#in fact. the fact that ANYONE checked in baffles me in the most pleasant way its like!! wow! ok thats really neat!

[hxlcyon]

hallo!! sorry to ask this since it’s been a year since you’ve updated it, but do you have any plans to add the last chapter of ‘in figure eights’? the way you wrote it was incredible and it’s become one of my favorite leona fics!

hello! thank you so much for reaching out! wow, it's been a while since i've thought about "in figure eights"—this ask came in at a super convenient time for it actually! the short answer to your question is: absolutely yes!

the longer answer (and subsequent explanation + time frame)? uhm. hm. a little harder to pinpoint. i've had the final chapter drafted and outlined for a while, but i never got around to what i deem "i-stare-at-the-screen-and-edit-so-hard-i-go-into-a-trance-time" LMAO but it was also in part to three (really one) little things

1. despite my most recent work being an ace fic, i haven't actually been into twst in a hot second! i think... i'm still in early chapter 6..? i watch main chapter translations with a friend, but we got so busy we never caught up to it! so without being able to catch up, i avoided twst just for spoilers and to hyperfixate on other things while i waited! which is hilarious you say that because literally just yesterday, we finally decided catch up this week! so, there's a good chance tbh that i'll hyperfixate on twst again 2+3. writer's block + time/bad memory: yeah. uh. yeah. i've been slowly getting back into writing though! academia work burned me out hard my first semester of college orz

[silvervioletvalentine]

❣️!Best kept secret!❣️

Pairing: Sebastian vettel X fem!OC(Cherrie)

Word count : 7k

Warnings- none. Just pure fluff really. Seb being a stubborn lovesick idiot. Enjoy xoxo

Sebastian tried so hard to ignore the mixture of pitiful and amused looks that were being sent his way from the crew, deliberately not making eye contact with any of them as he stubbornly stood by the side of the track as he waited for the one woman that wouldn't leave his mind .

Placing his hands on his hips with a impatient sigh as he squinted his eyes over at her car , seeing her still sat inside of it as one of her engineers knelt down beside her to talk to her about something.

She still hadn't taken her helmet off either , but he could see her occasionally nodding to something the guy said.

It had been another good race that had put him in high spirits . So much so that he was willing to keep persistently sticking around in hopes of getting Cherrie just actually talk to him again.

Because all of his desperate ways that he had tried to get the two of them to bond over hadn't really worked out so far.

In fact , they hasn't worked out at all.

She didn't seem to want to hang out with him one on one at all. Most men would be too stung from the repeated rejection to continue pursuing her, but not him.

Oh no. Definitely not. Who did they think he was? Some teenager that was too scared to talk to a girl?

Instead each time she pushed him away with a forced yet polite smile on her pretty face . He became more determined to get her to crack and let him in.

He would get her to like him, even if he got his pride hurt while doing so.

She had already shot him down about a hundred times anyways , so what was another hundred more?

Seb was baffled to why she just wouldn't give in and give him a chance . From the moment they had met it was as though she had silently declared to herself that she wouldn't be giving him a second glance , and that she definitely wouldn't be giving into his persistence for them to be friends either.

And he had tried everything too. He had tried just casually talking about their cars.

He had tried complimenting her every time she passed him by, even giving her a little wink every time he saw her.

That usually worked wonders. How could anyone resist his charm? Only his boyish charm didn’t seem to even reach her!

She had actually grimaced and looked away like she was embarrassing .

It had stung a little at the time because what the hell? Did she really not like him? He was nothing but kind and pleasant towards her! He always made sure that she got the best seat in the meeting rooms and that there was always a coffee awaiting for her when she arrived .

He always made sure to double check her car for her before the race would start too , just to make sure that it all looked good enough to his high standards.

Not that she knew that he liked to inspect her car before hand , she didn't like people even touching her car . He had a feeling that she would hate it even more if she found out that he was the one hovering over it too.

He had even bought her flowers! Only He had gotten back to his trailer later that day to find them placed on top of his table with the little card he had written for her missing. Instead it had been placed with one of her own,

In neat cursive letters she had written

'flowers make me sneeze. Thanks anyways.' He hadn't believed it.

Because it seemed that no matter what he did or what he said to try and convince her to give him a chance , she just shot him down without a second thought .

All Sebastian wanted to do was get to her a little better. He was fascinated by her. He had been since they first met and she had strutted inside the paddock with the tightest jeans on that he had ever seen , a tank top with her car number printed on the front hugging her body. With long shiny hair and pouty lips , and eyes like a fucking siren.

Well , how was Sebastian supposed to just not fall in love with her?

He hadn't wasted anytime in throwing himself in her direction and greeting her enthusiastically , a wide smile of awe on his face as he shook her hand for a little too long .

Holding onto her soft skin for longer than necessary as he introduces himself . Discreetly checking her fingers for a ring too.

It was bare. She was engaged married.

Perfect!

"If you need anything... and I mean anything.." he had wiggled his eyebrow at her cheekily , memorised by the woman in front of him.

"You can come to me. I'm Sebastian by the way." He had quickly added once she just continued to look at him with a unamused look her on her gorgeous face.

Cherrie had just hummed and pulled her hand smoothly out from his grip. Wiping it down on the front of her jeans with a slight grimace.

"I won't be needing anything from you. Only the directions to the office.." she had murmured.

No longer paying him any interest as she looked around the building surrounding them, taking it all in.

Sebastian had still kept smiling , not giving up. That just wasn't who he was.

"I can come with you. It's only around the corner. Fifth door on the left." He told her with a slight smirk , having assumed that she would agree and that she would take the ball that was being thrown desperately into her court .

Cherrie had just looked back at with a unimpressed raise of her perfect brows , shaking her head in a firm no.

"If it's only around the corner then I do not need someone to hold my hand there. See you around Sebastian ." She merely uttered before She then pulled her sunglasses down from her head and smoothly placed them over her eyes. Not giving him another glance before strutting away.

Even though he could hear the snickers of amusement from around him at the way she had so easily shut him down, Sebastian just didn't care .

Instead he had sighed long and hard then , smiling like an idiot as he looked over at Daniel who he was about to have lunch with .

The other driver was giggling to himself as he looked back at him like he was insane , wondering why he didn't seem upset or thrown off by her rejection at all.

But Sebastian had merely breathed out a excited “I think I'm in love." Already planning on how he was going to get into her good graces and make her fall in love with him too.

Daniel was still laughing at him even now , seven months later , as he patted him on the back as he watched Seb wait for her to get out of her car, still as stubborn as the day they had met .

"Are you ever going to give up? Cause this is getting kind of painful to watch ya know.." Daniel remarked to him with a amused smirk on his face , leaning back against the railing beside him.

Sebastian just looked back at him with a raise of his brow , shaking his head . "Would you give up on the chance of being with your dream woman Danny?" He resorted back to him, crossing his arms over his chest and humming triumphantly at his silence .

"No you wouldn't. I'm a man. Not a boy. It's just taking a little more time to get her to come around than I thought.." he muttered , sighing a little at the thought of his lack of progress .

Although she had gotten him a lovely card and a mini replica of his own racing car for his birthday.

That had got to have meant something .

Daniel shook his head at him , amused. "She's not giving you many chances though is she? In fact every time she sees you, she runs way." He stated.

Sebastian frowned at him , in denial. "She does not run away. She just has things to do.." he said to make himself feel better about the fact that sometimes she did in fact …walk a little faster in the opposite direction to where he was.

No big deal. He still had hope.

Daniel barked out a laugh "all the time? Why do you want this so bad man? I mean I understand that she's beautiful but she's absolutely brutal with the way she's always rejecting you. It's hard to watch."

Sebastian sighed a little and pursed his lips , glancing back over to his right just in time to see Cherrie slowly pull herself up out of her car .

Watching as she carefully took off her helmet and shook out her hair , his breath hitching in his throat as he watched her smile prettily as something that her engineer had said.

"Because Dan. She's so smart . And so cool. And I just look at her and I just know ..." he sighed like a lovesick puppy .

"I just know that she's the one that I've been waiting for. She's so good at insulting people too.. she's so mean.." he let out a chuckle of adoration . Shaking his head a little .

"She makes me feel young again." He concluded to him , speaking truthfully .

He wasn't ashamed of how she made him feel. Why should he be? You couldn't help who you fell in love with.

When it happened it just happened and it would hit you hard. Just like the way his heart had raced in his chest and his whole body had felt like it was on live wire when he first shook her hand and looked into her beautiful eyes. He had known then what he knew now.

He wanted her. And that was never going to change .

So instead of moping about and letting his one opportunity to find happiness pass him by , he had decided to relentlessly pursue her instead.

Daniel was looking at him like he had grown a third head. Laughing "you like it when she's being mean to you?" He repeated out loud in disbelief . Cackling.

Sebastian just smirked and nodded his head. "Oh yeah. The crueller she is , the more I want her. She's got a wicked tongue.." he tilted his head dreamily at the thought of her.

His face Lighting up as Cherrie finally started heading their way, watching as she unzipped her race suit and tied it loosely around her waist .

He jogged over to her quickly , hearing Daniels laughter and the amused 'good luck' that he called out to him.

Cherrie looked up from her phone at the sound of him clearing his throat in front of her. Slowly coming to a stop as she noticed just who it was that had dared to disturb her peace.

Fighting back a sigh when she was faced with Sebastian grinning face , his eyes twinkling under the sun as he crossed his arms behind his back and rocked on the edge of his feet like a little kid.

Pursing her lips , she side eyed him. Just wanting to get home.

"Yes? Can I help you?" She drawled a little sarcastically after another minute of him just gazing at her with his pretty eyes.

Why did god like to make the most annoying ones look like angels? It really wasn't fair. She thought to herself grimly.

Seb smiled brightly , humming happily. "Just wanted to say hi and ask what you were doing." He simply replied .

Before suddenly reaching out and taking her helmet from her hands without even asking , turning it this way and that way as he inspected the new design she had .

Humming in approval as he tapped the top of it with his knuckles to make sure that it was well made.

Cherrie frowned a little at him. Chewing on the inside of her cheek as she watched him open and close her visor , making sure that it worked smoothly.

Feeling her heart clench in her chest a little at the way he was still so determined to win her over.

She wasn't stupid . She knew that he liked her. Anyone could see that.

From the way he followed her around and never left her alone , chatting her ear off even when he knew she wasn't listening .

It made her feel really bad but she had to keep her priorities straight and a new romance just wasn't on her cards .

She was certain that he only liked the thrill of the chase and that as soon as he actually got to know her and see what a fucked up life she lived, he wouldn't be looking at her like she hung the sun and the moon anymore .

She couldn't risk letting him in. She had let a man fuck her over before and she wasn't keen to let her heart get broken like that again.

So instead she did what she did best, she tried to push him away.

But my god was he a stubborn man.

"I was just about to go home . I haven't ate since this morning." She muttered as she took her helmet back from him . Glancing over to the exit door to her right that was just waiting for her.

Seb shoved his hands into his Jean pockets and rocked back on his feet again. Not taking his eyes away from her pretty face .

"I could take you out for something to eat. There's a great sushi place not far from here." He casually offered . Still smiling at her , the hope make his eyes shine.

Cherrie held back another sigh and looked away from him. Feeling bad for how she was about to shut him down, yet again.

"I don't like sushi." She simply answered. Eyeing the silly headband that was pushed into his messy hair , fighting back a small smile at the way he kept reaching up to adjust it.

She hated that he looked so good. He was just her type. It made it even harder for her to stick to her resolve .

She didn't date. She didn't have the time to. She didn't want to either. She had better things to worry about .

Sebastian didn't even hesitate "pizza then?"

She shook her head , holding back a laugh. "I don't like pizza." She told him blandly. Hands on her hips , mimicking his posture .

At that Sebastian paused , looking at her strangely .

"You don't like pizza?" He repeated in disbelief , eyeing her with clear judgment .

"Who doesn't like pizza? Not even a simple pepperoni one?" He gasped.

She just shrugged her shoulder casually "I don't. I'm not a big fan of cheese."

It gets worse. Seb thought to himself in horror as he stared back at her with wide eyes, utterly disgraced .

"This might be a deal breaker. You can't not like cheese Cher. Have you never tasted happiness?" He joked . Utterly taken back by what he was hearing.

How could he love a woman who didn't like pizza or cheese? What was he supposed to feed her now?

Lettuce? Next thing he knew she would be telling him that she hated fruit as well.

Cherrie rolled her eyes at him with a small smile , laughing a little .

Sebastian lit up at the sound , his lips parting slightly as he grinned back at her cheekily. Proud of himself for making her laugh.

"A deal breaker for what? I wasn't aware that there was a deal to even break." She remarked as she looked down at her phone screen to check the time. Feeling more antsy with each minute passed that she wasn't on her way home.

Sebastian just sighed and patted her head as though she was the pitiful one.

"Our date to be." He confidently told her .

Grinning at the way she immediately shook her head , unamused with him.

"What will we eat together? We might have to order two different things because I don't think I can live without cheese." He added as an afterthought . Genuinely serious at it.

Cherrie gaped at him in disbelief . "Date? We're not going on a date! How many times-" she huffed . Utterly done with him. It was like he had selective hearing .

When she said no , he only heard a yes.

Sebastian just chuckled , smirking down at her.

"Yes we are. It's just a little difficult to arrange a date and time with you. You're not an easy woman to get ahold of!" He cheesed unashamedly .

Cherrie couldn't believe how stubborn he was. Groaning loudly as she rubbed her hands over her face in mild annoyance.

"Ever thought it's because I don't want to date you Seb?" She snapped at him , quickly typing a reply out to her brother who was asking when she was going to be home.

He sighed , titling his head at her curiously . "But why?" He wanted to know her reasoning for constantly shutting him down.

“I like you and I think that we'd be great together. You're the most beautiful woman in the world and I'm the most handsome man-"

She cut him off with a huff. Trying so hard not to smile at his theatrics . She couldn't let him know how hard she wanted to cave.

He was cocky enough without any encouragement from her side.

"You don't even know me! Finding me pretty isn't a good enough reason to date me Seb." She exclaimed , exasperated.

Sebastian groaned in frustration. And they said he was stubborn! She was just as bad!

"I'm trying to get to you know cherrie! And that's a lie. All relationships start with mutual attraction. Where I find you hot and you find me ravishingly handsome-" he grinned , unable to help himself from winding her up a little .

He liked the way her eyes looked when she was glaring at him. It honestly turned him on a little .

Cherrie gasped at his arrogance . "Who said I'm attracted to you?!" Her voice went higher in pitch

As she scowled over at him in annoyance .

He just rose his brows at her slyly "so you want to tell me that you don't think I'm handsome?"

She flustered . Stammering for a response for long enough that Sebastian felt gleeful.

He knew it. He knew she felt the buzz between them.

"That's not the point!" She finally manage to huff out. Clenching her helmet in her hands so she didn't throw it at his stupidly handsome face.

Sebastian just sighed . Bending his head down a little so he could catch her eye.

"Come on Cherrie.." he said a little quieter this time, the joking tone leaving his voice as he pleaded with her again. "Just give me a chance. Just one date."

Cherrie felt terrible then. But she just couldn't. He was such a great guy, any woman would be lucky to have him.

But she had so much going on in her life, she didn't want to drag him into her mess. That wasn't fair.

He wouldn't like her if he actually got to know her . Nobody did.

Men came and went like seasons in her life but it wasn't just her own heart she had to protect anymore . There were bigger things at stake.

She couldn’t get hurt again.

So swallowing down the lump in her throat , she plastered on a small smile and with her free arm she loosely wrapped it around his shoulders in a fleeting hug.

Making Sebastian freeze in shock as he looked down at her with wide eyes before quickly sliding his arms around her waist and squeezing her back.

She pulled away with a sad little sigh that made his heart clench in his chest. Patting his shoulder gently before pulling away completely.

"I'm not worth it Seb. Don't waste your time." She simply mumbled to him before walking away to the exit door , not looking back.

Leaving Sebastian to look at where she had just been stood with a frown on his face , pursing his lips in confusion and frustration. Wondering why she acted this way all the time.

"I'm not giving up." He muttered to himself as he turned around and started to head back to his trailer to think.

“There's got to be more to it."

And how right he was.

Because that following Saturday Sebastian almost had a heart attack as as he saw a familiar car slid off the track in front of him, spinning a couple of times before crashing into the wall , hard.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he stopped his car , his radio quickly coming on as he was told to pull back and follow the safety car until they got rid of the debris on the track.

But Sebastian couldn't take his eyes away from the crushed car , hands squeezing his wheel anxiously.

"Was that Cherrie?!" He shouted down his radio in a panic , leaning his head forward as far as he could to try and get a better look.

"Follow the car please Sebastian!"

"Was it?! It is her car!" He gasped as he saw the familiar number on the side . Catching sight of her helmet as he watched them try to flip her car back up right .

She wasn't moving .

"She's not getting out!" He shouted in panic , feeling sick with worry. "Why isn't she getting out?! Is she okay? Will someone fucking answer me?!" He angrily snapped down the radio when he got nothing but silence .

A voice finally came through "she's going to be okay Sebastian. She's answered her radio. Her wheels just stuck. They'll get her out." He informed him calmly .

He breathed of a breath of relief as he slowly began to drive again, following the safety car . Still keep her car in his sight the best he could before he turned the corner and he could no longer see her.

"Fucking hell!" He hissed upset "i hope she's okay. That looked really nasty. She was in the lead too!" He felt terrible for her. He knew how much she wanted to win this one.

"Just focus on the race Sebastian. You've got a better advantage now. You can still win this!" His coach tried to encourage him.

It only made Sebastian more mad. Scowling to himself as his stomach continued to turn with worry as they went around the track again. Only this time when he passed her crashed car , she was no longer inside of it.

"I don't give a shit about winning! Is she injured? Is it bad? Where has she gone?!" He wanted to know.

His coach sighed knowing that there was would be no calming him down until he saw her fit and healthy in front of his own two eyes.

"She looked okay. More shocked than anything. She refused to go with the medics. I think she's going home. She won't hear otherwise. You know how she is." He reluctantly told him.

Sebastian slammed his hands against the wheel in frustration. "Fucking stubborn woman!" He cursed in disbelief .

"She could lose a leg and she would still say she's fine! I can't believe this!" He snapped as they all lined up ready to continue the race again.

Pursing his lips together , upset.

"Where does she live? I don't have her address!" He demanded to know. Already planning on hauling ass over to her place as soon as the race was done

"Seb I can't just give you her address, that's private-"

He was having none of it. "Send me the address through text otherwise I'm not finishing this race." He threatened him seriously . Not kidding about.

There was a long pause from his radio before his coach finally sighed in defeat.

"Okay you win . I've sent it to you now. Just finish the race please." Was all he told him. Fed up.

Sebastian breathed out in relief , shoulders relaxing a little again.

“The faster I am the sooner I can leave." He muttered before he was off again.

It took him less than an hour to arrive at her apartment . Having been let up by one of her kind neighbours after he had told her that he was surprising her with his visit , he had been let up without any problems.

He knocked on her door loudly , impatiently rocking on his feet as he waited for her to answer . Checking his phone for a minute to make sure that he had in fact gotten the right address.

His head lifting back up as he heard the lock unlatch before sliding open, Cherrie's shocked face looking back at him as she finally swung open the door.

"What the hell? How do you know where I live?!" She exclaimed in disbelief , heart falling to her stomach.

Sebastian was too busy scanning her for injuries to notice how uneasy she suddenly looked , glancing over her shoulder and back Into her home nervously .

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Why didn't you see the medic?!" He ignored her question as he pushed his way into her apartment . Ignoring her loud protests for him to get out.

Gently grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around so he could look at her closely . Seeing a few bruises on her arms and legs with the way she was stood in front of him in her pyjama shorts and tank .

The door fell closed behind her as she blinked back at him silently , still in shock at his sudden arrival.

Seeing this, he frowned . assuming that she was hurt and just not telling him, he gently took ahold of her arm and lead her over to the couch.

Only to stop short at the sight of a tiny toddler sat on it while looking back at him with wide , curious eyes.

He blinked . Then he blinked again.

Clearly his throat a little as he glanced between the baby and Cherrie , who had gone pale from beside him.

"There's a baby on your couch." He stated the obvious . Utterly baffled.

Scanning the baby's big blue eyes and curly hair, a cute button nose and dimpled smile as she made cute noises up at him. Drinking from a pink bottle that was filled with orange juice.

"I know." Was all Cherrie muttered . Pulling her arm out of his grasp and walking over to the baby.

Carefully lifting up the bottle from her mouth and wiping her chin with a her bib from where she had spilled the drink down herself .

Sebastian just watched her caring actions with utter confusion. Frowning to himself as he looked between the two of them rapidly.

"Did you steal her from someone? Is that why you're always behaving so suspiciously?” He blurted out.

Placing his hands on his hips as he looked around the room, taking in all the toys and teddies that were scattered everywhere . A pile of baby clothes folded in the corner .

What the hell was going on? Who’s kid was this?

Cherrie deadpanned at him. Unamused by his accusation of her being a baby snatcher .

Rolling her eyes with a small snort as she picked up Angel and carefully put her on her hip, swaying them side to side a little as she looked back at Sebastian with a defeated sigh.

She might as well break the news to him now. She thought with a grimace. It's not like he would be sticking around much longer when he found out.

"No Sebastian. I haven't kidnapped her from anybody." She sighed loudly , gently smoothing her fingers through angels curly hair.

“She's mine."

Sebastian just looked at her blankly . Wondering if he had misheard her .

"Sorry?" Was all that came out . Swallowing thickly as he looked between the two of them again. A little more closely this time.

At the baby in her arms who had the same eyes and cute button nose . Same dimpled smile too.

No fucking way.

Cherrie carefully sat down on the couch , shifting Angel so that she was facing the tv with cartoonson.

"This is my daughter Seb. She's called Angel. She's almost two years old." She told him simply , getting it over with.

Sebastian felt his throat run dry. Brain freezing as he let out a simple yet shocked 'oh.'

Scratching at his neck a little nervously , eyes flickering down to Angel again only to see the baby already grinning up at him toothlessly.

"Fucking hell. How did this happen?" He breathed out in shock.

Slowly walking over to them but instead of sitting next to Cherrie on the couch like she thought he would , he instead knelt down on the floor in front of Angel and then proceeded to gently poke her nose .

Laughing quietly to himself as she let out a loud giggle , wiggling on cherries lap happily.

"Lo! Lo!" She shouted at him , giggling like a maniac . Blowing a raspberry at him in the air too.

Cherrie looked down at her baby with a amused smile , shaking her head fondly with a chuckle.

"Hello. It's hello baby." She corrected her gently , letting her shuffle further forward on her lap so that she could reach Sebastian better.

Her baby had never been a shy girl after all.

"And do I really need to tell you how it happened Seb?" She sarcastically said "one day I was drunk and horny and then the next thing I knew I was already three months pregnant! Not rocket science." She muttered .

He rose a unimpressed brow at her , shaking his head .

“That's not what I meant and you know it." He replied before letting out a loud laugh when Angel suddenly lurched forward and slapped both of her hands against his cheeks. Squishing them together roughly until His lips puckered .

"Ow." He grinned , amused by the ridiculous amount of strength in her tiny hands.

Cherrie frowned at him, although she couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips as she watched him gently squish her baby's cheeks together in return. Making Angel shriek with high pitched giggles .

"I meant -" he looked up at her again, titling his head slightly in confusion.

"why didn't I know? Why didn't you tell anybody that you had a kid? It's a pretty big deal Cher." He stated the obvious.

He was also a little impressed at how good she was at keeping secrets. What else was she hiding from them?

He wouldn’t be surprised if she suddenly told him that she was Spanish and had been living two different lives this entire time!

Then he watched as Angel make grabby hands at him, looking up at him with expectant wide eyes. His heart melted.

"Can I? Promise I won't drop her." He said as he nodded down to her baby.

Cherrie hesitating for a moment before letting out a soft sigh and carefully passing him Angel to hold.

Watching as he got to his feet with her , holding her properly before he let out a cheeky grin , side eyeing the love of his life before he then pretended to drop her .

Making Angel squeal in delight and Cherrie gasp sharply in horror.

"Seb!" She scolded him. Reaching out to slap at his thigh , hard . "Don't do that!"

He just laughed . Winking at her cheekily.

Picking up a plastic tiara from the table , he carefully slid it onto angels small head . grinning at how cute she looked.

"Where's your crown Angel? You're a queen not a princess!" He gasped jokingly as he pretended to look around for the crown. Making Angel giggle.

She then lifted the tiara from her head and shoved it ontop of his head instead. Clapping her hands together in pure excitement .

"Pwincess! Look mommy!" She exclaimed , pulling on a piece of Sebastian's hair hard enough that he winced in pain .

Squinting his eyes at cherrie when she let out a small giggle of amusement. Tutting at her as he carefully untangled her fingers from his hair before she made him go completely bald.

That was not a look that he wanted to rock yet.

Cherrie smiled brightly . Lifting up her phone to snap a quick photo of them for future blackmail.

"Amazing." She cooed to her baby . Before looking back at Seb with a raise of her brow as she realised that she hadn't answered his last question.

"I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want anyone to know. I want her to at least have a chance at having a normal life . Plus I was a worried that the team wouldn't sign me if they knew I was a mother." She admitted to him . Leaning back on the couch with a sigh.

Sebastian carefully put Angel down in front of the tv where she quickly became hypnotised by it.

Then he walked over to the couch and took a seat next to Cherrie, their thighs brushing together as he looked down at her with a slight frown.

Feeling upset that she had been doing all this alone while he had absolutely no idea she even had baby! If he had known, then she wouldn't have had to go through it alone.

He would have supported her.

Did she think that he would judge her for being a single mother? He worried to himself as he noticed the way she was avoiding his gaze . Her cheeks a little pink. Clearly flustered by him finding out her biggest secret.

The thought that she didn't trust him stung more than he would like to admit.

"I wish you had told me .." he honestly said. Sliding his arm around her shoulder and bringing her closer into his side .

She grumbled a little but didn't bother pulling away.

Instead she peered up at him through her long lashes and said "yeah. Maybe it would have made you stop asking me out all the time." She muttered.

Sebastian snorted at that. Smirking down at her in amusement .

“Wouldn't have changed a thing." He told her simply .

“I Still like you. You having a baby doesn't change that." He said truthfully .

Although he was more than shocked by it , it didn't repulse him. Didn't change his feelings for her in the slightest. If anything it only made him admire her even more .

The fact that she had been racing all day and then coming home to do look after her baby as well, without any help or anyone even knowing , was amazing .

He realised then why she always left the paddock in such a rush when the race was over now.

She wasn't avoiding him. She wasn't being rude.

She just wanted to get back home to her baby. It was admirable really.

Cherrie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Shifting in her seat so she could face him properly , her heart racing in her chest as she peered up at him in shock.

It didn't?

"You still want-" she hesitated to say it. Cheeks darkening with colour . Hating herself for feeling so hopeful then.

She had been pushing him away for so long because she had thought that he would have been put off when he found out that she had a baby. Most men were. They didn’t want the extra responsibility.

Yet Sebastian didn't even flinch. Instead he took it all in his stride and continued to flirt with her like nothing had changed.

Seb smirked a little as he slid his fingers into her hair , gently massaging her scalp to get her to relax.

His face softening fondly as he watched her sigh contently before finally letting herself give in a little.

His breath hitching as she gently rested her head against his shoulder , her fingers fiddling with the hem of his shirt tiredly.

Overwhelmed by the sudden feelings rising inside of her. Feelings that she had pushed down for so long in fear of letting her guard down and getting her heart broken.

"I still want you." He whispered to her softly with a smile. Tilting his head and Resting his cheek against the top of her head, warmth filling his chest at how domestic and right it felt.

