#im eager to address that in my fic later

[childotkw]

ALRIGHT BABY lets go.

i read chapters 1-5 (half way into 6) last night and here are my initial thoughts:

i loved !! the writing…the way u write hadrian is so fun and i like the contrast to harry bc,, harry is an absolute slob compared to hadrian and he's so fun to read!1!! i love the choice of having him go to beauxbatons and i'm just imagining him in the uniform bc its so pretty.

IDK what you meant by "forgive the first lot of chapters and their quality" because its really good !! the only qualm i have is that the setting is a lot to take in for the first two chapters. i've actually had a hand @ it before and i was a little overwhelmed with the world (i wasn't truly ready at that time for its sheer magnitude of magnificence) and i wasn't dedicated to starting it off so !! i'm glad i gave it another try.

i really like the characters & ur ocs ! jacob and hadrians fwb relationship is really fun and so is his banter w raina.. i like claire so far and i do hope to see more of her !!1!!! which im guessing is the case for all of them. . hopefully. (am i attempting at foreshawdowing my predictions in ur own fanfic?) it physically. hurts me. to read hadrian not open up to jacob because of lily and his situation in general….. which slides me into the next topic i'm talking about.

lily gives me. extreme iffy vibes like,, not 'i want to punch her in the face' but its still wrong. her parenting gives off a lot of 'raising a soldier' vibes imo and its bad,, hadrian shows it by not opening up at all like i said earlier. i've seen a few responses & asks about it on your blog so i assume it'll be something that'll be addressed later on in the fic. i do think that she's a good step forward from the dursleys, however, still not perfect. + i think harry would have had a lot more passion for studying /learning (like hadrian) and learning knowledge if he hadn't lived in a household where they shut him down whenever he asked questions/had curiosity about something

there's a lot of plot questions with voldemort and the triwizard tournament etc that i have and i hope to see being answered later on!! like the year the tournament is set in (was the year harry turning 17 intentional?) etc etc. i have bets that hadrian's 'blank paper' trick is going to backfire. hard. and he's going to be the champion for beauxbatons etc etc last id like to say (chapter 6): i like how you had harry & hermione meet each other !! they are full on interrogating istg and its so fun.. i wonder if ron will appear ?? i have guesses he probably wont because ron is extremely average from an objective standpoint. anyway !! im very hooked into the fic and hope u have a great day :>>> i probably wont say something as huge as this next time i check in because this was just.. first impression thoughts and ALOT !!

Oooh this was so fun to read! Though I will admit I was struggling to remember what happened in chapters 1 - 6. That was so long ago in my memory! 🤣

I'm very eager to see how your thoughts on characters or events change as you go - it's making me really nostalgic in a way. And some of the things you've picked up on are making me clap my hands in excitement because ~foreshadowing~ and I'm insanely proud that I managed to keep the plot on track enough that even elements from those first chapters end up paying off down the track!

Have fun, darling! CS is a wild ride in some parts hahaha

Thank you for sharing! 🥰🥰🥰

[cambion-companion]

Omg pls more aemond fic. Im all about hopeless pining aemond who gets a little shy around y/n, because it's the first time someone isn't afraid of him ughhhhhhh

Oooh yes, and I'm always going to be about Y/N being a lil baddie too! I guess this one turned out a little more angsty, but hey you said pining so....! haha

Aemond x Martell!Reader

You first crossed paths with Aemond in the sparring courtyard of King's Landing.

At first you only got a glimpse of the back of him as he warmed up for training, long white hair falling like a sheet down his back.

You gathered together around him and Sir Criston as they began exchanging blows and parries, dancing around the other with deft movements.

Aemond wore an eyepatch over his left eye, and you wondered silently to yourself what might have caused such an injury. You could see the vertical scar beginning above his browbone, and a twinge of something akin to pity stirred in your chest.

The onlookers winced and gasped as Sir Criston and the prince swung their weapons, barely missing, you had heard Aemond preferred to spar with live weapons instead of the regular blunted or wooden swords.

Before too long, Criston called for a break, panting and clapping Aemond on the shoulder. "Let's have a volunteer of who spars with you next, my prince."

"Am I proving too much for you, Cole?" Aemond's voice was haughty as he turned to accept another shield from a servant. Criston only panted a laugh and waved to a young man to join them. The boy, suddenly pale, shook his head vehemently and began studying his feet with intensity. Sir Criston and Aemond both laughed. "Is there really none among you brave enough to spar with the prince?"

"I will!" You stepped forward and all eyes turned to appraise you with skeptical interest. "You're a woman." Was all Aemond said. "Well spotted, my prince." You quipped back. The corners of his mouth twitched. "From where do you hail?" He asked, eye narrowing. You held you head high, "Dorne, from House Martell."

"Well then, by all means, choose your weapon." Aemond's eye had taken on an eerie coldness as he scanned your features. You knew no love was lost between your two houses, and you were eager to prove to him why the words of your house are "Unbowed, unbent, unbroken". You decisively picked up two short swords from the weapons rack and returned to face Aemond, twirling your wrists and swinging your shoulders to gain a better range of movement.

Sir Criston, who seemed as though he were on the verge of protesting, looked from you to Aemond, took note of how tense the two of you were, blew out his cheeks and shrugged. He joined the ring of onlookers, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

Aemond crouched low in an offensive stance, and you instinctively mirrored his movements. "I'll try very hard not to hurt you." His violet eye was focused with an iron intensity on your every move.

"I wouldn't sweat it." Was your reply and you were prepared when he flew at you, sword raised for an overhead attack. You ducked and weaved around the blow, letting it glance briefly against your right-hand sword with a ring of metal on metal.

The sparring match was challenging for you, much to your chagrin, the differences in your fighting styles evident. However, it did give you an edge and you pressed the advantage until, at last, the point of your sword was at Aemond's throat. He had disarmed one of your swords which now lay uselessly in the mud. You grinned triumphantly at him, he smiled lazily back at you and flicked his eye pointedly downward. Following his gaze, you looked down and saw his own sword, tip inches from your abdomen. With a growl of annoyance, you swept your sword and knocked it away.

Aemond's smile didn't fade. "That was well fought, Lady Martell. Perhaps we will settle who really won at a later date." His hostility had eased significantly, and you noticed his shoulders relax as he addressed you.

You gave him a microscopic inclination of your head, which only seemed to amuse Aemond further, and turned to leave. Many gazes followed your progress up the stairs to the Red Keep, but it was Aemond's you felt burning a hole in your back.

In the weeks that followed, you would often find yourself back out in the sparring field. More than a few times it would be Aemond with whom you trained. The two of you becoming unlikely friends, you would needle him on occasion, but he never seemed to mind. With time, the bitter remarks you made turned into fond teasing and Aemond would give it right back to you. Every other lady seemed rather petrified of the prince, and it was clear he saw you as a breath of fresh air. One he couldn't get enough of.

Many times, you would feel his violet gaze on you. Whenever you looked over at him, Aemond quickly averted his gaze taking sudden interest in anything else nearby that wasn't you. This new development perplexed you, as it was so out of character for the brazen prince.

Aemond became more formal around you as well, you two would still train together and find each other in the library to be reading companions, but a rift had opened up in your friendship and you did not know why.

You also began to withdraw from Aemond, seeking him out once a week instead of once a day, yet you still could feel him watching you when you were not looking.

That is when the offer to stay on in King's Landing as Helaena's lady in waiting came. Once, months ago, you would have said "yes" just for an excuse to stay at Aemond's side. Now, however, you wished for the warm sun and soft sand of home more than anything.

On the day of your departure, you had not seen Aemond for several days in a row, which despite your weakening bond, had not happened before.

You were in the very same courtyard where the two of you first met, making final preparations to the carriage and luggage.

"Y/N." A soft voice from behind made you turn. Aemond was close behind you, closer than he had been in weeks. He looked...rather distraught, and your brow furrowed in unbidden worry. "Aemond, are you alright?"

He smiled ruefully, "I cannot answer that honestly, Y/N. I came to say goodbye."

Your throat had constricted, not allowing for speech, so the two of you merely stood and gazed at each other a moment. Aemond reached out, his fingers inches from your face, as if he wanted to run them down your cheek. He seemed to think better of it and instead gave you a shallow bow, you moved to enter the carriage. "Goodbye, my prince. Visit Dorne if you can." You knew it was an empty invitation, that he could not take it even if he wished to. Aemond obviously cared for you, but something held him back and with a bitter taste in your mouth you knew exactly what it was.

[satoruvt]

outside, so chilly

pairing → kwon soonyoung x reader

word count → 1328

genre → fluff!!!!!!! like a tiny bit of pining, college au

song inspo → chilli by svt and a bit of bulletproof love by pierce the veil

warnings → none!

a/n → longest svt fic yet i think <3 also i’m 98% i changed writing style like the last third of this fic so im sorry HAHAH but i think its kinda cute <3333

When Soonyoung told you about a party his fraternity was having, you were expecting drinks. Music. A bustle of chatter and maybe food, if you were lucky. 

What you were not expecting was a snowball fight in the park across the street from the frat house.

A part of you thinks you should’ve seen it coming - after sitting next to Soonyoung in your criminology class all semester (in which he introduced himself and then told you the reason he was taking the class at all was so he could solve murder mysteries by himself), you’ve gotten to know him as a… very eclectic person, although lovable. You’re not really sure why you were expecting his frat to be much different.

After the final for Criminology was over and you stumbled out of the lecture hall like you’d been held captive for weeks, Soonyoung had approached you (irritatingly cheery for someone who just spent two hours taking a test) and invited you to a party. “It’ll be fun,” he had said. “You deserve it after all your hard work. The semester’s over next week anyways.”

It took a little convincing on his part - though you already had your answer when he first asked you, not wanting to seem too eager - but eventually you agreed, Soonyoung telling you he’d text you the details as he walked away. 

A few days before the party, he’d texted you to wear something warm. “Probably gloves,” is what he said. You hadn’t thought twice about it. When you actually arrived at the fraternity, later, finding no bass-boosted music nor anyone inside, you worried you had gotten the wrong address. In the middle of a double-check, your name is called from behind you.

“You came!” Soonyoung yells from across the street, waving his arms around wildly. You furrow your brows, watching as a snowball flies through the air and hits the side of his face. Laughter sounds from across the park - you figure the other members of the fraternity - as he brushes the snow off of him with his own chuckle, then gets up from his place behind a haphazardly-made snow wall.

“This is… the party?” You ask him when he gets close enough, and he nods enthusiastically. He’s bundled up in a fluffy jacket and beanie, a tiger-striped scarf thrown around his neck (and you do kind of remember him calling himself a tiger? At one point?). Your brain notes that he looks cute, cheeks and nose rosy from the cold even in the late sunlight. You feel your heart skip a beat.

“Yeah! When we heard it was gonna snow, we figured this would be a lot more fun than having a hangover for the two straight weeks of break.”

You laugh and he starts stepping back towards the park, off the porch of the house. “Come on,” he tells you. “You’re on my team.”

Well, you’re not going to say no to that.

For all things considered, it really is some of the most fun you’ve had in a long time. You quickly get acquainted with your fellow teammates - Vernon, Jun, Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Jihoon and Seungkwan (who, for some reason, you feel the need to protect with your life, and you have to remind yourself that this is a snowball fight) - and learn to fight like you’re dead if you get hit, laughing and screaming all the while. You learn early on that the winner is whoever lasts the longest, so the game goes on until the sun sets behind the horizon and leaves the sky lingering in color. 

One by one your teammates tap out (you send a playful glare to everyone except Seungkwan when he eventually needs a break, too) until it’s just you and Soonyoung fighting against the other team - who, like yours, has dissipated into two members who you believe are Mingyu and Chan. You’re on your last leg, breath rising into the air and fingers red and raw from the cold, but the universe must want you to win because right after Soonyoung’s last snowball hits Chan directly on the forehead they’re surrendering.

A beat of silence passes before you and Soonyoung look at each other and scream, victorious, jumping towards each other as your other teammates crowd around you. It’s hard to breathe being squished between bodies but you’re not sure you mind, taking a moment to pinpoint Soonyoung’s wheezing laughter and focusing on it until you can’t hold back your own laughs. Eventually the group hug disperses and you breathe out into the cold, high-fiving and hugging your teammates like you’ve trained with them for years and just won a gold medal in an olympic sport. 

“So,” Soonyoung approaches you after much of the excitement has died down, “pretty fun party, right?”

You laugh into the open air and nod, holding your hands up to your mouth to heave hot breath on them. “Really fun. Thank you for inviting me.”

Soonyoung shrugs, a content smile on his face. The other members of the fraternity are all heading back across the street to the house, and you tell Soonyoung you should head home - it had gotten late, and you feel like you need the hottest shower ever.

“Oh!” He says, face lighting in understanding. “Okay. Let me walk you home then.”

You shake your head. “You don’t need to -”

“No, I will. You walked all the way out here, the least I could do is keep you company on your way back,” Soonyoung says, and then pulls an attack pose. “And potentially protect you from a murderer hidden in the shadows.”

You nod at him with a laugh, turning to the direction back to your apartment. He shouts to his housemates that he’ll be back and they all give varying yells of acknowledgement, a few of them waving goodbye to you. You return the gesture before you and Soonyoung start walking. 

It’s comfortable, the way the two of you walk together, talking and giggling in the dark. You find yourself walking slower and avoiding shortcuts to make the walk longer. Soonyoung jumps at a sound and you tease him about protecting you, earning a gentle push on your shoulder in return. It’s comfortable. It’s good. It makes you feel a little more sad about the fact that your semester with him is over, and you’ll probably be scarce to see him again - not to mention the fondness you’ve developed for him.

Even taking the long way home, you eventually end up at your apartment. Sooyoung walks you to your door and you unlock it, then turn around to face him. “Thank you again for inviting me. And for walking me home.”

“And for protecting you,” he adds, and you scoff but don’t deny it. There’s a moment of silence that you’re not sure how to fill, and Soonyoung looks occupied with his thoughts, so you take it as time to say goodbye. 

You open your mouth to speak but don’t get a chance to let any noise out, because suddenly Soonyoung is in your space and his lips press against your cheek. Briefly, unsure, but incredibly meaningful - you feel it. He moves back as quick as he got close, but not as far away. His cheeks glow red, red in the fluorescent light of the hall in your apartment building. 

Before he gets the wrong idea from your stunned silence, your hand reaches for his and curls against his fingers. They’re just as cold as your own. “I expect a date next semester, Kwon Soonyoung,” you murmur playfully, playing with his fingers. He grins so bright it warms your chest.

“You got it,” he tells you simply. The two of you smile at each other, lost in a rose flush, before you eventually take your hand away from his and enter your apartment. A text buzzes your phone not long after you get settled into your bed.

soonyoung 

goodnight!!!! 

A smile spreads across your lips before you drift to sleep.

[lordseochangbin]

cats and cuddles- minho

a/n: so this was like one of the first fics ive ever written and i wrote it for a friend so hmm if it sucks im sorry LMFAO i thought it was cute so i wanted to share 🥺🥺

it was late at night when felt a quick snuggle on your chest. of course, the struggle of grabbing your glasses in the dark was real, your hands constantly patting your nightstand till you finally felt the plastic lens slowly putting them on before your cat could jump off your bed.

“fefe? where are you going?!” you watched as the red kitty ran out the door, following behind him as he rubbed his head against the window door.

“you wanna go outside? god this is why i told you go out earlier” you sighed before opening the door, “just goooo” and off fefe went, making an unexpected whimper that brought concern to your eyes.

you watched as the little feline jumped out the window, running through the hidden hole under the fence. you never noticed the cats secret dugout, and even at the middle of the night you wondered of the cats whereabouts.

this wasn’t the first night, you quickly realized, that the kitty had asked to leave so late. quickly grabbed a coat and throwing on some uggs, you ran out into the cold- a flashlight in your hand as you ran around the corner in search of the little guy.

“fefe...? where are you?” you called in a sing-song tone.

this call was only returned by the sounds of the night; quiet, mysterious, indulging. it made you wonder where the hell this little idiot could’ve gone.

almost on cue, you watched as fefe’s small steps ran down the neighborhood road in front of you. “fefe!” you called, running after him in the cold.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

he was having a bad night, i guess you could say. the day before he spent the night contemplating whether or not the girl he was with at the moment was actually the love of his life. the feeling of uncertainty was the worst, and when he called it off with his girlfriend he left the room knowing it was the right thing.

this didn’t settle with his ex however, the house left with shattered glass on the floor as she claimed, “minho! you can never live without me! no other girl would want you!”

the fear driven into his eyes only shuttered as he realized maybe she was right, but she was wrong.

chan reassured him of this later on in the day as he spilled out his worries, reminding him of a question that felix got him considering a few weeks ago. “hyung, do you really like noona?” it was a question that really got him thinking, did he really love her? was she the one for him?

she was allergic to cats, wasn’t a fan of ice cream, and hated books-- especially the harry potter ones. minho knew that 12 y/o minho would’ve threw his girlfriend into a bush when he realized she disliked j.k.rowling’s most amazing works.

this just didn’t settle with him, and the stress began to overwhelm him as he decided to open the door for fresh air. sitting near the window, minho ran his fingers through his hair as he listened to the cool breeze. humming in satisfaction, he let his eyes close shut before he could see the slightest of a figure passing the doorway. 

“binnie!” he exclaimed, running out the door with two jackets instead of one in a sudden hurry.

there the two of you were, chasing after two kittens with no point of direction. simply following the steps of tiny paws as they ran through the dark night. little did you know that an glimpse of fate was behind this, not for you and the boy, but for the two kittens.

you watched as fefe turned a corner, stopping to take a breather before hearing someone yell “oh my god, its two kittens!” panic ran though you as you assumed it must’ve been a cat robber, and with quick instinct you ran the corner to see fefe’s little tail.

“fefe!!!” you ran with all your might, not noticing the male figure in front of you as you picked up the little kitten. 

“ouch” the boy said, rubbing his forehead from the contact. you looked up at the boy, finding yourself in disbelief. how could such a handsome man be a cat robber? 

“look.. p-please dont take my cat” you stuttered to speak, taking a few steps back. 

“what..? oh my god look, this is my cat” you looked down to see another cat, another identical to fefe but jet black fur. 

fefe jumped out of your arms, quick to cuddle with the strange yet attractive man’s cat. “they seem to be very close” you giggled

the boy smiled as he watched them brush their noses against each other, a scene that brought a little bit of warmth to your heart. he crouched down to rub the soft fur that filled fefe’s back before placing his index finger on a certain point that threw him off.

“is that your cat’s birthmark?” cats don’t have birthmarks but um yeah let’s pretend they do ah haha

“yeah!! apparently my kitten had a brother who was adopted and they placed these fake birthmarks in case they ever unite. it probably won’t happen though, i barely let fefe out. and even if it did, i wouldn’t believe it”

minho looked at his cat, and at yours, and back at you- biting his lip as he took a moment to process his thoughts.

“well start believing” minho said as he brought his kitten close to your side and revealed a similar birthmark on the same exact place. “are you kidding?!” you yelped in excitement, leaning down to carry the boy’s cat in your hands.

you shivered in the cold as another breeze flew past the two of you, catching the boys eye as he held his second jacket that he grabbed by accident in his hand.

