#it's why it always takes me months to reply to syd :(

[wishmcker]

i hope people know that i'm not, like, actively avoiding writing action scenes so to speak. i am genuinely just shit at writing them so they intimidate me and i get all weird, haha.

i genuinely just look like this meme for days on end.

[jnginlov]

i love you, again

your boyfriend has a bit of an endearing habit when he gets drunk and after a stressful day you couldn’t be happier to hear it

⇀ pairing s.coups x reader

⇀ genre fluff, slight hurt/comfort (but just the comfort)

⇀ style one-shot/blurb

⇀ word count 1.6k

⇀ warnings drinking (reader has wine, cheol is drunk), talk of being stressed, food, so sickly sweet

⇀ reactions from the gc “You love me so much🥹this was perfect”

note i wrote this MONTHS ago for syd and i guess myself cause i had the shittiest week known to man (ignore the formatting idk why i was writing with capitalization bleh)

Seungcheol wasn’t known to be a lightweight, especially compared to some of his other band mates, but there were certainly times when he’d gotten past the point of making sense. You predicted that tonight might be one of those when he’d texted you that he and the boys were all going out to celebrate the end of their incredibly successful promotions for their latest comeback. Usually he might invite you to tag along, as many of the members enjoyed bringing their partner along, but he knew you’d had a tough day, the kind only recovered from by alone time, so he had let you know where they were all going and that he’d probably be home a bit late, and you were honestly a bit thankful that you would have the entire apartment to yourself for the next few hours at least. You loved your boyfriend, but honestly if you had to interact with another person face-to-face for very much longer before you had your personal decompression time, you might just break down.

So, when you get home you move as slowly as you feel like, pouring yourself a glass of wine, running a bath with your favorite bubble mix, that you remind yourself to thank your boyfriend for restocking earlier in the week, and ordering your favorite comfort food to be delivered just before your skin would start to wrinkle in the water. Once you’ve settled onto the couch with your food and pulled up your favorite movie you can already feel that most of the day has melted off your shoulders.

As the movie ends you check your phone for the first time since you've gotten home, there are a few notifications from your friends and a couple messages from Jeonghan. You two are certainly friends but he’s not really a casual texter so you’re slightly confused until you notice the images he’d attached.

The first picture is just Seungcheol, a candid of him laughing at something one of the other boys must of done or said. He was always better at taking those aesthetic boyfriend pictures of Cheol than you were, but you like to blame it on the years of practice he had before you even knew either of them. The second picture is obviously from later in the night, and you notice that it was only sent a few minutes ago. There are several empty glasses in front of your boyfriend, and you can spot at least three empty soju bottles, but most notably he is very cutely posing for the camera, a blush dusting his cheeks as he pouts his lips.

You giggle as you reply to Jeonghan with a quick and simple laughing emoji before you place your phone back next to you on the couch and set up for your second movie of the night. You don’t feel a buzz next to you for the entire first act of the film, Jeonghan often not responding unless he has something else to say, but just as the main character is starting to reach the peak of their conflict your phone lights up with a call from your likely very drunk boyfriend.

You answer as soon as the movie is paused, smiling gently as you say, “Hi Cheolie.”

You hear his muffled giggle on the other side of the line before he replies with a drawn out, “Hiiii.”

“What’s up?” you ask, knowing that he must have called you for a reason.

He giggles again, although this time he forgets to cover the microphone and you can hear the tinkle of his laugh as clearly as your phone speaker will allow. His giggles always had the same effect on you, feeling light stream between your ribs as butterflies brush against your stomach. Instantly the rest of the tension you’d been holding in your body seems to melt away, swallowed by the love struck smile your boyfriend has to be wearing on his face based on the way his next few words come out.

“Hmm, I want to tell you something.” He says it lightly and you’re starting to realize how gone he must be. You can faintly hear the muffled sounds of the bar he’d been at for the past several hours but you figure he must have stepped out of the main room, if not all the way outside, because the background sounds don’t cover his words at all. “Can I tell you something?”

“You know you can tell me anything,” you reply quickly, telling the truth even though you’re familiar with the secret he’s about to spill.

Every few months, once your boyfriend has gotten sufficiently inebriated, his memory will seem to fail him and he will forget how far you’d gotten into your relationship. This means that wherever he is, whatever he is doing he will suddenly have a burst of longing for you and will need to “tell you something”. This something is always along the lines of how much he loves you but he will treat this fact, that you already know and had probably heard him tell you at least five times that day alone, as though it’s a new confession. The other boys think it’s funny but you find it adorable that the man you love returns your feelings so strongly that he basically can’t keep them to himself even if he’s not sure you two are even in a relationship.

You hear Seungcheol take a deep breath through the phone before he says, “Okay but it’s really important.”

You chuckle lightly in admiration and try to control your smile as you reply. “Would you rather do it in person?” you ask, never having this happen with him over the phone. Usually this would happen when you were together drinking, so although you’d had a glass of wine earlier you were certainly more sober than you’d been any other time he’d done this.

“No!” he practically shouts in response. “I’m too nervous,” he responds quietly, although his words are slurring together and so you almost don’t hear him.

“Okay,” you say fondly, your own smile no longer able to be fought off by your self control. “I’m listening,” you reassure him as another chuckle slips past your lips.

He takes a pause and you almost wonder if he’s going to not say it. Maybe you misread the situation and he is actually telling you something that you’d rather hear in person. You feel a bubble of doubt form in the bottom of your stomach, itching with nerves as you wait for your boyfriend to stumble through his next words.

As soon as he’s opened his mouth you feel that bubble pop and the itching is replaced with warmth as he, as clearly as he can with all the alcohol running through his system, says, “I love you.” It’s a firm statement, said with the tone of a fact but the way you can practically feel Seungcheol’s tension radiating through the phone almost makes it feel like a question.

“I love you too,” your reply rolling off your tongue as easy as every time you say it to him but never losing any of the tenderness you hold for your lover.

Seungcheol suddenly releases a breath on the other end of the line and you can almost hear his lips stretch into the loving smile he always gives you after hearing those words.

The next few moments are filled with comfortable silence and you’re almost afraid to break it before you ask, “When are you coming home?”

This seems to almost bring him back for a moment as he must be remembering that, not only is this not the first time he’s told you he loves you but, he shares an apartment with you, where he gets to go to bed with you every night and wake up to you every morning. You’re patient as you wait for him to catch up and you almost feel bad for ruining his romantic alcohol related fantasy until he has suddenly come back to reality.

“Right now,” he says with an urgency, and you can hear him open the door that had separated him from the commotion of the main room. “I want to hold you,” he adds as a sort of explanation and you faintly hear the sounds of Jeonghan calling your boyfriend’s name.

“I’m all yours,” you reply with a light giggle, shaking your head as you get up to move to the bed, turning off your forgotten movie and packing your leftovers for the fridge.

“Wow,” he breaths out faintly in disbelief causing you to let out another giggle.

“I love you,” you remind him, partly just to hear him sigh in that lovestruck way he does when he’s in this mood. “I’ll see you soon, baby,” you add and you can hear him drop something or bump into something as all the other boys groan at him and you laugh.

“I love you too, bye,” he says quickly as you can hear the boys starting to hound him about what he’s doing before he hangs up.

As you bring the phone away from your ear you notice how different you feel from when you first got home and even from just before your boyfriend called you. The stress from your day had dissipated almost completely and you almost forgot that you’d originally wanted to spend your night alone. So as you get comfortable in bed, and wait for your sweet Cheol to join you, you make a mental note to allow yourself to enjoy your boyfriend’s healing energy when you might feel like isolating again.

↼ misc masterlist

[elliesflower]

i saw you in a dream [4]

chapter 3 here

summary; you finally take your anticipated final

chapter; 4/? 2.6k words

cw (per chapter); recreational marijuana usage, language

an; *peaks out from behind the curtain* hey lol

thank y'all so much for bearing with me, i know it's been over a month since the last chapter and i'm gonna try real hard not to let that happen again. just a genuine, sincere thank you to every single one of you who have reblogged or liked this story, given kudos on AO3, messaged me, sent anonymous asks, all of it. you all make my heart swell, thank you for supporting my works and loving this story. i love you all endlessly <3

okay enough sappy syd, on to the story! (as always, find it on AO3 here)

Okay. You have her number now. That was the easy part, and you didn’t even have to work for it. She just gave it to you. Which must mean she wants you to have it…right? There’s no other logical explanation as to why she’d email you if she didn't care. But now, the hard part was actually formulating a response—which you couldn’t do if you just stared at the screen. 

And, there was another facet—you actually had to attend your final before you could let Ellie know how it went. But, should you respond anyways, just to let her know you got the email? For fucks sake, its the twenty-first century, of course she knows you got her email. But maybe, you should just reply anyway, and let her know you were planning on texting her? Your finger hesitated over the touchpad of your computer, cursor tauntingly hovering over the reply button at the top of the screen.

God, maybe-kinda-sorta liking someone is annoying.

“Don’t you have a final to go to?” Dina suddenly raised her voice, snapping you out of your thoughts. You glanced up at the time on your computer and realized you were running a bit behind. 

“Shit,” you mumbled under your breath, quickly closing your laptop and rising from your seat. The music stopped abruptly as you turned around to face Dina, who was now watching videos on her phone. Even at the risk of being late, you had to tell her about the message. 

“Dee, you’ll never guess who just emailed me,” you said, words coming out rushed and giddy. She sat up quickly at your tone, leaning over the railing of her bunk to give you her full attention. 

“Oh my god--wait, let me guess,” she replied excitedly. “The Queen of Sheba?!”

You resisted the urge to step forward and flick her in the forehead, instead opting to give her the finger.

“Ellie fucking Williams,” you beamed, unable to contain yourself. Just the sound of her name rolling off your tongue filled you with joy, curling up like a ball in the pit of your stomach. It was literally already impossible to get her off your mind, and it sure doesn’t help that all you’ll be able to think about for the foreseeable future will be that email—when to text her, what to text her, if you should text her.

Dina’s mouth fell open as she gave you an amused look. 

“I knew it, I knew she’d be the first one to say something,” she said confidently, leaning back onto her elbow. “Come on, admit it. I was right.” 

You rolled your eyes, turning back to your desk to grab your wallet and keys to put in your backpack.

“What, you have absolutely no faith in me?” You feigned shock, and Dina shrugged at you. “I’m sure she just wanted me to let her know how my final goes for proof of her extra credit.” 

“Well, what exactly did she say?”

“She said to let her know how my final goes,” you said nonchalantly, turning back to face her. “And she also gave me her number and said I can text her if that’s easier.” The last part came out rushed, again. Dina’s hand flew over her mouth, muffling a scream. 

“For fucks sake, it’s a good thing you’re not a journalism major, always burying the lead!” She exclaimed, throwing her blanket off and climbing down the small ladder at the end of her bunk, landing on the floor with a soft thud. “That’s amazing! So what did you text her?”

“Nothing, yet,” you admitted, sitting back down at your desk to gather your sheet music for your final. You heard Dina plop into her own chair across the room. “She literally emailed me like five minutes ago.”

“Okay, so what?” Dina pressed. 

“So, I don’t wanna seem desperate!” You whined, spinning around to face her again. The sheet music creased between your fingers as you gripped it in your sweaty hands. 

“Dude, she made the first move, I’d hardly call you the desperate one,” she replied, and you had to let out a laugh. 

“Well I’d hardly call it ‘making a move,’” you scoffed, turning back to your desk to grab a pen. “She probably just wants me to confirm I did well on my lesson so she actually gets her extra credit.” In your haste to grab the pen, you knocked the sour pineapple pre-roll off your desk, and it flew across the room.

“Yeah, but email works just fine for confirmation. She didn’t have to give you her number,” she pointed out, bending forward to snatch the pre-roll off the ground. “And she definitely didn’t have to give you this expensive-looking pre-roll—” she popped open the cap and inhaled the deep, earthy scent. “—you don’t give perfectly good weed out to just anybody, you know?”

Your shoulders slumped in defeat, a smile still playing on your lips. In your mind, you knew Dina was most likely right. But your insecurities definitely got the best of you when it came to this sort of thing, not letting you fully believe Ellie may just be kind of into you too.

“Maybe you’re right,” you admitted reluctantly, standing up to pack away the papers into your guitar case. 

“So, what are you waiting for? Text her now!” Dina exclaimed, sliding the pre-roll out of the tube. 

“Okay, I take it back, you were wrong,” you held your hand out to her and beckoned, silently asking her to hand you the joint. “I’ll text her after I don’t completely fuck up my final.”

“You’re gonna do great,” Dina rolled her eyes playfully, pulling a lighter out of her back pocket. “And you’ll do even better if you share this pre-roll with me before you leave.” 

She left you no time to respond before she was lighting the tip and opening the window. 

*********

Okay, maybe smoking half a joint before taking a really important final wasn’t the best idea. 

In theory, you feel like you had done okay. After practically running to make it to the music building on time, you still felt like a bundle of nerves despite the high—heart racing, palms sweating, brain fog—even weed couldn’t suppress the fact that you were an anxious test taker. 

It felt like everything Ellie had taught you was slowly fading away. Though, you found that if you just closed your eyes and pictured her sitting there, strumming her guitar with those perfect fingers and that goofy sideways grin and that quiet breathy singing you could…fuck, what were you doing again?

“So that’s it?” You asked when you were done, palm laying flat against the strings on your guitar. Your teacher sat in a small folding chair across from you, one leg crossed as he took notes in a small notebook. He briefly glanced at you from above his glasses before looking back down. 

“Yes. I’ll have your final score posted online by the end of day,” he said dismissively, continuing to write. As you stood, you tried to nonchalantly crane your neck to get a glimpse of what he was writing, but damn him and his tiny, scribbly handwriting.

“Okay, uh, thanks for that, and for a great semester,” you smiled weakly. Sure, they say flattery will get you nowhere, but it’s worth a shot, right? You received nothing but a tight-lipped smile in return, and he couldn’t be bothered to glance your way again. 

Dick. 

You packed away your things hastily and left without another word, wanting to get as far away from your professor and this goddamned class as possible. With a deep breath, you took your guitar off your shoulder, sliding down the wall at the end of the main hallway. You crossed your legs and pulled out your phone, opening your email and re-reading Ellie’s message over.

Did you tell her what time your final was at? Surely she’d think you’re obsessed if you took less than an entirety of five whole minutes to text her after it was over. But she actually needs to know how you did for her extra credit, so, you’d actually be doing her a favor by texting her as quickly as possible. You know, so she gets her extra credit…quicker. Or something like that. 

Dina, SOS

Obviously, you weren’t going to be able to craft a message to Ellie on your own. 

oh no, did you bomb your final?

i’ll never be able to find a roommate as cool as you if you fail out

Very funny.

First of all, fuck you. Second, what do I say to Ellie? Should I text her? Email her?

Dina will know what to say. 

text her, definitely

maybe something like “hey, just finished my final, wanna bang?”

then say “oops i meant hang”

Okay, never mind.

You have been absolutely no help at all.

You rolled your eyes at her response:

love you roomie &lt;3

Alright, so Dina helping you was out of the question. Looks like you’ll just have to formulate a response all on your own, of which the thought was looming over your head already. Closing your eyes, you leaned your head against the wall, sighing. 

“This is so stupid,” you mumbled quietly to yourself. 

“Final was that bad, huh?” 

You nearly broke your neck looking up to the sound of the familiar voice. 

“Ellie,” your voice broke pathetically with your surprise, and before you could even have another thought, she was sliding down the wall next to you. You could smell her, that same woody aroma melding into the ever-present trace of weed. Holy fuck, were you dreaming?

You looked to your left and had to stop yourself from consuming every part of her at once, in fear of losing all inhibition. You started with her face, those iridescent jade eyes that could even look pretty in the shitty fluorescent hallway lighting, halfway covered by heavy lids and long eyelashes; the freckles that littered constellations across her face, that fucking crooked smile. It had to be a dream. 

“What are you doing here?” You found yourself saying for lack of a better response. It didn’t seem to phase her though, as she smiled just a little bit higher on one side and slid her backpack into her lap. You watched her tattooed arm flex, her bracelets tinging together softly as she reached into the open zipper and pulled out a few papers. She was so close, you noted the way she practically felt like a furnace next to you, despite the chill outside.

“Just turning in my extra credit. Last minute as always,” she shook the papers in her hand for emphasis. Right—she was a Music minor. A completely valid reason to be in the music building at the same time as you, during finals week. She obviously didn’t come here just to see you, that would be ridiculous. “Don’t tell me my tutoring was that bad?”

“Oh, no, not at all!” You exclaimed, sitting up just a bit higher. “My final actually went pretty well, I was just texting my friend. She’s…thinking about getting back together with her ex.” Yikes. If Dina were here she may have slapped you for that one. 

“Yikes,” Ellie mirrored your thoughts, and maybe it was just the fact that she seemed a little high too, but she didn’t seem to notice your cover-up. “I know plenty about those toxic exes.” She smirked, putting the papers back into her bag before zipping it closed. Briefly, you wondered what exactly she knew about them—part of you wanted to ask her, but you definitely weren’t to that stage yet. For fucks sake, you were barely acquaintances at this point.

“Uh, did you need me to sign one of those papers for you or something? For proof of the tutoring or whatnot?” You pointed lamely at her backpack. It was like your brain and your body were fighting over what to do or say when you’re around her. 

“Nah,” she shook her head, fidgeting with one of her bracelets. “I have enough signatures. I’m just glad your final went well, and that I could help.” Ellie looked up at you now, that goofy grin slowly spreading back on her face. Your heart felt like it was about to jump out of your throat. 

“Oh, okay, yeah,” you smiled back, looking down at your phone in your hands. She was so close, you could almost feel the fabric of her hoodie against your arm, you wanted to feel the fabric of her hoodie against your arm, oh god— “Well, you were a great teacher. I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

Ellie leaned into you slightly, and you felt like you might light on fire. 

“I’m glad I could help,” she said softly, before sitting up just as quickly as she had leaned in. Swiftly, she grabbed her back and stood up. You watched her legs extend and her shirt ride up just slightly over the top of her jeans, revealing a small expanse of her skin. You had to look away, you had to, or she might see the stars in your eyes. 

“You leaving?” She asked, shrugging her backpack over one shoulder while extending her other arm. You looked up at her hand and it seemed like there was no other answer except yes. 

Her long fingers nearly enveloped your hand as she gripped, pulling you up with seemingly no effort. Her hands were almost exactly how you’d imagined them—warm, the skin on the back of her hand soft in comparison to the rough, calloused pads of her fingers. You yearned to feel them again, in your hand, on your face, anywhere. Whatever she would give you. 

Ellie dipped down quickly to grab your guitar case before you could protest, and it felt like when you were standing in her doorway, stomach doing backflips and full of nervous excitement. 

“I know I already said it, but I’m really glad that I was able to help you with your final. I’m sure you did great,” she said, and her confidence slipped, just a little. She passed your guitar between the two of you and you took it, careful to avoid the touch of her hand. “And I’m really glad I ran into you just now. It was good to see you.”

Yeah, this had to be a dream. Was that…a blush creeping up her neck? Oh no, stop looking at her neck. 

“Me too,” you said stupidly, but it earned you another grin nonetheless. “To both those things…you know, you helping me with my final, seeing you now…” You trailed off, running a hand through your hair nervously. 

“Hey, my roommate set up this…open mic thing as part of her final,” Ellie started, her casual tone of voice a contradiction to the nervous shuffling of her feet. “I’m gonna be performing a song and…I was wondering if you’d maybe wanna stop by. There’ll be other acts to watch too! Some cool poetry, other musicians, stuff like that. Oh, and free food, of course,” she began to ramble a bit, adjusting her backpack higher on her shoulder, scratching lightly at the back of her hand.

Oh. Oh. Holy shit. She was inviting you to something and playing it off like she wasn’t. 

“Yes, I-I’d love to!” You exclaimed, maybe just a bit over the top. You had to respond before she changed her mind or something. That earned you a smile though, and it was almost worth the embarrassment. 

“Cool, cool,” she replied. “It starts at seven on Friday, in the black box theater downstairs.” 

“I’ll be there, for sure,” you said, your knees feeling weak.

“Great. See you then,” Ellie gave you one last smile, and a small wave before turning and disappearing around the corner. 

You may or may not have pinched your arm just to make sure this was in fact, real life.

chapter 5 here

[ivyglow]

Number 5 with mat pwease 🥺👉👈

From Valentine’s day prompt: 5. 💐 “You got me flowers? How cliche, I loved it!”

word count: 1.7k + (I got carried away, sorry) 😬

warnings: it’s not proof read lol and it’s angsty but with fluff ending, hope you like it! ❤️

Mat was supposed to be home on Sunday morning, which means he would be able to spend February 14th with you, or so you thought because on Saturday he called to tell you that there was a delay on his flight, and part of the team was stuck in the airport until Monday. It was your first Valentine’s together so of course, you were kinda sad. Since the beginning, you two were very clear with the ‘pains’ of dating an NHLer, but you still wanted to try, and what a great thing you did because although the distance was on somedays almost unbearable, the meeting right after was amazing. And for the first time, you really felt like the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” was somehow true.

On Saturday, when he called you -really, voice call, not facetime- you thought he would keep talking, and even tell you he would make up for it -like he did when he missed your Family’s annual barbecue- but Mat just told you what was happening and hung up. He didn’t explain everything, just told you there was a problem, his flight was delayed and that was it. You knew his way of saying ‘I love you’ was telling you to take care, or asking you about your plans for the day, but he did nothing of it during the call and for a second you were afraid he was waiting for Valentine’s day to be over so he could break up with you, but you were quick to shake these thoughts off your head and go on with your day. Taking the opportunity to finish his gift, you wrapped everything carefully and placed a handwritten letter inside, you tried cleaning the house and baking to distract, going as far as watching The Bachelor, but Mathew was the only person able to make it sounds funny. Sighing you unlocked your phone calling someone you knew would know almost exactly how you were feeling.

It took only two rings for her to answer with a cheerful tone and you frowned, “Hey, honeybun!”

“Hi, Syd, you sound excited,” you stated before explaining, “I mean, aren’t you sad?”

“Why would I be sad?”

“For spending Valentine’s without Martin?” you explained, but coming to think about it, you would understand if she wasn’t that shaken by the news, it wasn’t her first Valentine with Matt, they were married, they dated for years, they had the time to get used to distance, but they also had the time to experience the date together first.

“Huh?” she’s puzzled and you can almost picture her pout.

“The team’s flight delay…” what if he didn’t tell her yet!?

“Oooh,” it’s a noise of understanding, “yeah, sucks right?! But I’m sure we’ll see each other on Monday, and so will you and Barzy,” you fell silent and she understood the seconds of silence. “Aw, you’re sad, aren’t you?”

Shrugging you answered, “Are you busy right now?”

“No, I’m completely free for the rest of the night, you should come over, I’m gonna order your favorite and we can eat ice cream with cookies after,” Sydney did the job of being a big sister like no one else, and sometimes you wished to be her sister, you always wondered how it must feel to have siblings, other pieces of your family that fit right with you, that gives you comfort, and joy, but also stress.

“Right, I’ll take the wine. Be there in 15,” you tell her before hanging up.

15 minutes later you were at Sydney’s house venting about your situation with Mathew. She listened to everything and made sure to remind you that he wouldn’t break up with you, there wasn’t any reason to, according to her Mat loved you -even though you told her that he never said these three words-. By 10 pm you were deep into two wine bottles shared with your friend, now trying to watch a random romcom movie that was on TV. Truth is you were typing and deleting a message on your boyfriends chat, but nothing seemed right. What would you tell him? Maybe if you reminded him about the fact that you would spend Valentine’s away he would be feeling guilty, like he was missing out on you again. You typed again, this time sending a simple, “hey, how are things out there?” however the message wasn’t even delivered.

You were confused, but maybe his phone died and he was about to connect? Trying to forget you bought your attention back to the movie, or at least tried harder this time.

When the movie was over you unlocked your phone expecting a message from Mat but you were met with the same chat, the message wasn’t even delivered.

“What’s that you fidgeting since the movie began?” Sydney asks munching a cookie.

“Barzy is not answering my texts,” shifting your position on the couch you sighed. “The messages aren’t even being delivered.”

The blond shrugged and said, “Maybe he’s busy?”

“That never happened before,” you point out, “and it’s 10 pm,” it’s not a good argument, but somehow it made sense in your head. “I’m gonna call him,” it’s your final decision and before Sydney could stop you you tap at his name. It rings nonstop and goes straigth to voice mail.

He never not answered a call from you, unless he was on the ice, and he wasn’t on the ice at 10 pm without being in a game.

“What if something happened with him?” now you worried, it’s almost impossible to swallow the lump forming on your throat.

“Y/n, look at me,” Syd calls, “You’re dealing with a lot together and you’re also missing Mat, but he’s ok, maybe he’s just busy, or his phone is dead, or maybe he’s even gaming with the guys and didn’t notice it ring,” she’s good at reasoning, she also seemed so sure you almost asked if there was something she knew that you don’t, but choosing to just listen, you sight trying to relax your body.

You talk a little more about random topics, you can tell she’s trying to distract you, and right before midnight Syd tells you both of you should rest, she had something to do in the morning -to which she didn’t specified to you- and you would probably have a bosy day too -with what? You did not knew.

When you got home it was silent and dark, empty without Mat and even emptier with the realization he wouldn’t be there in the morning. You drank water and showered to get rid of the alcohol in your body before grabbing one of his shirts to sleep. His smell engulfed you into a deep slumber that was only interrupted in the morning by the buzzing of your door bell.

Groaning you grabbed your robe before making your way to the entrance while cursing. Who could possibly be at your door this early? When you swinged the heavy wood material open you frowned.

“Good morning, there’s a deliver to miss y/n,” he stated with a smile. There was a trolley in front of him with at least 6 or 7 jars of all kind of flowers, some which you didn’t even know the name.

“From who?” you ask, maybe it was Mat?!

“It doesn’t say in here and there’s no card,” the man shrugs and points at the flowers, “where can I put these, miss?”

“These?” you grimace.

“Yeah, all the eight vases are in your name.”

Still stunned you open the door wider and points to the coffee table. It takes him almost five minutes and when he’s done it’s like your whole living room was covered in flowers. They smelled amazing and you ran to your bedroom grabbing your phone, there would be probably a message from Mat with a cue about the vases, but when you unlock the device there’s nothing. You saw he read the messages but there wasn’t any reply. It was past 8 am on a Sunday, he could be sleeping, Mat wasn’t a morning person, you knew it, but still you almost felt sadness poll inside you, but before you were able to give it any space there was another buzz.

“What the hell?” you whispered walking to your entrance again. Maybe the man really got the flowers to the wrong person, there was another y/n at the fourth floor, you knew she was single, but still, maybe she was seeing someone? It wasn’t even five minutes after that man left the flowers at your living room, maybe he bump into the right y/n on his way out?

You swallowed before swinging the door open for the second time that morning, however you were not met with the trolley and the green uniform, but with a black suitcase, a suit and a face covered by another vase of flowers.

“I told him 9 vases, one from each month together, but I believe he forgot one,” you would recognize that husky voice and heavenly fragrance from miles away. “Happy Valetine’s, princess.”

“Oh my goodness,” your voice wobbly. You stressed yourself out the whole night thinking he wanted to break up with you, but he was just planning a surprise. As soon as he lowers the vase on the ground you jump into his arms lacing his waist with your bare legs, and although it’s cold inside Mat’s body is warm against your skin, it makes your shiver and bury your frace in the crook of his neck. How you missed that smell! “I thought you were going to leave me and was trying to let me down gently, omg.”

“I could never leave you, my love,” his voice is gentle and so is his hands caressing your back and hair. You sniff before looking at the flowers in the ground, trying to change the aura. “And you got me flowers!? How cliche, I loved it!” you feel his smile when he kisses your neck, his shoulders sagged in relief with your now happy and usual tone.

“What else do you love?” his question takes you by surprise because by the seriousness in his tone you could only think he was trying to get a point, but before you can rationalize it too much your lips are moving by itself.

“You.”

“That’s good, because I love you too,” he whispers before finally kissing your lips after so long away. It’s sloppy and full of smiles, and tongue and grabbing. Mathew loved you and there wasn’t any better Valentine’s gift than his words.

[asgard-segun-elcadejos]

Asgard Academy

Year 1: Part III

[ Index ]

xxxxxxxxx

In very out-of-character fashion, Fenrir overslept, and was now making his way to the Academy by foot. Near the riverside park, he heard some ringing in the distance, but all the fuss around him made it difficult to focus. So many people were going about their business at this time, he already felt exhausted. Half an hour early; that is all it took to have a nice, quiet trip to school, but not today.

The ringing became louder and louder, and closer, and when Fenrir turned around to find where it was coming from, something flew right past him. It stopped a few meters away.

"’Morning!" Artica exclaimed, resting the weight of her bike on one foot. "Didn’t know you took this path to school.”

Bud, who hadn't noticed Artica stopped, was just coming up to them. “True, never seen you on this route before.” 

Fenrir rubbed his neck, feeling somewhat awkward. When he accepted Artica’s friendship offer, he didn’t really consider that it also meant interacting with those around her more often, and something about this classmate made him feel uneasy. Maybe because he always looked so confident, while Fenrir himself rarely felt that way.

“I usually take the train but overslept today and missed it. Waiting for the next one will make me late for sure.”

“Huh, I didn’t know there was an earlier train… but then again, I don’t feel like waking up earlier,” Bud replied. “Anyway, let’s get going, or we’re gonna be late either way.”

“Alright, hop on,” Artica said, facing her bicycle forward once again.

“Sorry?”

“Hop on! It’ll be faster than walking!”

“Your bike is not fit for that.”

“Yeah, it is! Just step on those metal bars next to the back wheel’s center and hold onto my shoulders. Gimme your bag, I’ll put it in the basket with mine.”

Fenrir did not reply, a slight frown on his face.

“Ok, fine, I’ll put my own bag on, and you can grab onto that. C’mon!”

The kid from up north wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was unadvisable, not to mention contrary to etiquette, as well as unsafe. And yet, he found himself passing over his bag, letting her get some impulse, and then hopping on. A few seconds of unsteadiness later, he was grabbing her bag tightly as she sped up and then maintained Bud’s speed.

“Atta boy!” Artica cheered loudly. “It’s not so bad, right?”

Fenrir, who had been going to school by himself for months, couldn’t help smiling. “Not bad at all.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Artica closed the door and walked over to the bench, waiting patiently as Syd cleaned the piano keys.

“Before anything else, I must ask,” he said, looking her straight in the eye. “Are you dating my brother?”

“Nope,” the girl answered easily, unconcerned.

“Okay, cool. We can move on then.”

“Nope,” she repeated. “We can’t. Why do you ask that?”

Syd was an expert keeping his cool and didn’t even bat an eyelash. “Well, it is crystal clear you are very close. I just wondered how close, that is all.”

Artica scratched her chin, thinking. “Hm, no, that’s not it, is it? You're asking on someone else’s behalf.”

Syd's expertise suddenly imploded as he fumbled nervously at her words. “P-pardon? Where do you get that idea from?”

“Last time, you said you didn’t ‘wish to dig around like that’, and I believe you, so someone else is behind that question.”

In his mind, Syd cursed. He’d observed them for a few months now and was well aware of how both Bud and Artica were always on their guard, hyperattentive even, when interacting with their Blue peers. His question had been too sloppy, and too straight forward. And she picked up on it immediately.

“I’ll take your silence as a ‘yes’,” she went on. “Whoever it is, tell them to have courage, and strike first. He’ll appreciate a bold move.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"How about the café on the boulevard?"

"Rúri, sweetie, you always have the most fantastic suggestions," Karianne complimented her. "Miss Reynirdóttir, would you care to join us?"

Artica froze on the spot, almost dropping her books, slowly turning around with the expression of a deer about to be devoured by bears. "I beg your pardon, my lady?"

"It would be a great pleasure if you would accompany us for a cup of tea and maybe some pastries," Rúri added.

Even though the thought of it was nerve-wracking, the Black could not think of a way or reason to refuse. It would be unwise, though, to risk these Blues taking offense. She gave them a bow. "It would be my honor, my ladies."

It was a short walk from the Academy to the boulevard; the Blues chit chatted all the way, but Artica did not have the confidence to join. Once inside, a table was prepared immediately in a cozy corner decorated with (fake) tropical-like plants. Everything in the menu looked delicious, and expensive.

Karianne made a hand gesture. "Order whatever you wish, Miss Reynirdóttir, it will be my treat."

"N-no, my lady. You are most kind, yet I must refuse."

"Nonsense. During our school trip, you did not hesitate to back up Mister Sanfridsson and safeguard my wellbeing. It may have been to prevent him from being sanctioned, but I appreciate it all the same. I insist, please order to your heart's desire."

Even though Artica just wanted a regular coffee and a small croissant, both Blues ensured the final order was much grander than that. After a few minutes, a parade of tarts, cookies, cupcakes, and other pastries was delivered. Her coffee was also upgraded to a beautifully decorated cappuccino. Unsure on what to try first, she took one of the tartlets. It tasted like heaven.

After that, it was easier for Artica to join Rúri and Karianne in conversation. She’d been wrong to think of them as pretentious, considering they were just like her; teenagers trying to keep up with their daily struggles.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“What’s up, ‘Silver-Eyed Hawk’?”

There was a short silence. Boreal was flabbergasted. “What did you just call me?”

