#leopold x oc

[leleny]

I'm thinking of making Leopold Ruby's love interest, or maybe not, 'cause she's a girlboss and she doesn't need anyone <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>

[pickledpascal]

might fuck around and write a hugh fic once im done with this wolverine fic....

something friends to lovers maybe

[thatluckyboi]

ALRIGHT, PEOPLE!!

Should I make an ItalianMeatball fanchild or nah? They probably won't be "canon" in me and @technical-err0r's fan universe but it might be a fun thing to do, and they might become a part of an AU :)

[mentallyillwithhyperfixations]

Collab with @ray4youknow! I hope you like it :)

[weirdducky17]

‧₊˚ ┊ 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 ┊‧₊˚

ᴀ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ

(A/N: Sorry if the characters feel OOC, I'll try to write them as accurately as possible.)

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

Amongst the many students mingling around the cafeteria, Team Stan and Team Craig have gathered to their own shared lunch tables like they always did in the everyday school cycle, some oe the cheerleaders also sitting in with them today. Topics were thrown around and subjects coming and going at a fast rate, yet one topic seemed to catch everyone's attention.

"Hey, whatever happened to that list the girls made?" Stan brings up out of the blue as everyone glanced over to him, most in confusion and some in slight familiarity.

"Which one?" Wendy asks as she was the one who was the most aware about the lists that were being mandated by the alliance of girls.

"I think he's talking about the one that got leaked at 4th grade, it was who's cutest boy in our class." Calista explains to her as recognition soon washed over them.

"Oh yeahh, wasn't it like lost just one day?" Tolkien hummed at the thought as most of them did now know how that list disappeared.

"Y-Yeah.. well.." Wendy and Kyle shared a knowing glance towards each other.

"Yeah! I was the chad of the whole class." Clyde boasted rather proudly, adjusting his school jersey as if it were an expensive suit. Craig rolled his eyes at this.

"First, never use the word Chad again to describe yourself. Second, It was pretty obvious it was rigged. The girls just wanted shoes from you." He scoffed as he leaned onto the table on his elbows, a juice box in his hand as he drank it obnoxiously loud to annoy Clyde.

"No it wasn't! Everyone thought I was hot!!"

"Not everyone, let's be honest here." Tolkien gave him a blank stare.

"S-So-Sorry man." Jimmy gave him an apologetic smile.

"Fuck no, you were an uggo Clyde." Cartman says mid bite on a big mac he brought with him to school.

"W-What the hell!!" The brunette teared up at the lack of support from his friends. "G-Girls??" He looked to the feminine side of the table.

"Wellll." Bebe looks away, face scrunched up in slight guilt.

"It was rigged." Wendy tells him, plain and simple.

"What?! It was rigged?!"

"Next time, don't brag about your dad having a shoe store." Kenny snickers at the expense of his friend, watching the dejected Donovan practically melt onto the lunch table in his own misery.

"The actual list at the time was destroyed as far as we know." Red shrugged, not knowing much on how that issue went down.

"Do you guys still make lists?" Stan questions the girls as they all collectively nodded.

"Well yeah, we have nothing better to do. We still have the list committee up and running, Nelly was promoted as the head of it now with Rebecca making sure no corruption or rigging is involved." Wendy explains whilst eyeing Bebe, who shyed away from her intense gaze by looking down at her nails to distract herself.

"Best Outfit of the Day, Which makeup brands are the best, even who has the cutest purse. I, for one, cannot wait for this month's cutest accessories!" Red explains in detail, excited and giddy in her own seat.

"Pretty sure my accessories aren't gonna make the top ten." Calista chuckled as the ladies insisted that accessories can be timeless.

"Are you ladies done chattering?" Cartman cuts in snidely as Wendy shot him a heated glare.

"Are you done making out with that big mac?" She snapped back at him.

"AT LEAST THIS BIG MAC CAN KISS FUCKING BETTER THAN YOU CAN, TESTABURGER! SUCK MY DICK! BACK ME UP STAN!"

"The fuck? No?" Stan looks at him, disgruntled as he wasn't even involved in the fight to begin with.

"That's enough you guys." Kyle sighs, massaging his temples.

"But Kyle!" "But Kahl!"

"It's 10 in the morning, not now." The ginger groaned in protest.

"Says him." Calista snickers quietly as she elbows Kenny next to her, who joined her in the teasing.

"Say, do you guys still make the cutest boys list in class?" Kenny asks her curiously.

"Yeah but that's classified info." She shrugs in response, handing him the rest of her lunch which he gratefully accepted.

"It's under much stricter regulations, it's never gonna get leaked again." Red assures him as Butters looks away from his conversation with Tweek to peer at her.

"Can you tell us who's the top 5 though?" He grinned at her sweetly, trying to pry info out of her with his cutesy nature.

"Nope. Nada. You're not getting anything from us." Bebe huffed with a cross of her arms.

"Come onnn! We have to know!" Butters insisted.

"Ca-Can't say that I'm c-cur-cur-curi— interested in knowing what the new lists are." Jimmy adds onto this happily.

"You guys acted like assholes when it got leaked, fuck no." Wendy shook her head.

"We just wanna know who the ugliest bitch is." Cartman rolled his eyes. "So we know who to mess with in class for being ugly as shit."

"'We' as in you, only you Cartman." Kyle scoffs at this

"People like you Eric... and Clyde—"

"Hey!!"

"—are the reason why we can't release it!" Calista scolds them rather harshly, standing up from her chair and does hand gestures to emphasize her point.

"It'll just get in your head and make you insecure! Kyle tried to burn down the school for christ's sake!"

"You didn't have to mention that.." Kyle groans in embarrassment and shame, burying his face into the palm of his hand.

"My point still stands! We are never releasing the newest results!" She ended the insistence rather swiftly, sitting back down with a huff as Kenny pats her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Fucking bitch." Cartman mumbled grumpily.

"What was that, Cartman?"

"Fucking nothing!"

"If I were to speculate on who would be in the top 5, Tolkien and probably Stan would be there." Butters brings up to the surprise of everyone.

"Wait huh?" Stan blinks at this.

"Come on Stan, you're popular and part of the football team. Isn't that like the literal definition of attractive in most romance movies?"

"I mean yeah but I don't think I'm cut out for that?" He laughs nervously and scratched his cheek.

"I agree on the Tolkien vote." Calista pipes up from her seat.

"Huh— Cal!" Kyle looks at her in disbelief and slight disappointment.

"What? I'm being honest here." She pouts at this as Kenny pokes her side.

"Why Tolkien though? Besides like being rich."

"Before someone says shit, this is my opinion." She hissed as everyone at the table seemingly leaned in to listen closely to this. Besides Eric who was busy taking food off Kyle's lunch.

"Firstly, yes Tolkien being rich is a big factor. Secondly, tall, dark and handsome has always been a classic among girls—"

"Seriously, Calista?" Craig gave her a deadpanned look, his mouth pulled into a straight line.

"Shut up Craig! Shut! Keep your lips from flapping!"

"Fine! Jesus christ..."

"To continue after I was rudely interrupted, Tolkien is part of the martial arts club. He also has good grades, plus he's a stud and he's dating Nichole!!" Calista exclaims out in emphasis, gesturing to the dark skinned boy who looked flustered but happy from her words.

"W-Wow, thanks dude."

"No problem bro." She hummed in response, exchanging a fist bump with him as the table chattered about her words.

"Yeahh, Cal has a point." Red adds into the conversation with a soft nod of her head.

"D-Dude just got an e-ego-ego boost." Jimmy snickers at how much Tolkien was blushing and also grinning widely.

"Ugh, dude.." Kyle mumbles out in disappointment at her words as Stan pats his shoulder comfortingly, the two seeming to know something the rest do not on why he was affected.

"Chill out Kyle, you're pretty cute yourself. I'd be surprised if you didn't make it the top ten." Calista assures him, unaware about how relieved this made him.

Even if she didn't call him a stud, Kyle was still satisfied about being called cute at least.

Things eventually settled as the new stream of conversation eventually overrides the previous topic. It wasn't long until the school bell rings to indicate that class was about to start and so all the students eventually packed up and left their seats to head towards their individual classes.

⊹ ‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶꒦꒷︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

The chime of the last school bell rang out and echoed within the halls, indicating the end of classes today for the teenagers of South Park High. Some piled into their friends' vehicles and others taking the school bus to their homes, something strange was happening.

In every stop at a girl's house, they just stood there without a step further even as the school bus drove away to the next house and eventually turned the corner. A white van careening after the bus disappeared and picked up girl after girl, soon making their way towards the rest of the streets to repeat the process.

"What are you doing?" Craig looks towards his cousin who stood idly at the front of their lawn. Confusion evident in his usually blank expression.

