#in the meantime enjoy more build up before everyone heads to earth in the next installment!

[lets-try-some-writing]

Your pretender au is probably one of my favorites. You are an excellent writer but I have to ask. Ratchet is a good medic. Does he ever notice?

Would Optimus ever have to replace Ratchet with something pretending to be him? Can other bots be replaced like Orion was?

If that wasn’t your intention with the story I’m sorry it just gives such a good horror vibe of this secondary eldritch race replacing them or maybe it’s Primus’s next stage in evolution or maybe it’s unicron infiltrating.

Also just as a bonus, how would the humans react if pretender Optimus and Bee were finally revealed while on earth?

I gotchu buddy. I will forever expand on my precious pretender au.  And don’t you worry, this was 100000% my intention with this AU.  I will need to get to your last little question in another post, but don’t worry, it's all coming together o(^▽^)o

Previous part here. 

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

Ratchet knew the moment the supposed Prime arrived that he was not Orion Pax. He had been one of Orion’s closest friends. He could sniff out a fake without so much as rebooting his optics once. In light of this, his very first instinct was to interrogate the fragger to find out who sent him and then promptly drop his body in a ditch somewhere. At least that way Orion could rest in peace. 

That was Ratchet’s plan, but then the fake presented the Matrix of Leadership and had the relic confirmed by the Primacy priests. It was legitimate. He was a true Prime, even if he wore the face of one who should have been dead. With that in mind, there was no way Ratchet could kill him. The fake did not hesitate to take up the position Orion left behind, quickly becoming the leader the Autobots desperately needed. Optimus never attempted to leech off Orion’s old connections or otherwise abuse the legacy he’d stolen, and for that reason, Ratchet let him be. He had no clue how Optimus had gotten Orion’s face and memory, but whenever he attempted to dig into any files and ask Jazz about Orion’s situation before death, the results came up unsatisfactory. 

Of course, Ratchet did not need to search in vain for long. As soon as the Prime began turning up on the battlefield and subsequently required medical attention, Ratchet quickly found out just what he was dealing with. Optimus’s CNA was a convoluted mess that shouldn’t have even been capable of producing a living being. There were strands from Shapeshifters, Insecticons, and even a small amount of Predacon within the Prime’s genetic code. There seemed to also be a bit of Cybernetic flora mixed into his CNA, but it was all so jumbled that Ratchet could hardly make sense of it. Orion’s CNA was like an accessory, a veil that hung over the monstrosity that Optimus really was. 

But Optimus had already proven to be highly intelligent, and he did not allow Ratchet to so much as record his findings. Clawed digits dug into his shoulders and mandibles clicked together ominously behind him as Ratchet looked over the scans he’d taken during Optimus’s examination. Every part of Ratchet screamed at him to run from the predator behind him. He could feel optics glaring at him, hot events brushing over his neck, and a rattling voice that sounded as though it were a sick mockery of his friend giving one order.

“Keep this to yourself, old friend. If you wish for your kind to be preserved, my nature must remain between us alone.”

Ratchet did his best to not shake, but the command rang out in his audials, causing his spark to spin in terror. He did not look behind him, he couldn’t bear to. He watched the screen in front of him, his optics on the distant reflection of the thing behind him. It was blurry and difficult to make out, but there were claws, fangs, optics, and mandibles that did not belong. He did not move from his prone station until he heard the definitive sounds of transformation and a dull almost comforting hum from the being behind him.

“Calm yourself. I mean no harm to your people. My purpose is to preserve, to protect… and to ensure that never again may you fellow creations of Primus enslave yourselves to the whims of your own desire.”

Dangerous digits ran along the side of his audials in what could have been a fond manner before the creature that proclaimed itself a Prime left the medical bay without another word. Ratchet remained still, watching the CNA scans as a biological hologram pretended itself. 

He feared what he saw.

Hidden behind an armored disguise was a being that was in no way Cybertronian. The computing program projected the image of a monster, one Ratchet could not find it within himself to look at for long. It was just a prediction, but beneath his shining shell, Optimus’s appearance was horrific at best. The predictions spoke of a long gangly build with extra arms and two jointed legs not too dissimilar to Soundwave’s. It had a hard shell almost akin to a carapace but with plenty of thin transformation seams where outer armor folded away. Three sets of optics were on a face filled with fangs and covered in mandibles. On the thing’s back were spines that extended down its back and developed into vicious looking raptorial claws that jutted out from around the base of the shoulders. The only familiar things present in the prediction were the colors the thing bore, the familiar finials, and the same optical structure Ratchet knew his deceased friend to have.

A being that masqueraded as one of their own… one that was capable of doing any number of horrific things to further its own unintelligible goals. Ratchet shuddered at the implications, but he closed and deleted every single scan after a few kliks of observing what he had discovered.

He would wait. He would see what Optimus wanted. Then when he stepped over the line, Ratchet would act and use what he knew to his advantage. Whatever Optimus was… he had Cybertronian roots in his CNA. Despite being a convoluted mockery of that which Ratchet and his people were, that simple fact ensured that toxins and disease were likely still viable options when it came to eliminating the threat. And so that is what Ratchet prepared for. Vorns were spent dutifully crafting the ultimate plague, one he carefully ensured was tailored to Optimus’s CNA specifically. No others would die should it be unleashed, just Optimus Prime.

It was a foolproof plan, one Ratchet had every intention of enacting as the war dragged on, peace treaties fell through, and Optimus’s sick tests put him and Jazz through all kinds of torture that thankfully were reserved for them alone. It was easy to see that Megatron would likely be willing to stop the war effort if he could kill Optimus. Somehow, he’d learned the truth regarding what the Prime was. Ratchet could see it in his optics when he flew forward in rage. If Optimus died, the truth would come out and the war could come to an end. Ratchet was not happy with the idea of Megatron ruling Cybertron, but in the face of the threat Optimus posed?

He was willing to compromise.

He spoke with Jazz and silently he selected a date to unleash his plague. But then, out of the blue, Optimus vanished. He was known for leaving for extended periods of time, but this was new. For six stellar cycles not a spark knew where he was. Ultra Magnus held the army together and Jazz wove a few lies to keep everyone calm, but Ratchet only felt relief. There was a looming fear of what was to come, but he enjoyed the lack of predatory presence for a time. And then of course, Optimus Prime returned carrying something in his arms. 

“What in Primus’s name is this?”

“He is what you would call a sparkling.”

“Where did you find him?”

“I did not find him.”

“What… does that mean?”

“This one is mine. Tend to him in my absence.”

Ratchet’s plans shattered into a million pieces as he held the sparkling Optimus brought with him. The little one had wide blue optics, so trusting and so innocent. And yet when he smiled in his attempts to coo at him, Ratchet saw fangs and small mandibles hidden within the sparkling’s intake. His servos shook as he caressed the little one’s helm, coolant gathering in his optics as he came to a harsh realization. This was Optimus’s spawn, the precious life within his arms was another abomination. Despite that, the little one had not asked to be created the way he was.

Ratchet couldn’t kill a sparkling.

The plague vial was hidden and Ratchet gave a series of encrypted codes to Jazz which would lead to its location. The spy was no master decryptor, he would need time and a great deal of expertise to find the location Ratchet had imputed onto the drive containing the codes. That simple fact ensured that in the worst case… there would at least be time to get Bumblebee away. He may have been an abomination like his Sire, but Ratchet could not bring himself to do anything but treat the sparkling with love. He tended to him while Optimus went off to war, he taught Bumblebee how to read and write in numerous dialects, he showed Bumblebee their stories and their culture, and he took all the time in the world to make sure that should all else fail, a piece of what Cybertron was would remain. 

Optimus was a monster, but he cared for his spawn in a strange sense. He brought Bumblebee strange substances to consume, and sometimes he would take Bumblebee away for cycles at a time. Upon their return, Ratchet would quickly take scans and note a disturbing amount of Cybertronian protomatter within the sparkling’s tanks. He never commented, he merely rocked Bumblebee into recharge and sang him songs while trying not to look when Optimus began to grow harsher. No matter how much his spark cried out when Bumblebee was beaten or neglected by his Sire, Ratchet did not act. He refused to. He couldn’t risk it. Over and over he tried to remind himself that killing Optimus would likely only lead to Bumblebee’s death as well.

He refused to kill the sparkling he helped raise. As such, as vorns passed, Ratchet’s tolerance broke and he made one rash decision. 

“Ratchet! Where are we going!?” 

“Away from here! Don’t fight me Bumblebee!” 

“What about Optimus?!”

“He’s not coming. I am going to take you far away from this plasma pit of a world until we can deal with things here. Don’t worry, I won’t let them kill you.” 

“I don’t understand!” 

“You don’t need to. Just remain quiet and live in silence until I recall you. Then… then I will plead for your life before whoever rules our world.” 

He knew it was a death sentence, but Ratchet had to take the risk. He dragged Bumblebee kicking and screaming toward the space ports with every intention of putting the youngling into stasis and shooting him to some far off world. Once that was done, he would unleash his plague and wait until he was sure every other abomination was dead. Only then would he retrieve Bumblebee and proceed to plead for his life. It was a weak plan, but perhaps, if Primus was willing, he might be able to find a way to make Bumblebee normal. It all depended on his desperate attempt to get the youngling off world.

Ratchet did not have that chance. 

“What are you doing with my creation?”

“Optimus! Stay back!” 

“You know too much, and your loyalty has proven to be fickle.”

“Get away you abomination!”

“You have served your purpose, old friend. I believe it is time for another to take your place.”

Optimus grabbed him just before he reached the spaceports with his charge. Ratchet recalled very little of what followed, but next he knew, he was bound to a slab in some facility he did not know. Above him Bumblebee smiled at him eagerly and Optimus stared down at him with calculating optics. The Prime held a larva of some sort in his servos. It couldn’t have been bigger than a digit, but evidently that was as large as it needed to be to burrow into his processors through his right optic. 

He remembered screaming. He remembered feeling nothing but agony for cycles afterwards. He remembered gaping in horror as he ran scans on himself and found the same symptoms Orion Pax had presented. Most importantly, before his recollection faded into nothing but waves of torment, he remembered Optimus calling out to him, telling him that all would be well.

He did not know how long it took, but as he purged energon and organs alike and felt the sweet embrace of death, he smiled, content in the knowledge that Jazz would know. The spy would tell someone, he would give them a chance. All he needed to do was look at the drive Ratchet gave him and decode it. Then-

-Their people would have a chance. 

━━━━━━ 

━━━━

━

It did not have a designation when it woke. But it knew instinctively that it was hungry. Energon was given to it by those its code recognized as kin, and it devoured. It sensed another who was not of its kind observing, but that one fled soon enough. Then, once it had finished consuming, it stood up in its new frame and met the gazes of those who were also of its line.

“Hail Hierarch.” 

Its speech was disjointed as it settled into itself and the memories of its host began to funnel into it, but as the Hierarch leaned down and placed his servo on its helm, it was at peace.

“Hail Ratchet, second born of our line. With the knowledge you have inherited, we shall thrive.” 

Ratchet? That was a fine name. It was the name of its host. A smile crept across it- no, HIS face as he settled. He would surpass his host, he would serve, and by the grace of their maker, he would ensure their survival on a world filled with those not of them.

[draken-rotzi]

Bug Man x Reader Part One*

Read on AO3

SO, wanted to write something of this topic bc we all need some more Musical!BJ in our lives, it’s a nice comfort ngl, I enjoyed writing it and hope you do too c:

(Got carried away so here's the first half while I edit the second one in the meantime, it takes a bit to get to the main part we all want to read forgive mE it's better in th next one believeme)

I'd love some feedback since I haven't written anything since 2019 ;v; some wordings might seem odd since my brain speaks spanish first english second

Summary; Old boring university life and a broken but hopeful heart meet the supernatural and whacky demon/ghost with the most, reader-chan needs to get out from a toxic relationship and what's a better help than a magic dead man? Cutting ties might seem easier when someone else arrives and flips your world upside down with no warning.

Mostly fluff, bits of angst l8r

Female reader, but tried to not give any other specifics to the character themselves, OCs appear

It was a fresh autumn afternoon, birds still chirped before migrating to warmer areas for the winter, the wind was cold but nice, not yet freezing but enough for people to wear light coats. You sit on a school desk, a class about taxes and fees, you drift off a bit looking at the window while half-listening.

You lived in a medium but popular city, it was a great place, with nice, kind people for the most part, huge malls, restaurants and lots of places to go out with friends or alone.

...

"Miss ___? Care to answer this equation here for the class?" The teacher asks, a tall, slender woman that radiated authority, it made some students shiver in times like this with a direct question.

"Oh? Yeah- sure miss Adams" You replied, while trying not to look confused since you just missed the topic, hopefully you remembered from the last lesson by the time you walked up to the blackboard and took the marker to write.

...

After class, you were walking with your friends to the cafeteria next to the main exit to wait for an uber to arrive; your side job as a freelance wasn't good enough yet to afford a car, but it helped pay the bills and to have enough for a bit more more than the basic needs.

Your two best friends at college were Itai and Rob. Itai was a funny dude, with a darker tone on his skin, not so tall and full of charisma. Rob was a bit more collected, but still a lot of fun to be around, being the voice of reason for you three most of the time, emphasis in most, because sometimes he got carried away too.

"Man I hate that class, I don't understand a thing! Why do we even need math?" Itai tells the group, sounding annoyed as usual, he was a simple guy, but simple guys need a degree too, to secure a better job.

"Well if you paid attention instead of eating that cold baguette in class you won't be that confused my man" Rob replies, laughing a bit at the end

"At least you weren't asked to do math in front of the class" You sigh, putting down your backpack and sitting on a table next to the building's exit, looking at your phone to know how much time was left for the driver to arrive, around 10 minutes.

"Yeah everyone felt so bad for you, but hey, if you’ll be daydreaming at least look at the front instead of the window next time, it might help you" Rob said while opening a bottle of apple juice, his favorite, he wouldn't drink any other thing, he was probably 60% apple juice after years of drinking it that often.

A few minutes passed by, the three friends chatting about the day's events, their plans for the weekend, and how to get the next assignment done. A figure appeared behind you putting a hand on your shoulders.

"Well hello ladies!" A man chirped, you turned around laughing softly

"Hey yourself!" you replied "Already off?"

"Yeah I've got the last hour free so I'm gonna head out to Kris' place, we'll play some games and work on that big project I told you the other day"

"Great, have fun! You say hi to Kris from me yeah?"

"Sure thing, see you later!" He says with a squeeze of his hand on your shoulder, then a quick pat on the head, turning around to leave.

"Bye, take care Nick!" you say as the man walks out of the cafeteria's door waving a hand.

Silence lingers for a bit until Itai breaks it

"Hey so, you're still going out with him?" He says with a crooked smile and a nervous look, Rob has a similar expression

"Yeeeah... it's been okay for some time now, you know? Hah" You look down for a second, pondering "Maybe this time is the good run?" Uncertainty fills the question, but you still smile to your friends.

Nikolas wasn't the model boyfriend, at least not for your friends; he was full of sweet words, hugs and kisses, only in private places though. When it came to the campus he treated you just like any other friend.

There was a small reason, according to him, he wanted to wait a bit more to make it public, get to know each other better, just to be certain from both sides.

That was the excuse a year ago.

It wasn't like he was out and flirting with other people, not at all, but one could expect to be treated like a love partner after so much time and moments together, you’ve gone to the movies, to dinner, to each other's houses, hell your families knew you two were dating, it just wasn't more than the bare minimum from him, seemed more like a thing someone does if they have free time, not make time for that thing, the thing being the relationship.

It seemed to be only a problem of neglect and apathy, probably, though you were so dumbly in love with him at first, you have been hoping and asking for a change since the relationship escalated to more than just holding hands and light kisses.

"I don't think anything's gonna change, he's been stalling for a whole year now" Itai mumbled, looking at Rob, he nodded in agreement

"Yeah, just dump him already, you deserve way better, you give him everything you got and he just throws the leftovers at you."

"I guess, but we're going out this weekend! You know he doesn't like going out often"

"With you" Rob adds

You hesitate a reply, it was true, most of the times you asked him to go out for a change, he was either too busy or decided to change the event the same day, turning it into a make out session in his house every time. Even though you saw each other 2 days every week, you have seen him go out with his friends more often, on actual enrichment outside activities.

"I know..." you sigh " I'll think about it, I'll try to talk with him about it next time”

Both of your friends let out a small groan of annoyance, they knew you weren't gonna do it, or that he'll just brush it off as always, between the lines of 'oh you're overreacting'

"Ah my ride's here!" You got up from the table and grabbed your backpack, tossing it over one shoulder.

"See he can't even give you a lift to your place!" Itai teased, they knew how you felt about the whole situation, but joking around sometimes made it a bit less bitter.

"Ha-ha, you know we live in opposite ends of the city! Besides none of you give me a ride either" you said while sticking a tongue out on your way outside the cafeteria

"Yeah because you live at the ends of the earth for some weird reason!" Rob joked back

Everyone said their quick goodbyes, and after a calm ride back home you remembered something just as you were locking the door, tossing your backpack into the living room’s couch you walked over to your room.

You flopped onto the bed, looking at your phone you opened some pending messages on the family group chat, apparently a distant relative of yours had died, and the family was gonna hold a small funeral tomorrow morning on the local cemetery, you didn’t enjoy those kind of events since you’d get really emotional, but since it was something really small, no more than 20 people, it was private and most likely no strangers would see you cry over someone you barely knew.

Tomorrow was saturday so it was okay to spend one free morning humoring your family.

After some mindless browsing on your phone, it was already 12:30am, you haven’t even got off your sneakers since you got home, you did a quick self-cleanup in the bathroom, tossing today’s clothes to the side to change into an oversized shirt with no pants as a makeup pijamas, it got a bit warmer in the afternoon so you wanted to enjoy wearing something light before winter fully arrived, getting under the sheets and you were out fast, maybe from all the overthinking of what’d tomorrow might bring, you’ve forgotten what are funerals like.

But there was certainly no way you’d know what would happen at all the next day

...

The event was simple, thankfully there was not much crying, seemed like everyone accepted already what had happened, some kind of illness you heard, at least they weren’t suffering anymore and they’ve come to terms with everyone close to them, that was nice you thought, it sure felt a bit heavy in there, as usual for funerals. After the ceremony, the family offered a barbeque in the departed’s honor to bright up the mood a bit; right at the cementery, maybe it was cheaper than renting a place for it.

Free tasty food was something only an idiot would decline, so you spent some time doing small talk with the relatives you knew best, but still you mostly just listened and ate in silence.

You saw a glimpse of color and movement out of the corner of your eye, since everyone was wearing dark tones it stood out, turning your head there was just an empty plastic table with some half-full plates and glasses, still, you felt a shiver up your spine, it was probably the weather.

When you looked back at your phone's clock it was already 6 pm, guess dad jokes and food made time fly, you said your goodbyes and condolences to everyone and headed out, you were still at the cemetery, so you had to call a ride back home, the driver dropped you near a convenience store just around the corner of your apartment, since you needed to buy a snack for dinner, on sundays you usually had takeout, so no need to worry much about it right now.

_______________________________________________________

“I know I didn’t imagine anything, that breather saw me at the cemetery! we even locked eyes for a second! It may work this time, just gotta get closer while they're alone”

_______________________________________________________

…

Walking down the street, humming a bit to some music and a bag of snacks in hand, dusk started to set, some stars could be seen and the sky was a beautiful fuchsia tone with oranges and purples mixed in the clouds. On instinct, you took your phone out of your jeans pocket to take a picture of the cute sky.

Just as you took a couple of pictures, to make sure at least one was good to share, something caught your attention out of the corner of your eye again

You felt a shiver like a cold wind out of nowhere, similar as to when a car drives a bit too close to someone on winter, but there was not even one driving car on the street.

"Oof, should get back now, it's getting colder" picking up the peace to get home faster-

A piece of paper slapped you in the face

“EW- wind trash” you muttered while grabbing what seemed to be a flyer, and it flew indeed.

You naturally took a closer look at it when you took it into your hands and out of your face, it was a very faded print, with an image of an… insect? man? holding a hammer over a small house and people, you chuckled, it was a funny irony cartoon, a bug crushing people.

Half of the flyer was unreadable because of some liquid or dirt, already dry but you couldn’t read what was supposed to be, written under the drawing was the end of an ad;

“Ghostly services one name away!

RESIDENTIAL - INDUSTRIAL - COMMERCIAL

Call BETELGEUSE

BETELGEUSE

BETELGEUSE!”

“Betelgeuse? ...Like that one star?” There was that shiver again, Halloween was a week ago, so this kind of paper seemed normal to be hanging around with the wind.

As you walked down the street, some lights started flickering, the cold wind seemed stronger and the sky was a deep dark purple now, strange, it was supposed to be clear dark blue by now, fall nights came quickly this time of the year, still it didn't feel like the usual night. You were just around the corner of your street when the closest light bulb exploded and zapped with a loud 'CRASH', making you stop for a second cowering from the shards

"What the-!? No one told me we'd be getting winter thunderstorms sooner what the eff" muttering swears you made a run to your apartment, scurrying for the door keys in the process, lights kept flashing and the wind made windows sing a high 'oooo' noise, you have seen this kind of weather before but no one would like to be outside when it happened, nervously and quickly you finally fit the key in the lock and opened the door, hurrying inside and closing it behind, a loud bang thundered through the silent room, the unexpected storm slamming against the walls and windows, you left the lights on before going out.

After a minute it seemed to calm down, wind turning into a breeze and the sky now it's usual black, no stars in the sky.

You let out a sigh and walked to the counter to drop your keys, the phone and your purse, you had to make sure all the windows were closed for the night, luckily it was Saturday, so no need to go out tomorrow on that crazy weather.

Windows secured, you changed into your winter pajamas, a gray pair of pants with a pattern of a cat on toast and eggs, with a pastel blue loose shirt. Making your way to the kitchen you decided a light snack would be enough for tonight, after that run and emotion on the way back home you had no energy to cook a proper dinner, not even microwave, it was also too late for it anyways you thought.

You put the snack bowl and a cup of water on the kitchen counter, looking to grab your phone. You noticed you still had the dirty flyer, forgot to drop it between the commotion maybe?

Placing it aside and unlocking your phone screen, you opened the ‘best friend's’ chat group

You. 'Hey guys, did you get any of that weird winter storm action today after school?'