“You never said they called you that at the Academy,” Artica replied with an audible smirk.

“Of course not, it’s embarrassing! It came out of an idiot’s mouth and the other students from the Archery club kept using it until I graduated. Ugh.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’s embarrassing. A senior’s been calling me 'Hawkling' ever since he figured out I’m your sister. It is catching on with the other Archery club members.”

“UGH! It was Sigurdsson’s little brother, wasn’t it?” he asked, immediately annoyed. “So much alike, those assholes. Don’t talk to him.”

At her laugh, Boreal let out a sigh. The last time they got a call from Asgard, it was their father passing on the horrifying news that Artica was attacked by a dog. He was grateful this time it was just a catching-up session. “How’s school going?”

“Meh, it’s not too bad, I guess. I have exactly zero free time.”

Boreal chuckled. “Yeah, well, you knew what you were signing up for, so you can’t complain. What about your classmates? Seniors?”

“Mostly fine. Some are really nice! And those who aren't… belong to another class, so it’s manageable.”

“Good. Don’t take shit from anyone, though. Give them a piece of your mind, in etiquette-appropriate ways, of course.”

“Boreal,” an annoyed voice chastised him from behind. “Don’t encourage that!”

“C’mon, P! You know how bitchy they can be at the Acad-”

She snatched the phone out of his hands. “Little sis, I’m glad to hear you are doing well. Keep up your good work, but don’t forget to rest, okay? We all know what overworking looks like in the family.”

“Hey!”

“Thanks, I will. What? Oh, sure, Ma, sorry. Polar was just telling me to flip the finger at everyone in the Academy. Take care, P! Here’s Ma.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Bud walked with his hands in his pockets, side-eyeing the person a few paces behind him. Artica asked him to invite a classmate to the arcade after school. The catch was that it could not be someone they were already friends with. Her logic was that they needed more than acquaintances if they hoped to survive at the Academy until graduation, and there was little to argue there.

He, however, decided to cut himself some slack and spoke to the kid from up north. After all, just because Artica had explicitly become Fenrir’s friend, it didn’t mean Bud had and was, therefore, meeting her requirements without too much effort. Bonus points to Fenrir for not saying a word since they left school.

Bud couldn’t help smirking at his own cleverness, until he heard two familiar voices close by. One he always welcomed, the other he did not. Around the corner, in the middle of avid chit chat, were Artica and that guy.

“Oh, hey!” she greeted, and immediately noticed the daggers in Bud’s eyes.

“Good afternoon,” Syd added, also aware of Bud’s gaze.

“A word,” the older twin snapped at Artica, dragging her several meters away.

Fenrir and Syd were left standing outside the arcade. The younger twin politely cleared his throat.

“I do not believe we have had the chance to properly introduce ourselves, my lord. My name is Syd Baldreksson, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”

“The pleasure is mine, my lord,” Fenrir replied with a slight frown. “Fenrir Ylfingrsson.”

While they were busy with introductions, Bud was fully concerned with chewing Artica out for her audacity. “Why did you bring him?!”

“I understand why you are mad-”

“I’m FURIOUS!”

“I understand,” she repeated, almost with a groan. Bud was even more annoyed by how calm she sounded. “Your Dad and I were talking the other day, and-”

“Don’t bring him into this!”

“And I thought that maybe if you would just talk to the guy, you could organize your feelings about the whole thing a little better.”

He couldn’t think of what to reply just yet, so Artica continued.

“It’s just… I understand this is bothersome, but it feels like even you don’t know why, and…”

“... and what?”

“And it’s eating away at both of your hearts,” she finished, her hand on his shoulder. “If you don’t wanna talk to him after today, I promise not to bring it up ever again. Just this once, though, would you acknowledge he exists?”

Bud was so tense, his neck already felt stiff. He let out a deep, annoyed, tired sigh and combed through his hair with one hand. “I- Alright. Just this once! And you owe me, you insolent brat. I want your share of the homemade dessert your Dad brought the other day!”

“I accept that request,” Artica nodded, appalled at how high the price she had to pay.

They returned to the other two. Bud was clearly annoyed, his right eye with a spasm, as he pulled Artica’s long braid. “So, you are joining us today, Baldreksson.”

“My lord,” she added right away, feeling like a chastised child at the pull.

There was a hint of… something in Syd’s eyes after hearing Bud address him directly. “No, please, let’s not trouble ourselves with etiquette for today.”

“What? You could’ve said that 10 minutes ago,” Fenrir interrupted, clearly unamused.

Syd let out a quiet chuckle before apologizing. Artica cleared her throat. “I believe we have all now been introduced to each other?”

The boys nodded. Fenrir scratched his chin in a pondering gesture. “So, you two really are twins.”

“It’s kinda obvious.”

“Yeah, I mean, I do have working eyeballs, thank you. I meant that they are, despite having different surnames. I’ve been meaning to ask you about it, but we haven’t been alone in a while…”

In an almost identical gesture, Syd raised both eyebrows with amusement, while Bud only raised one with suspicion. The spasm in Bud’s eye jumped to Artica’s left one as she grabbed Fenrir by the back of his shirt’s collar. “One of these days, you’re gonna make me kick your ass.”

“That’s not very friendly of you,” he replied as she dragged him inside the arcade.

The twins were left alone for exactly 10 seconds, and during that time, Bud decided to give his brother the benefit of the doubt. For now.

“Well? Let’s go play some games, Baldreksson.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Rúri drank her tea in silence.

Syd had been talking for 40 minutes straight, and it didn’t seem he was going to stop anytime soon, but that was perfectly alright with her. Ever since they started at the Academy, he hadn’t been in the best of spirits, as the one thing he wanted appeared to be so close, and yet remained so distant. Their own attempts had all been rejected instantly, and the only reason why the latest worked was because of Syd's greatest quality: kindness.

He was kind to someone, and unexpectedly, that someone repaid him with interest.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Bud closed the door as quietly as possible. After all, it was quite late already. He left his boots at the entrance and wandered towards the kitchen when a voice called out to him from the living room. “So~ How did it go?”

Artica was on the couch, wrapped on a blanket reading one of the same old books she frequently borrowed from the bookstore in the Lower Market. Bud took off his coat and left it on a chair while taking a seat next to her. “Good. Great, actually! Smoother than I thought.”

“Yeah? Did she take you somewhere fancy?”

“Sorta, first to a café on the boulevard. We talked a lot about nothing in particular, and then we went to the movie.”

Artica wiggled her eyebrows up and down. Bud let out a cackle. “No, too risky. She did lean into me; I just hope it wasn’t because she was falling asleep during the flick. Anyway, then we went to the arcade.”

“The arcade?” she replied, surprised. “She doesn’t strike me as the type.”

“I thought the same. I said it outta habit and was surprised when Karianne immediately said yes. For her first time, she really kicked my ass in the motorcycle simulation!”

“Oh, I bet. Probably the same skills as horseback riding. I’m glad it went well!” Artica said, fist-bumping him. “Just don’t forget about me when you join the Academy’s most popular gang along with her, the Princess and Sigurdsson.”

“I wish. Everyone’s gonna be after me if this becomes serious. Might die unexpectedly.”

“Shame. I’ll make sure you wear your favorite sneakers during your wake.”

“You always knew me best,” Bud nodded with a laugh.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Her curly hair had the color of copper, and her olive-green eyes reminded him of the winter forests. She came closer with a serene smile. They both made a short bow.

“Good morning, my lord. Thank you for humoring me.”

“Good morning, my lady. It is I who is grateful for your invitation,” Fenrir said, moderating his tone in the way that etiquette dictated from him. “I am new to Central Asgard, therefore many corners still remain a mystery to me.”

“Is that so?” the girl asked with a hint of fake surprise. “Shall we go, then?”

He nodded and allowed her to lock her arm with his while walking. The Street Market was exactly what its name suggested; a long succession of stalls that offered all imaginable products, from food to clothing, and beyond. Levina gracefully explained the history of the neighborhood and how it had come to be part of the economic development of the capital.

From time to time, she would point to a certain stall and, after talking to whoever managed it, invite Fenrir to the store behind it to see further inventory. So far, they had browsed equestrian equipment, tailored suits, imported vintage wine, exquisite Asgardian artwork, and jewelry. Even after a few hours, they barely managed to reach the middle of the street. The stalls further down seemed less bright and more populated.

“Oh, look at the time, my lord!” Levina exclaimed, looking at her wristwatch. “Should we get lunch? At the café we passed earlier, perhaps?”

“Of course, my lady, I am at your leisure,” he replied, slightly impressed at how subtle she had been about not moving forward down the street. They shared a plate of roasted lamb and rosemary, along with some other dishes Fenrir tasted out of politeness, not really interested. After a cup of coffee, they finally said goodbye to each other with a bow and a last polite exchange.

Fenrir waited until she was out of sight to let out an exhausted sigh and start walking to his house by following the riverside. He eventually reached the park and even though he wasn’t really looking for anyone, it surprised him to see a familiar face sitting on a bench under the shade of a big tree. Fenrir came closer before realizing it.

“Hey.”

Artica looked up from her book. “Oh, hi! Fancy meeting you here. Running some errands?”

He lowered his eyes, tired. “No, a girl from school invited me to visit the Street Market today.”

“That was nice of her,” she said, aware it was probably more than that, but everyone had to take their shot. She gestured for him to take a seat. “What did you think of all the quirky stands in the Lower Market?”

“We stayed in the Upper Market.”

“Oh, right,” Artica subtly rolled her eyes, and a conversation with her father popped into her mind. “Say, there’s a hunting gear shop in the Upper Market, right? I’ve heard it only sells top-of-the-line items!”

“Uh, probably. I wasn’t paying attention…” Fenrir couldn’t help noticing. “You’ve never been to the Upper Market?”

“N-no, I haven’t. It’s mostly a…” she struggled to find the right words. “An… hm…”

“Area for nobles, I noticed.”

“Commoners stick out too much in the Upper Market, lots of stares…”

Fenrir was looking straight ahead, but from the corner of his eye, noticed her awkwardness. For someone that claimed to no longer be bothered by stares, it was rather obvious they still made her uncomfortable. An idea came to him. “If you are free next weekend, let’s go to the Street Market.”

“Uh...”

“I’ll accompany you to the Upper Market so you can check the hunting gear shop all you want, and then you can show me those quirky stands in the Lower Market you were talking about.”

She rubbed her chin, thoughtful. Was he subtly asking her out? Nah, it sounded like another instance of his clueless wording. Artica disregarded her doubts and gave him a small smile. After all, now that Bud had someone else to hang out with, she didn’t mind doing something different.

“Sure! That sounds great.”

Fenrir nodded and stood up. “Alright. I’ll leave you to your reading then, sorry for interrupting.”

“No worries. See you on Monday!”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Unlike the week before, where etiquette required a certain formality, Fenrir chose a more casual outfit with his favorite fur-trimmed coat. For Artica’s sake, he kept the shoes and other accessories the same to still give off a certain vibe. As he got closer to the park, he noticed she was already waiting for him.

Artica was wearing a slightly oversized white hand-knitted sweater that looked very cozy. She didn’t braid her hair and styled her bangs in a way that covered the left side of her face. To avoid making her feel self-aware, he made no comment about it.

“Hey. Nice sweater.”

“Right? My sister made it for me!” Artica said with a proud smile, doing a half turn. “Looking sharp yourself, I see.”

Fenrir let out a bashful scoff at her comment and started to walk, taking the riverside path. He found it funny that even though they saw each other every day at school, they still had things to talk about on a weekend. It almost felt like the way to the Street Market had shortened compared to the week before, when he went to meet Levina.

At the entrance, he noticed Artica had stopped a few paces back and it took her several minutes before finally joining him. “D-do you think there‘ll be a p-problem if I go?”

“No, and even if something does come up, I will make it my business to ensure it is not a problem for you.”

“Wow, that was a very cool answer. You nobles always know what to say!”

Fenrir side-eyed at her comment. Etiquette was always subtle, controlled, elegant, and calculated; he replied exactly in the way that other Nobles would have expected, but hearing her acknowledge it like that made him feel slightly embarrassed. And it got a little worse, because etiquette still had a few more requirements he had to fulfill if he really wanted to spare her any staring.

“Uhm… I am accompanying you today, which makes me your escort, so…”

He slightly elevated his elbow in her direction. Artica stared at him for a moment before putting the pieces together.

“Oh, r-right,” she locked her arm with his. Fenrir couldn’t help noticing how warm it felt. That was one truly cozy sweater.

“I’m sorry for making you do all this,” she whispered as they passed the first stalls. Artica walked around nervously, even though not a single soul was looking their way.

“I asked you to come with me, don’t worry about it, but if this makes you feel uncomfortable…”

“Not at all!” Artica replied, a little louder than she intended. “T-thank you for your kindness, my lord.”

Fenrir was slightly surprised at how natural that sounded. Whenever she spoke in a formal manner, her tone was stiff and dry, but just now… In any case, they faked interest in a few stalls until they found the one they were looking for. Her grip on his arm tightened with a loud gasp. Artica’s eyes gleamed with excitement as she took everything in. Carefully, he let go of her arm and slightly nudged her to the door of the actual store behind the stall.

Even though she went in right away, he stayed outside a little bit longer. After careful deliberation, he accepted there was no point in buying a fifth handcrafted bone dagger and entered the shop after her. There were at least a dozen items on the counter; hunting pouches, finely decorated quivers, and a wide range of gloves. As he entered, Artica turned to him with a bright blush on her cheeks.

Fenrir cleared his throat. “Have you found what you were looking for, my lady? I see you have carefully reviewed their archery inventory already.”

She gave him a mortified look, but still managed to answer. “Indeed, as my lord father mentioned, only the finest of items are to be found here. These gloves are simply exquisite.”

“Would you like to try them on, my lady?” the man behind the counter offered.

With a subtle tremble, Artica picked up a pair of three-fingered, tan-colored deerskin shooting gloves. She mimicked the motion of releasing an arrow and raised her eyebrows in delight.

The man nodded. “I see you are most knowledgeable on the matter, my lady. These are indeed some of our finest.”

After a few other comments regarding the material and expected longevity of the items, Artica made up a story about discussing it further with her father, thanked the man for his time and finally exited the store. Her excitement had her out of breath. “Did you see those? What a dream…!”

Artica suddenly realized Fenrir was not behind her, but before the goosebumps had spread through her body, she saw him exit the store as well. With a relieved sigh, she took his arm again.

“I take it the store lives up to its reputation?”

“Oh, you have no idea,” she almost squealed. “I know exactly what I will be saving my allowance for, even if it takes me 5 years.”

Fenrir gave her a small smile. They continued well past the spot where Levina had gracefully turned around and found themselves struggling to move among a small crowd. Even though it was no longer necessary, Artica did not let go of Fenrir’s arm and he secretly hoped she would not do so at all.

Visibly more relaxed, Artica guided him through the Lower Market, pointing out the stalls with better prices, greeting a few individuals along the way. People from all over Asgard came to this market to sell their wares, making it an interesting mix of all regions in one place. There was a girl who made sturdy leather boots, while a man next to her offered a large variety of pastries. Further along, a young woman and her many younger siblings sold colorful flowers in bundles.

At some point, they stopped to grab a cup of hot chocolate from a gentle senior lady who gave them homemade cookies for free. By the end of the day, they were carrying two small, knitted wolf dolls Artica won in tic-tac-toe against a young boy she knew. It was already evening when they returned to the riverside park, and she finally let go of Fenrir’s arm. The sudden cold made him feel somewhat lonely.

She gave him a short bow. “Thanks for taking me to the Upper Market today. I really appreciate it!”

“Thanks for showing me around the Lower Market. I really liked that cramped up bookstore with the hanging lanterns. Would it be okay if we went back some other time?”

“Of course, my lord, I am at your leisure,” Artica replied.

It was uncommon for that phrase to be directed towards him, but Fenrir decided etiquette could fuck off for the day. Well, no, not just yet. “Should I accompany you to your home?”

Artica felt a sudden wave of embarrassment. “N-no, that’s alright. I’ve taken enough of your time for one day. It’s a short walk from here so don’t worry about it.”

“Alright.”

“See you on Monday!”

Once back at his house, Fenrir closed the bedroom door and stared at the contents of his bag. He wasn’t sure why he bought a pair of three-fingered, tan-colored deerskin shooting gloves.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Bud was in the middle of a practice match with Sigurdsson when someone came into the gym with a box. Distracted by who it was, Siegfried wiped him out in one move. "Keep your eyes on the prize, Mister Sanfridsson."

"My apologies for interrupting, my lords," Artica made a short bow. "May I have a word with Asgrim?"

Asgrim approached her after Siegfried gave them a nod. "What's up?"

"You're good with mechanical stuff, yes?" she asked, showing him the box's contents.

The red-haired boy eyed the bits and pieces with interest. "I am. What do I get for fixing that?"

"Name your price."

Asgrim gave her a cocky smile. "How about catching a movie this weekend?"

"As a date?"

"Yeah."

"Then I have to pass. I’m already dating someone."

A few heads turned their way at those words, Syd and Fenrir's included. The other Black raised an eyebrow, lowering his voice a bit. "Yeah? From the Academy?"

"Like that would happen,” Artica let out an amused grunt. “No, but you probably know each other, she’s from your side of Central Asgard. Thyrna."

"Ohh! So, it's you she's with! Fancy that. Okay, okay, change of price. Just help me out with your notes for Physics and Literature."

"That’s fair. I'll talk to you tomorrow about this. Thanks a lot!" she said, making another bow before leaving the gym. Syd (and Fenrir) drifted towards Bud as he sat on a bench.

"What?"

"I was not aware she had a partner," his brother commented, acting casual.

"And? It's none of your business."

Syd tightened his lips, unable to find a way to ask more without seeming nosy. Fenrir had a slight frown, and then a sudden realization. "Ohh! Is that why her schedule is so crazy?"

The Black turned to him. "Why do you ask that?"

"Artica showed me her calendar the other day, and in every month, there is one week with nothing, but a 'T' written on it. I know it's not my business, but I just figured… That would also explain why when we went to the arcade, she asked me not to create misunderstandings."

Bud was slightly impressed. The kid from up north was rather perceptive when he wasn't busy inflicting his careless wording upon others. "It’s certainly none of your business… But yes, we Blacks have very tight schedules. Artica does her best to clear at least a week so she can do whatever with her partner."

"How thoughtful, and committed, of her," Syd replied with a nod.

"And exhausting," Fenrir added. The twins raised their eyebrows. "You guys should see that calendar, it's madness."

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“So, how do you feel so far?”

“Jaded,” Asgrim replied lazily, cutting his steak in smaller pieces. “These past months feel like eight semesters.”

Sigurd chuckled at his words, while the other three nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but I think you guys are doing a great job. You in particular, I must admit.”

Bud made a casual hand gesture. “Me? Why would that be?”

“Oh, shut up, not all of us can date a Blue… especially not that Blue!” was Heimrik’s reply. This short, green-eyed boy grew up in Sweden, and just recently moved to Asgard to attend the Academy. He had proven to be full of complaints about how uninteresting his new home was, but the other Blacks had learned to tune them out.

“That aside, you have the right idea. Your top priority for the first half of Year 1 should be to make Blue friends. Lady Hilda has helped the scholarship program immensely, but she can't be there for the little things, especially during her last year at the Academy. We must make sure we have others to rely on, besides us Blacks. I’ve seen you two at lunch with those other four, that’s exactly what you need.”

“Who?”

“Baldreksson (though it’s obvious, he is your brother), the lady Rúri, your partner, and the other one, I always forget his name. The Wolfling.”

“The what?” Asgrim said, perking up at once. “Ylfingrsson?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

Artica looked up from her lunch. “Hm? Why do you call him that?”

“Well, there are wolves in his family crest, yes? I don’t recommend using sobriquets for other students, but I do admit it's a bad habit I picked up from Sigurdsson’s older brother.”

“OH,” she blurted out, louder than intended. "Boreal wasn't exaggerating."

Sigurd raised an eyebrow. "Right, you're his younger sister! Don't tell me, he was super annoyed to learn lord Siegfried gave you a sobriquet."

"Annoyed? Even by phone, I could tell he was fuming!"

"Your brother never did like lord Sigmund much, but I never felt his sobriquets were meant as an insult. He always just seemed to have the perfect one on the tip of his tongue, even for those who have no coat of arms. It’s almost a compliment…"

Sigurd trailed off, and suddenly remembered what he wanted to say. “The point is, get someone who has your back, regardless of the color of their uniform. These three years in the Academy are brutal, at least surround yourselves with people whose company you enjoy. It’ll help immensely.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

It was a fine day to drop out of the face of the Earth. So many positive things had happened to him lately, Fenrir had almost forgotten he had his own personal hell back at the house.

"There will be a dinner on the 23rd with distinguished guests. You will attend but speak only when spoken to. Discussions will be held among adults, after all, and a brat like you has nothing of value to add to the conversation."

"If that is the case, why should I attend in the first place? After all, I was already invited to another dinner on that date," Fenrir replied, almost casually.

XXXX opened his eyes wide. The boy was talking back to him? It had been years since he had last dared to speak his own mind. "Excuse me? This is not a negotiation, boy. You will attend the dinner held in this house."

"I do not wish to."

XXXX shrugged off his comment. "Too bad no one cares about that. It is your duty as the House's heir, and you shall fulfill it, or otherwise tarnish your parents' reputation."

That stung. Fenrir didn't care about himself, but he would rather play into XXXX's schemes than somehow enable others to think ill of late Lord Ylfingr and Lady Ingrid. After all, it was not their fault their son had grown into such a failure. He clenched his jaw.

"Fine, I will attend this dinner of yours, here."

"Of course you will, boy. Make sure to explicitly decline the other invitation. We have no time for misunderstandings."

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“Uh… What are those?”

“Antlers.”

“Yeah, but why?”

Artica took her seat. “For the Jólablót (1) activity.”

“You have to put your hand in the box at the front of the class and take out a paper,” she explained. “It will tell you what you have to do.”

Fenrir had a slight frown. “So, you are one of the eight reindeers from ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’, by Clement C. Moore?”

“You are oddly well informed,” Bud intervened. “Which one?”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Cupid. ‘Because of archery’, they said. Lack of imagination, in my opinion.”

“You can say that twice,” Karianne agreed, adjusting her own set of antlers.

“Which one are you?”

“Vixen,” Bud and Artica replied before she could. Both Karianne and Fenrir stared in silence.

“It’s the obvious choice,” Artica cleared her throat while Bud nodded in agreement.

The other girl sat on her lap, wrapping her arms around her with a cheeky smile. “Is it now?”

Karianne did a dramatic gesture as a ringing echoed loudly in the halls. "There goes the bell. Will you carry me to the meeting room?"

"Please don't," Bud had laughed out loud at her first comment but seemed put off by the request.

After a moment of contemplation, making sure her grip was good and Karianne's skirt was properly secured, Artica got up carrying the black-haired girl with ease. Karianne waved them goodbye. "It's nice to see at least someone is willing to humor a lady around her."

"Un-fucking-believable," Bud turned around at once. "She shouldn't be spoiling her. Am I right?"

Fenrir's eyes darted quickly between him and the girls. There was an awkward expression on his face. "She's… rather strong, no?"

The twin looked amused. "Has to be, to be a decent archer. Upper body, core and hip muscles all need training to build up both strength and endurance. K is also not particularly heavy."

"Right, makes sense."

"What, you want her to carry you too?"

"Shut up. You're the one who seems jealous she carried your girl away."

Bud frowned. "I'm not jealous, I'm annoyed. K has a bad habit of getting others to play along her silly schemes. Even if they are harmless, she shouldn't abuse other's good will."

"You worry too much," Rúri intervened. She was wearing a very elegant top hat. "But if it helps, I will make sure she does not go overboard."

"I- Thank you, my lady, that is very kind of you."

Fenrir raised an eyebrow. "And what did you get?"

"Snowman. Snowperson, I guess."

A hand went to her shoulders, making her turn around. "A Snowkitty would be cuter."

"Ugh, of course you are a St Nicholas," Bud groaned, looking at his twin.

The kid from up north took out a paper from the box and stared at it, confused. “I don’t get it.”

“Gingerbread cookie goes with Snowperson.”

“Meaning?”

Bud rolled his eyes. “They are in charge of receiving and wrapping gifts. St Nicholas and Reindeers will deliver them next week.”

It still didn’t make much sense to Fenrir, but he went along with it. Rúri and Bud explained the general gist of it, pointing to the other boxes where students could put their already wrapped gifts, or request for them to be wrapped on the spot. He was never particularly good at it, so Fenrir hoped to at least do a decent job. For three days, half the class spent their afternoons checking the boxes and getting down to business.

Among the activity goals was for juniors to interact with their seniors, so it was common enough for people they had barely seen to approach them and have a chat. It was honestly impressive how far some students would go to ensure the receiver did not know who sent the gift, even offering favors to keep it a secret. This was especially true for very popular students, like Lady Hilda, Siegfried Sigurdsson, and even Karianne and Syd. However, as the last two were in the same class, those gifts were redirected to the gift wrappers from 1B and 1C.

Depending on the number of gifts per student, the Academy would provide at least three, so no one was left with either too few, or none at all. People like Siegfried Sigursson, however, didn’t need any buffering.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“If it bothers you, I will not humor her anymore,” Artica said with a nod.

“Thanks,” Bud replied with a relieved smile.

“However, I'd like to offer some advice.”

The twin raised his eyebrows in anticipation.

“Try humoring her yourself more often.”

Bud crossed his arms at once with a frown. “I can’t. How will she learn to be less of an attention-hoarder?”

“Have you considered that she’s not aiming for everyone’s attention, just yours?”

“I- She already knows she has my attention. She is my partner after all.”

“Ok, but how often do you show her that? Cut her some slack, Bud. She is so charming and attractive, a lot of people jump right in at the chance of giving it to her, in hopes of something more, but I'll tell you a secret.”

He tightened his lips. “What secret?”

Artica’s smile was full of amusement. “When you’re not around, she barely engages in that kind of thing.”

Bud felt a slight blush creeping up his face. This was not his first relationship, not by a long shot, but he suddenly felt really stupid about how he’d been dealing with the whole thing. The twin covered his face in embarrassment. “I’ll… keep this in mind.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Artica was fetching the blue package when the girl from 1C called her over.

“Over here, Miss Cupid.”

She groaned. “Any chance you could just call me by my name, my lady?”

Her copper curls shone beautifully, even indoors. “Instructions are instructions, Miss Cupid. No exceptions.”

“I understand, lady Dasher,” Artica nodded with a heavy sigh. “Who’s next?”

“That young lady from 2B,” Levina replied, subtly pointing to a slender girl of long, straight black hair and bright teal eyes. “Would you please deliver this one?”

‘Cupid’ barely raised an eyebrow, already used to doing most of the heavy lifting. Not that this Blue had been unpleasant to her, but they all tended to just send her to do things. In any case, Artica walked up to her and cleared her throat. “My lady, may I have a word?”

There was no reaction, which in itself was weird because in the Academy everyone was always attentive to their surroundings (after all, etiquette did not treat those who disregard others well). She raised her voice a bit and tried again, with the same result. It was only when the Year 2 student tucked her hair behind her ear that Artica understood why.

Levina observed with interest as the Black walked a few paces away and then approached her directly from the front. Once she got her attention, Artica put the package in front of her and made very clear hand gestures as she spoke. “Good afternoon, lady Vaike. May I present gifts and other tokens of appreciation from friends and admirers?”

The girl seemed amused and gestured back, pointing at the antlers on the other girl’s head. ‘That looks very cute on you, little junior. You wear them well.’

Artica smiled, lowering her head. Her hands moved fluidly. “Your words are kind, my lady. Please enjoy your gifts.”

They parted ways and ‘Cupid’ returned to ‘Dasher’s’ side. Levina had the eraser of her pencil to her lips. “That went well, Miss Cupid. Good work.”

“Only one left. Who is it for, lady Dasher?”

Her green eyes didn’t even flicker, even though she had the list in her hand. “Fenrir Ylfingrsson, from 1A.”

“Oh, I know where that one is. Follow me.”

Levina said nothing and walked right behind her with the last purple package in her hands. As they were not in the same class, the two girls seldom interacted outside of physical education, or requested club activities. This was one of the four Blacks in their year, the only girl and, most notably, the one with the big scar on the left side of her face.

Seeing her from afar, Levina always perceived her as rough, with all the hammering she did for the drama club, but the three afternoons they had spent delivering gifts taught her otherwise. She seemed cheerful and easygoing, even if a little sensitive about her face. Due to all this, Levina had been very curious to work with her from the moment ‘Rudolph’ assigned them together. Well, that, and the other thing.

When they reached the gardens, Artica eyeballed the south side and then pointed to the bench under the tallest tree. “There he goes again, with his afternoon nap.”

Levina repressed a laugh. The Black took the package from her for a moment to write the receiver’s name and paused. “Huh, it wasn’t this heavy a while ago…”

She met 'lady Dasher’s' eyes. Levina said nothing, and at the same time, said it all. Artica raised her eyebrows for a moment and then returned the package to her. “Uh, lady Dasher, would you please deliver this one?”

Levina nodded, still silent, and turned around. Obviously, all her troubles to hide the fact she was sneaking an extra present into the package had gone out the window in an instant, yet she was grateful for the unexpectedly smooth way the Black had handled it. Levina walked over to the boy, acting as calm as she could.

Fenrir was slumped on the bench in a highly undignified manner, not at all reflecting his noble status. She cleared her throat twice, the second time a little louder, until he came back to life. “Good afternoon, lord Fenrir. May I present gifts and other tokens of appreciation from friends and admirers?”

“Friends and what?” he muttered drowsily. However, the moment he saw her face, Fenrir straightened up and smoothed over his clothes, now visibly tense. “My lady! Apologies… I- Uh, how did you find me?”

Levina’s eyes flickered to where Artica had been a minute ago, only to find she was seemingly alone with him in the south side of the gardens. “Why do you ask, my lord?”

Fenrir narrowed his eyes, unwilling to admit there were exactly two people who knew he napped there, and one had found out by accident. The boy let out a sigh. “It matters not. Thank you for delivering these- Wow, this is a little heavy, is it not?”

She gave him a helpless smile, unsure of what to say. “You are most welcomed, my lord. Please enjoy your gifts.”

Levina promptly turned around, her curls shining bright in the pale sun outdoors. She returned to the main building only to hear a small chuckle behind her back. “That went well, lady Dasher. Good work.”

“Thank you for your commitment, Miss Reynirdóttir. It has been a pleasure to deliver presents with you.”

“Oh? No more ‘Miss Cupid’, my lady?”

“The assignment is complete. Instructions no longer apply.”

“The pleasure was mine, lady Sefidóttir. If the Drama club needs my assistance next week, please do let me know,” Artica said with a short bow before turning around and walking out the door.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

There was no one else at the Archery club, which was ideal. He already felt miserable and did not have the strength to be very casual about it.

"About the dinner on the 23rd…" Fenrir said, rubbing his neck. "I can't attend."

Artica lowered her bow. "It's okay. We're aware December 23rd is an awkward date to celebrate a birthday."

He clenched his jaw. "It's not that I don't want to attend. I can't attend."

Whether she picked up on it or not, Fenrir could not say. Artica readied her arrow once again. "Don't worry about it. Maybe some other time."

Fenrir nodded, utterly unhappy. He’d encouraged himself to believe this would be the first Christmas in a long time he would actually enjoy, away from everything that made him lonely and sad, but it had blown up spectacularly in his face. Fenrir cursed the moment he let himself hope for something less depressing.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Winter break had mixed reviews.

Karianne and her father flew down to Belgium to spend the holidays with the other half of their family. Apparently, the weather had been fantastic, despite the time of year. Rúri spent it at Syd's household, as her parents were still attending business meetings abroad.

Bud, Artica, and their families returned to the eastern region, hoping to give Sannfrid a break from medical treatment in a familiar place. Unlike Belgium, however, Eastern Asgard was hit by a blizzard, and it took a few days for trains to resume.

Fenrir spent winter break as usual; doing absolutely nothing besides the mandatory dinner he was forced to attend. There had never been such a thing as decorating, seasonal meals, or gift exchanges with XXXX and his brother around, so during the day he would go hiking to the nearby hills with Ging, and at night, locked himself in his room, listening to music in the dark.

End-of-year holidays hadn't always been like this, but after that fateful day when he was six, nothing was the same ever again.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

It was already dark by the time they got back. Since Fenrir had been miserable all day, Artica invited him to the Lower Market. They didn't really do much, just hang out at the bookstore and play some games with Vaito (who gracefully apologized for flinching at her scar).

They were just outside his house, talking, when the buzzer rang loudly and the gate flung open. An angry voice was screaming seven hundred things at once. Fenrir immediately smashed the button on the intercom and answered at least eight hundred things back. The yelling continued. He was on the verge of just storming inside to have the argument face to face, and possibly throw around some punches too.

This seemed like a recurrent situation, and even though Artica did not want to seem pushy, she grabbed his hand. "Hey, uhm, would you like to have dinner at my house today, like right now?"

"What?"

"Y-yeah, if that is okay."

Fenrir felt terrible every day in that house, with those people, and just the thought of not having to put up with it for one evening felt like a blessing. He couldn't believe someone was offering it to him so freely. "Really?"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to, I just-"

"I would like that…" he answered in the softest of voices.

"I'm leaving!" Fenrir yelled back at the house, not even bothering with the intercom anymore, before allowing Artica to guide him away. Her house, like his, was on the outer part of the city, but Fenrir never imagined it to be just 20 minutes away.  He noticed she was slowing down and got very nervous all of a sudden.