"Still want to take you out on a date. Although I don't know where , miss picky ." He teased her quietly . Looking over at Angel who was playing with some dolls on the carpet , his face softening even further.

She had the cutest kid in the world.

How was his heart going to survive this? His life was already so full of light with Cherrie in it but a mini version of her as well? Was he dreaming?

Cherrie blinked back the sudden tears in her eyes. Instead she buried her face into his neck and let out a small laugh of both relief and defeat.

Squeezing her arms around his waist to hold him close. Something she had been wanting to do for so long now.

"Does Angel like cheese?" He then suddenly asked her. Still playing with her hair as they relaxed. Chewing on his bottom lip as different date ideas filled his head.

Cherrie snorted "loves it."

Seb grinned smugly "smart kid. I suppose I could get me and Angel a pizza and you can have something else . What's your favourite food?" He casually said as though it was no big deal that he was offering to include her baby in the deal too.

Cherrie pulled away from him with a small sniffle, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"Seriously? You don't mind that I have a baby? Because I can't just mess around with you Sebastian. She comes first , always. I can't have people coming in and out of her life if they're not going to stick around." She told him seriously . Fiddling with her fingers anxiously .

Sebastian just smiled and grabbed her hand in his own, intertwining their fingers instead .

Squeezing her hand three times before he spoke, voice soft and honest.

"I've been serious about you since day one Cherrie. I haven't been asking you out every day for the past year for a laugh." He answered.

With his other hand he reached up and cupped her jaw gently , titling his chin up at her as he searched her eyes. Needing her to understand just how real and unrelenting his feelings for her were.

"I've got a little not so secret , secret of my own." He then whispered to her cheekily.

She grinned , leaning into his touch as he nudged the tip of their noses together softly. His sparkling eyes never leaving her own.

"Yeah?"

He hummed thickly as their lips brushed against each other , barely touching yet it was enough to make his skin prickle with goosebumps.

His pulse hammering in his neck as he realised that this was finally the chance that he had been so desperately after .

"I'm in love with you. Everybody seems to know it but you." He confessed to her quietly .

Unafraid then because as he watched her inhale shakily and blink away tears of her own, he knew that she felt it too.

"I'm gonna love you for the rest of my life Cherrie. So yes, I am serious about you. And Angel is a part of you , and I love every single piece of you. So I promise that I'll love her too..." he swallowed , overcome with emotion. "If you'll let me.."

It was the best that he could promise without being knelt to front of her with a ring in his hand.

He’d get to that , maybe after like…the third date.

Cherrie let out a mixture between a cry and a laugh . Simply shaking her head at him in amazement before she finally surged forward and kissed him like he was the last man she ever would kiss.

And Sebastian was determined to be her forever too.

He would make her so happy . That was all he had ever wanted to do.

Kissing her back passionately as he held her close , clutching onto her body desperately.

"Wanna hear you say it." He whispered shakily against her mouth as she stole his breath away, gently  sucking on his tongue till he was a squirming mess on the couch beneath her.

Laughing breathlessly against his skin as she pressed one last kiss to his neck before reluctantly pulling away, pressing her forehead against his own as they caught back their breathes.

"I love you Seb." She promised him then. Hope lighting up her chest as she realised that this was finally her chance at full happiness.

She didn't need to be alone anymore.

Didn't have to go through all the good times and utterly shit times without anyone by her side to support her.

Sebastian was here now and he was planning on never leading her side again.

"That's good to hear.." he chuckled in a daze as he blinked slowly , trying to get his brain to work again.

"Would have been a little awkward if you didn't." He joked , wrapping his arms around her to pull her into a tight hug. Rocking them from side to side as best as he could while sitting down.

Both of them laughing as he pressed loud, over exaggerated kisses whenever his lips could reach. Grinning proudly at the happy giggles she let out in return.

Winking over at Angel when the little girl looked over at them to see what was going on. Shrieking with laughter just because they were laughing too, she started clapping her hands excitedly .

Sebastian laughed "see? She's knows how I feel! Your mommy loves me Angel. Isn't that cool?" He called over to the baby as though she had any clue what he was saying.

Angel just blew a raspberry at him again, giggling.

Sebastian couldn't believe it. By falling in love with the one woman that everybody thought he had no chance with, he had found his own little family too.

He couldn't wait to rub this in Daniels face the next time he saw him.

It only took his relentlessness and stubbornness to never give up on her to get him here.

He really needed to thank his coach for giving him

Her address . Maybe send him some champagne too.

Because She loved him.

Actually , truly loved him and she liked him too.

Who would have thought?

[ficninja]

A Beautiful Night Indeed

So I did a thing...

I wrote a Penelope and Colin fic! I haven't written anything in so long that I seriously surprised myself. I just couldn't help it, I've become so obsessed with them. I wanted to post it here for anyone interested in reading. It's an extended scene I guess, a wish fulfillment if you will, of what I wanted to happen after their dance at the Vauxhall Ball in episode 01 "Diamond of the first water."

Pairing: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington Summary: Colin is protective of Penelope after Cressida spills her drink on her. Colin doesn't want to let go of Penelope's hand after their dance. Colin is confused about his feelings and Anthony calls him out on it. Colin wants more than anything for Penelope to trust him

A Beautiful Night Indeed

It was a beautiful night. Penelope had arrived to the Vauxhall ball a half an hour early with her Father and sisters. They were just in time to see the lighting of all the torches surrounding the expansive gardens right as the Sun began to hang low in the ever darkening sky…

Standing near the orchestra dining area, watching the dancing begin, Penelope looked around avoiding being spotted by one of her sisters. She was surprised when she heard Colin say her pet name.

“Pen…” Colin approached Penelope. He never had trouble finding her in a crowd. He was constantly captivated by her stunning red hair. Her hair beckoned him like a glowing fire, his eyes always drawn to the beauty of the permanent sunset. She was standing alone expectantly, he surmised she was looking for someone.

“Colin…” Penelope sighed adorably which made him smile to himself. She had the cutest voice, he had always thought so.

“I did not know you would be here.” Penelope was pleasantly surprised to see him. His height towering as he walked closer, making her feel small and delicate by comparison.

“Sorry to disappoint.” Colin teased, causing her to smile. She was never able to resist this pull he had on her.

“Have you seen Miss Thompson?” He inquired. Miss Thompson had many suitors and Colin supposed he should try to get to know Penelope’s cousin a bit more, lest his interest wane.

“She is ill.” Penelope informed him, a bit dispassionately, her smile faltering. “My mamá had to stay home with her.” She continued. “Papá had to chaperone.”

Colin looked over his shoulder to see Mr. Featherington enjoying a refreshment and in an animated discussion, completely unobservant of his youngest daughter.

Colin turned back to Penelope giving her his complete attention, the inquiry into her cousin’s whereabouts fleeting. He did not like that she was vulnerable without her Father’s gaze on her.

“I’m quite enjoying the fact that he is here.” Penelope’s smile picked back up and Colin recalled that she enjoyed spending time with her father… away from her neglectful mother.

Mrs. Featherington should be there as well, Colin thought to himself. This was Penelope’s debut season. What mother, wouldn’t accompany a daughter as sweet and innocent as Penelope everywhere?

“Mamá would never allow me to wear a dress like this.” Penelope’s smile brightened the darkened garden even more. “Not yellow enough, I think.” She giggled self-deprecatingly.

Colin had taken note of how especially lovely Penelope looked that night. Although it was hard for Penelope to look bad, given her cute face and enchanting hair, her mother seemed to be trying to detract from her looks with every yellow frock she forced on her. He would acknowledge that according to Eloise having a nice face and pleasant hair should not be considered an accomplishment. But given the lack of genteel stock in Penelope’s lineage, it was indeed a glowing accomplishment in contrast to her older sisters, at least according to Colin’s preferences.

Before Colin could genuinely compliment Penelope’s dress, Cressida Cowper appeared and interrupted their conversation. Accompanied by her entourage of ninnies, they pushed between he and Penelope.

“Mr. Bridgerton...” Cressida’s voice really grated on Colin’s nerves. “I believe you owe me a dance this evening. And I only have one more space remaining on my card at present.”

“How convenient.” Penelope observed, her words so softly spoken that Colin almost… almost didn’t hear her. But her tremulous voice carried over to Colin. It was like a melody… a song only for him in contrast to Cressida’s.

Cressida thrust her dance card out to her side and simultaneously spilled her drink on the front of Penelope’s dress. “Penelope, I did not see you there!” Cressida feigned shock.

Penelope gasped in sheer mortification, turning away from them as the blast of cold liquid slid down her chest. She looked down to check her dress, thanking heaven that the drink was clear and would not stain. Penelope felt heat color her cheeks and her eyes began to water. She was so proud of the way she looked that night and to have this happen to her at Cressida’s hands and in the presence of Colin no less, she thought she would pass out from the humiliation.

Colin glared at Cressida. How dare she attempt to injure Penelope’s person with that drink and right in front of him. He thought to himself, if Cressida was not a Lady and barely one at that… His anger peaked at the mental image of what he would do. His nostrils flared at her before he turned his attention back to Penelope.

“I’m afraid I cannot offer you that dance, Miss Cowper.” Colin’s voice barely remained courteous. “I am to escort Miss Featherington, to the floor.” His decided rejection of Cressida caused Penelope to turn around, astonished.

Penelope’s blue eyes, glossy with embarrassment, met his. Colin had a fierce look on his face. Determined he was, not to allow anyone to mistreat her in his presence. He reached for Penelope's gloved hand, slipping her tiny feminine satin-clad fingers through his larger masculine ones, as he glared once again at Cressida before escorting Penelope away and onto the dance floor.

Colin spun Penelope into position just as the spirited dance started. His fingers glided across the brocade material along her upper back. Her soft tresses skimmed across the back of his hand… This was one of Colin’s favorite dances and he smiled down at her excitedly. Penelope was an amazing partner. The embarrassment caused by Cressida eased from her eyes and she matched his enthusiam for the dance. The eager smile on her face as he spun her around caused an ache to invade inside his chest. The protectiveness he felt moments ago seemed to increase ten fold and everything inside of him wanted that smile to remain on her face for the rest of her life.

When the dance ended, Colin found himself irrationally thinking of a reason to keep Penelope's hand in his. An illogical impulse, given it would be improper since he was not officially courting her. The reminder to himself, that he was not in fact courting Penelope Featherington, but had expressed an interest in her distant cousin caused him to be inexplicably confused and annoyed with himself. The annoyance he felt was upsetting to him and he clenched his jaw in vexation. Just as he was about to convince himself to let her go, the announcement began…

“Ladies and Gentleman, a most extraordinary event is about to take place.

Right this way!

Come! Come!”

Colin looked down at Penelope just as she gazed her startled blue eyes up at him. Just looking in her eyes soothed away his baffling aggravation. He smiled at her mischievously as he pulled her along side him continuing to hold her hand. Definitely not letting go of her now.

Penelope was delighted that Colin wanted to continue their time together at the ball. The way he looked at her during their dance… she knew it was just a result of his protective nature. She believed he was genuinely outraged by Cressida’s behavior toward her. But his continued attention made her heart soar, even more than usual, just from being around him. A sort of magic seemed to envelop them, almost as if Colin was finally seeing her as a woman and not like a little sister. Penelope worried that the let down from reality settling around her again would break her heart irreparably.

“Come along, Pen. We must not miss this most extraordinary event!” Colin continued to grin at her as he pulled Penelope along.

Colin spotted an open section near the edge of the crowd and stopped there. It was a bit darker there, secluded away from the torches, and he couldn’t make out everyone around them. He tugged Penelope a bit closer in front of him as more people surrounded them.

He noticed that she trembled a bit, so he leaned down near her ear. “Are you ok, Pen?”

Penelope was looking forward to the show, whatever this would be, but she had never been quite comfortable with the dark or with surprises.

Penelope felt Colin squeeze her hand and she looked up at him. His blue eyes warm with concern. “Yes, I’m ok. It is just a bit scary is all.”

Colin smiled at her then and her heart skipped a beat. “Everything will be ok. I’m right here. I would not let anything bad happen to you.” And she knew, she could feel that Colin meant it.

“Do you trust me, Pen?” He asked, holding her gaze fervently.

Looking into his eyes so close to hers was intoxicating and Penelope began to feel a little unsteady on her feet. She swayed a little as she answered him. “Y- Yes, o-of course I trust you, Colin.”

Colin noticed that she stuttered a bit, but she seemed to get her bearings.

“Good.” Penelope’s assurance that she trusted him, did something to his insides and Colin felt unbalanced.

The announcement picked up again…

“It is with great privilege I present Vauxhall’s newest spectacle of illumination. Feast your eyes above and allow all that is radiant to overwhelm you!”

Penelope squeezed Colin’s hand just as the lights illuminated all at once above them. They were surrounded by the glass bulbs! The brilliance was magnificent. The sudden amazement caused Penelope to step back into Colin. His chest cradled her head and his other hand, that wasn’t holding hers, grabbed her waist to steady her.

The MC continued,

“Wonderful Light! Thank you!”

“Its alright.” Colin murmured softly into her hair. She smelled like orange blossoms. Colin could not keep himself from breathing her in. He wondered if it was just her hair or if she smelled of the fragrant flower all over her body. The hand holding her waist moved unconsciously to the ends of her rosy hair, his fingers delicately caressed the softness of her strawberry locks. Colin’s mind was muddled, he closed his eyes in contentment, memorizing the texture of her hair. He couldn’t think straight. He had to stop himself from dropping a kiss to the top of her head, the need to be a comfort to her began to outweigh his reason.

Penelope thought she imagined Colin’s fingers in her hair. The closeness of his body to hers was heady… She closed her eyes briefly, relishing in the warmth of him behind her. She inhaled at the pleasure of her current situation. She’d never been this close to Colin. The electrifying heat of his body pressed against hers was causing her to be incoherent. She began to breathe in shallow pants, her breaths coming quickly. Unsettled by her reaction to him, she moved away from him, letting go of his hand.

Colin felt the immediate loss of the warmth radiating from Penelope’s body pressed along his front. When she dropped his hand and moved away from him, he felt the grimace on his face and heard the growl in his throat. Desperate to have Penelope near again, he grabbed her hand and turned her to face him.

“Pen…” Colin spoke her name, not knowing what else to say, but also needing to stop her retreat from him.

Penelope looked down at her hand grasped in Colin’s, realizing that her glove had slipped off. “Oh…” was all she could say. The moment felt unmistakably intimate, him holding her hand again, this time bare.

“I’m sorry.” Colin apologized when he realized he’d unintentionally removed Penelope’s satin glove. “Allow me…” He bent down and retrieved her glove from the grass, her bare hand remained cradled in his the entire time.

His expression mischievous again, as he rose to his full height. “I guess I’m to keep it as a favour now.” Colin teased Penelope. He needed to take away the self-consciousness he saw in her eyes.

“Are you going off to battle then?” Penelope teased Colin back, unable to resist his ever present charm. She could think of no other time a lady’s favour was given.

“Well, there seems to be a fight for refreshments. And as a Gentleman, I will gladly enter the fray to procure something to drink for you, Pen.” Colin folded Penelope’s glove and slipped it into his inside jacket pocket finally letting her hand go reluctantly.

Colin looked down at Penelope adoringly. He couldn’t help himself, stepping closer to her, he whispered. “Wish me luck in battle?”

Penelope knew Colin was teasing her again, but he made her breathless. “Good luck.” She smiled and then she bit her bottom lip. “Promise me that you will return it me?” She looked pointedly to his chest where her glove rested inside his pocket.

Colin could only focus on the lushness of her mouth as she bit her full bottom lip, he was beginning to feel dizzy like he was spinning… spinning out of control. “You trust me, don’t you, Penelope?”

“Of course, Colin.” Penelope didn’t recognize her own voice. The huskiness of it, she couldn’t control as Colin inched even closer to her.

Colin bent down, next to her ear and whispered. “Good girl. Stay right here for me. I’ll be back.” He leaned in close enough that he smelled her intoxicating hair once more before he pulled himself away from Penelope and then walked toward the refreshments.

As Penelope watched as Colin walked away, his tall regal form a feast for her eyes, she noticed his brother Anthony walk up to him.

Colin was taking deep breaths to regain his composure as he walked away from Penelope. He felt a hand on his arm and turned to find Anthony with a stern expression on his face. He followed Anthony’s gaze to Penelope.

“She’s so young Colin… you need to try harder to conceal your… baser interests. Stop touching her so much. Don’t forget yourself. Penelope is a proper lady.” Anthony scolded Colin.

“I was not… I did not… for you to imply…” Colin couldn’t even form a sentence in his defense as twisted as his insides felt by his brother’s insinuations.

“Imply?” Anthony continued. “I saw. Your hand on her waist, apart from dancing. Your hand in her hair. The caress of her bare hand… and this could have been in the view of half the Ton. It is a wonder her father did not come looking for her and witness these improprieties or I would be making arrangements for you to court Penelope Featherington properly!" Anthony’s eyebrows raised in admonishment. “… and not expressing interest in her distant cousin.” The distorted expression on Anthony’s face spoke to how he felt about Colin’s fleeting interest in Miss Thompson.

“It will be a miracle if this is not in Whistledown tomorrow and I am not forced to have to make an offer on your behalf myself.” Anthony continued to reprimand Colin.

“Anthony, I would never do anything to scandalize Penelope!” Colin declared passionately. He could not even conceive of hurting her that way. He found that the thought of Anthony having to make an offer for Penelope’s hand on his behalf did not scare him and that lack of apprehension caused him uncertainty.

“I know that you would not, Colin. And I am not suggesting that you are. I am saying that your feelings... unacknowledged... for Penelope are maybe getting in the way of your… sensibilities where she is concerned.” Anthony pointed out.

“My feelings… for Penelope?” Colin was so confused. Penelope was his friend. He had not meant to be improper with her in any way. But he had begun to acknowledge in his mind and body that Penelope was becoming a woman… in every way. His reactions to her may very well be putting her in danger from him.

“Yes, Colin. I have eyes. I see you clear as day. You may not be ready to admit to or are even aware of how you feel about her. You do have feelings for her, not just emotionally, but now physically as well and you need to think about what you really want long term. Penelope has… developed a lush womanly form. Her curves are tempting to you, I see. Miss Thompson may be more mature and more able to handle your… physical interests right now, where as you would have to wait a while for Penelope to be ready for that.”

“Stop! Stop right now, Anthony. Speaking about Penelope in this way is improper and I will not engage with you any further on this.” Colin found his fists were balled up and his anger, at his brother was a tangible thing in his mouth… a vileness that he could taste. Anthony’s criticism of how he had handled Penelope and even more his comments on how her body had developed the curves of a woman, the kind of woman that Colin realized he was irresistibly drawn to, would be his undoing.

“See, you did not even mention Miss Thompson. Your irascible temper with regard to any perceived slight of Penelope…” Anthony spoke to Colin’s unexpressed feelings for Penelope, again. “All of that emotion… that is about Penelope Featherington.”

Colin clenched his jaw tightly and rolled his eyes at the truth of his brother’s perceptions. He balled his fists against his side as well.

“I am not telling you what to do, so do not look at me like that. I am merely pointing out that if you keep carrying on like this over Penelope and you keep finding yourself behaving in the manner in which you have tonight, you will not be in a position to make a decision. It will have been made for you. Does she not deserve for you to truly choose her? And loathe that I am of a match between you and Miss Thompson, I do not want you to have to contend with hurting her either.”

Colin took a deep breath before addressing his brother again. “Penelope is dear to me… so dear that I - I treasure her and our friendship. I would never hurt her intentionally, brother. That is all I’m willing to say on the matter. I do not wish to discuss Penelope with you any further here like she is the topic of some common gossip. I shall escort her back to her father, after the fireworks are over. Colin declared and then walked off, feeling immensely frustrated.

“See that you do, Colin.” Anthony called after him as Colin disappeared.

Colin turned from the refreshment table and spotted Penelope immediately again. His eyes seeking her siren hair. She had remained just as he had asked her to. A good girl for him she was indeed.

When Colin finally returned to her with refreshments, Penelope’s bright expectant blue eyes found his troubled ones.

“Is everything ok, Colin?” Penelope asked softly. “I saw you speaking with your brother…”

Colin smiled at her slightly as she drank her lemonade. He could not help it. She was so sweet, the most kind-hearted person he had ever known aside from his mother. Her concern mollified him. His anxiousness over his conversation with Anthony slipped away easily in her presence.

“Penelope, your dress is lovely tonight. I wanted to tell you that before Cressida showed up.” Colin could not help it, even after being cautioned by Anthony of being improper with her, he inched closer to her and took her bare hand in his again.

“Thank you, Colin.” Penelope sighed. The warmth of his hand surrounding hers made her breathless again. It felt almost as if Colin did not realize what he was doing.

“May I ask, how it came to be this rather fetching shade of pink and not yellow?” Colin teased her again. His eyes sparkling at her. They now looked the exact opposite of when he arrived with their drinks.

“Well, I was allowed to choose the color for myself, rather than mamá.” Penelope admitted. Her cheeks brightened to a beautiful shade of pink.

“You did well, Pen. It looks exquisite against your sun-fire hair and makes your porcelain skin look like the finest silk…” Colin looked down at her feeling inebriated, his voice betraying his ardor. His stomach flipped when he noticed her licking her pink lips before she spoke his name on a melodic sigh, again.

“Colin…” Penelope couldn’t believe he had actually described her that way… passionately… his voice filled with longing.

Colin raised Penelope’s hand to his lips, just as the music started for the next dance. He kissed the back of her fingers of her bare hand and Penelope was startled at the softness of his lips on her. She did not know what to say… She could not form words. All the breath had left her.

“One more dance, Pen? Before the night is over.” Colin requested. His eyes never leaving hers and her hand securely grasped in his. He didn’t have an excuse for his continued behavior with her and he found he didn’t care to continue to contemplate.

“I’ve never danced this one… in public.” Penelope admitted. She was so unnerved by Colin’s continued attention she would have agreed to anything at that point.

Colin smiled down at her, playfully. “Do you trust me, Pen?”

“Of course, Colin.” She assured him again on a sigh. “But this one is… what if I miss a step?” She was doubting herself and her ability to actually move after Colin’s kiss on her fingers.

“Penelope Featherington, you are an amazing dancer. You will be fine. He pulled her closer to the dance floor, but waited for her acquiescence. Colin looked her over as if he couldn’t bear for her to refuse him. "Please do me the honor?”

“Yes, Colin.” She smiled brightly at him. Her smile more luminescent than the globes of artificial light, her eyes sparkled more than the fireworks display. She even rivaled the stars that night as he spun her around and around on the dance floor.

It was a beautiful night indeed.

[lifeofkaze]

When Stars Ignite - Chapter 3

HPHM Rockstar AU

A/N:

General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing.

Specific Warning: Mentions of alcohol, mentions of NSFW content, suggestive NSFW content

~~~

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.

~~~

This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist

Taglist: @slytherindisaster @carewyncromwell @night-rhea

Chapter 3: Dirty Little Secret

I’ll keep you my dirty little secret

Don’t tell anyone or you’ll be just another regret

Hope that you can keep it

My dirty little secret

~ The All-American Rejects - Dirty Little Secret ~

All three girls watched as Orion left the private area of the nightclub, two of them looking confused, one of them trying her hardest not to laugh.

“What’s got into him all of a sudden?” Merula asked, looking baffled.

“Seems like Jameson’s show rattled the poor guy alright,” Skye cackled.

Lizzie joined into her laughter. “As if. I don’t think anything could shake him, let alone me.”

She hid her smirk by taking a sip of her cocktail.

The next fifteen minutes felt like an eternity to Lizzie. She passed the time by listening to Skye and Merula’s chit chat, sipping her drink and nodding from time to time. She had to fight the urge to bounce her foot in impatience and not glance at her watch repeatedly. Not quite succeeding, Lizzie caught herself tapping her finger against her glass to the beat of the music; she willed herself to stop.

When she had finally finished her drink, she rose from her seat, stretched her already aching back and smiled at her remaining two friends.

“I’m afraid Orion had a point earlier, I always forget how exhausting playing a full show is,” she yawned and reached for her bag. “I’ll get a cab back home to get some sleep in.”

“Alright, let us just finish our drinks and we’re ready to go,” Skye said immediately, but Lizzie could tell she wanted to stay for a little longer; she always did.

“No, it’s alright, go and have some fun. Once we’re out of London there won’t be much time for that anymore.”

Skye scowled at her. “You sure? Not that keen on you going back all by yourself.”

Merula rolled her eyes. “Just let her go, if she wants to. If she gets kidnapped, no one can chew their captor’s ear off with that awful cheeriness like her. We’ll have her back in no time.”

Usually she would have shot back at Merula but right now Lizzie was glad she was playing into her hands. She was buzzing to get out of the nightclub, so when Skye tried to speak up again, she just shook her head.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll text you once I’m back, alright?”

Without giving Skye another chance to reply, she smiled at both of them, turned around and walked towards the exit.

The cool air of the summer night felt wonderful compared to the stuffiness of the packed nightclub as Lizzie stepped outside. She buried her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket and bowed her head as she passed the group of photographers always present in front of high profile establishments like this.

It was her luck that they cared more for soap stars and minor starlets stumbling home on the arm of a football player than one relatively sober person leaving all on her own. It was only a few clicks and flashes she had to make her way through before the mob had already focused on the next familiar face emerging from the doors behind her. She just hoped she had waited long enough for no one to make the connection.

Checking the message on her phone telling her where to go, she quickly walked a few steps away from the crowd until she reached the entrance to a small side street. Turning her head, Lizzie made sure no one was watching her before she stepped into the darkness of the alley. Anyone still in possession of half of their senses would have told her to stick to the main street, but Lizzie knew where she was going.

A smile stole onto her face as she walked towards the figure stepping out of the shadows.

“What the hell took you so long?”

Ignoring his question, Lizzie sped up her steps until she had reached Orion, grabbing him by his jacket and pulling him towards her. Her lips crashed onto his and his arms immediately went around her as he kissed her with the same desperate hunger she was feeling herself.

She buried her hands in his dark hair and sighed against his mouth as she felt his hands wandering over the curve of her waistline before his fingers hooked through the loops of her jeans.

“So fierce tonight,” she chuckled as they broke apart for a moment. Both of them were breathing heavily, Orion’s skin feeling hot to her touch. There was a fire burning inside his eyes that made her shudder.

“You did keep me waiting,” he murmured into her ear. His breath ghosting over the sensitive skin of her neck was giving her goosebumps all over and he knew that full well.

“I couldn’t really down my drink in one go and run after you, could I? Your fault you left so early.”

She would have loved to go straight after him but that would have been way too suspicious; their little affair - if one could even call it that - was a secret both of them very much intended to keep from the others.

“After that show you’ve given? What did you expect?”

She had to laugh at his words, her eyes twinkling with promise as they found his. Her finger traced the line of his jaw, the stubble of his beard biting into her fingertip.

“I knew you’d love it.”

She rose onto her tiptoes to reach his ear as she whispered, “Want me to remind you what else my tongue can do?”

“I don’t think I’m the only one eager for that.”

Despite herself, Lizzie’s breath hitched and she bit her bottom lip as she felt Orion’s hands travel downwards from her waist. He stopped over the back pockets of her trousers, squeezing her bum as he captured her lips in another searing kiss.

Her head spun for a moment, dizzy from exhaustion, alcohol and Orion’s touch. She had to will herself to break away from him again, this time taking a step back out of his reach.

“Come on then,” she purred, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger as she looked him up and down, “What are you waiting for?”

But Orion knew how to play her game as well. Mirroring her grin, he simply walked past her in the direction of the main street, not sparing so much as another look. He passed so closely that he was almost brushing against her; the electricity between them was palpable and Lizzie felt her mouth go dry as she watched him from behind.

