#i'll dust First. before i start cleaning the floors. just so i can get up anything that falls down there After.

[orcelito]

My nose has been so fucked up lately, like snotty and sneezy, but I'm not otherwise feeling sick. And I think I know what's going on.

The Dust.

I've recently moved my fan to the floor so that when I have it running as I sleep, it's not blowing on me (bc it's gotten colder). I think it's kicking up a ton of dust tho and making my nose HATE. ME.

I've come up with a list of cleaning goals to accomplish over break though which includes dusting and cleaning the floors. So hopefully I can make it better for myself 🙏

[gyubakeries]

❆ 𝐠𝐲𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 : 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬! ❆ | 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐮 - 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 <𝟑

❆ 𝑑𝑎𝑦 7: christmas playlist | l.jh

a/n: welcome to day 7! this one took me the longest to write, because i wasn't sure of how i wanted it to go, but i hope you like it nonetheless!

word count: 894 contents: jihoon x gn!reader , established relationship , producer!jihoon , fluff, making playlists , dancing , reader's love language is streaming jihoon's music , short and sweet

you've spent the entire day cleaning.

after the week-long break you had devoted to deep-cleaning your entire flat almost six months ago, you decided that it was time for a deep-clean before christmas as well.

from changing the curtains, vacuuming the floor, dusting your giant bookshelf, and clearing out all sorts of junk from your storage room, you busied yourself with making sure your house was spick and span.

around eight in the evening, when you were finally done with all of your tasks and you settled on the couch to relax, you realize that you missed something fundamental.

a christmas playlist.

as if on cue, the front door swings open, and jihoon walks in. he sets his gym bag down by the door and heads over to you to kiss you.

"hi baby, did you change out the curtains?" he mumbles, and you smile against his lips.

"i did! i didn't think you'd notice it," you tease, and jihoon sighs, reminded of the time you'd dyed your hair a completely different color and he hadn't noticed until two weeks later.

"hey, i was busy and running on 4 hours of sleep, collectively, for those two weeks," jihoon defends himself for the nth time, and you simply laugh and pat his chest as consolation.

"i was just joking, ji. anyways, i just realized that i missed out on something," you huff, leaning your head against his chest.

jihoon furrows his eyebrows. it's highly unlikely of you to forget anything, primarily because you always make a systematic list of everything you need to get done. in fact, he can see your little list pinned to the fridge from where he's standing.

"i forgot to make a playlist for christmas cleaning," you complain. "and that makes me sad, because i'll just have to redo the entire house after making the playlist."

"babe, you don't need to do it all over again," jihoon chuckles lightly. "let's just make the playlist now, hm? we'll figure what happens with it after we're done."

"this is why i love you so much," you grin widely, pressing another kiss to jihoon's lips.

—

after jihoon's shower, the two of you snuggle up on the couch, your phone cradled in jihoon's hands as you scroll through spotify to add songs to your playlist.

"okay, we have to start with queen mariah," you say, swiftly adding 'all i want for christmas is you' to the playlist with a solemn expression.

"i swear she's monopolized the christmas song market with that one," jihoon remarks amusedly, his fingers typing out the name for the next song.

"ah! 'the first snow'! i almost forgot about it," you gasp when you see jihoon adding the infamous song by exo to the playlist.

"i think 'santa tell me' needs to be here too," jihoon says, adding the song to the playlist as well.

you both go back and forth with various song titles, till the playlist is almost five hours long and filled with the warm vibes of christmas that you adore.

"i think we outdid last year's playlist," you point out, and jihoon playfully rolls his eyes.

"that's because you added my new album in there," he says. "it's not even closely related to christmas."

"well, forgive me for wanting to support my producer boyfriend!" you gasp dramatically. "plus, you know i have the album on repeat all the time."

"that means you're paying for half our bills with how much you're streaming it," jihoon jokes, swooping to press a kiss to your temple. as you two joke and laugh about other funny things, your stomach lets out a loud grumble.

"let's get some dinner in you," jihoon decides, and you unwillingly untangle yourself from him so he can get started on dinner.

just as jihoon sets a pot of water to boil on the stove, you interrupt him with a loud cry of his name.

"wait! stop!" you declare, and jihoon freezes in place, expecting the worst-case scenario, like that one time a giant spider was dangling above your head while you were doing the laundry.

"is it an insect?" he asks, barely moving his head to the side to face you, but his face shoots you an unimpressed look when you successfully connect your phone to the speakers and put the christmas playlist on shuffle.

"i almost dropped the water all over myself!" he groans, and you laugh cheekily, coming up behind jihoon to wrap him in a hug.

"sorry, baby," you apologize. "i just couldn't handle the thought of doing another task without blasting christmas songs in the house."

"it's literally only my songs playing," jihoon raises an eyebrow, and you shake his questions off with a wave of your hand. he doesn't need to know you just put on the playlist containing all the songs he's ever released. he also doesn't need to know that the top artist on your spotify wrapped for the last five years has been woozi.

(at some point after dinner and washing the dishes, jihoon switches the music over to the real christmas playlist, and he drags you into the living room to dance.

the night is spent with his hands on your waist, your hands on his shoulders, both your eyes locked on each other's, and the steady love you've built over the years engulfing you both.)

- fin.

divider made by @bernardsbendystraws !

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[gocryaboutitt]

Someones a little sick

back at it guys. same character yknow the shit by now

your point of view;

As im walking around my house fixing up things that were broken or covered in dust, i hear my phone start to ring which results in me letting out an aggravated sigh while picking up the phone.

"Hey sweets" i hear tommy sniffle before the phone gets snatched out of his hands, "Jess, you need to let us in, NOW!" demands mick as im finally allowed to speak. "Hello to you guys too, why do i need to let you in exactly? You idiots will mess up my house", "because we're sick and don't know what to do" argues mick as he begins to cough, "ugh, fine" i say while slamming the phone on the reciever and walking to the front door. While i bask in the feeling of a clean house, i open the door to reveal the four man-babies.

"Jess, help me!" screams vince as a runs up to me, while might i add, sniffling "how did you guys even get sick? was it from one of the many groupies, did it finally catch up to ya?" i say while widely grinning, and stepping aside for them to walk in.

"If any of you idiots mess up my place i will make you suffer in silence" i snicker while ushering them to the living room. "Go sit down and tell me what happened".

"Promise you wont laugh," begs nikki "can't make any promises, nikki" i say while walking to the kitchen to make tea "I got sneezed on by a groupie when i was making out with her," him saying this resulted in me letting out a wheeze before regaining my breath. "And the rest of you?", "he went around the studio sneezing into the air!" whines vince as his voice is barely able to keep one pitch. "Mhm, and i reckon it affecting you the most isnt it blondie?"

I chuckle while walking into the living room holding a tray of teas, "Yes! It is! I can't sing without my voice breaking" he groans while taking one of the hot beverages.

"Shut up blondie" whined both tommy and nikki as mick sat there drinking the tea, "atleast you don't have to worry about playing an instrument while youre coughing up a lung" groans tommy. "well this is the last time im taking care of you guys," i say, sighing "i guess you imbeciles are going to want to stay here tonight, right?"

"Can we, please?" asks mick as he finishes the drink, "yeah i guess, since youre my favourite mick, you can take my room" i suggest while softly smiling at him.

"Really? are you sure-", "yes, im sure, mick, go on the beds made and there should be a bin nearby" i stop him mid sentence with a light chuckle. "Thanks, jess" he smiles with a nod and walks up stairs.

I sit down in his seat while the other look at me in disbelief, "How come he gets your room?", "he gets to be so close to you panty draw, and i dont?!" i groan while rolling my eyes "because he's actually tolerable". "I'll be sleeping out here if it makes you guys feel better, god this couch sucks ass" i say with a groan as i get up and lay on the floor. Tommy was the first one to move and took this as his chance to lay his head across my thighs, this was followed by vince laying on the oppsite side of my body but with his head on my stomach, which was later followed by nikki laying across my chest.

"What the fuck do you guys think i am? a pillow?" i sitfle a groan as one of their bodies shift against mine, "a pretty damn comfortable one," grins nikki as he buries his face in my chest.

"so fucken help me, if i get sick from you idiots" i start as im cut off with a sneeze from vince which somehow racks through my body, "awh man im sorry" he sheepishly apologises "im going to kick your guy's ass's" i say while giving up and laying there.

"What ever you say, sweets", "shut up tommy, just go to sleep".

roughly 4:04 am

i woke up to someone snoring, fucked if i know who's, up shoots vince as he runs to where im hoping is the bathroom. I prop my body up against the couch as he comes back into the room looking a bit too pale, "hey blondie, are you alright?" i ask as he sits down beside me "yeah, 'm just tired" yawns vince as he nuzzles into the side of my body, "go back to sleep, vinny, i'll still be your guy's pillow" i whisper while raking my fingers though his hair "Mm, thanks doll" he groans, practicly asleep.

I flick on the tv as i decided i wasnt going to be able to sleep any time soon, as i flip through the channels i decided on The Karate Kid movie.

It was around 8:13 am, and i had resulted in watching any movie that came on, i was silently watching The Breakfast club as i felt nikki and tommy begin to stir. "Morning, guys, sleep well?" i softly ask as they sit up and adjust to the light, "yeah, thanks for being my pillow," snickers nikki as he stands up and walks into the kitchen, "how about you, t-bone?" "mm, it was good thanks sweets" he yawns while shuffling up to me, "how are you feeling?" "like shit" he groans while leaning onto me "its alright,t-bone you'll get better eventually" i smile while raking my fingers through his hair.

"Mm, i hope so." grins nikki as he walks through the door "dude! you took my spot" he whines "be quiet nikki its too early, and blondie here is still asleep, here" i slightly open my legs "even better" he smirks before sinking down in between them "shut up dude, you hogged her boobs all night anyway".

"what the fuck did i just hear?" groans mick as he walked into the living room, "how are you even comfy with them on you, it looks like a doggy pile", "it is mick, i havent moved all night" i sigh while look up at him "you poor thing" chuckles mick as he sits behind me on the couch.

that was fun lmao. i hope you enjoyed it

:)

love you guys

[sailorsenshishitposter]

JJK X Disney Crossover

"You are hereby invited to the royal ball at the magic kingdom."

Cinderella read the note again. Surely this couldn't be right? Why would the king invite a lowly commoner like herself to such an extravagant event?

It turns out that Kenjaku had found Walt Disney's frozen corpse and hijacked it. Frankly, he was still bored and just looking for more people he could bring into the culling games. He was also forcing Sukuna to participate (how he got him to agree we shall never know).

Cinderella was too dazed to notice the ugliest step sister's approaching.

"What's that in your hand!?"

"Mother, Cinderella is stealing your mail!"

Out came a haggard old woman who looked like she got lost from the set of corpse bride.

"Wretched girl, let me see this!"

She snatched the envelope from the poor girls hands and read the contents aloud.

"Drizella, Anastasia, it turns out that the king has invited the two of you to a royal ball! I must prepare the two of you if you are to woo his son. Come along, we must find the perfect dresses for the two of you at once!"

She then turned towards her stepdaughter.

"If you clean the entire house I may entertain whatever stupid question it is that you are thinking. Now get started!"

Cinderella began scrubbing the floor but decided it would be better to scrub her ears first due to Drizella's god awful singing.

"Why couldn't the good lord make me deaf?" ______________

Cinderella noted that she had extra time left so she asked her animal friends if they could help her with her dress. There may have been rat droppings and bits of a birds breakfast in the finished product but she had to admit that it was nicer than the rags she was currently wearing. She then ran downstairs to find her stepmother.

"Mother, I have finished all the household chores."

"I thought I told you to never call me that!"

Lady Tremaine then stopped what she was doing and gave a sneer.

"What are you all dressed up for?"

"What do you mean? I thought you said that I could go?"

Her stepmother than snapped her fingers.

"Girls, do you think something seems familiar?"

One of the girls let out a scream.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING WITH MY NECKLACE, WENTCH!? THIS IS A LUXURY SET OF PEARLS I GOT FROM CLAIRE'S!"

She then ripped them off. Looks like Drizella wasn't getting her $4.50 back.

"AND JUST WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY SASH! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS MADE WITH THE FINEST SILK THEY HAD AVAILABLE ON ALIEXPRESS!"

Anastasia then tore it off which was easy since it was made by sweatshop workers who were no older than eight and had little sewing experience.

To add insult to injury, Lucifer then raised his hind leg and began to pee on the remaining fabic.

"Toodleloo, Cinderella! When I get back I expect you to have finished cleaning the toilets!"

"But I just cleaned them three hours ago!"

"Yes, well we stopped at taco bell on the way home and you know how well Anastasia takes to mexican food."

The door then shut and Cinderella began to sob. She didn't notice the card on the floor as her tears began to hit it and suddenly there was a burst of light.

"Who are you?"

Standing before her was a masked man in robes with white hair.

"Why sweetie, I'm your fairy godmother."

"Aren't you a boy?"

"And you're asking too many questions. Now do you want my help or not?"

Cinderella stopped sniffling.

"Help? How can you help me!?"

The man then took out a wand and began to move it.

"Like this. Bibbity boppity boo, I call upon blue!"

Cinderella was then knocked back by a magic ball of blue light.

"Oops. Looks like I used too much..."

The girl then removed herself from the human shaped hole in the concrete wall and began to rub the dust off her shoulders.

"WHAT IS THIS?"

She was now wearing a powder blue ball gown along with a pair of glass slippers.

"If you think that's cool then check out this! Red!"

The man sent a spark of red energy at the garden, causing the pumpkins to explode.

"Shit! I guess I'll have Ijichi drive you..." ______________

Cinderella got in the car and the man knocked on her window. "The names Gojo by the way. Now, before I forget, you need to be back home by twelve or-"

Ijichi was already driving away.

"That's it, I'm going home!" ______________

Cinderella was in the ball room when her mouse scampered out of her dress.

"Wait, come back!"

As this was happening, Naoya was making his complaints about the server to the knight on duty.

"I refuse to eat something that she has touched, Nanami! You tell Gojo that I won't tolerate the presence of a ni-"

Before the man could finish, he was being punched by Nanami.

"Don't you dare insult Tiana again!"

He then dropped Naoya off into the Kitchen.

"You now have everything you need to make Sukuna's meal."

Uraume then got started on the banquet. ______________

"I wonder where the prince could be..."

"I think he's around here somewhere."

Cinderella then jumped back.

"GOJO?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out. Now if you don't mind, I'm off to find Suguru!" ______________

The two men were dancing when another voice cut in.

"Gojo, how could you cheat on me like this! Especially right in front of our son!"

Killua then cried and ran off to find Gon.

"WAIT, YOU'RE THE PRINCE GOJO!?"

"Satoru, who is that?"

"I'M HIS WIFE, ELSA! GOJO, WHO IS THIS OTHER MAN!?"

A third voice then cut in.

"If anyone's looking for a mouse, I stepped on it. You should really hire some cleaning staff, Gojo."

It was none other than Sukuna.

"I think I'm going to faint..."

Cinderella then fell to the floor.

"Why is my dinner on the ground? You know I like my meat well done! Oh well, I guess that's why they call it the five second rule. Malevolent Kitchen!"

Sukuna then roasted the girl into nothing but cinders.

"My bad, I guess I left the oven on too long. I'm going to see if Uraume has anything else to eat..."

Geto then slapped Gojo.

"HOW COULD YOU SATORU!? I THOUGHT I WAS SPECIAL!"

"WAIT BABY, COME BACK, I'M SORRY! SHE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME!"

His son Killua was now gorging on chocolate robots.

"Gojo always seems to be inserting himself in others lives doesn't he? You know he took custody of my son right?"

Buzz's wing popped out. He couldn't believe he was so close to such a handsome man.

"I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name?"

The man smirked.

"It's Toji. Toji Fushiguro and you better remember it!"

He then began to kiss Buzz passionately.

Megumi then gave a disgusted look.

"Gross dad! I told you not to embarrass me in front of Ariel!"

Bagdamagus was never born rip

[ilovefoodandslasherswithmasks]

Brahms Heelshire x reader who is just kinda weird, like collects bones and shit. Also hates people (aside from Brahms who they absolutely adore)

OH MY GOD, okay yes totally. Idk if should write this going into spicey in the end or if you want it normal and more fluffy?? Just reply again I'll make sure to do it 🦦

(Also my first request my god I'll remember this 4 ever fr) so I'm doing it again. Let's hope it's not gonna delete 🏃‍♀️. (Update, IT WORKS SO HERE YALL GO, and here you go love since you asked for it ♡)

I'll be death itself for you.

After driving 7 hours with a heavy ass trailer behind you. You finally arrived at the Mansion you bought. In an online auction..which well is a bit questionable, thr house was cheap for its size. Condition was well not the best but it still cost a lot less than it would've. So after buying it and getting up and about, you're more than relieved when the house turned out to be real. Made of bricks, windows and doors.

"Gosh look at this place.." you exit your packed car and hold the old keys in your right.

"Yes yes I'm coming Luc" Lucifer, you're calico cat, busy scratching on the window. Surely couldn't wait to get out of the car after being stuck in it for hours with you.

Opening the door you take her leash.

"Impatient much?" Slowly making it up the stairs letting Luci smell what she felt necessary. You finally got to the door and she sat by your foot waiting. Unlocking it was a but hard, the lock seemed a bit rusty by now and when the lock finally clicked, you tried to open the door. And my god those doors! They didn't have such a huge size for nothing, they were heavier than expected. So using your whole body weight it finally budged just enough for you two to slip in.