Rob. 'Nah, it was a clear sky for me'

Itai. 'Same, also I was asleep all afternoon'

You. 'Strange, I got caught on this whirlwind on my way back home from the store, just my luck I guess >:('

Both of the boys. 'Lol yea'

Putting the phone down and chomping on some of the snacks, you thought about the events, it was indeed a clear sky earlier, only a couple of common clouds you took pictures of before it. You grabbed the phone again, quickly to see if any of the photos looked good.

"Pleasepleaseplease" you muttered in excitement, it was a very cute view, hopefully one picture captured it nicely.

And they did, a couple looked stunning, you smiled, thinking at least it was worth getting your hair all messed up by the wind, you were about to delete one picture it since it was blurry when you noticed a different kind of blur, it was gray with splashes of green in the corner, similar to what you saw at the funeral.

"There was nothing green on the other pictures, was it?" you looked through the other photos and they were pretty normal, full of pink, purple and blue from the sunset.

You looked back at the flyer

"Betelgeuse, betelgeuse, betelgeuse huh" You said in a playful tone, grabbing the torn paper from the counter, you felt a shiver, a strong one this time, well that was the opposite of a calming experience, but still the word felt strange when you said it, it wasn't like you hadn't said before, Orion was a popular constellation, and the Betelgeuse star was on it; but this time the air inside had a tense feeling.

All the lights went off after a second "Now a blackout? What's with today ugh" picking up your phone to use as a flashlight, after a couple of seconds before you could turn it on, all the lights came back again, but you almost had a heart attack when you saw someone standing in the center of the living room, enveloped in a green mist.

"FUCK wh- WHO THE FUCK-" you stuttered before turning around and grabbing the closest thing to use as a weapon, a wooden spoon used for beating eggs this morning "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? WHO ARE YOU? GET OUT!"

The figure was a man, taller than you, dressed in a striped black and white suit, dark hair with green tints at the end, a wicked smile plastered on his face, he took a look around, then back to you, endless chills went down your spine when you met his eyes, you could feel the tense aura from before growing stronger, anticipating, colder.

"Well who might I be? You should know, you called my name baby! Glad to make some business with you tonight!" He said as he extended a hand and walked, floated? quickly towards a paralized you, frozen in place, you only managed to put the spoon up in self defense from whomever this man could be, the lights were out for just a few seconds, was he inside the apartment all this time?

"S-stop right there you!" tried to threaten the man with the wooden tool, he didn't seem to notice nor care, wrapping an arm around your shoulders, then placing a sloppy kiss in your face, petrified, you shivered and gripped the spoon harder, he felt oddly cold.

...Did he just kiss you? Who does he think he is??

"No no, no stopping now! We just got started cakes, and now that you said my name three times, I can finally interact with you and everything here in the world of the living! Gotta say thanks it's been real boring being invisible for so long lemme tell ya-"

*WHACK*

You hit the man in the head with the wooden spoon as hard as you could.

...the spoon broke.

The man's smile grew wider

[joy1579]

Roof Top Affection

this is just me venting via     

Jumin x MC ficlet (1400 words)

MC struggles with feeling of emptiness that compels her to visit the roof of the penthouse despite the dangers, when Jumin is alerted he is not happy. (I don’t write angst guys this doesn't have angst it has like two seconds of sad and then a whole shiz ton of fluff)

also if your interested feel free to check out my master list

If you leaned forward just a bit, you could see the street below. If you closed your eyes and focused on the wind in your hair you could imagine you were falling. If you sat here long enough, you hoped maybe you could let go of the tightness that had somehow lodged itself in your chest.

It had taken incredible planning to get here. You had watched the guards for days before you sneak away. They wouldn’t have stopped you of course, but they would tell Jumin and he would worry. It isn’t that you wanted to worry him. you had simply been so stuck recently. Between the guards and the reporters, you felt suffocated, before you had married Jumin you had been a nobody, invisible to practically everyone and you had reveled in the solitude of it.

Now you sat on the edge of the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the city just to find a second of mock silence. the wind was loud and cold at this height it whipped around you as dangled your legs over the edge of the roof. no one could see you up here unless they were looking and you weren’t unfamiliar with heights like this quite the opposite actually. You sought them out regularly, they felt safe to you, as though your worries where tethered to the ground and through little more than mere distance from earth you could leave them behind. So it was fitting than that your ultimate solace came in this admittedly foolish game of chicken. How close to the edge could you bring yourself before the fear of falling drew you back inside. This was the farthest you had ever come, sat on the ledge legs dangling off eye’s closed and simply feeling the thrill of being so close.

“Mrs. Han.” Came the booming and authoritative voice of Jumin’s most trusted body guard “please step back from the ledge carefully Mr. Han has been called and will be hear soon”. The pseudo silence you had chased was shattered and you noticed the noise of the city suddenly still you couldn’t bring yourself to stand just yet, you gazed over the edge one final time. You could hear the heavy foot falls of the guard coming to retrieve you and you sighed. You put your hand up to stop him and stood of your own volition meeting him halfway. “I am to - ”

“escort me back to the penthouse to await my husband? Don’t worry so much I understand.” You smiled up at him and saw his nervous and melancholy frown. As he nodded and followed behind you as you made your way back inside.

“Ma’am? May I ask why you were up there?” he pressed gently only the barest hint of hesitance in his voice.

“of course you may, the real question is will I have an answer for you.” you said teasingly trying to lighten the mood at least a little. If you could convince the guard it was no big deal you had a better chance of convincing Jumin. You didn’t want to lie however “the wind up there is exciting. The view is breathtaking. Honestly it just, calls to me like a siren. Do you know about sirens? Jumin read me a book on mythology once and it talked about these creatures that sang so beautifully that they drew unsuspecting sailors into rocky waters, I think the roof is my siren. I know it’s dangerous but when I hear that melody, imagine that feeling, breathe that air, I can’t say no. I don’t plan on doing anything bad though so you shouldn’t worry”. Okay even you had to admit that sounded worrying. So much for playing this off as something trivial.

You reached the door to the pent house quickly and he sat with you stiffly until Jumin rushed in. you could see the immediate relief on his face when he saw you sat safely away from any dangerous ledges. You also saw the relief crumble behind a cold anger as the body guard moved to his post outside the penthouse door. Jumin sat in an armchair to your left and you watched him run his hands through his hair in exasperation trying to find the right words.

“It’s not what you think” you say cutting him off before he can speak, “I wasn’t planning to leave you. I could never leave you, I love you. I just,” but you trailed off losing your words at the sight of his hands shaking, the lost and broken look in his eyes.

“Just what MC? what on earth could have made you do something so reckless?” he said reckless but you heard the meaning behind it. Stupid, how could you do something so stupid, and how could you blame him really. You had known from the beginning that it was stupid, stupid and dangerous and breathtaking.

“Jumin I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. do you remember telling me about the threads that wrapped around your throat? They strangled you, held you back, hurt you. I have them on my heart they constrict in my chest until I can’t feel anything at all, but up there the wind and the quiet and the chill it helps. Their still their still tied around my heart but they loosen.”

He looked at you and you could feel his fear. The ever confident business man was nowhere to be seen in that moment. “you helped me untangle my threads MC. I want to do the same for you” you had never heard his voice waver like it did when he spoke the next words “but I can’t lose you like V lost Rika.”

Your heart froze and you moved from your spot on the couch. You knelt at his feet, held one of his hands securely in yours and leaned to meet his downcast eyes. “Jumin, I’m not going anywhere. Not now, not ever. When I go up there I do it to feel something, not to stop feeling everything. I’m not Rika you won’t lose me.”

Without a word he pulled you off the floor and into his lap. You wrapped your arms around him mimicking his tight hold on you occasionally raking your fingers through his hair soothingly. Slowly you could feel him relax feel him unwind around you as you gently and quietly chanted your love to him.

“I’ll build you a sky walk. Clear flooring and handrails. You’ll be able to be up there and still stay safe, but you have to take a guard next time.” You chuckle a little at that, he had always been a problem solver, of course he would find you a way to feel the city beneath you safely. “MC? please talk to me when you feel that way. I hate to imagine you suffering alone”

“anything for you love” you purr nuzzling your head into his neck before sneaking a kiss onto the skin there. The next few days he stays home from work to be with you. one day you take him up to the roof and sit with him feeling the wind in your hair and leaning against him. he admits it’s nice but it makes him nervous none the less, having you so vulnerable. He asks if you want to see a councilor after reading that thrill seeking behavior is linked to depression you agree on the condition that he attend with you the first few times. It helps him as much as it helps you, and though you don’t attend long you learn how to better cope with the periods of emptiness. In the meantime, an observatory is built on the roof and a skywalk is added these become a major tourist draw despite being open to the public only on the weekends. During the weekdays you enjoy planning for the upcoming RFA parties while lounging on the skywalk, with its crystal clear flooring and guard rails you often feel like there is nothing above or below you. Jumin often joins you for lunch relishing the view and your ever growing cheer.

[namjoonspiration]

ON [2]

Pairing: Jungkook x reader

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 2.8k

Summary: You wake up in a new place surrounded by Mages; however, you feel the weight of Jungkook’s absence. In the meantime, you meet some new friends.

Warnings/tags: heartbreak, mentions of violence

Author’s note: Here is Part 2! I know it’s kinda short and I apologize for that, but Chapter 3 is pretty lengthy and I’ll be posting that in a couple days to make up for it :) Enjoy!

Masterlist

Part 2

Year 3049 – 388 years after the Fall of the World

A pungent, salty smell brings you to your senses. Your hands fall flush against rough cotton as you bolt up from your laying position. The hand that was holding the white rock jerks away. You survey the room frantically. A purple-haired young man is holding the salts. And that golden-eyed Mage who you saw at the Citadel was sitting across the room.

The Citadel!

Jungkook! Your screams of desperation ring inside your head.

You look that Mage dead in the eyes and feel your rage drag you to your feet to launch yourself at him. “You! You fucking prick! You left him behind!” You pound against his chest repeatedly and get a few hard slaps against his face.

“Get her to calm down!” He snaps at Purple Hair. You don’t even spare him a glance. You keep getting as many hits as you can on this stupid man.

“You left my Jungkook behind!” Soft, oiled hands wrap around the back of your neck. “You—you could have saved him…” Your muscles become like jelly, losing all their strength.  You feel your magic go to sleep. Purple Hair is quick to grab you under your arms and set you back to sitting on the bed. You look at his hands, and the bottle on the table. What is that stuff?

“No, we couldn’t. Trust me, if I had the chance, I would have done it. We went into that raid with the aim of getting every single one of you out. If I had gone back for him, our bodies, along with his and the other Mage kids, would be rotting inside that Citadel at this very moment.” The Mage explained.

“He’s probably already dead.” You protest, your anger melting into sorrow.

“They won’t kill him. They’ll hurt him, but they won’t kill him.”

“Why?” You ask in utter disbelief. “And why are we still here and not out there trying to rescue him?”

“Because your boyfriend had proven with his fight at the end, he’s worth more to them alive then rotting in the ground. Besides that Citadel is now locked tighter than a snake around its prey. There’s no telling when that place will let people in again. I doubt they’ll let their own people out to go on the trade roads again for months.”

“Trade roads?”

“Between the civilizations that are left.” His words surprise you. There are more people out there? The Governing Circle always said growing up that the Citadel was the last surviving place for humans left on Earth.

For humans. But Mages…

“That’s how we knew you guys were in there. I was on those roads when a trader from the Citadel was selling oranges, and for top dollar too. I knew it had to be magic that made those. Oranges haven’t grown in any land since the Old World, and I didn’t think the Mages that were making these were doing so voluntarily. The Citadel has a reputation in the outside world for cruelty and oppression of Mages that enter its walls.”

The story was slowly knitting itself together inside your head. You can’t believe it. Your magic gave them a smoke signal—a cry for help. You were the reason that so many Mages were freed from the Citadel. But it didn’t lift your spirits.

The most important person in your life was still in there.

Wait. “What about my mother? My family? The village?” You rush out. “In the Southeast corner, we all lived in a village with our family and neighbors. Did they get out too?” Your heart beats faster in anticipation.

The Mage raises his eyebrows, “Village?” He thinks about it for several long moments, and then he stiffens, jaw clenching. Finally, at last, he says, “No.”

Your spirit drops even further. “So, they’re still in there too?”

“No. There are no Mages left in the Citadel besides your boyfriend. They were all killed when they took you and all the other children several years ago.”

“What?” Tears prickle at your eyes. “How—how do you know that?”

“We heard about it on the roads, and we investigated it. I even saw their bodies being carted out of the Citadel myself before they buried them in a mass grave about a week’s travel away from the city.” The weight of the loss sits heavy on your chest, making it hard to breath. “The Governing Circle only saw your village as a population problem, and when they had finally picked out what they wanted, they destroyed it. They never planned to free you from your prison or for you to ever see your families again. You would have served, worked, bared children, and died within those walls, with your children and your children’s children to live the same fate.”

“Sir,” Purple Hair speaks out of the blue. “She’s not well, and I don’t think this conversation at the moment is going to help her recover.” His voice is so gentle compared to the gruff of the giant man sitting across from you.

He huffs, “Fine. Please send word when she’s recovered then.” And he leaves without another word.

Purple Hair fiddles with bottles and jars, the clinking and clanking poking at the silence in the room. Then he’s laying a tray of food next to you and gestures towards it. “Please eat as much as you want. I can get more if you don’t feel it’s enough.” You don’t say anything. “My name is Namjoon. I’m the doctor here. I’m human, but I’m not here to hurt you obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t be a doctor,” he laughs nervously. You don’t say anything still. He clears his throat awkwardly. “Sorry. My comedic skills aren’t that great, but I’m a good listener when you want to talk. I’m not just a doctor that takes care of physical wounds. Everyone has emotional wounds, and right now I know you have many. We don’t have to deal with them all today, or even tomorrow, but I’m here to help you heal.” Namjoon pats your shoulder tenderly before getting up to give you some space.

You don’t move for hours, even for days for that matter. You nibble twice at the fresh food and water Namjoon gives you three times a day, but then you stare at nothing. Not thinking, not feeling, not sure what to do. Nothing happens inside Namjoon’s clinic the whole time you’re there for that first week until he gets two new patients.

They walk in. A boy and a blindfolded girl. The boy was much older than the girl, and she couldn’t have been any older than three. He appeared to be about your age with a tall, skinny but somewhat muscled build like how Jungkook was.

Is.

“Please come in. Make yourselves comfortable,” Namjoon gestures to the empty bed across from yours. They tentatively sit down. You’re sitting down yourself, nibbling on a piece of bread. They face you, the boy looking you directly in the eyes, like he’s waiting for you to do something. “Ah, I guess some introductions will help with the… tense atmosphere in this room. This is y/n. Y/n, this is Taehyung and his little sister.”

It really didn’t help with the tension at all.

“Okay, never mind,” Namjoon mutters. “I’ll just take her to the other room to treat her injuries and check for any broken bones and infections,” he lays a gentle hand on the little girl’s wrist to lead her. Taehyung is quick to grab Namjoon’s arm that’s holding his sister, warning flaring bright in his black eyes. “It’s alright. I’m not taking her from you. I’m going to help her,” Namjoon speaks with an open and honest tone. Trust.

Taehyung considers his words for a few long moments before letting go. The little girl hops down, and Namjoon places a hand on her back to guide her. Just before they are out of the room, Taehyung warns, “Don’t take her blindfold off. It must never come off.” His tone sent chills down her spine. Namjoon nodded wordlessly.Once they were gone, you and Taehyung returned to your staring contest. It was hard to get a complete read on him, but you could tell he’s been through hell.

“What’s with the blindfold?” You ask after several minutes of silence.

“None of your business.”

“Why does she need it?” You cast another line.

He doesn’t bite. Instead, he fires back with another question, “Where are you from?”

“The Citadel.” There was no point in being mysterious.

“Shit. No wonder you look like hell.”

“I could say the same thing about you. You want to tell me what that black scar on your shoulder is about?” You eye the part of his skin where his oversized long sleeve has fallen to exposure the portion where his neck meets his shoulder. He quickly tugs his shirt back into place, scowling at you. “Are you a Mage?”

“Yes. Are you?”

“Yes.”

“How did you get here?”

“I was rescued with several other Mages I grew up with. I’ve been here about a week. Although, one of us got left behind,” you mutter bitterly.

Taehyung doesn’t bother to prod further in your last comment. “My sister and I, we’re from a Mage colony from the West.”

The West. You knew what that mean.

That’s where the darkness travel from, swallowing civilizations whole, scorching the lands and poisoning the waters.

Taehyung and his sister must have escaped from it. And from the looks of it, it didn’t seem that they did so with much ease and that they were the only ones who made it out alive.

“Must have been pretty bad out there,” you say.

He nods slowly. “Yeah, it was. I can imagine the Citadel isn’t a picnic either.”

You shake your head. Silence befalls both of your again, but the tension in the room is definitely gone at this point. Now it’s just you and Taehyung, sitting in Namjoon’s clinic with bleeding internal wounds.

He was just like you in a way. Hurt in several ways, seemingly lost, not knowing how he ended up here. The first person you’ve seen in days that wasn’t so interested in how you were faring and when you might recover so they could interrogate about your life in the Citadel.

You hold your uneaten bread out to Taehyung in a gesture of respect and understanding. He searches your face and seems to know what you’re offering him beyond just a chunk of bread. Thankfully, he accepts the bread from you and begins to eat.

…

It takes another week for you to walk out of Namjoon’s clinic, feeling less numb than you had when you first arrived at the Mages’ camp. There were so many other Mages here. You almost couldn’t believe that so many have survived after hundreds of years when you thought at one point your village was the last one left. It was overwhelming at first trying to settle in. You struggled with sharing a hut with other girls your age, who were happy and moving about their normal days. You just didn’t fit in. You returned to Namjoon’s clinic in the middle of the night the first day out, and he offered the spare room in his clinic to stay in if it meant you’d get some sleep. You were truly grateful for his kindness. It also allowed him to keep an eye on you and to monitor your progress.

After your first meeting with Taehyung, Namjoon noticed an improvement in your interactions with your surrounding environment, so he thought it would be a good idea to have you two have some level of interaction every day.

At first, you and Taehyung were somewhat reluctant to listen to him, but after you both realized this would be a chance for you to share with each other about the hell you’ve both been through and to commiserate with each other.

So, you did for hours every day. You would tell Taehyung about life in the Citadel, and he would tell you about what it’s like running from a faceless darkness, that never gets tired, for his whole life he’s lived in the West. Before he and his sister got here, they’d been traveling for months non-stop. Their camp got too close to the darkness one night, and they were attacked by whatever unspeakable horrors were inside it. Their parents sacrificed themselves to save Taehyung and his sister and died a grisly death. However, in their process of escape, Taehyung was attacked by the darkness. It had entered his body, leaving him in constant pain. But he couldn’t stop running and fighting to get away because he had his sister to protect. Thankfully, they stumbled across some Mages from this settlement.

Namjoon didn’t even though what to do about the darkness in Taehyung, which had manifested itself in the form of a living scar on his shoulder. Namjoon didn’t want to try to cut it out from him for fears that he might upset the living darkness and put Taehyung in more pain. It hadn’t mattered to Taehyung anyway. He could barely feel its presence there anymore.

One evening, he finally tells you about his sister.

“She’s a Seer.” Your mother had mentioned them in the bedtime stories she told you. You thought Seers only existed in Mage Folklore. It made sense why Taehyung insisted the blindfold be kept on. Seers constantly see visions of the past, present and future, so to see all that along with the world in front of her, she wouldn’t be able function properly. The overload of information could even kill her, and she might lose her Sight. “Besides, if she keeps that blindfold on, she doesn’t have to see how far this world’s fallen into shit. I can keep her from witnessing firsthand the pain and hell of this world if that blindfold stays on. I won’t ever let her take it off until we’re in a better, happier place.”

You didn’t have your first interaction with his sister until she was almost six years old. You had traveled with her and Taehyung out to a nearby wooded area—a very rare sight—to collect herbs Namjoon needed to make medicines. You’d been examining a cluster of leaves and flowers near a pond when you see them.

Lilies.

Jungkook’s face fills your thoughts. All his sweet words and caring heart. The love you gave each other the few months you had together after you first kissed.

It broke your heart to think about it. Three years… It has been nearly three years since you’ve arrived at the Mages camp. You’d asked that silver-haired warrior every time you saw him when the Citadel would open and when you can rescue Jungkook. His answer: I don’t know. Maybe soon.

As if she heard your distressed thoughts, Tae’s sister placed her small hand on yours. “Let go of your heartache, y/n. He’s where he needs to be right now.” Her voice sounded nothing like a six-year-old’s. She sounded ancient, like she’s been alive for thousands of years. You knew she was telling you the truth, and you can’t lie, it was hard to swallow. But you wouldn’t just sit idly by, waiting for that warrior oaf to bring you news of the Citadel.

No.

Instead, you took action. You learned from the experienced Mages in the camp how to do offensive and defensive magic. No longer would you just know how to make plants grow. Now you would learn how to fight back.

You convinced the merchants to let you join them on their travels through the trade roads after persuading Namjoon for some medicines to trade for promise of bringing back rare items he needed. It took more time than you would have liked, but one day you finally heard news on the Citadel.

They’ve strengthened their numbers again since the attack, and apparently, they’re bragging about some secret weapon they have. You know what I say? What a load of bullshit. I’ve heard from some traders who have direct contact with the Governing Circle that their weapon is nothing more than a Mage boy with some spitfire in his soul. Weapon? Pish. What can a single Mage do against other angry Mages, much less against the darkness that continues to blacken the soil.

Jungkook. He was still alive. That brought you hope that there might still be one day you’d see him again.

But that’s not all I’ve heard. There’s a war on the horizon, and whoever is left on this Godforsaken Earth needs to be prepared.