Orion waited a moment before motioning for her to follow him when he was sure no one would pay any attention to them.

While they were waiting for their cab, not being able to touch Orion when all she wanted was to feel his lips on her skin almost killed Lizzie; judging from his tensed shoulders and nervous fingers drumming against his leg during their ride home, that feeling was mutual.

It was no use, though; as long as they were in public, there was nothing they could do. Making out in the alley with a bunch of reporters around the corner had already been a hell of a risk.

The drive to Orion’s place in Nottinghill felt like an eternity; by the time they had finally reached his flat, Lizzie’s skin was positively tingling. Not being quick enough for her taste, she plucked the key from his hand and unlocked the door herself before stepping into the dark hallway first.

She turned around in the doorframe, shooting him a cocky smile over her shoulder.

“Are you coming? I think I promised you a show.”

***

The pale sunlight of the early morning seeped into the room from the skylight above Orion’s bed. Falling onto Lizzie’s face, it made her stir in her sleep, slowly waking her up from her dream. She tried holding on to it for a moment longer, but it drifted out of her grasp as her body was waking up until it was completely out of reach.

Sighing wistfully, Lizzie turned around and propped herself up onto her elbows. Her lips curved into a smile as her eyes fell onto Orion, who was still sleeping next to her. He was lying on his stomach with his face buried in the fluffy white pillows, his breath deep and even.

Now, in the light of the new day, Lizzie could see the bright red scratches running over his shoulder blades. She blushed a little; maybe she had gone a little overboard in the heat of the moment.

The sight of Orion’s maltreated back made the memories of last night return to her. The thought of his rough fingertips exploring every inch of her body, the sweet bite of his unshaved cheek against the inside of her thighs sent a pleasant shiver down her spine even now. The way she had relished the feeling of his skin against hers as he had coaxed wave after wave of pleasure from her body made her realise how starved she had been for his touch.

It almost surprised Lizzie how quickly sleeping with Orion had become her favourite way of winding down after a show. The sex was fantastic and the fact that no one knew what they were doing was only adding to the excitement. They were aware that it was one of the band’s most important rules they were breaking time and time again: No meddling with the other members. According to Ethan, getting involved with each other could cause nothing but trouble.

However, Lizzie was enjoying their time together way too much to just give up on it like that; free from any form of commitment, it was a bonus to their friendship neither of them wanted to miss. She could definitely confirm that Orion’s fingers weren’t only nimble when it came to playing the guitar.

Without really thinking about it, Lizzie reached out towards him. Her fingers were tracing the lines of the tattoo covering the whole of his back, from the now slightly scratched eagle wings spanning from shoulder to shoulder, down to the woven circle of the dreamcatcher the eagle was carrying in its claws. Her fingers tiptoed lightly over the pattern, joining up the beads worked into the web. Orion had told her that each of them represented a memory dear to him; she noticed he had some new ones added since the last time she had seen it.

Some of the inked feathers flowing down from the circle past beneath the eagle’s tail were new to her as well. Her fingers were wandering over them, dancing across his lower back.

Completely consumed by what she was doing, Lizzie hadn’t noticed Orion waking up. She jumped as he spoke to her, her eyes flying towards his face.

“What are you doing?”

Orion’s head was turned towards her, his eyes still closed, but a cheeky smile was playing around his lips.

Lizzie was spared an answer when he opened his eyes to look at her. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”

Realising how his words must have sounded, his smile turned softer as he closed his eyes again. “Don’t stop though.”

Setting her hand onto his back again, Lizzie let her fingers wander up his spine. She lightly tapped them to a rhythm only she could hear and noticed the tiny shiver running through him when she brushed them downwards again, her fingernails grazing his skin ever so gently.

“You never stay the whole night when we’re touring,” Orion murmured sleepily.

Lizzie hummed in response, not taking her eyes off the beautiful picture painted on his skin.

“I missed this,” she murmured under her breath, more to herself than to him.

“I missed you.”

Caught by surprise at his words, her movements stopped abruptly. Orion’s eyes were soft as he watched her, taking in his shirt hanging loose on her body. Her open hair was still a tangled mess from last night

“Why would you say that?” Lizzie laughed, trying to mask her being caught unaware with a poke to his ribcage.

Orion laughed along and evaded her by rolling onto his side. He quickly caught her wrist and held it away from him. A grin formed on his face as he shrugged.

“Because it’s true; nothing relaxes me more than you do.”

Lizzie snorted. “Is that so?”

With a laugh, he let go of her hand and let himself fall back into the pillows. “Do I look not relaxed to you?”

“If anything, you look overly smug to me,” Lizzie shot back.

She grabbed her pillow and hit him with it before quickly jumping off the bed to get out of his reach. She searched her jacket that was among the pile of clothes littering the floor for her phone and a hair tie, all the while feeling Orion’s eyes on her.

When Lizzie had found what she had been looking for, she tied her unbrushed hair back and straightened up again. Unlocking her phone, she quickly scrolled through her messages.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Orion getting up as well, stretching his back.

“Come to think of it, I might have overestimated how balanced my body is this morning,” Lizzie heard him complain, “my muscles hurt like hell.”

She didn’t even bother looking up from her phone. “Tell me about it.”

Orion finally caught her attention when he stepped closely behind her. “I could do something about that, you know.”

Lizzie had to stifle a sigh when he gently began rubbing the tension from her shoulders, knowing exactly where her tight spots were; he had developed a knack for this she had come to appreciate.

Enjoying his touch for a moment longer, Lizzie pulled herself together and shook his hands off. She turned around, holding her phone up for him to see.

“Forget it, I have a breakfast date.”

“With Charlie, I presume?”

“Charlie is busy interviewing that new pyro guy.”

Orion tilted his head. “Who else then? Someone I need to be jealous of?”

Lizzie chuckled at the notion. “Only if you consider Skye as competition. But we both know you’re not the jealous type,” she shrugged. “And why would you be, anyway?”

She started gathering her strewn about things. “In any case, I need to get ready. I could really use a hot shower.”

Looking down at herself, still dressed in Orion’s shirt, she plucked at the collar and chuckled. “You’ll get this back another time.”

She turned to leave but didn’t make it far. Orion’s arms closed around her from behind, his lips nuzzling against the exposed skin of her neck. “Your wish and mine don’t necessarily rule each other out.”

Goosebumps were spreading all over her skin at his touch but she pulled herself together and broke free of his embrace.

“Tempting, but no. I can’t really show up at Skye’s place wearing last night’s outfit or, even better, your shirt.”

Her smile turned into a smirk as she looked him up and down, taking in his bronzed skin, lean but still muscular build and tousled black hair, regretting her decision already. “I might take you up on that massage later, though.”

She tried to leave a second time before she could change her mind, but Orion caught her wrist, pulling her back towards him.

“Do I get a kiss?”

Lizzie was already smiling; she had anticipated the question. He always asked it before she left, and her answer was the same every time. “You already got much more than that.”

She took a step back towards him, rose to her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Maybe next time.”

Orion laughed as he finally let her go. “I’ll get my kiss one day.”

Lizzie dipped her head back as she laughed and turned towards the door. “We’ll see about that.”

[blossom-hwa]

LINA LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY: MINHO + CollegeStudent!Au //(OR)// CHENLE + Prince!Au

I LISTENED VERY CAREFULLY MAX AND I HEARD YOU - HOPE YOU LIKE THIS

3-year anniversary drabble game: send me an NCT/WAYV/Stray Kids/The Boyz member + a prompt (check out the post for ideas) and  I’ll write a drabble for you!

~

Title: A Lamentation on the Human Race (Except for You)

Pairing: Minho x gender neutral!reader

Triggers: none

~

Minho dislikes people.

It’s that simple. People have the very hurtful capacity to be mean, loud, annoying, or just plain cruel. Minho much prefers his cats - at least they aren’t rude in the way people are. 

This is why he’s a computer science major, he tells people who ask. Machines are simple - you tell them what to do, they do it. Sometimes errors occur, but he can handle those errors. People can’t be handled - they’re pigheaded, don’t listen, and are in general unpleasant to be around.

(Minho is fully counting himself in this definition, of course. He’s not perfect, definitely not above the rest of the population. He’s just flawed as the rest.)

Sure, there are a few human beings he can stand to be around, mostly just people who’ve (literally, in Jisung’s case) broken into his life and proceeded to make a space in his existence for themselves. He tolerates them. 

(No, he swears he doesn’t love them, no matter what they say.)

(Okay, fine, they make his existence slightly more bearable. That’s all anyone will get out of him.)

There are exactly four other people he will go beyond and say he cares about them, doesn’t just tolerate them. Three come from his family - his mother, his father, and his grandmother, all of whom were there for him during his often turbulent childhood, so this distinction is understandable. 

The fourth is a psychology major who starts out as a friend of Chan’s and turns into one of Minho’s closest confidants. 

It’s hard not to open up to you, Minho thinks. From the moment you showed up in that cafe, interrupting his and Chan’s meeting to hand something off to the older boy, Minho knew with (dreadful) certainty that your smile was going to make him feel some way for the rest of your life. He really didn’t want you to stay - you made his heart beat too hard in just three seconds, damn it - but Chan is too polite for his own good and invited you to stick around for a bit. 

Over the course of several hours, Minho found himself falling into the pit of your sweet voice and bright eyes, the enigma of your existence that defies every single assumption Minho has made about the general human population. 

Your major suits you a little too well, Minho comes to learn. You have this infectious smile that immediately makes anyone in the vicinity feel at ease, and the way you speak is so comforting, so gentle, that Minho thinks you could get even the harshest dictator in the world to spill his guts to you. 

Really, you fit more as Chan’s friend than Minho’s, which is why it’s baffling to him every time you show up at his apartment to study, hang out, or just play with his cats. It’s not like he doesn’t want you around - no, he very much enjoys your comforting presence, especially when he’s working through a difficult bug in his code - but he doesn’t understand why you keep coming. Wouldn’t it be more pleasant to hang out with Seungmin or Chan, someone who fits your vibrant personality more than his?

Minho eventually does ask this, blank face hiding the thumping in his heart. You just raise an eyebrow. “You think I don’t appreciate the quiet?”

“Well -”

“Shut.” You raise a hand and Minho closes his mouth. “I like being here, Minho. And much as you like to pretend you’re this cold, closed-off creature, I think you like me being here, too. Am I wrong?”

Wordlessly, he shakes his head. 

“So don’t worry about it too much.” Your usual gentle smile returns to your face as Soonie curls into your lap. Minho’s already resigned himself to the way his heart beats abnormally fast when he sees you getting along so well with his cats (three of the most important living beings in his life). “I like you and despite the fact that you hate the majority of the human population, you like me, so I think we can coexist like this, hmm?”

You can. You can coexist this way, study sessions turning first into playing with the cats, then into curling up next to each other on Minho’s tiny couch. It’s natural, the way you two eventually begin to come together, and Minho doesn’t bother trying to put on a scowl whenever you show up at his door. 

So there are four people to whom Minho can pour out his heart, four people whom he will protect with his life (possibly a few more, but he doesn’t want to consider that at the moment). Three of them are family. 

And the last of them is you.

[aka-indulgence]

Hey, this hasn’t happened in a long time. Stress headache for writing. Guess its time to write a small fluff once again,

Also with my favorite skeletons because I want multiple skeletons shhhhh it’s just pure self-indulgence without any rhyme or reason to why anything happens...

Ice cream. Cookies. Milk. Chips. Chocolate bars.

All things that you shove into your basket as you walk around the convenient store with a scowl on your face, biting your lip so you don’t scream and cause everyone around you to think you’re crazy. You’re just getting everything you think you want, to treat yourself after feeling so... so... much!

You feel your heart speed up just thinking about it and you squeeze the handles of the basket hard enough that it starts to bend.

Ugh, I just wanna go HOME, you cry in your head as you wait in line.

You’re just stopping yourself from tapping your foot restlessly when your eyes spot a surprise near the registers.

Candy cigarettes?

...

Oh what the hell.

You throw them into the basket too. You’ve never tried it, but it looks like something fun to show at home and surprise the guys.

You put up a pleasant face for the cashier (no need to make a retailer’s job even more miserable) and happily decline the plastic bag. One good thing that happened today: you remembered your reusable bag!

It’s certainly something? To cool your temper.

You walk out and you’re back to walking fast to get home as fast as possible, almost checking shoulders with people when you think the ones in front of you are walking too slow for your current mood. You see your home in the distance, thank god, and make a little sprint towards it, half-hoping a little bit of TLC once you’re there.

You peek in the window as you go to the door, and though you don’t see anyone, you shrug and attempt to bowl over the door, only to curse up a storm when you find that it’s locked, of course. After more hissing and quiet yelling at the handle that dare get in the way your angry relaxation time at home, you shuffle your keys out, haphazardly unlock the door and slip inside- slamming the door just a little harder than you should’ve and march towards the sofa.

(After throwing your jacket, your shoes and socks, and your whole bag on the floor next to the door.)

“(y/n)...?” You hear Snow’s voice from the kitchen as you throw yourself into the cushions, bouncing a bit while the contents of your bags jumped with you.

“Hey Snow,” You say while you make a “pbbbff...” noise with your lips, turning on the TV to look for... you don’t know what, just something to take your mind off things.

Just his voice cools your chest.

You take out the bag of chips and rip it clumsily, with some of the chips tumbling out of it and onto the floor. You make another exasperated noise but make no move to clean up the mess, instead choosing to shove a mouthful of chips into your mouth.

(To be honest, you’re not even properly eating the chips. Just... biting it harder than you needed to, making more of an angry mess on your crinkled shirt.)

Maybe you’re doing it to get attention, you don’t know. You just feel so “aaeghegshrg”.

Thankfully, you didn’t have to make even more of a fool out of yourself, and you see a shadow fall over you from behind.

You sigh when your frustrations simmer down at just the idea of him being there for you... you really weren’t the kind to hold onto anger for too long.

“is... something the matter...?” Snow’s gentle voice comes from behind you, soothing you even more.

You make another sigh, but you look up to him with tired eyes. “Yeah. But it’s hard to say... I’m just not in a good mood... sorry.” You apologize bashfully, feeling silly when you see the mess you’ve made. You hear Snow chuckle, his deep voice shaking your core, making you want to drown in it. The big skeleton rounds the sofa and sits beside you (where the bag isn’t), and his weight pulls you a bit towards him.

“don’t be sorry.” He smiles at you, his sockets crinkled. “is there... anything i can do...?”

Feeling his warmth right there, you start leaning into his chest. “You’re already doing plenty. Just having you here makes me sleepy.” You titter. “Uh. Not in the bad way, I just... I feel relaxed already. I think I’m just tired, I don’t wanna feel... I dunno, spiky?”

“isn’t that red’s thing?”

The new voice surprises you enough to blink your eyes open (you really were starting to doze off on Snow’s chest) and sit up. You look to the darkened hallway (as the sun was setting and the lights haven’t been turned on yet), and see a pair of white lights, until you see the blue-clad skeleton that emerges out of the shadows. It’d be a good horror movie scene if he didn’t look so.... like Sans. Relaxed grin, lazy sockets, slouching a bit, pink slippers shuffling against the floor.

“hey...” Sans starts, his eyelights darting to the chips on the floor. “my little shoulder-chip. what’s wrong?”

“she said she feels... spiky,” Snow repeats as you nibble on a big chip, letting his knuckles ghost your cheek. You don’t say a thing, so he keeps on going.

“mind if i make some space?” Sans points to the bag and you make a little nod, and Sans moves it to the coffee table and sits beside you.

“I dunno... i’ve just been feeling like... this,” You say emphatically, pointing to the chip in your hand. “I feel... like a potato. Just... I dunno... stuck? I don’t know, I just feel,” you make vague, aggressive hand gestures in the air, and slump back down. “Like that,”

Sans takes a breath to say something, but you’re all suddenly aware of the sound of a... clang?? Somewhere outside the house, a door being thrown open.... the heavy steps of feet as someone’s running towards you-

“ilikepotatoes.” Red’s voice suddenly breaks into the room, as all three of you turn your heads around to where he is in the hallway, panting and sweating a bit, his grin a bit too wide with his eyelights dilated in his sockets. He’s sweating.

“Red... how,” You breathe, “Did you even hear that?? Also why did you run here?”

“... dramatic effect?” Red shrugs as he saunters easily to the sofa. “anyways, what i’m saying is,” He says as he folds his arm on the back of the sofa behind you, “i like potatoes. in fact i jus’ love to eat ‘em.”

He bounces his brows at you. “what i’m sayin’ is, if yer a potato, i’d love to-”

“oh my god shut up red,” Sans covers his face with both of his hands, apparently blue in the face from embarassment.

“ey i’m tryna make the girl blush what’re ya-?”

“that’s so stupid i’m getting second hand embarrassment,”

“oh fuck you.”

The exchange gets a giggle out of you, and all three skeletons get a spark in their eyelights.

“Ok, so I’ve been feeling pretty... ehhh today, but this is turning things around,” You smile, looking at the dumbasses while you lean on Snow.

“that’s good to know,”

“i aim t’ please, sweetheart.”

Snow sits up a bit more, bringing you with him, and points to the plastic bag on the table. “so... what’s all that?”

“Oh,” you blush a little, feeling a bit embarrassed for all the things you’ve bought. “It was... an impulse thing. i wasn’t feeling so great, so I wanted to buy everything I wanted to eat. There’s ice cream, candy, chips, just... a bunch of snacks. Oh, I also found candy cigarettes in the store,”

“what,” Red immediately sounds behind you, his smug expression now just a baffled huh???

“the fuck’s candy cigarettes? d’ya... smoke candy ‘r some shit?” Red asks incredulously, prompting a hearty laugh from you. “aw c’mon doll i gotta know!”

“Well,” you start to explain-

“humans’re weird.” Sans says plainly, fishing out said snack from the bag.

He gives it a shake, and you see Red’s eyelights dilate at the sound.

“I mean, don’t pretend like monsters aren’t,” you say as you take the box out of Sans’ hands, “this aren’t like actual cigarettes, Red. They’re just candies that look like cigarettes, so when you put them in your mouth to eat it it looks like you’ve got a cigarette in your mouth. They also have powders inside of them you can inhale and exhale so it looks like smoke... I read kids used to love them exactly for that reason? i don’t know what they taste like,”

You took one more look at the packing and tilt your head. “Oh... it’s chocolate cigarettes, so this one’s just... milk chocolate in the shape of a cigarette,”

“c’mon open ‘em, i’ve never seen ya with a cig darlin’,” Red chuckles, a playful expression on his skull.

You take out the old-timey box and open it. Inside as about 12 “cigarettes” all wrapped in paper. The chocolate sticking out of the ends does make it look like a cigarette. You pull it out and look at the three skeletons, expectations on their faces...

And you stick it into your mouth, moving away from Snow to sit back on the couch and put on your most stereotypical “criminal look” as you put your arms on the back of the couch and fold your leg over the other.

...

“Ey...” you say with a hint of confusion, taking out the chocolate to blow nothing into the air.

“HAH-” Red barks out behind you, slapping his teeth with his bony hand with a clack, doubling over behind the sofa while his shoulders bounced erratically, wheezing as he tries to hold in his laugh.

His absolute giddiness at seeing you with a “cigarette” in your mouth only makes the rest of you giggle and chortle, unrestrained, and the cigarette almost pokes into your throat when you accidentally breathed the whole stick into your mouth.

“Pweh-” You spit out the cigarette (it still had the paper on!) and laugh when you see Red, still unable to pull himself together as he looks like he’s actually struggling to breathe. “It wasn’t that funny!” You tell him, but your own chest is shaking when you see how Red looks like he’s dying.

“i... ha, i don’t fuck’n know!” Red unfolds himself and puts a hand on his chest as he tries to control himself. “i didn’t expect ya t’ say ‘ey...’ heheh... hehahah!”

You unwrap the chocolate from its papery confines and pop it in your mouth, biting it in two so you could chew on it. You take deep breaths before you swallow to make sure you don’t choke on it.

“gimme one of those,” Red reaches over you and takes a cigarette, propping it in between his teeth. He then proceeds to take a few steps back, leaning against the wall. He closes his sockets as he takes a “hit” and makes... the weirdest shape with his mouth (like he was trying to close his ‘lips’ while he was trying to withhold a smile) and makes a pout to exaggerate him “blowing smoke out”. He then keeps that weird mouth shape as he lids his sockets (one was lower than the other what the fuck,) and you watch the edges of his grin bend upwards.

“eyyyYYyyYy.” Red says, mimicking you.

You practically end up crying from how stupid everything is (why are you even laughing? It’s not supposed to be funny!) and the four of you end up on the couch poking fun at each other while eating all the snacks you’ve bought, until eventually Snow stands up to make a real meal for the lot of you.

You forget all about your stresses for the rest of the night, and even fall asleep with a smile on your face.

[sapphirestarxx]

Customer Service

Find it on AO3

SUMMARY: Customer service is a thankless job, a fact Kagome knows well. Customers can be downright nasty; that’s just to be expected. What she isn’t expecting is for one of those customers to get physical or for a handsome and gruff stranger to swoop in and save her. How can she thank him? ONESHOT.

NSFW. SMUT. Lots of smut at the end. 

This is a birthday fic for @lavendertwilight89!! Her birthday isn’t for another couple days but I thought I would post this early after the terrible day she had yesterday. I hope you love it dear!~

Also, thanks go out to @neutronstarchild for helping me brainstorm some ideas out and to @fawn-eyed-girl and @hnn-wnchstr for being kind enough to beta it.

Tag Wall:  @lavendertwilight89 @hnn-wnchstr @cstormsinukagblog @fawn-eyed-girl @ruddcatha @liz8080 @itzatakahashi @kagometaishostory @neutronstarchild @bluejay785​ @ravisk @dangerouspompadour​ @omgitscharlie​ @arcprz​

***********

Kagome was not having a good day. It had gotten off to a terrible start and showed no signs of improving with the day’s passing.

Her alarm hadn’t gone off, and when her eyes finally opened, she’d only had five minutes to throw on her things before racing out the door, skipping breakfast. She hadn’t gotten very far because her car hadn’t wanted to start and she had fought with it before finally resorting to shocking the engine with her reiki in a last ditch effort. It had appeared to work (much to her surprise) but she had no idea when the effects would wear off or if it would even work again. Not that she had had time to worry about that, because the whole ordeal had made her roughly forty minutes late to work, where she proceeded to receive a lecture on punctuality from her boss, even though she had never been late before. And then, to make matters worse, she had used her entire break trying to call auto places to get her car in. Turns out every nearby place was booked out for the next two weeks because of course they were. So not only had she been unable to schedule an appointment for her car, she hadn’t eaten all day either.

Her car was a mess, her mood was a mess, and her life was a mess. And her store was also a mess. 

Stifling a sigh of frustration, Kagome tucked the wayward strand of black hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear and straightened the apron she was wearing. Just another year… she just had to deal with this job for another year until she finished her Masters in Reiki Manipulation. In the meantime this job was vital for her income. Customer service had never been her first choice but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

She had been working at Shikon Styles for roughly four years, give or take a few months. After the first couple years as an associate, she’d been able to work her way up to manager. With that title came the guaranteed hours, benefits, and most importantly-- better pay. Still not even remotely close to what she felt like she deserved considering everything she had to put up with, but wasn’t that always the case?

She finished cleaning up the mess someone had left behind (because no one seemed to know how to pick up after themselves ), and scanned the store to see if any shoppers appeared to need help. Turning her head towards the entrance of the store she saw another customer enter and her heart stuttered in her chest for a few beats. The person who had just walked in was quite possibly the most attractive man that she, Kagome Higurashi, had ever seen in the entire twenty-five years of her life. 

He was tall with a lean but muscular build, the features of his tanned face chiseled and sharp. The effect was softened slightly by a mane of gleaming silver hair that hung all the way to his no doubt perfect ass, but more intriguing to her were the dog ears atop his head; white and fluffy, and her fingers twitched with the need to touch them. And his eyes . Even all the way across the store, the piercing gold of them was unmistakable. When those gold eyes turned her way, she felt the blood rush to her cheeks in equal parts awareness and embarrassment. She couldn’t have been more obvious about checking him out. She also couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from his, completely caught in his spell.

His face had been set in a scowl, but at the sight of her blatant staring, the edge of his mouth kicked up, hinting at a smirk. She felt lightheaded for a second, her heart beating faster while butterflies stirred in her stomach. She flushed further, but this time for... other reasons. It was like everything around her had just fallen away and there was only her and him. She wanted to get closer, feeling an almost magnetic pull towards him. It was ridiculous and crazy but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

Her feet started moving his way as she licked her suddenly dry lips in preparation to give some semblance of a greeting, but the sound of one of her employees asking for help over the headset quickly curtailed that plan. 

“Can I have a manager up front please?”

Kagome frowned at the distress in the girl’s voice. Her momentary annoyance was replaced with concern. Normally a bright and cheerful girl, Rin sounded close to tears. The radio picked up the slight sounds of someone raising their voice and once it clicked off, Kagome could actually hear the irate customer from where she stood near the back of the store. Several of the nearby customers were turning their attention towards the source as well. This did not bode well. 

“I’ll be right there,” she responded.

With quick steps Kagome made her way to the registers, mentally preparing herself. With that much yelling, she wasn’t expecting a smooth resolution. As she drew near, she saw that the customer in question had his hands on the counter and was leaning close in a move meant to be intimidating. It was a boar youkai, and she held back a wince; they were not known for their sweet temperament. Rin’s eyes were wide and she had her hands raised in a placating gesture. When she caught sight of Kagome the relief on her face was palpable. Kagome pasted on her customer service smile and came to stand beside the young girl.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“The problem is this bitch won’t give me what I’m asking for! I’m a paying customer, dammit!”

The use of the word bitch had Kagome’s mind screeching to a halt as she stared at him in stunned silence. She'd had lots of customers get nasty before, but few had resorted to actual profanity. Finding her composure again, she attempted a polite expression, even though inside she was seething. How dare this youkai use obscenities, especially at such a sweet girl like Rin! She was one of her best employees and Kagome didn’t care for the way he was trying to bully her.

“There’s no need for such language, sir. I’m the manager here and would like to assist you if possible. What exactly is the issue?”

He scoffed at her rebuke, rolling his eyes, and her blood boiled. Asshole.

“You said you’re the manager?”

“That’s right.”

“Good. Maybe I can actually get some real help from someone competent, who knows how to take care of the customer.”

It was a struggle to keep her fake smile from slipping but she somehow managed. Ugh, she hated this man already. Rin was doing nothing to hide her own expression of displeasure and Kagome couldn’t blame the girl. 

“I’m listening,” she said.

“I’m spending 31,000 yen today but this dumb girl can’t give me any discount. I even have a coupon!! And she tells me you don’t have your gift-with-purchase available anymore and she can’t give me anything in place of it, either! My girlfriend was looking forward to it. You guys never have any left when I come in! This is BULLSHIT!!! I demand SOMETHING!!!”

Ah, profanity again. With more yelling.

“As far as the GWP goes, unfortunately they are only available while supplies last, and if you look closely on the back of the GWP coupon, it says it was only good until the 10th of last month. They tend to only be valid for a week before they end,” Kagome explained with a patience she did not feel.

A month. The man came in a month after it started and expected them to still have any left? She wanted to tell him maybe waiting too long was the reason he was always unable to receive one, but she held her tongue. Instead she reached her hand out for the other coupon he held, already sure of what it was going to say.

“May I see the other coupon, sir?”

He practically threw it at her and she blinked. Okaaaay…this man was seriously getting on her nerves. Feeling like her face was about to crack from the force of faking a pleasant expression, she picked it up and looked at it. Just like that, her customer service persona shattered. Her face went slack in disbelief. She looked up at him and met his angry red eyes.

