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wintaerbaer · 1 year

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things we don’t say: part 1 (kth)

banner credit goes to the absolutely incredible @itaeewon

summary: Three years after graduating college, everything seems to be falling into place for you: stable job, cozy apartment, and a long-term boyfriend with a ring box hidden in his desk drawer. But when a mutual friend makes a remark that your best friend of nearly two decades is clearly in love with you, you realize that life may not be as simple as it seems.

pairing: Taehyung x Reader (with some VERY brief Seokjin x Reader and Yoongi x Reader)

rating: 18+ (minors dni)

genres: best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers (they’re so, SO stupid), slooooow burn, angst, fluff

word count: 8.4k

series warnings: swearing, sexual themes, one instance of mild violence, alcohol use, infidelity, brief mentions of neglectful parents and alcoholism

chapter warnings: potty mouths, oc teasingly threatens her friends, art world inaccuracies (probably, idk how art shows work), fns music festival dynamite performance taehyung (BLESSED), friends who can’t mind their own business, quick backstory on the aforementioned shitty parenting, oc needs (and has) a drink

a/n: so here is my first foray back into writing after being out of the game for several years! big shout outs to @itaeewon / @jeonqkooks for the banner and encouragement as well as @taegularities for giving me writing advice and letting me cry in her inbox every time i got frustrated with this. they’re also both INCREDIBLE writers so go show them some love once you’re done here!

SERIES MASTERLIST // MASTERLIST

Read on ao3

“She was checking you out.”

“She was not checking me out.”

“Kim Taehyung, she was so checking you out!”

“No.”

“She tucked her hair behind her ear and gave you the ‘come hither’ head tilt.”

Taehyung makes a face. “No one says that anymore, and that’s a perfectly normal gesture to make in everyday conversation.”

“When you want to get someone’s pants off.”

He shushes you, eyes flicking over to the nearby tables in the mostly-empty dining room with all of its dim lights and dark wood paneling. The bar had been a go-to for you and your friends in college, boasting a wide variety of burgers, sandwiches, and wraps that could even satisfy Jungkook and his bottomless appetite. Though your visits have become fewer and farther in between after graduation, nostalgia occasionally drags you back for a lunch or round of late-night drinks, which is how you’ve wound up here on a bright Saturday afternoon.

“You should ask for her number.”

“I am not asking her for her num—!”

“Can I get you anything?”

Taehyung’s face turns bright red as the waitress materializes at the side of your table as if on cue. It’s subtle, but she bats her eyelashes at him, body angled in his direction as if you’re not even there. You raise an eyebrow at him from across the table. See?

“I think we’re ready to order,” you say, mostly to put Taehyung out of his misery as he wordlessly stammers at the blonde.

You’d think he’s never seen a girl before in his life.

The waitress jots your orders down before strolling away in the direction of the kitchen, and you’d swear she’s swinging her hips a little more dramatically than before. You turn towards Taehyung.

“Told you.”

“I said no,” he says sheepishly, cheeks still brushed with pink. “Besides, she looks like she’s probably still in college.”

“You look like you’re probably still in college.” Taehyung rolls his eyes. “And we’re not that old, Tae. You could date a college student.”

“Pass.”

You sigh, leaning back in your seat. “Fine, but we still need to find you a date to the wedding. Can’t let those youthful good looks go to waste.”

Taehyung huffs in faux annoyance, but his lips quirk up at the compliment. “I’m not bringing a date.”

“So you say, but I’m going to change your mind.”

His smile widens. “Oh, really?”

“Really.” You hold out a pinky, and he only hesitates a moment before linking his with yours.

“Okay, we’ll see.”

You fall into one of your usual conversation patterns as you ask about how his job is going. He tells you about the upcoming art show at the gallery where he works as a curator, doing some freelance photography as a side gig. He’d managed to snag Maya, one of the aforementioned friends, a spot in it, and he smiles as he gushes over how great her pieces turned out, cheeks lightly flushed with what you interpret as pride. The two of them met freshman year as photography majors and quickly developed into friends and partners, challenging each other artistically and now occasionally teaming up to shoot larger weddings and events.

It makes pride warm your own belly, seeing him flourish and succeed in the field he had always dreamed of. Photography had been an outlet for him throughout high school, a vital reprieve from the insulated struggles of your shared childhood. Taehyung has never been a negative person, never weighed down in spite of the home life which would have given him every justifiable reason to become jaded. Still, you’d watched a new light bloom in him after he discovered photography as if the camera lens truly gave him a fresh way of seeing the world.

And you’ve always loved seeing happiness spill from your best friend.

Your food is just being brought to the table when Jimin comes shuffling up in a zombie-like trance, eyes wide and mouth slack.

"Finally made i—woah, are you alright?"

Jimin drops into a seat, glazed eyes fixated on the window overlooking the street.

"Maya and Kook are hooking up."

Taehyung chokes on his drink, water spraying onto his plate, while your jaw hits the floor.

"They're what?!"

"What the fuck?!"

Jimin works his jaw before wiping his hands over his face, "Yup."

You and Taehyung gape at him.

"What in the name of God would make you say that?" you ask emphatically, just as Taehyung says, "They hate each other."

"I don't know. Probably because I just caught her straddling him on our couch half-naked. But it’s just a feeling."

"Oh my God, we don't need to know that!"

"Our couch?!"

Jimin scrubs a hand over his face again as if he could wipe the image from his brain. “Yeah, I…can’t say I’m entirely surprised, but, Jesus, I did not need to see that with my own two eyes.”

“Okay, wait, wait,” you say, blinking rapidly in a futile attempt to clear your thoughts. “You’re sure it was Maya—not another one of his random hook-ups?”

“You think I don’t know what she looks like?” Jimin asks, pulling a face. “Look, she stopped by to grab some camera equipment Tae left for her and said she was going to hang around for a minute to wait for an Uber. I was already late for here so I left, but I forgot my wallet. When I went back they were…compromised. And I didn’t exactly stick around to interrogate them.” He frowns again, turning to Taehyung. “Speaking of, can you cover me for lunch?”

“This is unreal. Fucking unreal,” you fume. “I’m going to kill them.”

“Is it really all that surprising?” Jimin asks. “Somewhere in all of their bickering and nagging and constant frowning at each other was always some thinly-veiled sexual tension.” When you glare at him, he adds, “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t sleep with her.”

“That’s not the problem, Chim. You know how this shit goes.” You rub a thumb between your eyes, trying to ease the sudden tension there. “They already fight all the time, and sex only ever complicates things. How long until this blows up and we’re forced to choose sides?”

And that’s the crux of your worry—a disaster seems inevitable. Maya and Jungkook have always been clear about their bare tolerance of each other, seeing it as a necessary evil for the benefit of the rest of your friendships. And while their arguments and bickering have been relatively muted in recent years after you, Taehyung, and Jimin had put down a collective foot and told them you were tired of hearing their shit, you are not eager to see them test the fragile thread that links all of you.

You’ve dealt with enough instability regarding the people in your life; the last thing you need is more.

The waitress comes up to take Jimin’s order while Taehyung studies you as you press the heels of your palms to your eyes.

“Hey,” he says as the waitress walks off again, a hand sliding across the table in your direction but not quite making it there. “No one is getting divorced or anything. Just talk to Maya first. We really don’t even know what’s going on here.”

Jimin lets out a puff of air. “I do. He had his hand up her—” He shuts his mouth as both you and Taehyung shoot daggers at him.

After a moment, your fingers tap absent-mindedly over your phone. “Yeah, I guess I’ll talk to her tonight. We’re supposed to go dress shopping for the art show.”

“Gotta get something nice for Jace?” Jimin asks, wiggling an eyebrow. You smirk back at him.

“No, he can’t make it. Work has him putting in overtime like crazy for their annual convention in a few weeks.”

“How is he doing—Jace?” Taehyung asks. His tone is light, but as Jimin turns to look at him, he notices his hand on the table had closed into a fist.

“He’s good,” you say, the tension finally melting out of your face as your eyes light up. “He’s been incredibly upbeat lately, actually—more romantic even.” There’s a pause as you hesitate. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was going to…you know.” You wave faintly with your left hand.

Jimin’s eyes go wide. “You think he’s planning to pro—” You quickly press a finger over your lips, and Jimin slaps a hand to his thigh. “Fuck yes! About damn time. Hey,” he settles his face in his palm and stares off dreamily. “Can I be your maid of honor?” Then, when you giggle, “Don’t laugh. I would look great in a dress.”

“I’ll put you on the short list,” you say, turning towards your food as Jimin pumps a fist. “But no more talk about that. I’ve waited damn long enough and do not want to jinx it.”

Taehyung’s knuckles had gone white.

“It’s really none of your business,” Maya says, picking up a bright purple, thigh-length dress off the rack and holding it up to her shoulders. “How about this one?”

“Too short.” She puts it back. “And I beg to differ. When something stands to get between two of my best friends who I care about deeply, I think that makes it my business.” When Maya doesn’t say anything, still nonchalantly flipping through dresses, you press on. “You know this can’t end well, right? You’re adding sex to an already volatile relationship, and I don’t like the idea of the friend group having to split if and when the two of you implode.”

“First of all, we’re not your damn parents. Kook may be a walking man child, but the rest of us are mature adults. We’d figure it out,” Maya says. She holds up a green gown, frowns, and returns it. Turning towards you, she quirks an eyebrow. “Second of all, who says that this morning was the first time?”

Your jaw drops. As you stand speechless, Maya resumes her dress perusal.

“Wha—how long?” you finally choke out.

“Ooh, this is pretty.” Maya pulls out a deep red cocktail dress, silver roses adorning the fabric. Catching the look on your face, she says, “Two years, give or take.”

“Two—!” you squeak before shaking your head. “No. No fucking way. You two can barely be in the same room for two minutes let alone sleep together for two years.”

Maya smirks. “Turns out he can do much better things with his mouth when he’s not using it to talk out of his ass.”

“Maya, oh my God!”

“What? You wanted to make it your business, right?”

You take a breath to steady yourself. “Look, I am just worried about you guys, okay? That’s it. You’re two of my best friends, and I don’t want to see anyone get hurt. And I certainly don’t want to be put into a situation where I have to choose between you.”

“That won’t happen,” Maya says, trailing off towards a dressing room. “For someone to get hurt, there’d have to be actual feelings involved, and the only feeling he gives me is a migraine.” She slips into a changing stall while you lean against the wall, still trying to wrap your head around what you’re hearing.

“Besides,” Maya’s voice sounded from behind the curtain, “Jimin only found out because of his stupid wallet, and he notices everything. If we could fool him for that long with no problems…” She pulls the curtain back. The red fabric of the dress hugs her hips, her dark hair draped over one shoulder. “How do I look?”

“Gorgeous, as usual,” you say. And then, because you can’t help it, “I’m sure Kook will love it.”

Maya rolls her eyes. “Oh, please.” She steps back into the stall and yanks the curtain closed again. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just…weird.”

“It’s only weird if you make it weird,” Maya says over the shuffling of clothes. “Nothing changed during the two years when you guys didn’t know and nothing has to change now.”

Maybe she’s right, you think to yourself, resting your head back and closing your eyes to the bright fluorescents above you. Maybe everything would be fine. Jungkook, in spite of his cocky playboy persona, may be a big teddy bear at heart, but you’ve never known him to mix emotions with pleasure. And Maya is certainly capable of handling herself.

Still, the whole thing just reeks of disaster waiting to happen.

The sun has just started its descent when the two of you step out of the shop, Maya now carrying a long white bag along with her. You pause for a moment, taking a slow inhale of the soft spring air. This is probably your favorite time of day, when the whole city is tinted gold, the push of the foot traffic slowing to a lazier pace as college students and businessmen alike meander their way to dinners and evening plans.

“Do you want to do dinner at my place?” Maya asks, starting to move in the direction of her apartment as you trail at her side. “I was planning on trying this new pot roast recipe, and I’d rather not get stuck with too many leftovers.”

“Ooh, that sounds good,” you say. “I’m in.”

“You just have to promise to stop looking so constipated.”

You let out a puff of a laugh. “I’m sorry—I really don’t mean to meddle.” You purse your lips. “I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“I know, you said that already,” Maya sighs. “But we’re all grown-ups, Y/N. I know you mean well, but you’ve gotta loosen up the reins a little bit.”

“Whatever. As long as I don’t have to walk in on you guys like Jimin did.” You chew the inside of your cheek. “And just…be careful.”

Maya rolls her eyes for what feels like the hundredth time that day. She knows your heart is in a good place—the stereotypical “mom friend” just looking out for everyone—but your own blind spot drives her crazy.

You insist that you don’t truly mean to meddle. Maya, however, has no such qualms.

“You know,” she says, smirking at you with a sideways glance. “If you’re really worried about someone getting their heart broken, you should spend less time worrying about me and Kook and more time worrying about Tae.”

Your steps slow, frown lines gradually forming on your face. “Tae? What about Tae?” You pause. “He and Luna broke up months ago. He said he was over her.”

They were barely together a year, but the relationship had been the longest of Taehyung’s life. He’d spent the two weeks following the breakup locked in his room while you juggled both making sure he was alright and moving into a new apartment.

Maya gestures to the bag in her hands. “Don’t stop walking. This thing is a bitch to carry.”

As you jog a few steps to catch up, you ask, “Why? Did he say something to you?”

“Oh, please.” Another eyeroll. “He was never into Luna. It’s a wonder they even lasted as long as he did.”

“Then who?”

“C’mon, Y/N.”

“Maya, I genuinely have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.”

It’s Maya’s turn to stop in her tracks this time, passerby giving the two of you dirty looks as they swerve around you. She pins you with a pointed expression that has you blinking back at her. “What?”

Maya only continues to stare, tilting her head and biting her tongue until you finally put the pieces together. Your eyes going wide before you shake your head vigorously.

“No. No. You’re wrong.”

Maya scoffs and continues walking. “Uh-huh.”

“I’ve told you this before. We’re just comfortable with each other. He’s my—”

“Best friend who has made heart eyes at you the entire time I’ve known you two.”

“He does not. He looks at me like he’s always looked at me.”

“Exactly.”

“I—need I remind you that I’m in a committed relationship?”

“So? That doesn’t affect his feelings.”

“Tae has dated plenty of girls.”

“And with much success, obviously.”

You hesitate. “It’s not his fault that they all—”

“See how he looks at you and decide not to waste their time?”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Sure it is.”

“You’re misreading it. It’s just that we have history.”

“And chemistry. And while we’re rattling off school subjects the two of you share, I’m sure he’d be willing to help you with your physical education.”

“Maya.”

“I’m just saying!” She adjusts the bag, the plastic rustling the air. “I just got this sense that something, I don’t know, broke after Luna. I figured he finally realized how hung up on you he is or something, and that’s why he hasn’t dated since.”

The idea of a broken Taehyung squeezes your heart as your frown impossibly deepens. “That’s not…no. That’s definitely not what it was. He’s fine. We’re fine. Everything is fine.”

“Okay. Fine. If you say so.”

The two of you fall into silence, the light crackle of Maya’s bag hanging delicately between you. The sun is starting to dip behind buildings now, stretching long shadows onto the ground in front of you as you turn onto her block. You inhale a long, shaky breath.

Yes, it’s been a while since Taehyung has dated, and yes, this is a little peculiar. He may be your best friend, but part of that means you’ve watched him grow from awkward kid to gangly teenager to one of the most handsome men you’ve ever laid eyes on. You’re not blind—you’ve seen how it’s unsurprisingly garnered him a good deal of female attention throughout the years (Saturday afternoon was not the first time he’s been hit on by a waitress). And while he’s never been anywhere near Jungkook’s level of playboy, he’s definitely been on his fair share of dates.

You don’t doubt that Maya’s noticed something of a shift in him—after you, she’s probably the person who knows him best. But both you and Taehyung have always insisted that your platonic relationship is, well, entirely platonic. So even if something changed for him, she has to be off base as to the why.

Right?

“Maya—”

“Look, I’m not telling you to sleep with him or leave Jace or anything like that. Just…” Maya purses her lips together, blowing air out of her nose. “Step back and look at what you’re doing to him before you lecture the rest of us. The guy is crazy about you, and you’re the only one who doesn’t see it.”

Well.

Shit.

She climbs the steps to her front door, slipping in the key and opening it before turning back to where you remain at the bottom of the stoop fiddling with your purse strap.

“You coming?”

“Um,” you hesitate. Your eyes drift off down the street, mind suddenly racing . “I don’t know. I’m not really hungry anymore.”

Maya’s expression softens. “I didn’t mean to upset you…”

“No, no,” you say with another shake of your head. “I’m not mad. I just think I want to go home, maybe take a bath.”

“Okay,” Maya slowly responds. “I’ll see you at the show Friday night?”

You smile. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

Perhaps, Maya muses as she watches you saunter down the sidewalk, calling you out was not the right move. But the thought only lingers for a moment before she turns with a shrug and goes inside.

It’s Sunday night when you find yourself at the guys’ apartment for your and Taehyung’s weekly meal prep tradition. The ritual is the evolution of several years of having to care for yourselves—a need to eat turned into a sacred bonding activity for two people who had learned to rely on each other.

You and Taehyung met when you were eight-years-old after your teacher had fatefully situated your desks next to each other on the first day of school. A compliment from Taehyung on the color of your pencil case (a bright and bold turquoise) turned into a fast friendship that rapidly deepened as you realized just how similar you were: both only children living in homes with parents who were neglectful in their own ways.

In spite of growing up in a lavish, sparkling house with more rooms than you could count, your childhood was a struggle as your endlessly-busy, high-powered-lawyer parents virtually ignored your existence and left you to your own devices, working late hours every day and oftentimes not even ensuring that you had been properly fed. The mansion had felt like a prison, long hallways and tall ceilings devoid of life, filled with nothing but a terrible sense of loneliness.

That was, at least, until Taehyung showed up.

When either of you had a bad day (which was, admittedly, most days), he would slip away from the tiny, one-bedroom house on the poorer side of town, where his mother had abandoned him to an alcoholic father, and you'd sneak him in the back door (your parents either never noticed or simply didn't care). The two of you would raid the kitchen cabinets for snacks and lug your loot up to your bedroom, where you'd throw together a giant fort made of pillows and blankets with your prized possession at the center—a small globe light with tiny cut-out stars.

You never really talked about your respective situations—there was never really a need to. He saw your non-relationship with your parents firsthand, and you had heard the rumors about his family—whispers at school about the boy with secondhand clothes and a dad who often had to be dragged out of the local bars. The outside world may have been cruel, passing judgment on the both of you (and Taehyung especially) for circumstances outside of your control, but in the comfort of your room, even that fostered your kinship. It was like your own minuscule universe, belonging only to the two of you, and as you munched on your popcorn and watched the soft stars dance across the propped-up fabric, you'd talk and tell each other stories. Stories about anything from kings and queens to pirates to cowboys to astronauts. The only rule was that every tale had to have a happy ending.

As you got older, you traded your storytelling nights for evenings experimenting in the kitchen, sick of gorging yourselves on chips, pretzels, and sodas. Occasionally, once Taehyung purchased his first camera from a secondhand shop with money he saved delivering newspapers, he'd drag you around town for a photoshoot. You’d wander the streets together, helping him to scout out areas for inspiration, and he’d use you as his model to practice portraits and photographing human subjects. This tradition, too, had faded once the two of you escaped your hometown to go to college (you're not sure your parents even realized you had left), as Taehyung began working on class projects with Maya and you started spending more time with Jace. Only your weekly meal prep had persisted.

Your cooking had been a staple during college, you and Taehyung hosting “family dinners” for you and your friends on weekends (usually followed by a good few rounds of drinks), eventually shifting into you making batch meals on Sundays once you’d all graduated and begun working. That was when it had been you who’d lived in this apartment, back before you’d moved in with Jace and Jungkook had taken your place here. Still, even as lifestyles and living arrangements changed, you always wound up cooking with Taehyung on Sunday nights.

“What are mom and dad making tonight?” Jimin trills, reaching over the counter to take a swipe at a baby carrot. You shoo his hand away.

“Nothing, if you keep stealing our ingredients. Aren’t you supposed to be going to the gym?”

“I am, but someone,” he turns to yell over his shoulder, “is taking their sweet ass time getting ready!”

A door clicks open down the hall before Jungkook’s voice yells out, “Calm down, asshole, I’m almost done!” The door slams shut again.

“Such a diva,” Jimin huffs, gaining an edge to pop a carrot into his mouth. You let out a cry of protest.

“Chim, cut it out!” You turn to Taehyung who is at the opposite counter with his back to you, chopping more vegetables. “Tae, stop him.”

Taehyung snorts, not turning around. “That’s my job?”

“You have a knife.”

“Sorry, I’ve taken a vow of nonviolence.”

“Unbelievable,” you mutter as Jimin tries to reach around you again. “Hands off, Park, or I swear to God I will kick you in the balls, and you will not see it coming.”

“Guy’s gotta get some action somehow, am I right?” Jungkook comes striding down the hallway in a tank top and shorts, looking more like he’s ready for a magazine cover shoot than a gym visit as he bounds up to where you and Jimin stand in the kitchen.

“Hey, I get plenty of action!”

“You were literally whining this morning that it’s been three months.”

Jimin flushes. “That’s because I don’t sleep with my friends.”

“Neither do I,” Jungkook says, throwing a wink in your direction as you roll your eyes back at him.

“You’re disgusting. It’s a wonder Maya puts up with you.”

“It’s definitely more of a puts out situation.” He taps his chin thoughtfully. “And not really up? Contrary to what you might expect, she’s usually under—“

“Jeon Jungkook.” Then, when he makes a move to grab a carrot, you turn to Taehyung and snap, “Tae, give me a knife, I’ll stab them myself.”

Barely looking up, he reaches over to grab a knife out of the block, twisting it in his hands to hold it delicately by the blade and offer it to you handle-first. You grip it, only to slam the knife down firmly on its side in front of you, staring down Jimin and Jungkook in a silent challenge. But Jimin merely quirks an eyebrow in silent laughter, while Jungkook lets out a teasing, “Hot.”

You glare and raise the knife to chest level, pointing it at his sternum and trying to muster as much threatening energy as you possibly can in the face of a guy who could bench press you in his sleep. And while his facial expression remains one of passive amusement, he raises his hands in mock surrender and says, "Fine, fine, we're going."

With a sweep of their gym bags, they make their way out, and there's one last, "Save some for us!" from Jimin before the door swings shut behind them.

You sigh. "Idiots."

"But they're our idiots," Taehyung says, and a glance over your shoulder tells you that he's laughing at your frustration, a smile brightening his features and warming your chest.

"Remind me why we adopted them again?"

"You instantly fell for Jimin's puppy dog eyes when he was wandering around lost at orientation, and Kook..." He trails off. "Why did we adopt Kook?"

"School administration made you dorm with him, and we haven't been able to get rid of him since?"

"Oh yeah, that's right."

You fall into a comfortable silence, the only sound being that of your respective knives hitting the cutting board before Taehyung speaks up again.

"Speaking of Kook, you never told me how your conversation with Maya went."

You're thankful you have your back to him because you immediately feel yourself flush, heat shooting up your neck like an erupting volcano. You want to say, Yeah, it went great. She told me that you're desperately in love with me, and I'm the reason why none of your relationships have worked out. But that's ridiculous, right? Right?!

Instead, you do your best to mask your expression into one of relative impassivity and say, “Well, according to her, this isn’t new. They’ve been doing this for two years.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I wish.”

Taehyung ignores that. “How did none of us ever notice?”

“That’s what I can’t figure out. You’d think we would’ve noticed a change or something, right?”

He’s quiet, and you glance over to see him staring at a distant point out the window, lost in thought, the heel of the knife absentmindedly tapping a beat against the board. Taehyung’s always been introspective—content to sit in contemplation as he slowly works an idea through his mind. He’s thoughtful like that, ever the deliberator and rarely one to act on impulse. You balance each other out in this regard, with you having always been more inclined to break rules as you see fit and Taehyung being there to reel you in as needed.

“Maybe it works for them,” he finally says, and you feel your eyebrows shoot halfway up your forehead.

“You can’t seriously think this is a good idea.”

He shrugs, attention drawn back to the vegetables in front of him. “It hasn’t caused a problem yet, right?”

“The operative word there being yet.”

He shrugs again, brows tilting together. “I’m just saying that they’re both consenting adults, and if it’s gone this long without any catastrophes, maybe it really is a good arrangement for both of them.”

“It’s Maya and Kook. They’re always a catastrophe.”

“Exactly. They’d probably have an eventual falling out even if they weren’t sleeping together, so who knows? Maybe it actually helps them work some of that tension off.”

“That’s a terrible idea.”

“I didn’t say it was healthy.” He finishes chopping his last onion and sets his knife down, crossing the kitchen to check your own progress. Reaching over you, he grabs a piece of carrot and slips it into his mouth, grinning when you frown at him. “Really, Y/N, what can you do?”

“I know, but they’re…they’re the closest thing to family that we have. You know that.”

“Families can be dysfunctional. We both know that.” He munches on another carrot. “I’d still take them over my biological family any day.”

When that still doesn’t seem to entirely placate you, he reaches out to squeeze your shoulder, the tips of his fingers brushing the base of your neck and raising goosebumps there, before he slides his hand down to loop your pinkies together. “What will happen will happen. Don’t let it worry you unnecessarily.” Then he’s off heating up oil on the stove.

Normally, the brief touch would have barely registered in your mind—a simple gesture you had gotten into the habit of using when you were kids to provide reassurance. But it’s like your conversation with Maya has been inked under your skin, recoloring your perspective on the single-most steadfast relationship you’ve ever had in your life.

You hate it.

The oil begins to bubble on the stove, but Taehyung is distracted, rummaging around the refrigerator for something, so you take over, dumping in the beef that will help form the base for the soup. You throw in some seasoning, poking at the meat with a spoon and willing it to brown.

“So you’re really not interested in dating again?”

The words slip out, and the contents of the pot pop angrily at you.

Yeah, you might regret this later.

“Hmm?” Taehyung closes the fridge, cracking open the beer that’s now in his hand.

You curse your loose tongue under your breath. “Just…the other day at lunch. You were so against asking that waitress for her number.”

“She wasn’t my type.”

“And you don’t want to bring a date to the wedding.”

“I’d only bring a long-term girlfriend to a wedding. Less of a chance we’d have to edit her out of pictures later.”

“And how many dates have you been on since Luna? It’s been what, almost a full year?”

His brow scrunches, and the way he’s studying you makes you blush. “Why the sudden interest in my love life?”

You stare determinedly into the soup pot, trying to look nonchalant. “You’re my best friend, and I want to see you happy. Of course I’m interested.”

He props his hip against the counter in thought and takes a long drag of beer before he answers you. “I thought after Luna that it would be best if I take some time to focus on myself before diving back in. That’s all.”

“She really did a number on you, huh?”

“Something like that.”

You poke at the beginnings of your soup, memories of an absolutely miserable Taehyung surfacing in your mind. “It sucked, you know.”

“What?”

“Seeing your heart break.”

“Ah.” He takes another drink. “Right.”

“I swear, if I saw her again, I’d be tempted to kick her ass.”

He chuckles at that, and it rumbles his entire chest.

It might stir something in yours, too.

“I mean it, Tae.”

“Oh, trust me, I know you do.”

“Could be anywhere: club, grocery store. I’m not afraid to throw hands.”

He gives a tilt of his head. “She was a third degree black belt.”

“Well I kicked that Kenji kid in the groin during recess after he stole your backpack, and he cried for like twenty minutes. Remember that? He was practically six feet tall in the fifth grade, and that didn’t stop me. First degree black belt my ass.”

“Third degree.”