“here” he stood up, slowly placing the jacket over your shoulders. in the process, you happened to look up at him. you noticed the way his deep brown eyes sparkled. the little birthmark on the top of his nose.

his pouted lips when he was simply thinking or doing something. his lips parted when he noticed you looking right back at him before he could step back and clear his throat. you found yourself snapping out of the moment as well, as the boy went back to pet fefe.

“what’s the name?” you asked.

“my names minho” the boy said, smiling at you as he expected a response

“... i meant the cat” you said, brushing the cats fur with your fingertips

“oh... it’s binnie”

“cute name. and in case you’re wondering im y/n, and this is fefe” you said, taking a second to wonder where the sudden confidence came from before the both of you could exchange kittens and most definitely exchange phone numbers.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

the next day, the two of you met at the place where you adopted the kittens.

“so.. theyre twins” you’d concluded after seeing the felines matching birthmarks and affection for each other.

“they’re like long lost brothers” minho said with a pout as he watched the two play with a piece of string

you looked up at him, only to catch him looking right at you “shouldn’t we keep them together?” minho suggested

you pouted your lips. after all this time you created a strong bond with fefe and never wanted to let him go. he was always the boy to cuddle with your feet as you did homework or sit on your lap as you watched tv. he was someone to talk to in the household and you couldn’t risk losing him.

minho felt the same way about binnie as well. he was a kpop idol in training, and when the stress had overcome him he always found relaxation in binnie’s comfort. he just didn’t want to let him go.

“to be honest, i know they’re long lost brothers or soulmates or whatever and i really want them to be together. but i just don’t wanna lose fefe” you picked up the red ball of fur, cuddling him into your chest as he licked the side of your cheek. minho picked up binnie as well before looking at you with a sort of agreement.

“how about we just meet up every now and then? for the cats” he suggested

“are you sure it’s just for the cats?” you laughed, giving minho a little shove on the shoulder before a dirty smirk could arise upon his lips, “who knows? maybe id like to see you as well” he winked before leaving the shelter.

“ill text you a date and address, you better be there y/n” he waved off before leaving you in utter shock.

did i just... flirt? and it worked?! you squeezed fefe in your hands, jumping up and down in place.

“fefe you just scored me a hot date!!”

all fefe could do was stare at you in absolute confusion, as the cat really didn’t understand a shit you were saying. but you knew what you just went down, minho definitely just asked you out.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

the second he got into the car, he called bang chan.

“oh chan chan chan hyunggg!!!”

“oh god, what happened now?” chan asked, a sense of drowsiness in his voice.

“i think i just scored a date!!”

“YOU SCORED A WHAT?!” jisung exclaimed onto the phone.

“stop being so loud you dumbass” minho responded. “long story short but her name is y/n and she’s seems really decent and pretty and she likes cats and i don’t know her smile is so pretty i just don’t even know what to say i..”

“that mans whipped. deadass” seungmin said, “did you ask her out?”

“i kinda did? im gonna ask her to come to my place”

“WOAHHH there pilot- to your place?! on a first date?!”

“ok ok no it’s a long story so our cats somehow found each other in the middle of the night”

“what?!”

“never mind.. anyways ima ask her to come tomorrow” minho smiled to himself before sending a quick text to you and patting binnie in the seat next to him.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

it was about 5 pm in the afternoon, the sun still hasn’t set but both your cats were eager to meet. it wasn’t just the cats however, you were just as excited to see minho as well and finally return his jacket.

without even noticing it, you kept it on. the warm material on the inside felt comfortable and you knew he must have had good taste in clothing.

grabbing your keys, you ran out the door with fefe on your hands and next thing you knew you were at the doorsteps of lee minhos home.

you took a few seconds to decide whether or not you should actually ring the doorbell before the door could open.

“hey! you can come in” minho laughed, noticing how nervous you seemed outside.

“thank you” you quickly nodded your head and walked inside before fefe could jump out your arms again and join binnie.

“woah..” you couldn’t help but to gasp and the looks of his apartment.

“is that a harry potter poster?!” you exclaimed, running over to what seemed like lee minhos hogwarts merch collection. he had the wand, the posters, and all the books lined up on a shelf.

“you’re a Harry Potter fan?!” minho exclaimed

“yess!!”

“ok count of three name your house” you took a deep breath as minho started the mini countdown.

“1...2..”

“slytherin!”

“gryffindor!!”

“oh fuck you minho, of course you’d be in slytherin” you said, making minho laugh

“hey what can i say? guess i just give off those vibes. now how about some coffee?”

from there the conversation was endless, you both realized you had a lot in common. although minho was more of a singer and you were more of an instrumental player you seemed to bond over music and books. this, minho realized, was something minho always wanted to see in a girl. something he wanted to have- a real conversation. one that he was actually interested in, and he loved getting to know every little detail about you and every small thing he said didn’t fail to make you laugh. you two seemed to be hitting it off and before you know it, the thunderstorm rolls in outside and you realize you didn’t bring minhos jacket.

“oh my god.. i forgot to bring your jacket! from the first day we met?”

“don’t worry about it”

“ahh im sorry, ill bring it next time i promise”

minho jumped in his seat, “wait no! don’t bring it. ever”

“why not?”

“it’ll give you a reason to keep coming back to me” he said, a smile forming on his lips. you couldn’t help but to laugh at how cheesy he was when he smiled, it was so perfect it almost seemed fake. but you knew everything he said and did was from somewhere deep in the heart.

“it’s raining a lot outside, do you just wanna wait until it gets a little better?” minho suggested

“i wouldn’t mind” you said, making yourself comfortable on the couch. minho got up to turn on the apt room heater, grabbing some hot cocoas and blankets for the both of you. the one thing that got you however, was how close he sat next to you when he came back. your shoulders brushed against each other as he threw the blanket on your lap, a light pink blush on your cheeks.

and in a few hours you found yourself resting your head on minho’s shoulder, both of your cats falling deep asleep on your lap as harry potter played on the tv.

“thank you ” minho suddenly spoke out of nowhere.

“for?”

“for... for entertaining me. i don’t know if you realized, but i really like you. i don’t know if the cats thing was something like fate but i really like you”

you looked up to minho as the fingers foudn thenselves intertwining under the heated blanket.

“i really like you too” you whispered before you could kiss the little birthmark on his nose, making minho smile as the movie played on.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

[svtmatokis]

Matchmaker P1

Introducing....Matchmaker! Min Yoongi has made me sooo soft lately and idek how I started stanning him but I decided to write this fic well just because...hope you all like it!

Plot: You’re a small name model who is close friends with Joshua and Taehyung and just moved to Korea after signing with an agency. You’ve been a fan of BTS for as long as you could remember and biased Yoongi. Little did you know, despite not being well known, you had caught Yoongi’s eye a long time ago and now you guys get to meet. Even though the two of you become friends, Yoongi’s apparently too shy and you’re just apparently oblivious to his feelings. Will it take a push from Taehyung and the rest of his members for you two to finally get together or will Yoongi be able to do it on his own?

Words: 3547

Warnings: May contain swearing, slightly intimate touches and Im not sure….

Genre: flufff/ slight angst

Taehyung sat stirring his drink as his members sat around him as they wrapped up their meal. They had finished their schedules early that day and had the rest of the day free to do whatever they pleased so Namjoon had suggested that the group eat together before splitting off. 

He was debating what to do for the rest of the day when Jimin looked up and saw someone he recognized.

“Hey isn’t that Joshua?” he asked and everyone turned their heads to see the vocalist at the cashier paying with a girl standing next to him and suddenly they were all wondering who she was.

Taehyungs’ lips twitched up when he recognized the woman standing next to his friend, ‘So she’s back eh?’

“Does Joshua have a girlfriend?” Jungkook wondered out loud.

“Maybe a family member…” Hoeseok suggested. “She’s cute though.” 

“She looks really familiar though. I think I’ve seen her picture somewhere...” Jimin said as Joshua and the mystery girl approached the group.

“Hey everyone” Joshua said with a wave, “I thought it was you guys sitting back here.” 

“Hey Joshua” the rest of the boys said but Taehyung continued.

“Hey Y/N.” he said with a wave and grin. 

Suddenly all eyes were on him and they all wondered how Taehyung knew this person.

“Hi Taehyung.” you said with a small wave as Joshua introduced you to everybody.

“Guys this is Y/N, a close friend from the States. Y/N, let me formally introduce you to BTS. As you know, thats Namjoon, Jungkook, Jin, Jimin, Hoseok and Yoongi and of course you know Taehyung.” he said pointing to each member who gave you a wave and polite smile. 

“It’s nice to officially meet you all.” you said with a smile shaking each of their hands, “I’m a fan of your music and Josh has told me so much about you all.”

“It’s nice to meet you too” Namjoon said, “Hopefully Josh has only said good things.” 

You gave Namjoon a small smile and shrug, “Maybe” 

“Are you here for work or pleasure?” Taehyung asked. “The last time you were in Seoul was for apartment hunting right?”

“I didn’t find a place back then and went back to the States for a while since my old contract didn’t expire. I just found a place recently though and signed with an agency. I have about a week to settle in before my schedules start.” you answered, “Are you busy right now? Josh and I were about to go furniture shopping.” 

Taehyung looked at Namjoon whose face was in slight awe but the leader shook his head.

“I’m good and you know I’m always down for shopping.” he said with a grin, “Give me a few minutes to finish up and I can get going.” 

“Great” Joshua said happy to have someone else join, “At least I won’t have to carry all her bags now. Just meet us outside when you’re done.”

“I’ll catch up with you guys in a bit.” he said as he started preparing to leave.

“It was nice to meet you all” you said the rest of BTS, “Hopefully we can meet again sometime.”

“Definitely, any friend of Taehyung is a friend of ours.” Jimin said with a large grin, “See you later.” 

The rest of BTS said their goodbyes with promises to meet again soon and you and Joshua went outside to wait for Taehyung.

Once the two of you were out of ear shot, all eyes went back to Taehyung who was just getting up.

“How do you really know her?” Jungkook asked, “She seems too old to be a trainee.” 

Taehyung blinked at the maknaes comment, “Do you guys seriously not recognize her?” 

Everyone shook their heads, even Yoongi was engaged at this point wanting to know too.

“She’s Minyoung’s older sister. The one who’s a model and dancer.” he answered and everyones eyes widened.

“Wait, Minyoung as in Dino’s girlfriend Minyoung?” Hoseok asked and Taehyung nodded. “Wow, daebak...no wonder she’s so beautiful. She was the MC at KCON L.A last year.”

“Bingo” Taehyung said, “She was freelancing back and forth between Korea and the States for a while but her parents have always wanted her to settle back here so I guess that’s why she signed with an agency.” 

“You seem to know quite a lot about her.” Yoongi said and Taehyung looked at the producer with a hidden smirk. “When was the last time the two of you spoke?”

“You guys would be surprised as to how much I do know and probably six months ago. Joshua keeps me updated though..” he said and stood up, “I should get going, I’ll keep you guys posted as to when I’ll be back.” 

“Maybe we can all meet up for dinner.” Namjoon suggested, “You can bring Joshua and Y/N  too.” 

“We’ll see what the plans are. Y/N likes to shop and she said she’s furniture shopping so…I’ll catch you guys later.” and with one last wave, he was out the door. 

The remaining six boys looked out the window to see the three of you walking away, it seemed that Taehyung and Joshua had said something to you because not too long later, both men were holding their arms in pain after you slapped them each.

“So she’s the girl Yoongi was checking out last year but never had the guts to approach.” Jin said with a teasing smile as the producers eyes remained glued on your disappearing figures.

“Maybe if you’re nice enough to him, Taehyung will let you hang out with her.” Jungkook teased and all the boys laughed as Yoongi’s face turned red. “I never thought the day would come that Yoongi would look at a girl like that.”

“Doesn’t he have a picture of one of her magazine covers in his studio?” Namjoon asked making Yoongi growl.

“Shut it guys.” he said and finished his tea angrily while everyone around him laughed and started teasing him.. 

Meanwhile, you, Joshua and Taehyung were walking through the furniture store where they continued to tease you.

“I still can’t believe she was able to keep her cool while meeting her bias.” Joshua said laughing and Taehyung nodded in agreement.

“You know Y/N, I can get him to come meet us if you want.” he teased, “I’m sure he would be just as eager” 

“You guys suck.” you whined, “I tell you both ONE secret and you guys hold it against me for the rest of my life.” 

“You love us!” Joshua said wrapping an arm around you shoulder as Taehyung did the same.

“Your life would be so boring if we weren’t in it.” Taehyung added. “Plus, I’m that connection with your bias...or should I say crush” he gave you a wink and you shoved both men away.

“You know, now that you’re in Korea full time, we’re going to be hanging out a lot more and with the schedule you already have lined up, I wouldn’t be surprised if our paths crossed professionally.” Joshua said, “I’ve always wanted to play matchmaker.” 

“Me too.” Taehyung agreed, “You and Yoongi are a perfect fit and I can’t imagine our fans being too upset...you may have a small reputation in the States but it’s going to grow once you start appearing in CF’s and ads here.” 

“You guys talk as if he’s already interested in me” you said with a roll of your eyes and stopped to pick up a rug that caught your eye while Taehyung and Joshua shared a look.

“Who says he isnt?” Taehyung asked, “Everyone kept pushing him to talk to you at KCON last year but that guy was too chicken shit to make the move.” 

“Plus, you’re beautiful, smart, creative, everything a guy could want in a girl.” Joshua added and nudged you, “I would say it’s only a matter of time.” 

“Whatever you say guys...whatever you say…” you said walking ahead of them to look at other items while trying to push the thought of Yoongi actually being interested in you out of your head.

Once the shopping was all done, you were all ready to split off and that’s when Taehyung extended the invite for dinner to you and Joshua.

“We promised to meet my sister and Dino for dinner today but you’re welcome to join us though.” you said with an apologetic look. “We’re also going to try to get together later this week for a small housewarming once all the furniture is set up.”

“Unless you want to come over tomorrow and give us a hand with setting up too.” ‘Joshua said, “Everyone’s doing something different so it’s only going to be the two of us along with Dino and Minyoung.” 

“I’m going to head back and have dinner with the guys tonight but I’ll see who I can round up for tomorrow.” Taehyung said, “What time were you thinking?” 

“I have a meeting with my agency in the morning so probably early afternoon.” you answered looking at Joshua for confirmation.

“Around there, I have to see who I can round up on my end too. You have a lot of stuff to build as is and with the decorations that you got, it’s probably going to take the whole day, or at least till dinner.” Joshua said and Taehyung nodded his head.

“She and her sister can take care of the decorating. You should leave the furniture building to us men.” Taehyung said trying to act macho and you rolled your eyes.

“Please, I was the one who set up my sisters apartment when she moved here two years ago. I think I’m capable of building furniture.” you stated, “We’ll see you tomorrow then. I’ll text you my address later.” 

“Sounds good. See you guys tomorrow.” Taehyung said and with a wave he headed back to his dorm.

During the day, he and Joshua had continuously teased you about your infatuation with Yoongi and despite you brushing it all off, it was obvious that you really did have a crush on his older member. He also knew that Yoongi kept a copy of one the magazine covers you did overseas in his studio and he started to wonder how he could get his two friends together. 

From what he knew, there were no obstacles between the two of you but at the same time, Yoongi himself could be a big obstacle. That guy had issues opening his heart to people and Taehyung just hoped that he didn’t have to meddle too much to get you two together. Plus, he had Joshua on his side and he was sure he could recruit Dino and Minyoung as well to give him a hand. 

Yes, operation “Get Yoongi and Y/N together” was a go and he just needed to discuss it with the other three.

By the time he got back to his dorm, it seemed that everyone was already home as if waiting for him.

“No Y/N and Josh?” Namjoon asked as Jin poked his head out of the kitchen wearing an apron.

“They have dinner plans with Dino and her sister.” Taehyung said going to his room to put his stuff away, “Why are you all home? I thought you guys had other plans too.” 

It was true, everyone had said that morning that they all had plans though he wasn’t surprised to find Yoongi actually in the living room area for once.

“Easily cancelled.” Jimin said getting straight to the point, “We want to know how you really know Y/N.”

“I made all your favorite foods” Jin said coming out with a variety of dishes and placed them on the table as each member started crowding him.

“Seriously? Did she really catch your attention that much?”  Taehyung asked in disbelief and each member nodded their heads including Yoongi.

“So how do you know her my dear Taehyung?” Namjoon asked as each member started eating as Taehyung started explaining.

“Better question, how are you two already so close?” Hoseok asked with a mouth full of food.

“You heard earlier, she’s Joshua’s friend from the States. I think they met when they were younger and kept in touch throughout the years. She and her younger sister were competitive dancers before Y/N got scouted and started modelling for a small agency.” Taehyung explained before taking a bite of his food. 

“That doesn’t answer our question.” Jungkook stated.

“Sorry, what were they again?” Taehyung asked pretending to forget and he felt himself get smacked upside the head by various members.

“How do you know Y/N and how the heck are you two so close?!” Jimin asked.

“Right...Joshua asked me to hang out with them a few years back when she came to visit and we’ve kept in touch here and there ever since. Remember that one free day we had during KCON and I said I had plans?” he asked and each member nodded.

“Joshua invited me to hang out with him and Y/N outside of the event and the three of us spent the day at Santa Monica” he said simply and felt himself get smacked in the head again, “What the heck!?”

“You met her a few years back but you couldn’t give Yoongi the push to talk to her at KCON last year? What kind of friend are you?” Jin asked with slight irritation. 

“We didn’t even talk during the event!” Taehyung said defending himself, “She was too busy on her side and it’s not like I knew you guys were fans of her. You guys just kept telling Yoongi to go talk to the “Cute MC girl”, there were like five there, how the heck was I supposed to know it was Y/N?” 

“Uh, the fact that he keeps a copy of her magazine cover in the studio would give you a hint, no?” Jin asked with a tilt of his head, “Gosh you kids are useless sometimes.” 

“Hey! For your information, I am currently your only way to get an in with her so I would watch what you say.” Taehyung said as Jin shoved a piece of meat in his mouth.

All the while, he had been watching Yoongi’s reaction throughout the conversation since they were conveniently sitting across from each other and he was happy to see the slight blush that appeared on the older members cheeks when the magazine cover was brought up. Of course he knew about it, everyone knew about it. Taehyung just liked to play dumb sometimes and after this conversation, he was pleased to know that his mission was going to be easier than he thought. Especially if he was able to recruit his five other members to help him out.

Later that night, Taehyung sent out a mass text to all his members minus Yoongi, along with Joshua and Dino.

[9:59pm] Tae - So is anyone interested in playing a little game of matchmaker?

Literally a second later he got various replies.

[10:00pm] Josh - You’re talking about Y/N and Yoongi right?

[10:00pm] Kookie - Y/N and Yoongi?

[10:00pm] Dino - If this is about Y/N and Yoongi, count me and Minyoung in. I don’t know if we can take any more of her inner fangirling. We’re at her apartment right now and Minyoung can’t stop teasing her about how she didn’t say anything more than hello.

[10:01pm] Chimchim - Yes!!! Anything to make Grandpa less grumpy

[10:01pm] Jin - As long as no one gets hurt.

[10:02pm] RM - The only one who’s gonna get hurt is Taehyung when Yoongi finds out what Tae is up to.

[10:03pm] Tae - He won’t hurt me because this plan is going to work. I will keep you all posted.

Taehyung put his phone away and grinned, yes everything was going to work out just fine...or so he thought.

