#in the world inside my head he's sober and has replaced alcoholism with a caffeine addiction

[lavenderdreams205]

currently at work, thinking about tfw coffee orders

Early seasons dean gets a black coffee, later seasons dean gets a suprise redbull and a 24 ounce blended cookies and cream mocha with whip cream, chocolate drizzle and sprinkles

Sam gets a vanilla iced americano with a splash of oatmilk

Cas gets a latte with the most unhinged flavors (ie, pineberry, desert pear, grapefruit, lavendar, etc) and extra foam

Jack gets a smoothie with extra whip cream and sprinkles

[wesratcliffe]

part 1 || self-para

wesley shot up from his chair, startling salem where she’d been leisurely munching on her dog treats, and raced over to the television on the opposite wall. he came face to face with the source of his nightmares, the source of his misery, the source of everything wrong in his life–

tw; mentions of murder, death, anxiety/panic attack, mentions of alcohol abuse

his phone was ringing again. 

wesley didn’t have to answer it to know it was his mother, trying to reach out for whatever reason that he couldn’t quite fathom. she kept calling from an unknown number, probably so that he couldn’t block her. he simply let her leave another voice mail that he’d delete without listening to. 

he stepped into the coffee shop with his dog at his side. the employees always looked forward to seeing him, if only because he always stopped by at the end of his morning walk with salem. she was a favorite among town. 

“good morning,” said the barista with a friendly smile. “and how’s our favorite customer?” 

“she’s good,” wesley answered, knowing they were not referring to him. salem stared up at the barista with pleading eyes, begging for the treat they always gave to her. “she’s energetic this morning, but i’ll try to keep her from hopping over the counter again.” 

the worker waved off his comment as they placed the cup of water and dog treat on the ground in front of salem. “you know none of us mind when she visits. i’ll get started on your usual.”

wesley stepped off to the side after paying, resting in a chair after the long walk and play time in the park. he vaguely registered the news station on in the background. 

“we’re excited to learn that such a large corporation will be spreading to the united states! mr. ratcliffe–”

wesley’s head snapped up. 

“do you have any comments on the status of your now international business?”

no. no, no, no, no. wesley was frozen in his seat with a white-knuckled grip on the arm rests. 

“i’m incredibly excited for such a big step forward in expanding my empire–”

NO.

wesley shot up from his chair, startling salem where she’d been leisurely munching on her dog treats, and raced over to the television on the opposite wall. he came face to face with the source of his nightmares, the source of his misery, the source of everything wrong in his life–

“i’ve been working on a move to the united states for some time! nearly a decade, in fact. but every time there was something that prevented us from truly moving forward.” his father practically oozed smarmy businessman arrogance. he looked older than wesley remembered. he had more wrinkles around his eyes, his jowls had sunken lower and his hair line had further receded. “but now, with our business so booming in the uk, we’re confident we’ll be able to bring the same success to the states.”

the scene cut back to the reporter at the desk. “according to our estimates, ratcliffe industries could very well offer upwards of two thousand new jobs in the richmond, virginia metropolitan area. the real estate tycoon jonathan ratcliffe continued to express his optimistic view on the new business venture, and has informed us that ratcliffe industries will be opening its doors for interviews at the end of the month–”

he felt sick to his stomach. no, that didn’t describe the feeling correctly. it was as if his insides were twisting together in terror, turning inside out in some futile attempt to escape. john ratcliffe was coming here, to the united states, in less than a month. the icy chill of fear — real, gripping fear that he hadn’t felt so intensely in so long — clamped down on his heart. he remembered at one point visiting london, trying and failing to confront his father over and over again. 

he’d been too scared, so he’d run away. as usual. 

he felt the urge to run again. go to another state, portland maybe. far, far away from the east coast. or perhaps another country, somewhere he was certain his father would never go. 

wesley felt a tug on his hand and it jolted him out of his terror-induced trance. he hadn’t realized how intensely he was breathing. he was practically hyperventilating. his gaze fell to the source of the tug, a concerned looking salem who gazed up at him with soft brown eyes. eyes full of infinite, unwavering trust and love, the kind of love that only an animal can offer. 

he couldn’t run. not now, not again. not after all of the progress he’d made. 

he was reminded of michele, of his friends, of the life he’d built for himself, however imperfect it still was. 

wesley hid his face in his hands and released a shaky breath. his breathing had calmed, though the terror still remained. 

“one black coffee, no cream, two sugars–” said the barista, placing the to-go cup in front of him. wesley couldn’t help the jolt that startled through him. 

“thank you,” he mumbled, taking the cup to go. his feet felt heavy, his body felt as if it was made of some impossibly heavy material, and he wondered how to move forward from this. 

the sounds of his office were just a haze in the back of his mind. copy machines droned on, phones rang, keys tapping, mice clicking, the coffee machine clacked as it forced out some horrendous caffeinated concoction.

all wesley could think about was the things he’d seen his father do. he’d been transported back, back to the scared sixteen-year-old boy hiding in a closet as he watched his father murder someone in cold blood. he could hear the man’s desperate pleas. the pleas of a man who had a family, that he’d pay john back, that he would be good for the money, sobs of please, please don’t, i have a daughter– 

and then the gun shot. 

it was a sharp sound, sharper than wesley would have imagined. he wondered how it was that people got away with shooting one unnoticed. to him it seemed like the loudest sound in the world. 

wesley sat terrified in that closet as john had his assistant clean up the blood. the stench had been overwhelming. it nearly made him vomit up his lunch from that day. 

“wesley–” 

welsey’s breathing quickened, heart hammering in his chest so loudly he was certain it was giving him away. 

“wesley.”

wesley jolted, harshly jerking his shoulder out of his boss’ grip. the sounds of the office returned to his ears, and the smell of blood was replaced by the smell of the cheap lemon-scented cleaner the custodian used. 

“are you okay? are you sick? you look like a ghost.”

wesley noticed he was breathing heavily again. he hard to force himself to speak, had to try and take some steadying breaths to even be able to force out a response. he wondered if this was what panic attacks felt like. 