“Whatever.”

“Well as much as I appreciate your determined defense of my pride, I can assure you any emotional distress I suffered was minimal—“

“You haven’t dated since!”

“—and is definitely not worth putting yourself in the hospital over.”

“You don’t miss it though? What about like…” You trail off, cursing your stupid mouth getting ahead of your brain. You’ve never really talked about this before. Relationships, sure, but when it comes to the physical, along with your families, it’s one of the few subjects you avoid.

As your pause stretches on, he raises his eyebrows in question, and you decide to just come out with it.

“What about sex?”

Taehyung, to his credit, is unfazed by your sudden mention of the taboo. “I still have two hands, and they haven’t failed me so far.”

“Oh, Tae, ew.”

He grins devilishly at you, mischief brightening his eyes. It’s a look that he used to wear all the time when you were kids but which became rarer once he mellowed out with adulthood.

Seeing it on him now makes your heart jump.

“Point taken, forget I asked,” you say, and he laughs.

“Really, I’m fine with taking a break from dating for now. Isn’t that what that band you love is always preaching? Self-love and all that.”

You huff out a breath, nodding at his hands. “You don’t say.”

He laughs again, grinning down at you, and the uncertainty you’ve been feeling bubbles up again, your nerves sparking in time with a particularly loud crackle from the pot on the stove.

“Ah, geez, don’t let it burn,” he says, nudging you out of the way to take over. You take the opportunity to wander over to the fridge for a water bottle, feeling the need to cool yourself down. Honestly, what is wrong with you?

Taehyung, in sync with your moods by now, reads you like a book. “I feel like I should be asking you if you’re okay.” He says as he sets the meat aside and begins simmering the mirepoix in the fat. “You seem distracted.”

The conversation has become too much for you to wrestle with at this point, and you feel the need to shut it down before it gets out of control entirely. So you swallow down your anxieties like a pill without water and deflect.

“There’s just…a lot going on right now.”

It’s almost imperceptible, possibly a trick of the light, but his back stiffens ever so slightly. “Hmm, I’m sure.” He looks up at you from the stove, eyes pinning you where you stand. “But you’d tell me if there were something?”

You swallow. “Of course. You?”

“Of course.”

And that has to be enough for now.

The glow of the sunset creeps into your room as you put the finishing touches on your make-up for the night. You're running later than anticipated as you had hoped to catch Jace before you left—you know he has a virtual client meeting scheduled in fifteen minutes that he had planned to attend from home, but he texted you a half-hour ago saying that he got caught up at the office and might just take it there.

With your make-up done, you can't justify lingering any longer and decide to just leave him a note letting him know when you'll be back. Jace's desk is an absolute mess, but you're thankfully able to locate a notepad easily. A pen, however, is a different matter, and it's not long before you're rummaging through the drawers trying to find anything to write with. For a man who keeps his appearance so well-groomed, he has a true affinity for clutter, and you roll your eyes at the junk you have to sift through in search of a simple writing utensil: a hammer, old movie tickets, a broken picture frame, a ring box...

A ring box?

You pause, fingers hovering over the black velvet. Surely, you shouldn't look, right? You already feel like you're crossing some line by discovering the small box—you should preserve some element of surprise for both of your sakes.

Still, the devil on your shoulder whispers to sneak a peek...

Your decision is made for you as you hear the front door click open and shut, and you hastily close the drawer and try to school your features into something casual.

"Hey, gorgeous."

Jace leans in the doorway grinning, not a single sandy brown hair out of place and his impeccably-ironed dress shirt pulled tight across his toned chest. In a fraction of a second, you see his eyes flick from his desk drawer to where you stand stiffly in front of it.

"Hey!" The word comes out a little too loudly, and you rush to cover up the blunder. "I thought I wouldn't see you."

"Wanted to surprise my girl," he says, smile brightening as he swings a hand from behind his back to offer you a single red rose. You feel your cheeks heating up as you take it from him, marveling at how—even four years down the line—he can still manage to charm you.

He presses a kiss to your mouth, hands trailing down the back of your dress to palm your ass with a groan. "Fuck. Can't believe I have this work meeting when you look like this."

"And unfortunately, I need to get going, too, or Maya will have my head." You lean in for another quick peck. "Rain check for later?"

He chuckles, letting you go with one final squeeze. "I'll hold you to that."

"Look who finally showed up!" is what you're greeted with when you locate your friends in the gallery atrium, dodging the other patrons milling about.

"Sorry, got caught up with Jace," you say, shrugging at Maya's teasing glare.

Jungkook winks at you. "I'm sure you did."

"Yah, Kook, don't be gross," Jimin complains, slapping him on the arm.

"What?! She looks great! Right, Tae? Tell her she looks great."

You meet Taehyung's eyes for the first time since you walked up, and he shifts on his feet, gaze darting down to the accentuated curve of your hips. Clearing his throat, he smiles and says, "You look beautiful."

Cheeks hot, you murmur a quiet, "Thanks," so distracted by the awkwardness of the moment that you don't notice the look exchanged by Jimin and Maya between you.

Friends can call friends beautiful and not have it mean anything beyond that, right? You told Maya she looked gorgeous when she bought her dress with you last weekend, and you’d definitely be willing to admit that Taehyung looks incredible tonight. His navy blue suit hugs the lines of his body perfectly—highlighting his tall, lithe form—while his hair is combed up and off his forehead in a style that projects both professionalism and approachability. Combine that with the easy smile he keeps on his face, and he’s basically in male model territory.

You’ll be stunned if he doesn’t get hit on again tonight.

You make some idle small talk with your friends for a few minutes (Jungkook is trying to convince the others to head over to the bar where he works after the reception) before Maya gently nudges you with an elbow.

"Go and have a look around. Mine are back there," she declares, nodding her head towards the right hand corner of the exhibit, "but you should really check out all of the work—there's some good stuff. Hoseok and Sunny are around somewhere too."

You nod, welcoming the chance to see what it is your friends have been working so hard on, and excuse yourself to peruse the gallery. You may not be much of a creative mind yourself, but years of friendship with Taehyung and his infectious enthusiasm have at least helped you develop an appreciation for art. Weaving between the walls of frames and canvases, you stop here and there as a piece catches your eye: dark bars slashed across a messy outline of a heart titled Fake Love; a small boy offering up a waffle cone that holds a rose instead of ice cream—For You.

However, you find yourself slowing down entirely when you get to Maya's collection of photographs. They're mostly black and white candids of strangers. A woman shopping in an outdoor market. A girl chasing a dog in a park. Your friends pop up occasionally, and you smile at one of the memories you recognize: Jungkook pushing Jimin into the pool during your friendcation last year, bunny smile stretched wide across his face.

And suddenly you're frozen by a photo that's in full color.

It's Taehyung's face in close-up, his head turned to the side as he looks at something out of frame. His jaw strikes a downward line, mouth ever so slightly dipped open in something akin to wonder and tan cheeks curving with subtle delight. It's his eyes you can't look away from, though, opened wide enough to soak in whatever he's looking at that they reflect the golden lights around him, tiny galaxies swimming in his irises.

"Enjoying the view?" a deep voice teases at your shoulder, the man himself coming to stand at your side.

"That's an incredible picture of you," you tell him, still taking it in.

He hums in agreement. "I told you, she did a good job."

"Was that last summer?"

"Yeah." He nods his head at the picture of Jimin and Jungkook. "Same night as that, I think."

"What were you looking at?"

Taehyung is quiet as he thinks, scratching lightly at his nose. "I can't say I remember. Probably Hoseok walking out with that plate of pork belly. That was mouth-watering."

You laugh, and he smiles back at you before gesturing at the rows of artwork. "Can I show you some of my favorites?"

"I'd love that."

You let him drag you away, but not before glancing back to read the title card delicately placed next to Taehyung's image.

Your eyes tell.

Taehyung navigates you around the exhibit for a while, describing his role in organizing the gallery and stopping to gush about his favorite pieces. You've always loved hearing him talk about art, his passion for the subject illuminating his face as he enthuses about light and shadows and colors.

He's explaining the rule of thirds to you when Maya interrupts, telling Taehyung she has a potential client for him that she wants him to meet. He promises to find you later as she whisks him away, and, alone again, you decide to head to the adjoining reception area in search of your other friends.

You’re only a few steps into the room when you hear a voice call out your name, Jimin flagging you down from where he stands at a table with Jungkook, Hoseok, and Sunny, and you quickly slide up to hug the latter two.

“You guys made it! We’ve missed you. How’s wedding planning going?”

Hoseok groans into his champagne. “Please do not remind me,” he grumbles. “It makes med school feel like a cakewalk.”

“What my wonderful fiancé meant to say,” Sunny says, playfully elbowing Hoseok in the side and making him sputter on his drink, “is that it’s going fantastically, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you all.”

“Rumor is that it’s the can’t-miss event of the year,” Jimin singsongs. “And Kook and I are bringing the party!” He reaches over so he and Jungkook can share a short but excessively elaborate handshake.

Sunny looks on, amused. “Speaking of, do you two know if you’re bringing dates? We don’t have to finalize headcount quite yet, but knowing sooner rather than later would be appreciated.”

“I will definitely be going stag, but I think Kook might have one, yeah?” Jimin’s voice is teasing, but Jungkook doesn’t catch on, throwing him a quizzical look and causing Jimin to clarify with a smirk. “Maya.”

Jungkook scoffs, muttering, “Not a chance,” while Hoseok’s and Sunny’s eyebrows shoot up in sync.

“You and Maya are dating now?” Sunny asks, eyes wide.

Jungkook tosses Jimin a glare. “No, he’s being an ass.”

When Sunny and Hoseok continue to look confused, glancing back and forth between Jungkook and Jimin, Jimin explains, "We found out recently—and unpleasantly for me, might I add—that Maya and Kook here have been engaging in some activities with, ah, no strings?"

Hoseok's eyebrows go impossibly higher, threatening to meld with his hairline, as his mouth pops open in surprise. "Uhh...congrats?"

Jungkook shakes his head, bottom lip jutting out like a child. "Chim's just jealous because he's in a drought."

"Hey!"

"I, for one, don't see an issue," Sunny says, hopping in to play peacemaker before Jimin and Jungkook devolve into one of their notorious bickering sessions. "You're both adults. And don't sweat it, Jimin, any girl would be lucky to have you."

"What's that supposed to mea—" Hoseok starts to ask before Sunny shuts him up with a finger to his lips, subtly nodding her head at the clearly placated men.

"I just can't believe you two are finally getting married." You change the subject, snatching up a flute of champagne off a tray as a waiter walks by. "Been a long time coming."

Sunny hums. "To be honest, I'm surprised we're beating you and Jace to the alter," she says, and now it's your turn to cough on your drink. "When is that happening?"

"Oh, I, um—" you stutter, as you weigh how much you should say. You should keep what you saw earlier a secret, right? After all, what if you're wrong and you come out looking like a fool?

But four pairs of eyes are now fixed on you expectantly, and these are your friends so you cave.

"Okay, I am swearing all of you to secrecy," you say, making deliberate eye contact with each of them in turn to emphasize your point, "but I literally found a ring box in his desk earlier when I was getting ready to come here."

The table erupts in your friends' squeals and cheers, Jimin and Jungkook coming around to playfully shake your shoulders.

"Oh my gosh, I knew it!"

"That's amazing news!"

"I want to be man of honor!"

"I already called dibs!"

"What are we calling dibs on?"

Your heart skips as Taehyung joins your table, smiling at the five of you but obviously perplexed as to what the ruckus is about. And maybe you're imagining it, but your friends all seem to quiet down at his appearance as well, causing Maya's words to once again echo in your mind. The guy is crazy about you, and you're the only one who doesn't see it.

An awkward silence drapes itself over the table, Jimin being the one to pipe up when Taehyung's expression begins to morph from curious to concerned. "Y/N, tell him the good news!"

At that, Taehyung's brown eyes settle on you, and so you take a deep breath and spill. "I found a ring box in Jace's desk."

You're looking at him intently, and it's only the tiniest sliver of a second, but you see it. Unmistakably.

His face drops.

If Maya's photo captured stars in his eyes, you watch each go out one-by-one, his lips pressing together like he's trying not to be sick. A heaviness hits his shoulders that has his chest curling inwards and you almost reaching out to him...

And just like that—all at once—he's gathered his features into a smile and beams at you.

"That's fantastic, Y/N. I'm so incredibly happy for you."

His voice sounds genuine, dripping in the baritone honey that is so warm and so him, but you know what you saw—you're sure of it—and it has your mind spinning.

Shit, shit, shit, she was right.

You down your champagne in one gulp, oblivious to the shocked faces around you as you throw it back and thump the glass harshly on the table. "I'm going for a drink. Anyone want anything?"

You barely give them time to shake their heads before you're scurrying away to the bar and ordering a cosmopolitan—strong. Thoughts whirring, you try to make sense of Taehyung’s crestfallen expression as the bartender mixes your drink. There surely must be an alternate explanation, right? Until now, Taehyung has never, ever given any indication that he has feelings for you. This must be a mistake; you must be seeing things…

But just as the bartender slides your glass across the countertop, you glance back at the table, blood running cold as you find Taehyung already looking at you. He gives you a tight-lipped smile that doesn’t quite make it to his eyes before turning back to listen to whatever Jimin is currently saying.

You quickly down your second drink of the night and order a third.

a/n: and we’re off! likes, reblogs, comments, asks, feedback, constructive criticism, and carrier pigeons are all appreciated! this started off as a story with all OCs, and the first drafts of some of these scenes were originally written in third person omniscient so please forgive me if the POVs are a little all over the place in this chapter. it’ll be rectified moving forward!

taglist open: just message or reply 😊

#taehyung x reader #taehyung x you #taehyung fluff #taehyung angst #bts x reader #bts x you #bts imagines #taehyung imagines #taehyung fic #taehyung fanfic #bts fluff #bts angst #taehyung #bts fic #bts fanfic

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thecapricunt1616 · 6 months

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Blue Lotus - SxC One-Shot

♡ O/S Inspo: Blue Lotus - In Vedic Hindu tradition, the lotus represents enlightenment as well as purity. It is the symbol of the consciousness rising out of the mud of Maya and attaining its original nature or self-realization.

♡ Summary: Carmen accidentally almost checks out of life permanently due to a migraine fucking up his vision, and Sugar flips & sends him off to a trauma rehabilitation center, Syd is realizing she finds it extremely hard to stay away from him.

♡ W/C: 7,616

♡ Posted Date: 04/06/2024

♡ A/N: This is my first SydCarmy fic aaa!!! I have a hard time writing in 3rd unless its not my characters, so writing in 3rd for them was okay! This OS is all thanks to the LOML - the person who FULLY turned me into a #SydCarmy4Lifer - @gingergofastboatsmojito - This fic was HEAVILY - heavily, inspired by hers - Tucson, It can be found right ❀ here ❀ - My only request is you go read hers if you are going to read this one!! Her SydCarmy fics are the best, and the only ones I really read, give her a follow because her SydCarmy theories are also out of this world. Also, YES GINGER - Stardust is .... a horse - ol' girl TOLD THEM she'd always be watching!! If you'd like to meet Madame in her human form, mosey on over here - this fic also heavily inspired me to write for SydCarmy hahaha. If y'all want more of Blue Lotus let me know! I have ideas for a PT 2 if it would fancy anyone :)

♡ Warnings for BTC: Accidental OD , Vomit, Sad Syd, but fluffy kinda!! Only lightly edited (we die like men), OC Carmy (IM SORRY) we all know he's down bad for her so maybe this can be considered IC Carm, because were just in his head more then watching him? But that's all basically.

➵ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 ♡

Carmen was sick as a dog. Well - physically- the mental demons never stopped nagging at his overall happiness level, but it had been a long time since he’d felt this horrible, physically speaking, at least.

His muscles were aching, to the point any brush on his skin left a dull pain in its wake. His throat was swollen and sore, he had a terrible fever- his head felt like it was so full of pressure that it would explode.

He’d never experienced a headache like this before. His vision was actually spotty, there were little blotches in his vision, that were... glowing? He wasn’t quite sure, it was beyond the realm of anything he’d ever felt or seen before.

That was what must have caused him to grab his black bottle of oxydose he’d gotten after a root canal he had a few months back- rather then his liquid Zyrtec cold and flu liquid medicine.

The pain in his head was so bad, he didn’t even question why the usual cherry flavor had been replaced with bubblegum, as he swallows straight from the bottle, before putting the cap back on and going back to the couch, collapsing in the nest of pillows and blankets.

It was only about 10 minutes, and Carmy was feeling fine- no…Carmen was feeling… amazing.

His limbs all felt very heavy, but he felt warm, and comfortable. As comfortable as he’d ever felt. He actually found himself thinking ‘have I ever felt this good?!’ And before he knew it, he was laughing to himself about how he should double dose cold medicine more often, because he felt as if he was on cloud fucking nine.

He laid back on the couch, closing his eyes, and wasn’t sure just how long he laid there that way. It could have been minutes, hours, days for all he knew. The only thing he was thinking of, was her. He began wondering what she was doing right now, if she was adorably leaned over the counter, writing in her little notebook- her braids cascaded over her face like a beautiful beaded curtain.

If the blood in his arms hadn’t been replaced with cement, he’d have grabbed his phone and called her, and poured out his entire heart to her. Because nothing else in the world right now mattered. Carmen had no other thoughts, the past didn’t exist, nor did the future. The only thing that existed in this world at this very moment, was Sydney.

‘Psssst’

Carmen opens his heavy lids, just barely, his vision was blurry and almost doubled. “Mmm?” He hums, not even sure if he heard someone- or why he would hear someone. He lived alone, and didn’t hear anyone come in.

‘Yo. Dipshit.’ Carmen knew that voice anywhere.

“What?” Carmy looked around, and knew something was very amiss, when his brother was standing there in his living room, looking at him. He had this ethereal glow to him.

“What the fuck” Carmen said, sitting back on the couch, rubbing his eyes.

‘You’re nodding out right now. Here’s what y’gonna do.’

Carmen couldn’t do anything but nod his head obediently, was Mikey really here? He couldn’t be- he was hallucinating.

“Monkey are you here?” Carmen asks softly, rubbing his eyes again to see if he would disappear. He didn’t.

‘I’m as here as you’ll be if Y’don’t listen. Crawl to the fucking bathroom and throw up. She’s gonna be here f’you, don’t fight her’

Before Carmy could look back at him and question what he meant - he was gone.

Carmen suddenly felt…much too hot. He tried getting up, but narrowly missed bashing his skull on the coffee table trying to get to the bathroom, so he decided to take his wise older brother's advice and crawl there instead.

He didn’t finish the journey, though. He actually collapsed in the bathroom a few feet in front of the toilet, luckily on his stomach.

He was catching all sorts of luck today, because Syd had insisted she go and check on Carmy, as he was supposed to be at work today but hadn’t said a word- and that was nothing like him.

She got the extra key from Nat, and told her she would go check because ‘Pregnant women have by nature weaker immune systems’ and would blame herself if she ‘let Carmen get her sick’, so she convinced Sugar to let her go by herself.

When Sydney had opened the door, the first thing that greeted her was loads of empty Gatorade bottles on the coffee table near the couch, and a random French cooking show playing on the tv.

“Carm?” She calls, but when she saw one of his feet sticking out from the bathroom, she dropped her bag and ran, gasping when she saw him splayed out there in a puddle of vomit, looking sickly pale, with dark blue lips and fingertips.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF!” She shrieked, getting him on his side as fast as she could and quickly pushing the emergency button on her phone, putting the call on speaker and setting it to the bathroom counter.

“Carmen? CARMEN! Wake up!” She slapped his arm, shaking him violently. “Carmen! Oh- oh god.” She said nervously.

‘911 do you need fire, medical, or police?’ The woman at the other end says.

“Medical! Medical my friend- oh god Carmen” she shakes his shoulders.

“Okay what’s your emergency?” The operator asks

“Uhh- I- he’s- so he’s thrown up, he’s passed out, his pulse is weak- he- his lips- t-they’re blue. oh Carmy” she touches his cold clammy forehead. “He- he’s- he’s cold oh my god why is he COLD can you fucking send someone Jesus Christ!” Sydney snaps angrily.

“Okay- it sounds like he is having an opioid crisis ma’am, do you have narcan available?” The operator asked her and Syds heart drops.

“No- what? No! He- he wouldn’t- his brother- he…get here!” She said frantically and quickly told her the address of Carmen’s apartment complex.

“Yes, yes you’re calling on an Iphone, ma’am - we have your exact coordinates. Just in case - do not try to make him throw up more, make sure his airway is clear- what is your name?” The woman asked her.

“Sydney- my name is fucking Sydney - but it doesn’t matter! He matters! My god! His name is Carmen- C-Carmen fucking Berzatto! Put that in your notes lady! He- he’s 31- where the fuck is the ambulance?!” She uses all of her strength to get him leaned up against the counter.

His vomit was getting everywhere, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t find a way to care, the only thing that mattered to her was that each breath Carmy was taking looked more and more difficult.

“They are en route! Remain calm, how long have you known this friend?” The Operator tried to distract Sydney, since there was only so much you could do for an OD patient if there was no narcan.

“He- he’s my…my partner we run a restaurant together. This doesn’t matter! Save him. Please! I can’t loose him!” She said, shaking his shoulders.

“Carmen! You fucking asshole! What did you do!!!” She shouts at him. “You would never do this! What did you do!!!” She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, it didn’t matter though- Carmen wasn’t awake to see it.

No, Carmen was far, far away. Somewhere floating between life and death, he felt like he was being embraced in the warmest most comforting hug he’d ever felt, he’d never been more comfortable in his life.

But Syd, was in hell. Her own personal version of it. It felt like a lifetime before 2 paramedics came barreling into the bathroom, one of them holds Carmys head steady and the other sprays a full dosage of narcan in his nose.

Sydney stood in the corner near the shower, shaking hands cupping her face absolutely terrified.

Carmen was up now, nearly the second the paramedic hit the plunger release. He sits up with a gasp, eyes wide like a caged animal.

“What the fuck.” He mumbles, looking at both of them before meeting eyes with Syd.

“Syd?” He blinks a few times.

She lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding “you asshole” she grumbles, wiping her teary eyes.

“You’re home, you’re safe, you overdosed. Do you take opioids often?” The paramedic asked, putting a blood pressure cuff around Carmen’s arm.

“What? No- what the fuck don’t touch me!” Carmen snaps, ripping off the cuff and whipping it across the bathroom “stop- stop! Stop touching me- get away” he shouted angrily “I’m fine” he hissed.

“CARMEN!” Sydney barks, she’d never used that tone with him- so it was fair to say it very quickly got his attention.

“You will let them do their job, dick. I just- I- I find you in a puddle of your own vomit on the bathroom floor- I couldn’t wake you up! So now? you’re gonna listen to them.” She said angrily, grabbing the blood pressure cuff from next to her leg where it fell and handing it back to the paramedic.

“Give him your arm.” She snipped.

Carmen sits back against the bathroom wall like a dog being scolded, wordlessly offering his arm to the paramedic and keeping his gaze fixed on his lap.

“192 over 96” the paramedic told the other.

“Christ kid” the paramedic said, “gave you a fuckin dose of narcan and y’wired like y’re on coke” they helped him up and on the gurney.

“Hes- he’s gonna be okay?” Sydney asked anxiously, watching as they buckled him in by his hips and legs.

“He's gonna be fine in a day or so.” One of them responded. Carmen just looked away, the shame and embarrassment already looming over his mind like a huge storm cloud.

“I’m gonna…I’ll- I’ll clean up, and meet you at the hospital, ok? And I’ll have sugar meet you” she told Carmen and went over, giving him a hug.

He couldn’t understand. It made him slightly angry how sweet she was being to him. He was putting her out, he was fully fucking up her whole day- but all she was worried about was him.

“Syd..I’m fine. Thanks. But I’m fine. Don't- just…ugh no- please- I’ll do it. Just go- go home. take the day” He said, gently patting her back.

He wanted to throw his arms around her and never let go, he wanted to kiss her- he wanted to hold her and tell her he would never leave her again. He wanted to tell her he loved her.

But he didn’t. He wouldn’t, and he wasn’t sure if he ever would, or could for that matter, since he didn’t even realize yet that was what the feeling in his heart really meant.

“Thank god. Thank god you’re fine, Carm. What would I do without the biggest pain in my ass?” She teased.

Even though Carmen was hurting all over in a way he didn’t realize was possible, his lungs were aching, as was his entire body, and he felt as if the pressure behind his eyes were going to make them pop out - he smiled. It was slight, of course. But it was there.

“Couldn’t get rid’a’me if y’tried, Syd.” he told her.

The ride to the hospital was Carmen’s nightmare. They insisted on the stupid flashing lights and sirens, since his blood pressure was ‘dangerously high’ so he was at risk for a heart attack, and then rolling him out on a stretcher in front of all his neighbors was nothing short of a god damn dumpster fire.

He was never home, but like hell he’d ever intentionally show his face during the day again.

The hospital was even worse, he got plugged in to all these monitors and had an oxygen mask, got poked and prodded with needles, and was told he was being put on a 24 hour psych hold per hospital policy after an overdose- just in case he’d been trying to end his own life.

Sugar got there shortly after the nurses had finally let him be, when he heard her loudly telling them “CARMEN! BERZATTO! Like bear! B-e-r-z-a-t-t-o!!! Where IS HE !” He ripped off the oxygen mask, knowing if she saw him that way he’d never live it down.

Even though it really was helping ease the ache in his lungs and the pain in his head, he was willing to deal with it for his very pregnant sister not to worry.

Her heels click as she storms down the hall to his room, ripping the curtain back.

“Oh- Bear” she said, bursting into tears and rushing up to him, hugging him tightly. “Oh my god, bear. Never do that! What did you do? No- no- you aren’t in trouble, you aren’t in trouble, Carmen. I love you. You just worried me! You made Sydney cry Carmy! What the fuck- what happened?” She cupped his cheeks, observing his exhausted face.

“Oh you’re sick- you’re so sick- Carmy” she felt his forehead and cheeks with the back of her hand like she did when they were kids. “It was an accident, right, right Bear? You wouldn’t do this?” She said, more pleading him than asking.

“No. No. No sug, no- I- I’d never. I just fucked up! I’m fine. I’m fine. C’mere” he hugs her close, kissing her head gently. “Stress isn’t good for the baby bear” he joked, hoping it would get her to lighten up.

“Carmy stop” she pushed away, looking at him seriously. “No. No. This isn’t okay- nothing - nothing about this is okay, bear! You almost died! Syd said- “ she shook her head. “Carmy. I- we can’t do this. We can’t. You’re right.” She sniffled, sitting back in the chair next to his hospital bed and wiping her tears.

“What- what do you mean?” He sat up a bit.

“I- if you….i can’t watch you like this anymore, Carmy. I can’t- I can’t see you wither away. Fucking emotionally anymore. It’s killing me. It’s hurting-“ she took a shaking breath.

“It’s hurting your niece. Carmen. I can’t do it anymore. here.” She dug around her purse, pulling out a brochure.

“Go- go. Get out of fucking Chicago, Carm. This place- I-i heard of it” she sniffled “its stupid-“ she laughed a bit, shaking her head. “So stupid, fuckin this..this Astrologer. She said in her podcast that this is the best place to go based on the location? I dunno…it’s a therapy place” she said.

Carmen looked at the Brochure, his brows raising.

‘Blue Lotus Trauma Therapy Rehabilitation Center’ the front contained photos of absolutely breathtaking pine trees, mountains, as well as red cabins.

