#like when kids complain about their moms not letting them actually u should thank them

[bloodgutsandpussy]

my tattoos have become a constant source of insecurity because my mom was stupid enough to let me get them when I was young enough to be reading Percy Jackson while getting tatted and now I have too many to remove or cover up that I absolutely hate

[zh-lele]

Horizon

"Just like the sea that embraces the sky, I will be waiting for your arrival at the horizon, only because I understand, hands holding on this tightly should never be let go of."

▪︎Summary: For two years after he left, you had believed you were totally over your friendship with Liu Yangyang. Nonetheless, he has decided to come back for the summer and, after your mom and his convince you to go on a trip together in compensation for the lost time, he only manages to make you start questioning your feelings all over again.

"Yangyang, there's seriously only one bed?"

"Dude, don't complain. I'm paying for all this."

▪︎Pairing: Yangyang x reader

▪︎Trope + genre: ex-best friends to lovers, road trip au, fluff

▪︎Word count: 8.3k

▪︎Warnings: mentions of food, profanity (please let me know if there's more.)

Playlist: Horizon (WayV), Ease (Troye Sivan), Sincerity is Scary (The 1975), Your Ocean (Hoppipolla), Up From Here (WayV), Coming Home (NCT U)

For @nct-writers "Coming Home" event! Also the biggest!!! thanks to @give-seconds for helping me with this last minute 🥺🧡 Please check out Olivia’s works!

Friday nights were always exciting, especially during summer. Not even working until late or family routine could ruin the fact that Fridays always had too much good energy. Actually, you couldn't complain about Fridays, even if they turned chaotic.

Running orders for 8 hours straight, attending rude customers who couldn't wait long for their food, and the people's screams when they were getting impatient couldn't bother you, not when you knew you would be free for the entire weekend after that. Plus, the pay was decent for someone who didn't have to worry about being on time for the rent or buying food for the whole month. 

Having stayed in your hometown after high school while most of your friends decided to study abroad was hard at first, but the comforts of living quietly with your parents and the good friends you made at your summer job would make you forget about it pretty quickly.

You were changing out of your McDonald's uniform when you heard your name being called from downstairs. Your mom's steps up the stairs and to your room could be sensed immediately after, so you didn't even bother screaming back at her to see what she wanted.

"Today is a special day!" She said excitedly, after you told her she was good to enter your room.

"Mom, we literally have dinner at Mrs. Liu’s every Friday."

"But Yangyang is joining us tonight! He came back from college to spend the summer here."

The happiness she carried was noticeable on her face. You knew very well your mom loved Yangyang as if he were her nephew. It had always been like that. You can't deny that when you were a little kid, it made you jealous that Yangyang was your mother's favorite. But now things had changed.

"He asked if you were coming with us. Dress nicely! I think he's pretty excited to see you."

That's strange. You thought as you saw your mother leaving your room. You and Yangyang had been best friends since kindergarten, until he left for college two years ago, and you stayed in the city you both grew up in. Naturally, it made you drift apart.

Nonetheless, that wasn't the exact reason you two stopped talking and seeing each other. The thing is, Yangyang found a girlfriend during the last year of high school; she was sweet, beautiful, and very friendly to you. That last year in school, you would hang out with them as she felt close like a sister, but that was until summer came and Yangyang decided he could only dedicate his time to his girlfriend.

You weren't the jealous type, and you were convinced you didn't like Yangyang, but you surely missed the friendship of years you two had built. You would talk to him to do something or just chill in his room like you used to do, but he was always too busy with his girlfriend. When he had a little bit of free time, he wouldn't contact you. Instead, he would sit on his computer and play games for hours. When he finally agreed to hang out with you –which turned out to be rarely– he had to leave early to see his girlfriend.

At first, it made you really sad seeing that Yangyang didn't want to put any effort into your friendship. But when summer ended, and you managed to see Yangyang only once –and considering you lived next door– sadness turned into anger. You missed your best friend so much, and you grew tired of always being the one showing interest. Friendships can't be one-sided. So you decided you weren't going to beg for affection where there wasn't any for you.

Two years passed like that, barely hearing about him and his college life, because he didn't come back once he moved to the campus. You weren't sad or angry after so much time passed; you just didn't know how you felt towards Yangyang anymore. The only thing you knew was that seeing him again after so long was going to be strange. And maybe, in the deep end, you wished he didn't have to bring his girlfriend with him, so you could at least get a little of his attention.

Standing outside the door of your neighbor’s that Friday night didn't feel as warm and welcoming as usual. The nerves in your stomach told you so. You couldn't quite decipher why you were so nervous, though. Maybe it was because you had a quite stressful week and you were able to relax. Maybe, you didn’t like the smell of food after delivering so many orders at work. Or maybe, it was because you saw it would rain that night, and you hated storms while you were out of your house. And maybe, the possibility that it was from seeing Yangyang again was quite considerable.

—

The moment Yangyang gently touched your back, to seconds after strongly wrapping his arms around your body, you felt the world stop, your knees weaken and your heart accelerate its beats.

"How are you doing?!" He asked, still hugging you tightly. It was hard to believe you were actually hugging your ex-best friend after so long. It felt right. You couldn't deny you endlessly longed to feel him so close again.

"I'm- I'm really good!" Your answer came out shaky because of a nervous laugh you couldn't quite control. The situation only became more dangerous for you when Yangyang decided to rest his lips for a good few seconds on your right cheek.

Because he loved your cheeks, and he knew you loved the affection, but maybe he wasn't aware of the effect on you. An encounter that, you assume, lasted for a couple of seconds, felt like hours until the wave of feelings was too much to handle. Gently placing one hand on his jaw and another on his shoulder, you pushed him away. The air wasn't getting uncomfortable but thicker, too charged because of the friction your rollercoaster of emotions was causing.

Maybe you have liked Yangyang since middle school. The truth was, two years weren't enough to forget the feelings that had been built and maintained for much, much longer. You still loved your old best friend endlessly. But it was also true that, no matter how much you loved him, you couldn't forget all the trouble he had caused you when he left your life. Forgiving and forgetting are two different things.

"You look really good," he acknowledged looking down at you and nodding. "We really need to hang out now that I'm here. I missed you."

His hand found yours, and he held it lovingly. The feeling was nice, and the sight of your intertwined fingers was captivating. Your heart wanted to stay like that forever, hanging from his hands. But your mind kept insisting that you shouldn't go so fast, you shouldn't fall for his charms –although you had already fallen a while ago– because coming and going was something usual to Yangyang. You, on the other hand, had a little bit of a hard time adjusting to his ways of loving and maintaining friendships.

"I missed you as well," you told the truth, with a smile inevitably taking over your face.

"Are we ready for dinner?" Mrs. Liu's voice was present, directing you to take a seat at a table where plates, cutlery and glasses were delicately placed to receive her favorite son with his favorite dinner: ravioli with pesto and so much cheese on top that it was difficult to see the pasta under it. You had always thought it was an awful combination, but your old friend was weird.

Yangyang's mom and yours got close since you moved next to their house that she almost felt like an aunt to you. For that reason, as soon as you sat on the table and intended to start digging after a tiring shift from work, the questions started. 'y/n, how is that cute coworker of you doing?’ ‘Have you made him your boyfriend yet?' And you would answer the same thing every time: 'no, Mrs. Liu, Shotaro and I are just good friends' putting the effort into bringing a polite smile on your face. But your mom surely felt the same towards Yangyang—reminding you every Friday after the Liu's how much she missed her little nephew. In that order, it didn't take long for the questions to reach your ex-best friend.

"You didn't bring your girlfriend this time?" Your mom spoke to him from across the table. It was true that the questions would get annoying when asked to you, but in that precise moment, you thanked your mom for letting you get the information you were too afraid to get on your own.

"I didn't," he replied calmly, mouth full of pasta; it was an old habit of his. "Actually, we broke up months ago."

The sided smile on his face and his calm tone made you suppose they either ended it on good terms or that he was pretty over it at that point. You observed Yangyang's mom silently nodding, hearing his son talking about the breakup of a relationship of almost three years. "I think we reached a point where we were together out of habit, and it was kinda draining me."

"It was the best thing to do. You fought a lot during the end," his mother continued. "But she was a good girl," she ran his eyes from his son to your mom and then back to you to reassure you, "we only have good memories of her."

It wasn't news to you, though, because they already fought a lot back when you were still in high school. Yangyang and you were still good friends, and he would always come to you to clear his head and help him think straight.

During their second year of dating and Yangyang's first year of college, they broke up and got together two times. You knew because he contacted you seeking solace, and you talked for hours on the phone trying to convince him to fix his relationship. These were the only two times you talked to your best friend that year. A little happy new year's text exchange, and nothing else after that.

"Yeah, yeah. It's cool now. We're totally cool," the boy finished before resuming his eating. Nonetheless, you didn't miss the little glances and smiles he sent you as his mother continued to talk about him and his relationship with the girl.

You really didn't know how to feel about the whole situation. Yangyang's behavior was strange, but what felt out of place was that you were kind of happy and relieved knowing he was no longer with someone. It's not that you didn't like the girl; you just had really missed your best friend. Even though you liked to believe you were way past your old friendship with him, no longer hurt or angry at his absence, a minuscule part of you still waited for him to come knock on your door to spend the days together, like you used to do back in school.

Mrs. Liu's living room was still full of pictures of the both of you in their backyard. Pictures of the summer afternoons at the pool where Yangyang taught you how to swim, pictures of your last trip together in the snow, your last vacation at the cabin in the woods, and pictures of the two of you dancing together at your graduation.

But you were adults now. You had a job five days a week, nice co-workers, a career to still take care of, and you had Shotaro, your best friend you met two summers ago.

In the two years you didn't see each other, Yangyang had got to look more mature, so you thought maybe he had stopped playing so many computer games and finally focused on a different thing. He definitely looked taller and more athletic than in high school, which made you wonder if maybe he was spending some of his time at the gym or if he decided to chase his dream of becoming a professional basketball player at college.

Things were different, and no matter how much you missed those old times, you needed to accept you weren't the kids who would spend all afternoon messing around with the ball in his yard anymore.

Mrs. Liu's voice, once again, snapped you out of your state, eyes no longer lost in the memories the pictures displayed all over the house held. "I asked you how work was today?"

"Oh! Uhm, it was pretty good. Busy with teens and families with their little kids, kinda annoying," you had to recognize, "But I got paid today, so I might use the money to go out for the weekend."

"Huh, where are you going?" Yangyang inquired.

"Uh, it's been a while since I've been to the island. I might go for the weekend," you explained to the boy in front of you. "Relax at a nice hotel, you know. Some self-care time."

"That's such a coincidence, isn't it, Yangyang?" Her mother asked him, confusion taking over the boy's features, "Didn't you say you wanted to go to the island too, with your friends?"

"Oh, yeah! Uh-"

"You could go together!" It was your mom's turn to speak, excitedly suggesting that you should make your weekend trip together.

Excellent time to bring such an idea, mom, really. After two years without seeing each other, seriously?

"I mean…" Yangyang tried to speak without being interrupted, his narrowed eyes jumped from your mom, to his, and finally softly landed on you, "That actually sounds like a great idea."

A smile was plastered on his face while looking for any sign of agreement or at least enthusiasm on your side. It was already weird enough having dinner together that night; how could you ever manage a trip together after so long?

But you seemed to be the only hesitant one, as your mom was quick to agree for you. "That's the best idea! Oh, my little kids are going on vacation together again, but this time alone!"

You saw her reach for Mrs. Liu's hand over the table and give it a little squeeze, adoration planted in both their faces looking at you.

"I knew this day would eventually come, but I'm not sure I was ready for it."

"Mom, we'll be gone for only two days," Yangyang said, a little irritated at the two old ladies.

"So we will be going? Like, already confirmed?" The surprise couldn't leave your tone, and you watched Yangyang shrug and smile brightly at you one more time.

If he smiled one more time like that, you thought you could easily agree to whatever he proposed.

"It doesn't sound that bad? Like, I'd really enjoy going with you, and I owe you some time together. You're my best friend."

His words threw you off, and it made you feel guilty that, while he still consider you his best friend, you had dropped that title from him a long ago.

"I'll book the hotel and everything, leave it to me." He already had pulled out his phone from his back pocket, and you assumed he was looking for accommodations at the small island close to the city but with crystalline waters from the ocean.

"Uhm, but… like, I wanted something very specific."

Yangyang looked at you from above his phone screen as you talked.

"Like… a place close to the beach, but it also has to have a pool, and breakfast included, maybe room service, and a spa would be great…"

"Hey, I got it," he flashed that damn smile again, "You trust me, right?"

"Not really."

He only chuckled at you, getting up from the table without saying a word and coming back with a tube of ice cream and two spoons. Cookies and cream ice cream was, firstly, Yangyang's ultimate favorite food; he would go crazy and buy dozens of tubes at the store until one day he got really sick, so his mother didn't let him have it more than one time a week. And secondly, your favorite flavor to share together since you had memory. It was an exclusive Yangyang-and-you thing.

—

"I'm leaving like, right now."

You struggled to get the suitcase down the stairs, phone dangerously stuck in between your shoulder and ear as you spoke to Shotaro.

"This is so crazy. Are you gonna tell me everything that happens? None of that 'what happens in x place stays in x place," you heard your friend's voice through the speaker.

"Taro, nothing's gonna happen. I'm gonna spend all day switching locations from the spa to the restaurant and vice-versa."

"Sure, honey." You knew he was rolling his eyes on the other side of the phone. "You're going on a trip with your lifelong love! All the plans you have right now, would be ruined as soon as you get there together."

"I know," you sighed, looking at your suitcase, now waiting down in the house entry. "Taro, this is so fucked up."

"Yeah… you are so fucked up," you heard him agree while laughing. "But like, are you sleeping in the same bed?"

"Fuck no. Separate beds, I made that clear."

"Good… You could still sneak in, though."

"Shotaro," you warned him, "I promise absolutely nothing will change after this ridiculous trip. I like, really even doubt we are gonna spend much time together." 

"Yeah," you heard him sigh on the line, not believing a word coming out of you, "just wait until you tell me about it when you come back."

He wished you luck dealing with your ex-best friend, you exchanged goodbyes and that was pretty much it, leaving a laughing Shotaro at the end of the call.

Yangyang insisted he would pick you up even if you lived next to each other. You were already waiting outside your door, suitcase in hand, when you saw him show off his ability, moving back his car five meters to stop in front of you. Wearing sunglasses, a backwards cap smoothing his long brown hair, and a smirk on his face. It was typical Yangyang behavior.

He rolled down the passenger side window and leaned until you could see his huge smile. It was the same smile he wore the first day of preschool, the same smile that never failed to brighten your high school mornings up, and the same smile that more than once had already made you question your heart.

There were things about Liu Yangyang that, no matter how much time passed or how much you wanted to deny it, would always make you feel the same about him. Like that first day of preschool when you decided you wanted to see that beautiful smile for the rest of your days. That you coincidentally lived next door only made it easier for you to fall for his charms over time.

"Hey, shawty!" He called and motioned you to get in the car. "Get in here for once!"

"You are so extra," you told him once you were sitting in the passenger seat. "You really didn't have to do all that. I could've just walked to your car."

"But I'm good at driving backwards, aren't I?" He lowered his sunglasses down to the bridge of his nose to slightly watch you over them, brows going up and down and wearing a smirk, suggesting that you better agree he's the best driver in town for going five meters on reverse.

"Alright, Schumacher. Where are we going?"

"Liberty Island, duh," he replied,an obvious tone in his voice, starting to leave the city.

"You're so funny," yet, your face didn't reflect any fun. "I mean, which hotel did you book?"

"Oh," you saw a smirk coming to light again, "It's a very good one, it has all you want, and it will take only an hour to get there. I don't know how to get there, though."

"You're kidding."

Since the moment he assured you he had "everything under control" when you started planning the trip, things felt a little odd. Trusting your gut always meant doubting Yangyang's decisions, just like right now, when neither of you knew how to get to Liberty Island. You couldn't blame him, though, because you weren't any better. The trips to the land were always made with your parents or the school. Not that you paid much attention to the way all those times, let alone Yangyang, who was always immersed in his mobile games every chance he got.

Luckily for the two of you, devices these days could get you anywhere. So after arguing for a little just for the fun of frustrating each other, a road trip playlist you had made the night before was blowing through the speakers, sometimes interrupted by the GPS lady giving indications.

In contrast to the prior night storm, during that early morning, the sky was clear blue, and the sun shined just the right amount to touch your skin and leave it warm. A summer breeze was felt running as it entered through the driver's opened window, constantly messing with Yangyang's hair while he sang to the entire music selection. 

"Stop staring, creep," the glance he gave you was quick to regain focus on the road.

You made sure you had stopped daydreaming and probably smiling like a fool while watching your friend drive. But his smile was too contagious.

"I'm sorry," he continued, "I know I've been a shitty friend."

"It's okay," and it truly was okay after so long. There was no point in faking it for him or for yourself. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

It wasn't hard to feel at ease with him again, it was easy to recall all the good times you've spent together, and that's why it had always been so easy to just love him. Platonically or not, he made love feel so boundless and timeless; it was just right to be there with him.

"Should we play a game, and the loser has to pay for the rest of the hotel stay?" You heard him propose after a while.

A confused look took over your face. Again, trusting Yangyang to take care of everything should have never been an option. "But I thought you said you were going to take care of it?"

"Technically, I only paid for the reservations. Rock, paper, scissors, and the loser pays."

You should've seen this coming seventy-five kilometers earlier.

"Hell no, I hate rock, paper, scissors. If we do this, we better play word-chain."

"That's even better," he said, a mischievous smile showing. "You start, and don't go easy on me just 'cuz I'm a foreigner."

"Don't get too excited. You're gonna lose all that confidence in a few minutes, and I'm not paying for a thing," you stated before thinking hard on the first word. "Car."

"Reunion."

"Uhhh, nap."

"Nap?" Yangyang asked, chuckling. "You tired?"

A smile inevitably formed on your lips hearing his laugh. "Yeah, kinda."

"Alright, so P?" He asked, turning his head to you momentarily, and you quickly nodded in response. "Alright, so, P… pretty."

"Dude," a protest came out of you along with a sigh, "that's such a hard letter… yesterday," you followed after a few seconds.

"Y again… yummy."

"Yummy?"

"Justin's song! That's a thing!"

You sighed one more time, not sure if it was because of your companion's questionable music taste or because you had to think of another word starting with y. Again. The morning sun had started to hit a while ago, and it was warming you as much as it was making you sleepy. Leaving with an empty stomach did not make the situation any better. You missed the breakfast your mom prepared for you because you woke up late.

"Yolk?" The next word finally presented, a big yawn escaping you in the process.

The sun coming through the car windshield kissed your skin, giving it an additional glow and reddening to your cheeks. And as he observed you getting sleepy like a baby on a morning trip, it was getting harder and harder for Yangyang to think of another thing to say besides compliments for you.

"Cute."

"That starts with C, not with K, dumbass," you told him while keeping your eyes closed, ready to go to sleep on the passenger seat.

"No, you look cute," he clarified, laughing again. "And your face is getting all red."

"It's because the eleven a.m. sun is starting to hit, and you wouldn't turn the goddamn air con on."

You got up from your seat to get to action and get the inside of the car a little bit more chilly. Yes, it was starting to feel like hell inside the vehicle. But inside your head, the blood was rushing and accumulating, raising your cheeks' temperature even more because of Yangyang's comment. But you could never admit it out loud—not after two years of not seeing each other.

"Are you sure it's not because I called you pretty and cute?"

"You ever get red from excitement because you won a game over spending a considerable amount of money?" You asked, head still resting on the car window with your eyes closed.

"You didn't win, game's not over yet."

"Yang, you know the rules. You said the wrong word, so you pay for the hotel."

A combination of whines, curses and attempts to keep fighting the fact that you already had decided he was going to pay for the hotel left Yangyang's mouth. It didn't stop you from isolating and managing to sleep for what felt like a good couple of minutes before he had to bother you again.

"Would you caress my arm?"

The question immediately brought you back to the trip you had with your class during the last year of school. Yangyang already had his girlfriend back then, but that wasn't an impediment from spending some friendly, good quality time together. It made you feel bad, but when she wasn't around, he was very different towards you. And maybe he acted differently in a platonic way; you would've never tried to cross the friendship boundaries while he was in a relationship, no matter how much you loved and wanted to be with your best friend all the time. But the week you two spent together during that trip felt really good.

He had asked you the exact same question back there. On a loud bus, busy with people too excited to be able to sleep, you still managed to find the tranquility beside him. The seats weren't the most comfortable and the interior of the old bus at night got pretty cold, but it didn't matter at all with Yangyang by your side. His big puffer jacket found place over the two of you, keeping you warm, allowing you to fall asleep holding hands under it.

It was one of the best weeks of your adolescence. The most memorable parts being the burgers after coming back from the club at three in the morning, accidentally napping together after an exhausting excursion, or that morning you broke a plate when you arrived too sleepy for breakfast, and Yangyang decided to cover you so you wouldn't have to pay for the damage.

"You're going to fall asleep."

"I won't, I swear. It's only twenty minutes until we get there," he asked once again, extending his right arm to you even more, expectantly waiting for your delicate fingers to start brushing his skin.

–

Arriving at the hotel, driving down the cobblestone streets, trees as old as the ruins of the island's first habitants adorned the roadsides. The calm and peaceful feeling came with the soft and warm summer breeze and ruffled your and Yangyang's hair, still sitting inside the car, absorbing the beauty of the place no matter how many times you have already visited it as children.

Car parked in front of an old but remodeled building, Yangyang awaited you with the passenger door open and bags in hand for you to get out. The hotel really seemed to have everything you wanted for this weekend. Bikes parked on the driveway pavement ready to explore the surrounding countryside, a nice pool peeking out from behind the building, and access to the beach. An old, covered pier by the sea awaits the residents of the ranch to create more moments in it, with its old promises of love and friendship engraved on the worn wood.

Checked in and key in hand, you followed your old friend up the wooden, thick stairs to your shared room. You always used to have sleepovers when you were kids, so you didn't understand why the idea of sleeping in the same room as Yangyang suddenly felt so weird.

However, everything became officially weird the moment Yangyang put the key in the lock to open the door and, walking down the small hallway, the first thing you saw was a king-sized bed waiting for the both of you. No sight of any single beds, nothing in the middle of that large mattress that would indicate that it was actually two small individual beds joined together.

"Yangyang," an exasperated sigh left you, eyes closed, holding the bridge of your nose, "there's seriously only one bed?"

"Dude, don't complain. I'm paying for all this."

You watched him enter the room ahead of you. There wasn't a single trace of discomfort in his voice or demeanor. Were you the only one feeling so weird about sleeping on the same bed again? Was it because, maybe, you realized you liked him way more than before?

You followed him inside to start accommodating your bags. "But there weren't, like, single beds?"

"There weren't," the look you gave him must have made him think that he should have given a better excuse than that, so he added, "single beds for single rooms. And there were rooms with like, three beds. But that's more expensive, y/n. One room with a double bed was cheaper than two singles."

You looked at him, perplexed, before closing your arms and simply stating, "that's bullshit."

"It's not!"

"You had one job, Yangyang. I knew I couldn't trust you to book the hotel."

—

After settling down and deciding on which side of the bed (separated by a good amount of pillows in the middle) you were going to get, the two of you decided to go outside and explore a little bit of the surroundings. That was when you found an old but still functioning basketball court. Yangyang was quick to grab a ball and drag you into a game of baskets.

Ever since he was little, Yangyang had been passionately playing ball. So, after a few minutes of playing holeshot, it was no surprise when the tally both of you had on the game indicated that Yangyang was outscoring you by about fifteen points.

At some point, it became a game of who was best at blocking the other from getting the ball into the basket. Laughter could be heard more than the hitting of the ball against the ground. You would weakly try and wrap your arms around Yangyang's torso to stop him from moving and getting more points. Anything, to win at least one round, even if you had to play dirty.

"You know," you stared as the ball left Yangyang's hands and went in and out the basket one more time, giving him another point, "I think I just brought the wrong shoes."

Yangyang's only response was bursting out laughing at your silly excuse. "You're just bad at this. You've always been."

He stopped his movements and got closer to you, bangs sticking to his forehead thanks to the sweat from all the playing under the midday sun. You were sure your skin would be bright red tomorrow, yet you didn't care. It felt like going back to your childhood days in Yangyang's backyard, where you would play every day under the sun, leaving you with your skin burnt by the end of the summer. The irregular tan marks you got because of constantly playing with different tops always made your mom a little mad.

Exhaustion took over the both of you, so you didn't need much words to agree that Yangyang had indisputably won the game and that you needed a deserved break after working out for the first time in months.

A small and light lunch was prepared under the shade of the old and worn dock. Some fruit Sandos, a couple of caprese sandwiches, some sodas, and a bag of chips –because your friend couldn't live without these– that Yangyang had previously packed in his house were arranged on a cute little blanket. You sat facing each other, calmly coming down from the excitement of the game and quietly enjoying each other's company. The sound of the waves was the only companion to fill a silence that wasn't uncomfortable at all.

The digestion of the food was spent between random chats catching up with your lives and a lot of laughter, remembering old times you had spent together. Towards the middle of the afternoon, after having collected the remains of the small picnic, you found yourself playing in the waves with Yangyang.

Not once did he let go of your hand, scared that the force of the troubled water would take you too far from him. And not once was the brightness of the sun as strong as the smile of the boy who stayed all the time by your side until you had to get out because its temperature was descending.

You watched the sunset together, wrapped up in your hoodies and a shared blanket. The warm tones of the sunset painted the entire landscape, along with your skin, and shined directly in your friend's eyes. The same eyes that once held the promise he would always be with you. As well as the horizon that held the promise that a big shiny star would come back to meet the sea every day.

"Stop staring, creep."

His soft yet playful tone snapped you out of your trance, making you hide your face from the embarrassment of being caught, admiring your friend's beauty under the light of the remaining rays.

"Sorry, it's that you're ugly," you tried to play it cool, but the blush in your cheeks betrayed you, even under the intense orange light hitting your skin.

That didn't go unnoticed by Yangyang, who only took the opportunity to make you blush even more. It was his favorite thing to do, giving you compliments and its after-effects. "Well, I think you're really pretty."

—

Later that night, after the two of you had a fancy dinner in beach clothes at the hotel restaurant, you went up to the room ready to sleep. All of this aside, it was almost impossible to actually get in the room because of the big elephant waiting for your friend and you.

The truth was those feelings that you had had throughout high school and towards Yangyang had managed to flourish and intensify through the day. Or maybe they had never died in the first place.

On the other hand, it was undeniable that Yangyang had been flirting with you ever since you got into his car that morning. If you were a little skeptical, you could say since you sat across the table from him the night before.

The thought alone that Yangyang possibly liked you back made you foolishly smile in the middle of your brushing of teeth. Through the reflection of the bathroom mirror, you observed him standing by your side, the corners of his lips turning up at the sight of your dreamy smile. It was a new image that you longed to get used to in your everyday life, along with all the little and domestic moments that reminded you of when you basically lived together. The lunch, the games, the endless talks about nothing and everything. If he didn't spend all day in your house, you would do it at his place.