"Hey, thank you. Really. I've never been invited to someone else's house but I… don't know if I should-"

The Black stopped in front of a modest 1-story house with a small backyard. Lights were on inside. She turned to him with a warm smile. “Then please allow me to welcome you into our little home.”

Artica opened the door, took off her boots and invited him to do the same. "Ma, I'm back! I brought someone from school for dinner. That's okay, right?"

"Yeah, no prob- From school?" A slightly alarmed voice replied. There was some shuffling down the hallway. Moments later, an older woman emerged from one room, her hair up in a tight knot.

"Welcome to our humble household, my lord," she said with a slight bow and in the same stiff tone Artica used with other students. "We can only hope our-"

"Ma, it's alright."

Her mother gave her a disapproving look. How could it be alright when someone from that school was coming here? Fenrir cleared his throat and offered his best (nervous) smile.

"My apologies for the late notice, madam, but please don’t stress over it. I grew up in Northern Asgard, close to the wild mountains. I could really use a day where no one has to put up with etiquette."

The woman seemed taken aback by his words but returned his smile. "Yeah? From the mountain range, you say? My husband goes there for work often, shame he ain't here today."

"Is that so?"

"Pa's a hunter, he gets wild game for the local butcher."

Fenrir nodded knowingly. Back in the North, he saw hunters often but was never allowed to talk to them. They guided him to the kitchen and after a few minutes, dinner was served. It was great, all of it. The food, the tiny kitchen, the creaking wooden stool, and the company. Embla, her mother, took a liking to him very quickly. She even let her hair down after a while and told him stories about Artica and her siblings.

“Such a small thing, always clinging to her brother’s arm!”

“Ma! You make me sound like a crybaby!” she interrupted, flustered. Fenrir noticed she was avoiding his gaze.

“You were a crybaby, child, but not anymore, eh? Going to the big Academy with the fancy nobles now…” there was an awkward pause. “No offense, Fenrir.”

“None taken,” he said right away. “If it helps, I think Artica fits there better than me.”

After a long conversation about nothing in particular, it was finally time to wrap up. Embla ruffled his hair before he left the house. Once outside, they noticed snow falling gently from the sky. Artica went back for a moment and returned with a grey scarf. “Here.”

“Thanks, for everything…” he said, lowering his eyes. “I had a great time. Your mother is lovely.”

“I’m glad to hear that, it really seemed like you needed a break from being home.”

“That’s my house, but not my home,” Fenrir replied in a low voice. “And those people… are certainly not gonna make it one soon.”

“Are they your…?”

“My parents passed away a long time ago… during a riding accident…”

An awkward silence tried to settle between them, but Artica did not allow it. "Why do you let them treat you like that? You don't deserve it. No one does."

There were many reasons why he allowed it. Years of verbal abuse corroding his self-confidence. Lack of any other significant interactions to show him what positive ones were like. Fear of being lonelier than he already felt. Fenrir, however, chose to tell her the one that was less complex to explain, but just as important. "I'm afraid they will hurt Ging when I'm not home, among other things."

"You don't deserve to be treated like that," Artica repeated, moving closer and hugging him tightly. “Visit anytime, okay? Ma always makes extra food, even though my siblings aren’t here, and Pa is often away.”

“Isn’t Bud over frequently? I don’t want to be inconvenient…”

“Yeah, he is also welcomed here anytime, but don’t worry about it. I can only hope you see this tiny house as a place where it’s okay to be yourself. Like you were with Ma, like you are with me. Like we are now…”

For the first time in a very long while, Fenrir felt better. Truly. Like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. He hugged back, somewhat sheepishly.

“I would like that…”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule

[petri808]

@ktdkvalentines​ for Syd on Ig Valentines Exchange

Bakudeku College Au. TW: panic attack, anxiety, some angst w/happy ending based on the request.

Izuku Midoriya was in a great mood that Fall morning as he arrived at the college campus. His first day of his first year away from home, ready to start the next leg of his journey. He’d chosen this university for its good reviews and psychology program. He wanted to do something good in his life and what better way then helping others who’d suffered like he had. Not that he’d had a horrible life but growing up in a single parent household created some attachment issues and bullying when he was younger left him with anxieties. All through high school he’d worked extra hard to get to a point where he could function most of the time, and he was proud of how far he’d come. That growth is what led him to pursue a career in psychology, to take his negative experiences and turn them into a positive one.

So, he wasn’t ready when he walked into the dorm room and saw the familiar blonde hair and red eyes of his nightmares looking back at him. 

Oh, this couldn’t be happening! Izuku swallowed hard, a mantra of calming statements flooding his brain as a silent staring content ensued. Neither man said a word, but the longer this went on for, the voices in his mind slowed and were replaced with questions. He was starting to realize... did the blonde even remember him?! He couldn’t tell if it was confusion, or maybe pain on the man’s twisted features, but it certainly wasn’t the angry boy he’d grown up with.

“Wow, Izuku is that you?” The man spoke with no malice in his tone, even rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Been a long time, huh?”

“Yeah... about 7 years I think.”

“H-How you been?”

“Okay, I guess. A bit surprised to see a familiar face.”

The blonde’s shoulders dropped slightly, and he averted his eyes to the ground, “probably not who you’d hoped to see again...”

“I didn’t say...”

“No, no, it’s okay.” The man waved his hands to stop him. “I— I owe you an apology Zuku. And I’m not looking for forgiveness cause I don’t deserve it, but I hope we can, I don’t know like start off fresh, I guess, since we’re stuck in this room together.”

Izuku blinked in confusion, what had happened to Katsuki Bakugou in these past 7 years?! He was certain it wasn’t all arouse, or that the man was trying to bring his guard down, because Katsuki sounded genuine. Until the age of 2 or 3 they were actually really close, but for some reason by the end of their first year of primary school, he’d started picking on Izuku, or taking out his anger on the smaller boy. He had no idea what triggered it, but in the end, he was left emotionally scarred. Now, the man standing before him exuded a broken version of that 3-year-old child he once knew.

“You’re right. I lost count of how many times I ran home in tears because of you. We were best friends and it really hurt when you started picking on me and being mean to me.” The pain evident in his voice rang out into the small, shared room. “I don’t care why you did it. But,” Izuku continued with a sigh, “you’re right, I don’t wanna rehash the past either, so if we can just start over and put up with being roommates, we’ll see how it goes.”

“I’d like that. A-and I know it might not mean much but am sorry Zuku— about how I’d treated you. I promise, I’m not that guy anymore.”

“I believe you.” And he did, for now. Deep down, Izuku always tried to stay positive because if he didn’t, and allowed the irrational thoughts to fester, it could pull him right back into an episode. He didn’t fully trust Katsuki yet, but if was serious about going into the counseling field, he also knew it was important to continue moving forward. That didn’t mean divulging all of his secrets, or telling Katsuki about his own struggles, but he’ll stay alert to make sure that at any sign the man was slipping, he’d get out of there.

As the first two months crept along, the roommates went about their own business with very little interactions at first. It was a bit weird to Izuku, to be in a shared room where their beds were literally just a few feet from one another’s, yet they were lucky to go beyond a good morning or hello. In comfortable situations, he was a bubbly person who genuinely enjoyed talking to people, so the stillness of their room was unnerving. Of course, this was better than feeling fearful around Katsuki, but how are they to move forward and maybe become friends again, if they weren’t interacting?

So, because they weren’t talking, Izuku did the next best thing and observed. One thing that had not changed about Katsuki, was being meticulous. The blondes side of the room was always neat and tidy, books or stationery on the desk stacked perfectly, clothes in the closet organized by color and type, even the bed was always made with crisp corners. Early to bed and early to rise, the man had a ritual of sorts. If he wasn’t studying at his desk, he’d be on his bed reading or listening to music. Even the way Katsuki ate was curious to Izuku, constantly wiping his hands or face of any residue. There were a few things the blonde requested of him, no scented candles or strong, smelling fish type meals, and to leave his side of the curtains closed, something about the sunlight bothering him. They were simple enough requests to acquiesce to.

The man rarely left the room except to go to class and as far as he could tell, Katsuki had only one other friend on the campus who’d occasionally drop by. A nice guy, very friendly named Eijiro Kirishima. Well, he assumed they were friends because most of the time, his roommate stayed quiet while Eijiro did the talking. Izuku was pretty sure he spoke to the man more then Katsuki during these visits. They seemed unlikely friends really, one happy-go-lucky, and one anti-social... kind of reminded him of their once friendship now that he thought about it.

Izuku could appreciate the idea of sticking to familiar surroundings. Their dorm room was a sanctuary for him as well. He avoided large, crowded areas as much as possible, and if he didn’t know anyone, did his best to be inconspicuous. But within their room, with just the two of them, it should be a comfortable experience. Before coming to the school, he’d wondered what his roommate would be like or imagined making friends, so it was a little disappointing. By the third month it was a close friend of Izuku’s that suggested he make the first move to engage Katsuki in conversations. Start out simple, maybe learn any hobbies, what music he listened to, his major, etc. Forget the fact he knew the man and pretend as if he’s trying to make a new friend. Ugh, he hated making the first move. Izuku preferred being engaged not initiating it because it drove his anxieties up. But they were right. ‘Think of it like practice,’ Izuku reasoned with himself, ‘pulling a difficult client out of their shell.’

It was a lazy Sunday around midterms when Izuku decided to make a move. As he sat rested on his bed similarly to Katsuki, with his back against the wall and a textbook propped on his legs. Every few seconds, he glanced over the book’s edge, side-eyeing the blonde who was also nose deep into a chemistry textbook. Should he say something? But the man looked preoccupied, and Chemistry is a difficult subject. Maybe he shouldn’t bother Katsuki? He didn’t want to be annoying or anything and it wasn’t important really. Then again, the guy was always preoccupied with something or other and if he waited for a perfect moment, what if it never came? Would he wait forever? No, this was as good a time as ever.

Izuku lowered his book. “H-How’s the studying going Kacchan?”

The blonde turned to look at him briefly. “Fine.” Then returned to his reading.

“Oh, that’s good.”

Ugh! It was always so hard to get a read on Katsuki! His affect and tone were flat, no anger, amusement, nothing, just his common one worded response. It was rare for the blonde to give or maintain eye contact, so at least the man looked at him this time.

He tried another question. “I noticed your chemistry book, is that your major?”

“Yup.”

“Um, what do you do with a chemistry degree?” Izuku asked genuinely.

This time Katsuki surprised Izuku when he stopped and put his book down before engaging. “I’m fascinated by the chemical reactions of fire and combustion. How it works, why it occurs, how it can be manipulated, stuff like that. And I don’t know, I could be a scientist, or maybe do pyrotechnics, just work somewhere I don’t have to talk to too many people.”

“Wow! I mean I was never good at math and stuff to understand, but it sounds pretty interesting.”

“I guess so. What’s with the questions all of a sudden?”

“W-Well,” Izuku shifted his body to face the man completely, “we’re roommates. I don’t expect us to be full-on friends, but I figured it would be nice to talk sometimes.” Katsuki’s silent reply of nothing forced him to make a decision to continue talking, because he assumed if the man wasn’t interested, he would have turned away. Silence wasn’t exactly a normal response, but maybe the blonde really wasn’t sure what to say next. “I don’t expect you tell me super personal stuff— just small talk. Like, um, what kind of music do you like?”

“Alternative.”

Izuku’s eyes flashed with surprise at such a quick response. Okay, so Katsuki was fine with answering. “I like that too! Well, some,” he giggled. “Though I mostly listen to pop now. What about movies?”

“Horror films.”

“Oof,” Izuku cringed. “I can’t handle those they scare me too much!”

“I remember. It gave you nightmares.”

Bouncing on the bed, Izuku’s legs moved to hang over the edge in his excitement. He was really surprised in a good way that Katsuki remembered something so mundane about him. “Wow! You still remember that?! Yeah,” he laughed, “I’ll stick to sci-fi or action. Plus, I’m not fond of theaters anyways so, I just watch stuff on my laptop.”

“Why not? You used to be the outgoing one.”

That made Izuku flinch because he wasn’t ready to tread into that territory with his former bully. “Oh, you know, it’s always crowded, and you have to deal with parent-less kids causing a racket in the place. I rather just enjoy my movie without all that.”

“Makes sense. I don’t care to go to places like that either.”

“Yeah, I noticed that— is there anything you do like or hobbies maybe?”

“Just exercising in the early morning, by myself, except since Eijiro inserted himself, I tolerate him.”

So, that confirmed what he’d already suspected. Katsuki kept his body in really great shape and that hadn’t gone unnoticed by Izuku. But since he wasn’t much of a morning person, he didn’t notice what time Katsuki left the dorm, only the man’s return, showered and refreshed. Needless to say, the blonde male with wet hair was nice to look at and smelled good too. “Oh,” his face heated up at the thought of it, but he needed to play dumb. “So, that’s what you do in the mornings. I wondered about that.”

Things between the roommates settle into a comfortable routine. As another month passes by, Izuku still needed to start the conversation, but at least Katsuki would respond amicably or engaged with him, and to his delight with the help of Eijiro, they’d even managed to get the man to go out to dinner once. Those years of dread and angst were melting away, and soon enough Izuku looked forward to spending time with his old friend.

He still couldn’t get a full read on Katsuki’s demeanor. The man’s emotionless responses made it difficult to tell whether or not he was even enjoying anything. So, Izuku could only assume that by participating, he didn’t mind. The old Katsuki would say whatever he was thinking, good or bad, and while he got the sense that he would do so as needed, such as letting him know about the scent issue, it would be really nice if it didn’t feel like a guessing game all the time. Regardless, the progress they were making to rekindle any sort of relationship was a win in Izuku’s mind.

“Here.”

Izuku looked up from his desk to see a plastic shopping bag held in Katsuki’s hand. “What’s this?” He took it tentatively.

“I saw it at the store. You still into this stuff?”

He opened the bag and pulled out the latest action figure of his favorite comic book character. It was a figurine he’d been saving up his spare money to buy. “Kacchan,” Izuku looked back up curiously at the man. “Is this for me? How’d you know?”

Katsuki just shrugged. “Just remembered you were obsessed with the guy.”

“Thank you, really, but I can’t except this gift, it’s not even my birthday.”

“Just take it. Think of it as an I’m sorry gift if it makes you feel better.”

As Izuku sat there stunned, the blonde simply went back to his bed without another word and picked up a book as if nothing significant had just occurred.

“T-Thank you, Kacchan.”

“Yeah, no prob.”

His face heated up and a smile took over as he stared at the action figure for a few seconds before staging it prominently on his bedside table. Izuku had left all of his collectibles at home, so it was nice to have something in their room. But even more important, was again, Katsuki remembered something about Izuku from their childhood and took the time to get this gift. Despite their long rocky history, this small act meant the world to him. It was the first true moment to make Izuku think, maybe they really could be like they once were.

Finals were approaching in barely two more weeks, and some students were already stressing out. The anxiety in the air felt palpable to Izuku. He could feel it practically oozing off the other students. Of course, everyone dealt with stress in different ways. Some went inwards, the pressure fueling them to work harder while other’s went the completely opposite route of goofing off and procrastinating. Other’s might stress eat, binge caffeine drinks, and friends banded together in study groups. But then there are the ones who took out their frustrations and stress on others.

Bullies. The bane of Izuku’s existence.

Most of the time, he could easily avoid their type around campus. He’d developed a sixth sense for such individuals which his therapist explained as a heightened sense of energy levels. It’s really not as mystical as it sounds, rather that, those like him that suffer from a high level of anxiety, are sensitive to other people’s emotional outputs. Being bullied or harassed himself certainly sent his anxiety’s skyrocketing but seeing it could also trigger a problem depending on the severity.

Hence his current predicament...

It was the end of the day for Izuku and he was ready to just get back to his dorm, eat something, and dive into his studies. One of his teachers had released the finals study guide early, so he thought it best to get a head start. But as he made his way past the row of dorm buildings, Izuku spotted something that sent a cold chill down his spine. Three men cornering a fourth. They were at least 50 yards away and he couldn’t hear everything they were yelling. Something about a group project, pulling weight— One man had grabbed the victims shirt and was semi-lifting him up while the other two men just watched and egged him on.

Oh, this was not good! Izuku’s memories started to replay and his experiences were brought back to the forefront. The men’s faces were so close... he could almost feel the hot breath wafting over, spit hitting his face, or the smell of the bullies breath. It made him sick to his stomach. Izuku’s heart raced, his throat began to close up, and breathing grew erratic. He needed to get out of there! The red piercing eyes of his nightmares took center stage in his mind’s eye... all those times he was harassed and battered by Katsuki rushing back like a wave to toss him against a wall of sandy hair.

‘Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths!’ Izuku screamed in his head, ‘calm down, calm down, get back to my room! It’s not you, it’s not you... it’s not him! It’s not him!!’

Izuku picked up the pace, a fast walk over a running sprint to avoid being noticed. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself and risk becoming the new target. He dug his nails hard into his arm to force his mind towards a physical distraction, but it wasn’t working.

A deep voice screamed, cursing at the top of its lungs, and filling Izuku’s mind, just like that long ago day. The worst attack, the one that finally pushed his mother to move him to a different school. All the fear coursing through his veins rush back, heart pounding against his rib cage. Katsuki had grabbed him, hand fisted into his shirt as he pushed Izuku up a wall and off his feet. He could still feel the cold stone wall behind him juxtaposed to the pain from his hot throbbing lip and swollen cheek where he’d been struck.

He burst through the dorm room door, stumbling, spilling his bag onto the floor as he fell to his knees, gasping for air because his jaw felt locked up and he couldn’t get enough air. All of his muscles were tensing up, imagined or not, it felt like he was suffocating. His body was shaking, sweating— he wanted to puke.

“Whoa, Zuku, what’s wrong?!”

Katsuki had rushed over and dropped to the floor, grabbing Izuku by the shoulders to hold him up and steady. But he couldn’t answer the man in words. Tears were streaming down his face as he did his best to focus and answer the man, but it was tough, fighting against the rapid assault of images in his mind and cursing blaring in his eardrums.

“Fuck, um, allergic reaction?!”

Izuku shook his head violently, no.

“Choking?!”

Again, Izuku shook his head violently, no.

“Panic attack?!”

Izuku now adamantly shook his head, yes!

“Okay, okay, shit, panic attacks, um, it’s been awhile, what do I— oh, right, okay, okay, d-don’t move!” Katsuki stumbled back to his feet and ran out of the room, coming back within a minute with a cup of ice cubes from the common kitchen. He takes one, two, three, shoving it into Izuku’s mouth. It took a bit of effort to get the man’s jaw to open wide enough to shove it in. “Close your mouth all the way, try to get the ice to touch the roof of your mouth.”

Seconds after the ice touched, it sent a brain freeze from hell shooting through Izuku’s pain receptors. “Ahhh!” He spat out all the melting cubes as his hands fly up to his head, cradling, squeezing to counter against the physical pain, “cold! Cold! Cold!”

At that statement, Katsuki slumped back onto his haunches in relief. “Oh good, it worked.” He then took Izuku’s hands with an even soft tone. “Look at me.” Once the man complied, he continued. “Focus on your breathing, inhale when I say to, exhale when I say to.”

Izuku struggled against the embers of irrational thoughts coupled with the brain freeze coming down. His breathing stayed haggard, jagged as he fought his own mind to follow Katsuki’s instructions. But every time he’d start to struggle, the man would refocus him back to the breathing by pressing his thumb nail into the webbing of Izuku’s hand. Not very hard, but enough of a sting to bring back his focus on the physical. It took about 15 minutes until he could breathe in time with Katsuki’s words.

Be it the overwhelming sense of release or sheer exhaustion, Izuku collapsed on to Katsuki’s chest. His panicked breathing whittled down to silent sobbing. The blonde didn’t move or flinch and held the man up, simply keeping his arms around his back without a word. Minutes dragged by as the tears finally slowed.

“Thank you, Kacchan,” Izuku breathed out. “How’d you know what to do?”

“Let’s just say, I’ve had my share.”

Izuku sat back, rubbing away the moisture drying on his cheeks as he looked at his roommate with new eyes. “You? W-When? I-I mean if you don’t wanna say, it’s fine, I’ll understand. We probably both have a lot a secrets.”

Katsuki thought for a moment. “If I tell you what happened, you gotta come clean too.”

He hadn’t expected that, but after what had just occurred, perhaps it was time. “Okay,” Izuku nods.

“In middle school I was sent to a therapist because of my anger issues and diagnosed as a high functioning autistic. Frankly, I don’t know how much to believe in that, but in the end, the therapist was a good thing.” Katsuki leaned back against a desk leg. “The short answer, I learned the reason I’d started bullying you was because I was getting frustrated with myself which lead to anger, and I wrongly took it out on the closest person to me.”

“Why were you frustrated? I thought we were fine...”

“It had nothing to do with you. It was me and I don’t know, I just started feeling different, I didn’t like being around people, didn’t understand or even care about anyone because I couldn’t figure out how to fit in. Yet I’d watch you make friends so effortlessly and I got mad. There’s a lot more to it, even blamed my mom for some of it, but I just didn’t know how else to get it out except through anger. It took a few years to learn to control myself. That’s one of the reasons I got into exercising. If I start feeling frustrated, I can take it out that way now, burn off the excess energy I guess.”

Izuku was a little taken aback at the idea Katsuki’s been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The man didn’t seem like he had a mental disorder, but the clues were there. The aversion to certain stimulus, social apathy, his fixations on certain elements. “Wow... I had no idea. It doesn’t excuse what you did, but I’m glad you’ve come this far.”

“So, what about you?”

“I don’t think it was just the bullying that started it all. After my dad left us, I was already vulnerable, it’s why I latched onto you so quickly. So, when you started— I-I felt extremely hurt. You were my first friend, my best friend Kacchan and when you started hurting me... I don’t know what was worse, the physical pain or the mental ones. By the time I moved schools, I’d developed anxiety and depression, and it got so bad my mom finally took me to a therapist where I worked all through high school to get it under control. I do really good now, but sometimes things trigger me.” More tears resurface to cloud Izuku’s eyes, but he kept them from spilling. “Today, on my way here, I-I saw a guy being harassed and it brought it all back again. Nothing was working, so I just thought if I could just get to safety, a-and I don’t know, I figured I could get it under control once I was alone. But I’m glad you were here, because I don’t think I could have. You really, saved me today Kacchan.”

“It doesn’t make up for anything. I’m the asshole who made you like this.”

He snorted a laugh, “that’s for sure, but the cause became the cure.”

“What?”

“You caused this, but today you cured it. That means a lot to me because I do want to forgive you.”

“No. I don’t deserve a second chance. I’m content that we’re at least on speaking terms again and I could make amends somehow.”

“Kacchan, everyone deserves a second chance.” Izuku’s smile returned. “We were kids. You didn’t know better. And you’ve changed, that’s the important thing. I think we’ve both changed.”

“How?”

“Well, it’s those experiences that helped me to find a new passion in life to help others— people like us who are struggling with something. Turn a negative into a positive.”

“How the hell do you do that? You just had a panic attack and you’re already sunny smiles again. I mean you were always like this, and it’s me, I just don’t get emotions, but if you wanna forgive me, I guess I can’t stop you.”

Izuku shrugged. “Nope you, can’t,” he smiled wider. “Right now, this is probably the happiest I’ve felt in a very long time.” He stood up and extended a hand, helping Katsuki to his feet. “Dinner, my treat.”

“I don’t feel like going out.”

“I know,” Izuku smiled. “I’ll order in.”

[btsqualityy]

BTS Second Pregnancy Series Extras: Helpful Siblings

Kim Seokjin

“All done Car,” you smiled as you finished fastening the straps on Carson’s diaper before snapping his onesie back up again. You picked him up and held him to your chest before you stepped out of the nursery and walked down the stairs. 

“He all better now?” Jin asked from his spot on the couch next to Kaiden once he saw you walk into the living room. You nodded as you stepped over to him, handing Carson off to Jin who was holding his hands out for him.

“Yep, but now you have to feed him,” you told Jin, giggling when he face fell at the statement. 

“Chinny and I are watching a movie though,” Jin falsely pouted. 

“Don’t care,” you laughed. “I took one for the team and changed his poopy diaper, so you can feed him.”

“But he always makes it harder than it should be! He gets so excited to eat, he’ll suck too much in but then he’s not able to swallow it all and he ends up almost killing himself,” Jin huffed. 

“You’ll be fine,” you assured him. 

“Can I help you feed him Daddy?” Kaiden asked suddenly, making both you and Jin look over at him.

“You want to?” Jin wondered and Kaiden nodded his head, which made Jin look up at you and you shrugged.

“I think it’s a good idea,” you smiled. “I’ll go get his bottle.” You walked out of the living room and into the kitchen, going over to the refrigerator and grabbing Carson’s bottle of breast milk that you had pumped earlier. Walking back into the living room, you saw Jin laying Carson down in Kaiden’s arms.

“Here you go,” you said, handing the bottle to Kaiden before sitting down on the opposite side of him from where Jin was. You watched closely as Kaiden hesitantly put the bottle into Carson’s mouth, and Kaiden let out a small sound of surprise at how forcefully Carson was sucking on the bottle.  

“You were right Daddy,” Kaiden chuckled as he watched his little brother eat. “He is a fast eater.”

“Yeah well, he is a Kim after all,” Jin smirked and you rolled your eyes playfully at him.

Min Yoongi

“Kammie, baby it’s ok,” you whisper as you pace around your bedroom with Kamryn over your shoulder, but that doesn’t do anything to deter her screaming cries. You then move her from your shoulder to cradle her in your arms, hoping that maybe being able to see your face will help her calm down.

“You’re gonna have to stall us out here Kammie,” you sighed heavily. “I’ve fed you, Daddy changed you, and you’re not tired so we don’t know what else you want from us.” 

“Here baby, give her to me,” Yoongi said as he held his hands out, and you nodded before setting Kamryn in his arms. You watched as he held her to his chest, rubbing her back firmly. However, even that didn’t help. 

“You don’t even want rubs sassy girl?” Yoongi muttered quietly and you rubbed both of your hands over your face as you sat down on the bed, the tiredness from the night before threatening to take over you.

“Is sissy still crying?” Kinsley asked as she walked into the room, and you looked up at her as you nodded your head. “What’s wrong with her?”

“We don’t know baby girl,” Yoongi told her.

“And we can’t just ask her so we’re trying to figure it out,” you added, making Kinsley nod thoughtfully. She suddenly turned around and walked out of the room, and you just shrugged. After a few minutes, she walked back into your and Yoongi’s bedroom with her hands behind her back.

“I think I have something that can make her feel better,” Kinsley said and you and Yoongi both looked down at her expectantly. She moved her hands from behind her back and in them, was one of her last pacifiers that she kept in her room. 

“Sweetheart, that’s your last paci,” you smiled softly. “Are you sure you wanna give it to Kammie?”

“I’m sure,” she nodded.

“But you keep it just in case you get scared though,” Yoongi pointed out.

“Well, sissy might be scared too,” Kinsley shrugged. “She might need it more than me.”

“Oh, my sweet girl,” you cooed as you held your arms open, and Kinsley walked over to you and let you wrap your arms around her in a tight hug. Yoongi walked over and bent down, pressing a kiss to the top of Kinsley’s head before Kinsley dropped the pacifier into her Daddy’s hands. Yoongi then popped the pacifier into Kamryn’s mouth and her cries slowly but surely died down as she suckled on it. 

“Not the most hygienic thing in the world, but it works,” Yoongi shrugged, making you laugh. 

Kim Namjoon

“What do you think we should have for dinner tonight Myungie?” You asked as you walked down the stairs, Maia in your arms and Mason walking closely behind you. 

“Can we have bibimbap and bulgogi?” Mason asked.

“You sure that’s what you want?” You checked and Mason nodded his head. “Alright, I’ll make it.” You walked into the living room, taking one hand off off of Maia to grab her pink bouncer chair that was next to the couch which made Maia make some gurgling nosies.

“Are you excited to go in your chair MiMi?” You gasped playfully, which made her coo at you as she moved her arms around. You then carried it into the kitchen and set it down on the floor before you bent down and placed her in the chair, strapping her in afterwards. “Can you keep an eye on your sister while I make us dinner?” 

“I got it Mommy,” Mason nodded and you smiled at him and pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head before standing up straight and walking over to the refrigerator. You pulled out a few ingredients before carrying them over to the counter and you started to prep them. About twenty minutes passed and as you were putting the rice into the rice cooker, you felt a small hand patting your thigh.

“Yes Myungie?” You wondered as you looked down at him.

“Can I use your phone Mommy?” He requested and you nodded your head, reaching down into your pocket and handing it to him.

“Be careful with it, and don’t buy anything.”

“Ok, I won’t,” he nodded before walking back over to Maia. You then turned back to the food, focusing on it again. Suddenly, you heard some familiar music and Maia’s loud squealing so you turned around to see Mason kneeling on the floor next to her bouncer chair, holding your phone up so that the both of them were able to look at it.

“What are you showing her?” You wondered and Mason looked up at the sound of your voice. 

“I’m showing her a video of Daddy doing Trivia: Love,” he replied.

“That explains why she got so excited,” you chuckled. In the two months since Maia’s birth, she was proving to be a huge Daddy’s girl. 

“I have to show her because she has to learn it for when we go to see Daddy’s shows,” Mason added, which made you smile widely.

“I’m sure she’ll get it,” you grinned. 

Jung Hoseok 

“It’s coming Hendrix, just hold on,” you whispered, bouncing him lightly as you paced into the kitchen where Hobi was standing at the counter. “Are you almost done Hobi?”

“Just a second jagi,” Hobi muttered, putting one last scoop of baby formula into one of Hendrix’s bottles before picking it up and shaking it.

“I told you to make him more bottles before you left this morning,” you sighed, the sounds of Hendrix’s cries starting to get to you. 

“And I thought we agreed on you breastfeeding,” Hobi shot back as he held the bottle out to you and you snatched it from him before glaring at him. 

“I told you, it’s too hard to keep up with it while taking care of the twins at the same time,” you replied as you put the bottle into Hendrix’s mouth and his cries immediately stopped as he started eating. 

“Mommy?” You heard Lennox call and you looked over at the counter, where he and Berkeley were sitting as they ate their lunch. 

“Yeah Lenny?” You answered him.

“Can we learn how to make bottles for Hendrix too?” He wondered and both your and Hobi’s eyes widened.

“You want to?” Hobi questioned.

“Yeah, we wanna help Mommy,” Berkeley spoke up. 

“I mean, I don’t see why not,” Hobi shrugged before looking over at you. “What do you think?”

“Sure, I don’t mind,” you said. “But if they’re gonna learn, you’re gonna have to be the one to teach them. I really don’t have the patience for it today.”

“Sure jagi,” Hobi chuckled, stepping over to you and giving you a soft kiss on the forehead. “How about if I teach them and then afterwards, I’ll put them all down for a nap so that you can rest?”

“That sounds amazing Hobi,” you smiled as you adjusted Hendrix in your arms. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Hobi reminded you and you nodded your head as he turned around to look at Lennox and Berkeley. “Alright, come on kiddos. Daddy’s gonna teach you how to make some bottles!”

Park Jimin

“Hey jagi?” You heard Jimin whisper gently and when you opened your eyes, he was sitting on the edge of the bed with a soft smile on his face. “Hey you.”

“Hey,” you replied with a yawn, reaching your arms up and stretching. “When did you get home?”

“Like 15 minutes ago,” he said. “Noah met me at the door and said that Mommy and Sydney were sleeping so I had to be very quiet.”

“He’s the cutest,” you chuckled. “Once I finally got Syd down for her nap, I was exhausted so I just wanted to rest for a while.”

“You don’t have to explain jagi, I understand,” he told you. “I wish I could be home more these days to help you out, though.”

“It’s not your fault Jimin-ssi,” you replied as you reached up and cupped his cheek with one of your hands. “Kiss?” You requested and Jimin chuckled before leaning down and kissing your lips firmly. However, the two of you were interrupted by the sound of crying coming through the baby monitor. 

“Just like clockwork,” you sighed as Jimin pulled away from you. You moved to get up but Jimin’s hands on your shoulders stopped you.

“I’ll go get her, you stay here and rest,” he told you. You smiled and nodded and after giving you another kiss, he got up from the bed and walked out of the room. After a few seconds, you heard Sydney’s cries die down so you figured that Jimin had gotten her but you were surprised when you saw him pop his head back into your bedroom.

“Jagi, you have to come see this,” he told you and you raised an eyebrow at him as you sat up and got out of the bed. You followed behind Jimin as he led the way to Sydney’s nursery and when you got to the doorway, Jimin motioned for you to look inside and once you did, you felt like your heart was going to burst.

Noah was on his tip toes outside of Sydney’s crib as he softly rubbed her hand through the bars of her crib. Sydney had now stopped crying completely and she was looking up at Noah with wide eyes. You could hear Noah whispering to her but you couldn’t make out exactly what he was saying. 

“Hey mini me,” Jimin spoke up and Noah looked over his shoulder at the two of you. “Are you taking care of your sister?”

“Yeah. Mommy was sleepy so I wanted to help,” Noah shrugged and you grinned widely as you walked over to him and kissed the top of his head.

“Thanks Noey,” you told him. Jimin walked over and reached down into Sydney’s crib, picking her up and holding her to his chest.

