They are asleep at the moment.

“Why do you have a baby? You always used to say you didn’t want to or have time to care for children.” Logan asks, staring at the baby in shock and confusion.

Delaney chuckles before responding. “Well, I had a bit of a potion mishap. I was trying to create a baby dragon for myself. After you left I’ve been wanting a companion, but none of the typical pets really like me. I thought I might as well live up to my name and create a dragon. But I seem to have messed up the potion somehow and ended up with this baby boy. He has scales, so the potion somewhat worked. His scales seem more snake-like though.”

“Okay…and why did you bring him here to meet me? I haven’t taken care of any babies before so if you need parenting advice I don’t think I’ll be of any help.” Logan says and crosses his arms.

“Don’t think so little of your skills Logan. You’d make a way better parent than I ever could. That’s actually why I brought this baby here. I want to give him to you.” Delaney says with a smile on her face. Logan stares at her in shock. He hasn’t seen her since he left her apprenticeship and now she reappears to ask him to raise a baby for her.

Delaney continues before Logan can try and argue against her idea. “You’re very smart and reliable Logan. Way more reliable than me. I’m always traveling to sell potions and gather ingredients to make more. I wouldn’t be able to provide a child with a stable home life. You on the other hand, from what I’ve heard from the village residents as I searched for you, tend to stay in one place. You keep to yourself and are frequently home. And you’re also very smart, so I know you’ll be able to figure out parenting on your own. You’re also the only person I trust with important things, like this baby. I wouldn’t want to send him to an orphanage or leave him on a random doorstep. So please, can you take care of this baby for me?” Logan stared at her for a moment, caught off guard by her kind words. Back when he worked for her, she did compliment him, but never this much.

“Are you completely handing over guardianship to me? Or do you still want to be involved in his life?” Logan asks.

“I’d like to be able to visit him when I can, but I wouldn’t want to be a parent. Maybe I’d consider myself his aunt. While you were my assistant I did start to feel like you were a younger brother I was trying to keep out of trouble.” Delaney says.

Logan sighs, “I didn’t cause that much trouble for you. Yes, some of my spells resulted in the cottage getting messed up but it was easy to fix. Anyways, okay, I’m fine with you being the aunt. And I guess I’ll take over the parental role for you since you trust me so much.”

“Oh, thank you Logan. I promise to visit and help out when I can. For now, here he is.” Delaney then hands Logan the baby. Logan carefully adjusts the infant in his arms and rocks him, trying to keep him calm since he woke up due to being put in someone else’s arms. The boy has one golden eye on the scaled side of his face and a brown eye on the other side.

“Does he have a name yet?” Logan asks. Delaney shakes her head no.

“I thought you should be the one to name him, since you’re going to be his dad. So, what will you name him?”

Logan then looks down at the baby boy in his arms and tries to think of a creative name. He then remembers being told about a certain god as a kid, and felt that the name would fit this child well.

“I’m going to name him Janus.” Logan says and the Dragon Witch smiles in response.

“That’s a lovely name, Logan.” She replies. Then she glances at her watch and sees how late it’s gotten. “I should probably go now, and let you and Janus get settled. I have to travel to sell some potions tomorrow, but I promise to come and visit again when I get back. Goodnight Logan.” Delaney waves goodbye before walking away into the night. Logan watched her go before stepping back into his house and closing the door with one hand, holding Janus with his other arm.

“I guess it’s just you and me now, Janus. I’ll do my best to take care of you. We can go to the village tomorrow to get some things for you.” Logan says to the baby, who makes a squeaking noise.

End notes: Thanks for reading. This is my first time trying to write a multi chapter story, so please leave a comment, like, or reblog if you’ve enjoyed so I’ll know you want me to continue this story.

Link to next part: https://www.tumblr.com/monkeythefander/737266270016241664/a-witch-and-a-baby-chapter-2-logan-makes-a

Link to this fanfic on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52055863/chapters/131648824

[sprngwillcomeagain]

Hannix (Phoenix x Hangman, Natasha x Jake) AU: sweet nothings (they’re everything to me) update 🌟

link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44637271/chapters/112296133

(to the first 7 chapters!)

—

Hi, hello! Jen here. I’m not entirely sure who is still reading this fic but I hope someone out there is glad to know that I’m 8k words into the next chapter and I’m a little more than halfway through!

Natasha and Jake have been such a joy to write as a COUPLE (god. finally. I’ve been waiting for this moment for the whole 50k words of this fic before this chapter) and I’m reallyyyy trying to fluff things out as best I can to give you all the lovey gooey relationship affection between these two (with my usual sprinkle of angst of course)

I just wanted to give a little heads-up! It’s coming very soon. I plan to have it published by Monday (all things going well ofc) and I CANNOT WAITTTT!!