By the time you were done with your night routine and out of the bathroom, Yangyang was already laying on top of the bed and in the middle of his essential night routine. He wore the same pajamas with his cats' faces imprinted on them that he kept since the last time you had a sleepover together. Multiple sounds and voices were coming out from his mobile, indicating that he was in the middle of a game battle. Probably a match of League of Losers with the rest of the game addicts. That was, the rest of your high school friends.

Hesitantly, you tucked yourself on the bed by his side, still leaving a good portion of space between you and him. Unconsciously, you spent all afternoon preparing yourself for that moment. You didn't want anything to feel weird, as it didn't feel the same to you sleeping in the same bed with Yangyang after realizing you still liked him. The long to be physically closer, to caress his beautiful features, or to hold him against you for a long time only grew more every minute you spent with him.

You had been handling it all just fine. Until a different reality– the one of not sleeping in the comfort and security of your room– hit you.

"Oh shit."

Yangyang briefly looked at you, sheets covering you up to your neck ready to drift out, so he closed the game and left the phone on the nightstand next to the bed, joining you under the cloth. The action surprising you. "What's wrong?"

"Uhh," you tried to think of a way to make your words not sound stupid or immature, knowing that Yangyang could use the following information to tease you forever,  "you didn't bring a plushie with you or something like that, right?"

"I didn't. Why do you need a plushie, anyway?"

"The last couple of months I can't… really… I don't know why but I can't sleep alone, you know," the confession finally came out of you at the same time you dared to look in his eyes. "So I hug my cat or a plushie."

You wrapped your arms around yourself, trying to comfort yourself, already feeling like it would be a long night just trying to fall asleep for hours. It had been a long time since your thoughts would do nothing but invade your head at night and cause you some irrational fears. You had discovered that hugging your cat or one of the big stuffed animals you had bought just for that, while some movie played in the background and filled the silence, helped you fall asleep faster.

"Dude," your friend called for you, a smirk appearing on his lips, and he said, "I'm literally right here if you wanna hug someone to sleep."

The thought had crossed your head you couldn't deny. Yet, you would never want to cross those kinds of lines after so long without sharing a sleeping space with him. On the other hand, it seemed like all the flirting and the sudden physical closeness didn't affect Yangyang at all. He had always been a natural flirt anyway. Which made you question, one more time, if you were the only one with the feelings on the surface in that room.

"We could like, hold hands or something?" You proposed, as your voice only got smaller and smaller. "I'm sure that should be enough."

It wasn't, though, but you think Yangyang sensed it as he got closer to you under the sheets and held your left hand tightly. Without letting go of him, you turned on your side to face him, and closed your eyes as some movie kept playing and illuminating your friend's profile. You could feel the warmth that radiated off him, and as the two of you were exhausted from playing all day under the sun, it didn't take much time for you to let yourself fall in Morpheus' arms.

—

The constant dripping of rain against the windows and against the floor of the room's balcony brought you out of your sleep. Waking up to a rainy day on the weekends could make you feel many different ways. Generally, you would spend them alone, with the only company of music and nostalgia, not being able to be outside distracting yourself.

Yet, the atmosphere as the water droplets kept falling and resonating in the ceiling felt very soothing. At some point of the night, your body had entangled and found refuge in your friend's arms. And the pillows and the hotel's mattress were the best quality, but you discovered that nothing compared to the comfort of Yangyang's chest under the side of your head.

You didn't dare to move or change your position even long after you woke up, as the urgent need to be in his arms hadn't ceased, but it had calmed. You knew right away that you were afraid of getting used to that sense of home –the one that was Yangyang– too quickly.

The arm under your side started to move, and the soft tips of his fingers caressed your back affectionately. At the same time, his morning voice came out to leave goosebumps on your skin in contact with his touch. "We should've checked the weather before we came."

Still drunk on sleep and his touches, only a soft laugh and a nod of your head could come out as a response.

It didn't feel unfamiliar, and it didn't feel out of place. It was just right and lovely to wake up in Yangyang's arms. The kiss he left on top of your head after you tightened your grip around him only added to that warm feeling of being home.

"We could have some breakfast."

You turned your head and rested your chin on his chest, and with his arms still holding you in his embrace, your gaze searched for him when he was already looking at you. His messy hair spread out on the pillow and the raspy voice that came out of him only indicated a good night's sleep. 

You nodded once again, returning to your initial position, a cheek pressed against the old but still soft cat pajamas. You could already hear your stomach growling and demanding to be fed.

"You think it would be weird if we kissed?"

Now, that question made you start doubting reality. Waking up wrapped in Yangyang's arms already felt a little unreal. The sense of peace and calm was so strong you would have believed it was all a dream and that you never woke up from the night before in the first place.

But as you slightly sat up on the bed to see if he was being serious, and after making sure there wasn't any expression that indicated he was joking, you only could think of:

"It could turn out weird."

He was your best friend, for goodness sake. He was the same boy who lost his swimming shorts at that same island when you were thirteen, so he had to borrow one of your floral ones and wear it until you came back from the school trip. The same boy, who once tried to fill the class' water dispenser with cola, but you ended up drinking tasteless brown colored water for weeks. And also, the one who gets confused and ends up eating cat food instead of cereal.

"But some friends kiss each other."

"Yeah, but," you tried to think of an excuse, "I have morning breath."

It's not that you never thought of kissing him, as you had the biggest crush on your best friend since you were in middle school. But somehow, something was stopping you from doing it. Maybe it was too soon, and you had too little time to process a lot of emotions. Or, maybe, it was because boys who obsessed over computer games totally turned you off.

"I don't really care," he insisted with a shrug, "I want to kiss you."

You sighed. But you could try and give it a chance?

"Not sure if this is gonna work out-"

Yet, Yangyang was determined to have a good morning kiss. "Why? You don't like me?" He inquired after interrupting you.

"No– It's definitely not tha-"

"Is it because you've never kissed someone before?" He pressed.

"What? No, it's just-"

"You gotta know," he reached for your hand and started to caress the back of it, "you don't have to be embarrassed about never being kissed before." He looked at you dead serious.

"Yangyang, I've kissed others before," your tone now carried a note of annoyance.

"So you just don't want to kiss me."

"I'll kiss you if you stop being so fucking annoying."

You saw him smirk. "Okay."

It went by pretty fast. You could feel the softness of his lips on yours and the tip of your noses touching, but it was a quick, short, dry kiss. Just the mere contact of his thin lips for a few seconds. No movement, just a lot of tension.

It felt, indeed, really weird. Maybe it was because you've spent too much time as friends, you thought. Perhaps, as much as you wanted to grow closer and closer to Yangyang and share much more with him, it wasn't what destiny had planned for you. Perhaps, not all friends could casually kiss.

"Maybe we just have to grow accustomed to it," his voice took you away from your thoughts.

"Do you… want to try again?" You asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion while looking at him.

He took both your hands in his to bring you closer to him, the two of you still sitting in the middle of the king-sized bed. Outside it was still raining, but the subtle sun rays were sneaking through the curtains and illuminating the features of the boy in front of you. His eyes held sincerity and remained fixed on yours. There was a promise hidden there that, in reality–he hoped–, wasn't necessary to say out loud for you to know how much he actually loved you.

"y/n, I love yous between you and me don't feel friendly anymore," he confessed, "at least for me. And I want to try to kiss you again right now." 

He came a little closer and took your face in his hands, to gently caress your cheekbones and then outline your lips with his thumb. His gaze couldn't stop drifting from between them and your own eyes.

"I want to be able to keep kissing you from now on, not as just friends."

He finished the sentence in a whisper that hit your lips and got entangled with your own breath before you crashed your mouth against his, this time sharing a real kiss. None of you needed many more words. After a weekend of reunion and tension, flirty comments, gazes full of adoration, and your feelings blooming all over again, your passionate kiss was enough to give him the permission to keep doing that for as long as he pleased. The smile that he couldn't suppress in between kisses and the way he held onto you reassured you of his previous confession. Indeed, I love yous between the two of you weren't just friendly anymore.

The rest of the day was spent cuddling and eating breakfast in bed, then crashing at a pillow and blankets fort and watching movies cozied up together as the afternoon arrived.

"I missed you a lot," you turned your head to look at him squished on your side as your second movie choice came to an end. "Please, don't leave me again."

The sun was setting once again, painting the sky in lilacs and pinks, coloring the room with its light and indicating that more rain was to come later in the night. Rain could empower reunions and hasten goodbyes, so it was still a bit difficult to get rid of that uncertainty installed in your chest.

"It's inevitable that I'll have to go again, and you will stay here," he said, putting you in a hug for the millionth time that day, "but we will see each other, I promise. You can come visit anytime, seriously, and I'll also come back to you."

Through the balcony window, you could see far into the distance how the sun returned to the sea in the horizon. There was something melancholy about sunsets, but there was also a promise in them, just like in the eyes of your best friend when he was looking directly at you and the evening lights reflected in them.

"When you miss me, and I'm not here, go to the beach and look for the horizon. Know I'll be thinking about you every time I see the sky and the ocean touch each other, and hopefully, you won't feel so lonely. Even on rainy days when we can't go out, I know the raindrops connecting the sky and the sea will remind me of you."

He finished with a gentle kiss on your cheek, and drying a single tear that had escaped after hearing him talk.

"Why does this feel like it's the end of summer?" You asked in a whisper, no longer sad or doubtful but finding some calm and comfort in the promise of the horizon.

"I know, right?" He laughed softly. "But I came back for you, so I'm staying with you."

And what you loved the most about the feeling that an ending was near, is that, in fact, you knew you still had a lot of time to stay in each other's arms, to watch countless sunsets together and to keep chasing for the promise of coming back to one another no matter what.

[i-cant-sing]

An Accident

Yeah... you may have seen this before, earlier this week when I accidentally posted it. Anyways, this is a part 2 of the Todoroki clan being obsessed with reader's hair. So, um enjoy.

Check out my MASTERLIST for more!

Yandere Todoroki Clan:

Rei is obsessed with reader’s hair.

She’s taken such good care of it, and after years of hard work, your hair now reaches just around your butt. Your hair is healthy, thick, luscious, and cut into a smooth, U shape; of course all trims are done by Rei herself because she doesn't even trust professionals. And even though you’ve asked Rei on multiple occasions to cut it short, at least up to the middle of your back, she just wouldn’t, always saying that you’re being unreasonable. But you’re not; you’ve given her multiple valid reasons.

For example, Rei and Fuyumi do your hair themselves. And initially, they would let you choose whatever hairstyle you wanted, but now they pick one for you, saying they know which one will suit your outfit of the day better. Rei likes to do double buns, or ponytails tied with ribbons or just one high pony with a pretty big bow on the top of your head. Fuyumi on the other hand makes super intricate hairstyles, and while they look pretty, only you know how much pain your scalp is in. Fuyumi does your hair as if you’re her doll, yanking and twisting hard, saying that she needs to be this rough to achieve the distinctive braid patterns. Thankfully, Rei usually does your hair most of the time.

One of the main reasons you've begged Rei to let you cut your hair short is how much time she (and you) would safe. Since your hair is so long, it takes a lot of time for Rei to put in hair masks, serums, oils, etc. It takes even longer to wash and dry them out, and then style them as well. But she smiled oh so kindly, and told you that she doesn't mind. She looks forward to taking care of your hair, forcing you to sit between her legs for hours as she applies some expensive magic growth oil, ignoring how you didn't like this.

And even if your hair is curly naturally, like even 4C curly hair, Rei will have it straight as a stick in no time (don't bother telling her that you like it natural). But don't worry, its still quite voluminous.

Of course, Rei washes your hair herself, telling you that you’re simply not capable enough to manage it. (At least she lets you wash your body yourself.) And due to your hair being so long, it takes time to not only wash it, but also dry it. Rei will detangle using a wide tooth comb, starting from the bottom and working her way up. Then she’ll dry it with her cold breath, and if required, call Enji to dry your hair with his heat. You like it when Enji dries your hair, because he does it quickly and your hair becomes far smoother.

And its not just Rei and Fuyumi that are obsessed with your hair, the boys are just as fond of it as well. Enji likes to card his fingers through your hair while he’s working on some papers or listening to news, his warm hands always putting you to sleep in his lap. Its an adorable sight, gives him a sense of peace.

Shotou also likes to run his hands through your long hair, especially after a stressful day. The feeling of his fingers through your smooth, long locks, it calms him. And if he’s feeling extra stressed, then he might braid your hair loosely as well. He always wears a scrunchie on his wrist for you.

You wouldn't ever admit it, but you enjoy it when Natsuo played with your hair. Its like he can sense when you're having a headache. He'll have you sit on the floor while he takes a seat on your bed, and then his fingers will do their magic. He knows exactly where to put pressure on your scalp, and exactly how much force to use. His massages always relieve your migraines, and he always massages with expertise to ensure their is proper blood flow in your scalp.

While you are more than happy to let Natsuo touch your hair, you hate it when Dabi's around. If you didn't know better, you'd think he wants to rip your scalp off. He knows how much it annoys you, always pulling at your ponytails, tugging at your braids, even yanking it a few times when you ignore him. And you've complained to your family, but all of them say that "oh he's just playing around." Or "no, he just misses you. He's only teasing." And when you ask Dabi to stop it, he'll just smile and say "big brother privileges."

He's insufferable.

Everyone gets to play with your hair, but God forbid if you do. Oh no, apparently you'd "destroy it", as if you're not capable of managing your own hair. You're not allowed to open your ponytails because, quoting Rei, "you're yanking your hair. You're going to rip your follicles- baby, stop. Just let me do it." But you know that she does that because she wants to brush your hair with the soft, bristle brush before you go to bed. And somedays, Rei doesn't tie your hair in a bun or something, letting your hair fall, and it gets in your way, and even then you're still not allowed to put it up because "oh honey, your hair needs to breathe too. If you keep it in a pony, the band will leave a mark in it." Honestly, everyone finds it adorable when you're dressed in your little, fluffy skirt paired with a cozy oversized sweater, all mad and pouting, trying to blow the hair strands blocking your field of vision. Like a little baby.

While Rei looks at your hair and sees years of her hards work and patience, all you see is losing control over your own life. And you are. They decide everything for you, from the clothes you wear, the food you eat, and even things you should like and dislike. They choose when you should go out, what you should watch, when its time for bed. They disregard your opinions and feelings, and if you show that you're frustrated, then its means that you're just throwing a "tantrum", and you need to be put to bed like some cranky child. You've told them that they're too overbearing, but they always say that they just love you.

What kind of love is controlling?

They're so lost in their delusions, that they don't even see the deteriorating effects it has on you mentally.

Actually, one person did see them. Dabi.

He saw how much everything was overwhelming you, how you were near tears when they talked over you, made choices for you.

He felt a bit bad for you, just a tad. Mostly, he felt there was another opportunity to mess with you.

When Dabi came to bother you one night, tugging at your hair again, this time a bit harder than usual, he saw you were ready to cry. You didn't even bother saying anything to him anymore, just kept quiet and did your best not to cry. Of course, now he ridiculed you. Called you a little crybaby and used that annoying patronising tone with you. And just as he was about to leave, he said "if your hair bothers you so much, why don't you just cut it, you big baby?"

As if something had finally snapped in you, you let his words echo. Why don't I cut it? What's stopping me?

Was it because you had learned to just give in?

You didn't even realise you had walked to your bathroom until you were holding a pair of scissors. Which surprised you, because you weren't allowed to use scissors unsupervised. It was almost as if a sign from the universe motivating you to do it, and definitely not Dabi who left them on the sink.

Holding the pair of scissors in one hand and a chunk of your hair in the other, you hesitate for a second and wonder what will Rei do. But before you could stop yourself, you cut.

I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

You start low, maybe 2 inches above your hips. It looks okay, but maybe you could cut a little more. And a little more. And a little more. Before you know it, your hair is around shoulder length, in an uneven, chunky bob. Its not perfect, but somehow you feel much better. Like you’ve finally gotten some control back. Wiping your tears away, you ruffle your hair a bit, the cool air on your neck adding to the feeling of freedom. You feel normal, happier, peaceful. Things you haven't felt in years. And all because you had 3 am meltdown.

After you cleaned up the bathroom, you went back to bed, anxious how everyone will react in the morning. Maybe they won't care. You thought. Its only hair. My hair.

Everyone was waiting for you at breakfast the next morning, and to everyone’s surprise, Dabi had joined them as well. Rei was cooking up some eggs, while the kids chatted. Enji was suspicious of the mischievous glint in Dabi’s eyes, and it was filling him with unease. Just as he was about to question him, you walked in.

Everyone went silent.

Then Fuyumi let out an audible gasp, while Dabi chuckled darkly. Natsuo, Shotou and Enji looked at you with their mouths agape.

“Good morning.”you greeted them.

Rei, who was facing away from you, finally turned towards you. “Good mo-”Rei’s breath hitched, eyes blown wide, as the plate of bacon fell from her hands.

Its funny how everyone in the kitchen, including you, had the same thought at that moment.

What the fuck?

Taking a deep breath, you moved to sit in your usual spot between Fuyumi and Rei, but Shotou suddenly pulled you back and pushed you into the seat beside him. He knows his mother is in a better state mentally, but something tells him not to risk it. Fuyumi snapped next, quickly getting up and cleaning the mess on the floor while Enji pulled Rei, who was still staring at you in disbelief, to sit beside him. You remained indifferent to everyone’s stares, quietly eating your food. As soon as you were done, Shotou got up and quickly pulled you out of the room, Dabi following close behind.

They sat in your room as Shotou looked at your hair with worry. “Looking nice, doll.”Dabi chuckled as he plopped down on your bed beside you. “Thanks.” you mumbled. “Y/n how did- why did you- why did you cut your hair?” Shotou asked, still looking at your choppy hair. “Do you not like it?” you asked. “N-no I do. But what will mom say-” “Shotou, its my hair.” you snapped. “Yeah, Shotou.” Dabi mocked. Fuyumi and Natsuo soon joined you guys, worrisome looks on their faces. “Why did you cut it? Oh my god, do you even know how much trouble you’re in?” Fuyumi was freaking out. “Its my hair.” you rolled your eyes. They ignored you. “Okay, okay. Shotou why don't you stick around with Y/n for a couple of days? Fuyumi and dad will try to keep mom away from her.” Before Fuyumi could nod, you stood up. “No.”

Natsuo looked at you confused. “what do you mean “no”?”

“I mean no. I don't need Shotou to babysit me. I can handle myself.” Fuyumi walked towards you, reaching her hands for you but you backed away, “Y/n, sweetie-” You cut her off ,“Stop treating me like a child.”

Shotou spoke this time, “Its for your protection-” “Protection from who? Our mother? Why?”your words dared them to say the truth. To agree that Rei was unstable. They didn't say anything.

A few days had passed by and things were returning to normal. Almost normal. Rei still had this thousand yard stare when she looked at you, but she never said anything. Cutting your hair was the best decision you had made, because not is it only easy to manage, but it also got the family off your back. Rei doesn't wash your hair anymore(although you think she's just not over the shock), Fuyumi doesn't need to do your hair, they dry faster, and all of your brothers (including Dabi) doesn't mess around with them anymore. Enji was the first to adjust to your new cut, he even complimented you one day.

Did you feel guilty because you know how attached Rei was to your hair? A bit, but then realised that you needed this. You need some control over your life, and if this is how they react to your new cut, then maybe you could start taking back reigns over other aspects of your life as well.

You thought that maybe Rei had finally gotten over it a week later, when you were laying in the bathtub, enjoying the hot bath. When you heard her walk in, you were a bit startled. Why was she here- is she finally over it? "Um- hey." She smiled at you. "Why are you here?" She took the bath stool and sat behind the tub. "You know why." She replied and started rolling her sleeves up. Is she here to wash my hair? "Oh, are you here to wash my hair? I don't need help with that anymore now that they're short." Rei smiled again, this one looking forced, before dipping her hand in the tub. "No, silly." And with that, Rei froze the entire the tub in 2 seconds. The ice trapped your limbs, and reached up to your clavicle. The sudden change from hot to cold had you jolt, but you couldn't move due to the frozen ice. "Mom-!" You heard the buzzing sound of a trimmer and then felt Rei entangle her fingers in your hair to yank your head back. "I'm here to complete your haircut." You tried moving your head but her grip on your scalp was unrelenting. She started trimming the right side of your head, moving it slowly as to get every single hair. "Honestly, you should've come to me. I do agree that it'd be a good idea to start again." Tears fell from your eyes, your teeth chattered and you could feel your heart beat slow down as the cold seeped into your bones. "M-mom, I'm col-d. P-please s-stop..." Rei was done with one half of your head. "You know, I read somewhere that your grows thicker if you cut it. I'm sure that after I've shaved your head, your hair will grow even fuller. I've already gotten some new oils and hair masks! Maybe we could do them together." You couldn't hear anything besides the slowing of your own heart beating. Your breath had started to become shallow, you couldn't think about anything except for how painful ice could be. Your lips were turning blue, eyes were getting clouded with black spots, all sensation from your body was losing. Just before you lost consciousness, you heard the bathroom door open and a panicked yell.

You felt warm.

When you came to, your entire body felt warm and weighted, probably due to the heavy blanket spread on you.

Opening your eyes, you found yourself in a dimly lit room. It was...your parents room. Why am I here? You turned your head to look around but your eyes stopped at the large figure sitting on a chair next to your bed.

"Dad?"

The figure's head snapped towards yours. "You're awake." He paused. "How- how are you feeling?" You moved the blanket off you, your body felt dense and ached. "Warm and...sore. What happened? Why am I in your bedroom?" Enji shifted in his seat. "I think its best if you stay here from now on, so that... your mother and I can look after you." Your eyes widened. "What? Why?" You moved to sit up but then a pain shot through your head. "Ah shit." You hissed in pain as you went to massage your temples but your hands halted at the feeling of your hair... or lack there of. You tried to run a finger through your choppy bob cut, but all you felt was your shaved head. Your eyes met Enji's, looking at him in disbelief as you recalled the events that had led up to this. "Darling-" You jumped off the bed and ran towards the vanity mirror, praying that this is just a nightmare. But as you looked at your reflection, you realised that this was the terrifying reality you were living in.

Tears dripped from your eyes as you took in your appearance. Trimmed- no, shaved pink hair. You couldn't see a single bit of hair above the roots, only a baby pink scalp. She had not only trimmed your hair first but then also proceeded to shave your scalp off. Your head looked like it had peach fuzz.

You couldn't bring yourself to look away, not even when Enji placed a hand on your shoulder. "Y/n-" He didn't even what to say. He was still in shock from what would've happened if Fuyumi hadn't yelled for him when Rei was-

Enji shook his head. Now's not the time. You're here and you're fine. You're fine. Enji pulled you towards him, burying your face in his chest as you cried. "You're fine." He repeated, more to himself than to you. "Why- why would she do this?" Your voice was muffled by his chest but he understood. He understood your pain and it tore him apart that he still wouldn't be able to help you.

Enji honestly didn't know what to tell you. He didn't know what words would bring you comfort. "It... it was an accident." His chest rumbled as he spoke. You pushed yourself away from him as you looked at him perplexed.

"What?" Your eyebrows raised, nostrils flared and blood rushed to your face. You were going to blow up.

"An accident? Is that what you said? Oh okay. Was it an accident when she froze the fucking tub? Did the trimmer accidentally fall from her hands to my head?! Oh and did she accidentally pull the razor over my head?!" Angry tears fell from your eyes but you were far too enraged to care.

Enji opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by the sound of the bedroom door opening. Turning around you saw her.

Rei was standing there with a tray of food and water. Her face turned to shock before turning to happiness. She set the tray on a nearby table before she rushed towards you, her hands reaching for your face.

"Angel, you're awake-" you pushed her hands away roughly as you backed away from her.

"Dont you dare touch me."

The couple, they had never heard your voice such hostility. It wasn't like you. Rei shook her head as she tried to reach for you again, taking another step in your direction. But you smacked her hands away again. "I said don't touch me!" Your yelling had got your siblings to rush in the room, wanting to see what the commotion was about.

Rei's eyes shifted from you to Enji, looking at him for help, before they returned back to you. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Y/n, darling. What's wrong?" You scoffed at her soft tone that tried to quell the storm of negative emotions bubbling inside you. "What's wrong? What's wrong? I don't know, you tell me, Rei. Why the fuck am I bald?!" Your head was pounding with rage, raw unbridled anger.

When Rei didn't say anything, Fuyumi stepped forward to help her out. "Y/n its-"

"Shut up."

Fuyumi's- everyone's eyes widened. Of everyone, you never even rose your voice at your favourite sibling. But to hear your voice turn so cold towards her, it shocked everyone. "Y-Y/n-" she tried again but you cut her off. "I said shut up. I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Rei and she'll answer for herself."

Enji placed a hand on your shoulder, pulling you back slightly. "Have some respect. She's your mother-" You yanked your shoulder away from his grip. "No, she's not!" You inhaled deeply, trying to stabilise your voice. "No, she's not. You're not my dad. I'm not a part of this family. And I'm so sick of playing this game."

Dabi's eyes narrowed. "Stop being an ungrateful brat. You've been given all the luxuries one could only imagine, spoiled to no end-" You laughed. "Did I ask for anything?" "You never had t-" "And all these luxuries that you're talking about, I didn't get them for free. I had to give up a lot. No, wait-" you laughed again, tears blurring your vision. "I didn't give up anything. You all took it. Yeah, all of you snatched everything away from me. My family, my friends, my privacy, my sanity, everything. And you-" you moved towards Rei, pointing a finger at her. "You have been the most greedy one of them all."

Rei's jaw fell open, as she shook her head. "No-" You shook your head.

"Yes! I gave you everything. I let you dress me up in those god awful clothes, feed me whatever you wanted, stick to your side like glue because you don't like it when I was out of your sight for a more than a few minutes. For fucks sake, I didn't even go to college this year because you weren't ready to see me become an adult!" You ran a frustrated hand through your hair. "I played into your sick little fantasy. I let you treat me like a child, talk to me like I'm some helpless baby. I let you touch me even though it disgusted me to no end. I never even complained when you gave me ice burns because I was throwing a tantrum." You looked at the rest of your family, and they were shocked to hear that last bit. You smiled cruelly at them. "Yeah, you didn't know that did you?"

Rei was crying herself by now, as she reached out for you once again but you moved away. "I let you have everything. All I wanted was this little bit of freedom, for my own sanity. But you couldn't stomach that could you?" Your head hung low, your tears hitting the floor.

"Why do you have to be so selfish?"

Your voice held so much pain and defeat. Rei couldn't help but engulf you in her arms, wrapping herself around you tightly before you could even protest. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She cried out. "I- I promise I'll fix this! Yes. I-I've already gotten you some new hair oils! They say that they'll help you grow 6 inches in a month! Oh and Natsuo also brought some stuff for hair growth! Some vitamins and- Natsuo whats that spray called? Minoxy? Mi-minoxidil! Yes! He said that'll help you grow your hair in no time! Doesn't that sound nice? You'll have long hair like before!" Rei pushed back to look at you. You couldn't believe it.

"Are you- are you really that delusional?" Your voice was so soft, almost like you would break any moment now. "Are you so blind to see what you're doing to me?" Your eyes held so much pain and confusion. "Sweetie, don't worry- mommy will take such good care-" You pushed Rei away from you, your anger rolling back in full speed. "YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER!" You shrieked. "Y/n-" Shotou tried to interject. "I'm not a part of your fucking family."