"Pray the electricity works.." trying the first light switch, nothing, the second nothing, the third a quick flicker and then a burst light bulb. "Great" you mumble and finally decide that's a problem for the evening. Walking through the hallway and expecting the rooms with Luci was more than disappointing. Everything was dusty, one room had broken furniture, a sloppily fixed wall (hehehe) and a dead mouse in a trap in the backroom of the kitchen. A life one right next to it stuck in a saver trap. You made a mental note to go out to the woods and let the mouse go.

"Okay" you think before you pick Luci up.

"You're to slow girl, the rooms upstairs are not gonna be around all day."

Walking back into the hallway and then up the stairs, passing open doors and not finding any particularly interesting. The child's room looked so sad..and cold...almost creepy but it also filled you with the want to rebuild it as best as you can. Just because..

You settled for the last room at the end of the hall, it has a bathroom too ans the bed was amazing, so was the dresser and closet. They fit perfectly for you. You let Luci down and she imidiatly found it necessary to leave the room. And just explore again. You were fine with it thou, Luci always made sure to let you know when something was up.

"Mh...maybe I should start by cleaning...everything is old and messy..bed first"

Going to grab the old mattress and covers you imidiatly regret it. The huge cloud of dust hitting you in the face. And not just dust, it smelled horrible. You actually almost gagged while sneezing.

"Jeez need a mask huh?" After grabing a mask and some gloves, just to be sure, you finally get to work. The window were painted shut, so great, all the way downstairs and out the backdoor with the trash you go.

Hours later you finally manage to get the bedroom empty and clean, also the bathroom, which is very important ☝️.

You decided to bring up your own bed stuff mattress, pillows what not. The clothes you owned still stacked in boxes on the floor. You got yours and Luci's food...well after you decided you could carry 6 bags in one go, which cost you a stubbed little toe, a ripped open bag, and a bruised ankle.

So yeah no, one trip, was actually not enough.

You needed more than that but it's fine.

You groan as Luci just watches you gather up her spilled dry food. Luci was a diva, she wouldn't eat anything off the floor. Well this food was gonna end up in a bowl soon after anyways and she'd eat it perfectly fine.

"You hungry Luc?" Grabbing wet food you make sure she eats before heading back out and getting the box with your most precious items, your hammer and some nails.

You carry it all back up to your room and set it down on the little bench at the end of the bed. Looking at all the free wall space imagining which one would be best suited. The last wall on top of the dresser seemed perfect for your collection, you smile as you open up the box, carefully grabbing out the fragile skulls, the picture frames that held pinned bugs, two bats and the smaller bones that were inside a see through glass box. Luci liked to steal them, you'd never see them again.

Putting up all the picture frames and skulls, you were happy with it. Only small parts of the wall were still free which should keep you in check, but you couldn't wait to add more to your collection.

You loved to pin dead butterflies, moths and some spiders. You got some while on long walks, some you raised yourself. They were very important to you. The fact you could let them be in their full glory and beauty even in death was something you loved.

After finishing the wall, and the sun slowly set you decided you needed to find some damn candles. And lucky as you were, there was an entire cabinet full of them, one of the drawers was full of matches.

"Mh so busted light bulbs ain't new here huh?"

You leave the study with a huge box filled with candles and set them up. Putting a few on the tables and shelves that were safe enough to hold candles, and some in the hallway and up the stairs on those mirrored candle holders. Which were pretty rad to you. Watching as Luci scratched at a wall and smelled it, "what's up girl? Don't tell me we got rats or something in the walls?!" You gasp as you walk over to her, pressing your ear to the wall. Nothing, but a faint buzzing of the electricity...well the electricity didn't work but sure did?

"This should do.." finally done with most work you decided to eat dinner. Of course the kitchen didn't really help with that so a sandwich had to do.

Seated in the study room with Luci leaving from the small couch as soon as you arrived to go upstairs with her attitude and ready to use the bathroom.

You decided to just eat, you eyes flickering over the walls and shelves filled with books. Beautiful hard leather bound ones, some definitely seemed to have potential for a lot of money if sold well.

After picking up the one that sat on the small table next to the couch and looking through it you dropped it as you flinched. A loud crash could be heard from upstairs, Luci never broke things. Yes she was a drama queen but she never did.

When she came running down the stairs hurriedly hiding behind the couch you were seated on staring towards the stairs with growling and hissing. You get up carefully, "what's wrong baby?" you ask a bit shaken by now.

She never acted like this not for no reason at least.

Grabbing the pointy letter opener you slowly make you way to the stairs. Great, the too of them was dark, the entire hall was, hell the entire first floor was a creepy pit.

"Oh...mh okay..it's okay you're the only person in this house." Trying to sooth yourself with self talk didn't help as much as you'd hoped only the zippo in your pocket would grant you light up in that black hole.

Walking up the creaky stairs with your 'dagger' pointed and ready to be used, and you zippo lighting the steps extra with the candles that lined the wall. Swallowing hard you call in like a fool, "hello?". Like girl, be for real. You're a horror obsessed freak and don't follow the rules? Wow..

Down the hall you only see the light of your lighter, and your slight reflection in the window, "shit...I'm gonna die and become cat food aren't I?", you huff out before you start walking.

"I'M ARMED AND I'M SCARED TO USE IT!", you yell out. Again, like an idiot. You walk past all the rooms to yours and nothing. Not a person, not a broken piece of whatever broke, nothing...or...wait..

"That's not mine...." you say staring at the stuffed owl and crow that now sat on your dresser, decorating the room just as nicely as your wall.

"Okay ahahah what?!" Feeling a buzz off fright thunder through you when you hear a loud thud in the hallway. Just around the corner of your doorway.

"Mhh great.....hello?? Ghost??" you ask into the silence nothing, so the only valid thing to do was jump into the hallway with a war scream (squeal) Just to find a porcelain doll sitting up against the wall next to you.

"Who are you you little freak?" you knew who this doll was. Brahms Heelshires replacement, you knew reading up about this suspiciously cheap mansion was a good idea. You expected this place had held many deaths but well...this one the last generations of Heelshires passing was probably the saddest of them all.

The poor boy who passed away, so horribly, burned, and the parents who ended up going with a different element, drowning. You huff as you brush your hair out of your eyes (yes you got hair or a wig idc).

Crouching down next to the doll, "hi..um I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but well I own this house now..so maybe we should co-exists..or I'd have to sage your ass...which I don't wanna do you're a kid after all" you say, mostly talking to yourself like a dork.

"I don't know how you managed to bring me those stuffed animals, but uhm..thanks? They're nice? I suppose...or um a warning I suppose.."

Basically jumping out of your shoes when all the lights on the floor suddenly turned on and probably the ones downstairs as well.

"SHIT!.. gosh....pff um..Thank you?"

The rest of the night was rather pleasant, a few thuds here and there and a few of Luci's hissing at the wall and sleep seemed so easy to get.

Little did you know. This house came with more secrets than ghost's and haunted objects.

[50calmadeuce]

Ch. 35: Back In Fighter Town

Warning: Mention of miscarriage. Some chapters have sex.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

Thursday evening, you and Jake walked through the doors of his apartment. You could tell no one had been here for a month and a half. A thin layer of dust had settled on the furniture, and the air felt slightly stale.

Jake set down his bags and looked around. "Feels weird being back here after so long."

You nodded, placing your bag on the floor. "Yeah, it does. But it's nice to see it again. Feels like a second home."

He smiled, walking over to open a window to let some fresh air in. "Let's get this place aired out. I'll check the kitchen and see if we need to toss anything."

You headed to the bedroom to start unpacking. As you opened the closet, you found a few items left behind, a reminder of the last time you were here together.

Jake called from the kitchen. "Looks like we need to restock the fridge. Most of the stuff in here is expired."

You laughed. "No surprise there. We can do that first thing tomorrow."

He joined you in the bedroom, wrapping his arms around you from behind. "I'm glad you're here with me."

You leaned back into him, feeling the comfort of his embrace. "Me too, Jake. Me too."

Jake's phone beeped, and he sighed, taking it out of his pocket to see who it was.

"Everything okay?" you asked, turning to face him.

He nodded. "Yeah. It's just Coyote asking if I'm back and asking if I need a ride in the morning." He looked at you.

"Go ahead. I'll do a bit of shopping and you and Coyote can catch up."

Jake smiled, appreciating your understanding. "Thanks, darlin'. I'll let him know." He quickly typed out a reply to Coyote, confirming their plans for the next morning.

As he put his phone away, he turned to you, his expression softening. "Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"

You nodded confidently. "Absolutely. Max will be here tomorrow evening."

Jake's face lit up with relief. "Tell him to meet us at The Hard Deck."

"Will do," you said, smiling.

You both felt a sense of comfort knowing Max would be there soon. It was one less thing to worry about as you enjoyed the rest of your evening together, making the most of your time before Jake's deployment.

The evening passed quietly as you and Jake settled into the somewhat familiar space. You both took the time to clean up the apartment, dusting the surfaces, and airing out the rooms. The simple, shared tasks brought a sense of normalcy, and it felt good to be back in a routine together.

The next morning, you woke up to the sound of Jake moving around the apartment, getting ready for heading back to work. You stretched and smiled, and then turned toward your husband who was now dressed in his khaki uniform. Your smile got bigger as you thought about how he could make any item of clothing look good.

Jake must've realized you were awake because he looked at you. "Morning, darlin'. I tried to be quiet," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed and gently moved a hair from your forehead.

You smiled sleepily at him. "Morning. It's okay. I appreciate it and the view."

Jake chuckled as he leaned down and gave you a soft kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit tired, but I'm okay," you replied. "Between the baby and the time change, it's a lot, but I'll be okay."

Jake's expression softened with concern and his green eyes turned sad. "I wish I could be here with you."

You reached up and gently touched the side of his face. "I'll be fine. You just worry about what you have to do and coming home."

Jake's phone dinged. "That's Coyote. I told him to text so we didn't wake you."

He leaned down and kissed you. "Don't forget. The Hard Deck later."

You smiled. "I won't."

He stood up. "Great. See you later."

You heard him walk through the apartment and then the door closed behind him. The apartment fell silent once more, leaving you with your thoughts.

Later that afternoon, there was a knock on the apartment door. You slowly walked over, looked through the peephole, and saw Max standing outside. You opened the door.

"Hey, Max," you greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hey," he replied, stepping inside. "How are you holding up?"

You chuckled as you poured yourself a glass of water. "Yeah, I bet you have. Thanks for being here, Max."

Max settled onto the couch, stretching out and getting comfortable. "No problem at all. I'm just glad I can help out."

You joined him in the living room, sitting in a chair across from the couch.

"So, he leaves tomorrow?"

You sighed, looking down at the floor. "Yeah."

Max sat up. "You know, he's lucky to have you. I honestly never thought I'd see you settle down."

You looked at him.

"And as rough as those four years were, you never gave up on him."

You took a deep breath, meeting Max's piercing blue eyes. "Yeah, I guess I didn't. It wasn't easy, but I knew deep down he was worth it. We were worth it."

Max gave a small smile. "That's true love for you. Sticking it out through the rough patches."

You smiled back. "I'm sure you'll find someone some day."

Just then, your phone dinged and you looked at it. It was from Penny. "Oh. Penny says she needs me at The Hard Deck."

Max stood up. "Well, let's go then."

You stood up and followed him out the door.

When you arrived, Penny was behind the bar and her eyes lit up as she saw you. 'Y/N!" she exclaimed as a bunch of people in khaki uniforms jumped out.

"Surprise!!" they shouted, some holding light blue balloons.

The sudden burst of voices and balloons took you by surprise, and you couldn’t help but laugh. Penny came around the bar, enveloping you in a warm hug.

“Happy pre-baby celebration!” she said, beaming.

You looked around at the familiar faces of Jake’s squadron mates, who were grinning from ear to ear. Jake walked up behind you, wrapping an arm around your waist.

“We wanted to throw you a little surprise before I leave,” Jake said, his eyes twinkling with affection.

The Hard Deck was decorated festively, with blue balloons, streamers, and a banner that read, “Welcome Baby Seresin!” Penny had even set up a small table with snacks and non-alcoholic drinks just for you.

“Thank you, everyone! This is amazing,” you said, feeling a swell of gratitude and love. You then turned to Jake. "Jake. I can't believe you did this?"

"He wasn't the only one," a female voice with a Texas drawl said and you turned to see Cindy followed by Jake's sisters walk towards you.

You hugged Cindy tightly, overwhelmed with emotion. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Cindy said, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Jake’s sisters surrounded you, each taking turns to hug you. “We wanted to be here to celebrate with you,” one of them said, smiling warmly.

Jake grinned, clearly pleased with the surprise. “It was a team effort,” he said. “We wanted to make sure you felt loved and supported before I head out.”

You looked around the room, taking in the sight of your family and friends all gathered together. “This is perfect. Thank you all so much.”

Later that evening, you sat on a barstool as the group played pool. Wearing a sash that Phoenix had made, which read "Baby Seresin," you sipped from a bottle of water. Max had decided to challenge Jake to a game of pool, and it was getting pretty intense.

Jake and Max were locked in a fierce battle, their competitive spirits evident in every shot. The clinking of pool balls and the occasional cheers and groans from onlookers filled the room. You couldn't help but smile at the scene, feeling a sense of warmth and camaraderie.

Phoenix walked over and leaned against the bar beside you, glancing at the sash with a grin. "Looking good, Momma," she said, nudging you playfully.

You chuckled, adjusting the sash. "Thanks, Phoenix. This was a sweet touch."

"Anything for you and Baby Seresin," she replied with a wink. "So, who's the tall drink of water?" she asked, nodding toward Max.

"That would be Max."

"I know that. How do you know him?"

"We tried dating before I met Jake. It just didn't work out. He used to work for the FBI, but now he's with a private company and acts as my personal bodyguard."

"I wouldn't mind if he guarded me," Phoenix said with a sly smile.

You looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Tasha!"

She looked at you with a hint of curiosity. "He's probably taken by now."

You grinned. "As a matter of fact, he isn't."

"Hm," Phoenix said with thought.

Cindy walked over and handed you a small plate of appetizers. "Here, make sure you eat something," she said, her maternal instincts kicking in.

As the game of pool continued, Jake leaned over the table, eyeing his next shot. "You ready to lose, Max?" he teased, a confident smirk on his face.

Max shook his head, a determined look in his eyes. "Not a chance, Hangman." He said, his fingers making quotes. "I'm just getting started."

You sipped your water, feeling a flutter of excitement watching them. It was moments like these that made you appreciate the close-knit bond you all shared. Even though challenges lay ahead, you knew you had an incredible support system to lean on.

Later that night, you crawled into bed while Jake helped Max with the baby items from the baby shower. Leaning back, you placed your hands on your stomach and watched the baby move.

The gentle movement of your baby was soothing, a reminder of the new life growing inside you. As you watched, you couldn't help but think about the future and all the moments you were looking forward to sharing with your child and Jake.

Jake came back into the bedroom after a few minutes, looking tired but content. He smiled when he saw you watching your stomach. "He's really active tonight, huh?" he said, climbing into bed beside you.

You nodded, taking his hand and placing it on your belly. "Yeah, he's been moving a lot. I think he knows it's a special night."

Jake chuckled softly, feeling the baby's kicks. "He probably does. Our little one is already full of surprises."

You both lay there for a while, feeling the baby's movements.

The gentle movement of your baby was soothing, a reminder of the new life growing inside you. As you watched, you couldn't help but think about the future and all the moments you were looking forward to sharing with your child and Jake.

Jake came back into the bedroom after a few minutes, looking tired but content. He smiled when he saw you watching your stomach. "He's really active tonight, huh?" he said, climbing into bed beside you.

You nodded, taking his hand and placing it on your belly. "Yeah, he's been moving a lot. I think he knows it's a special night."

Jake chuckled softly, feeling the baby's kicks. "He probably does. Our little one is already full of surprises."

You both lay there for a while, feeling the baby's movements.

Eventually, your eyes grew heavy, and you yawned. Jake pulled you closer, wrapping his arm around you. "Get some rest, darlin'. Tomorrow's another big day."

You snuggled into him, feeling safe and content. "I wouldn't exactly call you leaving a big day," you answered sleepily.

He kissed your forehead and pulled you closer as you fell asleep. "I know, darlin'. I know."

Tags: @buckysteveloki-me @bellyliveslife @86laura11 @callsign-barbell @dizzybee03 @tgmreader @kmc1989 @guacam011y @nerdgirljen @hookslove1592 @dempy @djs8891 @smoothdogsgirl

[lee-doesnt-knoww]

One kiss

Gojo Satoru x fem!reader smut

tags: friends to lovers, jokes, messing around, thigh riding, kissing, spit kink, smut, fighting, blood implied, slight implication of nanami, nanami x reader (platonic)

ps: this was actually inspired by a character.ai bot & not proofread ☆

October 31st, 2017. Shibuya Station

Watching him tear a curse apart with his bare hands surprisingly wasn't the weirdest thing you've seen all day. But you'd never really seen this side to Satoru. His blue eyes wide, a crazed look inside them. His smile with toothy, but there was nothing happy about it, Someone's blood on his face. He looked up at you, some curse's head in his hands."Are you okay?"

"Mhmm" You nodded looking up at him as you started to wipe the blood on his face "thanks to you, honored one" Gojo felt your hand touch his face, cleaning the blood off it. He's never really let anyone touch him like this before, letting his guard down for a short moment. "You can stop calling me that ya know." He said, a smirk growing on his face "I knoww but I dont want to "you chuckled "no but really, you looked crazy out there, are you sure you're alright satoru.?" you looked up at him, slightly worried as you put his hair back into shape.