The next day was a semi free day. They had a small meeting with the managers and once it was over, the group hung around the practice room when one of the trainees who had acted in one of their music videos came in to hang out with the members since she didn’t have a schedule that day.

“Hey Hara” the group said together while on their phones. 

“Hey guys” she said with a wave and went to sit next to Yoongi on the couch in hopes to talk to him for a bit but unfortunately for her, he looked like he was napping.

It was no secret among the members that this trainee had taken a liking to Yoongi almost right away, especially since they had been partners in the music video that they shot. It was obvious Yoongi was indifferent to her and treated her like he did everyone else but even when he paid a little attention to her, she was happy. Thats what they all found so weird about her.

A few of the guys were in conversation about upcoming schedules while Yoongi was watching Taehyun intently from the couch while ignoring things Hara was saying. Only nodding and speaking when he had to but in all seriousness, he was curious as to why Taehyung kept looking at his phone and grinning like a mad man. 

All the while, Yoongi was also keeping tabs on a conversation that was going on between Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook.

“I don’t get it though, if she’s a model why isn’t she more well known?” Jimin asked and Taehyung shrugged.

“Josh said she wanted to finish school first before she pursued it full time so not many people in Korea know who she is. It was only by chance that she was scouted after graduation..” he explained looking down at his phone again. When the heck were you going to text him? It was already early afternoon and he had yet to hear a word.

“But her sisters a well known choreographer, it would only make sense that her name is out there too.” Jungkook said, “What did she graduate in?”

“You ask me as if I’ve known her my own life. Why don’t you ask Joshua? The one who has actually known her that long?” Taehyung suggested and just at that moment his phone went off making most of the guys look at him.

“Hey Y/N.” he said into the receiver and Yoongi’s ears perked up. 

“You just finished the meeting?”

“What about Joshua?”

“Okay, I’ll see who I can get and then meet you over there. Do you want me to bring anything?” 

Apparently your request had his eyes narrow, “Seriously? Okay, anything else?” 

Suddenly Taehyung cracked up as he heard Joshua’s voice over the line, “Okay, okay, it’s highly likely that I’ll be able to do that given the circumstances. Text me the address and I will see you guys there.”

“I have no idea what you mean Y/N, I am perfectly innocent. I’ll see you in a bit.” 

He then hung up the phone and looked around the room at his members and Hara.

“So I’m going to Y/N’s to help her set up the apartment...she’s inviting anyone who would want to come and give us a hand. She bought a lot of furniture yesterday and could use a hand in setting it all up.” he said and saw Yoongi’s head shoot up which made him hold in his smirk.

“We’re down to go.” Jungkook and Jimin said together.

“Jin and I have something to do first but we’ll drop by a little bit later.” Namjoon said, “Just text me her address.” 

Taehyung then looked at Hoseok and Yoongi.

“Are any of you interested?” 

“I need to get something done but I’ll see if I have time after.” Hoseok answered, “Tell Y/N I said hi though.” 

“Sure, why not.” Yoongi said boredly shocking Hara who was looking forward to hanging out with him and the guys.

The rest of the men shared a knowing look before Taehyung spoke again. “Great, we need all the muscle power we can get. We should get going, she and Joshua are already on their way there.”

Slowly, each of the members who were going to your apartment with Taehyung stood up and grabbed their stuff before following Taehyung out of the room while Hara looked on confused.

“Y/N?” she asked looking and Namjoon and Jin who were talking about something.

“She’s a friend of Tae’s who just moved here.” Namjoon said and then looked at Jin, “We should get going if we want to make it on time. Let’s go.” 

Jin nodded his head and got up, “Bye Hara.”

“Bye Hara” Namjoon said with a wave. 

Hara was left sitting in the practice room all by herself and she crossed her arms confused. Normally on their off days the guys wouldn’t mind spending it with her when she didn’t have any classes but the moment Taehyung said your name, most of the members attention was diverted and she had never seen Yoongi react so quickly to something outside of his work.

Just who were you and would you be a threat to her friendship with the guys?

[lil-purplebird]

Handle with Care - Chapter Thirteen

Fandom: Pokémon

Rating: NC-17

Genre: Romance/Drama

Words: 16,494

Pairing: Mewtwo/Mew

Summary: Having been loving mates for five years, Mew desires for a baby, even though Mewtwo feels the opposite, believing he cannot have offspring. As strong as their bond is, receiving nothing but bad news and unfortunate events slowly tears them apart and pushes their relationship to the edge. A fragile heart can break in any hand that handles it for too long. It can be put back together as many times as possible, but it’ll never be the same.

Note: while the fan fic is still on-going, uploading the chapters are going to be sporadic at best. The chapters may be uploaded daily, weekly, or whenever I get banners finished.

Can also be read here.

The cold twilight air stung her nostrils and throat when Mew slowly inhaled, rubbing at her eyes for what had to be the fourth time since getting up. She blinked up at the dark trees, picking at the corners of the card and readjusting her scarf to cover her shoulders. Her ears perked as Mewtwo exited the house and locked the door, having just finished his last-minute security checks. Once he pinned a note beneath the knocker, he turned to look at her with a gentle, yet tired, smile on his lips.

“Nervous, dear?”

She shook her head a little as he walked up to her side, throwing on his cloak. “I'm just a bit sorry we're leaving on such short notice.”

Leaving before the break of dawn wasn't ideal either, but neither of them had slept well to begin with. Mew had tried, it was just too awkward to lie beside him after months of having the bed to herself.

“Have any of the neighbors made plans with you?” he inquired.

“Not at all.”

“Then there are no regrets to be had.” He rubbed his cold knuckles against her cheek, which she shivered from. “They will understand.”

The petite feline shifted a little, glancing over at the note to find Mewtwo had written only two simple sentences:

               We left for a small vacation. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Mew knew he was right that they didn't need an explanation. She could briefly recall Wigs telling her however-long-ago to take a vacation, and the others were quick to agree. Even Marjorie, whom she hadn't spoken to (let alone seen) since the fight, reportedly wanted her to go on one, and wished for a full recovery. For all of her faults, the specter had a good heart when it came to her neighbors.

Placing her hand in his, she passed him the invitation. “Do you happen to recognize the address?”

Skimming through it, the clone shook his head a little. “Nothing comes to mind. We just need to pop into a human services center for a quick research, is all.”

She grimaced a little. “But we'll get caught...”

“That is why we are leaving early. Most of them have of yet to open their doors.”

“But it'll take a couple of hours to get to the nearest city by flight,” she added, tugging at her scarf.

A chill ran up her spine at the sly beam in his eye, and her mouth formed an “O” in realization. Holding her close with an arm, he covered her eyes with his other hand, coaxing her to relax and clear her mind. There was a slight howl of wind and sensation of stretching past dimensions before he released her a second later. Numerous sounds hit her eardrums at once, making her quickly flinch and throw up a shield before she would look around.

They were in an alley, the walls and trash bins covered in crude art and other grime. The streets were empty, but there were clearly sounds of crowds bustling down unseen roads. Right in front of them was a stout but sterile building, the window strip dark to inform them it was of yet to open for business.

Mew stared up at what little of the hazy sky there was before turning to Mewtwo. Her face steadily fell in slight disapproval at the smile he was sporting. “You come here behind my back, don't you.”

“Seldom do I come here,” he rectified unashamedly. “But I did scavenge your cooking utensils from a restaurant near here when we moved into our home.”

“So you did rob from humans?” she gasped, dropping her shield.

“They were replacing them, so I took them off their hands. I sterilized them before use and made repairs where necessary.”

Even with clarification, she still frowned up at him.

Mewtwo gestured for her to wait in place before teleporting inside the building. Mew cautiously approached to peer through the glass as he switched on one of the computers and shortly began operating it. From the bluish glow lit on his face, his brows only furrowed once as he stared thoughtfully at whatever he was looking at. A thought came to mind on how she was lucky to have become friends with him, she knew of no other Pokémon who understood human technology as well as he.

Pawing at the ball of wool dangling from the scarf, the feline cast her eyes about the streets, flinching whenever a figure in the distance walked across an adjacent road. Glancing back inside, she did a double-take at the gleam of lenses installed in a corner behind Mewtwo. In a panic, she transported herself to his side, grabbing him by the shoulders.

“Mewtwo, I think you're being watched!” she announced, pointing at the device above them, then spotted a few more in the office whirling her head about.

He didn't bother turning away from the screen. “I had disabled the cameras when we were outside,” he responded, psychically punching in letters (the moving keys looked to be too small for him, so he was miming a glowing hand above it). “The humans will not notice a thing. Ah, here we are.”

Mew blinked at how bland everything before her looked. “This is human entertainment?”

“It is an information search engine, it is not supposed to look exciting.” Briefly glancing down at the invitation on the desk, he fluidly inserted the address into the white bar in the middle. “These humans need to get better security installed. It was not that hard to hack into their database.”

“You broke into technology?”

Mewtwo gave her an aside glance. “Why should you worry? It is not like I was going to take this home.”

She sighed a little, folding her arms. “But you would, right?”

“Not this particular piece with its flimsy cybersecurity. I would be more comfortable building my own operating system from scratch.” His eyes then lit up at the images that popped up on the screen, and he deeply frowned. “It is the address of the hotel mentioned in the invitation.”

Mew rolled her eyes. “That was pointless,” she muttered.

“Not exactly, since it is located at Indigo Plateau.” He looked down at the printed address again. “Which makes sense, considering his celebrity status.”

“Doesn't matter, it was right there in our faces.”

Mewtwo raised his brows at her. “Why are you getting so worked up over it? Have you ever been there?”

She slightly pursed her lips. “I've traveled a lot myself, so I may have flown by it. Don't give me that look, Mewtwo, I don't always drop by to ask for the name of places I've seen.”

He quickly pulled up a picture of a large stadium. “Then have you seen this before, by any chance?”

Mew tilted her head, glancing away. “...maybe...”

The clone shook his head, doing a few other things on the screen before shutting off the machine, throwing them into shadow. “Not that it matters at this point. I know where the place is, so we shall head there immediately.”

“But the time zones?”

“It is a couple of hours ahead of ours.”

Mew's brows knitted. “So we'll be out in broad daylight?”

“Of course not, we will camp out someplace nearby. When it is dark and quiet, we can go for a walk, go for a swim, go dining, anything you want.”

She squirmed a little in place. “Do we have to sleep 'til then?”

“Not exactly.”

Her ears drooped a little, swiping the card away before crossing her arms. “We should've thought this through.”

He gave her an exasperated look, but still pulled her in close to teleport themselves away. Before her eyes, the gray dreariness transitioned to a highland of luscious greens and blues, the sun having just passed over the mountaintops. They could take it all in from above, everything from the bordering woods to the lively village that surrounded a large stadium. Mew felt an energy reverberating in the air, and the building didn't look like it was currently in use with its closed rooftop.

“Interesting how active it is,” Mewtwo noted. “It is not time for the Indigo League to be hosted, and yet the streets are crowded.”

“People do live here, right?” Mew questioned. “It's just a community with one attraction?”

“It does not have a city population, for certain. Perhaps these are the guests.”

She blinked down at them, slowly sucking in a breath. “He knows all of these people?”

He quietly chuckled. “I suppose so.” Glancing over at her, he nodded his head to the side. “Let us find ourselves shelter. We can tour later, if you wish.”

Tucking the invitation into her scarf, they traveled a ways searching the plateaus for any caves. Finding none, they hunted down any large trees to duck under and ended up combing the perimeter before coming across some pitched tents by the lake. No other signs of humans were nearby except for the occasional intercom announcement in the distance, and despite none of them being currently occupied, Mew wouldn't allow Mewtwo to borrow one.

“That was never my 'intent',” he joked, smirking wryly.

“Seriously, Mewtwo?” she groaned, fixing her scarf.

“It was on im-'poles'.”

She caught on to what he was doing, but she couldn't even muster a scoff. “I'm not in the mood for this, Mewtwo,” she muttered, flying off along the banks.

He was back at her side in the blink of an eye. “How about we play a game?”

Mew furrowed her brows at his sly smile. “Why? Are you up to something?”

“Of course. I will let you pick.”

She frowned a little, not liking this sudden eager side of him. It felt forced, even if it was out of impulse (she shuddered thinking back to his pun moments ago).

With a shrug, he spoke up when she remained quiet, “Well, if you are not going to pick, then I will suggest tag.”

“Mewtwo, you've never played it with me.”

“Times change.”

Mew turned her head, grasping her scarf closer. “I don't like where this is going...”

Swerving in front of her, Mewtwo gently touched her shoulders to stop her, dropping them when she flinched. “I mean it, Mew,” he said softly, his expression faltering. “We agreed to treat this as a vacation. I want to spend time with you, and before we can relax, you will need to take a breather.”

Her gaze lowering, she took a glimpse at the reflections in the water. She couldn't see themselves very well at the angle they were currently at, so she followed the shimmering sun spots toward a rock formation further across the lake where the mouth of the river was. As though drawn to it, she backed away from the clone, shooting him a glance.

“Then can't you pick an activity that you would actually like?” she quietly suggested. “Something that could... give us a little space?”

“Hide-and-seek.”

She almost grimaced from how quickly he answered. “You'll cheat.”

“I will not.” His toes scarcely skimmed the water's surface as he approached her.

She matched his gait-like speed while still keeping a respectable distance. “You find a way to cheat at everything.”

“And I am telling you, you cannot cheat at sex.”

“And I'm saying you would find a way!”

“Everything has loopholes.”

The feline whipped around fast enough for the bulb of her tail to sweep over the cool surface. She tried to look past the mischievous twinkle she caught in his eye. “Are you pulling my leg? That has to be it, right?”

With a smirk, he swooped in to snatch one of her legs and pull it to his side. “Now I am,” he purred.

Mew blushed as her heart fluttered and her hands curled against her chest, realizing she had been played. “Wha... what has gotten into you?!”

His fingers gently squeezed. “Your face is red, a result of being thrust into a situation that has made you embarrassed, or aroused.”

She immediately shoved herself away and hurried over to the rocks, only to turn around and shout, “That's not funny, Mewtwo!”

“Well, I thought it was clever.”

“It's not! Your jokes aren't funny, Mewtwo!” Mew swallowed down the lump that threatened to break her voice. Sitting down, she bunched up the scarf around her lower face even though the growing heat (both from the daylight and her still-pounding heart) was making her squirm in discomfort.

A quiet moment passed before she looked back up, noticing he hadn't budged from where he levitated. Despite the eye-contact, she had a feeling he wasn't actually looking at her. It was after he tilted his head back that he spoke again, “If we are finished with our bantering, do you wish to accompany me for a morning swim?”

She gradually scowled as his words sank in. Glancing down at the water for a second, she slowly shook her head. “This isn't like you,” she murmured. “None of this is adding up.”

“Could you speak up, dear? The rapids are a tad loud here.”

Gritting her teeth and fur bristling, she raised her voice, “Just go on without me. Only you are crazy enough to swim in the winter.”

He kept quiet, making her squirm at how profound his eyes looked. Then he canted his head, casting a shadow over half of his face. “Interesting. Well, as a brief reminder, I still remember the time when our roles were once reversed.” He turned to dive into the water, cloak and all, and vanished.

Staring after where he left, Mew curled up in her scarf and dropped her eyes to the folded card. Tapping her toes together, hollow pangs vibrated in her chest as his words sank in. “I guess... you can't help lying to yourself, too.”

*~*~*

Dropping his façade, Mewtwo made his way back to shore, but remained hidden by keeping to the treetops. With ease, he dried himself and his cloak off without slowing in his drifting while minding his distance from the village. He didn't have a reason for going on a stroll through the outskirts, and it was possible his weariness from a restless sleep still had a hold on him, but he needed some space for a quick breather. The hassle with Mew's unstable attitude was something he had expected to go through, yet it was no less frustrating having her constantly shoot him down.

A peal of giggles brought him pause, noticing he had come across something he shouldn't have. It was clear it was spontaneous given how the couple had deliberately isolated themselves from the crowds to have some privacy. They weren't very aware of their surroundings, too engrossed in cozying up to one-another and giving in to desire beneath the shade. Mewtwo knew better than to spy on them, and once the man's hand disappeared under the woman's blouse, he went down a different path to clear his thoughts.

By the time the clone returned to Mew with a handful of fruits he had scavenged for breakfast, he found her asleep, buried in her scarf and invitation in hand. While disappointed he had missed his chance to voice his concerns right then, he honestly couldn't blame her for being fatigued. Carefully picking the feline up, he followed the river until he found a ridge partially hidden by a hanging tree they could take shelter on. Gently tugging the cloth away and rolling it into a makeshift pillow, he lay her down on it in the shade as well as her share, slipped the card beneath the scarf, then sat down by the riverbank to watch the current.

Slowly munching on an apple, Mewtwo mulled on if they had made the right choice given their rife situation. The events of yesterday were still too fresh and they had lacked the energy and fortitude to fully talk about it. How was he certain leaving the house for a few days could heal them? Even if it was to help them look at it from a different point-of-view, what were they going to accomplish? Were they going to swallow down enough pride to confess their wrongdoings, or try to warp it into something that was “necessary”? What question or confession was going to be the clincher, for better or for worse?

How were any of them going to forgive each other? Could they even forgive themselves for hurting not just each other but everyone around them? Would it be able to patch up their reputations?

Huffing, Mewtwo hurled the apple core he had finished into the bushes and reached for the next fruit in the pile. It didn't take long for him to find himself subconsciously fiddling with the seeds he picked out, and remembered how he'd consult with Mew about the kinds of foods she wanted to grow and would pocket the ones she wanted to take home. Having been without a garden for weeks didn't change his habit, but he chose not to bother and instead flicked the seeds out of sight.

Rising, he glanced up at the sky where he noticed clouds were rolling in, and studied the ridge. Rain wasn't absolute, though there was no way to keep themselves out of the elements. Choosing to wing it, Mewtwo flapped out his cloak before tying a corner on a branch with nearby creeping ivy, and the other end pinned under a boulder. As he smoothed it out and down the sides, he glanced over at Mew, who was still sound asleep. He didn't expect to hear from her in a while, yet when he strained his ears, he caught a mumble.

Cautiously, he slipped through the cloak to sneak closer, peering down at her profiled face until her body repositioned onto her stomach, bending a leg doing so. The tip of her tail gently plodded and an ear flicked, a movement he couldn't help cracking a smirk over. Careful not to nudge her, he enclosed the scarf around her.

Then a small breath hitched which made him wince, immediately followed by her upper body tensing, and eyelids and nose twitching. Mewtwo held himself back from touching her cheek, unsure if it was just a result of her dreaming until he noticed sweat was developing on her neck. He glanced down right as her hips lurched slightly, a string of drool dripping off her bottom lip as another quiet gasp escaped her.

Not liking what he was seeing, he straightaway shook her by the shoulder, and Mew jerked some more and choked on her voice. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked disoriented for a few seconds before her vision settled on him. He quickly sat back to avoid looking suspicious, hoping his expression was neutral.

“I apologize for waking you,” he said. “I brought you some breakfast.”

“Huh?” was what she uttered before rubbing the back of her paw on her lips, seemingly unaware her face was still flushed. “'S breakfas' now?”

“If you wish.” He gestured to her pile. “But if you are not hungry, you can sleep some more. I was just transporting you to a safer spot out of the sun.”

She blinked up at him, then dropped her gaze to poke a berry. “Oh...”