“i’m just, not feeling great,” he croaked out. his voice sounded overly used, like he’d been screaming.

his boss recoiled with a grimace. “well then go the hell home. you know what this office was like when the flu went around, our entire accounting department was out the whole week. get out, go home if that shit is contagious.”

wesley nodded numbly. he had to go. somewhere else. anywhere else. 

the guilt settled in with the fear when he got home and sat down on his couch. salem was excited to see him as usual, and he’d gone through the motions of petting her as he stared blankly at the wall in front of him. 

he remembered the last time he spoke to his father. it was when he’d first enrolled in wdu. the school had understandably reached out to a guardian, wondering if this beat-up looking runaway had anyone who was looking for him. 

the phone call had been a screaming match. their first conversation in nearly three years, actually. john demanded that he come home, demanded to know what the hell had caused this–

the line had gone eerily silent when wesley revealed to his father than he saw him kill that man. it wasn’t a guilty silence, but a terrifying one. wesley could feel the fury radiating through the phone. 

“if you tell anyone, i’ll bring you down with me. i’ll ruin you.”

and then the deal. the deal that wesley cowardly offered up as something, anything, to get him away from his father. 

you don’t contact me, and i don’t tell. you leave me alone, and i’ll keep my mouth shut. 

that was when the self-hatred started. sometimes his therapist had tried to press him to ask when these self-esteem issues had first started. she’d said they often first arose during adolescence, often as a cause of natural insecurity and hormones that most teens went through. but wesley wasn’t an insecure teenager. he’d been blissfully unaware, living in the false reality his father had carefully crafted with fear tactics and threats. his therapist had dropped the subject for a while, though it was clear there was something he wasn’t telling her. 

and wasn’t that just the goddamn understatement of the century. 

john had threatened him, told him that if he ever said anything to anyone, he’d spend whatever money necessary to destroy wesley’s life. wesley believed him. and so, to protect his own skin, he’d kept the secret. 

for seven years now he’d been sitting on this, and for four years he’s hated himself for it. he recalled his first few months at wdu. he was the grouchiest then. no friends, hence the ever-present loneliness, and an overwhelming cloud of misery followed him everywhere. he remembered how he used to rely on alcohol and meaningless sex to feel something. to feel some sense of companionship. 

it was at one of those parties that he’d met will, and then later emmett. they didn’t go away after they were all sober, nor in the years to follow. 

it was during a sober day that he’d met michele. she’d scolded him on something, his attitude, if he recalled. he’d snarked back at her, and so the cycle had begun. he remembered how infuriating she was, how frustratingly stubborn. those qualities certainly hadn’t disappeared, except now his tune on them had changed. he remembered when their fighting turned to banter, turned to flirting. when their hatred for each other turned to mutual respect, to friendship, to infatuation, to love. 

he remembered feeling like his life was coming together for once, like maybe he could move on from this guilt and self-hatred. maybe he and his father could co-exist on opposite sides of the world in peace, never bothering of or thinking of the other. 

and then his mother, the same woman who’d left him a voicemail only hours before. 

wesley pulled out his phone and instead of hitting the delete button, he hit play. 

“wesley, i pray that you’re listening to these...” he found it off that he recognized her voice, even though he only really remembered their single conversation as an adult. “i know that you don’t want to see me, and i don’t blame you. i ran, and left you behind. but i can’t do that again. i can’t leave you behind without warning you. your father is coming. the news was announce officially announced yesterday. the rumors have been circling for some months, and you know i hoped that it was just another rumor. god i wish it was a rumor. ...i don’t know how you’ve gotten him to leave you alone for so long. you must have some secret on him...” the line went silent, and wesley thought was the end. 

“be safe, son. keep an eye out for him. don’t let him near you, please. ...i love you, let me know if you get–”

wesley quickly pressed the delete button. 

wesley’s walk to therapy was one he’d gotten used to. he went after work once a week now. he’d tried to do lunch breaks, but found that having a deeply emotional hour made it harder to drag himself back into work. 

“so, tell me what’s on your mind.” 

dr. lauren vaughn hadn’t started a session that way since he’d first started therapy. normally now they just chatted. there were some sessions that were more intense, some where deeply buried issues resurfaced, others were revelations were made. but they’d found an equilibrium that worked for them. 

“what makes you think something is on my mind?” he asked. he still often answered the too personal questions with questions of his own. it was an avoidance tactic both he and lauren were aware of. 

“you have been seeing me at least once a week, sometimes two or three, for nearly a year now–”

had it really been almost a year? he supposed so, it was almost summer. 

“i think i know when something is on your mind.”

wesley fiddled his fingers and stared down at the abstractly patterned carpet. it was a mix of beiges, browns and greens. earthy tones that he supposed were supposed to feel neutral and relaxing. 

“...do you want to talk about it?”

lauren had learned quickly that there were some things that he refused to discuss. she’d tried to poke and prod at first, only for wesley to leave sessions early and in a huff. she’d found progress was more steadily made when wesley was allowed to reveal things at his own terms. some people wanted to talk, but wesley was not one of those people. 

“...say you’re keeping a secret...”

wesley searched for words. how did he even begin? how much did he reveal? the thought of revealing all of it made his stomach twist in fear, and the thought of not saying anything at all made it writhe in guilt. 

he just couldn’t win. 

“say you’ve been keeping a secret for...a long, long time. a secret that you shouldn’t have been keeping, because keeping it...hurts people. but...revealing it hurts yourself. and– and you want to tell everyone, because it’s the right thing to do. but what happens when the right thing to do brings bad consequences for you? and...and the people close to you?”

lauren sighed, wondering what wesley could possibly be talking about. “well... keeping this secret seems to be hurting you too, doesn’t it?”

wesley paused. she...wasn’t wrong. 

“and maybe, doing the right thing would help in the long run, even if it’s hard in the beginning. maybe it would help others, and it would help you.”

[albedosoyna]

The Other Shoe

Day 2   “OMG, so drunk…”  / Wearing the other’s clothes (it is only Ignis wearing Gladio’s clothes) for @gladnisweek

Era:  Brotherhood Relationship:  Gladio/Ignis -- Established Characters:  Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia, Iris Amicitia, Clarus Amicitia, Nyx Ulric Content: Fluff.  Alcohol.  Snuggling.  Hangover. Rating:  PG Summary:   Ignis spends the night out with Gladio and crashes at his place in the morning.  Clarius and Iris are amused by the two dorks.