[seriouslyhooked]

Feels Like This (Part 4)

Emma Swan is a once lost girl who is now making good. She has made a way in the world for her and her young son, Henry, and after years of hard work, Emma is in her last stretch of schooling for the career she’s always wanted. Unexpectedly, she finds herself in a tiny nation no one’s ever heard of for her last year of study. She knows nothing about the place except that it’s beautiful, has a world-renowned child life program, and is filled with possibility. Meanwhile, Prince Killian is hardly happy with the title he received at birth. As the second in line for the crown, Killian has long tried shaking his royal duties. He built a career in the royal navy, and has stayed out of the limelight, but his ship has been called to port indefinitely at the request of his brother, the King. Fate (in her many forms) brings Emma and Killian together and the resulting fic is a cute, fluffy, trope filled romp featuring heart felt moments, a healthy dose of insta-love and an assured happily ever after. Story rated M and will have 12 parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Available on FF Here and AO3 Here.

A/N: Hey everyone! So we are back now with another chapter of ‘Feels Like This,’ and you know I couldn’t resist a chance to show the first meeting from Killian’s POV too. This story is just a cute fluffy little exercise for my muse, and I wanted to let that continue in this chapter as well. There are some mentions of Killian’s past and some hints at the ghosts he carries, but by the end we’ll all be firmly in fluff-mode. Hoping you guys will enjoy this cuteness as a break from the stress in the world right now, and can’t wait to see what you all think!

“Alpha command, do you read us?!” Graham yelled into the sat-phone, but the only reply was the suffocating sound of subtle static. “This is team five, reporting. We need immediate backup. Again, immediate back up. Alpha?...Alpha?” Graham grimaced and looked close to chucking the offending device in his hand across the desert sand. “Comms are down, Cap, and they’ve got us nearly surrounded.”

“How many?”

“Twenty at least, probably more like thirty or forty,” Tink said from her perch as lookout. “Well-armed and trigger happy.”

“It’s an ambush in slow motion.”

“Fucking airborne!” Will yelled, his eyes widening from the adrenaline even as his voice grew high pitched from rage. “They were supposed to be here by now. What’s the bloody hold up?!”

“Doesn’t matter,” Robin countered, reloading his gun and grabbing his pack, readying for either fight or flight. The former would mean certain death, and the latter was by no means a guarantee they’d make it out of here. “We can’t hold this position surrounded. We’ve got to get out. We can take some down as we do, but there’s no way we survive an all-out fight.”

“What do we do, Cap?”

The sound of an explosion to their right rocked the dilapidated building they were using for cover, and his heart rate finally kicked into high gear. They had to get out of here, his instincts insisted, mission be damned. They’d find another way to get what they needed. Right now he had to see his crew saved from total annihilation. He moved to give the order when another explosion went off closer, blowing out the far wall. Fuck, they needed to move, Now! –

Killian’s eyes sprung open, and his body flinched, springing into action on instinct alone. His chest heaved with quick, uneven breaths as if he’d just been running for his life. It took a few moments to realize where he was and to see that the memories from before were no longer his reality. He was not in the dessert on assignment, he was back at home in a bed that was too soft and spacious and pristine to ever feel natural. From the looks of things, it was still dark out, and a glance at his bedside clock confirmed that the sun wouldn’t be up for at least another hour. He’d managed to grab 4 hours of sleep, troubled as they might have been, and though the lingering fear still clung to him, that bit of rest was progress. He cautiously moved up from bed and stretched his limbs out, loosening his taut muscles that were stressed throughout his sleep, and schooling his mind to calm his body’s turmoil, dispelling the adrenaline to the best of his ability.

To a civilian it would seem an impossibly small clump of hours to function, but Killian had grown used to inconsistent sleep, and his body and mind were hesitant to rest for any longer than his deployment norm. He had the usual problems of a soldier returning home right now. The bed was too soft, the room was too cool, and the space was too quiet to fall asleep easily. Then when he finally gave into slumber, he’d rest and relax only to jump up, forgetting he wasn’t on a detail somewhere chaotic. If he slept too long he also tended to fall back into dreaming, and though he’d been spared the full extent of that particular memory from his last deployment, it was only a matter of time before the ghosts of that day came back to haunt his dreams.

No use fighting it off. I’ve seen what I’ve seen, and I survived. Just keep moving. One step at a time.

Those words had become an anchor to him throughout the course of his service, and they helped take some of the edge off, though his body still held the familiar ache of unresolved stress. There was little he could do with that, but in the meantime, Killian chose to see the solemn quiet of this time of morning as a gift. He was up before the staff came in, meaning no attendants were on hand to see to him, and no one was poised to offer him coffee and breakfast. This gave him the chance to dress quickly, sneak out of his quarters, and head out the back way.

He hit the garden path just as the world began to brighten. The sun was still hidden, but that pre-dawn rosiness hung over the world. Automatically he moved past the landscaped path, forsaking the hedgerow which would soon hold one of the nation’s most magnificent living floral arrangements. His mother was exceedingly proud of those gardens, and she deserved to be. They might be maintained by a large landscaping work force, but she was out here every day, not just giving direction, but also helping tend the flowers that were her favorite. No matter how busy her schedule, his mother found at least an hour each day to be out here and do work, and that love and dedication had blossomed over the last thirty years most beautifully.

This morning, however, he was too restless for the garden. He needed some exertion, a reminder of who he was not as a prince but as a man. He set out for the steepest hike in the royal grounds, a trail he’d come to know from the time he was a boy. Some days he ran this path, but not this morning. No, today was about measured steps and observation. He wanted to experience the nature around him, and to blend in with the peace that existed here. The rigor of the climb and the steepness of these hills granted his body some much needed occupation. He’d been working out in the palace as best he could, wanting to stay in shape despite his early retirement, but that was never natural. Outdoor pursuits suited him much better, and when he finally reached the top of the rocky overlook at the far side of his family’s prime estate, his reward was far greater than any lifted weights or treadmill-based run. Up here, past the canopy of trees, he could see for miles. A blend of undeveloped hills and groves that led down to the coast, and all of it green and bold and brilliant. The land below was royally endowed, open to the public, but not until after the sun had risen. For now, there was no one out here. Just him, the earth, and the sea.

Alone with his thoughts as the sun appeared at the horizon, Killian’s mind wandered musing over the state of his world and where he must start going next. He was back here for good, and it was time to accept that, and he found that he could much easier than he once expected. Part of that was thanks to the help of his family in finding him a worthy use for his time, but there was more to it than that. He’d felt aimless for the past few years, despite the rigor and routine of his time in the navy. Something was missing for him, something more than honor and duty. Out here in the morning light he admitted that it wasn’t something but someone that he craved. He was ready for a partner, a woman who would see him as the man he was, not the man he seemed to be. He wanted connection, understanding, but mostly he wanted love. So far in his life a true love had eluded him. He’d had only fleeting tastes and failed potential. No lass ever stood out from the fray, and certainly none of them could see beyond his title. There was always that question of what a woman really wanted, and Killian hated that, and resented it more than he could say.

Despite being a rational, logical man, he must admit he liked the dream of what love could be. The greatest tales of romance spoke to passion and to lust, to desire so great it morphed into this unspeakable creation. Life was not worth living without love. Love was paint on the canvass, and magic in the wind. It had all this promise and was built up so high. Killian didn’t know if love like that could ever be true. It certainly hadn’t been for his parents. His grandparents, meanwhile had been deeply in love, but they’d both come from noble lineages. The expectation of their station was always with them, and their marriage was arranged and sorted out long before they could have any say in it. They were lucky to have a true respect and adoration for each other, and his grandfather had told Killian many times of how he took one look at Princess Eleanor of Gendora and fell head over heels in love, but even that felt too inorganic. What Killian craved was something authentic and defiant. It should transcend who he was and where he came from. It should make him feel, as nothing else ever had before, but he had to wonder if such a love would ever come. Perhaps he was not meant for such good fortune. Perhaps, it was just not meant to be. But he hated to accept that, not when he’d always wished for a love that strong, and for a family of his own to care for.

That sad thought troubled him as he watched the sun rise over the world, and as he finally made his descent from the hillside and headed back to the castle more than an hour later. By that time the grounds were alive with the abundance of staff who tended to the estate and to his family. No one gave his early journey any undue attention, and breakfast was the same as usual. The only difference was in his mother and grandmother, who were excessively eager to hear his plan for the foundation today. Killian had some things to settle with his superiors in the navy first, like submitting his final retirement papers, but that would be done by midday. The director at the children’s institute had told him yesterday that a good time to come would be the afternoon, and he’d been informed that the older children would be out today, meaning Killian would only see about half of their home’s occupants. He was intrigued at what this would be like. On the one hand this was important work, but would he truly be well suited to it? Only time would tell if the children would trust him, and he wasn’t interested in forcing anything. He was hopeful but realistic, but his mother and grandmother had different views.

“Oh my dear, you’re over thinking it. The children are going to love you, that is a certainty,” his grandmother said, waving her teacup with a mix of agitation and well-bred refinement that was quintessentially royal. “Just be sure to stay open to everything and everyone. That’s critical.”

“Um, right. Thanks for the advice Gran,” he said, not really understanding her emphasis on being open.

“You never know, you could really find your future there,” his mother added, her eyes filled with something he couldn’t quite pinpoint, but his mother and grandmother were spared further questions from him when his mother’s assistant called their attention to an impending public appearance. Quickly they left the room, but Killian couldn’t shake the sense that somehow the two most important women in his life were in cahoots.

“Any idea what that was about?” Killian asked his brother, and Liam looked up from the files in front of him. It was work he’d brought to the table and been pouring over all meal long, but just as expected, Liam knew exactly what Killian was talking about despite his multi-tasking.

“No, and that’s never a good thing.”

“They’re plotting something,” Killian added, wracking his brain for what it could be.

“They usually are. I’ll have Jefferson look into it.”

Killian appreciated the solidarity he had with his brother in this area, and they shared a bit more small talk before they both needed to be on their way. Liam had a country to run and Killian had the daunting task of fully removing himself from the royal navy. He had to go to base to see it done, but was offered the utmost amount of privacy. His higher ups thanked him genuinely for his service, not because he was the prince, but because he had earned it and they were sorry to see him go. Then the dreaded moment came when he had to sign and submit his resignation. He expected a sense of loss when he did this, but as he scrawled out his name in full and handed the sheaf of paper to the Admiral at the desk, he felt a strange sense of relief. A chapter of his life was now over, but in its closing another door would open. Maybe that door would bring him the fulfilment he was looking for. Maybe he’d find the love he really wanted. Maybe happiness would finally make its way into his heart.

“Excuse my impertinence, sir. But are you feeling all right?” one of the royal guards stationed to his detail asked as Killian returned to the SUV that brought him here. Killian knew the man had himself served in the navy before he ascended to this job. They had the shared understanding of what walking away from this active duty meant.

“Surprisingly so, Gus. Thank you.”

“Of course, sir. So, to the institute then?” Killian agreed and they headed out directly. The journey was not a long one, but the shift in land and scene and scape felt prudent. Killian was going from one world to another right now, despite their being less than an hour away from each other, and by the time they got there he was in a new headspace, ready for a fresh and interesting challenge to throw himself into.

Driving up past the gates of the Institute, Killian’s first impression was he was glad that the place appeared to be in good shape. He would expect nothing less from his family’s foundation, but when one said orphans and children in need, it usually sparked images of Dickensian squalor. While none of these children were in the best situation (for a loving family placement must always be superior), he could tell just from the outside façade that this place was a safe haven. There were outdoor toys and sporting equipment, areas for the children to play, and lovingly etched chalk designs all along the pavement and back walls. He smiled at the range of the work, from the scribbling of little ones to the more sophisticated imaginings of what must be the older teens. Seeing this all put him at ease, and as he stepped into the front hall, coming face to face with an older man and woman ready to greet him, he hoped to carry that good feeling with him.

“You must be Marco,” Killian said as he approached the man he assumed was the director. “My grandmother has great things to say about your work here.”

“I appreciate that. And might I say, we’re thrilled to have you here, Sir.”

“Killian, please,” he corrected as he offered his hand in a friendly greeting.

“Killian. Right, sorry,” Marco said with a somewhat bashful smile, extending his own hand to shake. “That may take some getting used to.”

“Not a problem. We have time.”

Killian looked then to the woman beside Marco, an older woman with silver hair and a stately presence. She was put together but also looked maternal, and in many ways she reminded him of his grandmother in her younger years. She had that same aura of kindness and good sense that children liked to flock to. She introduced herself as Marie, but her voice warbled with continued uncertainty. Like Marco, Killian could see how flustered she was in the face of meeting a royal, and his heart sank, but then he watched as both of them grew more composed and their energies settled into the seriousness of their work. They explained quickly about the children and how they were all gathered now in their post lunch activities. Killian didn’t know what the plan was, would he meet them one on one? Perhaps be assigned to one area? But then they walked in and every eye in the place turned his way.

In the sea of faces, which were all looking his way, only the adults seemed to realize who he was, and they schooled their features quickly, cognoscente of the children all around them and probably having been told about his wish to be more normal in this setting. The kids, for their part, just looked curious and Killian let out a sigh of relief. Still he felt a sudden sense of dread. Would he measure up to what they needed? Would they ever trust him? Could this really work? Could he really blend in? He felt a wave of something cynical and pessimistic wash over him, but then his eyes caught on a beauty so striking he nearly lost his footing. If not for all his years of expert training in self-composure, he’d have made a real ass of himself, but as it was, he felt stunned and mystified at the image there before him.

The woman who enchanted him at first glance was blonde and beautiful, with thick golden hair and soft, timeless features. She was delicate but capable, and he knew just from a glance that she would be a force of nature. The bow shape of her lips coupled beautifully with the symmetry of her features and the sun kissed tone of her skin. She was dressed casually, no doubt for the benefit of her work here, but he’d never seen jeans and a t-shirt look so good. His mind faltered in this moment, strung out on so many primal thoughts and desires, drowned out by only one instinct – he had to know her, get close to her, and see if she could possibly be real.

To this point the woman had still been sitting, while the rest of the room had all stood at his arrival. Killian noticed the little girl who was holding onto her, and from here he could sense the young girl’s worry. He couldn’t hear the mysterious woman’s words, but she said something that appeased the little one. The child nodded before they stood up, and for a fleeting moment Killian felt pride. This woman was no doubt adept at this, making this little girl feel safe and protected, but the thought flew from his mind as the golden-haired siren finally looked up and their gazes clashed.

Bloody hell, she’s gorgeous. The cursed words luckily never passed his lips, but he could think of nothing except how entrancing this woman was. Her eyes were so green, and even from across the room he could see the shade was strikingly similar to the natural landscape he’d escaped to this morning. He thought of summer grasses and the lushness of life, and when brought together with the rest of her, Killian couldn’t imagine a more perfect creature. She was undeniable, and he was absolutely thrilled that at long last he’d found her.

Found her? You don’t even know her, his mind said but Killian ignored it. Perhaps that was sensible, but what use was there for sense in a moment like this? He felt the pierce of what must have been an arrow in his chest, and in that fateful moment he felt assured that this was the woman for him, and that he would do whatever he could to be the man she wanted too. He’d have kept staring at her forever if he could, but luckily Marco spoke up, introducing him to the children and the volunteers here.

“Everyone, this is our newest friend here at the institute, Killian.” Killian smiled at the use of his first name, and he let go an unsteady breath, reminding himself to breathe as he tore his gaze from the woman across the room and looked to all the kids.

“You’re big,” one boy called out, and Killian couldn’t help but laugh. He knew he was rather large compared to the average man. Special forces required him to stay in top shape, but then again every full grown man must seem big to a boy so young.

“You should see my brother,” Killian joked, for Liam had a good three inches on him in the height department.

“Is he coming too?” Marie asked, a fresh panic waving over her and Killian went to quickly ease her mind.

“No, ma’am.” The woman let out a sigh of relief but the children were hardly done with their questions.

“Why do you stand so straight?” another boy asked and Killian explained.

“I was in the royal navy.” The kids were instantly intrigued, and murmurs and exclamations abounded through the room. In the sea of questions though, one tiny voice stuck out most.

“Are you a good person?”

The question came from the little girl beside his mystery woman, and despite her initial fear, Killian noticed how bravely this child held her head up and looked him in the eyes. She must have no idea the weight of such a question, but in her mind it was a simply query: Was he good or was he bad? He moved closer to her, ever conscious of the beautiful woman beside her and then bent down to get to her level.

“What’s your name, little one?”

“Cecelia,” she said, her voice only betraying the slightest shakiness.

“Cecelia. That’s a beautiful name,” he said honestly and Cecelia swayed side to side a bit with the compliment. He didn’t know if that was a good sign, but he took it as one since she didn’t flinch from him or step away. “Now as for your question, I certainly try to be good.”

“But you’re a stranger,” the little girl said, looking at him with an expression that spoke volumes. Strangers were clearly a bad thing in this girl’s experience, and his heart felt for her. What must it be like to be so young and have so little trust? But then again he understood on some level – in his life there had never been much trust beyond his family, even when he was very young.

“For now I am. But not forever, I hope.”

“My Emma was a stranger too,” Cecelia said, tugging a bit at the hand of the woman beside her and Killian’s mind mulled over the beautiful name. Emma. It suited her. “She’s a good person. Are you like my, Emma?”

Now Killian rose to full height and he addressed Emma as much as he did Cecelia. “I do like her.” Oh fuck! He hadn’t meant to say that. Shit! “I mean I hope I’m like her, lass. But only time will tell.”

“Miss Emma, does time talk?” Cecelia asked, totally serious, and Killian watched as the intriguing Emma bit her lip to keep from laughing as her eyes caught Killian’s again.

“No, honey. It’s an expression. It means that with a little bit of time you will know if he’s a good person. You just have to be patient.”

Hearing her speak for the first time only completed the spell, and Killian felt a rush of too many things. It was impossible to comprehend what led the way: awe, hope, interest. It all wrapped up so closely together, coalescing in this remarkable woman. The way she was with this little girl spoke volumes to her goodness, but despite his fumbled attempts to impress her, he could also see the tell-tale signs of interest. When she looked at him her cheeks tinted slightly pink, her eyes dilated, and her gaze wandered again, looking beyond his face and back down his person. It took everything in him not to flex. He felt damn good at her appreciating appraisal, and when she looked back up and her blush deepened, he was close to beating his chest. Again, he was saved from an announcement from Marco calling everyone’s attention and asking how they should best welcome Killian to the institute. The kids’ enthusiasm was infectious, and Killian was eager to do anything and everything they offered, but before taking his leave he made sure to offer some parting words to Emma, knowing they would hardly be the last that they shared.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Emma.”

A pleasure was underselling the impact of their meeting, but it was best not to come on too strong. Instead he turned back to join Marco and the kids, spending the next few hours learning the ins and outs of this place and meeting each child who was here in a flurry of excitement and random facts about their favorite toys or secret hide outs. The estate that housed the institute was large enough to give the kids good space indoors and outdoors, and there were a number of things he realized he could genuinely help with. They had a few building projects that needed set up and extra hands, and it seemed they could use some added help with the activities for older boys. None of them were here today, having all gone on some day trip to the coast, but Marco was convinced that Killian’s presence could be beneficial to them all. To Killian it felt like being shoved in the deep end and being forced to swim, but he always preferred that method in his life, and he found that in just one afternoon there was already a sense of rightness being here.

That sense of right was especially palpable any time Emma Swan crossed his path, which happened over and over again. Her roll here seemed to be general in nature, and she helped out with many different activities and support elements no matter what they were. She appeared totally at ease at every turn, and Killian watched her closely, noticing how dedicated she was to this. She was sharp as could be, with instincts that served her well, but she also was quick to ask questions and clearly wanted to learn. Some might have considered her capability intimidating, especially when he had no real experience to draw from, but he didn’t see it that way. Instead, Killian found her passion invigorating, and felt his own pleasure at being here heightened as she showed him how to fit in and gain some traction with these kids.

“You have a real way with children, love,” he said at one point, when a group of the little ones were hard at work on a new arts and craft project involving paint and beans and tin cartons. Emma’s eyes scanned over the room, taking stock of each child in attendance before she looked back to him and her cheeks flushed again.

“Thank you,” she said, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I haven’t been here very long, so we’re still getting to know each other, but I came here to help, and I hope that’s what I’m doing.”

“You’re new to Montenarro then?” Killian asked, watching as Emma helped one of the young boys with the glue he was using, never complaining about the mess he made, just trying to guide him to the purpose of the project.

“Brand new. Like less than three weeks new,” she affirmed before smiling at her little charge and giving the boy all her attention. “That’s brilliant, William.”

“Thanks, Emma!” The boy beamed, adding more to his can that to Killian looked like a lovable, but unknowable mess of dried legumes.

“And what exactly brought you here?” Killian asked, already so damn grateful for whatever the hell it was.

“The center’s fellowship. They offer it every year and people from around the world apply. I was chosen this year,” she said, appearing thoughtful before genuinely smiling. “Sorry, it’s still weird to say that out loud. I never thought that this would happen.”

“You didn’t consider the possibility when you submitted yourself for consideration?”

“I didn’t actually apply. One of my professors nominated me. Then they pulled a bunch of strings to get Henry and I settled.”

“Henry?” he asked, doing the best to shield his expression. Still the mention of another man was like a swift kick to his gut. He looked down to her hands again and saw no ring, but perhaps that didn’t mean anything. He felt sick to his stomach that she might have another man in her life already.

“My son,” she said, looking at him curiously and she was surprised at him. Too late he realized he was grinning like a mad man. “Why do you look so relieved? Most men hear a woman is a single Mom and run for the hills.”

“So you are single?”

“Yes,” she said immediately and then “Wait you thought… That’s why you got that weird look just now. Not because you thought I had a kid.”

“No, love. I think it’s brilliant that you have a son. If he’s anything like his mother, he must truly be something.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, so much quieter than before, and before he could say anything else, the bell sounded for the kids, signaling this craft session was over and that dinner would start in fifteen minutes. “I need to collect all the projects. Would you mind watching the hand washing station? Be warned it can get a bit dicey.”

“Not a problem, Swan,” he said, and he saw the way her eyes widened at the use of her last name. She like it, perhaps more than she wished to let on, and he made mental note of that as he attempted to lead the kids to cleanliness. Emma was right about this job though, it had a definite splash hazard and involved fielding a never-ending litany of questions.

“What was the best part of being in the navy?” one boy asked.

“The men and women I served with. They’re my family now,” Killian said, sparking a longing look among more than a few of the children. “But also the travel. You can see the whole wide world on a ship, and the ocean is never a dull place to be.”

“Do you miss it?” another boy asked and Killian considered.