Mewtwo's jaw locked a bit when he caught a glimpse of a small wet spot as she eased herself up. “What were you dreaming about?” he couldn't help asking.

Mew visibly went tense. “Mm... surfing.”

He knew she was fibbing, but he didn't wish to probe her further. “Interesting.”

“Yeah... it was weird.”

“Hm.” The clone scooted backward to duck under the cloak.

“Where're you going? What's with...?” She trailed off, sweeping her eyes above her.

“It is to keep the rain out, and perhaps some privacy from passersby.” It felt as if he stumbled on his response, thinking only half of it made sense. For whatever reason, he zoned in on “privacy” like it presently meant anything to them. In the off-chance they weren't in the middle of a fight, would it even be proper to be intimate just before attending another's wedding ceremony?

“But where're you going?” she repeated.

“I will be scouting the area some more. I advise you to keep your explorations brief if you wish to go out.” Mewtwo then hopped down from the ledge and followed the riverbend. His eyes were focused forward, yet his thoughts remained back with Mew to relay every movement, every sharp breath she had made.

Over the rushing waters, he could hear the trilling chirps and songs of any Pokémon in the area, obvious mating calls—odd, as mating season was typically in the spring. Bird and insect Pokémon occasionally darted out of the trees in playful chases, small mammalian Pokémon tumbled out of bushes or pursued each other in the opposite direction, an exception being a pair of Buizel leaping out of the water with other fish Pokémon, and there were Stantler resting by the bank nuzzling each other. The distant hiss of a waterfall got him to continue down the path, and once he reached it, he checked for a hidden opening.

Pausing beneath the spray, Mewtwo slumped against the rocks, hands balled into fists. What was he thinking in looking for a secluded area, anyway? What was the point? He might as well scout the area like he said he was doing, but then why didn't he invite Mew to accompany him? She would've liked to follow the river, perhaps play around a waterfall or two. If it took them further into the mountains, so be it, more wildlife to see and explore, more inhabitants to meet, more opportunities for privacy—

The clone quickly soaked his head under the falls, pulling away only to clear his eyes and nose. “Give me a distraction!” he growled to himself, or perhaps to anything in earshot. His mind's eye continued to converge on Mew, but he got an idea when he swept his gaze along the waterfall. Taking in a breath, he stepped back beneath it and flattened his palms together at his sternum. His chin dipped slightly, he attempted to ignore all sensations the running water assaulted him with and gently closed his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was he either got used to the cold or he lost all feeling, but focusing on that tidbit was bringing back that stinging temperature. He diverged his thoughts toward his aura, recalling his source of harnessed power to spread it evenly throughout his body. Warmth followed suit, and he steadied his breathing, allowing the cool air to disperse inside his core before expelling heat to counterbalance. Overlaid all of that was his heartbeat, a powerful yet relaxed rhythm felt not just in his chest but his entire venous system. Delving deeper, he sensed his spirit pulling itself out from the darkness, covered with burning cracks that needed to be mended.

I miss her...

The quiet blip of a worldly thought caused him to flinch for a moment and counteract, No, empty your thoughts and close yourself off from the world. There is no room for two, let alone one. Concentrate. Forget everything, all of the source of your troubles. Focus...

His inner eye caught the glimpse of a blurry figure zipping through the void, leaving behind faint afterimages in its wake. His balance was knocked askew upon recognition, his heartbeat splitting into two with one half dropping below his center. He attempted to reel it back swiftly and calmly, but then a pair of blue irises froze him in place. A mixture of familiarity and yearning pierced his mind, and a voice not his own pealed like bells around him.

Mewtwo...

It conflicted him on how to respond, should he dare to acknowledge it. His breaths wavered, and a physical touch was pulling his body out from nothingness. His heart was out-of-sync by then, the bottom part growing heavier and overtaking that which remained in his core. A second heartbeat from the outside made itself known, and a softer breath sounded over his.

Mewtwo... Mewtwo...

Mewtwo jerked as one of the cracks widened, being pried apart by wandering fingers. He felt exposed, ashamed he couldn't protect his weak points from the intrusive entity. And yet, he didn't mind, trusting the hands would put him back the way he was once they were done with him. Judging by the touch, they had an intimate knowledge of him, which oddly gave him peace. Knowing very well of the repercussions of intervention, he reached out for a feel, his fingertips skimming matching heat—

—and he found himself repelled backward, breath knocked senseless out of him when he slammed into the rock. Sliding down into a sitting position, his vision swam out of focus for a few moments before he managed to see the agitation on Mew's face. Drops of water fell from her drenched fur onto his skin, and as he was still manifesting back into the material world, he had a stray thought that he could feel steam enveloping them and a tile wall pressed against his back.

“Mewtwo, are you okay?” she asked through the fog and roar of the waterfall, sounding breathless herself. “Do you remember what you were doing?”

The question baffled him, and he tilted his head as he gathered his thoughts. “Well... I was meditating?”

“I guess?” She frowned as she pulled away from him, much to his disappointment. “You were gone for quite a while. Then it started to rain, and I... I then felt your psychic signature flowing down the river. So I followed it.”

Feeling uneasy he had been broadcasting, the clone staggered to his feet. “I apologize for making you worry, Mew. I needed to clear my head.”

“Of what?”

Mewtwo inwardly cringed, catching a glimpse of her crestfallen expression before she floated back out into the open. He noticed the pouring rain then and hurried after her, psychically throwing up a full-body shield to deflect the raindrops. She shot a glance over her shoulder at him when he reached her, and stared at his out-stretched hand.

“You are going to catch a cold, Mew,” he said, softly.

She pointedly locked her gaze on him. “Being under a waterfall in the winter is a surefire way to get sick,” she retorted.

He couldn't help a chuckle even though it felt like a stab in the back. “We both are gluttons for punishment, I suppose.”

Her ears drooped at that, and she dejectedly swerved her tail into his hand. Once the rain rolled off her, she shook her fur dry just to recoil nearly out of his hold when he reflexively reached out to help. Tearing his eyes away from her, he led the way downstream, keeping his grip on her tail loose and trying to swallow down his heart.

It wasn't very long before she broke the awkward silence, although she almost went unheard. “Mewtwo?”

“Hm?” He quickly cleared his throat. “Yes, Mew?”

She wriggled a little in discomfort, and he quickly strained his hearing to pick out her voice. “I... I-I really am sorry about everything. It was just awful what I did... and all I did was hate myself...”

She was shamefully withdrawing back into herself. Not wanting to lose her so quickly, he tried to coax, “Mew, you should not take all of the blame.”

“No, I should,” she pressed. “I've just been so selfish, so inconsiderate to you and to everyone else. You all just wanted to see me get better... and I kept pushing you all away...”

Mewtwo shook his head. “You were hurt, but what I did was make it worse by not attempting to help you sooner.” He glanced over to find her holding herself, almost curling away from him. “However, I honestly do not know if I was being too hard on you, or not at all. We canceled each other out so much that there has been no sign of progression between us, and yet...”

“Should we have mourned the egg?”

Her voice wavered when she interjected, which brought him pause. Turning away from her haunted expression, the clone momentarily thought back to that cursed day he felt the empty weight in his hands. “That was why I agreed to the cremation,” he solemnly stated. “There was hardly anything to cremate, but it was better to have had a little something to remember... Lucky by. But, well, I suppose I reaped what I sowed for choosing to not consult with you, first.”

Mew fell silent, and they continued onward. Once they rounded the corner and he spotted his cloak, he nudged her forward to duck under first so he could tug on it some more and shake the water off. Compared to the outside, the dry cover had helped trap in a little warmth, although he still felt the chill between them as they sat on opposite ends of the ridge. After scanning over the untouched fruit, he reclined against the cliffside for attempted rest, lolling his head away from her direction and focusing on the hiss of rain.

“...Do you regret becoming my mate, Mewtwo?”

She was still quiet, but it jolted him out of his relaxed state. He didn't dare look over at her, dwelling on her question in the hopes the cool indifference would keep him calm. An agonized twinge rooted him in place upon the recognition they were picking up where they had left off last night, albeit reversed.

“No.”

He couldn't bring himself to further elaborate his rationale, unsure what to say to such an inquiry. The raw emptiness ached just by brushing up against it, and so by keeping his heart closed off, it could minimize the damage and allow the bruising to fade. And yet the cursed weather prevented that by forcing them to coop up in such close proximity with nothing but their thoughts and bodies to stave off their boredom—

“Then why didn't you answer immediately?”

Mewtwo was glad she poked that sore spot to remind him of their current predicament. He was more growling at himself than he was at her when he blurted out, “Allow me to reiterate, Mew: Do you regret becoming my mate?”

He felt something inside him stir when she whimpered, clearly taken aback by his counter. “O-Of course not, Mewtwo!”

Sitting up, the clone finally faced her in time to see her jolt at his movement, and couldn't stop himself from bringing up a thought that had bothered him. “Then why did you say to me that it was 'typical' of a male to leave his mate behind? You have known me for ten years, Mew. You know how... atypical I am.”

Mew was visibly shaken, but she still managed a grimace. “How could you say that if you never regretted mating with me?” she hissed, her fingers clawing at the ground. “What did you know of mating prior to me?”

He gritted his teeth, feeling a vein throb in his neck as he groaned, “Damn it, Mew, this is why we ran in circles for months! Why should—” He paused when his agitated tail smacked the cliffside and almost swept aside the cloak. Curling it around his hip, he let out a sharp breath before continuing, “Why must we spend so much time mulling over what we had believed in prior to starting a relationship together? How does that help us move forward?”

She shivered and turned away, also wrapping her tail around herself. Outside, a gust of wind brought a heavy volume of rain down on their cover, and she scooted away from the edge she had been coiling up against. Mewtwo took note of the space between them and straightened up, but deep down, he wanted to pull her onto his lap and let her stretch out however she pleased.

“Would you—” she shakily started whispering, only for her voice to catch for a moment. “...W-Would you ever have found a new mate?”

“...You need to be a bit specific, Mew. In what context do you mean by that?” He knew exactly what she was talking about, but he wanted to hear it from her.

She squirmed in discomfort, which gave him some sick relief to see she was in torment, though he figured she never expected him to keep pushing. “Would you have found yourself a new mate if I had continued... doing that?”

A split second of her gasping flashed before his eyes, which he hurriedly pushed away by focusing solely on her hapless, cowering state. “Why would I abandon you just because you were pleasuring yourself?”

He saw her shoulders trembling before he heard her gulp. “I-I never forgot about you, Mewtwo,” she mewled. “I thought of you a lot...”

Although he was fighting back the memory, an echo of her screaming his name and complimenting his anatomy rang in his ears. “Mime mentioned you always had me on your mind,” he said, feeling his throat tighten. “It hurt to see you avoid me, but knowing you could not stop thinking about me kept me motivated.”

Sluggishly, Mew half-turned to look at him, her eyes glazed over. “How about you, then? Were you... thinking of me, too?”

He really didn't want to remember his spiel of loneliness, but he had to be honest with her. “You were all I could think of. But I did not... like doing it.”

“Doing what?”

He needed to quickly clarify and to consciously keep his hands to himself. “I did not like masturbating while thinking about you. I fought so hard to not do it...” He bit his tongue to stop himself from going further, although his pained expression helped in getting his point across. At the moment, it kept his thoughts from drifting back to him crouching and weeping into a rocky corner.

She appeared to scrutinize him before dropping her gaze, looking drained. “...I wish I was as strong as you, Mewtwo. I gave in too easily... I thought up of so many... things you could do to me. And it got out of control...”

You should have come to me for help, his thoughts wanted to be heard, but Mewtwo knew it would set her off because of insensitivity, or she would misinterpret it. He had to hesitate speaking again, unsure exactly where to go from there. With the heavy atmosphere weighing down on them, if there was any hope of getting her to open up to him and carry on a discussion, he needed to lighten the load from her.

Thinking back to how Mime carried his sessions, about what it was what got him to explore his thoughts, he picked at a part of Mew's statement he believed had merit. As originally intended for their “vacation��� from home, if they were going to reminisce, he might as well try to bring up what was good between them. Or at least figure out what the cracks were in their foundation.

Carefully planning out his approach, Mewtwo probed, “Have you always fantasied about what you wanted to do with me? Not during these last few months, I am talking about since we have been together.”

Her eyes seemed to gleam for a moment, looking lost in thought. His core wavered anxiously waiting for her response, feeling like he should already know the answer and that it was ridiculous of him to ask. Then it started to mock him, Imbecile, of course she has fantasized doing this-and-that with you! She could hardly keep her hands off of you when she could help it!

“...I did,” she finally answered, but then her face fell. “I was just too nervous... maybe too afraid to ask you if you were okay with them... But that doesn't mean I wasn't happy, Mewtwo.”

He wanted to smile at her comment, yet unfortunately couldn't bring himself to. The inward cackle of Told you so! felt like a reflex, which he quickly brushed off to nod. “I see. I am guilty of that, as well.”

“Really?” She sounded a little surprised by it, which he should've been amused by had she not been so defeated.

“I mean... I have teased them before. But I never went through with them because I like my head where it currently is.” He tried to playfully wink, but it felt too much like a tic to him.

Her mouth opened only to close immediately, her brows furrowing. Thinking she was closing herself off because he staring at her too much, he looked away and noticed the rain had stopped. He took a quick peek outside to make sure, only to frown up at the dark clouds still hovering above.

“Was... was one of those fantasies a sex change?”

It was like a kick to the gut, not having a clue as to where she got that idea from. He whirled around to look at her. “A sex change? In what context?”

Gasping, Mew swiftly turned her back on him. “No... never mind...”

“No, do not pretend to hide it,” he chided. “Give me an explanation, please.”

She shook her head, refusing to look at him. “Mewtwo, no, forget I said it—”

“Tell me what this 'sex change' is about,” he urged, daring to get closer. “Was this one of your fantasies?”

She covered her face to smother a wail, then peered up at him with an ashamed stare. “Please believe me, you really were all I thought about! I-I never thought about having sex with anyone else...”

His heart skipped a beat, suddenly feeling rejected by her words even though that wasn't what she insinuated. “Please tell me, Mew,” he pleaded once more, finding himself leaning in. “Explain how this works.”

She recoiled from him, sobbing, “You're going to think it's gross, or weird!” She yelped when he gripped her shoulders to steady her, eyes scrunching shut to avoid looking at him.

“Mew, I am willing to talk about it. What was it about a sex change that was bothering you?”

“I fantasized you as a female!”

Mewtwo felt as if an icy blade pierced his heart when her cry echoed.

Scarcely giving them breathing room, her face flushed a deep red as she stammered out, “I-It was still you, Mewtwo, I swear! But... oh, God, I had never thought about it before, it just happened! A-And... and it wouldn't go away! I couldn't... I didn't want to stop thinking about it because I liked it!”

His gaze briefly trailed down her quivering figure when her thighs shifted and drew closer to her body. He couldn't catch a glimpse of whatever he was hoping he'd see, a thought which horrified him, and he pulled away from her. Mew broke down harder when he did, finally managing to look up at him.

“You're mad at me, aren't you?!”

“No, I am not—” he tried to deny, but his voice was uncharacteristically quiet.

“You think I'm disgusting, don't you?! Because I am!”

“Mew, no—”

“It was wrong of me to think of you like that, Mewtwo! Don't pretend it was okay!”

He clawed his thighs in frustration. “Damn it, Mew, listen to me—”

“HOW CAN YOU EVEN STAND TO LOOK AT ME, RIGHT NOW?!” she screamed, shaking her whole body. She lost herself to tears before she could breathe long enough to add, “I defiled who you are in so many ways just so I could feel better about myself! I'm a horrible mate, Mewtwo! Why can't you see that?!”

She shot outside and headed up the cliffside before Mewtwo could react.

It was a second too late that he shook it off to exclaim, “Mew, come back!”

He just about tore away the cloak to spring upward in an attempt to reach her as her tail disappeared past the cliff. No matter how fast he was going, her tiny figure allowed her to nimbly flee from him and dodge the trees, and with her aura closed off from him, he was quickly losing sight of her.

“Mew, please, let us talk it over!”

A flying branch cut across his midsection during a turn, knocking the wind out of him, and he tumbled out of the air into brush and mud. He had been swift enough to protect his eyes, but not his recovery time, and knew she had vanished just before he picked himself up. He stumbled along hunched in pain, uncertain if his face was wet from rain or tears.

“Damn! DAMN IT!”

Mewtwo nearly tripped over a raised root just to nick his ankle against the tree trunk, scraped his palms on thorns pushing foliage out of his face, got his tail caught in another prickly bush, then somehow smacked his forehead against a low-hanging branch, all of which he could've easily avoided without a thought he allowed without a care. No matter what cuts and bruises and other forms of humiliation he was getting running through the woods, his thoughts were consistently on Mew's plight. Even if he were to ever find himself entering the village in his stupor, he wouldn't care about the unwanted attention just as long as it would bring her back to him so he could make it up to her.

In his disorientation, he found himself overlooking a rocky hill down at the river, sweeping his eyes along the other side. The cloud cover had gotten thicker and rain was pouring again, which helped in washing him down, but he couldn't care about it. It was nothing compared to air burning his nostrils and throat, which was just a nuisance unlike the sharp, crippling pangs in his ribs.

“No... no, get up,” he growled when he caught himself from collapsing to a knee. “She needs you... She needs to be found...”

At his leisure, he made his way down to the bank and eyed the width of the river, noticing it was about to flood from the rain. A couple of boulders jutted out from the water, but were too far apart from each other, and weren't close enough to jump to. Frowning, he tested his levitation in place for a few moments, and when there were no negative effects or changes, made his way across—although he quickly swerved for one of the rocks to cling to for a breather.

The forest continued through the plateau and up the mountains, and Mewtwo was certain he was closer to wilderness than human settlement. Still unable to sense Mew's aura anywhere and the cold made him numb, he hurried to shore and resumed trudging through. It was foolish, he knew, and he knew the other Pokémon who spotted him thought he was crazy, but he was too troubled to think about his own safety. For the most part, the trees took the brunt of the rain, so he was more grimy than drenched the further he walked.

“Mew... Mew, answer me!” he called out for the umpteenth time, almost choking on a breath.

The clouds still hadn't passed, and he hadn't been keeping track of time all day. As most Pokémon had taken shelter, he hardly came across a face or a helping hand, even though he had doubts they'd be of much help. Would any of them even know of who or what Mew was if he were to name or describe her? Would any of them really care enough to give aid to an unknown species that was too human for his own good?

Mewtwo coughed when he tried hollering for Mew again, doubling over from pain. He blearily glimpsed down at himself and grimaced at the scarlet bruise across his ribs, seething when he touched it. Sweeping the area, he searched for any shelter he could squeeze himself into, though nothing in reach looked dry or safe enough to curl up in. It was also just his luck there was not enough timber or other supplies to gather for a makeshift cover to protect him against the elements.

It wasn't until he neared the mountain that he could even find a trench to crawl into after assessing it. It appeared to have been an Onix trail, but he couldn't be picky in his state. Once he was able to recline at an angle that hurt the least, he peered at the damage and slowly gauged his breathing before daring to touch it again. Closing his eyes to peer into his aura, he focused on the hot, swelling spot on his side and nearly clicked his tongue in disapproval to see it was a fracture. It luckily was just the one rib, he'd live with the bruising.