‘Blue Lotus is tucked safely away on Big Bear Lake in Big Bear, CA. Come and experience an inpatient by day, outpatient by night 30 day program, along with 15 days of sole inpatient TF-CBT therapy, focused on your direct needs as a patient. We specialize here at Big Bear in Equestrian Therapy, and Cattle Therapy. Enjoy hiking on hundreds of miles of breathtaking trails, and get to know the stunning haven that is Big Bear, California.’

“Horses.” Carmen looks at her, unwavered.

“Yes! They say they like- get us or something? You’ll be back before I give birth. Go. Carmen. Go. Or- or I can’t work there, anymore it-“ she shakes her head, looking down at her swollen belly as hot thick tears stream down her cheeks. “It’s like watching Michael…again. In a different way” she said quietly, wiping her face and looking up at him once again. “Please.” She whispered.

He shook his head, setting the stupid brochure down on the bedside table and laying back in the bed, grabbing the oxygen since his head was beginning to pound again and putting it back over his face, averting her worried gaze.

“I don’t have the energy to call these people” he muttered, closing his eyes and resting his head back, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

“I- I already got you a bed. I called them…on the way over- I begged them. And they are willing to take you, Carmy. Please. I’ll pick your cabin and everything - you- you stay in a cabin after the 15 days and then for 30 you go back and forth. It sounds so nice, bear. I know they’re gonna take such good care of you think about it- please- will you go?” she got up, pulling him into a hug.

“Thank you” she whispered after a few moments when he didn’t decline her.

Carmen didn’t reply. If Sugar really thought that stupid place would make him ‘change’ (if that was even possible) and if she really felt as if it was affecting her child that was growing inside of her- he would give it a try. Even though he felt as if it would be just another money pit in the name of ‘mental health’ that didn’t do a thing.

“There’s dead man walkin’!” Richie said, Syd following in behind him.

“Stop! Don’t call him that Richie it was scary!” Syd shoves his shoulder.

Carmen grabbed the brochure, quickly tucking it under the blanket.

“Fuck you, cousin” Carmy said, his voice all nasally and low from his flu or whatever the fuck he’d picked up, that had led him to giving himself a cocktail of meds that almost sent him to Michael prematurely by total mistake.

“Carmen is leaving. As soon as he’s released. So- get your time in he won’t be home for a month or two” Sugar said and sat down, not budging on the issue.

Carm just rolled his eyes, laying his head back and wanting to melt into a puddle on the floor, but at the same time, he also wanted to pull Syd into the stupidly small hospital bed, and hold her to him, never letting her go.

“You are?” Syd asked, coming to his bedside and meeting his gaze.

He just stared at her. Wordlessly, he pulled out the crumpled brochure and offered it to her. She took it, looking at it. Richie comes over as well, peeking over Syd’s shoulder to read.

“Equestrian therapy? Gonna go play with some horsies Carm?” He teased, his smugness being wiped off his face when Syd stomps on his foot with most of her weight, causing him to whine in pain.

“Woops! Maybe you should learn some personal fucking space asshole” she shoved back in to him so he would take a few steps back.

“Ow!” He said dramatically, plopping next to Sugar who was also glaring at him with equal fire.

“Okay- okay- sorry fuckin hell. The kid is fine” he said and Carmen motions to him.

“See! See! Jagoff is right sometimes” he said to Syd and she shook her head.

“This…is good. This is really good. I’m for this.” She said, looking at Sugar before handing the brochure back to him. “I’m… gonna miss you, but…you need to get the fuck out. Like really, out, Carm.” She told him.

He sighed deeply, resting his head back and closing his eyes once more.

Whatever will make Syd happy, he would do, no matter the amount of discomfort it brought him.

“Fine.” He mumbled.

“Really?” Sugar asked him and he looked over at her, brows slightly furrowed.

“Want me to fuckin fight you about it?” He snipped, already annoyed with how easy he was giving in- but he was too exhausted to fight, and Syds lavender perfume was so comforting, and so familiar. He just wanted everyone except Syd to leave, and to be able to hold her.

That wasn’t going to happen though, probably ever was what he’d told himself. No, that would be too good, the universe would be much too kind to Carmy as to let him have the ultimate pleasure and enjoyment that would come from being with her in that way.

“No…no. I’m sorry. Thank you, Bear. I know this is gonna be good” Sugar said quietly.

The doctor came in, saving Carmen from the uncomfortable conversation. “Hello again, Mr.Berzatto. I have your results here- is this okay company? If not I can have them step out for a moment” she’d said.

Carmen had already completely forgotten her name, her name to him was simple - not Claire. Which was the only good thing to happen to him today.

“As long as I’m not dying cause these two will pitch a fit. You can go ahead” he said, sitting up slightly in the bed.

“No, no. you are very healthy, well- for the most part. Does your family have a history of high blood pressure?” She asked, sitting in the rolling chair next to the bed and holding her tablet in her lap.

“Dad. Dad did, bear.” Sugar said.

“Oh! Lovely- and did dad also have chronic treatment resistant depression?” The doctor turns to her.

“I- I don’t know but…I know he was depressed for sure.” Sugar replied honestly.

“And I know per your file you’re a smoker, heavy or moderate?” The doctor asked

“Heavy” Syd buts in and Carmen didn’t even have the energy to fight either of the women.

“So heavy is a pack plus a day does that sound average?” The doctor asked Carmy and he nods a bit.

“Sometimes…sometimes two. Depending on uh…how shit is” he cleared his throat.

“Yeah, so we’re gonna need to reduce as much as we possibly can. And we’re also going to speak about treatment options. Have you ever done mental therapy?” She asked Carmen.

“He’s getting help. Don’t worry” Sugar said, “he’s going to do a therapy program. Blue lotus? Heard of it?” She asked.

The doctor nods with a slight smile. “That would be wonderful for you, by the looks of your chart.” She got up.

“Visiting hours are over at 10 pm, he will need to remain here until at least 1 pm tomorrow afternoon- then he’s yours.” She headed towards the door, shutting the privacy curtain behind her before closing the door.

Richie chuckled “hack job name” he muttered, rubbing his face tiredly.

“What was her name?” Sugar looked over at him.

“Doctor Ginseng?” He said, “isn’t that a- a fuckin-“

“A root. A very expensive, luxurious root. It can be put into tea, or soup…the native people of China believe it has properties that make your body better deal with stress” Syd said absentmindedly, staring at the clock while nervously twirling the end of one of her braids.

“She got it” Carm said and the corners of his lips tugged into a smile, just a bit. He absolutely adored the way if Syd wasn’t beating him to the punch when someone asked a random food question- that she was teaching him something.

Even after years in the kitchen, the hundreds of hours watching cooking shows, Sydney still managed to teach him. He was utterly amazed by her every single day.

“That’s a good idea. I- I think we have some. Back at the restaurant. All the stuff here will be shit- I’m gonna make you tea. And soup.” she got up, grabbing her bag. “Don’t fucking die when I’m gone, Kay? Guess you need that reminder now” she told him.

He rolled his eyes slightly “Y’don’t have t’fuckin make me tea Syd. I’m fine.” He said, but something deep inside him yearned for Syd to take care of him. He craved it.

“I’m making the tea, and you’re drinking the tea. Be back soon” she said before heading out.

Sydney had stuffed Carm full of pastina chicken soup and warm ginseng tea with lemon, ginger root, and plenty of local honey. As well as sourdough bread that Marcus had made fresh that morning.

They sat and talked, just the two of them for hours until visiting hours were over. The nurse had to actually warn them both that she’d told them 4 times already it was past visiting hours and she ‘wasn’t afraid to have people removed’ before Sydney finally hugged Carmy goodbye and left.

They both took his leaving for 45 days extremely serious. They’d joked together about just how quickly and casually Sugar had whipped out the information, all put together so neatly - it was quite obvious she’d been waiting for an opportunity to ship Carmen off here.

They laughed a bit, and shared stories, and of course Carm answered any and every question Syd had about running the restaurant on her own while he was going to be away.

Syd had even pulled a chair up to the bed at one point, resting her legs across the mattress after taking her shoes off, and her legs were draped across his own. He didn’t dare say anything, though. He was relishing in the feeling of closeness with her, even if it was as close as they’d ever be.

Syd had actually made him so excited that the nurse had come in when she first came back and Carmy realized they’d be alone, to realize he was perfectly fine- his heart had just settled at a new pace since she was around.

He was feeling worlds better by the time he’d gotten to the airport on Sunday morning. He’d spent the rest of Saturday evening at Sugars after he’d been discharged from the hospital, and had one last close family meal with Syd, Richie, Nat, and Pete, well, Pete was a must - he couldn’t uninvite the man from his own house, unfortunately.

Carmen would be in a hotel in Big Bear, California by nightfall, and by the following morning he’d be starting his 15 day inpatient stint at ‘Blue Lotus Trauma Therapy Rehabilitation Center’ tucked away on a farm, in a dip of Big Bear Lake. How fitting.

The parking lot of the airport was full of tears, not from Carmy- of course, but a very tearful Sugar, who’d conveniently spent the rest of his hospital stay packing him 2 weeks of clothes to cycle through, explaining phones were allowed- but they gave the toiletries, since it was a mental health center after all.

She kept hugging him, kissing his cheeks- as if she was sending him to war and not a fucking treatment center. “Is there…somethin’ I’m missing- am I never coming back er somethin are you selling me to some weird chef collector?” Carmen teased, getting at least a small giggle from her.

“God no. I just… this will work Carmy. It has to work. You’ll get better, okay? It’ll all be fine.” She wiped her face. He nodded a bit.

“It’ll work.” He said, he wasn’t sure if he believed it- but if it got her to stop feeling so sad, he would agree.

“I love you, be safe ok?” She said for the millionth time “and remember look at your phone I sent you-“

“The flight number, Nat. I love you. Thank you again” he kissed her cheek, grabbing his suitcase and opening his texts, clicking his flight number she sent him.

“Gate D11! Thank you Nat. Gotta go now- unless…” he teased.

She smiled a bit, finally. “Get out of Chicago.” She pat his arm gently and got back in the car to a waiting Pete.

The flight was okay, it felt much longer than he was expecting, but his anxiety told him a lot of things- he couldn’t trust minute things such as time and how he understands it anymore. The first thing he noticed upon landing was the stunning green, and the crisp air.

The air felt…cleaner, then Chicago. It was chilly- since fall was quickly approaching. Carmen was suddenly grateful Nat had him put on a hoodie before leaving this afternoon. He had the entire evening to explore, and not be himself.

He already was feeling some kind of new. He wasn’t here to work, definitely not to play, but he could enjoy himself, because he didn’t have to be him. At least not for the night. He opened the Uber app on his phone, booking a trip to the hotel to check in.

When he’d gotten to the hotel and showered, dressing in some vintage Levi’s and a white long sleeve in trade for his short sleeve, along with his favorite plaid jacket. He had to get somewhere to see how people live here, how to be apart here, so he didn’t stick out like a sore thumb at this rehab place.

He’d grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulders and opened Apple Maps on his phone, looking for a park to go sit at and just be. He found a park close by, simply called ‘BearHill Park’ and following the walking directions.

He’d missed his ventures to various parks in New York, but especially in Copenhagen. Copenhagen had the most beautiful sunsets Carmen had ever seen before. He missed it sometimes, not the work, but the life. It felt worlds more simple then his life now, where every relationship, every aspect of his job- was dripping with difficulty to manage it all.

When he got to the park, he’d found an oak tree that looked well over 200 years old, getting situated under it and resting against the trunk, taking out a cigarette and lighting it.

He watched a couple and a baby walking by, carefully though as he’d learned quickly as a child most people don’t take kindly to being looked at for more then a few moments at a time. But Carmen didn’t watch people in an odd way, of course. He was just wanting to observe, see how he should be. And in a place so new, so out of his ordinary all by himself, it was gonna take a lot of observing to get himself readjusted.

He watched as the father pushed the carriage along, the mother holding his hand happily. They were far away so he couldn’t hear what they were speaking about, but it must be funny because their heads were tilted back in laughter multiple points throughout the conversation as they continued on.

He continued on his cigarette, his eyes now finding a younger couple. He sat up a bit, leaning further against the tree to get a better look. From behind, the woman reminded him a lot of Syd, of course it wasn’t- but it was also the way her boyfriend or- husband- Carmen wasn’t emotionally advanced enough to look for a ring, he’d never needed to before.

It was how his arms were covered in tattoos, and his hair was a muss of dirty blonde curls like his. It was how the woman was beautifully tall, with stunning long black braids, and a floral scarf tied around the top of her head. She was much more…boisterous then Syd, but none the less. They looked like them in another world.

So not only, has this other man, found his Syd, the universe was determined to rub Carmen’s nose in it, or that’s how he took it, anyhow.

He scoffed a bit, rolling his eyes and looking the other way. Of course. He thought. Everyone can be happy but me. I’m headed to adult crazy camp! And those two are just, fuckin happy and in love.

The girl laughed loudly, causing Carmen to look back over. “CAMREN!” She squeaked as he tickled her. “Cam! Stop- I-I can’t breathe!! You asshole” she punched his shoulder playfully.

“Do you give up?! Say it!!!” The man countered, continuing the assault on her sides.

“No- NO! This- this is cheating!” She said, interrupted by her own laughs.

“Cheating?! No, I'm getting what’s rightfully mine Scarlett!” He pinned her arms above her head.

Carmen now looked away. He couldn’t help but think of Syd while watching them, and think of everything he was too pussy to pull off. He wished he could take Syd somewhere like this, but who would run the restaurant, and why would she say yes.

He’d finished his cigarette by the time the couple had left and he took out his sketchbook and the pen that lived inside of it. He looked at the recipe on his phone Syd had sent ‘Farro Mafaldine with browned Black Truffle Butter and Chanterelles mushrooms’

He had tried it for her, and he actually told her he wanted another bite to be sure he was ‘getting everything’ when really- it was just so fantastic he couldn’t stop at one single bite.

“Syd that is…wow. Really, really fuckin fire. If it weren’t for the mushroom, we’d need that on the permanent menu. Have you tried others?” He’d asked.

Syd just smiled and nodded, a lot of times she was around Carmen- she thanked god for her darker complexion, considering he made her feel overly hot, all the time. Nearly every time he spoke to her, and she wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t always this way. But ever since they opened the restaurant together- things had changed between them. Not for better, not for worse, the energy just… shifted.

Carmen got lost in thought of Syd, and before he could realize what he was doing- he was drawing her. He rested his elbow on his knee, crouched over as he added details to each intricate little braid. It was one of Carmen’s favorite things about Sydney.

No matter how she wore her hair, she looked absolutely beautiful. The braids, he did have to admit, were his favorite. Maybe it was because it was how her hair was when they met, but they interested him. He wanted to sit and watch her doing them. She told him a while back, she did them herself.

Apparently, her mother wasn’t able to teach her- but she had cousins that could. She says it was usually much more expensive to have it done then just do it yourself, that part made sense to him. He was really impressed the first time he told her, she laughed a bit at that.

‘Most of us do our own hair, I mean- unless you got it like that. But otherwise, just like the white girls we have to do it on our own’ Carmen blushed, feeling silly for not realizing.

‘Yeah- yeah I..I get that but. I dunno…I’ve seen Sug do her hair…it seems easier” he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

‘Oh, well yeah, that’s why I only do mine every 6 weeks!’ She’d said, wiping down the counter.

‘Really? Well that’s cool. I thought you like…I dunno.’ He chuckled a bit.

‘That I went home, took out 200 plus braids, and then put them all back in before I come in every day?’ She teased.

Now Carmen’s cheeks were bright red. ‘Okay- listen I’m not a girl. I wouldn’t know’

Carmen caught himself smiling at the memory. He looked up at the setting sky, and his heart fluttered a bit at the beauty of it. He’d realized he’d sat there now for probably 5 hours, his back was aching, but he didn’t care.

He didn’t care because this was the most at peace he’d felt since moving back to the states. And he was alone. He snapped a photo of the gorgeous sunset with his phone, hitting the send button and hovering over Syds name for a moment, before deciding to click it.

She did tell him to text her when she got settled in after all.

In CA - this place lives up to the name. Never seen so many bear statues in my life.

He sends the text, with the photo attached, not even realizing the photo had been a live capture, and you could fully see the drawing of Syd for half a second if you held the photo down.

He put his phone back in his pocket, continuing on his drawing. Back in Chicago, Syd was very glad that she was working today- because the only thing on her mind otherwise was one single person.

“Okay guys! I need some hands here- we got 3 dishes for table 13 let’s move! Keep up the pace!” She called out. She had already been here 12 hours, and wasn’t planning on being out for another 6.

It was just how Sydney operated - she couldn’t sit and worry about Carmen. It would just unearth emotions she didn’t want to go searching for, and once they came up she was worried it would ruin absolutely everything she’d worked so hard to maintain.

And back across the country, 2,000 miles away, Carmen was contently packing his backpack, getting up, and heading to a small diner he’d seen. He enjoyed a quiet burger to himself, in the corner booth, looking out the window at the water.

The place truly was beautiful, and very hidden away. There were barely any cars here, it was fully the opposite of anywhere he’d stayed long term, and he was beginning to feel as if he needed that, he wouldn’t admit that to sugar, though.

He’d gone back to his hotel, taken a shower, gotten in his pajamas, and was laid in bed, watching some random cooking show on the food network since the TV unfortunately didn’t have YouTube like his did.

When Sydney had seen the photo, she almost didn’t realize it was live at first. She was also at home, finally in bed- but she was 2 hours ahead of Carmen- so instead of it being 11 pm- it was 1 am. She’d scrubbed the restaurant floor until she was sure someone could eat off it, and made sure every station was in perfect condition before returning home.

She laid in bed with sore hands, a sore back, and sore knees, and sore- well, everything. When she finally had checked her phone and seen it. She smiled a bit at the comment about the bear statues, clicking the photo open to see more.

It was a breathtaking sunset for sure. She went to close the photo, her thumb lingering because she saw a speck of white in the corner- and the photo started moving. For just a short moment she sees…. Herself? On the page of Carmen’s sketchbook.

She could feel her heart thumping in her throat. Why would he be drawing her? Unless- no! Keep the emotions buried! He is sick. He is so depressed- treatment resistant depression the doctor had said his chart showed.

She swallowed thickly, not sure what to say back. Should she just ignore it? Should she mention it boldly? Should she just…forget about it and convince herself it didn’t happen?

She typed and retyped the message multiple times, smiling to herself a bit as she jokingly typed out ‘pretty sunset, even prettier drawing.’ Before deleting it and retyping before hitting send;

fire sunset. so I take it big bear is treating the bear well so far?

Carmen looked at the message right away, smiling to himself a bit. She’d never called him bear before, something about it made his heart begin to race.

According to Nat, bear+big bear = depression gone, I’ll let you know in a few days if that's the truth.

He wasn’t sure about the whole equestrian therapy thing still, but he did know that being here seemed to allow him to breathe a little easier- and he was already here, so he would try.

The first 5 days in the inpatient program were…quite the adjustment. That was because it was what he learned was the most intensive part of the treatment, and meant to break down your walls by setting you in a hard routine so you had no choice but to think about your shit.

This included a wake-up time of 6 am, the lights in his inpatient room literally turned on, then at 7:30 was breakfast, then- at 8 am they had 1 hour of either equestrian class, which you learned how to begin caring for the horses, or an hour of tending to the cows - Carmen chose the Horses because he was not going to shovel cow shit.

Then, you had a therapy class of your choice from 9-11:30, he chose art therapy. It didn’t feel like therapy to him, they got to draw, or paint. Carmen just sat by the window, drawing different recipes - or, more often than not, drawing Syd from memory.

12:00 was lunch, 12:30-2:00 you had mandatory either equestrian therapy, or cattle therapy. Carmen was more drawn towards the cattle on hard days, and the horses on easier ones. This was because the hour of 3-4 was mandatory group therapy. That usually emotionally drained him until at least art therapy the following day, since to progress and complete the program- you need ‘participation points’ in your 15 day inpatient stay, before you’re trusted to be on your almost fully on your own for a whole 30 days.

The horses were usually nervous around new people, so it was a challange to get them to trust him. While the cows, people in the group joked- were ‘giant grass puppies’ the therapy consisted of literally just laying with the lazy cows and cuddling them, and feeding them snacks, which they very much enjoyed, and Carmen found to be very soothing once he learned to douse himself in bug spray before heading in the pen so the flys would be out of his way.

Then, dinner was at 5, and afterwards you had the evening to yourself in your room, or you could walk the trails until they closed at sunset. In your room you could watch tv, read, and the residents were also allowed to have their cellphones.

It was quite exhausting the first 5 days, but the second 5 he was getting into a groove at Blue Lotus. He was beginning to enjoy the hard manual work that came with working with the animals, and the time it took to build their trust. There was one particular horse Carmen had become fond of, a white horse named Stardust. Perfect name for her.

When he looked in her eyes she felt more human then most people he met in real life. She was different then the other horses. He’d been told that she rarely took to men, and that he was the only male she’d never need startled by. He always took extra time brushing her mane, and they both seemed to appreciate eachothers silence.

Carmen heard other people in stalls next to him, they would talk to the horses- dump their issues they were too afraid to tell their therapists out on them. He wondered if the horses ever got annoyed, he probably would if he was a horse. He smiled a bit at the thought, and it was almost as if Stardust could tell what he was thinking, because she turned her head and looked at him before snorting almost in agreement and sticking her head back out of the stall.

Getting into outpatient life at lotus though, was as easy as falling into bed for Carmen. His inpatient stay, he made sure to take the time in the evenings to learn his favorite quiet trails, the ones less taken usually, so when he graduated to outpatient - he could take stardust for rides on his own.

It took them about 3 days to get to know each other in that regard, it was mostly Carmen’s fault though he realized, because when he’d get nervous he’d pull on her reigns in such a way that she thought he meant for her to go faster - when it was the opposite. But, Stardust was so, so patient with Carmen.

He made sure to sneak her extra apples with a small drizzle of honey in return, so she knew her patience with him always came with great reward.

Carmen had been gone for about a month now, he and Syd would text intermittently, sugar was sure to call once a week and they’d talk for about an hour. But it was mostly quiet from Carmen’s end, he had told them it was because he was usually out, all day long unless he was at therapy.

It was day 19 of the outpatient part of the program, so he had just 11 days left. He had just finished his morning art therapy, and was in the stables tending to stardust, feeding her slices of pumpkin they’d had in the snack bucket for the horses today. “Come onnn- the tongue, really star” he wipes his wet hand on his jeans and she nudged his shoulder with his nose, asking for more.

“You are greedy! I’m always the first one in here y’gotta leave some for the rest of these guys!” He grabbed another piece of pumpkin, feeding it to her.

“And this is our horse stable, he spends a lot of time out here” Carmen heard one of the employees likely giving someone a tour, only half listening.

Stardust snorts at him, nudging his chest and he rubs her neck gently. “What is it? Y’done? Pumpkin not good enough for ya? No honey apples until after our ride or Y’don’t listen missy” he pats her head gently.

“I didn’t take you for a horse guy but I guess drop anyone off in the middle of nowhere and you’d be surprised. 34 days and you went full fuckin’ cowboy on me- are those boots, Carm? ” An all too familiar voice said from the large open sliding door of the stable He looked at stardust for a moment, he must be dreaming, or ODing again. Maybe he died, and had been dead the entire time. Because there was no way he could believe Sydney Adamu was standing behind him, 2000 miles away from their shared city, in Big Bear, California.

➵ 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 ♡♡♡ ⋙

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tip-top-cloud-surfer · 1 year

Text

The Love Game - Hangman and ?

Pairing: Hangman / Fem! Reader (Glitch) (Unrequited); Hangman / OC (Haley); Fem!Reader (Glitch) / Mystery Dagger

Word Count: 3.5k

This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ Only

Warnings: Unrequited Love; Angst; Emotional Angst; One-Sided Relationship; ‘He’s in Love with Someone Else’ Trope; Female Reader with a Callsign (Glitch), No Y/N, No Physical Description, Third Person POV; No Physical Description of any OCs

Summary: Glitch has been in love with Hangman for years but he’s getting married to another woman.

Master List

“I’m getting married.”

Glitch froze in her seat, staring at Hangman with wide eyes. When Hangman said that he wanted to take them out for drinks for some special announcement, she assumed that he got a promotion or something like that. Marriage? Hangman was getting married?

Beside Glitch, Coyote was similarly shocked, but he seemed to snap out of his stupor first.

“Congrats, man,” Coyote stated, clapping Hangman on the shoulder. “We’re so happy for you.”

Coyote smiled, though he was shooting worried glances out of the corner of his eye in Glitch’s direction. Why? Because Coyote knew that Glitch may or may not have been slightly—read: heavily—in love with Hangman. When Glitch didn’t speak, Coyote moved to fill the silence again.

“So, how did you propose?”

“I did it on the beach. In front of the sunset. There was a whole bunch of people mingling around and she, of course, said yes, and they all started clapping and everything,” Hangman explained proudly, his usual proud disposition shining through. “And hell, she gave me one hell of a kiss out there.”

“You’re getting married?” Glitch asked Hangman quietly, like she was stuck in the past five minutes.

“Yeah, Glitch, I’m getting married,” Hangman laughed, nudging her with his elbow. Noting the lack of color on Glitch’s face, Hangman leaned over a little bit more towards her with a suddenly serious expression. “You alright?”

“Yeah, I think I just . . . ate too much dairy this morning,” Glitch lied pathetically, trying to compose herself. Shifting in her seat, she turned back to Hangman. “You’ve known her for what? Six months? And for half of that, we were all deployed. Are you really sure that this is a good idea? I mean, has she even met most of your whole family? Have you met most of hers?”

“You’re the one who told me that when you know, you know,” Jake reminded Glitch, taking a casual sip from his beer and missing her wince. “And I feel it in my heart that Haley’s the one for me. I know it’s a little fast, but we can catch up on steps later on down the line.”

“Okay,” Glitch replied softly, nodding along, and forcing a smile. “Then, I’m really happy for you, Jake.”

“I knew you’d come around,” Hangman mused, nudging Glitch in the side. “Hey, why don’t I buy us another round? And actually celebrate?”

Hangman walked off to the bar, leaving Coyote and Glitch by themselves at the table. Glitch reached for her beer that she had barely taken a sip from and slowly tipped it towards her lips. Coyote watched her with concern as she proceeded to chug the beer down to the last drop, never once slowing down. Setting the empty bottle down on the table, Glitch turned to look over at Coyote.

“Don’t feel bad for me, Javy,” she whispered, covering her mouth as a burp forced its way up. “I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Coyote asked, gesturing to her now empty beer.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’s not like he was mine to lose in the first place,” Glitch muttered bitterly, dropping her head again.

“Hey, I forgot to ask, but did you guys want to be in the wedding party?” Hangman asked, walking back over with three cold beers. “Coyote, you’re my first pick for best man.”

“I’d be offended if I wasn’t,” Coyote stated with a smirk and nod.

“And, Glitch, Haley was wondering if you’d be one of her bridesmaids,” Hangman offered to Glitch, who had to force a smile even though she felt like she was dying on the inside. “You know, since you’re like the only woman that I’m not related to that has managed to put up with me for so long.”

“I’d be honored,” Glitch replied, forcing another smile. “Thanks, Hangman.”