Read More Under the Cut or On AO3

Read More Gladnis on AO3 Gladnis Week Collection

They had not intended on having more than a beer with the other Glaives. Gladio was pleasantly buzzed, well a couple of notches above buzzed, but not blitzed. Ignis was totally blitzed. All because Nyx had bought Ignis a few drinks. The drink that did not taste like there was any alcohol in it but had the equivalent of four shot of hard liquor in each of them. He drank four of them in a period of 2 hours.

Ignis was so very much drunk.

Ignis was trying to take off his shoes. He had succeeded in removing one and was hoping wildly to get at the other one. Gladio stood beside him and grabbed his arm to keep him from falling.

Ignis face was appropriately flushed and his pupils were so wide and relaxed. It was an unusual look on him. He was always so controlled in everything that he did - outside the bedroom - and it was nice to see him being human.

Ignis stopped trying to remove the shoe and looked at his feet. “I lost a shoe,” Ignis whispered loudly as he grabbed onto Gladio’s shirt. “I liked that shoe.”

Gladio wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and looked at his feet. “I’ll buy you new shoes. Cuter shoes.” Even though the other shoe was sitting beside the ones that he took off.

Ignis shook his head causing him to sway dangerously. “I don’t need cute shoes. I need shoes that are fassssionamble,” he slurred. “I’m drunk, Gladio.”

“Yes, yes you are,” Gladio chuckled “Do you want me to help you with that shoe?”

Ignis nodded and swayed a little more than he did before.

Now, Gladio leaned down to lift Ignis leg and remove his remaining shoe. He did not have the level of balance that he should have if he had been sober. It caused them both to crash into the wall and knock off a coat rack. It crashed loudly to the ground of Iris school books, Gladio’s leather jacket and Clarus council robes were now a pile on the floor.

Ignis shushed the fallen rack.

Gladio found it absolutely hilarious that his serious boyfriend was acting so silly. He was going to have to get him drunk more often. Gladio grabbed Ignis arms and pulled him away from the rack. “Let’s go,” he said as they staggered down the hall.

He heard a door open and a concerned and angry looking face peer out at him. His dad had summoned his sword as he stood only wearing his underwear at the entrance to his bedroom.

“Sorry,” he said and his voice boomed down the hallway. Gladio cowered at the sound of his own voice. Surely he would have woke Iris up with being that loud.

“Sorry,” Ignis harshly whispered and nearly fell out of his arms before he was able to get a grip on the slippery man.

Clarus sighed and the sword disappeared from his hands. “Drink some water and do try not to wake the rest of the house.”

“Yes, slur.”

Gladio snorted as his father rolled his eyes and retreated back into his room. The shield literally dragged Ignis, as he was once again fascinated by the fact that he was missing a shoe and he really needed to find his lost shoe.

“What if I left it in the bar?” Ignis said as Gladio closed the door behind him.

“We’ll make Nyx buy you a new pair,” Gladio said as they staggered to the bed. He let go of Ignis who instantly fell onto the bed with a heavy sigh.

“He doesn’t know how to shop,” Ignis said and rolled across the bed so that he was hugging a pillow. His hair was now a complete mess and in a desperate need of a comb. “He has worn those same runner for a full year.” Ignis sighed and groaned. “Horrible, horrible, dirty runners.”

Gladio snorted. “I’m going to get some water. Why don’t you try getting your clothes off so we can sleep.”

Gladio went to his ensuite and grabbed the two glasses that he quickly filled with water. He downed one before coming back out into the bedroom and furrowed his brow.

Ignis was no longer on the bed. Gladio could hear shuffling on the other side of the bed and rolled his eyes as he walking around to where he saw Ignis was on the floor, with his pants undone, his shirt unbuttoned, and the one shoe still laced on his foot.

“You okay, Iggy?” he asked as he handed the disheveled man the glass of water. Ignis was unfazed by the fact that he was on the floor and drank the water quickly.

“Yup. Your bed moves too much.”

“Oh, it does?”

“Spun me right off.” Ignis slammed the glass on the ground and looked at it as if it offended him.

“How about I help you get you back up there,” Gladio said and took the glass and put it on the end table. “I’ll join you in bed, so that it doesn’t spin you off again.”

Ignis nodded as he fumbled with his shirt. He must have thought that he had unbuttoned it already because he tore at side and three of the buttons went flying across the room.

Gladio wished he could take a picture of the shocked look on Ignis face.

“Oh, dear.”

Laughing at Ignis’ serious tone but went back to helping his drunk boyfriend to his feet, help him out of his pants, remaining shoe, and tattered shirt, so that he was only in his leopard print boy shorts. He sometimes went too far with that theme but somehow, he was able to pull it off.

“You’re still dressed,” Ignis stated as Gladio pulled back the covers. “How are you going to stop the spinning if you aren’t naked.”

“Lie down. It won’t take me long.” Ignis did as he was told but he was starting to look confused and a little ill. Gladio hoped that the water was enough. Hopefully, he wouldn’t throw up. He had made him drink at least two glasses of water before they left the bar but the drinks did have a lot of alcohol in them.

Gladio quickly removed his tight t-shirt and effortlessly shucked his pants as he had removed his sandals at the door and didn’t have to worry about a missing shoe. He slid into bed beside Ignis who quickly clung to him as if his life depended on it.

He had to reposition him a few times before he could get the pillow under his head and the heavy blanket to cover them.

“Love you, Gladdy,” Ignis slurred and almost immediately started to drool against his chest.

“Love you too, you dork,” Gladio said and ran his hands through the unruly ash hair.

It didn’t take him long to drop off. They had slept for an hour before the sleep was interrupted by Ignis running to the bathroom and hugging the toilet for an hour.

Gladio helped him through it. Allowing him to get the alcohol out of his system and replace it with water. He carried him back to the bed where Ignis was begging him to kill him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

“I’m going to kill, Nyx.” Ignis said before he passed out again.

Gladio was able to get another couple of hours of sleep before the house started to wake up. He could hear the cartoons playing in the living room. Ivy was up. There were sounds from the kitchen and questions about the coat rack.

It was the smell of coffee that woke Ignis. He opened his bleary eyes; they were lined with red, as rose from the bed as if he was rising from a coffin in a cheesy vampire horror movie.

He would have walked out of his room if Gladio didn’t wrap his arms around him and hug him to his chest. “You’re in my bed, Iggy. And nearly naked.”

Blinking furiously as if he was trying to comprehend what happened. He looked dazed and confused.

