#it's the guy who asked me to take his visit of the submarine

[handern]

remember the guy who learned his visit of the docks in english using my own written script of the museum in?

not only did he fuck it up three times in a row, he has another one scheduled today with me and he doesn't know that bc he doesn't check the schedule, and I made it clear that I did not study for it

since, you know, he's been working here for 10 years and already did that visit three times :)

[journey-to-the-attic]

3rd anni req 16: lucifer, dad, aunt / home visit

ao3 link

note: finally got back to these! very quickly: lisa (aunt) has met satan and belphie but no one else, and zhao (dad) knows all the brothers already and specifically knows lucifer better at this point - the background things are stuff i intend to write in future. also i wasn't completely sure if the request wanted zhaolu, so i left it ambiguous (this would be pre- any relationship anyway, so take it as you like!)

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎

“I’m back! Where’s— huh, Lucifer?”

Lucifer lowers his glasses and polishes away the fog. “Welcome home.”

“...hi?” I dump my bag by the door and change into my slippers, then return to the kitchen door. He’s still there. “What’s the occasion?”

After all, last I checked, Lucifer had some pretty strict rules about hopping between worlds - special occasion birthday visits not counted, of course. At this, though, he just smiles mysteriously.

“Nothing in particular.” He takes a sip of his tea, then quirks an eyebrow at me. “Well? Tell me about your day.”

…sure, I decide, because as much as I’m suspicious about his reasons for being here, I’m still happy to see him. I pull up the chair opposite him.

Lucifer hasn’t been up here that many times, especially compared to Mammon or Satan (the latter who visits whenever he’s allowed, and the former who visits even when he isn’t) - but he looks completely at home in our kitchen. Oddly pleased with himself as well, though I have no idea what about.

A little smile stays on his face through one, two, three stories - he asks me to show him the pictures from a school trip to the maritime museum, and to send him the one of me sitting in a model submarine so that he can show the others. In return, he has a video of Mammon trying to teach a roc to swear.

“You can do it,” encourages the blurry Mammon on the screen, holding a little biscuit just out of reach. “C’mon, smart guy!”

The roc tucks its beak into his wing sulkily and doesn’t make a sound. Mammon tries fruitlessly for another little while, then ultimately throws up his hands and walks off.

Whoever’s behind the camera doesn’t move - they point it at the roc and wait silently. Sure enough, after barely a minute, it mumbles, “Son of a bitch.”

“He still hasn’t figured out its trick,” Lucifer says as I laugh. “It learns, but it doesn’t want him to know he taught it.”

“Does it have a name?”

“Would you like to give it one?”

“Ohh, can I?” I lean forward and peer closer at the roc in the video for a moment. “Mmm… Connie. Looks like a Connie.”

“Connie it is,” He says, smile widening.

At that moment, Dad totters unsteadily into the kitchen, lugging a cardboard box. Lucifer rises from his seat, then pauses.

“Careful— careful, mind! You’ll do your back in!”

“I have it,” Dad says through gritted teeth, and finally sets it down with a rather worrying crash. “There. Thank you.”

“You haven’t let me do anything,” Aunt Lisa says, disgruntled. A split second later, as if sensing him somehow, she turns and looks Lucifer directly in the face.

He freezes on the spot. Aunt Lisa scans him, and I can see her mentally taking notes on everything she sees - red eyes (weird, but could be contacts), extremely tall (unusual, but not impossible), and distinctly too well-dressed for having tea in someone’s kitchen.

“Hello,” She says smoothly, and if I didn’t know better I’d think she was completely unperturbed.

Lucifer clears his throat. “Hello.”

Neither of them make any move to introduce themselves. I catch Dad’s eye. He’s wearing the face of someone who completely forgot he had a guest over.

“Um,” He says. “This is Lucifer.”

Aunt Lisa barely blinks. “I see. Hello, Lucifer. Should I call you Mister?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.” He’s starting to look distinctly uncomfortable. I guess Avatar-of-Pride street cred only counts in the company of people who actually know what that means.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” She says, folding her arms and leaning back against the counter. “From your brother. And your other brother.”

“That does not narrow it down,” He replies stiffly. She snorts.

“Tea?” I ask, then hurry to the sink without waiting for an answer. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

Dad taps the counter nervously as it begins to hiss. Then, probably a little too late, he adds, “Lucifer, this is Lisa…”

“Ms. Cassidy to you,” She tacks on sharply, and Dad and I exchange wide-eyed looks.

Neither Belphie nor Satan got the surname-only treatment. Heck, most of her clients don’t get the surname-only treatment. Then again, Satan and Belphie are quite possibly the worst demons for Aunt Lisa to have gotten her first impressions of Lucifer from, even if they didn’t just outright lie for fun.

I try to remember what I might have told her about him. It’s not like I’ve given her any horror stories, but I guess there are a lot of Lucifer traits that only become likeable once you’ve gotten used to his personality...

The kettle finishes boiling. I clear my throat and occupy myself with making the tea. Maybe I should be doing more to dissolve the tension, but I kind of don’t know how - besides, I didn’t even know Lucifer would be here today. I haven’t had any time to prepare a defence for him - no powerpoint, flashcards, anything...

Dad fiddles anxiously with his watch for a moment, then suggests (though he sounds more like he’s making a plea), “Everyone - sit down?”

Aunt Lisa gives Lucifer one more long look, then shrugs and pulls up a chair. Lucifer waits for her to sit down properly before doing the same.

“So what do you do for a living?” She asks him smoothly.

He opens his mouth and pauses. I realise that I don’t actually know the answer to that question, either - does he count as a government worker? Something teacher-adjacent? Actually, the others aren’t in employment, either. Where do they get their money from?

“I’m…” Lucifer deliberates over his words for a moment. ‘Deputy head of the student council’ probably wouldn’t sound very impressive, but technically 'second-in-command to the prince' isn't a title he officially has, and could arguably belong to Barbatos. “Ahem...”

“He works for Diavolo,” I say helpfully. “The prince.”

“The prince,” Aunt Lisa repeats. The corner of her lip twists slightly. “And what do you do - polish his shoes? Put on a jingly hat and dance?”

It isn't the 1600s anymore! Lucifer’s mouth tightens. Before he can get out a scathing reply, I interject again, “He does admin and stuff.”

“Oh, so you’re the paperwork guy,” She says with some dry amusement, pausing briefly to give me a smile as I set her tea down. “And are you busy? Managing hell, I mean.”

“...we don’t run the whole Devildom from one office.”

“No, I suppose you don’t.”

I opt to stay by the counter as the exchange continues, like a game of extremely terse ping-pong. Dad - watching all of this with a kind of slowly mounting dread - abruptly starts rifling around in the cupboard.

“Biscuits,” He says a little breathlessly, setting a plateful on the table with a loud clack!, effectively breaking the momentum of the match.

Aunt Lisa breaks eye contact with Lucifer for the first time in the last ten minutes to give Dad a fond smile. “Thanks, love.”

Lucifer shoots her a funny look - which I'm pretty sure he doesn't think anyone sees - and schools his expression straight back to neutrality when Aunt Lisa turns back to him. She pushes the plate forward a little.

“Custard cream?” She suggests sweetly.

“...thank you.”

She quirks a brow and settles back, focusing on her mug. Lucifer regards her carefully, then lifts the biscuit to his mouth.

As soon as his mouth is full, Aunt Lisa asks, “How much does the prince pay you?”

Lucifer’s face twitches. Having to hold up the illusion of courtesy is clearly beginning to get to him. He drains the last of his tea, then releases a sigh.

“Whatever it is you want to say to me, say it.” He doesn’t bother answering her question. “Say it. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”

“Alright.” Aunt Lisa fixes him with a cold look. “I don’t like you.”

A long pause. Dad dithers briefly, then sits down as well. Rather than mitigating the tension, though, it only seems to manoeuvre around him, like water around a rock in the middle of a river - no more words are said, but they’re both staring hard enough for the tension to practically become verbal. One after another, while they don't think the other's paying attention, both Aunt Lisa and Lucifer shoot him mildly apologetic looks.

“You’ve only just met him,” I decide to come to Lucifer's defence, seeing as he doesn't seem to intend to do it himself. “You don’t really know him."

“From what I’ve heard, I don’t want to.”

Lucifer’s brow creases. Then realisation dawns, and he turns to me with an unimpressed frown. “Satan and Belphie?”

“Probably Satan and Belphie,” I confirm with a mild grimace, and he gives another, longer sigh.

“Ms. Cassidy,” He starts after a moment, perfectly collected again, “I hope you realise that my younger brothers aren’t going to give you objective assessments of my character.”

She snorts. “Does Zhao think it’s cute when you use big words?”

“Have another biscuit,” Dad mutters before Lucifer can respond, shoving the plate towards her with maybe a little more force than necessary. “...A-Ke, can you let Hyde in?”

“Eh?” I listen for a moment. Sure enough, there’s a scratching from the kitchen door.

Hyde meows loudly as soon as it opens, then slips in before it can shut again. He scans the room with enormous green eyes, notes the foreign person, and immediately makes a beeline in his direction.

“...hello,” Lucifer says in mild surprise as Hyde rubs his cheek against his leg. “Where did you come from?”

He leans down to give him a scratch behind the ears. Aunt Lisa watches all of this with what can only be described as an air of betrayal. I don’t know what she was expecting - Hyde’s the friendliest old man any of us know.

Hyde’s favourite treat also happens to be cheese from our fridge, so I get him a little chunk and wave Lucifer over. He seems relieved to get away from the table (though he'd never admit it, of course). Under my whispered instruction, he crouches down and gingerly proffers the cheese in an open palm.

“You’ve met already,” Aunt Lisa notes, then turns her stare on Dad, who quickly looks in the other direction. “How many times has Lucifer been in your kitchen, Zhao?”

“I haven’t counted…”

“And you didn’t think I’d want to meet the man who kidnapped your daughter?”

“That’s not fair,” I object. “I got summoned. And it was Diavolo, not Lucifer. That’s different.”

Aunt Lisa turns to look at the two of us, still crouched beside Hyde, who’s devoured his cheese and is now sniffing at Lucifer’s sleeves for more. The look on her face is… dangerous. “Do you think that makes it any better?”

I’m just trying to make things less tense. I blink at her nervously, then reply, voice tiny, “No?”

Lucifer glances at me, then sighs and stands up straight again. Hyde lets out a dismayed meow, but immediately forgets about the non-existent cheese he was looking for as I start scratching his chin.

“Ms. Cassidy,” Lucifer says, suddenly sterner now, “I realise that we made several ill-advised choices, but IK was not involved in any of those decisions. I’d appreciate it if you left her out of this discussion.”

“Not involved? They happened to—” Aunt Lisa cuts herself off, then folds her arms. “No. Fine. I've plenty to say, mind - I just promised I wouldn’t go on about it.”

Hyde trills and flops down on his side. I run my hand down his fur as he purrs, keeping one eye on Lucifer as he crosses the room to take his seat again.

“We made the decision before we’d met IK," He says. "Now that I understand - I’d be furious if I’d been in your place, too. I don't blame you.”

“Understand what?” She asks, challenging.

Lucifer doesn’t falter. “Believe it or not - IK is an irreplaceable part of our family.”

I quickly look down at Hyde to disguise a smile. Aunt Lisa doesn’t seem to have a response for that - after a moment, I hear a crunch, and look up just in time to see her give him a begrudging nod, biscuit in mouth.

Neither of them says anything. Lucifer picks up his cup, then sets it down again.

“Mrs Prescott has a new rabbit,” Dad says a little helplessly as the silence stretches on. “Across the road. It’s very cute.”

“That’s nice, Zhao,” says Aunt Lisa.

“What’s its name?” Lucifer asks.

Panic crosses his face. “I… don’t remember.”

Hyde’s purring slows and quietens. He looks backwards at Lucifer, then twists to look at Aunt Lisa. I play idly with one of his paws, then stand up.

“Bake Off’s on tonight,” I say. “Let’s watch it together, shall we?"

[apinchofm]

Uncle Phillip

@spitefularmand @torchwood-99 @viscountessevie @hptriviachamp @enigma-the-mysterious @alrightsnaps @datsusara84 @problematiquefics @angel-starbeam @ietss @jeanvanjer

Among more things Eloise did not think she would do, was do picnics in the park. But she and were sitting on a large blanket. Neddy and the twins were running around.

"How's Marina?" Kate asked.

"Stressing over Fashion Week." Eloise sighed, thinking of her hardworking, "I managed to spoon solid food and not coffee into her mouth yesterday as she made a phonecall about tulle."

"Edwina and Daphne are the same," Kate laughed, "Simon and Matthew are getting worried. Well, Simon is more used to it. If I ever doubted Matthew's devotion, I may have to eat my words - he goes with her to fittings and everything!"

Eloise had noticed the man watching her and the children for a while. Some tall white guy dressed like a lawyer. Lawyers could be creeps.

"Hey, Kate, can you watch the twins?" She asked her sister-in-law, cutting off the conversation.

"Yeah, of course." She said, confused as Eloise stormed up to a man she did not recognise.

He did not seem to realise Eloise was approaching him and his eyes widened in surprise.

"May I help you? Or do I need to call the police?" Eloise asked him sharply.

"I just wanted to see them." He told her apologetically.

"Excuse me?!"

"Okay, wait, that came out really wrong!" He said holding up his hands, "My name is Phillip Crane and I believe I am the uncle to those children."

---

"Philip Crane?"

Marina stopped twisting her hair when Eloise told her about what had happened.

"He's George's younger brother. Gosh, I haven't seen him in years!" She continued, then turned around, "I didn't even think he was in the country."

Eloise who was sitting on their bed, in pyjamas sighed, "He didn't know?"

"None of them knew."

Marina sat down on the bed next to her, sighing, "I wasn't allowed to go to George's funeral. I decided I really did not want the children around them."

The Cranes were an old family, with a long history in the British military at all ranks and were very strict about who they associated with. Marina Thompson, a half French, black, bisexual stylist was far from the ideal but George fell in love with her. She loved him too, a gentle giant and Navy man. Then he had to go away and his submarine sunk off the coast of Somalia. And his family told her not to come to the funeral. She and George were not married, after all.

"What if he tries to take the twins?" Marina asked quietly, "He could use our sexualities, my depression." But Eloise was having none of it, clutching her hand tightly and looking at her

"You were depressed because the guy you loved died and his family treated you like dirt. And if he wants to take our children, he will have to go through me." She said determinedly, "You are a brilliant mum and he has no claim. He's an uncle who is turned up out of nowhere!"

---

The Bridgertons heard, because Kate told Anthony what happened and no one in that family could keep anything to themselves.

"Do you want us to pay this Phillip Crane a visit?" Anthony asked over Sunday Dinner, "Ben, Colin, Greg?"

"You three are the least intimidating idiots I know." Marina deadpanned. Then she smiled at Gregory, "But thank you." He was her favourite of the bunch, aside from Eloise of course.

--

Philipe came to their home on Saturday.

"You cut your hair." Marina said. He looked so much older than when she last saw him.

"You stopped straightening yours." He said with a small chuckle.

They fell into an awkward silence, so Eloise stepped forward, "Nice to see you again. Glad you are not a child predator."

He looked embarrassed, "I'm so sorry about that. I just had been walking past and saw..."

"It's fine." Eloise said with a small smile.

"How long have the two of you been together?" He asked.

"A year and a half." Marina said, a smile to her, "We're getting married in July. It would be sooner, but this one has a book tour and I have pieces to finish - fashion week, the Met Gala."

"Again, this is why we should elope rather than let Daphne plan." Eloise said, fondly rolling her eyes, "I'll marry you anywhere."

Philip smiled at the two of them, "Congratulations."

"I'll leave you two to talk." Eloise said, "I think an impromptu game of hide and seek has begun!" With that, she made her way upstairs, where she knew the twins were hiding.

Marina and Philip sat down in the living room, tea prepared on a tray, "My parents always said tough conversations needed tea. Actually, my father prefers whiskey as part of the drink."

"How are your parents?" Phillip asked

"Good. They retired to the south of France last year. Got another farm, because Dad can't just retire." Marina said and he smiled, "How have you been?"

"Good. Good. I came home for the funeral, left soon after. I'm sorry for not calling."

"You were grieving." She pointed out.

"So were you." Phillip said, shaking his head, "I just got back from Cape Town." He explained, "And a friend of mine told me that you had children. Toddlers."

"And you did the math." Marina finished and he nodded.

"I can't believe you were pregnant." He said, "Did George know?"

"No." Marina shook her head, "No, he never got my email and well, your family were not exactly the most welcoming bunch."

"I'm sorry about that. Truly." Philip said. He had liked Marina. She made George happy. He was free from the pressure from their father when he was around her.

"I did love George. I hope you know that."

"I do." Phillip said, "I was sad that we didn't get to know each other better. But I want to now, especially with the children."

"The twins do know. Who their dad is." Marina informed.

"Oh, they do?" He blinked, surprised.

"I would never want to hide that away from them. They just know that their father was in the army and he passed away." She explained and he nodded, "I do not need to get into family politics of your racist father."

He grimaced at her frank tone, but could not disagree, "Well, I do wish to help. I'm based in Kent, but am in London rather often. Anything you need-"

"Oh, Phillip, you owe me nothing." Marina said gently.

"You're family, it's not about debt. I don't want to disrupt your life or relationship. But I do want to know my niece and nephew, that is all." He said with a shy smile.

She brought him to the playroom, where Eloise was lying down on the plush carpet, passing blocks to Oliver and Amanda.

"Mummy, look!" Oliver said excitedly but frowned at the stranger.

"I see, my love." Marina smiled, "This is your uncle Philip. He was your daddy's brother."

Oliver stayed by Eloise, his stepmother sitting up to hug him reassuringly. He was nervous when it came to new people. Amanda, on the hand, stood up, looking at Phillip curiously.

"Hello." Amanda said, "You were our dad's brother?"

"He was my older brother." He explained, kneeling down to her height, "I'm guessing you are the oldest." She grinned and nodded.

Oliver looked like George. He had his mother's skin town and curly hair but George's eyes and nose, "Hello Oliver." Philip said gently.

In response, Oliver whispered something to Eloise who nodded.

"Olly wants to know if you like Legos." Eloise asked of him.

"I very much do like Legos." Philip confirmed, making Olly smile.

"Good." Amanda grabbed his hand, pulling him to the floor, "We are making a zoo. Have you been to the zoo?"

"I have been to many zoos. I once saw a lion up close!" He said and Amanda launched into questions as he helped them build their zoo.

Eloise stood, going over to Marina who was watching on with a smile, "Quite the unorthodox family, aren't we?"

"Well, there is no fun in convention." Marina whispered back.

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

Aries 

You waited YEARS for Disney to get off its rump and make a follow-up to TRON, and you got it in 2010 with TRON Legacy, right? Well, no. You completely missed over 2003’s TRON Two-Point-Oh; a first-person shooter taking you onto The Grid to eliminate a virus. It got good reviews, too! So fire up your Steam account and buy it this week… for under $10! 

Taurus 

You need to relax and look at things from a different perspective this week. You’re not a clutz or have butterfingers; you’re testing for gravity and, well look at that.. You found some! You’re not inept, you’re a research scientist! This week buy a broom with a butler.

Gemini  

Getting things second-hand never appealed to you before, but you have nothing against getting second-hand social news, do you? That’s called gossip and you should be ashamed of yourself! If your friends really wanted you to know about their private issues they would have already told you. Stop looking at their feet trying to figure which one has six toes.

Cancer Moon-Child 

Let’s go over this one more time: The lower the ISO, the smaller an F-Stop and/or a longer exposure you need, and maybe needing additional light from a flash. Trying to photograph the Moon isn’t that hard for everyone else because they use a tripod. This week stop trying to do things that don’t work.

Leo 

SURPRISE! This week is your celestial re-birth! Splurge on a small ice cream cake and your favorite dinner. If it’s Lobster Ravioli… first off, Good Taste! And second, it doesn’t matter if it’s frozen - you’ll enjoy it better once you’ve boiled it a while. Just not TOO long otherwise you’ll have lobster-flavoured paste.  

Virgo 

Your idea of making an All Adult Theme Park centered around free sexuality has already been done in cartoon form. Look up “Mizuryuu Kei Land” (MEE-zur-you key Land) - there’s a comic and an anime, but the point still stands. You need more originality in your diet. This week… Eat some Funny Gummis and listen to the Yellow Submarine album.  

Libra 

Hey, Libra? Want To Play A Game? This week Jigsaw has his attention set on you, and you know what that means, right? Exactly! This week visit the Army-Navy Surplus Store and get yourself a Claymore Mine. Just remember - it has words printed on it that say, “The Face Towards Enemy” for a reason! 

Scorpio 

It’s officially summer and you need to get into swimwear shape. And look at that, you did it! You’re already in the perfect shape for the beach or the pool. Don’t let anyone make fun of you for how your body looks. There’s a way to make that happen; buy and wear a classic 1900’s swimming wardrobe and no-one will comment on your body at all! Just… don’t go into water over your chest.

Sagittarius 

Drinking alone is your best bet this week. Don’t go out to a bar or with friends; just stop by a liquor store and stock up on what you want. It’ll be cheaper all the way around. The booze is cheaper, the commute home is cheaper, and there’s no court or impound fees at the end of the night. This week stock up on headache medicine.

Capricorn 

Stop being Mister Nice Guy this week. It’s not helping you get things done. …and since the collective told me to keep your ‘Scope to Two Sentences, that’s all you get. Simple and to the point. … … … You’re welcome!

Aquarius 

It’s time for “Christmas In July” sales! Get out your winter parka, insulated boots, and sub-zero-rated mittens and head out to the mall. It’s possible, if only slightly so, some manager will take pity on you and offer some serious discounts. Take advantage of their generosity but don’t ask to use the dressing room. It’ll take you half-an-hour to get out of that snow suit.

Pisces  

You are never alone, no matter what you think. There are people who are watching over you, wanting you to keep moving just that little bit more each time you stop. So this week keep looking over your shoulder for that assassin. He’s closer than you think!

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

[wow-cool-robot]

Episode 38: Char and Sayla

we going to get some resolution to the char and sayla stuff?

ok, we're doing submarine warfare in space now

char is really nice to lalah, it's weirding me out

is mirai also a newtype? or is her knowing amuro's alright just a 'woman's intuition' thing

'that was a red mobile suit, it could have been char!' have we seen any other red mobile suits, or is it just char? like, i'm sure there are others, but i think there's a point where you just assume anything red is char and treat it accordingly

i love that being a newtype basically just means you have spidey-sense

char knows amuro's a newtype, but he doesn't know who amuro is

this is a really good setpiece, with char shooting from a distance and amuro dodging and trying to figure out where it's coming from

is that the first time amuro's deflected anything with the beam saber?

the beam saber does basically nothing to the geloog, which is pretty clearly a better suit than the gundam

the gundam just can't keep up, though it got in a pretty good hit, making char retreat yet again

sayla singlehandedly taking on everyone, you love to see it

not much to say here. the white base is cleaning house, and it's not too interesting

wait is this guy the guy from episode 4 who was going to have them all court martialed?

fraw bow's worried, and very clearly out of it

bright having her go visit hayato is a good way to make things simpler for everyone

oh shit, char and sayla are going to finally talk

and her mic is still on while they talk? good stuff

sayla: 'look at you MY BROTHER CHAR AZNABLE, joining the military to KILL THE ZABIS' bright: [furiously taking notes]

new newtype lore just dropped

so char's getting revenge on the zabis, but agrees with them on everything other than the hunting down and killing his family stuff?

so sayla knew about newtypes the whole time?

i don't see what the mask has to do with him discarding his past, but whatever

bright's taking this pretty well all things considered

amuro: i've never seen a machine like that... amuro: [looks into the desert. no machines visible] amuro: ah! it's a white base buggy!

so was bright the only one who heard that, or what?

glad they've gotten picked up after the battle, ready for the next one

rip wakkein i guess

ok, so this is money for sayla? put it into supplies, or something. idk how much it is

bright: 'so this letter is for you. you know who it's from?' sayla: 'yeah' bright: ...

glad sayla's just being honest when asked

bright just has to deal with the red comet sending one of his finest officers the briefcase from pulp fiction. i guess he probably knows most of what's up because he overheard that talk, but still. can't be easy!

[azenkii]

Sokka/Suki/Zuko Brotp Headcanons

These three are a god-tier brotp and i'm here to prove it

100% that one friend group who does the stupidest, most impulsive shit but they’re also super nerdy at the same time?