“Sir...this coupon expired four years ago. On May 2016.”

“So? I’m here now!” He insisted belligerently, his lip curling as a nasty look overtook his face. The tusks on either side of his mouth stood out in sharp relief at his anger.

One thing working in customer service had taught Kagome was the sheer entitlement of some people. It truly baffled her, the things people thought she should do for them. They all thought that an exception should be made for them for whatever reason. You’re not special and the rules do apply to you, she wanted to say to them all.

And honestly, there was a similar public offer currently available on the website, and if he had been nicer maybe she would have mentioned it and taken care of him. But no. He was being a complete asshole so she wasn’t inclined in the slightest to help him in any way. She just wanted him out of her damn store.

“Yes, but the coupon you have is very expired. I’m very sorry but there is nothing I can do for you.”

“That shouldn’t fucking matter! You’re just as useless as that bitch, you damn cunt!!”

Alright, that was it. She was pissed.

“Sir, you need to leave.”

“Excuse me?!” 

“I said you need to leave this store now. We do not tolerate abusive language towards anyone.” There was an edge to her voice now, but she didn’t care anymore. Let him know she was angry. 

“Fine but I’m takin’ all this shit!!” The youkai snatched his haul off the counter after slamming down a few bills and started to stalk towards the doors. A quick glance revealed it wasn’t nearly enough to pay for the items he had grabbed and she rushed after him, cutting him off at the end of the registers. And then her bad day became worse.

“Sir, you still nee--” 

That was as far as she got before he pushed her roughly. She hadn’t been expecting to be physically assaulted and the move caught her off guard. Stumbling backwards, she fell hard on her side. There were gasps from her employees and the other onlookers. What the hell?!

“Out of my way! You want me to pay for them then give me my discount, bitch!!” He spat over her form.

Kagome was so angry she was literally shaking. Her breath was coming in pants and her reiki was beginning to swirl around her in a cloud in response to her strong emotions. If she thought she’d been pissed before, it was nothing compared to the rage that now coursed through her veins. 

“How dare you!!!” Rin was yelling at him while rushing over to her side.

Don’t zap him, don’t zap him, don’t zap him. Kagome chanted it like a mantra in her head, trying to tamp down the urge to fry the asshole with her power. You need the money, so far the only one here at fault is him. Don’t touch him

“You just gonna lay there like the pathetic bitch you are?”

Fuck it.

Pushing herself to her feet, Kagome was prepared to rain down fury on this customer, consequences be damned. Rin helped her up, then gasped, tightening her grip on Kagome’s arm. Kagome looked up to see what had elicited the sound of surprise from her employee. If this asshole had done anything else… Her eyes grew wide, the death glare slipping from her face as shock replaced it.

The hot guy from earlier was there and holding the nasty customer by the throat. It was a testament to his strength how he was able to lift the youkai off the floor with his grip alone. 

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?” The boar youkai wheezed around the man’s grip on his neck. The merchandise he had been about to make off with lay at his feet in a pile.

 "You need to leave. Now. She's been nothin’ but nice while you've been a total dick. Get the fuck out," he replied in a dangerously low voice.

“I barely touched her.”

“You shouldn’t have touched her at all. Period.”

“Let go of me!”

“Are ya gonna leave?”

“Yes!” 

The sound was pitiful but Kagome couldn’t find it in her to feel sorry for him. She was still shaking slightly from the sheer force of the anger that had gripped her moments earlier. Her temper was now fading, the sight of this man serving justice in her stead somehow calming her down. Perhaps it was petty, but she took great satisfaction at his discomfort. It was what he deserved, in her opinion. Judging by how no one was protesting his treatment, everyone else in the store seemed to feel the same.  

She took a closer look at her savior while his attention was fixed upon the boar youkai. His dog ears twitched in irritation, the scowl back on his handsome face. He was even more attractive up close, the muscles of his biceps and triceps standing out in the red t-shirt he wore as he flexed his grip once more before releasing the customer. 

The boar youkai coughed a bit before glowering at her rescuer. 

“You’re brave for a half-breed, putting your filthy hands on a full-blooded youkai.”

Half-breed? Kagome frowned at the slur, wondering if it was impossible for a kind word to pass the other man’s lips. That must mean this man was a hanyou, and probably an inu youkai if she had to guess, based on the fluffy ears that were still calling her name. She longed to touch them but that would be all kinds of inappropriate.

The inu youkai scoffed at his words, seemingly unbothered by them.  

“Whatever. I could still kick your ass. Wanna find out?”

The boar youkai sputtered in indignation for a few moments before collecting himself, trying and failing to intimidate the hanyou as he puffed his chest out.

“That’s it! I’m going to leave a complaint!”

The hanyou rolled his eyes.

“I don’t give a shit. I don't work here so good fuckin’ luck with that. Now get the fuck outta here."

Walking back to the counter to grab the money he had left by the register, the man then beat a hasty retreat. He deliberately walked over the items he had left piled on the floor and Kagome rolled her eyes at the childish move, just grateful he was finally leaving. Never in all the days and years she worked there had she ever had someone lay hands on her. She would have to call her boss, who had already left for the day, and probably file an incident report about it later. What a pain in the ass.

“You okay?”

Kagome blinked, turning her eyes from the doors, where the man had just exited, back to the hanyou standing in front of her. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of molten amber and her heart rate kicked up again when she found herself swallowed up in his gaze. She cleared her throat in an attempt to find her voice.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good.”

He turned and began to walk away and for some inexplicable reason Kagome felt her stomach drop at his absence. It was strange. As if fate had presented her with an opportunity that she was letting go to waste. She had no idea why she felt this incredible pull towards him, but the feeling didn’t appear to be mutual. And why would it be? She had literally just met this man. She didn’t even know his name. Why would he stay and chat?? You’re being ridiculous. The thought did nothing to dispel the notion that she had let this chance slip through her fingers.

“Get his number!” Rin whispered in her ear before returning to the registers to ring out the next customer. The show was over and people were ready to resume making their purchases. Rin was happy to gossip about it with all of them and Kagome didn’t have it in her to reprimand her about it. Instead, she chased the unknown man down.

“Wait!”

He stopped, turning to look at her. A dark brow was raised in curiosity. She faltered a bit, her sudden confidence from Rin’s encouragement fading a little. It was hard to read the look that passed over his face but what appeared to be his trademark scowl was taking hold again.

“What?”

His tone was laced with annoyance. Not exactly a promising response. Kagome tried to stay positive by reminding herself that the actual target of his ire had already left the store, so she didn't hold it against him. Much. He was just another customer, one who had stepped in to help her when he'd had no reason to. There had been nothing in it for him. She wasn’t sure why he had, but it didn’t really matter. 

“Um, I wanted to thank you. You didn’t have to step in but you did.”

“Keh. It was nothin’.”

“It wasn’t nothing. You probably saved me in more ways than one.”

“Listen, a thank you is fine. Don’t get all mushy on me. It was no big deal.”

“I would have probably lost my job if you hadn’t intervened. I was about to fry him with my reiki, I was so angry. So thank you. Really,” Kagome insisted.

She wasn't sure why he seemed so determined to brush aside her thanks, but her confession of potential violence seemed to catch his attention. He looked at her with new interest, giving a short laugh and exposing the tip of a fang. Amusement sparked in his eyes.

“Now I’m sorry I did.” 

“I’m not because I would have probably been fired.”

"Eh, don’t mention it.”

He looked a little embarrassed now. It was faint but there was definitely a light flush across his cheekbones. Kagome had to bite back a grin at the sight. Maybe he just wasn’t used to kind words from a stranger? She didn’t have a chance to ponder that too much, though. She wasn’t sure what possessed her, but she found herself speaking before her mind caught up with her mouth. It had to be Rin’s influence.

“I want to repay you somehow! Like...with more than words. What can I do?”

The scowl disappeared and in its place was that hint of a smirk she had glimpsed earlier at his entrance into the store. Her knees went a little weak while her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t fair for someone to be so incredibly attractive.

“Do ya always ask out your customers?”

“I-I’m not asking you out! I’m just trying to thank you…” Kagome stammered, her cheeks flushing pink. Ugh, she was failing miserably at this. “Like maybe a drink?”

Something shifted in his eyes that she couldn’t quite put her finger on while she waited for his answer. This wasn’t like her at all. She didn’t chase after guys. But she really did want to thank him and if that meant she got to spend more time with him in the process and learn his name then so much the better. It wasn’t like this was going to be a date; it was just a show of appreciation for him saving her ass.

“Your boyfriend won’t mind?” he asked, his scowl deepening.

“I-I don’t have a boyfriend,” Kagome answered, blushing harder.

He considered her words, his expression lightening at that.

“Fine. You can buy me a drink if that means you’ll shut up about thanking me.”

Okay, not the most encouraging response but she would take it. At least he wasn’t scowling at her anymore.

“What’s your name? And your phone number?”

“Inuyasha Taisho. Gimme some paper…” He peered at her name tag and grinned. “Ka-go-me.”

She had no idea why he had said her name in such a drawn out way but she decided right then that she loved it, and she wanted to hear him say it again. And again. God, what was wrong with her? She had met plenty of attractive men before, and her exes had all been pretty good-looking. But none had ever affected her so strongly before.

Retrieving a sticky note from her apron along with a pen, she scrawled her name and number onto it, then held it out to him.

“Here.”

He took it from her, his fingers brushing over hers. A tingle of electricity ran through her at the contact and sent her heart racing. His golden eyes sharpened and it occurred to her then that with his inu youkai senses he could probably pick up on little things like that. She was so obvious.

“Um...I should probably get back to work. Unless you need help with something?”

“Nah, I’m good. I have everything I need.” 

He held up the piece of paper with her name and number, the tilt of his lips turning into a devastating smirk, then walked away to continue shopping. She wondered for a minute if there was a double meaning behind his words or if she was reading too much into it. Shrugging it off, she resumed her managerial duties, continuing to make sure everyone on the sales floor was taken care of. After several minutes she realized she had forgotten to get his number, too, and glanced around. She caught sight of him just as he was leaving and sighed. Chasing him down once was enough; she wasn’t about to do it twice. Oh well. If she didn’t hear back from him then that was that. 

A few minutes later as she was finishing up with another customer she heard her phone chime and glanced at it. It was a text from an unknown number. 

[Hey it’s Inuyasha. Text me the days you’re free.]  

He had texted her! A flood of giddy excitement rushed through her.

“So did you get his number?” 

That was Rin’s coy voice over the headset. Kagome couldn't contain her smile, feeling a sense of triumph. At least something had gone right today.

“I did.”

She could hear Rin cheering loudly all the way from the front of the store.

 *****

 “It’s not a date.” Kagome told her roommate and best friend for the fifth time.

“It sounds like a date,” Sango insisted, sitting on the foot of her bed as Kagome finished up her makeup, sipping her soda. “Look at you. Putting on makeup, dressing up. Going for a drink. With a man you find attractive. We call that a date, Kagome.”

Finishing the swipe of cherry-red across her lips, Kagome capped the tube of lipstick and turned to face her friend. Ok, so maybe Sango had a point. She had definitely dressed a bit more flirty than casual attire called for, wearing a pleated knee-length skirt in green that flared at the hem and a white off-the-shoulder blouse to go with it. Her long hair was hanging free in natural waves, the silky black a stark contrast to her porcelain skin. 

“It’s just a thank you. He basically saved my job,” Kagome mumbled, but even she wasn’t convinced anymore. 

Sango rolled her eyes. 

“Well have fun at your not-date. Maybe it will lead to an actual date.”

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, out of my room. I'm leaving."

Sango laughed and threw her a wink before rising to her feet. 

“I want to hear all about it when you get back home.”

“Sure, sure.”

Kagome grabbed her purse and car keys, slipping out of their apartment. Sango managed to get in one last remark just before the door shut. 

“Let me know if he has any cute friends!”

“Good bye! ”

It had been three days since her encounter with the hanyou at her store, and aside from the rather short texts asking about her availability and figuring out the where and when to meet, there had been no real conversation between them. She had been hesitant to come across as too eager and he hadn’t exactly been forthcoming either. It’s not like it’s an actual date, so it doesn’t matter.

Maybe if she told herself that enough times she would start to believe it. 

She hoped that maybe texting just wasn’t his thing. A lot of guys were like that, after all. Also, he hadn’t exactly struck her as the talkative type, but more so a man of action and gruff words. It was also entirely possible he had just been busy. She had no idea what he did for a living, or anything else about his life, for that matter.

Whispering a quick prayer, Kagome turned the key in the ignition. When her car started, she released a relieved breath, beginning to drive to the bar they had agreed upon. Her car hadn’t given her any problems since that day, but Kagome knew it was only a matter of time. Most of the drive it behaved...until it didn’t. And then, as if her thoughts had summoned everything terrible in the universe, her car shuddered and started making a sound she was pretty sure cars weren’t supposed to make.

It sounded like a cat was dying beneath the hood.

“No, no, nooo! Come onnnnn.” 

The car remained unmoved by her desperate pleading. A glance at the dash revealed every warning light lit up like a Christmas tree and flashing at her. The engine stalled and her car began to slow, despite her frantic pressing of the gas pedal. Admitting defeat, she turned on her blinker and managed to pull over onto the side of the street right before it idled then completely died.

She turned the key again and nothing happened.  

Giving the steering wheel a smack of anger, Kagome then lowered her head to rest upon it for a moment, releasing a scream of all her pent up frustration. She banged on the dashboard some more. Her eyes grew wet with the promise of tears and her throat hurt from the effort of holding them back. Why did everything always seem to go wrong for her? This sucked. She had almost made it there. Well, halfway. Digging her phone out of her purse she typed out a text to Inuyasha.

[I’m so sorry but my car broke down. I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it.]  

Wrapping her arms around the steering wheel, she lowered her head back down and just sat like that for a bit, sniffling. She was allowed to wallow in self pity for a few minutes. Surely she deserved that much. Her phone chimed in her lap and she groaned, unlocking it and looking down at the new message.

[Yeah I can see that. Look up.]

What?

Kagome raised her head and yelped in surprise. Standing in front of her car, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, was Inuyasha. His hands were in his pockets and he looked like he was fighting to keep his expression neutral. With a growing sense of horror she wondered if he had witnessed her mental breakdown. The answer was most likely yes. She groaned again. Way to make a favorable impression, Kagome. Meanwhile he was just as hot as she remembered. As she stared at him confusion mingled with surprise. How…? 

He walked around to the driver’s side and rapped on her window with a knuckle. Sighing, Kagome undid her seatbelt and opened the car door. He moved back as she stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut harder than perhaps necessary. He raised an eyebrow at the excessive force and her bleak expression.

“Having another bad day?”

“It was going fine until my stupid car decided to break down!” Kagome answered darkly, giving one of the wheels a solid kick.

“Kickin’ it ain’t gonna help.”

“Well it’s helping me because it makes me feel better!”

“What’s wrong with it?” Inuyasha asked, grinning at her antics.

“I don’t know! Everything!” She wailed.

“I can take a look at it, if ya want.”

Kagome threw him a sidelong glance.

“How did you find me out here, anyways? Are you some kind of stalker?”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, to be honest. Inuyasha scoffed, looking offended at the idea.

“Please. I got better things to do than follow ya around.”

“So you’re telling me you just happened to be here?”

“Listen, I live nearby. I was walkin’ to the bar when I heard that god awful screechin’ your car was makin’. Looked over and saw it was you.”

Yeah, he had definitely seen her mental breakdown. Perfect.

“You want me to take a look at it? I’m a mechanic,” he offered.

“What?”

“I can probably fix it for ya.”

“No! Absolutely not. Then I’ll owe you even more.”

He paused a moment, seeming to hesitate before speaking again.

“Just call this a date and we’ll call it even, then.”

A date? All the blood rushed to Kagome’s face as her cheeks reddened. He had managed to make it sound so casual, despite his slight hesitation. Had he thought she would say no? The thought was oddly endearing but did nothing to dispel her nerves. She stammered a little bit before finally managing a response.

“O-okay,” she squeaked.

He graced her with one of his fanged smirks and her heart pounded wildly, trying to escape her ribcage. A thrill of excitement zipped through her and she silently conceded that Sango had been right. He’s actually interested in me, too!

Although she had hoped for it, she hadn’t really been expecting it. His demeanor around her had been less than enthused, after all. But then again, he had come to her rather valiant rescue days earlier. And he had seemed pleased when she had given him her phone number. Maybe the trick was learning to read between the lines with him.  

Inuyasha pulled his phone out and made a quick call. Kagome tried not to be too obvious but it was impossible not to listen in.

“Hey. I need ya to come out here. Her car broke down.”

Inuyasha’s expression darkened before he rolled his eyes in response to whatever the person on the other end of the line said.

“Look, just get the fuck over here with the tow truck, would ya?...I don’t fuckin’ know, Miroku. Ask her yourself.” He made a disgusted sound. “Damn straight, you better.”

He rattled off the street they were at and then hung up the phone.

"It's a shame we won't actually make it to the bar because I could really use a drink right now," Kagome said morosely as they stood there.

Inuyasha barked out a laugh and Kagome found herself taken in at the sound.

"Yeah, it's too bad. Maybe another time."

"Mmm. So who was that on the phone? You sounded close."

"My friend. We work together," he said by way of explanation.

"Surprised you have friends with that surly expression you always wear," she teased.

"You tryin' to pick a fight?"

"No, just stating a fact. Your glare could make small children cry."

"Oh yeah? Well at least I didn’t stare at a mirror so hard that it broke, Miss Misfortune."

“Are you calling me UGLY?”

His ears twitched as he realized how it sounded and she did her best to keep a straight face.

“No, not at all. Just tryin’ to figure out how many black cats you pissed off.”

Kagome gave a mock gasp, feigning offense, and Inuyasha grinned.

“I hope you step on a Lego,” she said, unable to contain her own grin.

“Really? That’s all you got?” He chuckled. “I think your luck has been cursed enough for us both, girlie. Don’t tempt the Lego Gods.”

“Rude!”

They were still trading barbs when a tow truck pulled up to their side of the street in front of where they were standing. They were so engrossed in each other that it wasn't until the man in the truck rolled the window down and spoke that they realized he was there

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said cheerfully.

Kagome turned her gaze to the newcomer and took in his appearance. He was handsome, with dark brows, high cheekbones, and full lips. His most striking feature, however, were his indigo eyes, brimming with amusement at the display before him. A light breeze floated through his open window and teased the strands of his black hair, currently pulled into a short ponytail. His arm came up to rest on the window sill almost lazily.

"About fuckin' time," Inuyasha greeted him rudely. The other man, presumably the Miroku from his phone call, just shrugged.

"I got here as soon as I could," Miroku replied, unperturbed by Inuyasha’s attitude. 

"Um, hi. Thank you for coming out here on such short notice," Kagome said politely.

At her words his attention turned to her. He blatantly looked her up and down before settling his indigo gaze back upon her face, smiling pleasantly.

“My pleasure; I’m Miroku. You’re the girl?”

“Um...yes...?” The girl? Had Inuyasha been talking about her?

“I can’t believe you agreed to go on a date with this brute here.”

“Hey!” Inuyasha protested. “I don’t want to hear that from a pervert like you.”

"He seems feral but I promise he's house-trained," Miroku went on.

"He doesn’t seem too bad to me, aside from his permanent scowl." Kagome felt compelled to defend him but she couldn't keep the smile off her face at their banter.

“You’re far too lovely for my friend. Are you sure you have the right guy?”

“At least I don’t flirt with anything female,” Inuyasha shot back.

“Please, I only do that to see their faces light up. Meanwhile, you make every woman run away crying. Except for this one, apparently.”

“At least I have standards.”

“Hey! I have standards, too,” Miroku insisted.

“Then you need to raise them.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Miroku agreed amiably. “I’m turning over a new leaf tonight.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Inuyasha scoffed.

“So you're clearly off-limits, but do you have any pretty friends?” Miroku pushed on unabashedly, turning his attention back to Kagome.

She giggled and Inuyasha glared. 

“It’s funny because my roommate said the same thing." 

"Same thing?"

"To let her know if Inuyasha had any cute friends,” she explained.

Miroku looked delighted.

“What is this roommate’s number?”

“Don’t you have a job to do?” Inuyasha cut in, rolling his eyes.

“Of course. Can’t keep a lady waiting.” He winked at Kagome and it was her turn to roll her eyes.

Together, Inuyasha and Miroku got her car loaded up. And by ‘together’ it was mostly Miroku doing the work while Inuyasha stood on the sidewalk making disparaging comments about Miroku’s skills. He took it in stride and made some cleverly sharp comments of his own right back. 

“Sorry about the tight squeeze,” Miroku apologized as they all piled into the truck. “This isn’t exactly made for three people.”

“No, it’s totally fine. I appreciate this. Both of you,” Kagome replied.

She was squished against the door with Inuyasha sitting to her right. He had refused to let her sit in the middle lest she be pressed up against ‘that damn flirt.’ She didn’t particularly care, to be honest, but his slight possessiveness warmed her. Or maybe that just was his body heat seeping into her, making her skin tingle in awareness.

The drive passed surprisingly quickly and they arrived at the garage as the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. The place was quiet and Kagome realized it must be after hours for them now, which made sense. She suddenly felt kind of bad about Miroku coming out after what had likely been the end of his shift. 

“Sorry, you were probably about to head home when you came to help me out,” she said, her voice contrite.

He waved her apology off. “It was no big deal.”

“Is that why you bitched to me about it over the phone?” Inuyasha snarked.

“Now now, let’s not split hairs. Dealing with you is different than dealing with a pretty lady.”

Inuyasha snorted.

The two of them got her car set up and then Miroku turned to Inuyasha. “You want me to stay and help?”

“Nah, I can handle it,” Inuyasha replied. “Get out of here.”

“Then on that note, I’ll take my leave. It was nice to meet you, Kagome.” Miroku said, giving her a nod.

“It was nice to meet you, too.”

“So about your roommate’s number...” He let the sentence trail off, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“I’ll ask her about it. Goodbye!” Kagome said emphatically, but she was giggling.

After Miroku had taken off, her attention returned to the hanyou examining her dumpster fire of a car. He had removed his t-shirt, leaving him in a white wife-beater and a pair of jeans. His back was to her and he was putting his hair up in a bun to keep it out of the way. She watched his motions, observing the way the muscles of his back moved beneath the fabric, the corded strength in his arms as they bunched and flexed. A rush of warmth pulsed through her as he popped the hood of her car.

“Fuck, woman. When’s the last time you got an oil change?”

“Huh?” She looked up, snapped out of her reverie; she must have zoned out for a minute. “Um...I’m not sure, to be honest. Maybe a year or so ago?”

“You fuckin’ serious?”

“What?” She said defensively.

“You need to be gettin’ it changed every 5k miles. Everybody fuckin’ knows that. And that sticker on your windshield? It tells me ya should’ve gotten it done 3k miles ago.”

“I’ve been a little busy to think about things like that!”

He scoffed harshly but said nothing else as he...well she wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, to be completely honest. She knew next to nothing about cars. The same was obviously not true for him, which was fortunate for her. He leaned over, getting a good look at her car’s inner workings and giving her a good look at his ass. It was perfect, just as she had suspected. 

“You seem more relaxed around me than you were before. I thought you didn’t like me,” he commented as he continued his work.

Kagome’s eyes snapped from his ass to the back of his head, feeling almost guilty about the way she had been checking him out. 

“I thought you didn’t like me ,” she admitted.

He turned around and gave her an incredulous expression.

“Why the fuck would you think that?”

She just looked at him and he sighed.

“Right. I s’pose that’s fair.”

“You seemed so...annoyed when we first met, and I didn’t know if that was because of the customer or me,” she explained.

“Definitely wasn’t ya. Sorry you got that impression.”

“It’s okay.”

“When you insisted you weren’t askin’ me out, I thought...well...”

“What??”

“Because I’m a hanyou.”

“But that doesn’t matter to me. It was because I just didn’t want to seem...forward, I guess. I don’t know, this kind of stuff doesn’t really come easily to me.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re fuckin’ beautiful.”

Kagome blushed furiously and he looked a little embarrassed at his honesty.

“Th-thank you,” she stammered, caught in the spell of his amber eyes. She resisted the urge to bite her lip out of nervousness. “I guess I just don’t tend to think of myself that way.” She gave a slight shrug.

“Well, ya should.”

With that pronouncement he turned back around and resumed his work on her car. His words had warmed her more than sunshine on a cold day. As she watched him work, something else began to warm her. She walked closer to get a better look at what he was doing and to keep her eyes from wandering to places they shouldn’t be.

“Why the fuck didn’t ya get this fixed sooner?” Inuyasha demanded suddenly, raising his eyes to meet hers. “This is a mess.”

She blinked.

“Well...I mean, it’s been giving me problems for a while, but every place is booked out for weeks now. I don’t have the time between work and school to drive far away to an auto place in a car on the verge of breaking down. With my luck it would die in the middle of the highway.”

“You have a point.” He laughed, and she suppressed a shiver at the sound. It washed over her in a wave, husky and rich.

"You know, your customer service is lacking," she teased. "Do you talk to all your customers like this?"

"Sometimes. Miroku usually has to smooth things over," he admitted.

"You could learn a few things from me."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Not cursing at your customer, for starters."

"But you're not really a customer, are ya?"

"I guess that's true." She smiled.

She didn’t know how much time passed as he worked. The conversation between them was light and fun and didn’t touch on anything too serious. He took parts out of her car, put parts in, occasionally asking her to hand him a specific tool then making fun of her when she didn’t know which one it was. At those moments she would jokingly threaten to zap him with her reiki if he wasn’t careful and he would just chuckle at her empty threats.

The longer he worked on her car the harder it was to keep her mind from straying to less-than-innocent places. There was a fine sheen of sweat coating his arms, making his muscles glisten faintly. Her eyes took in every dip, curve, and swell, her mouth going dry at the sight. The way he was handling himself with confidence and ease spoke of his skill and it was...attractive, to say the least.

“So. A miko?”

Kagome mentally shook herself, trying to fight her growing arousal.

“It seemed like the natural choice; it’s always come so easily to me. It’s like flexing a muscle, an extension of myself. It’s part of who I am. While I could have chosen something else...why would I?”

“Makes sense,” he grunted.

“Did you always want to be a mechanic?”

“Well, I’ve always been good with my hands,” he shrugged.

I’m sure you are, she thought, biting her lip, her eyes inevitably drawn to those hands now. They were large and covered in black grease, tipped in claws. She wondered idly what those claws would feel like tracing the lines of her body and felt heat curl low in her belly.

Inuyasha inhaled, his nose twitching, and jerked upright, nearly hitting his head on the hood of her car. She frowned for a moment, wondering what had caused him to jump. Then realization dawned and she turned tomato red. Oh God. Embarrassment filled her.

Inuyasha was an inu youkai hanyou. He could smell her. His gold eyes practically burned as they turned her way.

She swallowed, fidgeting with her hands, and her cinnamon eyes skittered away from his form, hoping that would help to quell the rising desire in her. A desire for him and his touch. The force of it surprised her; she barely knew him! Despite that, everything with him just came so...naturally. She felt like she had known him forever, and feelings that normally took days and weeks to form had taken mere hours. It was insane, but she couldn't deny it.

She liked him so much it was crazy. 

Silence stretched between them as her mind cast about desperately for something to talk about. Something to divert attention away from the change in her scent and what exactly that meant.

"So, have you taken many dates to your garage?"

"Nah. You're the first lucky lady who's had the honor," Inuyasha replied with a fanged smirk, giving her a long look before turning his focus back to her car. 

Kagome breathed a soft sigh of relief and let out a small laugh at his answer.

"They really missed out. This is so romantic," she joked, gesturing about with a hand for good measure.