A light pink dusted his cheeks, and his smile softenea slightly at how you treated him so gently. He chuckled a little. "I always look crazy, love." He put his hand or your chin, tilting your head to look up at him more "Don't worry about me. 'M fine." He said, despite the obvious fatigue he felt. "Love"? who do you think you are satoru, mhh?" you teased "I saw a safe area nearby, you can rest there for a little bit" Satoru just smirked, enjoying the teasing. "Can call you whatever I like." He chuckled, noticing the safe spot you mentioned. "Oh? I'd rather stay with you though." He said jokingly, though his eye bags told a different story.

You rolled my eyes at the first part "I wont be far, I'll stay at this floor in case some cursed humans decided to come look for you, how does that sound mhh?" He laughed a little at your eye roll, he enjoyed how you reacted to everything he said. He thought for a moment, considering the idea you gave him. "How about this then? I rest here for a moment, and you stay here with me." He said, grinning. He just didn't really wanna be left alone. Not here. Not now. You sighed, looking directly into his eyes, knowing he teased but there was a bit of truth in his words, he didnt want to be alone right now "..I'll call nanami then you can rest, mkay?" You stood on your toppy toes to pat his head affectionately.A soft, warm smile appeared on his face as he looked down at you. He had never really experienced any kind of affection before. But something about you just made him want it more. He subconsciously leaned into your touch a little. "Mkay." He mumbled, as you pat his head. Something clicked in his head then, making him want to tease you even more.

"Nana? yes, I'm with satoru on the third floor near the dinner on the left, he needs to rest" your back was facing gojo as you spoke on the phone.

You smiled as you started leading the way to the safe area, getting out your phone to call Nanami. Gojo followed behind you, watching as you called. His eyes were on you the entire time. He suddenly smirked again, having a new idea to get more of your attention, making him act more immature than usual for a 27 year old man.

He smirked, knowing he had a perfect opportunity Suddenly, his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you back towards him from behind. Gojo's chin rested on your shoulder, his head in the crook of your neck. He was acting like he was tired, but truth was he just wanted your attention. He nuzzled his head against your neck, not listening to whatever conversation you were having with Nanami. You just smiled to yourself, playing with his hair, muttering to him "You cant be left alone for a minute, can you mhh?" he just grumbled against your neck in response, enjoying your hands in his hair. He buried his head a little deeper into your neck, his arms tightening around your waist. He was obviously still very stubborn, not wanting to admit that he actually needed your comfort and touch for a change. You turned back to your phone. "l'll call you when he's back in shape Nana, be careful alright?"

He listened to your conversation as he held you,

secretly wishing you'd pay attention to him instead of on the phone. He had never really been this clingy when it came to people, but with you? He never wanted your affection to go away. He let out another grumble, nuzzling his head into your neck once more. You hung up, turning towards him "Hey there, I'm done now alright? You should go on that bench to rest a bit, mhh?" Gojo just mumbled under his breath, keeping his chin on your shoulder. He tightened his arms around you again, not wanting to let go of you. He nuzzled his head against your neck with a huff. "No.. don't want to.." He was behaving like a literal toddler at the moment.

"Satoru..." You said in a soft but stern voice. Gojo let out a sigh when he heard you sternly say his name, he knew he couldn't get away with anything when you spoke like that. But he stil stubbornly pulled you even closer against him "Don't wanna. ..wanna stay with you" You sighed, holding him tight "how about this, I stay close to you while you rest?" He hummed, seemingly pleased with the compromise you offered.

Slowly, he loosened his arms around you. He pulled away from your neck, standing beside you to look down at you. He gave a small nod, agreeing to your conditions. He moved over to the bench, sitting down on it. He patted his lap in a silent way of asking you to sit with him on it. You rolled your eyes with a smile, not exactly expecting this "I still manage to get surprised by you, you know?" You stepped closer, sitting down on his thighs sideways carefully.

He chuckled as he watched you sit on his lap, wrapping his arms around your waist again. Truth was, he needed you right now. He just couldn't admit it out loud. He pulled you a little closer, so much that you were practically sitting on his lap completely. In any other situation, this would've seemed out of character for Gojo. But he just needed you right now, and he didn't care how he acted to get it. You shifted around "Can we move position? not really comfy right now, toru" Gojo just chuckled again, amused at the fact that you were shifting around in his lap. He hummed, agreeing to your request. "Mhmm, of course we can, sweetheart. How do you want me to hold you then?"

You stood up in front of him, then sat down, straddling him, one leg on either side of him as you hugged him "Good for you?". He felt a small jolt of electricity when you sat on his lap like this, and he immediately wrapped his arms around your waist. He held you closer against him in this new position, his face buried in the crook of your neck, He liked the fact that you were so comfortable with him on his lap.

"Mhmmm. good.." He murmured as he nuzzled his head against you again.

"Perfect then" You played with his hair to calm him down knowing that he'd be probably overthinking right now".

He hummed in response, enjoying the feeling of your fingers in his hair. You were right. He was overthinking. Overthinking so many things right now. He silently pulled you closer against him, almost like he was afraid to lose you.

"..You'll. stay with me, right?" He murmured, sounding more vulnerable than usual as he spoke.

"Yes toru, until the very end, forever and ever" You booped his nose with mine, looking straight into his mesmerising eyes. His grip around your waist tightened as you booped his nose, holding you as close as he possibly could. He looked into your eyes, feeling every bit of tension and stress disappear. The fact that you said you'd stay with him forever made him feel comforted. "Promise..?" He asked softly, searching your eyes for any hint of dishonesty. If you actually meant what you said, you had him wrapped around your finger forever. But he didn't mind that at all. He actually liked it,even though he was hiding it, you knew. You knew him. "Toru..look at me mhh..? You tried to tug his head backwards from his hair.

He was so focused on searching your eyes for any hint of dishonesty, that he didn't notice what you were asking him to do. He let out a grumble when you tugged at his hair, a slight pout on his face. He let you pull his head up though, his eyes looking down at you. "Hmmm?" You kissed his cheek, then his forehead, and his chin, his nose you dont have to keep up your honored one façade with me...love."

With every kiss you placed on his face, he seemed to melt into you a little more. He hummed quietly, enjoying every single one of them. He knew he could be vulnerable around you, but a part of him still felt a bit scared of it. He smiled slightly at the term of endearment you used, and he pulled you even closer against him. He buried his head against your chest, not wanting to look you in the eyes at the moment. His voice was slightly shaky as he spoke again "..Don't leave me. Ever."

"Toru..?" you asked, waiting for him to look up as you blushed slightly. He heard your voice, and he slowly looked up at you again. He didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes silently spoke volumes. You clearly see it. He was vulnerable

completely wrapped around your finger. He just

wanted you to reassure him. You put your hands over his eyes, leaning in quickly and pressing a quick peck to his lips.

Gojo let out a quiet gasp as you suddenly kissed his lips. The gesture was so quick, it made him want more. He felt a burst of electricity, and his heart began to beat faster. He suddenly pulled your hands away from his eyes, looking at you with a bit of a shocked look on his face.

"Did you just..?" He asked, seemingly a little bit dumbfounded by what just happened.

"Toru.." You placed your arms around his neck "...ever.." As you suddenly wrapped your arms around his neck, he gently put his own arms around your waist. He still couldn't believe you'd actually kissed him. It stunned him for a moment, but the shock quickly faded as he suddenly pulled you even closer into a tight hug pressing his face into the crook of your neck. "Again. Do it again." "I- ..please..." You waited for him to lift his head up. He didn't even hesitate. As soon as you said please. He immediately pulled his head back, looking at you. His eyes were wide, but focused. All he wanted right now was another kiss. He held you tight, waiting for you to kiss him. You closed your eyes, pressing your lips to his gently as your hands rested on his shoulders to stay upright.

He pulled away for a moment, his breathing slightly uneven as he spoke in a low voice.

A small gasp escaped his lips once again as you kissed him once more. He started to enjoy the gentleness, wanting even more in a way. His own hands gently moved to your hips, holding you firmly to keep you steady at the same time.

"Again.." He almost whispered the word, wanting a third kiss. You kissed him again, your lipstick slightly smudging.

Surprisingly, he actually liked the feeling in a way, and he felt his own desire grow. His arms wrapped around your waist even more tighter, as if to keep you as close to him as possible. Once again, he pulled away for a moment to catch his breath. "One more." He whispered, not wanting to stop. You kissed him again, your breathing starting to grow heavier.

He kissed you back, enjoying the feeling of your lipstick starting to smudge on his own lips.

The fourth kiss was a little more heated than the previous ones, and Gojo was actually a little overwhelmed by the sensations he was experiencing. His heart was beating faster than ever as he quickly became addicted to the feeling of your kisses. He held you tighter, and he didn't bother to pull away anymore. Instead, he suddenly tilted his head, changing the angle of the kiss to feel more of your lips on his own.

You let out a gasp at the new angle, your lipstick staining his lips and smudging all around both your mouths. He smiled against your lips as you gasped, the sound sending a wave of pleasure through his body. Feeling your lipstick smear all over his lips only spurred him on even more, and he suddenly bit your lip gently to get another reaction out of you. You moaned slightly at this, your hips moving on their own.

When you actually moaned, his brain started to become foggy. He could only think about how you sounded right now, and the way you were moving your hips against him. It was driving him insane. He gripped your hips, wanting to feel you even more. He spoke against your lips in a low voice. "..More." "ahh...toru..'m sorry.." You lifted your hips up, embarrassed.

He let out a quiet groan as you suddenly lifted up your hips, feeling the movement against him. He actually wanted you to keep doing it, but somehow managed to speak instead. ''..Don't be.." He said in a strained voice. "..Don't apologize. Please.." You whined at his state, seeing and feeling he was desperate "..toru.." You lowered my hips gently, barely resting against him.

He felt another burst of electricity shoot through his body at your whine, and he actually thought it was kind of cute how you seemed flustered at the moment: His body was getting more and more sensitive, and as you lowered your hips against him, he couldn't help but let a soft moan escape his lips. "..Please. move.." He pleaded in a low voice, wanting more sensations. You grounded my hips against his, then started grinding slowly "like this toru..? does this feel good for you.?" You asked, out of breath as you kept whining and moaning.

He threw his head back as you suddenly started to grind against him. He let out a loud moan, gripping your hips again, encouraging you to keep going. Everything felt so overwhelming, and all he could think about was wanting more from you. "..Yes.. feels so good. Keep going." He almost said it like a plea, desperate for you "nhm...anything for you toru" you kept grinding against him, your hips sometimes spasming as you felt true pleasure, letting out small praises until one that came out unasked "..love you..ahh....love you s-so much toru..".

He couldn't help but moan each time your hips spasmed against him, and he felt like he was nearing his limit, When you suddenly spoke the words 'I love you', his mind started to fog up again. He never thought he would get this worked up and vulnerable in your hold like this, but here he was, completely wrapped around your finger. "..I love you too.. so much." He managed to say in a strained voice, his breaths coming out in small pants. You whined, your hips starting to feel tired, now almost only spasming "..toru.. i cant-".

He seemed to understand that you were getting tired at the moment. But he was at the limit, the way you whimpered while your hips were moving against him was too much. He was breathing heavily, trying to speak in a steady voice.

"..I know..i know sweetheart.. it's alright." He suddenly moved one of his hands to grab your hip "Can you.. do something for me?" You nodded quickly before kissing him hungrily "anything for you please toru". He kissed you back hungrily, wanting more of you at the moment. But he wasn't thinking straight, so his request was a little greedy ".Can you..ride my thigh..?" He managed to murmur against your lips, his voice low. "ah but- thats doesnt-i mean you-" You whined at the thought. "...fuck toru.."

He chuckled at your whining, and he started to understand your hesitance. "..please love.. you can't imagine how bad i want this." He nipped your lower lip gently, still holding on to one of your hips. You moved to straddle his thigh, feeling the rough muscle laying there as you held onto his shoulders, looking up at him to know when you should start.

He watched you move to straddle his thigh, and his breath hitched for a moment. He silently appreciated the fact that you were doing this all for him, and he gave you a nod to signal you could start. "..please.. He practically begged, his eyes darkened with desire. "ah fuck toru, love you please please". You started to ride his thigh, grinding down gently, leaning forward to kiss him, your mouth slightly open as your tongue was a little bit out, allowing your to breathe. He let out a strained moan when you started to grind against his thigh, and he quickly pulled you closer against him. He saw your tongue sticking out and he couldn't resist the sight. He darted his own tongue out, gently licking your tongue for a moment before he pulled away for a moment.

"Love you too baby. you're so good for me." He managed to say in a low voice, watching you intently as you continued to move against his thigh. You moaned as his tongue licked your own, then whined at his words, grinding down harder, with more fervour, your mouth slightly agape as you stared up at him.

He watched you as you grinded down on his thigh, getting more energized at the sight. His own breaths were coming out in low pants now, and he gripped your hip a little tighter, wanting to feel more. "..that's it, sweet girl. keep going." He said in a low voice, watching you with lust-filled eyes. At this, your hips started bucking up uncontrollably, making your drool out in pleasure, chanting and moaning his name like a mantra.

He couldn't keep his eyes off of you at the moment, seeing you completely giving up control, and moaning his name like a chant. It was absolutely driving him crazy, and he felt his own control begin to slip more ir his own pleasure. "..That's it, that's it, just keep going. good girl.." He was basically praising you at this point, wanting to see what state you were in at the moment. You bit your bottom lip, holding in your moans as you grinded down like a bitch in heat, feeling your climax nearing. He noticed you were holding your moans in, and he suddenly gripped your hair and pulled you to look into his eyes. "Don't hold back, sweetheart. want to hear you." He whispered in a low tone, still watching you with a lustful look in his eyes.

At this, you let your bottom lip escape, a tear of blood rushing down from biting so hard "ahh toru please so close-" You started speaking nonsense. His breath hitched when he saw the tear of blood from your lip, and he quickly leaned and gently licked it away. Seeing you this way was making him a little lightheaded, and he felt his own climax nearing "..I know baby.. I know..just a little more.."He whispered, knowing you were going to finish soon and he wanted to see you reach your limit. You closed your eyes, letting your hands travel all over his torso, face and hair, needing to feel him everywhere.

He watched intently as your hands roamed around his body, and he suddenly felt an overwhelming desire. Without a word, he grabbed your chin with his thumb and index finger, puling you up to face him. "..Open your mouth for me," He said in a low voice, and when you obeyed, he suddenly spit into your mouth and watched intently for your reaction. You just moaned and swallowed it, as you came on his thigh, your hips and thighs trembling around him.

He watched your reaction as you came undone around his thigh, and he felt an overwhelming feeling wash over him. The way your body trembled around him felt so good, and he couldn't help but smile a little at your actions ''Good girl.. good girl. you did so well sweetheart." He praised you, still speaking in a low voice. He slowly ran his hand through your hair in a gentle manner, helping you come down from your high..

[shiny-kaibernyte]

May I request Mondo x Ultimate!Herbalist reader?

You are my first Danganronpa request... and you request my third favourite character. Congratulations! You are now my new favourite person random stranger! This ended up being a lot harder to write than i thought it would be. I went back and forth for ages on this. If there is anything you don't like let me know and i'll fix it.

Warnings: Mentions of blood / Takes place during the killing game / Swearing. You know just Mondo being Mondo

Mint Leaves | Mondo x Ultimate Herbalist (Reader)

“Dammit…” An almost silent curse left Mondo’s throat. All he could see in his vision was the annoyingly bright red lights of the dormitory hallway, and a door. This singular cursed door he just couldn’t seem to do anything with. Just staring at it, almost afraid to even touch the door. “Come on… be a man and just knock. Not that hard!” 

And yet, he didn’t move, the staring only continuing. If the door had eyes, Mondo would be winning this staring contest.

“Ugh this is fucking stupid!” Mondo’s voice echoed loudly throughout the empty hallway, throwing his head back in defeat. The door had won this round. “It’s a damn door! So why can’t I just knock!?”

“As much as I enjoy hearing you howling like a wounded cub. Some of us are trying to sleep.” An almost snake-like voice yanked Mondo back to reality, snapping his neck to the side irritated. Togami… The definition of an annoying rich boy who thinks he’s better than everyone. 

Mondo’s eye twitched as his lip turned into a snarl, staring down at the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. Togami wasn’t close by, merely standing outside his door, arms crossed with a raised eyebrow. Which only angered the Biker even more. “The hell you say to me? You trying to start something rich boy!?”

“Hm… It’s certainly amusing to watch you bang your chest like a caged monkey.” A smirk crosses Togami’s face as he adjusts his glasses, moving a hand to his hip as the other gestures to the floor by Mondo’s feet. “However, you're getting blood on the floor. If you aren't going to knock on the door. At least clean up after yourself before you scare the poor thing.”

Blinking in confusion, Mondo stared down at his feet only to realise a small pool of blood no bigger than his foot had appeared courtesy of the giant gash on his palm. That was why he was here, standing outside your door and now being berated by Togami. A defeated sigh left Mondo’s lips as a satisfied hum left Togami’s, followed by the sound of footsteps. “The hell you doing!?”

“Relax will you!” Togami snapped now standing next to Mondo, an arm reaching out towards him. Before Mondo had a chance to either hit or step back from Togami. The sound of knocking filled the Bikers ears like a wave. “I’m doing what you seem to be to chicken to do. Now hurry this along and let the rest of us sleep in peace.”

Staring blankly at Togami, mouth agape as he watched the rich boy quickly flee, a trail of dust behind him as he ducked into his room seemingly not wanting to be seen. If he wasn’t so calm about it, perhaps it would have been funny.