With a glowing finger, he gingerly traced along the afflicted rib until he could tell it had been mended. Hoarsely sighing, he dropped his hand and made a mental note to himself to get it checked out once he got home. A pessimistic smirk flashed on his muzzle as he scoffed, “Behold my powers! Broken bones mend by touch, but broken hearts bleed with mere words! What do you say to that, doctor?”

The corners of his mouth twitched when his thoughts drifted, hearing the distant rustle of leaves in the breeze. Slowly glancing up at the gray sky, Mewtwo flexed his fingers as he dwelled on where to go from there; not for directions through the forest, but for the upcoming days. Should he ever reconcile with Mew, what could they do for themselves? What could they do to return to normal in the community, with friends and colleagues they had rejected? How could they ensure this would be their lowest point and not make it worse? What should he say to Mew to get her to open back up to him? How could they talk it over? Should they both pretend she never said anything about...?

He furrowed his brows, recalling how mortified she became when she had blurted it out. Perhaps he shouldn't have pushed for more information and just left it be, but it was an oddly specific fantasy. And her tearful explanation didn't help matters, although it coming out so shortly after confronting about each other's self-pleasures...

...A sex change?

Never had he ever imagined he'd think about such a procedure, let alone for the bedroom. She might have misspoke for all he knew, but for presumably being one of her fantasies, she was extremely uncomfortable about it. And when she mentioned she had thought of him as the opposite sex...

A hand clenched. When did she start thinking that way, and for how often? She had said that once she got that thought, it wouldn't go away, but yesterday... standing right outside of the door...

“...your cock feels so—”

Mewtwo swiftly shook his head and lurched forward to cover his face. Why the hell am I thinking that?! Smacking some sense into himself, he got to his feet and climbed out of the ditch, though an abrupt dizzy spell sideswiped him. Shivering, he staggered to the nearest sturdy object—the raised wall of dirt and rock—and knelt down to breathe.

“What... what is this...?” he groaned, ducking his head. It felt as if needles were jamming themselves into his brain from behind his eyes, provoking vertigo and black spots to pop before his vision until he shut them tight. Rasping as he lost balance, he curled up and bit back a whine bubbling in his throat until the only sound he heard was his erratic breathing.

Mewtwo...

He shot a hand up to grasp something he knew was in reach, but his fingers clawed air and went limp, remaining outstretched where he lay. His eyes rolled behind their lids as he fought to remain conscious, sensing the cracks of his soul were aflame. Stars sparked in the darkness as a blurred figure came into view, surrounded by aura that changed color with every twist and turn. Going against the darkness' wishes, he wanted it to come closer, help him up, talk to him, anything to keep him from falling into the abyss.

Mewtwo... does it hurt?

The voice didn't sound like it came from anything other than the wind, but the whispering in his ear calmed his nerves. The figure disappeared off to the side, which stung his heart thinking he was being ignored. A hand then smoothed its way over his shoulder and down his front before snagging one of the cracks, making him jerk and gasp from heated agony, but he managed to relax under its touch.

In response to the question moments before, he murmured, It hurts... I dare not touch it.

How come?

It took him a moment to speak past his shame. I... fear I would make the pain worse.

There came a quiet hum as something thick snaked into his feeble grasp. Painstakingly, his thumb pressed it and started to stroke, feeling content just having something to hold. It was then he heard another breath, higher-pitched than his and quieter, but it filled the space he was in like it was meant for his ears only.

What will make you feel better? Anything at all?

Right then he realized there was a weight pressed against his back, rubbing more of the cracks. The fingers slipped beneath to feel his center, and he couldn't stop a moan from escaping, joining the other voice in a duet. He was torn between wanting the figure to cease its actions, and for it to keep going and expose more of him. Deep down, he had always felt like a prisoner inside, yet attempting to pull the shell off piece by piece always made him bleed.

Until she came into his life...

Unsure if his eyes were truly open, he requested, Let me see your face... please...

The second breath hitched, but didn't stop. Something soft and warm rubbed up against his cheek, almost melding into his skin. He tried to look over to see it for himself, but he was unable to move as more of his core was probed and bigger cracks crept across his form. His hand gripped tighter, and the resulting gasp from the voice perked him up. Light flashed for a split second, and his body stirred.

Ooh... you're not supposed to get distracted, it giggled.

Two sides of him immediately fought for control: One wasn't comfortable with sharing space and being explored, the other wanted to keep his companion with him to the end. Both sides, however, agreed that he needed to be open. It didn't matter to him how it happens just as long as he could stop hurting.

Straining against the darkness, Mewtwo released his hold to reach up to grab the hand still stroking his soul. The figure fought to pull away, having not expected him to react. Mewtwo, why?! You know better than to—!

I have decided to endure the pain just a bit longer, he declared, remaining calm in spite of the burning touch. So until then... come back to me as before, Mew.

Upon twisting his body around, he watched the figure's blue eyes widen as they slipped from each other's grasp. He welcomed the bliss of nothingness, if only because of the promise of rest for his battered soul. But alas, he remembered how to move again and awoke to the cold ground and shadowed trees circling him. Inhaling slowly, he drew his outstretched arm closer to find it had become numb, which didn't bother him as he further scanned the skyline.

So exhaustion finally caught up to him, he gleaned, once he realized he wasn't looking at clouds anymore but dusk. He could've shrugged it off had it not been for the situation he was currently in, in the midst of losing his livelihood for good. There was a possibility Mew was upset enough to have fled the area, and he lost too much precious time to ever catch up to her.

His heart struggled pitifully against the cold shackles as he once again thought back to her anguished cry from earlier. He still didn't know how to process it, or how he could approach her about such a... peculiar concept, but she first needed to be found. Perhaps it was too soon to have left without telling anyone of their plans, especially Dr. Mime. It was looking more and more to have been the wrong choice in their current state.

Grunting as he carefully got to his feet, Mewtwo checked his levitation before ascending over the treetops. Facing north, he studied the river and thought about heading back the way he came, but as he had come this far and no one's crossed his path yet, he figured he could follow it downstream. If nothing else, he could always find someplace to camp for the night and give her some needed space—wherever she may be.

After rounding a couple of bends of the plateau and the last of the sun's rays vanished, he spotted the lights of the village not far ahead, coming to a halt. “Are you serious?” he muttered in bewilderment, raising a hand to his temple. Scanning the landscape, he realized he had gone opposite of where he and Mew had explored that morning. He hadn't been very observant of his surroundings, and there he was on the other side as a result of some cruel twist of karma. Then again, he always did have a penchant for finding his way to human civilization...

If he was quick, he could cut across just on the outskirts and make his way back to the cliffside before his morale depleted. For good measure, he searched for Mew's aura one last time just to confirm that, yes, she was still dodging him. Once dropped, he skirted along the treetops, keeping an eye out for any wandering humans that could be nearby.

And he abruptly paused, the back of his mind tingling when he caught a blip of a weak, but familiar vibe. It wasn't Mew's, that much he knew for sure, but it had a similar wavelength. It baffled him that he even felt it, for the one exuding it didn't seem to be in complete control or was aware of how much it fluctuated. The source was not too far from where he was, and as it continued to gnaw away at him, Mewtwo changed course to hunt it down.

As soon as he landed, a nearby brush rustled and his eyes fell on a Pikachu crawling out, which gasped in surprise when their visions crossed. The clone felt himself bristle instinctively, but he loosened his stance as soon as a voice called out, “Hey, where'd you go, bud?”

The aura, surprisingly firm, grazed his before Mewtwo watched the young man trudge into view. It wasn't surprising that he looked no different from the photograph, although there was stubble along his jaw and his stature was taller and broader than he had thought. But as normal as he looked, what was undoubtedly that of Ash Ketchum was his face glowing the instant their gazes met, the boyish looks of winded dark hair, zigzag-marked cheeks, and large brown eyes having remained unchanged from his memory of fifteen years ago.

When he spoke, as rough as his voice was, it carried an animated tone like he had been anticipating their meeting. “You came after all!”

Mewtwo solemnly nodded, taking note of how easily he relaxed before the human. “Congratulations.”

Ash grinned, rubbing his nose as his Pikachu scurried up onto his shoulder. “Thanks! I'm a bit nervous about it, though, the more I take it all in. Pikachu here has been the most excited of all of us, haven't ya, buddy?”

The electric rodent chirped in agreement, affectionately rubbing their cheeks together. The man's laugh was gravelly yet calm, and almost contagious. Patting the Pokémon's back, he made direct eye-contact with him, quirking a pointed brow. “You look different.”

The clone smirked knowingly, slightly lifting his chin. “Says the boy who became a man.”

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “Touché! Guess what I've meant to say is you act different, or something. It's been a long time, I'd be surprised if you haven't changed.”

“I see your perception has improved greatly.” He paused, noticing the atmosphere had softened up since they started talking. “So, you have been training in aura?”

Ash's eyes slightly widened before he made a noise of acknowledgement. “Oh, guess you can sense that. Yeah, kind of. It's cool, but kind of unnerving at the same time.”

“You will get used to it.”

“Yeah.” He then blinked and came closer, much to Mewtwo's dismay. “Whoa, I'm just noticing you look rough. Did you get into a scuffle?”

He winced from the question, though from the way Ash cautiously approached again, the young man had misinterpreted his movement. “It is nothing to worry about,” he attempted to dismiss. “I just need to rest.”

“I have some extra Potions I can give to you—”

“I can use Recover!” he rebuffed, almost snappily. Pikachu's ears twitched as his fur stood on end, and the clone promptly backed down with a low sigh. “I apologize for raising my voice. I am... somewhat on edge.”

Ash chuckled like it would lighten the mood. “Yeah, I get that. You weren't expecting this encounter, I suppose, so if anything, I should be apologizing for disrupting you.”

Shaking his head, Mewtwo scanned the wood, wondering if their voices were carrying. Whether it was from observing visual cues or through instinct, the man gave a quiet cough and gestured to the side with his head. “Wanna get closer to the lake? It's not that busy this time of year, so no one will see us.”

Finding no harm in taking up his offer, the feline agreed, and they meandered for the water. Pikachu ran ahead as if to taunt them for being Slowpokes, which Mewtwo smirked to himself over the comparison just to snap back to focus. It was odd how lax he was finding himself becoming just by reuniting with an acquaintance. Aura training or not, something about Ash was calming him down, and he almost forgot about his current troubles just by striking up small talk.

Once at the lakeside near the mouth of the second river, the man hunkered down on the grass and his Pokémon hopped onto his lap. Mewtwo took his seat at a respectable distance, but close enough that he noticed something about him looked ruffled. “I mean not to pry into your personal affairs, but has something been troubling you lately? I thought you would be spending time with your mate-to-be.” He suddenly felt self-conscious about how he said it, recalling that no human ever says “mate” in that context.

If Ash noticed, he chose to ignore it when he answered, “I was just with my fiancée, actually. She had to turn in early, but I needed some more time between Pikachu and myself. This is a big step for the both of us.” He sighed, looking up at the sky. “It's strange. I've done a lot of challenging stuff over the years, and yet it's marriage that's my most difficult. Don't get me wrong, I want to marry her, but I've been wondering if there's something I should be doing first.”

His aura suddenly spiked before settling, making Mewtwo slightly leery. Whatever were the experiences he had while growing up, there was something off about seeing the young man questioning his own ambitions. “Have you gotten any advice from your friends and family?”

“Well yeah, though I think my mom's just happy to have a daughter-in-law. I guess I'm...” Grimacing, his jaw briefly rocked back and forth. “I'm just a bit worried of this chance of pace. We're both Pokémon Trainers with expertise in our chosen fields, so we could travel together if needs be, but... she may want to settle down... start a family.”

He honestly didn't know what to say, yet his insides writhed once Ash said it, and a flash of Mew entered his thoughts. Almost regretting asking but knowing better than to abruptly shut the conversation down, he continued, “Have you two talked it over?”

Pikachu frowned knowingly up at his companion, ears slightly lowered. The man absentmindedly rubbed his knuckles under the mouse's chin as he nodded. “We're both on the fence about it, but I can tell she's been thinking about it a lot. The thought makes me a little nervous, though.”

Fighting back a shiver, Mewtwo averted his gaze to the dark waters, the moon in his peripheral. “I suppose that is a normal feeling for all males,” he assessed, hoping it was enough of a broad-brushed statement to avoid dragging his own troubles out into the open—

“I probably shouldn't ask, but have you ever thought about that kind of stuff?”

His insides dropping could've had enough weight to make the ground tremble beneath them. There was no escaping that boy, not even when he was looking so uncharacteristically unsure of himself. Perhaps his aura training made him more susceptible to negative emotions, and being a Psychic Pokémon struggling with his own inner turmoil, they were naturally drawn to each other. Although as he glanced over, Ash had a quizzical expression on his face, silently telling him he was still oblivious.

Swallowing down his pride, Mewtwo reluctantly replied, “I have.”

Human curiosity winning over, he queried further, “Did something happen?”

Ducking his head in shame, he sighed through his nose as he pieced together his thoughts. “...I am having what you humans call 'marital troubles'.”

A small breath of awe escaped both him and Pikachu, a reaction he wasn't pleased to hear. “Ohhh, that explains why you look a bit different—and why you're exhausted-looking.” He glimpsed over in time to watch Ash throw his arms behind his head. “Man, guess I really am late on the whole marriage thing. Most everyone else has tied the knot.”

Mewtwo's lips twitched upward, which he quickly hid.

“So do you have any kids?” He sounded a bit more than just intrigued, which the psycat found rather amusing to have an adult human virtually reverting back to that as a child asking about the quirks of life. But he still wasn't willing to talk about himself, and had to force himself to make a vague response.

“We... have been struggling.” Inwardly, he sent numerous notions to drop it since she wasn't there.

Nothing indicated to him he got the message, but Ash looked distraught. “Oh.”

Fighting back against the heavy atmosphere, Mewtwo diverted the topic back around by straightening up and giving him a fervent stare down. “But this is not about me. If you need some advice or just someone to talk to, I am willing to lend you an ear or a hand.”

Again, his vocabulary sounded stilted talking to a human. He still didn't understand why he caved in and agreed to attend the wedding, and why he struck up such a loose, intimate discussion like they were old friends. Ash's aura was as stable as a young Pokémon's, yet even with its rough edges, it still quelled his troubled heart. The young boy—man, now—left an impression deep enough to follow him well into his golden years, but they were never friends. He was content with that, yet perhaps the human's naïveté thought otherwise, hence the invitation.

And besides, what right did a Pokémon have to give a human advice? And a clone, on top of that?

Intentionally or not, Ash's voice broke through the clamor with a simple question: “Is it hard?”

His mind scoffed with an Of course it is hard!, but his soul gave pause to ponder. If it was such a simple answer that everyone should know, then why was it hard? In terms of his own experiences, was it hard by nature, by principle, or by choice? If it was always hard, then how was it he took to Mew so fast? They had their struggles, their differences, their own lives to consider, and yet there were times where everything was working out in their favor, seemingly without effort on their part. Then somewhere down the line, they took one misstep, and it all fell to ruin.

The more he dwelled on it, the more Mewtwo didn't feel worthy to give an answer. He didn't have a success story to spin, didn't have proof he could truthfully tell an optimistic, but nervous young bachelor everything will work out for him. He was literally the worst candidate to ask, yet there he sat, staring out at the lake with a human he couldn't even call friend after fifteen years. It was a sight he imagined Mew would've been glad to see.

Breaking the silence, and appreciating Ash's patience, the clone at last declared, “Indeed. You no longer have to think about your own welfare, you have another life to care and provide for.”

It seemed to have been the right call to make, for the man took a deep breath of relief and grinned. “That should be simple enough, then. I'm a Pokémon trainer, after all.” His Pikachu nodded.

His optimism was something to behold. Mewtwo went on to add, “There is also the clashing of your personalities, your likes and dislikes, your ideologies.”

“Sounds no different from my own journeys and companions.”

He stared at him, unsure if it was appropriate to get annoyed by how easily he shrugged off the advice with a comparison to Pokémon training. If he already knew what the perks of marriage entailed, however he had come to understand it, then what was even the point in asking?

“Do you want children, Ash?” he tried to move on, hoping that would stick.

“I told you, I'm not sure yet.”

“And yet you are willing to add a new Pokémon to your roster every time you are out on your journey.”

“Kids aren't like Pokémon, I get that.”

It wasn't that Mewtwo didn't believe in his words, but he was willing to continue poking holes if it meant getting through his thick skull. “You say the two of you are both trainers, both willing to travel the world together if needs be. But already you two have clashing ideologies that need to be settled as soon as possible, even if she has not said anything yet.”

“I have a place to live, if that's what you're wondering,” Ash proclaimed, looking a little defensive. Even Pikachu shrank back a little at his raised tone. “So I've already ensured we have a home to go to, and it's in order.”

“And could you guarantee it would still be there if the both of you are halfway around the world?”

“Because of my duties, I have to travel a lot, so I do have a housekeeper. Although without me asking, my Pokémon have watched the house before.” With a moment's pause, a sheepish smile spread on his face as he whispered an aside, “Also it's embarrassing that my mom still dotes on me. It was the best way to finally get her to back down and stop worrying, for once.”

Mewtwo didn't have a hard time envisioning his Pikachu and the other Pokémon he remembered dusting rooms, sweeping floors, even bringing home food to prepare. It wasn't something he was going to verbally admit, though. “So should you ever have any, are your children going to be well-off?”

“Yes. Actually, one of the last things we're in the process of approving is for my health insurance to update to cover my fiancée, and that's been bit of a pain, no lie. Should be ready once we register our marriage and she gets everything of hers approved to show for it.”

The clone almost tuned Ash out once he zoned in he was looking more confident about his future, which bemused him that he was being apprehensive about having a family of his own. Whatever had led up to now, he had been losing himself to his thoughts to the point he was needing time to himself. Even life had to catch up to an ambitious trainer someday, but from what he deduced, it wasn't as if he was suddenly being thrust into that position. Humans were always willing to rise to the occasion when it came to personal benefits or merit.

He was probably stepping out of line, but Mewtwo, the intellect he was proud to be, wanted to think outside of the box a little bit. Figuring he could use his title as a champion against him, the benefits of this human health insurance notwithstanding, he imparted, “Now let us flip this conversation around and look at it from your wife's perspective. Perhaps you two are free to travel together no matter the conference, but consider an opportunity to travel for longer than usual, for a few months or so. However, this is a journey where your wife cannot accompany you, and you potentially may not be able to contact her most days. Would she be able to handle being left alone for that period?”

The man became thoughtful, though he was noticeably growing antsy once more. “She has her own Pokémon—”

“But what can Pokémon do for her biological human needs?” he stressed, watching his face tilt into shadow. “You are getting married, Ash, because you must have a desire for companionship beyond that of friendship. This is the result of a choice of wanting to spend the rest of your life with a woman who is willing to stay by your side through thick and thin, because she cares for and loves you. But if she wants to have a family or desires love, she cannot do it alone if her husband is hesitant or absent.”

The last time he had seen Ash look irritated, it was when he had attempted to throw punches at him. It was impressive (albeit humorous) to have a ten-year-old angry enough at him to charge him, but from the way his aura sizzled, he chanced an uppercut if he were to provoke him further. If it hadn't been for Pikachu reclining in his lap, he might've done so or gotten to his feet to emphasize his leer, but Mewtwo ultimately wasn't afraid of him.

“We've talked about this and more, Mewtwo,” he curtly objected. “Trust me, I think we can handle it just fine.”