“Why don’t you come help me feed Syd while Mommy goes back to sleep?” Jimin suggested and Noah nodded his head rapidly.

“Thank you Jimin-ssi,” you said and he just smiled at you before shooing you off back to bed. 

Kim Taehyung

“Mommy, I think Eli pooped!” Spencer exclaimed from her spot on the bed where she had been playing with Elijah. You looked up from where you had been folding some laundry and you frowned lightly as you smelled the air. 

“I think you’re right Spence,” you sighed as you set down the shirt that you had been working on and walked over to the bed. You reached down and picked Elijah up, your nose immediately scrunching up once he was closer to you. “Oh yeah, he definitely pooped.”

“Can I help you change him this time Mommy?” Spencer begged as she followed you out of your and Taehyung’s bedroom and into Elijah’s nursery.

“I have to do the first part but I’ll let you put the new diaper on him, ok?” You told her as you laid Elijah down on his changing table and Spencer nodded her head as she watched you. You quickly set to work on taking the old diaper off of Elijah and cleaning him up with some baby wipes.

“You wanna go get me a new diaper from the box please?” You requested and you didn’t even have time to look down at Spencer before she was racing off to grab it for you and you just chuckled to yourself as you finished cleaning Elijah up.

“Here you go Mommy,” Spencer chirped as she walked back over to you and held the diaper up. You nodded and threw away the baby wipe that was in your hand before lifting Elijah’s butt up.

“Open it up and then put it underneath him,” you instructed her and Spencer nodded before doing as you said. “And then you pull the little sticky tabs to make sure that it stays on him.”

“Like this Mommy?” Spencer wondered as she pulled on the tabs and stuck them into place.

“Just like that,” you smiled as you watched her do the other one. You wrapped up the dirty diaper and threw it away before picking Elijah back up and looking down at Spencer. “Thanks for helping me Spence.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled and Elijah began to coo loudly, which made you giggle as you looked down at him.

“Eli said thank you too,” you translated.

“You’re welcome,” Spencer repeated as she got on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to Elijah’s cheek. 

Jeon Jungkook

“Did that bath feel good Ari boo?” Jungkook asked as he dried Aria off with her small bath towel as she laid on your and Jungkook’s bed. She gurgled loudly as she kicked her feet, which made Jungkook chuckle deeply.

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” he smiled. You and Ava walked into the room then, after you had finished getting her dressed for the day.

“All done in here?” You wondered as you walked over to the bed, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Aria’s cheek. 

“Yep, just have to lotion her up and then get her dressed,” Jungkook replied as he grabbed the bottle of lotion that sat on the bed. 

“Did you get her outfit yet?” You asked and Jungkook shook his head. “Alright, i’ll get her one then.”

“Oh Mommy, can we match today?” Ava asked excitedly and you couldn’t help but to laugh at her. You looked over Ava’s purple sweater and blue jeans that she had on and you tried to remember if Aria had anything similar.

“I think she has a little onesie that’s the same color as your sweater,” you said after thinking for a few seconds. “And we can put her little baby jeans on her too.”

“Yay!” Ava exclaimed and you smiled before walking over your and Jungkook’s dresser, opening the drawer that held a few basic pieces of clothing for Aria. You found the onesie and the jeans before carrying them back to the bed, where Jungkook was finishing up with putting lotion onto Aria’s body.

“Here you go,” you said as you laid the outfit on the bed.

“Wanna help me get her dressed Angel?” Jungkook asked Ava and she nodded her head. You reached down and picked Ava up, setting her on the bed and you watched with a smile as she helped Jungkook snap the buttons on Aria’s onesie and pull on her jeans.

“Oh, you two look so cute!” You gushed and you pulled your phone out of your pocket, taking some quick pictures of the two of them together.

“We all ready to go now?” Jungkook wondered as he picked Aria up.

“Uh Kook? You might wanna change shirts before we go,” you chuckled, pointing to the wet spots on Jungkook’s button up.

“I didn’t even notice,” he groaned as he handed Aria off to you. “Give me two minutes.”

“I told you not to give her a bath after you put on your nice shirt!” You shouted behind him and he raised his hand up and gave you the middle finger, only making you laugh. 

[artzychic27]

Heart Thief

Before arriving at Dupont, Marc went to Vadim Bastille Collège and lived the life of those high school princesses you see in teen movies (Minus all of the drama, backstabbing, and the occasional bursting into song). He was liked by everyone including the teachers, he was president of the writing, fanfiction, and GSA club, had an amazing group of friends, and best of all, an amazing boyfriend.

Lucien Rebois was the most sought after boy at school. Tall, tan, captain of the fútbol team and took every team he was on to victory, super popular, charming, and the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. What more could a person want in a boyfriend? Girls would always try to ask him out, but he turned every single one of them down, even the most popular girls at school. Everyone wondered why until the day of the championship game when everything came to light

Marc and his friends cheered their school’s team on as they made the winning goal. While the crowd was still in a frenzy, Lucien grabbed a microphone and quieted everyone down when he said that he had to make an announcement…

“… Gimme an ‘M’!”, he shouted into the mic, forming an M with his arms. The crowd complied and mirrored him, while Marc and his friends just looked at each other in confusion

“M!”

“Gimme an ‘A’!”

“A!”

“Gimme an ‘R’!”

“R!”

Mehdi, a Cuban boy with brown hair dyed pink, and Vice President of the GSA squealed when he realized what Lucien was spelling, “He’s gonna say C!”. Syd, a a Vietnamese student nodded in agreement

Marc sputtered, “W-what?! No! He’s not!”

“Wait for it, Mar-Mar.”, Madelyn, a stocky Creole girl with a half-shaved head told him

“Gimme a ‘C’!”

“C!”

She smirked, “I knew it!”

“What does that spell?!”, Lucien asked as he pointed to the crowd. From where he stood, Marc blushed when he realized that Lucien had spelled his name

“Marc!”, the students shouted, a few looked at Marc grinning. He was sure this had to be a prank.

“Come on! Lemme hear you!”, he encouraged

“MARC!”, The students shouted again. Even a few teachers joined in. Lucien’s eyes never left the green-eyed boy, neither did the smile on his face as he spoke to him like they were the only people on the field

“I love you, Marc Anciel. Did I mention that?”, Marc smiles when he realized that the most popular boy in school was being sincere, and he truly felt this way about him. On the field, Marc could hear a few of the cheerleaders screaming with envy, knowing Lucien was gay and off the market. They ran away in tears

Lucien pointed towards the band, “Gimme a beat!”

“Un, deus, trois, quatre!”

Marc couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like something out of a fairytale. He looked around to see if this was real, and it was. When Lucien sang a love song about how he would give everything up for just one kiss, when he threw his jersey into the crowd, and Marc caught it, when he crowd-surfed over to him, and when he asked him to the dance… It was all real...

—

They were the cutest couple at school. They went on amazing dates, and went as a couple to every school event. Lucien even tried to switch classes so he could be closer to Marc, which the writer and other students found so sweet. Lucien has to be the best boyfriend ever. Generous, considerate, loyal, protective…

...A little too protective, though. Dating Lucien meant having the fútbol team on your side. When he heard about some homophobic student messing with Marc, Lucien sent the entire team to “take care of him”. No one’s seen that student in a while.

Lucien was also kind of clingy. Marc can’t remember the last time he’s hung out with his friends; he was always going on at least twenty dates with Lucien. Then one day, the students gave Marc a new nickname, ‘Lucien’s pet’, after he was given a red choker necklace with a silver heart dangling on a small chain, and on the heart was ‘L.R.’ He would always treat Marc like his property, but did it in a slow subtly way: Having his hands on Marc at all times, slowly separating him from his friends, then at one point, trying to dictate what he wore.

Madelyn was finally able to get some alone time with Marc and told him all about toxic relationships. And those examples sounded exactly like the situation he was in right now.

With some encouragement from his friends, Marc was finally found the courage to break up with Lucien after eight long months, and everything was back to normal. Marc didn’t have someone constantly following him around and keeping him away from his friends or threatening innocent students. Even when Lucien tried to get him back, he stood strong and didn’t give in. He almost did when Lucien swore he would be better, but when Marc caught him threatening the exchange student from Hong Kong who he thought had a crush on Marc, he had enough.

After explaining everything to his moms, they decided that it would be best if Marc switched schools to avoid Lucien. He was hesitant at first, knowing that he would have to leave all of his friends behind, but it was worth it to not have to deal with Lucien anymore. So, he said his goodbyes, made the Vice Presidents of the clubs the new presidents, and left, ready to start a new life at a new school

Lucien wouldn’t give up, though. He vowed that he would find Marc, and make him his again by any means necessary.

—

“Class, we have a new student!”, Mme. Bustier announced in her usual cheerful tone. A few of the students rolled their eyes and groaned at the mention of a new student, worried this one may be like Lila, “Please meet Lucien Rebois.”

Kim and Alix perked up at the mention of the name and nearly fell out of their seats when the athlete walked into the room. The other students, while not huge fans like Kim and Alix, gasped when they saw him

“Hi, nice to meet you all.”, he greeted with a smile

“Dude! You’re a legend!”, Kim shouted, “My cousin took me to every game you played, you are awesome!”

Lucien tried not to blush at the praise, “Well, I guess I was okay.”

“Okay?!”, Alix exclaimed, “You gotta join our fútbol team, we suck!”

“Alix!”, Bustier reprimanded and Lucien chuckled, “That’s quite enough.”

“I’ll think about it.”, he looked around, “So, where do I sit?”

Mme. Bustier pointed up the stairs, “Right next to Nathaniel.”, said boy waved so Lucien could see him. He walked up the stairs, paying no mind to the many admiring looks he was receiving, and sat down next to the redhead. The two sent each other polite smiles and focused on Bustier’s lecture

—

While doing classwork, Nathaniel’s eyes wandered to the bracelet wrapped around Lucien’s wrist. It was red, made of leather, and had a silver heart. It didn’t seem weird at first until he saw his seat mate’s initials on the heart. ‘Wonder who gave that to him.’, he thought, then went back to his classwork, only to be disrupted by the sound of the bell

“Okay, everyone, I’ll see you all after lunch.”, Mme. Bustier said as the students walked out of the classroom

While packing his messenger bag, Nathaniel dropped a draft of the Ladybug comic and went to pick it up, but Lucien beat him to it and looked at it in awe, “Dude, you make the Ladybug comics? I love these!”, he grinned

Nathaniel smiles at the compliment, “Thanks. I-I don’t make the whole comic though-“ He was cut off by Alix, running up the stairs and wrapping an arm around him, “He draws, and his partner writes.”

“Alix.”, he groaned, to which the pink-haired girl replied with a grin

“Partner as is significant other?”, Lucien asked when he realized what Alix meant. When he saw Nathaniel looking away in embarrassment and with what looked like fear, he eased his worries by saying, “Don’t worry, man, I’m like, super gay.”

Nathaniel smiled, relief taking over. Alix’s smile widened when she heard those words and she immediately wrapped her other arm around Lucien, “I love this boy!”

And the three of them left the classroom

—

Later at lunch, Lucien has drawn in a crowd as he talked a little about himself. Even Marinette joined in when she realized this new student was nothing like Lila and didn’t go on and on bragging about himself, or claiming he did something outlandish that could be proven false with a quick and easy Google search

“Well, I‘ve been captain of the fútbol team since middle school, and I’ll be honest, I was not ready to lead a whole team.”

Marinette whispered to Alya, “I like how modest he is.”, the Creole girl nodded in agreement

“Yeah, not like she who will not be named.”, Alya said with a roll of her eyes, then asked, “So Lucien, I hope you don’t mind going off-topic, but what do you think of Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“They’re amazing!”, he exclaimed, “I mean, I’ve never seen them in person, only on the Ladyblog live-streams. My school was a little far from the action.”, he explained while Alya beamed at the mention of her blog, “Now, what’s this I’ve heard about ‘Ladybug’s best friend?’”

The students groaned. Marinette said, “We don’t talk about her.”

“Alright, enough about Rossi,” Nino bitterly said, then pointed to the bracelet resting on his wrist, “sweet band, man! Where’d you find that?”, the others admired the bracelet and repeated Nino’s question

Nathaniel noticed him blushing at the mention of it, “Well… It was my ex’s.” He raised an eyebrow, ‘His ex’s? Then why does it have his initials?’, he thought to himself then continued to listen

“Yeah, I gave him this after we dated for three months.”, he explained, “I, um… I’m not entirely over him yet.”, he admitted, making the girls and some boys awe, “Then he switched schools, and I haven’t really been the same.”

“That’s why you were playing sloppy at your games!”, Kim exclaimed, “Man, that must’ve been rough. If Ondine broke up with me, I’d probably be drowning in the pool.”, everyone laughed. Nathaniel then looked up and saw Marc walking in the cafeteria with Mireille. He smiled at how content and happy he looked, but then that feeling turned to concern when he saw him running away the minute he walked in

Nathaniel, wanting to make sure Marc was okay, excused himself, then ran after him. He heard footsteps, whirled around, and saw Mireille running towards him, “Is Marc okay?”, she asked, only to have Nathaniel respond with a shrug, “I don’t know. Help me look for him.”

“Damn long legs.”, Mireille cursed under her breath

--

“Anciel!”

Marc whipped around from the bathroom mirror and came face-to-face... Well, more like chest-to-face with Ismael Prisk, the school’s foreign exchange students from Pakistan, Marc’s classmate, and what some of the anime-fanatic students call a ‘tsundere’.

Marc sighed, “Ismael, I’m not in the mood.”

“Fight with your boyfriend?”, he asked in a snarky tone, making Marc roll his eyes at the boy’s usual behavior

“No! I-I just...”

Ismael continued to pry, “Because you always spend lunch with him, considering the fact that you two have no classes together, so I’m just naturally curious as to why you’d rather hide in the bathroom than use that precious hour to make out with him.”

‘Yeah right.’, Marc thought, “It has nothing to do with Nathaniel.”

The short brunette smirked, “Well, then I guess you won’t mind if I go fetch him, now would you?”, he heads for the door, only to be stopped when Marc grabs his wrist

“Don’t do that!”, he begged

“I won’t say anything if you tell me why you’re acting like a freak.”. he retorted while snatching his wrist out of Marc’s grasp

“... Okay...”, seeing Ismael backing towards the door, he quickly said, “It’s Lucien, okay?!”

“The new guy?”, Marc nodded, “Tall guy, captain of some team?”, he asked, and Marc nodded again, “So what?”

“... He’s my ex.”, Ismael made an ‘o’ shape with his mouth, “And, I just don’t feel like running into him.”

“So you’re the guy who made him lose those games.”, Ismael taunted

“It wasn’t my fault!”, Marc exclaimed. Ismael flinched at his outburst, “I had to break up with him! He was just... I couldn’t take it! He was sweet at first, but he started treating me like I was his property or something! He even had me wear a choker with his initials on it!”

The stoic look on Ismael’s face became softer as he listened to Marc about Lucien

“He even threatened some of my friends, o-or anyone who talked to me because he thought they were flirting with me.”, a tear streamed down his face, “One guy even went to the hospital.”

Ismael asked, “Did you tell anyone?”

“I tried to go to the principal, but he said without any proof, there wasn’t anything that could’ve be done.”, he explained, “And Lucien always thought ahead. He did his threatening in rooms that didn’t have cameras, had the fútbol team backing him up if he was ever accused of something, and his aunt is a member of the school board, so he always got away with everything.”

Ismael frowned, “Damn, that’s... That’s just awful.”

Marc nodded, “I finally broke up with him, and I switched schools. But now that Lucien’s here, I’m worried he’ll do something to Nath when he finds out we’re dating. So that’s why you can’t say anything!”

“Dude, Lucien’s gonna find out you go here sooner or later.”, Ismael said with a shake of his head, “You just gotta avoid him, and hope he turns out like Rossi.” He smiled at the thought of Lila rotting away in her prison cell

Marc shuddered at the memory of how he almost killed Lila. But putting that thought aside, he realized Ismael was right. Lila slipped up and got arrested, so maybe Lucien will too and get what he had coming a long time ago, “I guess... Thanks-”

Ismael cut him off and headed for the door, “Don’t mention it. To anyone.”, and he left

—

Mireille walked out of the library, “Well, he’s not in there.”, she turns to Nathaniel who’s walking out of a classroom, “No luck?”

He shook his head, “No. I’m getting worried; why did he just run off like that?”

“Ask him yourself.”, Mireille narrowed her eyes as the boy approached her and Nathaniel

“What are you talking about, Ismael?”, she asked curtly, “Where’s Marc?”

The brunette ignored her and turned to Nathaniel, “Kurtzberg, I suggest you stay by your boyfriend’s side at all times, especially now that Lucien’s here.”, he warned

“What?”

Ismael held his hands up, sensing the rising hostility in the redhead’s voice, “He told me a couple of things about Rebois. Things that might concern you.”

“Well what did he say? What did Lucien do?”, he asked, wanting to get right to the point, but the other boy merely shook his head

“Like I said: ask him yourself.”, he answered with a pointed look before walking away from the two very confused students

“I’ll talk to him at art club.”, Nathaniel told Mireille before heading back to the cafeteria

—

“So, Nath,”, Lucien sat down in his seat, “I was just wondering, who’s your partner with the Ladybug comic?”, he asked, making Nathaniel tense.

Should he say anything? If what Ismael said was true, then Lucien may hurt Marc. He needed to keep quiet until he has enough information on this guy to know if Marc is safe around him

“Well, he prefers privacy.” he answered, “He doesn’t really like all of the attention.”, it wasn’t really a lie. Marc hated being the center of attention, yet he’s the writer for the most popular comic in Paris

“Huh.”, was Lucien’s response before he turned his attention to the teacher

‘...Okay.’

Throughout the lesson, Nathaniel felt like he was being watched, like someone was plotting to set him on fire. Maybe he was just being paranoid because he was worried about Marc... Yeah, that was it. No one’s out to get him, and he did not just see Lucien glaring at him as if he were Hawkmoth himself

—

Lucien knew what he saw, and he knew what he heard. He knew he saw the silky black hair of his love in the hallway, the bright red hoodie that hid his beautiful frame, and the gentle green eyes that made his heart melt...

He found him. After all this time, he found Marc Anciel. And he had the Ladyblog to thank for that. Even as a monochromatic supervillain who could reverse people, he still looked breath-taking. When he watched the live-stream, he instantly recognized the beautiful Akuma, and insisted on switching schools so he could find him. And who would’ve guessed that they’d end up in the same school again? It was fate, they were meant to stay together.

But then he heard Nathaniel Kurtzberg being referred to as Marc’s boyfriend... That nobody stole Marc away from him: The school golden boy, the one people would kill to date. Well, he was going to get him back. They had art club together, probably to work on the comic. How did he not recognize Marc as the writer? The word choice, the realistic dialogue... Just another thing Lucien loved about him

When that bell rings at the end of the day, Marc will be his again.

—

“You alright, Nath?”, Kim asked Nathaniel as he shut his locker closed and slipped on his swim cap, “You seem a little on edge.”

He shrugged, “... It’s Lucien.”

The Vietnamese boy smiled dreamily at the mention of the name, “Yeah, he’s awesome,” but then frowned, “What about him?”

“Well, I heard some stuff about him.”, he answered as he placed a book in his locker, “And it involved Marc.”, Kim raised an eyebrow, “Ismael told me to keep Marc away from him.”

“Ismael Prisk?”, he nodded, “You actually believe that guy? He’s not exactly the nicest guy, Nath. Plus, Lucien’s chill, he wouldn’t do anything to hurt Marc... Not like Lila.”

The artist rolled his eyes at the mention of the Italian, and Kim’s face contorted into disgust

“I can’t believe I thought she was telling the truth.”, Kim said, ashamed, “I get injured all the time, and I come back with bruises and casts. She falls down the stairs and somehow comes back without a singer scratch.”

“Well, I’ll admit, she was pretty convincing.”, Nathaniel admitted with a look of embarrassment, “She almost had me convinced, but then she said she was dating the creator of the Ladybug comic.”

Kim facepalms, “God, me and the others are so dumb.”

Nathaniel chuckled, then shut his locker, “Well, I’m gonna go and see if Marc’s alright.”

“I bet my lucky speedo that Lucien is a good guy!”

Nathaniel yelled back as he walked out the room, “You can keep those!”

—

Meanwhile, in the art room, Marc was listening to music on his headphones and writing in his journal as he waited for Nathaniel to arrive. He needed to relax after the day he’s been having- He’s managed to avoid Lucien, so that’s good... Now he just had to keep doing so until graduation.

This was one of the places where he was safe. Lucien was never really into the arts, so there was no way he’d ever actually come in here

“Lucien, hi!”, Marc heard Rose greet as the song he was listening to faded out. He dropped his pencil in horror

‘Oh, God.’

“So, an athlete, and an artist?”, Alix let out a low whistle, “I’m liking you more and more, man.”

‘They’re all in the same class, of course, they’re friends.’

“Well, not really.”, he responded with a laugh then looked around the room, “I just came to check the place out. I’m liking the calm vibe here.”

Juleka shrugged as she strummed a few chords on her guitar, “It is pretty quiet here sometimes.”

‘Okay, they’re distracting him. Maybe if I sneak out quietly, he won’t notice me.’, Marc slowly gathered his notebook and pencils in his bag, not wanting to make too much noise

“Marc! Have you met Lucien?!”, Rose asked, and at that moment, Marc wanted to die

“...”

When he didn’t move, Juleka raised an eyebrow, “Marc, are you okay?”

Before he could respond, Marc felt a strong hand being placed on his shoulder and heard, “Hello, my Emerald.”, the pet name that made him want to throw up

“Who’s Emerald?”, Alix asked

Lucien feigned surprise and answered, “Oh, did Marc not tell you?”, he holds up his wrist with the choker acting as a bracelet, “We were boyfriends. I call him Emerald because of his lovely eyes.”

Alix, Rose, and Juleka weren’t sure how to respond to that. Do they ask follow-up questions, tell him to leave before Nathaniel arrives, or just kick him out right now because he’s getting a little too close to Marc?

“Okay, okay!”, Alix approaches the two and removes Lucien’s hand from Marc’s arm, “Reunion’s over, you should go try out for a team, Marc has a boyfriend,” she points to the door, “you can leave now.”

“What’s the rush?”, Lucien asked as he placed his hands on Marc’s shoulders and gave them a little squeeze, making the writer shudder, “Can’t a guy just talk to his ex without someone trying to make him leave?” He gives the sleeve of Marc’s jacket a little tug, grinning when it slides off his shoulder a little bit

“I don’t hear you talking to each other.”, Alix spat

He huffed, “Fine.”, then turns to Marc, “Emerald, I haven’t stopped thinking about you ever since took our break.”

Marc mumbled, “We broke up.”

“And I want you back.”, he leaned in close to the petrified boy and made escaping impossible. He had Marc pinned against the table, with his arms on either side of him, “Come on, Emerald. Let’s finish where we-“, he didn’t finish as he was pushed away from Marc by none other than Alix

“You have five, fucking, seconds.”, she snarled

Lucien smirked, “Well, I better make the most of it.”, he sent Marc a wink, only infuriating Alix even more.

—

As he made his way towards the art room, Nathaniel’s phone started buzzing. He checked the texts, all caps, and angry emojis

Alix: GET IN HERE BEFORE I SNAP HIS NECK!😡😡😡

Rose: HURRY! ALIX IS GONNA RIP HIS HEAD OFF! 😱

Alix: FHE)3&HE D#%UWUDK WH3$&

Juleka: Alix used her phone to smack him. Also, I think Marc’s having a panic attack!!

At that last text, Nathaniel ran as fast as he could. When he made it to the classroom, his eyes widened at the scene before him- Alix had Lucien in a headlock while Rose tries to pry her off, and Juleka had her arms wrapped around Marc as he sat on the floor

“What the hell is going on?!”, he yelled, grabbing everyone’s attention, except for Marc’s. Juleka helped Marc up and walked him over to his boyfriend. Nathaniel cupped his cheeks in his hands, “It’s okay, Rainbow. I’m here.”, he took one of his shaky hands and kissed it, “It’s okay.”

”Get your hands off of him!”, Lucien snarled, making Marc tighten his arms around Nathaniel, and hide his face in the crook of his neck

Alix jabbed his chest with her finger, “He’s having a panic attack, you dick!”

Nathaniel was suddenly pulled out of Marc’s hold, and the writer pulled his hood over his head, shaking and sobbing as the two boys yelled at each other

“Get out of here!”

“Make me, twerp!”

Marc feels a hand on his shoulder. He holds it, thinking it’s Nathaniel, Alix, Juleka, or Rose. When he looks up and paled when he realized it was Lucien

“Get your hands off of him!”, Rose screamed as Juleka stormed over and yanked the boy away from Marc

“Emerald, you’re going to let them-“

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!”, he sobbed

“Get out of here, Rebois.”, Nathaniel growled

“Over my dead- OW!”

Alix had twisted his arm behind his back and is walking him towards the door, “And stay out!”, she pushed him out, then shut the door. Once Lucien regained his composure, he looked around and saw a couple of students giving confused looks and whispering. He stormed off in a huff.

—

“The owner of heart once so full of life only to have it be torn apart, then shattered, and now seeking to take back what was his.”, Hawkmoth holds out his hand, and a white butterfly lands in his open palm. He covers the butterfly, and it’s engulfed with dark magic, turning the butterfly into an Akuma. It flutters away

“Fly, my little Akuma. And evilize him!”

—

Lucien sat outside on the steps of the school, scrolling through photos on his phone, all are of him and Marc when they were dating- Them holding hands while roller-skating, Marc wearing his letterman jacket at a fútbol game, dancing at the spring formal, kissing in his car at a drive-in... They looked so happy... He shoved his phone back in his pocket and rubbed his thumb over the choker necklace wrapped around his wrist. While doing this, he felt something brush up against his finger, and suddenly, he felt as if someone was in his head

“Heart Thief, I am Hawkmoth. I too understand the pain of losing someone you love. Now you can take back what’s yours. In return, you must give me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculous.”

Lucien wanted to say no. He’s seen what this guy was capable of, but... He’d have Marc all to himself again. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. He had to get him back and away from those friends of his. Especially that red-haired twerp...

“I’m coming for you, Marc.”, he smirked as the black mist bubbled up from the choker and surrounded him

Hawkmoth froze when he heard that name. ‘Marc Anciel’ How could such an innocent-sounding name sound so malevolent? He, a mere child managed to silence and overpower him, the most feared villain in all of Paris, and then had the nerve to threaten him... It was quite impressive. Marc was now second on his ‘Must Akumatize’ list, and at the top was Marinette. Even though Lila had been arrested and was no longer a threat to her emotional stability, the Eurasian girl would still make a powerful Akuma- Not one caused by her friends betraying, but definitely, something that would make the heroes fall to their knees

—

“It’s okay, Rainbow. He’s gone.”, Nathaniel whispered as he had his arms wrapped around Marc’s frame, ��He won’t hurt you, okay?”

“God! I can’t believe I actually looked up to that guy!”, Alix screeched, “When I see him, I’m just gonna... I’ll...”, she chucks a spray paint can at the door, M. Haberkorn walks in carrying a few blank canvases just as the can drops to the floor with a ‘clank’. “What’s going on here?”, he asked with concern when he felt the tension in the room

Alix sighed, “Sorry, M. Haberkorn. We just... Ugh.”, she slumped into her seat

The art teacher looks and sees Marc in Nathaniel’s protective hold, “Is Marc okay?”

Juleka answers, “We had a run-in with the new student.”

Rose adds, “Yeah, and he was making Marc really uncomfortable! He kept touching him and calling him Em-“, seeing Nathaniel shake his head, she rephrased, “a name that he didn’t like. And he was, I guess flirting with Marc even when we said he and Nathaniel were dating!”

M. Haberkorn frowned. How dare another student come into his classroom and harass one of his children students? “Well, I’ll be having a talk with M. Damocles about this first thing tomorrow.”, he said sternly, “That boy will not set another foot in this room, or hurt you again, Marc.”

Marc lifted his head and sent the kind man a faint smile

Then suddenly, destroying the calm atmosphere were screams coming from the students who stayed after school. Juleka ran out into the hall and saw the Akuma. He wore a black mask with a small red heart above his right eye, a suit where the top half was is tailcoat that was red at the top and black at the bottom, and the ends of the tailcoat formed a broken heart. He wore black pants, black fingerless gloves that revealed his red nails, and came up to his biceps, red platform boots with metal heart buckles that came up to his knees, and in his hand was a black choker necklace with a red metal heart. She gasped when she realized the Akuma was Lucien, then went back in the room, shut the door, and told the others, “Lucien’s an Akuma!”

Alix clenched her fists, “Oh, hell no!”

M. Haberkorn shushed her, “We can’t let him know we’re still in here.”

Everyone froze when they heard the Akuma’s footsteps were getting louder as he approached the room. Nathaniel kept Marc in a protective hold as the taller boy silently cried... The footsteps soon faded away, and they all let out relieved sighs, but this moment was short-lived when the door suddenly blew off its hinges, revealing Heart Thief.

He looked around the room until his eyes land on Marc and smirks, “Oh, Emerald.”, he drawled out, “Did you miss me?”

Alix got into a fighting stance, Nathaniel moved Marc behind him, Rose and Juleka backed away but still stood close by Marc. M. Haberkorn scowled when he realized this was the student that harassed Marc

Sternly he said, “You’re not welcome here. Leave.”, but the villain just laughed

“Not until I take back what’s mine.”, he held up the collar, making Marc back away at the sight of it, “Emerald, come here.”

Alix tightened her fists, “If you think he’s gonna listen to you, you must be-!”, she silenced herself when she saw a red dagger in the shape of a heart appear in the palm of his hand

“Emerald, you know how much I hate waiting,” he chastised, then summoned four more daggers he then sent towards Alix, Rose, Juleka, Nathaniel, and M. Haberkorn. Everyone ducked out of the way, and the daggers hit a sculpture, forming cracks along the surface before it crumbled into bits. Marc looked up and didn’t have time to react before Heart Thief threw the choker at him, and it wrapped itself around his neck. Marc tried to rip it off but then suddenly came to a halt, and his arms dropped to his sides. He and the Akuma locked eyes, and Marc no longer saw Heart Thief, he saw Lucien- His devoted, caring boyfriend. Nathaniel got up, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw that Marc’s irises were now a bright red

He held his hand, “Rainbow?”, but got no response

Heart Thief sent the boy a sneer. His look softened when he looked to Marc, “Emerald, come here.”, he commanded sweetly as his eyes glowed the same shade of red as Marc’s irises

Marc stood, and with no hesitation, ran over to Heart Thief. Rose reached for his hand, but he pulled it away and went to nuzzle up against his chest

Nathaniel looked heartbroken, and even more when Marc and Heart Thief passionately kissed each other, “Oh, I knew you’d come to your senses, Emerald.”, he gently scooped him off his feet, and sent Nathaniel a smirk when Marc wrapped his arms around his neck, “Perhaps I should be calling you Ruby now.” Before he could head out, M. Haberkorn stood at the doorway

“Unhand him this instant!”, he shouted in a tone none of the art students have ever heard him use. Heart Thief just scoffed, settled Marc in his left arm, then he used his free hand to grab the man by his shirt and fling him across the room, causing him to crash into some paint cans that splattered him with a mess of colors. Rose and Juleka went to help him up while Alix and Nathaniel ran after Heart Thief, who fled during the commotion.

While running, Heart Thief summoned six heart-shaped daggers and threw them at Nathaniel and Alix. They weren’t hit, but dodging the daggers slowed them down and allowed Heart Thief to get away

He made his way outside, scaring off a few civilians, but he didn’t care. He finally had Marc back, and once he brought the Miraculous to Hawkmoth, they’ll never be separated ever again

“I told you,” he whispered, “I’d get you back, my Ruby. Nothing will keep us apart.”, he kisses Marc’s pink lips again, but was cut short when he heard, “PUT HIM DOWN!”

Standing at the top of the steps was Nathaniel, seething with rage and with visible tears streaming down his face. Heart Thief rolled his eyes and leaped away

“NO!”

—

“Excellent, Heart Thief. It shouldn’t be too long before Ladybug and Chat Noir arrive. Once you take their Miraculous, he shall be yours forever.”

Heart Thief smiled as he looked down at Marc, his hair blowing in his beautiful face as he ran, “That’s all I want.”

—

Meanwhile, in his room, Adrien was just sitting at his desk, watching footage of the Ladyblog on his three computer monitors, when he suddenly heard screams from outside. He rushed over to his window and looked to see Heart Thief leaping from roof to roof with Marc in his arms

“Is that Marc?”, he asks himself before turning to Plagg, sitting on the couch and munching on some Camembert, “Plagg, we gotta go!”

The Kwami of destruction groaned, “But I just got comfy!”

“Now!”

Plagg, Claws out!

—

Marinette was just sitting on her balcony, flipping through a fashion magazine while Tikki sat on her shoulder eating a macaron. Before the goddess of creation could take another bite, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye

“Marinette, look!”, she looked to where the Kwami was pointing and saw the Akuma running on the roof of a building. She took a closer look and shock crossed her face when she saw Marc cradled in his arms, “Marc?!”

“He must’ve been kidnapped.”, Tikki deduced

“Well, we’re gonna get him back!”

Tikki, Spots On!

—

Back at school, Nathaniel was panicking. He just lost Marc to... To... To that sleaze! What’s even worse is that he could make Marc do whatever he wants. He didn’t even want to imagine that

“Nath, is gonna be okay.”, Alix tried to reassure him

“No it’s not!”, he yelled, “You saw what he was doing to Marc! He’ll- Oh God!”