“Mondo?” Now it was your turn to snap Mondo out of his trance. His face turned bright red as if caught doing something bad, he couldn't even muster up anything more than a nervous stammer before you noticed how he was holding his hand. “What happened! You’re bleeding!” “I shouldn’t be here! Ignore you saw me yeah!?” Making an escape attempt, Mondo spun on his heel and attempted to follow Togami’s escape plan only to find himself being Yanked into your room. Surprisingly he didn’t lose his balance and stayed up right.

“I said let me look. I can’t have you bleeding on the floor now can i?” You respond sternly, letting go of his coat which you used to yank him back. Pointing down at the puddle of blood outside your door. “You were outside my door for a reason so please, let me at least look at it.”

Looking at your face, he found it impossible to say no. The glow of hope in your eye, the almost pleading pout made him want to yell. As much as he hated getting help from others, he couldn’t say no. So with a hesitant grumble of defeat he let you take his hand in yours. The moment you grabbed his wounded hand, his head snapped to the side, unable to look at you anymore. Mondo was ashamed of himself for seeking your help, he shouldn’t be relying on you to help him. It should be the other way around, right?

“How did you even do this? It's so deep… clean though which is good.” You mumbled to yourself, examining the cut on Mondo’s hand, it didn’t look like a knife gash. You would need to wrap this quickly. Sure it was a clean wound but that didn’t mean it wouldn't get infected regardless. “Come, sit down, let me wrap this.”

“You don’t need to do that. I can do it.” Mondo hastily replied, pulling his hand away from you. 

“Stop being so stubborn! Sit down and be quiet, let me take care of you!” You snap, arms wrapping around his arm to pull him towards your bed. Despite saying he didn’t want your help, he was quick to move with you, even letting you sit him down on the edge of your bed. “Hold on i should have something around here somewhere”

Leaving Mondo sitting on your bed, you swiftly make your way to a bag on the floor, digging through it carefully. Mondo’s eyes carefully examining you, a soft smile warming his face, unable to stop the admiration from shining in his eyes. He really did have a soft spot for you, maybe that's why Fujisaki kept always trying to push him towards you. Or the fact Ishimaru would always try and weave you into whatever they were talking about, only to leave both of you alone.

“Found it!” With a yell of victory, you pulled out a small jar and a white box from your bag. “I was a little worried i didn't grab any of this stuff from the garden and hospital room! Can I see your hand again?”

“Hold it! Hell is that?” Mondo had already returned to his usual stoic look when you turned around to approach him again. He had risen to his feet once he saw what you were holding. The small jar had some kind of orange fauna in, whilst the box had a somewhat spiky looking plant and some fluffy looking leaves.

Dragging him by the arm, you force him back down on the edge of the bed. “These are going to help you. I'm no fool Mondo, I know you won’t go to the Nurse's office upstairs no matter what anyone says. So you get me instead. I may not be able to cure disease but I can stop infection and skin irritations. So shush and let me see your hand.”

“You ca-”

“Shush” 

Promptly shushing. Mondo finally lets you dot on him, holding out his hand for you. A smile of victory briefly flashes on your face before turning to one of focus. Mondo’s returning to his secret but not secret soft smile. Time flew by as you worked carefully to treat the gash on his hand, using the Aloe Vera gel to help with disinfecting the wound, cleaning up any extra little dirt that may have been left behind. It was cold surprisingly tingly, causing Mondo’s hand to tense a few. Not once did he pull his hand away, more flexing into your touch than away, giving you all the motivation to keep going. 

Once you’d made sure the wound was evenly covered and cleaned, you reached for the jar and took out a small amount of Calendula petals, spreading them gently and carefully around the edge of the cut. Carefully covering the orange petals with a tiny amount of aloe Vera, before you reached for the more fluffy looking herb. Lamb's ear, nature's bandage. 

You carefully wrap the hand using a combination of the herb and some actual bandages you’d raided from the nurses office. “That should do it. Is it to lose? Too tight?”

“It’s fine… thanks.” Mondo nods, adjusting his grip as he admires your handiwork. “That herbalist stuff of yours… really is something else huh. I don’t understand a thing you did but I ain't gonna lie. My hand does feel good, I can't even tell there's anything wrong.”

“Good! Make sure to have someone change the bandage every few days, or if you're confident I'm sure you can figure it out yourself.” You tease, poking his nose briefly before placing your remedies back into your bag. Mondo’s face painted a lovely shade of red once more causing you to burst out laughing when you noticed.

“Hell you laughing at!” Mondo snapped, the embarrassment only made things worse and your laughter progress.You had never seen him break composure so many times in one night before so for him to turn into a tomato from a single tap made you break your own composure. Seems your laughter was contagious, as soon enough Mondo found himself chuckling alongside you. How did this night go from him being too chicken to knock on your door. To now the pair of you leaning into each other, laughing over a single poke. This certainly will be a memory Mondo will never forget.

[navyhealthyglow]

a fresh start - glow up guide no.1

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED SOMETHING SO BAD, BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO START?

Me too, and that's why we're focusing on this today. Here is what you need to do, to start your glow up era with a bang 😎

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Welcome to the first post of the Glow Up Guide series! In this series I'll be discussing everything you need to know step by step, so you can have your best glow up and become your highest self.

Let's begin! ⭐💙

STEP ONE - DECLUTTER

Before we begin, put your phone down for a bit and declutter your room. You can go as crazy or little as you wish, however I prefer to do a deep clean. Dust your shelves, counters, vacuum the floor, clean out your closet etc. Make sure your desk is organized, you know where your stuff is and everything looks neat. A fresh environment supports a fresh mind, so let's start here. If you wish, you can also throw out your old clothes and replace them with new pieces. Although don't feel pressured to do so, we're trying to glow up here, not spend a reckless amount of money.

STEP TWO - JOURNAL

How can we start our glow up journey without knowing where we are now? So grab your journal, a piece of paper or open your notes app. Write down what your situation is and why is it happening. Explain what would you like to change and acknowledge your starting position. This will help us set realistic goals later on.

STEP THREE - VISION

First two steps done, bravo! Let's keep it up then and now think about who do we want to become. Write down your vision. Who is this person? What do they look like? What do they like/dislike? What are their boundaries, beliefs? How do they act, dress, workout, eat, etc... If you're having troubles with creating your vision, don't worry, I'll make a post about it soon, but until then just look some prompts on pinterest 😽

STEP FOUR - GOALS

Now we have that, write down what do you want to achieve before 2024 ends. This can be anything depending on your personal glow up preference. If you don't know what you want to accomplish yet, don't worry. Here are some goal examples for you: ⟶ read three non-fiction books ⟶ implement a morning and evening routine ⟶ finish a project ⟶ get a certain grade ⟶ prioritize sleep and self care ⟶ focus on your gut health and diet ⟶ save 500$ These are just some examples you can use, but remember to find a goal thats meaningful to YOU! If you're reading this after 2024 ends, just write down your goals for the next three months.

STEP FIVE - PLAN!

It's time for the last step - planning. Review what you wrote about your goals, your vision and where you are now. Now take it and break it down into weekly goals, and break them down to bite sized habits that you can implement daily! Here is an example: If my goal is to get fit, first I'll start drinking more water and cut out processed foods. I will buy a gym membership or find an activity that works for me (walking, running, dance, swimming, etc.) and do it regularly, let's say 3 times a week. I'll also move my body daily and try to get at least 7k steps in. This is just an example, but this is basically how this works. If you need help with planning your schedule, feel free to use AI as a tool. Tell it to create a glow up plan according to your current situation and your vision and adjust it to your needs. A tip I found very helpful, is to put everything like workouts, classes and plans in a weekly calendar. This will help you stay organized and keep up with your plans. I'll show you how I did mine below!

You can find these free templates on canva, picsart and pinterest! I got mine here.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

That's the end of todays post. I hope you had a great time reading it, and let me know if you'd like to see more content like this from me!

I can't wait to hear what you planned for your glow up in the comments, feel free to share<3

Find me here: 🤍💿

#navyhealthyglow - all my og content #navyhealthytips - glow up tips #navyhealthyjourney - my glow up journey

[jpitha]

Between The Black and Gray 11

First / Previous / Next

With the door shut, and the immediate danger passed, Fen collapsed in the airlock. Gord turned and touched her shoulder.

"Fen, we're not out of the woods yet. Come up to the Command Deck. We're leaving, and I could use your help."

Fen looked up at Gord, her face wet with tears. "What can I do Gord? I don't know the first thing about any of this. Ma-ren is.. is" Fen choked back the words.

Gord squatted down to Fen's level. "Fen. I am over three thousand years old. I have lost more people than you probably knew your entire life. I'm here to tell you that for one, it doesn't get easier. For two, life goes on. It doesn't feel like it can right now, like there's no way for the stars to keep moving or the station to keep turning, and yet, it does. That doesn't mean you'll forget her, it doesn't mean that you'll think about her any less. It means that one of your jobs now is to carry her memory. But that won't happen if Tam'itarr's goons kill us." Gord stood and held out his hand.

Fen looked up at him and sniffed. She took his hand and pulled herself up. "But, we're inside Spyglass, how can he get us?"

"Hey Gord? Traffic Control says I do not have authorization to leave, and to stand by for boarding."

Gord inclined his head. "That's how. Come on Fen." As they walked, he also spoke to Spyglass. "Pretend you didn't understand them, repeat the orders wrong, it doesn't matter. Delay them."

"I'll do my best Gord, but they still think I'm just a dumb ship. If I start lying, they'll suspect."

"Don't lie then. Just... bend the truth."

Fen followed Gord, bewildered. What was she going to do to help? How could she help? As they entered the Command Deck, Fen noticed that since they were in here last, Gord or Spyglass herself had cleaned up, things were dusted and bright and looked nearly new. Gord sat in the large chair in the middle and tapped at the screen on the arm. "Spy, how much printable mass did we wind up with before Tam'itarr decided to take things into his own hands?"

"About half, Gord. Enough to print bodies or reactor parts, but not both."

"And the second reactor he promised from that K'laxi?"

"Never delivered."

"Shit." Gord looked over at Fen. "We're running at a sixth of the power Spyglass had in her heyday, it's just us three, and none of us knows if the wormhole generator still works. Still up for a ride?"

Fen nodded. "I'm not going back." She thought for a moment and added. "Not without one of those huge rifles you were using before at least."

At that, Gord smiled. "We'll see what we can do."

While Gord worked out details with Spyglass, Fen leaned back in the chair. At least it was comfortable. She couldn't believe that Ma-ren was gone, just like that. In less time it took for her to breathe, she went from being her partner, her friend, her lover to... a body on the floor in the docking bay, gone. "Oh Ma" she whispered. "What am I going to do?" As she shut her eyes and wept, Fen heard a rhythmic banging. She opened her eyes and sat up. "Gord? Do you hear that?"

Gord stopped talking to Spyglass and cocked his ear. "Yeah, I do. Spy, are they trying to break in?"

"Looks like Gord, but they're just banging on the airlock door. They'll never get in that way. I was built to resist boarding it'll take a lot more than large hammers and chisels."

"Still, I don't like it. Let's cast off." Gord looked ahead to the large screen on the command deck. Right now it just showed the view out the front of the side and bottom of the station.

"Gord, the clamps aren't listening to me. They don't want to release."

"Attention Spyglass. Please do not attempt to leave. You have not been cleared for departure. Await boarding and further instructions."

"Station!" Fen shouted. "Spyglass can I stalk to Station?"

"Uh, sure, the mic is yours Fen." Spyglass sounded wary, but opened the line.

"Station! They killed Ma! They shot at her when we were running to get to Spyglass! We were so close and they just shot her in cold blood. She's gone Station, she's gone!" Fen's lip quivered and she took a shuddering breath. "They're going to try and kill me and probably Gord. They want Spyglass. Can you please let us leave?"

There was a long pause. "Fen, I-I-I can't, you have n-n-not been cleared for d-d-departure. Please s-s-s-stand by."

"Station! Please! I know you're sapient! You're not just a machine. You're not just a tool of Tam'itarr and the other gangsters. Please let us leave!"

"Fenchurch, I.. Fen, I." There was a loud bang, deep towards the rear of the ship.

"One of the rear clamps have disconnected." Spyglass announced. "We're not free yet."

Fen sighed. "Thank you Station. Can you disconnect the other clamps?"

This time, there was static on the line and a warbling clicking noise. Station was seemingly at war with itself.

Gord looked at Fen and then down at the screens and up at the main display. "Spy..."

"Yeah Gord. On your order."

"Do it."

"Do what?" Fen looked at Gord.

"Spyglass is going to disconnect the rest of the clamps herself. I was hoping that your friend Station could do it, but it appears they are being prevented from acting." Gord shrugged. "It gives away the fact that Spyglass is an AI, but they'd learn that sooner or later."

There were a series of bangs running from the back to the front of the Starjumper after Gord explained things. Then a lurch, and Fen felt pulled into her seat as Spyglass' gravity generators took over. "Why do I feel so heavy?"

Gord looked over, and snapped his finger in recognition. "Oh that's right, you were born and raised on a Gren station. The Gren's homeworld is lighter than Earth. Their gravity is about three quarters Earth. Spyglass, being human built has her gravity generators set to Earth standard. You'll get used to it soon enough."

"Gord? Station is still out of sorts and I think is telling me that we have ships incoming."

Gord looked up sharply. "From the Gate?"

"No, looks like local authorities. Though knowing what we know, it's probably just Tam'itarr's goons again, or some other gangster."

Gord tipped his head down and put his palm on his forehead. "Any weapons?"

"On them, or us?"

"Either."

"Uh, I think they have some missiles, but they don't seem to be very large, and I could manage one laser battery, or thrusters, but not both."

"Shit. Okay." He turned toward Fen. "Any ideas?"

Fen blinked. "You're asking me?"

Gord nodded. "Sure. You know Tam'itarr better than either of us. What do you think would get him to back down?"

"Well, he already... shot Ma... so I don't know if I'm the right person to ask, but..." Fen took a deep breath and let it out. She did it again and slapped her own cheeks gently. "Spyglass, put me back on to Station."

"The line is hot Fen, whenever you're ready."

"Station, This is Fenchurch Millenny. Put me through to Tam'itarr."

"One moment please."

There were clicks and hisses on the line, and then Fen heard a familiar voice. "Fen! You would not believe how surprised I am to hear from you."

"Surprised that I'm still alive, Tam'itarr?" Fen's voice was venemous.

"We'll leave out the whys for now, Fen. My condolences on Ma-ren."

"Tam-" Fen took another breath. "Tam'itarr, you will call off your goons right this instant. I know that the 'local authorities' coming towards us are on your payroll."

"Coming towards- One moment please." There was a click, and a scratch. Gord raised an eyebrow but said nothing. When Tam'itarr returned, his voice was much more menacing. "Fen, those fellows are not mine. They're Penfenn's. He's... well to call him my boss would be incredibly gauche, but the definition will have to do for a human's understanding. If you've gotten Penfenn's attention, then there isn't anything I could - or would want - to do. Good luck, you'll need it."

"Holy shit. What have we gotten ourselves into." Gord shook his head. "Things haven't been this exciting for a century or more. Spy, you think that your wormhole generator will work? At least one more time?"

"To be honest Gord, I have no idea. I can feel it, it's online, but I don't think I've ever linked with only one reactor. I'll have to kill life support and gravity."

Gord shrugged. "It's just the two of us, you're large. I'm sure it'll be fine. Spyglass, I authorize you to route all necessary power to the wormhole generator. Please link us away when you are able."

"Aye Gord. Destination?"

"Hmm, we shouldn't go to human controlled space right now, and word will get out soon enough from here so we should stay away from the Gren. The Sefigans are nice enough, but they use that FlashWarp drive, I hate it. They won't have any reactor parts we can use." He looked up at Spyglass' camera. What about the Innari?"

"The Manganese breathers? You won't be able to go anywhere without a suit. Besides, they're afraid of humans."

"True, but their reactor tech is similar. I think we used to trade parts with them. I know there was a lot of knowledge transfer right after Contact."

"You're in charge Gord, just let me know."

Gord turned back to Fen. "What do you think? Wanna go meet some Manganese breathers?"

"Gord, I don't even know what that is, but sure. Anything to get away from here."

He made his right hand into a fist, all the fingers bunched tightly against his palm, except for the thumb, which stuck straight up. "Right on."

"What's that gesture, Gord?"

Gord blinked and looked down at his hand. "Oh, it's a thumb's up. Means like, positive acknowledgement. I forgot you wouldn't know it."

"Because I grew up on a Gren station, or because it's thousands of years old?" For the first time, Fen smiled slightly.

Spyglass laughed, startling Fen. "She's got you there, Gord."

Gord harrumphed and turned back to the screen, but his eyes were smiling. "Both can be true, you know. Spyglass, look for Habilamen in your database. I added some new addresses when we spoke."

"I have it Gord. Shunting power from life support and gravity to the wormhole generator. Please stand by."

A noise that Fen didn't realize she was hearing in the background ceased and the ship suddenly became much quieter. She felt her hands rise from her seat as the gravity left. She was able to notice a creaking and groaning that she didn't hear before. Fen was amazed at the realization that Starships made noise as they soared through space! She also heard another thing, sort of like the reactor noise, but more insistent, higher pitch.

"We are ready to link Gord, on your order."

"Please proceed Spyglass. Link us to Habilamen."

There was a flash of white and...

[amywritesthings]

silver underground. / chapter four.