If anyone has been waiting for the next chapter since May, I thank you so much for waiting and I hope it makes you so happy.

……

Ready for a teaser?

……

"Where's everyone?" She asks. "The halls have been quiet since I got up this morning."

Jake presses a kiss against her forehead, "Maverick took them to check out this museum in town after breakfast. I know Bob and Javy wanted to host some sort of game night at Penny's tonight so they shouldn't be gone too long. Mav said they'd be back by lunch."

It goes unsaid but completely noticed that Jake had stood behind for her, and she feels warmth spread throughout her at how worried he must’ve been for her this morning just because she was so worried and anxious about talking to her parents.

Nat perks up slowly, resting a hand on his chest as she leans on her elbow. She has no reason to be anxious now, not when she thinks of their plans for the night. “Do you think they know how badly they're about to lose at Pictionary? We almost wiped the floor with them last time and I refuse to lose again.”

"I don't know about that, Nat,” Jake teased with ease, twirling one of her curls with his fingers. "Bob seemed pretty eager in dominos and Pictionary last time. He carried himself to first place and I actually would've been afraid of him if Mickey wasn't his partner."

"Mickey does make everything fun no matter what, doesn't he?" Nat agreed, dropping her arm and nuzzling back into her boyfriend's arms. She adjusts and gets comfortable again before saying the words she has been thinking of ever since she ended the call with her parents. "I feel really lucky to have you guys in my life. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Her vulnerability doesn't go unnoticed as Jake hugs her as tight as he can, pressing another kiss against her head with a hand cradling her cheek like she was one of the most precious things in the world to him.

"I feel lucky, too." He whispered to her. "I think all I feel is lucky when it comes to knowing you." A pause, "when it comes to loving you."

Nat doesn't cry but she spends a few minutes fighting the tears back before falling asleep cuddled up to the sound of the television on low and her boyfriend’s heartbeat under her ear.

—

There’s a tonnnn more where this came from. I can’t wait for you guys to see. Happy late thanksgiving!

[skylarmoon71]

Clark Kent (Smallville) Short Story - Chapter 23

The entire encounter feels unreal.

You’re gazing at the marriage license that’s framed on the wall.

Matt and Gail Morgan.

You never thought you’d have the chance to ever see them like this. You try to take it all in. The house that you literally grew up in. Not much has changed except for the furniture and some adjustments to the exterior. It’s apparent that Harry bought the house so you would have some part of your parents with you.

“So you really are my daughter.” Matt asks.

It’s going to take a moment to grasp, but he can’t deny the familiarity. It’s almost like he’d recognized you the second he saw you despite never meeting you.

You nod.

It’s impossible for this not to feel strange. You understand. You’re also surprised that they are both taking it so well. You fully expected that they would run the second you tried to tell them where you’re from.

What you’ve been through.

It’s obvious that your mother is aware of your father’s supernatural abilities.

Apparently your earlier assumption was wrong. You hadn’t just jumped to an alternate reality. This whole time it seems that you've been stepping through different points in time.

Somehow you ended up in the past.

“I..I traveled here from the future. I was trying to control it. I’ve been bouncing around the universe all week.”

Once again, just saying that out loud feels crazy, but your father smiles and your mother rubs her belly.

“You know when he told me he was a mutant I thought he was just trying to impress me. I guess you do take after your dad.” Gail says.

He smiles.

“I told you she did. My little bean is a prodigy just like her old man. It’s only been a week and she’s already time leaping.”

Your brows furrow.

“Time leaping?”

He nods.

“My abilities, our abilities.”

He corrects, gesturing with a smile.

“It allows us to move from any space in time. We alter the natural laws of the universe. It’s genetic. My great grandfather used to write notes about our powers. Where they came from. According to my dad, our family was given this as a gift for a selfless deed. A great sacrifice.”

Just the idea is remarkable.

“That’s incredible.”

He nods.

“As magical as it sounds, our powers do come with a cost. Every time I’ve heard it the story changed, but the essence of it stays the same. Our abilities are meant to help others. To heal. If it’s ever used to exploit others then the user is said to face great consequences. They’d be stripped of their abilities.”

Your expression falls, because that sounds exactly like what happened to Aaron.

They notice and Gail reaches over, taking Matt’s hand.

This entire time you’ve had these powers just waiting to be unlocked. Aaron had the same and not once did he try to bring them back. To save them. There’s a bitter feeling in the pit of your stomach. You feel like you’ve been robbed of so much.

But now, sitting there with your parents, you want nothing more than to confess it all. If this is the past, then you can change it.

You can change everything.

“Mom, Dad you-”

He took your hand, shaking his head.