Enji stepped towards you. "Calm down."

You looked at him. "You said that what happened was an accident. What will you do if another one happens? And you're not around this time to save me? Hmm? What will you do? Continue playing house with my dead body?!"

Rei's sobs shook her body. "Shut up. Think before you say stupid shit like that." Dabi spoke this time, moving to stand between you and his mother. "Or what? You're going to hurt me? More the reason why all of you, but especially you-" you pointed at Rei "deserve to be in that nuthouse-!"

You were on the floor before you could even process what had happened. Had you- had you fallen? But when the searing pain of the burn on your cheek came alive and you looked at his hand that had erupted in blue flames, you realised what had happened.

Dabi slapped you.

"Y/n!"

Your cheek felt like someone had placed a hot iron on it, the sting spreading to your entire cheek, but you were far too shocked to care about the pain.

Dabi slapped me.

Shotou, Natsuo and Fuyumi quickly rushed to your side, picking you up and out of the room, while Dabi stood there in stunned as his own hand throbbed. The image of his handprint branded on your scared face wasn't going to leave his mind anytime soon.

Enji hesitated, looking at his wife and son in disbelief, before leaving the room to look for you.

Rei walked towards Dabi and smacked his arm. "What did you do?!" She yelled at him. He opened his mouth to explain but nothing came out.

"She's your little sister, Touya! W-why would you do that?!" Rei scolded him.

He hurt you. Like Enji hurt Rei.

He hurt you.

Rei sighed before closing her eyes and engulfing Dabi in her arms. "Its okay. Its not your fault." She rubbed his back soothingly. "It was an accident, wasn't it?"

Dabi wrapped his arms around his mother, burying his face in her neck, before nodding.

"Yes. It was an accident."

So... how was it?

[sleepysnk]

i fell in LOVE with the ideas you gave me about streamer!eren so here we go! thank you again and i hope you enjoy <3

Jaegerbomb is Streaming

Pairings: Streamer!Eren Jaeger x Fem!Reader

Warnings: None

Jaegerbomb is now streaming

Eren adjusted his mic as the stream began, it was a Friday night and he was doing his usual nightly stream. He talked about it on Twitter so he expected a lot of people to be tuning in tonight, as well as it was a Friday night and not many people had school the next day.

"What's up guys?" Eren said as he watched the views begin to go up and the viewers tuned in.

He watched people type in the chat sending the usual 'hi eren!' or the 'hey eren!' he was used to the these messages, a smile forming onto his face.

"Good to see you guys here again! I honestly have no idea what I'm gonna play tonight but we'll go with it," he said, looking at the different chats.

He began to read the different messages that were being sent, some people complimented him or asked how his day was to which he responded with 'thank you' or 'my night has been great'.

Eren was a popular streamer.

He gained popularity within a few months after he streamed with some pretty well known streamers, his raging and yelling is what got him noticed by people, as well as his appearance. People got a kick out of him all the time and he was definitely going places.

Eren was cute, he had emerald-like eyes, brown hair, a sly sexy smile, and he always looked amazing no matter what. It attracted female attention as well as some males, Eren didn't mind it though, he loved interacting with fans on a daily basis; he also had a pretty big fanbase with 400k followers on Twitter and 90k Instagram followers. They were all amazing people and Eren couldn't ask for better.

His rage was something people found to be hilarious, there were compilations of him yelling at Call of Duty or screaming when playing the popular horror games. There was also this one time Eren's mom walked in and yelled at him when he was being too loud, and people found it to be hilarious.

He called his fans the 'Jaegerists', his fanbase was very sweet and there was rarely any toxicity in it. Which in Eren's opinion, was very relieving.

When Eren got popular he was very nervous of the issues that came with it, sometimes people would recognize him on the street or people in his classes would bring up his streams. It was something Eren enjoyed, but he tended to keep his streaming life out of his personal life. It was also a request by Carla, his mother. She told Eren to be careful and always be wary of the internet.

He did exactly that and here he was now, sitting with 7k people watching him.

"What should I play tonight? I was thinking we could do Cold War or Minecraft, but being honest Cold War is a bit boring right now; so let me know guys!" Eren said, scrolling through his chat.

Within seconds people began replying saying either Cold War or Minecraft.

Suddenly, a few notifications started popping in from a few of his viewers.

jaegerbombfan10 donated 30 coins!

iloveeren_ donated 10 coins!

erenjaeger21 donated 5 coins!

Eren smiled as he got the donations, it was common for his viewers to donate to him and he was very thankful for it. He never begged his fans for donations or any of that and that's what people liked about Eren, he never asked for anything other than love and kindness.

"Thank you to those who donated! You're all amazing!" he said with a smile.

The usual kudos came into chat and people sent in hearts to the chat which made Eren feel 10x more happier, he enjoyed what his fans were doing for him and he was so thankful.

"Alright I think Minecraft won.. so today we're gonna do that," Eren added, narrowing his eyes a bit at the different chats which suggested the game.

Eren skimmed through his computer and began to load the game, it took a few moments but the main screen popped up and Eren put on his headset.

His eyes averted to the chat's people were sending in.

jaegerbombswife: eren u look so good

ereniloveyou_: minecraft is so cool eren

jaegerbombsbiggestfan: omg eren u look so cute right now ❤

jaegerist21: ooo minecraft? sounds fun eren!

"I feel like a mess right now but thank you guys, really. What music should I play tonight? Let me know in the chat," he said before turning back to the screen and entering his world.

It was pretty common for Eren to stream during the night, he doesn't really have the time during the day to stream since he has school and other important personal things to deal with.

He scrolled through the chats with different artists and songs, "You guys want Pop Smoke? I played him last time.. how about some The Kid Laroi? He has some good songs," he said, clicking through to find his spotify.

Eren clicked on a random song and went back to Minecraft, he started by running around and organizing his items because a few people in the chat were complaining about his inventory.

"Oh shush! Not everyone is perfect! My house is dope okay?" Eren said before chuckling a bit.

Suddenly, a few notifications came through which caught Eren's attention.

y/nloveseren donated 500 coins!

y/nloveseren donated 1000 coins!

y/nloveseren donated 800 coins!

That was surprising.. not many people donate three times in a row, and with that many coins either.

Eren watched as the user moved from the bottom of the donation list to the very top, whoever it was, they were donating a lot of coins to him.

"Yo! Y/nloveseren! Thank you for your donations!" he said, smiling to himself.

A few chats suddenly bubbled in.

jaegerist45: damn whoever that is they donated a lot.

jaegerbombsbiggestfan407: omg fr!

iloveueren77: eren i can donate later!

y/nloveseren: of course! ♡ you're one of my favorite streamers <3

Eren smiled at the message, "Nah thank YOU for donating! It's appreciated," he replied.

As Eren continued playing Minecraft throughout the night y/nloveseren continued to donate to him, they ended up donating about five or six times after and it was surprising for him. He hadn't ever seen this person in his streams before, he tends to remember usernames, but theirs didn't ring much of a bell. They must have been a silent viewer.

"You guys can ask some questions by the way! It's only midnight and I really wanna hear from you guys," he said, taking a sip of his water bottle.

Questions began to fill into the chat.

jaegerbombbbb21: eren will you ever play outlast?

erensimp34: how tall are you eren?

jaegerist0123: does ur mom know about u streaming?

erensbiggestfan31: are u single?

Eren skimmed through the different questions, some were the usual and some were odd. "Well to answer, I will play Outlast at some point. I am 6'1, my mom does know I stream, and yes I am single." he replied.

Many reactions came from the chat, people saying how sexy his height was or talking about how he was single.

y/nloveseren: ur single!? holy shit

Eren chuckled a bit, "Yeah I am single.. it's mainly 'cause I never really found anyone who was going to stick around you know?" he said.

y/nloveseren: can i place my minecraft bed next to yours then? ;)

Eren's eyes widened a bit from the message, his cheeks growing a light shade of pink; nobody has ever flirted with him on a stream before. Yeah people have called him sexy or said he was hot, but a flirt was never thrown.

"Y/nloveseren you definitely caught my attention with that.. but sure! I'll let you," he smirked.

The chat suddenly went wild with people sending in messages about what he said, others pointed out his blush or the way he was smirking right now.

jaegerist45: eren a simp? ooop

iloveyoueren_: what? :/ eren what about me 🙄?

erensimp34: SIMPPPP

erenishot386: did u guys see him blush? I GOT IT ON CAMERA

jaegerist219: omg he blushed? y/nloveseren keep talking!!

Eren smiled to himself, "Alright settle down guys! What they said was nice, okay? Nothing serious."

y/nloveseren: aw :( i was serious tho! you are quite the cutie <3 i deadass can't believe you noticed that message 😭!

y/nloveseren donated 400 coins!

"Thank you y/nloveseren! Seriously, you are kicking ass tonight," he said. "I'm definitely not the cutest but thank you, really!"

Within the next few hours, Eren and a few other viewers chatted about new games and a few embarrassing stories Eren told them. The one person who stood out to him though, was y/nloveseren. They donated a lot that night and Eren even chatted with them.

"Alright guys! I'll see you all soon! Goodnight," Eren said, waving at the camera.

jaegerist45: night eren!

iloveeren716: goodnight Eren! ♡

y/nloveseren: night Eren! sleep well <3

Eren stopped the stream and leaned back in his chair, who was y/nloveseren? And why couldn't he stop thinking about them?

-

The next few weeks of streaming were exciting for Eren, a few new games were released and he started playing them for his fans. He gained more popularity from the games as well and he was happy to see new people trickling in.

Though, Eren had another thing to look forward to when streaming.

(Y/N).

He actually ended up finding out her name, yes she was a girl.

During one of his streams he asked a few questions about her, of course she was happy to respond to Eren and he always looked forward to seeing her in his streams. She was his top donater and he was always excited to see her pop in, it was odd; Eren never felt this way before.

She was a fan, someone who looked up to him, yet Eren felt... excited to see her? He would get nervous if he didn't see her join a stream or he'd be disappointed if she left early, it was odd. He wasn't sure why he felt this way.

His fans pointed it out as well, they noticed Eren would smile a lot whenever he spoke to her or he would laugh at her jokes.

Eren never did that, not even with a fan.

He was sitting in his chair, the stream had just started and people began to fill in, he was going to play a bit of Call of Duty and then he would chill.

"What's up guys? How are we doing today?" Eren asked, looking at the screen.

erenfan21: hey Eren! i'm good

jaegerist45: yoo hey!

iloveeren1827: hi eren! how are you?

y/nloveseren: hi eren!! <3

Eren smiled seeing her pop into the chat, "I'm good guys, hi (Y/N). Good to see you," he replied.

As Eren played the game he couldn't help but look over to see if (Y/N) ever talked, he didn't want to miss a message from her. Sometimes he got so distracted he would end up dying or losing a round, a lot of people took notice.

"Bro Call of Duty makes me so mad," Eren said, his brows pinching together as he focused on the screen. "Maybe I should uh.." he trailed off as he looked at the chat.

Suddenly, his controller vibrated and it showed his character dying.

"Fuck!" Eren yelled, rolling his eyes. He then turned off the game and leaned back in his chair, he was clearly mad; his rage was something that entertained people and this was no different.

erensbiggestfan31: damn Eren you're mad again?

jaegerist187: shit guys he might rage

jaegerbomb1782: ah shit, u good eren?

y/nloveseren: eren? are you okay?

His eyes flickered towards the chat, "Yeah I'm good guys! That shit pissed me off, but I'll head back in." he said, pressing a few buttons to head into the game again.

y/nloveseren: yay!! 🥰 happy Eren is the best Eren!

y/nloveseren donated 700 coins!

He smiled to himself again. She always made him smile.. it was something she did to him, she had this effect no other fan could put on him.

"Say (Y/N).. you donate a lot and I always see you here.. yet, I don't think you've ever followed me before," he said, looking at the screen.

The chat began to blow up.

jaegerist45: OOOOO 👀

iloveeren167: oh shit? eren?

y/nloveseren: i'm just shy 😭 plus i doubt you respond to dms

He ran his fingers through his brunette locks, twirling one of the strands in his fingers. "I do actually respond to dms, but you're shy? That's cute lowkey.. I actually have an idea," he smirked.

y/nloveseren: and that is? 👀

erensimp34: A CHALLENGE? y/n omg

jaegerist45: oh shit.. IM INTERESTED

jaegerbombfan20: SHE GETTING BOLD 😩

"If I win this next round of COD you gotta give me your Instagram," he said, leaning back on his chair.

The chat began to blow up with messages of people hyping (Y/N) up, a grin formed onto Eren's face seeing what people were saying. He hoped that she wasn't uncomfortable with what he said, that's the last thing Eren would ever want.

y/nloveseren: bet, deal.

His eyes widened a bit, "Shit for real? Just know I'm not forcing you, but I'm curious about you."

y/nloveseren: nah! you're fine ;) let's see if you win though

Eren smirked when his eyes scanned over the message, "Alright.. say less," he said.

He entered the game and started playing the round, he made sure to keep extra focused so he wouldn't lose. That was the last thing he wanted, he was interested in what (Y/N) was like; she was definitely intriguing.

Eren pressed his thumbs and fingers into the controller, his grip tight enough that his knuckles were white; his fans even noticed and told him it wasn't that serious, but Eren didn't care. He wanted to win and losing is something Eren hated.

Suddenly the screen flashed the victory and Eren put his hands in the air. "Hell yeah! You guys see that? Jaegerbomb is the winner!" he yelled with a smile on his face.

His chat was going crazy.

jaegerist45: YO GOOD JOB EREN

erensimp13: omg nice job eren!

jaegerbombfan20: dude u did so good!!

Eren's smile widened looking at the chat, he always enjoyed his fans telling him he was doing great.

y/nloveseren: you actually won, damn. i didn't think you would have 😭, but since you did.. you want my instagram?

Eren leaned back in his chair, "Hell yeah! Hand it over," he replied.

y/nloveseren: it's y/n.l/n!

He grabbed his phone and went to Instagram, the chat was blowing up yet again when people saw her actually put her Instagram in. They hyped her up and even told Eren that he was a lucky guy for that.

Eren found her profile instantly, he scrolled through her photos and his eyes went wide; she was gorgeous. Eren was used to pretty girls talking or messaging with him, but she.. she was different and he felt it; he couldn't help but stare at the different photos of her in the mirror or the selfies she had with a pretty smile.

He looked at the chat and moved his headset to the side, "Yo.. guys.." he said, staring at the screen.

Instantly people began asking questions. "Guys.. she is fucking gorgeous, (Y/N) you're so cute holy shit," he said, smiling to himself.

jaegerist45: YOOO EREN IS A SIMP

iloveeren3827: awe 🥺

erensimp13: SHOW USSSS

jaegerbombfan20: is she pretty? y/n omg ur so lucky

erensbiggestfan928: simpppp

jaegerist2827: DID YOU GUYS SEE HIS SMILE?

His smile turned into a frown when he saw that (Y/N) wasn't talking in the chat anymore. Did he make her uncomfortable? He didn't force her into sending it, maybe she was uncomfortable and she just didn't want to say anything.

"Yo.. (Y/N) are you there? Shit did I make you uncomfortable? I'm sorry," Eren said, putting his phone on his desk.

He shook his leg watching the different people responding to what was going on, a few people apologized to her; they said that they didn't mean to make her feel weird or force her into telling Eren her Instagram.

His eyes flickered when he saw her name.

y/nloveseren: omg no! you didn't make me uncomfortable at all :) thank you for your comments tho! 💗 you made me smile

Eren felt relief wash over him, "Ugh thank god! I thought I made you feel grossed out! But it's my pleasure.. you are beautiful," he said.

People started to leave messages like 'awe <3' or 'omg guys Eren is so simping right now'. All in all, he found (Y/N) extremely attractive and he decided to follow her, he silently prayed that maybe just maybe.. they would talk outside of the stream.

Eren noticed how late it was, it was currently 2:31 A.M. and he usually went to sleep earlier on Sunday's because of his classes.

"Alright guys! I'm gonna end it here, it is really late where I live so I'm probably gonna head to sleep. Goodnight everyone! Thank you for tuning in!" he said while waving at the camera.

Everyone wished Eren a good night and he ended the stream. He rubbed his tired eyes and went to shut off the light in his room, all he wanted was to relax and get a good night's rest.

He placed his phone onto the nightstand and rolled over to the other side of his bed, his body relaxing into the sheets and comfort of his mattress.

A sudden ping woke him up.

It was odd, nobody usually texted Eren this late except for maybe Armin who reminded him to keep quiet while he studied but Armin was out that night with Annie.

Reaching for his phone, the screen lit up; he had a notification from Instagram. More specifically, a direct message.

He unlocked his phone and noticed he had a dm from (Y/N), she actually texted him; a smile grew onto his face as he opened it up.

(Y/N): hey! i doubt you're awake, but i wanted to message you and say hey <3!

He instantly began typing back.

Eren: hey! i was about to go to bed but i wanted to respond to your message, so you're y/nloveseren right?

Within seconds she viewed the message and began typing again.

(Y/N): haha, yeah that's me! i've been watching you stream for a really long time, but i was a silent fan. i got a job recently and i decided to donate since you have always put a smile on my face lol.

Eren: wow really? that's sick! it's so cool to meet you, i always look forward to seeing your name in my streams 😭. how old are you btw?

(Y/N): it's cool speaking with you too! i'm 19 btw!

Eren was surprised, she was around his age? Some of his fans were under 18 or around 20+, but he was surprised to see someone the same age as him around. Most of the girls around his age weren't interested in streamers or gaming in general.

Eren: say uh.. do you mind maybe, getting to know one another? only if you're cool with it of course

He chewed his bottom lip waiting for a reply back, he wasn't sure what she would say. He didn't want to come off as the creepy streamer who talks to fans and does weird shit with them.

(Y/N): really? sure! i'm down :)!!

He smiled seeing the message, maybe this girl was worth losing sleep over.

-

Eren spent the last few days talking to (Y/N), he would stay up past 3 A.M. texting with her about life and getting to know her deeper.

The two connected instantly that night, (Y/N) was an university student studying psychology and she had a job at a local cafe near her apartment outside campus. She was interested in gaming and she told Eren that she had been watching his streams for a few months, she found him to be entertaining and he was one of the few streamers that weren't weird.

They shared a lot of the same experiences on a lot of things. Eren told her about the many relationships he had and how the girls instantly thought he was weird or boring for wanting to stream instead of having a career. (Y/N) had just gotten out of a really bad relationship and she told him that her ex found it weird that she watched him.

As much as Eren really liked the vibes he got from (Y/N), he was scared to get close with her. Armin warned him many times about how some 'fans' aren't actually fans, they con people and gain their trust to expose them later. Eren didn't want to be used for money or any of that, that would be the end of him.

Still though, Eren wanted to talk to her more. He hadn't ever gotten like this with a fan before, but maybe.. this could be different?

Eren was laying in bed that night, he decided not to stream because he was tired and he just felt really lazy. He was doing the usual, texting (Y/N) and listening to music.

(Y/N): what are you up to?

Eren: i'm just laying down, listening to music. wbu?

(Y/N): i was wondering if you maybe wanted to.. facetime? of course we don't have to but i feel like it could be cool?

Eren looked up for a second, maybe a facetime would be good; it could help him get to know her more and maybe he could find out if she was looking to fuck around with him.

Eren: sure! here's my number

He sent her his number and sat up, he wanted to look decent for her anyway. He fixed his messy hair and tied it back into a bun, then he zipped up his sweater.

His heart began to race, why was he feeling this way? It was just a fan nothing he couldn't handle, he silently hoped that she wouldn't think he was weird or anything.

His phone suddenly began to ring, he rushed over to his bed and grabbed his phone. It was an unsaved number so he assumed it was (Y/N). He fixed his hair and clicked the green answer button.

"Hey!" Eren said, his smile showing as he saw (Y/N) behind the screen.

She giggled, "Oh my God hi! You're so much cuter behind the screen," she replied.

Eren chuckled, "Thank you.. you're very beautiful yourself."

Her cheeks grew hot, "You're sweet but.. what's up? How are you doing tonight?" she asked with a smile on her face.

Eren leaned back in his chair, "I'm doing good, what about you? Do you work tonight?" he asked.

"No I don't actually.. that's why I decided to call you since I had some free time. Are you streaming today?" she asked.

He shook his head, "Nah.. I uh.. I decided not to since I was tired and I honestly was too lazy to get on," he chuckled.

"Oh Jaegerbomb is lazy huh? That's odd, you usually have so much energy." she giggled.

Eren smiled at her words, "Yeah I'm pretty lazy sometimes.. but y/nloveseren just insisted we facetime," he said in a dramatic tone.

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh shush! I was being sweet and plus I was bored, so be thankful I asked." she said, giggling a bit.

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh I see.. but I am thankful! You're a pretty sweet girl (Y/N), I love talking to you."

She felt bashful around him, Eren had this impact on her and she always had butterflies whenever his name popped up into her phone. He was sweet, attractive, exciting, and most of all he was an amazing listener; something (Y/N) never had.

"Thank you, Eren. You're a really sweet guy yourself," she replied, nodding her head to the side.

He propped his phone up on his bed, he adjusted himself so he was a bit comfortable. "Of course! You deserve it (Y/N)," he smiled.

The two talked for hours that night about so many things. They told each other different stories from their childhood, they talked about weird experiences they had, and they even got a bit personal with one another. Eren felt like that was a huge plus, he could never get this personal with anyone.

He loved the vibes he got from (Y/N), she was easy to talk to, funny, sweet, she matched his vibe and the two got along so well.

Eren had his mind made up.

She was worth losing sleep over.

-

A month or two had gone by since (Y/N) and Eren started talking. They were still very close and they talked pretty much all day everyday, that was something that rarely ever happened with a fan. Most of the time Eren wouldn't speak to fans long.

He considered her a friend, but he knew inside he wanted to be more than friends with her.

He was currently streaming at the moment, he was a bored; not much was going on and he was playing some Minecraft to pass the time. (Y/N) told him earlier in the day that she wouldn't be joining the stream till later because she was working late. It slightly disappointed him, but he knew that her personal life was important.

He sighed, "What do you guys wanna talk about? Ask me anything," he said, looking towards the chat.

A few questions bubbled into his chat, some were questions that he's answered before. But one question actually caught his eye..

jaegerist3452: what do you think about y/n?

He furrowed his brows for a second, why would they be asking about her? Sure, he told people that he was speaking to her and they talked outside of the streams, but nobody really asked.

"What do I think about (Y/N)? Oh, she's dope as hell. I love talking to her, there's a lot more I can say but I dunno.. she might not like it," he replied, leaning back in his chair.

His eyes scanned back over to the chat where everyone was spamming telling him to say it and that she probably wouldn't judge him.

"You guys really want to know?" he asked, sitting up a bit.

erensimp43: yes!! i wanna know!

jaegerist45: i'm down to listen

erensbiggestfan2928: tell us!

iloveeren1010: i wanna hear!

Eren let out air through his nose. "Well (Y/N) is a really really sweet girl, she's so nice and easy to talk to. Not to mention how great of a listener she is, her personality is something I value the most about her; she always makes me laugh and talking to her is my favorite part of the day. Most of all, she's beautiful. She's such a pretty girl and.. damn, I'd love to make her mine."

The chat began to blow up with messages.

jaegerist45: that's so cute man

jaegerbombfan20: awe 🥺

iloveeren_: that's adorable holy shit

erensbiggestfan1083: simppppp but that's so nice

He smiled at the thought of her. "Yeah call me a simp but... she's really amazing," he said.

y/nloveseren: wow 🥺..

His eyes bulged out of his head when he saw her name in the chat, a blush crept onto his cheeks feeling embarrassment washing over him.

"O-Oh shit.."

Everyone began to flood messages about how Eren just got caught, he felt embarrassed and really bashful. She most likely heard everything he just said, what if she was uncomfortable?

"Shit I'm sorry (Y/N).. I shouldn't have said that shit.. we barely know one another and you're probably really upset," Eren said, rubbing his temples.

y/nloveseren: no Eren ur fine! what u said was actually really sweet 🥺💗.. thank you <3

He sat up, "Really? Wait.. so you're not mad?"

y/nloveseren: no not at all! :) i can say the same about you.. you've definitely been really sweet and i really like you

His jaw dropped and a smile formed onto his features. "Wow.. I have no words. Can we text? Please?" he asked, raising his brows.

y/nloveseren: of course <3!

Eren reached for his phone and saw her typing in their dms, his eyes flickered upwards at the chat which was now going crazy over what they both said to each other.

jaegerist45: dude that's so cute

jaegerbombfan20: I'M GONNA CRY OMG

The vibration of his phone broke him out of his thoughts, he went to Instagram to view the message from her.

(Y/N): hey :), i heard what you said and it really made my day. i was having a shitty day at work and hearing what you said made me so happy, so thank you for that. i like you, eren. i know you may not feel the same but talking to you has been so amazing and i would love to talk to you more ♡.

He smiled before sending a reply.

Eren: i would love to! talking to you has made me so much happier and i'm glad we met. everything i said was true and i want to keep talking, you're amazing.

(Y/N): sounds like a plan ❤.

Eren smiled and looked up to see his chat spamming his name, many people took the hint that he was talking to her.

"I got her guys.." he said with a smile.

[fucktheroyals]

You know after reading and reading and reading peoples theories and the meta from before the spn finale aired and the meta writers reactions to the finale I think I have a theory of my own. We don't have any answers tho, so this is pure speculation. If you wanna add something to support or discredit any of this that's cool but there's too many things floating around. Know I dont have proof for this conclusion at all. A lot of what I say is just guesses based on previous facts.

This all came together in my head when I realized how much this finale REEKS of the original producers and who the show was originally for. It REEKS of Robert Singer. Like if the execs started saying they didn't want it, Robert Singer was the one pushing that the story was about the brothers. That kinda thing.

Then, I was thinking of the problems in this episode and it struck me these are all of Supernatural biggest issues and to be honest all of it feels completely deliberate.

Take the sexism for example, Supernatural in it's later seasons largely out grew this, we have Jody, Rowena, Donna, Charlie, Mary, Claire (and even a wayward sisters pilot with MORE women/girls) all making regular appearances. They're mainly good characters and mostly aren't there to hurt our boys. Rowena, of course, is the one outlier being very about herself but it's clear she still cares for them, I mean its part of her development. But they're all real, with character flaws just like everyone else. (And we have Death too and she was POC 😭 THANK GOD)

Now look at the earlier half of Spn, we have Ellen and Jo, who's appearances were far in between. There's Bela in season 3, recurring for quite a bit (5 eps), but she is a character that is only there for herself, definitely not found family (unlike Ellen & Jo), and she's got more episodes in season 3 than Ellen and Jo in season 2 who aren't seen again til season 5. The "fans" send in hate mail after hate mail to try to get these characters off, and eventually they are. Then there's Ruby who's character stayed for a whole two seasons and was a largely recurring character. Why does she get to say so long? She's a plot device. She's supposed to be there to betray Sam. She has to stay (plus Jared obviously likes her). But she's not just a character the writers like writing about. Same with Lilith. Obviously not as recurring but still a plot device. Did they get hate mail tho? You can bet on it. Why? because tHeY'rE gOnNa PuSh ThE bOyS (Dean and Sam) aPaRt ThE sHoW iS aBoUt ThE bOyS oNlY. Without even thinking about the hate mail, just notice how large the difference is from how women are seen in the earlier seasons to the later seasons. Misha got tons of hate mail too for being a character that could split up the boys (probably only being allowed to say because he a man, thanks sexist producers and execs).