"Me and the girls are hanging out at Bebe's house, she's gonna pick me up. Uncle Thomas and Aunt Laura already know." Calista explains rather quickly, holding her yellow, crossbody bag's strap close to her.

"Okay? Just don't stay out late." Craig was still confused but decided to just let her do her thing, not like he could stop her anyways, trudging his way back into his house after a long day of school.

Calista looks away after Craig made his way into their house, standing their quietly with her phone in hand. Text after text was exchanged until a red convertible pulled up just in fromt of her.

"Get in bitch!" Bebe calls out to her in an exaggerated valley girl accent. A pair of cat eyed shades on her face, the same shade as the convertible as she was leaning back in the driver's seat with a hand on the wheel.

"Hey, Cal." Nichole waves from the passenger seat, phone in hand as she was the one that was communicating with her through text.

Calista waves at them, an amused grin on her face, as she made her way towards the car and promptly got into the back seat where Nelly was napping. Making sure not to disturb the sleeping girl, she strapped herself with the seatbelt as the curly haired blonde eventually drove off to their hangout.

⊹ ‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶꒦꒷︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

It was near dusk in the sleepy town of South Park, most of the residences have already retreated into their houses after the busy day and the town's center had slowed down from the lack of people going in and out from shops.

A red convertible and a white van was parked just in front of Mister Slave and Big Gay Al's house, the vehicles emptied out hours ago. The nearby park looked empty at first but unbeknownst to the residents possessing of a dick, the women's bathrooms were having quite the eventful evening.

"Sunshine sparkle, Annie Knitts has the floor." Nelly calls out.

"If it pleases and sparkles, I suggest that we continue further deliberations about List 384H: which girl has the best haircut on this month of July."

"Annie moves that we should consider futher discussion on List 384H? Does that sparkle with you girls?"

"Sunshine!!"

"Deliberating which girl has the best haircut, Jenny has the floor."

"If it pleases and sparkles, I'd like to submit that due to Allie Nelson's transition to a Hime Cut this month. I vote that she be elevated in her position on the list, even better than Monica's pigtails and Ashley's braids."

"Sparkle, Sunshine. I vote in favor of this submission, I totally think that Allie's hime cut is deserving of the top ten. Plus she dyed the tips of her hair recently so it must have extra points for it to be elevated in its previous ranking."

"Are there more girls who vote to have Allie's hime cut be higher in the ranking of the best haircuts in the month of July."

Several hands were held up, holding up BTS light up sticks that shone a bright green shade to indicate their agreement on this decision.

"Then it is decided that Allie's haircut will be evaluated for its proper spot on the list, while it is not guaranteed it will make it to the top ten, the list committee will be making swift changes to the current ranking. Sparkle, sparkle." A gavel was struck down on its wooden block.

"Sunshine!!"

"Sunshine sparkle, Calista Tucker has the floor."

"If it pleases and sparkles, I'd like to encourage further discussion on List 563C: Who is the cutest boy in class?"

"Sparkle sparkle, Calista submits that we should further discussions of List 563C: Who is the cutest boy in class. Does that sparkle with everyone?"

"Sunshine!!"

"Sunshine sparkle, is there someone you'd like to elevate in terms of ranking on this month's list? Of course girls are still able to apply for more submissions, though I am surprised that you're raising this discussion Calista. You haven't been actively involved in the rankings before, besides voting of course."

"I know that, let's just say I should get more involved after a talk today with my friends."

"Well then, who would you like to appraise for the list rankings?"

"Kyle Broflovski and Kenny McCormick."

[pufftheninja]

Happy Pride Month! 🌈✨💜

Repost of some old art to celebrate.

———

If you’d like to commission me, please fill out the form here: https://linktr.ee/cailinpeters 🍙💜

[alovelyfox]

Chapter 13: A spark

A poof of red curly hair above the crowd is the only sight that snaps you out of your disassociation. The party was coming along nicely, a lot better than anyone would’ve thought considering the amount of people invited versus the amount here. Yet, none of them faces you recognize. But Wendy’s ecstatic about the turn out, considering how she’s been glued to the grill all day, not letting anyone leave the party without trying her new burger recipe.

“It’s halal and kosher!” She keeps declaring, making you help her hand out plates to any passersby who didn’t already have one. You don’t mind, of course. She was one of three people you even know here, with Stan on the phone in the corner while Butters is waiting in line for the bathroom.

But the entrance of Kyle was enough to pull you out of your soulless stupor, and you can’t help smiling as his eyes search for yours over the hordes of people. He makes his way over, but your grin slightly falters as you see who he has behind him.

Maria. He actually brought her, you think. She hadn’t been mentioned by Kyle since he went out with her for dinner the day you met Ike, but you had heard snippets about their relationship from the rest of the group. You did vaguely remember Stan saying she was invited to come here, and while Stan may say something then do something completely different, it was nice to know Kyle was a little more mature. Even if this was the one time you wish he hadn’t been.

He brings her over and you can’t help skim over her outfit. Very… festive. You couldn’t deny she was an extremely attractive woman, but she looked nothing like you. And if Kyle showing up with a girl your polar opposite wasn’t enough of a signal that he didn’t like you, it was hard to see what was.

“Hey, Wendy, Y/N. This is Maria, my-”

“Friend. I’m his friend,” she says, cutting him off. He gives her a sideward glance, and sighs before pressing his mouth into a thin line.

“I gotta say Wendy, this is a really cool party! I could never host so many people, but you’re making it look easy,” Maria says, giving Wendy an affectionate smile. Wendy slightly blushes at the compliment, but tries to remain a steady face as she gives a modest thank you.

They converse about such and such little more, and as much as you try to help it, your eyes wander towards Kyle. He shifts uncomfortably where he’s standing, all enthusiasm from entering the party forgotten. You wanna ask if he’s okay, but he tugs on Maria’s arm under the guise of introducing her to more people, and drags her away before you can even open your mouth.

Wendy flips a couple patties then turns her attention towards you.

“You alright?” She asks in a soothing tone.

“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Okayy,” she says, averting her gaze back to the grill. “It’s just that, I know you have feelings for Kyle, and he just kinda showed up with another girl. So I thought-”

“Maria said they were just friends, so I’m not too worried,” you reply, and Wendy gives you some serious side eye but smiles and nods. You excuse yourself to get a drink and try to collect your thoughts.

There was no fucking way that Maria and Kyle were just friends. How they walked into the party holding hands, how comfortable Kyle was touching her, the way she barely resisted when he grabbed her arm and pulled her away. Fuck. But she said they were just friends, and you would rather believe that lie than face the truth, that the chances of you and Kyle getting together were getting slimmer and slimmer.

You grab a beer and let the liquid flow down your throat, trying to numb the ache in your heart. It works, while making the dance floor look more and more attractive. You gulp the rest of the bottle and set it on the table before making your way to the heart of the party as it blazes around you.

You have never been one for dancing, but the nervousness loosens as the bass pumps through your bones, making you dull to your surroundings. Yet you still feel the piercing green stare of a certain red-head watching you through the crowds, his eyes not leaving your body for a second as he intently watches you glide across the dance floor. Maria’s sitting beside him, looking bored and ready for a distraction, yet none comes as her ‘friend’ can’t tear his gaze away from you.

…

The party carries on, with you trying your best to avoid Kyle. The way he was watching you out there an hour ago ignites all your five senses, and you’d much rather ignore him than figure out what it meant. However, the universe decides it wants a little entertainment, and when you go to sit down and take a break from dancing, you find yourself sitting next to an inattentive Maria.

Shit.

“Maria, hi!” You open the conversation with, as not saying anything feels rude considering she’s done nothing wrong other than date your potential future husband.

“Oh, Y/N! Hey, I’ve heard so much about you from Kyle, sorry we didn’t get much of a chance to talk when he introduced us,” she exclaims, and you try not to let the fact that he talks about you to his girlfriend get your hopes up.

“Oh yeah, he mentions you all the time as well,” you lie, and a look of sadness sweeps across her face.

“He does? Oh…. You know, he told me you two work together at the law firm. I always thought lawyers were hot, with their big briefcases and fancy suits.”

You can’t help but laugh out loud at her suggestion. “You’re thinking of corporate lawyers, we’re not that. Nah, unless you find permanent raccoon eyes and working late hours hot, I don’t know what you’d see in Kyle.”

“You’re right, I’m just using him for his body,” she replies with a wink, and you choke on some air at her sudden bluntness.

“Yeah, I mean, I guess his body is fine,” you stammer out. “But I don’t know, I really like how passionate he gets about the things he cares about, how he’s kind to everyone he meets, the respect he shows-”

You cut yourself off when you realize how weird this sounds, rattling off all the things you loved about Kyle to the girl he was sleeping with. She tilts her head slightly in confusion, then gives you a soft smile.