“Hey,” Alix grabs his shoulders, “he’s not gonna do anything to Marc, okay? Ladybug and Chat Noir will take care of this like they always do. A-and maybe they’ll call on you again since this is a personal thing.”

Nathaniel didn’t care about being Royt Hon again. He just wanted Marc back, “You think so?”, Alix nodded and pointed up towards the red-clad hero swinging across the city

“Once this is over, I’m giving Lucien a piece of my mind.”, she snarled

—

Couples ran out of the way or stood frozen in shock as Heart Thief and Marc walked across Pont Des Arts

“Oh, Ruby. I’m so glad to have you back.”, Heart Thief said as he combed his fingers through Marc’s hair

The writer held onto the Akuma’s free arm and sighed, “I missed you, Lucien.”

“And you don’t love anyone else, only me?”, Heart Thief asked, eyes glowing again as he softly caressed Marc cheek, causing his pink lips to curl into a smile

“No, I only love you.”, even if it was fake, Heart Thief didn’t seem to care, he was just thrilled to have Marc back in his arms and listening to his every word. There was just one thing that could make this even better

“Ruby, I never really liked how that hoodie hid your gorgeous figure.”, Heart Thief said, biting his bottom lip as he messed with the jaw string, “Remove it for me?”

Marc’s eyes flickered from crimson to green, and for a millisecond, he saw Heart Thief and not Lucien, but the Akuma didn’t seem to notice and just waited for Marc to do as he said, “L-love to.”, raising his hand to his shoulder, he began to slide the jacket off, when a voice called out,

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!”

Ladybug and Chat Noir arrived on the scene. Civilians fled, knowing how destructive these Akuma battles could get. Heart Thief stood in front of Marc and sent a glare the heroes’ way as he summoned two daggers, “You will not take my love away from me!”

Ladybug ignored him but kept her yoyo ready in case she would have to deflect those daggers. She furrowed her brow when she saw Marc, clinging onto the Akuma’s arm. That’s when she noticed his eyes were no longer green, and realized he must be being controlled by the Akuma

“Marc, whatever spell he has on you, you need to break free from it!”

“Spell?”

“Yeah, your eyes are supposed to be green! And you love Nathaniel, not him!”, Chat pointed an accusing finger at the Akuma

Suddenly, Marc felt a tinge of pain in his head and held it tightly, causing Heart String to look at him with concern, “My Ruby, are you alright?”

His eyes flickered again, but this time Heart Thief noticed, and so did the heroes, “I-I’m fine.”

Heart Thief let out a sigh of relief and turned his attention back to Ladybug and Chat, summoning ten more daggers, each one sharpened to a fine point and ready to pierce through the heroes, “If you know what’s best for you, you’ll leave me and my Ruby alone.”, he threatened, then sent the daggers at the heroes before gathering Marc in his arms and running off

Ladybug spun her yoyo, Chat spun his staff, and the two deflected each dagger. They either flew off and fell into the water, or were embedded in the floor or nearby benches. Once there were no more daggers coming for them, Ladybug and Chat swung and vaulted after Heart Thief

--

Heart Thief knew his control over Marc was weakening when he saw his eyes turning green again. He had to remove any memories of Nathaniel, seeing as the mere mention of his name would break his control over Marc

After looking around to make sure the heroes were nowhere in sight, Heart Thief stopped on the nearest rooftop and set Marc gently onto the roof, “Lucien, why did you stop?”, he asked as Heart Thief took his hand in his.

“Marc,” he started, “my Ruby.”, his eyes started glowing again, “What do you remember about Nathaniel Kurtzberg?”

Marc’s eyes began flickering again, rapidly, before settling on red, “We go to school together.”, he answered. Heart Thief’s eyes became brighter, “He... He likes to draw. I think.”

He smirked, “What else?”

“... He has brown hair?”

“Anything else you remember about Nathaniel?”, his bright red eyes became a menacing blood red

“...” Marc’s face contorted in confusion as he tried to remember who this boy was. The name sounded so familiar to him, but he couldn’t figure out why “I... I don’t know who that is.”

‘He doesn’t remember him.’, “Are you sure?”, he asked, needing confirmation

“No.” He tilted his head slightly, “Am I supposed to?”, Heart Thief kissed his forehead before answering, “No, my Ruby. He’s not important. Never has been, never will be.”, his muscular arms wrapped around Marc’s frame and pull him in for a hug, which the entranced boy gladly returned

“Found you!”

Having no time to react, Ladybug’s yoyo smacked Heart Thief in the face, making him stumble and fall on his back. Marc went to help him up but found himself being restrained by Chat

“Let me go!”, he shouted, writhing in the leather-clad hero’s hold, “Lucien!”, he called out to the Akuma who was tied up by Ladybug’s yoyo. Heart Thief swept her leg, sending Ladybug down, and freed himself from the magic weapon. Chat Noir ran after him, staff ready, but Heart Thief grabbed the staff and used it to fling him into Ladybug just as she was getting up.

Once the heroes were down, Heart Thief gathered Marc in his arms and leaped away just as Ladybug and Chat Noir got back up and situated themselves

“And I thought cats were territorial.”, Chat joke as he picked up his staff, “Did you see anything on Romeno, that might have been the akumatized object?”

Ladybug shook her head, “Nothing. But we have to keep looking.”, then she yelled out,

“LUCKY CHARM!”, the object that fell into her hands was...

“Marc and Nathaniel’s comic?”

Chat examined the cover, “Issue twelve. The one where Might Illustrator saves Inverser from Scarlet Moth’s control.”, Ladybug raised an eyebrow, to which Chat responded with a shrug, “What? I like their work.”

Ladybug flipped through the pages until she stopped on a specific one. Might Illustrator held Inverser in a loving embrace as the two kissed, and Inverser’s red and black suit faded back to white and black. Ladybug got an idea, “Chat, go after Heart Thief. I’ll be right back.”

He nodded, “On it, m’lady!”, then vaulted away

--

Back at Dupont, Alix was comforting Nathaniel, who was crying into her shoulder, “Okay, so it’s been almost two hours, but Ladybug and Chat Noir will get Marc back!” she reassured, “It almost took them an entire day to defeat some Akumas.”, she reminded him, but Nathaniel couldn’t listen, not when Marc was in the arms of some creep

He just wanted him back...

“Nathaniel!”, Ladybug called out as she landed, startling the two, “I need your help!” she looked down at the comic with her Lucky Vision, then at Nathaniel. Both were ladybug-patterned

Alix gave Nathaniel’s arm a nudge, “Is Royt gonna make a comeback?”

“Not exactly.” she holds out her hand to the redhead, “Right now, Marc needs you. Will you come with me?”

With a look of determination, Nathaniel takes the superheroine’s hand, “Let’s get Marc back.”

“And when you see Lucien,” Alix holds up her fist and smirks, “give him one of these for me, ‘kay, bud?”

Nathaniel gave his friend a nod as Ladybug wrapped her arm around him, “Oh, I’ll be giving him much worse.”, then Ladybug swung away with Nathaniel in her arms

--

After five minutes of running, Heart Thief landed right outside of the Le Grand Blanche Hotel. By the door was a sign that read, ‘Jemart and Mell Wedding in Banquet Hall’ His lips curled into a grin, “Ruby. How would you like us to always be together?”, all he got in response was a kiss on the cheek.

“Heart Thief, what is the meaning of this? I want my Miraculous!”

“And you’ll get them. Right after I make Marc mine forever.” at that, he carried Marc into the hotel.

It took almost ten minutes, but Heart Thief finally found the banquet hall and set Marc down on the floor before using his enhanced strength to punch the door down, much to the alarm of everyone in attendance at the wedding. The groom was just about to put the ring on the bride’s finger.

Heart Thief smirked, “Sorry to interrupt such a lovely ceremony, but this will only take a moment.”

“Marc?” Standing from her seat was Madelyn, dressed in a black vest with a red bow tie, a white dress shirt, black pants, and black heels, “What’s goin’ on; Why are you with an Akuma?”

Marc gave his old friend a confused look, “I’m not with an Akuma, I’m with Lucien.” the girl narrowed her eyes at the Akuma and instantly recognized him, “Rebois.”, she sneered

“Jemart. I thought the name sounded familiar.”

The muscular girl rolled up her sleeves and stormed over to the Akuma, “After all this time, even as an Akuma, you’re still a creep.” her look softened when she turned to Marc, “Mar-Mar, whatever lies this boy has been telling you, don’t believe him.”

He gave her an incredulous look, “He said he loves me.”

“Marc,” she grabs his shoulders, “you broke up with him for a reason! He’s possessive, he threatened your friends, he made you wear a collar!” she looks at the black choker around his neck, “And he still is. Mar-Mar, you’re one of my best friends. Please. Believe me when I’m telling you that Lucien- Heart Thief- Whatever! He’s using you...”

It’s a stare down between the two. Marc’s crimson red eyes started flickering again and were becoming a forest green color until Heart Thief squeezed his hand, and his eyes went back to red “Maddy, please move.”

A tear forms out of the eye of the usually tough girl, “Marc-”

In one swift motion, Madelyn was pinned to the wall by Heart Thief’s daggers, each one just an inch away from piercing her body. Marc looked back at her with concern until Heart Thief linked their arms and walked him down the aisle, prompting the bride and groom to move out of the way. The priest would have run too, but Heart Thief’s glare kept him in place.

“O-okay then.”, the priest stammered, “So, do you, Heart Thief, t-take Marc to b-be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”, he answered quickly

“Of course.”, he said before turning to Marc, “And do y-you, Marc, take Heart Thief to-to be your la-lawfully wedded husband?”

“I-”

Before he could say ‘do’, someone yelled out, “I OBJECT!”

Everyone looked to see Paris’ heroes and Nathaniel standing at the doorway. Ladybug’s earrings had all five dots, having refueled Tikki before they arrived, and she was giving Chat a bored look, “Was that necessary?” he shrugged, “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Nathaniel’s eyes didn’t leave Marc for a second. He always fantasized about seeing Marc at an altar, but not like this.

“Crashing my wedding?!” How tacky are you?” Heart Thief shouted, pulling Marc closer to him

Nathaniel sneered, “I’m tacky?! You brainwashed my boyfriend!”

“He’s marrying me willingly! Right, Ruby?” Marc nodded.

Ladybug threw her yoyo at Heart Thief. It wrapped around his ankles, and she flung him across the room, making him crash into a wall. Nathaniel made his way over to Marc, but he ran over to the wounded Akuma, and Nathaniel couldn’t hold back his tears anymore.

Ladybug then called for her, “LUCKY CHARM!”

And in her hands was... “A magnet?”

While she looked for a way to use the lucky, Chat Noir quickly dragged Marc over to Nathaniel while Heart Thief was down, “Nathaniel, get him somewhere safe.” With a nod, Nathaniel pulled Marc out of the banquet hall, and the battle began

--

“Where are you taking me?!”, Marc asked as Nathaniel continued to pull him through the building, with some struggle since Marc kept trying to pull his hand out of his grasp

“I’m getting you away from him, Marc!”, he answered, then the two made their way into a stairwell

“What?! How do you even know my name; who are you?!”

After hearing those last three words, Nathaniel’s heart shattered. He stopped on his tracks and look Marc right in his eyes, “You... You don’t know who I am?”

Marc shook his head, “No. Look, I-I need to go back, or Lucien’s gonna-”

“Forget about Lucien!”, he shouted, “He’s hurt you in the past, and is still doing so! Marc... He doesn’t love you.”

“H-he said he-”

Nathaniel was now crying at this point, “He doesn’t mean it... I know you don’t remember me, o-or everything we’ve been through together, and you probably won’t believe me when I tell you this, but I love you! I can’t lose you, you’re... You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me...” Seeing no change on Marc’s confused face, he slid down the wall and tucked his head into his knees and silently cried, “I love you, Rainbow.”

Marc just stood, not wondering what to do right now. He wanted to go back to Lucien, but this boy was claiming that he was a part of his life right now and is clearly upset... Lucien wouldn’t mind if he stayed back to comfort... Nick? Noah?... Nathan... What did Chat Noir call him earlier?... Nathaniel! That was his name. It sounded so nice.

Marc’s eyes flickered again and became a red-orange color. “... A comic”, Nathaniel looked up in confusions, tears still streaming down his face, “We... We worked on a comic together.”

Nathaniel wiped some of his tears away, “Y-yeah. Yeah!”, he got on his feet, and held Marc’s hands, “Do you remember anything else?”

"... W-we became friends after Reverser?”

Nathaniel grinned when he realized Marc’s memories of him were slowly returning, and his eyes were going back to their normal color with each memory, “Yes! That’s right! What else?”

“Uh... I had to sleep over your house after Alix made us watch a scary movie.”, his eyes faded to yellow-orange

Nathaniel blushed at the memory. Marc’s parents were out of town that week and he did not wanna sleep alone, so he offered to let him sleep over his house. In his room... In his bed.

“We went to Comic Con together as Ruby and Sapphire,” he chuckled, “sold a few of our comics, and... And... You told me you love me.”

“I do. And I always will... Marc... My Rainbow. If you take off that choker, I can guarantee that you’ll know who actually loves you, and you’ll know who you love.”, Nathaniel wrapped his arms around Marc’s waist and pulled him in for a hug. His hugs felt so different from Lucien’s; they were warmer. “If that person is still Lucien, know that I’ll never stop loving you.”

Marc slowly reached for his choker and undid the clasp. Once the offending material was no longer around his neck, Marc threw it to the floor, causing it to break.

“Rainbow?”, Nathaniel whispered. He looked and saw Marc’s beautiful green eyes once again, and brimming with tears

“I missed you.”

“... I missed you too!”

The two kissed, hands clasped together and fitting perfectly, and bodies pressed against each other. This tender moment was cut short when they heard a flapping sound and looked to see an Akuma fluttering beside them. Nathaniel glared at the thing that almost took away his boyfriend, and snatched it in his hands

“Nath!”, Marc exclaimed worriedly, “Are you okay.”

He nodded, “Yeah. I’m way too happy to become Akumatized.” Marc smiled and kissed his cheek

--

The two made their way back into the banquet hall and took in the scene before them. The wedding guests took cover on the other side of the room, and Heart Thief was dangling over a hole in the floor that was no doubt Cataclysmed. Ladybug’s yoyo, which had been thrown over a chandelier, was tied around the Lucky Charm magnet that was stuck to the metal heart-shaped buckles on his boots. Ladybug and Chat Noir kept looking to see where the Akumatized object was until Nathaniel cleared his throat and the heroes turned their attention to him and Marc.

Ladybug smiled, “Marc! You’re back!”

“That’s great, but we still can’t find the Akuma.”, Chat said as he continued looking

“Oh, it was in Marc’s choker necklace.” Nathaniel said, chuckling when Ladybug and Chat facepalmed

Ladybug retracted her yoyo and Heart Thief fell back into the hole before crawling back out. With a nod from the spotted heroine, Nathaniel opened his hands and released the Akuma, only for it to be caught by Ladybug’s yoyo

“No more evil-doing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize! Gotcha!”

The newly purified butterfly fluttered out of the yoyo, “Bye-bye, little butterfly.”, Ladybug told it, then pulled the magnet off of Heart Thief’s boot and tossed it into the air, “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

The magnet burst into thousands of ladybugs that flew around Paris. They fixed the banquet hall, the art room, and got rid of the daggers throws by Heart Thief. Black and purple mist engulfed Heart Thief then lifted to reveal Lucien. He gets up and furrows his brow, “What am I doing here?” Hearing someone clear their throat, he turned around and saw Marc and Nathaniel glaring at him with such malice, but Marc’s glare was more intense

Marc stormed over to him and rolled up one of his sleeves, “Em-Emerald, I-” He was cut off a powerful left hook right to his face that sent him to the floor, much to the shock of Nathaniel, Ladybug, and Chat “You had that coming a long time ago, Rebois!”

“WHOO!”, Madelyn cheered as she made her way over to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, “My boy can still throw a mean hook!”, Marc laughed and hugged her, “Hey, Maddy.”, “Hey my little gay of sunshine!”, she then noticed Nathaniel and smiled, “So I’m guessing he’s your new boyfriend?”

Marc pulled away from the hug and made his way over to Nathaniel. The two held hands, confirming Madelyn’s suspicion “Well, I already like him a lot better than Rebois.”, she gave the de-akumatized boy’s leg a kick

Ladybug and Chat Noir fist-bumped, “Pound it!”

--

“Ladybug and Chat Noir, like Heart Thief, I don’t care how long it takes until I finally have what’s mine! And as for Marc Anciel... I’ll still be keeping a close eye on you...”

--

It was a new day at school, no one’s seen Lucien for a week. His Akumatization a history at Vadim spread like a wildfire, now everyone knew exactly the kind of person he was. Kim, Alix, and the whole school fútbol team took down their (not literal) shrine to him. Rumors were spreading too- ‘Lucien got expelled’, ‘Lucien went back to Vadim’, ‘Lucien fled to Bombay’, ‘Lucien melted his head’, ‘Lucien’s totally dead’. Okay, so that last two were a little outlandish, but at least everything was back to normal

As Marc and Nathaniel were walking home after art club, Marc got a text from his phone, “It’s from Maddy.”, he smiled as he read the message, “The GSA social is coming up. She, Mehdi and Syd wanna know if we’re free to go on Saturday.”

Nathaniel smiled and kissed his cheek, “Tell them we’ll be there, and I can’t wait to meet everyone.”

Taglist:

@toodaloo-kangaroo

[xenoglossy-but-also-fishing]

| to carry onward

I haven’t really been feeling all that amazing for a while, and I haven’t written anything for even longer than that, it feels like. So I thought ‘hey! Maybe I can write something to try and make myself feel better.’ 

I still don’t feel 100% better, but I do feel a lot better. So I thought I’d post it since I was happy with it and stuff. And... ya. I don’t really know what to add here. That’s all I wanted to say, anyways.

____________________

It must have been some time near the next morning. Just close enough for the slow beginnings of the day to begin, yet without the majority of the city rising from their beds. 

In other words, Amandine’s favorite part of the morning. 

The slow feeling of dawn, when the sun was just barely awake itself… it gave her a nice spot of time to herself. A good book, a nice cup of something warm, and a roaring fire… 

Then it was out the door to get on with whatever exciting plans she had for the day. 

At least that was usually how her mornings were spent. Yet judging the scent of hot chocolate that wafted through the house, this was not the ‘usual’ morning Amandine had come to know so well. 

Not that she minded. A change of pace was welcome, now and again, after all. After slipping into her house robe and putting on her slippers, Amandine sauntered off into the strongest source of the cocoa scent. 

“Oh. Sorry— did I wake you up?” Oliver stared at her with a nearly startled look. Steaming mug of hot chocolate cradled in between his hands, a blanket draped over him like some sort of veil. It was almost covering his eyes. 

She shook her head at first. Not trusting just him seeing the gesture alone, Amandine replied, “Not at all. I am usually awake at this hour of my own accord.” 

“Really? I had no idea.” 

“You’re quite welcome, then.” She grinned for a moment at her own words as she slipped into the room to steal her favorite spot on the couch. “I put a considerable amount of effort into not making too much noise in the mornings. It disturbs the magic.” 

And in trying not to wake him, either, yet that was likely a given. He struck her as one who did not like being woken up needlessly, and she was frankly not quite interested to find out.

Oliver looked around, eyes narrowed and half-squinted in suspicion. “Magic…” There was a soft hum, then a sudden turn back. “Wait. You don’t mean literal magic, do you?” 

“Metaphorical magic.”

“Right. I knew that,” he said with a nod. The way he looked off towards the fire said otherwise, yet Amandine chose not to mention it. The loudest noise in the room, for a brief moment, was him taking a long sip from the mug. 

“If I may be so bold as to ask, Oliver…” He looked back up mid-sip when she trailed off, “Just how long have you been awake? You’re usually much more... aware than this, for lack of a better term.”

It wasn’t as easy a question as Amandine thought. Oliver leaned forward, placed down the mug, and started counting on his fingers. He stopped for a moment, blinked, then finally shrugged. “...can I get back to you on that one? I can’t do math at this hour.”

“Shall I assume you’ve not slept since yesterday, then?” 

“That’s probably more accurate than any number I could give you, to be honest. Ya.” 

“Fury preserve, what have you been doing, then?” Taking a better look, it certainly looked like he’d been awake that long. She wasn’t entirely sure if Oliver was looking at her, or through her. Or both, somehow. “Attempting to gain a sixth sense through sleep deprivation?” 

At the moment that it took for Oliver to answer, the sudden fear of him agreeing with her response was vivid. Twelve only knew what one could get from so little sleep. Other than hallucinations and a handful of questionable decisions.

“I… don’t think that’s actually possible, is it?” 

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been foolish enough to attempt it,” Amandine answered with a short rise of one shoulder. 

“Anyways, no, I’m not trying to see ghosts. Or whatever a sixth sense entails. Five is good enough for me.” The mug was once again cradled in his palms. Thumb running across the handle in some sort of rhythmic, subconscious pattern. It was oddly distracting.

Amandine’s gaze moved away from the mug handle. “Well then, forgive me my curiosity. I do hope you try and get some sleep soon.” All the talk of sleep did nothing but make her drowsy. A nice cup of coffee would set her right, at least— or, in a brief flash of an idea, “Did you happen to make any more hot chocolate? Assuming it isn’t cold by now, I may pour myself a mug, as well.”

“It should still be warm enough, I think.” Oliver looked up again from where his eyes had dropped. Once more looking rather surprised at the sudden words. More tired than he appeared… how good he hadn’t accidentally spilled hot cocoa on himself from nearly falling asleep like that. 

_______________________

The hot chocolate was far better than Amandine had thought to imagine. Clearly, it was a beverage Oliver had down to a fine art. 

“I’ll need to pester you for your methods of cocoa making,” she remarked to him as she walked back into the living space. The heap of blanket that was curled onto the opposite chair to her own said he was still sitting there. Whether he was awake there… 

There was a sharp intake of breath and a few mumbled words. “Thanks.” That was far clearer, at least. “It’s, um, this recipe that Syd always used.”

“Ah.” She took a long sip, “I see.” 

The silence that settled in was a few shades too tense than Amandine would have liked. Sydessin was still a rather sore topic to speak of. She had some doubts about the idea that their departed friend would stop being one. Death ever seemed to have that effect. 

It took another few moments for either of them to say something again. “Hey, Mandi?” The sleepy hints in Oliver’s tone were almost gone, suddenly. 

“Mhm?” Another short sip and Amandine’s attention was solely on him. 

“I… know we technically are already, but…” he trailed off, let out a breath, and asked, “Could we talk? About… something?” 

For some reason, ‘something’ didn’t feel like it was a hot chocolate recipe. Amandine placed down her mug, shifted in her seat, and nodded a few times in confirmation. “Of course. What is it you had in mind?” 

“Great. I just… wanted to ask, I guess. Do you ever just feel, like… tired?” 

The feeling of ‘not quite what it sounded like’ didn’t leave— in fact, it only seemed to have gotten sharper. “I doubt there is a soul who does not feel tired from time to time,” she answered with a slow hesitance. Head tilted by the slightest hint at the question, and her caution in the answer she gave. “No one is truly immune from feeling tired, after all. Hence why sleep is such a valuable tool, I would wager.” 

“I don’t mean sleep-tired,” Oliver said with a few shakes of his head. “I mean as in tired-tired. Even if you get a full night’s sleep, you still wake up feeling like you didn’t so much as close your eyes once.” 

So that’s what he meant. She’d had a feeling that was… hm. “More often than is perhaps healthy, in that sense, yes.” There was a mutual pause to sip their cocoa. Amandine didn’t bother putting her cup back onto the table afterwards. 

“Ya.” There was a sudden rise in his shoulders, and then all of the tension suddenly dropped. The blanket nearly fell over Oliver’s eyes, yet he pushed it back up to only cover his head. “I’ve been feeling like that for a while.” 

“There is little surprise as to why. These past months have been… eventful, after all,” she agreed. ‘Eventful’ was probably the mildest word she had for it. From Sydessin’s death to Eada’s announced retirement, they did not want for tragedy nor action. 

“And with all we still haven’t even begun to deal with, either… I can barely think of it all without wanting to curl up into a ball and cry, or something.” 

“There is undoubtedly a lot on our plate.” And more to come, as he’d said. Amandine let out a sigh and took another long sip. The hot chocolate was beginning to lose some of its heat. “There is little wonder why it has begun to crack.”

“It’s a surprise the plate isn’t in a million pieces already,” Oliver muttered into his mug. The look in his eyes was somewhere between jaded and frustrated. Or, more accurately, a healthy dose of both at the same time. 

There were plenty of things Amandine considered saying. Flourished and hopeful, frankly— she knew well enough the feelings he meant, and they didn’t feel all together helpful to herself, either. Yet it was worth enough of a try, if nothing else. 

“Well, I know not about the plate, yet I’ve been much helped of late by the support of friends,” Amandine told him. Her pinky finger flicked to his general direction before settling back into the mug. “Their presence does little to alleviate the weight of all that has happened, that much is true. Yet it goes some way to making it a little easier to carry, even if it is for but a few moments. And even should I stagger and fall, they are there to help me find my footing once more. And I for them.” 

Something of a smile crossed his face. Oliver nodded slowly a few times, mug rising just to his mouth before he took a sip. Weighing the words, it seemed to Amandine. “I guess so. That tired feeling is never as bad when I’m with you.”

“I’m full glad to hear it. And, in an unexpected turn of events, I feel the exact same way in your presence.” 

He got up after a moment, finishing off the last few mouthfuls of hot chocolate in his mug. “I should probably be getting to bed… I feel a lot better for talking. Tired, still, in more ways than one, but… I think I’ll be alright.” 

“I wish you a fitful sleep, then. Take care of yourself, Oliver,” Amandine told him with a final warm glance and a wave. 

“You too, Mandi. I don’t wanna sound too cheesy, but… thank you for, you know… being yourself and stuff.” 

“I can be nothing else.” She offered a wink and a laugh as Oliver turned away with a chuckle of his own towards his room. Full silence resumed in the room again, and Amandine turned back towards the fire, watching the flames dance.

What a simple sort of magic it was; both metaphorical and literal. Even in the bleakest of times, or the blackest of nights— there was ever some small hint of solace to take shelter in. To carry onward for and from.

[mypokepal]

Hi! So you replied to me a few days ago saying you'd love to be friends so yayy!! Hi!! New friends are always so so appreciated :) I'd love to know more about u and share my story as well but before that I was hoping to request a poke partner!! This is going to be long, I'm so sorry and I hope it's fine with you :') I'm a Leo girl who's studying Biomedical Engineering and Arts (with an English major!!) in Syd. I used to be a guitarist in a high school band and am in general more of an+ 1

I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t include the rest of your message because then it’d be too many words (which isn’t a problem!!! the more I know, the better I can do for your request) Also...biomedical engineering AND arts???? you literally pointed your finger at me and called me stupid and worthless what the hell. 

HI AGAIN I’M SO SORRY. LIFE IS JUST REALLY CRAZY. I feel like Tana Mongeau every time I log back on. I just constantly apologize and deliver empty promises. Thank you again my love for your patience and all the kind words that will sit in my inbox hehe. 

I have the perfect partner for you! Let me introduce you to...

Yamper! I think Yamper would be perfect for you because...

(1) Everything about you screams electric type! You’re open, welcoming, energetic and incredibly determined. A trainer like you would definitely bring out Yamper’s full potential. Friends and family will have the best time of their lives when you two are around! You guys are definitely the life of the party with your magnetic personality and Yamper’s contagious energy. It’s great that you have so many hobbies that are both physical and mellow. It’s like going on a brand new adventure everyday with you two! Whether it’s cycling to the next city to try new foods or tackling a new art project to hang on your wall; there is never be a dull moment together. You’ll see that Yamper mirrors your energy and emotions meaning that it learns by example and I can’t see a better trainer for Yamper to model after. This friendship is about bringing out each others potential and learning to love the quirks and oddity that makes you who you are. 

(2) Having lots of pride and being over competitive can really harm your spirit. Constantly feeling like you have to outdo yourself will drain you immediately but that’s where Yamper steps in. Yamper lives the way that it wants to and follows its own heart despite what others may think. If it wants to run in circles to express joy, it will. If it wants to turn over and sleep with its tongue completely out when you have guests over, it will. Working with Yamper, you’ll learn that the more you bring out Yamper’s personality and allow it express itself, the more Yamper shines on the battlefield and life in general. Remember the note about Yamper learning by example? You’ll really have to swallow your ego and smile when you lose a battle or fail at something you’ve been trying to master for a while. Having Yamper run back to you after a lost battle with a tired smile on its face will always outweigh the thought of it curling up into a ball and not speaking for a few days. Use that competitive nature to promise a tougher and stronger comeback! Strength can rise from our mistakes and failures but only if we let it. 

(3) The best thing about having Yamper as your pal is the fact that you have the cuddliest and most open minded partner out there! Yamper is down for anything and willing to try anything with you. It approaches new concepts and adventures without hesitation (which can sometimes lead to trouble!). Want to stay indoors all day on a rainy day and binge watch a tv series? Yamper is ready on your lap with snacks nearby. Want to go on a hike that almost 8 hours long? Yamper is jumping by the door and eager to get going. Trying new foods will be super fun with Yamper as it eats everything with large bites and reacts to the flavour after swallowing. Its facial expressions and its full body reaction will leave you laughing for hours. With Yamper being so small, exploring the city will be no issue with your electric friend. Enter any store or bakery and people are sure to coo at how adorable your squishy little pal is. Your shyness will slowly turn into confidence overtime due to how many people Yamper attracts to you two!  

HOW YOU AND YAMPER WILL MEET: 

You and Yamper will meet on a nice Autumn day. 

You had a closing shift tonight at a cafe you had been working at for a few months now. This cafe was special because Pokemon were allowed to work along their trainers! You were always jealous watching your colleagues have a blast working with their Pokemon and wished so badly to have a partner of your own. With your school load and part time job however, catching Pokemon was just something you did not have time for. 

“Have a goodnight!” you chime to your last customers as they leave the cafe. 

As you lock the door, you let out a heavy sigh and begin your closing duties. What could’ve taken only an hour to finish with a Pokemon partner took you almost two hours to complete. Washing the dishes, mopping the floor, cleaning the tables and chairs and taking out the trash could all have been done quicker with a partner yes, but it would’ve also been a lot more fun to do. 

Dragging the heavy trash bag with gritted teeth to the garbage bin in the alley, you feel a sense of panic wash through you when hear rustling behind you. Manifesting all the strength you have in yourself, you heave the trash bag over your shoulder and into the bin before bolting back into the cafe. You stop right in your tracks when you see a Yamper sitting in front of the door. It had crumbs all over its face and reeked of garbage. The stench was immediately combatted by it’s cute squishy face and sparkling eyes. 

“H-hi.” you slowly approach the wild Pokemon. 

Yamper let out a bark that made you jump but it’s friendly demeanour reassured you that it wouldn’t attack. In fact, Yamper’s tail was wagging and it was still sitting quietly in front of the door. 

“Sorry.” you mumble as the opening of the door started pushing the stationary Yamper against the sidewalk. 

Brushing it off as a weird interaction, you finish your cleaning and started closing the lights, ready to go home. The sight of the Yamper still sitting patiently outside of the door made you halt in your steps for the second time tonight and you knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep if you didn’t at least give it something to eat. You decide to give Yamper a packaged sandwich from the fridge that was supposed to be tomorrow’s special but, no one would notice if one sandwich was missing. 

“Here you go bud.” you said with a smile as you crouch down onto Yamper’s level and hand it the sandwich. 

To your surprise, Yamper took your gift in its mouth quite gently before walking away and disappearing back into the alley. 

The next week consisted of your same routine except with an addition of Yamper. Wake up, school, cafe and feed Yamper before going home. You use to have a horrible habit of waking up past your alarm and being 10 minutes late for all your opening shifts until one incident with Yamper. As you were running full speed to the cafe, you noticed a familiar yellow body sprawled out in front of the door. The sound of you approaching woke Yamper up and it started barking while spinning in circles. 

“Good morning Yamper!” you panted between every word. 

The Yamper sat on its rear and exposed its belly that was rumbling. 

“Were you waiting for me to give you breakfast?” you asked, bewildered at the possible situation. 

A bark accompanied by Yamper drooling gave you everything you needed to know. Ever since this event, you were always on time and never pressed that snooze button. 

Today was like any other day. Curiously, Yamper was no where in sight when you were arriving for your shift. Not thinking much about it, you continue with your day. 

Disappointment was an understatement when you didn’t see Yamper waiting for you like it usually did after your shift. Trying to beat into your head that Yamper is a wild Pokemon and not actually your Pokemon, you begin to walk home with a heavy heart. A few minutes into your walk, the sound of paws against the sidewalk behind you and a distinct bark made you turn around. The sight of Yamper trotting behind you with the same goofy smile it always has eases your heart and your day finally feels complete. 

“Yamper! You’re so far from the cafe buddy,” you laugh while patting the electric type’s head, “I don’t have any food on me today. Why don’t you go back to the cafe and hopefully someone gives you a yummy treat.” 

With another pat, you get back up and continue on your walk when Yamper barks again. This time, it’s right beside you and nipping at your ankles. 