Only after Castiel was killed off and then Castiel fans successfully (thank you guys) got him back on the show did the hate mail largely simmer, which means female character's were allowed to stay! Which has lead us to a show with a good amount of female characters. But can you imagine having to kill characters off time and time again because people keep complaining that the show is "only about the boys." Fun times really.

So now we get to this final and we see sexism. But it wasn't just the plain old regular sexism you find in the earlier days of spn. Because now, there ARE women to talk about, talk to. But this episode was DESOLATE women wise, unless they were used for plot (which is also sexist!). Small scenes, they're barely there. Women gets her tongue cut out. Random women from s1 gets killed. Sam doesn't SPEAK of Eileen. Nothing. No mention of any female characters from the boys mouths unless they were from/in this episode itself. That's WIERD. I know we've all said it. But that goes beyond forgetting about characters. I mean its SAM'S GIRLFRIEND for Christ's sake. There is NO REASON they couldn't have said Eileen's name. Notice how Sam's wife is just... faceless. This is literally an age old sexist trope. Like... one of the things about bringing Mary back to life for s12+ is that it takes this trope... of basically a generic mother, and gives her life and feelings, whether you like them or not, they're real feelings. They said Mary isn't just a mom she's a person. Mary's existence in the later half of spn is to fix this kind of female tropes that fall upon her character, to not let these her stay a 2 dimensional character. They said we should know she's more than just the mom who tried to save her kid. Do that is the exact opposite of Sam getting a nameless, faceless wife. The sexism of the old spn wasn't just brought back, it was completely amplified. It wasn't just accidental or some exec "fixing" the story it was DELIBRATE. Whoever wrote that, didn't do ALL OF THAT by accident. Because an exec or a producer who doesn't see the flaws in old supernatural isn't going to write it that deliberately.

Let's bring it back to s10 when Charlie was killed (singer was mainly to blame). Dead in the bathtub, age old classic of burying ur gays. If you were here you know people never let Supernatural live that down. THEY KNOW what bury ur gays means. Hell, Robbie Thompson left because of Charlie's death and you think the writers don't know what it means? I mean both Bobo Berens (especially) and Steve Yockey's careers are centered around LGBT+ storytelling and you think they don't know? They know. They know.

And Dean wasn't just apart of the bury your gays trope, it is so far BEYOND that. Dean being killed on a rusty nail/screw, the tongues ripped out, things that seemed to be meant for other people. Jensen's acting in the last two episodes was giving us "DEAN RECIPROCATES" but no one ever actually saying it. I think it's clear that Dean was killed for being Bi. They didn't address it for a reason, they just silenced him. His narrative was supposed to be about letting him be HIM for the first time, to say what his feelings are instead of having them miscommunicated, and instead of doing that, they just silenced him. And the more we look at this scene the more horrific it gets. The more it's a complete slap in the face and it's supposed to be. Some guy who knows nothing about the LGBT can't write a scene this horrific.

Some guy who knows nothing about Dean couldn't write a scene that deconstructs all of Dean's character development and gives Dean his worst nightmare. I MEAN DEAN WANTED TO LIVE HIS LIFE! THEY DIDNT HIDE THAT JOB APPLICATION (or whatever job related thing that was) IN THERE FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST SITUATION. Dean isn't Barney from HIMYM. If you watched HIMYM then you'll know Barney went from being a stereotypical ladies man and treating women terribly to being in love with a women and treating her right and working hard for it. The last episode of HIMYM (why its so bad) Barney's character development is thrown out and he's back to being a stereotypical ladies man. You don't need to know Barney's character very much to do that.

To kill Dean during a hunt his father never finished, to not have anyone at his funeral, to have Dean die young like his life didn't matter. Those are Dean's worst fears and you'd only truly know that if you watched the gin episode in s3, where they are basically laid out for you. You HAVE to know Dean's character to tear him apart like this.

This episode took all the core elements of the show and did a complete 180° the name of the episode itself is "Carry on" and Dean and Sam very much did not carry on. Sam grieving his entire life so that he good get to heaven and see Dean again. Dean being ready to live his life, despite the enormous pitfalls and learning to love himself only to be killed. "Family don't end with blood." Um.... it did in that episode either literally with Dean's death or you know BECAUSE NONE OF THEIR FOUND FAMILY WAS THERE. Not Jack, Not Cas, Not Eileen, Not Donna, Not Charlie, Not Jody, Not Claire... on and on we go. No one was there, nobody was even mentioned. Dean's funeral, no one even called that we know of. It was just Sam and Dean. Sam and Dean. And Bobby. Don't forget Bobby. But yeah Sam and Dean.

That's what the show is about right, the brothers.

Except it's not anymore. It hasn't been for years.

Cas not being there was deafening but it brought us to a major point. Becky. Becky's telling us about the terrible ending.

And many of us are wondering why would they literally tell us this is the worst ending and then... make it the ending.

Now before we move on, it very apparent many of you think Dabb doesn't ship Deancas. And Dabb doesn't care about the characters.

Say what you will about any plot holes in his writing, the point he is VERY GOOD at writing the characters, and giving us good ones.

Why do we know Dabb ships Deancas? (ill say when its cowrote, other wise its not) cowrote ep 8.02 - purgatory "I prayed to you, Cas, every night" "Cas, Buddy, I need you." "I have a price on my head, and I've been trying to stay one step ahead of them, to – to keep them away from you." 8.08 Hunteri Heroici - Cas helps them hunt! 😊❤ Dean & Cas have a serious convo about why Cas doesn't want to see/go to heaven. 8.22 Dean's mad at Cas. Sam's explanation of why Dean should be easy on Cas: "It's Cas." Dean then points out how he'd knife anybody else if they did what Cas did. 9.10 - Cas comforts Dean when Dean can't take seeing Sam (Gadreel) being tortured anymore. Also tons of Cas. 9.20 (bloodlines) - Canonical couple parallel "I was there, where were you" 9.22 The angels make Cas choose between them and killing Dean and he "gave up an entire army for one guy" 10.09 Claire's reintroduction. Cas heavy ep. DeanCas date. 10.22 THE PRISONER - u know the ep where Dean beats the shit out of Cas but loves him enough to not kill him.

We COULD keep going but I think I've made my point. If Robert Singer is the guy that is like "the show is about Sam and Dean only" Andrew Dabb is the DeanCas shipper. And you could even say a Cas stan.

Notice! How in s13 for SEVEN episodes we have a story that revolves around Dean's grief about losing Cas. Notice! How often the stories in all these seasons have a focus on their relationship. THAT is Andrew Dabb. If it weren't for him doing that, we wouldn't be able to easily say after Dean's lack of a response to Cas' confession, that Dean reciprocates.

To me, when I was (binge) watching s12 for the first time, I thought damn this is really got a lot of DeanCas. So I went to look at who was in charge, who was writing. I saw Andrew Dabb, associated him with Deancas episodes, saw all the new writers, Bobo, and then I saw that Yockey is known for same sex stories and it clicked. Dabb assembled a team to give us Destiel. THAT WAS IN SEASON 12!!!!!!!!

The amount of people saying he's homophobic flabbergast me. Open your eyes! That isn't what's going on.

Imagine making a show and trying to right all the wrongs of Supernatural. Imagine trying to write the greatest love story ever told and you have the entire season planned out for it to end off beautifully, it may possibly be your greatest achievement when it's done and then boom. someone comes in and tells you you aren't allowed to make Dean bi or make destiel endgame, after he was most probably already given the go ahead.

Sure. You could imply he's bi or into cas still in a way. Still make nice-ish ending. just give everyone what the kinda want.

Or you could scrap the last season, nothing close to a canonical bisexual Dean Winchester or Deancas endgame in site. People can be done with it be happy with the show, continue to live their lives in ignorance as to how close they were to Canon destiel.

OR you can lead everyone to the very closest you can get them to what you were aiming for and then show everyone the ugly truth and reality. Light it all on fire. Burn the show to the ground in your wake. Try your darnedest to making these people's (the people saying no) pockets suffer. Show us, the audience, what happened. Show us what this show really is.

I've seen people talk about the ending being changed during covid but I dont think that happened. I think what happened was Dabb already had this season planned out before it even started. Obviously the details were wobbly but it was all lead up to this ending. Destiel endgame, Canon Bisexual Dean, whatever it was. They were ready to write the greatest love story ever told and then someone shut it down.

Imagine the pain that must have caused them to be told no when they already said yes. They must have been so excited to give this to us.

I think someone (some producers) told him what this show is "really" about. The brothers. Can you imagine, after being told no, some kinda bullshit like this is said to you: "Why aren't you bringing it back to the brothers, Andrew? that's what the shows about. What with all this homosexual stuff, you know the audience won't like that. Not really." Imagine the original producers pushing this kind of view on you. "You know when we started it was Sam and Dean. It should end with Sam and Dean." That kinda sounds like someone huh? huh.

So why give us a nice acceptable finale, when you can take every problem Supernatural's had either up front or behind the scenes and create a finale so incredibly bad that people don't want to watch it anymore.

Someone made a good point about how Sam was originally supposed to be the main focus (this isn't to put any hate on Sam or Jared). Dean and Sam are the main characters but Sam was supposed to be the focus and for Dean to have become the focus, must have annoyed the producers because... well here we are. They wouldn't listen to Jensen. The producers liked this ending. Jensen's opinion didn't matter to them.

In some ways, if this is really what happened, it can be seen as childish from Dabb. To hurt all of us like that. Yes, he's hurting the producers, the execs, the cw. But to hurt us? Yeah it stings.

But in other ways, if this is really what happened, this is Dabb showing us the muck and gunk under the shiny surface. The hate for Misha. The hidden hate for Jensen. The underlying sexism. The underlying homophobia. The people REALLY in charge don't care about us, they just want our money. He needed to open our eyes and free us, at least free the people that he was writing for. The people he sees that care about this show.

This is the ending the powers that be wanted and its a big fuck you for a reason. I dont think this is Dabb spitting in our faces for loving this show, I think this is him trying to get revenge for us.

But from here, you can see it how u want it. If this is really what happened, I'm not in charge of your emotions, if you wanna be mad be mad if you wanna be grateful be grateful. And you don't have to believe me either I said this is speculation.

Also, as for all of the rumors like there being shots to the confession scene that we didn't see, which Jensen himself implied, I think that might have been a last ditch effort to canonized DeanCas but obviously it was cut. Like the name change was pretty clear. As for Misha possibly having shot some stuff for 20 I dont know what to tell you. If it's true I dont know where the blame would lie.

I do think however, that if all this was the case, the writers were prepared to become villians here. I mean they told us the writers were villians with Chuck right? So. Who knows what went down so they could give us such a vile ending. It could've been the producers or the writers, who truly knows. I do think tho that people we "trust" did some pretty shitty things to push the narrative in certain directions so now one would see this as the actual ending that was coming.

So again do with my SPECULATION what you will. This was in no way meant to put Dabb on a pedestal or anything. Just meant to give a bit of perspective.

(Also Jensen didn't unfollow Dabb recently he was already unfollowed for years)

[lumosinlove]

Relic Keel

(warnings in tags)

PREVIOUSLY ON RELIC KEEL

Marlene got into college and hasn’t told Dorcas because she’s scared of how she will react.

Lily and James had sex and obviously like each other, but Lily is scared to have attachments on Hogwarts when they’re going to college soon.

Leo and Logan question each other about their pasts without much progress. Logan finds out that Leo hopes to own The Lion restaurant one day, and that his father’s death has something to do with “The Voldemort.”

Saint and Sirius talk about leaving the island and how they met when they were eleven years old. They have sex and avoid more difficult topics.

James and Lily meet at the Gryffindor Club as promised. Lily tells James that she doesn’t want anything tying her to the island, that she hates the fake boundaries that Hogwarts has and that James isn’t crossing them as much as he thinks he is. James understands, even though it hurts.

Saint and Sirius are cleaning the Potter’s pool when James arrives with Remus and Luke. Remus and Sirius have a tense moment in the kitchen, Luke and Saint argue, and Sirius finds out that it’s Remus who sails the Wolfsbane every morning—Remus thus finding out that Sirius notices.

Logan returns to the Carrows to hand over his money and stock up on Crucio. We find out that he works for them in the hopes that they will help him get Finn out of Saint Clair, only the Carrows are angry with him for using their Crucio—they say that Logan owes them now.

Logan heads over to Saint Clair to watch Finn from afar, and swears again that he will rescue him.

part iv

Remus closed his eyes, soaking in the morning sun and the salty air. The wind pushed his hair back as he tightened the rigging, catching the wind. Sometimes his sails felt like his bare hands. Like he finally had something to hold onto, even if it blistered his palms. The sea made him feel alone, in the best way. Usually, it felt like people were always around. He couldn’t go anywhere without running into at least two people from school, or his parents’ friends. Yes, he’s excited for college, no, he’s not sure exactly yet, yes, he’s still sailing, yes, he’s still obsessed, yes, he remembers learning at Gryffindor Club, sure, I’ll tell my mom you say hi.

Solidarity was less exhausting.

The wind buffered and he sighed as he slowed down. he looked back towards Shack Beach. Saint had said they saw him every morning—that Sirius saw him every morning. He wondered if Sirius was watching now.

He couldn’t see anything from this far away. Part of him wondered if he could make this island disappear completely, just for a moment. But it was dangerous to stray that far. Even The Cradle, the small U of islands just off of Hogwarts’ southern coast, was pushing it. Remus huffed out a laugh as he managed the ropes to come about, back towards shore. If that wasn’t a metaphor, he didn’t know what was.

Things on Hogwarts had become complicated in what felt like overnight, even though Remus knew that wasn’t true. They were older now. They didn’t just care about summer vacation. There was college to think about, and then jobs. Hogwarts wasn’t the dream it once was. Remus wanted to see mountains, and huge cities, or snow—and not just for a week on vacation. He wanted to belong somewhere because he wanted to be there, and not just because he had grown up there. He was tired of knowing everything there was to know.

He tied up his Wolfsbane on autopilot, stroking his hand over the side before tugging his shirt over his head and jumping straight into the water. It was cooler from the night, but it was what Remus needed. He held his breath as he found the sandy bottom, his eyes closed. For a moment, he didn’t have to be anywhere. He got to enjoy the ocean and its predictable changes.

When he came up for air, he remembered why he loved this island. That still didn’t mean he didn’t want to leave.

“Are you headed to the museum, sweetheart?” his mother said when Remus came down to the kitchen, freshly showered. He preferred to let the salt linger all day, but he figured he should be fresh for his first day of work.

“Yeah,” Remus held up his keys. “Just looking for some coffee first.”

His mom held up a mug for him, laughing. “Ask and you shall receive.”

Remus smiled. “Thanks, mom.”

“How was it this morning?”

Remus poured some milk into his cup. “It was good. Sun’s going to be strong today. Went near The Cradle—not too far, don’t worry.”

“You know me too well,” Hope laughed, whisking some eggs into a lather. “Well, it’s pizza night. We’re ordering in so, if you want to have some friends over and take it to the den, that’s fine with me. But don’t complain if Jules crashes the party.”

Remus nodded. “Actually, I think we’re going out. If that’s all right?”

Hope nodded. “All right, sure. Be safe, though. Who, uh…”

“James and Luke,” Remus sighed. “Mom—”

“I wasn’t going to say anything—”

“It’s not Luke’s fault,” Remus continued anyway. “His dad, I mean. He didn’t know.”

“I know that,” Hope sighed. “But…Even I can see that boy’s hurting and I barely see him at all.”

“Then shouldn’t he be with his friends?” Remus said.

Hope raised her eyebrows at him, and Remus raised his own right back.

“All right, all right,” Hope said. “You’re gonna be late, I’ll see you later, baby.”

Remus knew he should take the car his parents had given him. He knew he should get used to driving, knew his dad wondered why it just sat in the garage. But here, on the island, Remus liked his bicycle. He liked the warm breeze. It reminded him of being out on the water.

Which, in turn, now reminded him of Sirius Black.

When Remus remembered Sirius, he mostly remembered bruised cheeks and nasty looking cuts. He remembered the hushed way people used to whisper about him, and how, even when he was loud, grinning and well-liked, he was still from Salazar. Sometimes he had eaten lunch surrounded by people, and sometimes he had eaten it alone with his brother.

Remus didn’t understand this island. Was Sirius really so different because he was born a few miles South rather than North? It made no sense—only it did, but only because it was all Remus had ever known.

The Hogwarts History Museum was a pride of the island. Remus knew it well from school trips, and from his own interest. He’d spent many Saturdays there as a kid, gazing at all of the small models of ships and dreaming about what it would be like to sail them, wishing they weren’t trapped behind glass—feeling a little like he was trapped behind glass. A ship in a bottle.

“Hi there, Remus,” Layla smiled at him, green eyes kind and skin a rich, dark brown against the pale pink scarf in her hair.

“Hi, Layla,” Remus smiled. “Having a good summer so far?”

“Sure,” Layla shrugged. “Lots of time here. I saw you win the sailing race last Sunday, congrats.”

Remus smiled. “Thanks. It was real fun. Sorry I beat your brother, though.”

“Oh, Lyle doesn’t mind,” Layla waved a hand. Her nails were painted pink, too. “Don’t worry about it.”

Remus had been friends with Layla since they were little, competing for best in class usually. She was wicked smart and mellow. Remus could always use some mellow, good conversation—especially with James being James and Luke being…well, whatever Luke was now. Layla liked history, and her family owned the museum, which meant Layla told tales that were, albeit tall, fun to listen to.

Remus leaned against the desk, looking around. “This place never changes, huh?”

Layla laughed, clicking a pen. “History doesn’t tend to change that much, R, and so neither do we. Unlike the world out there.”

“I don’t know about that. Nothing ever feels too different out there,” Remus laughed, too. “But I guess you’re right. I’m glad you’re here, though. Or else I’d be sitting behind this desk by myself.”

“I’m glad you’re here, too,” Layla nodded. “What made you take the job?”

Remus snorted as he rounded the corner, picking up his name badge where Beatrice, Layla’s mother and the museum curator, said it would be. “Don’t pretend we didn’t see each other here when we were little all the time. Not to mention at Gryffindor Club. You, obviously.”

Layla raised an eyebrow. “Me and your mom.”

Remus winced and Layla laughed.

“C’mon, we both know you’d be out on your boat all day if it was up to you.”

Remus laughed. “Fine. But seriously. You’re a perk.”

Layla nodded, rolling her eyes with a smile. “Just a couple of history buffs, I guess.”

Remus shrugged. “There are worse things to be.”

The day was pretty slow. A few tourists here and there, taking photo behind the cardboard cutouts that made you look like you were dressed as a sailor, or a pirate.

“Are there really pirates here?” one little girl had asked Layla.

Remus had smiled when Layla crouched down and whispered to her, “careful, there’s one there,” and pointed at Remus.

When lunch rolled around, Remus expected Layla to pull out a bagged sandwich like him, but instead she scoffed and picked up her bag.

“Come on. We have to get out for a bit.”

Remus shrugged. “All right, where to?”

“The Lion, of course,” Layla replied. “It’s the best food on the island.”

“The Lion,” Remus repeated slowly. “You mean—in The Hollow?”

Layla gave him a look. “Oh, you’re not one of those are you?”

“One of what?” Remus said. “No. I’m not, I just… c’mon, you hear things.”

“Hear things? You’ve never been?”

“Once,” Remus swallowed, thinking of the fight. “It didn’t really go well.”

Layla just shook her head.

“History is just one great field of stories, Remus. You’ll never get to the truth unless you listen to them all.”

And so Remus found himself riding alongside Layla on their bikes and right through Gryffindor. The Hollow didn’t have a sign or anything, but you knew when you were in it. Remus almost wished he had been able to see some sort of line to cross, but everything was just suddenly different. Low houses with open doors, people gathered together and laughing. Kids running with surfboards over their heads, towards Shack Beach. It had seemed even more vibrant in the dark the night of the party, even through the tinted windows of Luke’s car. String lights hung over cookouts, and music blasting from speakers. It had smelled amazing, and Remus would have to say Layla was probably right about the food. 

The Lion was just as bright as everything else. It was bustling with lunch-goers, and the doors were flung wide, letting the heat right in. Remus looked around at the people. Some tourists, obviously. Some not. Hollows. Some of them smiled when they caught Remus’ eye, and some narrowed their eyes.

“Hi, Leo, babe,” Layla said as she slid onto a stool at the counter.

There was a blond boy behind it wearing a tank top and a snapback. He smiled as he set some shrimp down in a frier. “Hey, Layla, babe, ça va?”

“Just working. At least I’ve got Remus for company now.”

Remus smiled awkwardly when Leo fixed his blue eyes on him. He really didn’t know what he was waiting for. Something terrible to happen?

Leo only held out a hand. “Leo, nice to meet you.”

“Remus,” Remus said, and took it. He tried not to look at the rainbow bracelet on Leo’s wrist for too long, but he could tell Leo had felt the way his hand tightened. “Yeah—you, too.”

Leo touched it briefly, like an old habit, as he pulled away, giving another smile to Remus.

It didn’t necessarily mean Leo wasn’t straight, but on such a small island, Remus tended to notice these things. He and Luke had figured each other out pretty fast around sixteen. They’d kissed. Once. And then winced, laughed, and shoved each other in the pool. Sometimes Remus wished he and Luke had worked. He didn’t see any other boys coming his way. Leo was smiling at him like he knew what Remus was thinking.

“What can I get you two?” Leo asked.

A boyfriend? Remus thought wistfully.

“Two of your specials, please,” Layla said. “Re, you’re going to lose your mind it’s so good.”

“What’s your special?” Remus asked.

Leo shrugged, but he was grinning. “Like a chef ever gives up his secrets—”

Leo had stopped mid-sentence, eyes going over their shoulders towards the door. Remus turned to look, and a moment later, a brown haired boy was slinging a backpack down carefully between his feet and taking the seat beside Remus.

“Well, look who’s back,” Leo said to him.

The boy glanced at Remus and Layla, then gave a small shrug. “Yeah.”

Leo snorted. “Yeah,” he parroted. “You’re just hungry.”

The boy shrugged again.

Leo sighed, and gave Remus a look that said, can you believe this? before turning back to the stove. “This is Logan guys. Apparently he doesn’t talk today. Three specials. Coming up.”

~

Logan didn’t recognize the boy sitting at the counter. He didn’t recognize the girl either. Then again, he didn’t recognize many people. He didn’t know anyone. Except Dorcas—if that even counted. And Leo. If that counted, either.

The Felix was heavy in his pack, wedged protectively between his feet, and he wished the strangers would leave so that Leo would talk to him. He hadn’t said two words that weren’t him making sure that Logan liked his food, and asking him where he’d been.

Logan was a little annoyed with him for asking that question. It wasn’t like Leo didn’t know what Logan did. Then again, Leo didn’t know why Logan did what he did.

“You guys get the new madness exhibit up yet, Layla?” Leo was asking the girl with the scarf in her hair. “The one you were telling me about.”

The sandy-haired boy looked up from his food. “The madness exhibit?”

The girl—Layla—cocked her head. “Remus, you…you don’t know?”

“Know what?” the boy—Remus—replied.

Layla sat up a little, looking suddenly awkward. “Your mom donated almost everything we have. I mean…it is your family that’s famous for…”

Remus raised his eyebrows. “Losing their fucking minds?”

Layla winced. “Well, yeah, okay, poor choice of words on my part. But madness isn’t always a bad thing, you know. People say people are crazy all the time. Sometimes they’re just extraordinary.”

Remus looked back down at his food. “My family’s not extraordinary, believe me.”

“Usually extraordinary-ness belongs to one person, I’d say,” Leo said. “My mom’s pretty extraordinary. Doesn’t mean I am.”

“You want to stay on this island, don’t you?” Logan found himself saying. Then, he felt his neck heat and he turned down to his food.

“What’s so extraordinary about that?” Layla replied at the same time as Remus said, “You do?”

Leo just laughed, rolling his eyes at Logan. “I’m with Layla on this one, guys, sorry.”

“What about you, Logan?” Layla asked. “I want the museum after I go to college. At least I think I do. Leo wants The Lion, Remus wants to sail the world…” Remus blushed at that, and Layla’s eyes were very green. “What do you want to do?”

Logan found it strange that they were treating him like that. So normally. Logan knew his necklace was on display. It was easier than explaining why people hadn’t seen him around and pretending to be a tourist. That lead to questions. Being abandoned didn’t. And he was. He was abandoned. People didn’t ask. Most probably thought he had just aged out. People didn’t ask. It was better that way. Logan didn’t have any answers. All he had was the memory of that last night with Finn. Finn had returned to their room, eyes wild and voice urgent.

Come on, Lo, wake up. Wake up, Logan, we have to go. Now.

Logan had felt helplessly awake in the first weeks of being out. He was still sorting through what that meant.

Logan swallowed. “I don’t know. I’m—looking for someone first.”

Remus sighed and mumbled. “Aren’t we all.”

“You are?” Leo asked softly.

Logan nodded. “Or, not looking. I’m just…I’m waiting for someone.”

He knew where Finn was, but Logan knew that he could wait forever and he wouldn’t come. Logan had to take what he wanted. It was a lesson he was learning fast.

“Oh,” Remus replied. “Um…cool. I hope you find them.”

Logan just nodded.

“Well, we should head out,” Layla said, rising. “Gotta get back to work.”

“Sure thing, just pay up front,” Leo smiled. “See you later, Layla.” He nodded at Remus. “Nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” Remus smiled back. “The food was great.”

Logan watched Leo watch them leave, then snort. “That guy looked more spooked than a horse with a snake.”

“Isn’t that what Gods are supposed to look like?” Logan replied.

Leo shrugged. “Usually you can’t see their eyes behind their aviators.”

Logan laughed a little. “Right.” he looked back down at his food, realizing he had begun picking his fries apart, rather than eating them.

“I’m looking for someone too, you know,” Leo broke the silence.

Logan did. Only, he hadn’t thought about it like that. Leo’s dad and Finn. Leo’s dad was probably dead. Finn wasn’t.

“I hope you find him,” Logan replied. “Your dad.”

The Lion was in full swing now, the lunchtime rush loud and boisterous. Leo had a tank top on, and Logan thought he looked a little tired. Sleeplessness showed easily on his skin.

“Do you have to run?” Leo asked instead of responding. “And hide? Like, from the police?”

Logan sat up, instinctively looking behind him. “I assumed I would have to. But…it hasn’t been that difficult.” He laughed a humorless laugh. “I guess I keep overestimating how much people actually care about me. Maybe I should have learned something by now.”

“Maybe you’re just looking at the wrong people,” Leo said quickly, and looked up with a smile, a small one, then down again. “I know a few others who got out. They don’t seem to have trouble, so, you know, if you needed a job or something, you could work in my mom’s workshop. With me. Or here. I’m sure Celeste and Pascal would be all right with it.”

Logan felt taken off guard. “Oh. I…” he thought of the powder packets in his bag. Of the Carrows. How much do you think you owe us by now?

Others? he wanted to ask. What others? 

“Just think about it,” Leo said, and turned towards one of the stove tops to check on some boiling water.

“Yeah. Okay.”

They sat in silence for a long moment.

