#is someone gonna match his freak (flop)

[scuderiashira]

I’ve been a nasty girl nasty

[dreamofbecoming]

yeah alright this got away from me. posting in pieces, part one is just stobin, no shippy stuff. steddie and rockie to follow. i'll drop it on ao3 once all 3 parts are done

now on ao3!

platonic stobin

rating: t

wc: 3.5k

---

Robin stopped being surprised by Steve Harrington showing up at her bedroom window months ago. Jesus, there's a sentence her 16 year old self wouldn't fucking believe for a second. The Hair, climbing up the trellis her dad built for the roses her mom planted and then forgot about three months later? Yeah right, as if. But it turns out alternate dimensions and sci-fi movie monsters and Russian conspiracies in Bumfuck, Nowhere, USA are all real, so how surprising really is The King himself, collapsing through her window with all the grace of a baby giraffe, out of breath like he- holy shit, did he fucking run here?

"Dingus, did you run here? What the hell?"

"Had to- hang on, Jesus. Holy shit." He bends over, hands on his knees, panting like he just ran a marathon. Which, she guesses, he almost did.

"You have a car, you lunatic, what could possibly be so important?"

"Didn't think about it. Had to get here."

"Is someone dead?!" Oh fuck, Is the Upside Down back? Oh shit, oh no, it can't be back, right? Superhero girl closed the gates! Right?! Oh god, oh no, oh fuck, it's back, the Russians are back, they realized they couldn't let her live after what she's seen, her parents will never even know what happened to her, and they'll kill Dingus too, and dorky little Henderson, and that menace Erica, oh god, they're gonna die, and Hopper's gone and superhero girl is far away and she doesn't have superpowers anymore anyway, which is frankly bogus because what the hell, Robin never even got to hang out with a real live magic person before, which, ok, that's a selfish thought, but that's ok, we can think selfish thoughts and then set them aside and not act on them, thoughts are not actions, thoughts happen all the time without our consent, they don't determine our character-

"Bobs, you're spiraling. Nothing bad happened, I just realized something and I freaked out and I had to talk to you right away. Forgot to call. Sorry, I should have called. Ran straight out of the house. I don't even think my shoes match, what the fuck?"

She's gonna kill him, she really is.

She loves him so much.

"Jesus, you're insane. Sit, you absolute dweeb. I'm getting you some water, when I get back you can tell me what the hell is going on."

He's sitting on her bed when she gets back upstairs, staring at something in his hands. Christ, his hands are shaking. What the fuck, Dingus?

He takes the water and downs it in one go- ugh, sports guys- then flops onto his back and covers his eyes with a miserable groan.

"I know we've got the whole twin telepathy thing going on, bubba, but I'm gonna need at least a little bit to work with here. Give me something. Is it your parents? The kids? Uh, what was her name? From Thursday? Janice?"

"Janine, and no. Ugh. Here." The arm not covering his eyes flops out towards her, holding- ah. A zine. He had promised to drive up to Indy last weekend to the secret bookshop she told him about and get her some new ones, even though she couldn't go with him because her cousin Randy got caught cheating on his fiancée and her parents made her come with the rest of the family to help him move. Fucking Randy. Maybe he should make better choices, so the rest of them wouldn't have to clean up his messes. Jerk.

Anyway.

"Marked the page." Which, yep, there's a purple paper clip stuck to a page near the middle, because Steve knows how much she hates people who dogear books, even books that aren't really books at all, so he's been training himself out of it, because he's sort of the best. Again, 16 year old Robin would have her committed for thinking that, but here we are.

The pamphlet isn't one of the periodicals she sent him for, so he must have picked it up on his own. It looks handmade, just some folded sheets that look like they came out of a typewriter, bound with the kind of twine you can buy at the hardware store. It's called Awakenings. The page he's marked looks like a personal essay, no title, no real signature, just a pair of initials at the end of the page and a half of writing. She starts reading, trying to figure out what the hell spooked Steve so bad.

"I've always been normal. I've always had crushes on men, just like the other girls. There was never a feeling of "I'm different," or "Oh, this is wrong." There was never anything to think very hard about. I'd giggle and blush when the boys looked over at us on the playground, same as everyone else. Later on when I was older I looked at my poster of Harrison Ford, shirtless and hairy and sweating, and I touched myself, and it felt good, just like it was supposed to. I didn't mind thinking of my future husband, and our future kids, and the pretty house with the pretty garden we'd have, just like my parents have, just like they wanted for me. I was normal. Everything was fine.

I thought everything about me was normal. So I didn't understand why the other girls at sleepover parties would giggle and stop and say "Ew, gross!" when we practiced kissing. It felt nice! I wanted to keep going! But it seemed like no one else did. I didn't understand why none of them talked about getting butterflies in their stomach when Laura, who was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, transferred in our senior year, why they seemed so angry at her. Those butterflies were what jealousy felt like, right? So why did the other girls seem to feel so different?

I made my first lesbian friend in college, on the very first day, right across the hall in my dorm. We sat next to each other at Orientation and I thought I'd never have another best friend that wonderful in my whole life, so I'd hold on to her with everything I had. She came out to me the night before Christmas break, hiding under the blankets in my dorm room with the twinkling lights glowing. She was so scared. I held her and told her I loved her no matter what, and she seemed so glad, to have someone to talk to.

When she talked about falling in love with girls, I was so confused. The way she described it sounded like what it felt like to have girlfriends, I was sure. I felt that all the time. I asked her if she was sure she was gay, and she looked so shocked and angry and hurt, and I didn't know how to fix it, so I tried to explain. That what she felt couldn't be liking girls, because I felt that too, and I was normal. I liked boys, so I couldn't be gay. I couldn't be.

I'm glad it was her I said all that to. If someone else had told me about being bisexual, I think I would have hated them. I would have cried, and screamed, and said horrible things. Because I wasn't gay, I was normal, and it was so scary to think that might be a lie. Thank God it was her, my best friend in the world, who I never want to lose. Thank God I listened.

Because I'm not normal. I'm queer. I like men, and I like women. I can love them both the same, but it doesn't matter anymore, because I love her. I love her, and she loves me, and I don't need to be normal anymore."

Robin's face feels wet, which probably means she's crying. She cries a lot, reading these sorts of stories, in the zines she has to keep hidden under her bed, or, these days, at Steve's house. It's never going to be her, she knows. Not here in Hawkins, but it still makes something ache deep inside her, like pressing on a bruise, but in a good way, seeing love happen to other people. People like her. Seeing that it can.

"So?"

Oh shit. Right, Dingus. They're about him right now. Something about this essay in particular freaked him out.

"Uh. It's. A nice essay? I'm glad things worked out for them?"

Stevie lets out a pathetic whine, sort of like back at Scoops when he earned a particularly bad tally on the You Suck board. "Robbiiiiiiieeeee!"

"I'm sorry! I think I'm missing something, what's wrong with this essay? I don't get it, bubba, I'm sorry. I need some context." She does feel bad. Usually she can pluck whatever's bothering him right out of his brain and into the light, where it almost never looks as bad, but she's at a loss right now.

He's got both hands over his face again, and his response is so muffled she can't make out a word.

"Try again in human sounds, please."

"Ugh! I thought everyone felt like that!"

Huh? "Felt like...what, exactly?"

"Like that!" He flails wildly at the pamphlet in her hands. He's sitting up now, hair all askew from tugging at it, and there's a vaguely worrying crazed look in his eye, like right before he tackled that guard. "Like kissing boys and girls both feel nice, and like seeing a handsome guy and feeling jealous of him makes my stomach flutter, and like having friends feels the same as having crushes! I thought that was just how everyone felt all the time!"

Oh.

Oh.

Oh no.

Poor Dingus! No wonder he panicked and ran here like a crazy person!

"Stevie, can I hug you? Please?" She's not much for physical touch most of the time, but Steve is, and also she's found in the last few months that she doesn't mind so much when it's him. She sort of understands why other people like hugs so much, if they always feel like hugging Steve feels for her. And she really thinks he needs to be hugged, right now.

He nods miserably. She drapes her arms around his shoulders and holds on as tight as she can, hauling him sideways until he's practically laying down on her. He clutches her back and buries his face in her shoulder. She can feel her neck getting wet with tears, a sensation that would normally make her want to claw off her own skin, but this isn't about her. Dingus needs her.

"It's ok, bubba. I'm so sorry. I know how scary this is. When I first figured out I had a crush on Linda Sanderson I cried so hard I threw up, you know? I get it. It's gonna be ok, I promise. We'll make it ok. We faced down evil Russians and giant meat monsters, what's a little sexuality crisis, huh? We got this! We're the goddamn Wonder Twins!"

He snorts at that, which she's pretty sure leaves snot on her neck, which. Ew. Still. Problems for Later Robin.

"We are not, Will and El are the Wonder Twins."

"Uh, nope, no chance, I barely even met them so therefore I am vetoing their application. Sorry kiddos, better luck next time! Find your own nickname, losers!"

Steve sits back, laughing, and she preens a little at being able to bring him back from the brink so easily. She loves him so much she feels like she's glowing with it, sometimes. It almost makes her wish she was straight, because what girl is she ever going to find who loves her this much? But only almost, because. Well. Girls, amiright? Phew.

"So what now, Stevie? You wanna say it out loud? That helps, sometimes. You wanna not say it out loud? You wanna go to a gay bar and find you a boy? You wanna never think about it again? It's totally your call."

"Say it out loud, huh?"

"Hm. It took me like a month, and then the first time I could only say it sitting in the back of my closet with the bedroom door locked and the closet door closed, and I could only whisper it. Just "I'm a lesbian," to myself, like the world's most ironic little goblin. And I had to throw up again after. But it did feel good, once I rinsed my mouth out, anyway. Cleansing, you know? And it gets easier every time." Steve's eyebrows are raised and he's chuckling again, so that's a win. She's not lying, but it is sort of funny, she supposes. In hindsight, anyway.

"Ok. Ok, I can do that. I think. Yeah, I can do that."

She's so proud of him. He's the bravest person she's ever met, she thinks. "You wanna get in the closet?"

"Isn't the whole point to come out of the closet, Robs?" He's smirking at her. Bastard. She whacks him in the shoulder on principle. He may be having a crisis, but he's still a jackass. Her favorite jackass in the whole world, but still.

"Har har, you're a regular Bob Hope. Alright then, bigshot, let's hear it."

A little of that fear creeps back onto his face, and she wishes she could wipe it off, but that's not how this works. They can't make the scary things less scary. He couldn't make the Russians less terrifying, but he could hold her hand and make her laugh and carry some of that fear with her. She can do that for him now, too.

She grabs his hand, and he clutches back tightly. He takes a deep breath.

"I'm...fuck. Ok. Ok, I can do this. I'm...bisexual." The air leaves him in a big whoosh, and he laughs a little. "Yeah, ok, fuck. I'm bisexual. Holy shit, Robbie, I'm bisexual!"

"Hell yeah you are!" She's grinning so hard her cheeks hurt. She's so fucking proud of him.

He's laughing again, a little hysterically, and he hugs her tight again, and she holds him back just as close and thinks oh, he's like me. I'm not alone. I have Steve, and he's like me, and he's mine forever and ever.

When they separate, she looks at him seriously.

"So do you, like, want this to be a thing? Because we can totally make it a thing, and like, get me a fake ID and go to a gay bar and do all kinds of wild shit if you want, but we don't have to, you know? If you need to just, like. Digest this, for a while. It's totally up to you, I just know it took me a while to feel ok with it, and I have no idea if it's different for you but I just want to be what you need, you know? You've been so good with me, and I've never had a queer friend before, so I don't know how, but I want to be just as good to you. You're my Dingus and I love you and I don't know how much of a gay guru I can be on account of, you know, I've never met any gay people besides me and the pretty lady at the bookstore but I couldn't even get real human words to come out of my mouth when I tried to talk to her so I don't think that counts, you know? But I still wanna help! Let me help!"

"Bobbie! Bobbie breathe, you're gonna pass out. I don't think I need a gay guru, I just need a gay best friend, and I have that, so I promise I'm good, ok? Promise. Also I love you too.”

She takes a deep breath, following his lead the way they worked out in the horrible days after Starcourt, when she couldn't sleep without him next to her, warm and alive and breathing, and even then she would wake up in the night with her breath coming short and her vision tunneling and Steve would hold her hand against his chest and breathe slowly, in and out, until she could follow him, and the world wasn't so terrible and scary and loud anymore.

She still thinks about that awful hour underground, thinking she was strapped to the corpse of a boy she never let become her friend, but Steve is always there now when she needs him, and he never complains when she grabs his wrist or puts her head on his chest to make absolutely sure that big, stupid heart is still beating.

When she's breathing normally again, he drops their joined hands down between them, toying idly with the chain linking her ring to her bracelet. "I think...I think I'm glad I said it, and I'm glad we talked about it, but can we maybe just...put it away, for a while? Like it's not...ugh. I guess this is kind of shitty to say, so like, hit me if you want, I guess, but I kind of don't think it matters right now?"

"No no, that makes perfect sense! Like, you still like girls, right?" He nods. "And you don't like. Have a crush on any boys right now. Or do you? Oh man if you do you have to tell me though, it's platonic soulmate law. It's in the bylaws, Steve, don't make me soulmate fine you!"

He laughs and shoves her face away. "Jesus, Rob, no! I don't have a crush on any guys, who would I even crush on in this town? We're not exactly swimming in eligible bachelors. I don't have a crush on anybody at all, I'd tell you, I swear. I know the rules!"

"Oh phew, good. You have to tell me when you do, though, I'm way excited to get you back for making fun of Tammy."

"It was the God's honest truth, Bobbie! She sings like a muppet!"

"Oh my god, shut up, Dingus! Ugh! As I was saying, you super duper have to tell me when you do, but for now, I think maybe you don't have to think about it really at all if you don't want. I mean, practically speaking, it's not really relevant to your everyday life, so we can totally revisit when that changes, but you don't have to like. Join a pride parade tomorrow, you know? You are you who are no matter what. You don't have to prove anything to anyone, especially not to me, not ever."

He leans his head on her shoulder, and she scritches her nails through his hair. It really has no right being as soft as it is, with the amount of hairspray he uses. It's frankly rude, is what it is.

"Thanks, Bobs. I think I'm just gonna put it away for now. It just...another thing to know about me, you know? Like, I'm bad at fighting people but good at fighting monsters, all my best friends are kids except you, I'm bi but it doesn't matter because there aren't any boys to date in Hawkins anyway. Plus my dad would kill me if he found out. Like actually kill me, not "oh geez I missed curfew, my dad's gonna kill me" type kill me, like I think he'd actually try and beat me to death. So there's really no reason to talk about it right now, you know?"

There's a pit of ice in her stomach, and she tightens her arm around him like she can keep him safe just by holding on tight enough. She hates how casually he said that, just like she hates how casually he always talks about how his parents treat him, like he honestly believes it's normal. "Jesus, Dingus. You know you can come here if you need, right? My parents love you, they already think we're getting married. They'd make you sleep in the guest room, but I could sneak you in here easy."

He snorts again. "We're totally gonna end up married for tax reasons anyway, we're never beating the rumors." That makes her snort, too. He's not wrong, though. She isn't going to be allowed to have a wife anytime soon, and if she has to choose someone to be her next of kin, it's always gonna be him. They're planning to move in together when she goes to school next year anyway. No one is ever gonna believe them that they aren't dating, but that's...fine. Honestly, there are worse things. Better to have Steve by her side than not, and if no one else understands them, well, they understand each other, don't they? That's more than enough.

"Yeah, I know I can come here if I need, Robs. It's fine mostly, I swear. They're not home until Christmas anyway."

He takes another deep breath, like he's settling himself. "I'm just glad we talked about it. I feel better now."

She cards her fingers through his hair again, basking in the feeling of her favorite person so close, and so content. "I'm glad, Dingus."

They're alive, and they're together, and they're queer, and neither of them is ever going to have to be alone again.

"Hang on, did you say you've kissed girls and boys?!"

part 2 part 3

[mikolovesracing]

are you gonna kiss me or not? pt 1

//::george is constantly teasing oscar about how cute him and lando would be together, until an incredibly questionable night with the boys::\\

🧡🖤requests and inbox is open🖤🧡

ok dont judge me. but ik lando has listened to country music on occasion and i love country music. unapologetically:) two parter for you guys who like that kinda shit:)

—————————————————————

“lando! i told you five minutes ago to be ready in five minutes!” charles shouted from the bathroom as he smoothed down his button up and placed his sunglasses in the middle like an accessory.

“and i told you i thought this was a fucked idea and you’re all muppets!” lando replied, criss cross on his bed but most certainly could be ready to go if forced to.

“we’re in VEGAS! get off your ass, fluff out your hair or whatever and come with us! look! i got shots!”

“it won’t even be fun, we’re just going to lose a bunch of money and be hungover tomorrow from running around, what about this seems like a good idea? besides, we have a RACE this weekend, may i remind you? partying on a wednesday is like, weird?”

charles huffed and pulled his phone out of his pocket, furiously typing away. lando tapped on the group chat and watched, silently enjoying the show.

charlie lec: lando is being a bitch

maxxy v: well in his defense he’s not much of a gambler

danny ric: I DON’T CARE HE’S FUCKING COMING

sir hamilton: someone come get they boy fr

chronically shirtless: oscar*

alex albon: oscar*

carloOOOOOs: oscar*

lance stroll: oscar*

no1 american: oscar*

yukiiiiiiiiiiiii: oscar*

gasLY: oscar*

oscar piastri: what is wrong with all of you, honestly?

oscar piastri: were NOT dating

oscar piastri: NOT TOGETHER

oscar piastri: just happen to be two homos on the same team. you’re all freaks.

chronically shirtless: well somebodys gotta match MY freak

gasLY: what i’m here for!

charlie lec: JUST COME GET HIM

chronically shirtless: drag him if you must oscar

oscar piastri: if he doesn’t want to go don’t make him???? you all suck???? peer pressure much?????

charlie lec: OSCAR

charlie lec: PASTRY

charlie lec: piastri*

charlie lec: just come get him! 616.

oscar piastri: fine.

maxxy v: charles is very convincing

chronically shirtless: should i come too?

chronically shirtless: correction, can i come too?

lando onewins: if even one of you besides oscar steps in this room, i will make it my personal ojective to kick your ass from here to next week.

“you really are just a massive pain in the ass, charlie.” lando huffed, letting his body fall backwards.

“yes.” charles replied, spraying cologne on himself, there was a knock on the door and he practically skipped to the door, opening it and letting oscar come in. he stepped inside and walked over to the far end of the room, standing over lando, arms crossed over his chest and grinning down at him.

“come on, get up.” oscar said holding out a hand.

“i really don’t like gambling, oscar.” lando defended himself. oscar grabbed lando’s hand and pulled him forward, lando let his body stay limp and smirked to himself as oscar was still succeeding againt lando’s deadweight…with one arm.

“come on, please? you don’t have to gamble you can just like drink or something, i dunno, i’m just not gonna be bullied by a group of twelve year olds in mid twenties bodies tonight.”

“if you’re asking me to babysit, absolutely not.”

“not babysit just join us! be there in like the moment and shit.”

“you sound so corny right now.”

“and you sound like a bitchy gay. get up.”

lando felt his face go white and he nodded with pursed lips, flopping himself over and sitting up on the bed. he could leave in what he was in, a completely sheer black button down which he felt incredibly exposed in, a pair of black slacks and lime green trainers that he insisted upon even when charles said they were the most hideous shoes he had ever seen. he twiddled with his bracelets, snapping a particularly stretchy one that a fan had given him against his wrist to calm his anxiety. he hated vegas. it was so campy and stupid and a waste of money, sure there were neat parts like seeing the different hotels, the cirque shows, booze, but gambling was so far out of his forte that it ruined the entire desert city for him. oscar equally as hated gambling, quite literally the opposite of fun for him but he had been really enjoying roulette this trip around and was hoping to sit at a table for maybe twenty minutes before getting bored and watching someone else lose money.

but oscar loved seeing lando, and the pictures that lando took when they went out with their friends. lando was always incredibly observant and had a way of capturing moments that otherwise would be lost to time and memory. oscar had saved and printed a lot of the pictures that lando would take, sticking them to the wall in his room above his bed so that he could always reflect on good memories, find some solace of peace when he was thinking too hard at odd hours of the night by himself that he longed to be spent holding the older mclaren driver to his chest, running his fingers through his hair and pressing soft kisses on his forehead.

danny ric: did you peer pressure little lando norris enough into coming pastry boy?

sir hamilton: ^^^

yukiiiiiiiiiiiii: i’ll come pull him off the bed if you need help

gasLY: you can’t reach the bed yuki

yukiiiiiiiiiiiii: ouch:(

maxxy v: did pierre upset little yuki :,((

danny ric: womp womp

chronically shirtless: yeah womp womp:(

alex albon: the slander lol

charles lec: you can all be here in five if they don’t end up having sex on the bed

chronically shirtless: I’M SORRY WHAT?

no1 american: SORRY??????

danny ric: not surprised

carlOOOOOs: >:( ew

maxxy v: well thats now a vision in my head that i can’t get out

estie bestie ocon: have i missed something?

yukiiiiiiiiiiiii: i hate all of you separately and on a deeply personal level.

lando onewins: i will ensure

lando onewins: that each one of you

lando one wins: dies slowly

oscar piastri: and painfully

oscar piastri: very painfully

lando onewins: this is homophobia and you’re all dead the moment you enter the threshold of this suite.

oscar piastri: AND STOP CALLING ME FUCKING PASTRY BOY

chronically shirtless: lol

maxxy v: lol

danny ric: k pastry boy

yukiiiiiiiiiiiii: YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN WITH THE BULLYING??? YOU’RE ALL SO MEAN

gasLY: sorry yuki can’t hear you from down there get a chair to stand on

yukiiiiiiiiiiiii: eat shit and die pierre.

gasLY: love you too!!!!!!!

chronically shirtless: wait esteban is still in this chat wtf?

estie bestie ocon: yes? why? problem georgie?

chronically shirtless: YOU NEVER REPLY! i have perfect reason to think you’re not in it besides you always threaten to leave when i start sending memes

sir hamilton: and you reply too much

chronically shirtless: we are TEAMMATES lewis! you should be on my side:(

danny ric: exile the brit.

sir hamilton: which one?????

lando onewins: suddenly im only belgian.

chronically shirtless: you can’t mean me, i literally keep this chat alive!

danny ric: goodbye george russel.

danny ric removed chronically shirtless

lando onewins: hey im british again!

estie bestie ocon: lol

charles re-entered the room and smiled at the sight of a standing lando and frowning at his once again horrendous choice of balenciagas. he clasped his hands together, pulling the two mclaren drivers who were seemingly having a staring contest out of their hypnosis.

“there’s about to be a lot of people in this room. i would stop undressing each other with your eyes now.” charles stated, fixing his hair in the full length mirror one last time. oscar joined him in the mirror, trying to fix his flop of hair so it laid perfectly across the side of his face. lando wasn’t too pressed about his curls, knowing they were going to get blown around in the cool breeze of las vegas no matter what he did. he had thought about bringing his camera but remembered that he does indeed fall easily to peer pressure and will do the utmost to outdrink pierre gasly at all costs.

charles leclerc wasn’t lying, within the next ten minutes over half the grid was in the rather small hotel room, crowding the two beds and talking incredibly loudly amongst each other. lando slipped in an airpod and shuffled his playlist. brooks and dunn’s sweet melodic tone filled his ear and he was able to drown out the chaotic part of the room where someone was passing around fireball shooters of all liquors, one of them ending up in his hand. he cracked open the lid, regrettably sniffed it and threw it back down the hatch. he physically shivered at the spicy liquid and rubbed his face, tossing the empty bottle in the bin. oscar smiled directly at him and put a stabilizing hand on lando’s shoulder but neither was sure who it was meant to hold up, the touch was welcome anyways and lando slung an arm around oscar’s back.

oh god what if this is too much? what if someone notices and catches on? we say it as a joke but what if like, someone thinks we’re actually together or something? would that be such a bad thing?

lando wouldn’t let himself just have anything, letting his brain spiral and pick apart the implications that having his arm around oscar’s back might have. he was supposed to be the cool headed, older and mature, chill natured one and instead he felt like a giddy teenager talking to his crush for the first time. everyone kind of unspokenly knew there was something between them that neither would admit to, but everyone had a rough idea that lando liked oscar and vice versa. but with neither of them confirming nor denying rumours, it was eventually decided on that they’d just bully the two into being together as painfully obvious as they were.

“allright lando?” oscar said looking to the brit who nodded with a smile. “what are you listening to?”

“oh just all your favorite american bands.” lando replied with a smirk. oscar hated country music, lando enjoyed it some and shared the enjoyment with logan who was always humming some brooks and dunn or luke bryan song.

“ugh you and your weird taste in music i swear, it’s never something normal lando.”

“never. who would i be if not for my shit taste in music?”

“gentlemen may i have your attention please?” daniel yelled over the commotion and excitement in the room, “it’s been a banger of a season so far mates, i enjoy every second i get speeding down the track next to some of the most elite racers…and max verstappen!” there was a laugh over the group, “but on this the eve of starting a weekend of exhaustion, heat and hell, it is time. tonight? we party like men! let’s get out there, load ourselves with liquor, win some money and fuck shit up!”

there was a resounding cheer in the room from every driver and another round of booze was passed around. this was going everywhere horrible fast and lando was silently enjoying every second of seeing some of his closest friends enjoying themselves. a malibu shooter ended up in his hand and one in oscar’s as well. they shared a smile, linked their arms together and tossed the coconut rum down, oscar gagging slightly at the taste.

“i don’t drink often!” oscar said over the noise. lando laughed at the already tipsy aussie who was using him for support. lando could drink six more of these and never feel a thing but he was letting the familiar buzz of relaxation wash over his body. he would regret this tomorrow.

“i know! pace yourself!”

“i don’t know that i can! i’m just a mere young lad with potential to be ruined by the most horrible influences i know.”

“i’ve got you, don’t worry!”

this was the only time tonight when lando would pick up his polaroid camera, flipping it so that he could snap a shot of him and oscar with the seemingly uncontrolled chaos in the background. it was perfect

and lando was in love.

so was oscar.

[burning-fcols]

Smash or Pass + Jack (@ Rusty)

✧   「 ᴍᴇᴍᴇ  」   ✧  

「 ☆ 」 Rusty spits out the soda he'd been drinking, not expecting THAT name to accompany the inquiry. Coughing violently, he smacks a fist against his chest in an effort to clear his lungs of the treacherous and bubbly liquid... Breathing deeply, he chooses to believe that the racing of his heart and flush to his face comes from a near-death experience and NOT being taken aback at the suggestion.