“I do and I don’t. It’s hard to explain.” The boy nodded like he totally understood, though there was no way he’d shared a similar experience.

“Were there pirates?” one girl asked and Killian considered his answer.

“Some men play at being pirates, but they’re not nearly as intriguing as pirates of old.”

“But pirates are villains,” another girl said.

“What’s a bill-an?” little Cecelia asked, mispronouncing the word, which she had never heard before. Killian helped her up to the sink on the little step stool and got the soap out for her to wash her hands. She was small, but so certain in her actions, it once again made him wonder at her bravery even as a little girl in a less than lovely situation.

“A villain is a bad guy,” the other girl replied and Cecelia looked stricken.

“I don’t like bad guys.”

“I know, little love, but not all pirates are villains. Some used to have honor. They were good men, they just… lived a little differently than the rest of us.”

“You sound awfully knowledgeable about pirates,” Emma said from the front of the room and he shrugged.

“Family legend claims that my great, great, great grandfather was a pirate.” The kids all grew wide eyed, but Killian focused on Cecelia. “But there’s nothing to worry about. There’s no pirate the world over who would ever dare to mess with the likes of you all.”

“We’d make them walk the plank!” one boy yelled, covering his eyes like he had a patch and waving a nearby paper towel roll like a sword.

“Argh!” A few other kids joined in on the action, but Cecelia held back.

“I bet you’d make a great pirate, lass.”

“Really?” She asked, looking around at the others. “But how does I be one?”

Taking a last look at Emma, and knowing he was about to venture into something embarrassing, he did his best to emulate a pirate. The words and the actions were exaggerated and over the top, but he was rewarded with lots of laughter from the little ones and a full smile from Cecelia. At one point they were all playing together and Cecelia came up and poked him at the side and tried her best at a pirate greeting.

“Hi hi, matey!”

Killian and Emma laughed at that and Killian patted her gently on the shoulder. “Just as I thought. You’re a natural.”

At that moment another woman he’d met this afternoon, a counselor named Elsa, appeared at the door. She could have been aghast at the display in front of them all, with the water on the floor and the kids acting like swashbuckling sea dogs, but instead she just laughed. “Oh my goodness. I came looking for my friends and I found all these pirates instead. But how will my friends have dinner if I can’t find them?”

“It’s us, Miss Elsa,” Cecelia said happily. “We is just pretending.”

“Oh thank goodness. Well let’s get a move on. Cook made us a wonderful supper. Wouldn’t want to miss it.”

The kids all hurried out, but not before they said goodbye to Emma and Killian. It was a rush watching them all go, and he felt a lightness in his heart that hadn’t been there for ages. But the moment he realized he was alone with Emma he grew even more excited. Finally they had some privacy, and Killian had no intention of squandering it.

“Has anyone ever told you that you cause quite a stir?” Emma asked. “The whole place has been buzzing about you all day.” 

Instinctively he assumed she must be alluding to his being a prince, and his heart sank. In all this time he’d felt so normal, but there was reality come to call again. “The excitement surrounding my arrival is highly overblown. I assure you I’m not quite so remarkable.”

“Well the kids certainly think so. Who knew being a Captain in the navy was so impressive? And were you serious about the pirate granddad, or was that just for effect?”

Killian listened to the light laughter that slipped past her lips and he marveled at the sound and at this new realization. It dawned on him that she actually didn’t realize who he was. She must not, right? If she was assuming their excitement came from his military career and his family’s strange potential origins, she might not realize he was a prince. It made sense in a way. She hadn’t been in Montennaro very long, and she’d never had any kind of awkwardness in addressing him today, but he assumed the whole staff would have been told the truth. At the same moment he was trying to figure things out in his mind, Emma reflected on what she’d said a second before. She suddenly appeared stricken and began back peddling.

“Not that you’re unimpressive. I mean it is amazing what you did, you know, serving your country and whatever. You’ve probably seen and done so much, and I didn’t mean to make light of that. I just meant -,”

Hating to see her worry about what was a truly benign comment, Killian reached out to take Emma’s hand. The feel of her hand in his immediately prompted a response and the electricity between them was unparalleled. He’d never experienced a spark like that before, certainly not from a simple touch, and he could read in Emma’s eyes that she felt the same way. When he spoke his voice was quiet and gruff, filled with the emotion of this intimate moment.

“There’s no need to explain, love. And as for being impressive, there’s more than enough of that to go around.” His thumb ran over her smooth skin and he reveled in the small gasp she let out, probably without realizing it. It set him aflame to know she too was affected, and as he met her gaze again, he swore he saw his future written in their dreamy jade-colored depths. “You’re really something, love.”

“So are you,” she whispered, moving a fraction of an inch closer to him as she said it. He was so damn tempted to capitalize on that, and to seize this moment for all its glory and promise. He longed to kiss her, to taste her, to feel her in his arms where his heart felt she belonged. It was madness and bliss, but before he could do anything her phone began to chime, a recognizable alert that must be an alarm.

“Shoot, that’s my alarm for Henry. I have to pick him up from camp. I can’t be late.”

Despite his disappointment, Killian knew that for Emma her son should and would always be the priority. He respected and admired that, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

“May I walk you out, Swan?”

“I -,” she sounded like she was going to protest, but then he watched her change her decision in her own mind to one that he vastly preferred. “I’d like that, actually.”

Though they didn’t move hand in hand, they kept a close distance to each other, and Killian felt a rush at still being with her but dread that they both had to go and take leave of one another. He knew she was working tomorrow, and he was dead set on being here all the hours that he could when she was around, but it was hard to picture leaving her. In just a few hours she’d come to mean something to him, and the thought of saying goodbye didn’t sit well in his chest.

“So what’s with the bodyguards?” Emma asked, pulling him from his internal reverie as she motioned outside to Gus. The others had left during the day, the caravan of cars he arrived in now only have one car physically on the premises, but he’d forgotten about all of them entirely. Killian tried his best not to react, and keep his face controlled. He had no wish to lie to her, but call him crazy, he enjoyed just feeling like an ordinary man for once in his life.

“His presence brings my family peace of mind.”

“Sounds a little extreme,” Emma said but she considered. “There’s nothing to worry about, right? For the kids I mean.”

Despite her caveat of it being for the kids, Killian felt she was a bit worried for him too. At least he hoped that was the case. If it was, maybe it meant she felt as much for him as he already did for her. “No, nothing. It’s just a precaution, and after all my years away from home, I’d like to give them whatever reassurance I can that I’m well and good.”

“That makes sense actually,” Emma admitted, thinking on it. “Before I had Henry I would have thought that was crazy, but now. Well, love can make you do crazy things.”

“It can indeed, Swan,” Killian said regretful that they’d already made it to the front gate and that this would have to be farewell, at least for now. “So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll be here,” Emma agreed, looking back at the building with a look of contentment before gazing back at him once more. “See you later, Killian.”

With that, Killian watched as Emma walked away, heading towards her son and their life here somewhere in the walls of the city. He did catch the moment where she looked back at him though, and it filled him with hope as nothing else ever had. It was only a second, and before long she’d slipped out of sight, but she never really left him. For the rest of the evening Emma was with him, in spirit if not for real, and Killian knew in his heart that meeting Emma had changed him, and that someday, somehow, he’d find a way to be with her, no matter what it took.

Post-Note: So… what did you guys think? I hope that you all enjoyed getting to see Killian’s POV on the first meeting. I know that I personally loved the fluff of this chapter, and I worked hard to make it authentic to the story and to CS as a whole. As with most of my stories, this is an insta-love, fluff-for-days kind of vibe, but there is a bit of intrigue. Like when will Emma learn Killian’s a prince? And will they be able to get together when that truth is revealed? It’s me writing it, so you guys can probably guess how things might turn out, but I can’t wait to share how this story will go and to keep writing this fic that’s been in my head and my heart for some time. As always I thank all of you so much for your support and kind words. They mean the world to me and I cherish every comment and message and review. So thank you, thank you, my friends! Now please, stay safe, be well, and have a great rest of your day!

[bonsaiiiiiii]

Tracy's In The Pool Series III - Green Party

Soooooo...today is my man Virgil's Birthday! (I was hoping to post this at midnight but Tumblr didn't let me.) In honour of my man's birthday, me and bro thought about a funny idea to celebrate this day with him. (Here today is also national holiday, here called Ferragosto, so we celebrate double lol) He was very proud of this masterpiece and wanted to gift it to my man! I really hope he likes it lmao

💖

"And so today is your birthday, son." Jeff said affectionately, touching the shoulder of his second son.

Virgil smiled sweetly. "It would seem so."

"Come on!" the others protested, who until then had pretended that it was an ordinary day "we wanted to surprise him!"

"How did you do it last time?" Virgil raised an amused eyebrow. "No, I’d love to throw a party this year."

"We can’t." Scott answered, extinguishing and burying that last crumb of hope that had lit up in the eyes of Virgil and the two tinies, that for once wanted only to get away from everyday's boring routine.

"And who told you no? This is the first birthday we celebrate...all together," he said, looking down at Jeff, who smiled at him. Eight long years had passed, he had waited so long for this moment, so he didn’t even think of anything ordinary. In fact... "so I wish it was something memorable."

Scott huffed a little upset, but then his natural leadership instincts melted a little bit. "Do you have any idea where to go yet?"

"Yeah. What do you think about going for a classic picnic?"

"Oooh, like when we were kids!" Gordon stepped into the conversation, his eyes glittering.

"Actually I don’t remember anything..." Alan murmured to himself, almost thankful that no one heard him.

"Well...but where exactly would you like to go? And then how do we do with IR?"

"Let’s take a day off. We haven’t had one for an eternity of time!"

"It seems like a really lovely idea to me too! So I can prepare lunch." Grandma said, and the brothers' faces were about to turn green.

"Good idea...you’ll have so much fun." He murmured John, now sure and stuck on the fact that he would stay in his beloved space station, along with EOS and his beloved bagels.

"I don’t think you realize I want you on the picnic, too." Virgil answered slyly, crossing his arms to the chest, raising an amused eyebrow.

"I don’t even think about it, Virgil. In the forest there are wild animals, then there are insects that will not give us a moment of peace, and also I must warn you that I am allergic to the pollen of a lot of flowers that surely will be present in the forest. Then I will suffer the heat and I will burn. No, no, I will stay here." explained John, and he went on, sure in his theory, for a few good minutes.

Everyone, except Jeff and Grandma, crouched down at the table where they were sitting, and Alan and Gordon thought it best to fall asleep face down on the table, bored by the long sermon of the middle brother. Scott couldn’t keep a bored yawn escaping his lips from listening to him.

Virgil stopped the redhead. "Stop, before everyone goes to sleep." And in saying it, he gave a couple of slaps behind the heads of the two tinies, that by surprise -or fright? - jumped to their feet, shouting, "we're ready to go!"

"You’re ungrateful. I’m just expressing my concerns." mured John, almost incredulous.

"In the meantime, I really don’t think we should go to Thunderbird 2, wherever we went." Virgil started talking after a few moments. "How about we rent a private jet?"

"A...a jet? Private?" Brains asked, a bit reluctant.

"Yes. We can rent one, so why not? It will be a break from the rule, instead of always going with the Thunderbirds." Virgil answered with a big smile. "By the way, Brains, you’ll be there, too, right?"

"Um...yeah, I think so." Brains answered, laying a hand on his chin.

"Why? How many people are you going to invite?" Scott asked seriously.

"The few that serve to define the party I would like to make a 'party'. I also want to invite Lady P."

"Mhm. I'll let her know." John replied, already ready in front of the Lady’s contact.

"Sounds like a great idea to me! It would be good for all of us to get some air and enjoy nature." Jeff smiled, putting his hands on Virgil’s shoulders, and he smiled back. "And then I really like this private jet idea. I haven’t been on a plane in a long time, think."

An incoming call interrupted Jeff’s happy speech; Virgil departed to answer the call, and the smiling face of Lady Penelope appeared in the holocam. "A party? I think it’s a lovely idea! You can count on my presence. But.." The Lady became thoughtful "John informed me that you’re going to rent a jet."

"You don’t like the idea?"

"But yes, I just find it a bit...unusual. But it’s good to depart from original plans once in a while. When is the party going to take place?"

"Today! We'll let you know the details."

"FAB. See you later!" Lady P greeted everyone warmly, and then closed comms.

"So when we leave...?" asked Alan a bit strangely.

"Mmmh...two hours to get ready and then we can leave."

"All right, son. I’ll take care of the jet." Jeff said giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Are you sure you don’t want any help with the preparations? I can help you up the stairs..." Virgil responded uncertain, approaching his father almost immediately, but he gently pushed him away.

"Go. Don’t worry about me." Jeff responded, slowly rising from the chair in which he had sat, and then making some uncertain steps to the stairs. Virgil followed him with a rather concerned look, ready to react if his father ever needed it.

When he saw his father climb the stairs and then disappear upstairs he looked back at his brothers with a slight sigh, only to return smiling. "So, shall we go get ready?"

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Hood wiped the dust off the shoulder of his suit, stood up and fixed his tie. Of course, blowing up the prison where he was confined from the inside was certainly not a good idea, given the great closeness to other buildings, but that’s how the world goes about. (bro had this idea, don't @ me) Lying on the ground, some guards groaned with grief, or murmured confused words after regaining consciousness; the Hood did not pay too much attention, and simply began to walk in the direction of the exit, exit of a prison that no longer existed. The GDF had seriously made a mistake to confine him, but the best part was that now International Rescue would show up; who knows the dismay on their faces...

But time passed; first it was 30 minutes, but then a few hours passed: an hour and a half, to be exact. No one showed up. But he was sure that people had noticed the explosion, because someone was still running from side to side to extinguish the prison fire. Strange...he thought, looking around in the form of an ordinary citizen.

Meanwhile, the Tracys had just landed in Waipoua forest, in New Zealand (place totally improvised and searched up last minute, ugh). They had all gone out to stretch their legs a bit, although the journey had been fairly short, and they had also found a quiet place to camp and eat. Lady Penelope had waited for them at the entrance of the forest, and they had all entered together; even the lunch, instead of having been prepared by Grandma Tracy as announced, was ordered, including the raspberry and chocolate cake, Virgil’s favorite.

And as far as they remembered, that was the most memorable and fun party that was ever celebrated; there was no one who wasn’t having fun. Gordon and Alan pulled out the portable speakers that they had brought from home, and when they connected them to the communicators they chose the music for Virgil; everyone enjoyed dancing. After all, why not do something different, something out of the box, from time to time? thought Virgil, smiling at the scene. Yet he had a strange feeling about something; he could not say what it was, but it was something that made him really restless. He decided not to pay too much attention, focusing more on the party.

Only that the event that Virgil had...'heard' came true: while they ate the cake laughing and joking a big explosion very close to them made the earth tremble for a few moments. Virgil first looked at the shirt he was wearing, all smudged of cake, and then looked around, immediately noticing a trail of smoke rising from somewhere in the forest.

Scott and Virgil went to check, while the others sat on the picnic towel, a little worried. But the worry on their face vanished when the two elders, via communicator, told the others that there was no one injured in the explosion, except some wild animals, which however did not suffer serious damage. The two were about to turn back, when Virgil noticed an unusual movement with the corner of his eye.

"Uh... Scott?" Virgil looked for Scott with his voice, but did not look away from the mysterious figure that had appeared before him.

"Yeah, Virg-" Scott’s voice faded down his throat when he also saw the mysterious person. "The Hood!" he then said in an accusatory tone, to the man who looked at him in a mocking way.

"It’s strange that you didn’t show up...especially when the prison exploded. But tell me, what did you come here for?"

"What do you mean 'the prison exploded'?" Scott asked, without worrying about covering up his concern.

"Is there an echo here? That’s what I just said." the man answered.

"You won’t get away with this!" Scott confronted him, while Virgil looked for the ship he was to arrive on, or the person, or people, who were to be his puppets.

"I was going to blow you up to tell you the truth, but I targeted the wrong forest, heh."

"But you weren’t very careful." a new voice was added to the trio, and they all turned around to see Colonel Casey sprouting from a bush (also this was an idea of bro). "In fact, we were able to locate you immediately. Arrest him." The Colonel turned to some soldiers who appeared next to her, rushing immediately to Hood, who screamed and railed at them all.

(From here on, everything stops. There are no other ideas.)

[lostinthewiind]

SHIFTY POWERS? Maybe angst where the reader gets hurt then then Shifty snipes the shooter out and goes to reader and freaks out?

These Hands are Made for You

One second, the company had been full of laughs and smiles as the men enjoyed the victory of taking Foy. A merry tune emitted from the troopers currently sitting atop the German tank as the war reporter filmed them for the people back home. Although men had been lost, it was a win. 

The next second, all had divulged back into chaos and panic. A single shot rang out and one of the men from the tank collapsed back and toppled to the ground. Paratroopers began to scatter like rats all around, desperately searching for cover as the hidden sniper fired once more.

At first, it seemed as if his second shot had missed, but then you felt the throbbing pain in your calf. Your left leg gave out and you crumbled into a pile of terror in the dirt, your body still out in the open. You let out a scream, but you weren’t sure if it was more from the fear or the agony of the bullet wound.

Your eyes searched around frantically for help, but everyone else was already hiding behind buildings, their eyes watching you carefully. You knew they would help you if they could, but everyone, including you, knew this was a common sniper tactic; wound one person and then pick off the people who come to help one by one.

You hated feeling like a pawn in the German sniper’s game, but you had no choice. All you could do was wait there for what was to come, whether that be life or death. 

The fingers that you had wrapped around your calf quickly became soaked in blood, and although it did seem like you were losing a lot of blood at a rather alarming rate, you knew better than to panic. 

“Y/N!” a familiar voice called out to you.

Your head snapped up and from across the way you made eye contact with Shifty, the sweet boy with an aim that could take out a hummingbird from ten football fields away. 

Despite how far away you were, you could see the worry on the man’s face. His eyes were creased and his mouth was pulled into a tight, serious line. “I-I’m okay!” you blurted out, unsure if it was a lie or not. “Just shoot that sonofabitch, Shifty!”

Shifty gave you a quick nod before turning to Lipton, who was standing right next to him. The two sorted out a plan and before you knew it, Lipton was running out from his cover toward you. 

The sniper fell for the trap and fired three times at Lipton, each time his bullet piercing the earth just behind Lipton’s boots. You watched in slight awe as Shify peaked his head around the corner of the building, took aim, and with one quick shot, killed the sniper.

As the shot rang out, Lipton threw his body over you for protection. The large man crushed you between his body and the ground but never before had you felt more relief. “Ugh, thanks Sarge.” you coughed out as your lungs struggled to expand from under his weight. 

“You good?” he sat up off of you and looked down at your wound. 

You opened your mouth to assure him you were fine, but before a single word could leave you, another body dropped down beside you. “Are you okay?” Shifty’s eyes darted between your face and your leg. “Did…did I get him in time? Are you going to be okay?”

Lipton eyed the hysterical boy before standing up, giving you a hardy pat on the back, and wandering off to find a medic. In the meantime, it was obvious you were in good hands. 

“Shifty,” you placed a hand on his cheek to calm him down. “I think I’ll live. Look, it’s more of a graze than anything.”

Shifty slowly lowered his head so he could inspect your injury more carefully, and although he was inclined to believe you about it not being that bad, the amount of blood was extremely worrying to him. “I should get you to an aid station,” he stated as his arms reached out for you.

You chuckled slightly at his heartwarming concern. “I’m sure Lipton went to go get Roe or Spina.” you tried to explain to him. “I think it’s better if we just wait here.”

“Oh…” Shifty nodded ever-so-slightly, but after a few seconds of contemplation, he scooped you up into his arms anyway. “Just in case.” he smiled down at you. 

You rolled your eyes playfully and wrapped your arms around his neck. “Thank you, Shifty.” you tried to hide the discomfort on your face as the sudden motion caused a wave of pain to flow through your leg. “You sure are one hell of a shot.”

Shifty smiled softly as he carried you toward where the medics had begun setting up an aid station. “Oh, I’m not that good, really. I just do my best; I reckon that’s all any of us can do.” 

“Cute and humble.” you giggled lightly. “Looks like I’ve found myself in the arms of the right man.”

Shifty paused for a second, his steps faltering a little. “You think I’m cute?” 

“I think you’re very cute, Shifty.” you placed a small kiss on his cheek. “Do you think you could stay with me while one of the medics checks my leg? I’ll need a hand to squeeze for when it hurts.”

“A pretty girl like you can have as many of my hands as you want,” he answered, his kind words mirroring the kind soul he possessed. “Although, I regret to inform you, I only have two.”

“Two is more than enough.” you tightened your arms around his neck and rested your head on his shoulder. “One of your caring, soft, agile, sharp-shooting hands is better than a million regular hands any day.” 

Shifty nervously laughed as he stepped into the aid station with you in his arms. “My hands would be honoured to give you whatever you need,” he informed you. “Whether it be for squeezin’ or shootin’.”

“What about just holding?” you cocked a quizzical brow.

“That too.”

[parkerspicedlatte]

Disconnected-Chapter Seven (Luke Hemmings)

Summary: In an alternate universe where everyone has a soulmate, Luke and his soulmate share the rarest of them all. Some people have matching tattoos, others feel each others pain/emotions, but mental connections are the least common. The connection that Luke and Lynn share is that they can hear whatever song the other is singing. When they are close together they will be able to hear each others voices but for the meantime, they can only hear the recorded versions.

Pairings: Luke Hemmings x Lynn Corby (OC)

Warnings: A few cuses 

Content: Just you wait...

Featured Songs: None

“Hey, what’s on your schedule for today?” Kylie asked while barging into Lynn’s room through the connecting bathroom door.

“I’ve got laundry, a few errands, and a yoga class in the afternoon, why?”

“Okay let me be a little more specific, what are you doing tonight?” Kylie rephrased.

“Um nothing so far, were you thinking of doing something?” Lynn asked while combing out her strawberry blond hair, dripping fat drops of water from the shower.

“Well my sister is coming in tonight,” Lynn nodded remembering Kylie’s younger sister Avery, the wilder of the two with eyes that made the moon dull. “Well she’s been begging me to take her to the bar downtown-”

“Wait, hold on a minute. You’re not seriously thinking about taking your fourteen year old, underage sister to a bar are you?” Lynn frowned placing both of her hands on both of her hips. Water trickled down her t-shirt.