“It’s a boat,” Leo began suddenly, answering Logan’s yet unasked question. The Voldemort. What his father had been looking for. It was almost like Leo was thanking him for telling the truth about his situation. An eye for an eye. A truth for a truth. Logan sort of liked that consistency. “Was a boat. In the eighteenth century.”

“Oh,” Logan said.

“Biggest story on Hogwarts,” Leo said. “Ten thousand pieces of gold, all fallen to the depths of the ocean just off of Hogwarts’ shores…and never seen again.”

“But if it’s just off the shore…”

Leo smiled a little, shaking his head. “But you have to know where off the shore. Otherwise, you have a whole circumference of miles and miles of open water to work with.”

“And your dad figured it out?”

Leo shrugged, expression closing off a little. “He thought he did.” He cleared his throat as he put an order on the counter for a waiter to take away, and ripped another piece of paper down from the line up to look at. “The Cradle. You know it?”

Logan shook his head.

“It’s a sort of…horse shoe shaped cluster of islands, just off of our southern tip.”

“Salazar,” Logan said quietly.

Leo nodded. “Salazar.”

“Your dad was a treasure hunter,” Logan said slowly. “He was looking for a treasure.”

“Yeah,” Leo said, flipping a crab cake in sizzling oil. “He was.”

“And did he find it? Do you want to find it?”

“I don’t know,” Leo whispered, busy hands stilling. “He never came home.”

Logan nodded.

“He wanted to find it,” Leo said softly. “Really badly. And I… I feel like I should.”

“And was he close?”

Leo glanced up from his knife. “Yes.”

“Leonardo,” a voice came suddenly, entering the restaurant. “What does your mother feed you, you gorgeous specimen?”

Logan froze. He knew that voice.

Leo rolled his eyes, and looked at the newcomers. “Fuck off, Saint. Hey, Sirius.”

“Hi,” a second voice came, and it was closer, almost beside Logan at the bar.

Leo’s eyes caught on Logan’s again, probably meaning to introduce him, but he stopped instead.

“What’s wrong?” Leo asked.

But Logan just shook his head, and then the newcomers—Saint and Sirius—were leaning against the bar. Logan felt the breath beside him catch just as his own had, and he turned to look.

Logan thought the boy standing beside him looked different. Older. More muscular. Squarer jaw. But the same. Same eyes. Same shock of blond hair. Same warm, brown skin.

“Logan?” Saint breathed, his eyes disbelieving.

Logan went to open his mouth, when Saint’s arms were around him suddenly.

“It’s Saint,” he said softly, just for Logan’s ears. He squeezed him tighter. “God, you’re here.”

“Saint?” Logan whispered into his shoulder. No one had touched him like this in what felt like forever.

“Yeah,” Saint said. He pulled back and raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

Logan shrugged. “I…yeah, okay.”

“Knutty,” Saint’s serious expression morphed into a grin. He leaned against the counter, keeping his palm on Logan. “Handsome as ever.”

Logan blinked at Saint, then at Leo. “Knutty?”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to a word he says.”

“Oh, Logan already knows not to do that,” Saint laughed. He tapped his cross necklace. “We’re practically brothers.”

“Oh,” Leo blinked. “Right.”

The other boy—Sirius—looked just as taken aback.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Saint called in a sing-song voice, looking at Sirius. “Order for us, won’t you? And get us a table? Logan,” Saint nodded towards the door. “Come hither.”

Logan was so thankful to see Saint, he nearly tripped while getting up. A familiar face. A familiar anything. Saint had gotten out almost seven years ago. He’d been there one day, in his bed, in classes, in the courtyard, and gone the next.

“Sweetheart?” Logan asked, glancing back inside at the dark-haired boy, Sirius.

Saint just put his hands on Logan’s arms, eyes more intent than Logan had ever seen them, then on Logan’s cheeks. “Holy shit, how did you get out?”

Logan felt his heart slow, then speed up. He swallowed dryly. “Finn. How did you?”

Saint ignored the question.

“Finn,” Saint repeated, nodding. “Of course. When?”

“About a month ago. And he—he’s still in there,” Logan said. “He’s…And I’m—”

“I hear you,” Saint said. He jerked his head over to the table. “Not now. Let’s get back.”

“Saint?” Logan asked again.

Saint rolled his eyes. “Leave it alone. For now.”

~

Saint hadn’t been ready. He hadn’t seen Logan in nine years, but he’d know his face anywhere. All eyelashes and sad, green eyes. A smile he wore with Finn only. He looked spooked now, and tired. They’d sat at the bar, watching one of Leo’s shifts go and another one come, then moved to a table. Watching it get dark outside now, Saint wondered where Logan had been living for a month.

He eyed the backpack that Logan held so protectively close, and thought of the way Dorcas did the same thing.

Saint had a bad feeling.

“So, how’d you two meet?” Sirius said, gesturing between Logan and Leo with a fry when Leo brought over more water.

“Party,” Leo shrugged after a moment of hesitation. “Shack Beach.” He jerked his head at Saint. “You two were there, judging by Sirius’ shiner. Could hear that fight at my house, probably.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “I didn’t start it.”

“True,” Saint said, wondering how he had missed Logan that night. “Some God—albeit a beautiful one—thought we were selling Crucio.”

Saint flicked his eyes over to Logan. Sure enough, he blushed.

Saint cocked his head. “The horror. Dangerous stuff.”

Leo looked at Saint quietly, and glanced at Logan, then back to him. Saint nodded. Got it, it said.

“Well, would you look who it is,” said a deep voice from behind them, and then there were two strong arms around Saint and Sirius. Pascal placed a loud kiss on each of their heads.

“Eck,” Sirius laughed. “You smell like grease, old man.”

Pascal Dumais laughed. “Grease that feeds you, maybe. And who’s this?”

“Dumo, meet Logan,” Saint said. “Logan, meet Pascal. He owns the Lion with his wife, Celeste.”

“The most beautiful woman in the world,” Pascal said, accent heavy. “Logan, it’s nice to meet you.”

Saint watched Pascal eye Logan’s necklace.

“We were together at Saint Clair,” he supplied.

“Maybe not so loud,” Logan said harshly. “Saint.”

“Oh?” Pascal said, and squinted at Logan. “Who are you with now, mon cher?”

Saint watched Logan open his mouth, frozen, and was about to speak up when—

“Me,” Leo cut in. He looked down at the carrots he was chopping as he said it. “Me and my mom.”

Oh, Saint thought.

“Oh, Leonardo,” Saint sighed. “Un ange.”

“Not my name,” Leo said.

“I know.”

“Yeah,” Logan replied to Pascal’s still questioning gaze. “Yeah.”

“I see,” Pascal nodded. “Well, I’m happy you and your mother will have a helping hand now. I miss your father dearly, mon fils.” He smiled sadly at Leo.

Leo just nodded. “Yeah.”

“Him and his treasure, eh?” Pascal said. “A wonderful man. I miss going out on that boat of his.”

Leo’s smile was small, but fond. “Those were some of his favorite mornings.”

“Treasure?” Sirius asked.

“Black!” a new voice shouted. “Thank fuck.”

Saint looked up when Sirius did. James and Remus were barreling towards them from the dark outside.

“Good lord,” Saint said. “Rain, from Olympus. Water my crops, why don’t you.”

“James?” Sirius said. “What are you—”

James and Remus walked right up to their table—Remus looking slightly more reluctant. “We have a question.”

“How did you know we were here?” Sirius raised an eyebrow. “I mean, just…it’s a little out of your way, non?”

“Remus came here earlier, and when I told him—well, you’ll see—he said maybe you’d be here.”

Saint watched Sirius’ eyes narrow at Remus, confused. “Okay…”

“Well, it’s good to see you again, tweedle-hot,” Saint said to Remus. “Up close this time. We actually though you were going to sail right out of sight this morning.”

Sirius stepped on his toe beneath the table.

“Excuse me?” Remus choked out. “What the fuck did you—”

James blinked at Saint, then shook his head, as if to right his thoughts. “All right, setting every strange thing that comes out of your mouth aside for a moment —where is Dorcas?”

“Meadowes?” Logan chimed in.

James’ eyes turned on him. “You know her?”

Saint raised his hand. “I have the same question.”

“Well,” Logan hesitated. “Sure.”

“And she sells Felix,” James said, as if trying to confirm the information.

Logan narrowed his eyes. “Says you.”

James sighed. “I’m not here to turn her in, Jesus, I just have a question.”

“Do…” Sirius was looking at Logan. “Do you sell…”

“What kind of question?” Saint cut in.

Remus spoke up. “A does-she-deal-to-Luke type of question.”

Saint laughed. “Deveaux?”

“You know who Luke is, Saint,” Remus sighed.

“Well, yeah I do, Lupin, he tried to buy off me,” Saint shook his head with a tisking sound. “Turns out he’s a prejudice piece of eye candy. Who knew.”

“Come on,” James sighed, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses. “Please, Sirius, come on.”

Sirius shrugged. “We don’t know who Dorcas deals to. We’re not involved.”

“If you did would you tell us?”

Sirius smiled, just a little. “Probably not. But I really don’t know.”

James sighed, sagging away from the table. He looked at Remus. “Fuck.”

“What were you hoping to accomplish here?” Sirius asked slowly.

“We—” Remus said, then sighed, too. “We were going to see if she would agree to stop. If it was her, if she would stop giving it to him.”

“We’d pay her,” James added. “Obviously.”

Saint scoffed, and Logan laughed a little, too, from beside him.

“Obviously,” Saint mimicked.

“We just meant—” Remus began.

“We know what you meant,” Sirius said.

Saint popped a fry into his mouth. “If we’ll clean your pools for a few bucks, we’ll grant you three wishes, too.”

“Jesus, Saint,” James groaned.

“Mary. Joseph—”

James ran his hands through his hair. “We’re sorry, we misspoke. We’re just trying to help our friend. His dad got taken to jail, his mom pops pills all day and night.  That’s already draining what little money the bank didn’t seize and if he wants to do anything with his life he needs a straight head. Just—fuck, we’re just asking.”

Saint prided himself on gathering information, but most of that were things he didn’t know. Luke’s dad had got taken away. But the pills? The financial distress? All of that paired with that guarded snarl the boy always seemed to wear…it almost made Saint feel sorry for Luke Deveaux. He almost said so.

Instead, he said, while twirling the cross around his neck. “Wow, he must feel like an orphan or something.”

“All right,” Remus sighed. “James, let’s just go.”

“What does he look like?” Logan said suddenly before they could turn to leave.

James looked a him warily. “Um. Sort of blond-ish. More brown-haired, I guess. Big guy, built and tall and all that. Oh, he’s got this green spot in one eye.”

Logan nodded. James raised an eyebrow. Saint waited.

“How much will you pay me to stop selling to him?” Logan finally said. He rose as he did, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. “That’s a lot out of my pocket.”

“Logan,” Saint said, but Logan didn’t look at him.

James blinked. “I—oh. Oh, uh—God, what do you want? Two hundred?”

"One grand,” Logan said.

James laughed. “Dude. Who the fuck are you? No, I don’t have that much just—on me.”

“Logan,” Saint warned again, and this time Logan did look at him. Saint shook his head softly.

“Fine,” Logan said through his teeth, and held out his hand. “Two.”

James took his wallet out and handed over the cash.

“Thanks,” Remus said from a little behind James’ shoulder. “Really.”

Logan just nodded, shoved the bills into his pocket, and headed for the door.

“Pardon,” Saint sent a grin to them all, and followed him.

Once they were outside, Saint gave him a wack on the back of the head.

“Fuck,” Logan swore. “S—”

“You get out of that shit-hole and you go around selling Crucio? To Gods?”

“I—”

“I mean, seriously, what the fuck was that? Do you know how not careful that was?”

“I don’t even know who that boy is,” Logan bit back.

Saint blinked. “What?”

Logan looked out towards the ocean where they could hear the waves crashing against the shore. “He offered to pay, and so I told him what he wanted to hear. When his friend shows up hallucinating next, that’s their problem.”

Saint scoffed. “Fine, okay, clever boy. But you do sell Crucio.”

“Felix,” Logan countered. “And yes.”

“Crucio. And no.”

Logan shrugged. “I need the money.”

“For what?”

Logan looked at him and, this time, his eyes were hard. Desperate. “For Finn.”

Saint froze. He opened his mouth, and then closed it. “Excuse me?”

“If I can get enough cash, I can get Finn,” Logan said.

Saint stared at him, and then Saint laughed. Then, he laughed louder.

“You’re shitting me,” Saint said. “You think that?”

“What do you…”

“You think you can buy Finn out?” Saint repeated incredulously. “You think you can walk back in there and buy Finn out.”

Logan took a breath. “He—”

“Logan, Jesus Christ,” Saint snapped. “You walk anywhere near that place and you are never getting back out.” Saint pressed a hand to Logan’s shoulder and shook him. “Do you hear me?”

“I need to do something,” Logan shouted back. “I need to do something, I can’t just leave him in there, he’s everything to me.”

Saint shook his head. “He got you out. Don’t waste that.”

Logan nodded, eyes bright with tears now. “And you know he got punished for it. You know he did—”

“Stop,” Saint spat, glancing around, as if anyone could hear. “Don’t.”

“You could help me,” Logan said, wiping his nose. “Bash, you got out once—”

“No,” Saint said, and turned away. “No. And don’t call me that. Don’t you ever call me that.”

“Please,” Logan begged. “Please—Saint.”

Saint whirled on him again. “I am never going near there, and neither are you. Finn’s still in there, fine. But he’ll need to get himself free like us if he wants it bad enough.”

“I owe money,” Logan began, then his breathing hitched. “I owe them, I took some of it to see—to see Finn and…Bash—Saint—”

“Them?” Saint took a step forward. “Them?”

Logan pressed a hand over his eyes, but Saint walked forward and pulled it away.

“Logan,” he said lowly. “Tell me you didn’t.”

Logan closed his eyes, mouth twisting against his tears.

“Tell me, right now, that you didn’t let the Carrows tell you they’d help you. And that you didn’t believe them.”

Logan shook his head, not in negation, but in defeat. “I need him. I need him, I’m so…I’m alone.”

Saint pulled Logan against his chest and let him cry. The sobs heaved out of him for a long while, until the collar of Saint’s shirt was wet. Until Logan was breathing softly again, exhausted, and until his voice sounded shot when he spoke.

“You’re really staying with Leo?” Saint asked, more gently this time.

Logan nodded.

“I have a place, too. Here, in The Hollow. If you want.”

“With the others?” Logan rasped.

“What others?”

“How many others are out?” Logan said softly.

Saint shook his head, fingers in Logan’s hair. “Just me, that I know of.”

“You still wear it,” Logan said, pulling back to look at him. “The cross.”

Saint let his hands drop with a last touch to Logan’s hot cheek. “So do you.”

They were both silent.

“I’m sorry about Finn,” Saint said rigidly. “I know how much he meant to you.”

Logan’s brows pulled together. “He’s not dead.”

Saint nodded. “Right.”

“Saint…” Logan began, and Saint heard the almost B instead. “Would you—just thinking about it—“

“No,” Saint said, and then turned and went back inside.

Sirius, back at the table, looked at his face, and then at his wet shirt.

“Okay?” he asked softly when Saint sat down.

“Just dandy,” Saint replied, and looked towards the door. Logan was gone.

[jamilelucato]

Your Embrace

Pairing: Fred Weasley x reader

Requests:

1. @witchglow​ hey love! congratulations on your followers! 🥺💗 can i request fred weasley x reader on which they are on the grimmauld place is not have beds for all so they have to share the bed, then they end up hugging or something like and the other day they wait and are super embarrassed, but in the end the two admit that they can share the bed whenever they want (im sorry if it got confused 😿) thank u, stay safe 💗😼💖

2. @whizbangs-78​ congrats on 1.5k followers!!! could i request a fred weasley x reader with the one bed trope pleaseee??? thank youuu c: also if you're requests for this are closed feel free to ignore thank youu c: congrats on the milestone, again!!

A/N: since the requests were very similar, I decided to combine both of them, hope you two like it! again, I can’t seem to write short fics.

Send a request! ||  Harry Potter Masterlist ||  Musical Hogwarts Series

It was late in the night when Professor McGonagall fetched you and all of the Weasleys to go to Dumbledore so you could all take a Portkey back to Grimmauld Place. The Professor said something had happened with Arthur Weasley; so all of his children, you and Harry were taken away from Hogwarts. 

It wasn’t the protocol getting you to travel too, but since you were awake when Professor McGonagall showed up in a hurry and told you to fetch Ginny, you managed to convince McGonagall that you would’ve to come with the Weasleys.

When finally there, nobody was able to stay still. 

Fred and George were desperately trying to convince someone to take them to St. Mungo’s, even though Sirius repeated that it was not the smartest thing to do. The best was waiting inside of the House of Black even if it was not easy.

You noticed Fred and George weren’t going to let Sirius have a moment of peace — if there could be one at this point — so you requested a tour around the place since it was your first time there.

Reluctantly, Fred and George walked you around the house.

“He’s gonna be alright, come on; you both know it,” you said while walking through some sort of music room — it had a piano at least. “Your dad’s tough.”

George sighed but remained in silence. It was Fred that spoke.

“You can’t be sure of that. ”

You sat down in the piano, running your fingers carelessly over the musical instrument. Thankfully, the sound that came of that wasn’t loud.

“I can’t, you’re right,” you lamented, gulping.

Fred and George stared at themselves — they were in opposite corners of the room — and then they looked down at you in the piano stool.

“Sorry I was rude,” gasped Fred, stepping closer to you.

He was already taller than you, but with you sitting, the difference started to actually hurt your neck.

You shrugged in response. Fred knew you weren’t mad at him, he didn’t need to hear you say it. However, for just a second, he gazed down at you, locked in your eyes. Those moments were happening with more frequency, and that kinda worried him. He was sure he was being too obvious, and you would soon realize you saw him as more than just friends.

But you were too worried about your own obviousness towards fancying Fred to notice he liked you as well.

George looked around the room, trying really hard to not make a sound and interrupt the moment. He knew how much his twin fancied you. He suspected you desired Fred too, but he wasn’t sure yet.

You fake coughed, totally ruining the moment on purpose. Gosh, if Fred finds out I like him, he’ll never talk to me again, you thought, turning to face the piano.

“Do you guys know how to play?” you asked, running your fingers over it once again.

Fred and George exchanged looks before bursting in laughter.

“Do you take us for pianists?” George asked back before laughing again.

You should have paid more attention — they seriously didn’t look like musicians. Even so, you three squizzed yourselves in the one stool and attempted to produce music. Each of the twins sat in one of your sides, and you had to concentrate a lot to act normal with Fred’s proximity. You two were practically breathing the same air. 

George’s here too, you freak, you thought, biting your inner cheek.

At ten past five in the morning, after a dozen attempts to play Für Elise — you three couldn’t even pass the third note —, Mrs Weasley stopped by the house.

As soon as Fred and George heard the doo, they jumped out of the stool.

“ ‘S gotta be mum,” said Fred. All the calm he had gained with playing the piano with you disappeared.

“Let’s see her,” said George and they walked away of the music room without waiting for you.

You sighed, closing the piano fallboard before getting up and heading out. 

Of course, you were worried about their father, but you were also very, very tired. They were sleeping when the Professor fetched them, but you had been wide awake by the fireplace trying to finish a book you were desperate to know the end. Now, you couldn’t care less.

When you got to the kitchen, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Fred and George were around Mrs Wealsey, analyzing every word she had to say.

“We can all go and see him later,” she finished saying. It was probably a phrase that had started before you got downstairs, but there was no need to hear more — if they could go see him, it meant he’d be alright.

Fred turned his face around, looking for you, and when he found your eyes, he pressed his lips together tightly. It was his way of saying he was sorry again because you actually turned out to be correct.

“Oh, y/N, my dear, I didn’t know you were here too,” said Mrs Weasley, interrupting your discreet moment with Fred.

“Yeah,” you said, having no idea of what to say beyond that. It was weird and unexpected your presence there. Not even Hermione was there, and she was always around Ron.

You didn’t spend much time with the whole Weasley family; just Hogwarts time with Fred and George. Sometimes, you’d share trips to Hogsmeade with Ginny, but that was it.

“The more, the merrier!” said Sirius, getting up from his chair with a tender smile.

“Sure hope you think that, Sirius, ‘cause we might stay for Christmas,” said Mrs Weasley, clenching her jaw.

Sirius chuckled. “If you promise to cook.”

“Of course!” smiled Mrs Weasley, and Ginny giggled in the back.

Breakfast was served, and it was weird eating it before having slept, but nobody seemed to care. It wasn’t as good as Hogwarts’ feasts, but you didn’t mind. The fact that you were actually there — headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, organization you only heard Fred and George mention — made the details unimportant.

“You five should sleep after eating,” said Mrs Weasley, who was up behind the chairs where Fred and George were sitting. “We can visit your dad later.”

Fred seemed about to protest when his mom touched his shoulder softly, but it was a clear warning for her son to not complain, and so, Fred shut.

Harry joined some minutes later, after a long conversation with Sirius Black — who was, to you, an honour to meet. You knew that, although the Ministry was painting him as a villain, he could only be pure of heart, so much Harry spoke well of the man.

“Fred, honey, would you mind sharing your bed with George?” asked Mrs Wealsey when she noticed that her boys had finish eating. “There won’t be an extra bed for y/N, I’m afraid.”

Fred snorted, annoyed, and said: “Mum, George can’t sleep still; you know how much he moves around!”

George didn’t even bother being offended — he knew his twin was telling the truth.

Mrs Weasley puckered her forehead, thinking an alternative through. Ginny couldn’t share the bed with you — the youngest Weasley had already gotten upstairs to her bed and was probably deep sleeping right now. Ron was never pleased with sharing, and she would never bother Harry, who was being a dear just help Arthur Weasley being rescued.

“I suppose you and y/N could share it then,” said Mrs Weasley, noticing that was her only option left. She concluded you and Fred would be too tired to try anything under her nose. She was only half right about that, though. “Take my bed that is bigger in the other room, and I take your single.”

George sighed with the thought of sleeping in the same room with his mom like a toddler.

You and Fred, on the other hand, couldn’t stand to look at each other. Every time you tried, you would feel your cheeks turning red, and you would look away.

However, neither of you complained to Mrs Weasley about it, scared to lose an opportunity to be closer to each other. After helping with the dishes, you both headed, side by side, to the mentioned room.

Fred cleared his throat as you lay with your bellies up, taking extreme care not to touch each other.

“Thanks for earlier, with the music and all. It was a great distraction,” Fred said, turning just enough to see your face.

Oh, how gorgeous she is! he thought.

Your hair loose over the pillow, his big hands rested over his abdomen, your faces blushed with the closeness... 

You turned to face Fred before replying. “My mum used to play me songs in our guitar back through the first war,” you said, biting your inside cheek, suddenly embarrassed fo sharing such a personal memory. 

Fred knew that your father had died in the first war, you two had talked about it before. But it was never something that caused you pain — you were much too young when he died. It was the days when growing up, seeing the neighbours’ kids with their fathers and you having only your mom — that was when it started hurting. And that was when your mom started playing music to calm you.

“I find it quite relaxing,” you said.

“I sure was relaxed with you,” Fred said before blushing, ashamed with his unexpected confession. 

You gulped, unsure of what to say or do. You decided it was best to remain silent because Fred probably felt relaxed with all of his friends.

There was nothing left to be said, and Fred really needed to sleep if he wanted to see his father later, so you returned to your first position — facing the ceiling. You never knew, but, without your eyes staring deep into his, he was finally able to fall asleep.

On the other hand, it took you a couple more minutes to travel to the dreamland. Knowing that Fred was closer than ever before made you feel more awake than if you had slept all day. Of course, that was just a false sensation your subconscious tricked you with — soon, you were sleeping too.

“Come on, love birds! Mum wants us to come now!” yelled a voice, pulling the blankets away from you.

“Be more gentle, George,” advised another voice.

“Come on, you two!” shouted the male voice again.

It toom you a couple of seconds to finally open your eyes and take a glimpse of who owned the voices that were disturbing the most peaceful nap you had ever gotten.

Ginny stared at you with a wan smile while George held in one of his hands the cosy blanket that was once over you. But their faces were hiding something, and it was just when George smirked to you that you decided to sit up.

Fred was thinking of doing the exact same thing as you, but he was having more trouble with it since you were practically all over him.

Yeah, that’s right.

The cosiness and warmness didn’t come from the blanket — it came from Fred Weasley.

He was still laying with his belly up, but over his abdomen, you had arranged yourself, in some sort of embrace or hug. So, obviously, you blushed right away — your whole face redder than the Weasleys’ hair.

Fred was blushing too, but since you had hidden your face over your pillow — the exact one you clearly didn’t use to sleep — you weren’t able to see.

“Get out,” he muttered with grinding teeth. George pretended to be angry and walked away, tossing the blanket over the bed with no caution. Ginny took one last glimpse around before whispering for you two to not be late.

Fred sighed before taking the pillow over your head.

“They’re gone,” he said with a sad smile.

“I’m sorry for... well, wherever was that. I probably am a sleepwalker or something; I swear I didn’t place myself over your chest on purpose,” you said, biting your lip and facing him with hope in your eyes — hope that he would believe you were not a maniac.

Fred wished you had done that on purpose because that had been the most comfortable he had ever felt in a bed.

“Don’t worry about it. Sorry about my siblings,” he said, finally getting up. “I’m gonna see my mum and make sure we’re going to St. Mungo’s too.”

“We?” you echoed the word out loud, but he had already left the room, and so, he didn’t hear.

You were planning on going with the Weasleys, sure, but you didn’t know they wanted you there as well. Well, at least Fred did.

You gave Fred a few minutes to get downstairs before you. When you got there, everybody seemed to be waiting just for you.

“Sorry for not waking you up earlier, dear. You both looked so relaxed,” said Mrs Weasley, stepping towards you. She held you by your shoulders. “I prepared both of you sandwiches, so you can eat faster.”

She let your shoulders go and grabbed one sandwich over the table — the second one was already half-eaten by Fred Weasley in the other corner of the kitchen. You were too embarrassed thinking that even Molly saw you hugging Fred in your sleep to say something other than thank you.

“Your trunks are here too,” the woman mentioned, with a small smile. Fred finished his sandwich, so you hurried to finish yours. “Tonks? Mad-Eye?”

With Mrs Weasley calling, both of the mentioned walked in the kitchen and Ginny rushed to Tonks, hugging her tightly.

“Nymphadora?” you asked, almost choking on the last bite. The short pink hair was the essential clue for you to connect the surname to the person. You just didn’t call Tonks Tonks, it was a childish habit, but it was unforgettable.

“Don’t call me...! Hey, it’s you!” exclaimed Tonks, as soon as Ginny freed her and ran to your side, hugging you. “You grew up, Merlin!”

You let out a hearty laugh while struggling to breath. Tonks finally freed you, but still stayed by your side. You knew each other because you were neighbours for a while, and often your mother alone could not take care of you — Nymphadora always offered (for a sickle a day) to babysit.

If it was up for you and Tonks, you’d have stayed the day talking, but Mrs Weasley kindly reminded there was a place you needed to be. 

The trip to St.Mungo’s was, to say the least, embarrassing. Every time Fred would lock eyes with you, your cheeks would turn red, and it felt like everyone knew how you too slept. Together, tightly, legs intertwine... Yeah, you had to fight yourself to not remember those things.