“I don’t have food, I’m sorry. Go back to the cafe.” you sigh and shoot Yamper an apologetic look. 

You try to walk again but the nipping continues. You pause and stare at Yamper trying to figure out what’s going on in its mind. The Pokemon cocks its head to the side and barks at you again. 

“You don’t want to go back?” you ask. 

Yamper responds with another bark. 

“Do...you want to go with me?” you ask once again trying to keep your expectations low incase of severe disappointment that could follow. 

Yamper runs around in circles, sparks decorating its body before jumping on your leg and barking. 

It was decided. With a nice bath and a bag of nutritious Pokemon food, Yamper was going to be a new employee at the cafe and your new best friend. 

Other Pokemon Considered: Pichu, Scorbunny, 

[yeomangamer]

Desert Heat Chapter 1

Summary: The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. After the death of her beloved Uncle, Claire Beauchamp takes up his work to discover secrets hidden under the Egyptian sand. Egyptology AU set in the early 1920s. 

Pairings: Jamie/Claire, Marsali/Fergus, Dougal/Geillis.

A/N: You may be asking yourself: “Syd, where is this coming from? Do you really think people will care?” and the answer is I don’t know and I don’t think so. But here it is. 

Useful terms:  a dahabeah is a passenger boat typically used on the Nile,  Shepheard’s Hotel was a real hotel that most Egyptologists visited during the Archaeological Season. 

January 1922

The blue waters lapped gently along the sides of the dahabeah as the company drifted to their destination. She had never been one for frivolities--the only lesson Lamb hadn’t needed to teach her in this line of work--but, if hard-pressed, she would admit that blue was her favorite color. Not just any old sky-blue or royal blue or the blue of forget-me-nots in a garden half-dreamt--or was it half-remembered? No, to her, the only blue that mattered was the blue of the Nile looking up at her at the start of the new season. Every year it called her, baptized her in its depths, promising discovery and recognition at last.

In past years, the last desire had been an elusive mistress. This season was different, though. Claire’s resolve was steeled; she would see her work come to full fruition or die trying.

She was lost in her thoughts, staring into the water below, when a voice piped up at her elbow.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of throwing yourself in.”

She jumped a little, but straightened soon enough. She refused to fall into the same patterns of other ladies, fainting at the slightest fright. She made a face at the man beside her. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I do that now? Of all times.”

John shrugged, leaning against the railing with his back to the river. “I wouldn’t be surprised. You haven’t been shaken in the slightest.”

“And just what would I be shaken by?”

John didn’t give an answer, but Claire knew her feeble attempt of playing dumb wouldn’t fly.

“Claire, I know it’s been a few months, and you say that you’re fine. But it’s alright-- not to be fine. Especially coming here, to where-”

“What?”

“Well, this was his home, wouldn’t you say? Even more so than Oxford or London. And-”

She buried her face in her hands. “What is it that you want from me, John? To lock myself in my cabin and cry?”

“Well, that would be a good deal better than threatening the Antiquities Director,” she heard him mumble under his breath. She glared at him.

“Are you telling me I’m not entirely justified in this- this act of thievery?”

“I agree that the situation is not entirely ideal but-”

“‘Not entirely ideal’? They’ve given half the site away! Lamb’s site! Do you not know how long he waited and what he had to go through to get this site? Only for him to- to-” Her chin quivered and she felt the tears spill out of her eyes. She felt John’s hand on her back and with a crack she slapped it away.

“Dammit!” she scream-whispered through her tears as she slammed her hands onto the railing.

“Claire, it’s alright. Don’t keep it in, it isn’t healthy.”

She sniffled and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her collared shirt. “Let me be the judge of what is or isn’t healthy.” She quirked a smile at him and wiped her eyes. She had always preferred men’s clothing on excavations, and never saw any need to justify it to anyone in years past. But that had been when Lamb was in charge.

“In any other situation I would agree, Sit.”

She looked back down at the water. The Nile looked and acted much the same as it had every season she’d tread this path, as it had been since the time of the pharaohs and before. But now, everything was different. She was different.

“It’s not just Lamb, you know.”

“I know.”

“It’s that damn St. Germaine in the Antiquities Department. He was only happy to take the site away.”

Of course, John knew all this. He’d been an army man--intelligence--before taking up work with Quentin Lambert Beauchamp, the not-so-renowned archaeologist. His knack for languages, living and dead, wasn’t bad. And he was charming as well as intelligent and knowledgeable, something Claire and Lamb had lacked desperately when dealing with Antiquities.

Despite being with them for the past five seasons, he listened to Claire’s woes, god bless him.

“Now, now, the site isn’t taken away. We can still proceed with Lamb’s plans as instructed. We may just need a little time to plan around our neighbors.” He swatted at the flies buzzing at his head and chuckled to himself. “At least we’ll have someone to ask for a cup of sugar, eh?”

Claire cracked a smile at that. “Did you get the name of who it is we’ll be sharing”--the word felt like a curse on her tongue--“our site with?” As soon as the Frenchman had told them about his plan to split the site, Claire had lost all sense of decorum, telling him off before storming out.

John rolled his eyes. “Some chap called Dougal MacKenzie, you may have heard of him and his companions.”

“The Great Scot?”

“Himself, yes.”

Claire shivered. Dougal MacKenzie’s methods were notorious in archaeological circles. They said he only cared for one thing: Egyptian gold, and anything else he regarded as worthless trash.

“Who has he brought with him?” She often teased John for being the camp gossip, as he seemed to be able to get any information out of anyone and know everything about everyone. She was sure he would’ve done some digging at Shepherd’s and likewise circles.

Her hunch was correct. “A translator and a photographer for sure, the latter being a woman, if you can believe it. And he’s brought two others but I can’t say for sure what they’re exact roles are. Only that they seem very...imposing”

“Muscle then. To dig for gold.”

John smirked. “And a historian too, I think. Jolly well, pity our numbers are so thin this year. Only me, you, and Fergus. Should’ve brought our historian, don’t you think?”

She grimaced but said nothing. She could hardly picture Frank in Egypt, despite it being his field of study. He just didn’t seem to fit.

“Have you heard from him?” John’s tone was serious again.

“I telegraphed him that we had made it safely to Cairo and to not expect any speedy reply.”

“Have you considered his...offer?”

She sighed and stared off into the setting sun. “I’d better go and freshen up before supper.” She turned and started walking back to her cabin.

The Behribu Pit had been just a divot in the vast landscape of Egyptian desert until three years earlier when French authorities had caught thieves digging there. This was of little consequence in and of itself, but instead of more layers of sand where the thieves had been digging, they authorities claimed they saw something that looked like stone. A full excavation had commenced, spurned on by the excitement of a possible new site no one had read of before. A new tomb perhaps? Or something else? After three seasons of digging, archaeologists were baffled by their discovery. The site was divided up into an eastern and western halves. The eastern half was a building often referred to as the Behribu House. Though any archaeologist worth their salt would admit that any site was a good find, it was also of most of these same archaeologist’s opinions that the western half of the Behribu Pit was the more intriguing: the Behribu Circle. A circle that at one time most likely been standing stones was there. Yes, if given the choice between the two halves--of which Claire Beauchamp had been forced to face this season--everyone would have agreed that the Circle was the one to go for.

Everyone, that is, except for Quentin Lambert Beauchamp. In the last years of his life, he had become convinced that the Behribu was the home of Dendera, a minor wife of Ramses II. Little was known about her, overshadowed as she was by the likes of Nefertari and Isetnofret--whose tombs had been discovered in the Valley of the Queens in 1904. Lamb had been determined to find out more about this Lost Queen and possibly even the location of her tomb.

Claire had never really understood Lamb’s obsession with the House, with her own curiosity always being drawn to the Circle. And even then in her grief and stubbornness she was willing to admit that they could be the ravings of an old man. It had physically pained her to make the choice posed by John--really by St. Germaine, but by John as proxy--the day before they left. But as she vacillated on her perhaps one chance to make a three-year long obsession into reality, she realized she would never be able forgive herself for not fulfilling the work that had consumed the last years of Lamb’s life. Though he had never been to the site, he had detailed layouts and plans--now instructions--and she was to follow them to the letter.

After unloading their gear and setting up their tents, Claire, Fergus, and John went into the village to recruit some workers. They were greeted by their foreman, who’s Christian name was William, and were met with some terrible news.

“I’m afraid that your countrymen have already been here and recruited some of the best men.”

“Blast,” John cursed and Claire set her jaw.

“We’ll take anyone that we can, how many could we expect?”

There were still a fair number of able-bodied men unemployed by their countrymen--as William had put it. It had appeared MacKenzie was not interested in number, but in size of the men. Claire couldn’t help but wonder what it was exactly that he was planning on finding here, in the middle of nowhere.

With the main reason for their business being done, Claire took out her medical kit and started treating people. It was hard-pressed to find penicillin this far from a major city, though that might imply the people would follow basic hygienic principles. Though, she supposed, with water as such a precious resource, she couldn’t blame them for taking their chances with a cut rather than dying of thirst.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, she told herself as she instructed a young mother on how to keep flies out of her daughter’s eyes. Fergus attended her as he had always done. She half expected to turn and see Lamb, with his jolly amber eyes shining at her behind half-moon spectacles, his white beard already turning brown from sand. He would be exchanging jokes and laughing with the men, no doubt. She thought she could even hear them laughing now. It was so real that she turned and realized there was a group of local men, joking and laughing as she had seen many times before. Before she snapped her attention away, she swore she saw a glint of red amongst the turbans and dark brown hair.

She had made her way back to the camp with Fergus in-toe. John had seen to that the rest of their campsite was set up, with rugs and pillows in their tents.

“Milday,” Fergus said softly. “If you do not require anything further, I would like to have a chance to unpack.” He had always called her that, from when they first picked him up off the streets of Cairo--a pickpocketing orphan with a scholar’s mind, fluent in French and Arabic, and enough English to get by. Lamb had taken the boy under his wing much like he had her when her parents had died. Since then, he had followed her around like a puppy. When she had been younger, she had resented it, but now she had nothing but love and respect for this man she saw as a brother. She had told him to leave after Lamb died, bidding him find his calling at the British museum or at a university, but he had refused to entertain the notion of leaving her.

“And what would Lamb think, if I left you all alone now of all times? My place is with you, in Egypt.”

She told him to go now and caught John’s eye. He casted an eye at Fergus as he walked away, then over to the cook at the fire in the center of camp, and finally at the tents on the other side of the ridge from them.

“What is it? I know that look,” Claire said, schooling her features.

“I spoke to one of the men in the Scots’ camp.”

“And?”

“I get the feeling they know something we don’t.”

“That’s impossible. Lamb knew everything about this place.”

“That maybe so, but he seemed very determined to ‘make amends,’ his words, not mine. And he seemed very interested that we had someone with medical experience here.”

“So? That just proves he’s not a complete monster like St. Germaine.” Claire snorted as she went into her tent.

John followed, but stood in the doorway. “I think he will propose we join forces.”

“Like that will happen.”

“Yes, I’m rather averse to the idea as well. I generally don’t trust people that kind-hearted. But I thought I’d give you an update.” He mentioned checking on supper and ducked out, leaving Claire to work on arranging her tools to be sterilized and cleaned.

It couldn’t have been a few moments later before she heard the rustle of the tent flap again.

“Is it already ready?” she asked, turning and letting a small gasp escape her lips.

The man who stood before her was not John, but a stranger. He was big, tall with broad shoulders and a cleft chin at the end of a square jaw. Even under the dim light of the lamp in the tent, his red hair gleamed. He seemed just as surprised to see her as she felt.

He removed his hat and cleared his throat. “Apologies, Miss. I wasna expecting to find ye, but Mr. Grey instead.”

A Scot! She thought as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You just missed him, but he’ll be back shortly, Mr.-...”

“Fraser, Miss. James Fraser, and you?”

Mr. Fraser looked at her expectantly. Normally under similar circumstances Claire might ignore him or spit out something to the tune of “Noneofyourgoddamnbusinessthankyouverymuch!” But his eyes, so blue, disarmed her.

“Claire.” Her voice was rough and didn’t sound like her own in her ears. “Claire Beauchamp.”

His eyes lit up at that name and he nodded. “Ye canna be related to Quentin Beauchamp?”

She was taken aback. “You knew my Uncle?”

He colored a little and tapped his fingers against his hat. “Well, I didna ken him, only read his books. Verra informative.” He smiled at her.

She nodded. She remembered again the circumstances of their situation and set her jaw. He seemed to notice.

“I- Allow me to apologize again, Miss Beauchamp. For your loss as well as the events that have caused us to be bedfellows--” His cheeks colored even deeper as the word tumbled out of his mouth. “I mean- Christ. Sorry lass- Miss! Again.”

Claire eyed him up and down. “What is it that you do, Mr. Fraser?”

He chuckled to himself and rubbed the back of his neck. “Would ye believe me if I said I was a linguist? Though, I am not givin’ the best impression of my abilities, I am aware.”

She nodded. “I appreciate your apology, Mr. Fraser. But I’m afraid it does little to improve our situation.”

He nodded.

“How many seasons have you seen?”

“Four, including this one.”

She hummed and nodded. “Then, if you haven’t learned already, resources can be very precious out here. Should tragedy strike, we will have no one to rely on other than each other. If you or your men acquire medical attention, please don’t hesitate to say something. Pride does very little to stave off fever.”

Mr. Fraser did not seem put off by her comment. In fact there was mirth in his eyes as a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, any embarrassment long forgot. This annoyed Claire more than she cared to admit. She turned back to her table.

“Yes, I’ve heard what the workers call ye: Sit Hakeem--the Lady Doctor.”

She bit back a retort as she continued to straighten the equipment on the table. She was--should be--used to a man’s attitudes by now.

“Of course, you already know that, cultured lady such as ye are.” She glanced up at him. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and crossed his arms over his chest. “Which brings me to the real reason why I’m trespassing into yer campsite here.”

The heat in her cheeks deepened and she cleared her throat subtly as she straightened up. The sun must be getting to her.

“As ye may know, we brought along a lass this season: a Miss Marsali MacKimmie. Dougal wanted an artist to draw some of the paintings, so we’ve brought her along.”

Claire made an approving sound in the back of her throat. “An artist? That’s quite old fashioned of you, most use-”

“Cameras, aye, I’m aware. That was Dougal’s thought too, originally. It was my recommendation to use an artist. I’m afeared of the flash may-”

“Dull the paint,” Claire finished. He smiled and nodded. “And Dougal took your recommendation?”

He grimaced and shook his head. “Weel, I may be his nephew but he doesna always listen to me.” This was new information to Claire. She watched him as he dug his toe into the carpet below his feet and tapped his fingers on his hat.

“And yet-...here Miss MacKimmie is.”

“Aye.”

“How’d you manage that? Did you smuggle her on board your dahabeah?”

He chuckled. “No, I- uh Dougal is a stone wall in most conversations, but his brother, Column, isna always so rigid.”

“And Dougal will listen to Column?”

Mr. Fraser shrugged. “He has to, whether he wants to or no. Column, you see, is our financier.”

Claire nodded in understanding. She knew Lamb often had struggles with various lords in order to keep the money coming in. “So, excuse me, Mr. Fraser, but what does that have to do with me?”

He looked at her, shocked for a moment and then seemed to remember. “I apologize, Miss Beauchamp, I was distracted. Where was I?”

“Miss MacKimmie?” Claire offered.

Mr. Fraser nodded and seemed to be at peace again. “Miss MacKimmie. What ye must understand, Miss Beauchamp, is that this is the lass’s first season, maybe even her first journey away from home and-”

Claire balked and shook her head. “So, you want me to watch over her? Is that it?” He protested mildly, but she did not listen. “If she required a wet nurse, you should have brought one!”

His eyes flashed with anger but Claire stood her ground. “If you would allow me to continue.” Claire gestured for him to continue. “I can mind the lass just fine, thank ye verra much. What I was hoping, what I am asking, that if she has any troubles she could come to ye without judgment or malice. Not as a ‘wet nurse’ as ye say, but as a friend.” Claire grimaced at his much harsher tone and turned away, her ears burning. She heard Mr. Fraser take a step closer and she braced herself for what may come.

His voice was much softer and friendly than it had been before. “Surely you must’ve wanted for a friendly face your first time in this country.”

“You mean a woman’s face.”

“Aye, I do. Alas, ye ken as well I do that they are not in abundance in our line of work, unfortunately. And if this lass finds comfort in looking up to a someone as educated and knowledgeable as you-” Claire snorted. “-there may yet be one more among that number. And one can just as easily turn to two, etcetera.”

“Is this how you swindled Column into bringing her? Flattery?”

He chuckled slightly and Claire felt his breath as a cool breeze on the back of her neck. He shifted away from her, his voice raising to a normal volume. “I only ask your permission to suggest the lass go to you if--and only if--she finds herself struggling. Would you allow me that?’

Claire finally met his eyes and shrugged, trying to not let on how desperately she wanted to melt into the carpet. “So long as she does not interfere with my work, I don’t see a problem with it.”

“Of course, thank ye, truly, I will let the lass know.” Mr. Fraser moved to take his leave before Claire opened her big mouth once again

“She must be quite gifted if you’re doing so much for her.” Her throat burned but she tried to school her features as she stood in the middle of the tent.

Mr. Fraser caught her eye. There was something in those blue pools that set fire to the butterflies in her stomach. “I’ve kent Miss MacKimmie for quite some time now, and I am verra fond of her, in truth. But my efforts to see her succeed dinna go beyond that fondness and belief in her abilities. She is a gifted--talented--woman, and god kens the world needs all that we can get.” He paused for a moment, Claire didn’t dare breath. “But, as it is, I remain without any attachments.” He tilted his hat in goodbye and walked out of the tent.

Claire collapsed into a chair by the table and tried to still her beating her heart. She wasn’t even sure if she was aware what truly just happened. She was lost in thought when John poked his head into the tent to tell her supper was ready.

Claire ate her supper thoughtfully, unsure how she was going to get through the next season.

Chapter 2

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

Some Truths Are Stubborn As Gravity, Ch 2: Six Billion Pieces Waiting To Be Fixed

Her soulmate mark left Penelope just enough room to choose the wrong man the first time.

Elena wants to make sure she’s with the right person right now.

Schneider doesn’t think he deserves a soulmate, or that one is still waiting for him.

Syd is certain they found theirs. They just don’t want to lose her.

Why can’t destiny be simple?

Penelope x Schneider | Elena x Syd, One Day At A Time. Also on AO3. 

(Ch 1)

“Mom,” Elena declared that morning, while Penelope was getting ready for work, “you have to promise you’re not going to embarrass me.”

“Me? Embarrassing? I don’t know know what you’re talking about.” Penelope turned back to the mirror and finished applying mascara. “I’m one of the cool moms, remember?”

“And I love you very much,” Elena replied, spacing her words out with care. “But today is important.”

“I know, I know, you’re meeting your internet people for the very first time. I want it to go well for you, too, baby. Besides a quick hello, and maybe a couple of middle school photo albums, I promise to stay out of your way.”

Elena waited until she had Penelope’s full attention. “It’s not just that.”

“Okay. Then what is it?”

“I didn’t realize it until I woke up this morning--it never occurred to me when we set up the meeting, I just wasn’t thinking about it. But, well…”

Elena lifted up her shirt just enough to show the small black date written across the left side of her stomach.

“Oh that’s right, it’s July 19th.” Penelope shook her head. “Sorry, I feel like I’ve been a day behind this whole month.”

She realized Elena was staring at her impatiently and sighed. “Elena, if the great love of your life is going to find you today, I highly doubt anything I--or you--say could ruin that. Try not to worry so much.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You and Papi fell in love right away. What if I meet my soulmate and they don’t even like me?”

“It doesn’t work that way,” Penelope countered gently. “That’s why they’re called soulmates. And anyway, you need to keep in mind that this is only one July 19th. Don’t pin all your hopes on today, all right? I don’t want to see you get hurt if this turns out to be an ordinary Saturday.”

Elena exhaled loudly. “Yeah, okay. I’ll try.”

But despite her easy agreement, she knew something good was going to happen. She could just feel it.

****

Elena really, really loved being right.

It was part of what made her so good at debating; winning an argument meant public validation for being smart and knowing things. She was allowed and even encouraged to celebrate just how right she was--so she learned how to win even more arguments.

When her friends arrived and she was finally meeting them all in person, she couldn’t stop her nerves from coming out in stammering geekspeak, but she was also thrilled, because despite her mom’s warning, she met her soulmate right on schedule.

Dani was gorgeous, and smart, and funny. They cared about the same causes, and liked some of the same music, and as soon as she reached for Elena’s hand to say hello, Elena knew that they were totally meant to be.

Or at least, they would be, as soon as Elena managed to say more than two words to her.

And if Dani was gay.

And if Dani liked her back.

The more time she had to think about it, the more she realized she was probably being ridiculous. Elena had no idea when Dani’s day even was, let alone if they might have a connection.

She smelled really good, though.

Lots of girls tried really hard to make the best first impression possible, each year when their day came around, but Elena had never cared much about soulmates growing up. Maybe she even tended to be a little bit mean to anybody she met on that day each year.

Well, to the boys. A part of her knew, though it would take her years to understand why, that she didn’t want some boy she would be stuck with forever.

But once she figured out that she liked girls, that liking girls was something she could do...something that was possible and okay and right...July 19th made her nervous.

Her parents had been so in love, she’d seen it every day. She felt it. And things between them had still imploded. Their marriage was a slow-motion car crash; she and Alex were left with whiplash and in Elena’s case, the understanding that love was not automatically enough.

She wanted to find her soulmate. She wanted to fall in love.

But she didn’t want to ruin it before she got the chance.

So when the first July 19th after she came out led her to a gorgeous activist with confidence to spare, Elena held her breath and hoped.

She didn’t do anything else, especially nothing as logical as mentioning her mark to Dani or asking her out.

What if she tripped over her words and said the worst possible thing and scared her soulmate away? With her luck, it could happen. Her mom insisted otherwise, but she didn’t understand--she had never been as awkward as Elena.

Plus she met her soulmate ages ago. And her soulmate was a boy.

It was just different.

****

“Do you ever wonder about your soulmate?” Penelope asked Schneider, standing just outside his door.

He took one look at her face, sighed, and stepped back. “Come in, Pen. This feels like a longer conversation than we should be having in the hall.”

As she sat on his couch, he shut the door behind her and tied his robe a little tighter. “Now, what’s on your mind? Soulmates?”

“Yeah. Elena has been asking a lot of questions lately, because of Syd…”

“Understandable,” he interjected, nodding.

“And it got me thinking, if at our age it even makes sense to think about soulmates anymore. If we haven’t met our person by now, what’s the likelihood that we’re going to?”

“I don’t know,” he said, joining her on the couch. “I guess this means Victor wasn’t yours?”

She looked down at her lap. “No.”

“I kind of wondered, after everything, but I didn’t want to ask. I’m sorry, Penelope. That sucks.”

“It’s okay,” she replied, shaking her head. “We didn’t know any better. Our days matched, and I wouldn’t change any of it--my kids are the best part of my life.”

“I know.” He reached out to hug her from the side. “Still. To answer your question, I don’t think about it, no. I haven’t in a long time.”

“Really?” Schneider had always been casual about relationships and sex, but he was also so sweet, so full of love for the people around him, that Penelope definitely would have guessed he was a believer in fate.

“Yeah.”

“If you did find your soulmate now...do you think there would be a chance for it to work?”

“If you found your soulmate now, I one hundred percent believe that it would work,” he told her seriously. “Absolutely. It’s crazy to think that just because you’re forty, you can’t find love.”

“You’re only a little older than me,” she reminded him. “If I can have a happy ending, so can you.”

“Eh.” Schneider waved her words away.

“Hey, you could. Why don’t you think so?”

“Have you met me?”

“Yes. Three times, as a matter of fact, since you kept reintroducing yourself before you got clean.” Penelope caught something in his expression as she spoke, and narrowed her eyes. “Is that what this is about?”

“You of all people should get it,” he said. “You can’t tell me that Victor’s drinking wasn’t part of what broke your marriage. Who would want to live with that? And my relapses, my addictions, are so much more complicated than the drinking. It’s my whole life.”

There was such a hopeless, helpless quality to his words, it hurt Penelope to hear, but she didn’t try to argue with him. She just listened.

“I stopped thinking about my soulmate when I started drinking. Because who needed to pin their hopes on fate when drugs and alcohol were right there, instant happiness? And I haven’t wondered about her since, because I refuse to. There’s no requirement that you love your soulmate, you know? You can walk away.”

Penelope heard what he wasn’t saying, and grabbed his hand. It was an impulse; she was rarely the one who reached out first.

“Schneider, listen. You’re right, about Victor, I know what that life is like. Which means I know what I’m talking about. You hear me?”

He nodded.

“You are more than your addictions. You prove that, every day you stay sober. Victor and I didn’t work out for a lot of reasons; in the end, we just weren’t meant. But for those years, I’m glad we had each other. Even during the worst of it, because it helped shape who I am, and I’m pretty awesome.”

He smiled. “You are.”

“So are you. Whether you meet your soulmate tomorrow, or you never find her, you have as much potential for happiness as I do. And if it doesn’t work, it could be because of your horrible taste in music or the fact that you cook nettles...it could be because she collects those creepy old dolls white women like, and they stare at you while you sleep, and when you want to move them out of the bedroom she cries and says they’re her children and talks to them by name. It could happen for all kinds of reasons!” Penelope insisted.

“But if it ends because you’re in recovery, and she can’t handle that, then she was never your soulmate to begin with. Because you’re easy to love, Schneider. You’re so easy to love, and you’ve worked really hard to stay sober, and anyone who cares about you can see that and is proud of you for it.”

He stared at her for a full minute, swallowing hard before he spoke. ”Hey, wasn’t this supposed to be your pep talk?”

“We can do me later,” she said, flashing him a smile. “Right now, I got you.”

“Yeah.” Schneider smiled back, squeezing her hand. “Yeah, okay. Thanks, Pen.”

****

It was pretty bizarre that her little brother and her Abuelita, of all people, had helped Elena start dating...but she couldn't deny that without them, she probably never would have found herself getting ice cream with Syd.

Now that it was just them, she could feel her nerves coming back, times a hundred. Considering how they met, she lunged for the easiest conversation starter that came to mind.

"So, have you always been into gaming?" Elena asked, dipping her spoon into a cup of vanilla with crumbled cookie pieces on top.

Syd nodded. "Pretty much. I had to save up for my own equipment, because my parents aren't big into non-educational entertainment. They were fine with it once it was clear I wasn't going to let it interfere with my homework, though."

"What was your first console?"

Swallowing a mouthful of rocky road, Syd paused. "It's going to make me sound like such a nerd."

"Hey, you're talking to the queen of the nerds right here," Elena replied. "I recycle for fun."

"Well, I was impatient and saving up money was taking a long time, so I got my first console from one of my cousins when I was seven--and it was already a hand-me-down for him when he got it."

Elena smiled. "Now I'm intrigued."

"My first console was an Atari."

"No way. Like, the real thing? Retro Atari?"

"With Frogger and Pong and all of that, yeah." Syd grinned. "I wanted an Xbox, but allowance and extra chores could only go so far."

"I can't believe you bought your own gaming system at seven," Elena mused. "You're right, you really are a nerd."

"Hey, it takes one to...get ice cream with one."

"True." Elena smiled back, and they ate their dessert in slightly-more-comfortable silence after that.

It was at the end of the evening, when Syd held the door open on their way out of the shop, that the possibilities between them became so much scarier. Elena caught the date written on the inside of their wrist and stopped walking. She was frozen where she stood.

"Elena? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she told Syd faintly. The paralyzing terror was unexpected.

Hadn't she hoped this would happen? Wasn't it what she wanted?

"I'm fine," she added, as though saying the words would make it true. "Just a...a little dizzy."

At least that part wasn't a lie. It felt like the whole world had sped up around them, a whirlwind of possibilities, all tied to the meaning of July 19.

She knew the right thing to do would be to tell Syd the truth. They had the right to know what Elena had just figured out. But it was so soon--it was too soon. If Syd was going to let her down gently after their single date, it would hurt much worse now.

People's days were private, Elena thought, not sure if she really believed that or was trying to convince herself. She didn't have to reveal hers, just because Syd happened to have the same one, in an unavoidably visible area.

Love was a leap, that was what her mom had told her once. A decision, not just the unavoidable whims of fate.

As Syd waited with concern, Elena offered them a reassuring smile, and kept her mouth shut. She didn't know if this was fate or not, but she was sure of one thing: she wasn't ready to leap.

****

Getting confirmation from the universe that Syd could be her soulmate left Elena even more determined not to scare them off. It also seemed to directly increase the amount of stupid things she said when she was trying to flirt, and she couldn't make it stop.

It didn't help that she had a little brother who made it look easy. She wished she had half of Alex's cool, instead of being the sibling who couldn't string together a coherent sentence around her crush.

Kissing Syd was an act of desperation, some sports metaphor for her final chance, the moment when Elena decided it was better to risk everything than let Syd think the worst.

And then, kissing them was a revelation.

They liked her back. Even though she couldn't stop babbling, even though she spent most of their time together acting crazy, Syd liked Elena as much as she liked them. Enough to make out on a balcony in the middle of a manhunt.

Sent back inside by circling helicopters, they went to Elena's room, holding hands next to each other on her bed.

"I have to show you something," Elena said, before she could lose her nerve. With her free hand, she lifted up the long-sleeved shirt and vest that she was wearing, baring her stomach.

Syd's confusion turned to surprise, and then joy. They held up their wrist, asking the question with raised eyebrows rather than words.

Elena nodded. "I noticed it after ice cream."

"Why didn't you say something? I thought maybe you were lactose intolerant and just didn't want to mention it. Or that you had a terrible time."

"No, I had a great time. I just got scared, when I saw it."

"Of me?"

"Not you." Elena squeezed the hand she was still gripping between them. "Of the future, I guess? I thought I was ready to find the person I was meant to be with, and our first date was going really well, and then I saw your mark and I realized I am so not ready. Not for my whole life to be decided right now."

"Nobody said it has to be," they pointed out.

"Yes, and I realized that a few minutes ago, when happiness finally drowned out the panic in my head. I like you. And hey, maybe we're meant to be. That's pretty cool."

"That's very cool," Syd agreed.

"So for now, I'm going to focus on that. Getting to know each other better and having fun."

"Saving destiny for later."

"Exactly."

"Sounds perfect." Syd looked down at their joined hands. "Should we go join your family?"

"It's been weird out there. I kinda got the feeling we'd be better off staying in here."

"Okay."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Syd let go of Elena's hand. She turned toward them to make sure everything was okay, but never got the chance to ask.

Syd leaned in slowly to kiss her, giving her time to protest, melting her nerves away with every brush of their lips and the feeling of their fingertips against her face.

When they finally emerged from her room, Elena was certain even Dr. Berkowitz could see the flashing sign above their heads that said 'just got done making out until we were flushed and breathless.' Nobody said anything, though.

It was a miracle that she didn't revert to her former, babbling self after that, but once the soulmate connection was out the open, Elena didn't feel nervous around Syd anymore. She didn't feel scared, either. She just felt happy.

Until Homecoming.

****

Before Syd showed up in that jacket and tie and made a liar out of Elena and her disdain for high school rites of passage, she wasn't sure how anybody knew when they were in love.

She loved her family and her closest friends, and she had thought about it a lot, but it was a mystery to her. How did 'like' evolve into 'love' and when did you notice the difference? It had to be really obvious, right? Like getting hit by lightning, one of those metaphors for love that sounded violent and terrifying but, Elena thought, must be worth the damage. Otherwise, why would everyone be so obsessed with romance and happily-ever-afters?

Maybe people liked to exaggerate. Or maybe she was just weird, because it was nothing like a lightning bolt. It wasn't even like her heart skipped a beat.

Elena watched Syd totally embarrass themself in front of her family--except they weren't embarrassed at all, not like Elena would be with everyone looking at her while she sang and danced. Syd was so secure in who they were...they liked her that much...they were one of the most amazing people Elena had ever met. They were smart, and funny, and sweet, and so talented, and oh my god she was in love with them.

She expected her stomach to lurch, her heart to race, and it did as the significance of her feelings sunk in. But the actual fall into love was so easy, it didn't hurt it all. It was more like static electricity in the dark, over an empty patch of carpet. A brilliant spark she never expected that could light her up.

And wow, did it ever. She went to a dance. She danced without caring what anybody else thought. She was happy, and in love, and once she told Syd the truth about her lack of popularity, she felt even more sure that they belonged together.

Their days matched, after all. According to the lore that was the first step to forever.

If she were a different kind of person, an easier person, less prone to picking everything apart and looking for danger, that would have been enough. But she was Elena Alvarez, and she had two divorced parents who could barely hold a conversation about the weather without arguing.

Parents with matching days, who loved each other right up until they didn't.

After the dance she couldn't help thinking about it, worrying over it. She and Syd were so happy that she could lock the fear away most of the time, but it would come back whenever she got too comfortable. Anytime Elena thought they really must be soulmates, an obnoxious part of her brain asked why it mattered. If soulmates couldn't guarantee a relationship was forever, what was the point?

By the end of the school year she she could tell her distant moods were worrying Syd, but she couldn't stop feeling torn between happiness and fear. If they knew she had doubts, it would worry them even more, so Elena avoided the questions and the confused looks.

It finally occurred to her on a random Tuesday night at home that she might be missing a piece of the puzzle. If she was, Elena realized, laying her domino down next to the last one Alex had played, she could never expect to figure this out.