With a drawn-out sigh, he shakes his head— ears flopping from the action —as if attempting to reset himself. Pretend that his brief loss of composure can be forgotten. Or at the very least, ignored. ❝ Seriously? You're asking about that loser? That pathetic little cursed wimp? ❞ Opting for incredulousness, he barks out a harsh laugh at such an idea. Frankly, he's never considered it... and he'd rather not.

Besides, Jack is hardly his type. Right?

Not that the jackal is bad-looking... A bit on the beaten side, as to be expected when it comes to such lousy luck. But he has a decent face. Not too shabby when it comes to height. Nice voice too. If he was more on the abrasive side, showed a bit of bitchy backbone, maybe Rusty could consider— Putting a quick end to this hypothetical spiral before he starts realizing who his ❛ type ❜ is pointing toward, he hastily adds, ❝ Yeah, I'm gonna have to give it a hard pass. ❞

❝ 'Sides, have you seen the way he follows that mix-matched freak around? Jackie-Boy definitely wants to get smashed by someone, but it ain't ME. ❞ 「 ☆ 」

[otomebanshou]

My Thoughts about Cupid Parasite Sweet & Spicy Darling

NOTE: This is my personal thoughts and opinions about CupiPara SSD. None of this is to be taken seriously, but just as me expressing my thoughts SPOILERS BELOW!

My order for the game was: Gill -> Merenice -> Raul -> Ryuki -> Peter -> Shelby -> Allan

And I will say Allan was the perfect note to end on. Chefs kiss!!

Gill My beloved scrunkle. He's still my favorite of the cast, only overall being beaten out in the FD by Raul, but I'm so happy with his FD route (minus his Spicy Ending). Admittedly, I wasn't crazy about his turn towards yandere but I also wasn't completely against it as "yeah, I guess I can see him doing this" LOL. But I loved Gill and Lynette's dynamic! They really balanced each other out and while I know a lot of people get uppity about the female going towards a housewife role, honestly it doesn't bother me and Gill never forces her to do this and just wants to support her! So, I enjoyed his route and his spice was awesome I ate that shit up!!

Merenice I don't hate Merenice. I like him, but that's about it. Because of his conditions, he makes it really hard for me to see how Lynette and him can ever really be a couple! He will ONLY have feelings for her if she's still a god and he can't see her destiny. And even when that condition is fulfilled, their whole schtick and chemistry just doesn't really grow for me, so when they fucked and all that I was like kinda shook she felt something for him. I'm not one to really go "oh I can't see (MC) and (LI) as a couple" but I really can't here. Plus, as a parasite, he just doesn't match the Parasite 6's freak... like at all. He doesn't bring much humor to the table. So all my conditions to really like him were flopped, thus why he ranks as my least favorite in this game. OWEN THO?? GIVE HIM TO ME!!! I WANT HIM!!

Raul Oh sweet baby, I love you. As someone who gets hyperobsessed with things, I can relate to his outbursts of love for his myth lore. Raul had everything I wanted/expected from SSD, especially since I was not expecting the rest of the routes, minus Allan's, to take such a weird fucking turn for their Spicy Endings. Raul's was just perfectly crafted and, like Gill, really worked well with Lynette. ALSO HOTTEST SPICY END JUST CUZ HER RED DRESS AND BEING A SPY AWOOOO!!!!

Ryuki I'm not gonna lie here, Ryuki was already doomed from the get go. I don't care for him, I don't really like any boyish/young ones. And his route didn't improve it especially since they used one of my least favorite tropes: miscommunication. It was BOUND to pop up in this game, considering married life is a huge theme in this one. But, here I fucking hated it. Lynette won't tell him her godhood the entire game and even when she does he just goes "oh ok" lmfao. Yeah it was funny, but at the same time it was like "bruh". Also I fucking HATED his spicy ending!! like wtf. I am proship, but I still have lines where I no longer enjoy something. Dubcon, ok I can work with it, and honestly the entire theme/plot of the game also plays a huge part in me enjoying it. We gotta set the mood, yknow? Ray Under spent the entire fucking route not really giving me the vibe he likes Lynette, and he even SAYS SO at the end. All for him to 180 right as the Spicy End begins and wants to suddenly have a poly relationship with her and Ryuki. Ryuki seemed against it until he ALSO changes character and is like "yeah!!! ill show u!!!" and Lynette isn't even into it!! She doesn't give consent!! She is like "ummmmm '^';;" which at that point, I couldn't enjoy it.

Peter (I don't have a yellow color option :(...) Honestly, this route was as bad as Ryuki's in my honest opinion. Just for different reasons. It's really boring. Unlike the first game, the God plot just doesn't do it here for me. His route was really forgettable outside of his atrocious Spicy End that rivals Ryuki's. Like EW? I think I'd rather do Ryuki's over Peter's again cuz that was just weird lmfao. HOW DID SHELBY'S EXTRA DONUT ENDING GET A WARNING BUT PETER'S DIDNT???? LFMAOOO!! Anyways, Peter took a big L this game and the whole awkward lead up to just Peter finally banging Lynette, tbh I couldn't remember they hadn't banged but this was awkward for me, then to boring god subplot and then the revisit to Zeus was just zZzZzZzZ.

Shelby Well, miscommunication comes up again, but it's actually done well here. Shelby's miscommunication is handled a lot better because, well, Lynette figured he wouldn't get it and honestly I did too. Of course he wasn't going to believe she was a god. I just feel like it worked better here but that's my opinion. It didn't grate my nerves as badly. Also the whole limp dick shit was so funny, poor Shelby LMFAO. Lynette being ok with it and wanting him to just talk to her was also endearing as Shelby was really cute this entire route. His Spicy Ending wasn't bad, it honestly was in the same realm as Gill's which I didn't really expect from him?? I should probably mention, I wanted them to just be sexy endings, but the writers ig wanted to go with over the top endings that weren't really for me most of the time but w/e.

Allan I'm going to preface this, I didn't really enjoy most of his route. It wasn't bad, but I also think it wasn't really fun to read most of the time. The plot, like all plots in this game, kicks in in the last 3 donuts before the ending is decided. The ending though is dragged tf out. I was starting to get more and more burnt out as the ending kept going for the S&S ending. BUT!!! I was SO rewarded! Allan's true wish was to have the one happiness he and Lynette can't achieve unless they are human: children. Now maybe it's that maternal feeling I can't help but have, even tho I don't want kids, but I love video game kids and this made my heart feel so warm. Allan is so sweet, undeniably so, and the icing on the cake was seeing that screen with the boy and girl name option that you get to pick. I was crying throughout his S&S ending and his Sweet End. I could not be consoled! So yeah, I loved it in the end!! Other than that, I don't really have much left to say! I'm feeling the burnout hard now, not from otome, but just too much wackiness and the spicy ends didn't help at all lmfao. I give this game a 8/10 (I gave the original a 9). I really enjoyed it and CupiPara is still my fave romcom otome to date. <3

[narhinafan]

Boruto flopping does makes sense tbh sp basically copied every scenes of sns and narusaku which is parallels with biased hope for shipping and nothing else! None of the characters got development rather than creating unneccassary fillers arcs and anime canons.

Sarada is a uchiha yet she is freaking embarrasing the entire time. Jealous of boruto and wanna be hokage just for fame and no other reason behind it🤦‍♀️ Naruto 24/7 yelling I'm gonna become hokage" have his reason and past which make sense but her dream is freakin fame clout chaser and mitsuki is being used as sai which is totally sad and sumire is not even in anime the half time and manga her presence matter more than sarada right now and if borusumi endgame then there gonna be protest like she didn't appear once shit💀 Sp is ruining the show!

The worse fact I totally hate about sarada is that she had no flashback or sad backstory just got bland normal ass who is my daddy finding arc? And even boruto story got changed in prophecy arc& love it that he is not just brat who wants his dad attention, finally a main goal but kawaki,sumire,mitsuki are the character they should focus more because of their sad past and all we are getting her salad getting her sharingans!

Can't wait to see how they gonna change and destroy prophecy arc to make her speech like hinata in front of kawaki and just her yelling crying and all characters got nothing but less panels and cut scenes as compared to manga😅 and also don't forget sp forcing kawasumi☠ and I'm already saying this that even her 3 tomoe arc gonna be centered and the reason of awakening will be boruto☠

Yeah like some of the canon anime only arcs are really good cause they have a proper story behind them and planned out cause the author of the manga was heavily involved. Later though you can clearly tell the difference between the fillers and proper eps, what makes it worse is cause they are fillers the story gets pulled down so much cause they are so bias that they do things that make no sense.

Sarada does have a reason to be Hokage it is cause of Naruto helping her family during Gaiden, but feels like she doesn't properly get what it means. She just found someone to look up and is copying Naruto there are several times were she doesn't show the usual will of fire and team spirit, but does a 108 after hearing Naruto's opinion. Like with Kawaki she hated him at first, but after seeing Naruto she switched to being all supportive cause she is the future Hokage.

Yeah Mitsuki got some spotlight in the filler arc, but still doesn't feel he is meeting his full potential when he is clearly one of the best next gen characters. Same with Sumire like she was shown to be match for veteran adult ninja, but she gets majorly nerfed later in the anime. Like skill wise she should be above Sarada with only Boruto and Mitsuki being equal in their ages group. Since Sumire was trained by a former root and lived to exact revenge on the village till recently. Even with Nue being weakened she should be able to do so much more, but she's been weakened to match the level of the rest of the genin.

Yeah SP forcing Kawaki and Sumire is just ruining the feeling the manga gave. Like Sumire showed actual concern when she overheard that Boruto almost died, but they removed to have it seem as she was visiting not that she was only there due to being Amado's assistant.

[wallers-platinum]

The Backseat

Max Caster x reader

Creds to @queen-of-never-monster cause she did a really cute fic (The Drive) that inspired me to write this at like 12 in the morning but yeah enjoy:)

Rampage just finished and you’re traveling to the next city. You’re going with your brother Anthony,his tag partner Max,and the Gunn Club Billy,Austin,and Colten. You guys decided for Anthony to sit in the front,Billy to drive,Austin and Colten in the middle row,with you and Max in the backseats.

(Time Skip) You’ve been in the car for hours and make a stop at the gas station for snacks and a bathroom break. You and Max stay in the car cause Max is working on his rap for his match on Dynamite. You stayed because you’re tired and don’t want to leave him alone (Mainly cause you really like him.) “Hey how’s the rap going?” You ask him quietly. “Pretty good,I’m almost done I just can’t figure out how to end it with ‘Ass Boys.’” Now’s your chance,you can finally help out someone who you always wanted to talk to. “Ok,umm how about ‘Now you’re gettin destroyed,you’re about to get schooled by Acclaimed and the Ass Boys.’” “Dude that’s actually really good I don’t know how I didn’t think of that.” He compliments your idea and you love every second of it. Everyone else gets back in the car and you and Max keep looking over the rap. What no one notices is that Max grabs your hand,or so you thought. You and Max didn’t realize that Anthony saw you two holding hands in the mirror. “You have really pretty eyes y/n.” Max tells you. “Thanks Max.” You say back. You look at his lips then back up to his eyes. You could stare into his eyes forever. He slowly leans in and kisses you. You kiss him back and it’s everything you hoped it would be. “I’ve wanted to do that for such a long time.” He says pulling away. “Trust me,me too.” You say with a laugh. “I’m getting kinda tired.” You yawn. “You’re an idiot Max Caster.” “I know.” You lay your head in his lap and doze off to sleep.

(Time Skip) “Yo dude why are you hitting on my sister?” Anthony says to Max. “It’s not my fault she’s hot,funny,and a freaking genius.” They go on and Max accidentally wakes you up by moving too much. “What’s going on?” You say sitting up tired and confused. “Nothing sweetheart,go back to sleep,you need some rest.” He says before kissing you on the forehead. You lay back down and Max and Anthony stop arguing so you can go back to sleep.

(Time Skip) You guys finally get to the hotel and get the rooms situated. Billy,Austin,and Colten in one room,and you,Max,and Anthony in the other. “I’m gonna crash.” Anthony says before flopping on his bed. You and Max share a bed and fall asleep cuddling and watching tv. “Hey y/n” “Yeah Max?” “I love you” “Love you too Max<3”

That’s the end hope you liked it and idk why the spaces are so big for the time skips and sorry it was so long but I didn’t want to have to do parts.

[farfromharry]

The one with the party | Peter’s girl

Summary: The night of Liz Allan’s infamous house party in the suburbs

Word count - 2564

Warnings - language, slight underage drinking i guess?

━━━━━━━━━♡♥♡━━━━━━━━━

The day of Liz’s party rolled around all too quickly. Mj felt as though she needed more time to prepare, she wanted to try and look cute for Peter, ignoring your reassurances that she always looked cute. Peter wanted to desperately impress Liz, and if he was going to have to pull the Spiderman card then, so what?

Ned was ready, he’d always heard about how cool Liz’s parties were but had never been invited, him and Peter being deemed nerds that obviously no one wanted to attend their house parties. You weren’t sure how you were doing. Part of you was excited to go and spend the night having fun with your friends, all dressed up and looking cute. But the other side of you felt nervous, nervous to see Peter in such a casual setting that you hadn’t seen him in before.

Of course you’d had your group study sessions, but then the main focus was science and now, the main focus was having fun.

Things for Peter and Ned felt a lot more rushed, and that freaked Peter out a considerable amount.

As disappointing as it was, the two had never actually been to a high school party, they’d only heard about them in the halls at school, or in classes where people were meant to be working. Peter and Ned had always been seen as the nerds of Midtown, so they didn’t really get invited to anything.

You had spent the last hour on the phone listening to Mj complain about how she would have to see Peter drooling over Liz the entire time, and Liz probably gushing over Peter for introducing her to Spiderman.

“Mj I just- can’t you forget about him, just for tonight?” you begged. You wanted to spend just one night where your head wasn’t filled with thoughts of Peter Parker, and if that’s all your best friend was talking about, that’s all you were guaranteed to think about.

Mj let out a groan of frustration, flopping down on her bed with her phone still pressed to her ear.

“That’s the thing,” she whined. You could practically hear the frustration in her voice now.

“I-I can’t, he’s always on my mind and I-“ you heard her take a deep breath, letting out a sad sigh. “I’m always thinking about him.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” you whispered. You didn’t mean to intentionally say it. Hell at first you hadn’t even realised you’d said something, at least not until Mj spoke up with some questions.

“Y/N, what did you just say?” She wasn’t sure she’d heard you right, but she also thought that you didn’t mean to say that out loud, and that was confirmed by the quiet gasp she heard from your end of the phone.

You laughed nervously, trying to cover up your mistake. “N-Nothing, what do you mean?”

The girl on the other end of the phone let out an excited squeal, one that almost deafened you it was so loud.

“Y/N, do you have a crush?” she asked. Your heart was racing and you were sure that if she could see you right now she’d be able to see just how flustered you are. You hadn’t actually admitted it to anyone, and you weren’t about to start now either.

“No, I don’t know what you mean,” you teased. Even if you weren’t going to explicitly come out and say out, you presumed she took your nerves as a yes, and she wouldn’t let it go until she found out who it was. But for the sake of your friendship, you weren’t going to reveal that information anytime soon. “Anyway,” you muttered, trying to quickly change the topic so you wouldn’t further embarrass yourself.

“You aren’t getting away from this that easily, miss.”

“What time should I pick you up?” you asked, avoiding her question. Mj let out a little laugh, rolling her eyes at your childish behaviour. She threw out a time and you were quick to agree, telling her you should go so you could get ready, even if part of it was so she couldn’t interrogate you any longer.

“Love you, bye,” you rambled, quickly ending the phone call before she got another word out. You took a deep breath, letting out a groan as your head lolled back against your chair.

You decided to distract yourself by getting ready, pulling out all the stops. Mj may not know who you were trying to impress, but you certainly did, and you wanted to feel amazing.

You took a long shower, letting the hot water calm you of any nerves you had about going tonight, washing them down the drains with any other negative thoughts.

After your shower you tried to pick out some clothes, a task which should not have been so difficult. You ended up getting stumped between two options, of which you sent both to Mj.

do we go 1 or 2?

definitely 2, you’d look hot as hell ;)

You replied with a quick thank you along with a blushing emoji, slipping on the pretty dress she’d picked out. As you looked it over in the mirror you were quite happy with her pick, deciding that she definitely had good taste, well when it came to outfits that weren’t hers.

Makeup didn’t go as smooth as you planned, not when you had your best friend texting you every five minutes asking you how to do a specific part of a makeup routine. You liked that she was trying but you still couldn’t help but laugh at how utterly clueless she was.

You eventually finished, deciding you were happy and now bubbling with excitement as you searched your room for the keys to your car.

You took a few deep breaths and flattened out your dress before you finally left the house. As soon as you were in your car you were sending Mj a text to tell her you were on your way and your night of fun was finally going to begin.

»»——⍟——««

“Are you ready to party?” she cheered, startling you in your seat for a second. You rolled your eyes before you let out a quiet giggle, nodding your head enthusiastically to match her energy.

She thankfully didn’t bring up the whole ‘crush’ situation from on the phone, clearly noting how stubborn you’d been about it earlier, and there was nothing Mj hated more than trying to get information out of you when you were feeling stubborn. So for now, she’d just have to accept your secret crush and leave herself pretty much dying to know.

The ride there was filled with a happy energy you hadn’t seen from your best friend in a while. You didn’t know where it came from but it made you warm inside to see.

She was straight to the drinks in the red solo cups as soon as you stepped inside the crowded house, barely even giving Liz a greeting before she was gone, leaving an Mj shaped puff of smoke in her absence.

“Sorry about her, she’s just excited to be here.” Liz told you it wasn’t a problem, inviting you inside so you could go and find the runaway brunette.

“What was that?” you scolded, bringing up where you’d specifically told her to at least pretend to be nice to the party’s host. She shrugged her shoulders, putting up an innocent façade that you could easily see through.

Mj took her opportunity to escape the conversation when she noticed your two other friends standing awkwardly in the corner.

She pointed them out to you, the two of you laughing at the uncomfortable body language they portrayed.

“Hey losers,” she called, catching Ned and Peter’s attention. You hit her arm lightly, quietly telling her to be nice to the two, oh so clearly out of place in a party scene, boys. You flashed them both your signature kind smile, your eyes lingering on Peter as he studied the room extra nervously, like more nervous than normal.

“Are you enjoying the party?” you asked. Ned nodded rapidly, elbowing Peter in the ribs rather harshly when he rudely didn’t respond. The boy in question winced, his hand coming up to soothe the spot Ned had hit him while they had a silent conversation with their eyes.

Peter eventually flashed you a tight lipped smile, his hand still clutching his aching ribs. “Great party, yeah.”

You mentally noted that he’d dressed up, and he looked good. Not that he didn’t look good normally, but you could see the effort he’d put in tonight, even if you could still see a slither of a cute science pun shirt underneath his flannel.

“Some people are playing truth or dare, me and Y/N are gonna go play,” she explained. “Do either of you want to join?”

You’d think someone was out to get the brunette with the way Peter’s head was whipping in all directions, your heart sank when you realised he was probably searching for Liz, sending Mj a secret look.

“I-I can’t, we’re actually meeting someone here soon.” You and Mj had the exact same reaction, nodding at the two boys who were acting very suspicious, and it wasn't just their normal, painfully awkward selves.

“Spiderman, right?” Mj asked, watching as almost all colour drained from Peter’s face, leaving him a ghostly pale.

“Uh, y-yeah, he said he’d come,” he muttered, fiddling with the hem of his flannel shirt. You watched the way Peter tried to convince an unimpressed Mj that nothing suspicious was happening. Even though the girl still didn’t believe him by the time she was dragging you away from the conversation.

“Bye guys,” you whispered, sending them both a polite wave.

Once Peter was sure you were both out of earshot, he turned to Ned in a panic.

“Do you think they know, Mj seemed like she knew-“ he rambled, having to be cut off by his best friend before he got too ahead of himself.

“No one knows, calm down, I doubt Mj would figure it out,” Ned reassured, patting his friend's shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah you’re right,” he mumbled, nodding his head. Peter took another look around and spotted Liz heading straight towards them, his eyes widening. She flashed the two males a sweet smile, one that would’ve had Peter’s knees buckling if it wasn’t for the super strength.

“H-Hi Liz.” His face was decorated with a dopey smile, one that you could find cute if Liz wasn’t already feeling bad for inviting him just for Spidey.

“Hey Peter, Ned,” she greeted. “Is um, is he coming?”

Peter visually deflated, his smile dropping as the corners of his lips curled down into a rather pitiful looking frown. He nervously pulled his phone out of his back pocket, motioning to it with a subtle head now.

“Yeah, I’ll just um, check in,” he murmured. Liz nodded, sending him a small sympathetic smile as she walked away. Ned turned to his best friend with another pity smile, one that made Peter outwardly groan.

“That was sad, right, it wasn’t just me?”

“Yeah, it was pretty sad.”

Peter ran over the whole scenario in his mind again, the words ‘Liz only invited you for Spiderman’ practically screaming at him. He shouldn’t even be here right now, and he wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for Ned spilling his secret to impress Liz on his behalf.

“I should go change, cover for me?” he asked. Ned nodded, the two doing their handshake before Peter snuck out of the house.

Since the spider bite, roofs had become one of his favourite places, and with the amount of times he’d been on them without a mask covering his face, he was surprised he hadn’t gotten caught.

Peter spent the next ten or so minutes trying to psych himself up to head back inside. The boy was stuck trying different lines and different accents, practicing all the different ways he could do this, but they all sounded dumb and he was getting annoyed.

Peter jolted at the sudden deafening roar from the mysterious blast behind him, his head whipping around to stare in shock at the strange blue cloud rising up from the ground a few miles away. His heart began racing and he was torn.

Be made a fool of by not having Spiderman show up to the party, or let those weapons dealers get away again.

Meanwhile you were trying to pry a tipsy Mj off of your side. “I’ll be right back,” she groaned, trying to keep you down on the floor next to her with her death grip on your arm, drunk Mj was a nightmare.

“I’m getting a drink M, i’ll come straight back.”

She stubbornly let go of you, her pouty face following you as you left the room with an amused giggle.

The drinks were all the way in the kitchen, and it was pretty sparse in there by now, most people were either in the backyard or doing, you don’t even wanna know what, in the many guest rooms in Liz’s huge house.

You took a moment to take in the relatively quiet atmosphere, leaning against the windows of the kitchen to look out over the part of the city that was visible.

It always looked beautiful all lit up at night, no matter what kind of area you were looking from.

What you didn’t expect to see however, was a red and blue suited hero sitting on a rooftop across from the house.

Your heartbeat quickened, glancing around to see if anyone was there, which thankfully they weren’t. When you’d heard Peter telling Liz about Spiderman in gym class, you didn’t expect him to be telling the truth. Partly because it was Peter, and partly because he’d never mentioned anything to you or Mj, which was kind of annoying.

When you looked closer you noticed a brown, fluffy head of hair. He wasn’t wearing his mask. He was close enough that if you were to squint you could just make out his features and- it was Peter.

Your eyebrows furrowed, staring through the glass like a maniac as you tried to tell if your mind was just playing tricks on you, but no, that was definitely one hundred percent Peter Benjamin Parker.

Your eyes widened and your jaw dropped, your palms growing sweaty when you noticed his head turning in your direction. You didn’t know whether to stay still or run away so he didn’t see you, but your feet had apparently made up your mind when you stayed rooted to the spot.

Peter didn’t expect to meet your wide eyes through the window of Liz’s kitchen either, but honestly he probably should’ve hidden himself better. Here he was on an open rooftop in his suit, without his mask covering his face, showing his identity to anyone that noticed.

He didn’t have time to try and signal for you not to freak out before you were already running away, out of his sight. His heart pounded against his chest so hard he could hear it in his ears. He was torn, on the one hand he needed to check out what that blast was down the street, but on the other, you could be telling everyone who Spiderman was right now.

Peter was fucked.

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peter’s girl taglist → @sunsetholland @captainamirica @tomsirishgirlx @givebuckyhisplumsnow @lou-la-lou @slutforsr @tayyx @gog0juice @minejungwoo @creatorofthegalaxy @annathesillyfriend @paninipress @bvttercupbby

[lils-of-the-valley]

Kiss It Better

It was 1 am and I just wanted to write dumb skater boys kissing. I miss writing kisses and they should kiss and be happy and in love. They are in love, but they should also kiss. (Also I'm on mobile so I hope the read more works)

Edit: I forgot to put the AO3 link here Can y'all tell how exhausted I am?

Reki was no stranger to injuries. Really, it was concerning the number of times he had ended up in an emergency room after a skateboarding accident. But the pain barely fazed him anymore, especially not the minor pain of scrapes and bruises. At this point, it was a daily occurrence, either from bailing while skating or from ramming his hip into the corner of a table. The latter was a little more frustrating though.

“Dude, you don’t have to make such a big deal out of it!”

Big blue eyes stared blankly at Reki before diving back into his backpack, rummaging through it. Reki sighed as he leaned back against the concrete, propped up on his elbows, his head hanging back. Langa was being dramatic as ever, making a huge deal out of what was essentially nothing more than a little scrape on Reki’s left hand. Sure, there had been a bit of blood, but the cut was barely visible! It wasn’t anything to panic over. Yet, Langa had insisted that Reki stayed put, right where he had fallen, while he hauled the backpack back to Reki before plopping himself down onto the concrete. He sat cross-legged in front of Reki while he dug through the bag, muttering something about alcohol pads and bandages.

“Those band-aids are for you,” Reki said, his eyes fixated on the swirls of reds and oranges and purples in the sky. The sun had started to set, it seemed. “Since you can’t stand the sight of your own blood. Unlike you, I can handle it. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t need patching up.”

“And I say you do.”

The firmness of Langa’s voice drew Reki’s attention back to him, his piercing blue eyes sending shivers down the boy’s spine. There was something demanding in Langa’s voice, something protective, something… pleading? Langa was worried about him? Given the way he was looking at Reki, it had to be. And Reki couldn’t refuse him, not when he was looking like that.

“Fine!”

Reki huffed as he finally let his body flop down onto the ground. Langa seemed content with the answer, returning to his scavenger hunt through Reki’s bag. This meant that Reki would have to occupy himself without his skateboard since he wasn’t allowed to get onto it until he was fully patched up. Thankfully, the ever-changing clouds in the sky were distracting enough. A bunny. A dolphin. A flower. A-

“Found them!”

A blue sky stared back at Reki, startling the boy. Langa hovered above him, holding a few sealed bandages in front of Reki’s face, a boyish grin contrasting his usual reserved and serious expression. A boyish grin that made Reki’s inside twist, his throat turning dry. He knew he could touch, that Langa wasn’t some porcelain doll that would shatter under his calloused fingers. He knew he could touch, that Langa would never refuse him the pleasure of passing his fingers through the silky blue hair, the pleasure of touching that beautiful pale skin, the pleasure of feeling those soft lips, but still, Reki resisted. Still, Reki held back.