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x F!Reader (Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin)

Word Count: 4.2K

Summary: Day 97 - Better known as the first day you reunite with Section Commander Hange Zoe, who has their own plans to recovering your memory.

Warnings: Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Eventual Romance, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Flashbacks, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Nonbinary Hange Zoe, Angry!Levi, Other Additional Tags to be Added As the Story Progresses

( Read on AO3 )

Previous Chapter. / Next Chapter. | Masterlist.

CHAPTER FOUR.

There is something therapeutic about cleaning.

Clearing stubborn dust in every corner and pesky grime from the floorboards brings a sense of accomplishment — a sense of control, to your day.

It's not what you thought you'd be doing in the midst of preparing for your first official training session with the military, but Petra Ral claims this is how the Scouts indoctrinate all the new recruits.

A rite of passage, so to speak, to learn how important it is to mind your space.

(She's quick to mention you've already completed said rite in another life.)

Petral Ral, better known to you as the girl from Erwin's file, is a devastatingly perky and short redhead with stars in her eyes. Despite the harrowing business of being a Scout, she speaks like she's on the most incredible adventure of her life.

A novel-quality crusade.

She greets you with such excitement upon your arrival with Erwin Smith that you can't help but feel relief that this is your intermittent handler. You don’t remember Petra, not in the way she hopes you will, but she parades you around the rendezvous castle like it's your first day.

Because, according to her, she's just repeating history: she was the one to do this just a few short years ago.

Before you get your hands on military gear and weapons, Petra first offers you a broom and dust pan. "Scrubbing down the common room mess space is first priority," she supplies, holding up her own broom. "You might want to take a cloth to keep your hair out of your face. When you're done with the mess space, you can start on your room. You hold a broom like this, and—"

"Petra," you start, and she waits patiently for your reply. "I'm not braindead, just blank. I remember how to clean."

"You do?"

"Yes," you reassure with a breathy laugh, holding the broom handle with a half-assed sweep of your arm. "Ta-da."

She squeaks in embarrassment, bringing her gloved hand to her mouth.

"Gosh, I'm sorry! This really is just like old times! I'm getting deja vu just looking at you."

"In a good or bad way?"

"Oh, good. Definitely good. You were so fun back then," Petra reassures with a bright grin. "But go, go, go — I'll see you for lunch!"

So you're here some odd hours later, scrubbing down the common room mess space and clearing your swirling mind.

You don't know where Petra's gone, but she can't possibly be far.

This is nice.

Quiet. Manageable.

Tirelessly flinging cobwebs from the ceiling corners, you wipe a hand over your shining forehead and draw a short sigh. This place is looking good. Beyond an improvement to what you first faced upon entering this seemingly abandoned castle.

At least you remember how to make a room spotless—

“Ahh!”

A shrill shriek from behind breaks your peace.

It’s so loud that the broom handle fumbles from your hands and clangs to the floor.

“There she is!”

Startled, you turn to address the danger head-on.

A person with wild brown hair and a military uniform stands in the door of the hallway, fingers folded tightly together at the center of their chest. The Scout crest at their breast distorts by how hard they press their folded palms into their body, like they’re using every ounce of willpower not to—

Too late.

Their arms swing wide as they near. Before you can open your mouth, your body’s being squeezed into a tight hug. 

“And look — all limbs intact! Wow, talk about a lucky break, huh? I thought for sure we’d be seeing a missing appendage or two.”

For good measure, they back up just enough to pick up your hand from the wrist. Tugging the eye glasses from their forehead, they squint and lean in to observe the remaining bandages.

You should say something.

What do you say?

“Uh — hi?”

Nailed it.

Belatedly, the preoccupied person flashes a look back to your face, considering in a haze.

Then the dots connect.

“Oh, right! Duh. Maybe no missing limbs but you’re missing memories. Allow me to re-introduce myself: Hange, Section Commander, at your service.” They smile wide. “Captain Levi told me where you were staying, so I thought maybe I’d make a visit.”

Wait.

Captain Levi knows where you’re staying?

(Why does it always have to circle back to him?)

“And when you weren’t there, I asked around — Petra knew!”

“Oh,” you reply lamely, embarrassed that you can’t match their elated energy. Hange doesn’t hide their excitement, so you cannot hide your hesitance.

Maybe the surprise touch has something to do with it, but this encounter already feels different. As if Hange is a long-awaited crisp breeze on the first day of Spring. You find yourself wanting to hug them again, to see if the spark lingers.

“Yeah. Commander Erwin gave me over to Petra for the week. I haven’t seen the Captain.”

“Oh, you haven’t? Color me a little shocked.” Hange drops their arms from you to wipe some strands of hair from their face. “Well? Any new discoveries since you first woke up?”

“A few,” you admit, bending to pick up the broom lying on the ground. “Commander Erwin got me to remember a little bit about where I came from and how, uh… being in the Scouts was kind of my whole life.”

“Part of the job description,” Hange bemuses before mimicking Erwin’s deep voice for the salute. “Dedicate Your Heart — every artery and then some.”

The endearing attempt at imitating the commander makes you snort despite yourself, and you sweep one final pile of dust into the pan.

“At least you feel familiar. The Commander and the Captain were like blank slates.”

It’s as though you’ve said the most magical thing to the Section Commander's ears. Their smile now bursts into a grin.

“Ch’yeah, I’d say you and I got into some wacky adventures in our day. Of course, only when you weren’t so busy in the corner with Levi.” The grin falters if only for a fraction. “Though I must say, I’m really surprised he wasn’t the first.”

Your brows knit. “The first what?”

“The first person that you would remember — at least, in feeling.”

“Everyone keeps implying that,” you tell them, crossing the room to settle the broom against the frame of a bookshelf. “Except the one time that I saw him, which was the first day, it sounded like he hated me.”

“Hated you?” Hange blurts. “Captain Levi hating you is about as true as me hating titans.”

You blink. “That… comparison escapes me, Section Commander.”

They lean in with a flippant shrug. “Hange, please. And I don’t hate titans at all. They’re incredible, fascinating, the thing I think about all the time.” Heat rises to your face. Hange doesn’t let up. “I think he’s just a bit grumpy since — well, I don’t know if I’m allowed to tell you.”

Eyes widening, you step closer to the other person.

“No — do. I wanna hear it. Seriously, living in the dark about this whole thing is probably a hindrance to remembering anything at all.”

“Hey, that’s what I said.” Hange laughs. “Still in sync, even when you’re not You!"

They pause for a moment, holding up their index finger.

"Actually let’s shelve the Levi debacle for a bit, because I thought maybe I could give you something and see what you think about it.”

“Give me something?” you repeat.

“Don’t get too excited. It’s not like a gift or anything.” They reconsider, slipping a hand into the breast pocket of their uniform jacket. “Well, for you, it might be.”

It’s a small and flat brown box, only a few centimeters tall and not very wide.

Hange holds it out for you, nodding down to it — take it — and you meet them in the middle.

Nothing sparks while holding the box, and it takes every ounce of your curiosity not to give the thing a preliminary shake to hear what’s inside.

Your fingers pry the top lid off—

And it hits.

Like a lightning strike to the heart, you drop the lid to the floor, hand limp.

Silver — unassuming, dainty, but very obviously a necklace. There is barely anything special about the fragile jewelry, but emotion swells and threatens to choke you up and out. From the bottom of the chain dangles a small gemstone, swirling in stormy gray color. It looks well-loved, worn, but still manages to glimmer in the soft sunlight peering in from the open windows.

The pad of your index finger brushes along the smooth surface.

A drop of water splashes on it.

(Are you crying?)

Glancing up to look at Hange confirms that you’re not only crying, but sobbing.

Streams of tears drag along your cheeks as you let out a broken breath, confused yet relieved. The bottom half of the box drops, too, joining its sister on the floor as you clutch the necklace to your chest. 

You can’t explain any of this, but you know.

You know this is the one thing you subconsciously hoped to see, to feel, one day.

“You kept it.”

The blurted sentence is barely above a murmur.

Hange draws an inhale through their nose.

“When Captain Levi brought you in on horseback after your accident, I was the first to receive you,” they explain, softer this time. You watch them through a watery lens. “There was little to no time. Your uniform was torn to pieces. When the doctors were preparing you for the emergency surgery — you’d lost a lot of blood while traveling, and we weren’t sure how deep the cut wounds went — I took that necklace off of you in hopes that one day I could give it back.”

Your heart swells with an overwhelming gratitude you can’t quite place into words. Hange nears cautiously and places a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“That necklace went everywhere with you. In all our years of serving together, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you take it off.”

“It’s important to me,” you reason with certainty. Hange nods with empathy.

You don't even realize what you're saying, but it comes from the heart.

“...I’ve had it since I was a kid. This was the only thing I owned in the Underground. Before I joined the Scouts, I didn’t even own my own clothes. They were — they were stolen. Everything was stolen. I had nothing. Nothing except this.”

With trembling fingers, you try to unhook the clasp and fail. Twice. Hange tsk-tsk’s with their tongue and drop their hand to close around both of your hands.

“C’mon, you big softie. Let me?”

You sniff and nod, pushing hair away to give them an avenue to your neck. Hange easily situates the chain around your neck and secures the clasp. The cold chain presses to your body like a weighted blanket.

Your shoulders slack with its comfort the minute you can press the gem between your thumb and index finger.

“There. Feel better?”

“Loads,” you admit in a sigh, wiping your eyes with your free hand. “Sorry for the outburst, Hange, it just—”

“Hey, happy to help. Look! You remembered something.”

They’re right.

Something so small brought such a visceral emotion to the forefront.

Rolling the gemstone between your fingers, you forcefully smile in return. What you say next rolls right off your tongue. “You know... you’ve always asked me where this came from, and now I’ve accidentally divulged that story. Talk about a dirty trick, Hange.”

“Whoa, I—” They start but reconsider. Hange doesn’t give it away immediately, but the section commander’s surprise is palpable the longer your words linger in the air. “Damn, you remember that?”

You do.

Clear as day, in fact, with the way they’re looking at you right now. Sitting right in this very room — you were both at the table situated in the corner, though it's now crowded by four chairs you've scrubbed vigorously clean. When you blink towards them, you can see the silhouette of Hange's frustrated hands flying high into the air. You're leaning back in the chair, tipping it with the heel of your boot pressed against the table's edge with a laugh.

“Oh, c'mon! Stop being such a tease and tell me about it already. It’s just a necklace!”

“That doesn't sound right,” you tease, grinning ear to ear as you absently roll the gemstone between your fingers. “If it's just a necklace, then how come you wanna know about it so bad, huh?”

Hange groans in the pale torch light, sliding down into their seat in dramatized agony. “Be-cause I just watched a five-meter titan almost snap the damn thing in half."

“So?”

“So! I saw how fast you sliced that thing up! You went totally berserk, like you had a personal vendetta.”

You chuckle low, burying your chin in the mouth of the emerald green cape around your shoulders.

“Five-meter titans should learn not to touch my stuff, then.”

“Hey, shitheads.”

Except that last part is something you hear with your own two ears, now, in the present.

A deep voice unlike yours or Hange’s.

Your heart skips a beat. You turn your chin to acknowledge it.

Levi Ackerman stands in the door frame dressed with a similar green cloak you wore in your vision. He’s wearing the same Scout uniform as Hange, but with a pressed white shirt and a flare of his own cravat nestled at the neck. His black hair falls over his eyes, shoulder pressed into the door frame, but he doesn’t look at you.

His eyes land directly on an all-too giddy Hange.

“So much for telling me that you arrived,” he mumbles.

Hange gives him a one-shoulder shrug. “Oh, you know I couldn’t help but find her for myself. The Commander caught me up to speed in a letter.”

“I would argue that that sort of information should remain out of letters, don’t you?” Levi asks as he nudges a boot into the room to join the conversation.

“Too late for that!” Hange sing-songs, pulling you into their side. “We were just catching up.”

Levi’s brow raises by a centimeter on his forehead. “...catching up.”

“Yep! It seems like I’m top of the team leaderboard for most memories. Amazing what happens when you try to work with victims of memory loss.”

It feels like a direct jab to Levi’s effort — or lack thereof — but he doesn’t react to it.

Not yet, anyway.

Because a whole world of awkwardness comes to a head when his eyes flicker to your face, then down, and stop.

Hange says nothing, but you feel it — their hand curled around your arm grips tighter.

Your chin drops to see what he’s staring at:

The necklace between your fingers.

When you stare back up, you’re certain Captain Levi has changed an entire shade of pale.

“—anyways!”

Hange’s voice cuts through the heavy silence as they squeeze you one last time into their side before letting go.

“I gotta go check in with the Commander. You two have fun catching up, alright?”

They pass with a bounce in their step, but not before stopping at the captain to all-too-whimsically point out the obvious.

“Look, Levi, she’s cleaning!”

He doesn’t have a snarky comeback this time.

Hell, he doesn’t even say goodbye to Hange when they exit, leaving the two of you to a room full of uncomfortable air.

If you so much as breathe in longer than a second, then it threatens to suffocate you.

Three whole months of nothing, and now?

There’s no excuse.

“You missed a spot,” he finally tells you, gesturing to the back left corner.

“Huh?” you mumble, turning to observe. “I haven't gotten to that part yet.”

“Sure.”

That’s all he had to say?

This was the big reunion everyone waited for?

Subconsciously your other hand raises to your necklace in order to tuck the jewelry into your gray button-up.

“You never visited me a second time.”

“I did,” he corrects, and your eyes narrow.

“I never saw you.”

“You were asleep.”

Your stomach flutters with butterflies. “Wait, really?”

“Do you think I care enough to lie?” When you blink twice from how biting his tone is, he sighs to himself. “Yeah, I visited.”

Although you probably shouldn't believe him, you do. The sigh is as much of a surprise as his confession. Like he's resigned to chip a part of the wall he builds between you.

So you speak with honesty, too. “I’m sorry I missed you, then.”

His brow twitches.

“Why?”

“Because contrary to the nature of our first encounter, I’ve wanted to speak to you.”

At first he says nothing, opting to merely study your expression. You try to remain confident, chin up and expectant.

“Did you remember something?” he asks.

“Yeah." He doesn't react. "I have been remembering bits and pieces, but…”

You venture to a chair to your left at the newly-cleaned table, sitting with a short huff. It feels nice to get off of your feet.

“...that’s all they are. Bits and pieces to bigger outlines, bigger pictures, that I don’t have."

"Sorry to hear that," he tells you, evidently not sorry at all.

Your brows furrow as you lean forward, taking the time to really look at the shorter man this time. "Except something weird happens every time I talk to someone. Specifically Commander Erwin."

"Which is?"

"The commander is pretty hellbent on mentioning your name every time we have a conversation."

Levi’s stare hardens. “Right.”

"In fact, Hange just now mentioned you.” You pause. “Aren't you curious about what they say?"

"No."

The word leaves his mouth too fast. You realize instantly that it's a lie. You press on.

"They tell me that you know me."

He scoffs. "I already told you that, dumbass."

"No you didn't."

"I did," he argues. "In Trost."

"Your twenty-question crusade three months ago is not the same as just telling me how I know you," you snap right back. "This isn't some acquaintanceship. They act like I know you incredibly well. Better than I'm supposed to know Hange or Petra or Erwin. And they all refuse to talk for you."

“As the shitheads should.”

This conversation is running in circles and getting nowhere.

Whereas Levi sticks to his conviction, your shoulders deflate.

"Captain..." You begin to stand, voice softening. “Captain, I want to—”

“Excuse me,” he abruptly states, turning on his heel to walk to the hallway.

By the time you stand at full height to follow after him, he’s already shut the door behind him.

.

.

.

.

.

“Hange.”

Their name is acidic on the tip of his tongue on purpose.

This isn’t a game.

Hange knows, too, because they take their fine fucking time walking down the hallway. Like — if the way they turn on a heel with a pursed smile is any indicator — that they already knew the conversation in that room with you would be short.

Levi can feel his blood boiling well over its limit. His hands are itchy, like they need to be doing something, so he digs half-crescent moons into his palms instead.

Hard, so it hurts.

Pain is one hell of a drug.

“Levi!” they call, feigning ignorance. “How was your talk with—”

“You kept it.”

It, because Levi knows he doesn’t need to elaborate on what exactly they’ve done. Over and over the scene replays in his head: the turn of your chin, your torso, with the glitter of silver in the afternoon sun just between your fingers at the collar of your shirt.

“I don’t know what you mean,” they sing-song, and Levi’s nostrils flare.

“You know damn well what I mean.”

“Oh — what, are you referring to the Lieutenant’s necklace?”

The first card is on the table in full show, and Levi’s all-too certain Hange believes they have a winning hand.

The white cravat at his neck threatens to choke him out when he swallows, maintaining a mere shred of his nonchalance.

“Of course I kept it, silly," they add.

“Why?”

“Even I knew how important it was to her.”

The sentence turns his tongue to lead.

Important.

“When did you take it?” he chooses to ask, pushing through the strain on his vocal chords.

“Before the doctors prepped for surgery, duh. Why? What’s so important about that stupid thing to you anyway?” Then they grin, and Levi knows he’s in deep shit. “Care to finally elab-or-ate?”

Each syllable is annunciated with such sickening clairvoyance that he instinctually turns the other way, opposite of the mess space.

Away.

Away, away, away—

“Oh, come on, Levi!” 

“Not now, Four Eyes.”

“But we just started getting to the bottom of this mystery!”

Too late. Hange’s lanky ass legs get the better of him. They outpace his stalking and eliminate the distance he’d been trying to clear.