“You can’t change the past.”

Fear rushes over your face.

“I-I can!! You just said that I’m supposed to help! I’m trying to help, let me help!!”

“I can’t. You’re not supposed to alter events. Every gift has a rule. I know you understand that.”

You wish you could deny it. Feign obliviousness, but you know for a fact that he’s right. Who knows what would happen. It didn’t stop you from hoping.

Looking down, you squeeze his hands.

“I’ve always wanted to meet you..both of you.”

Matt wears a broad smile.

“I always knew you’d grow into an incredible woman. You’re just as strong willed and beautiful as your mother.”

His hand moves to your cheek, and you look up, unable to truly stop the tears this time.

“No matter what happens in the future, we’re proud of you. Everything that you’ve accomplished, even if we weren’t there to see, I know that you’re destined for incredible things.”

The tears are gushing down at this point, and he wraps a hand around you, your mother doing the same. They both hug you and at that very moment, you can almost feel the extent of their love, as if they’ve been with you all this time.

“It’s time for you to go home.”

It’s a whisper.

You’d like nothing more than to stay there forever, but he’s right.

You sob, holding on tighter, because you can feel it. This time it isn’t so much a pull. It’s like you can visualize where you want to go.

Where you need to go.

“I love you both so much.” You express.

“We love you too.”

The words feel like a song, and you close your eyes, this time willing yourself forward, because you know exactly what’s on the other side. 

[toboldlywrite]

Star Saga Star Trek AU

Episode 1 Part 2

1.1

Deep Space Nine

Adjusting her combadge for the thirtieth time, Ella Sanders stepped off of the turbolift and onto the Promenade. In the bustle of dozens of people of dozens of different races rushing this way and that, it should have been easy to blend in. But of course, she was the only person wearing a Starfleet uniform in sight. She kept feeling like everyone’s eyes were on her, even though everyone she glanced at was busy with their own business.

It’s all in your head, she told herself, taking a deep breath and winding through the current of people to get to the opposite wall. You’ll get used to wearing this uniform eventually.

She found herself right outside of the doorway to the station’s bar--Quark’s. It was noisy and chaotic, but so was everywhere else, really. At least in there, everyone’s attention was on the strange spinning tables in the back. Or maybe it was more on the scantily clad attendants who stood around them yelling “dabo!” She spotted a couple other Starfleet uniforms scattered around the place, so she slipped inside and took a seat on the stool closest to the door. A quick glance at the (weirdly small) clock behind the counter told her she still had about an hour before it was time to report to the ship. She didn’t want to be too early. One of her upper classman mentors had warned her about that early on at the Academy.

“And what can I get for you… Ensign?”

Ella jumped slightly on her stool. The Ferengi bartender had managed to sneak up on her, being considerably lower down than the clock she’d been staring at.

“I, uh. Some tea, please.”

“Tarkalean? Some Earth blend? Earl Gray?”

“Tarkalean, please.”

“Coming right up.” The bartender turned to the replicator behind the bar, and turned back with a full, clear mug. “Let me guess. First mission jitters?”

“How did you know?” Ella took the mug, keeping it on the counter with her hands wrapped around it, seeping up the warmth.

“I’ve seen that look thousands of times. Lots of officers come through here for their first missions. And let me tell you, it is a special privilege to get to see them off.”

“Oh. Well. Thank you?”

“Don’t thank me yet. I have a little something that will make this moment an even more special one.” He pulled a long, thin box from underneath the counter and placed it right before her. “Here. A memento to celebrate the momentous occasion.” A bunch of small jewels glistened in the lights over the bar.

“Oh. I don’t--”

“Just think of how thrilled your parents will be to get a gift commemorating your first mission. They must be so proud. Or any member of your family,” he added, seeing her expression.

Her grip tightened around her mug. “My family is dead.” Or dead to me.

The Ferengi swept his momentary look of panic off his face and somewhere under the bar. “I am very sorry to hear that. It’s too bad they couldn’t see how far you’ve come. I’ll tell you what, I’ll throw in a bonus jewel. To honor them. And I’m sure you have someone who would like a token. A friend. Guardian. Mentor. Or even one for yourself! Why not splurge a little on this--”

“Quark, are you scamming new officers again?”

The bartender jumped at the new voice, scrambling to close the box and push it out of sight. A tall woman in a Starfleet science uniform strolled up to the bar, eyebrows raised as she appraised the Ferengi. Ella noted the spots on the sides of her face and trailing down her neck, and the tendrils flowing from her head like transparent tentacles. A Trill.

“Jadzia! What a pleasant surprise.”

The woman slid into the stool next to Ella, and she noticed there was another Starfleet officer behind her. This one a young, Asian man in operations gold.