Like they'll be left alone together and you can guarantee that by morning they'll have broken into several heavily guarded government buildings. But like,,they didn't even steal anything important? they just wanted to see if they could find bosco's birth records and figure out why he's a regular bear

The last time they got drunk together they woke up on the Beifongs' roof in librarian's robes with a fully labelled diagram of a nonbending submarine in front of them

Suki and zuko braid each other's hair and sokka got jealous that he couldn't join in so he grew out his hair until it was long enough to braid

Suki teaches zuko how to fight with kyoshi warrior fans and he's absolute shit at it

In return, he teaches her how to fight with dual broadswords and she is not shit at it, which zuko thinks is unfair

all three of them spar together, all the time

sokka’s the unofficial leader of the group

he’s almost always the one who suggests the dumb/smart ideas

suki and zuko are pretty much on the same wavelength as him when it comes to plans so whenever he suggests something it goes like

sokka: so you guys know the new ozai society? well i was thinking about the pipes under the city-

suki: that’s a great plan. dibs on scouting the eastern block, zuko can you-?

zuko, nodding: the night market? on it

no one else can ever eavesdrop on their conversations because they just don’t make sense

the story of their escape from the boiling rock becomes legendary and they make a game out of retelling it. every time someone asks about it they’ll add something new. eventually the story ends up involving a platypus bear named Mai II, Chit Sang’s identical twin, a rope made out of bedsheets and three separate riots

sokka and zuko thought for a solid year that suki didn’t really like drinking because she always ended up relatively sober whenever they went out. turns out she drinks more than both of them combined and she’s just really, really good at holding her liquor

the amount of decrees they’ve passed while drunk is honestly ridiculous. only half of these decrees were cancelled afterwards because the other half actually made sense

suki once genuinely threatened to throw hands with one of zuko’s ministers. her reasoning was ‘he kept making weird faces whenever sokka suggested anything’

sokka and suki once ganged up against zuko. they called it ‘nonbenders solidarity’

zuko retaliated by creating a super-secret best-buds-only handshake with toph and they did it in front of sokka and suki whenever they could. sokka and suki eventually went ‘okay OKAY we GET IT also can you please...teach us the handshake it looks really cool’ and zuko was like ‘hm. no i dont think i will’

he then proceeded to drive them insane by immediately teaching the handshake to everyone he knew. aang? knew it. katara? knew it. mai and ty lee? knew it. every single one of his ministers knew it. the kyoshi warriors knew it (and wouldn’t tell suki). hakoda knew it. iroh knew it. that random regular visitor to iroh’s tea shop knew it.

sokka and suki gave up on ever learning the handshake. exactly one (1) day later zuko and sokka were playing their own modified version of pai sho with suki watching them and then zuko just casually went ‘so now that you’ve given up do you want to learn the handshake’

sokka and suki went FERAL and suki flipped the board

sokka: HOW DID YOU KNOW WE GAVE UP

also sokka, exactly 0.02 seconds later: also yes please teach us the handshake sifu hotman

the handshake is the stupidest most needlessly-complicated thing in the world but they learn it anyway and they don’t stop using it for approximately a month

and oh did i not mention that they made their own version of pai sho? they call it die sho and it features 16 homemade tiles and a set of rules that only suki understands. one game can last anywhere from 2 minutes to 2 days

they once wrote a book together under the pseudonym Wang Kyo-Lee. The book was a 500-page rant about plant husbandry. it became a bestseller in the earth kingdom.

they also once did a role swap for a day. zuko dressed up as a kyoshi warrior/the fire lord’s elite guard (complete with makeup to hide his scar), sokka was acting fire lord, and suki was his water tribe ambassador. that was how they discovered that they worked together so much that their jobs were literally interchangeable

there are rumours that the three of them are involved in a poly relationship. when asked, none of them will give a definitive answer

sometimes they’ll just go on holiday to some random obscure place without telling anyone and come back four days later with a frog, three new swords, a crate of theatre props and a valuable compilation of historical accounts that’s been lost for over a century

the most memorable thing they ever brought back was druk, aka a literal dragon

out of the three of them, suki makes the best tea. however, she’s also the worst cook

sokka learnt how to knit and promptly made them matching scarves. the scarves were ugly af but suki and zuko wore them anyway

when zuko overworks himself sokka and suki will literally manhandle him away from his desk and into his chambers, all while lecturing him as he nods sleepily and dozes on his feet

when suki overworks herself sokka and zuko will bring her tea and wrap her in blankets until she eventually falls asleep

when sokka overworks himself suki and zuko will drag him out somewhere under the open air and just sit with him until he relaxes and falls asleep on one or both of them

they have a running joke where suki and zuko will, in the middle of a discussion, go ‘GODS you remind me of this one guy i met while i was travelling’ and then proceed to describe sokka until he realises they’re talking about him

they all have a very dark sarcastic sense of humour that can honestly be alarming to anyone who doesn’t know them. mai thinks it’s hilarious

suki knows how to juggle. she tries to teach sokka and zuko and they both fail miserably

sokka takes them ice-dodging. sokka (once again) earns the mark of the wise. suki earns the mark of the brave. zuko earns the mark of the trusted. 

(does zuko earning the mark of the trusted make him cry? perhaps)

hakoda takes one look at suki and zuko and immediately goes ‘oh ok youre my children now’

zuko can handle himself pretty well in the cold (breath of fire, remember?) but that doesn’t mean he likes it. sokka and suki constantly tease him about it whenever they visit the south pole

zuko once startled suki while she was sleeping and she accidentally chi blocked him. sokka laughed until he cried

they 100% have heated debates about super niche topics

anyway they’re all bffs who may or may not be dating each other send tweet

[misslilli]

Felix Felicis

MSR. AU. PG-13. | tagging @today-in-fic | read on AO3

Chapter 47 - Dating Skills For Broken Hearts

[ DS ]

A kid's curiosity and them asking a lot of questions to find out how the world works is a teacher's dream, but to be honest, this kid's questions and his innocent face when he asks them make me more than a little uncomfortable. I hate lying more than anything, especially lying to kids, but I can't exactly tell him the truth either, so I settle for a half-true version that I think Squirrel is quite an unusual name and to wish him good luck for their investigation.

Sarah is having a field day, coming up with the most out-there theories about who this Squirrel guy could be, so out-there that Felix is hanging on her every word with an open mouth and wide eyes.

"Do you really think he's a submarine pilot with a wooden peg leg, Miss Anderson?" At his gasp, Sarah and I both giggle and shake our heads. "No, Felix, I'm pretty sure you'll find out that Squirrel is quite a normal person!"

"Depends how you define normal…" Sarah mutters under her breath, earning her a glare and a well-placed elbow to her side from the perfectly normal Squirrel.

Before he gets the chance to ask any more uncomfortable questions, I quickly change the subject to something I know he'll talk about for the rest of recess.

"Did you do anything special after we talked on the phone? Like… museums or anything?" As I predicted, he launches into the story about visiting the trolley museum with his Aunt Sam and it makes me smile how well he's able to describe the museum, it feels like we're right there with him. He's a special kid, that one.

————

[ FM ]

As I wait in front of the school to pick up Felix on Monday, I shift nervously with my eyes trained to the door. I'm thrown back several months with a feeling of deja vu when all I could do was wonder when I'll get to catch a simple glimpse of Scully next. Even though I've seen her last week and I know I'll see her again tomorrow, the thought still makes my stomach flutter with anticipation.

The PTA moms have cornered me, again, asking me to help out with something or other at school, but I only manage to listen to them with half an ear and have actually no idea what I've just agreed to help out with.

Sheila touches my arm to get my attention back to the conversation but now she's lost me completely, because I've just spotted the four friends exiting the school building and my heart leaps so high, I'm surprised it doesn't shoot right out the top of my head.

Standing at the top of the steps, I'm trying my very best not to stare but she's making it very hard with those legs and those heels and that barely concealed smile on her face that tells me she's just as excited to see me as I am vice-versa.

I send her a silent plea to please save me , hoping that the understanding-without-words thing wasn't just a coincidence at the New Year's Party.

It wasn't, thank God, and I'm so relieved when she steps up to our group, rearranging her face into a cool, professional look and wraps her fingers around my arm. With a raised eyebrow and a serious tone of voice, she says: “Mr. Mulder. A quick word please?” ‘Yes! Thank you!'

The group of women retreat reluctantly, I think they’re just a tad afraid of her tone of voice and she leads me away, into the shade of a tree where the smile reappears on her face.

We both exhale a relieved “Hi!” into the air between us and it takes all my self-control not to wrap her into my arms, push her up against the trunk of that tree and kiss her senseless.

“Sorry to drag you away from your friends but it looked like you needed some help to get out of yet another PTA function.” She tugs on my tie, briefly, playfully, the only contact we can allow ourselves out here in the open. I smile at the gesture, even though it's torturing me that I have to hold back what I really want to do right now.

“A little late for that, I'm afraid, I think I agreed to something but I have no idea what it is." 'Because I was too busy thinking about you.' "So did you have a good first day back?”

“Stressful but okay, many many stories from the kids, yours included.” At the mention of Felix, we both smile. “He and Suzie have started an investigation into who this Squirrel guy is, it's actually kind of cute how serious they are about it but it sure was an uncomfortable conversation…" I bet it was, Felix can be pretty relentless when he wants to find out something he's dying to know.

"I'm sorry, I know this whole thing puts you in an uncomfortable position but this sneaking around, while very exciting, won't last forever - we'll tell him eventually, just takes a little more time." And then I'll be shouting it from the rooftops for all the world to hear!

Glancing back at the still waiting gathering of PTA moms, she sighs a little regretfully and shrugs, there's not much we can do about it at this point.

"I know, it's okay, I don't think they have any leads yet, anyway. How was your first day back?”

“Uneventful, pretty much, we got a new case over the weekend, awful stuff… I’ll tell you about it on Wednesday!” Judging from the way her face lights up, I’m not the only one looking forward to our second official date. Phew! She lifts her hand to glance at her watch, making a face.

“I'm sorry, I gotta go, soccer practice starts in 10 and I still have to change. It was really good to see you, Moose!”

When she steps past me, her fingers brush against mine almost as if by accident but it still leaves a lingering tingle on my skin.

————

[ DS ]

I'm trying something new on for size these days, something I heard that normal people with little to no emotional baggage are used to doing, something called Not-jumping-to-conclusions and freaking out. It's quite a new skill for me and still a little tricky to master, especially when I feel that this Sharon/Sherry/whatever woman seems to be everywhere at once, with her inappropriate touching and flirty smiles, in front of the school yesterday and now, in front of our Starbuck's, of all places. That's my date today and that's my coffee cup he's holding in his hand, get lost!

Not jumping to conclusions is hard, jaw-clenching, fist-balling, teeth-grindingly hard, this now being the third time in four days I've seen them together and her slipping a piece of folded paper into his pocket that could be anything in the world, but I'm pretty sure is her phone number (were I to conclude, which I'm not, look at me growing with the challenges of dating!), giving him a flirty wink before she saunters away.

My resolve to not let this faze me is hanging on by a thread, only saved by the way his face lights up when he sees me walking up, holding out the to-go cup that contains not only the right drink order - I'm surprised and a little touched he remembers - but just the right amount of sugars in it as well.

"Hi! I hope I got this right, I've spent a good two minutes in there racking my brain if it was three sugars or two, but then I remembered teasing you about the insanely unhealthy amount, so it must've been three, right?" His little monologue wipes Sharon/Sherry/whatever right out of my mind and I smile up at his slightly worried face - he's so sweet and thoughtful, it's heartwarming and knee-weakening all at the same time.

"Hey you, three is perfect, thanks!" Coffee cup in hand, we start walking and he tells me about the interrogation Felix put him under yesterday doing such a good impression of his son, I giggle into my coffee cup.

"He thinks he's being so subtle, he doesn't just come out and ask me, but weaves it into the conversation oh so casually trying to get something out of me, it's hilarious! Lucky for us, I've picked up some quite good evasion tactics from the suspects I've interrogated."

"He'd make a pretty good agent too, huh?" Nodding, he laughs too at the image of little Felix in a suit, presenting an honorary FBI badge with a serious face. Special Agent Felix.

"Definitely! He's got mad interrogation skills when he wants to get to the truth. I bet he'll ask anyone he thinks knows something, including Skinner at their baseball practice tomorrow, the poor guy. Speaking of, what should we do in the hours they're at practice?"

The mention of our upcoming date tomorrow gets me pretty excited, because I've read about something in the Sunday paper that I'd really like us to do, I just hope he won't think it's too silly for a date.

"Uhm… I read that there's a Winter Carnival over in Bridgewater and it sounds so amazing, sleigh rides and mulled wine and ice sculptures. I thought it'd be fun to check it out? If you want?"

"Sounds good, yeah. I'll pick you up after school?" We've reached the junction we're bound to part ways at and the kiss on the cheek that lingers a little too long (but not long enough) combined with looking forward to our date tomorrow puts a giddy spring in my step on my walk home.

----------

[ FM ]

The thought of going to a Winter Carnival would never in a million years cross my mind, I hate the forced holiday cheer and stupid game booths and the artisanal, overpriced stuff they sell there. However, even a Carnival Grinch like me can't help but be swept up in the contagious excitement of a red-cheeked, twinkle-eyed Scully, dragging me from booth to booth with her little gloved hand never letting go of mine, which is really nice, I have to admit.

What's also nice are the toasted-almonds-and-mulled-cider flavored kisses we share every chance we get and of which there'll never be enough, if I have any say in the matter. The anonymity of the Carnival allows us to be the happy and carefree, giddily excited, falling for each other hard, can't keep their hands off each other people we have to pretend not to be in our day-to-day lives.

"So, G-Man, here's your chance to shine, I really really want that teddy bear up there!" If I weren't so eager to put a smile on her face, I'd roll my eyes at the cliché of winning someone the ginormous bear she's pointing to right now, all big hopeful shining eyes I know I have no chance of resisting.

Not when she's adding a little, sweet "Please?" at the end and I get another lingering kiss as a reward for being a good shot.

With one arm wrapped tightly around the teddy bear that's almost as tall as she is and the other one looped through mine, we continue our exploration of the Carnival.

I have to admit, this is one of the best dates I've ever been on, if not the best.

————

[ DS ]

I'm pretty sure that even on the slim chance they're actually dating, I think this date is going so well, he'll have the same difficulty remembering that woman's name that I do.

I'm having some difficulty remembering my own name when we get into the tube that'll take us down the long slide, with his long legs on either side of my short ones and his arms wrapped around me tightly from behind.

The rush of going down that slide with a "Wheee!" in my warm Mulder-cocoon is nothing compared to the rush of happiness when he wraps his arms a little tighter around me in the end, presses an icy-cold kiss to my neck and tells me what a great time he's having today.

I can't help but agree with him, I'm having the best time too, sharing pink cotton candy and laughing at stories about Felix's childhood, like he told everyone in kindergarten that his dad doesn't actually do any work but spends his days just thinking at his desk and looking at gross pictures.

We end our perfect day with a ride on the ferris wheel, arms around each other huddled together not only for warmth but because we just can't help wanting to be as close as possible.

"I know I'm repeating myself here, but this has been a really great idea, Scully!"

"Yeah, I had a great time too, it'll be pretty hard to get you out of my head for the next couple of days!" Not that I've ever been successful in doing that ever since we met, I add in my head.

"Same here… That reminds me, look what only thinking about you has gotten me into!" My heart stops for a minute when he reaches into his pocket to pull the folded piece of paper out of his coat - is he really going to show me what some other woman put in there? "Take a look at this, I'm so distracted I agreed to man a booth at the school's job fair and it's all your fault!"

Dumbly, I stare at the unfolded invitation to said fair in his hand while the ferris wheel stops right at the top, swinging us back and forth and its little creaks fill the silence. "Huh… I'm feeling pretty stupid right about now…"

"What? Why?" A little uncomfortable, I shift my position so I can look at him.

"Because… I thought for a moment that Sharon or Sherry and you were dating…" He's thoroughly confused by now, judging from the crease that appears between his brows.

"Sharon or Sh-… ooh, you mean Sheila? What… huh? Help me out here, I think I'm missing something."

"I saw you two, at the farmer's market and after school and yesterday, in front of Starbuck's and from the way she's acting, she's very interested so … I don't know…" I have no idea how to finish that sentence without making a complete fool out of myself, so I just leave the end open to interpretation, lifting my shoulders helplessly instead.

"Why didn't you say anything? Give me a chance to tell you that yes, she's interested but I'm definitely not and I'm certainly not thinking of dating her, or anyone else for that matter, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well… I'm trying out this new thing, not jumping to conclusions but I'm still pretty new at it and still practicing… actually talking about it is in the next chapter, so it's good to hear you say that and not freak out about it, so thank you!"

Sometimes, I catch myself thinking that with my trust issues and stupidity in dating, I don't even deserve someone as open and honest and calm but now, as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear gently and warms my cheek with his palm, thanking me for giving him the benefit of the doubt, I think that maybe my distrustful, broken heart has been waiting for someone like him for all my life.

———

[ FM ]

I wish this day would never end and I could spend the rest of my days on top of that ferris wheel, kissing the most wonderful woman in the world, one that's having such a hard time with trust but still actively chose to put some of it in my honesty. It shows me she's really trying, for me or for us.

This could've easily been a dramatic scene or an ugly fight, hell, I don't even know if I could've stayed this calm if I thought she was seeing someone else. But no, it's not a scene or a fight, instead we end the day on a high note, huddled together as the wheel starts moving again and me being incredibly thankful for the first relatively drama-free relationship I've been in for as long as I can remember.

I've fallen for her looks a long time ago, but now, I find myself starting to fall for her personality as well, hook line and sinker, right down the rabbit hole in a little tube just like we did before, the lonely Fox holding on tight to his favorite Rainbow - Wheee!

[angelmavmurdock]

Our Little Secret: Part Three - A.R.

Word count: 2474 Summary: Time has passed and y/n and Arvin have gotten closer. But an incident with the bullies commences and Arvin has to step in. 

-

Sorry this took so long!

-

Reader POV

I've been in New Coal Creek for a month now. And I couldn't be happier.

Lenora and I were inseparable and we would spend as much time together as humanly possible. And if she wasn't spending time with me, she was spending time at her mothers grave or with the new preacher that she apparently liked. I wasn't in the popular group anymore, thankfully, but I was still in the cheerleadin' team.

My Daddy had gotten a bit worse since we moved, though. He was weaker and completely not able to work. But he always told me to see my friends and have a good social life because I was working so hard in school, I didn't need the stress of my home-life, too. However, it still hung in the back of my mind.

Arvin picking Lenora and I up after school became a regular affair, almost daily. He would even drive us to Lenora's mothers grave where she would read to her and clean the stone. I was honoured she wanted to invite me.

As well as Lenora and I getting closer, Arvin and I were becoming close. I could tell he was still wary with me but I knew that was because he was so protective over her. She was his little sister and I was the typical popular girl. I got it. But he was softening up to me. Gradually.

He would always drive me home after a visit to the Russel's and he'd do it voluntarily now, like he wanted to take me home.

Arvin and I already had our own little joke. Every night at dinner, when we were supposed to be praying, we'd look up at one another and smile, sometimes make weird faces to try and make the other laugh. Then at night, when he'd take me home, we turned the radio up full volume as he drove me back to my house. We basically knew every song on the goddamn thing but it was never boring.

Arvin was the bad boy. A boy - or rather a man - who would never shy away from violence if need be. He was a heavy smoker and he liked a glass of whiskey or two after work. Technically in Coal Creek, he wasn't too bad. But everyone knew who he was and knew what he'd done (beating up those bullies of Lenora's more than a few times) so everyone was off with him. But I wasn't. I felt like I could see through that rough exterior. Deep down he was just an orphan who loved deeply. He loved his family.

Due to spending so much time together, I was beginning to like him more and more each day as he let his guard down a little. There was no denying in that he was a fairly attractive man, with his hands rough from gripping tools all day and his body taught from manual labour, he was fit and muscular - but not too much. Just right.

Although we didn't know each other extremely well, I felt like I had good enough knowledge to call him a friend. A close friend even. And any attraction I felt, any butterflies I would feel whenever he said my name or chuckled at a joke, I pushed it away from my mind. He's Lenora's brother. But part of me felt as if he liked me.

From the first day of meeting him, he'd always look me up and down with hungry eyes. Maybe that's just him attempting to be intimidating or maybe he's looking at me for other reasons...

Along with Arvin being a known 'bad boy', he was known as a submarine racer. He'd meet a girl or two at a spot out of town, usually in his car, and score with them. I never asked him about it and he never brought it up. It's not somethin' you talk about openly like that.

I felt curious about his 'double life'. I wasn't experienced with sex. I had kissed my boyfriend a few times in New York, but even then that was a lot. There was a part of me that felt shameful for even thinking about it. But another part of me burned with need at the thought of Arvin with a girl...or even me.

But those were thoughts for the dead of the night as I lay awake in my bedroom, staring at the dark ceiling.

-

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Lenora and I walked out of class, arm in arm like usual and headed out. Arvin always wanted us to be as early as possible so we scurried down the stairs as fast as we could, soon being met by a tsunami of students. The doors were pushed open and Lenora and I walked forward, automatically going to where Arvin was usually parked. But he wasn't there.

Instead of the blue, rusted truck, fences and maintenance vans were in it's place, repairing the schools water system.

We started darting our heads around, looking for Arvin and the car.

"Where is he?" I asked, panic starting to settle in my stomach.

"I don't know...maybe he'll be in the parking lot." Lenora tugged my arm and I followed her.

As we turned the corner of the school, three of the jocks from the popular group stood, leaning against the brick wall with cigarettes in their mouths.

Lenora and I jumped and then froze, not knowing what to do. The boys menacingly smirked, throwing their cigarettes on the ground and then cracking their knuckles.

Lenora and I gripped each other's arms in fear as they began to surround us.

"Why don't we go back behind school, huh?" One of the boys spoke.

"My brother will be here any minute now." Lenora spoke shakily, looking at the ground.

"Come on."

They grabbed us by the arms, separating us. I screamed and resisted while Lenora shook in fear as they forced us around school to the back where the dumpsters were.

"Get off me!" I shouted, slapping one boy away from me.

They threw us onto the ground.

"On your fuckin knees, get down there." They spoke.

Lenora and I kneeled side by side. I looked over to her and she had her hands clasped in front of her, mumbling a prayer. I clenched my jaw and looked up at the boys. I don't think God's gonna get us out of this one.

One boy poked and slapped Lenora's face and I wanted to do something but I couldn't. Another boy came behind me and tugged on my ponytail, making me face the sky where he stood above me.

"I'd need a sack over your face just to get a hard-on." One boy said to Lenora.

"I have no problem getting off to you, darlin'." The boy above me said.

He then pressed his evident erection clothed by jeans to the back of my head.

"Get the fuck off me!" I tried to get out from his grip.

He tugged my hair tighter and I squealed in pain.

I briefly looked over and saw the third boy getting a paper bag from the trash and shoving it over Lenora's head.

"Hey!" I shouted, managing to get loose.

I reached for Lenora but the boy pulled me back, holding my arms behind my back.

"Let me go!" I protested.

"Lenora!" I screamed, kicking and flailing to try and get out from his grip.

The boys held the bag over her face and I could see her breathing heavily and panicking.

"Mother fuckers!" I heard a voice behind me shout.

Before I could react, Arvin came from behind me and launched at the boy holding the bag over Lenora's head, throwing a punch right over his nose. The boy fell to the floor with a thump and I watched as Arvin beat the boy up.

I kicked my foot backwards and up, aiming for the boys private areas who was holding me.

"Fuck!" He screamed, falling to the floor and letting me go.

"Lenora go!" I shouted to her.

She had shed the bag and nodded then fled.

I looked to Arvin and he was taking on two of the boys now, beating them both to the ground.

"Bitch!" The guy behind me shouted then wrapped his arms around me.

"Get off!" I screamed and resisted against him.

He threw me to the ground and my hands went out, luckily stopping my face from hitting the concrete but my hands and knees began to sting immediately. I felt something slash my hip as I landed on the ground. It must have been glass. But I couldn't focus on that right now. The boy stood above me then pressed my cheek to the ground, holding my hands behind my back.

"You're hurting me, stop!" I shouted.

"Hey! Get the fuck off her!" I heard Arvin shout.

I heard a crack and the boy fell right next to me, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Arvin knocked him out flat.

"y/n, quick!"

I sat up and Arvin held out his hand. I took it and hissed as I stood up, ignoring the pain to the best of my abilities.

"You okay?" Arvin asked, worry filling his bruised face, still holding onto my hand.

"I'm okay-"

"Fuck!" Arvin got beat to the ground by the two boys.

"Get off him!" I screamed at them, attempting to push and shove them but nothing was working.

I looked around hurriedly for something I could weaponise. My eyes suddenly clocked a crow bar lying next to the dumpster. I sprinted towards it then grabbed it, not even thinking twice before cracking it over one of the boys heads. He fell to the ground and blood spattered onto me. I gasped with shock but then the other boy stopped and both him and Arvin looked up at me with gaping mouths.

Arvin widened his eyes and held out his hand, motioning for me to give it to him. I threw it to him and he caught it, swiftly battering the other guy over the head then at his shins. Both boys were crying out in pain and Arvin kneeled next to them both.

"If any of you touch my sister or y/n again, I swear to God I will fucking kill you next time." He warned.

The boys just cried and groaned in pain, definitely getting the message.

Arvin stood back up, throwing the bar on the ground then turning to me.

I was still in shock from the whole thing.

"C'mon, let's go." He said, wiping his bloody nose.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and I wrapped mine around his shoulders, using him for support as we walked away.

We walked around the other side of the school to the car park and Lenora was crouching by the truck, praying with her hands clasped.

I looked to Arvin and he looked back to me.

"She just need to rest." Arvin spoke quietly.

I nodded, "Yeah." He tightened his arm around me and I felt flutters in my stomach.

"I'll take you to ours to clean you up. You can't go back home looking like that." Arvin said, sniffling casually.

I smiled, "Thank you, Arvin."

He gave me a slight smile back, "No problem, darlin'."

I flushed red at the nickname and he could probably tell.

We reached the car and Lenora stood up, immediately embracing her brother. I let go of Arvin and watched as they hugged.

"Where were you?" Lenora cried into his denim jacket.

"The school was shut off from that way, I had to come here."

She sighed, "At least you saved us."

They pulled away then Lenora launched at me. I wrapped my arms around her tightly and winced as I stumbled back.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly.

"I hardly got a scratch it was just scary." She hummed, pulling away.

That's when she looked at me and her eyes widened.

"You're covered in blood!" She exclaimed.

"It's okay it's not all mine." I laughed like it was funny.