“Anytime.”

~~~~~

Glitch stayed to the back of the group as they walked around the wedding shop. Haley, Hangman’s fiancée, and two of her friends invited Glitch along to help them pick out wedding invitations and the other small details that Jake said he didn’t need to be consulted on. He even said that with Glitch there, his opinion was represented well enough be.

Glitch walked around the store, staying close enough to Haley and her friends to hear their conversation, but far enough away that she wasn’t concerned with how loud her thoughts were. A salesperson approached Haley and started asking all kinds of questions about the wedding, Jake, and everything else in between.

Glitch stopped in front of a simple invitation and picked it up. Running her finger down the thick paper and smiling to herself at the simple joke on the card that she knew Jake would love, Glitch flipped it over to read the back of the invitation.

“Do you like that one, Glitch?” Haley asked, walking over to where Glitch was standing.

“Oh, yeah, I guess.” Handing it over to Haley, Glitch fiddled nervously with her purse. “I saw the joke and thought that Jake would find it hilarious.”

“Really?” Haley questioned, not sounding at all rude, just surprised. A little more surprised than the woman who was marrying Jake in a few short months should have been, but it wasn’t Glitch’s place to notice that. “I really do like the font though. And this little part here, that’s so cute.”

“We have ribbon that matches the color scheme that you were considering,” the salesperson spoke up, walking over to them.

“Perfect! Thank you! I’ll take a hundred fifty, please,” Haley stated, handing the invitation over to the salesperson. “And thanks for the find, Glitch.”

“Of course,” Glitch breathed out, trying to keep her voice level. “Anytime.”

~~~~~

They went to pick out flowers next and Glitch tried to just stay out of the way. She didn’t want to overstep and start telling Haley what she knew that Jake would like. She was just here for additional support, and so, she would just trail behind Haley and her friends.

“Ooh, what if I added some of these to the bouquets?” Haley suggested, picking up some baby’s breath. “That would complete them perfectly!”

“That looks amazing, Haley,” one of her friends added, nodding along supportively.

“Um,” Glitch spoke up softly, causing Haley and her friends to turn around. “They look beautiful, Haley, they really do. But . . . Jake’s allergic to baby’s breath. They make him sneeze like crazy.”

“Oh, shit, you’re right,” Haley gasped, dropping the baby’s breath back into the container that she plucked it from. “Good catch, Glitch!”

“Of course,” Glitch replied quietly, folding her hands in front of her. “I think that they look beautiful with the other flowers that you picked out.”

“Yeah, let’s not overcomplicate it,” one of Haley’s friends agreed, inspecting the bouquet that they already put together.

“Great! Let’s get them ordered and grab a drink!” Haley suggested peppily, grabbing the bouquet.

Silently trailing behind Haley and her friends, Glitch studied the flowers in the pots lining the store. Stopping in front of a collection of daisies, Glitch remembered the stories that Jake would tell her about how his dad always brought his mom daisies and how the flowers were always found around the Seresin house on special occasions.

Glitch gently suggested them, but Haley and her friends went in a different direction. And that was fine. It was Haley’s wedding and Jake didn’t show up to tell her about the daisies, so Glitch would leave it be. Squatting down at bit, Glitch inspected the delicate petals of one of the daisies.

She always thought that the daises would look beautiful as part of a flower crown. Perhaps as a headpiece for a bride. Something simple and natural, but yet so beautiful and delicate that would compliment the white of her veil and dress.

“Glitch, you coming?” Haley called, breaking Glitch out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, sorry. I’ll be right there,” Glitch apologized, straightening up. And with one last glance back at the daisies, Glitch followed after Haley and her friends.

~~~~~

“Are you sure that you’re going to be alright?” Phoenix asked Glitch worriedly.

It was the rehearsal dinner before Hangman and Haley’s wedding and Phoenix and Glitch had taken up residence at the bar in the restaurant, away from the mess in the other room. No one had come looking for them yet and Glitch wasn’t going to move until someone did.

“I’m fine, Nix,” Glitch sighed, reaching for her drink. “I . . . I just . . . there’s a reason why grown adults shouldn’t get caught up in fairytales. Life isn’t a romcom.”

“Still, you’re allowed to be a little upset about it,” Phoenix stated, tapping her fingers on the bar top. “Hell, without you, there were a lot times that Hangman would have definitely fallen apart. And you’re one of about three people that he actually listens to.”

“I know,” Glitch replied softly, sipping at her drink. “Doesn’t change anything, though.”

“There you guys are,” Rooster huffed, walking over to them. “You left me to fend for myself!”

“You’re a big boy. You can handle yourself,” Phoenix mused, shaking her head at Rooster. “What? Can’t fend off two bridesmaids?”

“Not with their claws,” Rooster muttered, mocking the long nails that some of the bridesmaids got for the occasion. Shaking his head, Rooster’s expression softened as he turned to Glitch. “How’re you holding up?”

“I’m fine, okay? Would everyone stop asking me how I’m doing? The answer is fine,” Glitch groaned, dropping her head for a moment.

“Look, Hangman’s just blind,” Rooster stated, flagging down the bartender to order a beer. Turning back to Glitch, he leaned on the bar with a suggestive smirk. “But if you really want to get back at him, just call me. We can make out in the middle of the dance floor.”

“Oh, Rooster, you know just the right thing to say to make a girl feel better,” Glitch cooed sarcastically, patting him on the cheek. “But I’m all set.”

“Well, if I’m not to your taste, I’m sure that we can find someone else at this wedding who is,” Rooster stated, raising his eyebrows.

“I’m fine, Rooster. Don’t worry about me,” Glitch insisted, leaning back. “He’s getting married. That’s it. There’s nothing else to say or do about it.”

“Except move on,” Phoenix pointed out, earning a nod from Rooster.

“Yeah,” Glitch murmured, lost in her thoughts. “It’s time to move on.”

~~~~~

“I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!” the officiant proclaimed loudly.

Standing at the end of the line of bridesmaids, Glitch clapped along with the crowd as Hangman and Haley shared their first kiss as a married couple. Letting out a breath, she let the tension leave her body as she watched Jake and Haley walk down the aisle hand in hand.

The rest of the guests, including most of the Daggers save for Coyote and Glitch, moved onto the reception hall for cocktail hour while the wedding party headed for the outdoor set up for photos. Glitch smiled and posed for all of the photos that she was included in, itching to leave.

It wasn’t so much that she couldn’t emotionally stand to see Jake and Haley kissing and hugging and frolicking in that newly wed bliss. But more that she was itching to step forward. To step away from it. She didn’t really belong there with Haley’s friends. And that was fine. She didn’t need to. She was there to support Jake and she did it.

Now, she wanted to move on.

“Are you okay?” Coyote whispered to Glitch as they shuffled around for another photo.

“I’m fine. Just ready to go,” Glitch replied, tugging on the fabric of her dress as it stuck to her sweaty skin. “It’s hot as hell out here.”

After a few more snaps, the extended wedding party was released. Everyone got in a file and congratulated the couple before heading off to their cars. Glitch pulled up the end of the line and moved to greet Haley, but the bride beat her to it.

“Thank you so much for being apart of this!” Haley told Glitch, pulling her in for a tight hug. “I couldn’t have done it without all your help!”

“Anytime,” Glitch assured Haley, hugging her back briefly. “Congratulations.”

Haley released Glitch and moved to talk to one of her friends, letting Glitch move onto Jake, who shot her that same look that used to make her heart flutter out of her chest. And Glitch would have been lying to herself if she said that he still didn’t have some kind of effect on her. But she didn’t want to be that mopey, whiny girl who didn’t get the dream guy.

She wanted to leave with her head held high, friendship intact, and peace in her heart.

“Congrats, Jake,” she breathed out before he moved forward and pulled her up into a tight hug. Laughing as he lifted her off the ground briefly, Glitch hugged him back. “I’m happy for you.”

“Couldn’t have done it without you,” Jake replied, setting her back on the ground. “Really, Glitch.”

“I know,” she returned confidently, causing Jake to chuckle. “You take good care of her, Jake.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he promised, giving you a mock salute.

“Good,” Glitch responded, taking a deep breath. “I’ll see you at the reception then?”

“I’ll be there,” Jake promised with a nod before they parted ways.

Turning for the parking lot, Glitch let out the breath that she had been holding in for what felt like the whole day. It was over. Hangman was married to Haley. And that was it. It was time to move on. To move forward. With a smile creeping up her lips, Glitch strode down the hill with far less weight on her shoulders than were there when she arrived.

Glitch walked into the reception hall and made a beeline towards the bar, where the Dagger Squad were gathered. They quickly turned around and greeted her, welcoming her into the fold of support that she knew she would be lost without.

“Hell, I need a drink,” Glitch groaned jokingly, hopping up onto one of the barstools.

“Way ahead of you,” Fanboy stated, sliding her go-to drink across the bar top. “And we saved you some of these too.”

Glitch let out a thankful laugh and slid the small plate that Fanboy offered to her over along with her drink. There were some perks to being there when most of the decisions were made—she got to make sure that the food that she wanted to eat was actually at the wedding. Picking up one of the appetizers from the cocktail hour, Glitch shot Fanboy a smile.

“You’re a lifesaver, Fanboy,” she praised, moving to catch up on the food and drinks she missed.

“How are you doing??” Bob asked softly, sending Glitch a supportive expression.

“I’m doing good. Thanks for asking, Bob,” Glitch returned, reaching for her drink. “I’m just glad that it’s all wrapping up.”

“Well, we’re all here for you if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Bobby,” Glitch replied, nudging Bob with her shoulder. “You’re the best.

“Hey,” Payback reminded Glitch, causing her to turn to him. “This is a wedding. A decently sized wedding. You’re young, beautiful, and most importantly single. Go out and get someone who’ll spend the whole night with you.”

“I’ll try,” Glitch mused, genuinely touched that the whole Dagger Squad was worried about her. “And I think that today really brought me some closure, so I’m ready to have some real fun for the first time in a couple months.”

“That’s what I like to hear!” Coyote cheered, walking over to the Daggers after returning from photo shoot. “Let’s have a drink on Hangman!”

The Dagger Squad, minus Hangman, hung out together for the rest of the night. They mingled with the other guests and danced around while enjoying the open bar. Feeling quite content, and decently buzzed, Glitch giggled at something that Payback said when Hangman approached them.

“Look who decided to finally acknowledge us,” Phoenix quipped, earning a playful look from Hangman.

“Hey, it’s my wedding. You have to be nice to me,” Hangman stated, coming to stop behind Glitch. “How’re you guys enjoying everything?” The Daggers all replied the typical polite responses to Hangman’s question before he turned to Glitch. “Can I talk to you?”

Glitch, sobering up a bit, nodded and set her drink down. The two of them excused themselves and walked through the room and out onto the balcony right outside of the venue. The doors were wide open, so everyone could see them, but it gave them some privacy to actually sit down and talk without fear of being overheard.

“What’s up?” Glitch asked, staring over at Hangman with concern.

“Nothing. Just . . . I wanted to thank you. Personally,” Hangman replied, speaking Glitch’s real name softly. “Really, I . . . I don’t know what I would have done without your help. What Haley would have done without your help with all of this.”

“Of course,” Glitch stated softly, resting her hands on the railing. “I’d do anything to help you out.”

“I know that. And I know that I haven’t always reciprocated it the best,” Hangman replied, causing Glitch to freeze for a moment. A bit of apprehension and tension pooled in her stomach as Hangman left her hanging briefly. “And I wanted to say that I’m sorry. I mean, when Haley told me that you picked out the invitations and stopped her from adding the baby’s breath . . . I never realized how good of a friend that you were to me. And I’m sorry that I didn’t notice it. Really, I am, Glitch.”

“It’s okay,” Glitch returned softly.

“No, it’s really not,” Hangman stated firmly, causing Glitch to sober some more. “I really wasn’t the best friend to you. Not as good of one as I could have been. Hell, I’d have no idea what you would like at your wedding. And I’m really sorry, Glitch. And I want you to know that I’m really going to try and be a better friend to you going forward.”

“Water under the bridge,” Glitch returned, offering Hangman a small smile. “Let’s just move on.”

He returned it and offered his arms out for a hug. Glitch shot him a teasing look but let him pull her into a tight hug. She returned it and rested her head on his chest, soothing herself for a moment. But as soon as she was there, Glitch straightened up again. She wouldn’t let herself start down the rabbit hole. She was ending that. Tonight. Right then and there.

It was time to move on.

“Go. Be with your bride. I’ll be fine,” she told him, gesturing to the reception hall.

“Thanks, Glitch.”

Glitch watched Hangman reenter the reception hall and make his way over to Haley. Letting out a breath, she turned to stare out at the dark landscape. Letting the cool breeze blow back against her for a few moments, Glitch looked down to see a daisy on the ground. It must have fallen off of Jake, who had been carrying around a few earlier.

Leaning down, Glitch picked up the flower and studied it closely for a moment. She leaned back on the railing again and after a deep breath, she let it go. The flower blew a bit in the breeze before dropping into the darkness below. Gone.

“You alright?” a familiar voice called from behind Glitch, causing her to turn around.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Glitch assured them, straightening up with a small smile. “You didn’t have to come and check up on me, you know.”

“I know,” they returned, returning her smile. “What did Hangman want?”

“He just wanted to thank me for all my help over the years and . . . he apologized for not always being the best friend back. And we’re good. I’m good,” Glitch assured them, standing with more confidence and self-assurance than they had seen her in some time.

“I’m glad,” they returned kindly.

Glitch was about to say something else when she heard the new song echo from the speakers. Instantly perking up, Glitch let out a laugh.

“God, I love this song!”

“I know. Who do you think asked the DJ to play it?” they asked softly, causing Glitch to turn to them with wide eyes.

Unable to fight her smile, Glitch glanced down at the wooden deck before turning back to them. With a sparkle in her that hadn’t been there for some time, she held out a hand to them and tried to hold onto her composure.

“Well, aren’t you going to come dance with me?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

“I thought you’d never ask,” they replied happily, taking her outstretched hand.

A.N. Who do you think that the Mystery Dagger is??? I wrote it with one in mind but decided to leave it open ended, so I’m curious who y’all interpret as the Mystery Dagger

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darkbluekies · 1 year

Text

Jerry asks #2

Previous one

Concept: I've put multiple asks into one post to avoid too much loose posts on my account! This way, you have more to read too<3

Warnings: nsfw mentions, drugs, murder

Rahhh i love ur OC Jerry smmm, i wanna squish her like a stress ball and inhale her into my nose 😔😔Im conclusion, i can't wait to see more of Jerry and your writing in general!!! <;33

youwannadowhatnow???? (thank you so much ily)

Bro i am SO in lesbians with jerry its not even funny

Very good >:)

how would Jerry react to reader killing someone out of self defense?(p.s. im lowkey in love with Jerry)

She will be proud over you. All that self defense she taught you actually worked. She's so pleased to know that you can take care of yourself when she's away. She'll comfort you, knowing that this most likely will take a toll on your brain.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay I promise, you did nothing wrong! You did so well. You could even have been harsher if you ask me, but you're so nice, aren't you? The nicest little baby? Come here."

As soon as Jerry puts a colouring book in front of me bam my attention is gone I am drawing I am gone I am happy

Perfect, just like she wants :>

"Giving you a coloring book to keep you occupied" Jerre what the actual f... do you think i'm a child ?! *is absolutely doing the coloring with an offended look*

Lmao coloring books really are fun, i love them so much

She'll come over every ten minutes to check up on you and see how far you've come.

"No need to glare at me when you're obviously having fun, you child." She peeks at the drawing. "That looks good, baby doll. If you finish the entire page before I'm done here I might let you sleep on my arm tonight."

Does Jerry get softer over time? She’s stand offish but we get those moments of softness, when she settles down with her darling and they both trust each other will she be soft or still only fleeting moments?

She doesn't get softer in theory, but you learn how to take her behavior and analyze it. Her cockiness is a part of her personality. it's not disappearing anytime soon. However, if you match her energy she will be much more comfortable. You might even be on the same level with her instead of being her property.

Example:

"I ought to give that son of a bitch a real pounding", Jerry mutters with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You should wipe the floor with his hair", you reply. "Use it like a real good mop."

She scoffs out a laugh. "I should, shouldn't I?"

"If you don't, I will."

You're about to leave, but she grabs your shoulder, forcing you back.

"Not a fucking chance, Y/N", she says. "He would grab your hair and swing you over his head like a damn propeller. I'm not letting him hurt you, you're too important to me. You can help me, but you're not doing anything by yourself, do you understand that?"

"In that case he'll hurt you too."

"I'll be fine." She taps your nods at the man. "If you take his glass, I'll put in the sleeping pills. Let's go, baby. I'm right behind you."

on my hands and knees begging for more information on jerry’s mommy kink

Well ... haha ... Jerry loves to be in control and know that she's the leader of the relationship. Having you call her that makes her feel important to you. Plus it feeds her gigantic ego.

She's the type to want you to call her that among others, just so people know. It makes her feel even cockier.

Of course she mocks you about it when you become shy about it, why wouldn't she do that? The more embarrassed you are, the happier she gets.

BLUE OMG I LOVE JERRY SO MUCH SHES LITERALLY RHE STANDART ‼️‼️

AGREED<33333

jerry stole my heart<3 -💤anon

She will steal more than that, she will steal your entire life

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere imagines #yandere drabbles #yandere oc x you #yandere mafia #yandere oc x reader #yandere female #yandere asks #yandere x darling

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willyoubethepookietomypookster · 1 year

Text

"Last Christmas"

ITS OUTTTTT!!!!! FINALLY. Enjoy this piece, cuz this is probably the second to last piece I'll make regarding good omens unfortunately. I can only stay in a fandom for a few weeks before i lose interest, but i got a request and im determined to finish that. Also i added my own oc in here cuz i didn't wanna write (your best friend) the entire time 😭😭 Enjoy!!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

It had been a few months since Aziraphale left to become the Archangel of heaven, and Crowley was hit hard. You don't know exactly what happened, but you know it was bad. Crowley wanted to up and abandon the bookshop all together, but you couldn't exactly be left alone with Muriel. You love her, but she cannot take care of a human, let alone a teenager. As much as it pained Crowley, he stayed in the shop with you, because he was living in his car and he didn't wanna have you do that too. You've tried to contact Aziraphale a handful of times, but it only worked once. He was on call for 30 seconds and you made him promise to come home for Christmas before the line cut out and you had to give up. Its now December 22, and you're awaiting Aziraphales arrival any minute. You mailed him a phone for Christmas, with your number attached to a note, but he isn't allowed to have contact with earth, so he's been discreetly texting you. Since he's Archangel, he can technically do what he wants, but the higher ups dislike when he tries to check in on earth. The only reason he was even allowed to be here in the first place was because he lied about wanting to study human emotion during the holiday. Well, not exactly a lie, he has to study your emotion to be able to pass his trip off as work. You hadn't told Crowley yet, because you didn't know how he'd react, but you also couldn't let Aziraphale be a surprise because that felt wrong. You had finished sorting some books and decorating the house when you walked into the room to tell your father figure the news.

"Pa..??" You asked warily. He looks up at you and raises an eyebrow, signalling you to talk.

"Uhm....you know how its Christmas n all???" You say, and he looks confused.

"Yeah...?" He says.

"Uhhh...." You squeeze your eyes shut. "Can I invite my friend over??" You practically shout. Of course you chickened out, how could you tell him that the love of his life, who left him for a place he doesn't even like that much, was coming back within the hour? He nods slowly.

"Is that it? Of course you can." He takes a sip of the drink in his hand. You nod and excuse yourself, inviting your friend Ivory over like you said you would.

"Hey Ivy!" You said into the house phone.

"What do you need y/n?" She said.

"Wanna come over today? Its gonna be kinda a Christmas party, but not really."

"Oh sure, let me get ready and I'll be over."

"Kay!"

A little while later, you started pacing around the house, awaiting Aziraphales arrival. You had this feeling in your stomach that made you feel sick. Anxiety.

"What are you all uptight for?" Crowley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uhhhh..." You say, avoiding eye contact and wringing your hands together. You let out a deep breath. "Aziraphale is coming over.." You say, looking up for a quick second. Something flashes across Crowley's features, but he notices how scared you are and he just nods.

"Okay.." He replies, and goes back to downing his drink. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding and nod. You have such relief that it takes everything in you not to cry.

"Thanks pa.." You say, your voice wavering. He waves you off and you leave.

You have finally finished setting up when your friend arrives. You run to open the door and see Ivory standing there with a plate of brownies and cookies in her hands.

"Aw Ivy, you didn't have to bring anything!" You say, carefully taking the plate from he hands and inviting her in.

"Its fine, I never come to a party empty handed." She replies. You give her a tour of the bookshop and then introduce her to Crowley.

"This is Cro-...Anthony.." You tell her. She walks up to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Ivory." She says. He nods in acknowledgement and starts walking around, inspecting the bookshop. You walk up to Aziraphales gramophone and put on a Christmas Classics record. The first song is Jingle Bell Rock, and you and Ivory start dancing to it. Crowley walks in on you guys vibing, and an odd expression crosses his face before he leaves you be.

After a few songs, there's a knock on the door. You and Crowley both look at each other for a fraction of a second before you're rushing towards the door. You rip it open and throw your arms around Aziraphale and buring your face in his neck. He starts laughing and pats your back.

"I missed you too, Y/n."

You pull back and really look at his face. He looks tired, and he's grown a beard since he's been gone. He steps inside and you introduce him to Ivory. You show him all the decorations you put up, and you then lead him to the living room to show him the Christmas tree. He enters the living room and glances at Crowley. They share a lingering gaze before he snaps out of it and turns his attention towards the tree.

"Its breathtaking, dear." He says while smiling down at you. You nod and smile.

"Thanks, dad." He hugs you again and looks around.

"Wheres Muriel?" He asks.

"She went back to heaven for the week." Crowley replies.

"Oh.." Aziraphale says. The tension between them is obvious, and you guys sit in silence for a little bit before Ivory comes in and starts pulling you up.

"COME ON. THEY'RE PLAYING THE SONG!!" She shouts. You stumble to your feet as she keeps tugging on your arm.

"WHAT SONG???" You yell, startled. Aziraphale chuckles at your antics and stands up.

"I can move the gramophone in here, if you'd like." He says.

"Yes please!!!" You and Ivory say in unison.

He snaps his fingers and suddenly the gramophone is on a table in the main room. Ivory's eyes grow wide and Aziraphale seems to notice what he's done, because he starts stammering and trying to make excuses. Crowley rolls his eyes, and Ivory chuckles.

"Its fine, Mr. Fell. Y/n told me all about how you did magician work in your spare time." Ivory states and winks at you. Crowley groans at the mention of magic and Aziraphale smiles brightly. Aziraphale looks at you.

"Why of course she did! My magic is stage worthy. I once performed at the West End!" He boasts. Ivory feigns a surprised gasp.

"Oh my!! Thats incredible! Did the crowd throw roses?" She says, smiling. Aziraphales face falters for a moment, recalling the blank stares and boos, but nods nonetheless.

"Of course!! I'm one of the greatest, after all." He's practically shining. The song has long been forgotten, you and Ivory chat with Aziraphale for a while. Crowley stares longingly, but pretends to drink anytime Aziraphale looks over.

Soon enough, you've all been chatting and eating for an hour or so. Crowley has been unusually quiet, and Aziraphale has not spoken a word about him or heaven since he arrived. You grab Aziraphales hand and place him right next to Crowley.

"Stay. Don't even think about moving, I'm gonna grab something really quick."

"Y/n-" He starts, but you've already grabbed Ivory and dragged her away. He and Crowley sit in silence for a moment, before Crowley speaks up.

"So hows the big fancy office job? Better than down here?" Crowley asks. Aziraphale immediately spins to face him, word vomiting his concerns.

"I hate it! Well, hate is a strong word, but I hate itt!! I miss you and Y/n. It's stressful and the angels are prideful pompous jerks. Metatron is always on my ass for something or another, Micheal never shuts up about 'restarting Armageddon' At this point I think I miss Gabriel too." He sputters out. Crowley looks at him starstruck.

"...You miss me..??" He asks. Aziraphale turns red and scratches his cheek.

"Well of course I do, you're my closest friend." Aziraphale replies, and Crowley can't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, friend." He mutters. He looks over to Aziraphale and gives him a hard stare. "You aren't forgiven." He says. Aziraphale looks confused for a moment before his eyes go wide with realization.

"O-oh! Of course not! I- I mean.. I haven't even apologized or anything." He turns away, takes one of Crowley's hands and starts tracing little star patterns on it. "But I am sorry. Really sorry. And I obviously miss you." He says. Crowley blushes, but pulls his hand away anyway.

"Its gonna take more than that you know." Crowley practically spits. Aziraphale flinches and looks like he's about to cry, but nods and smiles anyway.

"I know. I know." He whispers that last part, and almost stands up to leave before the girls come rushing back in. They're holding four hot chocolates, each one having marshmallows and candy canes in them.

"We have hot coco!!!!!!!" You yell. You quickly walk over to them and hand them each a drink. Crowley waves his hand.

"I don't want any, thanks." He says blandly.

"TAKE IT." You spat. Not in a mean way, but in a 'I'm going to kick you so hard if you don't' way. Crowley nods, holding back a smile, and takes it. Aziraphale chuckles at your antics and sips his coco.

You and Ivory drink and snack for a little while, when Last Christmas starts playing. Ivory quickly pulls you to your feet, and you guys start singing.

"LAST CHRISTMAS I GAVE YOU MY HEART!!" You sing

"BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY, YOU GAVE IT AWAY!!" She sings back.

"THIS YEAR, TO SAVE ME FROM TEARS, I'LL GIVE IT TO SOMEONE SPECIAL!!!" You guys sing together. Crowley and Aziraphale exchange a look, before going back to watching you two. You guys do this for a while, before the lyrics change to something that hits too close to home.

"Wrapped up a gift and sent it, with a note saying I love you, I MEANT IT!! Now I know what a fool I've been, but if you kiss me now I know you'll fool me again!!!" You guys sing together. Aziraphale looks directly at Crowley this time, and grabs his hand. Crowley looks at him and they both stare at each other's lips for a second, before Aziraphale cups his face with his hand, and pulls him in for a tender kiss. You and Ivory stand there start struck, before you guys turn up the music and pretend you didn't see anything. Crowley leans into the kiss and grabs Aziraphales face. They quickly pull away after about thirty seconds. Crowley glares at Aziraphale, but makes no move to get away or wipe the kiss off his face. Crowley tears up a little bit and kisses Aziraphale again, just a peck this time, and moves away.

"You still aren't completely forgiven yet." Crowley huffs, and Aziraphale just laughs.

"Well, I'll just have to spend all my waking hours making it up to you then. I'll tell Metatron I quit, and pray he doesn't kill me in return." He says. Crowley smiles and gives him another peck.

"Lets go to Alpha Centuri sometime, yeah?" He asks. Aziraphale smiles too.

"Yeah."

#good omens #ineffable husbands #crowley #aziraphale x reader #crowley x reader #good omens x reader #good omens fic #aziraphale #christmas fic #christmas #crowley x daughter reader #crowley x aziraphale #crowley being cute #aziracrow

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spyderlondon · 30 days

Text

RACE ME!

A/N: Just something silly with both of our OCs and just a surprise for Scarlet in general.

Raceway AU @thescarletnargacuga @theamazingdigitalraceway

OCs: Scarlet's dragonsona and my canine sona

-----

"RACE ME, DANGIT!" Noa shouted up at the black and red dragon that was currently hanging on a battlement of the wall surrounding a decent sized castle that the dragon was able to coerce Caine into making for her somehow. No one ever really questioned it since she was the former champion of the raceway until she was basically forced to retire by the announcer desperately needing some other racer to win besides just her. No one really bothered her at the castle...

...except the canine that was currently below her. She was often found aggravating the retired racer whenever the current racers were given a day off to rest- something the brown dog was bad at.

Usually, Scarlet was able to get Noa to leave her alone by blowing a fireball in her direction and burning a bit of her dark red track suit along with some of her back fur. It didn't necessarily scare the dog but it did cause her to yelp and flee so she could extinguish the flames as well as get some aloe vera on it by Ragatha... as well as a scolding from the rag doll.