He pressed his palm to Langa’s chest, pushing him away ever so slightly as he pushed himself up on his elbows once more, his eyes avoiding Langa’s general direction.

“Again, I don’t actually need them. The scrapes will be gone in the morning; no use in wasting band-aids on that.”

“But I want to do it for you.” A beat of silence. Then Langa was ducking his head, the blue silk falling in his face and drawing Reki’s eyes back to him. “You know, since you always patch me up after I bail? I want to do that for you. I want to take care of you, Reki.”

Oh! Reki’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, now that was adorable.

How was Reki supposed to turn Langa away when he sounded like that? Looked like that? How could Reki refuse Langa who seemed so small, so vulnerable, and oh so adorable? It was simply impossible. So Reki gave in, gave in like he always did because it was Langa asking and Langa could get him to do anything.

“Fine! Fine!” Reki sat up, presenting his scraped hand to a starry-eyed Langa. “But only because you’re cute.”

“No!” Was that a pout? “You’re the cute one.”

Reki couldn’t help but giggle at the boy. To think that the stoic and socially awkward boy he had met only a little over a year ago could end up being an absolute dork, a dork pouting because he was called cute. Reki never would have believed it if someone had told him that this would be his normal. Reki never would have believed it if someone had told him that Langa would turn out to be this dorky yet adorable boyfriend. His dorky yet adorable boyfriend.

“Well? Are you going to patch me up or are you gonna stare at me all wide-eyed until the scrapes disappear on their own?”

Langa blinked a few times before quickly turning his attention to Reki’s outstretched hand, a ghost of a touch fluttering over the scrapes. Hesitantly, he glanced between Reki’s face and his hand before carefully pulling out an alcohol swab from the makeshift first-aid kit Reki carried everywhere he went. It was pretty obvious that Langa was not in his comfort zone, not used to be the one cleaning wounds. His hands shook ever so slightly as he wiped Reki’s hands clean, but it was the gesture that counted. It didn’t have to be perfect because as long as it was from Langa, then Reki would smile ever so softly as he watched him put on a band-aid with the utmost concentration. It was the kindness and the care that had Reki fall a little more in love with the boy in front of him. It was the little things that made his heart melt.

“And,” Langa pressed one last band-aid to Reki’s palm, his long fingers passing over the fabric before curling around Reki’s, “all done. All clean.”

“Thanks, man.”

As Reki pulled his hand back, Langa’s grip tightened as he tugged the hand back towards him, surprising Reki. He felt his whole face heat up as Langa planted a kiss right in the middle of his palm, slow and careful. Reki barely felt the kiss, but he could see it happening. And he could feel it in his face, the fire that had ignited in his cheeks, in his ears, in his brain. And when Langa’s eyes met Reki’s, lips still pressed against the calloused tanned skin, a smile played on his pretty lips, a smile that drove Reki crazy.

“Kissing it better,” Langa clarified. “You always insist on the magic of kissing it better.”

“You…”

Reki huffed, finally managing to pull his hand back and holding it defensively to his chest. Langa knew what he doing to Reki. He knew that he was the reason why Reki’s face must have matched his hair. He was fully aware that it was entirely his fault and the bastard still had the audacity of looking smug about it.

Reki felt his stomach flip as Langa crawled over him, his weight in Reki’s lap while his arms caged the boy. Something glinted in those blue eyes, something Reki had never seen before. Something that terrified him, but also strangely… exciting?

“Well,” Langa licked at his lips as he glanced down at Reki’s lips, sending an electric shock down the boy’s back, “I could always give you a real kiss if you like.”

Reki’s mind short-circuited at the thought of having Langa’s hot mouth against his. He wanted, he wanted it so badly, but his body tensed at the mere thought of it. He wanted, he wanted with fiber of his body, but he shouldn’t. He couldn’t.

“I’ll be real good, I promise.”

“Okay!” Reki half-shouted in embarrassment. He had felt his eyes go wide at Langa’s suggestive tone. He had felt the twist in his gut. His face, his whole body burned as he pressed his hands to Langa’s mouth, pushing him away. Langa laughed against his hand, pretty and muffled. “Man, you can’t just say that to me! You-! I-! Dude! No!”

Reki’s hands dropped onto his lap, squeezed between his thighs while Langa straightened out, still sitting on Reki’s lap. He was laughing, hearty and unguarded, which made Reki’s heart flip. His face was also flushed, his pale skin tinted with reds and pinks. He was so beautiful. Langa was just so beautiful.

��I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he managed to huff out, finally calming his laughter. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Something twisted in Reki once more, though this time it felt more guilty than anything. He just wasn’t particularly good with PDA. Sure, he knew he was an extremely tactile person, his hand constantly brushing against Langa’s, their shoulders bumping as they walked side by side, but everything he did, it could be interpreted as just bros being good ol’ platonic buddies. He had always been a touchy-feely person, especially with Langa, but still, it wasn’t easy being affectionate in a romantic sense. Just holding hands made his hands all sweaty and gross, his nerves getting the best of him. And god forbid they actually kissed in public-! No, Reki wasn’t ready for that. It was just too much. Just the thought was overwhelming him.

“Sorry.” Langa’s voice had gone quiet as he shifted on Reki’s lap. Reki could see he was reluctant to move but ready to do so regardless. “I really didn’t mean to…”

“S’fine, dude. I’m just… public.”

The wind caught in Langa’s hair, pushing it out of his face as he quickly glanced around the dark skatepark. How was he so effortlessly beautiful? How was Langa so damn beautiful all the freaking time? How was it that even under the shitty streetlamp, he still looked like a prince straight out of a fairy-tale? And when he looked at Reki like he was also beautiful, as if he were the only person in the world, it made him melt. Those blue eyes were only for him. Only Kyan Reki would ever get to look into them like this, see the way they sparkled like snowflakes under a bright sun.

“There’s no one around?”

Oh. Was that hope in Langa’s eyes? In his voice? Was it desire? Want? Need? Langa who, despite being reckless and shameless, was always so reserved and good, did he really want to kiss Reki that badly? And since there was no one around… Maybe it would be alright? It wasn’t like they would be interrupted or caught. No one came around this part of town, especially not at this hour.

Reki’s eyes skirted over the deserted skatepark once last time before finding Langa’s eyes once more.

“Just one.”

“Really?” Excitement, that’s what made Langa’s voice just a tad higher than usual.

“You get one kiss. That’s it.”

A grin broke across Langa’s face once more, a grin that made him glow. “Isn’t that what you always say?” Reki sent Langa a look of disapproval to which he answered by putting his hands up defensively. “Fine, fine, just one. If you can stop.”

Reki sighed at the boy before tugging him closer by the collar of his shirt. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

A breathless laugh broke from Langa’s lips before pressing them to Reki’s. Langa was like a drug; his kisses were the most addicting thing Reki had ever come across and it only took one for him to be hooked. His taste filled Reki, his sweetness hazing Reki’s mind. It wasn’t the first time he kissed Langa – it had already been weeks since their first kiss, clumsy in the middle of a shitty movie – but it didn’t mean it didn’t feel completely new each time. It had been weeks since that first kiss, but Reki just couldn’t get enough of his boyfriend’s mouth, of his kisses, of his touch. Especially not when Langa was licking at the seam of Reki’s lips, asking to be let in.

Everything happened in a blissful daze: the arms wrapping around Langa’s neck, the beckoning him closer if that were even possible, the slight fumbling to get comfortable, and the falling back onto the concrete, legs tangling as they always did. Sure, the cold ground wasn’t nearly as comfortable as a mattress, but with Langa’s arms acting like a pillow for Reki’s head, it didn’t matter. Everything was good, so good. It was so good, the feeling of Langa’s short, hot pants between the kisses. It was so good, the mumbling against each other's mouths, their names filling the little air between them. But nothing beat having their lips pressed together, wanting, needing the other. Nothing could ever beat that feeling.

Reki wasn’t proud of the whimper that left his lips as Langa pulled back completely, sitting up. The smirk was a cruel temptation. Langa was no fool; he knew damn well that he was torturing Reki as he shifted in his lap, his whole weight pressed into Reki’s thighs.

“You said one kiss, so,” Langa shrugged, lips pressed in a thin line.

“That was more than one, you fucking tease,” Reki muttered as he propped himself up on his elbows for what felt like the hundredth time that evening.

“Pulling out the big, bad words, huh?” A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth as he leaned in to press a chaste kiss to Reki’s lips. Another whimper. Maybe even a moan. Reki wasn’t sure; he just knew he wanted more. “Wanna come over instead? Get some food, put on a movie, probably not watch the movie at all but it doesn’t matter since my mom isn’t-!”

“You stopped kissing me because you’re hungry?”

Laughter fell from Reki’s lips like the stars against the mid-August sky as his forehead hit Langa’s shoulder. He should have known. Langa had seemed hungry for both love-filled kisses and actual food.

Instinctively, Reki’s arms wrapped around the body against which he was pressed, feeling the light rumble of laughter and potentially of an empty stomach against his own body. Langa was warm. He was comfortable. He was safe. Langa was… home.

“Can we watch Spirited Away in your bed? No offense man, but your couch is shit to make out on.”

“You…” Langa shifted, causing Reki to peel himself off of him and look up at him. “You want to watch a kid’s movie while we make out?”

“It’s a good movie! And I’ve seen it like a hundred times, so I won’t be tempted to actually watch it.”

“No. I know you.” Langa’s hands found their way to Reki’s cheeks, holding his face ever so gently. “You’re gonna end up watching it. Again. For the third time this month.”

“Look! Look, it’s not my fault it constantly plays at my place! Chihiro just… she likes the movie because the main character has the same name as her. And I like it because… it’s good, man. Don’t hate on a good movie!”

Langa inhaled sharply, his eyes closed and his hands pressed against his lips. He looked like he was praying to whatever God was out there to hear him. “I can’t believe my boyfriend wants to make out with me while his little sister’s favorite movie plays in the background.”

“Well,” Reki shrugged and flopped back down on the ground, crossing his arms behind his head, “we could also not make out, I don’t care. It would be your loss, man.”

“No!” Langa was once more caging Reki with his arms, but this time, it wasn’t Reki that was panicking. “There is no fucking way I’m letting you off the hook that easily. You-!”

It was always so much fun cutting Langa off with kisses when he got a little too chatty. Every time, it would catch him off guard, his eyes growing three sizes for a fraction of a second before squeezing them shut. And his pale cheeks always turn a bright red, a color that, surprisingly, didn’t often blossom under his skin. Langa was almost always the one initiating the kisses, so having Reki be the one pushing himself up to catch his lips, it always left him a mess. Reki’s surprise kisses turned Stoic Langa, Cold Langa, Ice Prince Langa into this mess of dork, this stuttering and blushing mess of boyfriend.

Reki traced the line of Langa’s jaw, his eyes following the movement of his fingers. He had quickly learned that Langa melted at the touch, which made it a lot easier to convince him to do whatever it was Reki wanted. “You pick the food and I pick the movie or no more kisses for you.”

“Can it at least be Howl’s Moving Castle? I know you like that one too, but at least I won’t have the image of your little sisters seared into my mind while I try to kiss you senseless.”

“Fine, fine.” Reki’s fingers hooked Langa’s chin, beckoning him closer to press another kiss to his mouth. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Reki.” One kiss. “So much.” Two kisses. “Infinitely.”

[walkerwords]

“The Savior Sessions” Part 14 of 33 - Negan x GN!Reader

IMAGE CREDIT: AMC (ALL OFFICIAL DIALOG FROM SERIES IS PROPERTY OF AMC)

SERIES MASTERLIST

Summary: Negan goes home, Jesus is brought home, and a whisperer is taken captive. What happens when Negan starts to see how the world is emptier without the one he cares for and how does the reader react to coming face to face with the daughter of their new enemy?

Word Count: 7103

Warning: Swearing

Song I Wrote To: "Unhinged” by Nick Jonas

Note: As I mentioned before we will be getting two different POVs for the next couple of parts, but they then will interact again soon. we need a look into their heads again and thus, we enter the war. THIS ONE IS SO LONG. We flip flop a bit, but its all for story tellin purposes. 

-------------

Alexandria was a ghost town at night, but Negan moved through it easily. 

The last time he had been out on the vacant streets, you had been by his side. Now, it was just a dark street with closed doors and a feeling that something different was in the air.

As he wandered through Alexandria, his thoughts were on you. What would you think if you saw him right now? He had promised that he was going to be waiting for you, but when the opportunity presented itself, Negan felt a draw to the world beyond his concrete box.

He wondered where you were or if you even made it to Hilltop safely. There was a part of him that wanted to take a detour to where his mind was telling him to go. He figured he could just skim the perimeter of Hilltop to see if you were there. However, from his many moments of overhearing Aaron and Gabriel talk outside his cell, he knew how much security was around Maggie’s former homestead. 

The thought of you had him heading to the Grimes house. He knew that Michonne was gone and that the kids would be with Gabriel. It was lucky that nobody bothered to lock their doors anymore. The people of Alexandria were safe considering the big bad wolf was locked up...until now. And while Negan felt anger towards his jailers, violence was the last thing on his mind. So, instead of burning down walls or taking revenge, he took the time to wander through the house. 

He could see little things here and there that had once been Carl’s, trinkets that were too old to be Judith’s or RJ’s. There wasn’t anything out that was once Rick’s, but Negan figured that Michonne would keep that in her bedroom for just her. 

Negan had no intention of crossing that line. 

Instead, he found himself in the doorway of another bedroom. Hanging on a small hook by the door was a compass. Gently, he picked it up and turned it over in his hands. Etched into the metal were the initials “JG”. He smiled softly at that and then looped the compass around his neck. 

Not trusting that the community was going to stay silent for long and with the sunrise on the horizon, Negan ducked back outside, grabbing some laundry that hung on a line close by. Shoving a cap on his head to hopefully obscure his face from afar, he searched for a way out. 

The sun was just rising over the trees when Negan grabbed a shovel as he headed to a portion of the wall that was behind an empty house. Staring up at the wall, Negan took one more second to think about what he was about to do, but then he remembered your face as you watched him through those infernal bars. With a huff, Negan threw the shovel over the wall and then began to climb.

“I thought you were smarter than this,” a small voice came from below him. Negan froze and then slowly turned to see a pajama-clad Judith Grimes. In her hands was her daddy’s gun and it was aimed right at Negan. “I guess not.” 

“You’re not gonna shoot me, kid,” Negan said, looking down at her. 

“I will, I’ll do it,” Judith said but Negan could see her arms shaking from trying to hold up the colt python. 

“I'm not going back. So you just pull that trigger if that's what you're gonna do, little lady. How 'bout this? How 'bout I go my way, you go yours, and we never see each other again?”

“How about you come down and I don’t put a bullet in you?” Judith offered and it was quick, but Negan saw so much of Carl in her then.

“You know, when your mom and dad... when they locked me up, they told me I was gonna be good for something, that I would help people see that things could change,” Negan said.

“Haven’t you done that?” Judith asked.

“Sure, but all the good shit happened to everyone else. I’m just rottin’ away in that box and I don’t think I can do it anymore.”

“What about (Y/N)?” Judith asked. Negan sighed, expecting this. 

“What about them?”

“They’re gonna come back and find you gone. Don’t you think they deserve better than that?” she asked with a frown. 

“They deserve better than me,” Negan said. 

“I don’t think that’s up to you,” Judith said. 

“Judith…” Negan began, but she wasn’t done. 

“No! I heard what you said to them. You promised to be here when they got back.”

“People break promises all the time.”

“Not to people they care about,” she argued. Negan knew she was right, but he had made up his mind. 

“I can’t be locked up anymore, kid. Who knows, maybe I’ll see them again someday but it will be on my terms, not your mom’s.” Judith frowned but then dropped the gun, letting it hang by her side. “You're not letting me go. You're just not seeing me leave,” he tried to reason. 

“You know, there's nothing out there for you. For anyone,” Judith said. 

“You know me better than anyone's known me in a very long time. So... I promise... I promise you that I'm not gonna hurt anyone. Even if they try to hurt me, I promise you, I won't hurt them. But... I gotta go, kid. I have to figure some stuff out.” 

“What do I tell (Y/N)?” she asked and Negan’s heart sank. 

“Nothing,” he said. 

“That’s not fair,” Judith whispered.

“I know,” Negan said and they looked at each other for a moment before she took a few steps back and she nodded. “Thanks, kid.” Negan began to climb again when Judith finally noticed the compass. 

“Hey, were you in my room?” she asked.

“You want it back?” Negan asked her, holding out the trinket. Judith shook her head after thinking about it. 

“Keep it. It'll help you find your way,” she said and then raised her gun again. “But if I see you again, I'll shoot.” Negan grinned at her as he continued to climb. 

“Yeah, I would.”

--------

The road beneath your feet felt wrong.

Everything around you felt wrong and every little sound had you jumping. You were all still shaken about what had happened in the graveyard and you could still hear that horrific whispering. It was like someone had dragged ice up your spine and you couldn’t get warm again.

As you made the trek back to the horses, Aaron and Daryl carried Jesus’ body as you helped Michonne with Eugene. Magna and Yumiko were ahead with their weapons drawn keeping an eye out for any more of the freaks with the masks.

The thunderstorm had been hard enough and then hearing Aaron scream after Jesus had been killed was even worse. It still rolled through your head alongside the whispering.

“What are we supposed to do?” you asked Michonne.

“Keep moving, get back to the horses, and get back to Hilltop,” she assured you.

“Who the hell would do this?” you asked.

“Someone who ain’t right,” Daryl said from behind you.

“You think there’s more?” Yumiko asked, her bow held out in front of her as she surveyed the area.

“Yeah, I do,” Daryl said as he readjusted Jesus’ body.

“Just keep movin’,” Michonne reminded everyone and you plowed on ahead, helping Eugene keep off his knee. It was swelling up even more and he needed to get to Siddiq. It took a bit longer to reach the horses, but eventually, Magna and Yumiko were taking the fence down and helping you to get Eugene up on the saddle.

Aaron and Daryl laid Jesus over one of the other horses while Yumiko and Magna rode the other. You, Michonne, Daryl, and Aaron walked alongside the animals, keeping your eyes on the woods as you did. Everyone was nervous and everyone was on edge. Daryl kept a bolt loaded in his bow and you kept noticing Michonne reaching back to touch her katana. Your own weapons had been lost in the fight, but you now had a new one that rested on your hip.

It was Jesus’ sword.

After you managed to get Jesus’ body off the ground, Aaron had picked up his blade as you all began to run from the cemetery. When you were finally clear, Aaron had passed you the sword without a word.

You had been hesitant to take the blade at first. Not because of whose it was, but because you figured Aaron would be the one to keep it. However, there was a look in his eyes that said more than anything he could put into words. And so, you carefully unbuckled the scabbard from Jesus’ belt and slung it on your own, sheathing the blade.

It swung on your hip now, your hand occasionally brushing against the pommel. Thinking back to the conversation you had with Judith about wanting a blade of your own now made your stomach turn. This was not the way you wanted to gain a new weapon. It felt both alien and right to carry Paul’s sword. 

You were now determined to use it to take down as many of the murderers in masks as you possibly could. Whether they knew it or not, they had just declared war.

As Michonne spoke to Aaron behind you, Daryl caught up to you, matching your stride. He reached out and placed his hand on your shoulder. You reached up and held onto it, letting him ground you.

“It’s good we’re bringin’ him back,” Daryl said.

“I know,” you said with a nod.

“I know ya don’t like small talk,” he said.

“You’re right, I don’t,” you agreed, keeping your eyes forward.

“But, I’m worried about ya,” he admitted.

“I’m alright, Daryl,” you said. “Though, I think that may be the shock.”

“He didn’t deserve to go out like that. Not Jesus,” Daryl said and you knew he was hurting. Jesus and Daryl had an unspoken bond. Both were warriors who cared for the people they protected and they had become quite close. Dixon wasn’t one to be open with his emotions, but you could tell that he was in pain.

“I feel too exposed out here,” you admitted.

“Ya wanna go home?” Daryl asked, but you shook your head.

“No, not yet. I mean, yeah, I do want to get home, but this is more important.” Daryl was watching you and he could see something else was bothering you.

“What have I missed back in Alexandria?” he asked suddenly. “Somethin’ is different with ya. What’s goin’ on?”

“Not now, okay, D? Not now,” you pleaded.

“I don’t want us keepin’ secrets,” Daryl said and you nodded.

“It’s not a secret, I just don’t have the energy to explain.”

“Long story?” he asked.

“Somethin’ like that,” you agreed and he turned his eyes back onto the road, accepting your answer. It was only a few minutes later that Daryl spoke up again.

“I’m gonna try to convince Tara to let them stay,” Daryl said and you knew who he was talking about. You glanced up at Yumiko and Magna with gratitude. While you all had lost Jesus, without them and without Michonne, you could have lost everyone. You could have died too and all you could think about was what would happen to Negan.

It felt wrong to be thinking about him at that moment. Your best friend was gone, but all you wanted was Negan’s strong arms and the comforting sound of his voice. You needed your person and it made you feel a bit sick to think about him that way while walking beside someone who loathed him.

Negan’s hazel eyes lit up your mind like beacons of hope and you were willing to drown in them even if it meant losing the people closest to you. It was selfish and a bit insane, but nobody’s touch would offer you more comfort at that moment more than Negan’s.

When Michonne sped up to walk alongside Daryl, you fell back to walk with the horse that Jesus’ body was laid across. Aaron walked on the other side, keeping his eyes forward.

Michonne and Daryl were speaking about Rick and the sound of his name sent a jolt into your chest. You couldn’t help but wonder what he would do in your current situation. You also wondered what he would do about Negan in general. Would he have let him out of the cage more than the others? Or would he just leave him to rot like the others?

While you were all feeling the loss, Eugene was feeling a more complicated emotion.

Guilt.

“I’m sorry that we had to be in that graveyard,” Eugene said from atop his horse. “If I had just crawled out of that damn barn and went to find you—”

“Eugene, don’t,” you said, interrupting him. “This was not your fault. The only people we need to be blaming are those psychopaths in the damn masks. They killed Jesus, not you. Who knows who they are. They could have been watching us for weeks and we wouldn’t have known. Do not put this on yourself,” you said and then reached for his hand. Eugene reached down and held onto it tightly, tears pricking at his eyes.

Squeezing his hand tight, you tried to reassure him that you were there for him and that he was not alone in any of this. If anyone should feel guilty it was you. You had turned your back on Paul, had let him go and fight the Walkers alone. However, you were trying to remind yourself that the situation was one that nobody could have predicted. Still, it felt as if there was ice in your heart.

Suddenly, Dog became alert. His bark echoed around you and Daryl immediately raised his bow as Michonne pulled her sword. Your hand rested on the foreign weapon on your hip as you caught the motion that Dog had picked up.

Walkers were moving through the trees, but you weren’t so sure they were alone this time. “Is that the living kind or original recipe?” Eugene asked and if it was any other time you may have laughed. However, now, you were silent.

“Let’s find out,” Daryl said and then motioned for you and Michonne to move. You followed your leader, drawing your blade. The small herd was moving across a bridge. Yumiko and Magna secured the mounts while Daryl positioned himself at the end of the bridge, his crossbow raised.

You remained on the other side, Michonne adjacent to you as the others remained hidden too. As the Dead stumbled towards Daryl, he aimed and fired a bolt at one of their legs. When they kept walking, he reloaded and tried again. The second bolt found its target and a shout of pain lit up the bridge.

The masked man went down clutching his leg and the Walkers fell upon him, biting into his fresh, and very much alive flesh. While the Walkers converged, two more individuals in masks turned their attention to the other end of the bridge. One pulled a blade, but they didn’t get very far as an arrow cut through the air and embedded itself in the assailant's forehead.

You turned to see Yumiko standing there with her bow raised and a murderous look in her eye. When the last mask went to go for her, you and Michonne moved at the same time. You both raised your swords, crossing them into an “X” to block her escape. When the killer drew their weapon, Daryl moved in.

“Drop it!” He yelled. The other hesitated for a second before throwing the knife down and getting on their knees, raising their hands. Yumiko and Magna moved to take out the rest of the Walkers while you, Daryl, and Michonne approached the shaking figure on the ground.

Daryl didn’t hesitate to reach for the back of their head and pull the disgusting mask from their head. When their face was revealed, you took a step back.

It was just a kid, a teenage girl.

“Please, please don’t kill me,” the girl said as she looked up at Daryl with terrified eyes. She was filthy and looked as if she had been walking the Earth with the Dead for years. It was unnerving. Even more so, she couldn’t have been that much older than Carol’s son, perhaps even the same age. 

“How many?” Daryl spat.

“Please... you killed them all. It's just me now,” she said, her eyes narrowing in on Daryl’s weapon. Michonne surged forward then and placed her sword against the girl’s throat. 

“I don’t believe you!” Michonne shot, but you knocked the sword back. Michonne looked at you in shock. 

“She’s a fucking kid, Michonne,” you said.

“She’s also a killer, (Y/N),” Michonne argued, pointing her sword back at the kid. Behind you, more Walkers began to approach from the East and it would soon be too much to handle and keep the horses safe. Not to mention keeping an eye on the scared teenager at your feet. Daryl then made the call. 

“We ain’t got time for this, we’re takin’ her with us,” Daryl said as he roughly grabbed the kid’s arm and hauled her to her feet. Michonne shot you a look as she followed after. 

“Shit,” you muttered under your breath, knowing you were never going to hear the end of it. 

--------- 

Negan stood in a clearing, the grass at his feet dead from years of heat and the Dead trampling it. 

He knew where he was, he knew the second he turned off the main road. Years before he would have thought about this particular spot with a smug smile. Now, all he wanted to do was be sick.

And so he did. 

The air felt too hot and every image and sound from that bloody night had come back. He knew their names now. Glenn Rhee and Abraham Ford. Gabriel had made sure that he knew who they were when he first visited him in the cell. From faceless corpses to actual people, Glenn and Abraham haunted him and he took every abusive shriek from the other side as he soaked in his guilt.

You had been in the clearing that night. Though you had barely been conscious since Dwight had given you quite the beating when you tried to stop him from hurting Daryl. Not long ago, you admitted that you barely remembered him talking to everyone in the lineup. You remembered Glenn and Abraham dying and the screams of your family, but not much else. He didn’t know if he was grateful for that or not. 

Perhaps if you could remember everything from that night, then you wouldn’t be wasting your time with him now. It was always so odd for you to talk to him as if the first time you had truly noticed each other was when you first visited his cell. The truth was, he had noticed you that night in the very clearing he was kneeling in. 