“Funny, those sound like the same things he said he liked about you.”

You stand up suddenly and excuse yourself, trying to avoid her gaze so she won’t see the heat steadily creeping up on your face. Making your way back onto the dance floor, you find Wendy, who Stan’s managed to pry away from the grill, and dance with her, wishing the thoughts of Kyle away.

…

The setting sun signals the end of the party, and most people drift back home. Your bladder makes the decision to retire from the floor and go upstairs to relieve yourself. You take the lock off the bathroom, something you put there to stop the entire city from flooding your toilet. Finishing up, you’re about to go back down when a ray of light hits your face from an open window. The gentle breeze flowing in causes you to rest your arm on the windowsill and simply stare out into the horizon, it’s glowing aura drawing you in. You feel almost sleepy, but rising voices from below startle you awake.

“Maria, please.”

The unmistakable sound of Kyle makes you stop breathing, and you can tell from his pleading tone that this is probably a conversation they’d like to have in private. Yet, your feet won’t drag you away, your body too curious to hear what they’re gonna say to each other. So you duck down, knees bent to be up to your chin, and listen in.

“If you have something you want to say, be direct,” Maria says, the harshness of her voice indicating that she’s disgruntled.

“It’s just… It’s annoying that you introduced yourself as my friend to everyone today. I thought inviting you here was my way of saying that I wanted to be more than that. More than ‘just friends’.”.

“Kyle, you knew that this was always meant to be a casual thing. We both planned for it to be, anyways.”

“Well, plans change. My feelings have changed, at least, I don’t want to be just a casual thing anymore.”

She scoffs, and her next words come out in such a humorous voice she sounds like she’s saying a joke.

“Have your feelings for that Y/N girl changed?”

You slightly gasp at the sudden mention of your name, then clamp your hand over your mouth to avoid making any further sound. Kyle’s silence to Maria’s question causes her to continue.

“God, I was around you guys not even a full day, yet even I can see there’s something between the two of you, whether you wanna admit it or not. And no matter how hard you try to force a relationship between us, in reality all you’ll ever really want is ‘something casual’ until you can have something more serious with her.”

All three of you are silent for a moment, then Kyle mutters something you can barely make out.

“It’s not like that.”

Maria sighs, and you can hear the disappointment in her voice.

“I’m gonna go. Thank you for everything Kyle, truly. But delete my number from your phone, and fucking ask that poor girl out already.”

You make out her softly walking away and Kyle crumbling to the floor, the image of what his anguished face must look like embedded into your mind, despite how you can’t even see him from where you’re sitting. It causes your body to jump into action as you rush out of the bathroom and fly down the stairs, desperately searching for Wendy. You find her dancing with Stan, her arms lovingly wrapped around his neck as his own cradles her waist. You pause, wondering if it’s the best idea to interrupt this tender moment with your own worries, but Stan’s hands start to travel down to Wendy’s ass and you decide to separate the two before the dance floor turns into an orgy.

Disregarding Stan’s cries of annoyance, you grab Wendy’s hand and drag her inside.

“What the fuck is going on?” She asks, obviously sensing your panicked manner.

You let it all pour out of you, all of what you heard during your sneaky eavesdropping on Kyle and Maria. You feel ashamed that you were privy to one of your best friends' most private moments, but when you finish the retelling, Wendy has an excited look on her face.

“Y/N. This is it. This is your opportunity.”

The confused look on your face urges her to grab you by the hands and pull you back outside, a couple feet away from where Kyle is sitting with his head tucked between his knees and his hands on the back of his neck. The air around him reeks of dejection, but Wendy doesn’t seem to care.

“Girl, this is your chance,” she whispers in your ear. “Tell him how you feel right now.”

You start to voice your lack of approval with what she wants you to do, but she doesn’t wanna hear it, instead pushing you towards him and subsequently running away.

You mentally wish a thousand curses on her family, then take a seat beside Kyle. His head hangs low between his slightly parted legs, so you unconsciously pat him on the back, trying to reassure him everything’s gonna be fine. He softly turns his head to the side, his eyes gradually opening until they go wide upon realizing who you are. He abruptly stands up and takes several steps back from you.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?”

You also decide to stand, and clear your throat to tell him what you know. But his expression resembles one of a deer caught in headlights, and fearing that the truth might send him running, you lie.

“Oh, I was just, uhhh… Well I noticed that you and Maria had been gone for a while, and I’d wondered where the two of you had gotten to. Or if you’d decided to leave without saying goodbye.”

He sighs, then rakes a hand through his curls.

“She left. Sorry.”

“Oh,” you say, feigning disappointment. “Well, I really liked having her.”

“That’s too bad, considering she probably won’t be around anymore.”

“Sorry,” you mutter, shifting uncomfortably on your spot.

He scoffs.

“Why? You barely knew her.”

“Kyle,” you say, giving him an indicative look. “I’m not an idiot, I know you two weren’t ‘just friends’.”.

He sighs again, before turning his eyes towards the ground.

“Well, apparently that’s all we were to her.”

You take a step towards him, and put on an encouraging smile.

“Don’t worry. You’ll find someone right for you one day.”

He looks at you through his knitted eyebrows, then takes a step towards you, closing the gap so you’re both only a foot away from one another.

“So what do I do if I already found that… someone right?”

You feel a shiver crawl up your spine from the intensity of his gaze, and gulp.

“Kyle,” you say delicately. “I know you’re hurting right now, but I don’t wanna just be some rebound girl that you use to get over the one you actually want.”

He exhales, then stares at you directly, as if he needs what he’s about to say to be engraved in your mind for all eternity.

“Don’t you get it? You’re the one I want.”

You try to turn your head and look anywhere but his pleading eyes.

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” you murmur, but he ignores your words and takes your face in his hand, then leans in closer so that his mouth is inches away from your ear.

“Y/N,” he says, whispering your name like a prayer. He looks at you head on as his gaze searches your face for any resemblance of affection, which you can’t help but give him. His pupils flicker from your eyes to your lips, and every cell in your body feels electric as you close your eyes when he leans in.

BANG! BANG BANG BANG!

Were those… fireworks? You didn’t think you and Kyle kissing would have this crazy of an impact, but upon realizing that your lips haven’t actually made contact yet, you open your eyes and look up as the sky blooms a specter of color.

Oh shit, actual fireworks .

They decorate the night sky with a symphony of flames, long enough to distract Kyle and for your mind to wrap itself around the moment. You decide to do what Wendy asks and take the opportunity, lightly kissing him on the cheek before his eyes turn back to you.

“I hope you find that someone right Kyle. I really do.”

He opens his mouth but you walk away before he can utter a single word, reveling in the adrenaline pumping through your blood.

…

Butters, Wendy, and Stan are sitting on a picnic blanket on the grass, while some blond guy wearing an orange shirt is lighting up the sky with some shitty fireworks. You stand still, uncertain as to who he is, but Kyle comes up behind you and clears up any confusion.

“KENNY?”

The name sounds familiar, and when he turns around, you immediately recognize his blue eyes and messy blond hair. This was Kenny McCormick, one of Kyle’s best friends from South Park. You had to admit however, he looked slightly different without an orange parka covering half his face.

Kyle runs to hug his estranged friend, while Stan jumps up from the blanket.

“SURPRISE!” He yells. “Didn’t I tell you I’d have a killer special guest Kyle? Well, Kenny told me he’s in town, and I thought, fuck, how cool would it be if you guys met again at MY fourth of July party? So, surprise!”

“You mean our fourth of July party,” Wendy reminds him, standing up and ushering you over to meet the esteemed guest.

“Y/N, this is Kenny. Kenny, Y/N.”

You shake his hand, getting a good look at his pierced face.

“Holy shit, I’ve always wanted a lip ring just like that!” You exclaim, and his face lights up.

“No way! Get some ice and a needle, I’ll give you one right now.”

You laugh. “Maybe another time. Right now though, I kinda need to borrow Wendy and Butters if you don’t mind?”

You notice his face drop slightly when you mention wanting to take Butters with you girls, but he agrees, saying it’ll be a good opportunity to catch up with the boys. So you drag the two inside, then give one last glance to Kyle, who meets your eyes with a fond smile. You return it along with a wink, and the blush on his face is enough to make your heart beat a little faster.

[ash-arts-a-thing]

I just love them 😭

Bonus pony au Arlo and Butters

[pupsnipps]

this black clover brainrot goes hard so welcome to my Evermillion family

[pickledpascal]

Hugh Jackman Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Series:

The Way The Water Flows

Moviesverse!Logan Howlett x Native American OC!Maya Imik

Put Me Back In

Worst!Logan Howlett x Maya Imik

Two Rivers Intertwined

Leopold Mountbatten x Maya Imik

One Shots:

Be My James Bond? (Patch!Logan x Maya Imik)

Thee Wolverine (Logan Howlett x Maya Imik)

Nobody's Soldier (Oldman!Logan x Maya Imik)

The Big Bad Wolf (Not Really) (Logan Howlett x Maya Imik)

[gbnenji]

Looking For South Park Roleplayers!!

am a male minor but I am above the age of 15.