Thankfully, you and Tonks got a minute to talk when the family walked in with Harry to see Arthur Weasley. She told you everything about her job and how she liked to now be a part of the Order. “Sure Dumbledore will ask you to join when you come of age,” she even mentioned with a nudge of shoulders. 

The Weasleys trooped back into the corridor. Tonks glanced at you, but she already knew you weren’t going to come in, so she went in with Mad-Eye and closed the door behind them. Fred raised his eyebrows towards you — he wasn’t seriously expecting you had something to talk with his father, right? — but then George suggested to listen behind the door, and everybody was distracted for a moment.

After that espionage, Harry Potter started acting odd as ever, but definitely not more than you and Fred. Ginny and George would look from Fred to you, and then they would giggle. Somehow, that was making matters worse.

Back at the headquarters, things still weren’t easy.

“Ginny, would you mind sleeping with y/N?” whispered Mrs Weasley in what she hoped was a tone you wouldn’t hear, but you did. You stepped away as quickly as you had stepped in, and turned around, desperately trying not to overhear that conversation.

So Fred asked to not sleep with you again. That was presumable but still unpleasant. 

Ron asked for your help to decorate the house for Christmas, and you accepted gladly, hoping the task would take your mind out of Fred.

Ron was worried about Harry — he seemed to think whatever Harry heard Mad-Eye talk upset him. You agreed and added that Ron should just give Harry some time, without pushing him.

Ginny joined to help, and as soon as Ron went to the back to get a stair, Ginny rushed to your side and elbowed you.

“So, don’t know if you heard, but I told mum I wouldn’t sleep with you,” she said with a smile.

You almost dropped the ornament in your hand.

“Sorry?”

“So you can sleep with Fred again, duh!” she kept the smile on.

“Hm, Ginny, I’m pretty sure your brother doesn’t want that to happen again,” you said, avoiding to look at her happy face. “He asked your mum to change the place I was sleeping in.”

“What? No, y/N! Where did you get that idea? Mum’s the one trying to part you too,” Ginny laughed at your ridiculousness. “She thinks you two are secretly dating and she can’t let ‘Fred make her a grandma so early’.’’

Your eyes widened as you slowly turned to face Ginny, but first making sure no other Weasley was around.

“Her words, not mine,” added Ginny quickly and she burst into laughter staring at your silly face.

“Good Lord. I hope you corrected her about my relationship with Fred,” you sighed, pressing a hand over your heart. “I completely forgot she had gotten a glimpse at us this morning,” you whispered, just to yourself really.

“Why would I correct her? He wants you, you want him. Just a matter of time ’til she’s right” said Ginny and she started running away from you because the face you made was positively scary.

When decorations were up, and Christmas spirit was finally in the house, it was already time for bed again. Fred and George had gotten upstairs before you because you pretended to be really interested in Mrs Weasley’s knitting. The truth was you didn’t want to face Fred again.

You sighed, giving up in your fight. You should face Fred once and for all. Speak the truth, walk away and sleep in the couch downstairs.

But when you got into the room, and you saw his face, you just froze. He was laying on the bed with his belly up and his eyes closed — for a moment, you thought he was sleeping, but then his breathing wouldn’t be completely unregulated.

“Fred?” your voice was too high, and you ended up scaring him. He jumped up, sitting down immediately. “Sorry,” you muttered, sitting down in front of him.

You both breathed hard. Fred seemed to want to say something, but you would never know because you interrupted his half-open mouth with yours.

You kissed him in a rashed and inexperience way, after all, he didn’t expect that. And, honestly, neither did you.

Fred suspected that either you would ignore him forever and pretend that the nap shared in an embrace never happened or that you would hit him and kick him out of the room. Feeling your lips on his was a more fanciful idea than any he has ever had.

It took Fred a little while to get rid of the shock, but when he realized that you were kissing him because you wanted to, he gave in, pulling you by your waist and sitting you over his lap. He smirked in the middle of the kiss, causing you to let a slight giggle out. Your hands went from his cheekbone to his hair, and you played with it with pleasure.

“If I knew the way to your heart was napping with you, I’d have done it sooner,” Fred whispered, breathing hard when your lips were away from his.

You smiled, “you got to my heart way before you slept with me, Fred Weasley.”

He squeezed your waist, pushing you away just enough so he could see your face. You blushed when your eyes met.

“Good to know that,” he smiled too. “ ‘Cause I’ve been thinking all day that you were ignoring me, that you hated me... ”

“I thought you were ignoring me!”

You two giggled at your stupidy.

“Sorry for kissing you out of nowhere,” you sighed, slowly placing your hands on his shoulders.

“You are welcomed to do it anytime you want,” he said, looking down to your lap still over his.

“Like now?” you smirked too. “Because I feel we lost too much time sleeping today...”

“Y/N, I’ve been thinking exactly the same thing,” he susurrated and smirked, pulling you closer to his chest and kissing you harder than before.

And this time was just perfect.

__

Bonus:

“So how was last night?” Ginny asked as soon as you steeped in the kitchen the next morning.

You could have stayed in bed curled in Fred forever — you sure wanted to— but you knew that if Mrs Weasley had any more reason to believe you and Fred were together, nights in the same bed would be over.

And so, doing the things you did last night would be way harder to achieve.

“What you mean?” you asked, grabbing a mug of hot cocoa.

“Please,” Ginny rolled her eyes. “See that look in my brother’s face? Last time I saw him that happy was when he got a new broom.”

You turned your face insignificantly to see Fred, who was sitting at the end of the table, eating some sort of bread with Geoge right next to him.

You frowned slightly to Ginny, who rolled her eyes more time.

“Good Merlin, I won’t be able to be two meters near you two, will I?”

You giggled and tried to hide your smile with the mug. Fred heard the sound of your laugh and instantly turned to your direction. His eyes wandered your whole face, and he fixed them in your mouth. He licked his lips before smiling and blink, and then he turned to his twin as if he was paying attention to George all along.

When your heart started beating again, the rest of the Weasleys and Sirius Black had gotten to the kitchen too.

“Where’s Harry?” Ginny asked Ron, but he shrugged. Harry was going through his own problems. “Well, anyway, pay up, will you, Ronniekins.”

“What?” he looked at Ginny, “wait, what?” he looked at you. “Couldn’t have waited one more night, could you?”

Ginny smiled when Ron tossed her a sickle.

“You guys placed a bet over Fred and me?” you whispered to the red-haired girl.

“Sure I did, and I won,” Ginny smiled while you rolled your eyes. “If it makes you feel any better, Fred lost. He said you would never like him back.”

Your eyes went from Ginny to Fred across the table, and for a minute while you looked at him, you forgot his entire family was there, and you sighed like a girl in love. Well, that was what you were anyway.

When you and Fred finally got time alone, you gave him a sickle.

“You should never have bet against us,” you said, placing the coin in his hand.

“Never doing that again,” he promised with a soft smile before pulling you close one more kiss.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

The Perfect Bad Boy (Pt. 14 of 18)

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader

Word count: 3 K

Summary: Working as a lifeguard in the Hawkins Community Pool, you try to fit in after moving from New York. Things were going pretty well when you notice you've been under someone's stare. Billy Hargrove, Hawkins' bad boy, has been staring at you since day one. You never intended to have anything to do with him, judging by the reputation he has. But Billy won't leave you alone, determined to show you his feelings are different this time...

As if your heart flooding you with confusing feelings wasn't enough, there are weird, strange animals lurking in the woods... But those have to be just part of the wild live of the woods surrounding Hawkins... Right?

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{Stranger Things Masterlist}

×

Hunt and Destroy

“Alright... A lot of new words and names...” You mutter, looking at the floor between your feet. It's late now, and Eleven has been talking for over an hour. The story is long and you had to stop her to ask a few questions. More than a few, actually. Everything sounds like a very strange story, the weirdest, something nobody could come up with. To prove it, Eleven turned the TV on with her mind, skipping through the channels before turning it off again. But you didn't need any proof. You know what you saw and it was very, very real. “Upside down, Demodog, Demodorden...”

“Demogorgon. With a G.” Dustin corrects you, smiling. How can he be smiling?

“Demogorgon, ok.” Nodding, you take a deep breath and stand up. “So... What's the plan?” You ask, pacing around the living room.

“Well, we need to gather the whole party for this,” Max says and the others nod.

“I'll talk to my mom and Hopper,” Jonathan speaks out. “We have to do this as soon as possible so... tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Can it be here?” You're not sure if you can make this demand, but right now, being anywhere else after dark is too much. The sunlight is your protection since it's deadly to the... Demo-something. It burns them. They like it cold, said Eleven.

“Sure.” Jonathan answers and you offer him a small smile in return. “Could it be by five? Before the sunset.”

“Yeah. We can sneak out of the pool again.” It shouldn't be a problem, and if Anthony is there, you could pretend to be sick.

“Tomorrow is our day off.” Billy reminds and you take a deep breath, running a hand through your hair. You completely forgot that.

“By the morning them. Maybe we'll get something figured out we can start working on through the rest of the day.” Mike suggests and the whole party agrees. “We should get going though. It's late.” Mike gets up from his spot on the floor.

“Wait.” Mike can't possibly be for real now. “You're not gonna head home now. With those things out there.” They're getting closer to the town, and it means they'll hang around all night. “It's dangerous. You should stay.”

Most of them agree easily, chattering among them. Max seems excited, but Mike exchanges a look with Nancy. “I don't think our mother would let us crash at Billy's place.” She says with an apologetic look.

“Oh.” You know why. Billy told you where he was going to when the Mind Flayer almost got him... Or better saying, who he was going to meet. Mrs. Wheeler. You did felt weird back then, and it sure makes you feel weird now, but whatever he did before, you left it where it belongs. In the past. “Just call and tell her you'll be crashing at my place.”

“Yeah, man. C'mon. Slumber party.” Dustin cheers, smiling, and once again you can't understand why they aren't terrified. Guess they're just used to it. But how can someone get used to monsters lurking around?

“Alright, then.” Mike agrees, making his way to the phone.

“They didn't get it yet,” Billy whispers in your ear.

“They didn't get it.” Repeating, you wrap your arms around his neck. “I'm really trying not to freak out right now.” The words come out of your mouth, rolling out your tongue.

“Let's go to the bedroom so you can rest and we can talk.”

“Ok...”

“Alright. It's done.” Mike comes back with his sister, gesturing at the front door. “Should we get going?”

You and Billy exchange a look. They really didn't get it. “Uhm... So that's it, guys.” You start, taking Billy's hand and pulling him with you. “You can crash either here or Max's room. First to wake up makes breakfast.”

“Wait. You made me lie to my mom?” Mike asks as you move further into the hall.

“(Y/N) is living here.” Max ends the mystery, and you can feel her massive eye roll.

“Holy shit.” You hear Dustin and Steve mumbling as you get inside the room.

Billy lets you shower first, and as you wait for him, you look through his college books. Everything seems very complicated. Your fingers run through one of the pages, taking in the many numbers, but not really reading anything. Your mind is too far away right now. The scene keeps playing back, over and over. The... Demodog, as the kids call it, its face opening up, the guttural noises it made. You wish it was just a nightmare, but everything seems very, very real.

Billy's sudden touch makes you suck in a sharp breath, shaking a little. “Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you.” The feeling is quickly replaced by the usual warmth he makes you feel. Safety and comfort.

“It's ok, I'm just... How is it possible that the kids seem to be so fine with it?” Turning around, you lay your head on his chest as he pulls you close.

“They've been through a lot. They know how to deal with it and you don't have to participate if you don't want to.” Billy touches your face, fingers caressing the soft skin of your jaw. “I'll do anything to keep you safe, you know that right?”

You do. But staying out would not only make you a coward, but it would mean one less person to help them do whatever they're planning to. And, whatever this thing is, it had a part in messing with Billy's life. With Max's life, and all her friends. It's kind of personal. And, if Billy is in danger, you want to be there to make sure you'll do anything to save him. “I want to do it. I just need time to... Process everything.”

“You won't be alone. And I'm not talking only for myself, but for everyone else too.”

“Ok.”

“Now come. You need to get some sleep.” Billy pulls you to the bed, and, instead of laying beside him as usual, you decide to crawl on top of him.

“Am I crushing you?” You ask as you lay your head on his chest, smiling to feel his strong arms around you.

“Haven't you noticed the weight I can lift? You're nothing compared to it.”

Closing your eyes, you feel as he places a kiss on the top of your head. You've never been like that with Billy, literally on top of him, and it's good. Today, more than ever, you need to feel safe. Protected. And he's the only one who makes you feel this way. “I'm so happy we don't have to go to work tomorrow.”

“Me too.”

Pulling yourself up, you move upwards until your face is close to his. “Do you think the kids are talking about us?” Despite your mind being apparently stuck reminiscing the same moment, the terror in your chest, you try to change the subject. Hopefully, it'll keep you from having nightmares tonight.

“I'm sure of it.” As he speaks, a noise of glass shattering reaches us. “Max!” Billy yells at the top of his lungs, startling you. “What the hell!”

“Stop yelling.” You giggle, playfully slapping his shoulder.

“Just a glass, Billy,” Maxine answers from somewhere in the house.

“Better clean this shit up!” He shouts again.

“Shut up!” You whine, lowering yourself on him a little. “Or else I'll have to make you and it won't be nice.”

Billy raises an eyebrow, that usual smirk making its way to his lips. “Oh, and how exactly wouldn't it be nice?”

Yeah, you didn't really give much thought before making the threat. “Okay then.” Smirking, you close the distance between you until your lips are brushing on his before you sit up abruptly, a hand covering his mouth. “See? I told you it wouldn't be nice.” He opens his mouth under your hand, and you feel his teeth biting your skin. “Billy!” You complain, taking your hand away from his mouth. “I can't believe you bit me, you jerk.”

“You got what you deserved.” He suddenly pulls you down, making you lay next to him. “Now, quit playing around and sleep, princess. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

“Kiss me goodnight then. To keep the bad dreams away.” You ask him softly, melting into the slow, warm kiss he gives you.

It doesn't help with the nightmares though. Twice that night you wake up, a breath caught in your throat. You struggle not to let Billy notice, snuggling closer to him.

You're more than happy when morning finally comes. The house is so damn loud, and breakfast in a mess. You like it though, the craziness distracting you from yesterday's events. The rest of the party is here by nine, thanks to the urgency of the matter. And then, after everyone is fed up and the dishes are clean, which took half an hour since nobody wanted to do it, everyone sits in the living room to talk.

And you just can't seem to keep up with it. The boys speak fast, Hopper yells, Joyce tries to calm him down, he argues with Eleven, which is like his daughter, you got that, and then he argues with Mike. Nancy and Jonathan always check with each other before saying something, Steve always finds the flaws on the kids' plans, pointing out the many ways it could go wrong, and Dustin often gets into some kind of argument with him. There are a hundred different ways things could go wrong. A thousand ways you could die. Running a hand through your hair, you hold onto Billy's biceps, laying your head on his shoulder. You're the only one who didn't say anything since the conversation started. There's just nothing you can help them with, you'll just stick up to whatever plan they have.

What they know for sure that these Demodogs are here because some of them must have been left behind in some kind of incubation period until it started growing again.

“So that's it. Hunt and destroy.” Lucas says, nodding to himself.

“Yes. We don't know exactly how much time we have until they start going full Demogorgon, so we should start acting now.” Mike states. “Immediately.”

As if something was lit up, everyone starts moving. “My place in one hour, everyone,” Hopper says and suddenly the crowd disperses, the house once again silent.

You're still in the same place you were, on the couch, legs crossed, eyes on the floor. “Hey. You ok?”

“Yeah.” Taking a deep breath, you stand up. “So. Hopper's place. One hour.” Saying this more to yourself than to him, you get up and pace around the living room. “Should we take the baseball bat?”

“Steve has one far more fun than that. You'll like it.” You can tell Billy is keeping his voice nice and soft, trying not to push you over the edge with everything that's going on. “(Y/N), you don't have to go. You know that, right?”

“I do. But I'm going anyway.” Walking over him, you tiptoe to place a kiss on his lips. “Those kids are so brave. I don't want them to think I'm the weak link.”

“Alright, but we stick together. No exceptions.”

“I agree.” It does make you feel a lot better.

In the next hour, you and Billy shower and get ready. You make sure to wear short jeans and a light shirt so you won't feel too hot. The plan is trying to find the Demodog's nest. This part has to be made during the daylight, to make sure no attacks will happen, so you have no choice but to walk around the woods under the sun. Billy makes sure to shove a lot of water on his backpack, using literally every bottle he found in the house. And Max gathers some snacks for the day.

You reach Hopper's place at the same time Nancy, Jonathan, and Mike does, realizing it's also Joyce's place. The party is gathered in front of the house, a big map of Hawking on the ground. Beside it, a pile of some random stuff that you guess will be the... Weapons you'll use. Just in case.

Hopper is the one to assign everyone a place to start, the area they'll have to cover, and where they'll have to stop. There are lines drawn over the map, and you hope Billy has everything memorized because you don't even know where is where. Then, the groups are separated. Billy of course says he'll take you and Max. And Lucas, much to his dismay, will come along too. When people start taking stuff from the pile, you immediately get what Billy mentioned earlier. There's a baseball bat with nails on the top. Smiling, you take it.

“That's so badass.” You mutter, looking at Billy. “This will be my weapon of choice.”

“Hey. That's mine.” Steve exclaims, reaching out his hand.

“Not anymore, buddy.” You sass at him, swinging the bar and hitting the air.

“But–”

“She's good with the bat, trust me,” Maxine says and you nod. Some people have an interrogation on their faces, and Steve keeps staring at the three of you, as if waiting for further explanation.

“We have an inside joke.” Lowering the bat, you turn to look at Billy.

“Restricted to the Hargrove family,” Billy states, taking one the radios from the pile and starting the make his way to the car. “And Max.”

“But what about me?” You feel a little set aside by his affirmation, wondering what he meant. It's impossible that he's ignoring the fact that you were there that day. “I'm in the joke too.” Whining a little on purpose, you follow him.

“You still only notice half of things.” Billy winks at you as he gets inside the car, and after Max and Lucas get in the back seat, you get in as well. “I know you know what I meant.”

“Maybe I didn't.” Billy has this way with you. You were expecting the first sensations to fade, but they didn't. He still makes you nervous, the butterflies on your stomach doesn't seem to grow immune to him. And part of you is still scared of the things you think he means. You did got what he said, but it's safer to just pretend you didn't, right?

The short drive is filled with chattering. The kind of chattering you didn't want to hear since it's all about the Demothings. You stop by the woods, and Max and Lucas will be the ones responsible for the map since they have a compass.

And so the ‘hunting’ starts. You're glad it's not a real hunt though. You remember when you invited Billy for a trail with your friends, but walking through the woods feels different now. Before, you had only the normal wild animals to worry about, not some monsters that came out of the gates of hell. But you try to keep in mind that the sunlight means protection, so you'll safe. For now.

“Billy, can you make sure we'll have enough daylight to make the way back to the car?” You ask him, putting your hair up on a ponytail.

“I will, don't worry.” He moves closer, taking your hand in his. “We'll be ok. Just focus on trying to find anything unusual in the woods.”

“Sure.”

Billy doesn't let go of your hand until you stop to eat something. Lucas and Max start arguing a lot when you resume your walking, complaining about the directions. Billy is clearly pissed, not very fond of the idea of his little sister dating. It's cute the way he keeps staring at the young couple, paying attention to whatever they're saying. You wonder if Billy ever thought about having kids.

Wait. What the hell? Step back, you tell yourself. Too soon for that.

At some point, a fresh breeze starts blowing, and you couldn't be more thankful for it. Letting your hair down, you run a hand through it out of nervousness.

“I'm telling you, we have to go West now,” Lucas says.

“Yes. First West then North.” Maxine takes the map from his hands, taking a look at it. “It's obvious if you think about it. Just look. Try using your head for a moment.”

“Are you calling me dumb?”

“Yes!”

“Alright, both of you.” Billy intervenes, his voice with a tiny hint of anger. “Will you two make a goddman decision or will I have to?”

This will be interesting. Billy and you have been walking a couple of feet behind them, so as he moves ahead, you stand there, crossing your arms. The breeze brings a soft sound, that looks like the sound the pools make when it's windy. Following it, you spot water, only about ten feet away. Leaving the guys behind to their fights, you make your way there, making sure there are no big trees hiding you from their sight. When you get there, you bend down, putting one hand on the freshwater.

“(Y/N)!” It's Billy's usual yell, the one he always uses to scare the shit out of you. “Do you want to give me a heart attack?” When you turn around to look at him, he's already close by, Maxine and Lucas coming right after.

“Sorry, but I found this lake.”

“Lover's lake,” Max says, sitting down on a rock, eyes on the map.

“Lover's lake?” You repeat, crossing your arms and looking at Billy. “Why haven't you ever brought me here?” By the name, you think it would be a nice romantic date. And you remember by what you saw on the map, the lake is shaped like a heart, the reason for the name.

“Oh, you're new here. Sometimes it slips my mind.” He puts he bag down, safely away from where the small ripples reach. “People usually come here to... You know. So I thought that if I brought you and then you found out what really happens here you'd come to the wrong conclusion about my feelings for you.”

That's a very good explanation. And it makes you feel... Special. Different. “Thank you, then. For... Having this in mind.” As you speak, you take off your white shoes, all dusted by now.

“What are you doing?” He asks, an eyebrow raised when you look up at him, using his arm for balance to take off the other shoe.

“I'm using the Lover's Lake to something else than making out.” You start walking backwards, into the water.

“Whoa, look at what (Y/N)'s doing,” Lucas says, and you give them a glance. Max giggles, putting the map down.

“Try to drown Billy, would you?”

“I'll do my best.” When you stare back at Billy, he's already in the water.

You move back until your feet stop touching the bottom, so you start swimming further away. The freshwater is a blessing, washing the hot day from your skin. For a moment, you decide to leave the worries behind, just for a couple of minutes. Billy is quick to reach you, and you're suddenly aware of the kids staring. “We have an audience, keep that in mind.” You tell him when he pulls you close, strong arms encircling your waist.

“Were you ever kissed underwater?”

“No.” Your smirk matches his as you take a deep breath and push yourself down.

The kiss is a mess. You have to focus on holding your breath through the process, what makes you laugh, throwing bubbles on Billy's face. You manage to reach the bottom, your back hitting the rocks as Billy floats on top of you. But eventually, the oxygen you were saving is over, so you push him away and swim back up, laughing when you reach the surface.

“What a chaos.” You burst out when he comes back up as well. “We suck at underwater kisses.”

“I think I swallowed some water,” Billy says, coughing a little.

It only makes you laugh harder, removing the hair glued to your face. Swimming closer to him, you wrap your arms around his neck.

“Hey! Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove! Let's get moving!” Lucas shouts, making you roll your eyes.

You burst into laugh again when Billy flings you over his back, carrying you back to land.

And the walking restarts, with Max and Lucas constantly arguing and Billy trying to make them stop. The good thing is that it distracts you. And the bad part is that it distracts you from searching around for any signs of a Demothing nest. Your eyes scan through the woods, among the trees, looking for–.

“Holy shit!” Lucas exclaims and then he jolts away, running, followed by Max. You and Billy exchange a look before rushing after them.

Before you can ask what was that, you see it. A huge hole on the solid ground. It would fit a car in it. The thing goes down, in a slope, and then it keeps going until it makes a turn left. It's clear it doesn't belong to any kind of wild animal. It's not natural. A low, guttural low snarl reaches your ears, and you involuntary gives step back.

“Call them. Them then we found it.” Lucas says, taking a pencil and making a mark on the map.

The moment Max takes the small radio, you hear static. “Everyone listen up.” Steve says, more voices talking behind him. “We found it. A freaking hole in the ground. It has to be–”

“That's it.” Eleven's voice cuts him off. “We found it too.”

It was supposed to be just one.

“What?” Steve asks.

“Head back now. Everyone.” Hopper says and Max turns the radio off.

This is far worse than you thought.

×

@chloe-skywalker @dpaccione @dreamin-of-dacre @funeral-7 @uncookspaget @youhavemyfantasticbeasts @halloweenbitch2764 @redlovett @multific @shinydixon @nikkixostan @clockworkballerina @nope-thanks

[gaarasgirlfriend]

claimed

bakugou x reader - demigod/pjo au!

in which the son of ares guides the cute new camper to her cabin 

“dude have you seen the new arrival? she’s smokin’ hot! 10 drachmas says she’s an aphrodite kid.” kaminari, son of apollo, told his friends.

hours ago, kaminari was on his way to bother chiron again, wanting to go on a quest because he was ‘bored out of his mind’ but before he could even get a word out he was met by a stranger. a very beautiful stranger. a stranger who kept glancing down at chiron’s hooves.

ah. she was new to the camp.

chiron was telling the girl about the camp’s layout, pointing over to the volleyball court where kaminari’s sister, jirou, also a child of apollo, was playing with momo who was a daughter of athena.

“i know it’s a lot to process.” chiron said, a sympathetic smile on his face.

“no kidding. the other day i was just taking a nap trying to do my algebra homework and now you’re telling me that greek gods exist and that medusa and minotaurs are real and would very much like to kill me.” the girl said.

“the woes of being a demigod...” chiron mused.

the centaur looked up to see kaminari watching the pair, “ah kaminari my boy, come here.”

��gladly’ he thought, checking out the girl.

“y/n this is kaminari son of-”

“kaminari, son of apollo. it’s a pleasure.” kaminari grabbed her hand and kissed her hand.

“do all children of aphrodite do this? because i’m more creeped oout by this than any gorgon sister honestly.” y/n said, taking her hand back after kaminari kissed her hand.

“i’m actually a child of apollo but i’m sure that my good looks confused you~ it’s okay~” he chuckled.

“this whole interaction will be so funny if i ended up being a child of apollo.” she suddenly mentioned, which made the blonde-haired boy freeze up. 

“i- are you-” he started to say.

“don’t worry though, it’s my mom who left.” she said, with a slightly hurt tone that kaminari picked up on, after feeling the same way for 13 years he could recognize another lonely person from a 100 miles away.

he suddenly smiled, “ don’t worry, you’ll find family at this camp.” he patted her back as he directed her over towards the cabins, waving bye to chiron as he left to scold mineta, a satyr, for harassing yet another wood nymph again

“bet you’re hoping that you’re not part of that family after flirting with me.” she snorted.

kaminari’s face flushed, “it’s a habit!”

currently he was telling the bakusquad (nickname given by mina after the five of them were on a quest) about the girl he was with earlier.

“ i hope she ends uo being your sister. that’ll really teach you not to flirt with every girl you see.” sero, child of hermes, said while shaking his head. 

“i guess falling for relatives runs in the family. izuku’s dad for example.” mina joked. izuku’s father, zeus, wed his sister, hera, who had no children at this camp out of loyalty. 

“be careful saying shit like that you pink haired dumbass! you never know when zeus is feeling less merciful than usual.” bakugou, son of ares, seethed.

“aww! bakugou~ you care for me~” mina teased the boy who was sharpening his sword.

a pair of crimson eyes rolled as the owner scoffed, “better pray to morpheus because that would only happen in your dream you fucker.”

the group laughed at the blonde boy who continued raging at the pink-haired girl. 