“I told you to cut that out earlier. You know they never carry money on them.” She turned to Ella, and she saw Lieutenant-Commander’s pips on her collar. “Don’t mind him. Underneath that greedy, capitalist exterior, he’s really not that bad.”

Quark hissed at her, setting down a drink. “I’ll have you know that my greedy capitalist exterior is my best feature.”

“Lieutenant-Commander Dax,” Jadzia said, holding out a hand to Ella. “This is Ensign Harry Kim. I rescued him from Quark earlier.”

The name rang a bell in Ella’s mind. “You’re assigned to the Voyager too,” she said, taking Harry’s hand.

He looked surprised. “How did you know?”

She flushed, pulling her hand away to pick up the mug again. “I uh… I memorized the crew roster. I thought maybe it would be harder to forget people’s names as I met them that way.”

Harry laughed. “Maybe I should’ve done that. Sounds like a good idea. I was just going to head over to the ship now. Want to come?”

Being too early didn’t seem so bad now. It had to be better than staying here and getting scammed. “Sure.” She stood, nodding to Dax. “Thanks. For the rescue.”

“Anytime.” She winked over a sip of her drink. “Good luck out there.”

“Are you fresh out of the Academy too?” Harry asked as they continued down the Promenade.

“Yeah. First assignment.” She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The tea hadn’t done much to help them, for once.

“I’m nervous too,” Harry said. “But hey, it’s only a couple weeks. A simple search and rescue mission. And when we get back, the nerves will be gone!”

Ella doubted that, but she couldn’t help smiling slightly at his optimism.

They made their way up to the docking ring, and Ella’s nerves went even more taught. It’s alright, she told herself over and over. You’ve memorized the schematic. You know exactly where to go. Quarters, sick bay, check in at the Coms station, assignment. There’s nothing to worry about.

“I’m surprised we have science officers on this mission,” Harry said. “Although I guess maybe Starfleet wants to take the opportunity to study the Badlands.”

“Maybe, but I’m actually a Communications Officer.”

“Oh. I see. So you’ll be doing the bulk of the work looking for the Maquis ship.”

“I guess so. I’m just a junior officer, so I’ll really be doing what the seniors tell me to do.”

“Sounds nice,” Harry said with a sigh. “I’m the senior operations officer, but I’ll be the most junior senior officer on the ship.”

“A senior officer? Right out of the Academy? How did you land that?”

“Just lucky I guess. I was top of my class, and this is considered a low-risk mission. Don’t get me wrong, I’m honored, really. But it’s a lot of pressure.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Ella said as they approached the airlock leading to Voyager. “Like you said, simple search and rescue.”

They stepped into the ship, and Ella took a deep breath. She was always doing that--Claire used to joke that Ella’s main sense was smell. She always took in new situations with every sense she could, imprinting them onto her memory. Voyager smelled a bit like a hotel; almost artificially clean, but in a good way. It was a brand new ship, after all. Fresh out of space dock. She had spent hours studying the ship’s specs, committing the layout to memory. But it didn’t take long for her to realize that there was a big difference between seeing the layout on a PADD and actually walking the halls of a starship. Fortunately, Harry seemed to know where he was going.

“I’m going to stop by sick bay first,” Harry said as they walked. “I don’t know about you, but I’d like to know where it is.”

“Me too. I also need to stop by anyway.” She didn’t tell him why, pulling on one of her sleeves subconsciously instead. The rash wasn’t visible on her hand anymore, but sometimes she swore she could still feel it anyway. She was so busy glancing down at her wrist she followed Harry around a corner and nearly walked right into someone wearing civilian clothing.

“Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t see--” she stopped, the person’s face registering… as familiar. “Tobias?”

“Ella.” He sounded as surprised as she was, though definitely for a different reason. Last she’d heard, he was in prison, at least a couple years away from getting out. But here he was, looking just as he had the last time she’d seen him. “You’re in Starfleet,” he said, staring at her like she was covered with blood instead of a uniform.

“Yeah. Just graduated from the Academy. What are you doing here?”

“I’m… I was asked to help out with this mission. And you… you’re working here?”

“Communications officer.”

Tobias kept staring at her, a whole procession of emotions passing over his face. Far too many for someone with Vulcan blood. “I can’t believe you joined Starfleet. After everything--” he stopped himself. “But if this is where you want to be, I’m happy for you. It’s good to see you again, El.”

“No.” The word came out as a snarl through her clenched jaw. “You don’t get to call me that. You don’t get to judge me, pretend to be proud of me. You don’t get to do any of that.”