This time, however, "...fine." The dragon finally caved after so many desperate attempts from the younger woman to get her to listen to her, "If it'll get you to FINALLY stop coming over here and yelling at me." She rubbed her temples with her yellow claws gently.

The canine's eyes brightened up in excitement and she jumped up, cheering, "REALLY?! YES!!" She hooted and hollered happily. At least until a small fireball barely missed her, making her squeak in surprise, "A-Ack! Right! Calming down... Sorry." She smiled sheepishly at the dragon.

Scarlet leaned against one her hands, "You better work with Caine and Pomni on making a racetrack for me though- I refuse to race on that boring practice track." She snorted, some black smoke forcing its way out of her nostrils, "I need something exciting and harder than what you racers have been doing so far- it'd be too easy for me on those tracks."

"R-right! I'll get right on that!" Noa smiled eagerly before running off to find the AI announcer and his girlfriend with a bit of a skip in her step.

The dragon watched her go with a scoff, "She's not even a good racer- how does she have the guts to race me?" She shook her head before going back to what she was doing earlier.

---

"Pomni!" Noa called out to the jester racer as she got near her, "Could you get Caine for me? I can't find-" She paused as Pomni slowly turned around in a flustered state as she held the announcer's shoulders and he her waist.

All three of them stared at each other for a few moments before the the canine simply held out a foot and turned a full one-eighty and began to walk away like she saw nothing. She only made it a few feet before she was pounced on by the jester, "YOU ARE A TATTLETAIL SO GET YOU BUTT BACK OVER HERE!" The younger woman tackled her in her embarrassment.

"Woah, [%^**]!" Noa fell with a grunt, "I wasn't going to tell anyone!" She tried to defend herself, pretty weakly since it was true- she kind've sucked at keeping juicy things like this to herself. She felt both of the racer and AI's eyes staring holes into the back of her head which made her go silent for a few moments, ".......okay, maybe I am a bit of a tattletail." She admitted sheepishly, "Gotta admit y'all are cute together though-" She tried to save herself by complimenting the couple.

Caine rolled his eyes as he grabbed Pomni and had her hover in the air with him, "Sorry about her, mutt." He shook his head, using the nickname as an friendly way of teasing the canine racer, "She gets overly embarrassed when we're caught being affectionate." He explained as he watched the jester pout and cross her arms, "You know she means no harm.... outside of the races."

Noa could see the little bit of a scowl on the younger woman's face and chuckled a bit nervously, tugging on my track suit a little, "......I'm going to be hit with so many items-"

"You're getting distracted." A voice called from above and the three on the ground were suddenly cast in a medium sized shadow of a draconian creature, "And here I thought you were excited to race me?" She landed on the ground in between Caine and Noa.

The AI tilted his head at the dragon, "I thought you were retired from racing, Scarlet?" He blinked, "You usually just stick to helping me get ideas for track designs or monster obstacles."

She scoffed, "I am retired but this idiot over here-" She pointed a claw at the canine, "-keeps demanding I race her so I finally gave in." She shook her head before handing a track design to Caine, "And because I knew she'd get distracted, I decided to figure out a design instead. Mind building it for a one-on-one race?" She asked flatly.

The pair of dentures chuckled at how clearly Noa was trying to befriend Scarlet in the only way she knew how- racing- it was kind've nice especially with how shy she normally was. He nodded, "Alright- I'll get right on that."

The dragon nodded before flying upwards again, "I'll see you when it's race time." She told the dog simply before flying off.

----

I... apologize if your dragonsona is mischaracterized, I tried.

A/N: This one sucked but I ran out of ideas for this and I have other stories I wanna finish ^^;

#the amazing digital circus #tadc raceway au #tadc caine #tadc pomni #tadc showtime #caine x pomni #OCs #mine is Noa #Scarlet's is obvious lol

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fandomzwriterk · 1 month

Text

Smoke and Mirrors

Pairings: Tomas Vrbada/Smoke x OC

Warnings: slight gore + Amnesiac!OC + religious trauma (?) + characters dying + hinted innuendos later on + Kuai & Bi Han trying to be good brothers + Liu Kang as a dad figure (?) + Tomas just being his sweet lovable self + Bi Han being kind of a dick + Kuai Liang having no clue what it’s like to have a sister + confused “brother” Kuai Liang (?) + Raiden, Kung Lao, Johnny, and Kenshi being simps (mostly Raiden) + MASSIVE Angel lore drop

Pt: 8/?

A/N: this chapter is brought to you by its theme song, Warrior of the Mind!!

This world was not quite what Angel expected. It was beautiful, colors more vibrant than a rainbow and as calm as a river in spring. There were so many things gaining her attention, even the people around her scared her. Angel felt outmatched in physicality, she needed to blend in. Angel of course had her wings retracted, not going to let anything make her show her wings while she was here. Her job was to protect the Champions with Tomas, make sure everything was safe. But why did the feeling of missing something feel stronger as she walked?

“They do not disappiont.” Johnny spouted

“We are Earthrealm's ambassadors, Johnny. We'll show them respect... not unwanted attention.” Raiden replied

The woman in pink who stood next to another woman in blue walked toward Angel, her mask covering her identity much like Angel and the Lin Kuei Brothers.

“Lord Liu Kang, welcome.”

“Thank you, Princess Mileena.” He answered with a bow

“You remember my sister?” she asked as her head turned to the woman in blue

“Of course. Princess Kitana. May I introduce Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Kenshi Takahashi and Earthrealm's champion... Raiden.”

Mileena looked to Raiden, then looking to see who else was here. Her eyes settled on Angel, then moving her attention to Kitana. Kitana’s eyes went to Angel, seeming to burn her gaze into Angel’s skin.

“I hope you're prepared, Raiden. Our champions are determined to win.” Kitana replied

“None more so than me. It's been too long since we've known victory.” Mileena added looking to her sister

Everyone followed, but Angel felt something was watching her. Tomas knew it too, he felt her unease at where they were

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m just… nervous I guess.”

“Nervous? Angel you know you’re not the one fighting right?”

“I know it’s just… I feel like I’m supposed to feel nervous, like there’s something here waiting for me.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out my friend.”

Angel took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a second. There was definitely something waiting for her here. As both her and Tomas started to walk, the Princess Kitana walked up to them, making them stop dead in their tracks.

“You two come this way.”

Angel and Tomas followed as she lead them through a few side paths and eventually through some gardens. Kitana looked back at Angel, quickly looking ahead as she brought them both to an open room where there sat three thrones. She instructed both Angel and Tomas where they would be during the tournaments, both watching from front and center as the champions fought each other.

“This sounds like a good time to learn some things.”

Angel only nodded, her eyes following Kitana went to sit on a throne, and soon enough all of the group were there too. Mileena sat on the throne opposite to Kitana, the middle throne the largest and the highest. Soon enough, people started to pour into the room as well, everyone waiting for the Empress to join them. Angel felt uncomfortable, slowly leaning into Tomas as her closest hand gripped the side of his top, almost making her knuckles white. Tomas looked down a little, seeing his friend scared for her life. He quickly put an arm around the back of her head, playfully scratching at her scalp. She started to smile a little as the Empress finally came walking.

“Hey. It’s okay. I’m right here.” He whispered next to her ear

“Ready for battle there Raiden?” The Empress asked

“I am.” He answered with pride

Soon enough, there was a commotion, someone walking into the room followed behind the Constable that Kitana told Angel about. It wasn’t the Constable that got her attention, no no no, it was the person who lead her in. Their raven hair fell to the side and a little over their eyebrows, amber eyes staring at the Constable in what seemed like a prideful essence. This was someone who worked under the Constable but knew his place in order. Soon enough, Angel blinked, and then another guard came to stand next to the raven haired man, this one with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. He was slightly shorter than the first man, whispering something to each other.

“I-I…”

“Angel? What’s wrong?”

“Empress Sindel!”

Angels shout startled the whole room, even Kitana and Mileena, Empress Sindel looking at the small girl with curious eyes. Kitana stood up and ran to her mother, whispering something in her ear. It was only a few seconds before Empress Sindel’s face changed to something of sadness yet caring.

“Everyone, step aside. I want to see this girl for my own eyes.”

Tomas let her go reluctantly, backing away like everyone else as they all made a huge half circle around Angel while she stood in the center.

“E-Empress Sindel I need to ask something of someone in this room?”

Kitana nodded, Empress Sindel looking at Angel up and down before gesturing for her to speak. Angel walked forward two steps, turning to her right to stare at the two men she had noticed earlier. Everyone in the room was confused, even Liu Kang, and he was a God.

“I need to know…” she muttered as she picked her head up to stare at them.

She could see their amber and green eyes staring at her, feeling a weight on her as she opened her mouth to speak, but only one word came out…

“Y-Yuriel?”

The one with amber eyes looked as if something amazing had happened before his eyes. The one with green looked between both Angel and the man next to him.

“Azriel?” The one with raven hair asked

Angel felt as if everything came crashing down onto her, she felt herself gasp, hand clutching her heart as if the weight of the world fell on her shoulders. She felt herself let tears fall, letting them hit the marble floor as both men ran to her. Angel ran to them as well, embracing both in a hug, both men crying with Angel as well.

“You remembered.” The one with raven hair spoke

“We’ve missed you sister.” The dirty blonde man added

Angel’s vision blurred as her tears fell, collapsing to the ground on her knees while both boys clung to her as well.

“Michael…” Angel answered as she looked at the other boy

While she he put a hand on the side of his face, the boy named Michael grabbed it as both him and the other named Yuriel buried themselves in the hug.

“My brothers… you’re my brothers.” Angel cried

“Yes Azriel, we are.” Yuriel answered with tears in his eyes

Angel looked to behind her, seeing Tomas smile at her and her brothers, noticing Liu Kang and Kuai Liang nodding to each other. Raiden and Kung Lao looked at each other, then looking to the rest of their friends.

“I knew who you were before you even introduced yourself.” Angel heard behind her

She spun around, seeing Kitana slowly walking towards her, kneeling to be on the ground with her.

“Yuriel talks a lot about you… how much he’s missed you. How much he and Michael missed you. They’ve been waiting for so long, and I’m happy you’re here too.” Kitana added as she embraced Angel in a hug.

“Empress Sindel, may I take my leave with my siblings for the day? I will be back later for the feast.” Yuriel asked

His amber eyes tracked the older woman, her eyes going between the four of them standing together as Yuriel and Michael stood at each of Angel’s sides.

“You may Yuriel. You’ve earned it, for all the service you’ve done for me and my daughters.” Sindel answered with a smile

Angel felt her wrist get grabbed and dragged as her attention went to her brother Yuriel. Michael ran ahead, Yuriel taking you with them as they ran down the hall to a magnificent palace in the distance. It took a few steps, but the three siblings found a very peaceful bridge overlooking most of Outworld that they could sit on. Angel sat down, each of her brothers sitting on either side.

“Come on sister, join us.” Michael begged as he released a set of wings

Micheal’s were dark brown, almost like a hawks feather, to complement his dirty blonde hair and green eyes. His light skin was decorated with dark freckles on most of his face, a small scar visible on his lower lip. Yuriel however, was so much different. His amber eyes were the same sort of “dangerous” energy with his raven hair and wings. His cream colored skin on his arms was littered with tiny marks and what looked like scratch wounds.

“I see you two have scars as well.” Angel spoke out loud

Michael and Yuriel looked at each other, Yuriel sighing as he covered his other arm with a hand. Michael watched with sad eyes.

“Yeah. How much do you remember?”

Angel shrugged. She only knew they were her brothers, that they were the same thing. Other than that, she had nothing else.

“Still covering up those eyes I see. We talked about this-“ Yuriel started

He stopped, realizing Angel wouldn’t remember anyways.

“We talked about this? What’d we talk about?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. But just know I’m happy you found a place where you belong, wherever you came from.” Michael added

“He’s right. Besides, you’ve got some good friends from where you’re from.”

“You know them Yuriel? How?”

“It’s a complicated… story… I guess. It’s nothing important sister. But do you know what our purpose is? If you can remember, I’ll tell you more.”

Angel looked down, putting her chin against her hands as she leaned over to put her elbows on her thighs. She was frustrated, still not able to understand anything.

“You said my name was, I think, Azriel right?”

Both boys nodded, staying silent for their sister to speak.

“I didn’t remember my name for a long time, up until now. I think… it’s going to take some time for me to understand everything. I barely remember you two, but-“

“You feel like there’s something else?”

“Mhm.”

Yuriel grabbed Angel’s hand, holding it tightly as he held onto her like this would be the last.

“There is a little more… if you would like to know.”

Angel nodded quickly, wanting to hear what Yuriel had to say.

“Well… there were seven of us. Me, Michael, you, Zariel, Toriel, Amenidael, and Raphael, we were all born at the same time. It was always just the seven of us, and we were…”

“Chaotic. But we knew better.” Michael interjected

“As I said, we were a family. Believe it or not, you’re the eldest, me being second.” Yuriel added

“I’m… the oldest? Out of the three of us?”

Both of them nodded, leaning close against their sister.

“Yes you were. And by far, you’re the strongest. I’m somehow stronger than Yuriel.”

“Michael!”

“What?”

“You know how the power scaling works!”

“Yeah? And it’s bullshit.”

“Okay okay calm down you two.” Angel spoke breaking their small argument

Both Yuriel and Michael calmed down, relaxing at their sisters words.

“Still have the authority huh?”

“What does that mean?”

“You were always good wrangling all of us as we got older, the most peaceful out of us all. Perhaps that’s why you were the favorite.”

Angel blinked, her mind reeling as she recalled the times where she would watch Tomas and his brothers fight each other. Sibling banter, that’s all it was.

“I guess it’s just my nature for everyone to be peaceful. Perhaps that’s why Liu Kang trusts me.”

Michael crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

“Ah yes almighty Lord Liu Kang, the bane of my existence.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing sister. Michael just doesn’t like a lot of people, mostly Kuai Liang and Bi Han.”

“You know them?”

“Of course we do sister! We may be younger than you but we’ve been around a few worlds to understand how those two are.”

Angel felt something flutter in her brain, her heart also telling her to speak.

“What about Tomas?”

Both boys went wide eyed, like they saw a ghost.

“We actually don’t know much about him.” Michael responded uncrossing his arms

“Yeah. Perhaps we both need some time to come to understand your friends.”

Some sort of signal went off in the distance where everyone was gathered.

“Time to go back.”

“Wait… I have an idea.”

“Oh Elder Gods no-“

“Let’s fly back! Last one there is a rotten egg!”

Michael took off like a jet, Yuriel and Angel standing still for a second.

“Hey wait for me bird-brain!” Yuriel shouted as he did the same

Angel took a breath, seeing the ground thousands of feet below her. If she fell and couldn’t fly, this would be dangerous. Angel closed her eyes, taking a step, putting one foot out. As she came to step toward the edge more, she jumped before her toes touched the edge. It took mere seconds but as Angel closed her eyes, her wings did the work, shooting off like a firework. Opening her eyes as she felt herself fly into the air at almost rocket speed, Angel saw the world around her and below her as she caught up quickly with Yuriel and Michael. She shot right past them, making both stop in alarm at how fast and how quickly she could maneuver around. Angel dove down, quickly weaving around each pillar of Empress Sindel’s castle like it was nothing, not noticing her friends were watching as Yuriel and Michael caught up to her, staying right behind her in this race. Hundreds of people could see the three of them racing around as the siblings went on with their game.

“Hey! Come back here!” Michael shouted

Both boys were right behind her, making Angel pull up into the sky and rolling over them going the other way, making both boys crash into the wall they hadn’t been paying attention to.

“Ha!”

Angel looked down, turning to the right slightly as she came to a slow gliding pace, gently touching down as she found Liu Kang and Raiden away from the crowd.

“Nice landing.” Raiden joked

“Oh come on Raiden that was fucking sick!” Johnny shouted

“Easy calm down Johnny.” Kenshi replied

“I had no idea you could go that fast Angel.” Kung Lao added

Angel took a deep breath, feeling air slowly fill her lungs again after all of that. She was out of practice, perhaps she needed to train flying with weights. But where had her brothers gone? Oh well maybe she left them behind and they’d catch up soon.

“I didn’t either honestly.” Angel responded to the four men

“Impressive work there my student. Seems like we each have more to learn from you.” Liu Kang said with a smile

Meanwhile…

Yuriel was doing his own thing, quietly watching from the sky as he trailed both Tomas and Kuai Liang, who stepped aside from the group a while ago.

“Tomas come on you have nothing to be worried about. Angel is just as strong as you are, I’m sure she could overpower her brothers easily.”

“I’d like to believe you… but something feels wrong.”

“About them?”

“No. Not her brothers. It’s about something else I feel.”

“What might that be brother?”

There was silence, Yuriel stopping on the top of a pillar overhead of the two ninjas.

“I’m not sure. I feel as if there’s something I’m missing.”

Yuriel didn’t need to hear another word, quickly flying to the ground between both brothers. Yuriel slowly rose from his kneeling position on the ground, making eye contact with Tomas who he was facing at the moment.

“I mean you both no harm.” He said with his hands up

Both Kuai Liang and Tomas froze, quickly looking to each other before putting their weapons away.

“I know you both have no reason to trust me, but plus now, I’d never do anything to ruin my relationship with my sister.”

Tomas glared at the young man before him. Yuriel didn’t look that much younger than both him and Kuai Liang.

“How come you never went to find her?” Tomas asked bitterly

Yuriel looked sad, holding something in that looked a lot like heartbreak and suffering.

“I didn’t mean for it to be this way I swear. You have to believe me as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t risk her safety.” Yuriel answered

“Safety? She came to us with no memory of you or your brother, she had nothing. All she had was us, and now you wanna apologize after what, a year of you being away?”

Tomas was about to jump at Yuriel, Kuai holding him back before he could do anything stupid.

“I knew she’d be safe away from us, yet I know what I did was wrong. There’s a lot that you don’t know, and a lot more I can’t tell you.”

To be continued…

A/N: ayooooo say hello to the new OC’s I’ve added

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therantsofawriterrr · 1 month

Text

The Umbrella Academy Final Season: My Version

Part Ten: The Box And The Plan

Overview: In the aftermath of the New Grumpson incident, the gang makes up a plan that tackles all their problems at once. Luther confronts Allison about Sloane and Lila reveals her secrets to Diego. TW: mature language, long ass chapter, FLUFF ALERT CAUSE ITS SO GOOD YALL, uhh tell me if i missed anything!! Pairings: Diego × Lila, a little bit of Five × OC A/N: hello, this one took some time to post sorry. i hope yall enjoy reading!!!

Masterlist

"Who were those weirdos with the fanny packs?" Viktor asked, as Luther looked at the road for a car that could give them a ride and the others just stood around.

"Was it me or did they smell like wet sheep?" Lila asked.

"Goats, I thought," Luther pointed out. "Maybe llamas."

"Who cares? They destroyed Wanda," Diego snapped, pointing at the van.

"Their names are Gene and Jean," Five explained. "They run an underground organization called the Keepers.

"Sex cult?" Diego inquired.

"Not a sex cult. Not even a cult if you think about it, but it's going towards it," Clementine said, from inside the trunk, where she was wiping the blood off her face.

"Eh, once you get to the top, it's always a sex cult," Diego persuaded.

"They're an extremist group who believe they have memories from an alternate timeline," Five stated.

"Yeah, and some of their memories are pretty much bang on," Lila affirmed.

"They're calling this phenomenon the 'Umbrella Effect'."

Clementine finally came out from behind, now wearing a black tank top tucked into her maroon trousers, her hair tied up into a tight ponytail. Five's gaze lingered on her a bit before Viktor's question.

"How is that even possible?"

"Yeah, we're working on figuring that out," Lila replied.

"What do they want with Jennifer?" Ben asked.

"Don't know. But, I'm gonna make some calls, find out how or if she's related to the Keepers," Clementine assured, making Ben sigh in exasperation as she whipped out her phone.

"Yes, yeah, I'm fine, Ray," Allison murmured into her phone. "Mhm, I'll call you."

Luther stared at her with mounting anger, still trying to press it inside as he turned away.

"You alright?" Allison asked with concern, when she saw him.

"I'm fine, no thanks to you," he said, talking to her for the first time in six years.

"Okay, I'm so confused," she pointed out. "Why are you, of all people, mad at me?"

"Why am I mad at you?" Luther finally snapped. "You think I don't know what you did, Allison?"

"Okay, look, I know that I went kind of cuckoo in that timeline, but I-"

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about what you did during the time reset."

"The time reset? You mean, bringing the love of my life and my daughter back?"

"No. No. Not that. I was happy you had a chance to do that. I'm talking about Sloane."

"Sloane? What about Sloane?

"You tried to make her disappear during the time reset, Allison! Stop playing dumb with me! And just so you know, it didn't work either."

Allison scoffed, her hand going to her forehead. "Oh, my god. That's what this has been about? You think I made Sloane disappear? Wow."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Luther asked, confusion warring with fury.

"Luther. I was happy you found Sloane, alright. After what happened with... well, y'know, you deserved it. The only thing I had in mind when I put my hand on that machine was Ray and Claire. I didn't need anything else."

Luther opened his mouth to throw out another retort but closed it. "Wait. So... you didn't make Sloane disappear?"

"Yes, Luther!" Allison exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes. "Look I... I made some mistakes back in there, alright? A lot of mistakes," she started turning to look at everyone as her voice cracked. "And even though every cell in my brain is telling me that it was justified, I know it wasn't. And I know I fucked up. So, I'm sorry. I don't know if you guys will forgive me or not, but still."

She sniffled at the end of it, tears already starting to stream down her cheeks. She wiped them away as she breathed out deeply and slowly, feeling lighter than ever as Klaus smiled at her proudly. He hugged her, leaving Luther to just splutter as he roved his fingers through his hair.

"Okay, well. I've made my calls, we'll be finding something out by evening."

"Evening? Yeah, that won't do. We need to find her. Who knows what those cult leaders will do to her?" Ben asked, the panic in him rising.

"Well, we're not going anywhere in this piece of shit," Five started.

A few hours later, Diego was knocking on Luther's motel room door. Luther opened up in a t-shirt that had a teddy bear on the front and Diego smiled.

"Looking good, big guy," he teased, making him laugh. "By the way, about earlier... Did you like, find Sloane, or something?"

Luther grinned with a nod. The previous weekend, he'd met the Sparrows. And he'd actually gotten along with them. And when he'd seen Sloane, he'd almost hugged her, but he'd curbed his reflexes and resorted to talking instead. It had been lovely altogether.

"And it's not just her either, the whole Sparrow Academy's alive. Except they're a lot... kinder."

"Really? All of 'em? Even the cube?"

"Yeah. He's human here, though."

"Oh. Damn. I guess Ben will be happy to hear that," Diego murmured. "So how'd it go? Was Sloane still the same or...?"

"Yup, she's pretty much still the same. She's a lot bolder here, but, y'know. Love that."

Diego chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Happy for you, man. Really happy for you."

When he went back to his room however, he found Lila pacing back and forth nervously.

"You alright?" He asked her.

She stopped and looked at him with wide eyes, looking like a deer in headlights. She shook her head no once, but the blurted out, "Don't you have questions?"

"About what?" He asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Well, they called me by another name," Lila said, sounding panicked. "You have to have questions about that."

"Well, yeah. I have questions about a lot of things, but, y'know," he shrugged. "I want you to tell me yourself."

"Fine. Fine. Alright," she said, sitting down beside him with her hands clasped on her lap nervously. But, Diego's unexpected patience calmed her and surprised her at the same time. "There is no... book club. I've been going undercover as Nancy to investigate the Keepers."

"So you're working with the CIA?" Diego asked.

"No, no, nothing like that," she said, batting a dismissive hand. "Just my own thing."

Diego pressed his lips together to suppress a smile, just looking at her with eyes filled with glee. Lila's face, in turn, twisted into one filled with absolute bewilderment.

"Wait. No fucking way. You knew?" She asked, her voice getting louder with each sentence.

Diego just gave her a small, casual smile paired with a small shrug as she stared at him, flabbergasted.

"How, though? I'm an excellent liar."

"Yeah, well, I know you. I had to follow you to see what you actually were doing, but, yeah."

"What did you think I was doing?" Lila asked, her body tensing up as she expected the obvious answer.

Diego shrugged once again. "I don't know. I thought you were going to like, a gun range or something."

Lila stared at him for a minute and asked, "You didn't think I was having an affair?"

Diego snorted. "What, like any of the guys in this world would be able to impress you? Pfft."

Lila's eyes started welling up with tears as she sniffled once. Diego laid a hand on her back, his thumb stroking the small of her back soothingly.

"I really thought I'd have to explain that there is no other man."

"I trust you, Lila. There's seven people I trust the most in this world. And you're the first one on that list."

She threw herself onto him, making him fall back on the bed. His arm went around her waist, the other going up to cup the back of her head.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being patient. I know I was being a little bit of an idiot."

"Next time, just talk to me."

"I will. I promise."

Meanwhile, Five was on his phone in his room, telling Derek the details of the car that had rammed them earlier.

"I need a run on a Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country, '80, '81. Brown simulated woodgrain sides, New Mexico plates. Look for matches with an owner first name Gene. That is Golf-Echo- November-Echo. Or Jean. That's Juliet-Echo-Alpha-November."

When he cut the call, Clementine who was straight out of the shower, asked, "What if they used a fake name?"

He sighed deeply, looking at her warily. "Then we'll figure it out."

She nodded, flopping down on the bed. "Sorry you gotta stay here with me."

He shrugged, leaning back to support his back on the wall. "It's fine. Not your fault. Plus, I'd rather have you than Luther or Klaus."

"You could've chosen Viktor, though."

"Yeah, I know. But, eh. I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Why'd you go back to the Thibedeaus' house?"

"Oh, that. Y'know, our things started after we went there. At first I thought it was just fever week, but I was wrong. So, I went back and found those jars. They're what broke that day you took us there."

"Why didn't you tell me you remembered everything?" He asked next. His voice was a bit soft and almost sad too.

She shrugged, leaning back beside Five their shoulders touching. "I don't know. I didn't even expect you to recognize me, to be honest."

"I don't forget pretty faces that quickly."

Clementine's breath hitched at his casual comment as she snapped her head to look at him.

Before she could ask him about it, there was a knock on the door.

"Luther's called a meeting," Klaus's drawling voice said.

They all huddled up in Luther's room, looking at him expectantly.

"Okay, so, all those people back in New Grumpson. They were wearing Hargreeves-branded military gear."

"Luther, the entire goddamn place was a Hargreeves town," Viktor pointed out.

"Yeah, it's like it was designed to keep Jennifer hostage," Ben said worriedly.

"What's so important about her anyway?" Lila asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Klaus asked. "She's one of us! Yay!"

"No," Ben replied immediately. "No way."

"I mean, that would make sense," Five agreed. "Why else would Dad build a Truman Show around her?"

"Okay, look," Viktor interrupted. "Now that we're on our own, we have two options. We either go after the Keepers or, worse, talk to Dad."

Everyone groaned while some let out sarcastic chuckles at the second option.

"I think we need to split up," Five suggested. "Me and Clementine will follow up with the Keepers. The rest of you talk to Dad."

"Wait, what?" Lila interjected. "I'm coming with you. Oh, and Diego will tag along."

Five made a dirty face as Clementine smiled at them both. "Why? We both will be fine," he said wearily.

"This is as much my investigation as it is yours," Lila replied plainly.

"Plus, the more brains that are involved, the faster this thing will be solved," Clementine said plainly.

"Well, I'm going after Jennifer," Ben declared.