He didn’t know what it was that made him look at you twice, but there was a resolve in your eyes even as they glassed over. He could tell that somewhere behind the disorientation and fury was someone who would be the last one standing.

He still believed that. Though, he didn’t think you would be much of a survivor with a failed Savior by your side. At least, not until he knew who he had become and the best way he knew how to figure that out was a test and the new world was the biggest one there was.

-------

Returning to Hilltop was not the celebration you had anticipated when you had set out. 

What started as a rescue mission turned into a funeral procession and as the large gates opened, silence filled the air as you walked with Daryl and the others. Tara and Enid were coming out of Barrington when Enid gasped as she finally saw what and who was on the back of the horse Aaron led. 

Stopping right before the Colonial house, Aaron approached Enid who ran to hug him, burying her face into his chest. He was shaking as he held her. Tara stepped towards Jesus’ body and placed her hand on his back, dipping her head in sorrow. 

You took a step back, not wanting to intrude on the moment. You also made sure Paul’s sword was out of sight. It felt wrong to bring it into Hilltop when it was separated from its owner.

Former owner. 

Instead, you focused on the other task at hand. Daryl hauled the girl off the horse, the blindfold he had put on still tightly in place. She stumbled on the ground as he righted her and began dragging her towards the cellar that you knew led to Hilltop’s jail cells. You followed closely by, ignoring the people’s calls for answers. Daryl yelled back a few but kept walking. 

He yanked open the cellar doors and shoved her down the steps. You followed him and Michonne, your hand now resting on your weapon. You could hear Tara speaking to Tammy above ground, but you ignored her. 

“Daryl?” a voice came and you recognized it immediately. When Henry saw you, his eyes were filled with worry. “(Y/N)? What’s going on?” 

“Jesus is dead,” you told him as Daryl tossed the girl into a cage on the other side of the cellar. 

“What?” Henry asked. You didn’t have the energy to respond to the kid as you slipped away towards Daryl and Michonne. You didn’t even want to ask why the kid was down in the cells in the first place. 

Daryl was glaring down at the kid as she stared up at him with those same terrified eyes. 

“No more bullshit,” he sneered. “Yer gonna talk or I’ll finish what she started,” he said pointing to Michonne. The girl met your eyes through the bars, but you just faded back into the shadows and watched. 

---------

Negan didn’t remember the world feeling this empty. 

Then again, anytime he was out in it, he had an army at his back. Now, he only had himself. He could practically hear your voice in his head saying something like, “Come on, now you’re just bein’ dramatic.” 

That thought comforted him as he came across a building that seemed to be Walker-free. With a quick shove, he broke in through the front door and began making his way through the shop. Immediately, he clocked it as too small and that you would hate it. You had only briefly mentioned your fear of small spaces, but it was one of the small details that he had never forgotten. 

When he spotted a leather jacket, a laugh flew from his throat, and with a smile, he slid it across his shoulders. “Damn Teach, would you look at that? Fits like a glove,” He said quietly. Shaking off the thoughts that were threatening to overwhelm him, he moved further into the shop. 

When a gnarled hand grabbed at his ankle, Negan swore in surprise but brought his boot down on the Walker’s head before it could take a bite out of his leg. Then, of course, because his luck was turning for the worse, the storage room door broke open and more Walkers flooded into the small aisles.

Negan ran for the back door and slammed his body into it. Scrambling to get back outside, he wrenched the door open and shoved it behind him just as the Walkers reached for him. “Jesus Christ,” he swore, and then finally, he got it to shut. 

Negan glared at the door as he tried to catch his breath. He hadn’t had to fight Walkers for over six years and he had almost forgotten how it felt to go up against the things. He thought back to the night when the wall had come down and he had seen you fight with your blades. You had been a powerhouse and one that he had no intention of ever going up against. He definitely understood then why you were one of Alexandria’s main protectors. 

Letting that image wash over him, he finally turned his face towards the direction he was always heading.

He was going home.

----------

The girl was still begging, but Daryl wasn’t having it. 

“How many more?” he asked for the third time. 

“They're all dead,” the girl said as tears streamed down her face. “My family's dead. Please just stop.” The begging was starting to get to you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to ask Daryl to stop. You knew that you needed answers. However, no matter how angry you were, you hated seeing a kid in a cage. Just another thing you had in common with Negan.

“Not until ya start answering our questions. Your name. Start with your name.”

“I told you, I don't have one. None of us do. None of us did. That's not how it worked,” she said, trying to make him understand. 

“How did it work? Why do you wear their skins?” you asked, finally stepping out of the shadows. “What’s the point?”

“It's what we did to live. That's... That's all we wanted to do. Live,” she said, but you still couldn’t understand why. Since the start of the Apocalpyse, there was only one constant rule and that was to stay away from the Walkers. How these...people could willingly surround themselves with them is something you couldn’t comprehend.

“You're saying you had to do this?” Michonne shot back. 

“You wouldn't understand,” the girl whimpered. 

“Then make us understand. What the hell were you doing?” Michonne tried again.

“We... We were just trying to see if they were good people, too. But then you attacked us, and now they're dead. They're all dead. And I don't have anything!”

“What did your people know about us? Do they know about this place?” Michonne asked, glaring down at the girl.

“I don't know. I don't know anything. They didn't tell me anything!” she yelled as the sobs continued. “Please stop asking me. Just leave me alone, please. Please just leave me alone,” she begged and Daryl threw his hands up in exasperation. 

As Michonne and Daryl slammed the cage door behind them, he looked at you and you knew what he was asking. You nodded and leaned back against the wall to watch over the girl as Daryl led Michonne outside to speak to her.

After a moment of hearing the soft cries of the girl across from you, you finally stepped forward. She backed away as you approached her. Resting your arms on the bars, you stared down at her calmly. You were well-versed in speaking to someone from the other side of a cell, but this was not Negan and you were not in the mood to play games. 

“I don’t care about your name,” you began. “That not what’s important right now. To be honest with you, I am struggling with not breaking this door open and strangling you.” She gulped at that. “However, I am not someone who kills kids. Though, I can’t say the same for my friends that just left. You see, kid, we are incredibly protective over our people and we don’t let monsters hurt them.” 

“I didn’t—”

“I’m not done,” you stopped her. “I know all about monsters. I know how they think, how they act, and I know how to make them talk.” She was staring up at you with wide eyes and you could feel the fear that was radiating off of her. 

“(Y/N)…” Henry interjected. 

“Shut up, Henry!” you shot back, turning your glare on him as he sunk back into his cell. 

“I never wanted to hurt anyone! You attacked us!”

“We were killing Walkers!” you shouted back. “And in case you damn well forgot, you were the ones hunting us.” 

“This is just how the world works now,” she whispered. 

“I know damn well how the world works. You’re a child, you may be a part of some kind of cult or whatever the hell you wanna call your family, but you are still. A. Child. We’ve all seen the way this world is, we’ve fought for our lives here, won wars, and lost friends. Now, I got someone waitin’ for me and I ain’t about to waste my time on you and your bullshit. I stand by my code that I don’t want to kill you, but make no mistake, if I don’t start gettin’ some damn answers, I will keep your ass down here. Even if that means you never see daylight again.”

--------

“Home, sweet home,” Negan said as he looked up at the factory that was once his kingdom. 

A pipe was resting on his shoulder as he smiled up at the building, feeling a shred of his former self trying to breakthrough. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine that there were people on the other side of those walls waiting to welcome him home. 

However, he knew the truth. The Saviors were gone, his kingdom had fallen, and all he was now was a washed-up leader with a rusty pipe. From the corner of his eye, he could see a few Walkers staggering towards him. With a wide smile, he swung the pipe and cracked the first skull. Dark blood sprayed as the creature hit the ground and then, he was fired up. 

As more and more of the Dead converged on him, he got back into the rhythm that he thought he had lost. It was exhilarating to just let go and take out all his frustration on the Dead. He had been feeling quite overwhelmed and angry the past few months, more so than usual and he had been so afraid that he would lash out at you and scare you off. 

By the time he was out of breath and thoroughly proud of himself, Negan strutted towards the front doors. However what he was met with was not a shrine to his empire, but a sunken graveyard of failure. 

The entirety of the factory floor was flooded and if he hadn’t known the building like the back of his hand, he wouldn’t have thought this was the same place he had stood above proudly seven years before. Negan leaned against the railing, hanging his head.

None of it was right. 

He could see bodies of fallen Walkers submerged in the corner, old equipment from before used to barricade doors, and even evidence that multiple fights had broken out. Negan wasn’t fully aware of what became the Sanctuary during the year after the war. Laura had told him once that Daryl was overseeing it but that he was rarely there and when he was, he always wanted to leave. 

Negan didn’t blame him. Daryl had been through hell and back at the Sanctuary. Another thing he wasn’t all that proud of. Truth was, Negan liked Daryl, he even respected him, but back then, he liked power even more. Just thinking about the kneeling and the killing now made Negan ashamed. 

Not all of it, but most of it. He never felt guilty for what he did to the Monroe boy. Even you had agreed that Spencer had deserved it and nobody missed him all that much. He probably didn’t deserve a full evisceration, but he never felt bad about killing him. Then there were the moments that he killed to protect his people, the incidents that happened before he met Rick. 

However, then there were the moments that he had learned about after the war. The killing of the child at Hilltop, the massacre at Oceanside, and of course, the slaughter of Jadis’ people at the dump. Simon had been very busy. Negan thought his Second was simply spreading fear, but he had never known just how blood-soaked his name had become. 

“I am Negan” was now sounding more like a curse than a mantra. 

As Negan walked through the ruins of his former home, he was met with a loud bang as a Walker threw itself at one of the doors. Negan recognized them immediately. "Big Richie, is that you? Look at you. Loyal to the end,” Negan said as he looked at the Dead man. 

He moved on, heading out onto the main floor where he felt the true loss of everything. Most importantly, though, he was missing you. He didn’t know if you were home yet or if Judith had told anyone what happened. 

If he was being honest with himself and he always was, he didn’t care about a cage or a warden in the form of Father Gabriel. He just wanted you. Leaving Alexandria, breaking his promise, all of it was a mistake and he now hated himself for it.

His hand found the compass around his neck and he flipped it over, rubbing his hands over the initials carved into the back. He sighed, closing his eyes as he thought about the last thing he had said to you. 

“I’ll be waiting,” he whispered to himself. That was what he said to you and you had believed him. “Fuck,” he swore as took a last look at the fallen kingdom. He had made up his mind and there was no going back this time. 

He didn’t care about Michonne or Daryl or even if Rosita wanted to skill him alive. He only cared about you and that alone had him walking from the Sanctuary and turning his back on his old life in favor of the new one he wanted to build with you. 

As he spotted a motorcycle, a realization hit him like a truck. He smiled and the rusty pipe in his hand fell from his grip, the sound echoing around the yard like the final ring of a church bell on Sunday.

“I’m comin’ home, (Y/N).”

-------

Michonne was leaving. 

You knew that she had too. It was too dangerous for people back home in Alexandria to not know what was going on. However, you had decided to stay just a bit longer. “Are you sure?” she asked you as you walked through Hilltop.

“I need to be here to get answers and I don’t know, try to get Daryl to keep his head on straight,” you said. 

“What about Negan?” Michonne asked and for the first time, her tone wasn’t that hostile when speaking his name.

“He knew I was coming out here. I’ll see him when I see him.”

“Should I tell him what’s going on?” Michonne asked. You thought about it for a moment before nodding. 

“Probably for the best. He’s gonna hear people talking about it anyway. Hell, maybe he’s heard about these freaks before. I know he traveled for a bit before settling at the Sanctuary.” Michonne nodded. 

“I’ll ask him,” she said. 

“Something isn’t adding up with this girl,” you admitted. 

“What are you thinking?” 

“This kind of pack mentality, the no-names, the vicious nature of these people,” you said, trying to wrap your mind around it all. “I don’t think she’s telling us the truth when she said we killed them all. If my instincts are right, there is a whole herd of masks out there. They may have been out there for a while too.” 

“This is not good,” Michonne said, rubbing at her brow, 

“I’m going to get the answers I need and then I’ll come home and tell you what I think,” you said. 

“Alright, I think that’s the best idea.”

“Go, Michonne, get back to your kids,” you said and she smiled softly, reaching out to give you a hug before going over to Daryl to tell him the same thing. Your eyes scanned the community around you and you were starting to get nervous. 

Tara had told you that Alden and Luke had gone out to look for you and they hadn’t returned.  There were thoughts that were nagging at you that said that they were in trouble and you couldn’t shake them. Alden was a good friend and he was special to Enid. You couldn’t handle losing him so soon after Jesus. And Luke was important to Yumiko and Magna, two people who you now trusted with your life. 

When Jesus was finally buried, you stood at the back, gripping his weapon. Aaron stood next to you, his hand wrapped around your shoulder as you watched the man you both cared for be placed in the ground. It was a silent ceremony and as the grave was filled in, Enid was nowhere to be found. But you knew where she was, she was with Glenn. 

Enid always went to his grave when someone had died and you were probably the only one who knew that besides Alden. You didn’t mention it as Aaron hugged you goodbye and followed the rest of Alexandrians from Hilltop with Michonne leading them home. 

Instead of participating in the moment of silence with the rest of Hilltop, you headed back down to the cell. Daryl found you down there a few moments later and didn’t say anything. The girl had cowered at your presence when you had entered, but now just watched you with open curiosity.

Daryl was pissed when he barged in, heading straight for her. You didn’t try to stop him. 

“Who are you?” Daryl barked. “Answer the question. You wanna die? Is that it?” he bellowed, but Henry wasn’t having it either. 

“Daryl, what's your problem?” Henry said. 

 “Quiet!” you yelled at the kid and he just slammed his hands against the bars. 

“Do you?” Daryl repeated. “People up there just buried a good man. And they are ready to string you up right now. All I got to do is drag your ass up them steps. How many in your group?” 

“I already told you…” she said but Daryl ripped open the door and grabbed her, throwing her against the bars. 

“How many?” he yelled.

“I don’t know, ten maybe? We wore skins to blend in. We didn't have names. I mean... I mean, we did, but we didn't use them!” 

“How long you been out around here?”

“I don't know. We moved around with the... with the Dead. I mean, the skins made them leave us alone. They protected us, so we protected them.”

“You got a camp? Walls?” you asked.

“Walls don't keep you safe. Places like this don't make it. They never make it. That's how it is. My mom and me, we saw it happen over and over. I... I barely remember the world before all this. But my mom, she told me how it was changing, how we had to change with it, how we needed the dead and each other to keep safe. We're never alone.”

“Why'd your people kill our people?” Daryl asked. 

“It's just what we do. Everybody still alive is a threat. It's us or them.”

“How many people in your group and don't lie to me!”

“My mom! It's just my mom,” she said. 

“You said your people were never alone,” you said, narrowing your eyes.  The girl’s eyes widened as she was caught in a lie and then Daryl was grabbing her and trying to drag her from the cell. 

“No! No, I told you the truth!”

“I told you what was gonna happen!” Daryl yelled back

“Daryl!” Henry shouted. 

“Shut up!” Daryl snapped at him.

“Please! Let go of me!” the girl begged.

“Daryl, stop!” Henry begged again and you were ready to ship his ass back to the Kingdom right then. 

“Please, Daryl, please don't kill me, please,” the girl said, and at the sound of his name falling from her lips, he pushed her back into the cell and slammed the door. As Daryl went to yell at Henry, you couldn’t hear anymore. You climbed back to the surface and tried to calm down. 

Daryl wasn’t far behind you. “I don’t believe her,” you said. “What happened with the herd and the graveyard, it was too coordinated.”

“I know,” Daryl said. “Come here.” He led you over to the window that led into the cell where the girl was and he sat down. You joined him and then, you listened. 

“Thank you,” the girl said. 

“What?” Henry responded. 

“For saving me, thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” he said and then, “I'm Henry.” It was quiet for a moment before she finally responded.

“I'm Lydia.”

-------

Negan had seen a lot of weird shit in his life, but seeing little Judith Grimes in the middle of the road pointing a gun at him took the cake. 

“Shit!” Negan swore as Judith fired at the bike he rode. He skidded on the road, the bike going into a ditch as he flew off it, landing on his back. Judith ran after him.

“I told you I was gonna shoot you,” Judith said, aiming her weapon on him again. 

“Yeah, you did,” Negan sighed, getting to his feet as he brushed off the dirt from his pants. 

“Why’d you come back?” Judith asked. 

“Because I should have listened to you,” Negan admitted. “There wasn’t anythin’ out there for me.” Judith narrowed her eyes but then shook her head.

“That’s not the full reason,” Judith argued and Negan sighed, crossing his arms. “Tell why you really came back.”

“Judith…” Negan said. 

“Negan,” she shot back and he knew that she wasn’t going to let him move without an answer. Instead of brushing off the girl’s question, Negan knelt down to her level, keeping his eyes on hers. Whatever she saw in his eyes had her dropping the colt and moving closer to him. 

“I don’t care about being locked in a cell if it means that I’m near them,” Negan admitted. “If I can spend only an hour a day with them, it’s worth it because dammit kid, you were always right.” 

“About what?” she asked

Negan reached out and adjusted the brim on her hat as he smiled gently at her. He took a deep breath and then with an open heart said, “I’m in love with (Y/N).”

-------

As tensions rose, somewhere not too far from Hilltop, Alden and Luke were met with the barrel of a shotgun. 

TAGS:  : amaroho  @thanossexual @yes-sir-hotchner @boom-bunny @delusionalteenagewhispers @scootankle @ritajammer21​ @writteriguess @tea-atfive @jennydehavilland​ @halszka-potter​ @yespleasejayhalstead​ @fmunegan @hoemadegrace  @pulplorrd​ @writingdead0829​ @lucillethings

[batfamscreaming]

[superbat hs au - Court of Owls, First hints of ~superpowers~

Tommy was willing to fill the time a while until supper, when about ten minutes before six, the boy on the top bunk would finally sit himself up and slide down to the floor and tugging on shoes without much of a word. “Almost six. Get ready to go.”

--

“Uh-”

Clark had asked him if he had any family, and what he planned to go to college for, and other generic questions he could manage to think of while he unpacked his things and then shoved his empty luggage aside.

“Six?” He asked, like he hadn’t heard any of what Harvey said before.

--

“Dinner,” Bruce said as explanation, unbothered.

(“Unfortunately, my mom,” Tommy had said with a roll of his eyes. “And obviously, Bruce’s an orphan. I’m hoping for medical school, to be a surgeon. What about you?”

There was no moment to acknowledge the middle part of the sentence. Only an impossible-to-hear tightness in the boy in the bunk’s otherwise steady breathing. And then it was gone again.)

“They’ll want you to wear something nice for the opening dinner, and any dinner on Sundays. If you don’t have anything else, your school uniform will do,” Bruce said.

--

(“Wh- journalism.” Clark had replied, but didn’t dare ask about how Bruce was an orphan.)

“Oh, okay. Uh. Yeah. I’ll have to get changed then.” Clark said, and dug around for his uniform. He didn’t have anything nicer than that with him.

He walked out to head to the bathroom and change.

--

“Alright.”

They would wait for him to return.

When he did, it was clear Tommy had changed clothing too, though he hadn’t bothered to leave the room to do so. He sat with Bruce on their bottom bunk, dressed in a matching oxford and button down jacket. Dark pants, black shoes. They could’ve been siblings, probably, despite their personalities.

And once all three were there, off they went, Bruce dutifully leading the way to the cafeteria, and Tommy trailing a bit behind him, content to just follow along for the moment.

“Sundays and special dinners we gotta eat with our hall table,” Tommy said. “And listen to the headmaster give speeches. But other than that, school’s pretty great.”

--

Clark followed along behind them. The closer they got the louder things got, and he could tell this was going to be rough. Places that were loud even for regular people were killer on him. It was so hard to focus on what you were supposed to.

“You like school?” He asked, sounding a little in disbelief.

--

“Uh, yeah?” he said. “Get some time away from the family? Live with my best friend? School rocks.”

He slung an arm around Bruce, and it was accepted with a huff.

“Not everyone’s as good at school work as you,” Bruce said.

“You are, though,” Tommy said. “So you don’t get to point that out to me.”

He poked Bruce’s cheek. The quiet boy smiled a little.

--

Clark didn’t say much. He felt like a third wheel, and the black-haired kid really wasn’t much of a talker. Couldn’t blame him if he really was an orphan.

The dinner was… boring. But hey, free food. The headmaster talked about the upcoming year and how they were all going to grow into strapping young, disciplined men and yadda yadda. Clark didn’t really pay attention.

When dinner was over it was back to the room. Back to bed.

… He had a hard time sleeping. Gotham at night was still so damn loud compared to back home.

--

Gotham was loud.

…

So were the dorms.

(someone, somewhere in the building, was crying into their pillow. Trying to muffle it, but the dissonance--

Multiple people were. Quiet, muffled, hiding it--)

In His Room.

In his room, the first night, a heart started to rocket up in pace from where it had once been steady, panic--

Bruce on the top bunk jerked awake, with the sound of his teeth biting through his lip to keep quiet.

--

Sometimes Clark didn’t realize what was supposed to be loud to normal people and what wasn’t.

“... You okay?” He whispered out into the dark.

--

The boy flinched.

….rolled over to face Clark, breathing still shallow.

He flinched again at whatever he saw.

“...fine,” he said. Then, “Quiet.”

--

His eyes were still bright in the dark, but only when they caught the light.

“... Okay.” He said, and wouldn’t say anything else.

…

He wouldn’t get much sleep.

--

…

…

It was something Clark couldn’t hear, but Bruce’s mind wouldn’t quiet anymore than Gotham or the dormitory would.

“...what’s with your eyes?” he whispered.

--

Oh damn. Oh shit.

He quickly closed them and rolled over so he faced away from the other bunk.

“Nothing.”

--

There was a disbelieving huff from the other side of the room.

...unfortunately, Clark wasn’t the only light sleeper.

“...mmh?” Tommy mumbled, splayed out on the bottom bunk. “What’s goin ‘rong?”

--

“Nothin’.” Clark said again, and didn’t turn around.

They had sent him here to get away from everyone knowing what he could do. He couldn’t blow his cover on the first night because his STUPID EYES GLOWED IN THE DARK.

--

“His eyes were glowing,” Bruce said. Because of course he did. No wonder Tommy called him a snitch--

But Tommy started making noise into his pillow, too.

Laughing. Trying to muffle it.

“Were you dreaming about the Talon?” he hissed, sounding delighted.

--

Ignore it. Let this blow over.

…

“What’s that?” He mumbled, still looking away.

--

Above Clark, Harvey Dent let out a groan under his breath.

Apparently, everyone was awake tonight.

If Tommy’s eyes could’ve glinted in the dark, they would’ve. “Oh, that’s right…. You’re from Kansas. You don’t know about… the assassins….”

“Oh my god,” Harvey Dent whispered only to himself.

--

… Clark finally lifted his head and glanced back at the other bunk.

“What.”

--

“It’s a fairy tale in the area,” Harvey said finally, whispering loud enough for the other two in the room to know he was also a little snitch. “Tommy likes to scare new kids with it. Now shut up, we’re gonna get in trouble.”

Tommy flopped back onto his bed, huffing. “It’s fun to watch them freak out. It’s not like anything bad actually happens by just talking about it.”

“You got a quote for that?” Bruce mumbled, half audible in his pillow.

“Ugh. ‘Happiness depends on ourselves?’ Or in this case, in letting me tell a ghost story in the middle of the night, you babies.”

--

“Fairytale assassins?” Clark couldn’t help but snort and roll back over so no one could see his eyes.

“Guess you city kids gotta have some kinda boogiemen.”

--

…..

Tommy sat up in bed, eyes narrowing.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

--

“Well back home we got things like portals to hell and angry ghosts, not assassins.”

--

...somehow, that seemed to settle Tommy, a little.

“No room for that stuff here,” he said. “Just threatening nursery rhymes that date back definitely two hundred years and if you want it creepier, even longer.”

--

“... Assassins with nursery rhymes?”

Sounds pretty lame.

--

“Still spooks people enough,” Tommy said, shrugging. “Especially in this kinda place.”

“It’s nice to think some random murders might’ve had a point,” Bruce said.

Tommy did not respond to that.

--

“Dunno how anyone could get spooked in a place as loud as this.” Clark said, sighing.

No room to think enough to be scared.

--

….for a moment, the three regarded him in incomprehension.

“Oh,” Harvey said. “Oh, he’s not used to the city.”

There was a small sound of understanding from the other two.

“I was gonna say. It’s dead quiet, honestly,” said Tommy.

“Not if we get caught talking,” Bruce warned. “Shh.”

“Shhhhhh,” Tommy said.

--

Clark groaned his own ‘nnnngh’ and shoved the pillow over his head.

It didn’t help.

Somewhere out of normal hearing a car alarm went off.

“You gotta be kidding…” He whispered to himself.

--

…

At least, finally, the conversation, thin as it was, had died out.

(There wasn’t any explanation for why Tommy would think Bruce dreamed of Talons when it was just a silly boogey man.)

But the three boys settled down in their beds again.

Bruce started breathing deeper. More intentionally. Until it relaxed him enough to get back to sleep.

...his heartbeat deepened and steadied out. Much closer than the car alarm.

Tommy and Harvey’s followed.

[...]

He wrote to his parents.

Everything is going well. Making friends. They're all rich but not as full of themselves as I thought they would be. It's pretty cool. Really loud here though. Having a lot of trouble sleeping.

Love you.

Then it was just… back to normal. Like he hadn't found out the teachers beat their students.

--

(When his mother wrote back, she was so relieved he was making friends. That it wasn't as bad as she feared.

But he wouldn't get that letter for another two weeks.)

The next week rolled around, and Bruce grew a little quieter. Tommy didn't, but Harvey quietly told Clark to be extra careful this week. It was an anniversary, he said, assuming that by now Clark knew, Kansas or not. And sometimes Bruce got a little mean during the anniversary.

Not just standoffish, but.

A little aggressive? Sometimes.

...and so the 26th rolled over, and even though Tommy seemed to be pretending it was a normal day, the rest of their dorm room woke up with stale, held breath.

Bruce avoided people. Avoided radios and TVs playing the news.

But somehow, he didn't manage to avoid the newspaper, and did a double take when he saw the headlines.

Finally, something had overshadowed him a little.

On the front page was the picture of a grisly murder. Open-eyes, holes in his face--

“REAL ESTATE SUPERSTAR FOUND DEAD IN PENTHOUSE SUITE; DEATH OF A THOUSAND CUTS!”

--

Clark tried to keep it in mind. Unlike the other two he didn’t treat it like any other day because it wasn’t. They still all went through the motions of course, but he talked to Bruce a little softer. A little gentler. Not because he wanted to walk on eggshells, but because he knew for Bruce that this wasn’t just another normal day, and acting like it was felt like almost a slap in the face of what he had to go through.