The topic was practically asking to get dropped, but the feline couldn't stop himself from retorting, “So then why are you getting upset over the thought of a family?”

“I'm nervous, not upset. No need to bite my head off over it.” Ash's mouth then curled to the side, dark eyes glinting. “Also, no offense, but these questions are getting kinda out-of-hand. You're turning into my mom.” Pikachu snorted under his breath.

Mewtwo cringed, but it wasn't from the mother comparison. He lowered his gaze as he quickly reviewed his attitude, and why he had gotten so invested in the rather-one-sided discussion on human behavior. “...I apologize. I got a little over my head...” He slowly flexed his fingers, feeling inadequate with everything around him, himself included.

The silence lasted only for a few moments before Ash briefly leaned into his line-of-sight. There was no reason for him to have done so other than to get a better look at his face. “You've lost someone close to you, haven't you?”

It wasn't what he wanted to profess to because it invited pity, but he had been unintentionally projecting himself into the conversation, and the human wasn't completely inattentive. Mewtwo found it refreshing he could have someone to talk to, and that the floor was technically open to him, but the timing was wholly inappropriate. And it was humiliating that someone just now entering a life-long commitment could lend an ear to someone like him, a being stuck between two worlds, and one was crumbling beneath his feet.

A somber sigh bubbling in his chest, he crossed his arms on his knees. “...I have come very close, yes.”

A breath being reflexively sucked in made him glance back over. “I guess this talk of family is a hot button topic for you,” he noted, running his fingers through his hair. “I didn't mean to rile you up like that.”

Mewtwo never intended to guilt-trip Ash for wanting some confirmation, and he didn't want to mislead him into believing otherwise. “It is not your fault, not when you wanted some answers. Do not concern yourself over me.”

Pikachu quietly agreed, which got the man to sit back. “Well... if you're willing to, could I ask you something very quick?” When he was given a silent nod and wave of the hand to continue, he soberly stared up at the stars, face scrunched in thought. “Okay... if you could give any marital advice, what would it be?”

As a Pokémon, naturally he shouldn't know what could be appropriate to tell some human about marriage when there was nothing to indicate he lived the lifestyle. The thought alone was silly, and it would warrant some odd stares from others who were listening in. Yet, it was a question that put Mewtwo on equal ground with him. And he recalled that for as short as their interactions had been, Ash never saw him as a Pokémon or an abomination.

Scrutinizing his aura once more, he was beginning to understand why it was he thought it was similar to Mew's. Through their eyes, they only saw individuality and a life that was worth living. Being a Pokémon, while man-made, meant nothing to them just as long as they could see eye-to-eye. And perhaps that was his connection them: to Mew as a mate, and to Ash as... a friend.

Trawling through his many memories, he tried his best to stick to the positive ones in spite of his current state. But even during the sad times, there was still a thread that linked them together, sticking out the most and looking to be the strongest. “It would be to talk to your wife,” he decreed. “No matter what it is, or how personal or troubling it gets, talk things over first-and-foremost. Make compromises if needs be, but never make yourself or her live a lie just because you were afraid to break her heart. It is not just you, it is a team effort. The two of you need to be open with each other, but it has to start with yourself.”

He didn't sense an aura of cockiness, agitation, or boredom, suggesting to him Ash had gotten something out of it. It was still possible it was a repeat of what he had previously learned elsewhere, and it didn't matter to the clone if he was taking it to heart or not, but the warm smile and nod he got in return was more than he could ask for. “Sure thing, Mewtwo.”

Suddenly perking up, Pikachu jumped out of his lap and bolted down to the riverbank. The man got up in slight concern, though Mewtwo also turned his attention to where the rodent was headed. Pikachu nearly rounded a whole corner until his tail was seen, but he hopped on an unseen platform and there came a gasp of fright. Through a gap, he spotted a pink blur zipping into a tree, and the electric mouse squeaked in concern.

“Hey, what'cha find, buddy?” Ash called, about to jog over only to be caught in Mewtwo's hold. “Hey, wha...?”

The clone frowned deeply, but couldn't bring himself to get upset at the eavesdropping. Setting Ash down and coaxing him into staying, he strode over to find Pikachu gawking up into the branches. Stopping behind him, he eyed Mew curling by the trunk to blend in with the shadows. She froze when their gazes met, ears lowered and tail tightly wrapped around herself. He heard her sniffle as she quickly turned away to wipe at her face, and he let out a slow sigh through his nose, hanging his head.

Pikachu's brows knitted in worry as he silently put two-and-two together. Mewtwo only gave a nod of silent confirmation before glancing over at the man when he arrived.

“Hey, what's up?” he asked.

Looking back up at Mew, Mewtwo gently said to her, “If you wanted to meet him, you could have just joined us.”

She took in a few deep breaths before she eased herself down, yet remained hesitant to get nearer. When he extended a hand to her, she stared before gripping a finger and allowed him to guide her to his side. She first kept her eyes on Pikachu when he exclaimed in humble awe, a small smile on his pudgy face.

“Did he startle you?” he murmured to her, almost tongue-in-cheek.

Mew bashfully glanced back up at him, then pulled away to get closer to Pikachu's height. The Mouse Pokémon managed to stand his ground and reached out a paw in greeting. She tensed for a moment until she lightly gripped it for a small shake.

Ash almost couldn't hold back his surprise, but he didn't move from his spot. For just that moment, Mewtwo once more saw him as the ten-year-old he remembered, and he couldn't help a smirk. “Did you want an invitation to come say hello?”

Mew looked up when Ash came forward, taking him in with the same awe-struck expression.

“Hey, there. The name's Ash Ketchum.”

She nodded, but stayed silent.

He chuckled. “Guess there are shy Mews out there. The one I know is very bubbly, it likes to play with Pikachu whenever I visit as part of my training.” Pikachu rubbed the back of his neck.

Mewtwo noticed his mate's expression fell slightly, and lay a wavering hand on her shoulder. She jolted in place, but mercifully didn't pull away. “Mew is her own individual. It is why we became mates.”

Ash grinned as brightly as the moon. “I must say, Mew, you got yourself a lucky catch. Mewtwo's a great guy. You two must get along very well.”

Mew blushed deeply, dropping her eyes.

“I'm glad you're doing well, Mewtwo. This has been one of the biggest surprises yet, right up there with the day Brock got himself a girlfriend.” He laughed once more, and even Pikachu giggled.

Briefly, he skimmed his thumb down to her shoulder blade. She trembled beneath his touch and her tail sharply swung into his side, but he kept the façade steady. “You have Mew to thank for that. She talked me into accepting your invitation, if only because she wanted to meet the young man who changed my ways.”

The man nodded, folding his arms. “That makes sense, then. I thought it was a little bit suspicious you marked 'yes', 'cuz I kinda expected you to pass on it.” He smiled when the clone raised a brow, maintaining eye-contact. “But no matter, you're here now, and I'm glad I got to see you again.”

He didn't address it out loud, but Mewtwo felt guilt for being so disinclined to attend the reception and continually dragging his feet until the last minute. Ash wasn't a terrible human, and like Mew had commented months back, it was a sweet gesture to have thought of him despite having mutually lost contact. For as rocky as their conversation was, it was of good intentions.

So he meant it from the bottom of his heart when he said, “Once again, congratulations. I wish you nothing but the best.”

“Thanks, Mewtwo.” Looking up at the moon as he shuddered a bit, he casually mused, “Man, it's sure gotten chilly. Do you two have a warm place to sleep?”

Mewtwo felt a twinge of guilt as he thought back to the ridge, letting his arm drop from Mew when she glanced up at him. “We should... or so I thought.”

Ash didn't pry further, though he and his companion shared a look that he couldn't decipher. “You can have my hotel room if you want. Pikachu and I were thinking of staying out here longer anyway.”

“Are you certain?”

He nonchalantly shrugged. “Yeah, though thing is, the hotel address should've been listed on your invitation. They're kind of expecting that number of guests to be staying there, but I forgot that I was to make yours a bit different.” He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head and peering out through one eye. “I also didn't take into account you'd have company.”

Mew shrank back a little until the clone gently stopped her with his tail. “If it is too much trouble, we will decline.”

“I think it'd be more comfortable than sleeping out here in the cold,” Ash insisted. “I don't know where you two were planning on staying, but trainers have been known to sneak out during the night for practice battles or to catch some Pokémon in the area.” He gave a wry smile. “Nothing that you can't handle, but I'm just saying.”

It was playfully sinister, and Mewtwo for a brief moment felt a long since subsided flame rekindle. He reckoned it would make for an interesting battle and would do him some good, however, remembering where they were and that he wasn't fully in good shape was what snuffed it out. “Perhaps another time,” he politely declined, and the man slumped slightly, but he didn't lose his smile. “How would we get in?”

“My room's got a balcony, so I'll check in, and we can pass by each other that way.”

“That is against regulations, is it not?”

“Only if you get caught.” Ash cheekily winked.

Looking back at Mew, Mewtwo could tell from the glimmer in her eyes she had been considering the offer. And in comparing it to the current outdoors, as much as a change in scenery was refreshing, the thought of a warm bed was more alluring. With a low sigh, he turned to the man and nodded. “You make a fine bargain, Mr. Ketchum.”

He laughed, jogging backward with a wave. “See you two there!”

When he was gone and the quiet nighttime atmosphere enveloped them, Mewtwo nudged his mate. “Let us go gather up our belongings, Mew.”

She let out a breath until it faltered, shaking her head and hugging her arms close. “Why do you do this?” she murmured. “Why can't you take the hint and just... Why do you not...?”

“Leave you?” he finished softly. “I cannot, not as you are.”

“But why?” she urged. “What do you see in me?”

As she was refusing to look him in the eye now that they were alone, he had to scan her trembling figure. Unlike with him, she didn't have a battered appearance, and it was because of how the moonlight shone on her that he was able to take in the tear residue streaked on her cheeks. Neither Pikachu nor Ash had made any comments on it, so he wasn't sure if they had drawn to conclusions.

Pensively, Mewtwo answered her, “I see someone whose broken heart still longs for happiness.”

Mew's figure slouched. “I don't deserve it...”

He turned her around to face him, though she anxiously averted her gaze and wriggled from his hold. He choked down a rising lump in his throat to whisper, “Please do not hide anything from me anymore, Mew. I brought you with me so we could talk things over, and come to a decision together. But most importantly, it is to clear our minds, and expel the negative thoughts that plague us. It is an uncomfortable subject, but understand that it is between just us two.”

“How can you say that?” she accused, although it was half-hearted.

“Because I am not angry with you, Mew. Perturbed, yes, but not angry.” It still hurt that she would close her eyes to avoid seeing him, but he was steadily getting through to her now that she stopped shaking. “I should not have forced anything out of you, and I apologize for making you uneasy... but we cannot keep sweeping our troubles under the rug. Sooner or later, it was going to come up.”

Mew's fingers dug a bit more into her arms, then she relaxed her shoulders. Feeling she was placated enough for them to get themselves moving, Mewtwo gestured to the lake. “Let us get going, dear. Cannot keep him waiting for us.”

He lifted himself up to fly over the water, only to halt when she swerved to be in front of him. She still kept her head low, but she was able to at least look in his direction. “Just so you know, Mewtwo,” she informed him, voice still soft, “I don't feel comfortable sleeping next to you right now. Not now...”

He reluctantly nodded in agreement. “You do not have to sleep in arm's reach, but I ask that you stay close by for your own safety.”

Having reached an impasse, they returned to the ridge to find the cloak only hung on thanks to the stone, but it was tattered at the corners. Mew's scarf was caught in a hanging shrub, possibly due to passing wind, some of the neglected fruit remained in place but were bruised, and the card was missing. A quick scan of the area turned up nothing, and they concurred it wasn't worth tracking down. Once wrapped back up, they slipped through the shadows toward the inns, scanning for balconies upon arrival. Random windows would occasionally light up or go dark, and Mewtwo clenched his teeth remembering Ash never told them which building and level had his room, and he hadn't asked.

“Which one is he staying in?” Mew questioned obliviously moments later.

He fought the urge to facepalm. “The one with the balcony...”

“Um... which one?”

“He is getting married and he cannot give simple directions,” he grumbled. “Funny how that works.”

From an adjacent building, they heard the call of his Pikachu trying to sound casual. Mewtwo considered giving the supposed-adult a flick on the nose as they slipped over to greet him, but he couldn't bring himself to do more than entertain the thought. Mew entered the hotel room first before Ash could step outside, studying the lone bed before shaking off her scarf and moving on to the lamp and digital clock.

“I'll be back at about six in the morning,” he told Mewtwo after tearing his eyes away from the curious cat. “There might be a fog, too, so that should be plenty of cover for you two to disappear to wherever for the day. I had room service delivered not long ago, so there's some food in the refrigerator for you guys if you're hungry.”

“Are you certain you want to do this? Being nocturnal, I can forfeit the bed to you still.”

Ash snorted, taking in his bruised ribs. “Has anyone ever told you you're a bad liar, Mewtwo?”

He glowered, but held his tongue. From inside, Mew could be heard pushing buttons on the phone, and the man quickly let out a sharp “No, don't touch that!”, and swooped inside to hang it back up. She put space between them, a baffled expression on her face, then whirled around and had newfound interest in the television suspended in the corner.

“Is this what humans call the 'teevee'?” she wondered out loud, which made Ash blink and smile at her reaction.

Mewtwo's heart fluttered watching her study the flat screen and trying to look at her dark reflection. He hadn't seen her eyes light up with curiosity in ages. “What is with this sudden interest in human entertainment?” he tried to tease.

She slightly pouted over at him.

Returning to the balcony, Ash held his arm out for Pikachu, and nodded over at the clone. “Have a good night, Mewtwo.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” he said, fully grateful even if it still felt he was being intrusive.

With a salute, he gave a whistle and dove over the railing, hands out-stretched. Like a speeding bullet, a large Gliscor swooped in from above of which he snatched by the feet, and they glided off into the shadows. Mewtwo stared off where they disappeared to, impressed with their dynamic, then hurried inside just in case someone was looking out their window. Once he drew the blinds closed, he hung his cloak over the chair and took in the hotel room. Mew was unsurprisingly swallowed up by the empty, yet cozy space, but all he cared about was that it was large enough to accommodate him, even though there wasn't much to do. He could tell by a glance he could scarcely fit into the tiny kitchen space, and by peeking into the bathroom, the tub was smaller than he was used to. At least the chair looked like it could support him.

“Hey, how does the 'teevee' work, anyway?”

As it was the only other piece of entertainment in the room, Mewtwo figured he'd let her give it a shot to hamper her boredom. Spotting the remote on the dresser, he picked it up to wave it in her line-of-sight. “You operate it with this.”

She cautiously approached him, keeping her eyes glued to it. “That's a lot of buttons.”

“Here.” He powered on the equipment, and what flickered to view was of a Pokémon Contest, specifically an Altaria in the middle of a Whirlwind. Noticing no audio was coming through, he checked for the right button to press, and immediately they could hear the announcer exclaiming her thoughts. Tapping the remote, he continued, “Use these buttons here to change the channel. The numbers do it as well, but do not mind them for now.”

Mew tilted her head. “Those triangle ones?”

“This changes the channel, this turns the volume up or down.” He passed it over, but still hovered by the bed as she sat down.

“What about the other smaller ones?”

“Do not worry about those. You just keep flipping through until you find something of interest or tire of it.”

She held down a button and looked up at the numbers scrolling through, although the screen remained black until she let go. “Is this what humans really do all day when they're not out training Pokémon?”

“Humans are easily entertained, I suppose. A whole slew of technology at their fingertips, and they squander it with that.” He nodded at the sight of a woman getting knocked off an obstacle course while her Pokémon companion looked on in surprise.

Pressing the button once more then releasing it a few seconds later, Mew frowned at the nature documentary blasting ominous music when a pair of wild male Ursaring crossed paths. The narrator was droning something about the scene either nervously or eagerly in a heavy accent. “Perhaps it's for humans who can't travel like we can?”

“A possibility.”

While she continued browsing, Mewtwo opened the drawer below the television to find a booklet. Skimming through it, his brows furrowed when he noticed the inn had listed it was using satellite television, and mentioned any usage outside of the inn's default channels would be added to the patron's bill. The list was contained in one column, and his mouth quirked at the revelation.

Many apologies, Ash, for our ignorance, he sighed to himself. Then out loud, he said, “I think that is enough television for one night.”

“Why?” And she let go of the button.

“—IN SO DEEP, AAHHN!”

They flustered at the grunting and squealing filtering through the speakers, Mew's eyes and mouth widening as she dropped the remote where it popped open and the batteries went flying. Mewtwo scrambled for the parts, accidentally knocking her backward onto the bed doing so. Once he shakily got it put back together, he had to face the screen to get a low-angled eyeful of the faceless copulating couple before it powered off. Lowering the remote as he trembled and gripped the duvet pulling himself up, the clone glanced at his mate to see her squeezing her arms to her chest, fur standing on end, and a flush rising to her cheeks. She flinched and gulped when their gazes crossed, drawing her legs close.

His vision drifted too much, zoning in on areas that got him shaking with anticipation: her parted lips as she breathed deeply; the way her hands smoothed over curves; her pelvis twisted to put emphasis on her wide hips; her toes pressed against the covers. He swallowed thickly, watching her tail curl around herself as if to hide from his sight, yet she tipped her head back to peer desirably at him through her eyelashes. Where she glowed pink, he identified them as hot spots for him. Those were areas he could—should—touch to get her going, to make her moan and sing praises to him, then gasp and beg and cry and scream and—

Defying the burning urges, Mewtwo roughly got to his feet and strode for the bathroom. “I will be in the shower,” was all he could muster, scarcely stopping himself from slamming the door behind him.

The water was cold since he didn't turn the knob all the way, but he didn't care. He let it stream down his back as he steadily collapsed to his knees and switched to autopilot, his heart still pounding in his ears. A choppy slideshow of her body flashed continuously in his mind's eye in a teasing, seductive dance, her face beaming at his frustration, and he could hear her calling his name each time her lips parted for a breath. He didn't dare move lest he crossed the point of no return.

Going against his wishes, his wild imagination projected him to kneel at the bedside, so he got to watch Mew toss her head back into the sheets as she cried out and writhed beneath a perfect imitation of himself—or it was him in a memory, but he couldn't confirm through the shadow. With him hunched over her and grinning triumphantly, they flowed like water, pelvises undulating and slamming together in a rhythm that was uniquely theirs. It didn't matter she was scrunched up against him and fought for breath under his weight, she desired the security of his body against hers. She looked beautiful drowning in euphoria...

“More... Mewtwo, pleeease...”

Her breathless whimper struck a nerve in him, and Mewtwo wanted nothing more than to lash out at his reflection. Memory or not, he wasn't the one who was presently on top of her. He desired nothing more than to lose himself inside her, to fill his senses with all she had to offer. There was a twinge of excitement in seeing her from a different angle, however, it was nothing more than some sick cruelty to have him experience all of the senses secondhand. Yet despite his inward pestering to step in and “reclaim” her, his body remained rooted in place. He couldn't even reach out to grab her hand.

Mewtwo jolted when the image of himself flickered, and the sudden disturbance in the atmosphere made him nauseated before he could clear his vision. Nothing much had changed, yet kneeling over Mew was a mirror image of herself, whose paw and tail were plunged deep inside her. Even when shifting to interlock together at the hips, the way she quickened her pace got the bottom Mew gasping and mewling in ecstasy at a level he couldn't recall her ever reaching. Like she was enjoying it more...