"It's better if we stick together," Allison murmured, partaking in the conversation for the first time since she'd arrived.

"Yeah, well, someone's gotta go after her while you guys spend more time finding things. Who knows where those weirdoes took her?"

"You're pretty worried about this girl," Diego observed. "You know her or something?"

"Ooh, he told me he saw her in his dreams or something," Klaus replied.

"You're all a bunch of clowns," Ben said, trying to divert their attention. "I'm going on my own."

"Oh, right, I wanted to show you guys something," Klaus said, before turning and picking up the box that he'd picked up in the diner. "I found this in there."

They stared at the box for a few seconds before Clementine swished out a pen knife, cutting the tape that was sticking to every side of the lid.

As soon as the lid was removed, there was a mask staring at them.

"Isn't that...?" Five trailed off as Clementine nodded and said, "Cha-Cha's mask. Or Hazel's, I'm not sure."

Klaus took out a newspaper clipping with the Umbrella Academy standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. The headline read: Umbrella Academy Saves Eiffel Tower, Receives Key to City of Paris.

"When the hell did we save the Eiffel Tower?" Klaus murmured in confusion. He peered into the box, shoving the comics aside as he rooted into the box till he felt something cold and metal. He fished it out to find his and Dave's dog tag necklace that he'd lost due to the time reset. He smiled softly, a few memories flashing in his head as he smoothed his thumb over the engorged letters and numbers before putting it on, letting the metal touch his chest comfortingly.

The others fished out various things as well, some familiar, some not, but Clementine's gasp made them jump.

"Oh, sweet mercy of God," she gasped, taking out a gun that was plated with what looked like bronze. "I thought I'd lost her forever."

"Hmm. Nice," Five mumbled absentmindedly.

"Nice? This is amazing! This was a gift I'd bought with my own money for my birthday, man. Do you know how rare custom Mark 23s are?"

Five sighed with a slight shake of his head, a side of his lips tipping upwards even as he tried to resist a smile.

"Huh. So, artifacts from other timelines are showing up, then," Diego said, reading through the article that Klaus had fished out.

"Alright, well, now that that's confirmed, it's settled," Five said, keeping away the comics in his hand. "Clementine, Lila, Diego, and I will go the Keepers route. Luther, Allison, and Viktor, you guys go talk to Dad. Ben and Klaus, go after Jennifer."

"Dream team," Klaus said with a bright smile as Ben scoffed, but didn't really argue. Klaus was the most bearable of the lot.

That night, they slept somewhat peacefully, content with the plan that was made.

Another A/N: Thanks for reading!!

TUA taglist: @auxiliarydetective (tell me in the comments if you wanna be added!)

Likes, reblogs and comments are highly appreciated💖💙💜

#the umbrella academy #the umbrella academy s4 #the umbrella academy season 4 #tua #tua s4 #tua season 4 #tua s4 spoilers #tua season 4 spoilers #umbrella academy season 4 #umbrella academy #the hargreeves #fix it fic #fix it fanfiction

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regretisstoredintheme · 2 years

Note

Prompt! The turtle of your choice developing a sudden allergy, though he doesn't know what to, and all the rest trying to "help" him figure it out by exposing him to allergens.

Do do do d— OH??? What’s this??

A prompt??

*snatches paper*

“Prompt! The turtle of your choice developing a sudden allergy, though he doesn't know what to, and all the rest trying to "help" him figure it out by exposing him to allergens.

Pt 2: I forgot to add is that the reader or oc is trying to get the others to leave the turtle in question alone”

A/n: ahaaa I seee, now this is interesting. What could it possibly be…? hohohoooo I’m so excited to see this one play out >:)

— Freakout (A Oneshot) 2018 Raph x Reader —

—

Raphael Hamato. The biggest in his living clan, the strongest, the gentle giant, who never— ever, got sick. Raphael, who played in the mud as a kid, who didn’t develop any concept of germs until Donnie nonchalantly went on a rant about it.

So when Raphael invincible Hamato let out a sneeze, he didn’t bat an eye. You didnt either, until he sneezed again— and then a third time.

“Are you okay?” You quirked a brow, setting down your DS to glance at him. He waved you off, “I’m fine, sweettart.” He smiled at your nervous look, “no need to wo—“ he cut himself off, shoving his face in his elbow to sneeze again.

“Are you sick??” You shifted your knees beneath you for some extra height, a hand reaching to brush his forehead. Normal— thank god. “You don’t feel like you have a fever, so that’s good.” You muttered, fussing over him just how he did when you two were fighting villains. He laughed lightly, a hand lifting to your head as he smoothed down your hair— calming your nerves.

“Maybe I should get Donnie..?” You suggested, and suddenly Raph’s eyes were wide open— looking everywhere but you, blubbering apologies about the situation and how there was no need to bother his genius brother. As you looked closer, however, his eyes seemed to match his red mask, light pink curving around the edges a little more than it was supposed to.

You shifted uncomfortably, and the thought suddenly occurred to you about his allergy. You began frantically looking around, inspecting the room for any invisible peanuts you may have had. You would have cried if you saw even a Reeces wrapper on your floor. “What are you looking for?” the red clad turtle chuckled, a nervous bite to his tone. “Peanuts.” You said quickly, interrogating your room as you decided to get up, lifting anything that may have been on the ground. “What? Why would those be here? You don’t even like peanuts!” Raph gave an incredulous look, and you whipped around, noting how hoarse he sounded.

Biting your lip, you mulled over in your head how possible it was that your boyfriend would ask for help if he needed it. “You really think you’re ok? I mean— what if there was an allergen in this room?” You walked over to him, sitting back down on your bed and gently leaning against his shoulder. Raph’s arm gently held you closer, petting your hand with care. “if its re—“ he coughed away from you, then cleared his throat, “if its really bothering you, then we can go see Donnie or Leo.”

You paused, wondering if your ears were playing tricks on you. “Leo?” Shock hit you as you realized he wasn’t joking. “We’re talking about your brother, right? Leonardo? The one who never takes anything seriously?” The terrapin just laughed, before getting caught in a coughing fit. “Y- er— yeah.” His smile softened, “Leo tends to get really ‘smart’ whenever Im in trouble, it freaks him out. don’t tell him I know, though— its a secret.” He held up a finger to his lips, shooting you a wink. You shook your head knowingly, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Only for you.” you muttered, pulling him off your bed and to your door, “lets go— I sweat if theres anything in my room that caused this im gonna chuck it to the moon.”

Raph gave a gentle smile, listening to you rant about him and how sweet he was. He felt warmth seep into his face, getting shy at how much you praised him. He hoped it was nothing serious… his brothers worrying about him always led to trouble.

Without fail.

As you explained the situation to Donnie, his eyes slowly widened, looking around for a quick moment before ushering you two to the living room, blabbering about how urgent it was you figure this out. You didn’t know why he brought you here, considering the ‘urgency’, but you quickly realized what was going on when he pulled up a PowerPoint, making a few calls.

“Based on past events, it has never been often that our dear Raph-a-La succumbs to sickness.” Donnie ranted, pointing to a graph that he totally didnt keep for all of his brothers in the event a health crisis happens “In the event that it does happen..!” He pointed to the side of the graph, labeled ‘level of pain.’ “Its always something bad.”

The purple-clad turtle went on to his audience (consisting of all the family members he had rounded up) and as he showed his PowerPoint presentation, you felt Raph shift next to you.

You looked over, and felt your heart break a little at the sight.

Raph was curled into himself, trying to take as little space as possible on the floor of the projector room. His mouth was crumpled into a wavy line, brows furrowed as his fingers drummed on his arm. Suddenly, you just wanted to know he was okay. You didn’t want to deal with Donatello’s theatrics— or Mikey’s questions, or splinter’s— or Leo’s serious stare towards your boyfriend. You just wanted to cradle Raph’s face in your hands and take all his worries away.

You raised your hand.

“Yes, Y/n. As his partner you no doubt have questions.” Donnie mused, a hand on his chin. “Guys.. can’t we just focus on getting him better?” You gave a weak smile, hoping to draw attention to how uncomfortable the whole charade made Raph.

The tech turtle scoffed, “Do you even know me, Y/n?”

You knit your brows together, your eyes dilating as you silently pleaded for him to wrap it up. “Your ‘puppy dog eyes’ will not work on me.” Donnie rolled his pupils, adding his signature air quotations, “This stuff is important to know! We do this every time Raph is sick and it is mandatory everyone knows what to do in crisis!”

“Its like uhhhh…” His eyes searched the roof, looking for the word, “Lockdow— no. Fire drill!” He gave a little satisfied smile at the end of his claim— you could see April wince at his use of the relation. You couldn’t agree, but you didn’t want to argue on similes, you wanted to rip into him for making Raph uncomfortable.

However, because of your respect for Donnie and value for your non-biological kinship with him, you stayed calm.

“Have you ever wondered if this..” you gestured to his PowerPoint and the gathered family members, “..is the reason you don’t have as many data points on Raph?”

The snapping turtle seemed to sweat-drop, avoiding his genius brother’s accusing gaze. Splinter piped up from his place on the recliner chair, “Are you suggesting he..?” His voice drifted off, but it was clearly voiced as a question.

“Only told you guys when he got really sick because you always freak out?” April checked her nails, having been unfazed by the entire thing. “Oh, yeah he does that all the time.”

Silence.

Ear-bleeding screaming.

The room had erupted, the family (except you two) all yelling at April and each other. “So all my graphs on him are just inaccurate!?” Donnie shouted while Mikey’s voice overlapped, “He’s been holding it inside this whole time that’s so SAAHAHAHAD—“

You watched as the blood drained from Raph’s face. Knitting your brows, you muttered a small apology to him, in which he stiffy replied “Raph’s okay… You only wanted to help..” while you felt bad, your eyes lit up, realizing his symptoms had gone away. He looked in perfect health, despite the small line of tears he had collected.

“Guys oh my god!”

You yelled over everyone, feeling bad as most of them flinched at the loud noise. “Look!” You pointed at your boyfriend, who was trying his best to believe you knew what you were doing. “His symptoms are gone!” You clarified, and when the family went to crowd him — you stepped in front, wagging your finger. “Eh. eh. eh.“ you half-barked, taking a threatening step forward, pointing to Donnie, “Only him.”

The purple turtle gave a smug look to his twin, who scoffed like he suddenly didn’t care. “You may be the best at maintaining his allergies, ‘Nardo, but I’m the scientist.” Donnie exclaimed proudly, before turning to you and his brother, dropping his metaphorical mask. He sat next to Raph, and seeing that they were no longer in crisis mode— everyone seemed to gravitate away, Splinter setting up a movie and Mikey challenging April to some game. Leo lingered a little, eventually walking to the kitchen to make something.

Raph seemed to visibly relax, still fiddling with the edge of his bandana. “Okay,” Donnie said, “Where were you two.”

“My room.” You spoke up, incredibly relieved that you had cleaned before inviting Raph over— you knew Donnie wouldn’t want the ‘crime scene’ fiddled with.

You two worked together to find out what had set Raph off, working at a slower pace with the stress of sickness away. Your boy was mostly free to play with his brothers, except for when you two would test a possible allergen. You were there the whole time, even though Raph told you several times you didn’t have to worry.

Eventually, Donnie noticed white and other dusts slowly falling from a cupboard of yours. He asked, and, upon opening, found a transparent box, different arranges and colors of sediment in little tins— some were spilling everywhere. “What’s this, Y/n?” He showed you the suspicious box, which had clearly been shaken up. “Ah— no!!” You called desperately, noting the containers knocked over and spilled loose. You took the box dejectedly, “My friend got me this.. its samples from different terrestrial planets..”

Donnie furrowed his brow, noting the labels on the different sections. “And a few moons I see…” he noted, squinting at earth’s moon dust. “Would you mind it I took this to my lab?”

“Wait— You don’t think..?” You half laughed, before looking to the fan you had in the corner of your room. “Oh shit.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Donnie announced to the imaginary audience, “I believe… we have our culprit.”

Upon taking it to the lab, Donnie held the moon dust under a microscope, smiling to himself before stepping back to let you see. Your eyes focused in on the lens, and you saw tiny particles, with sharp, jagged edges.

“Imagine having that in your sinuses.” Donnie mused, “you see, because of the jagged nature of Moon dust, most people are allergic, and it can cause many symptoms.” He rattled off, waltzing over to Raph to give the good news and perhaps a temporary respiratory medicine.

You, though?

You were just planning. Planning the absolute tear down of your room via vacuum cleaner.

——

A/N: HI!!! I took a lil creative liberty.. but hey! Thats what prompts are all about!! >:) I hope you enjoyed, Raph is the bestest boy and as someone who sees him like a big brother, I love writing about him.

#ROTTMNT #ROTTMNT x reader #tmnt x reader #Raph x reader #Raphael x reader #2018 Raph x reader #regrettable writing #rottmnt raph x reader

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themaladaptivewriter12 · 4 months

Text

Title: "He is Me, and So Are We."

Part 7 of my “Cray-Cray for Cater” series! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6 can be found here!

Parings: Cater Diamond x Twisted Wonderland Male OC (Mirai Yuhara)

Summary:

When Cater begins to distance himself, Mirai can't help but feel he is to blame. Instead of facing his problems head on, Mirai cowers from his self-inflicted fear of rejection, and now it's too late.

cw: Angst, Hurt/comfort, arguing, use of Cater's signature spell, self-worth issues, self-esteem issues, Cater has trouble seeing his own worth, making up

a/n: It's been a while, but Ima make up for it! Promise! I can't believe this series has 7 parts already! Part 8 will be a long one!

a/n: I missed my own anniversary. IMA RIOT!!! Late anniversary post soon.

Reblogs are appreciated, just use my custom tag, #TheMaladaptiveWriter12, if you do! (─‿‿─)♡

Cross posted from my Ao3: TheMaladaptiveWriter12

“Chamomile, Jellyfish Stingers, Scales of a Coral Snake, Mandrake Root,” Mirai listed, writing down the inventory for Professor Crewel once more. He always got sad when he saw the mandrake root.

Per usual, Mirai was helping out Professor Crewel with sorting and organizing his supply closet. Mirai liked helping out when and where he could, but also, he liked Professor Crewel, he could trust him. But unfortunately, much to Professor Crewel's chagrin, he couldn’t make Mirai a personal lab assistant.

“It’s unethical, it shows favoritism,” Professor Crewel said in a mocking tone, face twisted.

Mirai tried to hold in his laughter.

“Yeah, you wanna know what’s unethical? How uptight that old geezer is! I swear he hasn’t changed at all since my school days,” Professor Crewel scoffed, with a sneer.

Mirai giggles as the memory, as he continues his recording. The school, namely Trein, wouldn't allow Crewel employ Mirai, much less pay him, so instead, Crewel overlooks his mistakes in class, well, not all of them, adds an extra point to his grades where he could, gives him access to pretty much anything in the lab, and gives Mirai the harmless little leftover gems and potions from his classes.

“What’s so funny, Little Papillon?” Professor Crewel asks from where he was leaning against the doorframe. A hand on his hip, the other was holding his pipe, its contents unknown.

“N-Nothing,” Mirai stammered.

Crewel smirks, leaning his head against the wooden frame, his gaudy fur coat sliding down his shoulder even more than it already was, “You thinking of that orange haired pup?”

“Orange haired…?” Mirai thought before it dawned on him, face flushing red, “N-No!”

Professor Crewel laughed, “I jest, I jest. But on that topic, how is it going, your relationship, that is?”

Mirai flushed, mumbling, “Isn’t that a little too personal for you to ask, being my professor and all?”

“Oh? And here I thought we were quite close.” Professor Crewel teased.

“You’re almost old enough to be my father,” Mirai deadpanned.

“I’d have to be sixteen to be your father,” Professor Crewel said with a disgusted face.

“You’re four years shy.”

“Your father had you at twenty?”

“Nah, he was your age actually.”

“Huh.”

“You could be my older brother?” Mirai jokes.

That made Crewel burst into a fit of laughter. Mirai snickered.

“Okay, I can be your adopted older brother, and I wanna give you relationship advice,” Professor Crewel said with a smirk.

“Alright, no. Adopted father sounds better.” Mirai laughed.

“But I thought you didn’t like that. Now tell big brother about your boy,” Professor Crewel laughed.

Mirai broke out in a fit of laughter, “Pl-Please don’t say that ever again!”

“Father it is.”

“Ugh, that still sounds horrible.”

“Ima say it every time you act up in my class.”

“No! Please don’t!”

“Watch me.”

“But honestly,” Mirai said after his laughter died down, “I’d say we're fine. Being with Cater is new, it’s fun, and I couldn’t ask for anymore.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah. He walks me home, and to class when he can. He’s always so caring and nice,” Mirai said with a happily little dreamy smile on his face.

“Well aren’t you a little lovesick pup?”

“N-No,” Mirai pouted.

Professor Crewel chuckled.

“You sound like Sam. He always calls us lovesick Imp, and every time I come in for work, he always tries to read my fortune, but I won’t let him,” Mirai chuckled.

“Wait,” Crewel said, “You work for Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“And he pays you?”

“Yeah?”

“Why isn't it unethical for him?!” Crewel shouted, throwing his hands up.

Mirai laughed at Crewel.

“You laughing at me, Little Papillon?” Professor Crewel asked, whipping his head around to his student.

“N-No,” Mirai chuckled.

Crewel smiled. “I guess you don’t need my help after all,” Professor Crewel laughed.

“I mean, I guess there is something that has been bothering me,” Mirai said, mood dropping a bit.

“Oh? Do tell.”

“He’s been distant lately,” Mirai started, eyes downcast. “I can tell he’s forcing himself, I mean, like, I don’t know, I can’t describe it, but he just feels…off.”

Crewel looked surprised at his student’s confession, “Have you spoken to him about it?”

Mirai shook his head, “I don’t wanna, I don't know, spook him? Scare him into hiding even more? I just can’t figure out what would cause him to act this way. He was fine a while ago, but now, I don’t know, he just seems distant. I want to give him the space to work it out, but I don’t want him to ya’know, shoulder it all.”

Crewel genuinely looked stumped. He thought for a moment before speaking again, “The safest route to go about this is communication. Talk about it, tell him how you feel.”

“I don’t wanna seem pushy or nosy,” Mirai confessed quietly, “I don’t want him to get mad at me.”

“Has he ever gotten mad at you for caring?”

“No.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” Professor Crewel scoffed, “and if he has, tell me, I’ll handle it.”

Ignoring the threat, Mirai sighed, “I know that there’s no reason for me to be so edgy, but I just can’t help doubting myself. Like what if he doesn’t like me anymore.”

What if our “I love yous” were fake? Mirai thought.

Professor Crewel got into Mirai space to look him in the eye, “If that boy likes you, then he will stay. If he doesn’t and breaks your heart, I’ll fail him.”

“Professor, you can’t do that!”

“Maybe I can, maybe I can’t, but he does have a few missing assignments,” Professor Crewel smirked.

“I really need to get him on top of those,” Mirai sighed.

“So, will you talk to him, Little Papillon?”

Mirai nodded meekly.

“Speak,” Professor Crewel commanded.

“Y-Yes, Professor Crewel.”

“Good boy!”

Mirai flushed as the praise.

“Whacha talking about?”

Mirai looked behind his Professor and saw Cater leaned up against the doorframe of the closet, a sly smile on his face.

“Cater?” Mirai called, confused, “Is it that late already?”

“Hm,” Cater nodded, “I called and you didn’t answer, so I went looking for you after you didn’t show.”

“You called?!” Mirai gasped. Mirai dug into his pocket and found that there indeed was a missed call from Cater.

“I’m sorry, it was on silent,” Mirai apologized, “I got caught up sorting this out.”

“Go ahead, Little Papillon, I can finish up myself,” Professor Crewel said, waving his student off.

“Are you sure? I didn’t-”

“Are you disobeying me?”

“N-No?” Mirai stuttered.

“Good boy,” Professor Crewel praised, petting Mirai on the head, “Now shoo, out. Remember your homework and to study for your quiz”

“I will! See you tomorrow, Crewel,” Mirai said, waving.

Mirai hurriedly shucked off the spare labware he had on, handing them to Crewel, and made his way to Cater.

“Let’s go,” Cater said, taking Mirai's hand.

Mirai happily took Cater’s larger one, swinging it as they walked.

“Oh and little pup,” Professor Crewel said with a smirk, “I wouldn’t want to forget those overdue assignments. I’d be a pity for you to suddenly fail my class.”

Cater glared hard at Professor Crewel, grating his teeth, as he shut the lab door behind them. Crewel laughed as they left, shaking his head and went to finish organizing his storage closet.

The next day, Mirai had his shift at Sam’s, and of course he slept in. Mirai rushed around his room, throwing on his designated work outfit, which consisted of a black button down shirt, black jeans and black boots. He grabbed his shoulder bag, throwing in his phone, wallet, and other things he might need and rushed downstairs. In the lounge grim was sitting on the floor eating a tuna bagel, which Mirai gagged at.

“Why didn’t you wake me?!” Mirai cried trying to find his key.

“I did, and you went back to sleep,” Grim deadpanned.

“I’m late!”

Finding his key on the mantel, where it wasn’t before, the ghosts no doubt, Mirai ran to the foyer, then suddenly there was a feral screeching sound. Mirai gasped in fear, jumping back a good couple of feet, and looked down at the floor. Grim was glaring at the Prefect, the direbeast holding his tail, bagel forgotten on the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” Mirai cried, feeling horrible.

Grin didn’t say anything, but he continued to glare holding his abused tail, ears flaming a bit higher. Mirai felt bad, really, but he didn’t have time to try and coax the cat from his angered state.

“I’ll make it up to you, promise!” Mirai called, rushing out the door, locking it behind him, and started his way to Mr. S's Mystery Shop.

Mirai shoved the door open, an apology already on his lips. “I’m so sorry,” Mirai cried, “I overslept, Grim didn’t wake me, the Ghosts hid my key, I stepped on Grim’s tail, I-I-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Sam said surprised, “calm down, Little Imp.”

“But I, but I’m-”

“Yes, you’re thirty minutes late, and it’s fine.”

“But-”

“Ah, ah, ah,” Sam tutted, “It’s just the opening shift. No has even come in yet. Put on your apron, grab a snack, and go calm down.”

“Thank you, Sam! Sorry again,” Mirai rushed out, heading to the back.

Mirai put on his apron and grabbed a blueberry muffin and a bottle of water. As he ate, he watched Sam write the day's sales on a collapsing blackboard in colored chalk, and once he finished, Sam went outside to set it up. Mirai finished his muffin, brushing the crumbs off his clothes, and checked his appearance in the small hand mirror Sam kept under the counter, making sure he was presentable as he waited for their first customer.

It was a slow morning. A few students came in looking for a snack or two. Jack and Ruggie came in some time after, buying ingredients to make some steak.

“Leona’s in a meat mood again?” Mirai asked, laughing at the absurd amount of meat in Ruggie’s hand basket.

“Ugh,” Ruggie groaned, “well, at least it’s not my money I'm wasting.”

“That will be three hundred and fifty marks.”

Jack looked flabbergasted. Ruggie dug through the battered brown leather wallet and gave the exact amount.

“Thank you,” Mirai chirped, putting the marks in the register.

Jack stepped up next, putting some protein shakes on the counter and the exact amount needed.

“Thank you,” Mirai said, taking the marks.

“You must buy those a lot to know the price,” Ruggie commented.

“Don’t you?” Jack asked, “Surely you must have all his favorites memorized with how many times you come here for Housewarden Leona?”

“Of course. That way, I know how many Marks I will get to pocket in the end.”

Jack sighed, but he knew not to try and lecture the Hyena, this was Ruggie we were talking about.

“Thanks guys, come again,” Mirai called as the two walked out. The two gave their own waves in return.

A little while later, Deuce and Ace came in asking for an absurd amount of flour, eggs and milk. Sam handled that one, “poofing” everything on their list onto the counter.

“Unbirthday party?” Mirai asked.

“Yep, and Trey forgot to go shopping yesterday,” Ace answered.

“Trey did?” Mirai asked.

“Well it was more like he got caught up with his Vice duties that it slipped his mind.”

“Oh,” Mirai nodded thoughtfully.

“It’s gonna be a pain carrying all of this back,” Deuce sighed.

“I’d help, but I’m currently on the clock,” Mirai said sadly.

“Why do you work anyways?” Ace asked, looking around for Sam before saying, “Sam is very picky with his workers.”

“I didn’t have a Mark to my name, and I needed extra food funds, supplies funds, and clothing funds,” Mirai sighed.

“Sucks man, I’d help if I also wasn’t getting money from my mother,” Deuce sighed.

“I wouldn’t have asked y’all to help in the first place.”

Deuce and Ace looked taken aback.

“I don’t like taking money from others without working for it,” Mirai supplied.

“Oh,” Ace said.

“Guys, enough chit chat, you have an unbirthday party to attend!”

“Oh yeah,” Ace and Deuce shouted in unison, “Bye Mirai!”

The two rushed through the shop and out the door. Mirai shook his head fondly.

“So, Little Imp,” Sam pried, sitting on the edge of the counter, “How’s it going with that boy?”

“Not you too,” Mirai whined, getting a sense of Deja vu.

“Oh? Who was the first?”

“Professor Crewel.”

“You two close?”

“I help him organize his potions closet on Friday’s.” Mirai explained.

“Huh. Anyways, how’s it going?” Sam asked.

“It’s fine, great even, but I feel like he’s distanced himself,” Mirai huffed.

“Distanced?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how to explain it, he still walks me to class, he still walks me home, he still holds my hand, but somehow he feels off.”

“Sometimes in a relationship, you feel like giving each other space, to keep from going too fast,” Sam explained, “Maybe he feels like he’s rushing things?”

“Too fast? Do you think we’re going too fast?”

“Hmm,” Sam thought, “Maybe he’s losing the feel of the honeymoon phase.”

Mirai sighed.

“But you could always talk to him, Little imp, it doesn’t hurt to try.”

“That’s also what he said.”

“See, us wise old men know what we’re talking about,” Sam laughed.

Mirai snickered a bit, “You’re not old,”

“But you’ll never know unless you try,” Sam said softly.

Mirai nodded.

The rest of his shift was a little busier, but nothing to really work him to the bone. And when the clock struck three, his shift was over. Mirai was uniting his apron when a familiar voice rang out.

“Heyo!”

“Hey Cater,” Mirai smiled, “Just let me put my apron away, and I’ll be right there.”

Sam was sitting on the counter again, sandwich in hand as he read the paper. “Hey, Little Imp,” Sam greeted, not taking his eyes off of what he was reading.

“Hey Sam,” Cater smiled.

Mirai came back out, with a smile on his face, “Okay, let’s go.”

“Bye Little Imp, see you tomorrow,” Sam waved with a smile, “Remember what we talked about.”

“Bye Sam, and I will,” Mirai said with a wave.

Mirai and Cater walked in silence. Mirai looked at Cater as they walked, his face was blank, his usual smile nonexistent.

“Cater?” Mirai called.

Cater seemed to snap out of it, face flashing from surprise to a forced smile. “Yes Hon?”

Mirai thought about what he and Professor Crewel, and Sam spoke about. “Those overdue assignments? Wanna talk about that?” Mirai asked instead. The Prefect was berating himself in his head for chickening out. He’ll wait a bit longer.

“It’s fine,” Cater said, laughing nervously.

“Clearly not if your assignments are overdue. So Ima help you.”

“Aren’t you just so sweet,” Cater crooned.

“I mean it, Cater,” Mirai glared up at him, “You’re lucky Riddle hasn’t caught on yet.”

“Yikes,” Cater flinched at the aspect of Riddle finding out.

“So, are you busy right now?” Mirai asked.

“No,” Cater said, shaking his head.