I'd only like to roleplay with people 15+, I just find it a bit off putting for anyone under that age.

I am specifically looking for someone who's into South Park and knows the lore(or at least a lot of it). I do romance mixed with angst. My ships include Style(Stan and Kyle), Bunny(Butters and Kenny), Kenjorine(Kenny and Marjorine), and Creek(Craig and Tweek). They are obviously aged up, at least 17-19!!! For those who don't just want a simple romance roleplay, I have plenty of AUs or scenarios we could discuss on or try out. I would like to add that I only do canon character(CC x CC), but if you truly want to use your OC, then we can discuss. If you like the idea, we can discuss more.

I'm looking for someone who can be literate and roleplay with more than maybe 8-10 lines? By paragraph, I'd go by at least 2 paragraphs, the minimum of each having 4-5 sentences. As I am experienced myself, it would be good if you were aswell. I don't need you to know every single detail of roleplaying, just that you know how to start, keep the plot going, etc. My last requirement would be to reply quick? To explain, please don't reply one day then disappear for the next week. If you are uninterested after we begin, please unfriend or block me. If you are having personal things going on, please let me know before hand(you don't have to go into full detail, just let me know that you won't be able to reply).

School will be a problem for me to reply quickly in about 2 months after me posting this. I also live in California, so I am in PST(so you know when my latest hours are and your expectations aren't high when you realize it's maybe 4am where I am). Lastly, I really want this to be a long term roleplay.

You can reach out to me here:

Discord: nxk_xx

Instagram: nxkk_x

[jamiedc-they-them]

Marvel OC #1

Aaron Johnson

Fandom: Marvel/Agents of SHIELD

Story: X Marks The Spot (Click here for the link to the story!)

Pronouns: He/Him

Short Bio: A boy born in New Orleans to a gunrunner, then sold off to HYDRA to try keep tensions between his father and them clear, Aaron has only ever known chaos and fighting. After being saved by SHIELD, he's drawn into a much larger and weirder world. He's given a chance to do some good in a life filled with bad. And maybe he'll even gain some friends and family along the way...

Personality: Aaron will have his witty comments, sarcasm being the main one. He's someone who is scared of love, but once you're in his heart, he'll fight tooth and nail for you. Any mistake he makes, he's on his own arse, in a constant state of atonement. He takes a while to warm up to most people. He's always ready for a fight, sometimes even accidentally starting them with his words. He wants a normal life for his friends and a happy ending for them but doesn't believe he'll get one nor deserves one himself.

Relationships with OG Team:

Daisy and Aaron Johnson

Daisy is Aaron's closest connection on the team. Daisy met him in the pilot, both being interrogated by Coulson. She saw parts of herself within Aaron, and so took him under her wing. She's always in his corner, fighting for him in any way she can. She's the older sister this time, she's sworn to herself to do a good job. To be a guiding light for him. She even gifts him her last name, to have him know he'll always have a home with her. In turn, he backs her up, no matter what. Best friends/Sibling Figures.

Jemma Simmons and Aaron Johnson

Aaron's second closest bond. Jemma has always been patient with Aaron. Allowing him to do things on his own time, and respecting his boundaries with needles and some parts of his history. She's always appalled by how Aaron was treated in life, and so does all she can to make him feel loved on this team, even being the first one to call him a friend. Jemma is the more rational and logical older sister. Making sure he doesn't drink too much, and always able to spot the signs of him relapsing. In turn, Aaron is more gentle with Jemma. More forgiving. Close Friends/Sibling Figures

Leopold Fitz and Aaron Johnson

While Fitz and Aaron don't have too many scenes together on their own, they have a solid friendship. While dealing with all the crazy shit they have to go through as a team, Aaron and Fitz ground each other. They talk about media they like, and other simple things to remind themselves of the real world. They tease each other. Ward is the one who calls out their brotherly nature, and neither denies it. Friends/Brother Figures.

Melinda May and Aaron Johnson

When May first met Aaron, despite her trying not to allow for connections, she was protective over Aaron. She comforted him when they both went with Skye to get Mike in the pilot. She hates her maternal side at first, but finds herself leaning into it the more the series progresses. She's got a sharp eye when it comes to him, especially with how he words things. She understands what he's trying to say, even when others don't. In 4a, she even goes behind SHIELD's back to make contact with Aaron, despite what he's done and his running away, to make sure he's at least alive and to try help him find some peace. She understands his self loathing and issues of trusting the self, so she does yoga with him sometimes. She's on a similar path that he's on, one of healing. He's one of her kids, and like hell is someone going to hurt one of her kids. Friends/Mother-Son Bond.

Phil Coulson and Aaron Johnson

Coulson was the first person Aaron ever spoke to in the pilot. Coulson had a professional look and sound to him, but he lets his guard down with Skye and Aaron, they are youngins after all. After bringing Aaron onboard his team, he tries to give Aaron a normal-ish life; comic books, late-night chats, and whatever else he can fit into the time on the BUS. As the series progresses, Coulson and Aaron talk to each other in more of a colleague sense, but anyone a mile away can see the parental love Coulson has for Aaron. He's highly protective of him. He's constantly holding a hand for Aaron to take to come back from his darkness. Aaron is loyal as hell to Coulson, even if he questions him as a leader. Friends/Father-Son Bond

Rebecca Sitwell and Aaron Johnson (another OC)

Rebecca and Aaron meet in "The Hub" episode. At first, they don't take too kindly to each other, but find a respect for one another as the mission progresses. After that, their bond improves, even into a friendship. They have a deep understanding with each other. Aaron shows Rebecca a world outside of SHIELD, and Rebecca keeps Aaron on the straight and narrow. They're good for each other. Even in their darkest moment within Season Three, they still care for each other. Rebecca even breaking the rules for Aaron. Close Friends.

[andy-solo1]

Bounty Hunter’s Tale

CHAPTER 1

Words: 1521

They say that as you die your life flashes before your eyes. It’s like floating out of your body and watching everything you have done, every mistake, every victory, every heartbreak. How would I know this? Simple, I’m dying. 

Lying here on the ground, the noises around me are muffled as my vision of the world I feel I will be leaving soon fades around me, I find myself wondering, why. 

Why did my life lead to this? Is this all the galaxy had to offer me, after everything else it had put me through, this is how it ends?

I once pictured I’d go out in a bang, some way to cement my place and make sure people never forgot my name. I knew enough men like that to think it was possible for me too, but it seems the galaxy is very selective on who gets that honour. To the people of this world, I’m nothing, I'm nobody. 

Except, I wasn’t always a nobody. I used to be someone, I used to be known. I used to be loved. But, you wouldn’t know any of that, so maybe, this is why my soul still lingers for a few moments more, to make sure that somebody knows my story. 

My name was Dax Leopold, and this will be the story of love and loss, the story of how I died. 

I’ll start our story at the beginning, not the very beginning, but the start of war. The start of when things in my life began to change. I was a bounty hunter by day and a smuggler by night, I never stuck around anywhere or anyone for long. Only connections I had were for jobs, but that day, that day set my life in motion. 

Dax sat in the cockpit of his ship, feet propped up on the dash as he stared out at the lights of hyperspace passing by. He always found the lights calming and enjoyed the peace of it all. However, his peace was interrupted by his comm beginning to ring. He let out a sigh and answered it, grinning when he saw the blue holographic figure appear. 

“Jango Fett, what can I do for you?” Dax asked the hologram. 

“Dax, I have a job for you if you’re interested.” Jango replied. Dax arched a brow in interest.

“Well you know I can never turn you down Jango, what’s the job?” 

“That’s more information than I’m willing to give out over a comm channel, meet with me at these coordinates and we’ll talk then.” Jango replied, Dax’s navigation computer lighting up moments later with the coordinates. 

“Well then, see you soon.” Dax quipped, turning off the communications before changing course. “Not like I had anything else to do today anyways.” The pantoran mused. 

Soon enough, Dax was landing his ship down next to one that was almost as famous as its pilot. Making his way off the ship, Dax made his way to the rendezvous point, a small cantina on the edge of the small town. 

Inside, it was easy for him to find the mandalorian so he sat himself down across from the warrior. 

“What was so important I needed to come here for?” Dax questioned, tilting his head at the helmeted man. 

“My employers have someone they need brought in, and you’re the best one for the job. I have my own work for them I need to handle.” 