For someone notorious for ending fights, he sure didn’t know why he started this one. Levi doesn’t want to be a part of this experiment, this thing, where they treat you like a fragile baby bird waiting for the moment you’re strong enough to fly on your own.

It’s insulting.

You were — are — more than that.

“There is no mystery,” Levi sours.

“Oh, please,” Hange groans. “I may not have perfect vision, but I’m not blind. You looked like you witnessed a titan trying to learn how to tap dance.”

“Fuck off.”

“Y’know, you’re going to have to tell her eventually before someone else does.”

So they did have a winning hand.

Levi abruptly stops walking to finally face the taller person. Hange’s tone remains in a sing-song, but their smile all but disappears. 

“Excuse me?”

“We all knew her, Levi. We know her,” Hange corrects. “Perhaps not as well as you, but things are going to start slipping out.”

“Not if you keep your damn mouth shut.”

“Why?” they challenge, crossing their arms over their chest. “I’d actually quite like my friend to fully remember me someday.”

“They won’t be honest memories, then,” Levi argues. “Just whatever shit you put in her head so you feel better about it.”

“What a pessimistic way of looking at it.”

“It’s our reality.”

Hange sighs in that way that Levi hates: saddened, like they know something he doesn’t.

He’s heard it countless times before the scientist made a devastating, truth-shattering discovery.

“Then I suppose you don’t want to hear that it helped.”

Levi turns into stone.

Hange pretends to be interested in the cuticles of their nails, tone light and airy. “Oh, didn't you ask? Or are you still pretending she’s a tree with legs in HQ’s yard?”

“You’re lying.”

“Now that’s just hurtful.” The smile returns. “Look, Levi: the minute she took a look at that necklace in the box, it was like she came back to us. Even if just for a moment, I swear, it was her. I’m no cranial injury genius, but I like to think that the more she interacts with things that are important to her, the more memories it may trigger.”

The sharp pain in his palm returns.

Had he been holding that fist this entire time?

Things that are important to her.

Even without its origins spelled out, the necklace meant something to you. You wore it under your uniform just as you always had before the accident. Close to the chest, its meaning hidden from most of the world.

Maybe Pyxis has the right idea to drink on the job, because Levi’s one more bad day from breaking open a cork just to taste something a little more bitter than what fate’s allowed.

(What memories came back to you?)

He could ask.

He could play stupid just to see if Hange’s telling the truth.

He’d rather get swallowed whole, but it’s better than turning around and asking you.

“What did she remember?”

Hange, thrilled that he’s taken the bait, leans in to keep the conversation private. 

“She told me that the silver necklace came with her from the Underground.” Oh. “She’s had it since she was a kid.” Oh, shit. “Said it was the only thing she’s ever owned.” Shitting shit. “Sounds like the exact same story she told me when Erwin made her a Scout — the whole fend-for-yourself mentality, the crappy childhood, blah-blah-blah. We don’t need to dive back into all of that.”

No, he doesn’t.

What he needs is to take a breath, but his lungs stopped working twenty words ago.

Hange is waiting for the gotcha right on the tip of their tongue, a years’ long question in the making, but he refuses.

Can’t — because those are your secrets to tell, not his.

“Is that it?” He asks, feigning neutrality.

“You sort of interrupted the epiphany,” Hange grins, “but yeah. That’s all. Nothing’s stopping you from turning around and hearing it for yourself, you know. I’m sure it’ll make you feel a hell of a lot less crummy if you do.”

Yeah, it probably would.

Because your memory’s coming back, with or without him.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has sent me anons about this story! I'm having so much fun writing it. I appreciate your likes and notes xo.

[gettingfrilly]

Can't get you out of my Ed

Chapter one of... 39 chapters lmao. This fic will kill me and I'll be damned if I don't take some of you down with me. Read it here or on ao3. Super mega thanks to @fish-bowl-2 for betaing and also for giving feedback on my massive outline.

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“Ppbbbbbbththtbbbhththtthhhhh.”

“Dude.”

“Dude yourself.” Eddy mutters, not caring if Kevin objects to his bored mouth noises. What else is he supposed to do? It’s Wednesday, five pm, and raining. No one's been in the candy store for hours, and ain’t no one gonna show up before they close at six. So he stands here bored out of his skull, full weight propped against the counter with his face squished in his hands, elbows velcroed to the permanently sticky wooden surface. He keeps his eyes where they’ve been glued for the last hour, which is directly on the nostalgic kitsch wall clock with plastic lollipops for hands and pounded sheet metal with a scene from some 50’s style soda shop superimposed on it for a face. It goes well with the completely non-functional jukebox in the corner, the rows of dusty, empty, retro soda bottles lining the shelves on the wall opposite the front door, and the 40 year old ice cream machine behind the counter that’s been out of order since last summer. Eddy had felt giddy when Kevin first got him a job here his freshman year, tickled by his younger self’s hypothetical jealousy over how easily he could pocket a jawbreaker here and there. The garish clashing of the puke green tiles and pastel pink walls had filled him with bittersweet memories of childhood, familiar and welcoming for a first time job.

Now he just finds the whole store ugly. 

“You could, ya know. Work.” Kevin suggests. “Clean something. Stock something. Anything other than standing there with your thumb up your ass.”

“Oh? And you can’t?” He asks while side eyeing Kevin, who is also currently standing around with his thumb up his ass. More specifically, he’s leaning backwards against the displays behind the counter, wide shoulders slouched as his arms dangle at his sides. The clean hairline of his crew cut frames his wide, blocky face with sharp angles. He’s been made up of solid, sturdy shapes since he started playing for the varsity team in his junior year, and his workout regimen has further defined his muscles in the years since. Eddy wouldn’t exactly describe him as beefy, but his build is athletic for sure. He’s also classically handsome, Eddy begrudgingly admits to himself, though he’s not really his type. Too much of a normie for his tastes, with his basic sense of style and outfit compiled of store brand athletic wear. Guy shops at Old Navy for sure. Well, more like his mom shops for him there.

“I’m the boss. I’ve got underlings to do that kind of stuff for me.” An annoyingly smug smile graces his shovel shaped chin, and Eddy can’t help but grind his teeth.

“For your information, bossman, ” he hisses the title, “shelves: dusted. Floors: mopped. Inventory: stocked. Windows: windexed. Hell, I even ordered the lollipops by color out of fucking boredom. There is truly not a single thing left to do.”

Kevin hums and scratches his ten acre chin. “Oh. Well. Pbth.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

‘ Come now, with your cleaning skills, surely you left something amiss. Did you wipe down the floor trim? Deep clean the register? I see plenty of snack crumbs wedged between those sticky keys. And you didn’t even mention the employee bathroom, for heaven’s sake. ’

“Shut up.” He mumbles under his breath. “Huh?”

“Nothing. Hey, how’s Nazz doing?” Kevin’s and Nazz’s shaky relationship isn’t exactly his favorite can of worms to open, but he’s starting to get bored enough to peel his eyelids off of his face, so he better strike up some kind of conversation. 

“ Man- ” Yup, here we go, “I don’t get what’s up with her. Ever since she moved to Buffalo she’s been acting all different and weird. Dunno what happened to the Nazz we used to know.”

‘ She grew up. Which is something you may want to look into yourself, Kevin. 19 years old and no interest in pursuing a higher education or a greater calling like our dear Nazz has. Tut tut.’

“Yeah, it’s almost like she cares about shit now or something.”

“Exactly,” Kevin bemoans, completely missing Eddy’s sardonic tone. “I don’t get all the polisci stuff she talks about. I’m just not a political guy, ya know? Why can’t things just go back to being simple between us? College wrecks people, man.”

On one hand, even Eddy can tell Kevin’s being pig-headed about this. On the other hand, he can relate on a very painful, squishy, sore, and tender level.

‘Well you are quite pig-headed yourself.’

“She just outgrew this small town shit. We all should. I know I’m getting out of here as soon as I graduate.”

“Speak for yourself. I like it here.” Kevin mutters while crossing his arms petulantly.

“Of course you do, mister former high school quarterback nepo baby. You already got shit made here. Doesn’t your dad own the candy factory now?”

“Vice president. But yeah, he’ll own it soon. And he’s thinking of expanding. But what are you complaining about? Aren’t you all set up to inherit your old man’s dealership? That place makes decent dosh.”

“I’d rather eat nails.” The words come grinding out of his mouth as if it were already full of sharp, pointy metal.

“What? No way, man, you used to brag about that place all the time. Said it was your legacy and that you were gonna make it the hottest place in the county to get a used car.”

“Times change.” That’s the only explanation he’s willing to offer.

Kevin just shrugs, much to Eddy’s gratitude. That’s probably the best thing about being friends with Kevin; guy doesn’t ask questions. Makes him a solid person to vent to.

‘Especially if you’re allergic to discussing your feelings.’

With a long suffering groan, Eddy literally peels himself off of the old counter to do another useless perimeter search of the shop. He knows he still won’t find anything to do, but at least it’ll get his body moving. His sneakers squeak against the freshly mopped floors (so bored he even got out the mop, for chrissake…) as he eyes the displays, watching his reflection warp and transform from one glass container to the next, an endless hall of funhouse mirrors mocking him with his own boredom, irritation, and overall misery. His fault for scrubbing them all until they were spotless. The hole punched cardboard pallet that holds a variety of different brands of lollipops is just as hue spectrum oriented as he left it, so this time he goes for ordering them by size and shape instead. Well, that killed two minutes. Walk by the freezers, rearrange  some mismatched soda bottles he missed before. 30 seconds. Scrape a fleck of taffy off of one of the sliding door handles. 20 seconds. Stare at the wall for five seconds. Bang his head against it. Another second. Bang. Another second. Bang. Another second. Bang.

“I’m taking a smoke break!” He calls loudly over the shelves in the direction of the front counter, not waiting for Kevin to respond before frantically scrambling towards the backroom. He nearly trips over a broom as he bursts into the cramped space, swearing at it uselessly as he stumbles over to his locker. It gets jammed as usual, the damn thing, Eddy jiggling the handle with a growl before he finally tears it open. The hood of his windbreaker catches on one of the locker’s internal hooks, causing Eddy to shout obscenities until he finally shakes it loose and shoves his arms into the sleeves. He stomps towards the back door and bumps it open with his hip as he wrestles with the zipper, getting himself encased once he steps outside into the muggy July evening air.

The door slams shut behind him as he huddles under the small overhang of the dirty green awning adorned above the back door, fishing his pack of camel menthols out of the pocket of his windbreaker. The hush of rain against the pavement and rhythmic pounding of droplets plunking against the rusty metal of the awning harmonize well together, creating a nice soundscape to back up the click click click of his lighter. He mutters swears under his breath like a prayer, internally praising glory hallelujah once the cig balanced between his lips lights and he can breath in deep and slow, the mint flavoring tickling his nose hairs and soothing the burn of hot smoke in his windpipe. Smoke billows from his mouth and nose after he’s held in his lungful for as long as he can, his exhale audible and pointed heavenward, smoke catching and lingering on the underside of the sheet metal above. 

‘Those will kill you.’

“The sooner the better.” Eddy mumbles, letting gravity pull his loosening body down against the wooden door behind him, desperate for a paint job. He takes another grateful drag as he watches the rain bounce and slide off of trashbags, forming muddied puddles in the potholes below. The hit of nicotine puts a fuzzy blanket over the constantly firing nerve endings in his brain, making his eyes droop as he fights back a yawn. Double D doesn’t know what he’s talking about, calling nicotine a stimulant. Smokes practically put him to sleep. 

He sneers down at the ground. What’s he got to even do these days other than work, smoke, sleep, repeat? The only thing he has to look forward to are the occasional phone calls he makes to Ed at the military school his shithead mom shipped him off to last summer before they all started their junior year. Double D and Ed were inconsolable that day, clinging to each other and sobbing as Ed’s dad silently packed his red commodore with sparse necessities, the rest of Ed’s belongings in boxes marked for the salvation army. The memory still makes Eddy’s eyes burn, the same way they did that day as he blinked to hold back his tears, repeating to the other two that they’d call, they’d write, they’d visit, and once senior year was done in two years, the three of them would be out of here. Double D would definitely get accepted to some fancy shmancy school on a fancy shmancy scholarship, and the two of them would follow along, working whatever jobs available so that their combined income with Double D’s scholarship funds could net them a nice apartment in whatever fancy shmancy city Double D went to for school. They’d be free of this pimple on the map of America called Peach Creek, free from their families, free from public school, free to be themselves. There’d be a queer scene, he told Double D. They’d be accepted there, he told him. It wouldn’t be like it is out here in the boonies. They wouldn’t have to hide.

Well, his plan may have less people in it now, but he’s sticking to it. He can’t stand the boredom anymore, can’t stand the confinement. If he spends one more summer afternoon staring at his bedroom ceiling, has one more shift during the dead hours of the candy store, has to give his dad one more excuse as to why he’s not dating anyone now that he’s got a paycheck, he’s going to burst out of his own skin like some kind of insectoid, brain sucking monster from one of Ed’s B-rated black and white horror flicks and suck the noggins of everyone in a five mile radius. He’ll get out of this shithole come hell or high water. He has to get out.

‘And go where, exactly?’

‘Anywhere but here.’

‘To do what?’

‘Live. Breathe. Stretch out and run around and scream and cry and shout and kick and hit and go and go and go.’

‘With who?’

‘Ed. Or no one. Who cares.’

‘You’d be alone.’

‘I’ve always been alone.’

‘That’s not true. You know that’s not true.’

Water streams from the corners of the awning, creating a puddle dangerously close to his Air Force 1s. An errant raindrop lands right on top of the toe of his left sneaker, and he grumbles as he bends over to swipe it away, cursing himself for not looking at the weather report before putting these on. He curses louder when a chunk of ash falls from his cig and takes up residence where the water droplet just vacated, grabbing it from his mouth to hold it out to the side as he frantically brushes off his shoe.

‘Please, Eddy, be careful! Think of how much money your mother spent on such a frivolous purchase.’

Eddy snarls, sick to death of this incessant nagging. “Just shut uuUGHH!”

The smack of the wooden door against his ass throws him completely off balance, staring down at his shoes one second then catching himself on his hands and gazing at a puddle inches from his face the next. Adrenaline rushes through his body, making his lungs seize up and his eyes go wide, the rain falling on the back of his head feeling far colder than it should be on a warm July evening. He keeps himself propped up on one hand as he swivels around to identify his attacker, blinking owlishly when he sees Kevin standing in the lit doorway, giving Eddy the same, wide eyed look.

“Dude. You okay?”

Anger quickly intermingles with his gut-dropping fear, gritting his teeth as he pushes himself back onto his feet. “Watch where you’re going, shovel chin!”

Kevin places one hand on his hip while he holds the door open with the other, expression blasé. “Doors are for opening, man. Anyway, we’re closing up. Just wasting money at this point.”

He finally catches his breath, raising his cigarette to take another calming drag, only to feel something unpleasantly cold and soggy touching his lips. Damn it. His hand must have landed in a puddle. He groans and pushes his now wet hair out of his face.

“These ain’t fucking cheap.” He grumbles, flicking the unlit stub to the ground.

“Did you even hear me, man?”

“Huh? Oh.” Calmer and less distracted now, his brain finally catches up with what Kevin said. “Yeah, great idea, bossman!” The title is used in a much more jolly manner than before, giving Kevin a pat on the back and leaving a stubby, wet handprint behind as he pushes past him and back into the backroom to grab the rest of his stuff. He kicks off his nice sneakers to trade them for the ratty back ups he keeps in his locker, stepping into the worn pair as he puts his multi-colored Nikes into his water proof backpack for safe keeping.

Kevin sneers and murmurs something Eddy is sure was insulting as he looks behind himself and at the back of his shirt. “I’ve got to count money and lock up if you wanna stick around to help-”

Eddy’s locker slams abruptly, echoing loudly in the small space as he slings his drawstring bag over his shoulders and puts his hood up in quick, jerky motions. “Bye, seeya later, hasta la vista, sayonara, annyeong.” He half-jogs out of the back room before finishing his goodbyes, ignoring Kevin’s jeering as he slips through the door to the front room. He continues his half jog past the candy displays, snagging a jawbreaker and shoving it into his pocket next to his smokes before heading out the door and back out into the rain.

He breathes in a deep breath of freedom as he stretches his arms out to his sides and then over his head, making his way back to the cul de sac with a skip in his step. The world is his oyster now that he’s off of work. Now he can… he can… well.

The skip turns into a slow trudge as Eddy remembers he doesn’t actually have anything post work to look forward to, mood sinking further and further with each dark and empty store he passes by. Looks like Kevin wasn’t the only one who decided to close up early; all of downtown is dead. And it’s just not the cafe, the butcher shop, and the shoe store that are dark. It’s too early for the street lights to come on, but the sky is thick with heavy rain clouds, keeping the sunlight prisoner behind the bubbling veil of black and gray. His eyes turn down to the wet cement of the sidewalk with its divots and potholes, floating cigarette butts in the puddles that formed within them, scowling at his feet as they pointlessly move beneath him. What’s he even going home to? Another evening zoning out in front of the TV? Maybe lying upside down on his bed and listening to saccharine sweet slow dance songs? Then whatever he does will just be followed by chain smoking in the backyard until he’s tired enough to pass out as soon as his head hits the pillow, welcoming oblivion as an alternative to being left alone with his thoughts. It’s the same damn thing every day. And it’ll keep being the same damn thing every day until he gets out of here or dies. Dying may be the more convenient option at this point. It’d be a lot easier than having to finish high school before he beats it. All he has to do is wait for a car to come by and then jump out in front of it.