"y/n! That's- oh no. Let's get you back to ours. Grandma and Uncle Earskell are out at a church gathering tonight so it'll just be us." She said.

We all hobbled into the car weakly and Arvin drove off. This time I was in the front as Lenora wanted to lie down in the back. The music played softly and I looked down at my - now ruined - cheerleaders outfit. I started to pick off some of the dried blood on my pleated short skirt, but it still left a stain behind.

"I know a trick for blood stains. Your outfit will be as good as new by the end of the night." Arvin spoke softly.

I smiled at the gesture and sighed with relief that it was all over. I lay my head back on the seat and rolled down my window, letting the fresh air blow over my face.

Arvin's POV

I watched as she lay back and opened the window. The wind brushed over her face and hair and despite the cuts, bruises and blood spatter, she looked almost ethereal. She reached her hands up into her hair and pulled off the blue ribbon, then the band, and let her hair fall loose around her shoulders. I had never seen her hair down before. She shook it and loosened it off then hummed softly, putting an arm out the window.

Her hair kept swishing into her face but she didn't mind. She looked pretty and glowing. I then realised that not only did I have to protect Lenora, I also had to protect y/n. I looked to the backseat and Lenora was crashed out.

I looked back to y/n and watched her as she shut her eyes, letting the wind blow on her face and her hair go everywhere. I didn't mind having to be protective over her.

I suddenly had an urge and of course I didn't fight it off. I reached my hand out slowly and brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

She didn't turn to look at me but she smiled, her cheeks burning red and hummed lowly in appreciation. I felt a sudden rush to my lower areas and butterflies in my stomach.

I always thought she was beautiful, I mean she was undeniably attractive. And the more I got to know her - despite us not being that close, I liked her more and more. But I would never act on it. I knew she just thought of me as Lenora's brother and the seemingly 'bad boy'. A girl of her class would never date me. But part of me wished she would.

{Tags: @notanordinaryprincess95 @imagine-yourself-happy }

[fiddlepickdouglas]

Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 5 - The Stratosphere

Summary: Sunset Curve Alive AU, Willex, where will they go?, 2.7k

@trevor-wilson-covington​ is the bestie who makes these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

“So, I was thinking,” Luke was saying to Julie once everyone was back in the green room, chatting lightly as they packed up their gear. “Maybe I could visit your mom in the hospital and play some songs for her. Cheer her up, you know?”

Julie looked so touched. Willie still didn’t know their whole story, but they seemed like a good fit. He had offered to help Alex load up his drums, but apparently there were people paid to do that here. Alex was just supervising it because he wanted to make sure they were handled right. It was a pity this place was full of techs and ushers and security because it was so tempting for Willie to try a few tricks on his board in there.

He’d finally gotten a proper introduction to everyone, and it turned out that all of Alex’s friends were great. The guys were all super chill, and he couldn’t thank Julie and Flynn enough for letting him be there to begin with. They seemed almost like a family. If he didn’t think about it too long, then he could ignore how badly he wanted to stay around all of them for as long as he could. Willie couldn’t remember anywhere that had felt so warm and open. He ran his fingers over the new bandage that he’d gotten on his hand.

Alex sat beside him, gear all stashed away.

“So, what’s your plan?” he asked.

“It’s a surprise,” Willie teased. “But it’s close.”

Alex looked around the room and then back at him with wonder in his eyes, raising the corners of his lips.

“Just the two of us though,” Willie added.

“Of course,” Alex nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, guys,” Luke spoke to the entire room. Flynn, Reggie, and Bobby stopped the silly hand clapping game they were in the middle of and all turned their heads to face him.

“Julie and I just came up with a super cool plan,” Luke continued. Julie stood with him, and Luke immediately stood back to let her speak.

“I told you guys that my mom’s cancer is back. She’s given a lot to me, and I don’t think I could ever give back everything. But it would be really neat if we all gave her a private mini concert.”

Cheers went around the room, making Julie beam with happiness.

“I know it’s short notice,” she went on. “But I want to try to do it once we’re all back in California.”

“But what about your shows in the next couple of days?” Flynn questioned.

“I’m gonna see if I can reschedule them. I know it isn’t an ideal thing to do but with my mom’s condition, I’ve gotta do what I can.”

Willie sat quietly. He would’ve been happy to be involved, but was too aware that he was staying here in Vegas. That same feeling of wrongness crept along his skin, making him fold his arms and rub his thumb where it rested. He wasn’t sure when he’d picked up the habit, but he was doing it a lot more often recently.

“Uh…” he started. “I’m gonna catch up with you guys later, if that's okay.” He glanced over at Willie in a subtle but giddy manner.

The group finished discussing plans about getting together for a quick practice and what kind of songs they would do for Julie’s mom. When Willie suggested Yellow Submarine, Alex advocated for it as well, and he was happy to have made at least some contribution to their ideas. Once all that was put together, everyone got ready to go their separate ways. All the guys shuffled toward their van and Alex hung behind for a moment.

The guys all looked mildly surprised, but ultimately shrugged.

“Catch you later, Alex,” Luke said, giving him a wink. Reggie was singing Yellow Submarine under his breath as they drove away, to which Willie giggled quietly.

“You ready?” he turned to Alex, noticing his hands were free from clutching the strap of his fanny pack this time.

“I guess I am,” Alex said, smiling through his nerves.

Willie took his hand tightly and carried his board with the other. Alex's smile only grew wider as they hurried out to the street. The goofy jerking between their hands only made them squeeze harder to keep contact. He could hear the delighted chuckle being released behind him as he guided Alex across the city. He felt his lungs let forth a youthful yell from his throat, and he felt like Peter Pan crowing as he flew through the stars.

People darted out of their way as they rushed onward. Willie eventually saw his target, the Stratosphere, and didn't even bother pausing before he pulled Alex through the entrance. The elevator was just being emptied and before anyone could stop them, he tugged Alex inside and pressed the buttons to get them to the highest floor. The doors shut and they felt the jolt of being lifted from the ground pull them downward.

"Aren't we supposed to pay for tickets?" Alex panted, laughing between breaths.

Willie, also doubled over in laughter, just shook his head.

"Capitalism sucks, man! Don't buy into it!"

Alex only wheezed, leaning into the wall for support. Eventually, they both sat on the floor and after a few more bouts of laughter were able to calm down and breathe normally.

"When you said you had your ways I didn't know you literally meant you could just walk in anywhere," Alex thought aloud.

"The concert was luck," Willie smiled. "Here, it's just practice."

Alex shook his head incredulously. They both sighed, feeling that strange tension that had been there back in the diner, except Willie felt it in his fingertips. He eyed Alex’s hand lying inches away, and imagined himself reaching through and lacing their fingers together.

"How's that relaxing going, by the way?" he wondered.

"Hard to tell with you around," Alex stated, sarcasm not to be missed.

"I'll take the compliment."

Their long ride inside the elevator was near the end, and they stood up as the numbers got closer. Willie felt Alex's pinkie reach for his and he was happily surprised at the feeling of skin twining with skin. It was like they didn’t have to say anything - they just felt the same things. The door opened to the fresh evening breeze and revealed the wonderful sight before them.

"Whoa," Alex breathed, immediately drawn to the view on the observation deck. The lights from below sparkled in his eyes and Willie followed as they came right up to the railing. Both of them sat in awed silence, watching everything blink and glitter beneath them. The mountains in the distance bordered everything in a gentle, majestic manner. Willie had been up here so many times and somehow never noticed the odd sense of being folded in angels' wings before.

“I’ve been an idiot,” Alex started saying. Willie turned his head in confusion. Their hands slipped apart as Alex began gesturing to emphasize his words. “I’ve been thinking all day about how everything goes wrong and expecting everything to go wrong. I haven’t been enjoying anything nearly as much as I should be right now.”

Willie didn’t reply just yet. He just looked at Alex, watching how tense he was still, almost as if he could see the lion in the cage inside his head. All he wanted was to set it free. He looked around, and while there were a couple people on the other side of the observation deck, they seemed likely to just take pictures and then head back down.

“You know what I love about being up here besides the view?” he asked Alex.

“What?”

Willie gripped the railing as hard as he could, took in a deep breath, and screamed out into the darkness. Alex looked around nervously, but only watched the other people on the deck make their way back to the elevator.

“You gotta try it,” Willie urged.

Alex braced himself against the barrier and gave a nice little yelp.

“Oh, are you a puppy up for adoption?” Willie joked, tugging on Alex’s jacket. “Your whole body needs to let go.”

Alex looked back at him with an intense focus, and then turned back to the railing. Filling his lungs to the brim, he yelled viciously over the top of it. Willie joined him and they both staggered between screaming and taking moments to breathe. Something about it said words beyond what they had spoken. Willie heard a unique sort of agony as Alex belted everything to the night. He wondered if his pain came through as well.

Alex finally sighed as he finished his last shout and then looked up at the sky and closed his eyes.

“I did enjoy that,” he said. “Thank you.” He dropped his posture and Willie smiled at seeing him finally loosen up.

“Didn’t know you had so much pent up rage,” he commented.

“I guess I didn’t either,” Alex said, chuckling darkly. He sat on the ground and looked up at Willie to follow suit. Taking a seat across from him, Willie eyed him curiously.

“Now what?” he asked.

“Staring contest,” Alex said plainly.

Unfortunately, Willie blinked immediately. Probably ten times in succession, actually. This time, Alex got to laugh.

“Okay, not an actual staring contest,” he said. “ But I’ve tried this with all the guys in the band. We look into each other’s eyes for a few minutes, no speaking, and we just....know each other better. Bobby’s the one who started it.”

Willie only nodded as they got into comfortable positions before locking eyes. He tried to silence any impulses for his mind to focus on anything else and channeled everything into looking at Alex. Even in the dim light, he picked up the green color staring back at him. The stillness outside rivaled the storm within them.

Slowly, the storm softened into waves of caring kindness. They were powerful, but low, as if Willie were wading in shallow water and letting them crash over him. Each wake broke upon him in just the way he wanted to collide with them. This wasn’t a tide where he would get lost in the danger of the deep. The current was pushing him back to the shore, toward safe ground. 

The image in his mind suddenly morphed, and he was transported from calming waves to a rickety road. Fields passed by as he found himself looking out a window. His vision steered to his left, and an older man with a jovial smile sat at the wheel, turning to him as if they’d been passing jokes between them. The man’s familiar laugh echoed in his head.

 Absent-mindedly, Willie grabbed Alex’s hand. Pulled out of his trance, Alex looked at him with concern.

“I just remembered something,” Willie said, sounding like he’d received divine communication. It almost felt like he had. That image was supposed to be locked away, he’d been told. Never to be known again.

“What, like you left the stove on or something?” Alex asked in confusion.

Willie shook his head seriously. His hand was still squeezing Alex’s but he couldn’t get it to loosen its grip. It wasn’t because the memory had scared him, but fear was present anyway.

“No.” His eyes had trouble focusing on Alex’s face, now. “I think I remembered my dad. Like we were driving together. I remembered him.”

Alex dipped his head lower as he tried to figure out what Willie meant.

Willie bit his lip and looked at him apprehensively. This wasn’t the intended topic of discussion tonight. It wasn’t a subject he was usually allowed to speak of to begin with. He opened his mouth and clamped it shut, and then opened it again.

“I have retrograde amnesia,” he confessed.

Alex’s jaw slacked and hung open for a minute. Willie wasn’t sure how long he could handle this gorgeous boy blinking at him in disbelief before Alex closed it again.

“Oh my god, Willie,” he started, still sounding unsure but remaining gentle.

“I’m sorry, that’s sort of a really big thing to just drop on somebody,” Willie started.

“No, no, you don’t need to be sorry,” Alex soothed. “But, oh my god, you just remembered something.”

Willie ran his hands through his hair and took a deep breath.

“Yeah… I did,” he said, just realizing the significance of that himself. His past wasn’t entirely under lock and key. That...brought a lot of emotions with it.

“Wait, so how long have you been like this?” Alex asked.

“About a year and a half,” Willie told him solemnly. “Caleb told me I was hit by a car when I was out skating. I even have a scar.” He lifted his hair and turned his head so Alex could get a look. Alex grimaced and shook his head, clearly not liking the visual he’d received in his mind.

“You’re lucky you’re not dead,” he said.

“Yeah, Caleb said that too.”

“Wait, who’s Caleb?” Alex blurted.

“Oh,” Willie looked downcast. “He’s my legal guardian. And my boss. You saw him this morning, remember?”

“That’s your legal guardian?” Alex said, sounding slightly upset. “Guy gave me the creeps.”

“That’s fair,” Alex said, sounding a little unconvinced of his own statement. He sat quietly for a minute. Willie studied him, worried about how he would respond next. Any fun had been sucked out of the air due to his own personal business.

“Yeah, well,” Willie shrugged. “He does that. But, what can I do, you know?”

“So, for the past year and a half,” Alex started. “You’ve had nobody except your boss?”

Wow, that hit him right in between the eyes. Willie hadn’t actually considered that before. He blinked momentarily and then looked directly into Alex’s eyes as pain slowly took over. Then hot tears welled up, causing him to look away.

“I guess not,” he said quietly, his voice already trembling. Before he could huddle into a little ball, Alex’s arms were around him, pressing his head to his chest. Heaving a sigh, he let the tears fall as quietly as he dared to be. His hand crept up to hold onto Alex’s shoulder and gripped tightly. A funny weight was felt on the top of his head, and he realized Alex was running his fingers through his hair. It was so soothing, so...sweet. Willie didn’t realize that was something he missed from his many forgotten memories.

Soon, he straightened up and wiped his eyes.

“Thank you,” he said to Alex, knowing he couldn’t possibly convey how grateful he truly was.

“Of course,” Alex assured him, still gazing upon him tenderly.

“I guess I killed the mood, huh?” Willie attempted to joke. Alex simply smirked and shook his head.

“For what it’s worth, I was totally lost in your eyes, so I needed to come back to reality.”

Willie couldn’t help but smile, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

“That was for free,” he said, already getting back into step with his sense of humor. “I charge everyone else.”

Alex quietly entered the hotel and slipped into the door of their room. The guys had thankfully left it ajar so he wouldn’t be locked out. Luke was already lightly snoring on the couch, and he saw that Reggie and Bobby had both taken the larger bed. Carefully pulling his fanny pack over his head and setting it on the side table, he kicked off his shoes.

“Hey, Alex,” he heard Reggie whispering. Dammit. “How’d it go?”

The entire night replayed on fast forward in his mind, and he couldn’t get over the beauty of it all. The weight of it all.

“It was good, Reg,” he whispered back. He quickly changed and climbed into the bed that came down from the wall. Too many thoughts and feelings swirled in his mind like a cajun soup. Willie was amazing. There was nothing else to it except smaller details that attested to the same fact. Today had been all he would have of him, though. His mind paused on that thought as silence filled his ears.

“Did you kiss him?” Reggie whispered out of the blue in curiosity.

“Hey, bigger spoon,” Bobby mumbled groggily. “Be quiet.”

Alex didn’t answer, but smiled quietly to himself. He should have kissed him.

[wefoundloveunderthelight]

Skyline Manor by GleefullyCaptainSwan Chapter 5/13

Read on AO3: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Or on FF

Stacy's Tortured Crew: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @itsfabianadocarmo @mariakov81 @qualitycoffeethings @zaharadessert @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic @natascha-ronin @tiganasummertree @xarandomdreamx @therooksshiningknight @batana54 @superchocovian @onceratheart18 @ultraluckycatnd @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @the-darkdragonfly @xsajx @deckerstarblanche

Chapter 5: We have an Accord

“What do you mean you lost him?” Sir Henry watched from his hiding spot behind a stone column as his uncle spoke with the Captain who had burst into his room.

“I saw him on the staircase during the dance, I went after him, and he vanished from sight.”

“Dammit.” The King cursed. “The good news is that the diamond is still in the place it was left. So, he was unable to take what he came for.”

“If he was unable to claim his prize, he will return. He will need shelter in town, my men and I will remain in port, seek information at the tavern. He may have won this round, but I do not intend to lose the game.” The Captain said confidently.

“See to it that you don’t. We can’t afford any distractions.”

“Was your sister able to choose a husband tonight?”

He groaned. “She did not. I do not understand the hesitancy of women. The Duke would make a fine husband, yet she continues to search the realm for something that she may never find.”

“What is it that eludes the Princess?” He asked.

“What every woman wants of course, true love.”

“And she has not found this with your friend the Duke?” He questioned with a laugh.

“I had thought she might, his Grace is a good man, he would make an excellent husband but my sister…”

“What do you speak of your sister?” The men turned toward the approaching voice, the Captain’s heart stopping as the blonde woman came into view. “It is unkind to talk about a woman behind her back.” Killian felt his mouth standing agape and tried to will it to close. The woman from his dance earlier was Princess Emma?

“I was simply saying that my sister was the star of the ball this evening.” The King said with a knowing glance to the other man.

“You have not yet introduced me to your guest.” She mused, turning toward him, and offering him her hand. Killian took it gently, bringing it to his lips to press a kiss against her knuckles.

“Captain Killian Jones.” He announced, though he knew quite well that she was aware of his name as he had given it to her earlier.

“Captain Jones.” She touched the tip of her finger to her chin. “No, I don’t believe I’ve heard of you.” She said without a care in the world.

Killian smirked as she stepped away from him, a slight grin pressed to her mouth. “I must take my leave.” He said suddenly. “I have urgent business to attend to.” The King returned his nod. “It was a pleasure to meet you Princess Emma.” He bowed in her direction. “Until we meet again.”

He slipped from the room, taking one last glance over his shoulder at the blonde woman that had his heart in his throat.

“Sister, tell me you’ve interrupted me to announce your decision to marry the Duke.”

“I have made a decision.” She paused. “I have decided that I will not marry the Duke.” She announced without fanfare.

“Sister.” He chided. “Why not? Did he not please you tonight?”

“He was pleasant, I suppose, but I met many men tonight. Perhaps one of them is…”

“Not the true love thing again! Emma, I told you, it is time that Henry has a man in his life.”

“He has many men in his life. You, William…”

“His jester does not count as a man in his life.”

“He most certainly does. He’s the best friend Henry has ever had.”

The King sat down unceremoniously on his throne. “Sister, I want to ensure you are taken care of. This means you must marry.”

She sighed. “I will. I promise.” She spun around in her dress. “There was a man tonight that I danced with…” She bit her lip.

“A man, what man?”

“A man.” She restated. “He was handsome, and charming, and very intriguing.”

“Well, you must decide soon, or else I’m going to accept the Duke’s offer.”

Princess Emma rolled her eyes, excusing herself from the room. There was no way she was going to marry the Duke, not when there was a chance for adventure and intrigue in figuring out who Captain Killian Jones was and what his business was in her realm.

Henry was pleased with the way the party had turned out. Even though his mother spent most of her evening talking to Graham, he couldn’t ignore the way that Killian’s eyes seemed to find her from across the room after returning from the basement. His mother had even lifted the ban on his visits with their neighbor and Henry found himself splitting his time between building Legos with Will and stopping in to provide a treat to Smee after dinner.

However, when he knocked this evening, he was met by another man at the door. “Evening, lad. If you’re selling something, I don’t live here.”

Henry narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. “Who are you? You aren’t Killian?”

The man appeared surprised to hear Killian’s name. “I’m Liam, who might you be?”

“I’m Henry, Killian’s friend.”

“Are you now?” He said with a laugh. “Well in that case, please do come in.” The man stepped away from the door and Henry bounded into the apartment. “Brother, you have a friend here to see you.”

Henry turned toward the man. “You’re Killian’s big brother. Wow, it’s great to meet you.”

“You seem to know about me, and yet I know nothing about you.” He seemed to question his brother as he entered the room.

“Henry, here to see Smee?” Killian interrupted. “Liam, this is my neighbor, Henry.”

Henry held the treat up high for the dog, rewarding him when he sat as he was supposed to. “Are you a Captain too?”

“Liam’s in the Navy. He’s a Lieutenant onboard the USS Delaware, it’s a submarine.”

Henry’s eyes grew wide. “You mean you go under the water?”

“Aye, you never know what’s lurking beneath.” Liam responded with an eerie grin.

“That’s really cool. Did you ever go in a submarine?” He turned toward Killian.

“I prefer to Captain my ship above the water.”

“So, Henry, do you live next door with your mom and dad?” Liam asked.

“I live with my mom; my dad lives across town.”

The man glanced at his brother. “Is that so?”

“Speaking of your mom, isn’t it your dinner time kid?” Killian scolded. “I don’t want her coming over here yelling at me again.” He laughed.

“We’re having tacos tonight.” He stood up and patted the dog on the head. “It was nice meeting you, Liam. See you tomorrow, Killian.”

“Talk to you later, kid.”

~*~

Killian closed the door behind Henry and turned to see his brother staring at him with a smirk on his face. “What?”

“So, you’re hanging out with a ten-year-old now?”

“He’s eleven, and he’s a nice kid.”

“Are you sleeping with his mom?”

“God, Liam, of course not.” He exclaimed. “Why do you accuse me of sleeping with every woman I meet?”

“Don’t you?” He laughed.

“No.” He argued, walking back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

“Are you still seeing Belle?”

“She’s around, yes.” He knew where this conversation was leading.

“Interesting, it’s been what, six months? That’s some sort of record for you.”

Killian groaned. “I know where you’re going with this. She’s not my girlfriend. I meant what I said that night, I’m not interested in a relationship.”

“Interested or not, you’re already in one. So, if you don’t actually want to be with this woman, you need to end things before she gets hurt.”

“No one is getting hurt; we’re just having a little fun. That’s all.”

“Suit yourself, brother. But one of these days, you’re going to have to break that promise or you’re going to end up alone.”

~*~

“And he works underwater all day!” Henry exclaimed excitedly.

“How chu u wrk under watur?” Will spat, his mouth full of food.

“Would you not speak with your mouth full! How old are you?” Emma scolded the man.

“Sorry, Ems, how does he work under water?”

Henry laughed, reaching across the table to grab a slice of bread. “He’s a Lieutenant on a submarine. Isn’t that cool?”

“That’s very cool. I had no idea he had a brother.”

“I did, he told me about him before. He lives in Maine, where Killian used to live before he had to move.”

Emma chuckled, sharing a glance with Will. “He told you all of that.”

“He tells me loads of things when we hang out. The other day, he was doing his laundry and singing. He said it’s a sailor thing to sing when you’re sad or melon collies.” He scrunched up his nose as he said the word.

“Melancholy.” Emma corrected.

“You guys should invite him to your happy hour tomorrow night. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of friends around here, except for Belle, of course.” He paused then sat up straighter. “Or me.”

“That’s a bloody good idea, kid. The more the merrier.”

“What did I tell you about using that word around Henry.” Emma whispered.

“His eleven not six! Would you rather I used the F word?” Will groaned.

“Fruit?” Henry responded, looking at her with a confused glance.

“No.” Emma said shortly.

“Oh, that word.” Henry laughed. “I don’t think you should use that word. My friend Roland said it in class the other day and our teacher sent him to the office, he didn’t come back to class for an hour.”

Emma watched the boys on the other side of the table making jokes and laughing throughout dinner, it made her heart settle seeing Henry smiling. She had hoped that he would get past his initial disappointment from his father bailing on him for a month so he could go chase some ass in Barbados.

While she had been wary of him disturbing and bothering the neighbor, her son seemed quite taken with the man. Ever since the barbeque Henry had lost himself in his writing, spending all of his time jotting down notes in the notebook that he thought he was hiding from her.

She would never read any of it without his permission, but her teacher had told her that he was a talented writer with a very creative mind, so she tried to give him his space to allow his imagination to grow.

As long as he was happy, Emma was content to give him the wings he needed to fly.

“So, do you want me to invite Jones, or would you prefer to drop by yourself.” Will wiggled his eyebrows at her and she slapped him on the shoulder.

“What’s are you trying to say?”

“Just saying, he’s an attractive man, a fact that hasn’t escaped your attention.”

“I have Graham, I don’t need an attractive man.” She bit her lip. “I’m not saying that Graham isn’t attractive. He is. Very. God why do you always get me so worked up?”

“That’s what I thought.” He stepped into the hall and headed to his door. “I’ll let you invite him. Would hate for you to miss a chance to stare into those baby blue eyes.”

“I hate you.” He turned around and gestured toward her shirt.

“Maybe open a button or two, ya sexy git.”

Emma extended her middle finger toward her friend as he closed the door in her face. Turning she looked down the hall and exhaled loudly. Before she could head toward his door, it opened and a man stepped into the hall, turning right toward her.

He was tall with lighter hair than Killian’s, and he didn’t carry that same devil-may-care attitude that her neighbor seemed to have at all times. Emma cursed under her breath as he approached, and she stood rooted in her place like a statue.

“Evening.” He said with a smile.

“Hello, you must be Liam. My son hasn’t stopped talking about the man who works under the water since he got home.”

The man’s grin grew wide on his face. “Henry, right?”

“That’s him, about this high…” She held her hand up in front of her. “Loads of questions.”

He laughed. “He is very inquisitive.”

“I’m Emma.” She held out her hand and he took it with a firm handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you Emma. Glad to see my little brother has some friendly faces around him.”

“Well, we are one big happy family here at Skyline Apartments.” She internally cursed herself for sounding like a complete idiot.

“It was very nice to meet you, Emma. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.” He raised his eyebrow and then nodded at her as he headed to the elevator.

Emma waited until the elevator doors closed before turning down the hall toward Killian’s door. Standing in front of it, she brushed her fingers through her hair, stopping at the collar of her shirt. Without thinking she undid the top button, pushing her chest out.

What the hell was she doing? She didn’t come here to flirt with the man, she had a boyfriend!