“Alright, fair enough, but why specifically me? You have your network of hunters, including Cad Bane. And you know how I operate.” 

“I know, but you’re best for this because the person they want brought in is hiding out on Pantora. You’d blend in easier than I would, and this person has a habit of running off.” Jango supplied. Dax made a pained expression at the thought of going back to his homeworld, but he did understand that he would blend in better than any other hunter on the planet. 

“Alright, so where exactly am I bringing this person to once I get them?” Dax inquired. “Because you know I won’t kill them.” 

“I know you won’t, which is why you’ll contact me once you have them, and I’ll let you know then where to bring them to.” Jango replied. Dax nodded, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. The bleach blond strands mixed with the pink of his roots that were starting to grow out, messing up his normally neat hair style. 

“Sure you don’t got anything that doesn’t involve me going back home?” Dax questioned halfheartedly. He already knew he’d take the job, but still didn’t hurt to ask. 

“Unless you’ve changed your mind on killing people and are willing to assassinate a senator, then this is the only job I have for you.” Jango replied. Dax nodded and rose up from his seat.

“Send me all the data you have on the bounty then, I’ll contact you shortly once I have them.” He said, nodding a goodbye before turning on his heel and leaving.

 Dax landed his ship down into the pantoran spaceport and looked around with disdain at his homeworld. He hated coming back here. He swallowed down his disgust and headed off the ship. One thing he enjoyed about being hired by Jango, the man was thorough. The information he’d transferred over to Dax told him everything about the target, including his favourite bar to frequent in the area. 

He knew these streets like the back of his hand, so finding the bar was the easy part. As he walked inside, he was glad he’d had the insight to change from his usual outfit of a worn brown jacket, work pants, and combat boots. Now he still wore his boots, but he wore just a simple pair of shorts with just an undershirt on, the collar unbuttoned. 

Eyes turned to him as he entered the bar, exactly like he’d wanted. A quick scan of the room, and he found his quarry easily, the Neimoidian standing out easily in the crowd of mostly pantorans. He caught the gaze of the man and threw a wink his way before heading over to the bar and sitting down. 

“What can I get you?” The lady behind the bar asked, flashing a smile at him. 

“Whatever’s got a strong kick darlin’.” Dax replied, flashing a smile back at her. She giggled and went off to get him a drink. Once he had his drink he took a few sips to take the edge off before making his way over to his target. 

“Don’t see many of your kind around here.” He greeted once he reached the man’s table. “Especially sitting here all on your own.” He added a flirtatious tone to his voice, which worked as the neimoidian gestured for him to take a seat. 

“Well not anymore.” The man replied. Dax grinned, sat down and got to work. 

It took him no time at all to flirt his way into getting the Neimoidian back to his ship, where once there, he stunned him unconscious and took off from the planet. Once he’d changed his outfit back he called up Jango. 

“Caught your bounty.” He said in way of greeting once the mandalorian appeared. 

“Didn’t expect any differently. I’m sending you coordinates now of where to take the target to. My employer will meet you there to take him off your hands and pay you.” 

“Understood. Got your coordinates and headed there now.” Dax replied before shutting off the comms. 

The fly to Serenno was short and soon he was just above the planet, passing his entry codes through to a droid before getting clearance to land. The Count’s home was a prominent and easy place to find as Dax soon landed his ship down. 

He walked off of the ramp and looked up at the Count himself who stood waiting for him. 

“My, all this fuss over me, I wasn’t expecting a full royal welcome.” He purred, grinning at the Count, “Your man is up inside the ship.” 

Dooku looked unamused by the pantorans jests as he sent some of his droids inside the ship to collect the Neimoidian. 

“You are just as good as Jango claimed you are.” Dooku conceded. “Your credits for getting the job done.” He gestured and a droid came forward, handing a case to Dax that he gladly took. 

“Pleasure doing business with you your lordshipness.” Dax grinned, giving a mock bow. “If you ever need me again, you know who to call.” He purred, turning and heading back into his ship, intent on heading off to enjoy his newly gained funds. 

I didn’t know it then, but Count Dooku would play a large role in my life. Not long after I had completed that bounty, word spread fast through the hunters guilds that Jango Fett was dead. I thought at the time with Jango gone, so too were my connections to the separatists and Dooku. But with the war now upon the galaxy, Dooku reached out to me again with an offer I really couldn’t refuse.

[ummm-okay]

ISABELLE SHARP EDITS

the albatross by okay_ig on wattpad

(isabelle sharp x leopold fitz)

peter

the albatross

[punkshort]

In Another Life | Part I

Pairing: Marcus Acacius x f!reader (time travel au)

Chapter Summary: Your brother and his friend surprise you after work with a handsome stranger crashing on your couch who claims to be from Ancient Rome.

Chapter Warnings: language, food consumption, major romcom vibes, mentions of prostitution, mentions of OC death, mentions of OC pregnancy, flirting, sexual tension

WC: 6.5K

A/N: this is a soft/romcom Marcus Acacius mini-series. Heavily inspired by Kate & Leopold. Also, let's just assume Ancient Romans spoke and could read English.

Series Masterlist

Time was of the essence. He had to move quick.

People would say he was a coward, no doubt his legacy would be tarnished, but if he escaped with his life, so be it.

He didn't bother with spare clothes, just an extra set of sandals and food thrown into a satchel before he crept down the dimly lit hallway, careful not to wake one of his many servants.

He loved his palace. It was a place of peace and comfort for him, but come morning, it would be ripped away and he would be thrown into the pit. A general, Rome's deadly sword and the Emperor's right hand man, would become a lowly gladiator. Trained to perform and kill for amusement.

And all because he refused to play the Emperor's sick game.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't help train another legion of young men half his age to fight and die for their vanity. For their greed. When the Emperor announced his new task, all he could think of was his unborn son. He would be of age now, had he lived. He could have been training him to die.

He padded down the stone steps softly, hardly making a sound, his combat training serving him well. He managed to get just outside the city limits while it was still dark, but he could see the glow from the sun breaking the horizon. He didn't have much time to find a place to hide. He was still too close, and no doubt warriors would be looking for him once Geta realized he had fled.

Gods above, if they found him... his fate would be far worse than one of a gladiator.

He stumbled across a small clearing, head twisted around to make sure he was not being followed when he tripped over something large and heavy.

"Oh, shit!" he heard a young male voice exclaim.

Quickly, he unsheathed his sword and aimed it toward the voice. Confusion painted his face when he saw the unusual clothing and utterly strange contraption behind him. Before he had a chance to say anything, leaves rustled and he swung is sword towards the noise. Another young man, similarly dressed to the other, emerged from the thicket.

"State your names. Quick."

"Uh..." the first man trailed off, hands raising slowly in the air. "D-Danny. Daniel. And this is... Victor."

"Dude! C'mon! You know I -"

"Silence!" the general roared as loud as he dared. "What is your business here?"

"Science! Just... experiments. And the like," Danny said hurriedly, glancing at Victor for help. He nodded.

"Yes. Experiments."

"And are you citizens of Rome?"

They paused and looked at one another again.

"We are citizens of... York," Danny said.

"It's new," Victor added.

The general looked back and forth between the two men before ultimately deciding he did not have the time to quarrel with them and they did not appear to be a threat. He dropped his sword to the side and glanced around.

"You did not see me," he said sternly, turning to leave.

"Wait!"

He glanced back over his shoulder, pausing.

"Are you running away?"

"Fleeing," Victor added quietly.

"Fleeing?" Daniel repeated.

"I do not see it fit for you to ask such questions of someone above your station," he snarled. The two men exchanged worried looks before continuing.

"We're leaving. If you're looking to jet, you can... y'know," Danny said, jutting a thumb over his shoulder towards the strange looking contraption.

"Can you get me to Greece?"

They grinned and nodded.

"Sure, dude."

The general glanced around once again, his brow furrowing when he saw the light stretching high into the sky, brightening the landscape and soon, giving his position away.

"Then I accept."

He sheathed his sword and stomped over to the men, startling them both with his intensity.

Victor turned to unlock a door, struggling a bit before it popped open and crawling inside. Danny stuck out a hand and gave him a nervous smile.

"What's your name?"

His eyes dropped down to the frail looking hand before him, then slowly, as if he couldn't decide, lifted his arm to grasp the inside of Daniel's forearm, giving him a vigorous shake.

"General Marcus Acacius."

"What the fuck?" you grumbled under your breath, rereading your brother's text.

Danny: I have a friend crashing on the couch, won't stay long

Shuffling your bag onto your other shoulder as you walked down the bustling city street, you tapped out a response.

You: It better not be Lizard.

Danny: It's not, but he's here 2

Danny: Just visiting

Fucking Lizard. You've known him since he was maybe ten years old and you were fairly certain he never matured past that age.