“What are you--”

She hardly registered her own movement. One second, she was raising her hand. The next, her palm stung and Tobias jerked back, hand on his cheek. “You abandoned me!” Her hand throbbed in time with her heart. “I lost everything and you just… you just ran off. For what? To play some stupid revenge game? Against people who weren’t even to blame? And how did that work out for you? For years, I thought you were dead, And then I find out you got arrested instead. And not even a word to me.”

“El--” he started, but stopped at the look on her face.

“Don’t even try to say sorry. You know what? I wish you were dead.” She walked off, ahead of Harry this time, ignoring both their stares and the throbbing in her hand. A moment later, footsteps jogged to catch up to her.

“You okay?” Harry asked. “That seemed… intense.”

“I’m fine. I just didn’t… expect to see him here.” She rubbed her palm with her other fingers, and suddenly the weight of what she had just did dropped solidly onto her shoulders. “Oh my god. I slapped him. I’m a Starfleet officer, a member of this crew, and I just assaulted another--a civilian! Oh my god. I’m so dead. And fired.”

“Ella, relax. He looked guilty enough I don’t think he’s going to say anything. And I’m definitely not. So it’ll just be our secret, ok? I’m sure he deserved it.”

She managed a shaky smile. “He really did.”

“Then come on. Let’s get you to sick bay. Just say you tripped and hit your hand on something and I’m sure the doctor can help you feel better.”

But as they kept walking, Ella felt much better already. This mission might not have started out the way she planned, but she’d already made a friend. And that was something she hadn’t counted on at all.

[unrepentantcheeseaddict]

The Banshee (Short Story)

(I've had this one mostly finished for a while. Can't remember if I posted it already, so here ya go. TW for gore, anxiety attacks and missing parents.)

The Banshee

Never sail out to the Old Fortress. That’s the number one rule whenever I go stay with my Aunt Robin in England. I’ve always been able to resist the temptation before.

But not now, not after I’ve just been sent to live with her permanently, with the police officer’s words still throbbing through my head, “I don’t think your parents are coming back.”

Not now that I can’t keep my mind from making a beeline back to the last day I saw them.

Not now, when I have to keep my hands and body busy every single second, so I don’t have time to process what’s happened and I can’t have a panic attack.

I have to do something. I can’t just sit around in my warmly lit new bedroom. I’ll fall apart before I ever fall asleep. I growl in frustration, setting my phone down, and start to pack.

Knives, climbing gear, energy bars. A fully stocked first aid kit. A compass, a flashlight, a backup flashlight. Extra clothes in case I get soaking wet.

Chemical-activated hot packs, since you can’t do much with frozen fingers. I debate whether to bring the phone, but decide against it. I don’t need it when I’m away from civilization, which is where I’d rather be half the time.

I yank on my toughest clothes: layered T-shirts, jeans with rain pants over the top, woolly socks and a matching sweater and hat. And a good coat, obviously. It’s before dawn in British winter.

Tiptoeing out into the hall with my backpack slung over one shoulder, I pause to let my eyes adjust to the darkness before heading downstairs. It’s more dim than actually dark, because the sun’s starting to rise and Aunt Robin is staunchly anti-curtains. I turn a corner into the kitchen and very quietly fix myself a big thermos of hot chai. Being British, and also the best cook I know, Aunt Robin is a tea snob. I've been spoiled by the good tea at her house for years now. I scribble a note onto a scrap of paper.

Couldn’t sleep, went sailing. I’ll be back for breakfast, don’t kill me.

She won’t be exactly happy, but she won’t ground me either. She never does. Well, she might if she knew where I’m planning to go. But what Aunt Robin doesn’t know won’t hurt her. I weight the note down to the dining table with one of the little stone statues she collects.

I’ve never noticed this particular one before, actually. It’s a slender, elegant cat, carved out of white rock. Out of habit, I try to identify the type of stone like my dad taught me, and catch myself just in time as my eyes start to sting.

“No.” I snap out loud. “Bad Jay. Don’t think about it.”

I shake thoughts of my parents out of my head, tamping them down until there’s nothing left on the surface to make me scream. Then I head to the front door and tug on my boots, stepping outside. The cold sea wind hits me like a solid thing and I gasp a little, my breath steaming in the frigid air.

Aunt Robin’s house is a good few miles from any town, right up on some cliffs that drop down to a scrappy little pebble beach. I hike along the edge of those cliffs, admiring the sunrise on my landward side and the dark, heaving Atlantic Ocean on the other. Finally, I get to what I like to call the Staircase of Doom.

Honestly, the term “staircase” is stretching it a bit. It’s more like a steeply sloped trail with the occasional stairstep, carved right out of the cliffs and zigzagging down. There are rickety driftwood railings near the top, but as you get further down, those disappear. There’s nothing to help you keep your balance, nothing to stop you from stepping off the edge into the gloom below and breaking your neck on the rocks.