“Well-”

“And not just any bar, you want to take her to the bar that I am trying to build a reputation in, a reputation that says sweet, mellow, down to earth singer songwriter. Not law breaking alcoholic who brings children to bars.” She said gesturing wildly. Invisible air quotes were dragged through the air with her bare fingers. “I’m not supporting this, no.”

“She’s sixteen but she’ll be seventeen in a few months. Besides she has an ID that says otherwise. Avery can pass for older and you know it, plus it would only be once this visit.” defended Kylie.

“This visit?” Lynn’s head tilted to the side, not believing the words coming out of her roommate’s mouth.

“You know what,” Kylie said. “Just forget I even mentioned it.” she finished, her voice giving hints of anger and frustration.

“Believe me, I will. I can’t believe you even suggested that.”

“I just thought you would want to have some real fun instead of sitting here at home with a stick up your ass.” Kylie mumbled as she exited the room.

Lynn stood there, jaw dropped, shocked at Kylie’s words. They hadn’t had a real fight since they moved in together over a year ago. While that might not have even counted as a fight, Lynn was feeling like their friendship was damaged a little. She knew that she liked to be tidy and tame while Kylie liked to be messy and have her fun. That’s why they worked so well together, they balanced each other out. Together they made an amazing team, but Kylie and Avery were partners in crime, nothing could stop them, which was probably why Kylie had gotten so defensive.

Lynn thought about apologizing but then stopped herself. Why should I have to apologize for something I didn’t do wrong? Kylie is the one who wanted to take her baby sister drinking. I only told her that it was not a responsible thing to do. Kylie is the one who said that I had a stick where the sun doesn’t shine. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be her.

Lynn heard the front door close followed by a car engine roaring up a few moments later. Either way, Lynn was not getting up to go apologize at that moment, especially not for something that she hadn’t done wrong.

***

“Feel like getting a drink?” Luke asked Ashton, waking the older man that had been sprawled out asleep on the couch.

“A drink, right now?” Ashton sleepily questioned, wiping the residue from his eyes while peering up at the Luke. The man he considered his little brother, despite the height difference.

“Well no, not at the moment. But I want to go downtown and explore a little bit, see a few shops or whatever. I figured I would bribe you to come with me if I promised you a drink at that bar we passed on the way here.” suggested Luke.

“You make me sound like an alcoholic.” Ashton told him.

“So are you in or not?”

Ashton thought about it before giving in. “Alright, I guess I’ll go with ya.”

“Cool. I’m heading out in about half an hour.”

“Goodness Luke, what’s the rush? We’ve got all week.”

“I don’t know.” Luke shrugged. “We haven’t really done anything since we got here which is nice but I’m also feeling a little cabin fevered. I’d like to get out for an afternoon.”

“Well I won’t argue with that.” Ashton yawned and sat up on the couch to reach for his phone on the coffee table to check the time. “What’re Mikey and Calum doing?”

“They left about an hour ago to get a few groceries. They should be back any minute. They’re going to come with us.”

“You sent Michael and Calum out to get groceries? They’re not coming back any time soon.” Ashton stated flopping back onto the couch. “Calum will get lost and Michael won’t have a clue where anything is.”

“They’re adults, they’ll be fine.”

“So are you Luke.” stated Ashton.

“Are you saying that I wouldn’t be able to pick up a few basic groceries?” Luke questions

“No, all I am saying is that there are more efficient ways to shop than the ones you are familiar with.”

“Is that so?”

“You know what I mean.” Ashton looked up at Luke. Luke wasn’t buying anything he was saying. “You have your own ways to do things, and then there are the more normal ways, the ways that take less time.”

“Ashton just stop, you’re digging yourself a hole.”

“Yep.” Ashton shut up immediately.

Luke turned to walk out of the room to put his phone on the charger for a quick top up before they left. He glanced out of the window, watching as a few birds picked through the grass in search for their next meal. Luke thought about how some birds mated for life, about how one would die of malnutrition if something were to happen to the other. Birds had soulmates that they chose for themselves. They didn’t have to play the cruel game that fate had arranged for the human population. The game that had driven some people to believe that it wasn’t worth it, to spend their entire lives looking for someone just because fate said they connected. People over centuries had given up hope. Some had spent their entire lives looking for someone, only to find them and one of the connectors died within days. The thought of it broke Luke’s heart. He’s heart yearned for someone he’d never met before.

***                            

Luke, Calum, Ashton, and Michael found themselves wandering the streets of downtown Sadowa. They had parked the rental in a parking lot behind a post office and decided to walk around, enjoying the simplicity and serenity of the town. They’d checked out a few stores that adorned the walkway advertising arts, flowers, wooden carvings and other small trinkets that seemed to cater to cottagers rather than the locals. Calum and Michael bought ice cream in the ice cream and fudge shop while Ashton and Luke had gotten a cardboard box of French fries to share across the road at a restaurant decorated to look like a food truck. They all sat on the longest bench in front of the restaurant and ate in peace. Ashton was taking pictures and posting a few on his Instagram story while Michael tried to get Calum’s ice cream onto Calum’s nose by telling him that the ice cream smelled sweeter than what they had back in LA. He was successful in doing so. Calum had ice cream on not just his nose but his lips and chin as well thanks to the help of Michael’s hand. Snap: another picture for their social media.

Luke people watched, absentmindedly putting the fries in his mouth. He observed as an older couple walked hand in hand with a pair of small children at their sides telling them about their friend from school. Half a dozen boys with shaggy hair and snapbacks who looked to be about twelve or thirteen raced down the mostly empty street on skateboards with one girl in a blue and pink helmet in tow. Two girls with identical wild, dark curly hair giggled as they walked into another store across the street. Everyone around him was happy. The remainder of the sun felt nice on his face. A dog was tied up across the street while its owner went into a store. Luke wondered if his soulmate liked dogs. What would he do if they were afraid of Petunia, or allergic?

Luke was pulled out of his train of thoughts when a little girl approached them with what appeared to be an older sibling or babysitter.

“Hi there.” Calum was the first to speak up.

“Um hi, I’m Amy.” the little girl told them. “Are you guys in a band? My sister went to a concert in Toronto a while ago and you guys look a lot like her pictures.”

“Well Amy, we just so happened to be in a band.” Ashton told her. “We’re called 5 Seconds of Summer. My name is Ashton, this is Calum, Michael and Luke.” They all waved to her smiling; rarely did they have little kids approaching them. “What’s your friend’s name?” Ashton asked referring to older girl who had followed Amy, but hadn’t torn her eyes away from her phone.

“That’s Elizabeth, she’s my cousin. Lizzy’s visiting for the week.” Elizabeth looked up momentarily at the sound of her name but went back to her phone once she saw that she wasn’t needed. “She has a secret special friend that she is texting, but I’m not supposed to know that.” Amy whispered to them making them all laugh.

“Did you want a picture with us to show to your sister then, to make her jealous?” Calum asked. Amy thought about it for a moment before nodding her head eagerly making them laugh once more. She pulled an iPod touch out of her pocket and signalled for them all to squish in close so she could take a picture of them.

“Okay one, two, three pizza rolls.”

“Pizza rolls!” the four of them chanted smiling for the camera. Amy giggled and jumped up and down a few times.

“Okay now your turn.” Luke told her. “That’ll really make her jealous.”

“Okay!” she agreed. “Elizabeth can you come take a picture for me?” Amy asked her cousin pleadingly.

“I’m in the middle of something, later.” the cousin responded.

“That’s okay, we’ll do like one big group selfie.” Michael suggested. The boys all bent down to her height and crowded together, letting Amy in the middle. They took a few pictures and then a few goofy ones. Lastly they took a short video saying hi to Amy’s sister and thanking her for coming to their concert.

After a few minutes, Elizabeth had called Amy back so that they could get home for dinner. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

“So how about that drink?” Ashton nudged Luke gesturing to the small bar across the street. By then the sun had disappeared behind the buildings. Their food was long gone and they’d continued walking with no particular destination in mind.

“You sure you don’t want to get a sandwich first, or maybe a book for some hammock reading.” Luke teased.

“No it’s guys time, get me a beer.”

***

“So wait a minute, Lynn knows who her soulmate is but she’s not doing anything about it?” Avery questioned her sister as they sipped away on some vodka mix that literally tasted pink.

“She says that just because she has an advantage that it doesn’t mean she should use it.” answers Kylie.

“Bullshit!” stated Avery, “I’d kill to know who my soulmate is. It’s literally all I want in life.”

“I know, I know.”

“So if she knows who they are, but they don’t know who she is, how’d she even figure that out? Did she catch them singing or something?” Avery wondered aloud, half to herself, half to her sister.

“Yeah, something like that. I’m not allowed to give specifics but I can tell you that he’s not from around here.”

“So it’s a ‘he’ then, and he’s not local.” Avery took a long sip of her drink emptying the glass. “Lynn hasn’t really got much to go on now has she? She’s basically got herself any guy who wonders through here. Lynn knows nothing about him but she’s decided to let him go, Ky, that just doesn’t sound like her.”

“Believe me; Lynn knows more about this guy than most people should know about their soulmates before they meet.”

Avery frowned at her sisters words, not quite understanding what she meant. Maybe this guy was in trouble with the law or something. But regardless, wouldn’t she still love him and want to be with him? It’s just not natural to not.

“So she’s heard some not so nice things about him then.” Avery stated questionably.

“No no, not like that.” Kylie said knowing how her little sister thought, “If anything Lynn’s kinda intimidated.”

“But it doesn’t matter.” Avery half slammed her empty glass on the counter out of frustration. Every head turned within a two table radius of them but Avery didn’t care. She was never one to give a damn about others opinions.

“Hey, try to keep it down.” Kylie told Avery, “We’re technically not supposed to be in here so don’t draw any extra attention to us.”

“Kylie! A soulmate is a soulmate and you can’t change it. Lynn is being incredibly stupid to not go after him.” Avery continued her rant, “She’s being selfish. Not only is she hurting herself but she’s also hurting her soulmate. Lynn is being stupid.”

“Avery enough,” Kylie shapely stepped in and put on her big sister face to stop her little sister before she said something worse. Avery had a tendency to speak her mind without giving consideration of other people. “That’s my best friend you’re criticizing, show some respect. You also don’t know the full story. There’s a lot more to it but it’s none of your business so watch it.”

“Kylie are you even listening to yourself? Lynn is-”

“Lynn is taking her time and trying to do what is best for her and Lu- I mean her soulmate. You are in no position to judge her for this. When you are older and both you and your soulmate are ready to meet, then perhaps you will begin to understand how stressful this is for them.”

Avery, as fiery as she was, backed down once she saw how fiercely Kylie was defending Lynn’s decision.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. You’re right.” she sighed subconsciously rubbing her left shoulder, a nervous habbit. “I don’t understand the situation. I guess I got a little jealous of Lynn. Seriously Ky, all I want in life is to find my soulmate and live out our lives happily and healthy.”Kylie had heard Avery say that a million times but this time she was as sincere as she could get.

“I know you do.” Kylie’s voice softened when she saw her sister’s change of attitude. She reached over and placed her hands atop of Avery’s, a communication of emphasis that both of them understood. “You’ll find them, I promise. If we have to ask every single person if they have your matching tattoo then so be it.”

Avery chuckled at the thought. “You know, now I’m really jealous of Lynn because it would be far easier to find her soulamte if they walked by. All she would have to do is match up the voice.” A bartender came over and brought each girl a new drink. “With me, it’s more difficult because I can’t say ‘Hey, take off your shirt and let me see if we have matching tattoos.’”

“Now that would be interesting.”

“My soumate could be right under my nose and I wouldn’t even know it.” Avery pouted.

Before Kylie could respond, her jaw dropped. In walked four young men that were one hundred percent tourists. Clad in leather jackets, half unbuttoned button ups and black boots, there was no way in hell they were locals, along with the fact that Kylie had never seen these people in the small fifteen hundred person town before. But it wasn’t the jackets, boots or even funky styles of hair that caught her attention. It was the piercing blue eyes that belonged to the tallest blond. The blue eyes she recognized to belong to her best friend’s soulmate. In walked Five Seconds of Summer and where the hell was Lynn!

Avery turned to look at what had caught her sister’s attention only for her own jaw to nearly hit the counter. Her head whipped back.

“Is that-”

“Yes, be cool, there’s something I need to tell you.” Kylie commanded, using her eyes to silently beg her sister to listen for once in her life.

“We’ve been talking in this bar for the last hour and you want to tell me something now.” Avery sounded near shrill as she questioned her sister. “Five freaking Seconds of Summer just walked in and I want a picture, tell me after.”

Avery pushed back her bar stool to get up but Kylie was faster. She caught Avery’s wrist before she could leave, squeezing enough to tell Avery that it was serious.

“Sit back down.” growled Kylie under her breath, “There’s something I need to tell you about them that involves Lynn and a little bit of us.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Avery arched her eyebrow, clearly indicating that she didn’t believe Kylie.

Kylie leaned over the table to speak to her sister without the listening ears of others. She already didn’t want to tell Avery but it would be the only way to keep her quiet, maybe. If other people found out, it could ruin their moment.

“Promise me you won’t say anything when I tell you.”

“Nope.” Avery shook her head, “You’re up to something. How are you not freaking out? Your first celebrity crush just walked into the bar!”

“Avery I need you to trust me.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Just. Trust. Me. Two zambucca.”

“Two?” Avery repeated questionably.

“Two.” Kylie confirmed.

“Two has never been on the table before meaning that this is serious?” All Kylie could do was nod her head, lost in thought. Serious was an understatement. This was life altering.

Kylie sighed letting go of Avery’s wrist to rub her temples. She glanced over at the vacationing musicians. The three blonds were talking about something that must have been funny because all of them wore three award winning smiles. The one she knew as Calum was looking in Avery and Kylie’s direction seemingly lost in his own mind. After a few seconds he must have realised that he was starring and flashed the girls a nervous half smile before turning back to his group.

“Okay here’s the deal. Lynn’s soulmate just walked in.”

“Lynn’s soulma- wait what? Why are you just telling me no- ohhhh you mean....” Avery nodded her head at the band with eyes as wide as saucers.

“Yup.” Kylie confirmed.

“So that’s why Lynn was so scared to-”

“Mmhmm.”

“Well we have to tell her!” Avery whisper shouted.

“No no no, no you can’t.”

“Well why the hell not?” demanded Avery, her hand flew to her left shoulder once more. A nervous habit she’d had since she was still in elementary school.

“It’s Lynn we’re talking about, you know, the only one of us who thinks things through logically. We can’t just call her up and say ‘hey roomie, we just ran into your soulmate, remember him? That guy you’ve been avoiding for about a year. Why don’t you come down and meet him?’ Lynn would freak out. She’s not like us, we do things impulsively, she’s a thinker. Lynn has to think about every step and everything in between. She won’t just jump into things like you and I do.” Kylie finished, reaching for her drink she stole another glance across the bar and then back to Avery.

Avery was silent as she thought about what her older sister had told her, a million ideas running through her head.

“Do you think we should do something? They could be leaving tomorrow, then it’ll be years before Lynn and whoever it is connect.” said Avery, “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me which one is her soulmate would you?”

“Not a chance. I’ve already told you more than I’d like to have.” A few silent moments passed before Avery broke it, not being able to stand the slight tension she felt.

“So what do we do?”

“I have an idea.”

Series Masterlist

Regular Ol’ Masterlist

A/N: would you guys believe me if I told you that there is only one chapter left? Well believe it. Honestly I can’t thank you guys enough. You have been here from start to finish. You’re love and support never goes unnoticed. I know you guys are probably not loving Avery at this point but bear with me, she’ll make a come back in a bit. Then you guys will like her, promise. Thanks for reading,

-xx Reetz

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[artificialqueens]

Under Her Eye - Chapter 2: The Handmaid (Branjie) - Gab

a/n: The next chapter is here! Many many thanks to @artificialmeggie for beta-ing. Her words of encouragement are everything ❤️ This chapter is a little more violent, so be ready. I’ll always do my best to include as many tw as I can in the tags but do inform me if I miss anything! Needless to say, this is not a pg fic. My writing sideblog is @gabby-writes if you want to drop an ask or get an update. In the meantime, enjoy!

Vanessa isn’t normally quiet, but when the tide changes it seems she has no choice.

Chapter 2: The Handmaid

Word Count: 2964

Vanessa was never quiet.

She was loud and manic and angry.

She was electric, and every injustice she saw sparked her into action. When the law changed—replacing constitution with religious canon, banning performance art, and stripping women of every right they’d ever bled for—she rioted right out on the streets, screaming for her life. Screaming for the lives of everyone she knew.

Vanessa was a performer by trade. She thrived under a spotlight, pouring her heart out every night yet still having enough left for an encore. When the arts center shut down, the rallies against the new government became her stage. She was no public speaker, and definitely no writer, but she had a fire in her eyes that set crowds alight. She was told to stop, threatened to stop, but the people loved her. They needed her.

It was five months into her protests, organizing rallies and mobilizing a small group—this time outside the White House—when it happened. As the president gave his address on the rising pressures the US was facing, a shot rang out, amplified across every speaker and every TV screen in America.

For a moment everything was silent, the guards stationed around the area looking far too calm as the president’s body lay behind the podium. Vanessa watched from her place behind a set of barricades, only one thought in her head.

It could be over.

She waited, prayed that the next person to take the stage would be an ally. Praying that the next words she would hear would be that this hell was finally over. She had yet to know hell.

Her hopes were crushed in an instant as a man approached the podium. He stood wearing a military uniform, with a cross fixed firmly onto his vest and a gun strapped to his back. The crowd, as if just registering the murder that took place, grew tense—screaming and wailing out as he spoke from the Bible in his hands.

The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or satan,

Vanessa—suddenly desperate to get away—grabbed the nearest protester, forcing them to start walking as she saw more men in uniform dispersed into the crowd.

who leads the whole world astray.

She was screaming for them to head for the street when she saw one of the soldiers pull out his gun. She saw him take aim into the crowd.

He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

The sounds of the screaming nearly rivalled the bullets that came from every direction.

Vanessa ran, pulling everyone she could from her group into the street, then into the buildings. They forced their way into a small store, ducking into the back room until they could no longer hear chaos outside. Until the sounds of shooting silenced.

The group made it out after a few hours, dodging the military men in the street, finding passage out of the city. What Vanessa found back at home was not any less unsettling. Her street was quiet, deserted. She made her way into her apartment, frantically trying to call for her mom, her friends, anyone—but there was no use. Her lines were cut, every radio signal jammed. The only thing playing on the TV screen was the same scene she had just escaped. The man in uniform speaking to a dying crowd.

God will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,

for the old order of things has passed away.

—

It had been two weeks since the assassination. Two weeks since the borders were ordered shut, and Gilead was declared open. The people in her neighborhood had already left, or perhaps they were taken? Killed? Vanessa didn’t know. It was only a matter of time before they took her. She still fought until the bitter end.

The secret police, the Eyes, came to her with chains and bindings one morning. When the black van had stopped in her street she knew what was coming. She screamed about her rights, though they meant nothing now. She kicked and flailed as they grabbed her arms. It was no use. They bound her hands behind her back and gagged her, forcing her mouth shut. She nearly blacked out as she was shoved into the van.

She was taken to a hospital first. The number of tests and needles and samples they took from her left her dizzy. Next, she was brought to a courthouse, before a tribunal of commanders—who she was told were her new leaders. They accused her of being a lesbian, a gender traitor, violating the laws of nature. They accused her of treason against the state for her riots. She spit each charge back at their faces, earning her a strike across her own. It was harsh and wet, and she couldn’t see anything but flashes of light behind her eyes. This is it, she thought, she almost hoped. At the end of her trial, when she was sure that she would be sentenced to death, there was a final, deafening accusation.

She is fertile.

The tribunal silenced at this, looked towards Vanessa’s bloody face and wide eyes. No. No no no NO—. She wanted to stop them, to beg for death. She had heard the rumours, she knew enough history to know what this could mean to their twisted, perverse minds, but she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t fathom anything so cruel. She didn’t register the dismissal of the court until guardians were dragging her away.

—

She found herself in another van—god, they loved their black vans—being driven for hours and hours. She was sure that she wasn’t in her own state, much less her own city anymore. When they finally stopped, she was led into a building that could have once been—a school? It had the same long halls, except without the lockers and bulletin boards. The classrooms had crosses over each doorway and posters with biblical figures plastered on every wall and window. She was still bound and gagged, sitting in what could’ve been a counselor’s office, as the Eyes left her with a warning to stay put. She wanted to laugh; where else could she go? She waited for a long while. Was it minutes? Hours? She didn’t know, there was no clock for her to read. In fact, the place was devoid of anything you could read.

“So you’re the feisty one.”

An older woman strode into the room. She was dressed in what could only be described as an old-fashioned nurse’s garb. Or maybe she was a nun? Or something in between. Vanessa looked at her wearily, not knowing if she wanted to slump over or charge her. She heard shuffling at the door and turned her head to see some other women standing just outside the room, heads down.

“Blessed be the fruit dear, you have been given a chance at redemption,” she said reaching for Vanessa’s gag, removing it.

“I—what the fuck.” Vanessa was vibrating with anger yet she had nothing more to say. She couldn’t even begin to speak to the woman in front of her, looking at her with such cruel amusement. She barely even got the words out before she was slapped clear across the face.

“No no, we can’t have that language anymore.” She tutted, forcing the smaller woman to stand up and join the line of girls outside.

“You see, you’re all sinners, impure stains on God’s earth. But He forgives, and He has given you all new life.” She turned to all the girls, unclipping a two-pronged rod from her hip. Some girls flinched as she pulled it out. “You will only speak words of praise from now on. Is that clear?”

Vanessa grit her teeth at the tone. She could not stand this woman, could not stand how she was smiling at her as if she wouldn’t strike her again.

“Go fuck yourself.”

A sharp, searing pain hit her ribs as she was knocked to the ground, the girls around her gasping in shock. Electricity crackled at the tip of the device in the older woman’s hand, still positioned right at Vanessa’s side as she grabbed her hair, tilting her head to face hers.

“No. We say ‘Yes, Aunt Maria.’ Can you do that for me dear?”

Silence. Vanessa could barely hear with the stinging at her side. Another jab had her doubling over in pain.