For the hell of it she unbuttoned the second button, shaking her head in disbelieve at herself and knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly, “Did you forget something?” He paused, his eyes trailing from her face down her body before snapping back up to meet her eyes. “Uh sorry, Swan. Henry’s not here.”

“No, yes, I mean, I know.” She said with a slight fluster. “I’m here to ask if you wanted to go to a bar. Tomorrow.” The smirk on his face started to grow. “I mean for happy hour, with my friends, not like you and me or a date or anything like that because I have a Grant…Graham.” The words spilled out of her mouth as she reached up to grab a lock of her hair, spinning it between her fingers.

“Are you asking me out, Swan?” He teased.

“To happy hour, Jones. You can bring Brittany.”

“Belle.” He stated with an arrogant chuckle.

“Sure, bring her too. 7pm, Howl at the Moon on High Street.” Turning quickly, she walked away, she was sure her face was a special color of red. As she got to her door, she turned the handle but sadly realized the door was locked. She glanced back toward Killian’s apartment and saw him leaning against his door watching her in amusement.

“Door’s locked.” She said absentmindedly, knocking on the door. When Henry didn’t answer she turned and knocked on Will’s door. “Just gonna check on Will.” She hollered toward Killian who was currently staring at her with apparent glee. The door opened and Will looked at her with a grin.

“Back so soon? My God did you take off the whole shirt.” Emma shoved him backward into the apartment and slammed the door shut behind her, leaning against the door and banging her head backwards. “So…”

“Don’t say anything.” She warned with her finger in his face.

~*~

Killian climbed the plank of the Jolly Roger, exhausted and feeling slightly defeated by this Baelfire man. As soon as he approached the ladder, he heard a noise behind him. Turning he saw his first mate standing behind him.

“You left early.”

“I tried to find you. What happened tonight?”

Killian stared at his boots. “He was there. I saw him. And lost him.” He growled.

“Did he get the diamond?”

“No. But he won’t leave without it.”

“So, we’re staying.”

“Aye, I will not let this Swan Thief best me. Tomorrow I will go into town and inquire about this Baelfire man.” He turned toward his quarters. “Get some sleep, French. Tomorrow we play a new game.”

“Aye Captain.”

He closed his cabin door with a thud, kicking the ladder at the end of his bunk. He had not been beat in a long time. Yet this man got away from him. He wouldn’t leave until he had this Baelfire in irons.

He heard a creak outside his door and reached for his cutlass. Blowing out the candle at his desk, he creeped toward his door, hiding in the shadows.

The door squeaked as it slowly slid against the wooden planks, a dark figure stepped into the room, peering into the expanse of his cabin. Killian stepped forward, wrapping an arm around the neck of the intruder, and putting his blade to their neck. “It’s bad form to enter a man’s room uninvited.”

“Don’t hurt me.” The woman squealed and Killian dropped his resolve for a second, long enough for the lass to turn on her heels, a dagger sticking into his side.

“Well played, love.” He growled, whipping his arm forward and grabbing the dagger from her hand, spinning her in his arms until he had her pinned to his desk. Reaching up he grabbed the hood from her cloak and yanked it from her head. The moonlight shone on her face, a smirk growing across his lips. “You’re a long way from the castle, Princess.”

“I was just curious.” She said softly.

“Curiosity is dangerous for someone of your stature.” He removed the blade, releasing her from his grasp. “Does your brother know you strayed from the castle?”

“My brother spends far too much time worrying about my affairs.” She complained.

“How can I be of service, M’lady?” He said with a mocking bow.

“What is your business with the King?” She asked.

“I told you earlier, it’s confidential.” He pulled the bottle from his cabinet, pouring a glass of rum for himself and his curious companion. Pushing the glass toward her, he took a swig of the warm liquid. Watching as she eyed the glass, her fingertips sliding around the tip.

“Is it in regard to the Duke?” She mused, taking the glass in her hand, and smelling the liquid it held inside.

“I’m as uninterested in the affairs of the Duke as it appears the lady is.” He narrowed his eyes, watching her put the glass to her lips. His brow raised as she hesitated with the drink. Sensing this, she tilted the glass, swallowing the liquid inside. As soon as it reached her throat she began sputtering and coughing. The Captain laughed, taking the glass from her hands.

Putting her hand over her mouth, she coughed once more, then lifted her chin. “And the King was not trying to convince you to offer your own hand?”

Killian chuckled. “I have no need for a wife?”

“He’s hired you for something.” She said angrily. “I want to know what it is.”

“Are you quite certain you can handle it?”

“I’m not a child.”

“No, you most certainly are not.” He said, stepping closer to her, his hand reaching out to run his fingers through her golden locks. Her breath hitched in her throat, but she didn’t move from her spot. “Baelfire.” He whispered.

“What did you say?” She gasped.

“Your brother believes a man named Baelfire to be the notorious Swan Thief. He asked me to stop him from stealing the jewel of Arendelle. A diamond I believe.” He left out the part about knowing the man’s connection to the Princess.

She blinked. “It can’t be.” She stepped away from him. “He’s not been seen in years.”

“I can assure you; I saw him with my own eyes tonight. At the castle.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Henry.” She turned toward the door. “I have to get back to the castle.”

Reaching forward he grabbed her by the arm. “Princess.” She turned toward him, a frantic look in her eyes. “This man terrifies you?”

“He can’t get near Henry.”

“I will find this Baelfire, love. I won’t let him near you or your boy.” He said earnestly. She didn’t flinch at his words, but her expression softened.

“Meet me tomorrow morning, behind the Thirsty Lion.” She turned to leave before spinning back to him. “But say nothing of this to the King.”

“We have an accord, Princess Emma.”

“Call me Swan.” She smiled, pulling the hair clip from her tresses, and pressing it into his hand and scurrying up the ladder as she retreated from his sight.

“Swan.” He whispered into the shadows, holding his palm up to the moonlight, the silver swan hairpiece glistening in its glow.

From the shadows of the deck, a figure watched the woman retreat from the Jolly Roger. Slipping into the darkness, he covered himself with a large canvas tarp. He was unsure what business his mother had with the Captain, or if any of this had to do with the man that was being hunted outside the castle, but Henry was determined to find out.

[sparkles-and-trash]

You asked for modern atla headcanons. I am usually not that into modern AUs for ATLA, unless they’re set within the world of ATLA - unlike in other fandoms, I find it really weird when I can see a person’s highly regional lived experience stamped all over these characters. But I die for modern AUs where, for instance, Ba Sing Se has outgrown its original walls into a full-on megacity, or the Sato-style mecha - now piloted remotely - are being used by both the benders and non-benders of Republic City (non-benders trying to level the playing field, benders using all tools at their disposal to keep that from happening).

I was really disappointed by the weird political messaging of LoK and in many ways I feel like my desire to see the Gaang translated to that era or an era more similar to our own is a wish for a fixit where Toph’s not a cop and Sokka is around to push back at the assumption of bender supremacy in their society. If I wrote fic I’d write one set in a world similar to our own, with a similar anti-colonial plot as the first ATLA but with some of the conflicts of LoK season 2 added to the mix. I like the idea that the Gaang would at first be fighting an imperialist fire nation, but that Sokka (and Suki) would suck them into a more complex conflict with the world’s current power structure. They’re all in their early 20s instead of their teens - like maybe Sokka’s an engineer who ends up being scouted and initiated by a group of non-bender freedom fighters, and he has to manage his conflicting relationships with them and the Gaang. And maybe Aang and Katara don’t actually get it at first - like Aang’s like, how can you talk about supremacy when I’m literally the last of my people, and Katara’s like, all the Southern Water Tribe benders are dead or (more hopefully) imprisoned stfu, and Sokka’s like - what does it say about our world that benders are so powerful that the fire nation didn’t even consider us when they attacked the SWT - nonbenders still had to pick up the pieces though, and your life is still considered more valuable and important than mine. And Toph’s basically an shameless bender-supremacist that has to have this shit explained to her repeatedly despite the fact that she has experience being condescended to as a result of her disability. Like I want the Gaang to have a serious conflict around this but then actually come around to the idea that defeating the fire nation isn’t the only thing they need to accomplish.

Zuko would actually get it way more quickly, because he knows first hand the intimate damage bending can do, and I love to imagine Ty Lee surprising everyone by leaving Azula for this non-bender army, rather than for Mai or (tangentially) Zuko. She’d be like, yes, I will teach everyone chi blocking, and then they’ll never be as afraid of their “loved ones” as I have been. But Zuko would still be a shitty imperialist at first - just with differently shitty hair. He’d be doing more more intelligence-style stuff (basically Ozai would be like, you’re not even worthy of being called a bender, or being in charge of benders. Go sit in submarines and offices and geotag possible locations for the avatar and spy on the earth kingdom, and maybe if you find the avatar you can come home).

And at 22 Zuko would be mostly going through the motions, totally emotionally stunted, having spent all his time alone or with people he’s been taught to think were really beneath him, but he’d be slowly getting the idea that Ozai’s absolutely full of shit. “Spying” (he’s not very good at it) and spending all this time with non-benders has a)allowed him time to move in circles Azula never would (nobody but the royal family and a fire nation few nobles know about Zuko’s scar, so he’s not clocked as anything but a victim of the fire nation) and b) allowed him time to appreciate his non-bending skills (he’s still really into swords because Zuko’s always going to be a nerd) and the non-bending skills of his underlings. He starts wondering why these people are even working toward the fire nation’s goals, and then slowly realizing some of them actually aren’t - there’s a whiff of low-grade sabotage around a lot of fire nation missions, and Zuko begins to realize specific non-benders are responsible. He doesn’t immediately expose them - instead he (inexpertly) tails them to a meeting, and is promptly kidnapped by chi-blocking non-benders. Ty Lee obviously knows who he is, and while most of the leaders of the non-benders want to use him as some kind of bargaining chip with the fire nation, she nixes that idea on account of Ozai not giving a shit, and instead says, “shit, we’ll just have to imprison him.” Meanwhile Zuko’s like… this sucks but also I think you guys are onto something. Sokka (in glasses, because I love Sokka in glasses) keeps visiting him to gather intel (which he could just get from the more advantageously placed Ty Lee) and stare at him. And bring him food and films, and complain to him about the fire nation’s drone technology. And accidentally little bits of the non-bender’s plans. Eventually Zuko’s like you shouldn’t be telling me any of this, but since you are I’m going to help you with this stupid thing I think you might be planning that I know won’t work for reasons and tell you what to do instead. And Zuko saves a bunch of non-bender lives that day, so they begin to trust him more and more.

Of course this turns into yet another conflict with Katara once she and Aang are brought in on the fact that Sokka and his movement are working with the literal heir of the Fire Nation’s dictatorship. Aang is totally fine with it, and Toph (still a bender-supremacist, though humoring her friends in this new cause of theirs) is like, no, this is great, we need as many benders as we can get (Toph would be a sardonic goth if she could see colors well enough to avoid them - instead she’s just a very loyal asshole with dirty feet and a lot of brutal/abstract blackwork tattoos. She’s likes how much they scare people).

Anyway eventually they do all work together to no only unseat Ozai from his imperialist dictatorship but also begin an equalist uprising out in the open. Aang toys with taking everyone’s (and I mean everyone in the whole world’s) bending away but realizes the whole problem is benders having the power to make decisions for other people, so instead he throws himself behind the equalist cause (literally behind the leaders of the equalist cause) and says he’ll support their mechanization and their right to protect themselves (and agitate for laws wherever they live that support justice and protection for non-benders) with all the powers at his disposal. In the end they build republic city, which is envisioned as a multi-national city with non-bender representation build into its governing structure. Toph doesn’t become a cop. She goes around building literal bridges and tearing pavement out of places that shouldn’t be paved, and has three kids by different unnamed fathers and one of them is a non-bender that gets really into metallurgy but also talks a lot of loving shit to her mom.

Blah blah bah. I have overstayed my welcome in your ask box, but you got me thinking. If only I actually knew how to write!

my dude, you straight up sat down and wrote a whole ass one shot and sent it to me on anon???? you have to be an actual godsend???

nobody ever overstays their welcome in my ask box (if they're nice!), but this is above and beyond, I am blown away by how cool this is????????

I don't even know what to say tbh, and if you ever write this, or want to talk more about it, please feel free to hit me up, in any way, and I'd be stoked to hear more about it!!!

share your fav modern au head canons with me ~

[piracytheorist]

A Kiss for Good Luck (6/15)

Summary: So this is the story of one born lucky, and one born unlucky. Fate will keep making them cross paths, but is it to bring them together, or to test them? Captain Swan AU.

A/N: This is one of my favourite chapters that I’ve written for this fic. Hence why it’s the longest so far, and the second longest overall.

Rating: T (make sure you’re okay with the warnings on AO3)

Word count for this chapter: 5.4k (48k in total) AO3

Read from the beginning: Tumblr | AO3

~

Chapter 6: Killian Jones, October 31st 2000 – October 19th 2011

The girl pulls back when someone whistles at them.

“Nice catch, Captain,” Cruella tells him.

Killian just shakes his head. She's not drunk enough yet. He turns to the girl. “Ignore her. She's just pissed that there's too many adults around.” He throws a glare at Cruella, hoping she'll get the message. Luckily, she does and walks away without any further comments.

Looking back at the zombie princess in his arms, he's only now noticing how detailed her costume is; he was too stuck looking at her eyes before.

The girl opens her mouth to say something, but her gaze suddenly focuses on something behind him and her face falls. She tells him she'll be right back, but she never comes back.

Apparently, she and her mother were renting the villa across the street, and it has caught on fire.

Cruella grabs him and takes him to the car before any fire trucks or police officers arrive and find them and their very stolen car. They leave the car where they first found it and sneak back inside Silver's house without getting detected at all.

However, it's not their sneakiness that Killian considers the first luck he's had in years. It's the sudden visit from a social worker the next morning, the very first he's seen in his whole time in Silver's house – and he would swear that even in the short periods of time he wasn't there, no social worker ever made an unexpected visit. It shows.

They're all taken away, and for the first time Killian truly feels relieved to leave that house. It's only one year until he ages out of the system, and wherever he spends that year will be better than that place.

His next foster home is in Brighton; it's the first time he's moved that far away from London, but he's too disillusioned to hope it will be any different.

Yet it feels so, from the first moment; the guy is outside, waiting for them despite the chilly weather. It's the first time Killian has felt that a foster parent has been waiting for him. There's another teenager with him, and Killian can see a girl peeking at them through a window.

When the social worker takes Killian to them, the man offers his hand.

"Welcome, lad,” he says. “My name is Nemo."

Killian swallows hard, looking at the man's hand. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea was his mama's favourite book. She'd tried reading it to him some times, but all he can remember now is the protagonist's name, Nemo, and his submarine the Nautilus.

"Of all fucking names," he whispers and walks past him into the house. He can hear the social worker blabber some excuse in his favour to Nemo, but he couldn't care less.

He goes upstairs, throws an angry glare at the girl from before who's now peeking from a door, and he gets inside the first open door he finds. Sure enough, it's a bedroom. The blue on the walls, curtains and bed sheets are a nice touch. He throws the plastic bag with his few clothes and possessions on the floor and he flops on the bed.

Oh. It's soft, and the sheets smell nice and fresh. At least his sleep will be a bit easier here.

He feels a knot in his throat when he considers that that guy, Nemo, apparently made sure to provide a warm welcome for him.

He grunts when he hears a knock on the door.

"May I come in?" Nemo says.

"Whatever," Killian says and sits up on the bed, bringing his knees closer. As Nemo comes inside, Killian kicks his shoes off. Maybe he can help keep the sheets smelling nice as long as he can.

"I see you've made yourself at home already."

Killian sighs, ready to mock him for his patronizing words, but Nemo says,

"I hope you like blue. I've got sheets and curtains in a few more colours, if you want to pick something else."

Killian looks up at him. When was the last time that someone cared what colours he liked?

"May I ask what's wrong with my name?" Nemo says, sounding a bit amused.

"Nothing."

After a short pause, Nemo asks, "You've read Jules Verne's book?"

Damn it.

Killian stays silent, dropping his eyes.

"Okay," Nemo says and takes the chair from the desk, swinging it to face the bed and sitting down. "Killian, right?"

He just scoffs.

"Come on, lad. I saw your papers. It doesn't mean I know a thing about you."

"Really? Didn't you see the time I was taken in for alcohol possession?"

"I saw it. What should that say about you?"

Nemo is talking so casually that Killian can't help looking up again. Nemo's expression is soft.

"What did you want me to figure from that information?" Nemo says.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm getting to know you. I'm trying, at least."

Killian's chest feels heavy. No other foster parent ever tried to do that with him. They just let him in, put out a plate of food for him, and shouted at him whenever he was restless. They never tried to start a conversation with him.

And Nemo's effort is overwhelming him.

"Okay," Nemo says calmly, standing up. "I'll set up the table, but you can eat whenever you feel like it. There's warm water for a shower, and, if you do want to talk at some point, I'll be here." He then leaves, closing the door behind him.

Killian brings his knees closer to his chest and starts sobbing softly. Nemo is... he's nice. And he's trying. And Killian is a fucking mess and he'll ruin it, and Nemo will send him back...

He pulls himself together, wipes his tears and opens the door quietly. He can hear three voices from downstairs; Nemo's, and he guesses, the other two belong to the boy in the porch and the girl who was watching him. He walks down the stairs, careful to not make any noise, and sits on the floor right next to the opening to the kitchen.

He doesn't remember the last time he sat with someone for dinner. At least, sitting down and chat and feeling comfortable. Both children sound very comfortable with Nemo. The girl, in fact, while she seemed shy at first glance, is the most talkative of the three.

Killian's heart drops when he realizes he probably scared her. How would she react if he joined them at the table? Can he join them?

He stands up and goes back to his room. He's gonna ruin it anyway, what's the point of building anything there?

He only comes out the next morning, assuming he'll be told to go to school.

Nemo is in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. "Oh,” he tells Killian as soon as he sees him. “Good morning. Are you hungry?"

He's starving. He just shrugs.

"The eggs will be ready soon. I didn't expect you to wake up that early. You can have anything that's on the table."

There's quite a lot on the table. Jam and bread, honey, cake, tea, a small cheese assortment, even bacon.

Killian just sits down and starts nibbling on some bread, watching Nemo. He's making scrambled eggs, and Killian's mouth waters at how good it smells. He looks down, trying to hide his teary eyes.

It's just food that smells nice. Why is he reacting like this?

"Did you sleep well?" Nemo asks.

"I guess," Killian mutters.

"If you need anything for school, notebooks, pens, let me know and I'll get you some. When you come back you can let me know if you're missing any books."

"Okay."

"Hey." He turns around, facing him. Killian doesn't dare look at his undeniably soft expression. "I mean it."

"I know."

Nemo doesn't say anything else. He finishes the eggs, then the other two kids join them and introduce themselves to him as Will and Tink. Tink seems a bit wary of Killian, but the two kids talk with Nemo as Killian sits with them, even though he's finished eating. He can't find it in him to isolate himself again. He will ruin this, but perhaps he can let himself feel some warmth before he loses all of it.

The first day of school goes surprisingly well. From the first recess even, a boy in his class approaches him.

"Hey, you live with Will, right? Will Scarlet, from eleventh grade? I'm Robin, he told me there would be a new kid at his house."

Killian feels like he's in preschool, as if students will be approaching him and asking him to be friends. But Robin and Will are fun, his professors are nice and he even finds himself paying attention to some of the classes.

He's not used to any of it. When school is over and he follows Will and Tink home, he fears he'll wake up in Silver's house and realize it was all a dream. Just next to the fence gate of Nemo's place, he finds a ten pound note on the ground and he wants to scream.

Someone is clearly toying with him.

He walks in briskly, ignoring Will telling him that there's lunch ready and he locks himself in his room.

He doesn't know what to do, what to feel; it's all too good to be true. Can he really trust it will stay that way? He's lost everyone he loved. If he tries to see Nemo as anything more, if he sees Will as a friend...

It's gone dark by the time Nemo knocks on his door.

"Killian? Will told me that you haven't eaten. Are you feeling alright?"

Good, now he's worried about him.

"You don't have to tell me anything. I just want to know if you're okay."

Killian feels his eyes fill with tears again.

"I may not look like it, but I can break this door. I don't want to invade your space, but if something happened to you-"

Killian runs to the door and opens it wide. Nemo's face falls; there's no doubt he sees Killian's reddened eyes.

"Oh, my boy," he says.

Killian bursts out in sobs and wraps his arms around Nemo. He doesn't care if it's a dream, or if he'll fuck it up eventually. He will take what he can, what he needs, for now.

Nemo is calm, he holds Killian and doesn't ask for an explanation.

"If you ever want to talk to me, I'm here. But I'm not pressuring you. Only if you want," is all he says.

"You can't," Killian says between sobs. "I'm cursed."

"There's no such thing."

"No, I am. My family... they all died. My father- left me. If you care for me you'll- you'll die too."

"I don't believe that. You shouldn't believe that either. You were just unlucky."

It's all too easy, to blame it on bad luck. To think it's just gone away and he can sit back and relax and things will be good for him now.

And he's not used to easy.

"Do you want me to bring you some food? You'll feel better."

He shakes his head, keeping Nemo close. When was the last time he was held like this? He's forgotten how good it feels. And he's not ready to let go, to hope that things will stay like this.

It takes three months. Nemo is patient, and Killian's urge to sneak out fades away. Will and Robin are good company, and he starts focusing on homework again. Tink starts trusting him, and Nemo's place slowly feels like a home. For the first time, there's a wall where he can hang his drawings on, a frame to put his family photo in and a surface to place it on. While he was staying at Silver's place, the only reason he wasn't dropping out of school was his fear of the reaction Silver would certainly have. Now he genuinely believes he can graduate – even if he'll have to repeat his last year.

Nemo believes in him too. Killian is still waiting for the other shoe to drop, but as time passes he starts thinking that maybe the proverbial neighbor is one-legged.

It's what helps Killian agree to Nemo's suggestion that he start talking to a therapist. If he's looking for a bright future, he wants to be emotionally stable enough to really live it.

One month before his finals, Killian feels more stressed than he'd anticipated. Five months ago he wouldn't have cared if he'd failed completely. Now he wants to succeed, if anything, to make Nemo proud. He didn't expect that. But he's known better than to hope that high, and on the first day he tries to study, all he thinks is how he's going to flunk and ruin the second chance he was granted.

That same evening, Nemo knocks on his door, which he's been leaving open more and more often.

“Can I talk to you for a bit?” he says.

Nemo sounds happy. Probably completely oblivious to how all his efforts with Killian were in vain. Not that it will matter much, will it? Killian is just a visitor- no, more like a parasite. At least, in a few months he'll be able to work and have his own income, so he can have a job and rent his own place as he retakes his last year.

But he's constructed an exterior neutral enough to not allow Nemo any inkling of his worries. The man's tried hard enough, there's no reason for him to carry Killian's burden too.

But Nemo also looks a bit nervous. “Look,” he says. “You may say it's a bit too fast; Will and Tink have been living here longer, not that I think of them any higher or lower than I think of you. And, maybe not the best timing, what with your finals coming up and all.”

Killian's heart sinks to his stomach; Nemo has already predicted the outcome and he's sending him away. He feels his exterior start to crumble, so he lowers his eyes. Nemo will give him the ceremonious speech, then Killian will start packing his stuff.

At least, Nemo was kind enough to buy him a decent rucksack to replace the garbage bag Killian had for keeping his stuff in, and a frame for his family photo, and Silver wouldn't be eligible for fostering yet. Few places could be worse than that one, and Killian only has a few months before aging out. He'd have to face-

“Killian, are you alright?”

He realizes tears are running down his cheeks. Oh, no.

“It's nothing.” He quickly wipes the tears away.

“Son, I'm adopting you.”

Killian freezes. He looks up to see Nemo smile.

“I don't know what you thought this would be, but I'm really doing it. I'll be adopting Will and Tink soon, but I don't want to risk it being too late for you. I already see you as family, and I want to make it official. Papers don't mean much to me, but they are a way to provide for you later on.”

Tears are flowing freely now.

“But I have to ask you, do you want me to adopt you? You can say no-”

“Yes,” Killian says in such a low voice he's not sure if Nemo heard it. He doesn't dare say it again, because he feels a shout bubbling up in his throat, and it's very likely that if he shouts that loud, he'll be shaken awake, back in Silver's cursed place.

But how lucky is he, that while still staying with Silver, he's had such a wonderful dream? What happy thoughts that he never had in that place could have created such a grand illusion of happiness?

“It's okay, my boy.” Nemo's voice is steady. He's smiling, but there's a note of sadness on his face. “I've already done most of the procedure; I just wanted to know if you wanted me before I completed it. But it's okay.”

“What is?” Killian manages to keep his voice a whisper.

“I know it's a lot to process. I also know you're happy, but it's okay if you can't show it now.”

Is that what this is? The therapist did mention something about Killian's emotional responses, and how especially his stay with Silver has... blocked them? He can't remember, it's too much right now.

“It's alright. Do you want to be alone?”

Killian's response is just a small nod.

Nemo nods back. “Don't feel pressured. I don't expect you to say anything at all. I just want you to feel at home. For real.”

As if Nemo can predict Killian's exact reaction, he walks out and closes the door just as Killian bursts into sobs. He grabs his pillow and buries his face in it, trying to muffle the sound.

Five months – and a half; that's all he had before aging out. And it's there, just a bit before that grim finishing line, that Nemo came and took him in as a son.

A son.

He has a father. He'll probably never call him that, though. Nemo deserves something more than the word Killian used for the man who left him and his brother. Nemo is more than that.