In short, it’s perfect.

I head down, and I’m about halfway when I see the cat following me. It looks a lot like Aunt Robin’s cat statue. Lean, huge for a housecat, pure white and just about dripping with arrogance. It saunters around my moving feet and plops down directly in front of me. The path is narrow enough here that I can’t just walk around it. I stop, hands on hips.

“Excuse me.”

The cat cocks its head at me. Blinks a pair of startlingly blue eyes. Then settles down and starts licking its butt. A boy cat, I notice.

“You, sir, are a jerk.” I inform him. “Move or I’ll move you.”

He doesn’t even look up. Typical cat. I sigh and scoop him up, wincing as his claws dig into my shoulders.

“Chill, dude, it’s just for a minute.”

I walk until the trail widens, then put the cat down. He gives me a glare, then walks off ahead of me, tail at a jaunty angle as if to say “Just because I let you hold me, doesn’t mean I like you.”

I break into a run as the trail peters out onto the pebbled beach. The cat follows. The sun is mostly up now, and I can see the little dock where my sailboat, the Guinevere, is tied up. She’s bobbing on her moorings as the tide comes in. The rocks shift and scrape under my feet as I head over. I toss my backpack into the boat, then jump in myself. I’m about to untie her when the cat jumps into the boat.

I raise an eyebrow. “I think you’re going to regret this decision in a minute once you start getting wet.”

He heads belowdecks and curls up on the little padded bench that I store things under. I shrug. “Okay, Your Majesty. But I’m not turning around.”

I cast off the ropes and start the motor. I could probably make it to Old Fortress Island on wind power alone, but I don’t want to deal with it while I’m sleepy and distracted. I keep a steady hand on the tiller and steer us through the waves. Cold sea spray gets in my face. I stick my tongue out and catch some, immediately regretting it as the briny, fishy taste fills my mouth. I really should know better than to do that by now. But it’s me, so of course I don’t.

Soon enough, I see the island, looming up out of the mist like some fossilized giant beast. The Old Fortress isn’t visible yet, but it will be soon. I give a little involuntary shiver. Nobody who isn’t from around here knows about the place, it isn’t even on most maps. Some people say it’s from the Dark Ages, some say it’s earlier. A lot of people say it’s cursed. All we know for sure is that anyone who goes there doesn’t come back quite the same. In my opinion, that’s probably because they were drunk at the time. I have nothing to worry about. I’m sane, I’m sober, and I know how to handle myself.

At least, that’s what I tell myself as I toss my anchor into the water and hop out. The bitter cold seeps into my shoes as I slosh through the weedy shallows and tie the boat’s ropes to a nearby boulder. I climb back aboard, grab my backpack, and turn to the cat. “You coming?”

In one smooth motion, he jumps into my arms. I snort.

“Don’t want to get your feet wet, huh?”

I walk along the beach searching for a usable path up the cliffs. Eventually, I settle for one that looks the least like it’s going to kill me, stuff the protesting cat into my backpack and start climbing. When I reach the top, I’m greeted by a breathtaking view. I pause for a moment, taking in the pale blue-gray sky and a few soft, peachy clouds, the last remnants of the earlier sunrise. I can see for miles now that I’m higher and the fog is starting to burn off.

There’s the house on the cliffs. The lights are on now, which means Aunt Robin is up and ought to have found my note. I’d better hurry if I want to see much of this place before breakfast. Mentally composing a good excuse for later, I wrestle the cat out of my backpack and plunk him down on the scrubby wet grass and heather. He gives me a look of such betrayal that I can’t help but giggle.

“What, did you think I was going to cart you around the whole time?”

I unwrap one of the energy bars I packed and eat as I walk, heading into a small stand of wind-gnarled trees. It’s eerily quiet up here except for the distant crash of waves. No calls of seabirds, no little skittery things rustling in the undergrowth. Just my own footsteps as I shuffle through a pile of rotten leaves and the cat’s occasional dissatisfied murp.

And that’s when I finally see it.

The Old Fortress is even more of a ruin that I expected. The stones that form the enormous outer wall are falling out of place as their mortar rots away, revealing the dirt and rubble at the walls’ center. The ones that are still standing are a few feet above my head at their highest point. They’re also covered in fungus, bird poop, and moss. I walk around the perimeter, looking for a way in. Soon enough, I find a spot where I can clamber over the lowest bit of wall. The cat follows me. Hold it. Are his eyes glowing?

“You magic or something?” I joke.