“anyways, i’ll take you up on your offer kaminari! we had an aphrodite kid two weeks ago so i don’t think we’d have another one so soon.” kirishima said.

the redheaded son of hephaestus was sitting on the floor, tinkering with some weapons, with sero and mina sitting down with him. 

“me too.” bakugou’s gruff voice called out.

the group looked back at him, eyebrows raised.

he gave them a wicked smile, “i’m just praying that she ends up being a child of apollo.” he started to cackle, the rest of the group, excluding kaminari, joining him.

“where is she now? i want to meet her!” sero said, standing up. 

“yeah me too!”

“same here!”

“i was going to show her around but then jirou and momo took over. jirou said that i ‘wasn’t to be trusted with any girl’. it hurt! i wasn’t going to pursue her until after she got claimed!” kaminari sighed, shaking his head.

“as they should. they probably saw you kissing the poor girl’s hand and decided to save her.” mina said.

“yeah, yeah, whatever. anyways sero! you ready to fight bakugou?” kaminari said.

the boy got his sword and stood up, “been ready but you were on that tangent about that chick.”

“whatever. anyways let’s start.” bakugou said.

meanwhile while they were fighting, you were with momo and jirou. it really surprised you when you found out that they were brother and sister, given his bold personality and jirou’s chillness.

“okay so sero is going to show you to the hermes cabin, where you’ll be staying at until you’re claimed.” momo explained to you.

“got it! is sero a son of hermes?” you asked.

“yes, he’s been at this camp since he was 12. most of the campers have been here since they were 12 but once in a while we get an older kid like you.” jirou explained.

“how about you guys? how long have you been here?” you asked curiously.

“we actually arrived together. we went to the same school and we er, ran away together after a cyclops attacked us while we were camping.” momo said.

“oh gosh, that was probably terrifying.” you mumbled.

“it was. but luckily there was a satyr there who helped us.” momo said.

talking a bit more, you guys finally made it in front of the arena where sero supposedly was. the arena was a huge conference building that towered over most of the other buildings. it was between the cabins and the armory.

“oh my god, this is the arena?? it looks like the roman coliseum! it’s huge!” you said, amazed by the big building.

“wait till you see the amphitheater and climbing wall.” jirou snickered.

“a climbing wall? what?” you looked at jirou.

momo chuckled, pulling you inside of the building, “come along now.”

walking inside of the building, you were met with about 50 people inside of the building. a few of them spared you a glance or waved to momo and jirou but other than that, everyone went back to their training. the room was lined with dummies and weapons. the sounds of angry grunts, yells, and swords clashing seemed to fill the air as you looked around in amazement.

‘holy shit! that kid’s hands are glowing! and he’s? making the dummy levitate? who is he the child of and can i have magical powers too?’ you thought to yourself.

you looked towards the back of the arena to see a small group circling two swordsmen. one of them had black hair and pale skin, although he seemed to be knowing what he was doing, he was losing to the other guy.

‘oh damn.’ was your first thought when you looked over at the blonde haired boy.

he was tall, with a muscular build that was adorned with a black tank top and sweats which was a bit strange as most of the other campers were donned with the standard orange shirt. but you weren’t complaining. he looked good. his body was coated with sweat, and his muscles flexed with each swing of his sword. he was gaining distance on his opponent. his crimson eyes were narrowed in concentration, a slight scowl on his face as the black haired boy dodged his sword.

that soon ended when the blonde guy suddenly disarmed the ravenette, his sword clanging on the floor as it fell about 5 feet away. the blonde boy had his sword pointing at the other boy’s chest, his own chest heaving up in down.

the black haired boy sighed, with his hands up, “i give up.”

the blonde haired boy smirked, and you could feel yourself almost gasp.

you would’ve believed in all of this greek mythology shit a lot sooner if they showed you this boy. he was literally carved by the gods themselves.

the boy went over to his friends as the small crowd dispersed. a red-haired boy handed him a towel.

“hey sis! hey momo! bold of you to show your faces around these parts when you stole y/n from me.” kaminari said.

jirou rolled her eyes, “i have a legal obligation to protect all women in this world from you. thank god the hunters of artemis haven’t met you. you would’ve been killed on the spot.”

“whatever! hey y/n! missed me?” kaminari said, walking up to you.

“how could i miss the guy who may be my brother even though he flirted with me?” you chuckled.

he suddenly looked up to the sky, “whoever y/n’s parent is please claim her! u-unless it’s you dad!”

they laughed at the boy’s dumb antics. kaminari then took them over to where his friends were sitting.

“hey guys! this is y/n! she’s new here so be nice! looking at you bro~” kaminari said.

you looked over to see he was talking to the guy who won the fight. your eyes made contact with his before he suddenly looked away with a small ‘tch’.

“he’s like that sometimes. you get used to it. i’m kirishima, son of hephaestus, nice to meet you!” the redheaded boy said as he was putting together a weapon. he seemed like a very kind person.

“hey girl! i’m mina, daughter of dionysus!” the girl with pink hair waved to you.

“i’m sero, son of hermes! i’ll show you to your temporary cabin!” the black haired boy grinned.

“nice to meet you all! i’m y/n, like kaminari said and i hope we get along!” you said.

you looked over to bakugou since he didn’t introduce himself yet, “and who might you be?”

“...bakugou, son of ares.” he mumbled.

“son of ares huh? that makes sense. he’s the god of war right? you were amazing with that sword! well granted i don’t know much about swords or anything like that but it looked badass! you too sero, you did amazing!” you said.

“thanks! i wonder what kind of weapon you’ll wield...” sero said as he tapped on his chin.

kirishima suddenly jolted, “y/n! you have to let me build your weapon once you find out what you like!”

you nodded, “of course!”

“we’re gonna be heading out now! bye y/n!” jirou and momo called out to you.

“bye guys, thanks for showing me around," you called out to them.

you turned back to face the group when sero suddenly said, “we should probably head out soon too-” he was interrupted when a young boy around the age of 8 or 9 came up to him,

“sero! you’re still gonna train me right? i haven’t gotten the hang of my new sword that kirishima built for me.” kirishima grinned at the fact that the young boy was taking training so seriously with the weapon he built for the boy.

sero squatted down to the small brunette boy and ruffled his hair, “of course lucas! let’s go over to that dummy to practice!”

“yay! thank you sero!” the boy said, energetically dragging the older boy towards the dummy.

sero looked behind him to look at you, “sorry!”

you only smiled back, “it’s okay!” if a kid as cute as lucas ever asked you to do anything, you didn’t think you could say no to him either.

“well now that sero’s plans have been foiled i will take it upon myself to deliver y/n to the cabin of hermes.” kaminari declared.

“oi dunce face, i’ll take her. after what happened earlier i don’t think you’re to be trusted with another girl for at least another 100 years.” bakugou snorted, earning a laugh from you.

kaminari pouted as bakugou gestured you to follow him. the remaining bakusquad members only stared at the leaving duo as they made their way out of the arena. 

“no way.”

“i agree.”

“bakugou just offered to walk a girl back to her cabin? kaminari did you hex me again?” kirishima said. 

“so what’s the story behind the nickname dunce face?” you asked as you walked beside the tall boy. 

finally being close to him you could see him even closer. he had faded scars littered all over his arms, but there was a scar that was underneath his collarbone that stuck out to you. it was quite big, probably from a monster’s claw. his skin was slightly tanned, from being outside training, you assumed. his spiky hair looked very soft and you had to stop yourself from touching it. but oh lord did you want to pat his head.

bakugou snorted in response to your question, “that idiot was in a prank war with the hermes cabin. he tried to hex them but messed up and ended up hexing himself to be dumber than usual for a whole 24 hours. amusing as it was, it was tiring taking care of him.”

you laughed, “i barely know the guy but i can say with full confidence that that is something he would do.”

his lips quirked up for a second butt you didn’t seem to notice, “yeah he’s a dumbass.”

“how long have you been at this camp? and how long did it take for you to get claimed?” you asked curiously.

he shrugged, “about 6 years. a hellhound attacked me while i was on a school trip but chiron was disguised as my substitute teacher so after a phone call to my mom, we arrived here. it took about 3 days for ares to claim me. it was right after a game of capture-the-flag, my team won courtesy of me. i guess dad was so proud he decided to proudly show me off or something.” he smirked.

“woah, that’s cool!” you said, looking at bakugou in amazement.

“damn right it is.”

a few minutes passed as you guys walked towards the cabin.

“how’d an idiot like you even find this place? a satyr help you?” he suddenly asked.

“yep. his name was mineta, i think? i was about an hour away from this place before a hellhound attacked me. mineta was nearby oogling at some chick and he helped me here.”

bakugou suddenly looked at you, “MINETA? that perverted bastard? i hate his ass, he should be fed to cerberus.”

“i agree with you on that one buddy, while we were hiding he kept on staring at me. what a creep. but he was pretty helpful when we were running away. guess he decided his life was more important than a pair of boobs and actually got serious.”

bakugou’s ears suddenly got very hot as he sputtered, “y-you idiot girl! you’re even more perverted than that dumbass mineta!”

you only laughed in response.

“we’re here.” bakugou said.

you guys had reached the cabins and you were gazing at them in awe. all of them were huge. there was one that was made out of pure gold, one was made of silver, one looked like a mini aquarium, another was covered with barbed wire and housed some very loud kids. you guessed that that one was the ares cabin.

you saw a kid with half red and half white hair come out of the black cabin that looked like a haunted house. he went up to the house in the center of the half circle of cabins to meet up with the green-haired boy walking out of the cabin that had a big lightning bolt etched into it. 

“woah…” was the only thing you could say.

“okay bye.” bakugou said, suddenly walking towards the cabin cabin that had a pair of kids wrestling in front of the doorsteps as other kids cheered for them.

“huh? wait!” you grabbed his hand.

“let go of my hand dumb idiot!” he said, a small blush on his face.

“you have to walk inside with me! I don’t know anyone.” you pouted at him.

he rolled his eyes, “only if you let go of my hand.”

once you let go of his hand, you guys headed inside.

the cabin was normal enough, but it was slightly bigger than the other cabins. you assumed it was to take in unclaimed demigods such as yourself. it was filled with about 50 bunk beds. but only about 20 kids were in their bunks, most of them taking naps.

“incoming!” you heard a feminine voice say from above you. 

before you could look up, bakugou pulled you into his body as he moved towards the right. a storm of water balloons that seemed to be enchanted was hurled at the stope you were standing at. 

“rin! you said you would finally get them outside the cabin this time! at this rate the apollo bastards are gonna win.” you heard a girl say.

“relax yuki! i’m gonna make it this time i can feel it!” rin said.

“sorry about that!” they both called down to you.

you paid them no attention. how could you when you were chest to chest with bakugou right now? you could feel his firm chest against yours and you could’ve sowrn you felt a set of abs underneath that thin tank top. 

“dumbass, you didn’t even move out of the way. just accepted your fate, huh?” he teased.

he gently pushed you away and saw the slight blush you had on your face, “did being that close to me have that much of an effect on you?”

“shut up~” you whined as you hid your face in your hands. 

he chuckled and you suddenly looked up at him, he was cute when he laughed.

“hey! are you a new camper?” an orange-haired girl walked up to you.

“looks like it, poor thing has been following this aggressive bastard all day. i saw them in the arena!” the blonde boy next to her laughed. he was suddenly elbowed in the stomach by the girl. you decided that you liked the girl.

“i am! y/f/n unclaimed and at your service,” you said.

“so lame…” you heard bakugou mumble underneath his breath. it was now your turn to elbow him.

“i’m kendo! this is monoma! both children of hermes!” the orange-haired girl said.

“i bet she’s a demeter kid. i get nature vibes from her.” monoma said.

“what the tartarus does nature vibes even mean?” bakugou asked. was he getting offended on your behalf? how sweet. also what the hell was tartarus?

“she looks weak-” bakugou’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the boy’s response.

“anyways! we’ll take over from here bakugou!” they walked away, motioning for you to follow them.

you took a step towards them before glancing at bakugou, “thanks for bringing me here bakugou! it was nice talking to you, you’re a fun guy to be around!” and with that, you walked away. 

‘a fun guy? me?’ a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips.

it suddenly dropped, “oh shit.”

he suddenly looked up towards the sky, “dad, please tell me you kept it in your pants for her mom.”

the sky gave no response.

“ya know, i usually hate the color orange but i’m liking this shirt! makes me feel like i’m apart of something exclusive!” you told kendo as you checked yourself out in the bathroom mirror.

“i know the feeling girlie! but you look good in that shirt! also what’s up with you and bakugou? you two a thing?” she teased to which you blushed in response.

“n-no! i mean he’s cute but-“ 

“aha! i knew it! you two are so cute! but i’d wait until after you get claimed… ya know… so you know for sure you’re not siblings.”

“oh it’s fine! it’s my mom who’s gone!” you said.

“oh then you’re good!” she smiled at you.

“but does he know that?” 

your smile dropped, “uh oh.” 

“DUDE! can’t believe you’re in the same boat kaminari was in!” kirishima howled as he clutched his stomach.

“SHUT UP BEFORE I HAMMER YOUR FACE IN WITH THAT NEW SHIT WEAPON YOU MADE!” bakugou growled.

“i mean i would ask her if it’s her mom or dad that’s gone.” kirishima said after calming down.

bakugou went quiet. he often did this when kirishima said something that bakugou did not think of. like this for example.

“thanks.” he mumbled very quietly. to the untrained ear, it would’ve sounded like bakugou said nothing. but kirishima knew better, “go get her buddy.” 

it was finally time for the campfire and you were excited! granted, any situation that called for s’mores made you happy. walking to the campfire where most of the students were, you waved at monoma and kendo before heading over to where kaminari and sero were.

“hey guys!” you smiled at them.

“hey y/n! liking the shirt!” sero said.

you laughed, “finally one of you guys!” 

“how was the hermes cabin?” kaminari asked you. 

“chaotic. there was a prank war going on between your two cabins. but it was kinda fun! monoma swiped me some apollo kid’s bow but i had no idea what to do with it.” you shook your head.

“y/n! hi! ohh i see you’re finally one of us now!” mina said as she arrived with bakugou and kirishima.

“yep!” 

“gather around campers!” chiron said before starting the camp fire songs.

you couldn’t really participate, as you didn’t know any of the songs, but you were still enjoying the experience.

“hey.” a gruff voice called out to you, breaking you out of your stupor.

“bakugou! woah you’re actually wearing the orange shirt for a change… consider me impressed.” you teased.

with a minuscule smile on his face, he sat down next to you on the tree log as you both stared into the fire. his body heat was arguably hotter than the fire itself. he was very warm and you wanted to cuddle up in his arms. 

“so how was your first day of camp?” bakugou asked.

“kind of crazy honestly, never thought that satyrs or centaurs would exist. nor did i expect to be attacked by a scary ass dog while i was just strolling through the city. but it is nice to finally get some answers as to who i am. plus i met some pretty cool people along the way.” you looked into his eyes and grinned.

he laughed, “yeah, i find kaminari cool as well. even if that shithead is currently burning his tongue with that marshmallow.”

you rolled your eyes and punched his arm, “i hate you.”

“hate me? you’ve literally been following me around today like a little duckling. i don’t know if you could call that hate.” he nudged her with his shoulder.

“who else was going to show me around? kaminari? would you have let him?” you mused, leaning a bit closer to him.

he chuckled, a smile on his face, “maybe, who knows.”

he suddenly realizes that you’re very close to him and he leans back, both of your faces hot.

you realize that you need to tell him about your mother before he decides to stop to pursue you. 

“hey bakugou… i need to tell you about my parents…” you suddenly say, bakugou meeting your eyes once again.

“yeah, what about them?”

“well my mother is actually-” you started before you noticed he was staring above your head. you looked around to see almost every camper looking at you. you looked up to see the image of a glowing pink dove.

“huh?” was all you could say before you looked down to see yourself in a white ancient chiton dress. you lifted your dress and saw yourself in golden sandals. your arms were adorned with gold bands. you touched your hair and felt that it was done perfectly. you felt your lips coated with gloss, so you assumed your makeup had been done as well.

“the fuck…?” you muttered before looking up at everyone. 

they all were bowing to you, bakugou included.

“all hail, y/n l/n, daughter of aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.”

“well at least he doesn’t havent to worry now.” kirishima mumbled to his friends.

“nice meeting you camie and shindou!” she waved at the pair. they were her siblings. that would take a while to get used to.

“call me sis!” camie squealed while shindou rolled his eyes at her and walked away towards the rest of the aphrodite kids.

“looks like kaminari didn’t have to worry after all.” you heard bakugou say behind you.

when you turned around to look at him, you felt him suck in a breath. did you look that different?

“looks like it.” you smiled.

“s-so what was that thing you were going to tell me?” bakugou cursed himself for stuttering. but who wouldn’t curse while in your presence? makeover or not, you were still probably the prettiest girl bakugou has ever seen.

“oh… i was going to tell you that my godly parent was my mom, not my dad.” you mumbled.

“oh?” he smirked, “and why did you feel the need to tell me that?”

you rolled your eyes, “you know why you idiot.”

“please enlighten me.”

“it’d be really weird to want to date your brother, so i just gave you the go ahead.” you said, suddenly finding the ground very interesting.

“did aphrodite make you bolder too along with that makeover?” bakugou questioned, snickering to himself.

“huh? i’ve always been bold! remember when i talked about boobs-”

he clamped his hand over your mouth, looking around the camp to make sure no one overheard.

“you’re crazy. wouldn’t be surprised if you were a dionysus kid.”

“whatever…” you rolled your eyes, a smile on your face.

a moment of silence pass as you looked around the camp, many of the campers were heading back to their cabins and you decided it was time to leave.

“i think it’s time i head out, everyone is leaving.” you said.

“see ya.” you heard him ay, a slight look of disappointment on his face.

you took one step towards the cabins before you turned back towards the blonde haired boy, “actually i can’t seem to find my way back to my new cabin. could you help me out?”

he smiled, “you really are a dumbass.”

[dorkylittleweirdo]

the lesbian himbo solidarity post

okay so. basically this dude named max was in my anatomy class and we sat next to each other for the whole year so we had No Choice but to vibe

~

so he’s a Large football jock and i’m smol. we were both seniors tho and there were only three seniors in that class so we bonded over that. so he looks,, really scary tbh. like. ya know. the Exact type of person who would bully you and call you slurs. so i was like “oh god oh god oh god” every class bc i was like “this is it, this is the day i Die by his hand”

~

the first time we really vibed was when i came from culinary one friday bc i had culinary right before anatomy. and i had Cookies. a lot of them. and i had them in a little brown paper bag sitting right in the corner of my desk just bc like why not. cue max rolling up to class, throwing his stuff down and coming up Right Next To Me and Intensely eyeing the bag before going “hey jc, whatcha got there”. and i went “...cookies from my culinary class” and he just “👀👀” so i go “do you,, do you want one?”.  g r a b s  the bag while yelling “HELL YEAH” and really excitedly just eats a cookie and i just go “you can,, you can just take the bag if you want”. he obviously took the bag. we were Bros from that day on

~

i was Notorious for being the Class Nerd bc i loved anatomy and i had over 100% in the class. he was Not as into anatomy and just wanted to vibe and i feel that bc i had a class like that too, so i just gave him my notes and warm up answers to copy bc i’m Like That. we had like,, a system in place, so he would tell jokes or just say random shit and i’d kinda laugh and vibe while taking notes

~

one time i was kinda tired and staring off into space and he rolled up to class and goes “jcccc why are you saaaad :((” and i was like “i,, i’m not???” and he was like super confident that i was Going Through It and was like “you can’t lie to me, i already saw that sad face” i’m like “you mean my Normal Face???”. but so while i was taking notes that day, he leaned over and drew a lil happy face on my packet, so i looked over and smiled at him. aND NOT EVEN A MINUTE LATER, he leans back over and turns it into a dick. and i go “b r o  i gotta turn this shit in i’m gonna get in trouble?????” and he Panicked on my behalf, Stood Up in his seat,  Y E L L S  to the teacher “SIR, I DREW A  M A L E  G E N I T A L I A  ON JC’S NOTES, IT’S NOT HER FAULT”. teacher just Looks over at us, blinks, goes back to his lecture. my face is Red, max turns to me,  w i n k s, and goes “i gochu”

~

so my group Abandoned Me one day for a lab bc neither of them were there and i rolled up to the teacher like “k i’ll be Stabbing A Brain alone today” and my teacher’s like “but??? you need to Poke A Brain With A Group” and i go “but i have None Friends and my group mates aren’t here”. so max heard this whole interaction go down and is like “jc i Cannot Believe, you’re gonna group with us”. drags me over to some other people who sit near us that i anxiously vibe with, who had apparently been struggling to stab the labels into the brain for like seven minutes before i rolled up. max goes “okay guys jc’s in our group”. everyone’s hype. i labeled it, filled out the sheet, let everyone copy it, and all of us vibed for like half an hour

~

he was struggling to label to bones in the body for our warm up. two minutes in he goes “damn i know like,, four of these. jc how many do you know”, looks over at my worksheet, his eyes pop out of his damn skull. “JC ARE YOU FUCKIN SERIOUS”. holds up my worksheet that’s completely filled out, points aggressively at it while looking at our teacher, “ARE YOU SEEIN THIS SHIT???”

~

straight up asked if i was a mom one time bc he said i give off “mom vibes”. his response to me not wanting kids was “really??? i want like six”. appreciated me saying “oh, well i want a career” a little too much bc he couldn’t stop laughing

~

a regular occurrence was me finishing a worksheet really fast and standing to turn it in, then max going “sit your ass back down, i needa see that” followed by “bro i appreciate you actually letting me copy your shit but Please write neater”. his handwriting was worse than mine and he could read my writing but he likes to Complain

~

another Regular Occurrence was me finishing a test in about five minutes followed by him yelling “JC ARE YOU  F U C K I N G  KIDDING ME”

~

i’d bring food from culinary a lot and he’d just go “👀” and i would just give it to him and he’d be so excited and go “jc you’re the best” while proceeding to shove a cupcake down his face or whatever else it was i brought while  M O A N I N G

~

he asked me one time why i’m so nervous around him, and he was probably expecting me to say some shit like “oh nooo i’m not i’m just Shy tm” but i Instantly responded with “bc you look like you’re gonna call me a slur in the 7/11″ and he was so genuinely upset and he goes “noooo jc D: i’m not a baseball boy” and i Died

~

some dude smacked him on the back of his head and he goes “OW MY-” looks at me, “hey jc, what’s the back of the head called again?” and i go “the occipital” and he’s like “great, thanks”, turns around again to the other dude, “MY  O C C I P I T A L”

~

“jc have you ever been depressed” “max i have depression” “sick, you should listen to this band”

~

he slowly tried to put something on my desk and i was still adjusting to “okay not everyone is gonna hit me” and thought he was trying to do like a fistbump or something. and he goes “oh no i wasn’t-” and i’m like “oKaY yEaH iT’S fiNe”, he puts whatever lil eraser on my desk then goes “NO NO, GIVE ME SOME JC” and fistbumped me but it still Haunts Me bc he Was Not Trying To Do That

~

“i’m gonna go as a cop for halloween” “...okay max” “all i have to do is wear a wifebeater shirt” “i-” “because. because ya know. cops beat their wives”

~

asked what kind of music i listen to once, and i went “uh,, it depends” he goes “what are you listening to now??” aND I HAD TO GO “um,, bruises and bitemarks” and he screeched bc whatever he was expecting from the shy quiet girl who sits next to him, it was Not That

~

so i wasn’t sure how to like,, come out but i have a bunch of gay pins on my backpack so i didn’t know if he knew or not. but then one time he just starts asking the people around him if they would kiss/date someone of the same gender. so i go “i mean,, yeah” and he goes “wait really” and i was Scared tm bc oh god here it comes. i go “yeah” he goes “full gay or like bi” and i was like “full,, full gay. i’m a lesbian” and he’s like “BROOOO THAT’S SICK :D” and he was so genuinely excited that i like girls

~

ever since he found out that i’m a lesbian, he would move his desk reeeeaaally close to mine to show me pictures of girls and be like “hey hey what do you think of her”, trying to invite me to parties so he could set me up with someone, attempting to be my wingman

~

he constantly shoved one of his earbuds into my ear so i could bop to his music with him. set his phone on my desk a few times so i could choose something and i go “oh no, i have garbage taste in music” and he goes “well i don’t, that’s why you’re choosing from my playlist” and i just Sat there like “wow okay but also that’s valid”. he shockingly had a few songs on there that i listen to, so we vibed to those. he listened to my playlists a couple times and he’d be like “most of these are either depressing, horny, or gay, and that sums you up pretty well” and i was Offended but he’s right

~

“hey jc, what’s the bone that sounds like my name” “...maxilla???” “fuck yeah, there’s a bone named after me”

~

asked me if i ever had a girlfriend before and i was like “n o  :((((” and he’s like “on god bro, you gonna get you some pussy”

~

every time he’d see me out of class, he point at me and wave really aggressively and be like “HI JC :D” and i’d kinda wave back really shyly while watching him tell whoever he was with that we were bros. after a couple times, i asked him next class why he waved at me and he’s like “why wouldn’t i??” and i go “um. bc you’re pretty popular and well liked and nobody knows i exist and i’m pretty uncool????” and he deadass is like “J C  NOO YOU’RE REALLY COOL WYM PEOPLE LIKE YOU” and that’s how i found out that people actually knew me bc a bunch of the football guys i talked to in anatomy would point me out when they saw me bc they liked vibing with me so that was A Time. made sense why random people would like,, nod at me while walking by

~

i brought cookies for my teachers and friends on valentine’s day and i gave max a couple and i was like “hey i’m giving these to all my friends so like here” and he just “jc you consider us friends???” and i thought he was gonna laugh at me and i just went “ah,,, yeah” and he was So Excited

[yewfallen]

the hitman of conote... and febail’s here too ig

it’s april fools day and so i feel like it’s as good a time as any to explain the guy i’m using in my icon in a meta comparing him to the actual golden archer boy featured on this blog. wow n look at u ruining the joke by making a serious post out of it smh smh anyway my thoughts on the two, comparing and contrasting them, are under the cut !!

for those who don’t know, the game genealogy of the holy war has a second generation system. febail is one of those second gen units and his existence hinges upon the idea that you get his mom, brigid, married off, but if you don’t then he will simply Never Be Born. to not screw the player out of missing a unit however, he’s replaced with a substitute character named asaello who shares the same class, the same recruitment time, but they are not the same stat-wise, growth-wise and even differ in conversations they can get. whilst they serve the same function, they are definitely different people.

both begin their journeys as assassins who take jobs to fund the orphans they both have taken under their care. however, asaello has an additional conversation that febail doesn’t get, seen below:

Person #1: “Uwaa!! The hitman from Conote has returned! Everybody, run for your life!” Asaello: “…” Person #2: “…” Asaello: “…Aren’t you going to run, too?” Person #2: “…You look sad.” Asaello: “Hmm? Yeah, maybe I am a little.” Person #2: “Here, take these! They’re berries we gathered in the woods. Cheer up! They’ll make you big and strong!” Asaello: “…Thanks.”