"Yeah, sorry." He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "This is probably a shitty date, but at least your car will work tomorrow."

"It's not, though," she told him sincerely. "I'm actually really enjoying myself. I have had way worse dates than this. This doesn't even rate on the scale."

And no date has ever had me so ready to be pressed up against the nearest surface with the need to have their hands all over me. Her mind was veering into dangerous territory again. She was completely ready to forget all propriety. Not good.

"You're kiddin'."

"Definitely not."

"Yeah? Then what's the worst date you ever been on?"

"Oh, let's see. There are a few contenders for that spot."

Kagome seized on the question. Talking made it easier to focus on something other than the way his lips would feel against hers. Or the way he might use his fangs to gently nip at the sensitive skin of her neck…

She needed to get a grip, and fast, or he was going to start smelling her again. She hastily tried to tamp down her libido with minimal success.

"There was the time I went on a date with a guy and he got so drunk he kept falling asleep at the bar,” she said, relieved when her voice came out steady and not breathless.

“Shitty, but not that bad.” 

“Oh, it gets worse. So I paid for my tab while he was in the bathroom; I just wanted to get out of there. As I was getting in the cab, he came running out after me, trying to keep me from leaving.”

“Guy obviously couldn’t take a hint.” 

Kagome gave a small laugh. “No. And well, just as I closed the door he projectile vomited all over the cab window.”

Inuyasha laughed so hard he had to stop what he was doing for a minute and Kagome grinned at his obvious amusement. It had been a gross and terrible experience at the time, but it definitely made for a hilarious story now.

“Ok, shit. That’s pretty fuckin’ bad.”

“It was horrifying. Then he texted me the next morning asking about a second date.”

Inuyasha laughed harder and Kagome began to laugh too.

“Needless to say, I said absolutely not.”

“Somethin’ tells me he didn’t take no for an answer,” Inuyasha grinned.

“I ended up blocking him,” Kagome confirmed. “So what about you? What’s your worst date story?”

Inuyasha straightened, surveying the innards of her car and seeming to come to some sort of conclusion. About what, she had no clue but he seemed satisfied, giving a short nod. Then he faced her, the corner of his mouth tilting up.

“I dunno about the worst, but probably the weirdest. I went out with this chick, and after we had dinner she said she just had to pick somethin’ up. We stopped at her twin brother’s place and there was the weirdest vibe goin’ on between them.”

“You don’t think…?” Kagome gasped.

“Fuck, I got no clue but they both basically ignored me and focused on each other ‘til I said I was leavin’.”

Kagome giggled. “Yeah, that’s pretty weird.”

Inuyasha lowered the hood of her car then grabbed a rag and wiped the grease off his hands before tossing it aside into a bin. When he looked her way again he stretched and his shirt rode up, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of his taut stomach. It whet her appetite for more and with a jolt she realized she was staring. She was also more than a little turned on. Even if she hid it well, there was no hiding her scent; Inuyasha would know exactly what kind of shameless thoughts were circling in her head. There would be no shrugging it off a second time.

She wasn’t that type of girl! But something about Inuyasha made her want to be.

“All done a-already?” She stuttered out, her eyes fixed firmly on the floor in front of her now. Her heart was beating faster, making it nearly impossible to keep her breathing even. She cleared her throat.

“Yup. All done. Was a fuckin’ mess but thankfully I know what I’m doin’,” Inuyasha answered.

His feet came into view as she continued to stare at the floor. They stopped right in front of her, but she didn’t need to see his feet to know that. Her awareness of his body so near to hers was a signal all on its own. His aura brushed up against hers and she swallowed nervously, her cheeks warming.

“Y-yeah, for once luck was on my side. Thank you so much,” she said, still looking at the floor.

“You thankin’ the floor?”

She hesitantly raised her eyes to his face and heat flooded through her at his expression. An answering heat burned in his golden orbs while a smirk teased at his lips. He knew. He knew and he was not going to let her off lightly. Not this time. That thought allowed some of her ardor to cool and she scowled. He was standing incredibly close so she pushed against him, her hands lingering on his stomach, noting the ridges of his abs beneath the thin fabric of the wife-beater he wore. He retreated a single step and no more.

“Thank you,” she said again, this time looking into his eyes as she spoke, and his smirk widened. She wanted to be annoyed but that look was giving her butterflies and making her knees weak. Or maybe it was the look in his eyes that made her feel almost hypnotized.

“You hungry?” he asked in a low voice.

“A little,” she replied, unable to look away. But I’m more hungry for you.

“There’s a takeout menu on the fridge in the living space through that door. Go ahead and order whatever ya want.” 

Without breaking eye contact, he pulled his wallet out and removed a card, then reached down to grab one of her hands. Her breath caught as he placed it in her palm then curled her fingers over it, his claws lightly scraping over the skin of her wrist before pulling away. She couldn’t suppress the shiver it caused.

“O-order?”

“What? Ya need help orderin’ food?”

“No! Of course not.”

Kagome tried to muster up a glare but failed miserably. Inuyasha just looked terribly amused and smug. Ugh.

“While you order I’m gonna go take a shower.”

“You need help with that?”

Kagome tried to make it sound like a joke, to play off his previous words, but her voice came out breathless instead. The teasing smirk disappeared from his face and his eyes sharpened as he crowded her space, standing so close his body heat warmed her. Leaning down, he spoke, his breath brushing over her lips.

“If you’re offerin’.” 

Kagome’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to reply but no sound came out. All the desire she had been trying to keep at bay rushed back, overwhelming her senses for a moment. Her brain short-circuited as lust flooded her, making it impossible to fight.

“I-I wasn’t being serious,” she finally managed. “Your customer service needs work.”

He leaned closer, and she became acutely aware of how little space there was between their lips. 

“That’s not what your scent is tellin’ me.”

He definitely knows. Oh God. Mortification and arousal vied for dominance, arousal winning out. And Kagome suddenly found she didn’t care that he knew anymore. For once, she didn’t want to be a good girl; she just wanted to give in. But still, she couldn’t make the first move.

“What is it telling you?” she whispered, hoping he would.

And he did.

Instead of answering her, he closed the last bit of distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. It started out soft at first and she sighed in bliss, leaning into his kiss while her hands ran up his stomach to rest upon his broad shoulders. His credit card dropped between them onto the floor, forgotten as they kissed. The taste of his mouth sent her head spinning. His hands reached up to cradle her face as their lips moved against each other and she shivered at the delicious heat spreading through her body.

It quickly turned from sweet and hesitant to something more demanding and deliberate. Kagome offered no resistance, opening her lips to him almost reflexively. His tongue dipped into her mouth while she traced the length of his fangs with her own and he growled in approval. At the same time, her hands moved to his head, reaching back and undoing the bun holding his silver hair in place. The silky mass tumbled down his back and she ran her fingers through it as their kisses grew more insistent. Her blood was singing in her veins for his touch and, as if he could read her mind, his hands began to roam her body. They slid from her face to her shoulders, down her back, skimming her waist and coming to a stop on her ass.

His hands cupped her, pulling her flush against him and allowing her to feel the evidence of his own arousal. A soft whimper caught in her throat and she clung to him tighter. He dragged his mouth away from hers, his eyes almost wild, as if surprised at the force of the connection between them. They were both panting as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“It’s telling me you wanted that. And more. Fuck, I want more,” Inuyasha said, his voice husky.

“So do I,” Kagome told him hotly.

“If I kiss ya again, I dunno if I can stop.”

Kagome smiled at him shyly, her cheeks heated with a blush.

“What if I said I didn’t want you to stop?”

She wasn’t the type to have sex on the first date, but whatever was building between them was undeniable. For once, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and indulge herself, and if the bulge she felt in his pants was anything to go by, he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. And this thing between them was more than physical; at least it was for her. She only hoped it was the same for him, too.

“Then I ain’t gonna stop.”

“I-I don’t ever do this, especially not on the first date, but I just feel something so-- so--...”

“I feel it, too.”

That was the only reassurance she needed. Her hands moved across the expanse of his muscled back while his lips captured hers again. She felt like she could get lost in the feel of his mouth over hers, the taste of his breath, the way his fangs nipped at her bottom lip. The need to touch him was strong and she tugged at the wife-beater he wore in silent demand. Breaking the kiss, he smirked at her and removed it in one fluid motion. She stared, transfixed, her eyes charting every ridge and dip of his abs and pecs. 

He was beautiful . 

Before she could lose her courage, she leaned forward and ran her mouth over his skin, pressing kisses over his bare torso while her hands mapped his body. His breathing quickened and he growled, the verberation from the sound tickling her lips as her tongue darted out to lick the sweat from his skin. 

While she explored him, his hands went to work, running down her back in a caress before gripping her ass possessively. He squeezed, relishing the feel, then surprised her by using his grip to effortlessly pick her up. She squealed, instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her core right against the hardness of his cock. Gasping at the sensation, a rush of hot arousal raced through her system and left her lightheaded. She barely registered him carrying her until he set her down on the hood of her car as he kissed her. Then his lips trailed from her mouth to her ear, down to her neck, where his fangs played at the sensitive skin there.

“You smell so fuckin’ good,” he said, his breath hot. He inhaled deeply, breathing her in.

Moaning softly, she shifted her hips against him, hoping to ease the ache that was beginning to build at the apex of her thighs. Heat jolted through her core at the intimate contact as he groaned. 

"Clothes...off…" Kagome managed, her mind in a haze.

Inuyasha complied, removing her shirt and tossing it aside. Without wasting any time, he reached behind her to unclasp her bra, his claws lightly brushing against her porcelain skin as he slid the straps from her shoulders. Nervousness gripped her again as her bra fell away and left her bare to his gaze, but excitement quickly replaced it at the hunger in his eyes.

“Fuck, you’re perfect.” 

She held her breath in anticipation for his touch while he stared, drinking her in. The look in his eyes made her feel like a goddess. He didn’t keep her waiting long, his large hands reaching for her and lifting her breasts, savoring their weight as a calloused thumb brushed over each nipple. They pebbled beneath his touch and a soft sigh passed her lips as he repeated the motion before massaging the globes. Then his mouth took the place of his hands and Kagome cried out as he sucked at her nipples, his fangs gently scraping over the sensitive buds. 

As he lavished his attentions on her breasts, her hands buried themselves in his hair, holding his head in place. Unable to help herself, one hand freed itself to stroke along his soft ears and his grip tightened on her in response. She grinned wickedly; they were clearly sensitive. Lightly running her tongue along the edge of one of his furred ears, she gave it a small nip. He growled, the sound rumbling through his chest and sending pleasurable vibrations through her body, making her moan. Liquid heat pooled between her legs.

Slowly, he kissed his way from her breasts all the way down her belly until he reached the waistband of her skirt. He gave it a playful bite while the longing in her grew stronger.

"Inuyasha…" she breathed, his name a plea.

Sliding his hands beneath the green satiny fabric, he ran his palms up her smooth thighs and took hold of her panties. She lifted her hips in consent and he removed them, his claws trailing along her pelvis and the inside of her thighs. A small whimper lodged in Kagome’s throat as the tension inside her built.

Rather than toss them aside like he had her shirt, Inuyasha held them up to his face. The crotch was soaked with her arousal and she watched as he slowly and deliberately dragged his tongue across the wetness, closing his eyes as if savoring the taste. Then he gave her a wicked smirk, locking eyes with her.

It was the hottest and most erotic thing she had ever seen. Lust gripped her, hot and immediate. The pressure was almost unbearable now, she was so fucking turned on. She throbbed with the need to feel that tongue licking and teasing her dripping pussy.

"You taste amazing. But it'll taste even better right here," Inuyasha said, dropping her panties to the floor in favor of spreading her thighs.

"Do it. Taste me," she panted, her fingers curling into fists at her side to keep herself from grabbing his head and pressing him into her.

Then his mouth was on her and oh. Fuck. Her skirt bunched around her waist as his tongue lapped at the juices pouring from her opening, darting in and out and making her breath catch. After teasing her entrance, he gave her pussy a long, slow lick, flicking the tip of his tongue over her clit. Kagome gasped, her thighs tensing, as he spread her folds and licked at her faster, mercilessly tonguing her bundle of nerves. She cried out, her back arching.

“Ah! Ahh! Yes, oh fuck!”

Tracing fast and hard circles around her clit with his tongue, he positioned one of his hands at her opening and slid a finger inside her, being careful of his claws. Her response was instant, her hips bucking up against him to take his finger all the way inside her as she moaned loudly. Yes. God yes. 

Inuyasha gave a growl of approval at her reaction and the vibrations went straight to her clit, enhancing the pleasure. It was pure bliss. His tongue worked her nub furiously as he fingered her, adding a second digit to the first and causing a cry to escape her again. His fingers moved in and out in a quick rhythm, stretching her and making a slurping sound as wetness continued to spill from her. As he continued to devour her hungrily.

Her head fell back as she lost herself to the sensations, feeling the coil of her release wind tighter. The cool metal of the hood of her car against her skin was a stark contrast to the heat of her body as she burned from his touch. She couldn’t believe she was doing this , here, on her car, but she was too far gone to care anymore. Fuck, she was so close .

And then he began to suck on her clit while his tongue and fingers continued to stroke her and Kagome lost all control of herself. Moaning incoherently, uncaring of how loud she was being, she writhed under his mouth. When he gently scraped one of his fangs over her sensitive nub she came apart, her hands grasping for something to anchor her while the ecstasy took her sky high.

“Ah! Ahhh! Inuyashaaa!”

“Delicious,” she heard him say, and thought he might have been licking his fingers of her essence. She wasn’t sure.

The world spun for a minute while she panted, trying to catch her breath. When her eyes refocused she looked up and saw Inuyasha had divested himself of the rest of his clothing and stood in front of her, gloriously naked. He looked like one of those statues of a Greek god, his body chiseled and well-defined with muscle. There was one notable difference between them and him, however, and it was the rather large appendage jutting out from between his legs.

Kagome stared for a second. He was definitely bigger than average, and she wondered for a moment if he would even fit inside her. Her eyes must have given her away because Inuyasha chuckled, pulling her close and kissing her senseless, and any doubt regarding that faded away. 

He was going to the best she ever had: she just knew it. 

As he kissed her, her hands caressed his ears again, rubbing the edges between her fingertips. Inuyasha’s own hands traced patterns up and down her back, one of them breaking away to grab a fistful of her hair. Languid warmth bloomed inside Kagome from the way he was making her feel and she wanted to return the favor.  

“Your turn,” Kagome whispered against his lips.

Holding onto his shoulder to steady herself, her other hand trailed south across his skin. The muscles of his abdomen clenched under her feather-light touch before she reached her target and gripped his cock firmly. Squeezing, she ran her hand along the length of him, the pad of her thumb pressing against his tip and spreading the precum around in soft circles. He hissed out a breath, snarling softly.

“Fuck, your hand feels so good,” he groaned, burying his face in her neck.

Dragging her fingernail gently up the side of his cock as she pumped him, her hand tightened its grip, moving faster. He grunted out his pleasure, thrusting in time with the rhythm of her hand while his tongue rasped over her neck. Her head lolled to the side, allowing him better access as she stroked up and down, her hand giving a twist with each upward motion. His breathing became harsh, coming in pants, and Kagome gave a moan herself at the way his fangs scraped against the column of her throat.

She was already wet for him again.

“Smell amazing...fuck, gotta stop or I’m gonna....”

His voice was thick with desire and the sound sent tingles down her spine. Giving her neck one last nip, he raised his head and, reaching down between them, grabbed her hand in his, stopping her. She looked at him in confusion, uncertainty quelling her own desire, but the look in his gold eyes put any insecurities to bed. They were molten embers that burned for her and made her ache for him. A slow smile spread across his face and her body flushed.

“Why...why did you stop me?”

“I’m not gonna cum in your hand on the first date.”

But I came on yours . The words never made it past her lips as he spread her legs wider and rubbed his cock over her soaked pussy, pressing the head against her clit. She whimpered, falling back against the hood of her car as he repeated the motion before lining himself up at her entrance. She held her breath, waiting, and looked into his eyes. It might have been her imagination, but she thought she saw a hint of red at the edges and it thrilled her.

Then a thought occurred to her.

“W-wait! What about-- about protection?” 

“Not to be weird, but I can smell ya, and you ain’t fertile right now.”

She blinked, absorbing this information, and felt equally aroused and appalled that he could apparently smell every facet of her being.

“You still want this?” His voice was a deep rasp.

“I still want it. I want you,” she answered.

The blunt head of his cock pressed against her and, at her consent, he slowly worked his way inside her until every inch was sheathed within her hot, dripping core. She moaned as sparks of pleasure danced over her skin and he gave an answering groan of his own. He was stretching her to the limit and the feeling was incredible. It made a delicious ache begin to swirl within her, radiating out from where he was buried so deep inside. And he hadn’t even moved yet.

“Ah, God,” he breathed, holding still for a moment as her body adjusted to the size of him. His hands were on either side of her head as his body loomed over her. “Fuck, you’re so tight. You’re not--?”

“--no. But it’s been a while,” Kagome breathed back. “Please, keep going. Don’t stop.”

Inuyasha growled and withdrew before thrusting back into her and she gasped, her breath hitching on another moan. And he didn’t stop, pumping into her hard, while her wet pussy gripped his cock tightly. She shifted her hips up against him with each thrust, trying to take him even deeper. The demanding ache inside of her was building and it needed more. She needed more. The shaft of his cock rubbed against her walls with each urgent movement, pressing against places she hadn’t even known were sensitive until they began to send jolts of ecstasy through her body while he fucked her.

Some distant part of her mind registered that Inuyasha was fucking her on her car. And she didn’t care. She loved it, wanted more, all her inhibitions slipping away. Each fierce thrust was making her breasts bounce wildly, something that didn’t escape his notice. Her back arched into his touch as he brought a hand up to possessively grasp one of her breasts, claws playing with her nipple as he squeezed the flesh.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he grunted as he pounded into her. “Uhn!! So fucking good!”

She didn’t even realize she was crying out at first, but she couldn’t seem to silence herself either, helpless against the way he was making her feel. Looking into Inuyasha’s face she decided she didn’t want to, anyways, because at each sound of pleasure that fell from her lips his eyes seemed to glow brighter, his breath catching, and his thrusts coming faster.

“Ahh! Ah! Inu-Inuyashaaa! I-- please-- Mmm! Yes!”

The coil of her release was wound so tight she was going to come apart any second. Inuyasha leaned down to scrape his fangs over her exposed neck, his tongue licking away the sting. When he moved his other hand from her thigh to her clit, rubbing in taut circles, the feeling sent her over the edge. She came hard, her legs trembling as she moaned loudly, her whole body shuddering.

“That’s it, Ka-go-me,” he panted at her, still thrusting into her wet, hot core and she whimpered.

Then he withdrew from her and she blinked, in a daze, wondering why he was stopping; he hadn’t reached his own release yet. She never got a chance to ask, his lips claiming hers in a kiss so tender that it belied the intensity of the way he had just been fucking her. Pulling away, his hungry eyes traced the length of her body before he gently picked her up, putting her feet on the ground, and flipped her over so her stomach was now against the hood of her car, her back to him.

Hands spread her thighs and in one swift motion he was buried inside her welcoming heat again. She whined as his cock stretched her, her fingers fisting. God, he made her feel so fucking good. Those strong hands of his held her in place as he began to thrust in and out, one splayed around her waist while the other slid around her front to play with her breasts.

“Ya didn’t think I was stoppin’, did ya?” His breath teased the shell of her ear.

A shudder of need ran through her at the feeling.

“Good...don’t stop!” She managed before the pleasure took her over again.

All she could do was moan his name as he fucked her harder, his cock hitting deep. Filling her up in the most delicious way possible. With each rapid thrust she was pushed up against her car, causing her clit to rub up against it and sending tiny shocks of euphoria through her body that left her gasping. The delicious friction of his cock pistoning inside her, coupled with that, had her crying out again, moving her hips back into him as she keened.

Inuyasha was groaning and grunting behind her and the sound turned her on even more. The noises he was making were almost animalistic and it excited her. Desire shot through her, the evidence of how good she was making him feel intensifying her own arousal, and the coil of her release tightened in response. 

Raising her head, Kagome caught sight of her reflection in the windshield of her car and her eyes widened as she stared. Transfixed, she watched, her breath coming faster. Watched as she was fucked from behind, against her car, by the only man who had ever made her act in such a way. A man who should by all rights be a stranger, but who made her feel like no one ever had before. She had never witnessed anything like it, and a hot, sharp wave of lust pulsed along every nerve-ending before coiling low, right at her core. 

The blissed out look on her face, the almost feral expression on Inuyasha’s... It was such an erotic vision, one she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from. More liquid heat pooled between her legs as her arousal and need heightened, the pressure building to unbearable levels.

His rhythm quickened, his breathing turning shallow, and Kagome could tell he was close to his climax. She was close, too. Her heart was a staccato beat in her chest, her breathing ragged, her skin slick with sweat. The slapping sound of skin and their moans, harsh pants, and gasps permeated the air. Reaching behind her, she grabbed onto his perfect ass, rolling her hips back into him, meeting his hard and deep thrusts.

“Inu-Inuyasha--ahh! Ah! Oh fuck, yes!” she cried out.

“Fuck...Kagome, I’m gonna--” Inuyasha grunted, leaning over her to wrap his arms around her as he thrust. Harder. Deeper. Faster. His mouth found her neck again and she threw her head back.

“--do it! I want it!” she said breathily.

His body went rigid behind her as he spilled himself inside her, breathing heavily and groaning from the force of his release. The warm sensation of his cum shooting up inside her combined with everything else sent her over the edge and she came right after, her orgasm almost blinding her in its ferocity. It spread through her like wildfire, strong and immediate, more intensely than she had ever felt before. For a moment, she saw stars and the world fell away. When she came back to herself Inuyasha was smoothing her hair to the side and pressing kisses to her shoulder.

“You good?” he rumbled into her ear.

Kagome smiled, almost laughing at the question. She was completely sated.

“More than good.” 

“Good.”

He pulled out of her, turning her around so that she faced him. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly while she waited for her legs to support her again. As the languid heat of her satisfaction began to dissipate, other thoughts took hold again, making her heart beat faster for an entirely different reason.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, suddenly feeling almost horrified. It made no sense after everything they had just done, but her sense of shame was returning along with her good sense.

Inuyasha frowned, his ears flattening.

“What’s wrong?”

Kagome buried her face in his chest as she spoke.

“I--I can’t believe I just… I mean, I know I said I wanted to, and told you not to stop, but--”

“--you regretting it?” His voice was low. 

Kagome didn’t miss the underlying emotion of hurt beneath it. She rushed to explain.

“No! No!! Not at all. I just… I never do this. And I did. On the first date. I just feel something so-- so strongly for you, and I wanted it so much, but-- God, I can’t imagine what you think of me...” 

Inuyasha seemed to relax at her confession, and he had the audacity to laugh. She glared against his chest.

“You said somethin’ like that before everything got heated. Listen, I told ya already. I feel it, too. And besides, I think you’re the hottest, most interesting woman I ever met.”

She raised her head from his chest to cautiously peek at his face. He gave her a fanged smile and she relaxed against him, sighing softly. 

“You mean that?”

“Absolutely. Though your luck is cursed and the way you take care of your car is a crime.” 

“Such sweet words. Keep talking to me like that and I just may believe you,” she teased, smiling back at him now.

“So...would it be weird to ask ya for another, actual date, now?” 

“Not at all.” 

She leaned up to kiss him and he returned it with interest. His mouth on hers, his body pressed against her...it was intoxicating. It was perfect. When they broke apart they were both breathing heavily again.

“Now, what was that about my customer service lacking…?” Inuyasha said, his gold eyes burning for her.

“I changed my mind. Five stars. Glowing reviews,” Kagome replied, her smile turning seductive.

And he proceeded to earn every word of praise.

[halothenthehorns]

All in the Family

Chapter 81: The Yule Ball

"Achoo!" Regulus sneezed painfully hard, his eyes watering so much they were squinted nearly shut, leaving him half blind as he tried to gaze blearily around to their new torture grounds. The bright sunlight was helping nothing, the nausea that still persisted through their trips along this place was as heavy as ever, and this time in particular they seemed in a truly bizarre area that he couldn't imagine had to do with Harry Potter's circumstances. It was a garden, a truly illustrious one that Professor Sprout would water at the mouth to see. He'd landed on a pile of Honking Heleniums that were vocally none too happy at him as he scrambled onto the smooth limestone pathway, and looked around to see Evans the Muggleborn in the field across from him gazing in just as much confusion at some purple flowers he couldn't identify.

Brushing pollen from his robes and looking around carefully, surely no one had forgotten the Devil's Snare, he found nothing immediately dangerous about their environment, but didn't quite relax either. The hedge walls were about a foot above his head, but he could see even taller ones in the distance as if they fluctuated in size, or perhaps the whole place was built on rolling hills, and behind him in the distance he could see where the trail began in the shadow of an odd building. It looked sort of like an abandoned, though clearly once very fancy hotel carved right into a mountain. The huge cracks along its surface made him leery though it would collapse any moment and start an avalanche, so he wasn't keen on inspecting it too closely. Rising clear above all of this was the mountain peak, the glinting sun shining down right on the whole place like a spotlight.

He turned back around to see Evans was cautiously making her way through the plants with the most dainty of steps, and waited patiently for her to make it to the pathway before deciding she wasn't going to die so turning to be on his way in search of the book.

"Hey, err, Black!"

He turned back with honest curiosity what she had to say to him, they'd hardly spoken this whole time, and he certainly had nothing to say to her.

"I, um, I don't recommend stepping back off the path, alright? There could be something more dangerous than Dancing Dahlias around here, wherever here is."

He nodded once to show he'd heard before going back off, hands deep in his pockets. He was surprised at himself he didn't care anymore what anyone would have said about how he handled that situation. That he should have cursed her, or at least reminded her that as the more superior wizard he needed no such warning, would have been the expected return, but now he had other things on his mind to worry about than whatever that Muggleborn got up to in this place.

He didn't have to travel much farther, taking two right turns before he found the book nestled in a patch of strange-looking plants. From what little he knew of them, he'd guessed they were foxglove and irises mixed together in a bright plum color to create whatever was strong enough to hold that hefty book aloft nearly up to his waist. Even though it was in arms reach, he wasn't stupid enough to try grabbing it from the strange plant, and instead he looked miserably at his bare hands. Even if he did summon the book to him, he wasn't sure he trusted the strange plant enough it wouldn't leave residue on his hands to cause some adverse effect. Then his eyes brightened with an idea, and he shucked off his shoes, slipping them carefully into his bag this time, almost enjoying the warmth of the path on his bare feet while he pulled off his socks and used them as makeshift gloves before getting the book in hand. He was quite proud of his ingenuity and didn't care how ridiculous he probably looked as he read out the chapter title, happy at least this was being gotten out of the way already.

Frank had landed in a very prickly shrub, and the more he twisted to get free, the sharper the leaves dug into his clothes. He could feel small nicks where several had already broken skin. He was cursing so frantically by the time the hand was being shoved in his face he didn't care if it was You-Know-Who offering him help out, he took it with gratitude as he was finally pulled free.

"Thanks," he said in relief, already scratching at a bead of blood traveling down his wrist as he looked up into the werewolf's eyes. He yelped so hard in surprise he backed right back into the bush, which gave him a very uncomfortable prod and sent him stumbling back forward right into him. Lupin caught him with a look on his face Frank's panicked mind couldn't process. Was he smelling the blood? Was it going to send him into a frenzy? He didn't know, he bloody didn't bloody know-

"Oi, Moony! What was all that then?"

Lupin rolled his eyes with an expression anybody in the world could have understood. 'This idiot, right?'

"What do you think it was Sirius? Frank petting the thing?"