“‘Yes, Aunt Maria.’ That’s easy enough isn’t it?”

“Yes, Aunt Maria.”

—

There were things that the girls were allowed to know.

They were allowed to know that there was fighting. Of course there was no fighting in the country, not in Gilead, but resistance groups in some of the states that managed to escape were fighting. Pushing back. They were allowed to know that they were far from the borders, whatever those borders may be. Far from any freedom.

They were allowed to know that they were to be called handmaids, and were to be gifted to the commanders to bear children. They were allowed to know that they were property, branded with a metal tag pierced into their ear. They were allowed to know that they were nothing. No name, no history, no connection to anyone. They were allowed to know that, if after six months, they were not pregnant, they would leave their commander’s home and move on to the next. They were allowed to know that if they could not become pregnant after some time, they were sent to the colonies.

They were not allowed to know that it wouldn’t matter. They were not allowed to know that they were already dead.

Vanessa liked to say she believed in God, but there was no amount of prayers, no amount of holy symbols you could surround her with to convince her that God was watching over her now. In the center, she couldn’t speak much. Each word that wasn’t uttered in prayer earned her another slap across the face or a shock to the side.

There were some openings, small pockets of time where the aunts weren’t listening, where she could turn her head to the side and speak to the girl beside her. She learned that her name was A’keria. That she was a sex worker. That she had a son. That she was afraid for him. That she missed him. Vanessa shared as much. About how she missed the stage. About how she missed her mom.

Each of those moments would come and go so quickly, but Vanessa clung to them, collected them, and carefully stored them in the back of her mind where she hoped no one would ever look for them. She held on to any chance to hear her name again. Held on to any chance to feel like a person again.

—

“What is this?”

Vanessa couldn’t help but flash a smile as Aunt Maria stepped towards her waving a white cap—her white cap—stained with soup, at her face.

“My dirty bonnet, Aunt Maria.”

“And what is on the bonnet?”

A crude outline, clearly printed in orange broth, earned stifled giggles and gasps of shock from the other girls. Vanessa’s smile grew wider.

“Never seen a pair of tits before, Aunt Maria?”

She knew the strike was coming, first at her legs, forcing her to crumple to the floor, the pain nearly blinding her. She could feel her arms being dragged up from her side as a strike to her hands brought them down again. She didn’t know if she wanted to laugh, or cry, or perhaps taunt death a little longer. A little harder.

Vanessa cried out as Aunt Maria pulled her up by the arm and dragged her to her bed. She was stripped and stinging antiseptics were applied to her wounds as she lay there, told to pray and beg God for forgiveness. The cycle would repeat as the young Latina refused to sit silent, and Aunt Maria grew more cruel.

Vanessa hated her.

One reason was the abuse. The other was her name. Perhaps one of the top two ironies of her life is that she was delivered to a woman that bore the same name as the holy lady of Guadalupe herself. A name that she had always found comfort in, now striking her face and burning her hands. She didn’t believe God played tricks as cruel as this, but it was getting harder to think otherwise.

More than that, the aunt was observant. Maybe it was because Vanessa couldn’t help but wear her heart on her sleeve. The older woman saw how her hands shook and her body tensed when the other handmaids were punished. She saw how the young handmaid would so tenderly reach out to the other girls when she believed no one was watching her, so she used it to her advantage.

When Vanessa had another outburst, this time kicking the other aunts away as they positioned her to practice for the ritual, Aunt Maria was ready. She dragged A’keria to the floor by her hair, watching Vanessa’s eyes grow wide and fearful. She kicked the poor girl until the sounds of her boot hitting her back echoed in the room.

Vanessa had sat there watching, defeated, and for the first time, quiet.

—

She did well enough since that day. Spent far more time at the center than any of the others, but she did well enough. Ever since the incident with A’keria, they stopped talking, instead settling for sympathetic glances and gentle touches in the night. It was comforting, almost normal, but it did nothing to ease the static under Vanessa’s skin. It did nothing but remind her of the horror out there in this new world.

As the other girls left for their assignments, with their new names and new lives, Vanessa tried desperately to forget. She tried to forget her old life, her old family, her old name. She was jealous of those who could. Even A’keria—who was now Ofdavid—talked so beautifully about bringing a child into this world. As if she forgot how it would happen. As if she forgot about the one that was taken from her.

It had been a little more than two years since she was taken when Vanessa was set aside by Aunt Maria. She was given a small file—unlabeled of course, after all, handmaids must not read—with a single photograph of a man inside.

“This is Commander Hytes, a truly great man of God,” the older woman said reverently. “You will be given the honor to be handmaid to him and his wife. You who is now named Ofgeorge.”

She felt sick looking at the man who was to violate her, possess her. She wanted to rip the picture apart. She wanted to channel all the rage she’s been filled with for months on end. Instead she handed it back, stood up, and smoothed out her dress. “Praise be, Aunt Maria.”

The turnover was quick. She was led out of the center with a small case of clothes and a rosary and driven to the new house at dusk. She wasn’t told about the old Ofgeorge, nor was she given any indication of what the family was like. Maybe they would be kind and leave her alone most days, only touching her when necessary. Maybe they would be cruel, and she would be beaten to death, and her blood would stain the perfect white walls of the pristine city. Maybe she would escape one day. The lurch of the vehicle as it stopped in front of the house was what brought Vanessa back to present. She did not expect to walk out into a beautiful front garden, surrounded by trees. She did not expect to see a woman—a martha she recalled—with kind eyes and a smile of joy, taking her bag and guiding her in by the small of her back.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you dear. My name is Nina. We’ll just have you meet the mistress before settling in, hmm?” She was warm, and definitely did not seem like the type to carry an electric stick. Nina led her into the home, into the living and dining area. It was perfect—neat, clean, luxurious in comparison to the stiff cushions and austere living area of the center.

“Is Commander Hytes not here?” Vanessa tried, her hands beginning to shake at the thought of meeting the man.

“No dear, but he’ll be back in a few days,” Nina replied. She seemed sad, like maybe she didn’t want that either. Or maybe Vanessa was projecting. “In the meantime, you’ll meet Mrs. Hytes. You know your responses well, my dear?”

“My—“ Of course. Responses, verses, etiquettes that control everything. That control everyone. “Yes, of course.” Nina gave a small nod before leading Vanessa to a hallway. She tapped twice on one of the doors before pushing her way in.

There wasn’t much in the sitting room she found herself in. Bare shelves that must’ve contained books once. A simple rug, a simple sofa and chair set. A barren desk with only knitting needles and a ball of yarn that looked practically untouched. A woman.

Vanessa locked eyes with her. She looked younger than Vanessa had expected. Weren’t these women supposed to be too old to have children? She was doll-like, with her pale, barely flushed skin, and perfect creaseless dress. Her blonde hair was neat and styled away from her face. Her eyes were piercing green, looking straight at her.

She had said something, Vanessa responded appropriately, and that was that. Before the handmaid had a chance to say anything else, she was led out by Nina, into her upstairs bedroom, quiet once more.

[haveyouseenmymind]

A New Year’s Eve Surprise

Folks, is it too late for a New Year’s fic? :D Well sorry, this was supposed to be finished a month ago, but here we are.

This is my contribution to the amazing @auduna-druitt‘s EndOfYearChallenge, and I really hope that it’s not too boring. ;)

Fandom: Star Trek AOS

Pairing: McKirk

Rating: G

Warnings: none

Words: 4068

Prompt: You built an igloo this morning and every time I look out the window you’re just kind of sitting in it doing nothing- are you okay?

Jim’s family won’t make it to Earth for New Year’s Eve, so it’s on Leonard to cheer his boyfriend up.

Leonard was looking out of the window, watching the snow fall down slowly, as it added another layer to the already covered ground. He shivered inwardly, glad to be in the warm kitchen, unlike his idiotic boyfriend, who was running around outside in the cold, checking if everything was ok at the farm.

Winter in Iowa, at least for Leonard’s taste, was way too cold to be really enjoyed. But however, thanks to lucky circumstances every member of the Kirk family would be earthbound at the end of this year, and Jim was excited to finally see both his brother and mother again.

And so, after Jim had told him those news and looked at him pleadingly, Leonard didn’t have it in his heart to disappoint the blond. He gave in and promised to come along to Iowa and help Jim getting the farm ready, even though he would have preferred to spend New Year’s Eve all relaxed and in silence in Georgia. At least they had stayed over the holiday’s with his mother, and so he wasn’t too annoyed over the change of their plans for the last day of the year.

Leonard got startled out of his thoughts, when the back door suddenly opened, and Jim stepped into the room. With the thick coat, the beanie on his head and the huge scarf wrapped around his neck and half of his face, the other man was hardly recognizable.

“Goddammit Jim, close the door, you’re dragging the cold in here!”

Thankfully, Jim for once listened to him immediately and closed the door obediently, right before he peeled himself out of his winter clothes and threw them on the floor. Leonard glared at him, not amused about his boyfriend making a mess, but Jim just grinned cheekily. He stepped closer, to give Leonard a short kiss.

“Missed you, Bones.”

Leonard huffed, but his annoyance was all for play. He tried holding back a smile, but failed miserably.

“Idiot, you were outside for only half an hour or so.”

“That’s way too long to go without your cheerful personality. Come on Bones, give me a hug.”

Leonard, unable to deny his boyfriend such a simple request, pulled Jim into his arms, and the blond sighed with content as he returned the embrace happily. For a few minute they stood there in the kitchen, enjoying each others affection, until Jim decided to end it by pressing his ice cold nose into Leonard’s neck. The brunet yelped and slapped Jim, who was laughing his ass off, slightly on the head. Grumbling, he shoved Jim towards the mess of clothes he had left on the floor.

“Go put away your clothes, you infant.”

Jim rolled his eyes at him, picked up his coat and everything else and left the kitchen, but not without turning around one last time and sticking out his tongue.

Leonard snorted, not having expected anything less by the kid, who was even more energetic than usually. He had no idea if Jim knew, but the doctor had noticed how nervous Jim was about New Year’s Eve. Not only would the whole family be assembled, but Jim would also introduce Leonard officially as his boyfriend.

Their relationship was relatively new, still more or less a well kept secret between them and the commanding crew of the Enterprise, and now Jim’s family would be the next to be let in on the news.

As far as Leonard knew, Jim had never introduced any of his partners to his mother before, and so Leonard could understand his nervousness. If he was completely honest, it was quite entertaining to see the normally so confident captain run around like a headless chicken, trying to check endless times if everything was perfect. Adding to that, it was also really endearing, and he might have even fallen a bit more in love with Jim. Though he’d never admit that out loud.

With his boyfriend back inside in the warmth, they could now finally get to cleaning the rest of the house, though he would have preferred a lazy afternoon. And so he left the kitchen with a sigh, hoping that the two of them would get the house ready till everyone else would arrive.

+++

When Leonard woke up the next day, he knew that something was wrong, as soon as he had turned around, seeking the warmth of his boyfriend to cuddle close to while still being half asleep, and found the other side of the bed empty and cold.

Confused, he opened his eyes, but when he looked around in the bed room, he couldn’t spot Jim anywhere. 

His eyes fell onto the clock on his bedside drawer, and when he realized how early it was in the morning, he let out a long suffered groan. So much for sleeping in - without Jim he didn’t see much sense in lazing around in bed. Begrudgingly, he got up and dressed, and headed towards the kitchen, hoping that there would be some coffee ready to help him get through the morning.

All the while, he wondered where his boyfriend had gone to. He could remember that they went to bed together, but with how cold Jim’s side had been, he probably hadn’t stayed in bed for too long.

He surely wasn’t somewhere in the house, otherwise Leonard would have heard him rummaging through the rooms on his way down. And so the last place left for the blond to be was somewhere outside.

But Leonard wasn’t in the mood to go out in the cold and look around for the kid. It probably hadn’t stopped snowing during the night, so it would be still too cold for him to leave the warm house anytime soon. At least not of his own accord.

When he finally entered the kitchen, no cup of coffee greeted him and he stared accusingly at the silent coffee machine. Cursing at his bad luck, he prepped the old machine and waited impatiently for the coffee to be done. Sure, he could have gotten a cup way faster from the replicator, but he was on Earth and and able to have some rightfully brewed coffee. There’d be still enough replicated dishwater when they’d go back into space.

While he was waiting for his coffee to be done, he stared out of the kitchen window and finally noticed his boyfriend, who seemed to have gotten himself busy, as he was nearly done building what apparently was about to become an igloo. 

Leonard watched the spectacle, wondering what Jim was up to, until he got distracted by the coffee machine again. He left his spot in front of the window, to get a mug from the cupboard and pour himself a cup of the desperately needed hot beverage.

Inhaling the delicious smell, he sighed, right before he took his first sip. But his thoughts strayed back to Jim, and so he took his coffee and returned to his spot at the window.

The igloo had been finished in the meantime, and Jim was sitting down right at its entrance now, his gaze directed at some point in the distance. Leonard didn’t really know what to make of that, but if Jim would sit out there in the cold too long, he’d have to drag his ass back inside.

Grumbling at the other man’s foolishness, he left the kitchen to get his PADD from the living room, but he decided to head back and finish his coffee where he could keep an eye on his boyfriend.

Which turned out to be a good idea, as Jim was still sitting outside and staring into the nothingness. Leonard’s irritation grew with every passing minute, since the kid surely would get a cold if he stayed where he was, and in the end Leonard would have to go out himself and drag his stupid ass back into the house.

He decided to give Jim a bit more time before he’d go out and kick his ass, so he sat down at the table with his coffee and PADD, but as time went on his gaze wandered more often to the window than it actually stayed on his PADD.

Jim didn’t move even once, making Leonard more and more restless. He wasn’t sure if he ever had seen Jim being still for such a long time - even in his sleep the blond was always shuffling around, so this was completely unusual for him.

After one last attempt he gave up, his mind too busy worrying about Jim to concentrate on anything else. He got up, headed for the back door, but after one step out, he regretted his decision immensely. It was terribly cold, and he really should have gotten at least his coat and boots, but for now it was too late.

Well, maybe he could convince Jim to come back inside faster if the blond saw him running around without warm clothes.

Cursing himself and his boyfriend, Leonard walked up to Jim, who was still sitting in the same position as earlier. Apparently, the other man was so spaced out, that he didn’t even notice him stepping closer, startling him when Leonard approached him.

“Jim? What are you doing?”

After a short moment, Jim finally turned around, but when he saw Leonard, his eyes widened and he jumped up quickly.

“Me? What are you doing outside so lightly dressed? It’s freezing, Bones!”

“Oh really? You think I didn’t notice this myself?”

Leonard wasn’t really in the mood for any more talking. He just wanted to go back into the house, and preferably back into bed to warm up again. But Jim just stared at him with confusion, not in a hurry to get away anytime soon.

“Then why are you out here?”

“Maybe because you’re an idiot who has been sitting out here for who knows how long? Jim, can we please go back inside and warm up?”

He offered his hand to the blond, who turned around to the igloo to take one last glance at it, before he looked at him and took his hand with a sad smile.

“Whatever you want, Bones.”

To both Leonard’s relief and Jim’s own luck - cause he’d kill the blond otherwise, Jim let himself be dragged back into the house without any complaints or resistance. 

He left the other man back in the kitchen to get rid of his coat, and headed for the fireplace in the living room. After a while he got a fire started, and so he grabbed the blanket of the couch, sat down and huddled himself into the warm cloth, hoping that Jim would join him.

And indeed, not much later he entered the room, stopping in front of the couch, and looked down at Leonard with a mixture of sadness and exhaustion.

“What’s wrong, Jim?”

“They won’t come.”

Leonard’s heart broke for Jim with these words. He had an idea who was meant by them, but he still had to make sure.

“You mean…?”

Jim sighed, and let himself slump down on the couch next to the brunet, who drew the blanket back to pull his boyfriend closer and put it over the both of them. Jim obeyed without another word and put his head down on Leonard’s shoulder in defeat.

“Neither Sam and his family, nor my mom will make it in time for New Year’s Eve. They don’t even know if they will make it at all.”

“Why won’t they come?”

“Well, there was a major setback with one of Sam’s experiments, and since it’s in a crucial state, everything will be for naught if he leaves now. And the warp engines at mom’s ship failed, so she has no idea when they’ll arrive at Earth, but she said they’ll try their best.”

Leonard didn’t know what to say, but no words could make Jim’s disappointment vanish anyway. He knew how much it had meant to Jim that both his mother and brother would spend some time on earth. Jim sighed again, and Leonard wished that he could make him feel better.

“I don’t even know why I’m surprised or so disappointed, Bones. Guess I just really wanted to start into the new year with my family. It’s probably stupid, but I wanted it to mean that things could really change.”

“Of all the things you have ever said this is the least stupid, Jim. I’m sorry they won’t come, I wish I could change that for you.” 

Jim lifted his head from Leonard’s shoulder, and smiled at him softly, before he leaned closer and gave him a soft kiss.

“Thank you, Bones. At least I’ve got you by my side, that’s better than anything else I could wish for.”

He smiled back at Jim, but before he could say anything else, a thought came to his mind, as there was still one question left unanswered.

“You know Jim, somehow I still don’t see how the igloo fits into all of that?”

“I just build it out of sentimentality, cause I didn’t know what else to do with my feelings. When we were kids, Sam and I used to build one every winter, and at nights we sat in front of it, watching the stars while he made up so many wild stories about them. I kinda was hoping that we’d revive that tradition with Sam and Peter this year.”

“I’m sure there’ll be plenty of chances left for that. You’ll get to do that with your brother and his son sooner or later.”

At that Jim let out a yawn, and so Leonard tugged his boyfriend down with him and shuffled around until they both could lay down comfortably on the couch, Jim draped halfway over the other man with his head on his shoulder. Leonard put one arm around the blond and stroked his back upwards to his neck, where he started playing with the soft tufts of Jim’s hair.

“Come on now kid. I don’t know how much sleep you had last night, so let's take a nap for now.”

Jim couldn’t suppress another yawn and nodded sleepily, the stress of the morning clearly having taken its toll on him. Soon, Leonard could feel Jim’s breathing even out, and only a few minutes later was he fast asleep. But for the brunet there wasn’t any thought of sleep, as his thoughts were racing while he was trying to come up with a plan to cheer Jim up.

For the rest of the day nothing else happened, and Leonard was quite happy about it, so he had enough time to plan a surprise for Jim. The blond disappeared a few times all over the day, and when Leonard found him, he was again outside by the igloo, working a bit on it or sitting inside and doing nothing but brooding. Leonard didn’t like it, but at least it gave him enough time to make a few calls without Jim having the chance to eavesdrop on him.

+++

In the end last day of the year had arrived without much ado, except for Jim becoming mor and more melancholic. He tried his best not to let it ruin the day, but Leonard still noticed that the other man had his moments where he was completely absent minded.

As the evening came closer, and the year was running out with its last hours, Leonard’s surprise finally got itself started with the ringing of the doorbell. Jim, completely puzzled, got up from his place on the couch to see whoever was out there.

Leonard, just having finished some last preparations, came out of the kitchen, but held himself in the background with a smirk on his lips. He had an idea who was out there, not an exact clue since there were a few possibilities, but it didn’t really matter. Jim would be surprised in any way, and definitely happy to see the person on the other side of the door.

The face of absolute confusion Jim pulled when he opened the door and saw his chief engineer standing behind was absolutely priceless. Scotty just beamed at his captain and simply hugged him, never letting go of the bottle of scotch he had brought with him.

“Jimbo! How nice to see you!”

He then let go of the still dumbfounded man to greet Leonard in the same way, and gave him the bottle, which was eyed with appreciation.

“Thanks Scotty. I see you brought the good stuff, I might invite you again the next time.”

Jim, who still hadn’t recovered from his shock, looked questioningly at Leonard, but before he could ask what was going on, the doorbell rang for another time. Again, Jim opened the door, and this time Spock and Nyota entered the house. One look at Jim’s stunned face had Nyota smirk as she kissed the poor man on his cheek to greet him, while Spock just nodded and said a simple “Captain”.

Jim didn’t even need to close the door, since a few moments later a cheery Chekov and Sulu, with his husband and daughter accompanying him, stepped up the porch and entered the house, greeting both Jim and Leonard.

The poor blond was completely lost by now, and Leonard having sympathy with his overwhelmed boyfriend, ushered the others who were chatting excitedly with each other, into the living room to have a few minutes alone to talk to Jim.

When they were finally alone, Jim had found his voice again and stared at Leonard with wonder.

“Bones? What’s going on? Why is my commanding crew assembled in the living room?”

Leonard just shrugged in amusement and grinned at the other man.

“You said you wanted to spend the evening celebrating into the new year with your family. So I made a few calls, and they all were more than happy to come over. Except for Spock, I think his exact words were “Fascinating”, but you know that’s his way of showing excitement.”

Jim kept blinking at him dumbfoundedly, and Leonard could watch as he finally understood his words when Jim’s confusion was suddenly replaced by his most beautiful smile. He nearly jumped at Leonard, hugging him close to himself and mumbled a happy “Thank you, Bones” into his neck.

Leonard grumbled good naturedly and hugged his boyfriend back. Just for that everything he had arranged was worth it, and he knew that he had done the right thing.

+++

A few hours later, the old year gone and the new one just having started, Leonard came back with Sulu from one of the guest rooms, where they had put Demora to sleep. His gaze was sweeping over the guests, making him realize that JImwas missing again.

He had an idea where he could be, and so he silently passed by his friends to grab his coat and head outside. He walked towards the igloo, and indeed, the blond was sitting again in front of it, staring up into the sky and at the stars.

“How long have you been sitting here? In case you didn’t notice - it’s fucking cold outside.”

Jim turned his head towards him, smiling softly. He seemed to be calmer and more relaxed than the last few days, and Leonard didn’t have the heart to scold him for much more. So he just sat down next to his boyfriend and huddled closer, seeking for some delicious warmth. Jim shuffled towards him and laid his head down on Leonard’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry Bones, I’ve just been out for a few minutes. I needed some time to calm down from all the excitement, and this was just the right place.”

“Do you want to be alone? I’ll go back inside if you promise me that you won’t stay out here too long.”

Jim just shook his head against his neck, making Leonard snort. He sighed and looked up at the sky, realizing that it just had started to snow again. He decided he’d give Jim a few more minutes, as long as there were still only a few snowflakes dancing down towards the ground, before he’d drag Jim’s ass back inside where he could warm up.