It was adorable.

His first words were as predicted. “Coffee?”

“Water first.” Gladio reached for the end table where there was a glass of water waiting. Ignis grumbled something but he took a series of small sips of water.

“What time is it?” Ignis asked as he struggled to get out of Gladio’s grip but he didn’t try for long as he settled back into him.

Gladio looked at his bedside clock quickly before responding. “It’s ten.” Ignis immediately stiffened but Gladio knew how to respond to that. It was always about Noctis. “Don’t worry. Regis is spending time with Noct today, remember.”

The advisor relaxed in his arms and sighed heavily. “Right. Thank goodness.” Gladio rubbed his arms and ran his hands through his wild hair. “How’s the head?”

“I’m going to kill Nyx.”

“I warned you.”

“Shut up.”

“Want me to get you some coffee?”

“Unless you wish me to summon my daggers, that would be a wise choice.”

“Love you, too,” Gladio grumbled back. He knew that Ignis was an absolute bear without his morning fix of caffeine.

There was a knock at the door that made them both turn their attention the door. It creaked open slightly. “Knock, knock,” a small voice came through and Iris peered inside. “I have coffee.”

Ignis immediately sat up and reached his hand out. “You’re an angel.” He meant it too.

“You only have one mug,” Gladio pointed out.

“Yeah,” she said as Ignis took the cup from her hands. “You can get your own coffee.” Iris cocked her hip to the side. “My bag was stomped on the floor by your big behemoth feet, so, get it yourself.”

“Brat,” Gladio growled but snorted as Ignis took a sip of the coffee and let out a sigh as if he had tasted the most wonderful thing in the world.

“Ignis appreciates me! Right, Ignis?” Iris said in such a fake sweet tone that made Gladio wanted to throw her out of the room.

“I certainly do,” Ignis said and fell against him and Gladio easily wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. “I needed this.”

“Eew,” She said and scrunched up her face. “Can you not.” She waved her hands at them.

“You’re in my room, brat,” Gladio said and kissed the side of Ignis face. Mainly to get a reaction out of his sister. “He happens to be in my bed so I can cuddle and kiss him all I want.”

“You’re both disgustingly cute,” She said, dramatically rolling her eyes and throwing her arms up in the air. “When you are done with the gross stuff, you can get dressed, and you,” she pointed to Gladio, “can make me lunch.” She stormed out of the room and slapped the door behind her, causing Ignis to flinch.

“I cannot think of food yet,” Ignis said as he took another sip of the coffee. “But this coffee is wonderful.” There was a small pause in his speech and even from this angle he could see a smirk on his boy friends lips. “You can take lessons from her.”

“Do you want to end up on the floor?” Gladio responded and nudged his shoulder. “Because I will totally dump you.”

“Over coffee? How rude?” Ignis said as he took another sip. He rested heavily against his chest and Gladio loved it. They did only have few days where they could be lazy together. Between the demanding prince, the calls of court and his demanding little sister, this was a wonderful moment that he wanted to remember.

Ignis finished the rest of his coffee in silence but once it was completed gave a disapproving grunt.

“Ready for more.”

“That’ll mean, moving. Can you get it for me, darling?” Ignis laid on the charm. He also handed the mug to Gladio who took it from him.

“Why don’t you go have a shower?” Gladio kissed his brow and stroked his side. “I’ll go make us and Iris lunch.” Ignis looked like he was about to pout. “Then we will watch that new series you wanted to watch the second season of.”

Ignis gave a sigh and smiled at him. “That does sound divine. But I will need more coffee.”

“Of course.” Gladio rolled his eyes and started to slip out from the warmth of Ignis. Ignis really did start to pout but held himself together as he went to the shower to wash himself off.

Gladio was tempted to join him but knew that it would be a bad idea for right now to do that. He got dressed in sweatpants that were in his ‘clean’ pile and went to see what his sister was watching and ensure there was a cup of hot ebony ready for when Ignis emerged from the shower.

He was not expecting to see his father reading on the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee.

“Morning, son. You seem well. How is Ignis fairing?”

“Morning,” he returned. “What are you doing home?” It was Saturday but his father was seldom away from Regis. Especially if Regis was with Noctis for the day.

“Can’t I spend a day at home with my children?” Clarus said as he sipped his coffee.

Gladio knew his father better than that. He tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms. “Dad. Really.”

“Draitos is with his highness today. I was a little worried with how drunk Ignis was last night. I don’t think I have seen the man so out of it.” He watched his dad sip his coffee. “What happened?”

Gladio rolled his eyes.

“Nothing happened. We knew that we had a day off and went to have a drink. Unfortunately, Nyx was buying and Ignis obliged. I don’t think he understood how much booze was in the Costa Sunrise.” Gladio rubbed the back of his neck. “And he was enjoying himself.” He didn’t want to tell his father that it was nice seeing his normally so-in-control boyfriend being slightly out of control.

Clarus snorted. “That was obvious. When was the last time that Ignis had a vacation?”

Gladio poured himself a cup of coffee and shrugged. “I can ask you the same thing.” No one close to the royal family had official vacations. They had down time, but they were always working.

Turning back to his father, he could see him rubbing his grey chin. “You both have the day off, right?”

“Dad, we never shirk our duties.” Gladio’s shoulders tensed and he narrowed his eyes at his father.

Clarius immediately put up his hands hand and shook his head. “I know, son. I know. That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Geez,” Iris interrupted as she trotted into the kitchen. “Dad is trying to say that you guys need more days off.” She grabbed a pop from the fridge as she looked at them both with her hip tilted to the side.

She was much too young to look so much like mom.

“Exactly,” Clarus said and ruffled her short dark hair. “When Noctis becomes King, there will be little time for such things, so it would be wise to squeeze as much time in as possible.”

Gladio leaned back against the counter and took a sip of the strong coffee. It was brewed the way Ignis liked it. He was going to need some milk to make it more palatable. “And how are we going to do that?” It was a great idea but implementing it would be near impossible. They had too many responsibilities and Noctis was still very much a brat.

“I can help!” Iris volunteered. “I will gladly train with Noctis and kick his butt.” She was smiling so brightly as she said it that it made Gladio laugh.

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to show him some of your moves.” Gladio grabbed his sister from around the waist and hugged her close. He purposely rubbed his chin against her cheek to make her shriek. He wasn’t disappointed. The punch to his stomach was enough to make him let her go. She was getting so much stronger, he wouldn’t be able to overpower her as easily soon.