I lean in closer, and he looks up at me, all innocent like he has no idea what I’m talking about. Yeah, his eyes are definitely glowing, and not in the normal cat-in-the-dark way. More like there’s shifting, flickering fire inside them, only it’s bright sapphire blue. Well, it’s not like he’s actually magic. That’s impossible.

I shrug. “If you’re bioluminescent, that’s your problem not mine, bud.”

I turn away and keep walking. Inside the walls, things are in even worse shape. In most places, there’s barely a single stone on top of another. I can clearly see that things were well-laid-out here, though. The walls, what’s left of them, are ruler-straight, and the cobblestones are still mostly there, even though there’s weeds climbing up between them. I pick up a piece of worn red pottery. It looks like part of a roof tile or something.

“I wonder if this place is Roman.” I mutter.

I’ve binge-watched enough Time Team with Aunt Robin to know a fair bit about British archaeology and history. The Old Fortress seems to check out with what I’ve learned about Romano-British architecture.

“What you see now is Roman.”

I scream and jump. There’s a boy standing next to me. Like, right next to me. How did he get so close without me noticing? I glare at him.

“Okay, creep, what the Hell are you doing here?”

He shrugs. “Same as you. Getting away from my regular life.”

He’s got a Scottish accent, not unusual considering how close we are to the border. He’s also the picture of handsome insolence, with dark messy hair and a smirk that could be either playful or taunting, depending on the angle. The cat, like the traitor he is, rubs up against the boy’s legs, purring like a chainsaw.

“I didn’t see another boat.”

“I came from a different direction.” He says.

“Kay. Well, feel free to go back that direction and quit stalking me.”

“I’m hurt.” The boy says overdramatically. “So hurt. I was not stalking you, merely trying to make your acquaintance!”

I snort. I can’t help it. I’m a sucker for goofy people, always have been. The boy smiles. Not a smirk, just a regular smile this time.

“See, I’m not that bad. My name’s Brendan, by the way.”

“Okay, fine.” I relent. “I’m Jay. How do you know it’s Roman?”

“Dad’s an archaeologist. I picked up a lot from him. But this site’s a lot older than just Roman. There’s activity here going back to prehistoric times. It’s always been an important place.”

“You should give tours.” I joke.

He shakes his head. “It’s not safe for most people to come here.” Brendan pauses. “Come to think of it, why are you here? And why are you using Robin’s boat?”

“You know my Aunt?” I blurt out. “Don’t tell her I was here. Please? She’ll ground me.”

“Well that answers that question.” Brendan says with a chuckle. “She mentioned she had family in America. I didn’t know you were staying with her currently, though.”

“Well, I am.” I say flatly.

I really, really don’t want him asking more questions about why I’m here right now. I don’t want to be fighting that knot in my throat for the rest of the day. So in time-honored awkward-person fashion, I try to change the subject. Brendan beats me to it. “That cat, is he yours?”

“Nah. I think he’s a stray. He’s been following me since I came down to the boat.”

We chat a bit longer as we walk. I learn that Brendan has two older sisters who are away at college right now, and his Mom is a historian working at a big museum in Glasgow, where they live most of the time. They’re down here visiting some friend of hers who just had a baby. He’s never been to America and is pretty curious. I’m right in the thick of explaining how Halloween works, because boy is this kid missing out, when the cat starts hissing and arching his back.

In unison, we look at the direction he’s facing. There’s nothing there but an old stone circle. Brendan sighs. “This is where you should leave.”

“No.”

He laughs nervously. “Thought you’d say that.”

“Are you gonna explain to me why the cat is freaking out? Or how you know my Aunt Robin? Or why this stone circle is supposedly dangerous?”

Brendan gives the circle a wary look. The morning shadows seem to darken around the stones.

“In a minute, yes. For now, do you have anything we can use to make fire?”

I nod, already digging around in my backpack for the little lighter I carry. He frowns. “That’s it?”

“Sorry, I left my flamethrower at home.” I snap.

Fear of the unknown is making me tense and jittery. It always does. My anxiety is stupid like that. If I’m ever in a situation where I don’t have all the info, my ridiculous brain starts filling in the blanks with everything that could conceivably go wrong. It’s happening now.

I dig my fingernails into my palms, trying to breathe deeply, trying to tell myself that I’m going to be okay. It doesn’t work. I start shaking, and my fear must show on my face. What’s worse is that Brendan doesn’t try to reassure me. He looks just as terrified as I feel. That means I might have good reason to be scared. My brain latches onto this thought with vicious claws and runs with it.

I draw my largest pocketknife and flip it open, pointing it at the stones. “Brendan. I need to know what’s happening, or I’m going to have a panic attack. Now, please.”