“That's the spirit, toots,” was the venomous purr, a chuckle on her lips as she induced them to start rocking. There was a notable jerk once their clitoral hoods bumped. “Let him know that's just how you like it.” Pulling out her dripping fingers to lick them, her icy gaze casually locked eyes with him.

When he managed to tear away toward his mate, Mewtwo was certain her streaming eyes seemed a bit too unfocused to tell if she could even see him or not. Fingers harshly tugging the sheets, she mouthed through her panting for a few moments before she squeaked out, “Don't... don't look...”

In a flash of white, the clone found himself blinking at the drain, water stinging his eyes and his ribs throbbing from pressure. Recognizing the aches in his joints and loins, he loosened his grip on his penis to stare at the ejaculate dangling from his fingers. He strained his hearing past his breathing and the shower for any sign of Mew to no avail, questioning the validity of the vision and his sanity.

It really was like the universe was taunting him.

[brohood-assassins-imagines]

So We Endure - Chapter 3: Times of Change

A/N: Yet another chapter of heartache. I’m going through a bit of a writer’s block for it, so next post I make will probably be a Connor smut I’ve been cooking up for a while! As always, this fic has a playlist (made by me) here

Word Count: 4k+

“What do you mean I’m out?!,” you screeched, eyes watering as a painfully cold grip took hold of your heart.

Mr. Jackson — Jack, as he liked to be addressed to — sighed wearily, cleaning one of the various pints of beer behind the counter. “It is what I said,” he shrugged, not looking you in the eyes. “Your out.”

“Jack, you can’t do that!,” you pleaded, pointedly ignoring the looks some of the early in customers shot you.

“Already did,” the man put the pint down, picking up another one. “Don’t need myself a singer who’s gonna whore herself out to my customers and have them never come back,” he stared you down, expression bitter and anger barely contained. “Shoulda said so before, that your a whore. Woulda treated you likewise.”

You felt the world stop around you, a shiver of fear running down your spine. The squeezing of your heart tightened and you leaned in towards the man. “Jack, I have a son. I need this job, I have to keep him fed and—“

“And on your way to a new one, I see,” he spit the venom casually, not minding the tears gathering at the corner of your eyes. “Shoulda thought ‘bout him before, eh?”

“Nothing happened, Jack! For fucks sake!”

“Yeah, right,” he cackled at his own inside joke. “Outta here with ya. Already hired a new girl, don’t need ya makin’ a scene now.” The man picked another glass up, polishing it without really watching he was doing, “and to think one day I hoped to get it on with ya…”

Humiliated and wrecked, both emotionally and physically, you hunched your shoulders and allowed yourself to cry quietly before being shunned out of the pub. As much as you hated the job, it was what had kept you and Charlie relatively warm at night; with a roof over your heads. You risked a look at one of the clocks on your way home — a quarter after 6 — and tried to think positively. The rent was paid. You had money for the next one, it was okay, if you tightened the belts. There was food at home, you’d get to spend some time with Charlie—

It all felt like a bad joke on you.

The door whined and creaked as Mrs. Dolloway opened it, letting a small gasp of surprise get past her thin lips. “Oh dear!,” she put a chubby hand against her cheek, “ya certainly dropped by early today! I wasn’t expecting ya around ‘til half past nine or so, girl.”

You forced a smile, fidgeting with the tattered cloth-bag in your hands. “Yes, I… got out early.”

Mrs. Dolloway frowned at you, closing the door a bit as she leaned closer to you so the kids wouldn’t eavesdrop. “What happened?”

Closing your eyes, you sighed and twisted your lips as if tasting bitter medicine. You never managed to lie or cover things from your neighbor — and possibly best friend —, as much as you wanted to. She didn’t need to worry more than she already did. “Dolls, really…”

“Dontcha ‘Dolls’ me, girl!,” she pouted, a slight rise of color coming to her complexion. “Come on, out with it. Ya can tell me things, ‘m not made of glass!”

You huffed out a laugh, shaking your head. “Jack fired me today.”

As expected, the woman gasped indignantly. “Whatever for?!”

“It doesn’t matter, really,” you cut in quickly, eager to change the subject. “I’m already looking for a new job.”

“This close to winter? Best thing ya gonna find will be laundry work, probably worse,” she stressed, brows knitting together in worry. “Want me to ask aroun’?”

It wasn’t entirely fair, you knew. You already felt like a parasite with all the help people offered so freely — the guilty pang of Mr. Fry—Jacob’skindness still all too recent in your mind. Drawing your lower lip into your mouth, you bit nervously on it. “If that isn’t a bother, Dolls—“

“Silly girl,” she stopped you before you could finish. “Silly, silly girl.” The plump woman closed the door behind her, pulling you into a tight motherly hug; her soft hands smoothing your shoulders lovingly. “Already taken care of, I tell ya. Stop worryin’, eh?,” she whispered as you awkwardly wrapped your arms around her.

“Thank you,” you offered meekly, allowing the tears to well in your eyes, “thank you so much, Dolls. I just—“

“Hush now,” she pulled away, patting your face gently. “Don’t ya dare go all soft on me now, we still have to talk, eh?,” she smiled. “I asked Tommy what happened that day n’ I think ya should talk to Charlie too.”

“I tried, at the park,” you confessed, leaning against the railing of the stairs, “but it didn’t feel right, at the moment. Didn’t want to make him get antsy on me while we’re out, you know?”

Mrs. Dolloway nodded sagely, but it didn’t seem to smooth her ruffled feathers. “When you can, then. Sooner than later, is my advice.”

You frowned. “What did Tommy tell him?”

“Charlie?,” you called softly, drying the boy’s hair with a towel. He answered by turning around and looking you in the eye. “Mummy loves you very much. You know that, right?,” and upon his nod, you took a breath in before continuing. “Remember last time I fetched you at Auntie Doll, you and Tommy had a fight?”

Your son’s face scrunched up and he cast his gaze down with a slight pout. “It wasn’t my fault,” he offered, although hesitantly.

“Mummy knows,” you said, sitting beside him at the bed, back resting against the wall as you appraised the boy. “I just want to make sure you’re not holding things back from me.”

Charlie’s lips twisted a bit, as he seemed to fight an internal monologue with himself. “I just…,” he fidgeted with the edges of the shirt you had finished fixing. “Tommy said our family is daft.”

“Daft?,” you prompted him on, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah,” the boy agreed, picking at his nails. “Because I don’t have a dad.”

You had been preparing yourself for this talk, but that didn’t stop the cold drop in the pit of your stomach. “And what do you think about that?”

Charlie frowned, looking at you as if he hadn’t fully grasped what you had asked. “Tommy asked me if I had a daddy…,” he started, although hesitantly, “I said no, because that’s what you told me,” Charlie cast his eyes down once more before talking again. “He said that’s dumb, that everyone has a daddy, but I said I didn’t n’ he told me our family is daft,” he started crying, shaking slightly, “’das why I hit ‘im. ‘M sorry, mummy.”

“Hey, now,” you called in, opening your arms for a hug, “our family is not daft. We love each other a lot, don’t we? Isn’t that what matters?”

The boy sniffled, moving closer as you allowed him to rest upon your chest. “But he’s right,” he mumbled quietly, “it’s true.”

You pressed your lips together, smoothing his hair and trying to hold back your own tears. “Don’t you like mummy, baby?”

“It’s not that,” he said, voice brittle with emotion, “I just…,” a quiet sob, “I wanted to have a daddy too.”

Silence grew heavy, broken only by the sniffling and sobbing from your son; and all you could do was hug him tighter.

Thursday morning came slowly, daylight barely making its way through the fraying edges of the ruined curtains. Days were growing colder with the approach of winter; you registered distantly and stretched, burying your face into the thin pillow as the tell-tale sounds of town started rumbling around you. Job hunting hadn’t been going the way you wanted — after walking around for 3 days straight, until your feet ached and chaffed in your boots, you came to the grim conclusion that Mrs. Dolloway had been right to some degree, because even the laundry houses and the few factories that offered jobs year-round were overstaffed.

At some point, you started doubting if there really had been such a sudden shortage of jobs around the slums or if people were simply avoiding you. Everyone loved to gossip around here, even if most tended to show you their kinder side; there were still the ones with venomous tongues and ill spirits, who’d pounce at the opportunity of pointing their fingers at you in a heartbeat.

You wondered if Mr. Jackson was to blame or if your poorly-thought-through display with Jacob earlier on Sunday to the bus stop had had anything to do with it.

Universe definitely wasn’t kind.

Charlie stirred against you, sleepy murmurs stopping as soon as you rubbed his shoulder. The boy was a blessing, truly, and you didn’t regret it; not him. He wasn’t to blame for anything. You closed your eyes again, opting for sleeping in for a bit more today. It wasn’t like you were to change anything and magically find a job today after leaving no rock unturned last few days. Sleep crept slowly, its pull gentle and sweet and—

A knock.

A knock?

Frowning, you sighed; halfway hoping it was your imagination or for another floor. You opened your eyes, resting a tired gaze upon the weathered wooden door. Someone — a male voice, you recognized — called your name through it, now knocking more insistently which made Charlie groan and turn to bury his face into the mattress.

“Heavens…,” you whispered, slipping out of bed, careful not to wake your slumbering son, to answer the door. It couldn’t be Mr. Ross, you had paid the rent on time yesterday and Mrs. Dolloway usually wasn’t up this early. “Who’s it?,” you inquired quietly, hugging yourself to retain the warmth from the bed.

“Jacob,” the voice answered, sounding far to anxious to belong to the same calm and confident man you who’s had tea with you in the kitchen last Sunday. It was early, you frowned, much too early than what proper education demanded to a breakfast visit, and it made you feel uneasy. What on earth did he want? Then he called your name again, “will you open up?”

Pressing your lips together and sighing resentfully, you unlocked the door and Jacob wasted no time at slipping in and closing it behind himself. “I— Jacob, I have never—“

“I know, etiquette be damned,” he spoke hastily, taking off roughened up cap that matched his outfit. No top hat today?, you thought to yourself. “But— I swear, as soon as I heard about it— Wha— How— Uh… you… you were fired?,” the words tumbled out of his mouth, tripping on each other as he cast a worried gaze at you; a wild look in his eyes that made you wonder distantly if he had slept at all.

“Jacob.”

“Are you okay?,” he continued, “do you want me to talk to Jack?,” the man asked now, pacing around the flat, trying to school his voice into something less anxious. “We can see to it, you’ll have your old job in the blink of an eye, I swear—“

“Jacob.”

He stopped, frowning and fixing you with a puzzled look. “What?”

“It’s fine,” you offered lightly, trying to force a smile into your lips. “I hated it there, either way. I’m a singer to some degree, it kept a roof over our heads for a while, and it’s okay.”

Jacob swallowed thickly, staring at you with a dumbfounded look. “You… Ah, you’re not mad?”

“Whyever for?,” your voice came out like a tired sigh. “It wasn’t your fault. If I am to blame anyone, I’d point fingers at myself for doing something so reckless and stupid—“

“You were desperate, there is a difference,” he quipped in, grimacing at the thought. “I’d have come sooner had you told me— why— why didn’t you tell me?”

You huffed out a laugh, crossing your arms in front of him. “Because I don’t know where you live, Jacob Frye. Much less how to contact you.”

Something seemed to click in his mind and Jacob scowled. “I’m sorry,” he offered, the high of his cheeks adopting an embarrassed shade of pink. “I feel like— I thought you’d have my head if I showed up here.”

Frowning as you moved closer to the kettle, you gave him a confused look. “Whatever for?”

“Because— well, because…,” he mumbled, shifting his weight from one foot to another. “I just...,” Jacob coughed, looking away with a somewhat relieved face and his shoulders stopped tensing up. Well, that went off terribly. “I thought you would be mad at me for making you lose your job that day—“

“You didn’t,” you said casually.

“—and I wanted to make sure you and Charlie were okay, so I just came flying here as soon as I could.” As you put the water to boil, he shoot a look at you that pleaded for something, even though you weren’t entirely sure what. “Are you sure you don’t want me to explain the situation to Jack?”

You splashed some water into the teapot. “I don’t want to have anything to do with Jack any longer, Jacob,” your voice came out colder than you intended and you tried to soften it a bit. “We had our divergences and he wouldn’t take me for my word,” you explained, opening the cabinet and pulling the tea box. You weren’t going to lie, seeing the kitchen cabinet filled with food like that eased the anxiety in your heart. “Besides, he’s a bloody penny-pincher and a pig.” At that, Jacob laughed and you turned around to catch his mischievous smirk at you. “Believe me, I’m better off out of there.”

“’Suppose I’ll have to find a new pub to drink at, then,” Jacob started, putting his cap back on, “because that new girl can’t sing for shit, I’m telling you.”

It didn’t surprise you, honestly.

“It’s not difficult to please the drunkards,” you shrugged, “a pretty face is all they need at some point,” after your jesting, noticing what you had said, you clapped a hand over your mouth and turned to give him a horrified look. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to—“

“It’s fine,” Jacob waved a hand dismissively, smirking as he walked closer to the stove and it occurred to you that he might be cold, without a thick coat on, “you can speak your mind around me,” he threw a few coals into the stove, proceeding to rub his hands together for warmth. “Besides, it was funny, and I believe I did tell you etiquette is not my best trait.”

You fidgeted with the kitchen rag in your hands, scoffing at his commentary. “Yes, I’ve been told.” As much as you hated to admit, you wanted to have someone’s company— needed it, really; someone who wouldn’t fuss and ask questions you didn’t want to answer, and last time had proven that Jacob wasn’t unpleasant at all to talk to. You shoot him a glance, trying to sound nonchalant. “Would you like to have breakfast with us? I was just about to start cooking.”

Jacob tensed, looking at you as if you had just told him to leave the flat, giving you a piercing gaze that deeply unsettled you; as if he could see through your lie. “That’d be lovely,” he blew into his hands, a smile already plastered upon his face, “thank you.”

Nodding, you turned around to cut up the cheese and bread — it was still so soft it made you wonder if Jacob bought it the same day it had been baked. Walking around, he got rid of his cap, putting it over the table, and asked “are you still looking for a new job?”

It was bound to happen, sooner or later. “Yes, although not with much luck, I’m afraid.”

“Oh?,” Jacob prompted, coming up next to you and pulling the same two mugs you had used to drink tea last time from the cabinet. It made you itch uncomfortably, for some reason.

“No one would hire me,” you explained, giving him an exasperated look that suggested you weren’t overly fond of the topic. “Not even the washhouses or the coal factory.”

Jacob hesitated for a second, looking mildly guilty. “I can help you, with anything you’d like.”

Just as he never ceased to surprise you, the annoyance seemed to come along in equal measures. You started to regret the invitation.

Turning around for a second, you offered him a disinterested “oh?”

The man shuffled awkwardly, giving you a pained look. “What I mean is… I can… help. More, is what I’m trying to say.”

Not knowing what to do with the silence, you allowed it to stretch a bit. “That’d be nice of you, but what I really am looking for is a job, Jacob.”

Jacob nodded, looking away with furrowed brows and as if he wanted to say something else; but ultimately stayed silent. You were somewhat thankful for it, but wouldn’t settle for having someone else paying your bills; you’ve been able to make things right up until now. The quiet that grew in the room evoked a heavy cloud of uneasiness and you wondered just when Charlie would wake up.

As if on careful coordination, a sleepy “mummy?,” called from the bedroom and you sighed in relief.

Offering Jacob a somewhat apologetic look, you hurried to the bedroom — which wasn’t really that far away, “hey, baby…,” you whispered, bending slightly in order to caress his head, “are you hungry? Mummy’s making breakfast now.”

Charlie yawned, turning to press his face into the mattress again and stretching out his arms for you to pick him up. “Are you going out today?,” he asked when you fixed him against your hip, resting his face against your collarbone.

“I don’t know yet,” you answered truthfully. “Let’s eat first, yes? We have a visit over today.”

“We do?”

You nodded, rubbing his back a bit. “Do you remember Jacob?”

The boy stayed silent for a moment, mind still hazy as he tried to recall where he had heard the name before. “Jake?,” he asked, looking at you with a confused look, “the magician?”

“Jake the magi—,“ you cut yourself, laughing softly, “yes, the magician.” Charlie’s eyes widened a bit, letting go of the heavy lidded look he was giving you. “Why don’t we go talk to him, mhm?”

He shifted a bit in your arms, as if embarrassed, until ultimately agreeing; although hesitantly. “’kay…”

Turning around to leave the bedroom, you caught sight of Jacob watching you with an expression you couldn’t exactly pinpoint; but it didn’t look bad on his face, you decided ultimately. The softness in his eyes made the hazel stand out against the olive skin and you wondered what he must’ve been thinking.

“Hey, sport!,” he called cheerfully, waving a hand at Charlie as the other took a hold of the backrest of a chair, “thought you’d sleep in forever.”

Charlie got flustered, resting his head against your chest in a gesture of comfort. “Hey,” he answered timidly, fiddling with the frilly neckline of your dress.

“Now,” Jacob started, approaching you both with a disarming smile, “I have a little something for you today,” the smile broadened when he saw that it had caught Charlie’s attention, “I wonder if you’re gonna like it.”

Your son looked at Jacob curiously, weighing his next words carefully. Charlie had never been very talkative strangers, but seemed to be growing out of it at times; with moments where he oscillated between both before ultimately making up his mind about the person. “What is it?,” he inquired, starting to develop a mild interest at the promise of a gift.

“Oh, I’m not really sure,” Jacob frowned, crossing his arms rather hilariously. “A little bird brought it to me and said it was your favorite.”

“Don’t be daft,” Charlie spoke in a half amused and surprised voice, “birds can’t talk.”

Jacob smiled at him, looking at you briefly. What Jacob lacked in etiquette and good sense, he made up with the way he got along with children — Charlie, in particular. You still weren’t entirely sure about him, but allowed yourself to be swayed over the attachment your son seemed to have developed over him.

“Well, you got me there,” he said, touching his chest lightly, “but you forget I’m a magician. I read it in the bird’s mind, actually.”

“No way!,” Charlie exclaimed, pushing away from your body and getting rid of whatever traces of sleepiness remained in his face, “really?!”

“Really!,” Jacob assured

He seemed to think on that for a few seconds as you shared a knowing look with Jacob. “Can you read my mind?”

“Oh, I can only read bird’s minds,” the man answered simply, “but I bet you’re still thinking about what the bird told me to give you.”

“Wrong,” Charlie giggled childishly, “I was thinking about what color your talking bird is.”

“See?,” Jacob gestured towards himself, as if resigned, “only bird-thoughts for me.”

“I want to know its color!,” Charlie protested and you giggled at the demand.

“Didn’t you tell me it was a blue one?,” you asked Jacob with a fake confused voice.

Jacob looked up at you, surprised at your input, but played along, “ah, yes,” he agreed, “a little blue bird asked me to give you this as a gift.” At that, the man pulled out the thin package from the insides of his coat.

“What is it?,” your son asked suddenly, twisting out of your arms as he leaned over and you were forced to put him down.

You looked at what Jacob had in hand — a bar of chocolate, of all things, and you were surprised the man even kept such a thing in mind. Smiling, you settled your gaze upon his face, at the pleased expression that spoke volumes of his character without the need for words.