Clarus was laughing as Ignis walked into the kitchen with slow and measured steps. HIs hair was damp and it looked like only his fingers had been run through it. He was wearing one of his shirts that was too large for his slender torso. It was adorable. He was holding the mug that Iris had given him earlier and was heading straight for the coffee pot.

“Morning, boy,” Clarus said as Ignis filled his cup. “How are you feeling?”

Ignis licked his lips and flushed slightly, “Doing well, sir. I’m sorry for the coat rack, sir. I will ensure that it gets fixed.” He took a big gulp of the coffee without another word and let out a heavy sigh.

“There is no need to worry about that,” Clarus said and slapped Ignis on the shoulder. “Glad you had a good night. You two take it easy today. We’ll talk more on what we were discussing, Gladio.” Clarus then slapped his shoulder. It was much harder than he had done for Ignis. Iris followed after her father asking something about school work. Gladio had other things to focus on right now and that was the sexy man sipping some coffee, wearing his shirt in his bare feet in front of him.

Gladio slid up beside Ignis and wrapped his arm around him. “You look sexy in my shirt,” he whispered into his shoulder. Ignis smelled like his shampoo and it was wonderful.

The the elbow in his already sore stomach was worth it. Ignis harshly whispered. “Your father just left the room.”

“He does know that we’re an item, Iggy,” Gladio whispered and held him closer. “And you do look so sexy.” He held the advisors arm still so that he wouldn’t get another elbow.

“I still feel like I’m intruding in your home,” Ignis whispered.

“You aren’t,” Gladio said and ran his hands over his hips and kissed his neck. “You are always welcome. I’m sure dad likes you better than he likes me half the time.”

“He likes me better because I cook more than cup of noodles when I make dinner,” Ignis responded.

“True. Still look sexy in my shirt.”

“You’re horrible.”

Gladio chuckled. “But you still love me.”

Ignis pushed back against him and tilted his neck. Ignis knew how to make him feel weak. “I will never understand my motivation.”

“Because I’m hot.”

Ignis snorted. “And modest.”

Gladio kissed his neck.

“Are you two going to make out or are you going to make lunch.” Iris had come back into the kitchen. “They just updated Odd Times on Netflix and I need to watch it. I need to know what happened to Mikey.”

Gladio groaned as he pulled away from the warmth of Ignis and turned to glare at his sister. He was hoping to cuddle with Ignis by himself but it looked like they had a housefull today.

“Gladio can prepare some soup for us and if you would be so kind, Iris, I will have to bother you a needle and thread as I need to sew the buttons on my shirt,” Ignis said as he started to usher the young woman into the living room.

“I can do that,” she said. “I want shrimp noodles, Gladdy,” she called back and grabbed Ignis hand.

Gladio shamelessly watched his boyfriend walk with his sister into her room to fetch her sewing kit. He heard his father yell that he wanted anak noodles from the living room. He set about making each of the soups; trevally for Ignis and an anak for himself.

They spent a sleepy afternoon on the couch after eating the soup, binge watching the series with Ignis cuddled beside him. His father with Iris at his side and dozing as he really wasn’t interested in the show. They ordered pizza for dinner before Ignis stated that he had to go.

Gladio wished that he didn’t have to go back but knew that he had duties with the prince first thing in the morning. Ignis had his own shirt back on, his hair unruffled and his jacket folded over his arm as he stood in the doorway holding one of his shoes.

“Did I lose a shoe?”

He gave his boyfriend a kiss and told him to wait a minute as he got the other shoe from the bedroom.

“I’m never drinking again if I can’t remember where my shoes are.” Ignis rubbed his eyes. Gladio grabbed Ignis and held him in a tight hug.

“I always got you covered,” Gladio whispered, “And thanks for putting up with my crazy family.” Even though Gladio could not see his face but he was pretty sure that Ignis was smirking.

“Any time,” Ignis said. “Thanks for, holding my hair, as it were. I shall be more careful the next time Nyx buys drinks.”

“I will always be at your side,” Gladio said and pulled away. It was hard. “Now, get a good night sleep. Text me when you get home and I will see you after Noct’s training.”

Ignis nodded, his hand idly running over his arms.

“You really did look sexy in my shirt. I should have you wear my clothes more often.”

The advisor face turned red, he received a slap across his chest. “Seriously.” He smirked. “It’s a good think you wooed me before I found out that you are a completely asshole.”

Gladio leaned in. “You love that part of me too.”

Ignis audibly gasped, hugged the jacket to his chest, sputtered and tried to say something.

It was not often that he was able to reduce Ignis to stammering. There was only one other time that he was able to reduce him speechless and that was the first time that they kissed. He gave him a quick kiss on the lips, turned him around and slapped his ass. “See ya tomorrow.”

He knew he would pay for it later but it would be worth it.

He turned around to see his dad with his arms crossed and smirking at him. “Son, you are truly a cruel man. Now, let's go have a drink so that we can talk about how we can make things work out better for both of you.”

[feelsgood-anon]

Eros - Bar AU Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: THIS PIECE IS A MYSTIC MESSENGER AU.  IT IS HEAVILY INSPIRED BY THE AMERICAN SITCOM CHEERS, A SHOW CENTERED AROUND A BOSTON BAR CALLED CHEERS AND IT’S REGULARS.  EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TRIED TO KEEP AS MUCH OF CANON PERSONALITIES WITH ALL THE MYSTIC MESSENGER CHARACTERS JUST REMEMBER THAT IT IS AN AU AND A FEW THINGS MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN IN GAME OR YOUR HEADCANONS. THIS HAS BEEN FUN TO PLAN AND I HOPE YOU FIND A BIT OF JOY READING IT!  

PG13+ FOR SWEARIN’ AND BOOZIN’.

CH.1 PT.1 | CH. 1 PT. 2 | CH. 2 | CH. 3 | CH. 4 | CH. 5 |  CH. 6|CH. 7 | CH. 8 | CH. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | 

“Three beers and a Vodka tonic, order up!” Red called out as he placed the drinks on a tray, followed by Cannon sweeping by to pick it up.