He is everything. And that's exactly what Nemo deserves. More than a... a son who can't express himself properly, even if Nemo is apparently willing to deal with that.

He looks at the book he's been trying to focus on for the past hour. There's no chance he'll manage to focus now, after such a bomb.

But, maybe, the best late reaction he can have is to put his life in order. Not just for Nemo's sake, but for his own most of all.

His finals are extremely easy; he misses a ton of information, but every single test asks the exact things he did manage to learn that past year.

Six months ago he wasn't expecting to graduate; what he expected even less was to have someone be proud of him for that.

And not just Nemo; Will and Tink too are happy for him.

To celebrate, Nemo rents a boat from a friend and they all spend two weeks in the summer sailing across the south coast.

Killian is entranced by captain John Shakespeare, Nemo's friend and the boat's owner. One day, he asks him to teach him how to steer the boat.

"I think I'm in love," he tells Nemo when Shakespeare leaves him on the helm to go adjust a sail. "Can you ask Shakespeare something?"

Nemo seems to freeze, his mouth falling open. "What do you mean?"

"The boat! I want my own boat! Or... work in one! I don't know! Anything!"

He smiles wide at him, and Nemo's confused expression turns into a mirror of Killian's. "Actually..." Nemo says, "he might have mentioned he's looking for some help."

Killian has the best summer in six years – since the summer he went in Boston, that is. Maybe it is, finally, the time to embrace it. He gets a sailing license before even starting to – officially – learn how to drive a car.

He loves his job, and Shakespeare is a great boss; after just one year of Killian working with him, he jokes that he wouldn't mind leaving Killian in his place when he retires.

Killian is happy; he has a family, a job he loves, and finally, hope. For better things to come.

Killian has been thinking of Nemo as a father, even though he never used the word to him. Just two years after being adopted by him, Killian gets a second father; Nemo marries Shakespeare, his boss, of all people. But it doesn't feel weird. They're all as happy as ever.

He takes himself out; Will moves to London to study, but Killian and Robin stay friends and when Will visits, they all go out together.

He has a few flings; they're all short-lived but ending smoothly, and he slowly gets used to attracting people's attention – of the good kind. He had more pressuring issues during his teenage years than worrying about his appearance, so he's now coming to the conclusion that he's grown into a quite handsome look.

It's a rare occasion, but still common enough for him to wonder whether there's a pattern, that his eyes stay stuck to his drink instead of looking around, as he remembers that girl dressed as a zombie princess. God, he was a goner with her. He's too old now for the butterflies and carefree crushes of adolescence, but still, through his dates and flings, he has never felt the same.

Would it have been any different, if he had gotten that girl's name?

He's twenty-four when things start to change. A woman with black curly hair and a presence that makes his knees feel weak comes on a Sunday and rents a boat for a day-long trip along the coast. His knees feel even weaker, but with a different purpose now, when he spots the wedding band on her finger.

He allows himself some fantasies; it's hard for his mind to not wander at the sight of her on the bow of the ship, her hair flowing behind her. She looks like a bird who has finally been let out of a cage, free to roam the world.

The sea has meant freedom to him for a long time now, and he can't help feeling it means the same to her.

Her name is Milah, and that night he dreams of her.

He actually has to restrain himself from looking at the few information she gave to Shakespeare before hiring the boat; he's better than this. She's married, she has her life, and he owes to respect her privacy.

He's successfully accepted that he'll never see her again, when the next Sunday she's renting his boat again. And the next. And the next.

He's now twenty-five and for the first time he decides to push his luck. He's known Milah for nearly a year, and on her part, she always initiated a discussion; the more she talked, the more he got to know about her, the more he fell in love with her. And she didn't miss one single Sunday cruise.

On their last cruise they got tipsy together and she confessed that if it were only for her deadbeat husband and not the son they have together, she'd ask Killian to take her away and never bring her back. With a quick glance, he noticed that she'd taken her wedding band off.

The very next time she buys a cruise, right before they prepare to head for the port, he kisses her. She doesn't even seem surprised; neither is he when she leads him to the cabin below deck, then starts undressing both herself and him.

Three months into their secret relationship, her husband, Gold, finds out. It's a few very difficult trials for their divorce, and Nemo and Shakespeare are disappointed in Killian.

"A married woman," Shakespeare says pointedly.

"I love her." Killian retorts. "You should know that the law means nothing."

"You want to compare?” Nemo says. It's the first time Killian has seen him upset. “Do you realize how much we had to hide? And why? I couldn't be married to the man I loved and keep you. I couldn't even tell you anything! And so we waited. It hurt, but we waited. Because otherwise, lives could be ruined."

"Nothing was ruined. Her husband was an ass to her already."

"But he'll get full custody of the child, and the child will hate you," Shakespeare says. "That's what both of us were thinking. The children. You."

He's too proud to let their words shake him; and what's done is done, anyway. Milah gets only one day a week of seeing her son, and her husband makes it clear that he doesn't want Killian anywhere near the boy.

Before the divorce, it was Sundays he had with her. Now it's Sundays he doesn't, but he's happy she gets some time with her son. And for the kid, too; he knows all too well what it feels like to have one parent leave.

He is happy, but it's costing Milah a lot.

"I wish you two could meet," she says one Sunday night as they hold each other in bed. "You're the two most important people in my life, and it really sucks to only have to be with one of you at a time."

"Maybe it will get better. Maybe Gold will change his mind." He pauses. "Or maybe he can go fuck himself and I'll be with you next Sunday anyway."

Her lips twitch. "It's not just him. Jack, he... he's..."

Killian's heart falls. "He doesn't want to see me."

She looks at him, but before she can say anything to comfort him, he says,

"It's alright. I'm not the best role model anyway."

"Don't say that. He's just too young. I wish I could make him understand that me and his father would have broken up anyway."

"Maybe it's better how it is now."

"What? Why?"

"He's got an outsider to blame. Not his own family." He squeezes her hand. "Few things are worse for the psyche than thinking a monster of a parent."

"You think he doesn't think that of me already? His cheating mother?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope he thinks of me as the one who seduced you away."

Milah had a relatively normal childhood, so it's not easy for her to get that sentiment. In truth, Killian wants few things more than getting to know her kid, the most important person in her life. To make the situation clear and rid him of the burden of having to spend his childhood blaming and hating someone. But it's all too complicated, and Jack is still young.

"There's no need to rush into it. There's time," he says. A smile creeps up his lips at the thought that they will stay together at least until Jack is old enough to understand.

The smile spreading on her lips tells him she thinks the same.

Milah never hides how happy she is to be with him, despite what getting with him cost her in the first place.

Nemo does a good job trying not to judge Milah, but Shakespeare isn't as willing.

"What are we comparing here? Being discriminated against for daring to love a person of the same gender with having poor communication skills and not breaking out of a bad marriage you were privileged enough to have without any bumps along the way?"

"John," Nemo says.

"I know, I know, I'm judging without knowing. You're very lucky Milah's ex was kind enough to let her spend Christmas with them. I wouldn't be shutting up if she were here either."

Lucky. Of course he is.

Shakespeare doesn't argue with Nemo suggesting he should spend New Year's Eve with his brother and his family, so Killian has the chance to bring Milah to meet Nemo.

Despite the work Killian has done on himself and his self-image, there are still times he thinks he doesn't deserve Nemo.

When the year changes, Killian feels indebted to him for sacrificing his New Year's kiss with Shakespeare so that Killian and Milah can have their first one together.

But still, lucky overall.

Nearly three years have gone by since Milah's divorce – since they found each other – and still her ex has only changed how often Milah can see her son, not the conditions under which she can.

"You know, I've been thinking," Killian says, "Gold won't like me no matter what, and I don't care. But what do you think Jack will think if I take his mother somewhere amazing, and bring him some really cool gifts back?"

"Buying my son's love? How progressive," she teases him.

"They would be some super amazing gifts if they could buy someone's love," he says in mock deep thinking. "I was only thinking about him seeing that I give a damn."

"What are you planning?"

"I've... set aside some money for a trip. A nice trip. I have some great memories from a trip to the States, but not the best after that. And I was hoping, and, my therapist told me it's not a bad idea, that a second trip there may, you know..."

"The United States?" She smiles. "Where?"

"Wherever you want. Probably not something overly expensive-"

"New York City." Her smile grows wider.

"It does happen to have cheaper plane tickets than, say, the west coast-"

"Yes," she says with a finality as if she's the one leading the trip.

Perhaps she is, Killian thinks with a smile. He would let her lead him anywhere.

Killian convinces Milah to break the rules, just once; it's not that hard when she herself wishes she can have Killian and Jack meet.

Jack is still reserved with Killian, but he's open about wanting an iPhone, a baseball with the New York Yankees logo, and a figurine of the Statue of Liberty. Killian promises him he'll do his best to find them.

"No phone, Killian. He's only eleven," Milah tells him later, when they're alone.

"I 'will' do my best. But customs is a good excuse to not buy it, and it's not like he cannot pester you about buying him one from here," he says, smiling.

The time for their trip comes, and as they settle into their tight seats right in the middle of a four-set seat, Killian recognizes a flight attendant as an old classmate, and as his luck would have it, she recognizes him as well.

After the boarding is completed but before lift-off, the flight attendant comes and carefully lets them know that there are two side-by-side seats on first class whose holders didn't get aboard, and if they get them now they can keep them for the rest of the flight.

"Wow," Milah says as she stares out her window now, holding Killian's hand tight in excitement. "My first trip abroad and immediately getting a free update. Though it's our first together," she smiles at him, "and I wouldn't mind staying cooped up in the other seats with you. But it is fucking awesome."

His idea proves to be excellent. He knows that, no matter what happens, he will never forget how happy she was to explore the city, to see the view from the Top of the Rock, to watch the sun set while sailing over the Hudson River on Clipper City... okay, not that that wasn't big for him too.

They decide to top off their trip by going out clubbing on their last night. It's a bit hectic, but the drinks are great, and the music is good, and the mood brings them into further dancing, and drinking, on Killian's part.

"Don't worry, baby," Milah says, a bit tipsy herself, "I'll take care of you even if I have to carry your sorry ass to the hotel."

He ends up so drunk he can't even stay standing up while waiting for his turn in the single bathroom. The queue disperses soon after a woman comes to sit next to him, apparently as drunk as he is. It's his turn, but he hates to leave her waiting. He gestures with his hand towards the bathroom door.

"Go ahead."

"No, it's okay," she says, her words slurred together. "I can wait."

"Go, please. I'm not one to leave a lady waiting."

"Oh, how a gentleman... what gentleman..."

He shakes his head a little. What has she had? Not much worse than what he's had, he manages to think as his brain seems to slosh inside his skull from just that last movement.

"Can I kiss you?" she says, finally.

What the hell. It's just a kiss, right? He shrugs.

He sees her come forward, then her lips touch his and start pulling them apart.

~

(A/N: Since Milah's son and the man who betrayed Emma had to be two separate people, I called Milah's son Jack; in the show, the original casting call for Neal's character called him “Jack”, so my choice is an allusion to that.

Also, I am shamelessly borrowing the idea of pairing Nemo with Captain Shakespeare from the movie Stardust, as inspired by some very creative people on tumblr, though I cannot remember which of those lovely people first created the idea. His first name here is borrowed and anglicized from the character Captain Johannes Alberic, the character from the book Stardust that Shakespeare in the film was recreated from.)

[purplehairedwonder]

Inside a Broken Dream Chapter 1

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen Words: 3636 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Shachi, Bepo, Penguin, Heart Pirates, Donquixote Doflamingo Note: Story title comes from the Vertical Horizon song "Shackled." Character and relationship tags reflect the current chapter. Obviously this is canon-divergent ;)

Summary: Two years after Wano, peace on the Grand Line is fragile. Trafalgar Law and the Heart Pirates are doing their best to help maintain the peace, but the return of a figure from Law's past might shatter the balance of power entirely.

Read also at AO3 / FF.N 

The Marine vessel ambled through the waves, seemingly unconcerned that it had entered territory in which it was not welcome. It didn’t take long for the lone government-sanctioned vessel to be spotted, though none of the guards at the outpost recognized it. They repeatedly attempted to hail the ship without a response. Despite the radio silence, a few uniformed soldiers were spotted working on deck, so any thoughts that the ship might be abandoned and simply following the currents of the New World’s waters were quickly dismissed.

No, this Marine ship was traveling into territory it had no business being in, and it must be doing so on purpose. But why?

After the repeated attempts to hail the ship went unanswered, the outpost guards immediately called in to report the sighting, thankfully reaching a member of their boss’s inner circle.

“A Marine ship,” the voice repeated flatly through the Den Den Mushi. “In our territory.”

“Yes sir. They’re not answering any of our attempts at contact, but there are soldiers aboard. What do you want us to do?” The boss had made it clear that anyone who shot first and asked questions later would regret such carelessness—in the current, fragile state of the world, even one reckless move could cause the whole house of cards to come tumbling down. That would be especially true with a Marine ship in pirate territory.

“Nothing for now. I’m not far. I’ll come myself.”

“Aye, Shachi-san.”

-----

Shachi watched the horizon, squinting behind his glasses as the sunlight reflected sharply on the water. The sky was cloudless and the ocean gentle. Despite that, Shachi’s muscles were tense. Though he spent more time above deck on ships these days, it never quite felt right to be so exposed at all times. Shachi had spent so many years sailing in a submarine that other ships just felt wrong.

Or maybe Law’s paranoia was rubbing off on him more than he’d realized.

Shachi sighed. He missed the Polar Tang.

Oh, it’s not that the Tang was gone or that Shachi never traveled on her anymore. But she was the flagship of the Heart Pirates, so she was usually reserved for Law’s travels these days. And Law—much to his captain’s chagrin, Shachi knew—was traveling less these days than he once had. The Heart captain would like nothing more than to take to the sea with his nakama again, to take the Tang beneath the waves and just sail, but it wasn’t that simple anymore; things had changed for all of them in the years since Dressrosa and Wano.

Shachi had been out visiting the islands at the edges of the territory on a routine check in—a duty he actually enjoyed while others found it tedious. Though he appreciated (and excelled at, if he did say so himself) his new responsibilities helping Law, he was still a simple pirate at heart. Getting out on the ocean and sailing across the territory was the closest he came to those early days when he, Law, Penguin, and Bepo had sailed the Polar Tang together around the North Blue, so he took every opportunity that he could to do it.

This was meant to be a laid-back assignment, so Shachi had received the call from the outposts with no little surprise. The outpost guard who had called was far from frightened (Law had no patience for panic among his men), but he was confused—and for good reason. This was one of the last places a Marine vessel should roaming. It was practically a declaration of war, though that was above Shachi’s paygrade. Before making any decisions or calling Law, Shachi needed more information than the guards had been able to provide, so he headed in the direction the ship had last been seen with a small crew.

It didn’t take long for Shachi’s ship to find the rogue Marine vessel. Just as the guard had said, it was a lone, unfamiliar ship that neither seemed to be sailing with a particular destination in mind nor appeared damaged, preventing it from avoiding the territory. But there was no way a Marine vessel didn’t know where it had wandered.

What the hell?

Shachi grabbed the ship’s Den Den Mushi and connected to the local frequency. “Marine vessel, identify yourself.”

Silence.

Shachi frowned, exchanging looks with the other men on his ship. They seemed nonplussed as well. “Marine vessel, this is Shachi of the Heart Pirates.” After two years, it still amazed him that his name should be recognizable, but it was. “Identify yourself, or we will be forced to fire.”

“Ah,” a deep, amused voice replied, startling Shachi. “It seems we’ve finally found someone high up on the food chain. Good.”

“Marine vessel—”

“I have a message for your captain, Shachi of the Heart Pirates,” the voice interrupted.

Shachi rolled his eyes. This was hardly the first time they’d encountered someone looking to make a name for themselves by challenging Law. That trend had started once Law started making a name for himself as a Grand Line rookie and had only gotten worse over the years as the captain’s status had grown. This, it seemed, would not even need to garner Law’s attention, though he might be amused that it was apparently the Marines looking to gain some notoriety this time.

“And what message is that?”

“Tell Trafalgar Law that his old boss would like to see him. Well, if you survive, that is. If not, your bodies will be enough of a message for the boy.”

Shachi barely had time to register the cold chill of recognition rolling down his spine as several cannon balls slammed into the ship. The world exploded into fire and debris. A shockwave thew Shachi backwards like a ragdoll and slammed him into the mast. His neck snapped back hard. His body screamed in protest while his head spun. His ears rang as he slumped to the deck, blood pooling in his mouth. His glasses were long gone.

Shachi felt darkness descend as a maniacal laugh echoed through the Den Den Mushi.

-----

“Mrph.”

Law sat up in the chair he’d been reclining in for last four hours, absently turning through pages of a medical book as he waited at Shachi’s bedside, and looked over to see Shachi’s eyes slitting open.

“Hey,” Law greeted, relieved. The knots in his stomach untied at the sight of his friend coming to. He put his book down and grabbed the spare pair of glasses Penguin had provided and placed them on his friend’s eyes. Though the lights in the infirmary were low, the last thing Shachi needed to worry about was his light sensitivity. “You with me, Shachi?”

“C-captain?” Shachi coughed.

Law gave him a wan smile. “Good to see you among the living.” Unfortunately, several of the men on Shachi’s ship hadn’t been so lucky.

Shachi blinked a few times behind his glasses before trying to push himself into a sitting position. Rather than fight him on that, Law helped ease him up to a more comfortable position. Though Law’s Fruit had taken care of the worst damage from the explosion—and it hadn’t been pretty when Law had first Scanned his friend—Shachi wouldn’t be getting out of this bed for a while. There was also no way to assess potential brain injuries until Shachi was awake, so he watched Shachi carefully for any telltale warning signs.

Shachi looked around for a moment then turned to Law. “Are we on the Tang?”

Law nodded. Once he’d heard about the attack, Law had boarded the Polar Tang with the closest Hearts on hand and beelined to the wreckage of Shachi’s ship; it had been several hours since the attack at that point, and unsurprisingly the vessel that had dared attack one of his inner circle was nowhere to be seen. Smart, because Law had been ready to kill the moment he saw the damage done to his own men—to one of his closest friends. They’d managed to recover Shachi and three other live crew members from the smoldering debris of the ship. That left six men unaccounted for; while Law had treated the wounded, Bepo was leading a search to find the lost as well as track down the enemy ship. It couldn’t have gotten far.

“What happened?” Shachi asked, still sounding a bit dazed. Concussion, most likely.

“I was hoping you could tell me that,” Law replied, crossing his arms. He needed to know, but he also wanted to make sure Shachi didn’t push himself too hard.

Shachi frowned and seemed to consider, though the way his brow furrowed indicated it was giving him a headache. “I…” He licked his lips, and Law offered him a glass of water, which he gratefully sipped from. “While I was on my inspection, I got a call from one of the outposts,” he said finally, words slow and slightly slurred as he collected his thoughts. “There was a Marine vessel entering the territory.”

Law raised an eyebrow. “A Marine ship?” That was… unexpected. And potentially disastrous for the current tenuous peace on the Grand Line.

Shachi nodded then grimaced at the movement. Definitely a concussion then. “They weren’t getting any responses when they hailed it, though they spotted men aboard, so I took some of my guys to check it out.”

Law nodded. It was what he would have wanted Shachi to do, and Shachi knew that.

“When I hailed them, I got a response.”

Interesting. “And?” Law prompted.

Shachi opened his mouth to reply, but Law’s Den Den Mushi chose that moment to ring. Law nodded at Shachi and the other man sighed, collapsing back into the pillows behind him and shutting his eyes against the dim lights. Just that small amount of speaking had worn him out.

“Yes?” Law answered, still keeping an eye on Shachi. He realized his fingers were drumming anxiously against his bicep and forced himself to still.

“C-captain” Bepo replied, “we found the ship that attacked Shachi.”

Law nodded, already mentally preparing to order Jean Bart to get the Polar Tang moving as he listened with half an ear. “Good.”

“Y-you’re not going to believe who’s on it.” There was something off about Bepo’s voice.

Law frowned as Shachi opened his eyes to look at him, seeming to know what Bepo was going to say. Law didn’t like the expression on his friend’s face. He took a breath. “What are you talking about, Bepo?”

Bepo inhaled, as if gathering courage to speak. “I’m sorry. I-it’s Doflamingo.”

-----

Two years ago

With Kaido’s fall, Trafalgar Law expected to be recognized as the next Emperor

A week after Kaido, the King of the Beasts and one of the four Emperors of the New World, fell to the combined efforts of the Straw Hat, Heart and Kid Pirates, the Land of Wano has a new ruler and open borders. As the World Government seeks to normalize relations with the formerly isolated nation, questions remain about the power vacuum that exists among the Three Great Powers.

With the recent dissolution of the Royal Warlords at this year’s Reverie, there are already concerns about the fragile balance of power on the seas. And now, with one of the Emperors falling, many are looking for an immediate replacement to stabilize the powers in the New World.

Popular support among the highest levels is, once more, behind a former Warlord: Trafalgar Law, member of the Worst Generation and Captain of the Heart Pirates, was among the victors in the battle against Kaido and already has the support of numerous influential figures to take the King of the Beasts’ place among the Emperors.

Of course, Trafalgar’s candidacy for Emperor is complicated by his infamous alliance with Straw Hat Luffy, who this paper reported as being considered the Fifth Emperor mere months ago. While an alliance between Emperors would have been unheard of in the past, this paper has confirmed that Kaido and Charlotte “Big Mom” Linlin formed an alliance of their own before Kaido’s defeat.

If Trafalgar is recognized as an Emperor as expected, he will be the third member of the so-called Worst Generation of pirates to reach the highest levels of power on the Blues – following Marshall D. Teach and Monkey D. Luffy – but is unlikely the be the last.

“Fuffuffuffuffu. So, the little bird continues to spread his wings. If he’s not careful, he’ll get too close to the sun.”

-----

A cold chill went down Law’s spine at the utterance of that man’s name. “What?” he breathed.

“He’s right, Captain,” Shachi said quietly.

Law turned to him sharply and Shachi winced back into the pillows. Law sighed and ran a hand over his face. Doflamingo had been in Impel Down for the last two years; that chapter of his life was supposed to be closed. “Tell me, Shachi.”

“Doflamingo was the one to answer when I hailed the ship,” Shachi replied, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. “I didn’t recognize his voice immediately, but he said he had a message for you.”

“Of course he did,” Law sighed. The games never ended with the man. “What did he say?”

Shachi licked his lips, grimacing when he found a cut. “He, uh, wants to see you.”

Son of a bitch, Law thought irritably. “Bepo?” he asked, turning back to the Den Den Mushi.

Truth be told, it didn’t shock Law that Doflamingo was out of Impel Down; it was his connections to the Celestial Dragons that had upended Law’s plot for vengeance those years ago, and Law wouldn’t put it past the bastard to find some way to exploit those connections once more to get out. But now, of all times… The balance of power on the Blues was tenuous at best, and the reemergence of a disgraced Warlord and underworld broker would only wreak greater havoc.

“W-we didn’t contact the ship,” his first mate replied, “but we’ve got eyes on it. Doflamingo is definitely on board. He… seems to be in charge? The Marines are following his orders.”

That the Marines on board the ship were following him was not a good sign either. Unless Doflamingo was controlling them, consummate puppet master that he was.

This would need to be dealt with quickly.

“Send Jean Bart the coordinates,” Law told Bepo.

“C-captain, are you sure? That’s what he wants.”

“And let the bastard get away with attacking my men? With nearly killing Shachi?”

Bepo whined in the back of his throat but didn’t argue. “Yes, Captain.”

-----

Once the Polar Tang surfaced alongside Bepo’s ship and in front of the wayward Marine vessel, Law took a steadying breath then hefted Kikoku to her familiar place on his shoulder. A Room blossomed out from his hand and quickly encompassed all three ships as Law headed out on deck, Penguin and Jean Bart flanking him. He was sure Doflamingo would have noticed the range on the Room—and he wanted the other man to know that, no matter what he thought, Law would be in control of this little tête-à-tête.

The remaining Hearts on the ship stationed themselves out of sight but were poised to strike if needed. Shachi had wanted to come, but Penguin had convinced him to stay in the infirmary after Shachi had nearly fallen on his face trying to get out of bed. On Bepo’s ship, the mink stood alongside Ikkaku, Uni, and Clione at the fore of the ship. Bepo’s remaining men were out of sight.

As Law approached the railing, he couldn’t suppress the surge of rage that the sight of Doflamingo’s giant form and familiar pink coat ignited under his skin—nor that tiny curl of icy fear in the back of his mind. Years later, and his reaction was still the same. A completely normal response to a traumatic trigger, Law’s logical mind reminded him. A lot had changed since Dressrosa, though, the least of which was not Law himself.

As Shachi and Bepo had reported, Marines were moving around the deck of the ship, though now that he was close, Law could see the slightly jerky motions that indicated they weren’t moving of their own accord; anyone unfamiliar with Doflamingo’s strings likely wouldn’t recognize the difference. That was one mystery solved, but it still didn’t explain what the bastard was doing here and how he’d gotten out of Impel Down—and on a Marine vessel no less.

“Fuffuffu,” Doflamingo chuckled as Law appeared. “And here I thought it would be harder to get an audience with an Emperor.” He tilted his head amusedly, glasses glinting in the fading sunlight. “Though I confess I had hoped us being Family would count for something. Glad to see I was right.”

Law clenched his jaw but kept his voice level. “Attacking my men was not your smartest move, Doflamingo.”

“No?” Doflamingo blatantly raked his gaze over Law. “It seems to have worked out exactly as I’d hoped.” His lips twitched. “How’s Shachi?”