But no cars come. No one coming, no one leaving, a town stuck in stasis, the white noise enough to deafen him. His shoes are getting soaked. He’s gonna get cold feet.

Christ, he needs to quiet his fucking mind before he ends up as roadkill. He reaches into his pocket, fingertips brushing against the cool metal of his lighter before he finds his pack of camels, grasping onto it like a lifeline. He takes out the light with it, shaking a cig loose from the pack and into his waiting hand. He balances it between his pointer and middle finger, bringing it up to press it between his lips and under his hood so he can attempt to light it-

Only to immediately pull his hand away when he tastes blood on his tongue.

“The fuck?” He squeaks out, high pitched and startled. He looks at the cig and finds fresh red blood smeared on the paper and filter, but that’s not what’s most alarming; what has him wince and hiss under his breath is the sight of his hand, dark, slimy globules clotted together in the center with dried and flaky trails of blood running down between his fingers, some of it gathered under his nails, in his nail beds, and around the gold band on his ring finger. Rain splashes down into his open palm, the droplets saturating themselves with blood before they roll down the sides of Eddy’s hand and down his wrist, leaving trails of pink behind. He swipes his thumb gingerly over his palm and squints, scowl deepening when he discovers the cut beneath, small but deep. 

Damn it. Must have happened when he fell. Probably glass from a broken bottle. How did he not feel it? Stupid Kevin. Stupid door. He clicks his tongue and keeps walking, placing the cig back between his lips; he’s not gonna waste another one of these. It brings him minimal relief once it’s lit, his frayed nerves further agitated by the site, smell, and taste of his own blood. He’s had e-fucking-nough of that for one life time. Thankfully the shops start to become far and few between, with residential houses looming on the horizon. He’ll walk in through the back door to his room before his mom gets a chance to see his hand and starts freaking out. He’ll clean his hand, dry off his feet, and get out of this fucking rain. That’s something to sort of look forward to. Isn’t it?

When he turns the corner of rethink avenue several minutes later, all thoughts of the creature comforts of home disperse like a warren of rabbits intruded on by a fox. His cig, burned down to a stub at this point, dangles from his parted lips, eyes frozen on the looming portend of the past come to haunt him currently parked in his own fucking driveway. He’s freezing suddenly, all heat sapped out of him like someone pulled the plug, lungs becoming a vacuum as cosmic background radiation burns within them, singed by his only source of heat. It’s like he’s falling again, shoved from behind and just barely managing to protect his face from scraping the pavement. An unknown attacker from behind, the familiar sound of him breathing through his teeth.

He tastes blood on his tongue.

The cigarette butt falls from his lips as he turns away from the sight of the whale shaped trailer in front of his house, breaking out into a jog to the only other house he can think to go to, nestled right on the corner he just turned. His bedroom lights are on. His parents, as usual, aren’t home. He misses him with an ache deeper than anything else he’s felt in a long time.

He hopes Double D actually lets him in.

[braveclementine]

Chapter 5

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (However they are very few so those under the age of 18 can still read a majority of this book. However please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

ℑ𝔴𝔬𝔨𝔢𝔲𝔭 to Mrs. Weasley banging on my door and saying, "Elizabeth! Get up! We've got a busy day ahead of us today!"

I groaned and rolled over on top of Severus. I gave a start, only now remembering that he'd stayed over.

"Hello love." Severus muttered sleepily, reaching up and tucking my hair behind my ear. "What a wake up call."

I groaned. "I hate cleaning this house."

"We still have a few minutes." Severus said, pushing me off of him and then rolling over ontop of me and pressing his lips to my throat. I gasped.

"Yes, well." I said with difficulty. "Dad could come up at any moment and- and-" Bloody hell, he was distracting! "-kill you possibly?"

He chuckled and pressed his lips to mine again and rolled out of bed, pulling me out with him. I shivered in the cold air. He rubbed his hands on my shoulders. "I ought to sneak out then, shouldn't I?"

"Something like that." I said through clenched teeth so they didn't chatter. Who knew August could be so cold?

He kissed my temple and then slipped out the door. I didn't hear any outbursts of rage and I quickly got dressed and made the bed, feeling much happier than I had last night.

However, my happiness dissipated about half an hour later in the drawing room. The drawing room was olive green and on the first floor. The carpets were dust filled. The moss-green velvet curtains were buzzing with hidden doxies. Lovely.

Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George were already wearing cloths over their faces and holding a black bottle of Doxycide. Harry and Ron were standing in front of me, having entered the room before me.

"Grab your face masks and take a spray." Mrs. Weasley said, nodding to the table. I took a mask and hooked it over my ears and picked up a bottle. "It's Doxycide. I've never seen an infestation this bad- what that house-elf's been doing for the last ten years-"

"Kreacher's really old, he probably couldn't manage-" Hermione said while I rolled my eyes.

"You'd be surprised what Kreacher can manage when he wants to, Hermione." Sirius interrupted, coming into the room and carrying a bag of dead rats.

"Kinsley's about to ring the doorbell." I warned Sirius.

"Thanks for the warning, Elizabeth." Sirius said. "I was just coming in to take a look at the writing desk. . ."

"It's a boggart." I confirmed, "But you guys will have Moody check anyways. I'll tell Harry why you've got a bag of rats too. Stop Kingsley before your mum starts screaming again."

"Right you are." Sirius said, carrying the bag of rats out and closing the door behind him. But it was to late. The doorbell rang and though we couldn't hear, Mrs. Black was screaming somewhere upstairs. I sighed.

"You tried." Fred said, shrugging. I shrugged too. Didn't do any good.

Mrs. Weasley was looking through Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests. I nearly snorted. "Right, you lot, you need to be careful, because doxies bite and their teeth are poisonous. I've got a bottle of antidote here, but I'd rather nobody needed it."

Harry inched over to me, "So why does Sirius have a bag of dead rats?"

"Buckbeak." I muttered out of the corner of my mouth.

"All right-" Mrs. Weasley was saying, "Squirt!"

I sprayed the bottle liberally until the doxies actually came out of the curtains. Then, I started spraying them like in a shooting game that Trang and I had played once at her house. She'd introduced me to a new favorite Muggle past-time: Video games.

I threw the paralyzed doxies into the bucket and sometimes- on purpose- missing and throwing them straight into Fred and George's hands. They were pocketing them for their skiving snack boxes.

After we finished with the doxies, Mrs. Weasley pointed at the dusty glass-fronted cabinets and said, "I think we'll tackle those after lunch."

I looked inside the cabinets out of curiosity. There were many rusty daggers and claws in one of the cases. Another held a coiled snakeskin- probably because the family had been in Slytherin. Or maybe because the Black crest had a snake in it. In another was multiple silver boxes that were tarnished and inscribed with runes and several different languages. I recognized Bulgarian, Korean, and Greek out of a few of them. On the top shelf was a crystal jar with an opal stopper in it. It would've been pretty if it wasn't filled with some sort of blood. I wondered if along with chopping of house-elves heads, Mrs. Black drained them of their blood too. I shivered and looked away.

The doorbell rang again and a moment later, Mrs. Black started screaming again. Mrs. Weasley grabbed up the bag of dead rats and said, "Stay here. I'll bring up some sandwiches." I wrinkled my nose. I hated bread.

After she left, the others dashed to the window and I slipped out the door and down the stairs. Sirius and Kingsley were in the hallway, opening the door. Mundungus was on the front step with a stack of cauldrons.

"Molly's going to have another child Dung." Sirius said, shaking his head. "I don't know if we can keep them here. . ."

I stepped off the stairs and trailed behind them to the kitchen. What I really wanted, was food- and not bread.

I made myself a plate of cheese, salami, pepperoni, and grapes. Tonks and Dad were talking in the kitchen. "Who's at the door Elizabeth?" Dad asked me, looking up.

I nearly replied "I don't know" but instead said, "Dung. He's-"

But at that point, Mrs. Weasley shouted at the top of her lungs, "WE ARE NOT RUNNING A HIDEOUT FOR STOLEN GOODS!"

Dad sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. "Wonderful." He said, his hand clapping down on his leg.

"-COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, AS IF WE HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING STOLEN CAULRDONS INTO THE HOUSE-"

I sighed. "Don't know why she cares. Half the stuff in this house could get us put in Azkaban."

"That's why we're getting rid of it." Dad said lightly.

I shrugged. "The cauldrons will be here for a shorter amount of time than half the things in this house anyways."

Mrs. Weasley came storming into the kitchen and saw me. "I thought I told you to stay upstairs Elizabeth!"

I gritted my teeth and picked up my plate of food and went back up the stairs. I might row with dad, but I wasn't going to row with Mrs. Weasley when nearly everyone was rowing with her back.

Back in the room, I noticed Kreacher was in there. He didn't seem to notice anyone and was muttering, ". . .if she knew the scum they've let in her house, what would she say to old Kreacher, oh the same of it, Mudbloods and werewolves and traitors and thieves, poor old Kreacher, what can he do. . ."

I was feeling angry already and angrier still that Kreacher was talking bad about the people I loved.

"Hello, Kreacher." Fred said very loudly.

"Kreacher did not see Young Master." Kreacher said, turning around and bowing to Fred. "Nasty little brat of a blood traitor it is."

"Sorry?" George asked. "Didn't catch that last bit."

"Kreacher said nothing." Kreacher said, bowing to George now and saying, "and there's the twin, unnatural little beasts they are."

Harry looked confused, looking like he didn't know if he should laugh or not. I supposed, for an outsider, it would be funny.

"What are you doing Kreacher?" I asked.

Kreacher turned to me and bowed and said, "Kreacher is cleaning. And there's the bitch of the werewolf. . . oh my poor mistress."

I gritted my teeth. Harry had stopped looking like he might laugh.

Kreacher had straightened up now and was saying, ". . . and there's the Mudblood, standing there bold as brass, oh if my Mistress knew, oh how she'd cry, and there's a new boy, Kreacher doesn't know his name, what is he doing here, Kreacher doesn't know. . ."

"This is Harry, Kreacher. Harry Potter." Hermione said tentatively. I rolled my eyes. Somehow, Hermione thought kindness was the best way to deal with Kreacher. Bloody hell.

"The Mudblood is talking to Kreacher as though she is my friend, if Kreacher's Mistress saw him in such company, oh what would she say. . ." Kreacher said, his eyes widening.

"Don't call her a Mudblood!" Ron, Ginny, and I all exclaimed together.

"It doesn't matter. He's not in his right mind, he doesn't know what he's-" Hermione whispered to us.

"Don't kid yourself, Hermione, he knows exactly what he's saying." Fred said, eyeing Kreacher with great dislike.

"Is it true? Is it Harry Potter? Kreacher can see the scar, it must be true, that's that boy who stopped the Dark Lord, Kreacher wonders how he did it-" Kreacher muttered.

"Don't we all, Kreacher." Fred said.

"What do you want anyways?" I asked again.

"Kreacher is cleaning." He said.

"A likely story." Sirius' voices said from behind me.

Kreacher flung himself into a ridiculously low bow that flattened his snoutlike nose on the floor. Sirius, Fred, George, and I were all glaring at Kreacher.

"Stand up straight. Now, what are you up to?" Sirius asked a bit impatiently.

"Kreacher is cleaning. Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black-"

"-and it's getting blacker every day, it's filthy."

"Master always liked his little joke. Master was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother's heart-"

"My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher. She kept herself alive out of pure spite." Sirius snapped.

"Whatever Master says. Master is not fit to swipe slime from his mother's boots, oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she saw Kreacher serving him, how she hated him, what a disappointment he was-"

"I asked you what you were up to. Every time you show up pretending to be cleaning, you sneak something off to your room so we can't throw it out."

"Kreacher would never move anything from its proper place in Master's house. Mistress would never forgive Kreacher if the tapestry was thrown out, seven centuries it's been in the family, Kreacher must save it, Kreacher will not let Master and the blood traitors and the werewolf's brat destroy it-"

"I thought it might be that." Sirius said. "She'll have put another Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of it, I don't doubt, but if I can get rid of it I certainly will. Now go away, Kreacher."

Kreacher went, still muttering as he shuffled out of the room. "-comes back from Azkaban ordering Kreacher around, oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she saw the house now, scum living in it, her treasures thrown out, she swore he was no son of hers and he's back, they say he's a murderer too-"

"Keep muttering and I will be a murderer!" Sirius said irritably, slamming the door shut.

"Sirius, he's not right in the head. I don't think he realizes we can hear him." Hermione said in a pleading voice.

"He's been alone too long, taking mad orders from my mother's portrait and talking to himself, but he was always a foul little-"

"If you just set him free, maybe-" Hermione started hopefully and I snorted.

"We can't set him free, he knows too much about the Order. And anyway, the shock would kill him. You suggest to him that he leaves this house, see how he takes it."

"Probably fine." I said scathingly. "He'll just show up knocking at the Malfoys' door and spill all our secrets."

Sirius was walking across the room where the tapestry was plastered against the wall. Everyone followed him over. It was an immensely old piece of fabric; faded and gnawed on. The golden thread, however, glinted brightly to show the family tree it held. The large words at the top of the family tree read: The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black "Toujours Pur"

I snorted, "Always pure?"

Sirius looked at me in amazement. "You know French?"

"A bit." I said.

"You're not on here!" Harry said.

"I used to be there." Sirius said, pointing to a burn mark on the tapestry. "My sweet old mother blasted me off after I ran away from home- Kreacher's quite fond of muttering the story under his breath."

"You ran away from home?" Harry asked in interest.

"When I was about sixteen. I'd had enough."

"Where did you go?"

"Your dad's place." Sirius said and his eyes darted to me and back to Harry. "Your grandparents were really good about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son. Yeah, I camped out at your dad's during the school holidays, and then when I was seventeen I got a place of my own, my Uncle Alphard had left me a decent bit of gold- he's been wiped off here too, that's probably why. Anyways, after that I looked after myself. I was always welcome at Mr. and Mrs. Potter's for Sunday lunch though."

The only grandparents I had was dad's dad. I supposed once Dad married Tonks before my seventh year, Tonks parents would become my grandparents. I wondered if Dad and Tonks would give me a sibling. I certainly hoped so- but I didn't dare see that far- I might've passed out if I'd tried.

"Because I hated the whole lot of them: my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal. . . my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them. . . that's him." Sirius said, answering a question I hadn't heard. I looked where he pointed- REGULUS BLACK. He was dead.

"He was younger than me and a much better son, as I was constantly reminded."

"But he died." Harry said.

"Yeah. Stupid idiot- he joined the Death Eaters."

"You're kidding!" Harry exclaimed. I examined the death date. He was only fifteen years old when he died. . .the same age as Harry and I. I gave an involuntary shiver. Maybe there was some truth to what dad was saying. Maybe we were too young for the Order. But still. . .

"Come on, Harry, haven't you seen enough of this house to tell what kind of wizards my family were?" Sirius asked.

"Were- were your parents Death Eaters as well?"

"No, no, but believe, me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the Wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having purebloods in charge. They weren't alone either, there were quite a few people, before Voldemort showed his true colors, who thought he had the right idea about things. . . They got cold feet when they saw what he was prepared to do to get power, though. But I bet my parents though Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first."

"Was he killed by an Auror?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Oh no. No, he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort's orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It's a lifetime of service or death."

"Lunch." Mrs. Weasley's voice said. Everyone except Harry and I left. We were each standing on either side of Sirius.

"I haven't looked at his for years. There's Phineas Nigellus. . . my great-great-grandfather, see? Least popular headmaster Hogwarts ever had. . . and Araminta meliflua. . . cousin of my mother's. . . tried to force through a Ministry Bill to make Muggle-hunting legal. . . and dear Aunt Elladora. . . she started the family tradition of beheading house-elves when they got too old to carry tea trays. . . of course, anytime the family produced someone halfway decent they were disowned. I see Tonks isn't on here. Maybe that's why Kreacher won't take orders from her- he's supposed to do whatever anyone in the family asks him. . ."

"You and Tonks are related?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Oh yeah, her mother, Andromeda, was my favorite cousin. No. Andromeda's not on here either, look-" He pointed to a blasted burn between the names Bellatrix and Narcissa. "Andromeda's sisters are still here because they made lovely, respectable pure-blood marriages, but Andromeda married a Muggle-born, Ted Tonks, so-" Sirius mimed blasting the tapestry with a wand and laughed sourly. I put an arm on his shoulder and he put his arm around me.

"You're related to the Malfoys!" Harry cried out in amazement.

"The pure-blood families are all interrelated." Sirius said. "If you're only going to let your sons and daughters marry purebloods your choice is very limited, there are hardly any of us left. Molly and I are cousins by marriage and Arthur's something like my second cousin once removed. But there's no point looking for them on here- if ever a family was a bunch of blood traitors, it's the Weasleys."

"The Longbottom's should be on here then, shouldn't they?" I asked. I would've leaned forward to look at it more closely but didn't want Sirius' arm to leave my shoulder and contended myself to pushing my glasses up on my nose.

Sirius shrugged, "Could be, but probably not anymore."

Harry was still staring at the picture of Bellatrix Lestrange. "Lestrange?" he asked.

"She's the one who. . ." I looked over my shoulder and then back to Harry and said, "Tortured Neville's parents along with Barty Crouch Jr. and her husband Rodolphus and his brother Rabastan. We talked about the trial a bit in the cave last year."

"Right!" Harry said. "You never said she was your-"

"Does it matter if she's my cousin?" Sirius snapped angrily. "As far as I'm concerned, they're not my family. She's certainly not my family. I haven't seen her since I was your age, unless you count a glimpse of her coming in to Azkaban. D'you think I'm proud of having relatives like her?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean- I was just surprised- that's all." Harry said quickly.