Business had been steady still and with Zen back in cheerful moods things were running as smooth as ever. Since he had gotten back with Scarlet his entire presence had changed for the better. Even the slightest of jokes towards him was laughed off and he no longer got irrationally angry. He felt as if nothing could spoil his good fortune.

Everyone around him, though, felt a bit uneasy. They were used to him being in good spirits but when he didn’t bat an eye at Cannon’s prodding things got suspicious.

In the middle of the afternoon rush Sunny motioned Red over when Zen wandered off to speak with some regulars at a table, “Say, Red. Don’t get me wrong, I like that Zen has been more likeable these past few weeks but it doesn’t sit well with me. Everything is fixed because he’s dating his ex again? He seems like he doesn’t properly deal with his emotions and needs more than just a girlfriend to solve his problems.”

Red sighed as he threw a towel over his shoulder, throwing a few cups into the sink to clean, “Just be glad he’s been in a good mood. Don’t over think things, Sunny. You know what’s happened when you’ve tried to intervene.”

“I’m not being nosey!” She huffed, “I’m just concerned is all! I don’t trust what’s happening and I would hate to see anything bad happen to him.”

“Hey Sunny!” Zen came up to them, causing her to jump, “Could I talk to you for a minute?”

“S-sure!” She straightened up and gave him a nervous smile hoping he hadn’t heard their conversation, “What’s up?”

He put his arm around her shoulder, “I’ve been thinking a lot and I want to apologize for everything I’ve said and done to you. I realized that you really wanted to help me and I overreacted. I appreciate you looking out for me and I’d like to be friends like you suggested.”

She blushed a bit, stumbling over her words, “O-of course! I’d like that! I promise to be more mindful of how things will affect you. I really never meant to hurt your feelings.”

Zen chuckled a bit as he ruffled her hair, “Well, how about I just don’t take things to heart? I highly doubt you would be able to hold your tongue on certain subjects but I think that’s part of your charm!”

Sunny pursed her lips and slid out from under his arm, “I’ll take that as a compliment lest I get angry.”

“How about you go check on your tables lest I get angry over having to refill their drinks?” Cannon growled as he walked by, “Stop flirting with Zen, he’s taken.”

“I’m not flirting!” She exclaimed as she felt her face get hot, “I’m just glad that he wants to be friends! That’s all I ever wanted!”

Zen smiled softly and motioned her off, “It’s okay, princess. You know he is just trying to mess with you. Go on and check on your tables for me, would yah?”

She glared at Cannon for a moment before sticking her nose in the air and walking off to the patrons. Red sauntered over and leaned against the counter, “Good on you, Zen. Sunny doesn’t really mean any harm. I know she is just worried about you. Huh, looks like she’s attached herself to your side.”

“I always got the vibe that she was into me. Perhaps if I weren’t taken we could be a cute couple but alas.” he poured a shot of whiskey and tipped it towards Red, “I have the woman of my dreams by my side already.”

Red frowned and grabbed Zen’s wrist, “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah...Hey! It’s just one, right? We all know my tolerance is so high this won’t even affect me!”

“I’m pretty sure you told us you promised her not to drink. Unless you filled that bottle with dirty water, you are breaking the rules.”

Zen chewed on the inside of his cheek in slight embarrassment, “Cut me some slack, man.  I just have a shot or two throughout the day to keep the headaches at bay. I cut out anything more than that!”

Red let go of him slowly. He took a step back to stare at him in concern. “Dude, you can’t go a day without having a drink? I didn’t know it was that bad. Maybe you should see a doctor before you try to wean yourself off, you know how dangerous it can be.”

“Hey now! It’s not like that. It’s just the same as people that drink a lot of coffee. One morning without it and you feel miserable!”

“Yeah, except caffeine withdrawals can’t kill you.”

Zen clicked his tongue and took the shot, letting out a sigh of relief as the familiar taste and feeling filled his body, “Just one, Red. Don’t tell the miss, eh?”

Red frowned and nodded, “Sure thing, Boss. But if anything bad happens or your withdrawal gets too bad-”

“You can take me straight to the hospital, okay? You worry too much, my drinking was never that big of a problem.” He set the shot glass far away and motioned as if he accomplished some great feat, “Now, more orders?”

Jingle~!

“Clicks!”

“Hey everyone!”

He walked over towards his normal seat, waving to Zen as he came to greet him, “Whiskey on the rocks, please. You seem to be doing well! How’s it been with Scarlet?”

“Fantastic!” Zen proclaimed as he filled a glass to hand over to Clicks, “We still have a lot to catch up on and things to work through but she’s with me and that’s the most important part.”

“How’s life without drinking? It’s been a few weeks so you must feel healthier.”

“Oh, yeah! I feel great! But what makes things better is that she stayed. I’m on top of the world!” Zen refilled a few beer mugs from around the bar before returning to Click’s side, “Is Sugar not back from his business trip yet? I kind of miss that guy.”

Clicks choked a bit on his drink with Zen’s words, “Did you just say you missed him? That’s a first. Being sober really has done things to you.”

The white-haired male rubbed the back of his neck, “Aye...it’s not that. I was pretty mad at him for bringing her here but I guess I owe him now. He’s the reason why I have my girlfriend back! I guess I should back off from him for a while.”

“I am impressed!” Sunny said as she came back to the bar top, “You’re even acknowledging Sugar’s good deeds! You know, I was a bit worried that things got too good too quickly but if you are going to play nice with him I guess I can’t complain.” In her emotional excitement she gave him a big hug, scrunching her nose as she caught an unexpected scent, “You smell like alcohol.”

Zen jumped back a bit to create some distance, “Of course I do! I’ve been pouring drinks all afternoon. A bit of splash is bound to happen!”

She squinted her eyes at him, “That better be the reason!” She pointed her index and middle finger at her eyes, then pointed to him, and back to her. Her hand dropped to land on her hip, “Say, what happened with that Didi? She seemed pretty pissed leaving with a broken nose.”

“Ah, you guys didn’t hear? Sugar is dragging her through some legal business for harassment. Apparently she forgot that he had a restraining order that also included any of his businesses and well...technically this place is under his name.” Clicks smiled a bit, “Last I knew she is shutting down that competing bar to try to convince him to drop charges but I don’t think she knows how things work.”

Zen whirled around to stare at Clicks, “Wait, really? He’s actually going through with it? What if Scarlet gets in trouble for punching her?”