“You son of a—” Penguin growled, but Law raised a hand and Penguin cut himself off, though he continued to vibrate in anger.

“What do you want?” Law asked flatly. He knew better than anyone not to get caught up in Doflamingo’s pace—the ugly ring of scar tissue on his right bicep was a permanent reminder of that lesson.

Doflamingo spread his arms wide and grinned. “Can’t a pirate want to congratulate his protégé on his success? First a Warlord, now an Emperor. Your rise has been very impressive, Law. Especially considering how it all started.”

Law ignored the obvious bait. “You didn’t break out of Impel Down to congratulate me on something that happened two years ago. What. Do. You. Want.”

If possible, Doflamingo’s grin widened. “Who says I broke out?”

Law blinked, and for a moment he was standing on Green Bit again, hearing from Blackleg-ya that they’d been deceived, watching the plan he’d had spent countless hours fine tuning and sacrificing for starting to unravel in his hands. Law should have every advantage in this situation, yet one sentence—the implication of one sentence, even—sent him spinning.

Schooling his features, Law simply quirked an eyebrow and let as much disdain as he could manage flow into his retort. “I highly doubt Akainu is letting former Warlords out early on good behavior.”

“Fuffuffu. He is if they can do something for him.”

“What could you possibly do for the Red Dog?”

Doflamgino shrugged with exaggerated affect. “The Fleet Admiral was very interested in the, shall we saw, personal knowledge I had of the newest Emperor.”

Law stiffened. “You expect me to believe Akainu let you out of Impel Down for some trivia about me when I was a child?” he forced himself to scoff.

Doflamingo tsked, as if disappointed. “We both know better than that, Law.”

And the son of a bitch was right; Doflamingo knew some very, very dangerous things about Law, his background, and his Fruit. Law was practically a ghost when it came to records before he started making a name for himself as a pirate in the North Blue; the records of Flevance had either been destroyed or suppressed by the Marines, and he hadn’t been anyone worth noting when he’d been part of the Family as a child.

But Doflamingo… He knew all of it.

Law briefly wondered if Akainu would care he was the sole survivor of the White City, a demon child in his own right. From what he knew of the man, Law would expect him to want to wipe out the stain on the Marine record that Law represented. Not that he needed any additional reasons to target Law.

Perhaps more damning, Doflamingo knew that Law was a D., a revelation that had shaken the former Celestial Dragon and given even Sengoku pause—though the man had lied about knowing anything about it. For all that Law distrusted the former Fleet Admiral, he didn’t think Sengoku would have shared that tidbit out of respect to Cora-san. But if Akainu were to find out… well, Law didn’t doubt that the name his parents had warned him to keep secret would only cause him greater problems if the Marines knew about it. He may not know what it meant yet—he and Nico-ya were still working on that—but he did know intimately how those with that name suffered. Whatever the higher ups in the Marines knew about that secret name, it put those who carried it directly in their crosshairs.

Of course, Doflamingo also hadn’t said that he’d shared any of that information either. Law, over far too many years of reflection—obsession—on his time in the Family, has realized that Doflamingo did much of his manipulation through implication, letting his victims make their own assumptions about his words. It was a tactic he used himself. He wouldn’t let himself be taken by half-truths and suggestions.

“That still doesn’t answer why you’re here, other than to waste my time.”

“You wound me, Law,” Doflamingo pouted. “But fine. I wasn’t lying when I said the Fleet Admiral is interested in you. Akainu offered me my freedom in exchange for you. Dead or alive. He provided me a ship and everything.”

Law could feel his crewmates stiffen defensively around him, hands going toward weapons. Bepo growled somewhere to Law’s right. Law ignored them. “If you were here for my head, there were easier ways to go about it.”

“Fuffuffu. Very good. I’m not interested in running errands for Akainu.”

Law crossed his arms and waited.

Doflamingo’s smirk turned predatory. “I’m here to take back what’s mine.”

[localscissors]

Triplet De Spell Oneshot (Part One)

Part Two 

@cinnabunni5123 ‘s writing motivated me enough to clean up my old writing and get it posted. I’ll get the rest of this out tomorrow, but if you want more of this AU writing then I seriously suggest visiting @cinnabunni5123 ‘s Ao3 page (where she’s writing a brilliant multi-chapter fic of my AU) or @pilyarquitect , who has written several amazing one-shots. Both are more reliable than I’ll ever be (plus they’ve got some awesome fics in general. Other than that, this is just one of my earlier ideas in which the triplets kinda bond with everybody in an episodic-type way. Really suggest checking out their writing though, I love everything about it.

The best thing about stealing the identity of a missing child? Is that you get to steal their life too. And the real Dewey Duck,( wherever he might be), had the best, most loving family ever. Dewey de Spell loved his fake life.

And Della was the coolest adult Dewey had ever met. She gave him hugs and kisses and had as much enthusiasm for trouble as he did. The real Dewey was so lucky to be born into this family. Who knew such cool moms existed?

So when Della invited him and his brothers to go on an adventure with her, Dewey immediately agreed. Every second he spent with Della were the best seconds of his life. He wanted more of them. He wanted all of them. He wanted to hoard as many as he could before Magica blew everything away.

So, given the choice between searching for the dime with Huey, or going on an epic adventure with his fake mom, he chose fake mom.

“But Dewey, we need you to search for the dime!” Huey shouted.

“Can’t. Gotta go with Della on an epic airplane adventure. Sorry you guys weren’t invited! I’m already late gotta go byyeee!” Dewey ran out the bedroom door before Huey could say any more, leaving his two brothers alone. He could still hear Huey screaming his name, but he was already out the hall and down the stairs. They had loads of time to find the dime. He could help any other day, but going on adventures with Della? That was limited.

Besides, getting the McDuck family’s trust was part of the plan anyway, and his siblings were doing a horrible job of that. Dewey was happy to pick up their slack in that regard.

When he made it outside to the Sunchaser, he saw Della dutifully polishing her plane with a rag, and Scrooge impatiently checking his watch. A sudden bubble of excitement rose in his chest, driving him to run forward and wave to both of them. Della waved happily back, but her smile immediately fell when she only saw him. His steps faltered. Did he do something wrong?

“Are Huey and Louie coming?” She asked.

From what he knew about mothers, they were supposed to love all their children equally. From what he saw on TV, they got worried when one of them went missing. Knowing all of this, and knowing he was being very unfair to his brothers, Dewey felt an overwhelming ball of possessiveness roll up his throat. Why did she ask? Does she prefer them to him? Did she not want him there? If she found out he said they weren’t invited, would she shut him out?

All of these feelings were pushed down with a simple shrug and lie. “They didn’t want to come.”

“They didn’t want to..?” Something troubled passed over her features, and all at once, the feelings rolled back up at full force. She’ll shut him out, send him away. Say the adventure wasn’t worth it if it was just Dewey on the plane. Huey was so much smarter anyway, and Louie was more likeable. They weren’t loud or annoying or destructive or—

“More seats for us then, am I right?” Della laughed and threw an easy arm over his shoulder. “Double the leg room. We’ll have fun, just the two of us.”

‘Just the two of us’ became Dewey’s most favorite string of words, ever.

They boarded together, Scrooge following closely behind. Dewey could feel him staring, but ignored it. Della was smiling at him and he wasn’t going to let Scrooge ruin this moment for him.

“So which ones are the torpedo launchers?” The young duckling asked, ogling at the array of buttons and levers.

“Yer thinkin of submarines, boy,” Scrooge grumbled.

Della laughed and sat in the pilot’s seat, gesturing for Dewey to sit down beside her. “Yeah, no torpedos. Here, I’ll show what these buttons do.”

Scrooge left for the back of the plane. Dewey could feel the old man’s irritation just below his forced calm facade, and that’s why he forced himself to stay completely still until he heard Scrooge take his seat. Angry adults were unpredictable at their best, and he didn’t want to do anything to set him off. Once Dewey was sure that Mr. McDuck was at a safe distance, he relaxed and let Della show him how to steer.

Dewey peered out the window as they lifted off, amazed at how quickly they rose. Aunt Magica sometimes told them about her flying broom, old and broken and sitting unused in the corner of the closet. He wondered if she felt this happy when she flew.

____________________________________________________________________

Huey, meanwhile, was fuming. “I can’t believe he would just walk out like that! Doesn’t he care at all—!”

Louie shrugged. “Eh, who needs him anyway. Let Dewey waste time with our fake mom if he wants. We know where the real treasure is.”

Huey sighed, nodding. “Yeah, you’re right. We know our priorities.” After a moment, he tilted his head. “...do you really think Della didn’t invite us? Actually, never mind. Doesn’t matter.”

The thought of not being invited did sting, but honestly, it sounded like the exact type of lie Dewey would spin.

“Where are we searching today?” Louie asked.

Huey pulled out two pieces of paper from his coat pocket and unfolded them. One was a map of the mansion grounds, and the other was a neatly organized checklist. Huey visibly brightened at the sight of his own handiwork, proud of the neat lines and careful planning.

“According to our checklist—”

“Which you wrote,” said Louie.

“—Our next stop in the Money Bin. That’s where Scrooge keeps all his treasures.

Louie grinned and rubbed his hands together greedily. “I wonder how much he’s got stocked in there? I’ve heard, he only piles up his gold to swim in it!”

“That’s so gross.”

“Maybe to you, but to me?” Louie put a fist over his heart. “this is the kind of wealth I aspire to.”

Huey snorted and shook his head. “Well, he’s got all his money in there. So logically, he’d put the dime in there too.”

Louie silently disagreed. If he had an important all-powerful dime, he’d store it someplace special! Not with all the common treasure. But Louie rarely spoke his opinions out loud. Coming up with plans (especially plans for Magica) was a risk, and Huey willingly took that risk every time. It was so much easier to follow than lead.

Also, he really, really wanted to see the Bin. No way he was ruining this chance by expressing his doubts now, of all times.

“Let’s get going then,” Louie said, pushing his brother out the door. “We’ve got treasure to see and dimes to steal. Let’s go, go, go!”

“Okay, okay. Wait, one minute. Just… there’s a problem. We don’t know how to get in, and it’s probably locked.”

“So? That’s why we’ve got magic, Huey. I’m a magical lock-smith.”

Huey shook his head. “That’s not enough. Haven’t you seen how many protection wards there are in this mansion alone ? I can’t even imagine how many guard spells he’s got at the money bin. I was hoping Dewey could maybe break through them, but he ran off—”

“What are you guys whispering about?”

“AGH!” Louie jumped backward, clutching his heart in fright at the third unexpected voice that appeared above them. Looking up, they saw Webby hanging out of a ventilation shaft in the ceiling, grinning sheepishly.

“Wha—WEBBY! Were you spying on us!?” Louie cried.

“Not on purpose. I was just coming over to see what you guys were doing.” She hopped down and landed easily next to them.

Louie’s heart was still racing, and knowing that Webby could’ve been listening to them at any time scared him. He was unable to keep the irritation from his voice when he snapped,“That’s creepy. Just knock on the door like a normal person.”

Webby winced, sheepishly pulling on her sweater. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to see what you were doing.”

Huey was also startled, and made a personal note to be more aware of the vents next time they planned. He was annoyed, but didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “It’s fine, just please don’t do that again.”

Webby nodded seriously, and then tilted her head. “What were you guys talking about anyway? I couldn’t hear anything from up there.”

“Nothing,” Louie answered.

“Secrets,” Huey blurted.

Webby squealed and rocked on her heals excitedly. “Secrets are my favorite! I’m so good at keeping them. Let me tell you one of mine! I’ve hidden several spears all over the mansion, so that I’m always ready for attack.”

Louie smacked a hand on his forehead. Huey was the worst at lying. Why couldn’t he keep his beak shut?”

Webby continued. “I told you one of my secrets. Now what’s yours?”

While Huey panicked at the question, fumbling for words, Louie, saw an opportunity. He put a hand on Huey’s shoulder and squeezed, silently assuring him that he could handle this.

“We’ve got a lot of secrets,” Louie grinned. “But you wanna know our biggest one?”

Louie could feel Huey tense behind him while Webby nodded eagerly. Louie paused for dramatic effect, eating a good few seconds before revealing, “We’re McDuck nerds. We love all things Scrooge McDuck.”

Webby gasped. “You too!? I thought I was the only one!”

“Well, you’re not. We’ve been researching the McDuck family four entire lives.” Which was technically true. Magica has repeatedly cursed every aunt, uncle, and cousin of the McDuck family for as they could remember.

“That’s amazing! What do you wanna talk about first? The time he saved an entire city from King Akhum’s curse? Or how about that time he outsmarted a village of evil seers, who foretold false prophecies of death? Or maybe we should go all the way back to his birth; Glasgow, 1867. The night was cold, and the air was—”

“We already know all that,” Louie interrupted, waving away her words. Then he faked a sad expression. “That’s the problem. We already learned everything there is to know, but we still haven’t seen the real thing. His artifacts, his treasures, his adventures...”

“Oh. That’s because he keeps it all in his Money Bin,” Webby said.

Louie brightened. “Really? You’ve seen it?”

Webby laughed. “Of course I have. Uncle Scrooge takes me there all the time.”

“Do you think you can get us in?” Huey asked hopefully.

Webby immediately stepped back, rubbing her arm anxiously. “Um, I don’t know. I’m actually not allowed in there by myself…”

“You won’t be by yourself, you’ll have us,” Louie encouraged. “C’mon, we’re all experts. You can be our guide. Uncle Scrooge and Della are out, so they can’t escort us anyway”

Webby shook her head, still unsure. “I can ask my Granny… she can take us.”

“Please?” Louie begged. “This has been our dream our entire lives.”

Webby looked away, and he realized he needed a different angle. He crossed his arms, and changed his tone from pleading to accusing.

“This is the type of stuff friends do for each other. I thought you were our friend.”

Webby jerked back, as if burned by his words. He felt bad, but it had the exact effect he wanted.

“N-no no! I am! I am your friend! I Just don’t want to—”

Louie rolled right over her protests. “This is the type of stuff friends do for each other. It’s not even a big deal, you’ve been there a hundred times.”

Webby looked so torn and hurt that Louie almost apologized right then and there, but he hardened himself. He was good at exactly one thing and he wasn’t gonna backtrack just because of a little guilt. He looked toward Huey, silently hoping he could top this off with a little bit of his natural good cop routine.

Thankfully, he stepped in.

“You’re our best friend, Webby,” Huey said sincerely. “It would mean the world to us if you could show us around.”

Louie held his breath as Webby thought on their words, still torn between house rules and peer pressure.

This is… this is what friends do for each other, right?” Webby asked.

“Oh yes, definitely,” Louie assured. Huey also nodded. This is what friends did on TV, after all. They always snuck around behind the adults’ backs.

Webby sighed decisively,her expression determined. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

[is0gild]

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 23

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 11,552

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

"Sorry, did I miss a point back there where my car transformed into a submarine to cross the Atlantic Ocean?"

I turned my head towards Lea, knitting my eyebrows together. "Pardon?"

"Well I just don't see how else we would have ended up at freaking Buckingham Palace," he muttered, keeping one hand on the steering wheel while the other tipped his aviators forward for a better look at the mansion at the end of the long, extravagant driveway he was currently cruising his car down. He gave a low whistle, "Shit, all it's missing are those dudes in the highschool band uniforms and big fuzzy hats."

Rolling my eyes, I snorted softly. "Oh come now, it's not that big."

He scoffed, "'Not that big' is something girlfriends say about their exes to protect their insecure boyfriends' fragile male egos. It's not what you say about the Taj Ma-fucking-hal here."

The dreaded weekend was upon us at last.

You know. The Weekend. Capital T, capital W.

Aka, the visit with my parents.

Operation Boyfriend But Shh Not Really was about to be tested to the extreme limits.

The chateau in question (maybe villa would be a better word? Or manor, perhaps? Really, it wasn't big at all, Lea was just exaggerating) belonged to my parents. This was the home I'd grown up in. It was weird coming back here now after all that had happened. Was still in the process happening, I suppose. My fingers fidgeted with my braid as the mansion loomed ever higher the closer we got.

Actually… now that we were more up close and I was really seeing it again… oh gosh, it was rather enormous, wasn't it?

...had it somehow grown in size since last I-?

Shush, now, don't be ridiculous. That was just the anxiety talking.

Of which I was in no short supply of. I still had no clue what was in store for this weekend. Anna seemed almost just as much in the dark as I was, which was strange seeing as how she still lived here. Then again, I was pretty sure she'd been spending a lot less time around home lately in favor of staying over at her new boyfriend's place. A man I still surprisingly knew absolute zilch about, but I was hoping Anna had invited him to join us for this weekend as well. That way, I'd get to meet him and maybe even have a little of the attention taken off me. Long shot, I know, considering he was only Anna's still relatively new beau whereas I'd skipped out on my own wedding and shamed my whole family (apparently), so this guy was kind of small potatoes by comparison. But hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

It was actually Friday evening right now, so we were going to be in for more of a long weekend - in every sense of the word. Lea and I had both worked early shifts today before going to our respective homes, getting changed, packing bags for staying over for two nights and then finally heading up. Not knowing what this weekend was going to entail was wreaking no small amount of havoc on my nerves. That said, it could have been worse. Pretty sure I'd actually been more nervous for the audition a couple days ago than I was for this. Maybe that was because the audition had just been so last minute, whereas I'd been preparing for this little get-together for a couple weeks now. Even I had to admit that Lea and I made a pretty convincing couple at this point. Sure, I still got a bit awkward with PDAs, but I was no longer anywhere near as bad as I had been the day I'd seen father at my old condo.

...then again, doing the whole relationship act around the mall for the past couple weeks was one thing. Trying to pull off the same charade in front of my parents now, not to mention the Duke as well? Probably was going to be a lot more complicated.

I really had no idea what was going to happen the moment we passed through those ornate double doors leading into my parent's home.

But I was about to find out.

Whether I liked it or not.

"Alright, we made it," Lea announced as he parked the car next to the big fountain in the middle of the circle driveway, shutting off his engine. He shot me a grin, "You ready for this, my lil sötnos?"

I blinked over at him, then narrowed my eyes. "Do I even want to know?"

"It's a Swedish term of endearment. Its literal translation is sweet nose. And if yours ain't the sweetest, I dunno what is," his grin twitched wider as he reached over to tweak said nose.

"Sweet n-" I groaned, swatting his hand away. "Veto."

"Aw c'mon, I thought that one was cute!" he gave a little whine. I just drooped my eyelids at him and he sighed, stretching over to open his glove compartment and pull a black marker from it. "Guess America's just not ready for the sweet nose," he grumbled, pulling the cap off with his teeth and marking something off on his palm.

I frowned. "...what are you doing?"

"Regrettably giving up on what is arguably the greatest pet name of all time, that's what."

"No, I meant with your hand." I snatched his in both mine, yanking it over in front of my face to discover a small list written on the inside of his palm, located at the top of which was sötnos with a line struck through it. "...are these... more terms of endearment for me?"

He smirked as he leaned in closer to stare down at his palm alongside me. "Yup! Since the big weekend's here, figured I'd best come prepared. This is important stuff we gotta nail down!"

I squinted at the words before me, reading, "Kruzynko…?"

"It means breadcrumb."

Scrunching up my nose, I stole the marker from him and crossed that one off. "No. Bogárkám?"

"My little bug," Lea supplied, sounding more confident in this one.

A snerk. "Nope," I popped the P. And another one bites the dust. My tongue tripped uncertainly over the next one, "Blodyn tatws?"

"Heh… potato flowers?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh wow, I love that one."

He perked up, "Really?"

"Absolutely... not," I said flatly, looking him dead in the eye as I drew a line across it as well.

"Aw man, not cool!" He pouted, then pursed his lips to one side. "Hey, is now really the best time to be doing this? We, uh…" he chuckled sheepishly, holding up his second hand to reveal a whole other list scrawled on that one too, "...might end up being here all day."

I stared blankly at him. "Just how many more of those do you have?"

"I'd show ya, but that'd require me going a lil more half monty than you'd probably prefer I'd get in your parent's driveway."

My brow furrowed and I leaned away slightly, eyeing him up and down. "...where…?"

He waggled his eyebrows at me, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

I let his hand drop from my grasp, "I'm good, thanks." As he snickered, I looked away, rubbing my fingertips over one of my (now brought to a low simmer) cheeks. "Can't you just stick to El? It's simple. Nice… I like El."

"You do?" I heard him ask and I directed a furtive sideways glance in his direction. A slow smile was curling his lips, "Alright… El it is." But then he was peeking down at his palm again. "...and also krúttið mitt."

Biting back a grin, I swat his shoulder. "How would you like it if I kept calling you some weird pet name in a foreign language all the time?"

Lea beamed, "I'd like it very much actually."

"Really? Fine," I took up his hand again, scrutinizing his palm, "...mo chuisle it is then."

His eyes lit up, "Ooo, that one's spicy!"

Oh dear, why had I thought this was a good idea again?

"...what's it mean?"

He bent towards me, eyes hooded as he purred, "You just called me your pulse."

I've made a grave error this day.

"Ah-ah!" he chirped, pressing a finger to my lips as they began to part. "Too late! No take-backsies!"

I huffed, unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind me.

Lea looked far too smug as he climbed out himself, retrieving both our bags from the backseat of the car on his way out and slinging them over his shoulder. He removed his aviators, hooking them into the collar of his black, fitted v-neck shirt as his eyes took in the mansion before us once again. He'd reclaimed his leather jacket to wear for this, accompanied by snug jeans tastefully ripped at just one knee and a pair a black, heavy, steel-toed boots. He'd blinged out a bit as well, sporting a small sun medallion that hung from a chain down to his mid-chest, along a few strappy leather bracelets and a couple of rings decorating his fingers. His winged guyliner was somehow even darker and bolder than usual and his hair had been pulled back into a half-tail.

Not going to lie, my traitorous fingers practically itched to pet that little red tuft at the back of his head.

Instead, I settled for fussing with the necklace that rested against my skin just above my collarbone. The pendant was formed of three blue, almond-shaped gemstones gathered together at one point. A present from Rayne to wish me luck on this trip. I was a much bigger fan of her good luck charm than I had been of the one Lea had "gifted" me with for the musical tryouts. I wore the small charm with a classic little wrap dress in a soft lilac. Off the shoulder of course - it was me we were talking about here, so you can probably guess it before I even say it at this point - and with the hem of the skirt flaring out around the knees.

Needless to say, looking at him and me side-by-side right now, it was clear one of us was either severely over or underdressed. Considering it was my parents' door we were about to knock on, one guess as to who was what.

"Try not to scratch the paint, chief!" Lea chipperly called out as he was suddenly tossing his keys at one of the staff under my parents' employ who just so happened to be walking past us in that second.

Eyes widening, the man fumbled to catch them. As Lea turned to head towards the front door, I followed, quirking my eyebrow at him. "What was that?"

"I'm blending in," he flashed a cheeky smile, shoving a hand into one pocket of his jacket. "Whatcha think, do I sound like a rich asshole or what?"

I tipped my head to one side. "...actually, you kind of sounded like my ex."

A snort escaped through his nose. "I'll take that as a yes then."

We walked a couple steps in silence. Then, "That wasn't a valet, by the way."

He froze midstep, looking at me sharply. "What?"

"That was a gardener. My parents don't even have a valet."

"Oh." Lea glanced back over his shoulder, frowning. "...maybe I should go get my keys back then."

I hid a small grin behind my fingers. "Maybe you should."

Waiting politely, I watched him jog back towards the worker to do just that, along with offering what looked to be quite the humble apology. "Got 'em!" he declared once he'd rejoined me, flinging them up into the air before catching them again to slip into his pocket. "So even a proper gent like your old man feels the need to prove what a hot, young stud he still is, eh? Wouldn't of thought him the type."

"What?" I blinked a couple times. Where'd that come from?

He tossed his chin back towards his vehicle. More specifically, at the few other cars he'd parked next to. "I recognize Anna's Porsche over there, but that blue Ferrari reeks of midlife crisis."

"...that's my car." Then I grimaced and amended, "Rather, was my car."

"Huh?" he looked taken aback. "You drive? Since when?"

I gave a small shrug, "Since always."

"Then why're you always having me n' your roomies chauffeur you around? Not that I mind..."

"I don't have a car or the funds to purchase one." He wordlessly jerked his thumb back towards the Ferrari, face blank. I sighed, "My parents bought me that. It didn't feel right keeping it after… everything. Not with me trying to separate myself from them and make it on my own. No, I plan to buy my own once I've saved up enough."

"Shit, still shoulda kept it," Lea said and I gave him a dull look. He hastily waved a hand in front of him, "Even if ya didn't want it, you coulda sold it and made bank before giving all that munny away to charity. Ya know, just so you could really stick it to your folks."

Shaking my head with a soft chuckle, I started walking towards the entrance again. "Let's just get on with this."

"Aye aye, Capitaine," he gave me a two-fingered salute, catching up to me with his long strides.

Feeling my chest start to constrict as we drew nearer to those doors, I blew out a soft, slow breath. "I hope we're not late. I shouldn't have let you talk me into that salon visit after we got off work."

"What, you needed something to help ya relax and a quick spa day was just the ticket! 'Sides, I wanted to make myself all pretty for this! Whaddya think?" He stretched his arm out before us both, fingers wiggling to show off his fresh coat of black nail polish. "If this doesn't impress your folks and tell 'em what a man of sophisticated tastes I am, I dunno what will!"

I snorted. "I think my father is more of a mauve man himself."

"Really? Crap, you shoulda said something! I'd have asked for a matching color so he and I could be twinsies! Shucks," he snapped his fingers, "missed opportunity."

Coming to a stop on the doorstep, I reached for the bell, but my fingers hesitated.