Maybe it hadn’t occurred to him that Bruce would want to avoid the papers. It was hard for him to wrap around the fact one of his roommates was so rich that his parent’s death made it into the news every single year somehow, so maybe it was his fault that Bruce saw the headline. He read the paper almost every day if he could. He wanted to be a journalist, after all, and they didn’t have TV in their room. Sometimes the common room TV wasn’t even on.

But he saw the murder too and, at this point, didn’t think much of it. Read the article and moved on.

Gotham, he had learned very quickly, was just as bad as everyone said.

--

It made sense, why Gotham Academy reassured all their parents that they would keep the children safe.

And maybe that was Bruce’s fault, he thought. Because it wasn't as if he was expecting papers to talk all over again like the day it'd been, but--

He'd expected a talk piece. An opinion article.

One Year Later: Flowers Left At Wayne Memorial Event as Investigation Dies

Two Years Ago, As Martha and Thomas Wayne Laid to Rest, Crime Began to Rise

Three Years Since Gotham’s Kennedy’s Mown Down: Park Row Died with Them?

A Reflection on Gotham’s Economic Fall: Wayne Fortune Locked Up as Charities Run Dry

(Sole Survivor Wayne to Attend Gotham’s Most Prestigious Academy This Fall with Luther Heir)

Five Years Ago Today: How the Wayne Deaths Marked the End of a Safe and Glorious Gotham

…

He could imagine what the headline should've been. What it should've been.

Instead, Six Years of Sorrow: Wayne Murders Still Shadow Upper East Side and Wayne Murder Theater Announces Close on Anniversary of Deaths, citing ‘Unrecoverable Reputation’ of the Area had been pushed down the page to make room for the new murder.

...and Bruce took a look at it and snatched it up to stare at the grisly photo and start to read.

--

It was a good thing that Clark had a loose grip on it as it was yanked from his hands.

“O-kay. You coulda asked.” He said, but didn’t sound angry. Still being soft around Bruce due to the day it was.

He feared he might’ve done something wrong.

--

Bruce managed to give him a hum of some sort of acknowledgment, but didn't really give much of a response.

He went to his bag, grabbed a pen, and sat right down on the floor, tracing the bottom of the words in the paper to keep his place.

Tommy leaned out from his bunk to try and watch over Bruce's shoulder, but his eyes looked uninterested. “Saw somethin’ ya liked?”

(Bruce shot him a disgusted look, a “what?” but otherwise ignored him.)

--

Clark leaned over too in order to watch him. “Or somethin’ ya didn’t like.”

--

…

Bruce glanced up at him, too, but looked more self-conscious than anything at that.

…

“The way they're talking about the thing just reminds me of the claw marks they found at the Lansing murders…”

“Oh my god,” Tommy said in a familiar kind of disbelief for this specific topic. “It was a dog claw, Bruce.”

--

Clark, however, was interested.

“Lansing murders?”

--

Bruce shrank down under Tommy’s criticism, but… looked up again, and quietly answered Clark’s tone.

“...the Lansings were a business couple,” he said. “They were murdered in their home the summer before last by stabbing a, so not… like this.”

For a moment, he backed up again, and let Clark see the slashes of the man on the page.

“Something left a big claw mark on the door, and their dog--”

“Ran away from home and wasn't seen again,” Tommy said dully. “It obviously hit the front door. Broke the hinges. Ran off in fear. It was a hundred pound dog.”

“...” the look on Bruce’s face said he didn't believe it all the way.

But he didn't lift his head to argue this time. He just stared down at the paper.

“...Bruce, hey, I'm not trying to make fun of you, I'd never do that,” Tommy said, rolling a little closer to the edge of the bed. “But just because claw marks happened once or twice at a murder doesn't mean the Court is real. What, did your dad have a gash on his face when he died?”

…

And Bruce shook his head.

“See? It's not real.”

--

“Well that don't mean you can't look into it.” Clark offered, looking up at them. “What's the harm in connecting a few dots? And just because there ain't proof they do exist doesn't mean they don't.”

--

Tommy gave Clark the kind of flat look he never gave Bruce. Like he was saying the dumbest thing.

“You didn't even know the story when you showed up and now you're trying to do this? Really?”

...Bruce stared up at Clark, face unreadable.

And he started to pick up the newspaper and fold it again.

--

“Tryin’ to do what?” Clark frowned. “If there's a story here I'm interested! Y'know--” he gestured to himself, “journalism?”

--

“To drag him down again!” Tommy said, rolling off then bed and standing, defensive behind Bruce. Above him.

For the moment.

For the moment before Bruce stood, pencils and notebook in hand, and paper carefully folded under his arm.

He looked at Clark.

“Let's go.”

--

Clark glared at Tommy, but he said nothing.

He grabbed his own notebook and pencils to leave with Bruce.

--

“Bruce?” Tommy said, but Harvey was the only one still listening. “Bruce!”

Bruce closed the dorm door behind him.

“Library has old papers on record,” Bruce said softly. And he began to walk.

--

Whatever history was repeating here, Clark knew nothing of it.

“Okay,” he said, and started heading that way.

“... Tommy said I was ‘dragging you down again’. What’d he mean by that?”

He sounded annoyed. Offended. Like he would do that to someone intentionally.

--

Bruce pursed his lips, buying time for a response, but not sure what to say. Or, he knew what to say.

But he didn't like to say it.

“...I tried to find the man who killed my parents,” he said finally. “...I couldn't.”

--

…

“You think they’re all related to that Court?”

--

…

Bruce hung his head.

Stared at the ground.

Didn't… want to look Clark in the eye when he admitted his stupid, idiot theory.

“...they’re all building developers. Or owned lots of property. And were trying to change it…”

--

But Clark didn’t call it stupid.

“Okay, something to start with. And, hey--”

He reached out slowly to touch Bruce’s shoulder.

“Worst case scenario is we’re wrong and nothing changes.”

--

Bruce twitched a little at the contact, but…

Mostly, he just turned his head up a little, and stared at Clark’s face.

(He was sixteen and he'd stopped believing in a just world long ago.

But somehow, he was stupid, and still believed in fairy tales.)

…

“Okay,” he said, voice cracking.

And he led Clark to the library.

...the newspapers were all in the bottom floor, the basement. In the archives. The indexes were massive, but well organized and maintained.

And Bruce already knew where to start looking… to a point.

But the first place to start, was writing down a scrawled poem on a blank sheet of scrap paper. Hesitating.

“...we’re doing this backwards,” he mumbled. “Not supposed to go in with a theory…”

But he wrote it out, all the same.

Beware The Court of Owls, that watches all the time,

ruling Gotham from a shadow perch, behind granite and lime.

They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed,

speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send The Talon for your head.

--

Clark followed him down.

“No?” He asked, setting his notebook on a desk close to the archives they would need to look through.

“How do you think we should go about it then?”

--

Bruce swallowed and stuffed the paper in his pocket.

“...supposed to go in and look for patterns and connections,” he said. “...if you already have a suspect, you… only look for things that point to them.”

--

“... Okay. How much can you tell me about this ‘Court of Owls’?”

He was sitting down and opening his notebook to a new page. He didn’t have the knowledge of them Bruce did. This wasn’t his home. These weren’t his urban legends.

--

Looking for them directly was exactly what Bruce said they shouldn't be doing, but…

It still thrummed inside him, on some silly, stupid level.

Maybe it hadn't just been a coincidence murder. Maybe it had a purpose. Anything other than random events. Anything.

“...” he handed Clark the paper. “...they have at least one assassin. They… Have an architecture motif. They're watching from the buildings.”

With the kind of architecture in Gotham Academy not being uncommon to the rest of Old Gotham, it maybe wasn't surprising the buildings themselves were the boogeymen’s hiding places sometimes.

But he didn't know if Clark would make that connection to a real estate building mongle--

--

“Ties in to your theory about them targeting building developers.” He said, writing something down before he got up so he could look into those Lansing murders Bruce had talked about earlier.

He needed to play catch-up. This wasn’t his turf. He didn’t know as much as Bruce did.

…

He planned to dig up the papers about the Wayne tragedy too, but… not now. Not with Bruce in the room.

Clark could do that later on his own time.

--

Tommy had seen the connection, and rolled his eyes, and Bruce half expected Clark to just-- not see it at all--

…

But he swallowed something down, and his stomach stopped roiling quite so much, and he nodded again.

“Yeah. Just. Anyone who changes the architecture.”

And he dove in behind Clark.

He looked for the more recent murders. The ones he hasn't read about or studied like this since he was twelve and finally gave up, run off from his last scraps of energy.

…

And finally, someone was beside him, willing, even for just a moment, to believe him.

--

While Bruce looked at the more recent murders, Clark went for the old. The ones Bruce already knew about. He asked him which ones he had connected before, if any, and he would take a look at those.

(“I’m a new perspective. I wanna go over things you already know about. We don’t think the same, so who knows. Maybe I’ll see something different.” Is what he would say.)

The Lansing murders. What they did before the murders. The other ones that Bruce had tied together when he was 12--

Before they knew it the library was closing. They would need to come back.

And they would.

--

(A new perspective. A new reading level, honestly-- from twelve to sixteen, the change in things he understood--)

They would come back.

Absolutely.

Bruce went to bed and slept the whole night, and woke with impatient fire in his eyes.

Tommy gave Clark a sour look as Clark headed out the door to change, and once again as Bruce flew out of his last class, tossing his bag into their dorm and making a beeline to the library.

“Bruce, but, homework--!” Tommy called.

“Don't bother,” Harvey sighed, sitting down with his own book bag to get started “It’s not like his grades will get him kicked out.”

….and on the weekend, Tommy barely had time to pull on a matching hoodie and jeans, before Bruce was out the door for early breakfast and back to work.

(“Nice to see him care about something,” Harvey said.

Tommy threw a pillow at his head.)

[marmolady]

New Horizons

Main Pairings: Estela x (f)MC, Graleister

Summary: Endless Ending. Liv and Reggie are starting school in San Trobida. Notes at the end!

Word Count: 9695

Chronology: After 'Growing Pains', before 'How the time escapes me...'

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, @greengroove @mauvecatfic​

Thanks for reading!

San Trobida, July 2035

“Hey, Auntie Grace!”

Reggie looked up from his book at the sound of his cousin’s voice, and hastily placed aside his shiny new copy of ‘A Guide to San Trobidan History’ so he could rush out into the hallway.

Grace was already wrapping Liv in a hug. “Hello, sweetheart.” She kissed the side of her niece’s head, before her eyes wandered down to a bloodied knee. “Did you have a mishap on your bike on the way here?”

“Yeah… I clipped the kerb and crashed,” Liv said, offering her aunt a better view of her wound. As she heard Reggie’s footsteps, she looked up to meet his eye and smiled.

“Youch!” Reggie offered sympathetically as he came close enough to peer over Liv’s grazed knee.

Liv shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”

Grace, though, was more concerned. “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fell?”

“No, just scraped my knee. It does actually sting a bit.”

“Hmm. Well, I think we’d better put some anti-septic that knee just to be safe.”

The new house was a mess. Boxes and misplaced furniture filled every room, and the twins-- six years old-- had been making forts with the packing boxes that had been emptied so far. The family had been in the house for just over a day, and some good progress had already been made. There had been a lot that had been left behind. Neither Aleister nor Grace put too much value on material possessions, so most of what had come with them and the children to their new home in San Trobida had been essential furniture, and the mountains of photo albums and memorabilia from a life with the kids.

Grace sat Liv down on a wooden ottoman, and, after a little bit of rummaging, found the first aid kit.

“Okay, this might hurt just a little,” she said gently, and she carefully dabbed Liv’s graze.

Liv yelped, “Fuck!”, causing Reggie to gasp, looking to his mother for a reaction, and Erin and Immy to burst out giggling from inside their box-fort.

Grace raised an eyebrow, but her warm smile didn’t shift. “It stings that much?”

“Yeah…,” Liv said, flushing a little. “Sorry about the language.”

“I’m sure I didn’t hear a thing.”

There was the usual bustling around as Aleister got the girls into their shoes; Immy and Erin had decided that swapping one shoe with one another was the peak of humour, but eventually, their father managed to get them each into a left and a right-- even if they didn’t match. Six-and-a-half-year-old sisters, Reggie had come to realise, made just about everything more of a headache than necessary.

Eventually, though, they were on their way. His mom and dad, walking beside the twins as they pootled along on their bicycles, had the address, but Reggie rode ahead with Liv, taking her lead as she zig-zagged through the streets of Valle Brava. Having only set foot on San Trobidan soil as a new resident some twenty-four hours ago, everything aspect of his environment set his senses alight. This wasn’t like being back in America. Perhaps it was the tropical climate, but he was reminded much more of La Huerta-- of home. Liv certainly seemed right at home here. She and her mothers had settled a few weeks before, and Liv had been coming here pretty much all her life. There were just a few blocks between their respective houses, and the wide cycle paths along the bitumen roads made for an easy journey. This, Reggie had been told, was a newly developed area; much had been re-built since the war he knew his Tia Estela had been involved in. The cycle paths ended as they came nearer to Liv’s place, a little way out of the main township. The foliage on either side of the road became thicker, and there was less street noise, more birdsong.

“Beat you!” Liv announced as she planted her feet into the ground, forcing her bicycle to a stop.

Reggie grumbled, pulling up beside his cousin in front of a humble bungalow-style house with outer walls a vibrant azure blue against yellow accents. The sound of a dog barking-- unmistakably Liv’s Robin, was further confirmation they’d arrived. “You didn’t beat me, Livia. I was following you. I didn’t even know where we were going.”

“Jeez, dude. No one likes a sore loser….”

“I am not a--!”

The door swung open.

“Reggie!” Taylor wasted no time in sweeping her nephew into a hug. “It’s so good to see you! I can’t believe you still have the energy for cycling over here-- didn’t you move house, like, yesterday?”

Reggie laughed. “Hi, Auntie Taylor!” There was something about seeing a familiar face in this new environment that made the pieces seem to click into place. Family made it home. “I’m a little bit tired but mostly just excited. I did sleep in today, so I guess I won’t crash until later.” His sisters on the other hand… there was no way they’d last the evening without overtiredness rearing its ugly head.

“I’m guessing your mom and dad are on their way with the girls?”

“Yeah,” said Liv, “but they’re pretty slow. I don’t have to wait to give Reggie the grand tour, do I?”

“Knock yourself out, kid. Hang on, Liv? Walk your bike through the house, please.”

“I was gonna!”

Reggie could only smirk. Like hell you were….

“Aaaand,” Liv finished off with a flourish, “this is my room!” She opened the door to a good-sized bedroom. It seemed to Reggie that what floor-space wasn’t taken up by the bed was piled up with boxes.

“I mean, I can’t say the mess wasn’t a clue.”

Liv gave her cousin a look as she flopped into her bed. “Hey-- moving house is hard. You’ll see soon enough. You get started all excited, but once you start living your life, you kinda get… stuck. Mama Taylor says we’re going to just blitz it all next weekend, and throw ourselves a pizza party as a reward.”

Reggie got up onto the bed and crossed his legs. “Do you like it here?”

“I love it here! I always liked coming here when I was little, so I guess it doesn’t feel like something completely different. I reckon my tio abuelo is over the moon that we’re here for good; it’s like I’ve got a grandparent now.” Liv’s cheeks flushed pink, and she glanced away.

Understanding, Reggie nodded. Together, they’d grown up in a family that didn’t take the traditional shape. There were some things that simply couldn’t be explained to other friends; like why Reggie’s grandma could help him with his homework, but could never come in for grandparents’ day, and why Liv had a whole side of the family with no grandparents at all-- not even dead ones.

“And,” Liv continued, “people don’t really look at my Mama Estela funny. I noticed that years ago. I guess ‘cause of the war, people don’t look twice at someone who’s maybe a little bit banged-up. I got so sick of it back in America. Every time we met someone new, they’d put on that ‘God, what happened?’ face. Maybe Mom doesn’t want to explain the whole ‘revolutionary in a civil war’ thing to every random person who can’t mind their own business. Some people have scars-- big freaking deal. It’s better here.”

“Yeah, that would be a nice change. The amount of times I’ve seen you and Auntie Taylor look at a nosy idiot like you want to deck ‘em--”

Liv burst out laughing. “True, that.”

The sound of excited barking rang out from the backyard. It seemed pretty likely to Reggie that his parents and sisters had just arrived. When he and Liv arrived in the backyard, Erin had already joined Estela at the barbecue, desperate to be involved, while Immy was passionately talking to Nicolas about goodness-knows-what. Reggie made a mental note to rescue him in a few minutes; that kid could be intense, and the poor old guy had come out here for a relaxing lunch with his niece.

Nicely, but firmly, Reggie nudged the wriggling, writhing form of Robin the dog to the side so he could join his mother and Auntie Taylor at the large alfresco table under the porch. And Robin returned to his favoured position at the feet of the barbecue-- Erin was just a kid, surely, she’d drop something….

“Do you need a hand with the salads?” Reggie asked as he greeted his mother with a hug. He’d been seeking a lot of those. With so much changing, familial comfort meant a lot, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

Perhaps more than anything, though, he was grateful to have Liv by his side. It was the way it had always been; from their toddler days on La Huerta, through elementary school, to their adventures in home-schooling. Some things might change-- some things might change immeasurably-- but he always had his cousin.

___________________________

La Huerta, 2028

Liv yelled out as she splashed down into the shallow surf. “Reggie!”

“I got her, Xiraana!” Reggie cried, and soon he was joined by a young Vaanti girl, who helped restrain their victim.

“No, no!” Liv squealed as she struggled. Vaanti kids, she’d long ago realised, were strong. “You’ll never take me alive!”

“Five-- four--- three….” Xiraana counted down, not letting Liv out of her grasp.

“Two-- one!” Reggie finished triumphantly, and he let his cousin fall unceremoniously back into the water. “The klaawyi ate all the meat off your bones. You’re one of us now!”

Liv pouted, but admitted defeat. It wasn’t the worst thing that could happen; she was pretty good on Team Klaawyi anyway. Or, she would have been… had she not seen the figure of her favourite uncle descending onto the beach from the great tree of Elyys’tel.

“Tio Diegoooooo! Hiiiii!” Liv ran across the sand, almost tripping in her desperation to reach him.

“Hey, Livia!” Reggie cried out, indignant at being suddenly abandoned. “You’re meant to help us catch them!”

But Diego had crouched down to wrap Liv in a hug, and Reggie might as well be talking to a pile of rocks for all that was being absorbed.

“Tio, they got me! Reggie and Xiraana got me, and now I’m a klaawyi!”

“You?” Diego laughed. “You’re no klaawyi-- I’ve never seen a klaawyi that was ticklish!”

“Wha--?” Oh no. Once again, Liv was shrieking with mirth, this time dodging the tickling hands of her tio.

Still standing in the shallows, Reggie stomped his foot, which achieved little but splashing himself in the face. The game went on without them; games of Klaawyi Chase didn’t stop for anyone. The usual fun on the beaches outside Elyys’tel would go on like this every day… whether Reggie and Liv were there to join in or not. And Reggie didn’t want to miss out now.

“Come on, Livia!”

She just shook her head, not letting her adoring gaze up at Diego slip for so much as a heartbeat. “Nah,” she said. “I’m done.”

Torn, knowing that whichever direction he ran in, he’d lose out on precious time with friends, Reggie admitted defeat and rushed back to Liv’s side on the shore. He looked back over his shoulder and waved goodbye-- for what he’d been told would likely be a long, long time. Engrossed in their game, his friends gave just the most fleeting of farewells before continuing to race through the small waves that lapped the beach.

Liv, in contrast, had eyes only for her tio. She clasped his hand tightly; if she held on tight enough, perhaps he’d have no choice but to come with her to wherever her mothers were taking her in the big aeroplane.

Where exactly she was going, Liv didn’t quite understand. It was away from La Huerta, but they weren’t going back to live with Tio Nicolas, they were going… someplace else. Someplace with no Tio Diego and Varyyn, where all the other kids would be boring shades of pink and brown rather than blue and green, and where no one knew about the yeti-bear, or the magic crystal alien that made her mom, or about The Story of the Year the World Stopped.

“I want you to come, Tio Diego…,” Liv softly beseeched.

Diego’s eyes grew misty, her earnest words having tipped him over the edge after what had been a long period of emotional build-up. Goodbyes were never easy, and Liv’s family was his family. He squeezed her little hand gently.

“I’ll visit you, Livi-- I promise. Cross my heart. And your mommies will bring you over to visit us here too; you are going to learn so many new games at school that you can teach Xiraana and the other kids.”

“But I’ll miss you…”

Having rejoined Liv, Reggie peered up at Diego’s teary face with concern. “Diego, you’re making your glasses all foggy.”

“Ha. I know, I know!” Diego wiped his eyes. “You might have a point there, Reggie; I want to spend this last night with you guys actually being able to see you!”

Liv giggled and wrapped her arms around her uncle’s legs, only to be peeled off and hoisted into the air. “We can still have fun until bedtime, can’t we? Will you tell us a story?”

On the ground, Reggie danced around, his arms waving. Diego-time was the best story-time.

In the arms of her tio, her playmate since she was a baby bouncing on his knee, Liv was a mess of emotions; of fear and excitement, of merriment that competed with the looming sorrow. It was more than her little self had a clue what to do with. She was only five.

Sensing his cousin’s turmoil, Reggie reached up a hand and took hold of Liv’s, hanging down by Diego’s side. “Don’t worry, Livia! If you worry, you won’t enjoy story-time.”

Liv stuck out her bottom lip. That little nerd-face could be pretty smart sometimes. Tomorrow night, there would be no goodnight story from Tio Diego, but tomorrow night was not now-- now, everything was as it should be. Her wavering grin returned, and to her delight, it brought matching smiles to the faces of her companions.

“Do you think Varyyn, and my mommies, and Auntie Grace and Uncle Alli, and Auntie Grace’s tummy babies want to listen to the story too?”

“Yeah,” Diego said, letting Liv back down to the ground, where she immediately found another hug in Reggie’s arms, “I think everyone would really like that.”

_____________________________

San Trobida, August 2035

“I don’t get it,” Liv said thoughtfully, as the car rolled right on past the turn for her Auntie Grace and Uncle Al’s place. “It’s right on the way; wouldn’t it have been easier for us to pick up Reggie?”

“Hon,” Taylor replied, “I think Reggie wanted his mom and dad to take him to orientation. They’ll probably be better at helping with his jitters than we would be.”

“I guess.” Liv looked out the window, watching the surrounding vegetation thicken once more as the car followed the road up out of the valley. “Orientation Day shouldn’t be too bad, right? Just, like, meeting our teachers, learning where stuff is, that kinda thing?” And you’ll have to try and make friends. That would be a laugh.

By the time they pulled up at the Las Selvas Secondary School, however, Liv fully understood her cousin’s nerves, and realised that was probably why she’d been so disappointed that he didn’t share a car with her. Through every big change in their young lives, his presence had been a reassuring constant.

“Uggghh,” she groaned. “Can I change my mind? Home-schooling was all right; more of that, please.”

Estela leaned from the front seat and gave Liv’s knee a squeeze. “You know, I don’t think he’d ever say it, but I’m pretty sure Reggie would be really scared if he had to walk into this without you. Besides, you were so excited about starting here; you owe it to yourself to at least giving it a shot.”

Again, Liv groaned, this time even louder. “It’s so annoying when you’re right.”

“Story of my life,” Taylor laughed, while Estela smirked.

When they pulled up at the school, Reggie was already waiting, standing beside the car-park while his parents fussed over him.

“You have your phone?” Grace quizzed, checking for the fourth time since they’d set off.

“I told you, yes!” Reggie replied, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket to wave around for good measure. “I’ll send you a message when I’m ready to be picked up, I promise.”

“In that case, you just have a wonderful time, darling.” She wrapped him in a hug-- already Reggie was easily as tall as her. “Go well, and have fun.”

Liv rushed over, all smiles. Her own nerves were a whole lot less bothersome when she had the distraction of friendly faces.

There were a few more rounds of hugs exchanged-- and then, suddenly, Liv and Reggie were on their own.

“You wanna head over? Looks like people are already crowding around-- it’s probably gonna start soon.”

Reggie’s expression brightened, as if he’d been just waiting for a little push for his confidence to surge back forth. “Well, it will hardly be an auspicious start here if we miss the principal’s address. Get a move on, Livia!”

The morning passed relatively quickly. Liv placed herself next to Reggie at all times-- they’d been put in the same Grade Seven home room as requested, making him one of the eldest in the class, and her one of the youngest. The whole set-up wasn’t entirely different to the school they were accustomed to, other than the bilingual approach. They were given a small pile of boring paperwork, and outlines of what to expect in their new classes; as English was their first language, they’d be taking ‘Spanish as a Second Language’, and Liv was also excited about ‘Nature Studies’, a subject she’d never been offered in America.

As far as Liv was concerned, the most traumatic part of the session was being expected to stand up in front of a room of strangers and give a short spiel about themselves. The perfect opportunity to officially balls-up any chance they might have of making new friends, or at least that was how she saw it. She mumbled down into her chest; something about enjoying hiking and gymnastics, something about liking Batman, and animals, and then she hurriedly sat right back down with flaming cheeks. Reggie, she observed, handled the brief foray into public speaking with rather more poise. Even though he was shy-- perhaps even more than she was-- he seemed able to go into ‘school presentation’ mode, and breeze through. When he sat back down, though, his hands were shaking-- but that was for the eyes of his trusted friend only.

When the lunch break came along, Liv was ravenous; a new and challenging social situation could do that to a person. While Reggie sloped off to the bathrooms, she tested out the school canteen, emerging a little while later with a hot empanada. It wasn’t quite as good as her Mama Estela’s, but it was definitely a step up from what was on offer at her old school. Maybe she could get used to this place….

Liv watched this new world go by all around her as she ate, cross-legged beneath the tree she’d told her cousin to meet her by. Kids moved in their little circles, talking loudly, laughing. Most of them coming into Grade Seven had come from the local primary school, and many knew each-other. Liv and Reggie would be starting out on the outside… and that was daunting. She could not be more grateful that she wasn’t taking this on alone.

Or… at least, she shouldn’t be. The lunchtime queue moved on, the gaggles of kids spread out, and still Reggie hadn’t returned.

Damn, constipated on your first day. Sucks to be you, Reggie.

Tentatively, Liv approached the boys’ bathroom and, having ascertained that no one was watching, slipped in. Her footsteps were unheard, drowned out by the loud, frantic breathing of young Reggie, slumped over the sink. Alarmed, Liv rushed over. Tears were spilling down his cheeks.