“Good. Off to Heartslabyul we go.”

Mirai and Cater entered the mirror to the Heartslabyul dorm. Mirai thought he could never get used to the feeling of going through the mirrors. It felt pulley and pushy, and it made his stomach feel funny every time. When they entered the dorm grounds, it was quiet.

“Where is everyone?” Mirai asked curiously.

“There was a Croquet game today,” Cater explained, “They should’ve wrapped it up by now.”

“Ah.”

Cater led Mirai inside the dorm and through the lounge and when they entered, there were a bunch of students occupying the lounge. Some were reading, other’s playing cards, one of the tables had several students doing their homework, and in the far corner, at the tea table, Ace, Deuce, Trey and Riddle were having tea and cookies. Trey perked up at the two entering the lounge.

“Hey Mirai, what brings you here?” Trey greeted the prefect.

“I’m here to help this dummy over here study,” Mirai answered, cocking his thumb at the redhead.

“Hey,” Cater gasped, but he didn’t sound offended at all.

“Where’s Grim?” Deuce asked.

“Home,” Mirai supplied, “I accidentally stepped on his tail before work this morning, so I’ve been avoiding him.”

Ace snickered.

“I seriously don’t get how you hang out with that man,” Deuce sighed.

“Me neither,” Cater huffed.

“Guys,” Mirai laughed, “He’s not that bad, nor is Professor Crewel.”

“Cater,” Riddle called, “remember to serve your guests tea, it would be very offensive not to.”

“Y-You really don’t have to,” Mirai stammered, “We’re just here to study.”

“Nonsense,” Riddle dismissed, “It would be rude not to. You’re a guest and a friend, but most importantly, it’s a rule.”

“It’s okay Riddle,” Cater chuckled, “I was getting the tea anyways. I was just gonna take him upstairs first. Black tea is fine, right? It’s only three o’clock.”

“Upstairs?” Ace asked with a smirk.

“Yeah?” Cater asked, “Why? Is there a rule against that?”

“Why upstairs?” Trey asked, a sly smile on his face.

“‘Cus I can’t play music down here,” Cater whined, “It ruins the study vibe.”

“That’s probably why you can’t concentrate, you’re too busy singing,” Mirai chided.

“Am not!”

“Fine, we can play music, but it's gonna be the instrumental version.”

“No,” Cater whined, “Guys! Mi-Mi’s being mean.”

“Suck it up you big baby,” Mirai laughed, smacking Cater on the arm.

The room erupted in snickers. Ever since Cater announced his relationship with Mirai, they became the talk of Heartslabyul. Everyone wanted the latest update on their relationship, and how they were doing. And even with Ace and Deuce’s threats to anyone who opposed, that didn’t stop the playful teasing that Mirai and Cater were subjected to.

“So you're just studying?” Ace asked.

“Yes, studying,” Mirai gruffed, putting a hand on his hip, “something you should be doing after the state of your last pop quiz.”

A bunch of ‘oohs’ rang out in the room, and Ace had the nerve to look embarrassed.

“Hey,” Ace shouted, face red.

“What quiz?” Riddle asked Ace.

“It was a pop quiz,” Ace rushed out guiltily.

“Have fun studying,” Trey teased.

Cater and Mirai finally caught on to what they were implying, faces growing red. The room erupted in laughter. Even Riddle was chuckling.

“It’s not like that,” Cater whined, face flushed.

“Oh, yeah, like I haven’t heard that excuse before,” Ace cackled.

“Hope you learn a lot of things together,” Trey laughed.

“Lets go,” Cater said, pulling Mirai out the lounge, tripping over his own feet.

The pair walked up the stairs, through the diamond archway, and down the hall to the wing that held the upperclassmen rooms. Cater shoved the door open and shut it behind him. Mirai liked Cater’s room, it was very “Cater-esque.”

“Uh, you can sit anywhere, I’ll, I’ll get the tea, uh brb,” Cater stammered, standing in the doorway.

Mirai nodded, sitting on the bed. With that, Cater left.

Mirai spent the time scrolling through his Magicam, when there was clatter outside the door, and Mirai jumped at the noise.

“Uh, I need a little help, my hands are kinda full,” said Cater’s muffled voice from outside the door.

Mirai opened the door for Cater, who was balancing two beautiful covered porcelain trays, one in each hand. One had pictures of cakes on it, and the other teapots.

“Lemme…” Mirai mumbled taking the tray with the cakes on it.

“Thanks,” Cater smiled, walking in the room, closing the door with hip.

“Why didn’t you just use your signature spell? Extra hands ya’know?”

“O-Oh, yeah, I guess I could’ve done that.” Cater cleared a space to set everything down on a folding table. “Welcome to casa de Cater!”

Mirai laughed, “It’s nice as always.”

Cater removed the lid with the teapots on it and placed it down, “I hope I did it right, it’s your favorite after all.” There was a beat of silence, and when Mirai didn’t answer, Cater grew concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“S-Sorry, sorry,” Mirai said, snapping out of his stupor, “I-I, it’s just, it’s just, it’s very pretty.”

The teapot and teacups were clear glass, the saucers looked like shattered glass. The pot handle was gold, it was swirled and twisted, and where the handle met the pot, there were porcelain lilies, trimmed in gold, their centers were yellow. The lid handle was a couple of lilies and a bud, and on the saucers was a lily and a gold twisted stem. The cups were like mini versions of the teapot, and the spoon was long and sliver with a lily on the top.

“What about it has you so quiet?” Cater asked, voice just above a whisper, like as if he spoke louder than that, whatever this mood was would shatter to pieces.

Mirai swallowed hard, trying to compose himself. “It looks just like the one my mother had.”

“Oh,” Cater said, eyes going wide, “I, uh, I’m sorry. We, we uh, we don’t have to use this one. I-I can-”

“N-No!”

Cater halted, not sure what to do.

Mirai took a breath, trying to calm the sudden panic that rose through his body, before speaking again, “No, it’s okay. I'd really like to use that one, if that’s alright.”

“Okay,” Cater whispered.

Cater took a second before carefully flipping the cups over and poured the dark tea into the cups. As the tea was poured into the cup, its warm and rich scent permeated the air, and Mirai could immediately tell what it was.

“How did you know this was my favorite?” Mirai asked quietly.

Cater smiled softly, “I heard from Riddle that you like Earl Grey, so I brewed you some.”

“Thanks,” Mirai smiled.

“But you can add the sugar and stuff. I wouldn’t want to ruin your tea.”

Cater moved the bedside lamp and placed Mirai’s tea cup, spoon, and saucer, and a glass pot of honey and a bowl of sugar cubes on the bedside table.

“It’s pretty,” Mirai said in awe.

“It’s been my favorite set, for a while now,” Cater said sheepishly, “It reminds me of you.”

Mirai flushed, “It’s far too beautiful to be compared to me.”

“I’d say you're even more so,” Cater teased, poking the Prefect on the nose, “but it fits you more than ever.”

Mirai flushed and busied himself with putting the sugar in his tea. Once it was to his liking, Mirai cradled the warm cup in his hands, staring into the deep colored liquid. Taking a sip, Mirai sighed, content.

Cater lifted the lid of the tray with the cakes decorated on, and underneath was a smattering of little tea cakes and cookies. “These are for you,” Cater smiled.

“If you’re trying to butter me up so that we won’t do your overdue work, you're sorely mistaken,” Mirai smirked.

“Me?” Cater gasped dramatically, “Butter you up? I would never!”

“Okay, okay,” Mirai laughed, stirring his tea, “But we’re still doing them.”

“I know,” Cater sighed.

The next two hours were spent in each other's company. Mirai oversaw as Cater did his work, and of course that didn’t go smoothly. More than once did Cater zone out and stare out the window, then he would periodically check his Magicam, which ended up with Mirai taking his phone, sticking it in the bookshelf. Cater whines dramatically at that. Then Cater changed the song that was playing a bunch of times, saying it either didn’t fit his mood, or match the vibe. This then led to Cater picking his favorites to sing along to, then he started dancing in his seat, and then he went on a tangent on his favorite singers and the gossip around them as of late. Mirai had to get him back on track after that one, well that was until Cater got up to “use the bathroom” for the fifth time.

Mirai really couldn’t help Cater other than keeping the third year on track. They had different lessons, different classes, and different requirements being in different years and all, but Mirai tried to support and help the best he could. And once Cater got focused he didn’t stop, and not long after he finished all his assignments.

“Done,” Cater sighed, dropping his pencil and stretching his arms above his head.

“Good job,” Mirai praised, eating yet another teacake. Mirai honestly didn’t know how many he’d eaten since they’d started.

“That was so boring,” Cater whined, “A total #snoozefest.”

“I’m proud of you though. I really am.”

Cater looked stunned, and as he went to say something, there was a knock at the door. Cater took the opportunity to take the attention off himself and answer it. It was Trey.

“I came to see if you two wanted dinner,” Trey smiled.

“Oh! Can I invite Grim?” Mirai asked, suddenly remembering the cat back at home. “I’m sure he hasn’t had actual food all day.”

“Of course.

Trey left with that and Cater followed shortly after he started up a conversation with the Vice. Mirai sighed. Oh well, he’ll try again some other time.

Days passed and Mirai was kicking himself for not asking Cater earlier, because now, it seemed it was too late. Something had happened after that day Mirai helped the third year with his homework. Mirai knew he was hiding something, but something about that day became the tipping point for Cater, and now it all was just…wrong.

It started with Cater disappearing every so often. Mirai brushed it off until he didn’t show for one of his classes. Riddle had gotten him for that one, but Cater brushed it off saying he went to the infirmary for a stomach ache. And Mirai asked him if he was okay, he seemed to freeze up before kissing him atop his head, telling him not to worry.

Then Cater stopped stopping by to walk him from classes. The first couple of times, Mirai didn’t mind, he wasn’t a two year old in need of a hand to hold lest he get lost, but after it continued after the fourth and fifth time, it began to hurt. Was Cater busy? Had Mirai annoyed him? Mirai couldn’t find an answer, nor did he have the courage to ask.

And then when he saw the Heartslabyul third year in passing, he just wave like nothing was wrong. Cater talked his ear off like he always did, not that Mirai minded, but he wouldn’t touch him, or at least not directly. He’d wrap his arm around Mirai’s waist, pat him on the shoulder, but he wouldn’t hold his hand. And oh how Mirai craved to feel Cater’s lips against his own. Mirai couldn’t remember the last time Cater kissed him, he couldn’t remember the last time he felt Cater’s warm breath mingling with his own, the slide of Cater’s tongue against his, or the taste of his cherry chapstick. What about his touch? When was the last time Cater touched his skin, hugged him, held him close like he never wanted to let go when he stayed the night?

Mirai wanted to be angry, to yell, scream, but he couldn’t. He wanted to be mad at Cater, he wanted to confront him, chew him out, but that wouldn’t be fair, because he was to blame. He was too afraid to communicate, to ask for himself, and now look where that got him. And today was his breaking point.

Mirai noticed it the moment he saw the strawberry blonde that morning for breakfast. Cater had entered the cafeteria with the rest of Heartslabyul, a smile on his face as bright as the sun, ready to take on the world. He was chatty, filling Trey in on his newest Magicam gossip, but something was off.

“Good morning, Babydoll. Sleep well?” Cater asked, happily.

“Meh,” Mirai said, staring intently at Cater.

Mirai reached across the table to hold Cater’s hand, but Cater’s eyes flicked to his hand, and in a split second, he dropped his fork.

“Oops,” Cater said, reaching to pick the silverware up. “Ima go get another fork. Brb!”

Once Cater came back, he kept his hands off the table for the rest of breakfast.

It was safe to say Mirai skipped over the stage of dejection and went straight to irritation. What had he done to make Cater not want to hold his hand? And to go as far as making a show of “dropping” his fork to avoid him? Mirai grumbled to himself, the moment the last bell rang, he was gonna confront Cater. The bell rang, signaling the start of classes and Mirai sighed. It was gonna be a long day.

Throughout the day, Mirai caught glimpses of bright orange waves, but not once were those green eyes on him. But the was something that Mirai wanted to confirm, to see if the inkling in the back of his mind was just anxiety.

“You guys think Cater’s being weird today?” Mirai asked as he did his Potionology worksheet.

“What ya mean?” Deuce asked.

“Isn’t he your boy-thing or whatever?” Grim muttered out. “Shouldn’t you know?”

“I don't know. He just is.”

“I don’t know man,” Ace said, “Maybe you’re looking too far into things?”

“Maybe,” Mirai said looking back at his work.

It was their free period and Mirai and the other freshman got together to work on some homework.

“Yall get inna lovers spat or somethin’?” Epel asked curiously.

“Nope,” Mirai said curtly.

“Sure sounds like ya did.”

“Why do you ask anyways?” Jack asked.

Mirai looked across the courtyard where Cater was with a gaggle of third years. He was talking animatedly, his smile wide, his voice light and playful. But his eyes, from here he couldn’t see them, but he knew from earlier that despite his happy attitude, his eyes didn’t show that at all.

“He said he didn’t feel well, earlier this week,” Mirai half lied.

“Well, now that you mention it, he does seem a little unwell,” Sebek mused.

“His vitals are coming back positive,” Ortho chimed in. “Maybe he’s tired? Idia gets like that sometimes.”

“Maybe,” Mirai muttered, turning his attention away from Cater.

Classes ended and just when Mirai thought he was gonna make yet another trek home alone, Cater was waiting for him outside the door.

“Ready to go, Baby?” Cater asked.

“Ya sure you’re not too busy?” Mirai asked, a little more than annoyed.

“How could I be too busy for you?”

Mirai raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything as he began his walk home. Cater followed happily, as he typed and scrolled away on his phone. Mirai tried to ignore it, but really? Was he not gonna pay attention to him? Not even tell him of his day? Maybe Cater really was getting tired of him?

“Well, will you at least hold my hand?” Mirai asked, voice harsher than he intended.

“A-Ah, sorry,” Cater said, panic coloring his face. “Sure.”

Well, why wasn’t he taking his hand? Mirai stared at Cater as he seemed to panic, like he couldn’t figure out how it worked?

“Cater?” Mirai asked.

Cater suddenly looped to Mirai left and switching his phone to his left hand, he reached and took his prosthetic hand into his right. Why?! Mirai let go and stepped into Cater path.

“What’s going on with you tha-”

The third year suddenly stopped in his tracks, and while trying to avoid a collision, he dropped his phone, the device luckily falling to the grass.

Mirai muttered a curse, “Sorry, lemme-”

Cater gasped, “N-No it’s-”

They both reached for the smartphone and as their hands collided, Mirai reeled back, trying not to let the surprise, no fear, show on his face. Cater’s hands were cold. Cater looked up at Mirai, knowing their hands touched, trying to gauge if Mirai felt it too, but Mirai said nothing, his expression unreadable.

“Sorry,” Mirai muttered.

“I-It’s fine,” Cater stuttered.

The two just stared at each other, and Mirai tried to fight the tears that threatened to fall.

“Well I gotta stop by Sam’s to pick up some breakfast. Text ya after clubs?” Mirai croaked.

“Of course,” Cater smiled. “Later, Babydoll.”

Mirai watched Cater’s back retreat back to the school building, no doubt going to his club meet. And Mirai’s hunch was right, the theory that had been burning in the back of his mind for the better half of the week was true. This Cater was a fake. He needed to find Cater.

Mirai stopped by Heartslabyul. Most of the guys were at their respective clubs, so it was easy to slip in a claim that he was here to drop something of Cater's off. Mirai followed the hallways that led to the upperclassmen wing, and making it to Cater’s room, Mirai stopped at the door and knocked. No one answered. Mirai knocked again and waited, and still got no answer. Mirai sighed, hoping Cater wouldn’t be too mad as he tried the door, and to his luck, it was open.

Mirai pushed his way into the dark room, and slowly tipped his way to the bed.

“Cater?’ Mirai whispered. “Cater?”

Mirai looked at the bed and it was empty, the sheets immaculate. Mirai’s stomach dropped.

“Okay, okay, this doesn’t mean anything,” Mirai tried to convince himself as he exited the vacant room. “So he wasn’t here, cool, that’s fine. So now we just gotta find him.”

Mirai checked the rest of the dorm, the balconies, the croquet field, and when Mirai couldn’t find him in the rose maze, he began to panic.

“Where are you?” Mirai muttered.

Cater sat in the observatory, looking up at the stars. He was tired, his brain wouldn’t shut up, and now he didn’t have his phone to distract himself. But then again, maybe it was for the best. Because now he didn’t have to see the hateful comments on his feed, now he didn’t have to see all the things he envied, all the things he hated himself for. No he couldn’t compare himself to the thousands of others who he doom scrolled across, now he didn't have to see the cringe photos his double posted in his stead.

Cater sighed, feeling the pull of magic tingle in the back of his mind. His clone was still out there, filling in as him for the day. Just as it had been for the better half of the week. He could do this, he’d been keeping it up this long and no one noticed. Not his freshmen, not Riddle, not Trey, not Kalim and Lilia. Not even Mirai.

Cater chuckled to himself. Not even his lover could tell the difference. He was just that replaceable, wasn’t he? Just another faceless being, just another unoriginal internet personality, just another poser. The sound of the doors sliding open, made Cater startle, and then irritation washed over him. So much for some peace.

“Getting so extra studying in?” Cater asked, trying to sound like his usual self. “I feel ya. Someti-”

“Ya’know, if you don’t wanna do this anymore you could’ve told me.”

Cater whipped his head around and instead of seeing one of his fellow third years, he was looking down on his angry lover.

“I will not be your plaything,” Mirai shouted, eyes watery, “I-I will not be y-your, your latest trend! So if I’m tiring you, say it to my face and we'll end it now!”

“He-hey, wa-wait! I-”

“And the clone! Really?! I know you know how dangerous that is! How long have you been doing that?! Where are your blot levels at?”

Shoot. Cater hadn’t even checked how much he had accumulated. Cater’s eyes flicked over to his pen. He could still see red, but it was awfully cloudy, black beginning to take up around the edges.

“Clone? There’s no clone,” Cater lied with a smile, “I don’t what you-”

“Boss, I’m back. I took notes on what-”

The clone stopped dead in it’s tracks, it’s green eyes wide in fear much like it’s owners. The double looked between Mirai and Cater, not sure how it could salvage this situation.

“Mi-Mi, I-”

“Dismiss him,” Mirai said, voice devoid of emotion as he ignored the clone.

Cater stood from his spot on the floor, “Mirai, I-I-I didn’t-”

“If you’re gonna explain yourself, I'd rather hear it from you,” Mirai huffed. “Not, not, not from him, and not with him here. ”

Cater sighed, taking his phone from the copy before dismissing him into a burst of playing

cards. There was silence between them, neither of them looking each other in the eye. No one knew who’d break the silence first.

“Fine. Let’s just say I’m totally wrong, which I’m not, why were you here all day, and not in your classes?”

“You know,” Cater said playfully, “sometimes Cay-Cay’s brain does a silly and-”

“Cater,” Mirai called, cutting off the strawberry blondes rambling.

“Y-Yeah?” Cater smiled.

“Stop smiling.”

Cater faltered, but when Mirai’s gaze didn’t let up did Cater finally drop the act, and it was like a flip switched. His green eyes were void of their usual happiness and gone was his smile, an irritated sneer in its place. This wasn’t the Cater Mirai knew, but it was one that Mirai wanted to know, as crazy as it sounded. Mirai could count how many times he’s witnessed this side of Cater on one hand. He’d seen it twice during Riddle’s Overblot, and the other was a mistake.

“That’s better,” Mirai smirked snarkily.

“So now you’re here to tease?” Cater sneered.

“Not tease, scold is more like it. Do you know how dangerous that little stunt was?”

“I can handle it,” Cater huffed. “I’ve done it before, I can do it again.”

“Oh come on! You and I both know that’s not a smart idea.”

“So how’d you know?” Cater asked, ignoring that last statement. “How’dja figure it out, cus I honestly thought I was doing pretty good sending those copies. It worked for the better half of the week.”

“To be honest I didn’t know at first,” Mirai admitted, “But then you wouldn't touch me.”

“‘Course. Their body temperature isn’t exactly human.”

“Also, not sure if you know, but the longer your clones stray away from you, the less “normal” they look.”

Mirai thought back to earlier in the day when he’d been watching Cater. The clone looked a bit pale, sick even. And it’s eyes, they were dull, void of life and emotion.

“Noted.”

“No, not noted,” Mirai grit out. “What’s eating you so much that you’d endanger yourself like this?!”

Cater didn’t say anything.

“Are you that repulsed by me that you’d send a clone in your place?

“Repulsed is one word for it.”

“If you’re mad at me, then tell me why! Yell at me, get in my face, I don’t care! Anything beats the way you-”

“Do you actually love me, Mirai?” Cater asked with a finality that made Mirai’s hair stand on end.

“Wh-What?! You’re asking me that after all of this?!” Mirai asked, “I should be asking you that question!”

“Do you?”

“Of course I do! Even if you’re really making me question everything we’ve been doing these past few months.”

“You sure it’s me and not Cay-Cay?” Cater smiled.

“Wha-What?”

“Oh come on Mirai! You saw it today! I’m replaceable! I’m just another soulless personality! Just another smiling face! No one! Not a single person realized that I wasn’t me! All I have to do is smile, take a pic, make a dumb joke, and act like the next unintelligent trend chasing magicammer out there, and boom! What do you have?! Cater Diamond!”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Mirai shouted back.

“Ya’know, I started thinking about us after our break. I realized how much has changed, how much I have changed since I’ve met you. And I started thinking about how our relationship might look in the future.”

Mirai was taken aback at his confession, but stayed silent in favor of letting him speak first.

“It then got me wondering if I would ever be able to bring you home to meet my family? And I already know how they see me, but I don’t know if they truly accept us. And then I began to wonder, who is Cater?”

“I-I-I don’t, I don’t follow-”

“Is Cater me or the me I created in response to my sisters? Is Cater the Cater I created in response to my life as the kid who moved every year, as the kid without a real friend in Twisted Wonderland? Is Cater the Cater who overshares to keep people close, that they think they know me, but far enough to have a real connection? And I began to wonder, which Cater you are dating, and if you love the actual Cater, and not the one I created.”

“Of course I love you,” Mirai growled. “I told you before, I’ve never been in a romantic relationship before, so it’s def not a word I throw around lightly.”

“Then who am I to you, Mirai?” Cater asked coldly.

“You already know the answer to that. You’re my boy-”

“Nuh uh. Who am I to you?”

Mirai swallowed, taking a breath, “You are kind and caring, selfless, always putting others first. You are attentive, always knowing how someone’s feeling, always the one to lift the mood. You are you. You don’t have to be smart, or athletic, super pretty, and you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be Cater, and that’s enough for me.”

Cater was stunned into silence, and Mirai took the chance to continue. “Cater, Cater I, Cater I want to be someone you can rely on, someone you can trust,” Mirai said looking down at his feet, ��I’m worried about you, and I’ve been thinking of ways to go about this, but I was scared I was pushing you away. I’ve never been in an actual relationship before, and I really didn’t want to mess this up, well, I guess I already have, but I don’t wanna mess up anymore than more than I already have,”

Mirai sighed, looking up at Cater, “I don’t want you to face your problems alone if you don’t have to. If you really don’t wanna talk, then we don’t have to, but I’m here for you. I always will be. And if you want me to leave, I’ll go.”

It was the quiet sob that had Mirai climbing the stairs to Cater, and when he saw the rivers of tears falling down his cheek, his heart broke in two. “Oh, Cater,” Mirai sighed, “Come here.”

Cater fell forward, and pressed his face into Mirai's chest and sobbed. Cater gripped the Prefect like a lifeline, fingers white knuckled in his shirt. Mirai let him stay there as he cried, holding him tight, and steady. The Prefect let Cater cry, rubbing his back as his breathing grew between sobs. Mirai would always be there, as long as Cater would allow him to be, he’d be there.

“I-I-,” Cater stuttered.

Mirai sat up and gave Cater his full attention.

“I feel horrible, I feel like I’m lying to you. And I don’t know how to fix it,” Cater babbled.

“You are more than what you think, Cater. You are more than your Magicam account, you are more than what you post, or how many followers you have. You are more important than how others perceive you, you are braver then your darkest thoughts. You are irreplaceable.”

Cater was sobbing into his sleeves, shoulders shaking.

“I’m, I’m sorry,” Cater hiccuped, sniffling.

“Don’t be,” Mirai reassured, “But I really am proud of you Cater.”

Cater slowly sat them down and pressed himself into Mirai hold. Mirai slowly fell back onto the cold floors, sighing as Cater smushed his face into Mirai’s neck. They stayed like that for a while, Cater lying on Mirai's chest, and Mirai, combing his fingers through Cater’s soft orange hair.

“Thanks,” Cater croaked after a while.

“You’re welcome,” Mirai said softly.

Sometime after they both calmed, the two of them ended up laying on the observatory floors, looking up at the bright night sky. Cater was dozing, lying halfway on Mirai’s chest, and Mirai laying there, combing his fingers through Cater’s hair.

“You’re soft,” Cater mumbled after a while.

“Am I?” Mirai asked quietly.

Cater nodded.

“I love your hair,” Mirai whispered, scratching his nails down into the roots, “It’s so soft, so thick, and so vibrant.”

Cater hummed, turning his head into the scratches. Mirai chuckled, scratching down Cater’s head, and onto his nape. Cater sighed shakily.

“I love how bright your eyes are, and I love your freckles.”

Cater whimpered, turned his face into Mirai’s chest, and visible flush coloring his cheeks.

“I love you, Cater.”

“I-I love you, too,” Cater whispered.

Mirai smiled, kissing the top of Cater’s head and Cater leaned into it, silently begging for more, and obliged with a loving chuckle.

Cater yawned, “‘m tired.”

“Well we can’t sleep here, but we can go back to Ramshackle?” Mirai offered, “We can make some quick instant Ramen and watch a movie?”

Cater smiled, “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Together the two of them left the observatory, and headed to Ramshackle, the weight of their troubles seemed to float up into the stars as those heavy metal doors slid shut behind them.

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twoidiotwriters1 · 11 months

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Daughter of Olympus (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Okay guys, time to get serious -Danny Words: 2,251 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter / Next Chapter Listen to: 'A Troubled Mind' -by Noah Kahan

XXXII: I Ask My Bestie for Advice on the Stupid Thing I Did Already

Ara doesn't know how, but Lily sniffs lies from a mile radius, and it's obvious she didn't buy Ara's story yesterday.

"Remember how you asked me a couple of months ago not to report your absence from camp no questions asked?" She sits next to Connor while the Aphrodite cabin trains.

"You promised to never bring that up!" Connor argues.

"I want you to return the favor," Ara leans one arm on his shoulder. "No questions asked."

"Do I need my kit?"

She shakes her head. "I need you to distract Lily during the campfire."

"Oh. That's all?" Connor sighs heavily. "I'm a man of my word, so you got it, Aracles."

"Stop calling me that."

Ara gets up and Piper approaches with Katoptris in hand. "The others want to know if we can go shower now."

Ara looks at the group over Piper's shoulder. "Go get rid of the smell!"

The demigods quickly abandon the place, but before Piper can leave, Ara grabs her wrist. "I need to have a serious talk with you." She grimaces. "Yikes. No. A fun talk. A... sisters talk?"

Piper tilts her head with amusement. "You'll tell me embarrassing secrets?"

"One embarrassing secret," she squeezes the girl's wrist. "I need to know how you and Jason did it."

Piper blushes. "What?"

"The dating!" Her face flushes. "Oh gods, I suck at this..."

"Wait," the girl blinks. "Are you trying to date someone?"