Sirius Black was giving him a look that was somehow more dangerous than even the werewolf had yet given as he was scrutinized, and Frank took another automatic step back. Black was splattered in what appeared to be gray paint and was already clearly in a bad mood. Frank saw this as a perfect opportunity to make his escape. He meant to turn around and leave, and found himself face to face with a very large hedge, at least twenty feet high. Looking around properly now, he saw there was only one path away, where Black was standing, with only a cobbled limestone walkway leading towards the bramble bush he'd landed in. It still had a few delectable, succulent green fruits hanging lowly from it, resilient little thing it was.

"I don't suppose you two know where we are then?" He asked into the awkward silence, taking all self restraint not to scratch at his itchy skin, the blood quickly mingling with sweat that had nothing to do with the pleasant weather.

"Not one little bit," Lupin said pleasantly.

"If we find out, we'll let you know at the next landing," Black shot off with more venom than a Venomous Tentacula could hold as he spun around and stalked off, clearly expecting his friend to follow. Lupin watched him go with an exasperated look, gave him an awkward sort of smile, before jogging after him.*

Swallowing uncomfortably, and well aware whatever insane garden they were in could possibly have that as well, he made his choice and stood his ground as they turned the corner and left. Counting to thirty in his head, he then left the area as well, hoping Alice was alright.

James was staring up at a tree full of golden apples and was very tempted to climb up and grab one. Not for eating even, just for something to toss around and do. Peter was being no help, humming to himself and bouncing on his toes as he watched a patch of Sunflowers carefully, the edge of their enclosure keeping them in a nice warmth despite the breeze blowing through. He seemed no more intent on breaking the awkward silence though.

"Wish Evans was around," James finally said. "Bet she'd be able to name every plant here. Wonder if that will give you the Midas Touch if you eat it?"

"You never need an excuse to want her around," he returned passively.

They were saved from anymore stilted attempts by Sirius' little brother's voice breaking the silence, and to James's further bewilderment, he saw an actual smile break out across Peter's face.

"We should go find him. I've been meaning to ask for ages-"

"Why bother?" James blurted in confusion. He barely registered Peter's downcast look at being interrupted, this had been baffling him for ages. "What on Earth have you two been getting so chummy about anyways?" His tone came out far more bitter in the end than he really meant it to, how he wished none of this had even happened anymore and they could just go back to school. If he had to find a way to get Remus and Sirius to make up again all over he'd take that over this constant spin-table of his usual life.

"I, I mean we, well he doesn't-" He's never interrupted me, just sounded petty out loud, but Peter couldn't think of anything else to say in that moment. The first time he'd talked to Regulus, he'd just been trying to be friendly in some bad circumstances as well as outsourcing a prank on Sirius, it wasn't until this moment he realized he'd been so excited to go find Regulus and ask him about this strange environment he'd not even bothered to question he'd be able to ask without somehow being overlooked.

He'd stuttered himself into silence, and James just gave him a bizarre look for it. For a peace offering, Peter summoned one of the golden apples to him and gave it a toss to James, who smiled in delight at the distraction and began tossing it in the air, turning on the spot and walking off without glancing back, expecting Peter to follow as usual.

Peter only hesitated for a moment before he did.

Alice landed in a fountain with an undignified squee. Standing up and checking all over her skin wasn't melting off or something, she slogged through the golden liquid and had to crawl on her belly to drag herself over the edge and flop down on the other side, shivering harder than ever. Realizing she was alone and instantly weary of this fact, she kept her wand held tightly and turned slowly, hopefully to clue in what was going on.

The fountain was glamorous, the water itself had a charm on it to sparkle in the sunlight from the two golden wands crossed, being held aloft by two people she vaguely recognized for some reason. It took a lot of concentration for her to recall that was Nicolas Flamel, and so possibly his wife Perenelle with him. As the book echoed around her of Harry being at the Yule Ball, and not enjoying it one bit by the sounds of how the night was going, then further progressing into the grounds where Hogwarts had set up a sort of mini garden path as well, she suspected her home school had been inspired by the Beauxbatons Academy for some decorative inspirations.

She sighed wistfully and shivered again Frank couldn't be here to dance with her at the mention of all this, she'd have much rather landed in the splendidly decorated Great Hall, and she winced in sympathy instead it seemed to be wasted on the patrons as not everyone's love life was going so well. Hagrid and Maxime, then Ron and Hermione even having an unpleasant spat, as well as Harry's Champion Rival giving off the oddest of advice before going back to the girl of Harry's affection. As grand as this place was, she couldn't imagine even its splendid manor could fix the myriad of problems going on in these worlds.

HPHPHPHP

Sorry I couldn't show off how I imagined the real Beauxbatons would look, but you know, they are outsiders and I'm probably cheating a bit by even showing off the gardens.

*Lemon to be posted separately

[iya5rt]

Kalopsia Project [Bakugo Katsuki x Reader – Tokyo Ghoul AU]

Epilogue – re:Kalopsia Project

Chapter Summary: Despite its ever-changing nature, life waits for nobody. It continues on, and so do you.

Quick Note!! This drawing you see here was done by the wonderful @CxldRain over on Wattpad!! Please, please, please check them out!! I am seriously so honored and thank you so much♥

Kalopsia Project Masterpost

“And now – exclusive information coming straight from the police about a discovery from a few days ago. Following an anonymous call reporting a sighting of multiple ghouls, police and Investigators from the CCG were led to the site of the raid from 4 years ago in which All Might – a renowned investigator, lost his life in a brutal fight against a skilled and feared ghoul nicknamed Endeavor by the CCG. The building, a former research facility of the CCG, which was thought to have been abandoned following the raid, was discovered to still have been in use.

“Inside, the police found traces of a fight and continuous use of the facility for the last couple of years. It resurfaced that this had been the main operating headquarters of a horrific human experimentation project. Unfortunately, no further data could be recovered and the organization responsible for this project has yet to be unveiled. The police are working together with the CCG to get to the bottom of this baffling case.

“The man thought to be the mastermind behind this inhumane act was caught at the scene. So far, his claims have been insufficient and, according to the CCG’s research department, false and contradictory. Multiple of his supposed “subjects” were discovered at the scene. Two of them appeared to have been killed by a ghoul, while the rest were temporarily incapacitated. Multiple organizations are currently looking into the matter, so stay tuned and we will keep you updated.

“Now, to have a look at the situation in the second ward. Sightings of the binge-eater ghoul which had been terrorizing the ward for a couple of months now have gone silent. No new victims have been discovered since the suspicious scene with no remains from last week. Has the threat been eliminated? Will the second ward finally be able to-“

The woman’s monotone voice coming from the small TV sharply cut off. Or rather, it was the sound of the TV instead that disappeared, as Monoma let out a frustrated sigh and set down the remote. He sure was getting quite the attention, though perhaps a news reporter wondering if he was finally dead for good wasn’t the attention he had been hoping for.

It was yet another bright and early morning at the small café which held a tiny secret most knew nothing of. The late-night venture of its staff from a couple nights ago hadn’t made it to all of the news stations quite yet (seems like the CCG still wanted to keep it under wraps as long as possible) and the concern and rumors hadn’t spread among the public for now. Of course, everything had been so carefully planned out, so as to not allow a single unsuspecting person to discover what exactly had transpired there.

One by one, the rest of Yuuei’s staff finished up their morning chores and gathered in the main area, sitting beside the counter, at the tables, or already working on preparing for the day (poor Midoriya and Todoroki had it tough).

Monoma’s eyes swept across the bunch of people and he raised a brow.

“Well, would you look at that. We’re starting any moment now, yet [L/N]-chan is nowhere to be seen.”

“She should be arriving very soon,” Ida chimed in. “Apparently she’s squeezing in some more kagune training with Bakugo-kun whenever she can.” Monoma followed up with a small hum.

“Huh, is that so…? Won’t the customers get worried she’s all bruised and beaten when they see her then?” his raised brow fell and he leaned back against the counter. Uraraka tried to stifle a giggle but failed.

“No way. Bakugo-kun’s still probably going easy on her. At least until her regeneration’s good enough, that is. And who knows,” she muttered to herself. “Maybe even after that.” Another giggle slipped out through her knowing grin. Meanwhile, Monoma’s curiosity turned into a devilish smirk.

“Betcha they’re just making out the whole time-“

Smack!

The towel easily knocked his head forward, leaving him to rub at his reddening neck, as a couple people laughed a little.

“I heard that, you know?” you reached out to retrieve your towel. Hey, he deserved much worse. You were being nice. Not minding Monoma’s pouting face, you dug around for your apron. “Once I get the hang of it, I plan to challenge you to a fight. Get back at you for that oh so pleasant “date” we had.”

“You’re welcome to do so. Any time you like, in fact.” Monoma closed his eyes and put a hand to his chest in a dramatic gesture. “I don’t plan on losing to a newbie.” His eyes looked back at you, a challenge just as clear evident in them.

Though, like you had said, that challenge would have had to wait. They weren’t wrong – you still had a long way to go before you could proclaim to have all the meticulous control over your kagune you’d need to take down somebody as experienced as him. Landing a single blow on Katsuki was already next to impossible throughout your training sessions.

But when that day was to finally come, you were determined to turn the tables on him. On both of them.

Another thought resurfaced in your mind.

“Oh, that’s right! Seems like only Kirishima-kun will make to today’s interview. I hope that won’t be a problem. The rest should manage to find a free slot by the end of the week though!”

“Interview?” Uraraka paused, just as she was putting a big mop away. Ida also looked at you with a slight tilt to his head.

“Ah, you guys were dealing with the clean-up, huh. Forgot you ran a little late. Well, you see-“ you walked towards the door, then turned to face them once again. “Once everything was done and over, Kirishima-kun and the other three somehow managed to convince Aizawa-san to let them work here! They said they’d all been looking for some part-time jobs anyway! Not sure why he insists on interviewing them but hey, I wouldn’t really mind graduating from taking out the trash!!”

With a small hop to your step, you turned the sign on the door, the word “Open!” now inviting all passer-by inside

***

“Katsuki-kun!” you called out from beside him.

His steps momentarily came to a halt, his eyes widening just enough for you to notice, only for him to shake away the surprised expression as quickly as it had crossed his features. You let out a laugh.

“I love the funny face you make when I call you that!” This time, he made a small growl.

“Well, excuse me, but it’s not my fault, now is it?” Not that his complaints were going to put an end to your constant giggles though. After a few seconds of silence on his part, just enough for the funny scene to pass, you hummed quietly.

“I still think we should’ve saved this for when I finally manage to land a hit on you during training.” Katsuki, however, only scoffed.

“Yeah, so never?”

Your small fist hit his shoulder, though he gave no sign of having even felt it. You looked around the mostly empty street, yet your eyes wandered back to him. Hands intertwining behind your back, you tilted your head in pretend curiosity, failing to hide the smile from the joke you hadn’t even made yet.

“Say, you’re not gonna try and eat me too, are you?”

With a single roll of his eyes, Katsuki replied simply.

“I’m not a cannibal.”

You paused mid-step. He noticed your hesitation and stopped too, raising a brow when he looked back. He didn’t necessarily say anything, but you had come to appreciate just how many words his face was able to convey. You didn’t need him to ask you to know he had a question.

“I guess I’m not really human anymore, huh. It’s been a few days, but the thought still feels as foreign as ever.” At the sound of Katsuki’s approaching footsteps, your eyes flicked to him.

“The hell are ya talking about?” He stopped before you, leaning his head towards yours. “With all you went through, you might just be more human than anyone else.”

The blood rose to your cheeks and you let out a laugh to hide your embarrassment.

“Wow, never knew you could be so cheesy, Katsuki-kun,” you smirked. If he was getting to embarrass you, you could easily do the same. Nonetheless, you smiled at him, putting your hands on his shoulders, and leaning in closer. “But thank you – it means a lot to me, you know?”

You pecked him on the cheek and pulled away, skipping ahead with a big smile. He didn’t like it when you saw him blushing or making a weird face, so you could at least give him the space he needs to shake it off. In no time, he was walking by your side again.

Suddenly, his eyebrows scrunched in concern and his eyes focused somewhere up ahead, as he took hold of your hand to stop you from going on by yourself.

“Act natural,” he leaned in and whispered. You followed his gaze and your heartbeat quickened at the sight of the two men clad all in white and carrying those trusty briefcases of theirs.

Passing them by took only a couple of seconds, yet it felt like you hadn’t breathed in a single time all throughout. The two of you rounded a corner, Katsuki looking back to make sure the investigators were well on their way, while you finally took a deep breath to recover.

“Gosh, my heart’s thumping,” you laughed, though the relief written across your face was clear to Katsuki.

“Well, better get used to it – this is going to be your life from now on.” He patted your back a few times.

He was right, huh?

Your path had seemingly been decided so long ago, from the moment that experiment had succeeded. A path of misery, of suffering, of tears shed alone, and of a life doomed from the start.

Yet, with the help of those you’d always thought to be your enemies, you had created a new path. One that was still rocky, rough, filled with thorns. But it was a path you had chosen by yourself. It was a path you weren’t meant to walk alone.

You turned to face Katsuki, two pairs of eyes looking straight at each other. The smile on your lips grew even larger, as you reached out for his hands with your own.

“Get used to it, you say? Hm!” By this point, you were practically grinning already. “I think I’ll manage. But you have to promise me! That you’ll stay by my side, just like I’m going to stay by yours.” Once again, you leaned in closer. “That we’ll help each through it, right?”

Katsuki shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips when he opened his eyes again.

“Sure, sure,” he breathed out.

That was more than enough.

The distance between you became smaller and smaller, until your lips finally met in the middle.

And in that moment, you realized. Both of you realized.

What an ironic situation you had been put in from the start of it all.

Yet in the end, it was an irony you both had learned to love.

~Fin~

***

Author’s Note: And so, it is… done? That’s kinda crazy.

A few quick notes before I start with all the sappy stuff. I know that this was an extremely short chapter, especially compared to last week’s beast, but I really wanted to show those two particular scenes and make it short and sweet, so I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Also, the chapter title! I intended for it to come off as a reference to Tokyo Ghoul:re but if you noticed, the :re is actually placed at the start. That’s because, while Kalopsia Project:re feels like a new start, re:Kalopsia Project gives me more “in response to Kalopsia Project” vibes. Not sure if that made any sense or came across nicely though.

And lastly, at first this was going to be it for sure. Done and Over. But after hearing what you guys have been saying, I’ve been considering writing a sequel to this story one day. It won’t be for a while and I’ll get into the reasons for that later, but the fact is, it will probably happen. I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

And now – thank you all so, so much. You might have noticed already that I don’t shy away from getting wordy in my notes, so please forgive me for that. I’m just infinitely grateful for all the support this story has received – this was my first proper attempt at something with a plot, and also at an AU. It was a fun experience for me and I hope you all enjoyed it too! Every single interaction makes me have this big stupid smile on my face and, while I was a little anxious about posting this story initially, you’ve made it all worth it. So thank you so much to everyone who read this story, who liked or reblogged it, and especially to anyone who stuck with it all this time. It truly means the world to me since I wouldn’t be doing this without you all♥ I hope you’re all staying safe during quarantine! 

And finally, I feel a bit odd self-promoting like that but hey, if you enjoyed this story, and especially the character writing, and are looking for something else to binge during long days at home, I do have one more story! Granted, it’s Bakugo x OC, though I always say that you can easily pretend the OC is either you or your own character, and it is canon-compliant. However, it’s also a good 4 times longer than this story! It’s also my first ever story, so the writing in some of the beginning chapters won’t be up to par with what you’ve been seeing here! But if you feel like it, I’d really appreciate it if you gave it a chance! In fact, now that “Kalopsia Project” is over, I will be returning to plotting the fourth book of that story and hopefully go back to writing it soon enough! Here’s a link to it on Wattpad/Quotev/AO3– I hope you’ll enjoy it^^ Alright, enough blabbering on my part.

Once again, thank you all so much, I love you and I stay safe and have fun~ Hopefully I’ll see you again some time! 

Bye~

(Also, I haven’t quite decided what I’m doing with this blog yet but I plan to type a probably somewhat long post once I figure it out! In the meantime, thank you all so much for the support!  And hey, @afuckingunicornn  @creativedogs  @chims-kookies  - it’s finally over huh?)

[minijenn]

Mr. Greg Preview

Almost fuckin forgot to post this but anyway kinda speed running the earlier parts of this chapter to get to the goods of it. Hope this suffices well enough all the same! 

***

“No,” the conman gasped, eyes wide as he took the check to look over it himself. “No way… G-Greg, i-is… is this real?”

“Sure is,” Greg nodded, grinning. “I honestly didn’t believe it myself at first but it’s true. Guess I’m filthy stinkin’ rich now! Ten million big ones for something I wrote years ago! Crazy how things work out, huh? And--uh, Mr. Pines? Are you ok?”

Everyone turned to look at Stan, who was obviously beside himself with glee based on the massive grin on his face as he held onto Greg’s check as if it were the most precious thing in the world. And, based on how much money it actually was worth, it might as well have been. “Greg,” he began, his tone uncharacteristically pleasant and saccharine. “Have I ever told you that you were the best employee I’ve ever had?”

“Uh… no?” Greg raised a confused eyebrow. “But… thanks?”

“But Grunkle Stan, what about Soos and Wendy?” Mabel asked. 

“This isn’t about them, pumpkin, it’s about Greg and his millions--o-of great qualities, that is!” Stan quickly saved himself with a tight laugh as he waved the check around. “L-like his generosity for instance! Always so giving and selfless. In fact, I’m sure that if you found a worthwhile charity or, oh, I dunno, former boss of yours to donate a few hundred or thousand or hundred thousand to, then you wouldn’t hesitate, right?”

“Gee, Mr. Pines,” Greg smirked knowingly as he finally took his check back from the conman. “You wouldn’t happen to have anyone in mind, would you?”

“Well…” Stan began quite leadingly. 

“Oh please, Stan, can’t you think about anything other than money for five minutes?” Pearl finally spoke up, sending the conman a critical glance. 

“Uh, I would, Pearl, if there was anything else worth thinkin’ about,” Stan shot back with a smug grin. 

Pearl simply ignored him, rolling her eyes as she took another look at the burger commercial playing out on the TV. “I still don’t understand…” she said, confused. “What exactly is this?”

“You know when Rose came to my concert?” Greg began with a wide grin. “The night we met? I was playing this song!”

“...This is what did it?” Pearl asked, baffled. “Burgers?”

“It wasn’t about burgers back then,” Greg clarified. “But she probably would have liked this too, right?”

“...She would have loved it…” the white Gem sighed, defeated as she turned to walk to the far side of the van. 

Likewise, Greg also let out something of a dejected sigh as he turned the TV off, though none of the others really seemed to notice. “So what are you going to do with all that money, Mr. Universe?” Dipper asked, curious. 

“Oh! I know!” Mabel enthusiastically rose her hand. “You could buy a swimming pool and then buy another swimming pool to put inside it and fill that swimming pool with jelly beans! Or you could buy a pet monkey and a fancy tuxedo for him to wear! Or-or… a rocket ship piloted by your pet monkey, with a jelly bean filled swimming pool inside another swimming pool to take you to your own personal planet!”

“Geez, Mabel, reign it back a bit, will ya?” Stan remarked, crossing his arms. “Besides, I thought we already established that Greg was gonna donate most of that money to me--I mean, a charitable cause. Yeah, there we go.”

“Heh, well, you guys have some pretty… interesting ideas there,” Greg said with a small smile. “But to be honest… I’m not really sure what I’m gonna do with the money.” 

[wolfpawn]

Life is a Game of Risks, Chapter 51

Chapter Summary - Alexianna and Tom celebrate a year together as Alexianna mulls over a few things.

TRIGGERS - Past domestic abuse, Past emotional abuse, Past sexual abuse.

Previous Chapter

Tags: @damalseer​​ @hiddlesbitch1​​ @winterisakiller​​ @theoneanna​​

Request if you wish to be tagged

Alexianna sat looking at the paperwork in front of her. It was official, a bank account with an exorbitant amount of money in it and the strict stipulation it was for the education of Lily, with the annual cost of her public school fees to be taken before the start of term and there was no clause. If Oliver passed away before she completed her education, the money was still there, if Alexianna chose to never let Oliver set eyes on her or Lily, then so be it, it was still there.

She looked at the paperwork suspiciously, it could've never be that easy, surely. That's what her mind kept telling her, but when Tom had his friend Jeremy study it and he confirmed that it was legitimate.

When she passed the school on the bus back from work, she looked out the window at it. She wanted it, she wanted to give Lily the education she felt her daughter deserved, tutors that would work with her to guarantee her the best from her academics, not to mention, she knew the use of good connections in school. She had seen with herself, Tom and Emma that knowing the children of influential people, who in turn became influential people themselves. Lily would most likely make ties with people that could assist her as Tom's legal friend had assisted them, though in a different context, she knew if she got so much as a smell of a Jonathan type character from anyone Lily brought home, she would never allow them near her daughter again and should Lily become a single mother, she would never abandon her as her mother had, she would be there to assist her however she needed to...while also assisting Tom and Daniel in hiding the corpse of said deadbeat.

She bit her lips together as she thought of her brother. She had not spoken to Daniel since her return from the Isle of Wight but he had sent her a single message “ I know you are still angry, and I know why, when you're ready to talk to me, I'm still here. You're my little sister and Lily is my niece. I want nothing but the best for both of you, Al. I did it for her and I will never apologise for that. And with regards Dad, I am not going to live in the past. I know you are angry with him and I totally understand why, but this is the way forward for me. I'll respect your decision and I hope you respect mine. Love Dan”

Alexianna respected his choice wholeheartedly. She did not agree with it for her but she did respect Daniel's choice to let Oliver back into his life. Tom had made her see sense on that one very quickly when he stated that both siblings had every right to their feelings, as polar opposite as they were. Alexianna was still angered by Oliver's abandonment, Daniel had forgiven it and saw a chance for a father-son relationship at the end of it all, something he had yearned for growing up. She also understood his decision with regards to Lily. His sole reason for doing that was not to spite her or disrespect her as Lily's mother but to provide his niece with the best start in life. To make sure that she had every avenue open to her. It was a love and responsibility to Lily that spurred his decision to badger Oliver and goad him into paying.

She got off the bus and walked into the apartment, collecting her post from the front desk on the way. When she got up, she was startled to see not just Tom, who she was certain had said he was not available for the day, but also Diana and Emma in her home, Lily in the middle of them, controlling the room.

When she saw her mother, she beamed brightly, running over to her and into her arms for a hug. “Mummy, guess what? Nana and Auntie Emma are minding me tonight so you and Daddy can have a McDonald's.”

For a moment, Alexianna was baffled by her daughter's declaration but on her saying that it was to go for a McDonald's made her laugh. “Okay...?”

The other adults laughed as well before Tom stepped forward, pulling Lily into his arms. “You are a little blabbermouth.” He chastised playfully before looking at Alexianna. “Hello, how was work?”

“It was...interesting. We have some sort of PR disaster based on the fact one of the companies we represent is closing all foreign manufacturing due to Brexit, so that was fun. Thankfully, that's not my area of expertise but the whole place was dragged into it. How was your day?”

“Good, yes. Mum and Emma are in town, obviously, and I asked that they mind Lily while you and I celebrate.”

“I... celebrate what?”

“Well, I am away next week so….”

Alexianna sighed. She had spoken with Tom with regards their one year anniversary already, insisting that they did not have to do anything for it, that she was not concerned with such but since he discovered her marriage anniversaries included her being forced to ‘celebrate’ at home by herself while it included a night of drinking on Jonathan's behalf to wallow for his lost freedom according to his comments to her, Tom insisted that he show her how it was actually done. She hoped he would have forgotten and when it was made clear that he would have to be away for it, she was relieved that it would not happen but now he had clearly made alternative plans. “I don't want there to be a fuss.”

“And there won't be. You and I are going to go to dinner somewhere small and nice, nothing overt or fancy and we are going to have a nice glass of wine before coming back here at a reasonable hour.”

Alexianna bit her lips together and thought of his idea before smiling. If she had to choose something to do, that did sound more pleasant than most things. “What time?”

Tom beamed at seeing her smile at the idea. “Well, reservation is for six so that gives you two hours.” He checked his watch.

“Six, isn't that a tad early?”

“Yes, but you see, I may have also got us tickets to a show in the Donmar so we need to get there by half eight.”

“You failed to mention the show.”

“I may have but it's good and you will love it so, go get sorted.”

“What sort of show is it?”

“It's a small independent group, doing a Victorian-era piece.” He informed her, elated when her eyes brightened. He recalled as a youth, how Alexianna would always go to shows when she could with Emma, Sarah, his mum and on occasion, him and how she adored the manner in which the Victorian works were done. When he was given the details of the play, he knew she would love it and acquired two tickets for it.

“I want to go to a show,” Lily declared sullenly.

“Unfortunately, my beautiful princess, I could only get two tickets for this one, l but I promise to get more tickets in the future so to take you to one,” Tom leant down to speak to her.

“Promise?” Lily held out her pinky finger.

“I promise.”

Satisfied, lily accepted his word before frowning. “So, no McDonald's?”

“No, sweetheart.”

“That's boring.”

“That's debatable,” Alexianna laughed. “I guess I better get washed and changed then?”

“Yes, shoo.” Tom ushered.

An hour and a half later, with the assistance of Emma, Alexianna was ready to go and the cab had been called to bring them to town.

Lily grumbled at being left behind, though she soon forgot it when Diana and Emma began to fuss about her. She waved goodbye to her mother and Tom before telling the two women all they needed to know about “My Little Pony” for the movie she was about to inflict on them.

“She'll be alright.” Tom placated in the cab, knowing how Alexianna disliked leaving when Lily was still awake.

“Do you think she'll like Hampstead Hill?”

Tom's frowned slightly, startled to hear Alexianna say outright for the first time what she was doing regarding Lily and her schooling options. “I think she will adore it.”

“Will they bully her, for not being as well off as them?”

“Honestly, I don't think so. You remember what it's like, everyone's the same, even the scholarship kids.”

“There was one in our class Luanda, she was so nice and always thought she'd be different, but she was genuinely the smartest person I have ever met but she was also the nicest.”

“My year had a few and they were just part of the group, so no, I can honestly say, she won't be made feel as though she doesn't belong based on wealth.”

“She'll hold you to that promise about the show, by the way,” Alexianna warned.

“Good, because I meant it.”

“Are there any shows suitable for young children?”

“Of course, the 'on ice’ shows and pantos, actually that's what we'll do, bring her to a panto.”

“Oh no, we won't.”

Tom's smile widened and his eyes brightened. “Oh yes, we will.”

[zilpaeden]

Limerence or Redamancy?

1/100

風物詩

“To recall something Nostalgic.”

Synopsis:  (100 Day-Challenge) Xion is her own person now, and she wants more than anything to cherish that fact... and yet she can't help but struggle with who she is, or feels as though she is. With a well meaning Princess of Hearts visiting her often, Xion tries to come to terms with her identity.

A/N: I also put it on AO3

Xion liked to think of herself as an expert in shell hunting. After all, she had spent everyday along the beaches of Destiny Island sifting through the ebb and flow of the ocean for such ornaments for as long as she housed Sora’s memories. I.e the entirety of her existence. However, it never bothered her to think her existence as a whole thus far has been short; She awoke to everyday eager to live her life to the fullest. On the account of the fact her still being alive was a gift onto itself.

Beneath her pillow, in the room she had just recently received in Twilight Town—courtesy of the King himself—she hid a small notepad, it wasn’t extravagant by any means, as it were merely a slide-stitch journal with a soft leather outside. Its only distinguishing feature besides being entirely black, was the metal stars attached to each corner of the binding. It was simple, and sweet, it was all Xion needed. Afterall, it was not as though she would ever bring herself to show the journal to another… not with what she had written inside.