“Reggie… it’s okay,” she said gently. A little unsure, she reached out a hand to rub his back, and to her surprise, he didn’t flinch away. Slowly, he seemed to regain control of himself.

“Liv…,” Reggie panted. “You know you’re not meant to be in here; this is the guys’ room.”

“Hey! Like it’s my fault you didn’t take your anxiety attack into the unisex bathroom. That’s on you.” Hmph. Ungrateful, much?

Reggie scowled, and dragged his cousin out of the toilet block by her arm. He slumped down by the wall, and scooched over to encourage her to join him.

“You’re a pain in the arse.” He was still shaking.

“It’s been said, yeah.” Liv huddled a little closer. “You don’t need to worry, okay? You’re not going to have any trouble making friends. Did you see they’ve got a chess club, and a photography club as well? At least that’ll get you talking to people.”

“That’s,” Reggie said quietly, “not exactly what I’m worried about.” When Liv looked at him expectantly, he continued. “When I was in a room with all those kids, my head just went back to being at our old school… and what happened. I know this place is meant to be progressive and all that, but that doesn’t mean that everyone’s okay. What if I think I’ve made friends with someone, and they find out about Erin, and they make it a big thing, and then some arsehole finds out….”

“Man, you’re really spiraling,” Liv observed, not especially helpfully. She wasn’t exactly surprised by what was troubling her cousin; getting into a fight in defense of his young transgender sister had completely unseated Reggie from the comfortable life he’d had at the last school. It had changed everything.

“You would too, if she was your sister!”

“Probably. But I think you should at least give people a go. It sounds like they’re really strict on any kind of bullying against minorities. Swinging back hard in the opposite direction after that fascist dictatorship.”

“Those are some awfully big words for you to be throwing around there, Livia; watch you don’t hurt yourself….”

“Hey! I know my stuff!” Liv demanded. “Do you think my tio abuelo would have it any other way? But anyway, I’m right. All the people who didn’t fit in before have come to this part of the country. Probably a lot of the kids have parents who saw really horrible things in the war; they wouldn’t want to send them somewhere that was bad like before. My Mama ‘Stel gave the principal the grilling of her life, and I bet she hasn’t been the only one. People are gonna want to make sure their kids are being looked after.”

A smile quirked on Reggie’s face as he imagined his aunt on a school tour. “I bet Tia Estela left Principal Sanchez quivering under the desk.”

“Yeah… after what happened in the last school, there’s no way they’d let us go anywhere unless they were sure it was a place that treated people right.”

Reggie knew that much. But his parents, and even his fierce aunt, could not shield himself, his sisters and his cousin, from everything. He contemplated silently, grateful for the patient companionship.

“I guess,” he said at last, “if no one gave anyone else a chance to be anything but the worst, then we’d be pretty lonely.”

“Yup. We should at least give it a shot. And if it all goes in the crapper, I’ll sic my moms on the fools that mess with us. And the freaking yeti.”

Reggie couldn’t help but roll his eyes. That had always been Liv’s answer to everything. “Livia, I hate to break it to you, but if you go around threatening people with yetis, everyone’s gonna think you’ve got a screw loose. Except me; I know you’ve got a screw loose.”

“So damn rude,” Liv growled. “Anyway, you really should eat something. It probably won’t help you feeling crap and light-headed if you’ve got an empty stomach. They’ve got arepas!”

“...I could eat an arepa,” Reggie admitted. There was only so much a young boy of thirteen could control; he couldn’t wave a magic wand and guarantee that his little sister would never be hurt by cruel, ignorant words, but he could look after himself, so that he was the best him he could be-- and the best brother.

_____________________________

USA, 2028

“You did a great job, sweetheart,” Taylor said kindly as Reggie delicately placed his knife and fork atop his small plastic plate, signaling that he’d finished. Immediately afterwards, the little boy’s small hand had dropped to his side to get a reassuring touch of his teddy’s scruffy fur. “It was nice of Big Bear to join us for dinner. Does he like lasagna as much as you do?”

Reggie yawned widely as he nodded to his aunt. He hadn’t known it was possible for a kid to be so full of yawns, but living with newborn twins had shown him just how big a tired feeling could be. “Big Bear likes to watch from the floor.”

“That’s nice of him to let you have the whole plate for yourself. We’re gonna have plenty to bring over to your mommy and daddy for them to eat tomorrow.”

Lasagna had been Reggie’s choice. This whole sleepover was to be all about him; giving him a welcome break from the stresses of being a new big brother to two babies at once. He’d been on many, many sleepovers at Tia Estela and Auntie Taylor’s place before, but this time felt different. Reggie knew that at home, his parents were busy with their other children… and in his sensitive state, it took no time at all for him to miss them.

Twins, Reggie had come to realise, were very hard work. They cried a lot… and his mommy cried a lot, and his daddy cried a lot, and he cried a lot. All crying and no sleeping was not a whole lot of fun. Reggie wanted so badly to get away from the babies, but at the same time he longed to be with his parents. However much fun it was to take a break at his aunts’ place, the worry in him just wouldn’t go away.

Side-by-side, he and Liv changed into their pyjamas. Five-year-old Liv, true to form, nattered away to him the whole time. Babies, of course, were the subject of choice.

“My moms say we’re probably not gonna get another baby. Maybe ‘cos you have two I can borrow one if I get lonely. Do you have one that you like best?”

Reggie shrugged.

“Maybe next time your mom and dad will have three. You could have all these babies like a baby army, and if someone’s ever mean to you, you will have like a hundred poopy diapers you can throw at them. No one likes poop.”

“I don’t want lots more babies,” Reggie said softly. I want no more.

“If you don’t like babies, you can come and live with us forever!” Liv suggested brightly, oblivious the the wobble of her cousin’s bottom lip.

When Estela popped her head around the corner to check on the kids, Reggie was in tears and Liv looked totally bewildered.

“Mommy, Reggie’s crying…,” she pointed out, rather unnecessarily, for her mother had already scooped the little boy into a cuddle.

“It’s okay, mijo,” Estela soothed as she gently rocked her nephew in her arms. “It’s okay to cry. This has been really hard. You know what? You have been such a good boy for Mommy and Daddy.”

Liv, not quite sure what to do, but nothing if not well-meaning, draped herself over Reggie and patted him on the back. “There, there. It’s okay.”

Estela took Reggie into the lounge room for some cheer-up time, and Liv took Big Bear. Taylor quickly joined them, and pulled Reggie into her lap for a cuddle.

“Are you feeling a bit sad, sweetpea?”

Reggie nodded. “Uh-huh. I liked it better how things were before. Everything’s different.”

Taylor gently rubbed the little boy’s arms. “Change can be really tough. It’s like you’ve got to figure out how life works all over again!”

“Yeah, it’s not nice.”

“So, it’s okay to have a good cry. We will give you as many hugs and cuddles as you need.”

“Reggie,” Liv piped up, “do you wanna play a game? That could make you feel happy?”

Reggie sniffed and nodded again. Pleased-- she had this cheering-up business down-- Liv plonked herself in Estela’s lap and leaned forward to her cousin.

“Do you wanna play… ‘Klaawyi Chase’?”

Estela intervened quickly. “Maybe something with a little less running around. It’s nearly bedtime, Livi.”

“Okay. Ummmm…. ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’?”

“Livita.”

Well, you’re no fun. Liv gave a soft huff and pondered. By her best guess, ‘Hide and Seek’ would be a ‘no’ too… especially as last time she’d hid, no one managed to find her for a full hour.

“How about,” Taylor suggested, “we have a game of ‘Fortunately-Unfortunately’?”

“I wanna play that one!” Reggie said enthusiastically. “Can I start? Fortunately, we all had ice cream for dessert.”

Liv bounced in her mother’s lap. “Unfortunately, the ice cream was smelly-feet flavour!”

“Livi!” Taylor exclaimed, rolling her eyes. Why was everything smelly-feet with that kid? “Okay, then-- fortunately, Robin Dog likes smelly-feet, so he ate all the ice cream for us.”

“Oh!” Liv cried. “I’ve got a really good one!” Hehe, Robin with smelly-feet farts….

“Unfortunately,” said Estela. “It was Mama Estela’s turn, and Miss Livita just had to wait.”

Liv turned and poked her tongue out at her mom, making Reggie giggle. He snuggled in against his Auntie Taylor’s chest, his mind far away from worries about his new role as big brother to a pair of very needy twins.

“Fortunately,” he said, smiling, “Furball was visiting, and he made us some new ice cream with no yucky flavours in it.”

“Unfortunately….”

_________________________

San Trobida, September 2035

It was the last weekend before school started, and a lazy warm day at the Montoya house. Estela was up a tree, hammering boards into what would soon be a playhouse for the kids. She’d already finished up a two-storey-high climbing wall on the other side of the yard, which, at Liv’s request, would eventually be connected to the new tree-house by a zipline. Then, there’d be a slide, and monkey bars, and a tyre swing, and a fire pole. Basically, Estela had made it her mission to put together the best backyard playground on the Costa Libertad. Taylor, meanwhile, had been busying herself with a vegetable garden, with the help of a fascinated Erin and her parents, who turned out to be quite clever when it came to soil chemistry.

Liv had been up and down her new climbing wall like a yo-yo, leaving her dog, Robin, running rings around the base and all but tripping Reggie up as he tentatively took his first steps towards ascending.

“Are you coming?”

“I’m trying! Your dog’s getting in the way.”

Eventually, Reggie managed to clamber his way up, with a little help from Liv who hauled him over the top.

“See; piece of cake.”

Reggie couldn’t quite agree, and now that he was up twenty feet, he was already dreading his descent back to solid ground. Keen to distract himself from the dizzying height, he passed Liv the rope that he’d carried slung across his shoulders.

“What do you want me to do with it?” she demanded. “You’re meant to drop one end back down….”

“I’m not going near the edge!”

“Fine. Immy! You down there still?”

On the ground, and trying to wrestle a squeaky toy giraffe from Robin’s mouth, Immy craned her neck up.

“Yeah-- but you’re lucky I am, Reggie was so slow.”

“Careful. I was careful. You should bloody well try it sometime.”

Immy rolled her eyes dramatically, but nonetheless took the rope end that Liv had lowered to her, and ran it over to Estela so the distance could be measured.

“There we go,” Liv said, after having marked the rope at the edge of the platform. “Done. Reggie, if you’re just going to look down, you might as well be on the ground. Come on-- check out the view!”

Begrudgingly, Reggie sat up properly and looked around.

“Woah.” Maybe he could see the appeal of being up so high, even if he was immensely grateful for the safety rails around the platform. “You really can see everything up here.”

“Isn’t it cool?” Liv beamed as she pointed her cousin towards the paddock behind the yard. “You wanted to see our horse? Right in there at the side of the sheltery-shed thing….”

“Oh, wow! Okay, fine, I believe you now. I guess she was just hiding earlier.”

“That’s Miel. She’s like, older than dirt; Mama Estela used to ride her when she was a teenager.”

“And she’s still alive?”

“Just about. I think she’s uh… nearly thirty? Pretty ancient. Mom found out she was all on her own after her friend died, and she bought her so she could retire here with us. She’s kind of a bitey asshole. Uh, the horse-- not Mom.” Liv quickly amended, glancing to the in-progress tree-house. “So, we’re keeping her, and if she wants to make friends with the new horses we’re getting, she can, otherwise at least she can, like, neigh rude horse words at them from over the fence.”

Reggie snorted. Weirdo.

“I’m super excited. I know Mama ‘Stel was kind of nervous about us moving over here because of how things were when she was a kid-- but it actually… feels nice. I love our new house. I love cranky Miel. I love that we’re gonna get chickens, and maybe a new friend for Robin. Even the school seems pretty good.”

Swallowing his fear, Reggie joined Liv at the railing, dangling his legs over the side of the platform.

“Yeah, I think I like it here, too. Mom and Dad seem really happy; Dad says he can make more of a good difference in the world here than in America. So, I guess that’s got to be good. Did I tell you we’re going to put a pool in?”

“You might have mentioned it. When you’ve been whining about the heat, for the hundredth time.”

“It’s so humid!”

Liv giggled. It was like being back in the tropics of La Huerta, and to her, that felt right. Granted, it might have been nicer if they could just pop on over into a neighbouring alpine region that was inexplicably right next to the hot, sticky jungle, but she really loved it.

“Well,” Reggie said, “it’s going to be great. And it should be done by the time Quinn and Michelle come to visit.”

“Do we even know whose house they’re staying at yet?”

“It should be my place.” Reggie puffed out his chest, as if to emphasise the rightness of his point. “You’re definitely getting Jake and Sean and Mikey. You can’t take all the visitors. And besides… we’ll have a pool.”

That was hard to argue with. “It’s up to the adults anyway,” Liv conceded. In the end, it didn’t matter; she was going to make the most of having her La Huerta family around even if it meant camping out in Reggie’s back yard. “But, I will be a much better San Trobida tour guide than you. I’m still showing you around.”

Reggie hmphed, and Liv laughed.

“Come on, Reggie,” she said, dropping gracefully down the side of the wall and taking up hand-holds. “I’m getting hungry.”

It was at that point that Reggie made the sobering discovery that going down, was rather more intimidating than going up a sheer vertical surface.

“Um, Liv…,” he said quietly. “I, uh, don’t think I can do that.”

“Oh!” Liv responded. “Sorry, I forgot you’re new to this. Maybe you should’ve started smaller. But don’t worry, I’ll get you down….”

“Okay…,” he murmured, clearly not remotely convinced.

“Mom!” Liv hollered, all but making her poor cousin topple over the edge in surprise. “Reggie’s stuck!”

Reggie felt heat rise in his cheeks as his sisters, hanging out on the grass below the wall at the worst possible time, burst out laughing. Like they could even get up this high to begin with.

Up in the tree-house, Estela looked up and wiped off the paint from her hands. Rescuing kids from scrapes had pretty much become her specialty at this point; twelve years with Liv had seen to that. “I’m coming,” she called back.

“I’m not exactly stuck,” Reggie muttered defensively, as his Tia Estela easily scaled the climbing wall to join him and Liv, who’d already rejoined him to offer moral support. “If I really wanted to, I could climb down; I just feel I should practice climbing up a few more times before I try that.”

“You’ll get there,” Estela said kindly. As far as she was concerned, the fact that her nephew had a realistic view of his own capabilities was only a good thing. “I’ll have that zipline going in no time anyway, so you’ll have no hurry to work it out.”

With his aunt’s back offered to him, Reggie took the cue and wrapped his long arms around her neck, and his legs around her middle. Getting rescued by one of the team of protective grown-ups? Basically, the story of both his and Liv’s lives.

“Hang on, Regito,” Estela laughed.

____________________________

La Huerta, 2034

The frigid wind howled against the cabin door, and it took all of Liv and Reggie’s combined might to wrestle it closed. Both kids were panting heavily-- and shaking like leaves-- as they nervously stepped away.

“Thank god this little hut was here, really,” Liv heaved. “I dunno about you, but I’d rather be stranded in a snowstorm with walls around me.”

Reggie said nothing, and just shivered, wrapping his arms around his own torso. He’d wrapped up-- as if his parents would let him go wandering into the colder pockets of the island without a heap of layers-- but the snow had wet his gloves through, and a chill was now spreading through his body.

“Hey,” Liv said, “we should… we should get a fire going. You look like you’re halfway turned into a popsicle right now.”

As his cousin busied herself at the fireplace-- thank goodness there was some firewood left-- Reggie fiddled with his emergency phone. His heart sank. No signal. His mom and dad were going to be so worried when he and Liv never came home….

“Uh, Liv… I think the storm’s screwed up the reception here. It won’t let me phone Mom and Dad.”

Liv looked up, and for the first time, she looked truly fearful, her usual intrepid spirit extinguished in a flash. “They’re really gonna panic,” she said softly. She shuddered. If their parents came out looking for them, it meant walking out into a blizzard, and all the danger that came with it. If she could just tell her mothers that she was safe, that she and Reggie had shelter… they could wait out the storm. Anything could happen, anything….

“Are you okay, Livia?” Reggie asked, and he handed her a heavy blanket as he sat down cross-legged in front of her feebly burning fire. “You look kind of spaced-out.”

“Hng?”

“They’ll find us; it’ll be okay.”

“I don’t want them to come and find us,” Liv snapped. “I want them to stay where it’s safe. They could get hurt or, or worse because we were stupid enough not to turn around when the weather changed.” She placed a stick too roughly, and her firewood tower collapsed, extinguishing the flame. “For fuck’s sake!”

Reggie, wisely, stayed quiet, letting his cousin fix up the mess and get a new fire started without interference. He watched her with concern as her eyes welled. “Livia…?”

She huddled close to him, but for a long while, didn’t speak.

“Reggie,” she murmured at last, “something really horrible happened a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t want to talk about it with you, ‘cause… ‘cause I didn’t even want to think about it…. It just made me feel too bad. But, uh.... I was… I was playing in the sea with Mama Estela. Just like we always do. We were just goofing off. Then, um, I got all tangled up in those freaking weeds. They grabbed me and held me under.”

“That must have been so scary….”

“Of course, Mom got me out of there. B-but there was a sea-snake in there. It bit her. It happened so fast… I hardly even saw what happened, but she suddenly just... could hardly even get out of the water. I somehow managed to haul her up out the water, but she was all limp and… and I gave her the anti-venom, and she just started having some kind of fit.. Like her body was jerking around, and her mouth was all frothy.” She gasped through a sob. “Then she… she stopped breathing, completely.” Liv shuddered as the memory filled her mind, vivid as if it were yesterday. She could feel Reggie’s wide, horrified eyes upon her. “I screamed. I screamed for help. Mama Taylor was up the beach, she couldn’t hear me. S-so I did CPR. My hands were shaking so-- so bad. And all I could think was ‘I’m gonna screw this up. I’m gonna screw this up and my mom’s gonna die’.” Her voice cracked and she sputtered through hot tears that she wiped away with her arm. Before she knew it, Reggie had his arms around her and was holding her tight. “I don’t know how long it was,” she said. “It felt like forever, but it was probably only a few minutes. Then she started breathing and I just… I cried, and cried, and cried.”

Reggie gently rubbed Liv’s back, and it soothed her.

“I, uh, I guess I always thought Mama Estela was invincible. To me, she always was. There was nothing I couldn't do either, because she would always be there to protect me. It was so close, Reggie… it looked like she was gone.”

“I… didn’t know it was as bad as that. My dad told me she’d been bitten but…,” Reggie mumbled. “You must have been so scared. Have you… have you talked to your moms about it much?”

Liv sniffed, and wiped her face again. “Yeah. You know what my Mama Taylor is like; we’ve talked it through lots, I’ve told them how I’m feeling. But I haven’t… like… had a big cry since it happened.” Until now. Now, she just couldn’t seem to stop the tears from coming. Reggie didn’t seem to mind; he just sat with her, and rubbed her back, and told her it was okay.

After what seemed like an age, her tears slowed.

“It is going to be okay, you know?” Reggie said gently. “Obviously, they’re going to come out looking for us, but they’re smart. They’ll be prepared; just like your Mama Estela was with the anti-venom.”

“Yeah…,” Liv said, her voice small. You could be as prepared as you wanted, but sometimes the world managed to stay one step ahead. The storm outside was wild and furious, battering on the roof and walls… and it was frightening. Liv could only snuggle under her cousin’s arm, and trust that whatever search and rescue party was out there would come through.

The two kids huddled together beneath their blanket, speaking little, but making their mutual support known without words. Just the squeeze of a hand through the most blood-curdling howls of the wind, and the simple offer of presence.

Somehow, the creak of the door shoved open cut through the dull roar.

“Oh, thank goodness!”

“Dad!” Reggie leapt forward and flung his arms around his father, his face lighting up further when Grace followed in behind. “Mom!”

Grace put her shaking hands to her son’s face, gently sweeping hair from his eyes. “Darling, are you all right?” Then she pulled Liv into a fierce hug, and in a moment Aleister had his arms around all three of them. “We were so worried!”

Liv whimpered against Grace’s shoulder. “Are my moms out in the storm?” She knew the answer already.

“Yes, honey. They’re out searching for you. Don’t you stress, okay? We’ve got a flare to set off so they’ll know we found you here-- and Varyyn and Diego too.”

“Woah,” Liv murmured, “you got a whole search party out.”

There was a buzzing, and the flickering of blue light, then Iris materialised.

Reggie beamed. “Hey, Grandma! So, a ‘whole search party’ is pretty much correct.”

“I will say, being able to scan for nearby lifeforms is quite handy in situations like these.”

So, find my moms and Tio Diego. Liv hugged tighter to her Auntie Grace, with no words pleading for help.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Grace said gently, stroking Liv’s face, while Aleister saw to setting off the flare. “It’s going to be just fine. We’re not far from Elyys’tel; we all fanned out from there, so no one is going to be too deep into the mountains.”

That… actually made sense. It was enough, just enough to keep Liv a step above panic-mode. She headed back to the fireplace, but as her backside hit the floor, a guttural roar rocked the cabin, and she leapt back to her feet.

“What the--?”

“You two stay back!” Aleister ordered, his voice shaking. Why, oh why, did the children want to go gallivanting out in the frozen wilderness when there was a perfectly serviceable tropical paradise right outside their front door? He was going to be old before his time at this rate….

Grace, though, was already hauling open the door, to reveal the hulking figure of the Mountain Guardian.

A growl rumbling in her throat, Arktos loomed in the doorway, looking down at Grace with a questioning gaze.

“Hello…?” she said cautiously. The gigantic bear-like creature was generally reasonably friendly…. “Did we… did we disturb you with the flare?”

Arktos grumbled, her furry ears flicking with curiosity.

“Our friends are out there in the storm,” Grace continued, certain that the yeti would understand; her past experiences had only supported the fact that this creature was incredibly intelligent-- and benevolent. “The flare was to bring them to this cabin.”

With a soft huff, Arktos shuffled backwards, and all of a sudden, it seemed as though she was surrounded by a force-field… a bubble that the wind and blinding snow couldn’t penetrate.

Understanding, Grace turned to Iris. “I think we’re going hiking again-- with a little extra help this time. Al, you’ll stay and watch the kids?”

“I--I--” Aleister stuttered. “Well, of course. Stay close to the… the bear thing.” Scrambling a little, he pulled off his outer layer and offered it to her. “I won’t have you catching hypothermia.”

And Grace stepped into the snow, Iris hovering behind her, and found shelter in the yeti’s protective shield. She looked up at the beast, now rearing up onto colossal hind legs to scout for signs of nearby human activity. “Thank you, Arktos. I guess… I guess, you choose the direction, and we’ll start the search.”

The unusual trio headed out into the storm, and within moments, they were invisible for the wind thick with snow. Aleister, a look of dumbfoundment upon his face, closed the door, and again, the cabin was quiet.

“Damn. Auntie Grace is a fricking badass,” Liv breathed, face alight in awe.

Aleister, recovering from his wife’s shock exit quickly-- he’d seen her steely courage in action enough times to just about take it in his stride, nodded. “Indeed.” He brushed the last flakes of snow from his coat, and looked around the room. “Well, I don’t suppose the wait will pass any faster with us standing around here. Reggie, did we leave any board-games here last time?”

“Uh, looks like we’ve got ‘Scrabble’?”

Well, Liv thought, I don’t have a hope in hell against these people. Should’ve left ‘Twister’ here….

Reggie sat himself down in front of the crackling fire and started unpacking the box. “Hey, Livia-- team up with me?”

He was clearly still a little worried about her. If there was an opportunity to thrash her at something, Mr Pedantic-Always-Right would take it without fail. Or so Liv had believed.

She plonked down cross-legged beside him. “Yeah? Yeah, all right.”

The two kids exchanged a high five, and Liv couldn’t help but grin. You are going down, Uncle Al.

___________________________

San Trobida, September 2035

As the car pulled up the neatly paved pathway to Aleister and Grace’s house, Liv excitedly rolled down the window.

“Reginaaaaald!!!” she hollered.

“How,” Aleister wondered aloud, “can such a small person-- and the offspring of Estela and Diego of all people-- sound so eerily like a bloody foghorn?”

A beaming Reggie followed his father out the front door. He exchanged hugs with both his parents-- and his two little sisters-- and then rushed to join his cousin on the back seat.

“Are you ready to go, mijo?” Estela checked in, suppressing a laugh as Taylor all but did a contortion act to give her nephew a hug from the front seat.

He had Liv, didn’t he? So, basically, he was ready for anything.

The short drive to the school saw the return of those pesky jitters, and Reggie knew from the way his cousin jiggled her leg the whole way there that he was definitely not alone in that. The school ground, filled only with kids their own age when they’d been there for orientation, was swarming with adolescents of all sizes-- and just about all of them were bigger than Reggie and Liv.

With an awkward hug and a kiss to her mothers in the front of the car, Liv bit the bullet and, bulging backpack in hand, stepped out into a brave new world. There was only one thing for it; Reggie would just have to take the plunge. He swung his backpack over his shoulder, and followed after his cousin.

“Welp,” said Liv, “here goes nothing!”

Reggie gave a nervous laugh and playfully bashed Liv with his backpack, putting a reassuringly silly grin on her face.

We’ve got this.

_______________________

NOTES

Little Xiraana is @mauvecatfic's baby. Check out her stories; you won't regret it!

If you read 'A Ride to Remember', you might remember Miel. She's the very same horse.

Aaaaand, the incident Liv is recounting during the snowstorm is the one you can read from Estela's perspective in 'Teething Problems: Part Two'.

[fallingappleshurt]

27 and 39 with mercenary techno and skeppy? and like skeppy is having second thoughts about their jobs? 👉👈

the miles and miles we ran ( and can keep in running)

“I don’t- I don’t think I want to do this anymore.” He said suddenly, staring at the ceiling.

“Do what?” Techno asked, lighting another candle.

“The jobs, the mercenary stuff, it’s not worth it- I don’t like it.”

———

TW: mentions of blood and death but nothing too graphic

Ao3 link: Hi!!

Para my beloved!!! /p I am sorry it took so long for me to get this out, burn out

Hope you all enjoy :>>>

————-

The rain battered against their threadbare clothes, speckles of blood flicked against his hands, the job was easy, in and out, it didn’t bother him.

But that was what was starting to bother him.

Techno brushed a few soaked strands of hair from his face, trying to push down the emotion swirling in his chest. They just had the final stretch then he could collapse and his emotions could settle.

But it was relentless.

His mind clipped back to the arena, the sweat running down his back, the howls of the crowd, the contorted snarl of the monster in front of him. He didn’t flinch as it launched itself forward or when he lashed at it with his blade-

Techno’s ear twitched against the wind as it pulled him back to reality, focus. Nobody was out now, too late and too cold. Skeppy stood beside him, rubbing the water drops off his goggles and sighing.