This was so strange. I'd lived here. Spent my childhood here. I'd never had to use the doorbell before.

...why did the idea of doing so now seem so hard?

A sudden warmth enveloped my other hand. I looked down to discover Lea was holding it. He gave it a small squeeze as he said softly, "Hey. Whatever happens in there, just know I'm here for you."

I felt a small stutter in my chest as a tiny smile tugged at my lips. "...thank you," I murmured, squeezing back before looking to the doorbell once more. Taking a deep, calming breath, I pushed the button at last and a heavy chime could be heard within.

While we waited, a glimmer of something at Lea's waist caught my eye and I turned to see what it was. A crease formed between my eyebrows. "...is that… a wallet chain?"

How had I missed that thing until now?

"Hm?" he followed my gaze. "Oh! Yup! Heh, thought it might really pull the whole look together! Do I look like a punkass bad boy now or what?"

"Or what," I fixed him with a deadpan stare. "You look ridiculous."

He splayed a hand against his chest in mock offense. "Rude. Can't believe you'd talk to your pulse like that."

Face warming, I hung my head. "...I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?"

"Nope!" he grinned wickedly.

"Would you just take that silly thing off?"

"No can do, sweetcheeks! Boys like to accessorize too, ya know," he sniggered, giving the chain a little twirl. "Just be grateful I left the spiked choker in the glove compartment."

"Spi-?!" I spluttered over the word before managing a scoff and crossing my arms. "Oh, trust me, I am. The point is to get my parents to back off, not to send them into cardiac arrest!"

...huh… Lea in a spiked choker…

"You're trynta imagine what I'd look like wearing it now, aren't ya?" he'd hunched down beside me to whisper into my ear with a smirk.

My cheeks burned so hot, you could have roasted marshmallows on the damn things.

"...am not."

I was almost grateful when the door swung open just then. And also a little surprised, because the face that greeted me wasn't that of my parents' house maid Gerda.

No, instead it was that of a pale, wide-eyed, huffing and puffing Anna.

(With Gerda right behind her, looking quite harried and put out by the fact that my sister had stolen her job.)

"Elsa!" she cried out in relief. "Finally! What took you so long?!"

Furrowing my brow, I began, "Anna? What-?"

"No time! Get." She lunged towards me. "In here." Her hands seized my shoulders. "Now!" I was forcibly yanked inside.

I heard the door booming shut behind me and could only hope that Lea had managed to slip in himself in time as well. Gripping my sister's arms, I tried again, "What's going on? We couldn't be more than a few minutes la-"

Her hand suddenly shot out to squeeze my cheeks together between her thumb and fingers, squishing my face and effectively silencing me. "Shush! No talkie! Only listen! Oh, it's bad, Sis. Really, really bad! It's him! He's here! Like, here here! Right friggin' now!"

"Who's here?" I asked, tugging my face free of her vice-like grip and working my jaw. I knit my eyebrows together at Gerda, who was frantically circling us as she kept trying and failing to get a word in edgewise. "The Duke? I already knew-"

"No! Not the Duke! Of course not, he won't be here until tomorrow! Gah! You know, Sis, sometimes you can be really-" Anna cut herself off in a tiny snarl, fingers curling in front of her to strangle empty air. "Ugh! Anyway, it's- I didn't- It was just- Out of nowhere- Mom and Dad, they- He- His-"

"I think she's trying to tell us something. What is it, Lassie? Timmy trapped in the well again?" Lea snerked as he let our luggage fall to the foyer floor beside his boots.

Ignoring him, I gently rubbed my hands up and down Anna's arms. "Breathe. Calm down. Take a minute to gather your thoughts."

"People!" she suddenly blurted out, startling me a bit. "Lots of them! Loads of them! So many people!"

I frowned. "People? Where? You mean here, now?"

She shook her head rapidly, "No, no, no, no! Not now people! Future people! Tomorrow people! And… and caterers! And musicians! And decorators and, and, and him! He's- Right now, he's- just down the hall, he's- he's-"

"Who, Anna? Who?" I insisted.

Her hands violently shook me, "Him!"

Right. Thanks, Sis. Big help you are.

Why was she like this?

The maid finally managed to pipe in, "What Miss is trying to tell you is that your-"

"Got it, Gerda, thanks!" Anna huffed out with a tiny scowl. Then she took in a deep breath, preparing to say something.

"Crap, I think that dude just robbed us," Lea chimed in first.

Holding a finger up to Anna, I whipped my head around to see what he was talking about: an older gentleman in a black suit walking briskly away with our bags. "Oh, that's just Kai."

Lea cocked an eyebrow at me, "The robber's name is Kai?"

"No, the butler's name is Kai."

"Why would the butler rob us?"

"He's not robbing us, he's just taking our things up to our room." I blanched. "Rooms." Plural. As in more than one. My parents would never, not in a million years, have put Lea and me in the same room under their roof… right? Oh gosh, why was the possibility only just now occurring to me? "He's, uh… he's p-putting them where we'll be staying. Separately. As in, not together. Completely and one hundred percent apart," I (overly) clarified, fighting that blush I felt creeping up my neck now.

Anna suddenly grabbed my head with both hands and forced me to look at her again, grounding out through her teeth, "You're. Not. Listening to me!" Then with a grumbling sigh, she snagged my hand in hers and started dragging me down one of the many corridors that branched off from the foyer. "Come on, we better hurry, they're probably wondering what's taking so long."

Gerda squeaked and scurried after us. "Right this way, please, and I'll see you to the Marigold Room where your hosts await your presence!" she awkwardly trilled, trying to maintain some semblance of performing her duties despite Anna's continued interference.

A whistle from Lea confirmed he was following as well. "Lemme guess. The Duke in the conservatory with the candlestick."

"Wha-?" my voice faltered as my feet tripped trying keep up with Anna, only barely managing to keep myself upright.

He grinned down at me as he strode along, shrugging. "This whole place is a legit, life-sized Clue board. Just trynta play the game here."

I stumbled again. "Ow, Anna! Not so hard. What is the rush?"

Not slowing down, she glanced back at me over her shoulder. "Come on, Elsa, think! What day is it?"

"Uh…" Was this a trick question? "...Friday?"

A low, agitated noise emitted from her throat. "No, what day?"

I squinted up at the ceiling in thought. "...the seventh?"

"Yes!" she spun around to tap her nose excitedly, her feet still moving backwards. "Which would make tomorrow…?"

"The eighth." Lost by this line of questioning? I know I was.

"Of?" she pressed. "What month, Elsa?"

"The eighth of… oh!" It finally clicked and I staggered again, my eyes growing round. "...oh no. It's his birthday. Oh gosh, he's here?! Right now?!"

"Yes! Finally! Thank you!" Anna cried out in exasperation.

"Who?" Lea asked, both eyebrows shooting up his forehead at my sudden change of attitude.

"It's-" I began, but that one word was all I got out before Anna took a sudden sharp turn, yanking me into the Marigold Room with her and bringing us face to face with-

"Grandfather!" I breathed, feet faltering as Anna brought us both to a sudden and jerky stop before him.

He cut an imposing figure, my grandfather. Tall, like father, and with the same red hair too that had been passed down to Anna. His however bore prominent streaks of grey at his temples - really the only sign of him getting on in years as he otherwise looked remarkably good for a man of his age. Still fit as a fiddle, barrel-chested, with a strong, square jaw and a sharp, piercing gaze.

A gaze that was so cold right now that I didn't know how I wasn't frozen into solid ice on the spot.

Anna had been wrong.

This wasn't bad.

This was catastrophic.

Because my grandfather? Not exactly the nicest person. Remember what my father had been like? Well, just think - he'd had to learn it from somewhere. And next to Grandfather, my father seemed warm and cuddly. Like sunshine and rainbows. Heck, Father was as friggin' teletubby by comparison to the man who'd raised him. Grandfather was cut from the same cloth as his brother, the Duke. The epitome of old fashioned and proper etiquette. The thing was, where the Duke was all bluster and tantrums, Grandfather just got quiet when he was angry. Like... really, really quiet. An ominous kind of quiet. A bone-chilling kind of quiet. Whenever Grandfather stopped talking, that's when I really got scared of the man.

No, scratch that. That was when I got petrified of the man.

So the fact that he was just staring down his nose at me right now, eyes narrowed, lips set into a grim, disapproving line, and not uttering a single word? Would have been enough to turn my hair stark white if it weren't pretty damn close already.

And to make matters worse? Mother and Father stood not five feet behind him looking rather unamused with me themselves.

Oh gosh, this wasn't going to be some pleasant, little family gathering.

This was going to be an execution. Mine, to be exact.

Gerda suddenly appeared off to one side, panting to catch her breath and making a hasty curtsy towards my parents and grandfather before announcing, "Elsa and her guest have arrived."

...thanks, Gerda. I think they figured that out already.

I watched as she turned and hurried to make her exit before reluctantly returning my gaze to Grandfather. Still, he said nothing. Just arched one bushy eyebrow at me and waited.

Oh fudge, he wanted me to be the first one to speak? Where do I even begin? What do I even say? Could I even talk right now? I don't think I could, not with how heavy my tongue suddenly felt, like it had turned into solid lead. What was I supposed to do here? How-

Suddenly, I felt it. A hand. Lea's hand, slipping across the small of my back and coming to rest on my hip, pulling me gently into his side. "Aren'tcha gonna introduce me, babe?" he asked, voice low and sugary-sweet as he grinned and pressed a kiss to my temple.

Grandfather's thick mustache gave a little twitch.

That's all it took for me to know. Not thirty seconds into this and there was absolutely zero doubt in my mind.

Before this weekend was out, Grandfather was going to murder Lea.

Inhaling and exhaling, I wrung my hands together and somehow figured out how to do this thing called 'talking' once again. "F-Father, you've already had the, uh… the pleasure, but Grandfather, Mother… this… this is…" I screwed my eyes shut, trying to steel myself.

Come on, Elsa, you can do this. Just one word. Just one measly, little word.

"This is my boooooo-" What was this? What was I doing here? "-oooooooooooooooo-" Why was I stretching the syllable out so friggin' long? What, had I gotten stuck? "-oooooooooooooo-" Dear god, how was there this much oxygen in my lungs? "-oooooooooo-" I didn't think there was even this much oxygen on the whole planet, much less inside my lungs. "-oooyyyyyyy-" Oh good. Progress. At this rate, I'd complete the word sometime this century. "-yyyyyyyyy-"

Anna, my divine saviour and blessed angel of mercy, jabbed her elbow into my gut.

"-friend!" I finished at last with a cough. "Boyfriend. This is my...my boyfriend. Yes. This is he. He is this." A beat. Then, "Lea! By the way. His name, that is. Yup. Lea the Boyfriend. My boyfriend. That's right, Lea is my boyfriend. My boyfriend is-"

"I think they get it, Sis," Anna hissed quietly out of the corner of her plastered-on smile.

Gee, I was getting so good at this whole lying thing, wasn't I?

"Pleased to meet ya, Gramps," Lea stretched out a hand towards him.

Grandfather didn't take it. Instead, he just stared long and hard at it. At the black nail polish and rings adorning it. Finally, he lifted his chin with a sniff and straightened his already ramrod posture even further. "That'll be Sir to you, young man."

"Oo, how formal. Whatever you say," he retracted his hand with a smirk, "Sir Gramps."

This had been a mistake, using Lea as my rent-a-boyfriend.

Actually… no, mistake would be an understatement. This was a powder keg and Lea was a goddamn burning match.

Pushing past my now rigidly stiff grandfather, Lea approached my parents next. "Pops, always a pleasure. Ma'am," he took my mother's hand in his to politely press his lips to the back of it, "lovely to make your acquaintance."

She looked slightly taken aback, blue eyes widening. However, Mother recovered quickly, delicately plucking her fingers from his grip to smooth at the tight bun her brown hair was currently up in before primly folding her hands together just below her waist. When she smiled, it was gracious but tight. "As it is yours," there was a briefest of pauses before she tacked on a hesitant, "Lea. Please, take a seat. Dinner should be ready shortly, but would anyone like a drink prepared while we wait?"

I was relieved to hear Lea answer with, "I'm good, thanks." Because a return of Wine Tipsy Lea was by far the very last thing this situation needed right now. As I declined as well, a quick look around brought to my attention the fact that we were the only two not partaking as it seemed the others had already started before we'd gotten here. Mother and Father were sipping at what looked to be some sort of dark red cabernet, while Anna retrieved her own glass and moved towards the mini bar to refill it - most likely with something sweet, fruity and potent enough to bring down an elephant, knowing her. On the low table around which all the seats gathered was a sturdy glass full of ice and an amber liquid. Probably Grandfather's. Probably bourbon.

I shifted over towards the sofa opposite the table from my parents and all three of us took a seat at the same time. Lea joined me soon after, slipping his arm around my shoulders as he flumped down into the cushions beside me. Grandfather, however, hadn't budged from where he stood since we'd entered the room. Not one inch. "Father," was all my father said to him - partially warning, partially pleading.

Grandfather's mustache twitched again and his left eye ticked. But then he moved to sit down in the armchair in front of the bourbon, snatching up the glass and sullenly nursing it.

Dear lord, this was a nightmare. No, this was Hell. That had to be it - I'd died and was now in my own little corner of the Underworld specifically designed and crafted to torture me in the cruelest way possible. I could already feel the stress burning an ulcer into my stomach and no amount of Lea's fingers lightly trailing up and down my arm would calm me down.

There was no point in putting it off, right? I should just do it now. Bring up the thing that was on all of our minds but no one was talking about. You know, the thing. The wedding thing… or rather, the whole lack of the wedding thing. I should just get this over with. Rip the bandaid off. Getting it all out in the open now had to be better than this. Anything had to be better than this… right?

Hands fidgeting furiously in my lap and this close to dislocating a finger, I licked my dry lips and managed to find my voice. "Perhaps now… we should discuss what exactly h-happened on… on my-"

"That is a topic that would be best saved for later," Father talked over me, his stern voice cutting me off. "Let us speak of other things right now."

My head rocked back at that, my forehead wrinkling. I flicked my gaze over to Grandfather briefly - who was still stewing quietly over his drink - then back to my parents. "But I thought-"

"Now's not the time, Elsa," Mother insisted firmly. "This is not a discussion that will be brief, nor will it be suitable to have over dinner. Besides, your father and I will have our hands full preparing for the party tomorrow evening, so this is a conversation that will just have to wait until the day after."

A frown tugged at my lips. "You're hosting a party?"

"For Grandfather's birthday," Anna plopped down onto the sofa beside me, freshened drink in hand. "Since, ya know, it's such a huge one. The big seven-oh. The whole family is going to be there to celebrate. And I mean, the whole family," she shot me a pointed look over the rim of her glass as she took a swig.

Oh. So that's what she'd meant earlier by "tomorrow people."

Why couldn't she have been this articulate when she'd greeted me at the door?

Mother added, "You are, of course, invited to attend the celebration as well, Lea. I know Father would be thrilled for you to join us."

Uh-huh. Sure. Grandfather looked positively pleased as punch over there at the very prospect.

"Sounds like a blast, count me in," Lea grinned.

Alright so… the birthday soirée would be tomorrow, then The Talk™ would be the day after. Roughly two days… forty-eight hours of waiting and worrying and dreading and- oh dear, I had to wonder what the world record for longest sustained panic attack might be. Start the timer, I was about to shatter that sucker.

A hush fell over the room, with the only sound coming from the clinking of the ice in Grandfather's drink accompanied by the ticking of the ancient but well-kept longcase clock in the corner. The ticking seemed to get louder with each passing second.

After one painfully long minute, Mother was finally the one to break the silence. "So Lea," she began, her eyes intent on him, "please… tell us a little about yourself."

"Where to even begin? Lessee here." Uh oh. I didn't like that little gleam he had in his eye as he rubbed a curled finger over his chin. "Well, I guess ya could say I had the kinda childhood every lil tyke dreams about: full of joy and love and the foster system." It was probably a good thing I hadn't gotten a drink because I'd probably be choking on it right now just like my parents were with theirs. "But I mean, with a druggie dad who bought the farm and a druggie mom who split outta my life first chance she got, where else was I s'posed to go?

"As for the rest after that, let's just give ya the highlights." Now he started ticking off his fingers, "College dropout. Ride a motorcycle. In a hardcore death metal band. Smoke ten packs a day." For the love of… he did remember the part about not giving my parents a heart attack, right? "Just got my thirty-day chip from AA - hey, fifth times a charm, right? Oh, I'm also a wanted felon in three different states. Wait…" he squinted one eye, pursing his lips to the left, "...make that four. Always forget about Connecticut. Which reminds me, I need to check in with my parole officer."

"He's joking!" I said quickly with a tiny, nervous laugh.

"Or am I?" he leaned forward in his seat to whisper conspiratorially, eyebrows bouncing. I pinched his arm, forcing a soft tch from him. "But let's not forget the most important thing ya need to know about me: how completely," he kissed my pinky, "and totally," another one for my ring finger, "head over heels," three more, one for each word and each remaining finger, "I am for your daughter."

Alright, you need to cool your jets, cheeks. This was all just part of the show, after all.

A show that was possibly being performed a bit too well. Grandfather's knuckles had gone so white around his glass, I was surprised the poor thing hadn't shattered into a million pieces yet.

Lea tapped his index to his lips now, "Hmmm, what else? Oh! Got a pretty cool story about this gnarly scar my half-brother gave me with a-"

"Anna!" I suddenly burst out, turning towards her at the same time I snagged Lea's hand, keeping him from lifting the hem of his shirt. She froze mid-sip, glancing at me out of the corner of her eyes. "What about you? What's new with you? You have that new boyfriend of yours, right? What about him, will he be joining us this weekend?"

Who me? Trying to change the subject? Psh, I would never!

She winced, averting her gaze and lowering her drink as she traced a finger around the rim. "Oh jeez, my…? Well... he, er… he was going to make it for dinner tonight but… something… unfortunately came up! But he should definitely be here in time for the party tomorrow, so… don't worry! Heh… I- oo, little cheeses!" she cried out excitedly as Gerda abruptly appeared once more to place a small platter of hors d'oeuvres on the coffee table. Anna immediately proceeded to stuff her face with them before pointing at her bulging cheeks and shaking her head, signaling she could no longer talk.

A crease formed between my eyebrows.

Huh… was it just me or was Anna acting kind of weird?

Maybe the tension around the room just had us all on edge, even her. Yeah, that was probably all it was.

"And you, Elsa?" Father's cool tone snapped my attention back to him. Each word that followed was slow and measured, as if he were picking them very carefully, "Tell us how you have been keeping yourself occupied during these past several weeks."

"Oh!" I gnawed on my lower lip, my fingers already tugging at my braid before I'd even realized it. "Well, I've… reconnected with an old friend - you remember Rayne from when I went to summer camp? Well she's married now with a baby on the way, can you imagine? And… and I've gotten myself a place to live and have found a job and-"

-and auditioned for a musical.

That was what I'd been about to tell them. However when I tried, the words got caught in my throat.

I knew they'd disapprove. That they'd probably scoff and wonder why I was still wasting my time on such childish, useless things. But it wasn't childish or useless, at least not to me. To me, the audition had been so important, had brought me so much happiness. I didn't want to give my parents the chance to belittle and ridicule it. I didn't want them to take this thing that was so special away from me.

So instead I released my braid and folded my hands in my lap, sitting up a little straighter as I simply said, "...and that's it really."

I could sense Lea's eyes on me. I think he knew what I'd purposely omitted. Thankfully, he kept his mouth shut about it.

"So… Lea…" Grandfather spoke up suddenly, his voice dangerously low and making me flinch. "I hear you're in the…" his lip curled in a slight sneer, "...pizza business? Is that right?"

Smirking back, he slouched a bit more comfortably into his seat. "That's right. I sling dough at a lil pizza joint in the local mall food court. Great place by the name of Pizza Planet… you ever been?"

His jaw clenched ever so slightly. "No, can't say that I have. But this... Pizza Planet," he said it like those were the two most offensive words in the english language, "...is that where you see yourself working for the rest of your life?"

Lea chuckled, his hand batting the air, "Nah, that'd just be silly! No, I won't be selling pizza forever." His mouth curved into a cheshire grin, "Instead I'll be selling ice cream."

"He plans to own his own business, Grandfather," I hastily clarified.

"His own business… selling ice cream," he growled, pointer finger incessantly tapping against his glass now. "And this is how you would plan to provide for and take care of my granddaughter."

"Pardon me, Sir Gramps," there was a hint of an edge to Lea's voice now, despite his unwavering smile, "but I was under the impression that your granddaughter was her own person fully capable of taking care of herself."

You know that chilling, goosebump-inducing, hackles-raising energy you can feel crackling in the air right before a devastating storm strikes and ravages the land?

That was exactly how it felt right now in the space between Grandfather and Lea.

Luckily, Gerda appeared in the nick of time to divert the tempest by announcing, "Dinner is ready!"

"Thank you, Gerda," Mother had stood in the blink of an eye and was already making her way over to Grandfather. "If you would be so kind as to escort me, Father?"

His hard, unblinking gaze was still on Lea and for a second it seemed like he hadn't even heard her. But at last he tore his eyes away with a harrumph and put his drink back down on the table with a sharp, audible clink. "Of course, my dear," he said evenly as he rose from his own chair, offering her his arm and leading her out of the room.

I turned to Anna, but before I could say anything she'd already bolted up and around the table to grab both of Father's hands in hers. "C'mon, Dad! Walk me to dinner too!" she yanked him up, startling a soft grunt out of him as he staggered to his feet. Then she was hooking her arm through his elbow and all but dragging him out of the room with her.

What the…?

...maybe Anna was just super hungry?

"I think that went really well!" Lea chirped, giving me a thumbs up.

I merely drooped my eyelids at him and said nothing.

Later that night found me in my old bedroom. I'd deduced this was where I was expected to sleep, seeing as how this was where Kai had deposited my luggage. As suspected, Lea had been set up in one of the guest rooms further down the hall, so it was just me alone in here now.

It felt odd being back in this room. Just like it'd felt odd returning to my parent's home or going back to my old condo. I don't know, I guess I just didn't feel like I... belonged here anymore. Like I was some piece that everyone else was trying to force into the wrong puzzle, even though my edges didn't fit and the picture didn't match at all.

Sighing, I shifted in my chair to face the mirror on my vanity once more - this one a lot nicer than the one we'd scrounged up for my room back at the apartment I shared with Rayne and Riku, as you might imagine. Having just finished combing out my hair, I set my brush aside and my fingers idly went to work on rebraiding as my thoughts began to wander.

Dinner had ended up just being the sequel to drinks in the Marigold Room. My parents had continued to try and maintain some semblance of being hospitable hosts while keeping up strained conversation. Grandfather had continued to be a seething ball of barely-held-in-check fury and I don't think he'd said more than two words for the rest of the evening. Lea had continued to… well, be Lea. And as for my sister…

I quite honestly had no idea what was going on with her. Maybe it was just my imagination but it seemed every time I'd tried to talk to her, something else had always gotten in the way. Like I'd open my mouth to speak but before I could so much as make a peep, she'd already engaged Mother or Father in some new topic. Or I'd ask her a question only to have her look at me, lips pursed shut against a mouth full of food and shoulders shrugging. There was even one time where all I'd said was her name before she'd accidentally knocked over her drink. At least, I thought it'd been accidental… unless...

Could it be that she was... purposely avoiding talking to me? Had I done something to upset her? I couldn't even begin to think what. Last I'd seen her a week ago, she'd been fine. Everything had been normal between us. What could have possibly changed since?

...maybe I was just reading too much into it. It was probably just a lot of coincidence and poor timing. In fact-

There was a knock at my door just then.

Ha! Bet you that was her now. See? Nothing to worry about, I'd just been overthinking it all. Tying off my completed braid, I rose to answer the door.

And indeed, it was a redhead that I found waiting in the corridor on the other side.

Just not the redhead I'd been expecting.

"Lea?" I frowned, both my eyebrows rising.

He snerked, "Yeesh, don't act too excited to see me."

"What? No, I'm- You're just not who I-" I pressed my lips shut, heaving a small sigh through my nose. "...nevermind. What brings you here?"

"Brought ya something," he grinned and for the first time, I realized he was hiding his hands behind his back. "May I come in?"

My head tipped to the right. "Uh...sure," I opened the door wider, my bare feet stepping off to one side as I absently smoothed at my dress - the same one from dinner. Lea had arrived just before I'd been about to change for bed.

He was still in his earlier clothes as well, though he'd left behind his boots and jacket. I couldn't help but notice he hadn't taken that cute little half-tail out of his hair yet. I also couldn't help but notice the way he carefully managed to keep whatever he had behind him out of sight, even as he walked past me into the room. I closed the door and when I faced him, he hunched down to my eye level, "Ya ready?"

I crossed one hand over my abdomen and gestured with the other for him to continue.

"Ta-da!" he brought one hand forward now, revealing a little black strip lined with sharp, metal points dangling from the clasp pinched between his fingertips.

That's right. It was the spiked collar.

...whatever I'd been expecting, it hadn't been this.

My eyes blinked once. Then twice. "...you were serious? You actually have one of those?"

"Course! What, didja think I was lying? I'm offended, madame," he hmphed, putting his free hand to his breast.

I snorted with a roll of my eyes, "Well no, not lying, but more so just joking."

"I never joke about studded leather," he waggled his eyebrows at me.

Nose crinkling, I delicately poked a finger into one of the spikes. "Alright, so why exactly are you showing me this?"

Lea smirked and shrugged. "Your curiosity just seemed so piqued when I mentioned it earlier."

I gave him a flat look. "It was not piqued."