“Seeing as Didi was caught on two video recordings admitting she lied about your accusations, he’s planning on using Scarlet’s potential lawsuit as a bargaining chip. Don’t worry, Zen. He’ll make sure everything turns out fine.”

Sunny let out a sigh of relief, “Wow, Sugar really is such a great guy, huh? He can fix anything!”

Cannon huffed at her showering compliments to Sugar, “He’s just a guy with loads of money who gets his rocks off from watching people squirm under his power. That’s not admirable.”

“Is somebody jealous?” Red teased, “You two aren’t that much different. You like to make other people’s lives a living hell too. You know, just like how you never replace the toilet paper.”

“What? The rolls are right under the sink, you can do it yourself!”

“When duty calls the last thing I think about is digging in the cabinets. I have to drop the kids off at the pool on time!”

“As the lifeguard at the pool, I say you spend too much time there! Flush the damn kids and don’t make me wait an hour to piss!”

“You two are so gross!” Sunny cried as she shook her head. She turned to Zen with curiosity in her eyes, “Why do you call her Didi anyway?”

Zen blushed furiously as he began to stutter, “O-oh, W-well you see…”

Cannon elbowed Sunny before he motioned towards his chest, “It’s because she’s got-”

“Double the pleasure, double the fun!” Red interjected.

She looked between them all with a disgusted look on her face, “It’s because of her breast size?! How barbaric! Ugh, I can’t believe I work with a group of Neanderthals!”

Red snickered, “Hey, don’t blame us. She’s the one that boasted about it first. ‘Blah blah, these are natural’.”

Cannon howled in laughter, “Yeah! Like we’d believe that!”

Sunny scoffed and grabbed her tray, “Idiots, all of you! I’m checking on my tables.” Cannon swiped his notepad and followed her, continuing to heckle as they walked.

Zen let out a hefty sigh as they both walked off. Quirking his head as he felt a light thud on his arm his attention went to Clicks, presumably the culprit of launching the wad of napkins towards him, “Hmm?”

“Just a bit of splash, yes? You weren’t lying to her?”

“Why would I lie to her, Clicks?” Zen bent over to pick up the trash, shooting it into the trashcan like it were a basketball. “Yes!” He congratulated himself before holding his hand up to Clicks for a high-five. When he wasn’t met with another hand he turned his head to look at the scowling man, “Don’t leave me hanging, man!”

“You drank today.”

“What? I just told you I didn’t! What is with everyone today?” Zen started untying his apron from around his waist, “Red, I’m taking my break. I’m going to call my girlfriend.”

Red nodded as he wiped some glasses down, watching him walk to the office from the corner of his eye. The moment the door closed he rushed over to Clicks, “Hey, you knew him during his situation before. How bad was he back then?”

“How bad was it? For a few weeks, if he wasn’t sleeping he was drunk. Sugar had to tackle him down at one point to make sure he wouldn’t drive his motorcycle home after a night of binging at a bar. Zen is a wonderful person but he feels emotions so greatly and sometimes doesn’t know how to deal with them. I know he told me once that when he was drunk he didn’t feel anything. But even before that he would drink a lot of beer just because. It eased his stress from working so much.”

“Do you think he’d drink even if he didn’t have stress?”

Clicks ran his finger along the edge of the glass as he found the words to answer the question. “He would always have a few casual drinks here and there. His fridge is filled with beer normally,” He replied slowly, “He was good about controlling himself in the past but when he started getting more roles and the pressure hit, he spiraled. Why do you ask?”

Red looked around and leaned in to speak in a low tone, “He took a shot earlier, said that he got headaches if he didn’t drink. That’s not good, Clicks.”

Clicks closed his eyes and raised his hands to rub at his temples in small circular motions, “Shit, it’s worse than we thought. I honestly didn’t know that it was having a physical effect on him or else I would have been more stern.”

“It’s not your fault, Clicks. He’s pretty good at hiding things.”

Clicks looked down at his vibrating phone and groaned as he saw the name of the person who texted him, “Damnit, I need to go for a bit. My girlfriend is upset about something and I need to go calm her down. Keep an eye on him for me, will you? I’ll talk to him when I get back.”

As Red started waving him off but Sunny ran up and called out to Clicks, “Wait up, I’ll leave with you!” She ripped her apron off and threw it at Red, “Zen let me take a few hours off tonight so I could go talk to one of my professors. I’ll be back to help close!”

“Aye, that was tonight? we’ll hold down the fort. You two be careful!”

As the two left Zen emerged from the office, whistling a merry tune to himself. Stepping back behind the bar he looked around, “Did Clicks leave?”

Red nodded, “Yeah, he has some sort of emergency with his girlfriend to take care of.”

“Oh? An emergency with that woman means he probably loaded the dishwasher wrong and she blew up about it.”

Red shrugged, “Probably. Oh, Sunny headed off too. She had that thing at school.”

“Right, right.” Zen mused to himself, “That’s fine, it hasn’t been too crazy in here. I think we can handle it until she gets back.” He looked up when a familiar group of girls that greeted him in chorus entered the bar. He smiled brightly and waved, “Hello ladies! It’s been awhile, where have you been hiding?”

“Oh you know, life and stuff.” A brunette approached the bar and unashamed leaned forward to expose her cleavage, “But we’ve all missed you, Zenny~! How about you show us a good time tonight?”

He watched as the others found seats around the bar top, “Well ladies, I can definitely serve you drinks but anything else is out of the question, I’m afraid. I’m officially off the market.”

The women all groaned in disappointment, chattering at him with a myriad of questions. He stepped back a bit with a laugh, “Now now, you are all still my princesses so let me get you a round of drinks on the house!”

“Take a shot with us, Zenny!” One of the girls pleaded, “We haven’t been here in so long!”

He let in a sharp inhale before shaking his head, “Sorry ladies, I can’t. But I can serve you up some!”

As he started up the round of shots the brunette reached over and touched his arm lightly, “Oh come on, Zenny! I’m leaving for a few months for a new job and I won’t see you for a while! You won’t even have one on my behalf?”

He bit his bottom lip and looked around, noticing that Red had went to deliver some drinks to a table, “Okay, just one! Because I like you girls.” The girls cheered and took the shots, holding them up in a toast. Zen cleared his throat and held his up, “To the beautiful ladies that I will always welcome into my bar!” They all took it and giggled between each other, asking for another round.