"Er..."

"Who is it?"

Ara's face gets redder. "Let's talk in my room."

The entire camp is holding its breath.

A couple of miles out to sea, Percy Jackson and Charles Beckendorf will carry out a plan of attack on Luke Castellan's cruise ship. Charles is packing up the necessary materials, and behind him, two girls are waiting. The first is his girlfriend Silena, the second is me.

"Do you have everything?"

"Think so," he nods.

Silena approaches and adjusts his camp shirt. "Everything will be fine."

"I know."

I look away during the exchange, slightly uncomfortable to be witnessing their moment. I hear footsteps, and then the weight of a big hand on my shoulder.

"Birdy," Beckendorf smiles. "I'll tell Percy you say hi."

My brother enjoys spending time away with Rachel, so I haven't seen him in like, a week. I decided to come and help the campers, I wanted to be useful.

In the year since the battle of the labyrinth, I've grown six inches (I'm still shorter than most, though), my sword skills and forging have improved by eighty percent, and I'm visibly stronger. I'm doing well, the problem is my dreams.

I keep seeing weird stuff, Heracles and Achilles's battles, and those memories from my past lives. It feels like they're all connected, somehow.

"Keep an eye on that bronze dragon until I come back, alright?"

"'Kay."

My friend ruffles my hair and hands me a notebook. "If the plan works," he says, "I won't need this anymore, but I want you to keep it."

I'm beyond honored. "I'll take care of it. Good luck."

I follow him and Silena to the pegasus stable and, after greeting Blackjack, I leave the couple.

Piper and Ara are on her bed drinking a six-pack of regular Coke, and Piper's having the time of her life. "You know, I think Leo got too lucky."

Ara's severely flustered. "Don't think so. This is meant to be, my friends always knew I'd end up dating a Cabin Nine camper. They thought it'd be Jake but—" Ara stops midsentence. "I was never interested in dating until now."

"Well yeah, you were a kid before," Piper agrees. "But I heard you've been avoiding love for years. Is that true?"

"No," Ara makes a face. "I was told I couldn't have it, but I'm not so sure. Chiron says it'll be hard to have a normal life, but he never said it was impossible, and even if it was..."

"You and Leo are masters of unlikely," Piper smiles. "That's what you said, right?"

Ara falls back on her bed, hugging her T-Rex. "But I've got no idea of how it's done properly!"

"No one does, just follow your gut and hope for the best."

"My gut is configured to deal with war stuff, not romance," Ara sulks.

"Then do what your mother said and just have fun. Leo can teach you, he's pretty good at that."

"Can I ask you something?" She sits up. "Do you think he likes me, or is he just starstruck?"

Piper tosses her empty can into the trash, landing a solid three-pointer. "I mean, you're pretty, but you also spent a whole week teaching us how to survive in this world. You're strong and you're skilled, I'm certain he likes you."

"Would he date me even if I didn't have all that?"

"Don't ask me, ask him!" Piper shrugs. "Then you'll know."

"Jackson!" Nico hollers from the stairs. "Lily needs you at the bunker!"

"Coming!" She starts to get up, then pauses. "Don't come to my room while I'm not here!"

"Like I want to see your stupid room!" He replies.

Piper stares at her. "Who was that?"

"The son of Hades," Ara leaves the room with Piper. "We used to be friends until he tried to kill my brother."

"Oh."

They get to the bunker and her sister goes to Leo and Jason—mostly just to be with Jason. Ara reaches the workbench Lily tends to use, as soon as she gets there, the dark-haired girl mumbles a question without looking up.

"What is it with you and elf-looking dudes?"

"Wish I knew," Ara nudges her friend's arm. "But also, what is it with you and your elf-looking dude?"

"Nothing."

"Doubt it."

"For the last time," Lily looks up rolling her eyes. "We've known each other for years and we're still just friends, it's obviously one-sided."

"Or you're just cowards. One of these days, Connor's gonna get his shit together and he's going to ask you out, and then you'll have to eat your words."

"You didn't answer my question," Lily points out.

Ara grins. "I don't think it's 'cause they look like elves. Maybe I like guys with a good sense of humor."

Her friend snorts. "Yeah, right."

Ara pauses. Then, she speaks quietly. "I kissed Leo."

"WHAT!" Ara covers the girl's mouth, but the bunker's so loud no one hears her yelling. Lily slaps the hand away. "But why? Perché mi fai questo? Sai che ho bisogno di sapere le cose in anticipo in modo che tutto vada bene—"

"Se ti calmi forse posso spiegarti meglio, civetta!" Ara scolds her. "Listen, I talked to Piper—"

"You told Piper before you told me?" Lily exclaims. "Who else knows, Blackjack?"

"Shut up a minute!" Ara insists. "Piper's a daughter of Aphrodite! If Silena were here..." her voice cracks. "I just needed someone close to Mother."

Lily takes in her reply, blushing a little. "Right. I got carried away, sorry. So... Can I stab Leo if he messes up?"

Ara snorts. "No. I wouldn't even let Percy get tough with him."

"I don't see Percy doing that. Well, more like I never imagined him doing that if Mike had asked you out," Lily mentions.

Once again, it's all well-intentioned and innocent, but Ara can't stand it. "He was different," she faces Lily with a serious expression. "Promise me something."

The girl tilts her head. "I'm listening."

"You'll stop talking about him."

I shoot up the lava wall, my hands and legs knowing by heart where each stepping stone is. I can climb with my eyes closed, with one hand, you name it. I'm the best climber in town.

"Fifty seconds!" Lily shouts proudly.

I seize the rope and descend swiftly, kicking against the wall on each leap. "You know what I think?"

"What?" Lily grins.

"This child of Olympus thing is going to be easy," I jump the last meter and land in front of her. "Woah! Did that look as cool as it felt?"

"You'll destroy your knees if you keep doing that," she responds unimpressed. "But yeah, it looked cool."

"Pff, I'm half-goddess, I'll be fine. I just couldn't wait to see you from up close," I tilt my head. "Occhi benedetti che ti vedono."

My friend stops smiling. "Da quando sai parlare italiano?"

I giggle. "I only learned a few compliments so I can shout them when you walk past," I shrug. "High-quality teasing."

Lily face-palms and I laugh more.

"They're back!" Shouts a camper near us.

We run to where the group of demigods is, and I hear Silena's voice:

"Where is Charlie?"

Time stops. When I see my brother's expression, I know I'll never see Beckendorf again.

"No..."

A pair of arms wrap around my shoulders while Clarisse leads Silena to the big house.

"Ara..." Percy's the one holding me, I did not see him move.

Something's squeezing my lungs. Beckendorf is dead. Percy tells me everything, including that his father saved him. He tells me about the war happening underwater, and how it's time for him to listen to his prophecy.

We look at each other, neither of us is crying. We know this loss is greater than any amount of tears. I hug my brother. "You're okay," when I speak, my voice comes out shaky. "That's enough for now."

I'll avenge my friend, I have a plan and a good reason to make it happen.

"You're getting stronger," Percy speaks hoarsely. "That hug almost breaks me in half."

I know he's lying, but I appreciate it.

Lily and Michael approach me with equally grim expressions. "Bug..."

"I gotta train." I walk past them, and they follow me at a proper distance.

"If you want to take a break..." Lily starts gently.

"Kronos's army doesn't take breaks," I reply, tightly holding the compass in my pocket. "Neither do I."

"What?"

"I need some distance between my past and my future," Ara continues. "I can't drag him along."

"Drag him?" Lily glares at her. "It's only been five months, Ara. He was your best friend—"

"And he's not coming back."

Lily seems even more insulted by this. "You're going to act like you never even—?"

"Hi!" Leo shows up with a huge smile on his face. "Bunker's closing..." The girls look at him with matching scowls, causing him to step back. "Unless... you don't want to go?"

"Doesn't matter what I want," Lily slams shut her notebook. "Ara speaks for all of us."

"Lily—"

"Don't bother."

Ara's glad she asked Connor to distract Lily, cause she'll need company after that. The former Aphrodite leans on the workbench and buries her hands in her hair. There is no way in which she can get her point across without sounding like a jerk, and she's getting tired of enduring anguish so others can feel better.

"What's her problem?" Leo lowers his voice. "You're the General, of course you speak for all of us!"

"Not what she meant..." Ara mutters grumpily.

Leo places a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, if you're not feeling well, we should postpone—"

"No!" Ara looks up, trapping his hand in place.

Leo gulps, he does his best to keep a low tone as he talks to her. "'Kay, not postponing it."

He's pondering whether to leave or stay when Ara speaks again, pushing herself up and glaring at the bunker's entrance. "You know what's annoying? If he hadn't sworn on the Styx, then we wouldn't be in this situation, but she acts like I was the one who caused this—It was his oath!"

Leo just looks at her, knowing she's not expecting a reply.

"If it wasn't for..." Ara wants to stop talking about this. She wants to leave it behind as soon as possible. "I am what I am thanks to my friends, that's all."

"Of course," the boy agrees. "And you love your friends."

Ara locks eyes with him, gaze softening. "You know, Beckendorf cared for this camp, and I bet that he's proud you're carrying on with his legacy."

"I've seen pictures of him," Leo shakes his head. "I'm nothing like the guy."

"All he wanted was to keep us safe, and you found the perfect way to do that. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. In more ways than one."

Leo lits up—his soul light, not in flames—and clears his throat, removing his hand from her shoulder. "So why is Lily angry at you?"

"She wants me to look back," Ara answers vaguely. "But I can't, not when it's no longer of use. I've got to keep my eyes ahead."

My friends (Mike, Connor, Travis, Lily, and even Malcolm and Will) take turns to see how I'm doing throughout the day. I lost my mentor and with him any interest in the mortal world, I'll focus on securing the future of the demigods who remain.

I don't say another word for the rest of the afternoon, I pull myself together before facing all of Beckendorf's siblings. When I walk into the forges holding Beckendorf's notebook, no one's actually working. They're all there though, looking lost.

Nyssa spots me at the entrance. "Ara's here."

Hugs are received and I give a few in return. Tears are shared, but once everyone calms down, I show them Beckendorf's notebook. "I know we're not in the mood to think about work," I clear my throat. "But I need you."

"You saved our brother's life a month ago," Nyssa shrugs. "We owe you one, Birdy. You name it."

"I took a quick look at the notebook he left," I turn the pages as I speak. "He had a plan, in case blowing up the Andromeda wasn't enough."

I turn the notebook so they can see Charles's sketches.

"We need tons of these—a full cabin if we can. You think it's doable?"

"Depends," Jake replies. "When do you want them?"

"I need them before the week ends."

Jake and Nyssa look at each other, and then the boy nods. "For Beckendorf."

"For Beckendorf," the group echoes.

I study the drawings, my fingertips grazing the notes like they're some kind of treasure.

"I'll look after them..." I whisper, hoping Beck can hear.

Next Chapter ->

Taglist.

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#twoidiots writing #pjo fanfic #pjo hoo toa #pjo fandom #percy jackson and the olympians #leo valdez x oc #leo valdez fanfic #doo

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biggerbetterbat · 1 year

Text

WITH YOU [9] THE END OF THE SHANELEADERSHIP

Daryl Dixon x OC (Charlie Reed)

Summary: The group has to quickly recover after what happened at night. They have to decide who to follow and whose option would be better. Charlie has to support Glenn.

Warnings: maybe language, violence, talking about death, death bodies, but nothing descriptive and Shane x OC (if you squint)

Song: Achilles Come Down Gang of Youths

A/N: Hello ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter written in pain and tears, because I was so frustrated with season 10 and the worst part is still ahead of me. Like...it's completely DESTROYING my idea for this fanfiction and SPOILER the bigger destroyer is a person whose name starts with L and ends with eah. Charlie will be miserable eh...

ANYWAY I hope you enjoy this one!

PS. Feel free to comment my chapters and let me know what do you think, I will be grateful.

DAYLIGHT ON WATTPAD

A rotten, smelly body was moving towards her and she was just too scared to move. It was snarling and moving its jaw. She saw herself in blood, parts of her body gone, just like Amy. She couldn't move to run. Yellow teeth, empty eyes, and guts falling out of its stomach.

"Charlie," Glenn said and shook her shoulders.

She jumped as she felt his hands on her body. Once she heard his voice the disgusting picture disappeared from behind her eyes.

"Charlie, you good?" Glenn asked softly.

"What?" she asked. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

She swallowed and nodded.

Rick approached Charlie and Glenn with purpose, his jaw set in a determined line, his eyes scanning the area for any lingering threats. His footsteps were firm, echoing the resolve in his demeanor as he neared them. He nodded at Glenn and then looked at Charlie. "Holding up okay?"

"Survived, didn't I?"

Rick smiled slightly at the answer and nodded.

"How are people holding out after last night?" Charlie asked before the Officer walked away.

"They're managing," he said.

"Any casualties?" she asked again.

""No more than we already seen."

Then he looked in the direction of Andrea. Charlie observed Andrea kneeling next to Amy's lifeless body, her gaze a mixture of sorrow and disbelief. There was a profound sadness etched into her features as she looked upon her fallen sister, her eyes tracing the familiar contours of Amy's face. She never left Amy's body, caressing her face and hair, whispering something to her. Lori tried to talk to her, convinced that it was time to just let her go, but Andrea was silent.

"She still won't move?"

"She won't even talk to us," said Lori. "She's been there all night."

"What do we do?" Charlie asked.

"Can't just leave Amy like that." said Shane."We need to deal with it, same as the others."

"I'll tell her how it is," he said and walked away in the direction of the two sisters.

But things didn't go as planned as Andrea pointed a gun straight at him before he even got to talk. They all got up and Charlie put a hand on her arm, to hold her.

"Y'all can't be serious." Daryl's soft and melodic voice which could be the cure for a sick man was heard as he appeared out of a sudden. "Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb."

"What do you suggest?" Charlie asked, hoping that maybe he would come up with something worth considering.

"Take the shot." said Daryl to Charlie, but then turned to Rick."Clean, in the brain form here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eye from this distance."

"No," Lori answered for her husband. "For God's sake, let her be."

So he walked away even more angry. He was helping T-Dog to remove the bodies that were lying around - maybe when they were gone, Charlie could go back to peace of mind. She was snapped back by Glenn yelling at Dixon, who wanted to burn one of their people together with the Walkers. Obviously, the only person he was considering his person was Merle. He just didn't see the difference.

"You all left my brother for death!" he answered to Glenn's words. "You had this coming!"

And he left.

She tugged her hair at the roots again, because yesterday's attack was just the beginning of a whole chain of unfortunate events. Charlie was sitting while others were talking about what to do with Jim, who got bit.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it," said Daryl.

Shane closed his eyes, just to open them and look at Daryl with anger."Is that what you'd want, if it were you?"

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."

"I hate to say it, I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right," Dale said.

"Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog," Rick replied to him.

That's when Dale's eyes got bigger. He was afraid that people would take him for a monster, just because he agreed with the other man. "I'm not suggesting..."

"He's sick. A sick man." Rick interrupted him. "We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"

"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for Walkers, or them to be." Daryl answered.

"What if we can get him help?" Rick asked, looking at their faces."I heard the CDC was working on a cure."

Charlie wanted to scoff, but she just shook her head in disbelief.

"I heard that, too," Shane said. "Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell."

"What if the CDC is still running?" Rick asked.

"Man, that is a stretch right there."

"Why? If there's any government left, any..." Rick tried to make his point. "Any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection..."

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right?" Shane said. "I do too, okay. Now, if they exist, they're at the army base." Shane said and looked at Charlie. "Fort Benning."

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite directions." Lori furrowed her eyebrows.

"That's right." Shane nodded. "But it's away from the hot zone," he explained. "Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there."

And her family could be there.

Charlie, she almost gasped. How could she never think about this! What if her dad promised her mother Atlanta, but he took her to Fort Benning? He trusted in the military more than in God, that would mean he was there. Finn, Luke, Will, Pete. They're alive in Fort Benning.

"The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun." Rick destroyed her perfect picture of a family reunion. "We've all seen that. The CDC is our best choice and Jim's only chance."

As Charlie watched Rick, she couldn't deny the natural leadership exuding from him. It was evident in the way he commanded respect, his decisions calculated yet decisive. Despite the allure of Fort Benning, she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that perhaps the CDC held more promise. Rick's presence seemed to reinforce that notion, planting the seed of doubt about their initial plan. Perhaps, she mused, following a born leader like Rick toward the CDC might be the smarter choice after all.

"You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do," said Daryl and started to walk away. "Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem."

Daryl moved quickly to get to Jim. His pickaxe raised above his head, ready to be dropped. She thought that that was the perfect picture of the character of Daryl Dixon. Rick reacted immediately, like the true cop he was. The click of his gun stopped Daryl, who couldn't see Rick, but definitely could feel his presence.

"Hey!" he called. "We don't kill the living."

"That's funny, coming from a man who just put a gun to my head." he snickered but didn't move.

"We may disagree on many things," said Shane, who was standing in front of Jim, shielding his body. "Not this one."

Charlie felt her head was going blow. It was probably because of the lack of sleep and the horrors they all saw last night. The worst part was that dramatic events weren't over now, that Andrea didn't want to let Amy die and Jim was bitten.

Glenn was sitting alone somewhere far from the discussion. He wanted to mourn the dead ones and not think about what to do next, where they should go, or what death would be the less painful for Jim. He was done.

Once he found this place he was happy. He found living and breathing people, and they started something for the shape of a community. And he knew everyone. But he took it for granted, they all forgot what was going on in the world, why they were in the camp at all.

Charlie wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. They both needed it.

"I left you for a death," he said.

"No, you didn't."

"Yeah. I left all of you to rescue someone like Merle Dixon," he argued. "Shane was right. We should have stayed here."

"You found him? Is he dead?" she asked the question.

"We found just his hand," Glenn replied. "He probably ran off, but we don't know how. He stole our truck."

She furrowed her brows and looked at him.

"We risked for him." Glenn shook his head. "You could have died if we weren't back in time."

"But I'm not. You came in time." Charlie said.

"Yeah, but those people are!" Glenn yelled. "And they don't care. As if nothing happened! They talk about how to kill a guy that is still living and breathing just a few feet away!"

She knew he was sad about those people's deaths, but at the same time he was blaming himself for them. He was frustrated about the situation because he got used to the peace. Atlanta was a danger zone for him, but when he was coming back it was safe. He just wanted to believe this. And she knew it because she wanted to believe it too.

"Hey, Glenn. Hey, look at me," she said, forcing him to look her in the eye. Charlie took his hand and placed the back of it to her chest. "You feel this?"

Glenn nodded.

"I'm alive," she said. "Even if you were here, you wouldn't save all of them. You saved me. Two times now." she said. "People die. That's just how it is. That was a wake-up call for us, to don't forget about the times we live in."

He sighed and nodded his head a couple of times. When he relaxed, she put her head on his shoulder and soon felt his arms around her. She sneakily placed her hand on his chest this time, to make sure his heart was still beating, just like hers.

"You're making me blush, Charlie," she heard suddenly.

"What?"

"Uh, technically, I just touched your... you know," he looked down at her chest.

"Really, Glenn?" she snorted and pushed him away. "In this moment?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood," he chuckled. "And here I was worried I'd never get to cop a feel."

As Charlie's mind wandered, she recalled a conversation with Glenn. One time, before falling asleep, he had confessed that he'd never been with a girl, his words tinged with a mixture of embarrassment and self-deprecation. In that moment, she had seen a different side of Glenn - not a silly man trying to survive. It was like a reminder that even in their harsh reality, they were still just young people trying to navigate the complexities of life and relationships amidst the chaos of the world around them.

Charlie rolled her eyes trying to brush off her thoughts. "You're impossible, Glenn."

Despite the gravity of their situation, his ability to inject humor never failed to surprise her. A smile tugging at the corners of her lips despite the heaviness of their circumstances. It was moments like these that reminded her of the strength found in camaraderie and friendship, even in the face of adversity. However Charlie sighed with relief. Glenn Rhee was still with her.

Even though the events of last night were dramatic and dark, the sun today was shining bright. Making it impossible to walk out of shadow for longer than just a couple of minutes. It would be even harder to dig the holes, but thanks to Jim they shouldn't.

"These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are." said annoyed Daryl.

That was the first thing she heard as she appeared on the hill with the rest. He was still dirty from yesterday, sad because of his brother, and annoyed that he had to move corpses around.

"There are no rules." Rick cut his ranting.

"That's a problem," Charlie said, drawing attention to her.

Lori nodded."We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do.

The funeral was as sad as it would be in normal conditions.

"Hey, Charlie!" Shane called her.

She looked in his direction and saw him gesturing with his head for her to step aside and talk to him. She walked up to his car and leaned her back on it.

"You good?

Charlie shrugged. "I guess."

"Good. That's good." he nodded. "Listen. What do you think about my plan?"

"About Fort Benning?" she asked and the man nodded. "I don't know. There's no guarantee for anything. Atlanta was supposed to be a safe place too, right?"

"I don't want to make you do something, but...Your family might be there. You thought about this, too." he said.

"Mm." she nodded.

"So believe Fort Benning is our best shot at safety."

"I understand where you're coming from, Shane," she said looking at him as he was still pushing her. "But I've been thinking about it too, and I'm not so sure anymore."

"What do you mean?" he furrowed his brows. "We've talked about this before. You know how dangerous it is out here. Fort Benning is our best chance at survival."

"I know, but I've been thinking about the CDC," Charlie said. "Rick seems to think it's worth considering, and with everything going on, I'm not so quick to dismiss it."

"Rick?" he spat as if his best friend name was the poison. "You're seriously considering listening to him over me?"

"It's not about that, Shane," she shook her head. "I just think we should weigh our options carefully before making a decision that affects all of us."

"Listen, I thought... I thought we were on the same page about this. I thought you trusted me."

"I do trust you," she said. "But trust doesn't mean always agreeing with someone. It means being able to have honest conversations and consider different perspectives."

She couldn't shake the weight of his unspoken expectations lingering in the air. She realized that he had hoped for more than just her agreement on the decision about their destination. His desire for her unwavering support hinted at a deeper longing, one that she wasn't ready to address amidst the chaos of their world. It left her feeling conflicted, torn between their friendship and the pressure of his unspoken hopes. However, just couple days before, he was still in some kind of relationship with Lori. Did she even thought about Shane like that? Would she want to be more than survival partners? The thought lingered, casting a shadow of doubt over their interactions and leaving Charlie unsure of where she stood with him.

"You sure you okay?" he asked concerned. "You look pale."

Shane stepped closer to her and put his hand on one of her cheeks. She didn't see it as a suspicious gesture, so she didn't try to push him away. It was a caring gesture of a leader, or so she thought.

"I just couldn't sleep. That's all." she forced a smile. When she saw Lori moving toward them, with a strange expression on her face. That's how Charlie knew it was her sign to walk away.

Later that day they all gathered around the fire, to talk about what they should do. Everyone seemed to be deep in their thoughts and didn't feel like talking. Just last night they were joking and laughing like friends, and today they were strangers again. The atmosphere was thick and they were all just in shock as the perfect little bubble was pierced. Lori and Carol were keeping their kids close, holding them tightly, not letting them wander around and play, it wasn't a time for it.

The danger was out there in the woods, but also in their own camp. They had to face it- Jim was dangerous. Like a bomb that was counting down to the final blow. The whole group was in a minefield, they should watch every step to not make a mistake that would kill them all.

It was quiet as they waited for Shane and Rick, who ventured into the woods. That just gave the rest of them to make up their minds and think what they should do next. Charlie's answer was pretty obvious. As long as Glenn was going, she was going with him. She didn't really care about anyone in the camp, and she didn't know if her family was really in Fort Benning, so it was all on Glenn.

"Hey." she heard a raspy voice next to her. "Drink this."

She looked into the eyes of Daryl Dixon and then dropped her eyes to look at his stretched hand with a bottle of water.

"You look like you will faint any minute."

Charlie nodded and accepted the gift. It felt nice that Daryl thought of her, and he wasn't so nice to everyone, so she just took the bottle and said: Thanks.

"Glad that you're okay," he said.

"Am I really?" she asked.

"You're still breathing, right? You have all your arms and legs."

"Sorry about your brother," she whispered and looked at him.

"Nah, you're not sorry," he replied and looked her in the eyes. "Just don't lie to me."

Before she could answer that, the two cops walked out of the woods, and the first to talk was Shane, and by the look on his face Charlie knew what he would say. "I've uh...I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Now look, there are no...There are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you who agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?"

This decision marked the end of the Shaneleadership era for the group. He was just like them now, because Rick was in charge.

It was maybe two or more hours before they were ready to go, packed up, cars loaded up. When everything was gone, it wasn't their camp anymore, it was just another meadow in the woods. Charlie looked around and started to wonder how any of them could even think that it was safe.

"You going with us?" Glenn asked.

She saw that everyone started to pack up into cars together, leaving Daryl alone. She felt sorry for him- even if he liked solitude. He just lost his brother and was clearly the least-liked person around. And she knew he wasn't a bad man, he was just lost.

"You can ride with me." Shane proposed.

"Nah. I'm good." she smiled and picked up her bag. "Thanks," she said, and like nothing happened she just entered Daryl's truck.

There was no more surprised person than Daryl Dixon, who was just making sure that his bike was secure in the pack. He looked at the group and then at her."Ya lost something here?"

"I decided I'm riding with you," she announced.

Daryl furrowed his brows. "How do you even know that I'm going with all of you?"

"Are you?" she asked.

"Yeah, but..."

"Just go inside." she sighed. "I just need a moment of silence, so I don't have to pretend I'm sad or that I'm doing fine."

"How lucky I am," he answered and sat next to her, staring at the engine.

"Don't be such a Grinch." she huffed. "It's good that you're coming with us. We should stick together," she said, but he just hummed.

After that they both became quiet. Daryl didn't want to talk, which was pretty obvious. And Charlie didn't feel like talking that day, which worried Daryl a little, because yeah they weren't friends, but he knew that she loved talking. Glenn said once that she even talked in her sleep. So all the time he tried to come up with a topic to talk about. But he didn't know what to say, so he just stuck to throwing her glances in the corner of his eye.

Charlie just tangled her arms so it would be more comfortable for her to lean her head on them. She was watching the landscape changing out of the window, enjoying the sound of the car. She would normally fall asleep like this, that was her habit, but now she couldn't force her eyes to close.

"I think I did something really bad, Daryl," she said.

He looked at her. "Like what? Mixed up white and black laundry?"

"No," she said. "I think I killed many people."

"Walkers are not..."

"I'm not talking about the Walkers." she interrupted him. "I think I killed my family."

Dixon furrowed his eyebrows, not believing her words because she couldn't even kill a Walker yesterday when it attacked her. He didn't know who she was before the turn, but he could say by just looking at her, that she had money. And she was basically not adjusted for the real world, because she lived in a bubble.

"I convinced them to come to Atlanta," she said. "I told them it's safe when I knew it wasn't."

"How did you know it wasn't?"

"Long story," she replied. "Did you ever do anything bad? Like the criminal type of bad?"

Daryl started recalling all the times he was doing something illegal. She wasn't ready to hear the whole list of his crimes, because she would definitely get off the car. He wasn't proud of what he had done, now that Merle was gone.

But he decided to tell her about something that he was the most ashamed of.

"We wanted to rob the camp at first," he said.

She looked at him.

"Why didn't you?"

"They had kids." Daryl shrugged. "And Merle found it comfortable."

"You always did what Merle wanted?" she asked.

But he didn't answer, he just stopped the car. Charlie thought that he wanted to kick her out in the middle of the road because she angered him with her questions. So she opened her eyes wider and wanted to explain herself somehow.

"The RV's stopped," he said before she could say anything.

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