A bucket list.

Xion wouldn’t blame Roxas and Axel if they at some point or another forgotten, but among their days with the Organization eating sea-salt ice cream and living life like a dead-man walking mentality, they would shoot the wind with random things they would do if they had more time. What they would do if they were somebodies. She had no way of knowing if they recalled any of the things she mentioned desiring to do, she was far too embarrassed to ask either way, still little by little she checked off each event in her notebook.

It was on the pleasant morning, when the sun hid behind a thin layer of stratus clouds, and the ocean felt chilling to the touch that Xion attempted to fulfill her next goal: Find a Lightning Whelk shell! Legend has it the Whelk shell can contain a fragment of time within it, more often than not a moment when the ocean was at piece, or in great distress. In some ironic way, she found something in common with the crustacean’s abandoned abode. Ironic may have been tame…

She filtered her fingers through the salty water slowly, feeling a myriad of shells graze her fingertips—but she was experienced, and keen to recognize each shape, she ignored each in favor of the one she sought. Her white whale. Xion continued deeper into the marine, the waves lapping at her knees wildly, thank Kingdom Hearts she decided to wear a pair of shorts that morning. Along with a black tank top, she brought a pair of flip flops the same color, long forgotten at the sea-bank. She hadn’t thought she would run into anyone that morning, nor would she run into anyone until she returned home to Twilight Town where no doubt Roxas and Axel would have a new story from the countless worlds they visited.

It wasn’t as though she wasn’t invited to travel along with them, quite the opposite in fact. The King had asked if she, Roxas and Axel would be interested in revisiting the worlds the Organization had left in disarray, and if they would be willing to undo their muddle. And yet, of her own volition declined. To say it baffled her friends profusely would be an understatement, however she expressed to them she wished to experience life a little more before diving back into the fray. She requested a hundred days, she just desired a mere hundred days dedicated to existing alone. Sympathetic as always, the King agreed and wished her nothing but the best. Roxas had his reservations, as even still he hasn’t particularly on the most hospitable of terms with Riku, and would much rather had her instead of the Silver haired Key-blade Master. But he made due… that is until everyday when they’d regroup at home, he was sure to remind her and plead with her to join them. And each time she would remind him that he had leisure, and experienced the life of a normal boy in the digital twilight town, thus it was her turn. It always ended the same, with him reluctantly agreeing with a grumble before cycling back the next day.

Xion brushed off these thoughts, it was her first day in a hundred after all. She wouldn’t let her poor sport of a best friend raining on her parade. It honestly saddened her to think he would be opposed to it… well… she was sure he wasn’t opposed, per say, just excited to adventure with her. There was time for adventuring later! For now, she was determined to focus purely on finding a Lightning Whelk! And more so determined to not allow herself any distractions whatsoever! No Roxas, no Axel, no cleaning up for the Organization, and most of all not to be distracted by the lovely humming dancing through the air…

Despite herself, the raven-haired puppet’s ears perked as the lovely melody entered into her eardrums. It was and smooth and sweet as honey, yet as passionate and sorrowful as a day’s end. The song held no words, only jumbles of incoherent syllables and sounds as though the voice had no words to express its feelings with… no. Her feelings with. Today wasn’t supposed to be dedicated the Lightning Whelk, nothing more, nothing less. And yet… and yet… and yet…

And yet she still found herself following the sound to the shore, behind rows of palm trees, upon a lone dock, a pair of legs hung down above Xion. She stepped out from under the dock to catch sight of the vocalist—not that she hadn’t already realized whom the voice belonged. The realization came just as instantly as the voice had to her.

Her vivid vermillion hair danced about her, framing her soft porcelain face. Her azure amethyst eyes watched the ocean, glazed with unshed, remorseful tears. Adorned in pure white sun dress that reached her knees, and a violet shawl draped across her shoulders, a pair of silver sandals hung idly from her toes. The Princess of Hearts, she truly lived up to her title. Nonetheless even in all her angelic glory, in the eyes of Xion she was, and always would be just Kairi. The very same Kairi she grew up beside… no… the very same Kairi Sora grew up beside.

It mattered not how much she wanted to stay there, and perhaps drink in more of the radiant image before her, it was hardly her place to. Kairi didn’t know her… not that well at least. Ever since returning to Destiny Island from the world of waking, without Sora with her, she had been extremely reclusive. Spending most of her time alone, or at school(even then she hardly spoke to anyone). According to Axel, she said Sora was with her and then simply vanished. Master Yin Sid theorizes he was taken to a world very well outside of their jurisdiction; for the time being it remains a mystery. Riku advised everyone to give her space, or if to ever come across her be kind and sympathetic.

Xion would do just that without so much as a second thought. Afterall, she sacrificed her heart to save that very princess! No… Sora did… not her.

This wasn’t a thought she had a pleasant time coming to terms with as often as it dwelled in her mind. It also quite honestly attributed to her wishes to spend time dedicated to herself. To make a person of herself. The memories she held close to her heart, were not hers. They were Sora’s… and yet… and yet… she wanted to scratch at something, tear it to shreds, anything! Maybe even scream until her voice grew horse. And yet she never did, not matter how madden it was for her to think this:

She was Xion. She never was that spiky haired boy with Key-blade in his hands, and shell charm in his pocket. But she felt as though she was, and it was tearing her apa-

“Xion. You’re Xion, right?”

Xion blinked blankly, awareness returning back to her just as quickly as a feverish blush to her cheeks—How long had she been staring??? Turning her head away in hopes of hiding her embarrassed flush, she nodded her head reluctantly.

“I see, Axel has told me a bit about you. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” Kairi’s voice came again, Xion out of mortification could not for the life of her turn to see her however.

“No, I don’t think we have.” Xion confirmed quickly, immediately regretting how utterly offhanded she may have came across as. She was supposed to be delicate with her, for pete’s sake!!

“Just a moment, I’ll come down to you.” This was followed by the sound of creaking wood growing further away, the puppet could only panic within a moment’s pause to prepare herself. She smoothed down her hair(Why hadn’t she thought to brush it??), and flattened out the wrinkles on her shorts, all with anxious fiddling as her meeting grew nigh. It came far too soon for comfort, as she hardly had the chance to catch her breath before a familiar scent wafted through her nostrils. So incredibly nostalgic and comforting, she recognized that perfume. She could distantly recall a sleepover she had where she woke up to find her nose feet buried in her red tresses, and arms laid lazily around her waist. Naturally she was rattled at first, but eventually decided to given in and enjoy the warm sensation of Kairi in her arms—safe a sound. She of course also recalled Riku waking to find them like that and swore to blackmail her with that key event at any given time. Of course he had yet to ever make good of his threat but—

No, there she went again. That happened to Sora, not her. Stupid, stupid puppet…

“Xion, you’re Sora’s second nobody right?” Kairi asked, Xion immediately regretted meeting her gaze. It was a trap!

“Well…” Xion wanted to correct her, but thought better of it. It was far too complicated… “Basically.” She reluctantly lied, praying to Kingdom Hearts Kairi’s ability to distinguish when she Sora lied to just this once fail her. And by sheer will of luck, she seemed to buy it.

“Wow, I didn’t know that was possible. Well, I’m Kairi… though I’m sure someone has already told you that much…” Kairi said with an awkward giggle.

“Yes, Axel’s told me about you too.” Again with the lies, may Kingdom Hearts have mercy on her soul(Or lack thereof).

“Only good things I hope!” Kairi smirked, a playful wink following her words. How little she knew…

“Of course, nothing but the best for a princess.” Xion assured, grinning wide at the girl. Kairi of course returned the gesture freely.

“Oh please, I’m hardly a princess anymore. I’m just Kairi.” Like that’s a bad thing.

“Kairi it is.” The puppet chirped, a pink hue still ever present on her features. She would be ever grateful the Destiny’s Embrace wielder girl took no notice of this attribute of her. She did however take notice of her shoeless form, damp jean shorts and sweat glazed forehead.

“Are you up to something in particular?” She inquired curiously, tilting her head slightly as she spoke. The individual strands of her hair grazing her jawline. It was almost artistic—Answer the question, you useless puppet!!

“Just looking for shells, my entire day is dedicated to that if you would believe it.” Xion responded surprisingly smoothly, it was natural for her to talk to Kairi… it only felt awkward when she thought about how much she didn’t belong doing so… but maybe just for today, she’d allow herself that small indulgences.

“Oh I can, I can’t tell you how long I’ve spent looking for matching Thalassa Shells to make jewelry and charms. Pink is the rarest shade you know!” Kairi explained passionately, waving her hands animatedly. Xion nodded understandingly—Shell collecting was something she picked up on her own after all.

“No kidding, but those are my favorite.”

“Mine too!!” Kairi exclaimed, clearly pleased by that small trait they had in common. Xion hadn’t the heart to reveal the real reason were not for the color itself but by association with a charm she once… damn it, no.

“You don’t say… do you maybe…” If it’s just for today anyways… “Do you want to join me? I’m looking for a Lightning Whelk.”

Kairi’s eyes—for lack of better words—lit up at this offer. Stars were practically forming inside her pupils. “For real?” She grasped Xion’s hand between her own. They were the same size… that would require getting used to…

“Of course, but only if you wan-“

“I do! I do!” Kairi cut in, nodding her head so fast she almost looked like she was headbanging to a metal song. Thus, shyly Xion repositioned their hands so that she could lead her back towards the sea with her. Sure, she hadn’t needed to continue holding onto her hand, but once again as she kept reminding herself—it was just for today!

Amongst the tide, the two girls began to sift through the water alongside one another. A warm sensation welled up in Xion’s chest as water flicked off her fingers playfully at Kairi. Immediately catching onto the decoration of war, she splashed back with more fury. Clearly experienced. Not as much so as Xion(or the experience Sora left on her). Ripping a violent wave in the Princess of Heart’s direction, Xion summoned her Key-blade to her side—magic began to instantly rush through her veins, allowing her weightless grace to platform the water surface.

Not allowing Kairi enough time to react she made quick slashes that sent hoards of water in her direction. In retaliation, Kairi summoned her own that rendered the projectile waves clouds of steam. Xion smiled impression, as well as intensely proud. Attempting to cast the same spell Xion did to ride the surface of the water a flurry of glitter burst from her blade, just as vibrantly the girl flushed completely mortified by her unfortunate failure.

Gracefully strolling over, Xion lent a gracious hand, “It’s okay, it took me awhile to master that spell too, so no-“ No, she wasn’t expecting this… no Kairi, anything but tears… anything but that.

No matter the puppet’s miserable, albeit mental pleads, tears pooled in her luminous Violet eyes, brimming over and running down her face in a messy jumble of emotions. She desperately tried to ignore them, sniff violently, and attempt the spell a second time. A third time, a fourth. All only amounting to a burst of pink mana running amuck the air. She was practically drowning in her only tears and ragged breathing. Xion felt nothing but helpless as she watched, her spell failing her and slowly descending her back down into the water.

If Sora was there, he would scoop her up in his arms, lovingly pet her head, and coo soothing nothings into her ears until she calmed down. Just as he did every time she thought of the family she lost years past, when they hadn’t even known it was at the hands of Darkness. It mattered little as with or without explanation he would still comfort her, promise he’d use his weak little wooden sword to protect her and kiss her booboos better… but Xion wasn’t Sora. She wasn’t. And Kairi didn’t know her, not like how she knew her…

And yet…

And yet…

And yet…

And yet she still scooped her up in her arms—despite their similar height and proportions--, loving pet her head, a cooed soothing nothings into her ears. Kairi could soak her shirt with tears, and even snot as much as she liked, she didn’t care much for her clothing anyway. Just for today… she would be her Sora.

Burying her face into the crook of her neck, Kairi moaned out a despairing cry. “Why can’t I just cast one simple spell?? Why can’t I just be as strong as everyone else?? It’s like none of it mattered, no matter how much training I endured I wasn’t strong enough to keep anyone safe… I couldn’t even keep him safe… I promised…. I promised.”

Xion allowed her eyes to close, she drew her closer, as close as she physically could. She wished more than anything there was something she could say, anything! Anything at all to make it all better… but she knew there wasn’t… there was nothing else to be said… except maybe…

“A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory... a far-off memory that's like a scattered dream... I…” Xion’s words died in her throat as Kairi’s legs gave out, cursing her similar form for not being strong enough for the both of them, they sunk into the water together. “I want to line the pieces up... yours and mine… I know that one day, no doubt about it, you’ll find him again… more than anything I know he wants to get back to you too.” She struggled to pull the widest, happiest smile she could. For Kairi’s sake, she knew she very well could.

And seemingly, it cheered her up ever so slightly. Only to vanish again without a trace to be replaced with discomfort. “I-I’m sorry, it’s not you, just,” She squirmed away from the spot her backside had been previously planted in. Digging her hand into the sand, Kairi drew forth a shell no bigger than the palm of her hand. With a pointed tip, and spikes running down its spiral, the white hue of it was lightly tinted adjoining its highest peak.  The color, as if destiny itself, was pink.

“A Lightning Whelk!” Xion proclaimed, eyes gleaming with unsaturated wonder. Kairi smiled softly at this display, gently moving Xion’s hand with her own free one, she adjusted it palm up to delicately place the Lightning Whelk safely into her grasp.

“You can have it.” Kairi said softly, a fondness glimmer in the depths of her eyes. Xion promptly recognized the gesture as a silent act of gratitude.

“Thank you, Kairi.” Xion said with a softness to rival Kairi’s. Her pesky heart chose that moment to beat rapidly in her chest, she brought the shell closer to her chest in hopes of easing it. To no evade.

A familiar ringing of bells danced through the air, Kairi’s laugh. It felt like forever since she last heard it, and an eternity since she last had the pleasure of taking in Kairi’s smile. A real smile. “Don’t thank me, not when I’m supposed to be thanking you!” Xion narrowed her eyes at this, the more irritated by how her expression alone quickened the speed of her heart.

“You’re going to accept my thank you, whether you like it or not!” Xion scolded half-heartedly grinning from ear to ear as Kairi stubbornly shook her head.

“Nuh-uh!” Kairi protested with an equally wide smile. Xion liked her like this far better… smiling, the way she should be.

“Don’t be so spoiled, princess!” Kairi pouted at Xion’s words, and she immediately knew why. But she was far too stubborn to take her words back—not when the pounding in her chest was deafening!

“Fine! Then I’ll take the shell back!!” As soon as these words escaped her lips she lunged for the shell, but Xion was sure to keep it away from her(no matter how much she seemed to want it)—she was careful not to harm her when pushing her away. Their back and forth seemed to last an eternity, and an instant all the while. The tide had shifted into low, and the sky a gradient of marigold and burgundy. Laid across the sand, they gasped for air with wide smiles just as glued to their face as their wet clothing to their bodies. As though it were attached to her hand like a piercing, Xion grasped the shell tightly to her chest. Her heart was finally at rest…

Kairi sat up onto her elbows, she gazed down at Xion with a fond smile. So much for Xion’s heart being at rest… “Thanks for today… I… I really needed it.” She brushed aside a few crimson strands behind her ears, “If you ever need me to return the favor, you only have to ask.”

A blush warped her face, a favor she consider asking was for the girl to forget was red she must’ve appeared in that moment—surely it could rival Kairi’s hair.

“You’re welcome.” Xion blew out, her soft voice barely above the sound of the wind. Slowly rising to her feet, shaking out her sandals, and squeezing her dress and shawl of any remaining seawater, Kairi provided Xion one last wave goodbye. The raven haired girl watched her fade from view, with each step, seeing to her safe return. Once she was gone completely, she released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. No wanted to acknowledge she was holding… how could she..? It was just like how she remembered it, spending time giggling over nonsense and spewing hilarious quips.

She argued with herself it was something she had with Roxas and Axel as well. She spent far more time with them, eating sea-salt ice cream and humoring each other over various things about their life. This should be no different. But… but… but Kairi was just so fucking charming! And so beautiful, and earnest, and funny, and sweet, and clever, and determined, and creative… there were not enough words to express all Xion had to about her feelings regarding the princess… her princess….

Sora’s princess…

Her smile faded, and her eyes closed. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she have been content with the life she had, the life she fought to keep. Why must she be so utterly and completely envious of a boy so many mourned over the absence of? It was unfair to him. She was no longer him… Even if he possessed things she too desired to have…

At least, the shell clutched between her fingers were her own. A Lightning Whelk, it was even pink! And Kairi gave it to her, not Sora. She slowly raised it to her ears, eager to see if the legend held true… even prepared to find it did not… however, instantly a soft ambience met her ears, returning a smile back to her lips. A subtle ringing of bells, similar to that of a certain blonde pixie friend from years past. But unique all the same, and worth far more to her than any other sound.

It was the sound of Kairi laughing.

And it was all hers.

[douxreviews]

Star Trek: The Next Generation - ‘Inheritance’ Review

Data: "I find I am having difficulty separating what would be best for her from what would be best for me."

By nature I love brevity: Eh. What's here isn't bad. It's just a shame what's not here is wildly more interesting.

Here we have an example of one of TNG Season Seven's better ideas, although it's kind of uninspired in its execution and it all gets wrapped up in material that's less interesting to watch. I mean, the central principle is interesting, and there's a lot you could do with it. Data is one of the show's most beloved characters, and his past is shrouded enough that you can get away with a lot concerning it. And to have Data's 'mother' be an android herself is kind of fascinating. But it's at this point in the progression of ideas that 'Inheritance' falters.

Picture with me, if you will, a very different version of this episode. It starts much the same way, as Data discovers who this woman is and figures out their relationship. Then, at the end of the first act, he discovers that she is an android. He finds the chip in her forehead and watches the message from Dr. Soong. Then he talks to his friends about what he should do, and they give him differing advice. It's this that the episode spends the bulk of its time on. It's a fascinating moral question, and there are no easy outs or obvious right answers. Data makes a decision, and the episode refuses to tell us how to feel about that decision, and whether it was right or wrong. Or, maybe even more interestingly, he doesn't tell her, and she finds out anyway. She becomes angry, and maybe in the end he even wipes her memory of the incident to make her happy again.

My point, as I hope you see, is that this question and this problem facing Data is the most interesting thing in this episode, and I would have really enjoyed a thoughtful exploration of it. Instead, 'Inheritance' makes the baffling decision to spend almost its entire runtime on this mystery. And we aren't even fully informed what the mystery is until near the end, because the moment we are made to question who she is is the moment we begin to figure it out for ourselves. That takes up well over two thirds of the episode, along with the technobabble problem that absolutely nobody cares about in the slightest. Then, finally, it spends approximately five minutes barely scratching the surface of its intriguing moral quandary, before it has Data make a decision, tells us it was the right one, and ends.

This is one of the many signs that this season gives us that the TNG writers were losing their groove. They still came up with interesting ideas and concepts, but when it came time to execute them, they wound up hitting the same old story beats, with the same old twists and tired cliches. It wasn't that they couldn't tell stories anymore, it's that they couldn't tell new stories anymore. Every new thing became an old thing very quickly, and they could no longer see the potential in their stories. It's a sad thing, but TNG needed to end. It was just about done.

The actual beats of the episode were pleasant enough to watch, but they weren't particularly interesting and they certainly didn't captivate me like the best episodes of TNG do. Everyone's performances are just fine here, although Brent Spiner's Dr. Soong hologram feels way too jovial for the information he gives Data. It would have worked better had he been more solemn. I thought Fionnula Flanagan as Juliana Soong was quite good; I believed her in her role as Data's mother, and would have gone on believing it had they gone the straightforward route. William Lithgow as her husband is capable in his fairly useless role, with a subplot that barely exists about his belief in Data's abilities because he's an android.

If this episode had been made in the golden age of TNG Seasons 3-5, it would probably would have been among the show's great morality plays. Instead, here, it opts to play out the least interesting approach, and falls flat as a result. Unfortunate.

Strange New Worlds:

The planet we visited was called Atrea IV. It never shows up again, and the technobabble problem with the core is its only distinguishing feature.

New Life and New Civilizations:

Juliana Soong is a new and improved sort of android, with tear ducts, emotions, and aging. It seems unlikely that nothing ever happened to make her discover who she was, but I guess that's the suspension of disbelief here.

Pensees:

-Brent Spiner really does get to play a variety of characters just by doing his regular job on this show. He's kind of like the Tom Cavanagh (The Flash) of Star Trek in that way.

-Yet another concert aboard the Enterprise-D. I'm honestly surprised the crew hasn't heard every piece of music ever written yet. Maybe they have, and that's why they always look so bored in most of those scenes.

-Honestly, how do they keep coming up with new technobabble problems to use? Like, do they just have some 'Science Problem' generator where they fill in the blanks to get a new one? Like, 'The *optional particle* of *something that's in space* is *verb ending in 'ing' that sounds bad*, and we need to *science action* the *science material* into/out of the *thing in space or part of the thing in space* by recalibrating the *part of the ship*!'

-I have no doubt that somebody has brought Juliana back in a novel to tackle the untapped wealth of material this episode ignored. In fact, I'll go check Memory Beta right now.

-Never mind. The only thing anyone ever did with the character happened after her death.

Quotes:

Juliana: "He's dead?" Data: "Yes." Juliana: "I had no idea it would hit me so hard." I like her performance here.

Geordi: "That's life, Data. Part of being human is learning how to deal with the unexpected. To risk new experiences even when they don't fit into your preconceptions."

Data: "I am incapable of embarrassment. Please continue." His delivery here cracked me up for some reason.

Data: "I have been told that my playing is technically flawless, but no one has ever described it as beautiful." Juliana: "It was. Really." Data: "Are you certain you are not saying this because you are my mother? I have noticed that parents tend to exaggerate when it comes to their children's accomplishments."

3 out of 6 science materials.

---

No matter where CoramDeo goes, there he is.

[donnerpartyofone]

#4

In 2018, with the help of some concerned and informed people in my life, I discovered that I’m probably pretty autistic. The driving factors were not what you might expect (I didn’t, anyway)--chiefly, a kind of persistent clumsiness, disorientation, organizational difficulty, trouble learning certain practical tasks--but it helped explain a lot of things about me that one might otherwise consider “quirks”. I had always taken for granted, for instance, that I have a lot of trouble recognizing faces, including ubiquitously famous actors, or members of my own family. I have also been accused from time to time of taking things “too literally” (to which I usually reply something like, “But this is literally what’s going on in reality, how does literalness make it dismissible?” I really don’t get it). Also, most typically, I have never liked being touched. “You’re just like Dave Letterman!” my dad chortles, an interpretation I don’t mind. I think it might also be pretty autistic of me to be so averse to family. I don’t have the slightest inclination toward maternity, which one could guess from the previous passages, but it’s more than neurosis. I know intellectually that people care about their families; the same way most people burst with pleasure at the sight of a baby, any baby, they also respond automatically to the very idea of blood relatives. As a kid, I was always baffled by the obsession other kids seemed to have with their cousins, or how in love they could be with their grandparents. In my world, you obsess over people to whom you have something to say; people who share your taste in art, your politics, your philosophies, your passions and phobias. I don’t understand relationships that are based on blood alone, on being trapped in the same place and time by virtue of pure circumstances.

Today, as my friends are all having babies one after another, I find myself strangely fascinated by them. Some of these people have struggled all their lives to find a sense of belonging or purpose, and having children has given them a sense of meaning beyond anything they previously hoped for. As someone who continuously struggles to find a sense of purpose, which I base exclusively on my intellectual and artistic pursuits, I’m amazed by the idea that I could potentially put all my existential confusion behind me if I were willing or able to become a mother. I can estimate how profound it must feel to create life, and then to become responsible for turning that life into something good. But, I remain unable to attach meaning to the idea of something being “a part of me” on a purely biological basis. I have insurmountable trouble thinking of my biological predecessors as being “where I come from” on the identity level. I can’t imagine being so sentimental about being an organism in a colony of like-organisms, not the way I am about people who have brought me experience and taught me to think.

So, even if I were without the mother-related trauma heretofore detailed, I still think there is something about who I am as a person, that would have made me recoil from my grandmother. My mother’s mother was the platonic ideal grandmother, a plump, pleasant old lady with a syrupy southern drawl who seemed to have stepped out of a cookie commercial. Excessively generous with money, food and affection, she presented as a person any family would welcome in their household. However, I always detected something oppressive about her. I was raised to be guiltily dutiful toward her, so as a child, I thought my suspicion and repulsion was just a problem with me. It must make me an asshole, that I don’t want her to hug me with her entire body for such a long time that I can’t figure out what’s going on anymore and I’m suffocating from the heat. I must be a dick, that I don’t want someone chasing me around, staring at me, posing me and jostling me like a baby, which I haven’t been for years. Maybe it was my problem, that I didn’t want her to burst into the bathroom and shriek with glee at the sight of me on the toilet trying to take a single solitary piss. Maybe I was just being a jerky teenager when I froze in horror while my grandmother sat next to me at the dinner table, gazing smolderingly into my eyes like a lover and caressing my hair non-verbally when I was perfectly capable of having a respectful adult conversation.

As I grew up a little more, I began to pick up on the fact that she drove both of my parents nuts. All of this motherly pageantry was incredibly manipulative, and really a way of controlling people. The creepy coddling I received as her granddaughter was really something she did to everyone. She was bright, incredibly shrewd really, a person whose hard work and frugality produced a self-made millionaire, though this didn’t reflect in her humble home. She was a dyed in the wool republican who was capable of watching the Daily Show with appropriate delight. Actually, she had a weird sadistic sense of humor; I always thought she got a little too much joy out of seeing little boys get smacked in the nuts by speeding baseballs on America’s Funniest Home Videos. That probably bothered me because of how she unforgettably screamed with laughter at my flinching when she took me to get my ears pierced. Everything indicated that, regardless of her age and conservatism, she wasn’t a vulnerable, senile old biddy, but a keenly intelligent woman very much in touch with the real world. This made it endlessly disturbing to me that she so insisted that everyone around her act like a little baby, adults and children alike, so she could rule us all as the ultimate mommy. Her aversion to grownup conversations and self-reliance was a way of forcing everyone into a Rockwellian time capsule in which everything was predictable and hygienic, in which mother knows best. Literally any admission of imperfection could trigger an outburst that would enslave everyone to the process of cheering her up. I recently heard a story about a Christmas visit during which she and her husband were lavishing attention on my brother as if I wasn’t even there. Concerned that I might be lonely, my father suggested that they include me in this play session. At this recommendation, my grandmother burst into hysterical tears, and my parents had to spend the rest of the night apologizing for accusing her of being neglectful.

Eventually, I learned little by little that she was more than just a prototypically clingy old lady with a keen talent for doling out guilt. It was a little weirder than that, and ultimately, a lot darker. First, there were the things I had heard about my mother’s life as her daughter. I remember a story my mother told about a birthday party that her mother threw for her when she was little, sometime in grade school I think. Her mother said that she had hired a gypsy woman to tell everyone’s fortunes, which was extremely exciting. A little carnival tent was set up in the back yard, and all the kids lined up to hear about their futures. When my mother’s turn came up, she walked in, only to find her mother in there in a turban talking with a corny accent, as if her own child wouldn’t know who she was--let alone any of her friends. My mother told this story to explain how embarrassing her mother was, but what I picked up from this was less a funny story about how parents traditionally humiliate their kids, and more like evidence that my grandmother’s identity is completely rooted in her position as an apex matriarch, well beyond anyone else’s intelligence or control.