He served them, but the brunette frowned towards him, “No toast to my new job?” Zen gasped and poured himself another shot, “Hold on, that deserves a proper toast!” He held it up to the group, “To your new job and new adventures!”

The evening continued and slowly his inhibitions lowered as he continued to take shots with the girls who had stolen all of his attention. It became busy and Red hadn’t noticed Zen sneaking shots constantly since he was still quick to fill orders. During a moment of slowed movement Red finally took a breather to look at Zen. His eyes widened at the sight: Zen’s shirt was completely unbuttoned, a filled shot glass in each hand, the brunette sitting on the counter cheering him on.

“What the hell?” Red rushed over and pulled him away, “What are you doing?! I can overlook one shot but…” He looked his boss over, noticing him swaying a bit, “Are you drunk?”

Zen rolled his eyes, “Nah, man. I’m fine! We are celebrating her last few days in the city! Don’t kill my buzz.”

“I won’t be the one killing you, you know.” He tried to pull the shot glasses out of his hands but Zen pushed him away and took them both in quick succession, “You’re too slow~!”

Red grabbed at his arm desperately, “Zen, just stop drinking now and I’ll forget anything happened. You can’t get out of hand like this!”

Zen pulled himself away and glared at his employee, “I am completely in control! I’m just having a bit of fun with these lovely ladies and you’re just jealous that they aren’t giving you attention!”

Red backed away as his boss turned back around to serve up another round of shots. “Zen…” He said softly, “I’m sorry…” He grabbed his phone to send a text to Clicks, “I can’t let this go on any further.”

Fifteen minutes later Clicks came back to the bar followed by a visibly upset Scarlet. Zen turned to shout a greeting towards the jingle above the door but his expression fell as he saw her, “Jagi! I, uh, thought you had work tonight?”

She made her way towards the group, staring him down as she did everything to hold her composure, “I need to talk to you.”

“Hey, he’s partying with us tonight, get in line!” the brunette sitting on the counter said, crossing her arms. Scarlet switched her gaze towards the girl, “I’m his girlfriend. I suggest you move.”

“But he-”

“Beat it!” Scarlet bellowed causing all of them to immediately scatter. Zen had turned around to try to gather himself, wiping his face down with a towel before struggling to button up his shirt, “How was your day, sweetie?”

She leaned forward and motioned him closer, “Come here.”

His breath hitched in his throat as he stayed frozen in his place, “Scarlet, let’s talk in my office, okay?” She blinked at him and quickly moved to go behind the bar, pressing up against him. Taking a deep breath through her nose she glared, “You’ve been drinking.”

He shook his head, “N-no! It’s been really busy tonight and I’ve served a lot of alcohol-” “I can smell it on your breath. You’re lying to me.” She backed away slowly, “You’re lying. But why? Zen, you promised!”

“Jagi, I-”

“No.” She interrupted him once more, “Don’t you dare call me that. You don’t deserve to call me that! You told me you would stop drinking and you are doing it behind my back!”

Zen held his arms out in incredulously, “I was just entertaining my customers! What’s the big deal? Sure I had a few drinks, who cares! It doesn’t matter what I do for work!”

“It matters to me.” She replied softly, “It matters because you promised me not to do it. Do my feelings not matter to you?”

He clenched his fists and looked her straight in the eye, “Did you think of my feelings when you left me alone two years ago?” He stood up straight to try to tower over her, “I needed you more than anything and you dumped me! My life was falling apart and you were having the time of your life overseas! I think me having a few damn drinks in my own bar shouldn’t be a problem!”

Clicks rushed over as he heard Zen raise his voice, standing between them, “Guys, lets be rational. We can discuss this in the office.”

Scarlet took in a deep inhale and let it expel slowly, ignoring the man that had stood in front of her, “You ignored me for two years, Zen. Two years!” Even though her voice elevated in volume it was biting with emotional distress, “I never got to be mad! You retreated into your own self-pity when you had no reason for it! You called me a worthless girlfriend and that I didn’t care about you since I wouldn’t drop everything to come running! I told you to wait for the weekend so I could get a plane ticket and you called me a piece of shit!”

Zen immediately calmed as every nerve he had left his body. Coming to his senses he couldn’t believe he would speak to her in the manner that he had just moments ago. Of course she was right. The evening he was fired from his role and his manager dropped him he had indeed called her as he hit an all time low, more drunk than he ever had been. The horrible things he said to her haunted his dreams ever since and for her to bring it back up cause that ache in his heart that kept him up so many nights.

He slowly held his arm out around Clicks to try to reach her, “Scarlet…”

“No!” She backed away further as the tears she had been holding back finally fell down her cheeks, “I gave you a second chance and you couldn’t even keep your promise to me. I didn’t even matter enough to you to stay away from alcohol. It’s obvious what you care about more.”

Zen shook his head and tried to get closer to her, “No, Scarlet, please!”

She walked from behind the bar and looked away, “I can’t be with you if I can’t trust you. You say you love me but I just can’t believe that anymore. I’m sorry that I’m doing this to you again, Zen. We’re over. Don’t come looking for me. I thought I was enough to help you through this but apparently I’ve just made things worse.”

He pushed against Clicks to get around him but the man stood his ground. Being under the influence it was hard for Zen to exert his full strength to fight, “Don’t leave me, Jagi. I need you!”

“I don’t think you know what you need anymore, Zen.” She made her way to the door, looking back at him with remorse in her eyes, “You need to find your way on your own and not depend on me anymore. Take care of yourself, sweetie.”

Zen let up and dejectedly leaned against the counter as he watched her walk out. Clicks reached to place his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Zen, I’m sorry.”  The bartender shook the hand off, “I just want to be left alone.” He grabbed a bottle of vodka and headed for his office.

“Zen, talk to me!” Clicks called out as he went to follow him.

“No. Leave me alone.” He slammed the door to the room, the sound of the lock clicking loudly.

Red came up and sighed, “We did the right thing, bud. He may be hurt now but it wouldn’t have been fair to her if he continued to do it behind her back. We need to fix this, though, before it gets any worse.”

Clicks pulled out his phone and hesitantly scrolled through his contacts, “I know, Red. I’ll call Sugar, he’ll know what to do.”

tag a lag a ding dong: @illneverrecover @zenscrotch @suzunesays @serensama @sinfulinsecret