Elena didn't want to hurt her mom by opening old wounds, but she had to know. Was the moral of her parents' story that soulmate bonds couldn't guarantee happiness?

Or had her mom just mistaken her Papi for fate?

[boomboomboomwayhoo]

family is everything ~jack avery

warning: cussing lol but when don’t i cuss so it’s nothing new lol i wrote half of this at 2am and i'm writing the other half in the car on my phone so excuse the shittyness requested: requested by @noodles-send-n00ds​ lmao i was told to write this as fluffy as the heavenly clouds so ima try

“jack!” you exclaimed, catching his attention as he took a wide left turn. “could you drive any goddamn slower!?” you yelled, semi jokingly. it seemed as though he was purposefully driving at a snails pace just to push you over the edge of annoyance. it was working. “aw calm down, baby girl. we’ll be there in just a few minutes,” he taunted, taking your hand in his and bringing it up to his lips, placing a dramatized kiss on it. the loud smooching sound at the end and all. after he pulled his lips away from your hand, you flung it towards the wheel, grasping it in an attempt to get us there faster which obviously didn’t work. “what the fuck, y/n!? are you trying to kill us!” he panicked, taking your hand off of the wheel but not dropping it. just holding it tightly in his. “no,” you defended. “i just wanna get there!” you whined. “i miss your family!” “good thing you miss them cause here we are,” he chuckled as he pulled up to an empty spot by the curb. you flung the car door open and tried to get out while the car was still moving.

“jesus christ!” jack yelled, stopping the car immediately. after you got out of the car, you held the car door open and stood there, making dead eye contact with jack until it turned into a full blown staring contest. “okay,” he sighed once he finally blinked. “go say hi,” he said, a huge smile stretched across his face. the fact that you were so excited to see his family just proved to him how much everybody got along and it warmed his heart. if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you, his family has to like you. “yay!” you cheered, leaning jack into the car and kissing his cheek gently. the last thing you heard before you shut the car door to run into the house was jack’s adorable laugh that always made you the happiest human being alive, no matter the situation. you turned away from the car and ran towards the house. you ran up the cement driveway, down the short gravel path with flat stones places every which way for you to walk on to reach the front porch, and up the four or five stairs that led you to the front door. once you got there, you pulled open the screen door so that you could knock. you instantly heard footsteps sprinting towards the door and you assumed they belonged to isla. you were right.

“hey, sweetie!” you beamed when she pulled open the door. not that you were trying to pick favorites, but you and isla always seemed to get along really well. you acted as if you were best friends, even if you were about ten years apart. “y/n!” she cheered, lunging forwards and wrapping her arms around your small frame, squeezing the life out of you. after hugging for a moment to make up for the lost time that you two had, you picked her up with a groan, causing a giggle to escape her lips. you placed her on your hip and walked into the living room, assuming that was where sydnie would be since honestly, when isn’t she. “hey, syd!” you smiled once she came into your view. “oh my god, hi!” she replied, jumping up from her spot on the couch, pulling off her beats headphones and going in for a hug. you didn’t put isla down, so it honestly turned into more of a group hug than anything. “isla,” you heard the love of your life scoff from behind you. “why does y/n get all the attention?” he asked, pretending to be offended that he hadn’t gotten a hug yet. isla shrieked and you placed her down onto the cold wood floors so she could grant jack’s wish. after setting her on the ground, you crossed yours arms over your exposed stomach since you were wearing a crop top that day and watched jack and his sister. it was truly the cutest thing ever.

the way that he squatted all the way down to the ground to wrap his arms around her and how he leaned the entire left side of his body against the wall nearest to him as him and isla started conversation. then, how he completely gave in when isla grabbed jack’s hand and used all of her weight to pull him upstairs to her room so that she could show him something. the way that he turned around to look at you as he was being pulled away by the little girl to mouth “be right back” is what truly did it for you. this was it. this was everything you’d ever wanted. right in front of you. “you really love him, don’t you?” sydnie smirked, clearly catching on to how much you were fonding over your beloved boyfriend. “i do,” you replied, a small blush creeping onto your cheeks. “he loves you just as much. i can tell,” she assured you. you smiled from ear to ear before asking her the question you had been wondering for the past few minutes. “where’s ava and kristen?" you asked.

"oh," sydnie chuckled. "well they didn't think you guys would be here for a little while longer so they went to get ava's eyebrows done," she smiled, causing a laugh to leave your lips.

"y/n!!" you heard isla shriek from upstairs. you looked towards the stairs in confusion before running up the stairs and following the voice of the little girl.

"what is it?" you asked as you walked into the girl's room that has been redecorated since you were last here. you burst into a fit of laughter as soon as you saw jack. he was sitting in the middle of the floor, his hair thrown into a man bun by none other than isla herself. he had a tiara placed perfectly on top of his head and he had a pink, fluffy boa around his neck. finally, he had his feet shoved into a pair of kirsten's heels. it was truly a sight to see.

"do you still love me, baby?" he asked as he stood up from the ground, struggling to walk towards you in his heels.

"god, no," you joked once he finally reached you. he removed the boa from his neck and wrapped it around your shoulders, using it to pull you closer to him. he brought you closer and closer until our bodies were nearly touching.

"how about now?" he smirked.

"eww!!!" isla screeched from behind us just as you opened your mouth to reply. you and jack laughed at her response and he wrapped his arm around your shoulder as you walked over to her bed. your legs were draped over his and you were comfortably seated while isla was showing the two of you how she switched up her room.

"JACK'S CAR IS OUT FRONT!" you heard ava yell from downstairs just as isla was finishing up the tour. "WHERE ARE THEY!?" she asked sydnie. just seconds later, you heard her footsteps sprinting up the stairs.

"oh my god, hi!" she yelled, running into your arms for a big hug, which you obviously gave her.

"your eyebrows look amazing," you laughed, causing her to smile widely.

once you two turned around, your arm still wrapped around her, jack had a pout on his face.

"aww what's wrong, baby boy?" you asked jokingly.

"i thought i was getting the first hug," he sighed, sticking out his bottom lip. ava playfully rolled her eyes and pried herself away from you, walking into jack's open arms. a huge smile was on his face and his eyes were squinted shut as he hugged her. even though you couldn't see ava's face, you could tell she had the same expression. they really missed each other, understandably of course.

"mom!" jack called out, the realization hitting him that he hadn't yet said hi to his mom. you laughed at him and followed him down the stairs. you smiled at jack and his mom's reunion before having one yourself.

all six of you sat around the living room, talking about everything that you hadn't been able to talk about for the past three months that none of you had seen one another. you and isla were lying on the biggest cushion of the couch, her arms wrapped around your shoulders. jack was holding your free hand tightly while talking to syd and his mom who were sitting in the chairs across from us. ava was lying on the other side of jack, her head on his shoulder.

it was like this for hours. you looked down at one point to see isla sound asleep with her head on your shoulder, her arms strung around your neck. you smiled down at her before looking back up at jack and your smile grew. he was such a family oriented guy and it warmed your heart.

about an hour later and it was 1AM. sydnie, kristen and ava all separated to their own rooms. jack stood up to go make coffee in the kitchen and when he came back, he saw the most beautiful sight. your arms wrapped tightly around isla and hers around you while you were both sleeping peacefully.

he leaned against the wall, just looking at the two of you with pure happiness etched on his face. after a minute or so, he came over to you two and carefully sat down next to you.

he planted a kiss on your temple before falling asleep with his head on your shoulder as well. it was perfect.

a/n: not as fluff as i hoped but oh whale

[mymixofmuses]

Winter Wonderland

(A roleplay in progress with my Audrey muse and @red-rad-and-rod​ .) “…Where’s the snow?” Michigan in winter was supposed to be the real-life equivalent of a snow-globe, wasn’t it? White Christmases were a thing out here, right? So why was all that Syd could see from the big window from the airport just brown grass and dead trees?   “All that time on the plane just for the same stuff we could get at home, except it’s a lot colder? This sucks.” Joining his sister at the window, J.C. placed an arm on her head as if she were a headrest. “Hey, snow’s not the main reason we’re here, remember?” No, the reason he and his family were in the States was a much more exciting one. For once, they were there for pleasure, as opposed to tagging along on Roger’s business trips. Last time J.C. was in Michigan, he has met someone. A lovely someone, if he was being honest. Audrey Davis was a strong beam of sunshine (both figuratively and literally) that worked her way into his and the other Malones’ lives…all by chance of her dog running off. Since then, the two had been in touch with each other in a variety of ways: e-mail, Skype, Facetime…it was great to see each other and hear each other’s voices once in a while, but nothing compared to being with someone in person. During one of their conversations, the two were tossing around an idea of seeing each other for the holidays. Hypotheticals soon turned to actualities and soon enough, the Malones found themselves on the way to Michigan! So if Syd was going to be a bit of a grump over the fact that there wasn’t any real, measurable snow, that was alright…J.C had enough excitement for the two (…well, three, technically, but Kat was slumped over her mother’s shoulder and still sleeping) of them combined.

- Audrey had a terrible poker face and it was quite obvious from looking at her that she was incredibly eager for their arrival. She practically buzzed with excitement in her seat and, once she caught sight of the family with their red-haired middle child, she bolted out of her seat towards them. “Jaaaaayyyy Ceeeeeeee!” Audrey practically tackled the brunet into a bear hug. While she was happy to see all of them, J.C. was the one she’d spent most of her time talking to. “I was starting to think you guys would never get here,” she chirped as she addressed the family, still holding onto the eldest Malone sibling. - Aaah, the voice that made his heart skip a beat~ Turning around, J.C. quickly found himself being glomped by Audrey. Not that he was complaining, of course. When the two connected, he returned the bear hug with another, equally bear-like hug. “So did we,” Charlotte chuckled, “We were planning on a shorter layover, but I guess there was a minor scheduling issue with our flights. Soooo we ended up spending a little more time in Buffalo than anticipated while that was sorted out. Finally here, though! How’ve things been with you and the family, darling?” Syd was still a little mopey, but upon seeing Audrey, she perked up a bit. Once her and J.C. were done hugging, she was going to charge at her like a baby bull. - The moment she let go of J.C., Syd was all over her. Audrey didn’t mind, hugging her back with a laugh. “Glad to see you too, scamp!” Letting go of the child, she turned her attention to Mrs. Malone. “They’re all doing well! We see a lot of each other this time of year so we can keep track of who gets what present without repeats. ‘Okay, so you’re getting Joey this, so I won’t get him this. I’ll get him that.’ That sort of thing,” she chuckled. “We all know what presents everyone else is getting, pretty much. Sometimes we pitch in for a shared gift, since we can’t all be loaded like Uncle Chet,” she laughed. Realizing they may not get it, Audrey clarified. “He’s a lawyer.” - The little redhead’s “AUDREEEEEY!” quickly became a muffled “Audeeeee!” as she slammed into her. Okay, so maybe she got scammed out of snow, but hey! Spending time with a friend was always good. Mrs. Malone nodded, smiling and chuckling again. “Oh, I hear that- especially with the gift coordinating. One of my siblings has a set of 2 year old triplets, so I think we’ve decided on one big gift for all three, then a few small, individualized ones for each of them.” “And my sister has a teenager,” Mr. Malone added, “One with ever-changing tastes, so…liiiiittle bit of a challenge. I’ve asked for input, but- as I said- when your tastes change what seem like almost bi-monthly, it’s a bit hard to keep up.” “I still say we get her socks,” Syd piped up, “Socks are cool.” - “Oh goodness. That does sound like a challenge.” She turned her attention to Syd. “Oh? I didn’t know you wanted socks for Christmas. I suppose I could take what I have back really quick and get you a nice pair of socks.” While Audrey was kidding, she managed to keep a straight face, hoping to get an entertaining reaction. - “Should’ve said somethin’ before I went out and got you yours back home.” J.C. added, playing along. “…Socks for them! I mean, yeah, socks are nice, but that’s not the main thing I’m lookin’ for for Christmas!” the ten-year-old sputtered frantically, “I’m trying super hard to be good, and I don’t want my reward to be so…so little!” - Audrey chuckled. “It’s okay, Syd. We’re just joking. Your gifts aren’t going anywhere… Well, technically, they are. We’ve got to get your luggage and such from here to my parents’ place.” She looked around a moment, then smiled as she spotted a familiar tall figure making his way over. “Speaking of parents, here comes my dad~” They had established earlier that she and her father would take separate vehicles to get themselves, the Malones, and their luggage to where they needed to go. - J.C. gave his younger sister a pat on the head, before turning to Audrey. “Yyyeeeah, this time of year’s a little stressful for her. Last minute crunch for her to get on Father Christmas’s nice’ list.” Upon seeing Audrey’s dad, J.C.’s posture stiffened eeeever so slightly. Sure, the two seemed to have hit it off pretty well the last time they’d met, but he still made him just a taaaad bit nervous. On the plus side, he didn’t feel like his heart was going to leap out of his chest this time. After initial greetings from his parents, J.C. chimed in with a “Happy hols, sir. This time of year treating you alright?” - Edward raised a brow. He could only assume ‘hols’ was short for holidays and either an English thing or a youth thing. “Ah, well enough. Rather hectic, but, anything to keep the family happy,” he smiled slightly. Turning his attention to Mrs. Malone, he smiled a little wider. This was their first meeting; best to be polite. “I’d offer to shake your hand, but I see your arms are full with the little one.” “That’s Kat,” Audrey chirped. “And how she’s staying asleep during all this, I’ll never know.” - “I hear that.” Roger chuckled, “Often times, our holidays are spent a bit further north with the rest of the family. Decided to change it up a bit this year; they’ll be seeing us after New Year’s.” Charlotte gave the man a smile as well, trying not to look like she was totally surprised about how tall he was. “Aha…yeah. Time zone changes, what can you do?”  As if on cue, Kat started to stir. The sudden increase in the number of voices, perhaps. Letting out a yawn and rubbing her eyes, she looked over to see someone…a very tall someone with somewhat bunny-like teeth.  “Hi, Mr. Davis.” she said, still rubbing a bit of sleep out of her eyes. Hm, if Mr. Davis was here, then that should mean… She looked around to find her brother and saw Audrey, smiling even wider. “Hiya, Audrey.” - “Hello, Kat,” Edward smiled. “Hiya, sweetheart,” Audrey greeted. “Well, now that introductions are out of the way, does anyone need anything before we go get your luggage?” Edward asked. - “Christmas to get here faster.” Syd answered. “You first need the ability to time travel, and I don’t think we’ve gotten that far yet scientifically, kid.” J.C. replied, shaking his head and smirking.“Then in that case, no. ‘Sides, I need to stretch my legs and the only way to really do that iiiiis to go to the luggage thingy!” - “Fair enough,” Edward shrugged. The group went about getting their luggage and, thankfully, all their belongings had arrived safely. As they went about loading their belongings in the two vehicles, Audrey piped up. “Okay, so who’s riding with who?” - “I betcha J.C. wants to ride with a certain someooooone~” Syd piped up, giving her brother a cheeky smile and nudging him. “…Well, yeah, obviously.” he shrugged, “We haven’t seen each other in who knows how long, it’d be nice to be a little closer than screens-width apart.” The older brother mimicked his sister’s cheeky smile, “Even if it’s not bugging me, teasing’s not very nice, you knoooow~” Cue a small “Mmmph!” and Syd cringing a little. Curse this whole naughty and nice dichotomy! “Oo! Can I go with Audrey and J.C.?” Kat asked, looking between Charlotte and Roger. Both parents gave her a sort of “I don’t see why not” shrug.- Given Audrey’s crush and terrible poker face, it was a good thing J.C. responded to Syd before she could. “It was in April,” she spoke up. “I remember because it wasn’t long after my birthday. Sooo… eight months. It’s been eight months.” Audrey smiled over at Syd. “We have room for one more, if you’d like to join us.” - Oh, she wanted to, she most certainly wanted to. Buuut…”better judgement Syd”, as she called it, won in the end. “I want to, really, but…” Remember, Syd; it’s only for a little while longer! Once Christmas comes, you’re free!, “I want to keep the potential fightin’ between Kat and I to a minimum. We’ve spent a lot of time on the plane together, an’ I want a little space. ‘Sides, I’m gonna see you at your house anyway!” She paused for a minute, looking to Audrey and Edward. “That’s…okay, right?”J.C and Kat glanced at each other, a bit shocked. That was….surprisingly mature of their sister. - Audrey was as surprised as the rest, given how kids tended to be all over her in general. Then again, her logic made sense. After blinking a moment, she smiled. “Of course it is, Syd. That’s very mature of you; avoiding trouble like that. I bet Santa’s really happy with you right now~ I’ll see you when we get home, okay?” Edward nodded. - He better be, I’m losin’ my mind!, the ten year old thought.  Externally, however, she responded with a smile and a small giggle. Pleased with the display of maturity, Roger gave his eldest daughter a pat on the head and a pat on the back. “Well, we best be getting on our way then, yeah?” “Yup! Meet you guys back at the house!” With that, Syd started to take off ahead of the group, but immediately stopped when she heard her mother call her. Right, right…don’t go too far. Dang it, Santa!  After setting Kat down and giving her the standard “Mum” rundown (”Be good”, “Stay close”, all that jazz), Charlotte gave the quartet a wave and began to catch up to Syd, with Roger doing the same. Once she was settled, Kat looked between Audrey and J.C. “Is it far? I mean, your house from here.”- “Kind of,” Audrey smiled apologetically. “About an hour away. Don’t want to live too close to an airport; too noisy. But,” she chirped, “I have music we can listen to on the way~” Once everyone was in the car and settled, Audrey connected her iPod to the radio and handed it to J.C. “Go nuts,” she chuckled as she proceeded to drive. --- Meanwhile, Edward was pleased that a child willingly chose to ride with him, instead of his child-magnet daughter. Sure, she was doing it to avoid conflict, but she still earned a bit of his favor… and a piece of Jolly Rancher hard candy from the bag he kept in the glove box. Just one though. - Kat shrugged, “Eh, could be worse. A drive up to our cousins takes about…5 hours? I think? An hour’s not all that bad.” Especially when you didn’t have anyone randomly poking you while trying to nap. J.C. looked between the iPod and Audrey a couple times before smiling a bit and going through her song list. …Disney? Right now seemed like a Disney song time. Now the only question was what song. …Eeeeny, meany, mineeeeeey…. —— Alright, so maybe this whole “being good” thing wasn’t too, too bad. She got a Jolly Rancher for coming along with Audrey’s dad, and didn’t have to have her sister snoring in her ear the entire time. “Sooo, lemme get this straight,” Syd began, shifting the candy off to the side and into her cheek like a jawbreaker, “if blue raspberries are not a thing, then how come it’s a flavour? How’s it made?”- While Audrey wasn’t very technology obsessed, she was quite organized. This was reflected in her iPod, which had many playlists separated by genre, artist, soundtracks, etcetera. She did indeed have a Disney playlist, divided up by movie. — “If I had to guess, they use blue dye to make it easier to differentiate between cherry and strawberry flavors. Though strawberry, watermelon, and bubblegum flavors tend to be the same color. Perhaps someone was just tired of pink.” - J.C. thought for a moment before looking up in the driver’s mirror. “Hey, Kat. Give me a Disney character.” The little girl was confused, “Why?” “Just give me one, I need a name.” “Anyone?” “Anyone.” “Uuuuum….hm…oh! Belle!” Beauty and the Beast soundtrack it was, then. ——————— “I mean, teeeeechnically, no? With the blue thing, yes, I can definitely see, but watermelon, strawberry, and bubblegum aren’t the same color, nor do they tend to be.  Watermelon’s lighter than strawberry, but darker than bubblegum. Bubblegum’s more vibrant and strawberry’s more…um..solid. Yeah, solid! Like it just kinda punches you in the arm.” Charlotte had to snicker at the description. “Sounds like you’re an expert on candy, kiddo.” “See, the dentist says the same thing! You an’ them talkin’ about me when you get your teeth cleaned or somethin’?”- Part of her wanted to sing along while another part wanted to talk to the people she hadn’t seen in person for several months. Unable to decide, she simply stayed quiet, occasionally stealing a quick glance over at J.C. Gosh, he was handsome~ — Her knowledge on candy was almost impressive. Almost. She seemed limited to the coloring. “Not with their hands in her mouth, I’d imagine.” - Inititally, the man’s plan was to put on something that the two of them (three, if Kat was so inclined to do) could sing along too, but it had been so long since he and Audrey had seen each other in person. …Hmmm…compromise? Have the music going, but as some light background noise. He pressed play, but keep the volume at a slightly low level- not too loud to where they had to be shouting over the music to talk, and not too quiet to where it wasn’t like there was any music at all. Besides, if something came on that they wanted to belt, he was manning the iPod, after all~ —– “I mean, you still kinda can?” Syd hooked a finger into the other side of her mouth, “ ‘Ihth cannah hah, doe’. (”It’s kinda hard, though”)”- Audrey couldn’t stay quiet for too long before she felt the urge to speak. “I’m really glad you could make it,” she smiled, keeping her eyes on the road. She purposely phrased her statement to either mean J.C. by himself or his family in general. If things went well this visit, she planned to ask J.C. if they may become more than friends. She’d developed a crush over the time they’d talked and she had a suspicion he felt the same, but she wanted to get a little more time in person before she made her decision. Her phrasing was meant to be a little hint, but she didn’t want to flat out ask just yet, or while they weren’t alone. “I’ve been looking forward to your visit for a long time.” — Edward exhaled through his nose in a slight laugh. Kids really were something, weren’t they? Sure, he saw plenty of kids over the years, be it his family or the people they babysat, but they were all different and had their moments of entertainment. “And I’m sure you can have deep, meaningful conversations that way,” he replied jokingly. - Thankfully, Kat seemed to be focusing in on the music a little more that her brother and Audrey (aaaand sort of starting to drift off again. She was a sleepy kiddo)…so J.C’s face only managed to go a light shade of pink, as opposed to a few shades darker, as when Syd would be instigating. “I, ah…I’ve been too.” he said, grinning like a goofball, “Chatting over the web is nice and all, but seeing your face, up close and in person as opposed to through a webcam, is a welcome sight.” The more “goofy” smile soon settled into a genuinely content one as he got a look into her eyes. “I have, too. I’ve missed you.” ———————– “Ve-ee muh sah! (Very much so!)”, replied Syd. Mr. D. was cool, he seemed to get it.- At a traffic light, Audrey glimpsed into the rear view mirror to see Kat dozing off. Seemed they had some alone time after all… sort of. She looked over at him, smiling softly. “Me too.” Turning her attention back to the road, she continued. “I feel like we’ve gotten pretty close, even with the distance between us. Lola sure did make a good choice with you,” she chuckled, blushing a bit. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you again.” — Another exhale through his nose. Syd didn’t understand sarcasm much, did she? Not that it mattered too much. As long as she was happy and not making trouble. - J.C. chuckled, “I suppose she did. Guess that thing about babies and animals being able to tell if someone is a good person or not has some merit to it…aaand I also guess I should prepare myself for the licking of a lifetime.” Not that he minded; happy dogs were always a good thing. “I am, too. It makes the times where we can see each other in person all the more special.”- Audrey chuckled at his mention of the licking of a lifetime. “Even so, I hope we don’t have to wait too long until the next visit. I’m sure we could find a way to make the times together special, even without a bunch of time between them.” - “Perhaps we should start planning right away.” he joked, “Buuuut that would be boring to do right out of the gate. Fun first, planning later. Y’know, besides planning on stuff to do for this visit.” - She nodded. “Oh, I have plenty in mind~ Plus, since I wake up early, I should be able to match your internal clocks pretty well! I can’t vouch for the rest of my family though,” she chuckled. “Not that they wake up particularly late or anything. I just naturally wake up earlier than most. Lots of natural energy, I guess. It works, though; given caffeine gives me the jitters.” - “Same with mine. Syd and Mum are fairly late sleepers, Kat’s somewhere in the middle, Dad’s fairly early…I can go either way. If I’ve got to be up for something important the next morning, I’ll be up.” He thought for a second, chuckling nervously. “I, uh…guess you could call that a warning? In regards to ‘morning Syd’, I suppose. May take a couple days, if you factor in jet lag.”- “A warning?” she blinked. “What do you mean? If she wakes up late your time, it would be early-ish my time. I already wake up early. Or did you mean she’d be cranky? She can sleep in plenty here, given we’re so many hours earlier…” - “Cranky with a capital ‘C’. Buuuuuuut that’s true. Didn’t exactly factor that in.” he chuckled again, “Maybe that’s my jet lag talking.” Smooth, J.C., smooth.- “Ahh. Yeah, I suppose it is pretty late for you guys. Thankfully, you don’t have to meet a bunch of people when we get there. Mom is the only one. My aunts, uncles, and cousins don’t all get together until Christmas day. That being said, we may have a few visits beforehand, but, I don’t know for sure.” - J.C. let out a playfully dramatic sigh of relief and slumped a bit in his seat, “Oh, thank goodness!”  Laughing a little bit before straightened himself back up, he gave Audrey a smile. “Hey, ta famille est ma famille. The more the merrier.”- Audrey snickered at his reaction, catching him in the periphery of her vision. If things went Audrey’s way, her family may very well be his family as well, one day. “Glad you think so. Things will be pretty crowded Christmas Day. It may seem a bit chaotic, but we do have a system of sorts in place; including a quiet room for those feeling overwhelmed. It was something we came up with for Adelyn years ago, but it’s proved to be quite helpful for all of us.” - J.C gave her a nod. “It definitely sounds like it. We have something similar whenever we have guests over…no real specific room, though, it either ends up being the loft or my room.”  He thought for a second. “…It’s either the ‘quiet room’ or the ‘older cousin’ retreat; really depends on who’s over and what’s going on.”- Audrey nodded as well. Some time later, they made it to her parents’ home. “Should we wake Kat or just carry her?” - “Mmmmmm, let’s check…” He turned around, having to hold back a snicker at how she looked. “Kaaaaat…” The eight year old made a small noise of acknowledgement. “Hey, kiddo; we made it.” The little blonde’s eyes fluttered open as she began to stretch like a kitten. Shaking her head a bit, as to get that last bit of sleep out of her, she unbuckled herself and hopped out of the car. “Yay! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”- “Well, that works,” Audrey chuckled as she got out of the car herself and headed to open the trunk to help bring in the luggage. Edward was doing the same in the garage, having arrived shortly before his daughter did. The barking of two dogs could be heard coming from inside, accompanied by a woman’s voice softly shushing them. “You think they know we’re home?” Audrey joked to whoever was listening. - If they didn’t, the sound of two “PUPPY!!”s (one from Kat, the other from Syd, inside with Roger, Charlotte, and Edward) definitely gave it away. “Gee, I don’t know.” J.C. joked back. Kat had started to make her way towards the door, but was quickly stopped by an “Ah, ah! You’ve got some luggage here too, munchkin. Please don’t leave all the work to us, yeah?” “Right, right!” the eight year old turned back around and retrieved her bag. J.C. gave her a pat on the shoulder as a sort of “Thank you for listening.” gesture.- Audrey chuckled and shook her head. Those kids were quite excitable, weren’t they? As they made their way inside the house with the first batch of luggage, the two dogs, Daisy and Lola, were quick to greet them. They were no longer barking and were instead running around everyone’s legs and sniffing them, tails wagging excitedly. Mrs. Davis chuckled as the scene unfolded. Seemed that’s where Audrey got her laugh from. - Upon entering and seeing the dogs, J.C. engaged what he called his “doggo voice”; all excited and goofy. “Oh yes, hellooooo! Heh-heh-heh-hellooooo. D’you remember me? Eh? Hello, babiiiies~Oh, such good pups, yes. Yeeeh-heh-heh-hes; ALL the pets will be yours.” When he realized that Mrs. Davis was there (rather, when he heard her), he turned a light shade of pink and chuckled. “Uuuum…hiya, Mrs. D. Happy, er…happy hols!”- Abbey didn’t think any less of J.C. for fawning over the dogs. She did laugh though (as did Audrey), as it was quite a silly voice. “Happy hols,” she replied with a smile, assuming hols was short for holidays. “I’ll show you to your rooms while Eddy and Audrey get the rest of your things.” She looked over at the two. “Assuming there’s more.” Audrey laughed and nodded her head. There was no way they could get five people’s worth of luggage and the gifts in one go. - “Haha, yeah.” J.C. added, “I’d said we didn’t need to pack THAT much, but…” “We had to factor in the snow!” Kat piped up, catching up to her brother, “Speakin’ of, how come there’s none? Snow, I mean.” - “Oh, you know how it is when you plan for there to be snow,” Abbey sighed. “It’s snowed a few times, but it hasn’t really stuck around yet. However, we’re supposed to be getting a lot of snow over the next few days.” “Yippee,” Edward remarked sarcastically as he headed back out for more luggage. “Dad doesn’t like having to clear the snow,” Audrey informed as she followed after. Abbey proceeded to lead the group to their rooms, the dogs following excitedly. “Syd and Kat, you’ll be staying with Audrey,” she informed, standing in front of Audrey’s old bedroom. While Audrey would always be welcome in her parents’ home, her room had been adjusted to allow for guests as well. There was a sliding divider in the middle of the room, allowing for privacy, when desired. Audrey had a real bed while Syd and Kat would share a large inflatable mattress. - At the mention of the word “lots”, Syd and Kat’s smiles grew wide.  At the mention of sharing a room with Audrey, the smiles were even wider. Noticing that there were only two beds in the roo, and three of them, the smiles started to fade juuuuust a tad.   J.C. internally cringed, readying himself to split up a fight between the two. It was through no fault of the Davises, though. Besides, one large mattress could easily fit two people! Just so long as those two people could actually share it. “I want the left side!” Kat called out, running over with her stuff and placing it on the desired side. “I was going to sleep on the left side!” Syd moaned, trailing behind. “Well, I called it out first, so I get it.” Kat responded, unzipping a bag and placing one of her stuffed animals on it. About ready to launch the toy at her sister’s head, Syd stopped; her inner “naughty/nice” conflict going again. Her hand slipped back towards her own bag before speaking. “…Hoooow abooooout…yooooou get it tonight, I get it tomorrow, and we keep switching off?” Kat hesitated for a minute, a bit surprised at her sister. “Uuuuuummm….sure!” J.C. blinked in surprise while Charlotte and Roger smiled approvingly.- Abbey wasn’t sure the significance of the left side of the mattress, but it was good they sorted it out. The dogs sniffed at the stuffed animal before looking to Abbey for permission. “No, no.” Abbey wagged her finger. “Not a doggy toy. Doggy toys are in the box. Go get one of your toys. Go on~” The dogs did as instructed and left the room to search for a good toy in the doggy toy box. - Kat had stiffened a bit, unsure of what the dogs were about to do. Unlike her sister, her stuffed animals had never fallen victim to an animal or were otherwise treated roughly (Syd, of course, loved her stuffed animals to bits; she just felt that they were strong enough to deal with a bit of rough and tumble. Not that she purposefully went out of her way to rough them up, of course).  When Abbey redirected the dogs, though, she relaxed.  “Make sure to pick a good one!” Syd jokingly added as the dogs left.- Abbey proceeded to lead the rest of the Malones to their room as the girls adjusted to their new surroundings. Like Audrey’s room, the adults’ room had a divider. There was a king size bed for the parents and an inflatable mattress for J.C. “If you’d rather not sleep in the same room as your parents, our couch does double as a bed,” Abbey offered. Meanwhile, the two dogs returned to where they’d last seen Abbey, Audrey’s room. They squeaked their toys eagerly, looking at the sisters. - J.C. chuckled, “Duly noted. I have no issue with sharing a room with them. I vaguely remember the first few months or so with living with them, having my own little cot in their room.” He paused, “…Graaaanted, I was a toddler, but…d-duly noted.” Hearing the squeaks of the dog toys, Syd and Kat turned to see the dogs. The redhead gasped excitedly, as she did with most animals, in an attempt to get them all playful. “Oh! Neat toys! We have some too, but ours don’t squeak. Wanna play?”- Abbey smiled and nodded. “Whichever you prefer. I’ll leave you be so you can settle in. Be sure to drop by the kitchen when you’re done though. We made cookies~ We’re also planning hot cocoa, if you’re up to having some. It really is best when it’s fresh.” Syd didn’t have to do much to get the dogs excited. Daisy and Lola both approached Syd, dropping their toys at her feet and looking up at her expectantly. - Ooooo, cookies~ Never something that the man passed up. He gave the mother a smile and a nod. “Will do~” The dogs didn’t have to do much to get Syd excited, either. The girl placed her own toy on the bed and grabbed both dog’s toys, and started to hype them up. When she felt they were riled up enough, she threw her arms back, then tossed their toys, yelling “GO LONG!”- The dogs bounded for their toys, quickly bringing them back and squeaking them eagerly. Given the energy of both Syd and the dogs, they could easily go all night with the games of fetch and tug-of-war. Thankfully, for those who didn’t want to hear squeaking all night, after several rounds, Audrey interrupted as she brought the rest of their luggage upstairs. “Hey, you two~” she grinned at the two girls. “Did Mom tell you we have cookies downstairs? We’re gonna make hot cocoa too, once we know how much to make~” - As if they were dogs themselves, Syd and Kat’s faces and ears perked up excitedly. Cookies and hot cocoa? Always a great combo. Especially if they could add aaaaaaall sorts of sweet stuff to the cocoa- whipped cream, caramel or butterscotch drizzle, mini marshmallows, a peppermint stick if they were feeling reeeeeally fancy…the kids’ teeth were already rotting with cavities at the thought of it. “She didn’t!” Kat piped up, “What kinda bikkies?” “Who cares what kind? Bikkies are bikkies!” Syd said excitedly, dropping one of the dog’s toys. She briefly stopped when a thought occured to her.  “…They’re not oatmeal raisin, are they?”- Audrey couldn’t help but giggle. Seeing them so excited just made her giddy. “Nooo no. I did my research before you got here, so I knew not to make those,” she chirped. “We have two kinds; granted, one is oatmeal, but not with raisins. It has cranberries, walnuts, and white choocoolaaate~” She chuckled once more. “We also have iced gingerbread. We also also have lots of extras for the hot cocoa that you can choose from; butterscotch, caramel, marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate chips, peppermint, all kinds of good stuff! We make it from scratch too! When we make sweets, we go all out!” - Syd practically melted into Audrey at the mention of going all out with sweets. “Listen. Auds. If I haven’t told you already, I love you. As much as J.C. loves you, if not more.” “You’re just sayin’ that cuz’a the sweets.” Kat scoffed lightly. “Nuh-uh! The sweets are an added bonus! She’s like a sister t’ me!” Kat rolled her eyes and smirked slightly, “Let’s go an’ make ours!” Syd popped up immediately and started to take off, yelling “RACE YA!”.- Audrey tittered, wrapping one arm around Syd. “I love you too, kiddo.” She might have questioned what Syd meant by J.C. loving her, but figured that was more a question for J.C. himself. “Up-bup-bup-bup-bup!” Audrey grabbed Syd by the back of the shirt and reeled her back. “No racing down the stairs. It won’t be a very fun Christmas if you’re stuck in a cast. Besides, we still have to make the cocoa.” Letting Syd go, she continued. “Cookies are ready though. So, if you can carefully make your way downstairs, you’re both welcome to have some.” With that, Audrey left to check the room J.C. and his parents were staying in, knocking on the door, regardless of whether or not it was closed. - The little redhead let out a small “HURK!” of surprise  (despite not being choked by her shirt) as she was reeled back in. “But…! But…! But…! The faster I get down there, then…the more cookies I can have!” “You have to save some for other people, ya know.” Kat piped up. “ ‘Sides, if you hog all of ‘em and don’t listen to Audrey, that’ll be evidence for gettin’ you on the naughty list.” Despite wanting to yell in frustration, Syd took a deep breath in and slowly, but somewhat painfully, released it. “Ooooookaaaaaaaaaaaay.”  This time, Kat took the lead as they made their way towards the stairs, saying something about pretending to walk down them as if she were royalty. Meanwhile, J.C. had gotten a moment to himself, as Charlotte and Roger had made their way to be with Mr. and Mrs. Davis. Upon hearing a knock, his head perked up. Seeing it was Audrey, he gave her a smile. “Hey, what’s up?”- Audrey looked from side to side, then back to J.C. Seemed he was alone, or rather, they were alone. She returned his smile, mouth closed, but wide enough to be seen in her eyes. “I was just checking to see if you all knew about the treats downstairs,” she strolled over and sat down near him, enjoying the brief alone time they had in the moment. “Had to stop Syd from sprinting down the stairs when I told her,” she giggled. “I’m guessing your parents are talking to my parents?” - He nodded in response to her question. “Yeah; figured they could do more unpacking later. Get some of the basics or immediate necessities out first, then work on the rest of it later.” At the mention of Syd…well, being Syd, he chuckled and shook his head. “Of course. Treats, eh? I could use a couple myself…of course, I’ve…ah, got one hangin’ out with me already, but ah…” His cheeks turned a light shade of pink at his little comment. “You want to get some? Th-the treats, I mean.”- Audrey giggled, going pink as well. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her ears also turned pink when she blushed. “In a little bit. I was hoping to talk to you a little while we have a moment alone. Your sister said something interesting earlier.” She exhaled through her nose in a slight laugh, moving her gaze to the floor. “She said she loved me just as much as you do, if not more. What do you think she meant by that?” Her eyes rose to meet his, her expression a mix of coy and bashful. She had initially intended to have this conversation later, but, seeing as they’d only have so much time alone and with Syd’s comment giving her a little boost of confidence in the situation, she figured they could talk now. - The young man’s cheeks went a further shade of pink, letting out a somewhat goofy-sounding giggle. Whether that was from thinking that Audrey was as cute as a kitten in a little hat or that was just the feeling he got whenever she was around was uncertain. Probably both, in all honesty. “Weeeeeeeeeell, I meaaaaan….that’s kiiiind of self explanatory. I do love you, of course. Hmm, maybe I don’t need those treats, ‘cos you’re already sweet enough. And pretty smart. Aaaand beautiful…” - “Oh gosh,” she rested her red cheek in her hand, giggling bashfully. “I love you too. You’re so sweet I could get a toothache. I know we’ve only spent so much time together in person, but, what do you think about… you know, being something other than friends?” She exhaled through her nose in a slight laugh. “Could be a nice Christmas present.” - ‘Something other than…’ Oh. Oh. OOOOOOOH! Lord, if his heart wasn’t pounding before, it sure as heck was now. “Iiiiiiiiiiii’m not against it.” he replied, a genuinely sweet smile sprawled across his face. “What did you have in mind?”- “You’re really making me spell it out, aren’t you?” she chuckled nervously. “I’m interested in you romantically and, unless I’ve been reading you wrong these past months, I think you are too. I was thinking, you know, boyfriend/girlfriend?” Audrey gave him a sheepish smile, showing those prominent front teeth of hers. “If that’s okay with you.” - If this were a movie, a stadium full of people would’ve cheered, fireworks would’ve exploded, and the chorus to Händel’s Messiah would’ve been playing in the background. J.C. couldn’t tell whether his heart was beating at an exponentially increasing speed or whether it had stopped altogether. His normally goofy smile had morphed more into a genuine, sentimental one. Walking over, and putting one of his hands on Audrey’s, his hazels met her greens and he gave her a nod. “I’d like that very much.”- Feeling giddy and needing to release some tension,  Audrey couldn’t help but giggle. “Then it’s settled,” she chirped as she rested her head on his shoulder. “We are officially a couple~” She’d been worried about how this conversation would go and it was a relief to get it out of the way. Letting out a content sigh, she allowed herself to enjoy this moment with her now boyfriend. It was nice to finally be with him, in both the dating sense and the physical sense. Even without them really doing anything, she was happy. Just being in the same room with him was enough. A light chuckle left her lips. “I wonder how long it’ll take the others to wonder what we’re doing.” - Heeheeheeheeheeheehee, “couple”~ He had to admit, it had a nice ring to it. He chuckled as well, “Oh, you know how it goes. We’ll be here, ready to spill our guts out over something, kiss, or embrace each other in a sort of bear hug, and then someone will end up showing up. …Oooooor there’s a combination of a small crash, an ‘I didn’t do it!’, and a ‘I’m telling!’, and some resulting general kerfuffle.” He smirked a bit, “Buuuuut, seeing as it’s the holidays and Syd and Kat really try hard to be good around this time of year, I’m shooting more towards the former.”- “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather keep my guts on the inside,” she joked. “And we did have a bear hug earlier, so, how aboouuuut~?” Audrey proceeded to bring her finger under his chin and bring his face a tad closer to hers. “Hm~?” - J.C. gave her a sort of  “Austin Powers” kind of smirk before chuckling a taaaad bit deviously. “Well, if you insist~” Slowly and gently, the young man brought his lips to hers; a state of pure bliss coming over him and a serene expression on his face.- While it was tempting to lock lips forever, Audrey thought it best to start slow. They did just now establish their relationship, after all. After a few seconds, she pulled away, content. “Is it bad I’d been wanting to do that for ages?” she chuckled sheepishly. - Short and sweet, always a good way to start. Reading her body language, he pulled away when she did. “Don’t worry, s-so have I.” he admitted, sheepishly.Cue a young sounding “Aaaaaaw~!” coming from the doorway. - Audrey bolted upright at the sound of Kat’s cooing. They weren’t doing anything wrong, of course, but it was still a private moment. It was a bit startling to be ‘caught.’ “H-how long have you been standing there, sweetie?” Audrey smiled a bit sheepishly, face pink. - “Not very.” she answered, taking a bite of her cookie, “Maybe abooooooout….halfway into the kiss? If you want, I can leave again, so you two can get back to it.” J.C. smiled and blew a bit of air out of his nose. “It’s alright, munchkin. Just give us a bit more warning next time, alright? Knock or something.”  “ ‘Kaaaaaay. You guys wanna get some of those bikkies? They’re nuuuuuuuummmyyyyyyyy~” - “In her defense, I left the door open,” she gave J.C. an apologetic smile. “Didn’t really think ahead on that one.” Audrey stood and turned back to Kat. “I’m glad you like them~ Mom and I made them from scratch! I think we’ll mosey on down and get some ourselves. Whatcha think?” she asked, turning to J.C.- “Yeah, J.C.! They’re super nummy! ‘Sides, Syd might eat all of ‘em if you’re don’t hurry up.” “I doubt it; Syd eating them all, I mean.” Cue an eyebrow raise. “Ooooo, made-from-scratch biscuits. Always the best kind!” J.C. clapped his hands together and stood up, looking to Audrey. “Shall we?”- “I just asked you!” Audrey giggled and took his hand, leading him downstairs. “Thanks for checking on us, Kat,” she chirped as they made their way past her. - “And I just asked you. So now we’re even~” the young man joked. He gave his youngest sister a pat on the head as he and Audrey made their way over. - “You are such a dork,” Audrey scoffed, shaking her head with a smile. Soon, the new couple were downstairs with the rest of their respective families. Audrey let go of J.C.’s hand in favor of grabbing a cookie and helping her mother with the hot cocoa. Both parents caught a glimpse of their hand holding, but decided not to mention it, for now. Instead, Abbey continued cooking while Edward reached for a jar labeled ‘Dog Treats.’ “Now that we’ve had our treats,” Edward looked over to Syd and Kat, “would you like to give the dogs’ theirs?” The father held out the jar for them to pick out a treat for each dog. They seemed to be homemade. Yes, those dogs are spoiled rotten. -