Given you had two extra people waiting for you in your already cramped apartment, you decided to grab a couple pizzas on the way home instead of the sushi you had been thinking about all day. Choosing to be a little selfish, you made one of them a white pizza, it being your favorite, and made your way home with the last bits of energy you had left.

Nothing could have prepared you for what you walked into that day.

You stopped dead in your tracks when you stepped into your apartment, door wide open behind you, two pizza boxes balancing in one hand as you stared blankly at the massive man standing with his back to you in the middle of the living room. He was dressed in some strange type of robe that fell just above his knee and his head was bent, looking at something on your coffee table.

When you cleared your throat, he swung around and defensively placed a hand at his waist. That was when you noticed the massive and very real looking sword at his side and your blood ran cold.

"D-Danny!" you yelled, your eyes glued to the stranger's hand. As if he finally sensed your fear, he dropped his arm and straightened up.

"Apologies-"

"Danny!" you yelled again, louder this time.

"Yeah? Hey! Sorry," Danny said, hurrying into the room with Lizard following on his heels.

"Oh, pizza? Sweet," Lizard said, reaching for the boxes and brushing past you as if an armed man wasn't standing in the middle of your home.

"Who the hell is this?!" you exclaimed, pointing towards the stranger while glaring at your brother.

"I told you already, he's a friend who's crashing on the couch for a few days," he replied, following Lizard into the kitchen, pizza the only concern at that point.

"My lady," the man began again, "please allow me to explain."

"My lady?" you repeated with a scowl. "I thought you guys stopped playing Dungeons and Dragons after high school."

"That's not -" Danny shook his head with a mouthful of pizza, "this is General Acacius."

"General?" you said quizzically, raising an eyebrow first at Danny, then towards the large man in your living room. "Be serious, Danny."

"He is!"

"I promise, what he says is true," the general chimed in, taking a step closer and stretching out his hand. You sighed and dropped your things onto your table.

"I'm too tired for this, it's been a long week."

The general frowned, hand still outstretched. "Daniel, please explain to your mistress she is not to challenge men above her lover's ranking."

You balked and gagged. "Lover?!"

"Mistress?" Danny said at the same time with a similar look of disgust. "Gross, dude, she's my sister."

Something in the general's face shifted when he learned you were siblings and he looked at you with renewed interest. "Ah, so you do not belong to another?"

You rolled your eyes and grabbed a plate, tossing a piece of white pizza on it before Danny and Lizard ate it all. "I don't have a husband, no. And that's a super sexist thing to say, I don't care if you're role playing or not."

Turning around to exit the kitchen, you were surprised to find the general somehow snuck up on you. Standing just a few feet away, you nearly ran into his strong, broad chest. He lifted a hand to tilt your chin up and whatever biting remark you had locked and loaded died on your tongue. You finally allowed yourself to get a good look at him. Dark, brooding eyes. Thick, brown curls dusted in grey, the color matching his beard. Sharp, angular nose and pouty lips.

Okay, so he was good looking. That didn't negate the weird dress and obvious mental illness.

"Your name?" he murmured softly, finger still hooked under your chin.

You cleared your throat and responded with your name, to which he nodded before dropping his hand. His gaze drifted to your plate and his nose wrinkled. "What is this you are eating?"

"Pizza?" you replied, squeezing up against your counter so you could get past him and get some space. "Help yourself."

"What is pizza?" you heard him ask Danny. You collapsed onto the couch with a groan and took a bite, fully not in the mood for whatever weird shit your brother had going on.

"It's Italian, you'll like it," Danny replied.

The three men trailed in from the kitchen to join you in the living room, your moment of peace and quiet over.

"This appears to be some bastardized version of flatbread," the general said, lifting the piece of pizza and giving it a tentative sniff. "What is this red? Some kind of pepper paste?"

"It's tomato sauce."

"Alright, enough with this bullshit please," you said, but the men ignored you.

You watched as he took a bite and almost instantly spit it out. "This is vile."

"Hey, that's authentic New York City pizza. Nothing vile about it," Lizard said. You pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration.

"General - I'm sorry, I'm not calling you that. What's your real name?"

"That is my real name," he answered, cocking his head at you from the other end of the couch.

"General Marcus Acacius," Danny told you, cursing under his breath when he dropped some cheese on his shirt.

"Okay, Marcus," you began, but he shook his head.

"It is quite inappropriate for you to -"

"I don't give a shit, I'm not calling you General like I'm in the fucking army!"

The room fell quiet as you glared at Marcus, daring him to say another word. When it became evident he wasn't going to, you took a deep breath and continued.

"If you don't like the sauce, there's another pizza in the kitchen without it. Go try that," you said, voice a little softer now. He nodded and rose to go find the white pizza, leaving just the three of you for the first time.

"What the fuck, Danny?!" you whispered angrily. "Why the hell is there a guy in a dress pretending he's a fucking general in my home?"

"He is a general," Danny whispered back. "From Ancient Rome. I'll explain everything later," he said, straightening up when Marcus's footsteps approached.

"This is far better. Thank you, my lady."

"Oh, look at that. You already have something in common," Lizard said with a fake, syrupy voice. "You both love gross pizza."

"Thought you just said authentic New York City pizza can't be gross?" you sneered.

"Boom! She got you, Lizard," Danny laughed. Marcus looked around the room, confused.

"You said your name was Victor, did you not?"

You burst out laughing, covering your mouth with a napkin.

"Lizard's just his nickname. His real name is Victor," Danny explained.

"Yeah. No one calls me Victor. Just like no one calls you Marcus," Lizard explained.

"Only those dearest to me are allowed to use that name," he explained. "Such as a parent or a lover." His eyes flickered up to you quickly before focusing on his pizza once again.

"Does that make you his lover now?" Lizard teased. You kicked a foot out and jabbed him in the hip.

"Shut up," you grumbled.

"Do you not follow the proper steps to obtain a lover in your land?" he asked, genuine curiosity painting his face. "It is much more than simply calling another by a name. If a man were to deem a woman acceptable, he would make an arrangement with her father to wed." He scratched his chin in thought for a moment before adding, "unless, of course, she is a whore."

Lizard and Danny doubled over, howling with laughter while you stared daggers at them both.

"Did I say something to warrant such laughter?" Marcus asked you. You rolled your eyes.

"No, you did not."

"Rule number one, General," Danny said, gasping for air and wiping the tears from his eyes. "Don't call girls whores."

Marcus looked taken aback.

"I meant no offense. A whore is a common profession where I am from. There is no shame in it."

"Alright, can we stop talking about whores?" you asked, exasperated.

"Yeah, good idea. Let's find you some clothes to wear and we'll set up the couch so you can sleep. It folds out, don't worry," Danny told Marcus.

"My tunic should suffice," Marcus said, glancing down at his clothes.

"Uh, not in New York, man. Might stick out a little," Lizard joked, then stood to take his plate back in the kitchen for seconds.

"Depends on what side of town you're on," you mumbled under your breath.

"You can borrow something of mine," Danny said, standing up to go to his room. "You're a little bigger than me but I think I have something that'll work."

You eyed Marcus up over your plate, taking in the finer details of his appearance. "Where are you from? Really?" you asked. He turned to you with a sigh.

"Rome."

"Come on. You can drop the act, they're gone," you said, narrowing your eyes at him.

"I promise, I am telling you the truth," he replied, his gaze boring into you so intensely that it left you spellbound for a moment. "Your brother and his comrade found me on the outskirts of the city with some... contraption. They said they would take me to Greece, however it is clear this is not Greece."

"A contraption?" you repeated nervously. Oh, fuck.

He nodded. "I had never seen anything like it. I do not know what happened but once I entered, there were bright lights and a loud crack and... I must have lost consciousness. I woke in your lounge, utterly confused."

"Shit," you whispered, putting your plate down so you could angrily scrub your face with your hands. Danny, although very irritating and far too dependent on you for basic survival, was incredibly gifted. His intelligence stunned his teachers since he was three years old. He was doing long division at five and became fluent in Spanish at seven. By the time he entered high school, he had grown extremely interested in science, where he met Lizard. For years you had witnessed failed experiments and fireballs in your backyard, but you saw all their successes, as well. Since they were fourteen, Danny and Lizard talked about time travel and you always brushed them off, even when they began to build different devices throughout the years that claimed they were on the verge of a breakthrough, but of course, nothing ever came of it.

Until now.

No, that was crazy. There's no way they actually travelled back in time to Ancient Rome and returned with a Roman general... right?

"Why were you going to Greece?" you asked, tiredly dropping your hands in your lap.

He paused for a moment and you could see the hesitation in his eyes. He opened his mouth to reply right when Danny emerged from his bedroom with an armful of different clothing options.