"Keep telling yourself that," he chuckled then paused, eyes crinkling. "...so you wanted to know what it looked like on me, right?"

Cheeks lightly toasted now, I scowled, "I never said-"

He wrapped the thing around his neck, holding it in place with a hand instead of fastening the tiny buckle in back.

Oh.

Oh, I see.

...it was, um… hrm, it was… interesting.

Damn it, face, be cool. That goes double for you, heart! Don't go thinking I can't hear that racket you're making down there!

"Well, I guess that's one mystery solved," was all I said as I glanced away, hand coming up to cover one cheek in a vain attempt to hide the growing blush.

"Glad I could be of service," he murmured as he (mercifully) removed the collar from his throat once more.

"...why do you even own one?" I asked, hesitantly reaching for the accessory now.

He let me take it from him. "Just a relic from my pissed-off, rebellious juvenile delinquent days that I managed to dig up again recently. What a punkass lil poser I was back then, huh?" he hummed a tiny laugh as he looked down at his feet, lightly scuffing one against the carpet.

Intrigued by it now, I turned it over in my hands as he spoke before taking it over to the mirror on my vanity. "I suppose we all try to find different ways to express ourselves when we're young. Just a part of growing up and figuring out who we are," I said distractedly as I watched my reflection bring the choker up to encircle her neck, tilting her head slightly to the left with a thoughtful frown.

"Well I guess that'd make me a-" whatever quip he'd had locked and loaded was forever lost as he made a sudden strangled, choking noise.

I looked over at him sharply, brow furrowing as I lowered the spiked collar once more. "You okay? What happened?"

His fist thumped his chest as he fought for breath, which was making his face red. "N-nothing," he wheezed, rapidly shaking his head. "Just oxygen, man. That shit'll kill ya, am I right? Heh."

I squinted at him dubiously.

Lea was such a weirdo sometimes.

He averted his gaze now, rubbing at the back of his neck. "You, uh… that choker looked good on ya. Like really, really good."

"You think so?" I frowned down at where it rested in my palm before holding it out to him, "I'll just have to take your word for it."

"Keep it," he grinned, pushing my hand back towards me. "Ya never know when you'll need one for an impromptu angry goth phase."

I smiled at that, "I think I'm in the clear. Isn't that more of a teenager thing?"

"Please. Angry goth isn't an age, it's a state of mind."

"If you say so," I snorted, but put the choker down on my vanity. I had to wonder what my parents might say if they ever discovered it in here with the rest of my things.

"So," he piped up once more, pulling my attention back to him, "this is the bedroom that sweet lil El grew up in, huh?"

As I watched Lea take a few steps further in now, it suddenly occurred to me... this was the first time a boy had ever been in my bedroom. And not just any boy - this was my crush.

Wow… it felt so highschool when I put it that way.

To be fair though, this wasn't an experience I'd ever got to have while I was actually in highschool.

Better late than never, I suppose?

I only wish it didn't make me want to squirm so much as his eyes roved over everything in here, from the big, purple, gauzy canopy bed to the embellished, oversized wardrobe and matching dresser set. From the cushy, inset bench beneath a grand window in the unique shape of a triangle to the tall, antique shelves of neatly arranged novels and DVD cases of old musicals and plays. From the small sitting area in one corner furnished with plush red chairs to the vintage Broadway posters hanging from the walls in expensive frames.

The room was not small by any means, but him being in it somehow seemed to make it shrink. Like here was this big guy that had somehow found his way into a cutesy little dollhouse room. The comparison did not make me want to fidget any less.

Trying to take my mind off it, I began, "So… earlier at drinks and dinner, did you really have to be so…" I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to find the right word. "...just so, ah…"

"So much of a grade-A jackass?" he suggested brightly. Not exactly the word I would have used, but still, I gave a slow nod and he laughed. "Remember, the whole point was for me to be a total hooligan so they didn't just think me some pushover they could boss around or scare off. Think they got that message loud and clear. 'Sides, pushing every last button of the girlfriend's folks is kinda a hallmark of being a classic bad boy."

My fingers found their way to my braid, running up and down it. "But there's a big difference between pushing a few buttons and having a deathwish."

"Aw, how sweet, you worried about lil ol' me, El?" He paused briefly in his casual perusal of my room to glance my way, flashing me that cursed dimple of his, "I'm so flattered."

I shook my head, "I just think you didn't have to go to such extremes or be quite so-"

"Gotta question for ya," he interjected, coming over to stand in front of me. "Say I had showed up on my very best behavior. The perfect gentleman, minded all my P's and Q's and was just the saintliest boyfriend to ever saint. Do you think your family would be singing my praises right about now?"

My eyes shifted about and I tried weakly, "...well… maybe if-"

"Do you truly, honestly believe that your family would ever accept a white trash lil nobody like me dating their precious princess of a daughter?" he pressed quietly yet firmly.

I tucked in my lower lip, hesitating for a long moment before a tiny grimace twisted my face and I mumbled, "Probably not, no."

Lea gave a little smile that almost seemed a touch sad before he turned away once more, returning his attention to exploring the bedroom. "Thought so. I was screwed the second I so much as dared to breathe the same air as your gramps. So if they're all gonna hate my guts whether I play the part of boy scout or hoodlum, might as well go with door numeros dos and at least have some fun while I'm at it," he chuckled.

"Fine, I see your point," I crossed my arms with a frown. "But still, you might want to tone it back just a smidge. Grandfather has munny and connections. He can seriously make you disappear."

A snerk. "I'd like to see him try. I'm one tough son of a bitch to get rid of," he muttered as he neared my bed now, reaching out a hand to poke some of the draping aside as he peeked in, "Trust me, no one axes me that easily, got it memorized? He's in for one rude awakening if he thinks he can just- gah!" he stumbled back in surprise, blinking a couple times before shifting the canopy again for a second look. "The fuck is that ugly lil bastard?!"

I rushed over, snatching up the stuffed plushie sitting atop my neatly made bed and hugging it close as I glared at Lea. "It's a snowman and shush, he's cute! Cuter than you anyway!"

His horrified gaze darted from me to the doll and back. "Dear god, I hope not!"

Sitting down on my mattress, I spun the little guy around in my lap for a better look at him - it'd probably been at least four-some-odd years since I'd last seen the plush, after all. And okay, sure, I could admit he probably wouldn't be winning any beauty contests any time soon, but give the poor, stuffed snowman a break! I had had him since I was a baby and he had had to endure more than one stitch repair job, especially with what a destructive little toddler Anna had been. Despite all that, I still thought him rather handsome with a unique, quirky charm to him.

Giving Lea a flat look and hitching my chin, I said dryly, "My statement stands."

"Wow, guess it's true what they say, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder," he grumbled, narrowing his gaze on the plushie as I snuggled it close to me once more. But then one corner of his lips quirked up and he bowed down to look me in the eye, tipping his head to one side as he murmured, "Hope I at least rate a close second."

Resident cheeks be advised: flash fire warnings are now in effect.

I held my tongue and just glanced away.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he straightened back up and shoved his hands into his pockets. "So… about that big party tomorrow…"

Thank goodness, a new topic! "What about it?"

Shrugging, Lea said, "Just wanna know what to expect."

My fingers idly stroked at the snowman's head - the fabric still felt soft after all these years, even if it had taken on more of a dull gray color by now as opposed to its original pristine, snowy white. "Well… it'll probably be held in our ballroom-"

"This small palace has a freaking ballroom too?" He shook his head with a snort, "I was kidding before, but this place really is just one big damn Clue board."

Rolling my eyes, I continued, "And it'll probably be packed with all our relatives. Believe me, there are a lot of us on both sides of the family. Acquaintances too. Honestly, it'll most likely all be rather boring. Just a whole lot of mingling, maybe a speech or two, and an over abundance of food accompanied by music."

"Music…" he repeated, frowning up at the ceiling now as one hand went to the nape of his neck, tugging at the little hairs there. "So that mean there'll be dancing? Like… the fancy kind?"

I cocked my head at him. "Are you worried about having to waltz?" Resting my stuffed doll against my pillows, I stood up, "I can teach you if you'd like."

He blinked at me, expression unreadable. Then, "Alright."

I stepped over to stand before him. Now that I got close, I was reminded of just how freakishly tall the man was. My stomach did a little somersault at that and I was already regretting this decision. But it was too late to turn back now. Beating the blush back, locking it up and throwing away the key, I schooled my face into seriousness.

I was going to handle this like a professional, damnit!

"It's fairly simple really, and you've probably seen more than your fair share of it in those sappy movies you like so much. Our hands come together, like this," I joined my right with his left, holding them up to one side. "While your other hand goes…" gingerly taking his wrist in my grasp, I tentatively guided his palm to rest on my hip, hoping the action didn't seem as awkward as it had felt, "...right there." Finally, I settled my left hand on his shoulder and looked up the few inches that separated us.

Big mistake.

Jeez, having eyes as green and beautiful and heart spasm-inducing as his should've been illegal!

And being surrounded by his warm, cinnamony boy scent was not helping matters one bit.

I hastily broke eye contact, opting to look down at our toes instead. Toes are nice. Toes are safe. "It's, uh... it's very easy. You just take steps in the shape of a square. Watch my feet and follow along, I'll go slow. Forward with your left foot first," I took a step back and he moved with me, "then to the side with your right… now bring them together… Good. Then back with your right… out with your left… and together again." I took him through it a few more times without issue. "See? Simple. You're already getting the hang of it."

"I just must have a really good teacher," he said in a low hum.

"At this rate I'll soon be the one following your lead instead of… wait," my forehead wrinkled, "...you are already leading." I looked up at him suspiciously. "Did you already know how to ballroom dance?"

He smiled sheepishly, "Heh… guilty?"

"You brat, why did you tell me you didn't?" I laughed, trying to step away from him.

"I said no such thing," his hand shifted from my hip to the small of my back, not letting me escape. To be fair, I didn't try that hard. "You just assumed I didn't know how. And you know what they say when you assume," he teased as he continued to lead me in our little dance.

I scoffed in spite of the upward tug I felt at one side of my mouth. "Where did you even learn to waltz?"

"My lil secret," Lea winked. "But you know the deal. I'd be willing to give it up for one o' yours."

"You want me to give you a secret?" My eyes darted to the left. "I'm not sure I even have anymore…"

He snerked, pulling me ever so slightly closer to him. "Now I know I don't believe that. You must be able to think of at least one."

...actually yes. There was… at least one more I could think of…

That of certain feelings I was having for a certain redhead.

Sensing a small, familiar heat creeping up into my face, I cleared my throat and shook my head, still not meeting his gaze. "No… no I don't think so. Pretty sure I'm all tapped out."

He dipped his head down next to mine and I could feel him smirking against my ear as he whispered, "You wouldn't be lying to me now, would you?"

His warm breath tickled and I had to suppress a shiver. Conceal, don't feel. Don't let him know. I finally looked at him with a small, playful smile that I hoped didn't betray my hammering heart. "Come now… does this look like the face of someone who'd lie to you?"

Lea bit back a tiny, crooked grin as his eyes hooded, his thumb tracing small circles against the fabric of my dress. Then his lips parted, about to speak.

That was when, for the second time that night, a knock came at my door.

That must be Anna. Smile widening as I continued to stare up at Lea, I called out, "Come in."

I heard it open followed by a soft, "Oh!" that caused me to pale and my feet to stumble.

That wasn't the sound of my sister's voice.

My head whipped towards it as I stammered, "M-Mother!" This time when I attempted to break free of Lea's hold, he let me.

She stood there, posture perfect and hands clasped together in front of her. "Sorry, I didn't think you already had company."

"S'okay, I was just leaving," Lea said before pressing a tender kiss to my forehead. "Night," he told me, voice low as his fingers tucked some of my hair behind my ears. Apparently, he couldn't just depart without giving me one final whammy of the warm fuzzies. Jerkface. "Ma'am," he nodded to my mother as he walked past her towards my door, closing it behind him on his way out.

My gaze followed his exit before drifting over to my vanity right beside the door.

More specifically, to the spiked collar still resting on top of it.

Fudge. Had I wondered what my parents' reaction would be if they ever discovered it in here? Yes. Did I particularly need to find out the answer to that little question this very night? Hell no!

Luckily Mother hadn't seemed to notice it on her way in and her back was currently to it as she said, "That young man is… quite the character."

Funny. That's what Father had said. Almost verbatim. I wondered if my parents rehearsed these things.

"He, uh…" I sidled past her, putting myself between her and the choker, blocking her line of sight to it. Then I forced an innocent smile and a weak chuckle, "...he makes me happy."

If she thought my movements strange, she was good at hiding it. "And he seems very fond of you."

"Ah… yes, I suppose so." I casually leaned back against the piece of furniture and slipped a hand behind me, discreetly moving the offending item into one of the vanity's small drawers.

Whew! Mission Hide The Goth Contraband was a success!

The small feeling of victory swiftly waned however and I frowned. "Mother, I…" I began, only to find I had no idea what to say to her.

I hadn't had any idea for years now.

It had not always not always been like this. In fact when I'd been very little, I'd felt like I could share anything and everything with her. She'd been my biggest supporter in all things, especially in my love of the performing arts. As I'd always been such a shy child, she'd gone so far as to even encourage the activity, perhaps in the hopes that it would build my confidence and make me more outgoing.

But as I'd grown older, our relationship had changed. She became more aloof and distant. I suspect she and Father had hoped my interest in theater was just a phase, one I'd grow out of eventually. But when it seemed I wasn't going to - not on my own anyway - she'd started taking a sterner approach with me. That's when she stopped being my friend. That's when it became harder to talk to her. And it'd only gotten harder and harder with time. Things were never quite the same between us after that.

She watched me now, patient for me to continue. Worrying my bottom lip between my teeth, I finally settled on, "Why are you here?"

"I would think the answer should be obvious." Her small, gentle smile caught me off guard, but not nearly as much as her now stepping forward to take both my hands in hers. "I wanted a little time alone with my daughter. Away from your father and grandfather... just the two of us."

My breath hitched, my chest constricted, and before I knew it I was blurting out, "I auditioned for a musical."

Her head reeled back slightly and I winced.

Welp. So much for not letting that cat out of the bag.

I swear, mouth, I can't take you anywhere.

Waiting with bated breath, I searched her wide-eyed gaze for any clue as to what she might be thinking. Was she angry? Annoyed? Disappointed? I couldn't tell as her face gave away nothing for several long seconds. Finally though, she tipped her head to one side, "...did it go well?"

I blinked, a crease emerging between my eyebrows. "I, uh… yes, I think it did. But they won't announce casting until next week."

"I see. Well," and here she was smiling again as she leaned in closer to whisper, "we can just keep that our little secret, hm?"

...who was this woman and what had she done with Mother?

I stared at her before slowly nodding. It was all I could do. Words abandoned me at the moment. I hadn't been prepared at all for this.

And I was even less prepared for what came next.

Mother's gaze softened as she brought her hand up, cupping her cool fingers to my cheek. "That must have taken a lot of courage. I'm very proud of you."

My throat tightened and I swallowed past the lump I felt forming in it. I blinked away some tears, my voice hoarse as I somehow managed to get out, "Th-thank you… Mother."

Had I entered some sort of Twilight Zone? If so, I never wanted to leave.

She regarded me kindly for a second more before her expression turned to that of concern. "You look tired. Have you been sleeping well?"

Honestly, I hadn't. The last good night's rest I'd had was the unplanned sleepover in Lea's room. Every night since then was one night closer and closer to this weekend and whatever unspeakable horrors awaited me. Every night had been less and less dreams, replaced by more and more tossing and turning. I'd actually spent all of last night wide awake, just staring up at my ceiling until the sun had at last arisen.

So, naturally, my answer to Mother was, "Yes."

Her quiet tsk said she didn't believe me. "Come here," she turned away, walking towards my bed and lowering herself down onto it. I hugged myself, feet rooted to the spot as I stared after her, bewildered. Sitting back against my pillows and tucking in her legs, her hand patted the spot on the mattress beside her, "Cuddle close, scooch in."

Instantly I was transported back to when I was a little girl. Back to the last time I'd heard her say those words to me. My response was automatic and before I'd realized it, I'd already curled into her side and was resting my head against her shoulder.

She started humming a familiar lullaby. One she had used to sing for me all the time when I was small. It was from my favorite musical, the same one that the song I'd sang in the tryouts had been from.

This was nice. It wouldn't put me to sleep, but still, it was... nice. Comforting. Nostalgic. Her hand was lightly stroking my arm, my hair, my cheek. Then she was trailing the tip of her pinky down the bridge of my nose slowly before bringing it back up to do it again. An old trick she'd used to use to get me to pass out. Cute. That may have worked when I was a child, but I was an adult now. There's no way it could still possibly have the same effect on me now, not in a million-

Within minutes I was out like a light.

Author's Note: Ah, it's finally here! The dreaded weekend with (dun dun dun)… The Parents (TM)! Elsa's spent most of the story in Lea's KH universe, now it's his turn to spend a few chapters in her Frozen world xP Let me tell you, when I was writing outline notes for this whole story, I had very little planned for this arc at first. I had a smattering of a few vague ideas, but hardly enough to fill even so much as one chapter with! But thankfully, Frozen 2 was released, coming to my rescue and giving me a whole new host of Frozen characters to include xD Then the ideas started flowing, thank goodness! Soooooo, more F2 characters to be introduced in the chapters to come! Fun Fact: Elsa's dress this chapter (complete with lil necklace) is loosely based on the dress she wears at the beginning of F2 for the Some Things Never Change song, just picture it shorter (cuz apparently I just want to do that to all her dresses) and with a maybe slightly poofier skirt.

Next chapter, what new trial and tribulations does The Weekend (capital T, capital W) hold in store for our couple? Is there something up with Anna or she just being her normal oddball self? Was there a reason behind Mother's unexpected show of affection? Will there be trouble brewing at Gramps' bday shindig? Just who REALLY is the cuter cutie to ever cute: Lea or Elsa's wonky snowman plushie? Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

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[anomalytm-archive]

INSIDE  THE  QUINJET,  ON  THEIR  WAY  TO  THE  HELICARRIER

to  her  and  steve,  the  last  time  they  were  in  the  air  like  this  was  just  before  they’d  crashed  into  the  ocean.  thankfully,  for  her,  there  were  enough  differences  that  she  could  easily  separate  the  experiences  from  one  another,  allowing  her  to  focus  on  the  present  instead  of  the  past.  or  at  least,  the  more  recent  past,  she  presumed,  watching  a  datapad  show  video  footage  of  the  hulk.

                    ❛  so,  this  doctor  banner  was  trying  to  replicate  the  serum  that  was  used  on  me?  ❜

                       ❛  a  lot  of  people  were.  you  were  the  worlds  first  superhero.  banner  thought  gamma  radiation  might  hold  the  key  to  unlocking  erskine’s  original  formula.  ❜

jenny  winced,  as  the  hulk  tore  a  jeep  apart  on  screen.  for a  moment  she  had  to  wonder  how  painful  the  transition  was,  from  man  to  ―  angry  and  green.  ❛  unfortunately  it  seems  he  didn't  quite  get  the  results  he  was  looking  for.  ❜

                       ❛  not  so  much.  when  he's  not  that  thing  though,  guy's  like  a  stephen  hawking.  ❜  she  and  steve  shared  a  look  of  confusion,  and  she  was  about  to  speak  up  when  coulson  realized  they  had  no  idea  who  he  was  talking  about.  ❛  he's  like  a  smart  person.  i  gotta  say,  it's  an  honor  to  meet  you,  officially.  i  sort  of  met  you,  i  mean,  i  watched  you  while  you  were  sleeping.  ❜

a  small  chuckle  escapes  her,  even  as  steve  stands  up  and  moves  to  the  side  of  the  aircraft.  she'd  never  had  any  . . .  envy  of  the  captain  for  his  fame  after  he  went  in  the  ice.  even  learning  most  didn't  remember  her,  except  for  those  she  had  worked  with  closely.  and  while  she  hadn't  visited  the  exhibit  for  the  howling  commandos  yet,  she  had  been  informed  that  she  had  been  included  in  it.

                         ❛  i  mean,  i  was  . . .  i  was  present  while  you  were  unconscious  from  the  ice.  you  know,  it's  really,  it's  just  a  huge  honor  to  have  you  on  board.  ❜

                         ❛  well,  i  hope  we're  the  one  for  the  job.  ❜

                         ❛  oh,  you  are.  absolutely.  uh  . . .  we've  made  some  modifications  to  the  uniform.  i  had  a  little  design  input.  ❜

❛  oh  so  we're  going  old  school?  back  to  the  stars  and  stripes?  please  tell  me  it's  just  for  him,  i  know  i  wore  the  chorus  girl  outfit  on  one  mission,  but  i'd  much  rather  something  a  bit  more  protective  this  time.  ❜

                         ❛  aren't  the  stars  and  stripes  a  little  . . .  old  fashioned?  ❜

                         ❛  with  everything  that's  happening,  the  things  that  are  about  to  come  to  light,  people  might  just  need  a  little  old  fashioned.  ❜

steve  seemed  to  think  on  this,  and  jenny  shrugged.  ❛  makes  them  feel  secure.  gives  them  something  that  hasn't  changed  that  they  can  trust  and  rely  on  when  everything  goes  to  shit  around  them.  ❜  she  can  feel  steve  and  coulson  looking  at  her,  and  so  she  looks  up  from  the  screen  she  had  still  been  watching.  ❛  it's  basic  psychology.  ❜

the  quinjet  lands  down  a  massive  battleship  known  as  the  helicarrier.  it  has  two  runways.  one  with  direct  access to  a  hanger  at  the  rear,  which  is  aligned  along  the  spine  of  the  vessel.  agent  coulson,  steve,  and  jenny  walk  down  the  ramp,  meeting  up  with  natasha.

                         ❛  agent  romanoff.  captain  rogers,  and  ms.  smith.  ❜

❛  oh,  please  no.  just  call  me  jenny.  ❜

                         ❛  ma'am?  ❜

                         ❛  hi.  ❜  she  looks  over  at  coulson.  ❛  they  need  you  on  the  bridge.  they're  starting  the  face  trace.  ❜

                         ❛  see  you  there.  ❜  coulson  walks  away,  and  the  trio  walk  towards  the  railing  of  the  helicarrier.

                         ❛  it  was  quite  the  buzz  around  here,  finding  you  in  the  ice.  finding  the  two  of  you,  even.  i  thought  coulson  was  gonna  swoon.  did  he  ask  you  to  sign  his  captain  america  trading  cards  yet?  ❜

                         ❛  trading  cards?  ❜

❛  huh,  he  has  trading  cards  now.  neat.  ❜

                         ❛  they're  vintage.  he's  very  proud.  ❜

she  nods,  glancing  around  the  craft  only  to  see  dr  bruce  banner  walking  around,  trying  to  stay  out  of  the  way.  steve  walks  up  to  him  and  they  shake  hands,  jenny  not  far  behind.

                         ❛  dr.  banner.  ❜

                         ❛  oh,  yeah.  hi.  they  told  me  you'd  both  be  coming.  ❜  banner  replies,  and  jenny  has  to  force  herself  to  wait  just  a  little  bit  before  interrupting.

                         ❛  word  is  you  can  find  the  cube.  ❜

                         ❛  is  that  the  only  word  on  me?  ❜

                         ❛  only  word  i  care  about.  ❜

❛  well  it's  not  the  only  word  i  care  about.  you  have,  what  is  it,  seven  phds?  i  read  all  of  your  thesis  papers  last  night,  your  work  in  gamma  radiation  and  anti  electron  collisions  is  . . .  for  this  time  period,  it's  genius.  ❜

                         ❛  for  this  time  ―  wait,  you  read  them  all  last  night?  ❜

❛  i'm  sort  of  what  you'd  call  a  fast  reader.  ❜

                         ❛  it  must  be  strange  for  you.  all  of  this.  ❜

                         steve  looks  of  to  where  a  group  of  men  in  training  are  running.  ❛  well,  this  is  actually  kind  of  familiar.  ❜

❛  i've  seen  stranger.  ❜

                         natasha  interrupts  their  conversation,  gesturing  to  the  ship  around  them.  ❛  we  might  want  to  step  inside  in  a  minute.  it's  gonna  get  a  little  hard  to  breath.  ❜

                         ❛  is  this  a  submarine?  '

                         ❛  really?  they  want  me  in  a  submerged,  pressurized  metal  container?  ❜

❛  submarine  doesn't  make  sense  though,  not  with  them  just  strapping  down  the  quinjets  . . .   ❜  she  trails  off,  as  they  all move  closer  to  the  edge  of  the  ship.  that  is  when  the  engines  lift  into  place,  and  jenny  quietly  grins  at  the  sight.  ❛  this  is  bloody  brilliant.  ❜

                         ❛  oh,  no.  this  is  so  much  worse.  ❜

they  quickly  follow  natasha  into  the  ship  (  although  jenny  is  rather  tempted  for  a  moment  to  stay  outside,  just  to  see  how  it  feels.  ),  and  she  raises  an  eyebrow  at  the  bridge.  nice.  after  a  moment  however,  she  can  see  steve  pulling  his  wallet  out,  and  the  time  lady  walks  behind  him,  plucking  the  ten  dollar  bill  that  he  was  about  to  hand  fury  out  of  his  hands.  ❛  he  owes  this  to  me.  i'm  not  surprised.  interested  yes,  maybe  even  a  little  impressed,  but  it's  going  to  take  a  lot  more  to  surprise  me.  ❜

and  with  that  she  moves  to  lean  against  a  wall,  out  of  peoples  way  but  able  to  observe  them  as  they  work.  dr  banner  is  escorted  to  his  lab,  and  for  now  all  there  is  to  do  is  wait.