[starlightmercy-blog]

Careless

INVOLVED: Mercedes Evans, Samuel Evans, Sebastian Evans, and Sydney Evans TIME FRAME: Friday, October 20, 2017 LOCATION: Evans’ Home; Los Angeles, California. SUMMARY: Samuel tries to sit down and talk with Sydney to figure out what’s been going on with her only for things to spiral downward, causing problems between Mercedes and Samuel.

Sydney laid on her bed, bobbing her head to the music playing through her headphones as she did her homework for the day. Tapping her pencil against the paper, she gnawed on her lip as she counted in her head, thinking of the answer and when she had it, she wrote the numbers down on the paper before moving on to the next problem. Looking over at the phone, she hit the next button, skipping to the next song before she returned her focus to her homework.

Samuel moved down the hallway towards Sydney’s room, he needed to talk to his first born and get in her head. The child acted out from time to time and he really didn’t know why. She was spoiled and got everything she ever wanted, he had no idea why he and Mercedes always got so much backlash from the girl. Opening her door, he moved inside and stood by it, watching her do her homework on her bed.

Sydney hummed along to the music, sitting her pencil down briefly to count down on her fingers to figure out the answer. “16?” she mumbled to herself a little confused by the answer she got before she realized her mistake and recounted. “19,” she said to herself as she wrote it down, noticing Samuel standing at her door in the process. Looking up at him, she pulled her headphones off, just looking at him.

Samuel looked to Sydney as she finally noticed him, and he moved into the room further. Sitting down in the bed beside he said, “what’s up?” with pursed lips.

Sydney watched her father as he walked into the room and sat down beside her. She sat up slowly, closing her math book before she straightened out her skirt. “Just doing some homework…” she said as she looked at him, slightly confused by his sudden presence in her room.

“Hmm,” Samuel replied to her easily. He shifted on the bed and said, “You wanna talk?” it sounded like a question, but it was more so a statement.

Sydney’s eyebrows furrowed, and she shifted slightly, crossing her ankles. “Not really. I’d like to finish my homework,” she told him honestly.

“I insist,” Samuel countered as he looked to her. He sighed heavily before he said, “let’s talk,” simply to her. “What’s been going on in your world?” he asked her curiously.

Sydney cocked her head to the side. If she didn’t have an option, why did he ask? Sitting there she sighed herself, running her fingers through her hair. “Nothing,” she answered him simply before she slid off the bed and moved over to her vanity, picking up her brush and running it through her long hair.

Samuel watched Sydney and he licked his lips slowly looking down at the floor. “I am giving you an opportunity to tell me what you’ve been feeling Syd,” he said trying to reason with the child and not get pissed off by her simple actions all at the same time. He folded his arms over his chest as he watched her brush her hair.

Sydney looked back at her father over her shoulder as she brushed through her hair. “What I’m feeling?” she asked confused. “What do you mean?” Taking a scrunchie, Sydney began twisting her long hair into a bun.

Samuel nodded. “Yes,” he said, stretching his long legs out and crossing his ankles. He watched as she placed her hair in a bun. “Yeah you go through your little moments where I want to knock the hell out of you,” he told her. “So, I am letting you explain yourself”.

Sydney turned back to the mirror, using the scrunchie to secure her hair before she turned to look at her father, her face was scrunched with confusion, her lips turned down slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about dad…” Sydney said honestly. “I haven’t done anything…”

“Oh, really?” Samuel said as he tilted his head at her. “Okay,” he said as he licked his lips. “So, I’m crazy,” he said as he moved to stand up, dropping his arms in the process.

Sydney looked at her father and she walked over to him, taking one of his hands into hers. “Are you feeling alright dad? Should I find mom?”

Samuel looked down at her. “Stop playing with me Sydney,” he said shaking his head. “You know you have a problem with me and your mother,” he said matter-of-factly. “But if you do not want to tell me it’s fine,” he said shrugging. “Just keep that issue to yourself once the twins come,” he said moving to walk out of the room.

Looking at her father, Sydney tucked her lips inward. As he moved to walk out the room, she sighed out. “Are you and mom getting a divorce?”

Samuel tucked his lips in at the question she asked, turning to her he blinked slowly. “What would make you think that?” he asked her not knowing what to say to her really.

Sydney frowned softly. “You two are always fighting and not speaking and dad up until recently you’re never home…” She said sadly. “Sometimes I hear mom on the phone with grandma…”

Samuel looked to her furrowing his brows and he folded his arms over his chest. “W-what did y-your mom tell her?” he asked. He heard all the other questions but her last statement sparked something more important.

Sydney sat down on her bed, with her hands folded in her lap as she stared down at the floor. “I heard mom talking about just leaving and never looking back. Getting her groove back and something else…” she said before she looked at Sam. “What does groove back mean?”

Samuel looked to Sydney and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know,” he shrugged at her. Sighing he looked to her. “We aren’t getting a divorce, I don’t think. There is no reason to Syd, we love each other very much. I know things have been off in the house for a while but it’s getting better. And I am not going anywhere,” he told her honestly.

Sydney nodded slowly taking in what Samuel was saying and she stood up, moving to hug him tightly. “Don’t leave us again, no matter what mommy says.”

Samuel nodded his head at Sydney and he hugged the tall little girl back. “I’m not baby,” he said confidently. “And I know work keeps me away, but I try very hard to be here for you guys. You know that, right?” he asked her.

Sydney nodded her head slowly, sniffling a little. “I know,” she said softly.

“Good,” Samuel said letting the girl go. “Don’t worry about anything, it’ll be fine,” he offered her. “You can get back to your homework now,” he told her as he moved to leave her room. He moved back downstairs looking for his wife. “Mercedes!” he called out loudly.

Sydney nodded once more, climbing back into her bed to finish her work.

Mercedes laid in the pool, floating on her back in the cool water. That seemed to be the only thing that helped with her aches and pains lately. The weightlessness of the water was such a blessing. Sighing out, Mercedes closed her eyes, kicking her feet gently until she heard her husband screaming for her and she stood in the water. “What Sam?!” She called back, moving to get out. “What’s wrong?”

Samuel looked around downstairs passing Sebastian who was drawing on the walls. “Boy!” He yelled looking down at him, “what are you doing?” he asked, “have you lost your mind?” he said grabbing the crayons from the boy.

Mercedes climbed out the pool and wrapped her towel around her, patting herself dry a little. “Sam?” she called again, trying to figure out why he was calling her in the first place. Walking through the door she moved around to Sebastian and Samuel and eyed the crayon drawing on the wall. Slowly she looked at Samuel. “What the hell Sam?” she asked as she moved to pick Sebastian up. “Were you not watching him?”

Samuel looked to Mercedes. “Yes,” he said nodding his head, “well no,” he sighed picking up the rest of the crayons and broken pieces. “I was talking to Sydney,” he said angrily. “Who kindly let me know that you’ve been talking to your mother about divorces and getting your groove back and all of this other foolishness,” he rambled. “What the hell is right…” he told her. “And put him down, he just drew on the damn wall and you are going to baby him?” he asked her.

Mercedes looked at Samuel, her face going through a range of emotions as she carefully balanced Sebastian on her hip. “First of all, what are you talking about? Second of all, what do you mean? He’s two? He is a baby. If you had of been watching him, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to draw on the walls,” Mercedes said huffing softly as she adjusted Sebastian a little. Looking at the little boy she said, “now you know you know better,” as she gently patted his butt.

“A, you know what I'm talking about,” Samuel said as he tossed the crayons in the trash. “B, he's a little boy. You baby him and he’ll never man up. He's 2 not 2 months?” Samuel said. “You baby him way too much,” he repeated. “Either way,” Samuel said grabbing Sebastian. “We aren't talking about that right now. I'll clean the wall,” he rushed out. “We need to talk about Sydney,” he told her as he moved to sit Sebastian down in front of the TV where he left him the first time.

Mercedes arched an eyebrow at her husband as she shifted Sebastian on her hip once more, trying to figure out when the little boy got so heavy. “Man up? At two? Sam, you sound ridiculous,” she told him outright. Handing the toddler over, Mercedes placed her hands on her lower back, staring at Sam. “Okay, talk,” she said gesturing to him, still confused as to what he was going on about.

Samuel looked to his wife and folded his arms over his chest, he could get mad with her however he decided not to go that route with her today. Instead, he said, “Sydney seems to think we are getting a divorce and that stems from something she heard you tell your mother,” he told her. “Is that clear enough for you?” he asked her sarcastically.

Mercedes tilted her head to the side, eyeing Samuel curiously as her hands gently rubbed at her lower back. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she shifted on her feet a little. “And you’re going to listen to what an 8-year-old told you she heard?” she asked him slightly amused. “I have got to sit down,” she said after a moment, moving into the kitchen, gesturing for him to follow, glancing back at Sebastian sitting on the couch momentarily. Pulling out a chair, Mercedes sat at the table, looking at her husband. “Okay, now please run that by me again.”

Samuel looked to his wife, blinking slowly as she moved to sit down so did he. His arms folded over his chest. “I don’t even want to talk about it anymore,” he said annoyed as he pouted in his seat.

“Perfect,” Mercedes said placing her hands on her belly. “Is that what you were calling me for?” She asked him.

“I guess,” Samuel said slowly as he rolled his eyes at her a bit. He shifted in his chair before saying, “just to let you know, whatever you said bothered her enough for her to tell me no matter what don’t leave you all again,” he said shifting.

Mercedes rubbed her belly gently, adjusting her towel around her body slightly. “If you must know, I was talking to my mother about divorcing my sorry ass father. Despite what he’s done, she’s been on the fence about it and I told her that it’s time. I’m grown. Trey is grown. She needs to get out of that toxic ass marriage and find herself again, get some and get her freak on. I have no idea what Sydney thought she heard but that is what I was talking to my mom about,” she said blinking slowly at Samuel. “I will go talk to Sydney but there’s your explanation…”

“There is no getting through to her,” Samuel said as he hugged his arms closer to himself. Licking his lips, he sighed as he got up from the table moving back to clean the mess his son had made on the wall.

“What do you mean?” Mercedes asked as Samuel stood up and she bit her lip softly. “Shit…” she mumbled to herself as she struggled to get out of the chair. Gripping the table, Mercedes slowly slid to the edge of the seat before she carefully pulled herself up with a loud huff.

Samuel grabbed what was near him, bleach, he assumed would remove the wax and a cloth at best. He got down on his knees and began to scrub at the wall gently, if he didn’t get it off he had no clue how to at all. And he’d have to find a secondary way to do so.

Groaning softly, Mercedes placed her hand on her lower back as she walked into the living room, moving up the steps carefully. Reaching the top of them, Mercedes huffed before she stopped to catch her breath. Once she was sure she was okay, she walked into Sydney’s room, gently knocking on the door frame. “Hey sweetheart,”

Sydney counted on her fingers before writing down the answer, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth as she heard Mercedes coming up the steps. Dropping her head into the book, she huffed, mumbling, “leave me alone.” As Mercedes knocked on her door frame, she looked up slowly. “Hey mom…” Sydney grumbled out.

Samuel slowly moved from one section to the next before, he heard Sebastian getting into something else. Of course, the child didn’t sit down ever, he was always on the go. He got up and moved towards the boy who was now climbing over the back of the couch. “Get down now,” he told him sternly.

Mercedes smiled softly at her daughter, entering the room fully. Walking over, Mercedes sat down on the edge of Sydney’s bed, patting the spot beside her, gesturing for Sydney to sit up beside her. “Are you alright?” Mercedes asked the child softly.

Sydney huffed softly, sitting up beside Mercedes as she flattened out her skirt once more. “Yes, mom. I’m fine,” Sydney said quickly, slightly annoyed.

Samuel watched the little boy climb back down and sit while looking at his father over the couch. “I should already be whooping your little ass. Now sit there and watch tv please,” he told him. Walking back over to the wall he ran his hands through his hair as he moved back to the task. Though nothing was leaving the walls even as he scrubbed hard.

Mercedes placed her hand on Sydney’s shoulder rubbing gently. “No, you’re not fine,” Mercedes said matter-of-factly. “I know you might think that I don’t pay attention to you, but I do, so does your daddy. We’re your parents and we know when something's not right. I don’t know what it is, but something’s been bothering you because your attitude has been ridiculous, and you’ve been really secluding yourself lately. So, talk to me, baby girl. What’s wrong?”

Sydney closed her eyes as Mercedes touched her shoulder and she shrugged, sighing deeply as she listened to her mother. She sat there quickly, staring at nothing in particular. “You and dad are always arguing. Dad is never home. You only ever pay attention to Sebastian. Only time anyone notices me is when I’m acting out. That’s the only way I get anyone’s attention in this house. Just like now. Just leave me alone mom,” Sydney huffed as she moved to lay back down on her stomach to finish her homework.

After a minute or so more, with no prevail Samuel gave up all together. They’d just have to find another way for the wall to be restored and at the moment he had no ideas for it. Standing up he moved through the kitchen and he opened the cabinet. In a long-forgotten cookie jar, he hid packs of cigarettes there from time to time. Pulling one out he opened the packaging to it and pulled one out, opening drawers until he found a lighter as well.

Mercedes looked at Sydney, slightly shocked by the young girl’s words and as she moved to lay back down, Mercedes sat there. She didn’t know what to say. “Sydney, look at me,” she said sternly. “Your father and I are fine okay. We argue but that’s what adults do. Sometimes we just can’t agree but we’re fine,” she said shaking her head. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither is he okay. Trust me,” she said gently. “We love you Syd and I promise, I will try harder to be there for you too,” she said softly, leaning in slightly to kiss the back of Sydney’s head before she stood up with a grunt and walked out of the room.

“Stay put Sebastian,” Samuel called out as he moved outside on the patio lighting the end of the stick. He stood before the glass door, thinking to himself how nothing ever seemed to change in their household. There was always something. He, Mercedes, the kids. It didn’t matter. Whenever someone tried to do better in the place nothing ever changed.

Mercedes moved back down the stairs slowly, holding onto the railing as she looked around for her husband. “Sam,” she called his name gently. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked around not seeing him and she looked at Sebastian who was two seconds away from knocking the lamp off the table. “SEBASTIAN!” Mercedes said loudly, clapping as she said his name to get his attention. “What are you doing?!” she asked as she moved over to the couch, quickly snatching him up by his hips and sitting him in the center of the couch. Leaning down she looked at him eye-to-eye. “I will whoop your little butt if you don’t stop it,” she told him sternly before she stood fully and looked around again. “Samuel!” she called for her husband once more.

Samuel inhaled and exhaled slowly, licking his drying lips as he rested against the glass. Hearing Mercedes screaming their son’s name and then his he dropped the cigarette to the ground putting it out with his foot. He opened the door, “yeah, yeah?” he said quickly moving back into the house and closing the door behind himself.

Mercedes looked over at Samuel as he re-entered the house and she eyed him knowingly. “So instead of watching your son you’d rather go outside and smoke a cigarette?” she asked him. “Sebastian almost knocked over the lamp,” she said pointing to it, “because all of this is just so stressful that you needed a smoke break,” she said shaking her head. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Mercedes inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying not to have an attitude.

Samuel looked to Mercedes and then Sebastian at her announcement, biting his tongue was a hard task but he managed. At her assumption he just stood there without a true response for her.

Mercedes stared at her husband expectantly and when he said nothing, she rolled her eyes slowly. Her foot tapped against the hardwood and she tucked her lips inward as she caught herself from speaking out of turn, saying something she would regret later. “Sydney needs to be placed in therapy again,” she said out-right, just moving forward before an argument broke out.

To keep the peace, Samuel didn’t say or do anything anymore, besides in his mind she was far too pregnant for him to even state his case these days. Licking his lips, he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Okay,” he said to her. Samuel didn’t have an opinion when it came to Sydney and he wouldn’t just assume therapy would work. But considering he didn’t care either way, he would go along with it for his wife.

Mercedes couldn’t stand it when Samuel did this. “Would you speak your damn mind?” she asked him, shifting her weight, a soft groan passing her lips as she placed her hands on her back, pushing her belly out even more. “You have an opinion here, I know you do, so just say it. Don’t agree just to get me to walk away.”

Samuel rubbed his forehead closing his eyes as she spoke, he dropped his hand walking up to her. Stomach against stomach, he gazed down at her. “Look at me,” he told her. “I don’t want to argue with you,” he said frustrated. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her,” he pointed, “I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” he pointed to Sebastian who was now climbing back over the couch. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he said pointing to himself. “Whatever you want to do I don’t care,” he dragged out. “I don’t,” he told her, “shit probably won’t work anyway,” shrugged walking off.

Mercedes’ eyebrows furrowed as Samuel stood right upon her and she lifted her head, looking up at him as he spoke. She stared into his eyes, nodding slowly as he spoke. Licking her lips, she moved her hand around to her belly, hands rubbing to soothe their kicking babies. “Alright…” Mercedes said slowly as she continued to nod her head. “Sebastian,” Mercedes said, holding her hand out for him, watching as he got off the couch and took her hand. Sighing deeply, Mercedes guided the toddler up the steps slowly but surely until they were in his playroom. She let his hand go and sat down in one of the chairs with a small groan as she pinched the bridge of her nose again, closing her eyes.

[theiahuntley-blog]

Life After the Selection

14.Feb

“Morning, my la- I mean, Theia.”

I look up to see Sydney and Adelaide caught in a half bow and I giggle.

“Morning, Syd. Morning, Ade” I greet. When I left the Palace, my maids and I have become great friends and they even joked about coming to help me with my family’s farm. I said I would hire them after I helped my family expand the farm. And in these few months, I did succeed in helping expand my family’s farm by using the money I earn and the fame I got. A month ago, I wrote to the three of them to tell them about the news and asking them to come and help. Sydney and Ade agreed instantly while Mel declined. Sydney, always the wilder one, feels working in our farm will give her more freedom. Ade thinks since the selection is over, the chances of her being a lady’s maid is slim and so why not try something new? Mel, on the other hand, prefers making dresses and a birdy told me she’s really close with a guard.

A guard.

I sigh as I shake that thought away. As the three of us walk downstairs, I see Lucas giving Ade a smile while Sydney growls at Matt, my brother. Lucas and Adelaide will be a great match, Ade is quiet and sweet while Lucas is smart and nice. Sydney and Matt, though, will be a hilarious pair, both hot-headed and not afraid to tell everyone what they feel. I smile at all of them and we sit down and have breakfast.

After breakfast, all of them go out to farm except for my parents, Matt and I. I don’t need to help out with the farm now as we’ve hired more helpers, but I did reserve a piece of small land of potatoes for myself, near the trees. I can’t go out today though as I’m having a photoshoot a few days later and am specifically told ‘not to get tan’.

I am a writer now though because of being part of the selection, I still get invited to do photo shoots or commercials. I usually accept them as they come with good money and I’ve always enjoyed them.

“I’ll be in my room!” I call to my parents as I go back to my room to work on the book I’m writing. I like writing fiction, more specifically, teen fiction. I haven’t published any actual book but I’ve released a few short stories online and they’ve been a great hit.

One of the most powerful thing in the world. Something that everyone needs and wants, something so precious that even money cannot buy it. Love is just a word, but sometimes, it’s more than a word, it’s a feeling of affection, a promise that the person will always be there for you. But promises are meant to be broken. And love? It saves you, yet at times, it kills you.

It almost killed me.

I stare at the piece of paper, why-

“THEIA!” Matt yells, I sigh and open the door.

“What?”

“There’s a boy at the door for you.” He says. I sigh. Since I’ve been back home, I’ve gotten boys at the door for me. I accepted the first boy who looked nice and cute. It didn’t work out. I accepted one or two more guys afterwards but none of them worked out and I just gave up.

Because none of them was Theo.

And none of them made me feel what I feel when I'm with Theo.

None of them was Theo Hart.

He said he’d be here in January and it’s now February and I’ve given up.

“Tell him I’m not interested.” I say.

“I did. Told him you’re not looking for a boyfriend right now. But he insisted.” He replies. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.

“How do I look?” I ask.

“You’re in your pyjamas.” He deadpans. I giggle and push him out of my room and quickly change into the nearest piece of clothing I can get my hands on - a simple sundress. I open the door and follow Matt down.

“Just say no and I can do the rest.” He says seriously, ever the over-protective brother.

“I know. I wi-” The words die down as we reach the front door.

“Thei-” Matt begins but his words are drowned as I run to the boy and hug him.

“Theo.” I breathe as we pull away.

“Am I too late?” He asks worriedly.

“A bit. But that’s okay.” I whisper. He smiles and pulls me in for a kiss.

“Okay. That’s enough. I’m leaving.” I hear Matt say. I giggle and pull away.

“Took you long enough.” I say as I pull away to take a good look at him. He hasn't changed in the past few months except now he's wearing casual clothes instead of uniform.

“I'm sorry.” He whispers. “I didn't know should I come… I read all those news about you and Connor Kels and I…”

I sigh at that memory. Connor was the third guy I dated. He was an A-list celebrity and we met during a photo shoot. But I soon realized he was more into my body and fame instead of me. And the media sucked up on that. They followed us on our first date and took tons of pics and the next day most of the gossip magazines had similar headlines. We broke up a week after that when I refused to um have sex with him.

“We lasted an unhappy week.” I answer, rolling my eyes. “I'm glad you decided to come.”

“I'm glad too.”

“Come on, let's go somewhere else where my family can't eavesdrop on us.” I say, loud enough for everyone to hear. I hear a groan, some scolding and muttering. I laugh and lead Theo to a gazebo.

“So what are you doing now that you’re not a guard?” I ask, sitting down and gesturing him to do so as well.

“Well, for the past few weeks, I’m mostly meeting my family and old friends and you know, trying to spend more time with them to make up the lost time.” He replies, wrapping an arm around my waist. “But I might consider being an athlete? But I don’t know. For now, I guess I’m just resting a bit, and maybe be a part-time model.”

“Model, eh?” I tease. “Have you gotten any jobs yet?”

“No, I haven’t. Not really.” He replies. “But one of my friends is an agent and when we were talking about careers for me, he said I should considering modelling.” He pauses and turns to me. “Said I had the looks and the body.” He finishes with a wink. I roll my eyes at him.

“So, you’ve mostly got your life the way you want, haven’t you?” I say with a smile.

“Not all… There’s a part that hasn’t been confirmed yet.”

“What part?” I ask with a frown.

“Well, there is this girl… We’ve kissed, but we never made anything official yet.”

“Yeah? So what are you going to do about her?”

“What do you think? Should I ask to be her boyfriend?”

“Um… it depends on how you feel about her.” I say carefully.

“Well, I love her and I’m pretty sure she likes me.”

What.

“What?” I whisper, peering at him through my eyelashes.

“I love you, Theia Huntley. Will you- will you be my girlfriend?” He asks, sincerity in his eyes.

“Yes.” I laugh. “Yes yes yes!” His face breaks into a huge smile and he hugs me tightly before kissing me again and again.

“By the way, happy Valentine’s day.” He whispers as we pull away to breathe.

“Oh, Theo. Haha. Happy Valentine’s day.” I laugh. He smiles and then proceeds to pull something out of his pocket.

“A small box of chocolates for my girlfriend.” He says, holding them out to me. I giggle, thank and hug him.

“I love you too, Theo Hart.” I whisper as we pull away.

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Hey, hope you guys enjoy this lol. Oh n that story that The is writing about is actually a story I’m writing! Click here to check it out! Thank! (Shameless promo smh)