"We'll go shopping tomorrow and find something else that will fit," he said, sheepishly handing over the clothes. Marcus slowly reached out and set them down on the cushion next to him.

"Thank you."

"Hey, I'm gonna take off," Lizard said from the kitchen doorway.

"Yeah, alright. Hey!" Danny said, swiveling around before he left. "You'll be back tomorrow, right? I need your help with the... thing."

You narrowed your eyes in his direction but remained silent. Once Marcus was asleep, you planned on having a very heated conversation with your brother, so you saved that little tidbit for later.

"Yeah, sure thing, man."

You stood to clean up the leftovers while you listened to Danny explain the concept of a pull-out couch to Marcus, then after that, a bathroom. The more time that passed, the more nervous you became. What if this was real? Was it even possible?

Quietly, you stepped out from the kitchen. Marcus was sitting on the edge of the pull out mattress, hands clasped together between his knees as he stared blankly at the floor. For the first time, you felt bad for him. If everything he said was true, he had to have been so confused and scared.

"Hey," you said softly. He lifted his head with a jolt of surprise. "Here's some water," you said, offering him a plastic bottle. He took it and frowned. "You twist the top to open it," you explained, ignoring how ridiculous it felt to tell a grown man how to open a bottle of water.

"Thank you," he replied, setting it down on the floor next to his bed.

"Do you need anything else?"

He shook his head and gave you a small smile. "No, my lady. Thank you for your hospitality."

"You're welcome," you said shyly, inching towards the little hallway that led to your bedroom. "We'll get you back home, Marcus. Don't worry."

He swallowed and smiled again. "Of course."

You smiled back and awkwardly clapped your hands together. "Well, if you need anything at all, just knock on one of our doors."

He nodded and with a sigh, began to peel back the sheets.

"Good night, my lady," he said once your back was turned. You swiveled back around and gave him a little wave, his deep brown eyes looking breathtaking in the evening light.

"Good night."

Flustered, you knocked into the doorframe on your way back to your room. Cursing under your breath and rubbing your shoulder, you slipped behind your door, finally putting an end to your humiliation.

The next morning you sipped your coffee in your kitchen as you replayed the argument you had with Danny the night before once you were sure Marcus was asleep.

"You need to get him back home. Tomorrow, Danny," you had said sternly.

"There might be a slight hiccup with that," he replied, bracing himself for your anger. "The machine needs repairs."

"What the fuck do you mean?!" you seethed as your paced around his cluttered room.

"Don't worry, sis! We can fix it! But we just need a couple days."

"How many days?" you asked with a glare.

Danny shrugged. "Two. Three."

You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose.

"A week, tops."

"A week?!"

"Shh! You'll wake him up!" he scolded, pointing angrily towards the door. "Lizard's coming over tomorrow, we'll get working on it right away. Something happened on impact when we returned, I didn't factor in modern day atmospheric pressure originally, but -"

"I don't give a shit what the reason is, you just need to fix it! You have no clue what the ramifications are by keeping him here! You could alter the course of history or something!"

"You watch too many movies," Danny chuckled, but quickly stopped and cleared his throat when he saw the look on your face. "I'll fix it. Promise."

The caffeine hadn't even had a chance to enter your bloodstream before Danny woke and dropped yet another problem onto your lap.

"Do you think you can take him shopping for some clothes today while me and Lizard work on this thing?" he asked as he poured cereal into a bowl.

"So now I'm running errands for you?" you snapped.

"C'mon, don't be like that," he replied as he put the carton of milk back in the fridge. The dynamic between you and your brother was wearing thin. It was always up to you to be the levelheaded one while he just allowed the wind to take him wherever it pleased, completely carefree while you harbored all the stress of basic responsibilities.

"Try to just enjoy the adventure for once," he added before messily scooping cereal into his mouth.

"Yeah, right," you grumbled under your breath before bringing your mug to your lips and taking another sip.

"So, is that a yes?"

"Fine," you said with a roll of your eyes. "If only so I can get away from this apartment and the inevitable chaos those repairs will bring. Just don't piss off my neighbors, okay?"

"Deal."

"Good day," you heard Marcus's deep voice rumble behind you. You jumped and swiveled around, gaze flickering down briefly to take in his borrowed clothes. Danny was right, he needed something that fit.

"Morning, General," Danny said with a grin. "Sleep well?"

"Surprisingly, yes. Even with all the noise outdoors... tell me, is it ever silent here?"

"No," you both said in unison. He nodded and looked down at his tunic, which was crumpled up in his fist.

"Do you have a servant I can give this to for washing?"

"That would be me," you said, stretching out your arm. Marcus hesitated for a moment.

"The lady of the house shouldn't have to perform such arduous tasks."

"I agree, yet here we are," you said, taking the tunic and tossing it over your shoulder. "I have to put in a load, anyway."

You changed your clothes and freshened up while listening to your brother scrape together some type of meal for Marcus that he found acceptable, then pressed the button on your tiny washing machine before heading back into the kitchen.

"Ready?"

Marcus glanced between you and Danny while chewing the last piece of a baguette.

"My sister's gonna take you shopping for some clothes," Danny explained. Marcus looked down at his attire and nodded.

"To the market, then?" he asked you, trailing after you as you tossed your bag over your shoulder and walked down the hallway towards the elevators.

"Something like that."

"I have plenty of denar," he said as you jabbed the call button.

"Denar?" you asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather satchel filled with unfamiliar coins. You grinned and shook your head.

"Don't worry, I got it."

"Please, your hospitality has already been gracious enough," he said, following you into the elevator when it opened.

"If you can find someone who will take that, then be my guest," you said, tapping the lobby button. He was about to say something else when the doors closed and the car violently jolted, startling him.

"What is this?"

"It's an elevator. It lifts us up and down so we don't have to take the stairs."

His jaw hung open in disbelief until the doors slid open to reveal the lobby, then he broke out into a huge smile.

"Incredible."

But once he followed you out onto the busy New York City street, peppered with pedestrians, bicyclists, couriers, and a sea of vehicles, then his eyes practically bugged out of his head.

"I see now where all the noise comes from," he said to you, raising his voice a bit over the commotion as you walked. It was actually endearing to see him experience the city for the first time, something you took for granted every day leaves most people in awe. It was easy to forget that.

"Stick close," you said with a small smile when you saw him tip his head back to gaze up at the towering skyscrapers.

"What is your profession, then?" he asked as he walked by your side. You noticed with envy that others on the sidewalk veered out of his way, his massive shoulders and hulking frame no doubt the reason, instead of brushing past him, like what most do to you every day.

"I write for a fashion magazine."

"Oh, so you're a poet?" he asked, intrigued. You shook your head with a small laugh.

"No. I write about romance in the lifestyle section. I have a column every month on a different topic and I also pick three reader questions to answer and publish on the website every week."

It was clear he hardly understood what you were talking about, so you stopped at the nearest newsstand and grabbed your magazine. After paying, you ushered him over to a bench and sat down while you thumbed through it.

"Ah! Here we go," you said, proudly handing over the magazine and tapping on the corner of the page.

"'Are Soulmates Real'?" he read aloud the title before frowning at you. You nodded.

"Yeah, I talk about the idea of soulmates and how it's putting too much pressure on the modern woman to find this perfect partner when in reality, they don't exist."

"And how do you know this?" he asked, clearly amused.

"I don't, but I wrote from experience," you shrugged.

"So, since you have not found a soulmate, that means they do not exist?"

"No, it's an opinion, Marcus," you explained, "the magazine pays me for my opinion and outlook on things."

He sighed and closed the magazine with a shake of his head. "I am sorry you feel that way."

"Are you saying you believe in soulmates?" you asked.

"Well, I cannot say one way or another from experience, but I like to believe they exist, yes."

"Do you have a wife or family waiting for you back home?" The thought hadn't even occurred to you before now and you felt guilty, but he shook his head.

"My wife died many years ago during childbirth," he said sadly, and your heart plummeted. "She was young and I had just made rank, so her father arranged our marriage in order to ensure a safe and comfortable life for his only daughter." He looked down at the magazine in his hands but he wasn't really reading it. He was too lost in thought.

"She was with child very quickly after we wed. I had not even known her a year by the time she passed, but the time I had with her was enjoyable. I thought very much one day we would learn to love one another," he said, giving you a sad smile. "Was not meant to be."

"I'm so sorry," you said softly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "That's horrible... I don't even know what to say."

"It was a long time ago now. I never did remarry, although I had many offers. I became entirely focused on war, fighting to keep Rome and her citizens safe. It is what I was meant to do," he said, exhaling loudly and looking around. "Is this what you feel you are meant to do?" he asked, holding up the magazine. You laughed, grateful for the change of subject.

"No, probably not."

He grinned and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I imagine you are destined for much more, my lady."