“So now what?” He asked, an unlying bitterness in his bored tone.

“What do ya mean?”

“Are we gonna keep doing this?”

“This job? Yeah, we need to report back so we can get paid.”

Skeppy opened his mouth to talk again but stopped and nodded, “Yeah- Yeah lets just go.”

They continued down the decrepit alley, the cracked ground dipped behind their feet and water flooded from the rusting gutters, some managing to slosh into his boots.

He and Skeppy ducked down a flight of stairs, fingers running along the rusted railing and entered the mildewy tunnels. Someone shuffled to their side, inspecting them with narrowed eyes.

“Are you those mercenaires?” They asked, lip curled, it was the only part of their face Techno could see, the rest cloaked by a hood in a vain attempt to look secretive.

Techno nodded, “Yes.” He said curtly.

“Did you finish the job?”

“This isn’t part of your affairs or I’d know your name, just show us to his room.”

“I’m not showing you anything unless you answer my question, freak.”

“Cut the shit and just tell him,” Skeppy hissed, “Stop dancing around the issue.”

Techno rolled his eyes, “We finished the job, however the details are not to be discussed with you.”

Their lips twitched briefly, a fleeting attempt at a smile, “That’s all I needed to know, this way.”

They followed, Skeppy leaning and whispering;

“Why are you always so on edge? Just give them a straight answer.”

“Why does it bother you so much?”

“Cause it makes everything take so much longer.” A hint of a whine in his voice.

“Soley that reason then,” He said lightly, then added, “I don’t want him reporting us, the more he knows the more trouble he could cause.”

“So paranoid,” Skeppy rolled his eyes,“Since when are you scared of the law?”

“Never, since the law doesn’t exist.”

Skeppy snorted, “In your little dream world.”

They had stopped by Hatchet’s office, the cloaked figure cleared their throat, “If you are done rattling about then The Master is ready to see you.”

Techno and Skeppy gave each other a knowing look then walked through, Techno turned and looked back, hand resting on the doorknob.

“The word is ‘prattling’.” He said, closing the door, despite it’s thick and sturdy nature he could still hear the others gasp of indiginence.

Techno didn’t fear many things, he didn’t fear many people, just what they could do if they had power. Hatchet was one of those people.

Techno had never seen his face, he was just a silhouette that would purr out orders and seemed to have eyes everywhere. Techno felt glad he and Skeppy weren’t in his debt, the term business partners was already too close.

Hatchet sat in a massive chair, intricate carving in the otherwise smooth wood, he was leaning forwards, elbows on his knees and hands folded, chin resting against them. He looked like a cat, bored of its prey.

“Is it done?” He asked.

“Yes.” Skeppy answered this time, Hatchet grinned.

“Very good, you two always do excellent work. Oh and do tell me, did he suffer?”

Techno frowned, “No.”

Hatchet’s face dropped slightly, “Aw,” He paused, “No matter, here.” He tossed an envelope at them which Skeppy tried and failed to catch and had to scrape off the floor.

“Alright, off with you two.” He waved his hand and after they hurried out of the room, feeling the man's eyes burning into their backs, marking them.

They walked home in silence, Techno could tell there was something wrong with Skeppy but wasn’t sure how to approach it. Thunder clapped above them again and candle lights flickered in nearby windows as they crept into their little back alley apartment, the power must’ve been knocked out.

Techno slipped off his boots and tested one of their lamps, nothing happened. He sighed and shuffled into the kitchen, looking for their matches.

He found them quickly and set to work lighting up the house, Skeppy flopped down on the couch after shedding his attire.

“I don’t- I don’t think I want to do this anymore.” He said suddenly, staring at the ceiling.

“Do what?” Techno asked, lighting another candle.

“The jobs, the mercenary stuff, it’s not worth it- I don’t like it.”

“I don’t like it either but it’s the only reason we aren’t on the streets.” Techno said, this was all he had ever done, thoughts of the arena pierced his mind again, this was all he knew.

“We can find a different way to make money.”

Techno raised an eyebrow in a sort of humored disbelief, “Not here! We’ll be recognized or reported or something- there will always be people who will want another corpse and they’ll come right back to us.” He added darkly.

Skeppy glared at him, “Look, I don’t want to do it anymore, you can but I no longer want to be a part of it.”

“What- are you backing out now? Is this it?”

“I want it to be! This is too much!” Skeppy snapped, a hand pulling at his hair, “It’s all too much!”

“Oh yeah, ‘the weight of your sins bearing down on your shoulders’, I see how it is.” Techno snorted.

“I thought when we escaped the arena that we’d get to be free! No more fighting, no more bloodlust! Now we’re just the same monsters under another name!”

“It doesn’t work like that, our fates were set and sealed in stone the moment we were forced into that place, even then we are wanted for that and wanted for everything we’ve done since we’ve escaped.” Techno felt a familiar, buried, grief in his chest, he didn’t know what to do. The facade was wearing thin and it almost felt like his chest was going to cave in.

“We should just run away.”

“We can’t.”

“Why not?” He cried, “We’ve done it before!”

“Everyone will know it’s us, it- it can’t be that easy.”

Skeppy was silent for a moment.

“This- this isn’t fair.” He stuttered out, a single tear of frustration slid down his face, running along the blue geode in his skin. “And don’t you dare say life isn’t fair, I know it’s not but that doesn’t mean I can’t be upset about it.”

“You can be upset about it but it won’t do much.”

“Helpful as always.”

“Look, a piglin and geode hybrid, we already stick out.” Techno rolled his eyes, “Do you even know where we’d go? I don’t have any other skills, I know my way around a blade but that can only get us so far.”

“Maybe if you tried harder you’d know more.”

Techno narrowed his eyes, “That is rich coming from you.”

“Sorry sorry, it was a cheap blow.” Skeppy rubbed the back of his neck and Techno sighed.

“I can’t really blame you, I don’t know what else to do, we can run but we’ve already run so far.”

Broken locks, bare feet slamming against concrete, hands tightly interlaced.

“We can keep running, the world stretches for miles and miles, there has to be something out there for us.”

“But what if there isn’t?” Fear simmered in his chest, he didn’t want to be alone again but he didn’t want to be trapped under someone else's heel again either.

The thunder clapped outside.

“Then we can make one, an actual home, just for us. We’ve sort of done it here, we can do it again.”

Techno nodded, a lump in his throat, “We don’t owe anyone anything right now, we can go whenever we want.”

“Yeah, we can leave first thing in the morning, there is nothing here for us.”

“So, are we really doing this?”

��If you’ll come with me.”

“Of course, on one condition.”

Skeppy frowned, “What might that be?”

“We take that dog from the alley with us, I don’t think anyone else will take care of it.”

Skeppy snorted, “Sure, sure.”

Techno knew the world was scary, he regarded it with caution for good reason, but he tried not to let it paralyze him. In this world, the only way you can make things better for yourself is by taking the first step, and it is better if you have a friend.

That’s how he got out with Skeppy.

[alice-dont-break]

pull me back | janthony one shot

request from @aangstlord 🥰

tw: anxiety attack triggered by sex/touching, references to trauma related to sex/touching but the trauma isn’t explained

It was almost 7 o’clock when Jasmine came home to find her fiancé standing at his dresser wearing nothing but his grey sweatpants. He looked her up and down, and his eyes lingered on the devilish sparkle in her eye and the way her ass looked in those leggings. They were undressing each other with their eyes and it was obvious what was about to go down.

Jasmine stepped into his space and brought her hands to his cheeks before pressing their lips together hard. Anthony pulled her hips flush against his and reciprocated the kiss with just as much hunger.

“Hey baby,” he purred against her lips.

“Hey yourself,” she smirked back.

“How was work?”

“Not as fun as this.”

Within seconds, her tongue was rolling against his teeth and his hands were teasing the hem of her t-shirt. Jasmine started to push him back towards the bed, and he hummed against her lips. Once the back of his knees hit the edge of the mattress he flopped back and Jasmine climbed on top. She straddled his hips and he stared at her figure as she pulled the scrunchie off her wrist to secure her hair back into a bun. His hands started on her waist and wandered up her sides, letting his thumbs just skim over the hardened peaks poking through her shirt.

She groaned, having no patience for teasing tonight, and dove down to capture his lips again. She ground her hips down into his as she had her way with his mouth. His hands secured her waist and guided her movements against him, but she was in charge. He loved this fire behind her eyes; he always found it unbelievably sexy when she wanted him so badly she couldn’t hold herself back. But tonight, something was off.

He tried to shift beneath her, to get some air or some space, but his hips were pinned down firmly beneath hers. Before he could process that he was stuck, he felt that hand that has burned into his lower back for months. That hand that made him want to slip out of his own skin, to run, to hide, to shower and scrub until his skin was raw. Before he had a chance to look into Jasmine’s loving eyes or recognize her warmth as safe and comforting rather than foreign and hostile, he was slipping. Her hand was wrapped around his hip, her fingers digging into to the skin of his lower back and her thumb grazing over his obliques, but he was gone. He wasn’t in his lover’s arms; he was with the monster who has haunted the nightmares he would never speak of to anyone.

His heart pounded through his ears and his skin felt like fire. He couldn’t yell or squirm away because he was trapped. Everything he needed to escape was inside his mind so there was nowhere to go. His lungs burned as his breaths were short and shallow, until he felt air against his lips and reached for oxygen.

Jasmine pulled back with his bottom lip between her teeth to ghost over her fiance and breathe his air, but the second there was space between them she heard a gasp. She propped herself up and looked down at him as he started panting. His hair was slicked down to his forehead, his hands were clenched in the bedsheets, and his eyes were shut so tightly his face creased. He was frozen save for his erratic breaths, which still couldn’t seem to fill his lungs with air.

“Baby, are you okay?” she asked, sitting up and scanning him up and down to figure out what was wrong.

“Red... red...” he whispered. The couple has always had a safe word, but neither has ever had to use it. With her eyes wide and filled with fear, Jasmine swung her leg off him and rested on her knees on the edge of the bed. His chest thumped down with the burden of each breath and his face twisted in agony.

“Ant, sweetheart it’s over,” she insisted. “I’m so sorry... It’s just me babe it’s Jazzy and you’re safe... I’m not going to touch you and we’re just going to do whatever you want now, okay? Everything up to you baby, okay?”

His words were soft, breathy moans. “Can’t... can’t get out... help...”

Jasmine watched her soon-to-be husband crank his neck back and forth with his eyes squeezed tight. “Anthony? Breathe for me baby, please, breathe for me,” she pleaded.

“Can’t.. get... out...” he choked out with a hiccup between each word.

Jasmine took his left hand tightly in both of hers, and held it up. “Anthony, open your eyes. Look at this, do you see me holding your hand?”

Anthony’s eyes darted between Jasmine’s face and their interlocked hands as his heart pounded in his veins. When he nodded ever-so-slightly, Jasmine let out a quiet sigh of a relief. He was coming back to her.

“Good, baby. It’s Jasmine, okay? It’s just Jazzy and you are safe. Can you tell me what you need, honey?”

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry... it’s just... it’s... I can’t explain...” he wheezed, shaking his head and avoiding her eyes once again.

“Hey,” Jasmine said softly, pulling his focus back to her. Her hand softly rested on his cheek as they held each other’s eyes. He flinched at the soft touch, but before she could pull away he reached up and held her wrist. He needed her to ground him, even if it took a moment to adjust. “You don’t need to explain a thing. I’m gonna get you a t-shirt so you can put that on, okay?”

“O-okay, thank you,” he rasped.

When Jasmine walked back from the dresser with a clean shirt for Anthony, he was sitting up against the headboard with his elbows on his knees and his fist rubbing against aching forehead. He kept his eyes down to conceal the tears spilling down his cheeks, but Jasmine could tell from his labored breathing and bucking shoulders.

“Bubba, what can I do? Do you need space?”

“No.. I just... hold me?” Anthony’s voice cracked and his eyes softened. From behind the haze in his mind he could see safety in Jasmine’s eyes. He could see home.

Jasmine gave him a faint smile, leaned back against the headboard, and held out an arm for him to curl into. Once he was on his side with an arm around her middle, Jasmine nuzzled their heads together and started to rub his back.

“M’right here bubba,” she cooed, but she felt his shoulders tense up again. “Babe?”

“C-could...could you not touch m-my lower back? Please? I’m sorry -“

“Of course,” she interjected, “you don’t have to apologize. Do you want me to just hold your hand or something?”

“N-no, it’s fine... upper back is fine...”

“Is it fine, or do you like it? Bubba you are in complete control here, okay?”

“Could you just do my shoulders or head?” Anthony’s cheeks were flushed red, embarrassed that he was scared by something as familiar as his fiancé’s touch.

“Yes, baby,” she smiled. Her hand kneaded at the taut muscles in his shoulder, careful not to stray more than a few inches down. She heard a quiet whimper, and let her hand wander into his curls to lightly scratch at his scalp. “I’ve got you, my love. You’re safe here in my arms.” Anthony’s shoulders stilled, as Jasmine’s calming ministrations dried his tears, but she could still hear the strain in his breath.

“Bubba, I’m worried about your breathing... can we open up your chest? Can lay you back between my legs and i can hug you that way?”

Anthony just nodded into her chest, and she responded with a flurry of kisses to his temple. Careful not to startle him, Jasmine pushed him upright slowly, slipped a leg around the outside of his hips, and pulled his back flush against her. His head rested on her chest, so her chin could tuck him perfectly into place.

“Is this okay, lovie?”

“S’nice... could you put your arms around me?” His voice was no louder than a murmur, but Jasmine was fully tuned in, monitoring every word, breath, and movement for uncertainty.

“Of course,” she smiled, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. His hands rested on top of hers, and she felt his chest expanding at a slower and slower pace.

“Doing so good, baby, just keep breathing just like that,” she whispered.

The sound of her heart beating lulled him into a trance as he matched his breath to hers. Every inhale came slower and slower, as moments seemed to pass by quicker and quicker. Eventually, the thickest layer of fog cleared, and he turned his head to press a soft kiss to Jasmine’s cheek.

“Thank you,” he whispered. Jasmine shushed him, and nuzzled her cheek against his forehead to keep him settled for a few more slow breaths.

“Hey, bubs? We don’t have to talk about it now, but I just want you to know that whatever happened back there, whatever I did to upset or frighten you, I’m sorry. And if you can tell me what it is I will promise to never, ever do it again, but either way I’m going to be so careful about checking in with you. I never want you to feel uncomfortable, especially if there’s something I can do to prevent it. I love you so much bubba, and I’m so proud of you for safewording.” Jasmine’s held his head to her chest as she pressed kiss after kiss to his temple.

“You didn’t do anything wrong... I just... just got freaked out. But I never want you to think that I don’t want you, or that I don’t feel safe with you... because I do, it’s just...” Anthony pressed his lips together to trap a sob that threatened to overpower his words.

“My love, it’s okay,” she hushed, gently thumbing away the stray tear weaving through his freckles. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. When we’re being intimate in any way, whether it’s having sex, talking about something deep, or making out in the back of a car, there is nothing more important to me than you feeling safe and secure. No orgasm is worth losing that,” she said with a tiny smile.

His lips turned up just as slightly as he met her gaze through his bloodshot eyes. “I don’t deserve you, my angel,” he said softly, tilting his head up so he could just reach her chin for a kiss.

“First of all, everyone deserves this. Everyone deserves someone who respects their limits and boundaries and knows that communication is an on-going necessity no matter how long you’ve been with someone. But Anthony, we’re a team, okay? That means that we celebrate the good, and work through the bad together. You can trust me to respect your needs just like I can trust you to respect mine. We might need different things, and taking care of me might look different from taking care of you, but that’s what a relationship is. A two way street.. two people working together because one’s happiness and well-being is needed for the other’s.”

“Jas, you know I trust you right? Even though I get lost in my head sometimes...”

“Yes, Ant. I know that you trust me, but I also know that trust is earned every day,” she said softly. “So I’m going to trust you to keep me accountable, and tell me if there’s something I can be doing to make you feel more safe. Okay?”

“Okay, thank you my love.”

“Now, stop fighting it. I can see your eyes drooping. Close your eyes baby and have a little rest.”

Anthony’s shoulders tensed up and he bit his lip looking up at Jasmine. “I know it’s dumb, I just.. sleeping scares me a little... the anxiety can carry over to my dreams and can have nightmares and shit...”

“It’s not dumb. What if I stay awake and holding you the entire time? If I see you getting scared, I’ll wake you up right away,” she said softly, sweeping the last few tears off his cheeks.

“Won’t you get bored?”

“With all these luscious curls to play with and pretty freckles to kiss? Not a chance,” she grinned.

“I love you,” he mumbled, already feeling the calm wash over him.

“I love you too, Ant.” Jasmine kept one hand around his waist and one on the crown of his head so he could feel her presence as he closed his eyes. After a few minutes and countless kisses to the top of his head, she felt his shoulders sink deeper into her chest as he drifted off. The storm in his mind had cleared, along with the boulder on his chest, and finally his body could focus on recovering, held tight by the one person he could always count on to pull him back.

[luca-moreno]

Look. Marie is probably gonna have my balls for this but listen. I'm going to say the thing everyone else is thinking but doesn't have the guts to say. Think of it as 'tough love' if that helps at all. Okay. Here we go.

Kiss him. Or shut the fuck up.

-sincerely the Berlin collective

(helpimsosorry) (thisisahotmess) (justlikeLuca) (alsolong) (sorry) -- Thurman and Braun eye Luca, currently wrapped up like a burrito on the floor of the observation lounge. Thurman nudges him gently with his boot. “You alright in there, Moreno?”

“Lemme alone,” comes the muffled response. “I’m dying.”

They look over at Harris and Davis, perched together on the couch while the stars swirl outside. They wear matching raised eyebrows but it’s Braun that asks in a lowered tone, “What’s wrong with him?”

Harris doesn’t bother to look up from the datapad she holds in her hand or the obnoxiously loud Blasto game she’s playing. Davis leans over her shoulder, offering advice that Harris steadfastly ignores. 

“He’s freaking out about the thing again,” she shrugs.

“The thing?”

“The thing.” 

“Oh.” Braun nods sagely then exchanges a confused glance with Thurman.

“What’s the thing?”

Harris pauses the game to look up and Davis snatches the pad out of her hands. “Wait. So you guys haven’t heard?”

“Heard what? The commander’s had us running drills for the past twelve hours. Where the fuck were you two on it, by the way?” 

“Oh my god,” Davis grabs Harris’s arm then cackles before returning to the game. “They don’t know.”

“Nope.”

Thurman rubs the back of his neck and squints, suddenly uneasy. “Not the…”

“No! Not the… other thing. This is the phoenix thing.”

“Oh.” Thurman walks away, immediately bored. 

Braun, however, leans his big frame closer. Blue eyes sparkle curiously. “What phoenix thing?”

The Blasto game starts up again and Harris snarls in exasperation, then half clambers over Davis to reach it. “Will you shut that thing off?”

“I’m dying,” comes another muffled moan from the floor that everyone ignores. “In case anyone cares.”

Braun reaches down to pluck the datapad from between the two squabbling girls and lifts it out of their reach. Harris snarls. “Hey!”

“Braun, give it back!”

“Someone tell me what’s going on. Why does Luca think he’s dying?”

“Hurricane planted one on him then ghosted,” Davis informs him helpfully. “He’s been lying on the floor crying about it for two days.”

“Boo fucking hoo,” Harris bitches, crossing her arms tight across her chest and pouts dramatically. “’A phoenix kissed me.’ We should all be so lucky.”

“Or not,” Thurman mutters from the doorway. 

Braun slowly lowers his arm, but Harris isn’t satisfied with that and half climbs up him to reach the datapad he’s holding hostage instead. “Ah. That thing.”

“Yeah. That thing.”

There’s another moan from the floor.

-- 

Isaac knows it’s going to be bad when Davis shows up on the doorstep to his quarters and deposits Luca into his care with an eye roll and not a single word.

He leads Luca, burrito blanket and all, towards the couch.

“Luca,” Eva sits up quickly, tucking her book away. “Are you sick?”

“I’m dying,” Luca mumbles as Isaac plants a hand on one shoulder and guides him down onto the couch. He tries to catch Eva’s eye as Luca flops face first down onto the cushions.

“Do I need to call Dr Lyons?” he asks carefully.

Luca’s is reply is muffled and pathetic. “No.” A pause, then. “Two doors.”

Eva’s lips twitch as Isaac visibly relaxes and he sighs inwardly, thinking of the quiet evening he was hoping to have and the shower still calling his name after a long, dragging shift in the CIC. But he’ll always make time for Luca.

“Do you want to talk about it, son?”

There’s another heavy sigh from the blanket. “No.”

Isaac waits a beat for Luca to say more but when it’s clear he’s not going to, he clears his throat lightly. He’d put credits down that this has something to do with Phoenix Roosevelt and Luca’s very obvious, and possibly unrequited crush. Where did this fall in the handbook? He wonders briefly to himself if he’s not above getting Miller to handle it. 

And he would, if it wasn’t Luca.

Eva touches his hand and motions her head towards the shower. I’ve got this, she mouths. He doesn’t take his eyes off her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it, Luc?” he tries one more time. 

A pathetic moan is the only response he gets and Eva hides her silent laugh behind her hand. “Go,” she says softly. “I’ll talk to him.”

Isaac glances between the prone shape beside her and his private, glorious bathroom and decides since there’s no immediate danger, he’s within his rights to take Eva up on her offer.  

Plus, Eva will get more out of him anyway.

“Alright,” he nods gratefully then offers Luca a conciliatory pat on the shoulder as he slips away.

--

Eva brushes a hand over Luca’s curls and mentally counts to ten, except that she only gets to three before Luca is rolling over and suddenly pulling himself upright. 

The blanket pools around him and his hair sticks up in wild disarray around his face. 

“Okay. I lied. I’m not dying and I do want to talk about it.”

Eva nods. “Alright.” ”Uh. So you know that thing… that I told you about… that happened?”

“The thing?”

“Yes,” Luca half glares at her, wondering if she’s teasing him. She is, just a little, but only because Luca’s angst over a simple meeting of mouths was a delightful distraction from her own worries. ”The thing.”

“Ah,” Eva says knowingly, her lips twitching. “The thing being the kiss. With a capital K… With Ben.” 

Luca’s mouth works silently for a moment before he groans and slumps backwards. 

“The Kiss. Yes. Well, I mean… I think it was a kiss. There was a definite-“ Luca closes his eyes and puckers his lips dramatically before moving on, “-but I don’t know. I mean… We were working out, he was trying to teach me stuff but then we fell and I thought... well, maybe I was dreaming, like maybe I had slapped myself with the staff and I didn’t realise it? Or maybe I hit him too hard and I rattled his brain and he didn’t really know what he was doing... Or, maybe it was just an accident-“ 

“You think he might have accidently kissed you?”

“Why not? It happens!” He eyes her shrewdly then. “Right?” 

“I wouldn’t know,” she says carefully and Luca pauses to snort ungracefully before continuing. 

“The point is,” he goes on, getting really warmed up now. “It must have been bad, right? The kiss? I mean, he charged away. Like… an actual charge, Eva. Biotics and all, he was that keen to get away from me. Just. Poof. Gone. I’m surprised my eyebrows didn’t get singed-“ 

Eva laughs. “You know it doesn’t work like that, Luca.” 

“Shh, not important,” he waves that pesky fact away dismissively but then he falters and gives her a mock growl. “– and stop. I’m trying to have a moment here, and you’re ruining my dramatical meltdown.”

That causes her to muffle her laughter into a cushion she’s forced to snatch up from the couch. One of the pretty sparkly ones she had eyed off on Asteria and Isaac had bought behind her back to surprise her.

“I’m sorry,” she says formally as she schools her face into something suitably serious and lowers the cushion to her lap. “– please, Luca. Continue.”

He huffs. “Well. No. Now I’ve lost my place. Thanks a lot, I was really working up to something there.”

“The kiss?” she prompts, trying not to laugh again.

“OH SWEET KHALAHIRA, THE KISS.” 

He spins, then flops dramatically down beside her. “Eva,” he whines her name like a toddler begging for a treat. It’s enough to make her sigh. “What do I do?”

“Maybe you could... Hmm. I don't know... No. It’s too crazy. You wouldn’t want to know about it.”

“What? What is it? Is it another one of your funky breathing techniques? Some asari thing? Can it read minds?!”

“Well, it’s very complicated. But it just might help you.”

“What?! Tell me. Eva!”

“.... you could try talking to him.”

Luca is aghast and horrified all at once. “NO?? Why would I do that?”

“It has to be better than…” she waves a hand and eyes him critically. “Whatever this is.”

“A crisis, Eva. This is a crisis. Of epic proportions. On a scale of one to reapers this is.. I dunno, what's worse than reapers trying to wipe out the entirety of galactic civilization?” 

Eva doesn't want to think about that last part. “Well, I think it’s sort of sweet if you ask me," she says instead. "Ben’s nice. He’s not at all what I expected. And he obviously cares about you. Why else would he be trying to hit you with a stick to make you better in combat?”

Luca makes a strangled sound halfway between a snort and a cackle. “He just doesn’t want to have to carry me back to the LZ over his shoulder when a dragoon gets me. I bet he could too.”

Eva has to bite the inside of her cheek not to laugh at Luca’s dreamy expression. “I’m sure he wouldn’t even break a sweat.”

Luca seems tremendously interested in that mental image for a few seconds before he falls back into his funk. He tucks himself in against her and she can sense he’s working up to something entirely new. 

“What did you do?” he asks after a minute, quiet and subdued. “You know, with the captain?” 

Eva smiles at the memory in spite of herself. “Well, hmm. For starters… I guess I kissed him back.”

Luca scrambles up and gathers up a cushion to hug it to himself as he slides her a sideways glance. 

“Yeah? And did you teleport out of the room immediately afterwards?”

Eva can’t help it, she dissolves into giggles and Luca whacks her gently with the pillow.

“No…”

“SEE!” 

He picks up his faithful blanket and hauls it over his head until the only thing that she can see is his curls. 

“This is so stupid. I’m so stupid. I’m just gonna pretend it never happened.”

“Luca. I’m sure it’s fine. It’s just a kiss. It’s a good thing. I don’t understand. I thought this was what you wanted?”

His head peaks up, eyes dark pools over the blanket’s trim. “I don’t know. I mean… yes? But also… no? Yes. Um. Definitely yes? No… Oh, no.”

“Now you’re confusing me. What is it that you actually want, Luc?”

He grows very quiet for a moment and Eva allows him to sit with his thoughts. He was getting better with his focus. The meditations he’s been doing with her in the quiet off hours are definitely helping.. at least she hopes.