He blinks in shock, then nods. “Okay. The long version is too long for right now, so I’m sorry. Magic is real, monsters come to this island sometimes, and I think one is trying to break through and eat us. Having a panic attack right now is perfectly natural. Though it would be more helpful if you could avoid it.”

I glare at him. “Now you tell me?!”

“I thought you already knew!”

We’re interrupted by a long, low wail. It’s coming from a ragged gray shape that’s just appeared in the middle of the stone circle. It turns, and I can see it’s an emaciated, deathly-pale woman. She’s dressed in old-fashioned clothes faded away to threadbare scraps. Her stringy white hair and the skin of her hands is flecked with what looks like dried blood. The strangest part, though, is her face. Her wrinkled skin is stretched tight over her skull, making her look like an Egyptian mummy with a better nose. Her mouth is wide open revealing toothless gums, and it seems to be stuck that way. And the creepiest thing? She’s crying. The front of her dress is nearly soaked with tears, and her hollow chest convulses with the raspy, wailing sobs.

Brendan curses. “Banshee. Got any earplugs?”

“Earbuds, two pairs.” I toss him my spare pair. “Here. Hope you don’t mind my earwax.”

“It’s preferable to being dead, at least.” He says, putting them in.

I follow suit and scoop up the hissing cat. He flails and scratches until I put him back down.

“Ungrateful little bastard.” I mutter.

The banshee hears me and starts stumbling in our direction. I shudder just watching her. The way she moves reminds me of a zombie from some cheesy old horror movie. Only, I usually think those zombies are ridiculous. There’s nothing funny about the figure shambling towards us now.

I can’t hear her properly through the earbuds, but judging by the little scraps I can hear, that’s a good thing. Her crying is rising in pitch to something like an ambulance siren. Brendan draws a knife of his own. It’s a full-blown medieval dagger, the big kind I’m pretty sure is called a dirk.

“Are we fighting it?!” I holler.

“No choice!” Brendan yells back.

“Great.” I grumble.

And then we don’t have time to talk more, because she’s right there. Weirdly, she takes a lunge at the cat first. He jumps up on his hind legs and seems to grow, white fur glowing, until he’s the size of a panther. One claw swipe and her crying turns to a painfully high shriek as she’s thrown to one side, landing in the heather near my feet. The banshee picks herself up faster than I can get away and digs ragged nails into my arm. I yell in pain and yank away, but that withered hand is way stronger than it looks. She grabs my neck with the other one. I stab her.

By some miracle, my knife actually hits, sinking into one of her eyes. A mix of blood and weird gray goo spurts out. She screams again, and I’m pretty sure one of my eardrums just burst, but her grip loosens enough that I can pull away and stab her again. I miss this time, but she’s already hurt.

The banshee stumbles, then stumbles again, backwards into Brendan. He grabs her hair and drags his knife across her throat. Finally, it’s over. We’re both covered in blood and other, less pleasant stuff, and my arm feels like it’s on fire, but we’re alive.

The cat, back to his normal size now, walks over. He’s got a little blood dripping from a scratch on one ear, stark against his white fur. After a minute, he yacks up a big, gross hairball onto the dead banshee.

“You and me both.” I say as a wave of nausea comes over me.

Brendan pulls his earbuds out. I do the same.

“This is why you should have left.” He says softly.

“I’m fine.” I snap.

“No, you’re not. You’re shaking, you’re white as a sheet, and your eyes look like they’ll pop out any minute.”

He comes over and looks at my arm. “Take your coat off, we need to clean this. Cat, you too.”

Surprisingly, the cat walks right over to him.  Suddenly, the full implications of everything that’s just happened hit me. I start shaking harder, heart pounding so hard it hurts, and the nausea hits me full force as I curl up, trying to wipe what I’ve just done from my memory.

Brendan pulls me into a hug. Normally I’d punch a stranger if they hugged me without permission, but right now the contact is exactly what I need to ground me in reality. I lean on his shoulder, trying to get myself under control.

“First kill is usually the hardest.” Brendan says. “I’m really sorry that happened how it did. But we do need to tell your Aunt Robin. She’s the one in charge of protecting this area from monsters, I just work for her. A banshee’s the most powerful thing that’s shown up here in years.”

I nod. “Yeah. Being grounded is better than being dead, I guess.”

“You guess?” He teases. “You need to work out your priorities, Jay.”

I swat at him. I can hardly believe I’ve just met this boy today. It feels like we’ve known each other for much longer. I guess fighting monsters together is a good bonding experience.

I take my coat off and roll up my shirt sleeve, biting my lip to keep quiet as Brendan cleans and bandages the jagged scratches. Then we pack up and head back down to the beach, get in the boat, and set off for the mainland. Aunt Robin has some serious explaining to do. Also, I’m starving. I can almost smell the full English Breakfast.