“Chocolate,” Jacob explained, raising a finger before the boy could freak out, “but you gotta eat breakfast first, okay?”

Charlie pouted a bit, looking mildly disappointed even as Jacob offered him the candy. “Not even a piece?”

You supposed you owed him that much. Pretending not to pay attention at the exchange, you moved towards the stove and took the kettle out of the fire, pouring the fervent water into the teapot at the well-known ritual of making tea.

Looking over his shoulder — as you saw from the corner of your eye —, Jacob leaned down and whispered something to Charlie, who nodded eagerly, and gave him the candy back. You pretended you didn’t hear the clear sound of paper being unwrapped and the pleased giggle of your son as he rushed towards the bedroom with what you hoped wasn’t the entire bar right before breakfast.

“You shouldn’t have,” you whispered, voice softer than before, “you’re spoiling him.”

“It’s fine,” Jacob interjected, “he’s a kid.”

“Kids need to eat proper meals,” you huffed a laugh, looking at him as he leaned back against the counter beside you. “Thank you, though.”

He broke a piece of the chocolate and offered it to you. “You don’t have to thank me,” Jacob smiled when you took it, the candy melting a bit at where he had touched. “I’m glad you appreciate it, but you know that’s not what I’m looking for.”

You nibbled at it, reveling in its sweetness. It had been ages since you had had any chocolate and it was equal measures refreshing and heartwarming. “I hope you didn’t go out of your way for that,” you pointed out, fixing him with an amused look.

Jacob scoffed, breaking a small piece for himself, “no, I just happen to be a fan of chocolate myself,” he confessed, waving the still-considerable-bar in the air. “This is from my personal stash, actually.”

A stash. Again, the question about just who this man was nagged at the back of your mind. Chocolate was no cheap treat. “Don’t spoil him,” you looked at Jacob, stirring the infuser inside the teapot, “he’s too young and impressionable. Reality isn’t…,” you trailed off, lowering your head and staring at the chocolate in your hands.

“Reality isn’t what?,” Jacob called out, goading you on.

Sighing, you let go of the candy. “Reality isn’t this; random strange benefactors showing up at your flat,” you picked up the teapot, setting it over the table and moved towards the counter again, “with chocolate and food and offering to pay off your rent,” grabbing the piece of ham, you set it on the cutting board, “and wanting to give you money for whatever the reason!”

Jacob weighed your words, unmoving, and it both astounded and annoyed you in equal measures how he didn’t even flinch. “What is reality, then?”

You put the knife down, feeling the wet hot tears of anger welling up in your eyes. “It’s struggling,” you answered in a cold, matter-of-fact voice. “You work hard to gain your money, see that it’s not enough and you worry. You pay rent on your own, you buy food on your own, you teach your kids why’s that they can’t have a new toy or a pair of shoes on your own,” wiping the tears away, you fixed the man with a harsh stare, “that’s what reality is, and it’s not kind.”

He stayed silent for a short while, seeming to be mulling over what you had said and you were thankful for it in order to recollect yourself. “Maybe it doesn’t have to be that way,” Jacob whispered above the crackling of the fire and the distant chatter of the streets, “maybe fate has a kinder outlook on life than what you might be used to.”

Hesitating as you steadied yourself against the counter, you thought on what he had said. “It’s…,” stopping, you fixed a strand of hair behind your ear, “…a nice fantasy,” you decided ultimately, setting the plate of sliced ham on the table. The flat felt eerily quiet now, the tension in the air drowning out the sounds of the outer world. “But I won’t wait for it.”

It was a while since Jacob had been around.

Deep down, you feared you had been too harsh on your words; but in your defense, you were on the edge for days on end, looking for jobs that didn’t exist with people whispering behind your back in accusing tones; not to mention the whole situation with your son, now that he didn’t want go to Mrs. Dolloway’s. It wasn’t one of your best moments, you knew, but you couldn’t help but to lash out at anyone who pushed your buttons.

Sighing, you shook your head slightly, stitching a button into one of your worn out shirts. You wouldn’t be surprised if the man never showed up again; it had been almost a week, after all. You had paid rent with whatever was left of the money he had given you so freely before — under the doubtful gaze of Mr. Ross, who didn’t ask where you were getting those shiny new coppers — and feared what might come to happen if Tuesday came to be with you penniless.

Maybe you could sell one of your things, but what? You didn’t own anything but the necessary. It had been that way since father passed away, and—

No.

It wouldn’t do you any good to dive into painful memories and replay things over and over — you had to push forwards, no matter what.

With your mind set, you decided to get rid of the armchair if things didn’t improve soon. Nodding at your own decision, you looked over at the bedroom where Charlie slept soundly; lulled into sleep by the yellowish glow the fire from the stove cast into the walls of the flat. You couldn’t help but feel your heart squeeze tightly for him, as if someone had taken hold of it.

And that’s when frantic knock came down on the front door.

Startled, you hurriedly got up on your feet in order to stop the hellish noise before it woke your boy up. Muttering low curses, you went for the door and yanked it open with furrowed brows, only to be face to face with Jacob — a sweaty, red from exertion, with a manic smile Jacob.

“You won’t believe this!,” he started, letting himself in as he pushed the hood down from his face.

You were dumbstruck. He couldn’t be serious. “Jacob, you better have a good reason—“

“To come here in the middle of the night?,” he cut you, stepping closer and taking hold of your forearms with bare hands. “Believe me, I do!”

Curiosity spoke louder than the annoyance in your mind. “Out with it, then,” you spoke quietly, expertly shutting his mouth the moment he tried to speak again, “and try to be quieter, yes? Charlie’s asleep.”

Smiling wildly, Jacob leaned forwards — perhaps a bit too close than what you’d like — and whispered, “I got you a job.”

[ragnvdnir]

I have once again forgotten to address that i was cracking up when i saw your vyn emoji combo 😭😭😭 not the old man emoji—

And as a RICH (not clickbait <3) Zhongli main, I ALSO WENT THROUGH THAT BROKE-IN-MORA PHASE. Back in the ancient times, I would spend my mora in huge amounts only to be left with... 1 mora. But my first lowest mora record was 4. I COULD BARELY EVEN BUY SALT OR PEPPER 😭 but now, i have learned to farm mora endlessly to be RICH. 😉 I hope i could be of some inspiration to u 😤 but your experience was really funny knowing that you went broke first then he came home 🤭

I def won't shut my mouth if it means actually exposing u 👌 /j

Also the sudden outbursts of writing a fic in the middle of the night is really miraculous 🛌 brain, im supposed to be sleeping </3

— 🍰.

everyone says he looks like an old man😭 i think its bc of his hair but wtf😭😭 that is too much of slander here😔😔

its a thing now that when u have old man zhongli u are guaranteed to go broke atleast once🥳🥳 IM HAPPY BC THESE DAYS IVE BEEN FINANCIALLY STABLE AND SAVED UP 2 MILLION 😍😍😍 watch them go bye bye again days later

hwjaahkka yesss that was a funny experience for me, my instincts were strong and right that im gonna get zhongli i was just trying to convince myself i will infact get him and the thing that shocked me is i actually got him when im not even guaranteed like that was my first win of 50/50, i was very much ready to lose but zhongli proved me wrong🤡🤡

do it anon, go expose me bc im looking forward to it 🧐🧐🧐

oml why is always when you're abt to sleep or night that you sudden get that motivation and eagerness to write😭 i do be like that everytime👹👹

[chokememrstark]

The Soulmate Sam Never Asked For // Part 11

Ship: Samifer (Sam Winchester / Lucifer)

Words: 2411 (Chapter 11 / 12)

Fic Summary: Sam knows it's a long shot, but he really wants to help Lucifer and his brothers, so he contacts an old friend of his dad. Bobby, whom he has not seen in years but has fond memories off, turns out to be a true life savior and with his help, Sam actually begins to think everything will turn out to be good in the end.

college!AU, human!AU, soulmates!AU, dysfunctional families, abusive parents, dramatic romance, or romantic drama, your choice, big brother!Lucifer, soulmates hating each other, referenced alcoholism, death and abuse, some violence, and lots of feels, fluff and cuteness, some drama but not too much, lots of bickering, and two damn stubborn soulmates (!!)

Note: One chapter to go after this! Are you ready?

Tagging: @shebahda   @sassysupernaturalsweetheart    @spnyoucantkeepmedown  @brieflymaximumprincess @multifandomhcsforinsanity @etysky @justasmalltownsuperwholock @humongouscandycoffee @daddycasstiel @nnegann @blakechaos08

If you want off the tag list or want to be added, just drop me an ask or IM!

Read on AO3!

 It took Sam a few minutes after Lucifer had left to fully compose himself and his thoughts, but eventually he managed to focus back on what he wanted to do. There was a lot he had to tackle and even though he wasn’t sure about succeeding, he wanted to give it a try at least. After all, they were friends by now - probably more but Sam was still very much in denial about that - and seeing a friend suffer like this was enough reason to try and help him. Soulmates or not, he wasn’t going to let Lucifer go back to that human trash that called himself his father, no way.

 First, Sam went to see Ellen, the school counselor, again to talk about his current living situation. As it turned out the fact that he usually had no roommate was very helpful. Ellen assured him that Lucifer could stay for up to four weeks, because he was a student himself. After that he had to look for a different place to stay, but Sam hoped that there wouldn’t be a need for that by this time anymore. He thanked her and told her he’d attend classes again the next week, before going back to his room for the next thing on his list: call his brother.

 Dean was surprised that Sam called him this early, but more than that he was very happy and relieved. He monologued for a while about how Sam had to take it easy for a while and look after himself and the younger brother listened to everything patiently before finally asking the question he desperately wanted to ask.

 “You don’t happen to still have Bobby’s number, do you?” Bobby was an old friend of their dad, the only one that was actually reliable and nice, and Sam remembered that he had lived in Stanford a few years ago.

 “Bobby? Why do you want Bobby’s number?” Dean asked suspicious and Sam could almost hear his brother raise a brow at him.

 “It’s a long story. To keep it short: I need to talk to him about something important. Nothing to worry about, really.”

 “Wanna pay the old man a visit, huh?” Dean laughed, making Sam smirk slightly. “You’re lucky, I still have his number, but I don’t know if it’s still active.”

 “Just give it to me, I’ll find out soon enough.”

 Sam quickly wrote down the number Dean gave him after a few minutes of searching and thanked his brother. He promised to call back soon, but right now he was too focused on trying to reach Bobby to chat any longer - he didn’t say that of course, just that he was busy.

 After Sam dialed the number Dean gave him he felt a stone drop in his stomach when an electronic voice told him that it was unavailable. He already saw all his hopes vanish while checking the number again, only to realize he had switched two digits in his haste and anticipation. Relieved, he dialed the right number and this time it actually rang.

 “Singer Auto Salvage,” a grumpy voice answered the phone and Sam sank back onto his bed feeling ten pounds lighter already. “How can I help you?”

 “Bobby? It’s me, Sam. Remember me?”

 “Sam?” Bobby asked surprised, but not without a hint of recognition in his voice. “John Winchester’s boy?”

 “The one and only,” Sam grinned. “Okay, not the only one, but yeah, that Sam.”

 “Now that’s what I call a surprise!” Bobby said and laughed deep and rough. “What gives me the honor, boy?”

 “I’m in a little dilemma right now and wondered if you might be able to help me out,” Sam said and bit his lip. “Are you still in Stanford?”

 “Never left the place after coming here,” Bobby huffed with a hint of pride. “What dilemma are we talking about? Car broke down, drugs, police?”

 “No no no!” Sam quickly said and sat back up. “None of that, really! It’s more of a… living situation… I guess?”

 “Alright boy, stop dancing around the fire and spit it out.”

 And so Sam did. He told Bobby as much as he had to without digging into the soulmate thing too much, just telling him that Lucifer was a very good friend and about the horrible conditions he lived under. He felt stupid for taking so much time to explain, but it was a long story and Bobby was the only one who might be able to help him at the moment. After he was done the phone was silent for almost a minute before he finally heard a deep and long sigh at the other end.

 “Oh boy, you really know how to get yourself into trouble, don’t you?”

 “You know who my brother is, do you really have to ask?”

 “Don’t get me started on that one,” Bobby growled. “He      would    have called because he sat in jail.”

 “Probably, yeah,” Sam laughed. “So, can you help me out somehow? I don’t really know who else to ask…”

 “You’re lucky, boy,” Bobby said, raising Sam’s hope for the first time that day. “You remember the house I lived in when you visited me with your dad as a kid?”

 “The one you sold when you bought your salvage yard?” Sam asked surprised.

 “That one, but I never sold it. It’s still mine, it’s just been empty for a few years. You can have it if you want to, but there’s a few things that need to be done. It’s not in the best shape anymore, but better than nothing.”

 “Really?” Sam couldn’t believe it. “Bobby, you’re saving my ass, thank you!”

 “Don’t thank me yet, as I said, there’s some things to do. The stairs need to be repaired and the electricity is a bitch, but if you wanna take it, I’ll help you with that.”

 “I don’t know what to say, that’s awesome! Where is it? I can’t remember anymore. Is it far from college? Can I take a look at it?”

 “Whoa, slow down, boy,” Bobby laughed. “It’s about half an hour away if you walk,I can show it to you today if you want to, the yard is closed anyways. How about we meet there in an hour? I need to find the keys first, haven’t been there in a while.”

 “Of course, yes! Can you give me the address? I’ll be there!”

 “Eager as always,” Bobby laughed and Sam joined in immediately. “Get some paper, I’ll tell you where to go.”

 Sam already had that luckily, so he quickly wrote down the address and thanked Bobby again before hanging up. He didn’t dare to be too excited yet, after all the house could be a huge mess, but this was more than he had hoped for. He debated for a moment whether he should tell Lucifer already or not, but given this concerned him too he decided to go for it. When he broke the news to him, Lucifer was very confused.

 “Wait, what are you talking about?”

 “Okay, sorry, I’m not making sense, I know.” Sam scratched his head and took a deep breath. “I talked to a family friend, Bobby, who lives here too. He owns a house that he used to live in a few years ago, as far as I remember it’s rather big too. He said he can show me today but there will be a few things that need to be done. But I can have it, he said.”

 “Wow, that’s… wow…”

 “Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, it won’t be perfect, but I wanted to ask if you wanna come and take a look at it with us? Maybe this could be a way out. It’s half an hour away from campus, so not that far, what do you say?”

 “I can’t say no, can I?” Lucifer asked and Sam heard him chuckle. “Alright, give me the address and I’ll come over. Afterwards you can come with me and visit Raph, he’s asking for you already.”

 “Of course, yes!” Sam agreed excited and gave Lucifer the address. “See you in an hour, okay?”

 “I’ll be there. And do me a favor; don’t wet your pants yet. From all you know it could be a disaster.”

 “Yeah, but a disaster is still better than being homeless, right? See you later!”

 Sam hung up and finally allowed himself to breathe again. If this would turn out to be a place they could stay in, things might turn out good somehow. He wasn’t sure how bad the state of the house truly was, Lucifer was right with that, but he knew Bobby and how good he was when it came to repairing things - with his help they’d be able to manage.

 Waiting was almost like torture, so in the end, Sam called a taxi after just half an hour and arrived at the house fifteen minutes early. This, however, gave him the time to take a look at it from the outside already. It wasn’t as bad as he had expected. One of the window blinds was hanging off, a window was cracked and it desperately needed a paint job, but overall it seemed to be in a rather solid condition. Sam also noticed that there was apparently a yard in the back of the house that he didn’t remember, which looked like a little jungle from all the neglect, but definitely had a certain charm to it. He was still leaning over the small iron gate that led into it when he suddenly felt a strong grip on his shoulder and nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun around.

 “Bobby!” Sam yelped at the sight of the man in front of him - visibly older than he remembered him but recognizable right away with his worn trademark basecap and the beard that covered half his face. “Don’t scare me like that!”

 “You’ve grown quite a bit,” Bobby said and Sam saw a smile under his beard. “Last time I saw you you barely reached my head when jumping.”

 “It’s been a while, yeah,” Sam laughed awkwardly and the next second he was pulled into a big hug that nearly pushed the air out of his lungs.

 “Good to see you again, boy,” Bobby said and patted Sam’s back roughly. “Good to see you again.”

 “Same here, Bobby,” Sam gasped and returned the gesture weakly. “It’s been way too long.”

 “So, wanna take a look inside?”

 “In a minute, my friend comes over too, is that alright?” Sam asked a bit embarrassed. “I thought he might wanna see it himself, you know.”

 “No problem, we have time after all,” Bobby smiled. “What do you think so far?”

 “Looks good,” Sam smiled back and turned towards the house again, bracing his hips. “I expected worse to be honest, but it looks almost like all those years ago.”

 “You know I take good care of my belongings,” Bobby laughed, crossing his arms. “I would have stayed here but the Salvage Yard was too good of a deal to pass on it. Still come here from time to time to dwell in memories.”

 “You sure loved this place, didn’t you?”

 “Of course,” Bobby nodded slowly. “Karen fell in love with it when she first saw it and there was no way I couldn’t have bought it. I tried to keep it all in good shape after she died, that was the least I could do for her.”

 “You did a great job, Bobby,” Sam said and laid a hand on the older man’s shoulder in sympathy. “We’ll take good care of it, I promise.”

 “I know you will. You’ve always been the responsible one in your family, even as a kid. I trust you with this.”

 Sam smiled when he heard a car drive up to them, making the two turn around. A minute passed before the passenger’s door open and Lucifer stepped out, which made Sam’s smile widen a bit as the other walked over to them.

 “Lucifer, finally! This is my old friend Bobby,” Sam introduced the two. “Bobby, this is Lucifer, the friend I told you about.”

 Lucifer held out his hand and shook Bobby’s, both eyeing each other extensively.

 “Pleasure to meet you;” Lucifer smiled, to which Bobby nodded slowly.

 “Same here, son. Now that everyone’s here, how about we take a look inside?”

 The old man let go of Lucifer’s hand and fetched a bundle of keys from his pocket while the two boys walked up behind him. Lucifer gave Sam a weird and amused smile, to which Sam had a hard time suppressing the urge to laugh.

 Bobby made sure to show the boys every inch of the house, from the basement to the attic it took around an hour to see everything. The stairway needed a new rail and had a few broken steps, the electricity did act up from time to time as Bobby had told Sam and one of the toilets didn’t work, but other than that all the house really needed was a good clean up and some new paint. Sam was surprised how big the house actually was, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a big living room and a big kitchen with a dining area it was the perfect size for their needs. And the garden, even though wild and untamed right now, was a great addition to the whole place.

 “What do you think? A bit of work and it should be as good as new,” Bobby said after they walked back out.

 “It’s a great house indeed,” Lucifer agreed and looked up at the building. “And you really want to offer it to us?”

 “Of course,” Bobby nodded. “It’s a shame no one is living here anymore and I’d be glad to know it in good hands.”

 “It will be, promised!” Sam assured him immediately. “I’m sure Raph will love it too, not to talk about Gabriel.”

 “Oh yes, I’m sure they would love it,” Lucifer smiled. “I’m out of words, really. I can’t thank you enough for your offer, I promise you we will take good care of it.”

 “You better,” Bobby laughed and eyed Lucifer closely again. “I’ll know where you live, remember that.”

 At that, all three of them laughed and Sam hadn't felt this content in a very long time. Yes, maybe things would turn out good after all. He really hoped so at least.