"It doesn't matter, don't apologize." Sirius said, removing his arm from my shoulder and sticking his hands in his pockets. I leaned forward, still searching for the Longbottom's. I wasn't really sure why I was looking for them- I just felt they should be on there. But I guess after Bellatrix tortured them, they'd have been blasted off anyways. "I never thought I'd be stuck in this house again. It's ideal for headquarters, of course. My father put every security measure known to Wizard-kind on it when he lived here. It's Unplottable, so Muggles could never come and call- as if they'd have wanted to- and now Dumbledore's added his protection, you'd be hard to put to find a safer house anywhere. Dumbledore's Secret-Keeper for the Order, you know- nobody can find headquarters unless he tells them personally where it is- that note Moody showed you last night, that was from Dumbledore. . . If my parents could see the use it was being put to now. . . well, my mother's portrait should give you some idea. . ."

"Yeah." I said with a roll of my eyes. "And if you're blind Harry, listening to Kreacher should give you an idea too."

Harry grinned.

"I wouldn't mind if I could just get out occasionally and do something useful. I've asked Dumbledore whether I can escort you to your hearing- as Snuffles, obviously- so I can give you a bit of moral support, what d'you think?"

"Great Idea." I said. "If only Lucius Malfoy wasn't going to be in the hallway and knows what your disguise is."

Sirius glared at me.

I sighed. "Tomorrow's Saturday. I'll see if Dad'll let you come and hang out with Trang and me. It'll get you out a little and we're always in the forest by ourselves anyways cause we're usually flying on our brooms."

Sirius brightened up considerably.

"Don't worry." I said to Harry, who was most definitely worrying about the trial. "I'm nearly positive they're going to clear you, there's definitely something in the International Statue of Secrecy about being allowed to use magic to save your own life."

"But if they do expel me, can I come back here and live with you, Sirius?" Harry asked quietly.

Sirius smiled sadly and I looked down at the ground. "We'll see."

"I'd feel a lot better about the hearing if I knew I didn't have to go back to the Dursleys." Harry pressed on.

"They must be bad if you prefer this place." Sirius said, but didn't answer.

I clapped Harry's shoulder. "Tell you what, if they do expel you, which they won't, you can come live with me. Dad's got a place. And besides," I pulled out a house key Sirius had given me for my 14th birthday. "Sirius still hasn't told me what this goes to but the runes say house."

Sirius smiled and opened his mouth but Mrs. Weasley said, "Hurry up you three, or there won't be any food left."

We all went over and the conversation was dropped. After lunch, cleaning commenced. There were a bunch of lovely things hiding in the piles of dangerous items. There was a snuffbox that bit and Sirius was on the receiving end of it's bite. But Sirius simply tapped his hand with his wand and said, "must be Wartcap powder in there."

There was also a strange silver instrument like a many legged tweezer that scuttled up Harry's arm. When Sirius attempted to smash it with a heavy book, it jumped onto my chest. I yelled out and fell backwards. Sirius threw it across the room and threw the book after it, smashing it. There was a musical box that Fred decided to wound up for some reason and we all stood there, getting more and more tired before Ginny finally closed the lid. I smashed it out of spite. There was a heavy locket we couldn't open, wine glasses that smashed themselves in Hermione's hand, cutting her hands open, and boxes of certificates and medals and other things.

Several times, Kreacher came in to try and take things away, insulting all of us as he did so. Every time he called me a werewolf brat or the werewolf's bitch, my hand instinctively flew towards my wand to curse him and I had to remember that I couldn't do that.

Kreacher actually wrestled with Sirius over a large golden ring and when Sirius managed to get it out of Kreacher's hands, Kreacher burst into ugly sobs and tears.

"It was my fathers." Sirius said, throwing the ring in the sack. "Kreacher wasn't quite as devoted him as to my mother, but I still caught him snogging a pair of my father's old trousers last week."

I giggled and after everyone had left, it was just Sirius and me.

"Sirius?" I asked. "Why do you and dad treat me so differently from Harry?"

Sirius looked at me thoughtfully and then at the wall. It took him a moment to answer and he said, "I suppose because. . . well Remus- he sees you as the little girl that he raised and he can't bear to think about you being hurt. . . on the frontlines of a war. . . when he heard what Crouch Jr did to you last year. . . I don't think I've ever seen him so upset. . ."

"But Harry went through nearly all the same things I went through, and a bit more, and you and dad seem to think he's an adult and I'm a child." I said, trying to keep my voice from sounding like I was complaining. "Is Mrs. Weasley right? Do you see him as James and me as Lily and keeping Lily out of things the way you would have at school?"

Sirius looked at me sharply and rubbed his chin. "No. I suppose. . . I suppose I see you as the little girl too. If anything happened to you. . . I nearly ripped Crouch Jr. . ." he drifted off and then started up again. "Perhaps it's because your father and I feel more protective of you. We aren't the only ones, you know. Kingsley, Mad-Eye, Bill. . . even Snape." he added grudgingly.

"I notice how everyone you named is a male." I pointed out.

Sirius grinned. "Yes, well, you do look awfully like your mother. While your dad and I and Dumbledore don't say anything about your relation to Harry. . . well. . . I think if you had Harry's eyes. . . some might think you were your mum."

"Yes." I mused. "Dad said it was going to get harder to keep denying my relation to Harry but. . . it's not like I want to. . . you know?" I sighed, frustrated and ran my hands through my hair. It was much longer, past my knees now. "I need to apologize to dad when he gets back."

"He's going to be gone for the weekend." Sirius said and I groaned.

"So I won't see Trang tomorrow?" I asked, frowning.

"No" and here, Sirius smiled. "I get to take you."

"Lovely." I said, beaming and I walked out the door for dinner. 

⬅️➡️

[mysteriouslee]

DAY 2-3

lee!Scitwi/Lee!Twilight Ler!Sunset

It was cleaning day at the Sparkle Household, the sun peered through the window and greeted the dark haired teen. Though Twilight never usually minded Cleaning Day, normally her family would be here to help her. Shining Armour and Cadence promised they'd be there to help, but it's gonna be a while before they got there, her parents away on business and with Spike being a dog, yet without thumbs, she was all alone. That was the case....til she heard a knock.

She ran up to the door, tripping over multiple cleaning products on the way. She looked through the peephole to see it was her closest friend, Sunset Shimmer. Twilight pulled open the door and was met with Sunset's confused exspression.

"Heyy, so I know I look like a mess right now but everything's fine I swear" Twilight swore.

But Sunset immediately gave her and unimpressed look and peeked behind Twilight to see the state of the floor after Twilight tripped over multiple things.

"Twi, you can be honest, are you actually ok?' the fiery haired girl questioned.

Twilight did that nervous laugh she always does "Of course" she says, until Susnet gives another unimpressed stare before stating "No, everything is not fine".

Scitwi explained the situation to Sunset in which Sunset was quick to offer help. The blue and purple clad teen at first denied the help, she didn't want to burden Sunset Shimmer, but teen in the spiked jacket insisted. Twilight couldn't deny Sunset when she had a look of determination in her eyes, something she had come to admire about her. Soon the duo got to work, cleaning the house from top to bottom, all that was left was the dusting. Everything was going well til there was a spot high up that Twilight couldn't reach. Sunset who was upstairs got a text that Twi was struggling to dust a spot. Sunset hurried downstairs to assist her friend, only to be horrified of the sight of Twilight standing on a wobbly ladder, so stubborn and ding dang insistent to get the job done 100%.

"Twilight, you might fa-" Sunset was cutoff in the middle as Twilight did indeed fall, Sunset catching her by the underarms just in time. Sunset mentally pat herself in the back but not for long as she heard Twilight's soft titters.

"You think this is funny, you could've gotten hurt you dork" Sunset started laughing herself, but little did she know, Twilight was laughing for another reason.

"Suhunsehet puhut me dohown" snickered girl donning a pony tail.

"And why should I?" Sunset replied, still unaware that her nails were unintentionally digging into Twilight's underarms.

"Pleahahase youhuhu- haha youhure tickling mehehe" giggled the nerd.

Sunset's eyes widened but then her exspression switched to her signature smirk.

"Oh you should'nt have told me that Twily" Sunset added.

Twilight began kicking and nervous giggling at Sunset's exspression and also to the fact that she is now very aware of her situation.

"I'll be nice and we'll count down by 5" Sunset commented.

"5"

Sunset expected Twilight to fight her back.

"4'

But all Twilight did was hold on to her arms, look her in the eyes and her nervous laughter became higher pitched as she counted down further.

"3.5"

Sunset lowered her face to Twilght's stomach with the threat of raspberries. Looked her back in the eyes expecting a reaction. She raised her eyebrow, silently communication with Twilight, her expression said "Are you enjoying this". Twilight covered her face and laid back.

"3"

Twilight groaned

"2.5'

"2"

"1.5'

....

"1.4"

"JUST TICKLE ME ALREADY" Twilight yelled.

"Alright jeez, so bossy" Sunset commented before immediately dealing out raspberries, shaking her head for extra measure.

Twilight let a loud squeal rip the air, clawing at Sunset's red and yellow hair.

"Ow Twi you're hurting me" Sunset complained.

Twi moved her hands to Sunset's wrist, Twilight had a surprisingly strong grip.

Sunset squeezed Twilight's hips extorting snorts from her classmate. Sunset had Twilight absolutely hollering, She almost felt bad.....almost.

"OHOK OK MEHEHCEHEHEY' she shrieked.

Sunset pulled back and allowed the ravenette to rest on the floor.

"So, do you like you know?" the reformed villain asked

Twilight blushed, nodding her head.

"Aight, any time you need to be..you know,just lemme know." Sunset replied also a little red in the face.

There was a little silence then...

"Wait, why won't you just say tickle" it was now Twilight's turn to ask.

Sunset blushed harder and turned alleway.

"OMG YOU CAN'T SAY IT CAN YOU!" Twilight cheered.

[doggonewhumper]

Whupcember 4

Hidden Injury

@whumpcember

There was a servant in the castle who was about Reyna's age, so when Roman told her to "go make some friends," she decided to talk to him. He was a quiet boy with fluffy blond hair and cloudy blue eyes, short, but still taller than her. She went out of her way to say hi to him every day, and after about a week, he opened up to some small talk.

"I'm Reyna. What's your name?"

"A-avery. It's Avery," he stuttered, hands shaking a little as he wiped a plate clean. He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes on his task,but she had a name now, so that was a good start.

The next day, she met him as he was setting the long, ornate table with silverware for the king's dinner. He hadn't noticed her yet. She saw his hands were steady and sure, meticulousy placing each fork and spoon in the perfect spot. She almost left, not wanting to interrupt him, but he turned and noticed her.

"Oh! Hello, um, Reyna. Wha- Do you need something?" he asked. His hands shook again.

"No, it's alright. I didn't mean to distract you," Reyna replied. "I can go, so you can work in peace."

"No! Er, I mean, you don't have to- to leave. I'm okay with company," Avery said.

"Okay. You're usually working alone, so I thought you preferred that. But I'll stay with you!" Reyna smiled, and Avery smiled uneasily back.

"None of the other servants really, um, like me very much... They say I am given all of the 'easy' jobs," Avery muttered, placing down more silverware. "I just get the jobs that require a, um, a finer hand, I guess. Like placing silverware or dusting fragile relics. Ive never- never been given outside work."

Reyna nodded, listening carefully. That sounded so unfair! It wasn't like he got to choose his tasks. His hands were steady, when he wasn't nervous. She noticed they had stopped shaking while they were talking. Before she could share her sympathy, another servant walked in.

"Avery! You're not slacking, are you? You're here to work, not make friends!"

"No, sir!" Avery yelped. "I am working! R-really hard, I promise!"

The other servant eyed Reyna suspiciously before storming out of the dining hall. Avery had gone red, sheepishly avoiding her gaze again.

"Sorry. We can talk later," Reyna whispered, turning to leave. Avery didn't respond.

Reyna saw Avery dusting the next day, but there was something off about him. His movements were stiff, and he slightly limped when walking to different tables with treasures. He didn't stand straight either, hunching down and curling inward. She didn't want to get him in trouble again, but she had to know what was wrong, if she could help.

"Are you okay?" she asked, walking up to him loudly so he wasn't surprised. He jumped out of his skin anyway.

"Y-yes! I'm fine. J-just fine," Avery stuttered out. He wouldn't look at her.

"Are you sure?" Reyna asked. She saw, now that she was close to him,that he was pale and clammy. Pale and hunched over? Maybe his stomach hurt?

"V-very sure. Very sure."

"Okay... you don't need the healer? It's okay to be sick," Reyna soothed. Avery shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. He was shaking worse than ever. Reyna squinted, but left him be, turning to walk away.

THUMP

Reyna spun around. Avery was curled in on himself on the floor, moaning. Reyna knelt down and gently put a hand on his arm.

"What happened!?" she cried out. Avery looked nervous, but he slowly moved his hands and lifted his shirt, revealing extensive bruising along his stomach. "Who did that?"

Avery flinched. "Um. Th-that servant from yesterday. He didn't like that I-I had a friend, I guess..." Reyna's face turned red, fuming, but Avery grabbed her arm. "P-please don't be mad!"

"I'm not mad at you! I'm mad at him! Why would anyone do this to you!" she hissed. Avery only shook his head.

"It-it is't the first time. P-please, just take me to the h-healer. Don't tell. Please!" he begged. Reyna desperately wanted to get that other servant in trouble, have Roman teach him a lesson, but she couldn't say no to the earnest, desperate look in Avery's eyes. So she simply nodded, not trusting herself not to take out her rage on him, and helped him up. Together, they limped all the way to the healer, arms around each other.

Reyna wouldn't forget that other servant, though.

[badbf-cb]

05/02/2019

(Previously on WTF is the admin doing 04/25/2023)

"No Mom, I can do it on my own," the young girl mocked herself as she carried two smaller boxes into her new apartment, dropping them unceremoniously at the door. Blowing the stray hairs from her face, Minji shuffled past the elevator with the broken sign on it and started her descent down the three floors of steps. "48, 47, 46, 45…" she counted down with each tiny hop. "3, 2, 1~ Only a million more trips left." She huffed to herself, turning the corner quickly.

She hadn't seen anyone else the whole day, so she was a little surprised to see three guys standing with crossed arms staring at the half-empty moving truck. "You boys just going to stand there gawking at my things or can I convince you to help me?" she asked with a slight tone of amusement.

"Then that means you're the one that's been stomping and banging around in the apartment above mine," the blonde-haired man said, smiling at the new voice. "Hey, I'm Taeyong. Are you seriously doing this alone?" He seemed a little shocked no one was around to help. Taeyong elbowed his blue-haired friend and pointed to the boxes. "Joong, you and Jae grab some of the boxes."

With the help of the three men, the work was finished in no time.

"I can't thank you guys enough. I wouldn't have even been finished with a fraction of this," Minji said gratefully, spinning to look at the piles of new work. The loss of sunlight didn't go unnoticed by her. "It's late and I bet you worked up an appetite. Are you guys hungry? Give me a minute to find… anything… and I can make you dinner." Before she could spin and touch anything else, Taeyong grabbed her wrist.

"No- We were going to order in and just watch cheesy horror movies," he smiled and lets go of her wrist. "Clean yourself up and come by in a few. 207, right below." He pointed his fingers to the floor. Not leaving room for arguing, Taeyong ushered the two other men from the apartment and down the hall.

Later that night as they sat around the television talking, the movie was long forgotten. Minji was surprised to find out that Tae was still new in the building too, having just moved in last month. He had met Hongjoong a few weeks before that and started working with both Hanjae and him. She still wasn't sure what they did, but she didn't care. They were the nicest people she met since moving to the area to start her residency.

"I'll be honest, I did have second thoughts about this," Minji laughed and threw her head back, finishing her drink. "I think I've seen a few pornos start like this." Tae couldn't stop snickering at her joke, especially seeing the blush across Joong's cheeks.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," the blue-haired boy started to protest. "None of the ones I've watched ever started like this." There wasn't a dry eye in the room when he realized what he said and it was too late to take it back. "That- no... what I meant was-"

His defense fell on Minji's deaf ears. Hanjae had moved closer during the night and was now leaning closer, whispering in her ear. A small thing that didn't go unnoticed by Taeyong.

"I'll admit I'm disappointed about dinner tonight but since you're new I'll make you an offer," his breath tickled her ear as he spoke. "Let me take you out for lunch one day and I'll let you cook me dinner." Minji laughed loudly and slapped Jae's arm.

"You'll let me? Wow~ That's an offer I can't refuse," she smiled. Her eye caught the dimly lit clock and she sighed. "I should go. It's late and I still need to head to the hospital tomorrow to meet with the department head." Hanjae was the first to his feet to help her up.

"I'll walk you to your door. I need to start home," he smiled sweetly at her. Looking at his friend, a small chuckle leaves him as Joong laid passed out on Tae's floor.

"Just leave him," Tae said. "He'll pay for it in the morning." He dusted his pants off and lead the two towards the door. "Don't be a stranger, Dr. Gong, it gets boring with just these two around." Minji shakes her head and laughs.

"I doubt there are any dull moments with you," she scoffed and waved goodbye. With Hanjae not far behind her, she made her way to her box-filled apartment.

"I'll pick you up Sunday for lunch," Jae said once she was in her apartment.

"I didn't agree to go. Well- Not really," Minii called to him as he turned and walked away. Jae stopped halfway down the hall, not bothering to turn back.

"You can't say no to me, Minji. Go get some sleep. I'll see you soon."