The way she infantilized me was not an ordinary byproduct of having a grandchild, but something she did to everyone in her life, historically, up to and including my adult parents. She certainly continued to do it to me as an adult, and she insisted on a childish sort of positivity that I could barely muster. I thought, if she wants us to have a relationship, I should talk about my life, which sometimes includes complaints--or simply categorizing things as just-ok, or business as usual. Of course, she found this extremely irritating for some reason, and would pressure me to change my story with declarations like “YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SO MISERABLE!” One Christmas when I was really in a bind, I called to thank her for the holiday check she had sent me, saying that it gave me much-needed help in making my rent at that time. “Oh...well, I thought you would do something nice with it,” she said in a strange tone that let me know she was sort of angry with me for some reason. I had to sort of bend the truth into a story about some special treat I supposedly got myself in order to get her to cut it out.

A better example of what was really going on with her also had to do with Christmas. You know Christmas: If you’re a little kid, you get up at about four in the morning, you beeline for the tree and try to peak into the openings in the wrapping paper, you wake up your parents either by force or by the shockwaves coming off of your person, you all open presents together in a sleep-deprived daze, and you’re basically all back in bed by 10am. Well, this might happen with my mother, but once my grandmother was awake, a ritual began. First, she would get out her camera, and follow my mother back into the bedroom. There, my mother would get back into bed, and pretend to be asleep. Then my grandmother would take a picture of my mother “waking up.” Then, another picture of her theatrically delighted expression when she “remembers” that it’s Christmas. Then a picture of my mother entering the living room and exploding with joy when she sees the tree for “the first time”. Then pictures of the presents being opened, then etc...this whole completely artificial passion play of my grandmother’s little family having the perfect Christmas.

Much, much later, I would find out what all this debasement was probably really about. It had to do with my great aunt. I knew that this woman, who I have rarely ever met in my life, and her daughter both suffer from brutalizing clinical depression. The daughter actually has an electronic device in her brain that acts like a pacemaker for depressive episodes. I had never even heard of something like that before, but it made perfect sense to me that this person and I would be in the same gene pool. Naturally, though, my grandmother would not have found such a dour defect so sympathetic. My grandmother and her sister seemed to have some kind of amorphous feud going on. My grandmother complained relentlessly that her sister refused to spend enough time with her, and I usually thought about how unfair she was being to a woman who has had cancer multiple times, whose energy is leached away by depression, and whose daughter is also routinely sick and almost uncontrollably suicidal. Apparently there was a history of slights and passive aggressions between the two women, though none of it topped the thing I ultimately learned about their family. At some point in their lives, my long suffering great aunt admitted to her sister that she had been raped by their father. I never knew the man, but he was supposed to have been sort of a son of a bitch, and there were other reasons that this made all the sense in the world to me. I remembered a story about how, after he died, his daughters found years’ worth of private writing that he had produced. It sounded like they were really raunchy violent western stories, which my parents were naturally interested in seeing, until they discovered that my grandmother had burned it all. “It was PORNOGRAPHY!” she declared. It’s a little hard to tell whether she was simply appalled by this rather un-Rockwellian artistic deviance, or if she was especially bothered because she knew him to be real life predator. In any case, it would have been impossible to know, because when her sister confessed that their father had violated her, my grandmother basically gave her the finger. Or rather, she gave that whole upsetting topic the finger, and then insisted that her poor destroyed sister continue to be her faithful companion as if none of it had ever happened. “It’s so painful!” my grandmother cried when her sister refused her most recent invite to brunch, and it took everything in me not to say, “Yeah, well, can you think of any reasons by yourself why she might not be fucking dying to hang out with you all the time?”

So it became clear to me why my grandmother might be so controlling and belittling, why she might try to force everyone into a performance of endless childhood, why she might expel from her life anything that smacks of imperfection. It still remained very difficult for me to just suck it up and be what she wanted me to be, not so much because I’m especially proud of my personality--a personality that in every way would repel her if I were to reveal my private world of crime, horror movies, pornography, fetishism, occultism, anti-capitalist sentiment, and of course, suicidal ideation. I also had trouble being the granddaughter she needed because of this autism of mine; it doesn’t make any sense to me to dissimulate, I’ll never become a smooth enough liar to pretend to be somebody’s innocent little baby, even if it would benefit me to do so. Making things up makes no more sense to me, than it does for someone to say “I love you” without meaning “I’m impressed with your personality, your intelligence, your culture, your morality, your humor, your...” It doesn’t make sense to me for someone to say, “I don’t care who you are, I love you because you’re my baby.” I made my best efforts in her last years, but nothing will stop me from feeling guilty toward her for the rest of my life. The way that she died fucked me up so badly that I’m only beginning to realize it now.

[danganronpa-paradox]

CHAPTER 1 - 018

After talking to everyone with Hitomi, we decided to follow Midori to the rec room. She said there were some people discussing the… recent events, so we figured we’d go check it out and see what the general consensus on how we should deal with this is.

There were about 5 other people in the rec room when we went in -- Naomasa, Naoto, Mitsunari, Taiyou and Keiji. That meant that half of us were discussing the motive in the rec room. Midori closed the door behind us, and we walked over to the others. Naomasa was the first to speak.

“Lovely of you to join us, ladies.”

“Hey there! Matsuba mentioned this to us, so we figured we’d drop by.”

“Yeah, we were just talking about the… y’know.”

“Yes. That.”

“We set this up so we could touch base with each other, and make sure there wasn’t anything concerning about these forums.”

“I am a bit concerned about the others who didn’t show up though…”

The others who didn’t show up… that’d be Yuu, Hitoshi, Haruka, Naomi, Asahi, Yuki, Kasumi and Kotori. We talked to 2 of them, and we tried to talk to Kotori, but she was talking to someone else. I wondered what was up with the other 5?

“Well, what’s important now is the people who did show up.”  

“Guess so. We’re just talkin’ ‘bout these bullshit forums. Where did that fucker even get these from? Did he really take’em from the school?”

“He said that he did, but given his nature, I don’t really think we can trust what he says.”

“So, what do we do? Just… Hmmm… Anyone got any ideas?”

“Well, like Oxford Blue over there said, we’ve just been tellin’ each other what’s on our forums to make sure nobody’s like, a serial killer, or somethin’.” That was an… interesting way to put it.

“Oh, alright then. I didn’t really see anything noteworthy on mine, unless you count some broken bones from rough soccer matches as something noteworthy.”

“I-I can confirm that! I, um, I got your forum, Kurosawa.”

“Ah, that’s right! We all get two forums, I forgot.” How did I forget that? Get it together, Ichigo.

“So, do we just… go around the circle then…?”

Hitomi was next.

“Well, um… I was born with transverse deficiency... basically, I’m missing my left leg.”

“And as a result of that, I’ve been wearing a prosthetic for most of my life.” She lifted her skirt a bit to show the others her leg.

“...”

“...”

“Damn…”

”...Can’t imagine how tough that is… only havin’ one leg and havin’ to walk around with another that ain’t really yours…”

“Well, I guess it is kinda yours ‘cuz you own it, but it ain’t really yours cuz it’s… a fake leg… y’know what I mean.”

“Yeah… I get it.”

“...Thank you for sharing. Yamazaki? Taiyou said she received your forum as well, but is there something you’d like to share with us?”

“Well, there is the reason I was scouted into Hope’s Peak in the first place…”

“In school, my average grade for math assignments and tests currently sits at 100, and it’s sat there ever since they started keeping track of my averages. My averages in subjects that involve a lot of math like science are also in the high ninetys.”

“The school board was baffled by how this was possible, and some of my teachers thought I was cheating. So when I was about thirteen, I was sent on a plane to the University of Tokyo, where I was tasked with solving 10 of the university’s most difficult math problems, while being watched by some of the professors to make sure I wasn’t cheating, because they didn’t believe that I could do it either. Joke’s on them, because I managed to solve them all correctly and flawlessly in precisely six minutes and thirty-eight seconds.”

“They still didn’t believe it, so they took me to get an IQ test. I scored 166. That’s when I hit the news, and Hope’s Peak eventually found out about me, and put me into their Super Junior High School Level Divison, and after that... here I am now.”

“Wow… that’s impressive!” Of course, he had already told me this information, but it was still crazy knowing a person as smart as he was!

“Whoa! You’re, like, one of the smartest people out there, and you’re only in high school!”

“He’s right! And with that IQ… you’re a literal genius!”

“Aw, c’mon, it’s not that special.”

“You’ve been a Hope’s Peak student for years, and you’re the guy who scored 166 on his IQ test when he was thirteen. I wouldn’t call that ‘not special’! Who knows what your IQ is now?”

“She’s got a point! Mitsunari’s already told me that there’s nothing he wants to share, so it’s my turn!”

“Really, the only interesting thing on here is that I’ve been playing in the band since I was thirteen. Keiji?”

“...Nothing really on mine.”

“Keiji, I got your forum. I know.”

“...Okay, fine, I’ll spill.”

“...We yarnbombed an entire park in the dead of night. Me and my knitting group.”

“You did what.”

“It was really fun! It was part of an event that we were participating in centered around art, so it was perfectly legal.”

“Why would they put that on your forum?”

“It was part of the reason I was scouted. They wanted someone from that group, and since I was the only one still in high school, they chose me!”

“Haha! You’re pretty wild, Thistle!”

“There ain’t too much on mine, ‘cept for the fact that I apparently grew an inch since they filled this out.”

“Alright then. Matsuba, you’re our last one!”

“O-Oh, me? Hehe, um, well…”

“Y-Y’know how Monomage said that some of us might be keeping secrets about our talents…?”

“Yeah, what about that?”

“Well…”

“...”

“!!!”

“???”

“Lil’ Candytuft… yer a-”

“Yes. I am.”

“Midori is… not real. She’s just one of the many identities I have assumed while going undercover. Everything you see on me is fake. The clothes, the hair, the makeup, the contacts, everything.”

“But… why’dja go undercover as a chocolatier?”

“You wouldn’t believe what some people put in those chocolates.”

“...Jesus Christ.”

“...Also, I received your forum, um… Toyama? Matsuba?”

“Matsuba’s fine. I’ll need to keep up this facade for a while anyway.”

“Facade?”

“You can’t exactly be an undercover officer without criminals and their associates in your midst… and I’ll just leave it at that.” What did she mean by that? Was there a criminal in the building with us who wasn’t being truthful about who they were?

...Did they have something to do with our kidnapping?

“...Right then. I’m no criminal expert, but if that criminal is really here and out for you, then staying hidden is probably a smart choice.”

“Yeah… but the thought of having a criminal after you is horrible to think about…”

“It is, but it’s something I have to think about a lot. I don’t really get scared thinking about it that much, but I guess that’s because I’m used to it.”

“I suppose that makes sense.”

“Well, I’m glad we all had this discussion. I suppose we should all just wander around until suppe-”

“Not so fast!”

“Gah!”

“You!”

“...”

“Now what exactly is going on here? I give you those forums as a potential way to kill each other and here you are reading the contents like it’s some show and tell bullshit!”

“So what? You can’t control what we do wit’em, and you can’t stop us from talkin’ bout’em either!”

“Yeah, he’s right. It’s literally in the rules that you told us to follow.” She quickly booted up her Student Handbook.

“4. The host may not interfere with the students unless they break a rule or specifically request it.”

“You’d literally be breaking your own rules if you tried to force us to stop talking about it. Besides, you literally gave us a motive to kill someone. It’s only natural that it’d be a hot topic for discussion.” She was clearly trying to keep up her image as Midori, but it was almost like I could hear Chisato slipping through the cracks of her sentence.

“Well, I never! Seems like your law knowledge is coming in handy there, Officer!”

“...” I guess Monomage already knew who she was. She didn’t look scared though, so maybe Monomage wasn’t the criminal she mentioned.

“But, I guess since we’re all sharing stuff about each other…” He reached for the brim of his hat. “...I think it’s only fair that I share something about me!”

In that instant, he whipped the hat off his head, and…

...and…

“Ta-da!”

...What the heck.

“What.”

“You’re kiddin’ me.”

“What the fuck?!”

“Well, aren’t you just a pleasant bunch. Didn’t your parents ever teach you manners?”

“W-We were taught to express gratitude to stuff we liked, not stuff like this. What the damn were you expecting reactionwise?”

“Yeah! Tell’im like it is!”

“Oh, I get it! You all are just jealous that you don’t have luscious locks like mine! Shahahahaha!”

“Oh, you think you’re hot shit, huh?” Naomasa stood up from where he was sitting and reached behind his head.

“Oh? A challenger approaches? A challenger who thinks his hair attracts more attention than mine? Shahaha! You can’t get higher quality than this, Mr. Saxobeat!” Monomage’s taunting didn’t seem to deter Naomasa in the slightest, because in mere seconds…

“You wanna bet?”

“...”

“!!!”

“Well, how bout that!”

“Seriously, you could probably be a shampoo model with hair like that!”

“Oh, come on! What happened to little ol’ me?”

“You’re not important.”

“You’ve also just lost a bet.”

“Well, aren’t you just gentlemen! Guess I’ll leave you to your ‘teamwork’ bullcrap!” With a wave of his staff, his hat reappeared on his head and his hair was stuffed back inside.

“Thank you for choosing the Despairing Sunset Inn, and we hope you enjoy your miserable stay! Happy slaughtering!” He disappeared in yet another puff of smoke.

“Off he goes again.”

“Better gone than here, I suppose.”

“What was that all about, anyway?”

“I… couldn’t tell you, honestly.” I’d been confused the entire time Monomage had been in the room. First, he was condemning us for sharing our forums with each other, and then he was sharing… “information” about himself with all of us. Was he trying to confuse us, or did he have something else in mind?

“Whatever it was, we managed to chase him off again.”

“You mean you chased him off with that hair of yours.”

“Hehehe, just doing my best.”

I had to chuckle at that. After a bit of banter between Naomasa and Keiji, we all decided to head back. One or two people stayed behind, but the majority of us left for other places in the inn. I, however, wanted to check in with those people I hadn’t talked to earlier… That’d be Hitoshi, Nobuyuki, Kasumi, Asahi, and Naomi. I wondered what they thought of the whole thing?

BACK | NEXT

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Rewards of Losing:  Chapter 8

Yuuri yawned; he wasn’t sure if it was from boredom or actual weariness. It was past sunset and he’d put in a very pleasant afternoon dueling as many people as he could. He darted across the dimensions, choosing places far away from where he knew the Professor’s focus remained. If the old man knew what he was doing, he could at least ensure that what he did didn’t interfere in the Professor’s war plans.

He would have all the time he wanted to do this publicly when the war got started. The idea of chasing down his victims, having them shriek in pain and terror – oh, he wanted that!

But for now, he admired the results of his work. A small pile of torn up cards that had once been people, with all of their life force now in his own precious card to be. He ran a finger down the pulsing face of it.

How long until you’re done? How long until I can use you?

There wasn’t an answer to that. The card only pulsed silently. Yuuri could feel every scrap of life that he’d put in there. Not enough, not nearly enough, not yet.

Maybe once the war started and he could start putting the souls of real duelists in there, those who could survive the chaos of war even if for a short time, it would go faster.

I wonder if I could put that Healer into this. What an interesting thought. He knew that the blond Healer would be desired by the Professor for his talent of Healing and his skills as a duelist. That gave the not-quite-poaching Healer a bit of protection from Yuuri.

How annoying. But nothing had been formally stated about this Healer. That meant he could be eliminated and simply claim that he hadn’t known any better. The Professor might scold him but it would be worth it.

If he’s sniffing around Marufuji... That annoyed him just to think about. But it spurred him to head back to Fusion and start to plan his next visit to XYZ.

He checked his messages as soon as he entered his room. As always when Yuuri was happy about something, the plants in his room wriggled and danced in pleasure, wriggling their leaves and whispering in that silent language. Something had pleased their master and that pleased them in return.

“At last,” he murmured. “At last.”

There on the screen of his PDA pulsed the message from the Professor.

In two days, at high noon, our glorious forces will enter the XYZ dimension and begin the process of conquest.

Below that came a list of the battalions and forces that would form the first wave. Yuuri wasn’t listed, but there was a second message just for him, requesting his presence in the Professor’s throne room as soon as possible.

It was late, but Yuuri headed there regardless. He had been told as soon as possible, after all.

The guards outside of the room allowed him in without a moment’s hesitation. On the other side, everything remained quiet and calm. Only Professor Akaba Leo remained on his throne. No signs of the scientists and teachers who usually attended him. Though they weren’t always there when Yuuri showed up.

He wondered at times if they avoided him out of fear. What a lovely thought.

“You called for me, Professor?” Yuuri asked, nodding at the leader of the Fusion dimension. He wasn’t exactly sure how far the Professor’s authority really extended, but here at Academia Island, it was absolute.

“Yes, Yuuri.” The Professor greeted him. “I assume that you saw the message that the invasion begins this weekend?”

“Of course.” Yuuri bared his teeth. “I look forward to it.”

“I don’t doubt that you do,” Akaba Leo agreed. “I have a very special task for you.” He gestured and an image of a girl appeared before him. “This is Kurosaki Ruri. She lives in the XYZ dimension. I want you to bring her to me – unharmed. And not carded. Duel her if you must to get her to come along, but other than that, not a hair on her head touched.”

Yuuri regarded her thoughtfully. Kurosaki. He recalled what Dennis had told him. She was the one who had the brother that he might be interested in. This would give him a good chance to check them both out.

“Of course, sir,” Yuuri agreed. The Professor regarded him carefully.

“She’s also a Firestarter. I presume that your courting of Marufuji is going well?”

The faintest flicker of annoyance twitched across Yuuri’s features. “For the most part. I visited him in XYZ earlier, when I found out about those Cats. There’s also that Healer I mentioned, the one who is also a reasonably talented duelist.” His lips curved quickly. “But I intend to duel him this weekend.”

Akaba almost smiled himself. “As I told you - recruit him for us, if he’s good enough. Or at least bring him back here so we can do the recruiting.”

Yuuri knew very well how the Academia could recruit people. Memories being tweaked and twisted and rewritten – memories were what gave one their values, after all. Take those memories away and change them, and those values were changed. He didn’t especially approve of that method. He far preferred the process of pain. So much more enticing.

“As you wish,” was all that Yuuri said out loud. He considered briefly before continuing. “Dennis has already told me about the Kurosakis. Her brother might be of interest to me.”

The Professor raised one eyebrow. “You’re already courting Marufuji. There’s no one else but you who could partner him. And vice versa.

“I’m aware of that, Professor,” Yuuri smiled his sweetest smile. “But I could have other uses for him. Not just as a Firestarter.”

“I see.” The Professor shrugged. “If you wish. When do you think you and Marufuji will be bonded?”

“After the war,” Yuuri told him. “Perhaps it could even be a celebration for a successful conquest.”

The Professor nodded. “I look forward to it. Bonding is a special event for all Healers and Firestarters.”

“Of course.” Yuuri turned and strolled out, smug smirk firmly in place. Everything continued to go his way.

I’m enjoying myself. Ryou hadn’t quite thought he would. He’d imagined it would be a not-horrible experience at best. But he hadn’t ever thought that he would genuinely enjoy himself.

It wasn’t just the good food. It was the simple fact that the more time he spent around Mizael, the more he liked being around him. If he didn’t have to keep that tiny part of himself eternally aware so he didn’t slip and admit his true history and his purpose in being in this world – it would have been even better.

As it was, he could let himself forget, if only for a little while. He could let himself think this was just an ordinary dinner, the kind that could happen between any two duelists.

Or any two people who might possibly have an interest in one another. Ryou hadn’t been very inclined to dating. It wasn’t always encouraged at Academia, at least not during one’s education years. After graduation, it wasn’t quite so looked down upon. There were exceptions – Fubuki, during his tenure there, had definitely gone out on dates even when he wasn’t supposed to.

Exactly how he’d gotten away with that baffled Ryou to do this day. Sometimes Fubuki had been called into meetings with teachers. He left those meetings as cheerfully as he entered them, and never spoke of detention or extra work or anything.

Sometimes Ryou wished that Fubuki were still around, just to ask him a few things. Especially tonight. Especially when he caught a glimpse of Mizael’s eyes.

Mizael’s eyes were blue, a beautiful shade that could not be compared to anything else Ryou could think of. Better than blue, there was a warmth in them, a flame that burned brighter than any Firestarter that Ryou knew, up to and including himself. He found himself wanting to spend more and more time just gazing into those eyes – a desire that he’d never had for anyone else as far back as he could recall.

He’d probably say that I should ask him on a actual date, just to be sure. Which wasn’t an inherently bad idea – if it weren’t for the simple fact that the invasion would be soon. He didn’t dare make any actual bonds in this place. It wouldn’t exist for much longer and anyone he knew here would quickly find out that he helped in its downfall.

“So you’re going to watch me duel your future Healer this weekend?” Mizael asked as the two of them headed out of the restaurant. Ryou nodded.

“Yuuri likes having people watch him. Especially me or Dennis.”

Mizael raised an eyebrow. “Dennis?”

“His best friend.” Ryou found himself once more ready to watch his words with care. “They’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Is he-” Mizael left it hanging, but Ryou figured out what the rest of the question was. He shook his head.

“Neither one. Yuuri doesn’t get along with most other Healers. The words fell out easily. As if he trusted Mizael. He didn’t think about it too hard right now. “I’ve never gotten along with most Firestarters either.”

He really hadn’t. It had been different when he was younger. But as he got older and they all realized that he outstripped them not just in dueling but in the use of his talent – almost all of the friends he’d made simply faded away, never to be seen again. For years Fubuki, Asuka, and Shou had been all that he had, with potentially Edo as well. But after he graduated, he wasn’t close enough to talk to Asuka and Shou every day, and Fubuki vanished years earlier.

The way that other Firestarters and even some Healers glanced at him, with tiny bits of fear in their eyes – he’d heard rumors that there wasn’t any Healer strong enough to be his partner. That his flames would overrun him sooner or later. No one had ever dared to whisper Frostflame around him. But even though they’d never said it, he knew that they thought it. The ultimate sad fate of those who could not bond – their flames turned in on themselves and became ice.

He’d heard it from that Cat already. He wasn’t going to hear it again. It wasn’t going to happen. He’d bond to Yuuri and then all of those whispers and rumors would flat out die.

All of that passed through his mind in a single breath. Mizael eyed him quietly.

“A lot of Healers think I’m weird because I prefer the Night Garden,” he said at last. “But some of the flowers there are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

Ryou nodded. He glanced ahead. “We’re almost there, aren’t we? The Night Garden.”

Mizael laughed when he glanced forward. “I hadn’t even thought about it. But care for a walk?”

Ryou had no objections. He would stay out as long as he could tonight and maybe by the time that he got back home, that Cat would have decided to leave. In truth, he couldn’t be so certain, but he hoped.

“It is beautiful,” he said as they passed through the Night Garden's gates. He considered before he said what came next. “Even more so than Yuuri’s.” That wasn’t a lie either. Yuuri wouldn’t have liked hearing it, but it was true.

“Oh? What are his gardens like?” Mizael wondered with an air of professional curiosity.

Ryou’s lips twitched. “Poisons. Lots of lots of poisonous plants. Usually the very beautiful ones. Oleander. Azalea.” He remembered Yuuri escorting him all around the garden, pointing out all of the beautifies of it and how poisonous they were. “Hemlock. Lilies of the valley. Wisteria.”

Mizael nodded. “I know some Healers who grow those too.” His eyes flicked ahead, then he reached to carefully break off a tiny bit of a vine. Ryou didn’t see which one it was, until Mizael closed his hand over it and concentrated. He’d seen this before – a Healer exerting their power on plants.

What he broke off grew into a slender vine, with pale violet flowers hanging from it. The Night Garden’s lights were more than enough for him to recognize what it was – wisteria.

Mizael regarded it thoughtfully. “Wisteria’s not a very deadly poison. But it is very beautiful.

“I know,” Ryou said, trying hard not to feel that vague pulse of warmth that came from deep within. IT wasn’t anything to do with being a Firestarter. But it had everything to do with the way that Mizael smiled at him.

“It’s part of your name, isn’t it?” Mizael asked. Ryou nodded. Yuuri had made the same comparison, shortly after their first meeting, praising how well their two namesakes poisoned people.

Yuuri had interesting tastes, one could say.

But he didn’t really want to think about Yuuri right now. Not Yuuri or the Fusion dimension or Professor Akaba Leo or anything but being in the Night Garden with Mizael. That was far more interesting than all the rest of it.

Mizael offered him the vine. “Keep it.”

Ryou’s hand reached for it at once. Then he forced it back down and turned away. “I can’t. You know I’m courting Yuuri.”

“I know he wants to be your Healer.” Mizael did not take the wisteria vine away. “But that’s not why I’m giving it to you. I don’t poach.” He pressed his lips together before he continued. “If you’re not interested I understand.”

Somewhere out there in the worlds, Ryou knew that Fubuki was now laughing at him. Only he would find someone interested in him who came from an entirely different dimension that would soon fall to the amassed might of the Fusion army.

It wasn’t the first time that people had made advances towards him. It hadn’t happened often, given Academia’s views on dating for students, but a few of them had made offers. He’d turned each and every one of them down. He’d had no time and no interest.

Now there was interest. But what there wasn’t was time. Only Leo knew the exact moment of the invasion but it would be far too soon for his taste.

So close and he knew there was far too much that he wanted to do. He wanted to spend more time with Mizael. As nerve-wracking as it was, he wanted to spend more time with Kei. He wanted to open more packs of cards and maybe even consider – though ultimately refuse, of course – what it might be like to have XYZ in his deck.

There was a whole new world in front of him that he’d never encountered before and he didn’t want to miss out on it.

Slowly he lifted his hand again and this time accepted the vine. It coiled around his fingers and Mizael’s. Wisteria could be poisonous to the touch, but not very much so, and Mizael’s power would keep even that away from him.

“And what if I am interested?” He asked at last. Mizael’s smile lit up the Night Garden more so than the lamps set all around.

“Then so am I.”

Akaba Leo considered what was about to happen. He had all the information that he needed. He’d arranged everything with Edo Phoenix, the leader of the army. All of his soldiers were ready. Almost all of his spies and assassins had been brought back home.

Only one remained – Marufuji Ryou. The message to return to Fusion had been sent to him as well but he’d not replied to it. Not even an acknowledgment that he’d read it.

Something wasn’t right there. He didn’t want to send Yuuri after the Firestarter, not just yet. It could be something as simple as Marufuji being on a mission and not having had the chance to check his home mail as of yet. Or, given the hour, he could have merely gone to bed early.

But if he didn’t return to Fusion, that would do nothing to stop the war. He might well get caught up in the battle himself. Leo trusted that he would know which side to fight on.

If one of those Cats has been tampering with him... He’d gone out of his way to ensure that no Healer Cats or Fire Cats lived in his Academia and that all of those who served him were bonded, with no need for the Cats.

Cats were – Cats. Cats were too intelligent. Cats were too powerful. Cats could not be taught or trained. Cats did what they wanted to do.

Rei had a Cat once. A beautiful Fire Cat. He didn’t remember the Cat’s name anymore, or what had happened to the Cat after Rei – after she – after what happened.

He clenched his teeth and shook his head. He did not want to even think about that. He was going to undo it, then he would absolutely destroy every last remnant of Zarc that existed in the four dimensions.

His lips thinned in satisfaction at the thought of using Yuuri to not only gather his daughter back to him but to get rid of his other selves as well. The boys might be innocent now, might have no idea of who they had been and who they could be again, but it didn’t matter. He would not allow them to find out anything more about themselves. He knew. That was enough.

Yuuri was too useful to dispose of just yet. If it happened after he bonded to Marufuji, then it would not be a bad thing to have another Healer ready and waiting in the wings. That one that Yuuri mentioned might make a suitable substitute, if properly retrained. Not every Firestarter could survive the loss of their Healer but it wasn’t unknown, either.

And of course, if it turned out that Marufuji did not have that strength, then so be it. He had been useful as well, but in the end, no one needed a Frostflame.

To Be Continued

Notes: So the Ryou x Mizael has begun at last. And now the invasion is on the brink of beginning. Teehee!