"You think so?" you asked, scrunching your nose self-consciously.

He nodded, his gaze drifting over your face solemnly.

"I do."

If elevators impressed Marcus, then the escalators within Bloomingdale's practically floored him. He was so enraptured with them that you had to nudge his shoulder to remind him to step forward before he tripped when you got to the top.

"This is unlike anything I have ever laid my eyes on," he said to you in wonder, his head rolling around on his shoulders as he gazed around at all the lights and signage.

"Yeah, Bloomingdale's is special," you said dreamily. "Sometimes I get to tag along with girls from work to pick out fashion samples for the magazine. It's always so much fun."

You led him over to the men's section and turned to study his broad frame. "You're probably an extra large," you said as you began to sift through the racks, picking out various shirts in different styles and colors and draping them over your arm. He watched you without saying a word, just occasionally feeling the material between his fingertips whenever he saw something that caught his eye. When you got to the pants, you paused and pursed your lips. Glancing around, you spotted a measuring tape left on one of the registers. Grabbing his hand in yours, you dragged him over and shoved the shirts in his arms.

"Here. Hold these while I measure your waist and inseam."

He frowned for a moment but did as you asked, then jumped when you wrapped your arms around his middle with the tape.

"Sorry, it will only take a second," you murmured, ignoring how muscular and firm he felt under your hands. You took note of the number and flushed when it came time to measure his inseam. You chewed on your lip and glanced around, searching for a worker to maybe do it instead, but none were nearby.

"Okay, I'm going to have to measure the length of your leg," you began to explain. "I need to... put my hand close to..." you trailed off and gestured vaguely towards his lap and it finally seemed to click.

"Oh," he said in surprise, glancing down. He cleared his throat and nodded but you could see the pink creeping up his neck.

"I'll be fast," you assured him, "unless you prefer I find someone else."

"No, that is quite alright," he told you, standing tall and tucking his hands behind his back. Glancing around the store once more, you fell to your knees with the measuring tape. You tried not to think about it, tried not to look, but his clothes were too snug as it was and it was right fucking there.

Jesus Christ, you had to get it together. You were not lusting after a time traveling Roman general in the middle of Bloomingdale's. But it was impossible to ignore the impressive looking bulge right at eye level.

"Okay," you said quickly, standing up so fast your head spun. "Got it, let's go."

You hurriedly dropped the measuring tape back on the counter and swiveled around, looking for men's pants while trying to hide how flustered you were. You grabbed a few pairs of jeans and khakis before adding them to Marcus's pile, and avoiding his eye, you pointed over to the corner.

"You can try them on in there."

You waited outside patiently, listening to him struggle with a zipper. You had to draw the line: there was no way you would help him with that. But when he emerged from the dressing room for approval wearing a nice fitting pair of jeans and a white polo shirt, you kind of missed those tight clothes from before. You gave him a smile and thumbs up and he grinned before stepping back into the dressing room. When he turned around and you saw his ass in those jeans, you tilted your head to the side and raised your eyebrows.

Okay, the new clothes weren't so bad, either.

You picked him out two pairs of pants, an assortment of shirts, and paid before going to the intimates floor to grab some underwear, socks, and pajamas. On the way to the men's section, you passed by some mannequins wearing lacy lingerie and robes. Marcus frowned and tugged on your elbow.

"What is that for?"

You glanced in the direction he was pointing and inwardly groaned.

"It's undergarments women wear," you explained, hoping to leave it at that, but he still had questions.

"What is the purpose of the colors if they are under your clothes?"

You sighed and pinched your nose. "It's for sex, okay?" you whispered to him, looking around quickly to make sure nobody could overhear you.

"Sex?" he repeated at full volume. You shushed him, your cheeks flaring with heat, but he just gave you a bewildered look. "Why must I be quiet?"

"We don't talk about sex in public here," you told him, voice still lowered. "It's inappropriate."

"Why on earth not?" he asked, but he kept his voice soft for your benefit as he followed you into the men's section. "Nothing is more natural or beautiful than sex."

"Yeah, well, I don't have all the answers, Marcus."

"And why would a woman drape herself in such garb? A woman's body is a work of art. It is meant to be worshiped and admired just as it is. One would not hang ornaments off a statue of Venus, so why would a woman -"

"I don't know, Marcus!" you said, grabbing a pack of boxers and then a pack of white socks. "Men just like it, I guess."

He scoffed and shook his head but chose not to say anything further when he picked up the agitation in your voice.

You paid for the rest of the clothes and handed him the bag to carry as you led him to the exit. "Are you hungry What do you usually eat around this time of day?"

"It varies. I quite like fish with some bread and cheese."

You thought about it for a moment before your face lit up and you snapped your fingers.

"I have an idea."

Right around the corner from Bloomingdale's was one of your favorite bagel places. You found a table outside and made him sit then hurried inside to order two lox bagels. You almost grabbed Diet Coke but then thought that might kill him, so instead you got two waters and met him back outside in less than ten minutes.

"Try this," was all you said, handing him a warm bagel wrapped in paper and smelling absolutely divine.

Carefully, he peeled the paper away and sniffed the bagel before taking a hesitant bite. You waited, your own bagel untouched, for his reaction. His eyes snapped up to yours and a slow smile spread across his face.

"This is magnificent."

You giggled and tore into the paper covering your own lunch. "I had a feeling you would like it. Fish, bread and cheese."

He nodded and took a bigger bite. "Very wise. Tell me," he said, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "How has no one asked your father for your hand in marriage? You are bright, strong and beautiful. I am shocked you are not taken."

You decided to let the taken comment go that time and swallowed your food before replying. "Our parents are dead, first of all. But secondly, even if someone was interested in marrying me, they wouldn't need to ask my father. They just ask the woman directly now."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "My apologies. I was unaware of your parents' passing."

"That's okay," you shrugged. "It was a long time ago. Danny was a teenager and I had just graduated high school." You looked up at him, realizing he wouldn't understand what that meant. "I was nineteen. I had to grow up fast and help keep an eye on Danny," you settled on saying, figuring that would sum it up enough.

He nodded and looked down at his food, quietly thinking over what you said. "Has a man ever asked for your hand?" he asked before taking another bite of food.

You laughed. "Uh, no."

"Why is that humorous?"

You sighed and glanced around. "I haven't exactly dated many winners." He cocked an eyebrow at you and you added, "I seem to only attract assholes."

"Ah," he said in understanding. "I am attracted to you. Does this make me an... asshole?"

Your eyelids fluttered and you nearly choked on your water. "W-what?"

"I said, I am attracted -"

"No, I heard you, I just needed a second to process what you said," you told him, feeling your heart beat loudly in your chest. He tilted his head at you curiously.

"Does this surprise you?"

You laughed and fanned the back of your neck nervously. "Um, yes, a little. People don't usually go around just announcing when they're attracted to someone. They're a little more subtle than that."

"Oh. Have I made you uncomfortable? I do apologize," he said, his deep brown eyes softening as he gazed at you across the table.

"It's okay, I just didn't expect it," you chuckled, waving him off and focusing on your food with a stupid smile stretched across your face. He watched you eat for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitching as he replayed what you just told him.

"You did not say if you are attracted to me," he said, drawing your attention back up to him. "Is this because you are not, or are you being... subtle?"

You grinned and shook your head. "You have a weird way of flirting."

He smiled back, the creases next to his eyes deepening. "I told you. Where I am from, sex is not something to be ashamed of. It is enjoyable and discussed often. Unless one has devoted themselves to a life of celibacy."

Definitely not, you thought. He let the subject drop as he finished the rest of his lunch and sat back in his chair, looking around at the cars inching by and beeping their horns angrily. You remained quiet for a few minutes, debating on what to say, if you should say anything at all until you finally decided fuck it.

"I'm attracted to you, too."

His head swiveled in your direction and he grinned. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

You giggled in disbelief before you said, "you're welcome."

Something had shifted between you on the walk back to your apartment. It felt so different from just a few hours ago, and it wasn't just the shocking confession over lunch. You had learned a little more about each other, let the other in and shared personal details about your lives, trusting one another with your vulnerability. And for once, you didn't feel raw and exposed. Strangely, it felt like you could trust him. Maybe it was because you knew he would be gone in a few days and it didn't feel like you had much to lose.

However, when you got off the elevator and walked toward your apartment, the sounds of power tools and shouting coming from the other side of the door, Marcus stopped you. He plucked your hand from your side and brought your knuckles to his lips, brushing over them gently while maintaining eye contact, the entire moment making your hands tremble and your heart to flutter excitedly in your chest.

"Thank you for today, my lady. I had a lovely time with you."

You smiled shyly at him and looked down at the ground.

"Me, too," you replied softly.

And it was then you realized you very much might have something to lose after all.

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