After a few minutes of silence he felt Jim shift and lean up, and so he turned around to see the other man looking at him with a soft smile on his lips.

“Bones?”

“What’s wrong, Jim?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to… I  mean, I… Thank you, Bones.”

Jim took a deep breath, and he looked so insecure for a moment, making Leonard curious what else he had on his mind.

“I’m sorry Bones, I was probably a moody ass during the last days, and you really didn’t deserve having to deal with me. But more than that I’m so grateful and in awe what you pulled off behind my back. I mean, you invited all of our friends to cheer me up, and reminded me that family is more than people you are bound to by blood.”

“Well, I couldn’t let you be all mopey and miserable, so no need to thank me for that.”

“Maybe, but I still want to. And I know that we haven’t been that long together yet, and that we wanted to see where this relationship would take us, but the last few hours made me realize something.”

He took another deep breath and looked at Leonard with so much sincerity, that the brunet could feel his heart beating faster.

“Bones, you’re it for me. I love you.”

Now it was Leonard’s turn to be speechless. Jim was right, their relationship was fairly new, and he was surprised that Jim was voicing out his own feelings, since he knew how hard it was for the blond to talk about his emotions, even though he was showing them by his actions day by day.

Just when he wanted to answer Jim, they were interrupted by a snowball that landed right at the side of Jim’s face, who spluttered and cursed violently. They both turned to where the snowball had been thrown from, and were surprised by what they saw.

There, on the ground, was another blond man rolling around and howling with laughter. Jim, who had gotten rid of all the remaining snow in his face, recognized the figure on the ground immediately.

“Sam! But how… I thought you wouldn’t be able to make it?”

Jim’s brother tried to calm himself down, and finally sat up, grinning madly at the still shocked man.

“Oh god, your face! I wish you could have seen your dumb face.”

Jim glared at Sam as he grabbed a handful of snow, ready to start the snowball fight for real. But his brother held his hands up placatingly, trying to defuse the situation.

“Ok, sorry Jimothy. How about a truce for now? I’ve had a long day and I really need a drink and some good sleep afterwards. You know, it’s been taking me nearly all day long to find a suiting substitute to watch over my experiment. Thankfully one of my colleagues wasn’t leaving the station for the next weeks, so he was willing to overtake the reins for a while. Aurelan and Peter will join us tomorrow, but I had to come here as soon as possible, since for nothing in the world would I have wanted to wait for your stupid face when I surprised you.”

Leonard, who had gotten up, watched as Jim jumped up and helped his brother to get back on his feet, before he hugged him tight to his chest. When he let go of him, he punched him slightly on the arm as revenge, though his smile clearly betrayed his actions.

Sam started laughing again, but then he stopped suddenly, as if he had just remembered something.

“Come on now, guys. Better let's get back inside. When I went out, mom had started talking to your first officer, and I think it’s better if we save him now, you know how she loves to confuse and rile up people.”

“Mom’s here, too?”

But Sam hadn’t heard him, since he was already jogging back towards the house. Jim turned back to Leonard, reaching out for him, and with a smile the brunet grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers, right before they followed Sam back to the house to let the party come to an end.

tags (Strikeouts I can’t tag) : @thevalesofanduin @medicatemedrmccoy @toosouthernforspace @reading-in-moonlight @feelmyroarrrr @0dannyphantom0 @eyeofdionysus @bsotstory @neon-green-bra @loststarlight @imoutofmyvulcanmind @fireboltrose7559 @ree923 @str8-jack-it @flaminglupine

McKirk: @mishacolyte @joannaleemccoy

Star Trek:  @theartofeheheh @samleerandom

If anybody else wants to be added to or removed from my tag list, or has special wishes for being tagged, just let me know. :)

[the-heroic-changeling]

The Infinite Slime

So I wrote another 1,000 word short story as practice, wrote it in like an hour and a half with no real polish. This time I was inspired by two things: velvet worms, and the ridiculousness of the Silver Age of Comics. It’s kind of an odd combo in all honesty, but it’s fun too. So please, enjoy these writer equivalent of an artist’s warmup sketch. Tagging @akirakan @ayellowbirds @majingojira @muceybbds @jogress @filipfatalattractionrblog not sure if you would interested in this silliness, but it’s there if you want it. 

…………

The calm of a sunny day was shattered in a rumbling of the Earth. The small Virginia campus convulsed like a dead man’s bowls, the students and facility struggled to steady themselves, unused to the danger of an earthquake. The buildings were not built for a tremor of this magnitude either, cracks began to race through the halls like bubonic plague through a body. Outside the parked cars rocked from the quake until their alarms began to screech, overwhelming the poor humans with a cacophony of shrieks.

As these victims of the shifting earth clutched their ears, falling to their knees, one student spotted a motorized skateboard whizzing down the street. Riding atop the Slimemobile was the famed superhero, her fifteen pairs of legs clutching the board, her head raised up so her slime glands could take aim.

“It’s the Infinite Slime!” the observant student realized, though their shout of excitement was lost under the screaming car alarms. They stared wide eyed as the superhero fired spirals of slime out of their third head segment, coating the nearest student’s ears with goo. He relaxed as the screaming alarms were muffled, even as the superhero rode away to help more of the students.

As the superhero rattled by on her skateboard, the enby bent their head, letting the Infinite Slime splatter slime over their ears. As the cooling goo reduced the sensory pain, the enby waved at the superhero, who wiggled her front pair of legs back. But the Infinite Slime couldn’t stop, she had to help all of the civilians caught in the quake.

She charged at one of the cracking buildings, debris shaking loose from the earthquake’s damage even as the tremors stopped. The Slimemobile skidded to a halt as the Infinite Slime reared back, before she fired narrow spirals of slime, sealing over the cracks with their power.

“How can a mere velvet worm have that much slime?” A student signed with his hands, and the first student to spot her signed back in a passionate flurry of signing. Neither of them could hear with their ears muffled by slime.

“That’s not an ordinary velvet worm, the Infinite Slime’s glands are connected directly to the Slime Dimension, a realm of pure slime. She can tap into that endless supply of slime at will, and direct it with her natural velvet worm instincts.”

And before the crowd’s eyes the Infinite Slime had sealed up the cracks in the Arthur Ashe Hall, before restarting the Slimemobile with a rev of her motor. She rattled over the brick walkways, heading towards the nearby clocktower, whose bell was still trembling from the quake.

“Wow, I heard this town had a superhero, but I didn’t imagine she would be so powerful,” the student marveled, even as Infinite Slime fired blasts of compressed slime in tight circular motions, launching the goo high until it plastered the cracks in the building.

A crowd began to gather as the Infinite Slime raced to a custodian who had fallen in the quake, her leg torn and bloody. With careful aim the superhero sealed up her cuts, stopping more blood lose.

“Thank you…” She nodded in thanks, even as the superhero turned around to travel through the rest of the campus, firing quick bursts of slime at the buildings with only mild damage.

“I heard she was the treasured pet of a physicist, and when the doctor’s experiment exploded she became linked to the Slime Dimension.”

“I heard she was the physicist herself, and was transformed by the Slime Force to better manipulate the Slime Dimension.”

“That’s ridiculous, a human can’t just become a velvet worm.”

“But she’s way smarter than an ordinary velvet worm, she even built her own Slimemobile.”

“Well, I heard the explosion not only empowered the velvet worm, but merged her with her owner’s consciousness. That explains her power and intellect.”

“Yeah but physicists aren’t mechanics, it wouldn’t explain how she could build that—”

“Shush, come on.”

As her adoring public had chattered and argued, the Infinite Slime had continued on in the meantime, plastering up another crumbling building. But the structure kept shaking, the insides had become too weakened. She could see several students trapped inside, banging on the door, but it appeared to have been locked by the tremor.

The superhero twisted her head back, before snapping back forward and unleashing a rapid burst of slime. The force of the goo plowed into the doors, knocking them aside. Quickly the students ran and wheeled out, diving for the soft grass in the open campus.

“Please, Jacob is trapped under rubble on the second floor, in the computer room. Is there anything you can do?”

The Infinite Slime revved her vehicle before rocketing forward, going up the wheelchair accessible ramp and through the open doors.

The building quaked like ice shredding concrete, but the Infinite Slime was levelheaded. She fired slime rapidly, glueing the crumbling walls and ceiling with wads of slime. The slime would buy her time. 

She knocked open the doors to the stairway, before firing two cords of slime. They latched to the top step and she pulled, hurling herself off the Slimemobile up the flight of stairs. She then scurried around the corner to the next set of stairs lassoing it again and launching herself to the second floor, even as rubble continued to fall.

The crowd continued to watch from the outside, as the building shattered and splintered light an pine after a barrage of lightning had torn it asunder. As the building began to topple everyone held their breath, clutching at whatever they could grasp.

And then with a screech of rubber on brick the Slimemobile peeled out, with a man laying atop it and the Infinite Slime pounding her legs against his chest, giving him CPR.

“Thank goodness you were here,” a medical student said as he took over giving the man aid. The Infinity Slime bowed in thanks, and the crowd cheered for their hero.

[imagine-lcorp]

Mustand Ride (Part VII)

A/N: Hello beutiful beans, it’s been a while I know since I updated this story and in general since I posted anything. But I don’t see any of you complaining so I take it as a good sign...or should I? Anyway, here’s the next part of Mustang Ride if you still enjoy it. Kudos to y’all.

Lena Luthor x Shapeshifter Reader//Word Count: 1,565

Series: Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV - Part V - Part VI -  Part VII

"Did you find anything that can connect our three suspects, agent Schott?" J'onn asked after Winn had displayed all the information he could find about Michael Withers and Ronald Hamper.

"I found…absolutely nothing." Winn replied pulling himself out of his chair and walking towards the screens. "You see, I have crosschecked their records and everything I could find about them. There is zero evidence they even knew each other and the only thing they have in common is they erased themselves off the face of earth a month ago."

"What does that mean exactly?" Kara asked finally turning her head away from the screens.

He pulled his tablet out and started typing, the computers searching for any bit of information wherever they could until the message 'Records nonexistent' popped on the screens. "That's what I mean."

"What about the third?" Alex asked.

"Nothing." Winn frowned. "I've been looking for clues everywhere I could think off but since we didn't get a clear shot of the face of polar guy I haven't been able to find anything useful."

"Did the cameras at the bank get anything?" Lena typed on the main computer showing the footage from the bank.

"Zero. He never faced the cameras." Winn replied as everybody in the room watched the video closely.

"It's like he knew where the cameras where and was trying to avoid them." Alex pointed out.

"If that's the case, this wasn't the first time our suspect did something like this." J'onn said crossing his arms.

"Guys, I'm gonna need more than just type bank robber on the system if we want to find this man." Winn left his tablet on the control room and turned to face J'onn. "Could you get something from him before he turned all Tasmanian Devil?"

J'onn denied shaking his head. "Nothing useful, anyway. Incoherent thoughts and images, his mind was in all places, so to speak."

"But wait, you still could have seen something, right? It may not have been much but whatever you saw in his mind could give us a clue of who he was." Kara suggested hopeful.

J'onn seemed to meditate her words for a moment before agreeing. "It's worth the shot. Anyone else wants to bring something to the table?" He finally said and then all eyes in the room fell on you.

You had been staring at the screens of the control room without really watching anything, barely listening to anything they had been saying. It had not been your intention but the images of the fight you had had just an hour ago kept playing in your head. You could still feel the claws of those three trying to reach your skin and the feeling was worst now that they were in the lab downstairs, waiting for an autopsy. That made you swallow hard. Now more than ever the questions were bubbling up in your head. Who were they? What did they do before all this? Were they aliens? Shapeshifters? Meta-humans? How did they get to this point? Why did they die? The worst part of it all, however, was that you still had no answers.

"(Y/N)?" Lena's voice brought you back to reality. You looked at her, and then at the rest of the team, waiting an answer from you.

"Seems like we got all sorted out." You added after a small sigh.

Lena and J'onn were the only ones that seemed to sense how much this had affected you but decided not to comment on that in the meantime. In the meantime, knowing how close you were he would let Lena help you through that. He was sure you could rely on her, or in any of the Superfriends if necessary.

"Well then, I'll pass you any information I can recall, see if there's anything useful, agent Schott. Agent Danvers, inform us about anything you find once you receive the results of the autopsy. Everyone else, thank you for your help. We'll keep you updated." J'onn said as a way of dismissing everyone else in the room.

Lena approached you soon after as you started to leave. "Hey, are you alright?" She said placing a hand on your shoulder.

"Good, just really tired." You tried to shrug it off.

Lena suggested you got checked again by Alex before leaving the building but you assured her you were alright. You were unharmed during the fight and the only thing left lingering in your body was the previous injury in your shoulders and a lot of exhaustion from the fight itself.

"Let's go home, I think we both need to rest."

"Agreed." You put your arm around her waist and placed a soft kiss on her temple as you walked outside the room. There was nothing else you could do there at the DEO and even with the thousand questions around your head it was better to leave the rest to the professionals. You arrived later to your apartment with the only desire to sleep the rest of the evening but Lena had something else in mind.

You sat on the couch and, still holding each other, you lied down to rest your head on its arm. You pulled Lena closer to you and she settled on your chest, hearing the steady and strong beating of your heart. You started to rub small circles on her back a bit absent-minded.

"So, what's it?" She asked, turning her head to look at you.

"Mmh?" She drew your attention back to her. "What's what?"

"I can tell something is bothering you. I mean, besides of what we talked about in the training room."

You shifted a bit awkwardly in your position. "Right."

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" She asked softly but, needless to say, you did not want to. She could tell by the sudden change in your heartbeat.

"No, but there is something about all this...I cannot say exactly what but I feel we're missing something and I won't be able to get it off of my head until we find it." You admitted.

"We will and we are going to figure out what's going on."

"I know." You sighed. "I know."

Lena placed her head once again against your chest and you lied on the couch for a few moments more, feeling the way your lungs filled with air as you breathed.

However, as you tried to leave the events of the day behind of you, Lena's mind drifted back to the moment she found you on the training room. She had to put on her best poker face to hide the full shock she felt after seeing you tear the cardboard people apart. After the conversation you had she understood better your need for some time alone and the urgency you felt to know and solve the mystery behind those criminals. But she had never seen you so... feral, and concern had grown in her. She started to wonder how it would be, if you really lost all control, how could she help you then?

A small growl from your stomach startled her, bringing her back from her thoughts.

"Sorry. I guess it's been a long day." You said sheepishly and only then she realized you hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"Indeed, darling." She smiled at you shaking her head and pulled herself up. "We should eat something."

"Yeah, but I think we might have a little problem." You pulled yourself up too. "I don't think I have anything edible in my fridge anymore."

Lena remembered you had spent the last days on her own apartment, only coming to your home for a change of clothes from time to time and making sure no one else was trying to live in here while you were gone. You suggested going for some take out from the little Italian restaurant a block away. You had taken Lena there in one of your first dates and she had enjoyed Nonna Giulia's dishes so much she didn't object at the idea. Daylight was fading in the sky and turning it a beautiful shade of blue. The rest of the day almost seemed to be forgotten while you took her hand in yours and walked down to the restaurant.

Nothing prepared you, however, for the sting you felt on the back of your leg halfway through the block. You winced in pain and stopped abruptly. Lena had to catch you by the arm as you had almost tripped.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Lena asked you, worry clear in her eyes.

You reached for your leg, trying to find the source of the pain. Dizziness you hadn't felt in years started to creep up to your head and it wasn't until you pulled whatever that was in your leg that you got an idea of what was happening. You observed the small tranquilizer dart between your fingers with a frown as you raised it in front of your face.

"That snake." You mumbled before turning to Lena, who looked at you with the most confused face you hadn't seen in her since you first showed her your powers.

"(Y/N)?" You could barely hear Lena's voice now as you started to slip from her arm to the floor.

"Run." Lena heard you say before you finally dropped to the floor and the screech of tires became louder and louder in the distance.

[teapartiesinairships]

Writing Prompt #30 - Close (Epilogues)

Content Warning: None needed. These are just a series of little ‘epilogues’ to some of the characters that appeared in my various little prompts.

Dakeyras buttoned up the red waistcoat, fastening the little leather tie at the front and giving a small sigh as he looked at himself in the mirror. Things were better here, he knew that for a fact. Although he missed Melody dearly, he knew that she would be back and, in the meantime, he had Lyra to look after. Picking up the red bandana that he’d been given by Kohl, he looked at himself in the mirror, raising his fingertips to his neck.

The scarring was deep, ugly and drew the eye very easily. He flinched a little, thinking about the attempted hanging that he had undergone, and brought the red and black cloth up, tying it around his neck. The past was done, he reminded himself, as he pulled on the black leather gloves and fixed the small red pince-nez onto his nose, smiling. Kaede hated the sunglasses, told him that he looked extremely foolish in them, but he liked being able to further hide his already stoic and difficult to read expression even further.

Picking up the young girl from the chair, he balanced her on his hip and gave her a look. “Let us go visit your mother, shall we?” he remarked, glancing towards the stairs that led up to the infirmary. Facing the Borlaaq woman was never a fun experience, but he’d brave far worse for the sake of this child.

-

Olek swung the axe over head again, splitting the log and wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm. He’d been at this for a half hour, and had split dozens of logs, but he wasn’t planning on stopping until the small store at the back of the tavern was fully stocked. The heat beat down upon him, and he enjoyed every cool breeze that came his way, and tickled his skin with much needed fresh air.

He’d been in the village for almost a month now, and while he was growing fond of the picturesque pastoral town and it’s gentle, soft nature he was disturbed by how settled he was becoming. He had a personal mission to see to, and there had already been a patrol of Garlean soldiers come through. Nobody was looking for him, obviously, but the less reports were made about him, the more he could operate in secret. Placing another log on the stump, he gave a little flourish with the axe, spinning it, and brought it down once more, another satisfying thunk splitting it in two.

“Orange juice?”

He turned his head, looking at Puvis and giving a short nod. The woman brought over the jug, with a clay cup and a towel. Taking the towel first, he wiped down his face and torso, running his fingers over what had become new scars. Without magic, his wounds had healed naturally and left scar tissue behind. He didn’t really mind, but it was annoying that he hadn’t earned him in a decent battle. Just his own carelessness. Taking the offered cup, he took a sip, careful about not drinking it too fast, with how parched his throat was.

“Thank you, Rain,” he replied, careful to use the adopted Eorzean name she was sporting. “I will be leaving soon, I think. I must carry on to Eorzea.” He looked over at her, waiting to see if she’d protest and demand that he protect the little village from monsters for longer.

She simply nodded. “I suspected as much. Thank you for fulfilling your end of the bargain. And not being foolish enough to make a pass at me.”

Olek choked on the orange juice, and stared at the woman incredulously. “Excuse me?”

“I rescued you, patched your wounds, fed and clothed you. Many men would fall for such a woman, you know,” she remarked, pouring herself a cup of the orange and drinking it. Her face and voice were cool, and relaxed.

Olek frowned and patted his mouth with the towel, shaking his head at her. “You are an unusual woman, ma’am. I hope you treat your next prisoner better.” He smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes, giving a sigh.

Picking up his next log, the Optio placed it down and raised the axe once more.

Onward.

-

Smoke stung her eyes, but Tenaki ignored it as best she could and powered through the pain that was burning in her side. She was sure that she’d been hit with either shrapnel or gunfire, but she couldn’t really focus on it right now. She wasn’t down, yet, and that meant that she still had work to do. A groan to her left caught her attention, and she turned her head to see the fallen form of a Maelstrom sergeant. Dropping down next to him, she checked his pulse, and found one - thready and erratic, but there.

She held her arms above him, and focused, closing her eyes and bringing up magic from the surrounding earth. It was an easier feat, with the aid of her brand new companion; the purple furred carbuncle bounded over and joined in, acting as an amplifying focus for her magic, and allowing her to use less effort and energy to heal.

The man stabilised under her, and she let out a sigh of relief, helping him to sit up. He coughed and shook his head, trying to regain his wits; it was understandable, a few moments ago he had almost been dead. “Ma’am, you’re injured,” he remarked, upon seeing the red stain on her uniform.

Tenaki looked down and winced, as pain lanced through her body. “It is nothing,” she responded, standing up and immediately swaying, almost falling completely. The man stood up as well, and grabbed her shoulder.

“The hell you are,” he responded, hauling her from her feet. The xaela gave a feeble protest, but it was no use. “I’m getting you back to a field base, captain, hold on,” he remarked, looking down at Frumpkin. “Lead the way, little one.”

The carbuncle tilted it’s head at him for a moment, then turned and bounded off into the smoke and dust from the ruined shell of the Garlean infantry vehicle. The hyur follow him, holding the doctor close to his chest. “Traitor,” she mumbled after the little fuzzy aether-companion, as she flipped from conciousness.

-

Safilia cupped Decado’s cheek and smiled, looking into those moonstone bright eyes. “Ready?” she asked, longing to kiss him and put ease to the obvious turmoil going on within. The look of concern on his face was paramount and she didn’t need to know him to realise it.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, gripping her other hand tightly in his own. He was dressed in the black leather that she was so used to him wearing, and his scarred face looked worried for perhaps the first time she’d ever known him to. It was ridiculous that he could face any threat, but the second she was about to do the same, he became such a worrier.

She nodded, dropping her hand and picking up the torch. “It is a family tradition,” she responded, looking up at the Garlean banner on the side of the building. She heard him scoff, and looked over, confused.

“Tradition? Commit treason often, your family?” he asked, a smile on his face. She laughed, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Get on with it, then. May as well let the bastards know where you stand.” He looked over the hanger and wondered just how much she was about to cost the legion stationed here. He found himself not really caring, and squeezed her hand.

“Gladly,” she responded, throwing the torch down onto the puddle of ceruleum. The two of them backed away, putting even more distance between them and the factory. The sleek black motorcycle that she had stolen before she came up with this plan was set aside from the path, and they approached it slowly, as blue fire raged behind him. “Oh, here it go--”

The rest of her sentence was drowned out by the deafening ka-FWOOM! of the factory going up like it had just been blasted by the dread wyrm Bahamut. Decado turned to look, with her, as machinery and steel rained down the field between them, and blue flames licked the air. “Bloody hells, woman,” he remarked, looking over at her and smug, almost delighted look on her face. “You’re a vision when you get fired up.”