“It is… I think. I just… I don’t want to mess it up, Eva,” he says, his voice small. “I really like him. He’s my friend, so it’s not just… well, you know-“

He does something with his eyebrows that has her wanting to laugh again, but she stifles that urge in case he whacks her with the cushion again, “-but he’s just… He makes me feel… I don’t know. Like I’m capable of important things even though I’m not special like him... or you…”

“Because you are, Luc. Don’t sell yourself short.” 

“I know that and I’m not. I mean. Not really. I’m just… How can you want something so badly but be so scared to reach for it? It doesn’t make sense... but then what if you do… and then everything gets all messed up and then you don’t even have a friend anymore and things get all weird and awkward and plus I know he's still missing them and I can’t-“ 

Eva feels the ache inside her as she reaches for him and tugs him into a hug, effectively cutting him off before he spirals once again. He leans into her miserably, his soft hair tickling the side of her jaw. 

“Luca,” she says it on a sigh, because this… this hits too close to home and how can she encourage him to give himself over to something that might be so beautiful… but has the potential to hurt so much too?

He snuffles lightly into her chest. “I need someone to send me a sign,” he mutters. “Something from the universe to tell me what to do.”

He’s barely finished saying the words when his omnitool beeps with an incoming message. He pulls away to read it and she lets him go. 

“Huh? What the… Why is Ajax mess- ohfuck-“ 

“Well,” Eva laughs at his horrified expression as she reads the scrolling text over his shoulder. “I guess that’s your sign, Luc.”

--

Ben opens the door to his quarters and the first thing Luca does is grab his shirt and pull him close. Except, that’s not actually what happens because Ben is more solid than he looks and Luca ends up losing his balance and falling into his chest with a small grunt instead.

Ben catches him with a confused look. “Luca?”

“Um. Look,” Luca starts, hands still tangled in Ben’s shirt, close enough to breathe him in and see the way the vanguard’s eyes glow in the low light of the hallway. “So... there’s a million things I want to say and all of them are probably stupid, but… you kissed me and I don’t know what that means and I can only hope it means what I want it to mean, but if it doesn’t mean what I want it to mean then that’s okay too and I hope this doesn’t change anything because I really like being your friend but just once, just once, I want... to.. do.. this...” Luca traps Ben’s face gently between his palms... and kisses him. 

[incorrect-miraith-quotes]

(A/N yes, this is an incorrect quote acc but I can write actual good stuff too 😳)

Drinks and Sunsets

7:00 AM (3 hours before the match starts)

“Renee!! Wake up please, there is breakfast!” Natalie shouted at the closed door infront of her. Renee had fallen asleep at an ungodly time trying to find out more about herself and well, it didnt work out the way she wanted. She groaned, squeezing her eyes tight while moving her arms up. She stretched and eventually popped her shoulder which caused her to scream but not really scream if you understand what I mean. She cursed at herself for not going to sleep earlier knowing that there was a game today. She sat up, shading her eyes from the window that shown the bright sun. Her head turned to the door when she heard knocks coming from the other side. “someone’s there” Renee’s voices whispered, echoing throughout her ears. “No shit sherlock,” She hissed.

“Wra- I mean Renee~ wait no- sorry. Renee are you gonna eat?” Elliot sputtered, clearing his throat. “Depends on what it is,” She sighed. “It’s uH..pancakes I think? I dont know, Ramya was chosen to be the one who cooks today. They looked..burnt,” He explained, shuddering from the thought of Ramya’s pancakes. “I guess, give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll head out. Wait for me?” Renee asked, getting up and walking to her dresser. “Uh..yeah, yeah I’ll wait for you. Dont worry about a thing..you worried cause I’m not..haha..ha..,” Elliot trailed off, sliding down to the floor until he hit his arse on the concrete. Renee chuckled to herself in his stupidity and got dressed. She wore a black tank top with short grey shorts and her black sneakers with her ankle high socks (black of course). She unlocked her door and peered over to the tall man crouched next to her door, falling asleep.

“Wake up Elliot, I thought I was the one to wake up hm?” She flicked his forehead, causing him to rub the spot where he was hit. “Ow ow ow- Why??” Elliot questioned, confused as to why he was hit. “You were gonna start drooling so..anyways, breakfast?” Renee pulled him up, almost falling backwards. “I mean that’s why I’m here right? Right? i hope Im right..,” Elliot trailed off again, starting his journey towards the kitchen with the small woman behind him. Everynow and then he would peek back to make sure she was still there and not inside a portal. “You’re safe with him” Renee looked up at Elliot, the voice echoing throughout her mind. “You like him dont you” Renee looked up at the ceiling and scrunched her face in annoyance, internally screaming at the voices. “I don’t, you guys always assume things,” she whispered, looking at the random framed pictures hung up on the wall. “Elliot!” Renee shouted at the still walking man. He jumped slightly and flinched, “y-yeah? What’s up?” “Kitchen is right here doofus,” She nodded her head towards the room, “How did you manage to miss this big ass room??” “I guess it was an accident, never done that before haha,” He sighed and apologized. The so called pancakes were sitting on a top of a white ceramic plate, getting colder by the minute. “I wouldn’t even dare to try them..I mean you could but- It probably wouldnt be good..,” He walked over to the counter, “If you want, I can cook somthing up for you?” “That would be nice thank you and uh..can you make me some coffee? You know how I like it already,” She sat down at the large dinner table, laying her head down. “Yeah I can do that for ya, anything you want in particular?” Elliot asked but was met with silence. He peeked over and saw she was sleeping soundly with her head in her arms. Elliot took off his sweater and draped it over her shoulders then went back to the kitchen.

8:37 AM (1:30 hours before the match starts)

“Breakfast is ready Renee,” he shook her gently until she stirred, “Mornin’ beaut- I-I mean um..sleepyhead..? Yeah..that’s the word..sleepyhead.” “Mmm..mor-“ She clears her throat and rubs her eyes, “morning..sorry I fell asleep I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.” She looked down at the scrambled eggs and toast that were neatly placed onto the plate infront of her. “It’s fine, I didnt wanna bother you because I thought you’d kill me,” He admitted, taking off the apron that was tied around his waist. He placed it on the hook next to the fridge where a stickynote was left by Octavio not to touch his jello. The only person he let touch his stuff was Natalie. Renee picked up the fork and began eating. “You should date him” “No,” She whispered, furrowing her brows as she picked up a piece of egg with her fork. She watched as the tall man made her coffee just the way she likes it; black with a little bit of sugar and creamer. She was never one to like sweet coffee like everyone else. He poured the jug’s contents into her prefered mug. He added the little things she liked and carried it over to where she was sitting. She thanked him with a small, almost unnoticable, smile. Renee sat there with her cup close to her nose, smelling the bitter coffee aroma. She cooled it before sipping it slowly, enjoying the taste of her morning coffee.

“Hey Elliot, do you know what time it is?” She questioned the other who was washing the pan. He checked his phone and replied, “8:52” Renee stood up and brought her plate to the sink after she was done eating. “Could you wash these for me? I need to freshen up in my room,” She handed him the plate, “thanks.” She started making her way towards her room; which consisted of one right and a lot of walking straight. But she never got tired of it since she was happy she lived comfortably with her friends. The 2 rooms that were next to hers were Natalie’s and Ajay’s. The boys were on the opposite side so in front of her was Elliot. The hallway she lived in held 6 legends at a time 3 girls, 3 boys. Renee’s hallway had Ajay, her, and Natalie and then Octavio, Elliot, and Tae. The others had their hallways, some with empty rooms for future legends. Natalie was never really in her room since she was always with Octavio. It was weird, seeing two polar opposites living together. Then there were Ajay and Tae, she managed to make friends with him. I’m pretty sure Tae is still annoyed but is warming up to her.

“Oh! Youre awake finally,” Natalie smiled, walking out of Octavio’s room, “You never woke up so I had to get Elliot to help me..” Renee stood there at her door with the key in the slot, “Yeah, Ive just been...thinking.”

“Hm, well I hope you get some more sleep. Oh and goodluck with the match today!”

“You arent participating today?”

“Non, Ive been feeling unwell for the past few hours”

“Why aren’t you in bed then?”

“Well, Tavi was getting Ajay but he hasnt come back yet”

“You should be resting Nat..”

“Im okay I swear! Pas besoin de s'inquiéter,” She smiled softly and weakly. She was still in the large shirt Octavio gave her to sleep in and pajama pants. She had a small nessy plush tucked into her elbow, being squished tightly. “Chica! Get back in the bed right now or else im going to llevarte allí yo mismo,” Octavio came back with soup and meds, shouting at the sickly girl. “Ah, Tavi.. Je suis désolé I was just wondering where you were.,” She hugged the plush closer to her fragile body. “Come here conejita, lets get you better,” He lifted her up into his arms, still carrying the supplies Ajay had given him, “When you are done being sick I am going to....”

“Lovebirds,” Renee sighed and closed the door to her room, preparing for the match ahead of her. She got her battle gear on and re-did her messy bun into a neat one. Her kunai rested on the counter, untouched in its holster. She picked it up and unsheathed it, smiling at the small sparks of void that emitted out of it. She put it away and hooked the holster to her belt. “You know you wanna be like them, you cant deny it” The voices teased. “You guys really want me in a relationship huh,” Renee flopped backwards onto her messy bed. She didnt have time to make it in the morning but now she can. She checked her phone and scrolled through her social medias. Elliot made her download them and every now and then, Elliot will make her post a picture or something. She always got tagged in fanart and random posts about her in the matches. She would occasionally like some and they would freak out and thank her. She scrolled through her tagged until she came across one post. It was fanart of her and Elliot, sitting together with their hands intertwined watching the sunset. Renee blushed slightly at the art. She saw that Elliot had already liked it, but seeing as he likes all posts that he got tagged in, it wasnt weird. She hesitantly liked it and turned off her phone. “Maybe I do like him” Her thoughts were interupted when someone knocked at the door.

9:34 (couple minutes until the match starts. The ship still has to arrive at the arena, World’s Edge)

“Renee! Get yuh ass over here ‘cause the match starts soon!” Ajay’s voice boomed through the door. Her footsteps could be heard on the other side as she walked away. Renee stood up and stretched while walking towards where Ajay just was. She opened the door to see Elliot walking out of his room. “Oh hey Ren..can I call you that? Im gonna call you that..anyways, hi. Wanna walk together?” She nodded, “Okay cool, lets start heading over before everyone leaves without us.” They walked in a comfortable silence over to their friends. Octavio was in a corner moping since he didnt have his love interest with him while Crypto spied on him from another corner. He was still mad that Nat rejected him a few weeks ago to be with Octavio. It was crazy hearing that he was sulking around in his room for hours on end. But back to the main girl in this story, Renee sat down on one of the couches that sat in the middle of the room. Everyone was ready to board the dropship to head over to the arena. Here is what was going around, Gibby and Ajay were laughing together,Octavio was..unenergetic for once, Tae was in the corner, Loba was fixing her nails while Rev watched her on the wall, Alexander was playing around with his gas, and lastly Ramya was chewing gum while playing on her phone. It was always bustling in the living space because its where everyone socialized other than the bar. A small yet loud alarm was sounded to let all the legends know it was time to board the dropship.

“Woo-hoo! It’s finally time to go,” Octavio said unenthusiastically. Everyone walked in one-by-one or in pairs. They all strapped up in their skydiving equipment and was prepared for the long drop ahead of them. Renee stood next to Elliot’s room in the ship while the others either went to their rooms or sat in the middle. (Reference back to the season 3 trailer for room placement) Renee was flippping her kunai peacefully while Elliot rambled about something in his room. She enjoyed listening to him talk about nonsense while the quiet humming of the ship was surrounding them. It was peaceful, atleast to her. It blocked out most of the voices and when she was around Elliot they seemed to shut up and occasionally tease her. The drop ship shook a bit and Elliot tripped a little but caught himself. Renee didnt mind turbulence since she didnt really care about anything really, she tenses up a bit sometimes but thats about it. Her scarf end swayed as the ship lowered slowly. Suddenly the screens flashed on and displayed everyone’s banners. Everyone gets a chance to customize and submit their banners to headquarters. The teams were as listed,

Lifeline, Crypto, and Gibraltar

Octane, Caustic, and Bloodhound

Mirage, Wraith, and Loba

Revenant, Pathfinder, Bangalore

Rampart

Everyone stood on their respective platforms also known as where the screens flashed their names. The champions were shown not even a minute later, Wraith’s team was shown and she said a voiceline to taunt her enemies of the day. The metal shifted under their feet and lowered slowly, revealing the bright, cold arena. Everyone at this point was used to the cold though, they were glad it was world’s edge because kings canyon during those months was scorching. Comms were switched on and everyone tested out the mics. Everything was set up and ready to go so teams started dropping towards their locations. Wraith was jumpmaster and pinged on the map, Fragment West. Everyone knew both of Fragment was dangerous and it was hotdrop that game too. You can bet that there were multiple death boxes surrounding the small yet large area. Wraith was already kill leader with 7 kills from the popular spot. Bullets were heard in the distance and Wraith portaled to gain some speed while Loba teleported and Mirage had to run. He wasn’t a running person for long distances so he just took wraith’s portal.

“W- Wait up you two! I dont have a movement ability!!” He cried out to the two girls. The two looked at eachother and giggled while looking back at the energy drained man. “Danger move” Wraith looked around and pinged an enemy and phased away out of danger. Again, Loba teleported away and Mirage was left alone to run away. They hit him good but he managed to get behind cover. Wraith lended him some shield cells and syringes and shot at the other team with her sentinel. The other team was Octane’s team and they were stacked; Octane had gold armour while his teammates had red evo. Octane also had a peacekeeper that he got from a carepackage just next to them. It was a long fight, from gas being thrown on them to the ring closing in on the two teams. They had been fighting for so long they didnt even realize that there were only 3 teams in total left. Wraith’s team, Octane’s team, and lastly Pathfinder. I would say Pathfinder’s team but his teammates died and the banner timers ran out, he was left solo.

“Everyone try to watch your backs, the robot could try to ambush one of us,” Loba turned to face her teammates, occassionally looked up and around for the tall simulacrum. “Spotted him, up there. He has a longbow and what seems to be a flatline on his back. I could snipe him down if that’s what you want,” Wraith calmly called out, pulling out her sentinel and charging it. “Go ahead beautiful,” Loba replied. In an instant, a loud, charged sentinel bullet was shot and killed the robot up on the hill, instantly eliminating him. Now, it was just Octane and Wraith’s teams left to fight. “Nice kill Re- I mean,” He cleared his throat, “Nice kill Wraith..” Wraith smiled and thanked him silently while eyeing down the other team. Seconds went by and both teams rushed eachother. Bullets whizzed by eachothers heads and occasionally hit their shoulders or legs. Octane’s team was low on meds while the other team was low on ammo. Another minute of fighting passes and Wraith’s team is deemed the champion. When they were back in the drop ship everyone congratulated them for winning even though they were in a tight spot. There was an after match party happening in an hour so everyone went back to their rooms to clean up after a long day and get dressed. Renee was first to her room to take a shower while the others stayed in the kitchen or hallways sparking conversations with eachother. While Renee took her cold shower, Elliot decided it was be such a good idea to just waltz into her room to ask her a question not knowing that she was relaxing without voices for once.

“Hey Renee! I was just wondering if you wanted to match for the uh..,” He paused, looking around, “Renee? Where are you??” He looked around the empty yet messy room. Clothes thrown everywhere and notebooks and hairties were strewn about. Her messy bed showing how much she slept that night, which it wasn’t much. He began to worry about her well-being and if she even actually took care of herself. He heard the loud shower running so he went and knocked on the bathroom door. But before he actually knocked, he thought about the things that could happen if he knocked on her bathroom door when she didnt even know that he was in her room. He’d be killed. Before he knew what was coming he accidentally knocked on the door infront of him like a reflex. He heard the girl inside gasp loudly with a few things dropping. He startled her, which was a first for him. He was in shock and did not want to move. “She’s like a T-Rex, if I dont move she cannot see me-“ He was cut off when the door swung open and a semi-dryed off Renee was standing in-front of him. She had her body wrapped with a towel and her still damp hair dripped along the floor and her scarred shoulders.

“How are you in here and what do you want,” She said firmly with an annoyed face. “One, your door was open, two, I wanted to ask if you wanted to match outfits for the after match thing..,” He sighed looking away, “Nevermind, it was a dumb question of course you dont.” He turned and apologized but before he could leave the room Renee stopped him. “Who said I didn’t want to? I wouldn’t mind matching with you,” She stepped over to her closet and sifted through the dresses section, “What color or style were you thinking of?” Elliot was astonished that she actually agreed to do anything with him. “I was thinking accents of purple..? I think it would look nice on both of us,” He sat down on a nearby chair in her room, looking away from her slender body. “Fine with me, now turn around,” She made sure he had his eyes closed and was turned around in order to change. She dropped the towel and peered back just in case. “You want him to see you” “Tell him to turn around” “Let him touch you” The voices were surrounding her but she managed to ignore them. When she finished getting dressed she had Elliot turn around.

“Wow..,” Elliot had no words for the sight in front of him. She wore a long black dress that had a slit on the side with a fluffy, purple boa draped over her shoulders and she was wearing heels making her as tall as him. She played with her hair a bit out of embarrassment while looking away. “You look..amazing,” Elliot was admiring her features that he acted like he’d never seen before, “I just- have no words.” “I dont look that good relax,” Renee walked over to her dresser and put on a necklace that had a purple gem in the middle. “Are you going to just stand there and not go to your room and get dressed?” Renee peered over at him from the mirror. “Right..right yeah, Ill be back to ‘pick you up’,” He opened the door and quietly shut it behind him. She sighed and thought out loud, “What am I going to do about him?” She put her hair in a half bun-half hair down sort of style and finished her look with mascara and a slight tint to her lips. She slipped on short black gloves and grabbed a clutch that had small purple accents on it. “He will like it” “For once you look nice” “People are going to judge you” “Nobody will approach you” “People are going to hate you” The voices started off nice but went downhill and piled hate after hate onto her. She pushed them away and mumbled to herself that tonight will be a good night. Light knocking was heard and she went to open the door, her heels clicking with every step.

“Ready to gooooo-“ He looked her up and down and smiled, “You’re beautiful” He tucked a stray strand from her hair behind her ear, “Let’s be on our way before the limosu- limosio- limo gets here.” He held out a hand and she gladly took it. They held hands for most of the way until Renee let go to check her clutch for something. She pulled it out and checked it before slipping it back in. It was her Apex ID, aka the only way to get into Apex events. You can be one of the legends but they wouldnt let you in without it since people knew how to look almost identical to them. She didn’t regrab his hand after that, she wanted to make sure no one saw. When they got to the front of the building everyone was in their formal attire. Octavio was wearing a green suit top with tailored shorts to go along with it and Natalie wore a white party dress that had orange and blue accents, Anita was in a classic suit talking to Loba who was in a short gold dress, Crypto was in a white suit with green accents, Rampart was in a blouse and office pants, Gibby was in a suit while Ajay wore a long blue dress, Bloodhound wore their goggles along with a suit that had a red cloth in its pocket, and Alexander wore a plain black suit. Revenant doesn’t dress up he said. Pathfinder simply went as himself for the night. After a couple minutes of waiting the limo drove up to the curb of the building. Everyone piled in close together and began conversations with eachother. Elliot and Renee sat really close together due to the limo being quite small for a bunch of legends. Some minutes pass and Renee’s eyes are starting to close. She finally let the sleepiness take over her and her head softly fell onto Elliot’s shoulder. He looked over at her and smiled. Most of the legends eyed them and mouthed for him not to move one bit or she would murder him.

“Elliot..,” Renee mumbled in her sleep, “I..love you..” The small sentence was only heard by the man allowing her to sleep. He tensed up but relaxed as her arm draped over his. The limo pulled up to the event center and a red carpet was dramatically rolled out for the legends. One-by-one everyone was walking down the red carpet either together or solo. Im guessing you can guess which ones walked solo. Elliot nudged Renee and she slowly opened her eyes. She yawned quietly and her eyes met his. They looked at eachother and then she backed away, standing up. She turned away and quickly walked out of the limo and Elliot followed shortly after. Elliot caught up and walked beside her while she covered her eyes from the flashing of the cameras. He enjoyed all the attention on him but Renee never did. He realized what was happening and walked directly infront of her, taking the spotlight. The taller put his hand behind his back and Renee allowed herself to grab and squeeze it lightly. He led her somewhere private and sat her down on a wall away from everyone else.

“You okay? I know you dont like the atten- attentin- eyes on you,” he knelt down, matching his eye level with hers. “I’m fine, you dont have to worry about me so much you know,” She sighed and leaned back slightly, “Let’s just get back to the others before they think were fucking or something.” Elliot offered a hand but she declined, pushing herself up from the wall. She swayed her hips with every step she took towards the doors. Her dress flowed down neatly from her waist down to the carpeted floor. He watched her walk away as the boa she wore bounced with her strides. “W- wait up Renee!” He yelled, fast-walking towards her but she was already through the doors. When he made it through, it was bustling with legends from other ports and random game organizers. There was loud music playing from speakers up above and most of the legends were by the bar including Anita and Loba. Others were either on couches or talking near walls with each other. There were people dancing in the middle of the room where flashing lights and more sparkled along the area. His eye caught the bright purple boa from across the room.

“Hey Ren, glad I finally found you,” He sat next to the now relaxed woman, “Let me guess, appletini?” She gave a side-glance towards him while she sipped the drink he guessed. It was her usual at the Paradise Bar so it wasn’t weird. Minutes went by and the found themselves laughing at eachother from stupid jokes and random stories. A slow-dancing song played on the speakers and everyone got with a partner.

“Wanna go dance with me Ren?” Elliot grabbed her hand, pointing to where everyone was partnered together. “I can’t really dance Elliot, I dont know if I could do it,” Renee responded back to him, covering her face with her boa. “Oh, come on you can’t be that bad at dancing. It’s not that hard, come on I’ll teach you,” He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the seat to take her over to everyone else. He brought her to the dance floor and held her close, guiding her hands to where they were supposed to be. He placed her hands on her lower waist and swayed side-to-side with her. “See? I told you it wasnt that ha-“ He winced as she stepped on his foot, “It’s fine, I forgive you since you’re a beginner.” She apologized anyways and held him closer. As the song came to an end everyone seperated except for them.

“This is nice,” Renee pulled away from his arms, “Want to go somewhere more..quiet?” Elliot’s face contorted to a confused yet happy expression. “I know just the place Ren!” He grabbed her hand and practically sprinted out the doors with her, bringing her to a cliff just off the side of the road. He sat down far away from the edge and patted the spot next to him, signalling for her to walk over and sit next to him. The sun was setting and it was the most beautiful thing that Renee had ever seen. “Oh wow Elliot..I never knew about this spot,” She couldn’t stop gazing at the orange and red hues surrounding the hot ball of gas. “My mom would take me here sometimes, from the sunset, the sunrise, and the stars oh my god the stars. She’d make them so amazing but one day she got so sick and she couldn’t take me anymore. So everytime we get to come here I come out here, to escape the whole legend thing and relax by myself. But now, I see two pretty things infront of me..the sunset and well, you,” He gently grabbed her hand and her reddish face was hard to see in the dark. She turned her head towards him and he smiled softly. “This reminds me of something I saw today, a post with a drawing of us. There’s just one thing missing to complete the scene I believe,” Renee saw him thinking and it looked like a lightbulb just turned on in his head. He leaned in and so did she. They closed their eyes and-

kissed

The scene matched the vibe of the social media post that Renee had randomly come across. It was a strange feeling to Renee, for she had never felt this way towards anyone before. Atleast, not a time that she could remember. Elliot had a goofy smile plastered on his face afterwards. She grinned and leaned on his shoulder as they gazed at the stars that started to peek from the horizon. “Alright yuh lovebirds, get yuh asses inside before we leave without yuh guys,” Ajay leaned against the door, watching them. “Oh, alright. We’ll be right there Ajay,” Renee looked over her shoulder to the other girl and smiled softly. Ajay nodded and closed the door behind her. Elliot was the first to get up and then offered a hand for Renee to grab. She gladly took it and he hoisted her up to her feet. She brushed off any dirt that may have gotten onto her dress. As they went back inside, no one really looked at them apart from quick glances. Anita signalled to them over at the entrance that they were leaving the event. They held hands as they rushed over to the group, not wanting to let go of eachother. Anita counted them and led everyone back to the limosuine so they could pile in the same way they did when they arrived.

(Back at the Apex Dormrooms)(Specifically Elliots Room)

The two were sitting on top of the bed in Elliot’s room, talking. Everyone had just got back to the dorms and they had rushed out so they could get some privacy. “So..what are we now?” Renee turned towards Elliot, who was fidgeting with his hands. He looked up and shifted into a more comfortable position to look at the girl next to him. He looked back infront of him and flopped back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. “Whatever you want us to be, Ren,” His eyes glanced at her features from the angle he was in.

“I want to be...more than friends-“

“Best friends?”

“No-“

“Best best friends..?”

“Elliot-“

“What?”

“I want to be together, as in I want us to date and do things that couples do,” her head turned towards him. “A-are you sure?? I-I-I mean I dont think Im that bad at being a boyfriend but are you really sure you want to be in a rela- rele- be with me???” He stammered, not knowing what to say. “Yes,” was all she had to say when Elliot pulled her in close to lay down next to him. He kissed her cheeks and her forehead multiple times before stopping to stare at her beauty. She giggled and smiled then held him down into a cuddle position on the bed. “This is what I’ve always wanted, despite me acting like I never did,” She admitted, tracing circles on the others chest. “Did you want to sleep here for the night? Or..we’re you going to go back to your room?” Elliot asked, but got no response from the other. Renee was fast asleep in his arms, snoring softly. Elliot smiled a loving smile and kissed her forehead lightly then fell asleep quick with the warmth she amitted.

E X T R A

Octane walked into Elliot’s room, knowing it was unlocked and because he was his best friend. He had his phone in hand, ready to ask a question about the future match. His eyes darted towards the bed after noticing that the lights were off. There, he saw his best friend with the stone cold girl, who never really showed emotion. He gasped quietly and opened the camera app on his phone. He snapped a picture but before he knew it, the flash went off and lit up the entire area of the man’s bed. Renee groaned and covered herself more with the blanket that was draped over her and Elliot. He quickly stepped out of the room where the couple rested and snickered at the photo he caught. His first thought was to post it, his second? To post it and then print it and frame it. He didnt want to seem like a bitch so he decided to post it with the caption, “Found the lovebirds mating LOL” Within a matter of seconds, the post flooded with likes and shares. Which meant that all if not most of the legends would see it. You bet that Elliot and Renee we’re furious when they both came across it the next day..

THE END

word count: 5,445

Hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it :] <3

Quotes will resume Monday,, 2:00pm CT