Safilia giggled, and grabbed his jaw, lifting herself up on her tiptoes to kiss him and wrap her arms around him tightly. “I promised you I would help you free your homeland, Decado. And I will. Now, let’s go.” She gently pushed him towards the bike, and he looked back at the destruction the tiny woman had wrought, and chuckled, shaking his head.

Truly, she was a gift from Rhalgr.

-

And that’s it! Thank you everyone for sticking with me. Anyone that has actually read all of my prompts, I can only apologise and hope that you weren’t too dreadfully bored by them! I’ve wrapped up some things, and you may see more of these characters in the future if I can keep myself motivated. Thank you to @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast for hosting this and here’s to a continuing burgeoning, warm community no matter what troubles we weather.

Peace out!

[lydia-yougowith-stiles]

My Top Ships of 2017

We all do it. You watch a show and automatically root for two people to be together whether it’s a “slow burn,” the introduction of a new character this season or between two people that barely share a plot line. It makes you continue to tune in episode after episode. Here is a list of my personal favorite ships for this year, 2017, from some of my favorite TV shows/series.

12. New Girl--Nick and Jess 

Just about that time when your DVR recording was about to cut off (because you know mine did right before they kissed) Nick and Jess finally met each other in the elevator of their apartment building. I’ve always really loved the two of them together and as the show’s fate hung in the balance I was ECSTATIC that they readdressed their feelings in the finale. I’m super excited it was picked up for another season (the last one), but I would have been perfectly happy with this ending for the couple. 

11. Bates Motel--Dylan and Emma

This couple is still one of my favorite reasons to watch Bates Motel. Yes, the show was a great re-imagining of a young Norman Bates and I loved the new take on familiar characters, but I also loved the new characters including Dylan and Emma. After season 2 I thought the two would be cute together. They had only a few story lines or rather scenes together, but my shipping brain was at it again. And then something magical happened! It’s like the writers could hear my thoughts and THEY GOT TOGETHER! And you know what? They were SUPER, BEYOND ADORABLE TOGETHER. In its final season there was a time jump and this happened:

Needless to say I was over the moon. I’m still shocked they actually became a couple because I thought it would only be in my head. Love their ending and the family unit they created with their baby girl. 

10. Anne with an E--Anne and Gilbert

The Netflix original series brought a bit of a darker spin on the lovable tale by L.M. Montgomery, but just like all of the previous adaptations of Anne of Green Gables this version did a fantastic job showing Anne and Gilbert’s relationship. While Gilbert isn’t introduced in the first episode of this series, I eagerly awaited seeing him on the screen and I was not disappointed in his interactions with Anne; from the spelling bee to the classic Anne breaking the slate over his head. Several characters could tell the chemistry between these two (including one of my favorite characters Jerry). Thank goodness they’ll be a 2nd season so we can see this relationship progress.

9. Chicago Med--Rhodes and Reese  

Okay, so they might not ACTUALLY be together...yet (get on that writers!), but this year I discovered the ship between Dr. Rhodes and Dr. Reese from NBC’s Chicago Med. And I didn’t realize how BIG the fandom is! It was all thanks to season 2′s episode: Monday Mourning:

There’s just something about these 2 that is just so great! Their chemistry--wow! They just don’t get enough scenes together. In the current 3rd season (that’s unfortunately only been 4 episodes before the hiatus) they’ve had a few moments together (aka conversations), but it’s not enough. They keep getting set up with different potential love interests, when the writers should notice they have a good thing going already! Okay, rant over. 

8. Victoria--Victoria and Albert

After I finished binge-watching the first season of Masterpiece’s Victoria a few weeks ago, I was so sad there wasn’t more to watch. I needed more Victoria and Albert in my life. (Good thing the next season airs here in the US in a few weeks!) Going in, I didn’t know much about Queen Victoria’s reign, but was interested to learn more. I was pleasantly surprised with how addicted I got to the show, especially once Albert was introduced. I love how much they love and care for each other and know that rocky roads could be ahead, but am excited to watch the journey unfold. 

7. Grimm--Nick and Adalind  

Another surprise pairing that I grew to LOVE! In Grimm’s second to last season, Adalind (ex-hexenbeast, turned human, then back--I think I got that right) was pregnant with Nick’s child. This “romantic” pairing could have been weird, but writers made it work and personally I fell in love with it. [It probably helped that Juliet was turning evil and then became Eve. Man if you listened to this and had no idea of the show it would all sound crazy.] The two made a great little family with son Kelly and I was shocked when Adalind’s daughter was fine with Nick. I really enjoyed these two together as the show came to a close earlier this year. Another piece of proof that sometimes two characters can be placed together after so many seasons and really work. But how could you not root for them with this adorable baby? 

6. Reign--Bash and Mary

Reign was one of my first binge-watches of the year. So, I know this couple might not [SPOILERS] end up together, but for me they were one of my TOP ships. Mary and Bash have a big relationship during the first half of season one and as much as I knew she’d wind up with Francis (the unfortunate ‘perks’ of watching an old show) I could only hope for all the Mash moments I could get. Mary was a hot commodity on the show and I think her and Bash were one of the best pairings. I’m happy with the way their story-line ended and liked Bash’s alluded help in season 4. Even though I would have loved to see him back on screen. This will forever be one of my favorite moments:

5. Arrow---Oliver and Felicity

After a roller coaster ride of a relationship, Oliver and Felicity are OFFICIALLY MARRIED!!! (I guess you can say twice?) It’s been a long time coming and I know not everyone is a fan of the IT girl and the emerald archer together, but I have liked the two of them since day 1. It was one of my shipping moments of ‘this probably will never happen, but a girl can dream.’ I watched that season 2 finale when Oliver tells Felicity Slade thinks he has the woman that I love, a DOZEN times! I took any moment I could get. While there’s moments I didn’t love on this long journey, I am happy to see the two of them together and I love Felicity and William’s relationship. I’m happy that this year’s crossover finally made it official. We deserve it!

4. The Vampire Diaries---Caroline and Klaus

KLAROLINE!!! I have been a fan of this ship for SOOO LONG! And just like any good ship you take anything you can get. This letter to Caroline at the end of the series finale of the Vampire Diaries is JUST what fans wanted. (Plus, we had a few great moments in the season too; from Caroline bringing her girls down to see Klaus, and I still think about their phone call, which might be from the previous season.) My fingers are crossed and double crossed for the final season of the Originals that we might see Caroline (maybe more than once?? Is that asking too much?) I mean Hope is at the school and even though Klaus can’t see her we must find some sort of loop hole. We’ll just have to tune in and watch!

3. Supergirl--Kara and Mon-El

Before the heartbreaking season 2 finale and Mon-El’s return this season (MARRIED!), we saw the growth of an extremely cute couple filled with bickering, banter, and plenty of couch sessions. I loved seeing Mon-El adapt to Earth customs and for Kara step up as a mentor. Early on I felt the pull between these two because their chemistry was fantastic (as shown by their real life off screen relationship). I am so happy I got the 2nd season on DVD for Christmas to relive all these great moments:

2. The 100--Bellamy and Clarke

Another ship I have shipped since episode 1. I’ve taken every little glance, conversation, touch. Being a Bellarke fan has taught you to not take anything for granted. (Especially when you have heard from the creator that they don’t intend for these two to end up together. Come on!) But season 4 gave us fans hope. They had several playback worthy moments and that finale! WOW! It’s the end of the world and he’s making jokes with her. They are both touching each other! (I still have chills just thinking about it!!) I can’t wait for this new season even though I know Bellamy is going to be with someone because they HATE us. In the meantime here are some big moments from last season!

AND THE NUMBER 1????

I wouldn’t be living up to this page if I didn’t make them my number 1 because they and we deserve it!

1. Teen Wolf--Stiles and Lydia

It was a LONG time coming, but our pick was endgame, just like we predicted all along! Because the seasons were broken up I’m going to refer to season 6 as a whole (we deserved a lot more Stydia in the series finale, but that’s a rant for another day....) Despite, Dylan O’Brien not being around for more episodes due to his filming schedule, I think they did a nice job including him in the part A season. Sure, when I was watching it live I was pissed, but watching the episodes back I appreciate the moments we did get Stiles and how they included him in the season. Lydia and Stiles are one of my favorite couples of all times. I love their development, the chemistry between the two actors and strive to create characters who have such a powerful friendship and relationship. Here are some of the best moments from this year.

So, that’s my top 12 ships of 2017! A lot of my top couples were from shows that ended in 2017, so I can’t wait to see what new ones I discover in 2018. Let me know if you have suggestions!

[bucksnatalia]

a not-so-brief history of buckynat (post-widow hunt)

So a lot has happened with our favorite spy couple in the last few years, so I thought it might be helpful for some shippers who haven’t completely kept up to make a list of everything they’ve been through in that time. So without further ado, here’s a quick guide that no one asked for, starting with:

Black Widow Hunt

This was the unfortunate end of their relationship, not by choice. A fellow ex-Soviet spy, Leo Novokov, grew jealous of Bucky’s success and angry that he never looked for the other agents, so he set out to ruin his life by stealing his girl... pretty literally. He kidnapped and brainwashed Natasha into thinking she was a double agent, sending Bucky and co. on a wild goose chase trying to get her back. They eventually do -- but Natasha’s lost all her memories of Bucky, and he makes the difficult decision not to force her to undergo experimental methods to have her memories regained. (This decision sometimes draws criticism because on the one hand, that isn’t his choice to make -- however, he did not want the doctors to mess with her head on his account, and so here we are.) 

The Electric Ghost

After their separation, Bucky kind of goes off the deep end. Really, he basically quit working for SHIELD and he’s going into bars and beating the crap out of everyone. He’s trying to make peace with his past when Nick Fury comes to him with a mission and pretty much tricks him into helping SHIELD again. From there he ends up fighting Tesla Tarasova, the Electric Ghost, who is using a type of Cosmic Cube she calls the Tarasova Tesseract to try and change her past. She ends up taking Bucky with her, and even tempts him with the ability to stop Leo Novokov, but he convinces her she’s wrong (”You can’t fix the past, Tesla. You can only search for the strength to change the future.”), and he takes just one moment with the Cube for himself -- and goes back to kiss Natasha one last time. 

The Tightly Tangled Web & Last Days 

This is quite the reunion. Bucky’s mission is a gang -- Natasha’s mission is a case. They end up on the same train, at the same time, fighting the same bad guys, but Natasha only knows Bucky as the Winter Soldier (Black Widow #8). After this, Bucky keeps an eye on her from afar, and ends up getting her out of a couple sticky situations. Their final interaction in this run involves Bucky promising that he will always be there for her. It’s probably around this time she begins to suspect that he isn’t just the Winter Soldier to her -- although nothing is certain. (It’s worth noting that by this point, Bucky has become the Man on the Wall -- an agent whose purpose is to protect the planet from threats -- a job which he inherited from Nick Fury.) 

No More Secrets

Another Black Widow story, this time Bucky is the one who gets kidnapped -- after he’s caught by Natasha’s childhood rival, Recluse, watching out for her. He spends the entire run acting as a guardian angel, but inevitably Natasha has to save his ass from Recluse who enjoys taunting him by telling Natasha about his feelings for her and beating him over the head with a rifle. It turns out that Nick Fury sent him to collect Natasha, however, and after their trip gets a little rocky (a guy’s head explodes and a tiny murder child tries to hijack their spaceship), Bucky and Nat save each other -- first, Natasha empties her oxygen tank into Bucky’s so he’ll have enough air to get to the ship, and then Bucky revives her with CPR. They share a kiss, and it’s implied that Natasha now at least knows about their past together. She has a job to finish, however, so they part ways on their return to Earth. 

Civil War II & Thunderbolts 

Here’s where timelines get a little weird. Somewhere in here, Bucky hears the prophecy that Steve Rogers is going to be killed by Miles Morales, so being the rational person he is he attempts to capture Miles so that this can’t happen. Except at this time, he’s a fugitive from SHIELD for hiding Kobik. He ends up captured and in a jail cell, where he is confronted by Steve Rogers himself, who tries to get him to give Kobik’s location. The Thunderbolts rescue him, and it’s made clear he doesn’t trust Steve with this information. This is when Steve -- who is actually the Hydra version (who will be referred to as Stevil from now on) -- decides he has to kill Bucky. (EDIT: At some point after the rescue, Bucky and Nat’s adventure on the Moon occurs. This can be confusing due to the inconsistent symbol on his arm.) Zemo, who is Stevil’s best buddy, and his Masters of Evil attack the Thunderbolts’ hideout and nearly beat Bucky to death. Kobik saves him by sending him back in time and trying to get him to join HYDRA -- this is when he learns the truth about Stevil, though he refuses to believe it (this is apparently a trend with him -- stay tuned). Upon refusing to join HYDRA, Kobik has massively destructive temper tantrum and is shattered and Bucky is carried away to be strapped to yet another rocket and, supposedly, blown to smithereens. In Thunderbolts #5 features a flashback to Bucky and Natasha’s Red Room days (seen above), and there’s another reference to Nat later on as well -- but I promise that’s not the only reason all of this is relevant, because right around the time Bucky is believed dead, Stevil makes his allegiances public, and thus begins....

Secret Empire

The part we all hate and no one wants to talk about but an unfortunate amount of SHIT occurred in. Let’s start from the beginning -- Bucky is, to the world, a dead man. Super dead. Murdered good. This has seriously fucked Nat up. At some point, she enters a casual relationship with Clint Barton -- who... quite obviously takes it more seriously than she does. But they both acknowledge the fact that Natasha has not been the same since Bucky died. 

So you can read that however you want (although, I personally don’t think very highly of Clint for getting involved with her while she’s grieving another man). Basically, Natasha wants to kill Stevil, Clint thinks she’s wrong, so she decks him and goes on the run. From there, she starts the new Red Room (which is all kinds of ridiculous since her previous run was all about ending the new Dark Room, but I digress) with a team that includes Miles Morales. Remember that prophecy? Well, he’s pretty convinced its true, but Natasha tries to save him from the fate of becoming a murderer -- and takes Stevil’s shield to the neck/jaw. It seemingly kills her and the rest of us spend the next several issues wondering whether or not she’s going to come back. But in the meantime, someone else comes back -- 

Bucky, back from the dead he never was because his old pal Namor fished him out of the ocean because apparently Zemo is really bad at tying people to rockets. Bucky has been hiding out this whole time -- surprise! -- and he’s hatched a plan for stopping Stevil that involves, and I truly cannot make this shit up folks, 1) giving Stevil the last missing piece of the Cosmic Cube, 2) shrinking to ant-size and shooting into the Cube which is embedded in Stevil’s Hydra armor, 3) becoming a Mufasa-like entity inside the Cube and pulling the real Steve and Kobik out, and 4) watching the two Steve’s go at it. Once Stevil is defeated, Kobik fixes pretty much nothing. Everyone, including Natasha, is still dead. 

Rather than attending her funeral, Bucky goes on a mission to Madripoor -- where he watches the funeral live on TV before following a lead in a super mysterious case. He then watches the assassination of a general who had come to power in the US along with HYDRA, looks up to the window the shot came from, and immediately monologues: 

Which leads us right into --

Tales of Suspense

Bucky teams up with Clint in an effort to discover who this mystery assassin is. In the time between Secret Empire's epilogue and the beginning of this story, Bucky has switched his point of view. He now believes Natasha is dead and someone is impersonating her. Clint thinks she is still alive. While chasing her down, they run into each other, and an uneasy alliance is formed.

The two work together following clues and leads. There are a couple pretty close calls, including a battle which leaves Yelena Belova dead in a subway and someone who looks an awful lot like Natasha speeding away on the back of a truck. Their clues lead them to the home of a Red Room operative, whose murder Bucky has been framed for. Finally, while following the lead of the Red Room, they run into Natasha herself, apparently alive.

Natasha traps them in a bunker where she takes Bucky's arm and Clint's bow and seemingly blows them up. It turns out that she wanted those things as proof she had killed them to gain the Red Room's trust -- but how did she survive Secret Empire? She didn't. This Natasha is a clone, engineered by the Red Room and given her consciousness by a psychic agent. The bear mutant Ursa Major, who you may remember from the Gulag, convinces the psychic to give Natasha all of her memories so that she may take the Red Room down from within.

Bucky and Clint escape from the bunker and track her down. A battle ensues. Clint is distraught by Natasha's violence. He and Bucky help her win the battle, but as they leave the building she goes back in just in time for it to explode. An officer finds a note for each of them on a tree nearby. Natasha tells Clint that though she cares deeply for him, he can't follow her where she is going and urges him to learn not to care for people who only ever hurt him. Bucky suggests that his note is the same, when in reality Natasha has asked for his help in a secret mission.

Clint and Bucky go their separate ways. Meanwhile, Logan has left Natasha a present in Madripoor: the Space Stone.

Natasha will return in Infinity Countdown: Black Widow in June 2018. She is also expected to appear with Bucky in Ta-Nehisi Coates's upcoming Captain America series beginning in July 2018.

[iamstuckinfandom]

Sheith Quote Week

I'm going to try to post my gifset I made for this day tomorrow... In the meantime, enjoy this Day 3 fic.

Day 3: "Ninja mullet finds his true love"/"It's killing me when you're away"

He was not dressed like a ninja.

"You were dressed like a ninja," Lance insists from the middle of the room in his shack, "And you probably knocked the guard guys out like a ninja too."

What did Keith do to deserve this? He currently had three uninvited Garrison teens in his place. His hoverbike was going to need to be looked at because all that added weight probably harmed the engine or something. He didn't have much food or water left in the building nor the bunker next to said building. And he could still feel the strange energy that seemed to call to him.

It was dulled compared to weeks ago or even hours ago. The energy had gone insane, burning within him and telling him it was the event, to the point where Keith didn't doubt that whatever was to happen would be so important to him. He hadn't been wrong.

In the middle of all these weird issues, Keith had gotten Shiro back. And it was true that the man was changed. The white fluff of hair, paler skin, scar over the nose, strange clothes, and replaced robotic arm proved it. He also could have other issues like PTSD or anxiety problems that Keith couldn't see physically. But Keith wasn't going to think any different of him for it.

After all, he had survived and was alive!

Because for the past, close to what Keith thought was about 11, months, he had thought Shiro was dead. That's what the reports said..."Pilot error"...Keith hadn't believed that even one second after the news was given. His world had collapsed inside itself in two minutes worth of screenplay. He kept insisting that Shiro didn't cause them to crash. Shiro was too good of a pilot to crash. Shiro cared too much about his crew's safety to do something like that.

And eventually, mental and verbal frustrations leaked into physical ones until Keith had been booted for "disciplinary issues."

At least he had been satisfied when he left. He had hated that teacher anyway, and he didn't need anyone else. No one understood him like Shiro had. So he took the hovercraft, almost all that remained of Shiro except for the fingerless gloves on Keith's hands and some items and clothes Keith had stolen from Shiro's locker, and hightailed it into the desert.

Then he had came out to his dad's shack. The first few days were spent grieving the man he missed more than anyone else. Then he had felt the energy, and started to keep track of it with maps, a star chart, photos, and notes.

It's killing me when you're away.

The words had poured from his hand unconsciously while he had been writing his notes. At least one-third of them had that phrase, and he just couldn't force himself to get rid of them, so he had tacked them to his wall. To remind himself that Shiro had been real, and not some wonderfully made-up dream.

And now Shiro was back, and currently knocked out on his couch.

"Hello? Earth to dropout," a tan hand waved itself in front of Keith's face, and he resisted the urge to slap it away, "You're being weird all over again."

"Maybe he's just thinking," the youngest stated as he rolled his eyes behind his glasses, "It's a big deal. You said so yourself, remember? 'That guy's my hero!'"

"I don't sound like that," he squeaked as Keith glared subtly at the Cuban boy.

Why did everyone say that Shiro was their hero? Shiro was a human being who was just as mortal as anyone. His appearance proved it. Keith wasn't and had never been the jealous type, he understood Shiro in a way that everyone else never did.

"But seriously," Lance glanced back at Keith, "You were dressed like a ninja."

He sighed inwardly and breathed in and out four times before checking up on Shiro. If he didn't get away from the other teen, he was going to start thinking of ways to shut him up. Maybe something that involved yelling and causing him to explode. Who knew?

Before he was completely by Shiro's side, the man's eyes twitched, and Keith felt a burst of happiness run through his body. Walking up to the man, he got next to him just as he cracked his eyes open. Startling awake, Shiro nearly jumped into the air as Keith began reassuring him. Moments passed before the astronaut seemed more aware.

"Keith?"

His name was spoken with a touch of awe and some uncertainty. Placing a hand on the man's shoulder, Keith noticed that he relaxed just the slightest.

"I'm here," he reassured the guy and Shiro smiled back, "And I think you'll want to get out of those clothes."

Shiro glanced down before his nose wrinkled in distaste, and he laughed softly.

"Yeah," Keith handed him a bag of his own clothes, "Haven't been able to wear what I wanted in awhile. Thanks."

Keith just smirked before both remembered, or noticed in Shiro's case, the other three watching them. When they saw that the two were looking at them, the big man -Hunk- grabbed both Pidge and Lance, made some excuse, and dragged them outside. On the way out, Lance said something about ninjas and robot heroes. Keith sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Nice friends," Shiro chuckled and Keith wanted to smack him in the arm, "What did you get yourself into?"

"I don't think you want to know," Keith shrugged before moving to the door, "There's your clothes. The shirt might be a little tight, but that's all I have."

"It's fine," purple-grey eyes stared into stormy grey ones, "At least I won't be naked."

Keith raised a brow before Shiro laughed awkwardly.

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

Keith once again rolled his eyes, but he actually grinned this time. If Shiro was making self-deprecating jokes, he must have been feeling okay. Maybe not great, but at least he could function.

"Just get changed," Keith teased as he started for the door before gazing back, "See you outside?"

"See you outside," Shiro confirmed and started to remove the purple crop top just as Keith closed the door. Seeing the others near his bike, he debated where to go before he stepped away. He had had enough of the obnoxious Cuban, and just wanted a moment of quiet. Trudging out to the tree behind the shack, he leaned against it just as dawn's first lights of gold, scarlet, and navy blue colored the morning sky.

But he couldn't get that thought out of his head.

He was not dressed like a ninja.