( FE4, Chapter 8, Village Visit with Asaello )

there’s a few things i find interesting with this conversation. first, asaello has a moniker whereas febail does not. given the fact that febail has major holy blood and is thus superhuman and can wield a legendary bow but asaello isn’t yet it’s still him who gets the epithet, i read this as asaello being the more skillful hitman between the two of them. febail has already won the genetic lottery and can brute force his way through jobs, plus his rare blood makes it so he’s coveted based upon that. asaello doesn’t have that advantage, but he still makes it to the same job and position that febail does.

this leads to my second point: asaello had to work for that a lot harder than febail did. he’s earned the title of ‘ hitman of conote ’ and his fearsome reputation is the consequence of his work. asaello has likely taken way more jobs and cannot escape his infamy. he possesses the same pure intentions and heart that febail does, but he arguably leads the sadder life, constantly living in a world where people don’t want to get close to him. they see him as a bringer of death, and for someone as nurturing as him, that likely turned his entire world upside down.

but there’s something else febail gets that asaello doesn’t. febail gets a life purpose.

both these young men are ones who have lost sight of what they ought to be doing in life, driven to their dark lifestyles due to circumstances out of their control. febail in canon finds out he’s secretly the son of a duchess and the only known living person who can wield his holy bow. he has a legacy, and he escapes his misguided life with a renewed sense of purpose: to find out more about his family and to live up to the legacy his bloodline has left behind. he brings this up in one of his conversations with his sister:

Febail: “Patty! Are you stealing again!?” Patty: “Yeah, just a little.” Febail: “Well, knock it off! I don’t care if it is coming from the enemy.” Patty: “You think I like doin’ this!? Do you have any idea just how low our army’s food supply is? That takes money!” Febail: “Yeah, well, I caught a guy making fun of you. He said, ‘It’s no wonder you became a thief with a pirate for a mum’. Of course, I floored the guy for saying that.” Patty: “Let ’em say whatever they want, Febail. It doesn’t bother me. ‘Cause now we know our mother was a warrior… and of Crusader Ulir descent to boot! I was so happy I started cryin’ when Lewyn told me that…” Febail: “Yeah, me too. With all we’ve gone through… growing up as orphans and all… I never would’ve dreamed our mother was of noble rank. Do you remember her at all?” Patty: “Nope, not one bit. How about you?” Febail: “Just a little… just that she was beautiful and very kind.” Patty: “…So she’s dead, then?” Febail: “I don’t know… But you and I are going to look for her when we’re all done here. …And then we can finally find out who our father is.”

( FE4, Chapter 9, Talk with Febail and Patty )

he has no proof that his mother is alive, but you get the sense he hopes and believes in this new dream more than anything, and FE5 implies febail would go on to spend the next seven years trying to make this dream come to fruition. i paste this entire conversation to contrast it with asaello’s equivalent conversation with his own sister:

Asaello: “Daisy! Are you stealing again!?” Daisy: “Yeah, just a little.” Asaello: “Well, knock it off! I don’t care if it’s coming from the enemy.” Daisy: “You think I like doin’ this!? Do you have any idea just how low our army’s food supply is? That takes money!” Asaello: “I know, but…” Daisy: “And the orphans back in Conote need money too, don’t they? I tell ya, I’m beat!” Asaello: “Yeah, it sounds like it. I wonder how they’re all doing…” Daisy: “You gotta pitch in, too! You better not be wasting all your arena prize money, Asaello!” Asaello: “Geez… I’ve gotta learn to keep my mouth shut…”

( FE4, Chapter 9, Talk with Asaello and Daisy )

here, the conversation basically starts almost exactly the same, but it soon enough diverges from febail’s and patty’s. where febail’s ends on a hopeful note, asaello’s ends nowhere near that. there’s no soul searching, only reprimanding him. you get the sense that febail’s truly begun to change as a person from the assassin who was willing to compromise his morals if it meant getting enough money to feed the kids under his care to now someone who knows what he wants to do with his life and is unwilling to compromise on that.

asaello is still stuck, clearly struggling with feeding the orphans and making ends meet. we get this revelation that he has a spending problem, perhaps even a gambling problem, and his gambling is not only deadly to his wallet but also to his own wellbeing. he gambles through the arena, and he’ll risk getting extremely hurt to win. up until he joined the army, he was alone because of his fearsome reputation as the hitman of conote. asaello also doesn’t have yewfelle, febail’s bow which allows febail to heal over time. asaello when he gets hurt must tend to his own wounds.

asaello is living in a life where he likely was driven to gamble because he wasn’t making enough money to help provide for those he cares about, and this was his desperate shot to multiply what money he did have. his story is bleak and revealed to be even bleaker at the same time febail’s is revealed to be turning around for the better.

this is the tragedy that is set with the substitute characters even besides asaello. they are all in similar positions or somehow comparable to these other characters, but because they weren’t born with the right blood in their veins, their life is a lot worse. their happy endings are typically at best bittersweet. asaello isn’t even the most depressing of the lot, but he certainly explores the nature of futility and making do, and this is even shown in the final chapter where everything is leading up to a great triumph after years of oppression and struggles across the whole continent.

Muirne: “Asaello… Look, I know how you feel, but you really should let them handle this.” Asaello: “Man, if only I had a little Crusader blood in me… I’d be tearin’ the enemy up!” Muirne: “Well, lots of us wish we were of Crusader lineage, but look on the bright side. We’ve been fortunate just to be able to come this far. Most commoners like us never get such a chance.” Asaello: “Commoners… Life’s so unfair. Everyone else around here is either of royalty or nobility.” Muirne: “Cheer up, Asaello! You’ve got a whole fan club of kids who are dying for you to get back!” Asaello: “Yeah, I guess I can’t complain. I do have you after all, too.” Muirne: “Hehehe… Asaello…”

( FE4, Endgame, Lovers Convo with Muirne and Asaello )

asaello and muirne have both been major fixtures of the army by this point, but they both tell themselves that they aren’t good enough. they can’t handle this final battle. you, the player, are inclined to agree with them, given the fact they underperform when compared to their canonical counterparts found in febail and lana. they especially underperform compared to the likes of seliph, ares, and other holy blooded people in the army beside them.

fe4 encourages you to be complicit in jugdral’s philosophy that holy blood makes someone better and that everyone else just will never live up to them. the game makes you feel that same sense of futility that the substitute characters do.

when asaello says if only he had a little crusader blood in him, he’d be able to tear the enemy up... he’s right. and that’s what hurts. his self-deprecation is founded. life is unfair. 

the only way for muirne and asaello to end their conversation happily is to accept the fact they will always remain subpar and that they must settle for happiness elsewhere. their happiness is in each other, in people far away from what they’re both involved in right now, and that’s okay.

we make it to the epilogue and we get to the final differences in character i can remark between asaello and febail. though they both had the same reasons for becoming assassins and ended up starting on the same path, their endings couldn’t be anymore different.

febail goes to yngvi in grannvale to chase his new purpose in life. he doesn’t even mention returning home to conote. febail tells seliph that he’ll pledge himself to him, but for asaello, the war’s end signals his return home and the final words he’ll ever say to seliph. this is the end of the road for them.

but their words afterwards with their respective lovers in the epilogue is interesting — well, at least to me anyway! and uh, there’s no real easy way for me to discuss this in a way that isn’t long as hell, so get ready for the misadventures of two boys love lives i guess.

every single febail lovers convo in the epilogue goes basically something like this, with slight word tweaking to try and fit whomever his lover (grabbed larcei+creidne for this just out of convenience of them being first) is:

Febail: “On this blessed bow, Lord Seliph, I swear I’ll be with you every step of the way!” Larcei/Creidne: “So what about what you swore to me?” Febail: “Huh? What did I promise you again?” Larcei/Creidne: “You’re kidding... You forgot ALREADY?” Febail: “Kidding, kidding! It was a joke! Sorry... Wow, that’s a terrifying look you’re giving me.” Larcei/Creidne: “Can you blame me for not being sure?”

( FE4, Epilogue, Seliph’s Grannvalian Talks - Febail )

compare this to the conversation asaello would have with this exact same pairing:

Larcei/Creidne: “Asaello... Leaving Seliph now’s gotta be pretty painful, huh? I know you’ll tough it out.” Asaello: “I know that, Larcei/Creidne. I'm not weak.” Larcei/Creidne: “What's with the attitude? I'm just worried about you!” Asaello: “Don't worry about me. I told you, I'm not weak. You couldn't possibly understand how I feel!” Larcei/Creidne: “Fine, then. I'm leaving you. You can go home by yourself!” Asaello: “Hold on, I didn't mean it... I'm sorry! Just don't leave me!” Larcei/Creidne: “Hmph...” Asaello: “Larcei/Creidne... Come on. I need you.” Larcei/Creidne: “Okay, but I need you to promise one thing: don't talk back to me ever again.” Asaello: “F-Fine... I promise...” Larcei/Creidne: “Then all is forgiven. Let's go.” Asaello: “Sigh... Can't live with her, can't live without her...”

( FE4, Epilogue, Seliph’s Thracian Talks - Asaello )

this is the second instance we see a personality distinction between febail and asaello. go back to their conversations with their sisters that i showed earlier and these traits are repeated. where febail can hold his own in arguments and is quick to make his rebuttals, asaello absolutely crumples. febail exudes confidence and will talk when necessary. asaello is easily overtaken by his sister retorting against him for his scolding her, and here with larcei or creidne, he quickly is relegated to begging and conceding to her. asaello gives me the impression that he might be a bit more starved for affection than febail is, and is consequently a lot more scared to speak back or to have people act coldly to him. he seems to shut down a lot more easily and also opens up more emotionally where febail is more stubborn with sticking to hiding his embarrassment.

this trait of asaello, his tendency to fold to the other, is explored by him having actually multiple unique conversations his different lovers, unlike febail who essentially uses a cookie-cutter convo with all of them.

fee/femina and lene/laylea will first reassure asaello that they’ll be there for him before teasing him by saying they like how he’s cute when he’s shy; lana/muirne, nanna/jeanne, and tine/linda will trick asaello into admitting that the only thing that helps him cure his loneliness is by being with them and even goads him into confessing point-blank just how much they mean to him in his desperation to not cause any miscommunication. 

but i think more than his conversations in the epilogue with his lovers proving this disparity of emotional vulnerability breaking open more easily are his conversations in the case when his sister daisy is dead.

Seliph: “Asaello, I... I’m so sorry about Daisy...” Asaello: “Hey, it wasn’t your fault. I’m the one who stuffed up here. I... I’ll take Daisy home with me. She deserves to rest with her parents. Then... Then I can mourn her.” Seliph: “Asaello...”

( FE4, Epilogue, Seliph’s Thracian Talks - Asaello while Daisy’s dead )

asaello’s epilogue talks change based upon this whereas febail’s don’t, emphasizing how truly bittersweet the ending of the game is for him even more in this scenario. this is a trait shared by all the other guys too, for the record. the canon characters like febail, lester, etc. don’t get conversations depending on whether or not their sisters die, but their substitutes like asaello and deimne do. fe4′s ending is here to remind us every time something bad happens to the substitute kids, and it will force us to stew in it too.

asaello gets a lot of unique conversations with his lovers to follow up on this too, each one exploring his sadness and even one a couple admitting how he openly has cried even as he tries to remain strong when talking about daisy’s death.

he can’t handle daisy’s death. she’s basically all he had left in this world after they had both been orphaned very young. if he doesn’t have a lover, there is no one to comfort him. he is nothing more than the hitman of conote, feared and alone, and he will willingly walk away from the one connection he has in lord seliph after the war is said and done with despite his misery.

this isn’t to say febail’s life is without its own struggles or depressing moments too, but his happiness always feels like it is something he owns and that there is light at the end of the tunnel for him. he will bask in his dreams where asaello is sinking and settling, trudging through a grim reality based upon compromises and scrounging for his more modest joys if he can find them.

the image i drew at the top was, in truth, a bit of a lie. when looking at febail and his substitute asaello, it isn’t febail and the cooler (?) febail; it is in fact febail and the more depressing febail. thanks, kaga.

[wanderingcas]

☆ for @cottondean, as a part of her benefits on my Patreon! thank you so much for your support:’) ☆ prompt: a college au where big, tough (*cough* softie) football player!Dean calls entomology major!Cas to come get a spider out of his kitchen because his roommate is gone

. . . 

There’s a certain part of the quad that Castiel loves to sit. It’s a small field of grass with two large oak trees, far away from the busy shuffling of students walking from class to class. It’s the only patch of nature he can seem to find within a five-mile radius in the bustling city. 

Before he buries his head into the textbook for his Insect Behavior lecture, he takes a moment to tilt his head back against the tree and squint up at the sun, shattered by the hundreds of leaves fluttering in the gentle wind. He takes a large breath and sighs. It’s the calmest part of his day. The only peace he can find with his back-to-back classes, labs, homework, and it’s just lovely to be able to sit and—

His phone buzzes obnoxiously in his jeans pocket. He opens an eye and glares at it. Closes his eyes and tries to find his peace again. The phone vibrates again, this time louder and more insistent. 

With a sigh, he fishes out his phone and flips it open. 

Hey, this is Cas, right? It’s Dean Winchester, we were in Biology lab together last semester. Okay this is a weird thing to text, but you like bugs and everything, right? Well I don’t, and there’s this spider and it’s HUGE like this might be a freaking tarantula and can you kill it? Kevin usually does but he’s out of town.

Castiel stares at the block of text. Another text message comes in: 

Kevin’s my roommate. I should have mentioned that 

He’s pushing the button to respond when another text buzzes in his palm: 

OMG it’s on my cookies!! Wtf!! 

“What the fuck indeed,” Castiel agrees in a low tone. He clicks the call button and holds the phone to his ear.

“Oh hey,” comes Dean’s deceptively breezy voice over the receiver.

“Dean?” Castiel asks. “Are you okay? Your texts seemed very… distressed.”

“Me? Distressed? No way. You can ignore that. I took care of it. I just—” Dean abruptly makes a very high-pitched noise. 

“The spider is still there, isn’t it?” Castiel asks.

“It’s staring at me, Cas. I think it can smell fear.” 

“Oh my god.” Castiel pinches the bridge of his nose. “I can be at your apartment in five minutes. Do you still live in the same room?”

“Yes,” Dean whispers. 

Castiel stands and shoulders his backpack. “Why are you whispering?”

“Did you not hear me when I said this is a devil spider?” 

Castiel sighs as he begins to walk to the Circle Apartments across campus. “Well, just make sure not to make any sudden movements, or it may think you’re prey to hunt.” 

“Oh my god, Cas, why the fuck would you tell me—”

“I’m kidding,” Castiel sighs. “I’ll be there soon.” 

Another text comes in as he ends the call. Charlie’s quick text flashes across the screen.

U @ the tree?

Castiel texts back, No. Going to help a friend.

ooOOO who??

Castiel glances around before typing out, Fall semester hot lab partner. 

Rolling his eyes at the caps locked letters he gets back from Charlie, he shuts his phone. Telling only his best friend Charlie about his crush on Dean Winchester is already one person too many. 

Castiel remembers Dean’s apartment’s location from the night they studied for the Biology lab final together. They had sat on Dean’s bed, listening to Led Zeppelin while Castiel quizzed Dean (being an Entomology major, he knew most of the material from his AP Bio classes in high school, so didn’t need to study as much). He still remembers the tint of blush in Dean’s cheeks whenever Castiel praised Dean for his correct answers. 

“You’re actually making me think I can get this stuff,” Dean had said. “I always thought I was too dumb to get this science crap. Not a ton of time to focus on academics, with the football scholarship and all.”

“Of course you can get it,” Castiel said. “You’re far from stupid, Dean.” 

When Dean had grinned widely at that, Castiel had decided that he’d love to put a thousand more smiles on his handsome face.

Castiel shakes his head as he climbs the stairs to Dean’s apartment door. He lost his chance with Dean months ago; he needs to remember that.

He’s barely rapping his knuckles against the door before it bursts open. Dean yanks him inside. “Hurry, it disappeared! I think it went under the stove!” 

Castiel stumbles into the narrow hallway, catching himself with a hand against the wall. He stares at Dean, who is dressed in nothing but gym shorts and a thin white t-shirt, oven mitts on his hands and a colander on his head.

“What in the hell are you wearing?” Castiel asks.

“Defensive gear,” Dean replies, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

Castiel blinks. “Um—” 

Dean grabs Castiel’s arm and pulls him toward the kitchen. “C’mon, dude, it’s getting away!” 

“Dean, it’s not going to hurt you,” Castiel says as he trips after him. “Most spiders in this region don’t even bite.”

“Yeah, most, but knowing my luck this one will.” Dean pushes Castiel forward, hiding behind his back. “Okay, now, go do your… bug whispering.”

“My chosen major does not mean I whisper to bugs,” Castiel says.

“You know what I mean. Go, like… beat it into submission.”

Castiel sighs. He carefully walks across the linoleum kitchen floor, careful not to step on the small creature in case it decides to run under his feet. He spots the spider climbing its way up the side of the stove. 

“Hey, little one,” Castiel says softly. Based on the lack of distinct marks on its brown body, it’s likely a harmless cellar spider. Holding out his hand, he stops the spider’s trek with his fingers, cupping it in his palm. He ignores Dean’s horrified gasp behind him.

“You’ve had a busy afternoon,” Castiel murmurs to the small spider in his hands. He stands and turns toward Dean. “Can you open a window?”

Dean scrunches his face into a frown. “But it’ll just come right back in.”

“It’s warm outside. It’s likely that it’ll simply go look for food.” 

“Ugh. Fine.” Dean tentatively steps past Castiel and opens the balcony screen door. “Put it out here, I guess.” 

Castiel walks out onto the porch and carefully deposits the spider onto the railing. “Good luck,” he says as it scurries away. 

“You’re safe now,” he tells Dean tonelessly as he walks back into the kitchen, sliding the balcony door closed. 

Dean sighs and pulls off the oven mitts. “Thanks. I hate those things.”

“May I suggest that you may have arachnophobia?” Castiel asks. 

“How can you not with those things?” Dean dramatizes a shudder. “They’re nasty.”

Castiel shrugs. “I think they’re quite beautiful.”

Dean gives him a strange look. Huffs a laugh. “You know, I forgot how quirky you are.” 

“It has been a few months since our class concluded.” 

“Yeah. I guess.” 

Castiel pointedly does not mention, or think about, the awkward moment that made them stop speaking again after the end of the semester. 

Dean waves a hand. “Well, anyway, thanks man. For helping me out, and all.” 

The moment that Dean had leaned toward him on the bed, only inches between them, his eyes closing—

How fear made Castiel quickly jump off the bed, avoiding the kiss at all. 

“It’s no problem,” Castiel says quickly, shutting off his line of thinking. He avoids looking at Dean’s lips. “I should probably get back to studying.”  

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” Dean rubs at the back of his head. His hair is sticking up wildly after taking the colander off his head. “You know, I’m in another Biology class, actually.”

Castiel’s eyebrows raise. “Oh really?”

“Yeah.” Dean grins. “Kinda was inspired by you, actually. You made me like that last class, so I thought… why not another one?”

Castiel feels something in his chest lighten. He smiles. “Oh, that’s—that’s good.” 

They both stand awkwardly, staring at their feet. “You know—” Dean says as Castiel begins, “I should—”

Dean smiles. Castiel hides a laugh behind his hand. “You go,” he says. 

“I was just gonna say, uh—” Dean waves a hand toward the living room. “I was actually about to study, too, if you, well… want company?” He quickly adds, “I can make you dinner for helping with the spider, too.”

Castiel says, “I do remember your cooking being delicious.” 

Dean’s face lights up with a grin. “So you’ll stay?” 

“Yes. Besides, if any insects come flocking at the smell of food, I will need to be here to protect you.” 

Dean rolls his eyes and aims an oven mitt at Castiel’s head. Castiel ducks, this time letting his laugh resound throughout the kitchen. 

They barely get any studying done; Castiel doesn’t mind. He’s perfectly content sitting in Dean’s sunny living room, watching Dean animatedly show Castiel each of his records and ramble off facts over the booming bass. Castiel complains about his classes, propped against the counter with a glass of wine in hand, as Dean cooks pasta. 

They watch Casablanca on the couch; it was Dean’s mom’s favorite movie, and coincidentally, Castiel’s. Not that they make it far; they’re in each other’s arms, kissing and ripping off each other’s shirts like their lives depend on it, barely five minutes into the movie. 

Castiel is lying contentedly on Dean’s bare chest and listening to his heartbeat when he murmurs, “I hope more spiders come into your kitchen.” 

He feels Dean kiss the top of his head. “Y’know what? Me too.”

. . . 

☆my patreon☆ ☆my ko-fi☆

[babybottlepop96]

Home Again Chapter 1

Jean x Marco

Summary: Jeana and Marco have been friends since the tender ages of 5 and 7. They grow together and fall in love.... then Jean disappears.

Warnings: This story will contains mentions of past rape and abuse. The violence parts will probably be descriptive, but the rape will not be. There will be eventual smut further along into the story. 

~20 Years Ago~

"Jean, honey, this is mommy's new boss, Mr. Bott. He is the man who is going to help us, so I need you to be on your best behavior, okay?" The small five year old with ash blonde hair, dark brown undercut and honey golden eyes nodded his head as he stared at the tall dark haired man with dark chocolate eyes.

"Nice to meet you Master Jean." The man smiled down at the boy with a warm smile. "This is my son, Marco, he just turned seven a few months ago. Heard you enjoy dinosaurs and superheroes?" Jean nodded as he stared at the boy just two years older than himself with wide eyes, mapping out all the freckles along his tanned skin, milk chocolate eyes staring back into his own with a smile that could make the grumpiest of men relax. "Marco has a boatload of dinosaur and superhero toys, Marco, why don't you show Jean your room?" Marco smiled, grabbing Jean's hand and dragging him up the giant spiral staircase to the second floor.

Once inside the room, Jean's jaw dropped, the size of Marco's bedroom was bigger than his whole house combined. The ceiling was high with detailed trim along the edges, painted in a dark brown and a pale maroon shade of red. The bed was bigger than what any seven year old should have, a giant flat screen tv was mounted onto the wall across from the bed and games, movies and toys filled the rest of the room. "Do you want to play a video game? I have Spyro the dragon, Crash Bandicoot, Mario Kart?" The freckles kid asked, naming off games while setting up one of the many gaming consoles he owned.

"I… ummm.." Jean stood there nervously, rocking on his feet while twiddling his tiny thumbs. "I've never played a video game before." He looked up to see Marco smiling at him.

"That's okay! I'll teach you! We can start with Mario Kart, it's a multiplayer game, so I'll be able to teach you!" He smiled proudly as if he just won first place at the spelling bee.

"Oh, okay! Thank you!" Jean grabbed the controller Marco handed out to him with shaky hands. The two sat down on the squishy blue and purple bean bag chairs and started a game, Marco showing him how to pick his character, how to move and control the kart and how to throw the special abilities gained when hitting the boxes with the question marks.

"So, Jean, what's your favorite color?"

"Purple." Jean spoke as he tried to concentrate on what he was doing on the screen, still having a bit of trouble with the turns.

"Cool! Mines red!" Marco spoke as he gestures to the room around them. 

"Favorite food?" Jean asked, stealing a glance at the older kid next to him, he couldn't help but smile, Marco's smile was infectious.

"Spaghetti! Well, all kinds of pasta! Penne, ravioli, ricotta-"

"I thought ricotta was a cheese?" Jean questioned, he wasn't actually sure himself, he just knew that cheese was a luxury in his home, never having enough money most of the time for really fancy things like cheeses.

"Oh, yeah! It is!" Marco giggled, "I just really like ricotta cheese." Jean giggled too, this kid was alright. "You're my new best friend, Jean."

~8 Years Later~

"Will you just shut up, Yeager?" A thirteen year old Jean Kirstein, as calmly as he could, spoke with his fist balled up at his sides as he walked out of the middle school building.

"Come on, Kirstein, didn't your poor piss excuse for a mother teach you it isn't nice to tell people to shut up?" Eren, the school bully, asshole and dick, in Jean's opinion, insulted. That's when Jean's resolve faded into nothing and landed a swift punch to the tanned, unblemished skin, a crunch was heard throughout the whole parking lot. Eren fell to the ground but quickly regained his strength and landed a kick to Jean's guy. The wind was knocked from Jean's lungs, but his anger was dominant. He lunged for the bastard who insulted his mother, the only parent he ever knew who worked her ass off to make sure he survived, to give the douche-nozzle a good pounding, but warm, strong arms held him back before hos fist could collide with it's intended target.

"Jean." A warm voice whispered in his ear, Marco. He relaxed in the freckles arms but he was still livid. "Let's go." Then, he was dragged off to the black Chevy Impala.

"Is that your boyfriend Horse Face? Man, I knew you were fruity but seriously? You could do better!" Jean almost got out Marco's grip, but the taller, older teen had his grip firm and all but threw the teen into the back seat.

"Jean-" 

"No, don't start Marco! He taunted me about how I have to live my life, insulted my mother, then insulted you! He deserved to get his lights punched out!" Jean yelled, unshed tears forming in the corners of his Carmel eyes, threatening to spill any second. Marco just simply drew the younger into his arms and the driver drove towards Bott Manor. "He… he doesn't have to be so mean! I never did anything to him!" 

When they finally pulled into the Manor, Marco led Jean to his room, the same room they first became friends in eight years ago. The stuffed animals and small toys are now replaced with books, CDs and even more games and movies. Marco sat them down on the bed and neither spoke for a few minutes. "He was right, ya know." Marco finally spoke and Jean looked at him like he had four heads. "You could do better than me, if we were together."

"Marco Bott, you stop right there! No one could ever replace you! You are literally the best person alive! If I had the balls to kiss you I would!" Jean and Marco's eyes widened and Jean turned into a blushing, flustered mess. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I.. I don't know why I said tha-", but Jean couldn't finish, Marco's lips pressed firmly against his in a gentle yet passionate kiss that spoke thousands of words and so many feelings. 

"I love you Jean." Marco whispered as they pulled apart, foreheads still touching as both tried to regain their breath and slow their hearts. Jean cupped Marco's face in his hands and kissed him again.

"I love you too, Marco."

~2 Years Later~

Jean Kirstein, fifteen year old freshman at Trost High, walked through the park on his way home after work. He hates his job, hates working behind the counter at the local Taco Bell, hates that Eren works there too in the kitchen as a prep cook, hates dealing with annoying ass customers with snarky attitudes complaining that their crunch wrap supreme doesn't have enough sour cream. Well sorry, Karen, I don't make the fucking food nor do I determine how much sour cream goes on it. Today was a particularly bad day, Eren called off claiming he was sick when Jean really knew he was out with his "boyfriend" leaving him to prepare food and take orders. Then someone took a dump on the men's bathroom floor, didn't even try to aim for the fucking toilet! Just took a shot right there in the middle of the goddamn floor which he had to clean up himself while his manager bitched about him not doing his job at the counter. All Jean wanted to do was go home, talk to his boyfriend for a little before he eventually went to bed and got up early the next day for school.

It was a simple request that he wished for while the clock ticked by slowly. Jean was so into his own head, he never heard the footsteps coming up behind him until it was too late. A wet cloth covered his nose and mouth, his eyes widened for a second before the world faded to black.

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

"We have to find him!" Marco shouted at his father who was looking at him with a solemn expression. Marco paced back and forth in front of his father's desk, hands taking through his u kept hair. He has barely slept a wink since Jean vanished three days ago, his mind wondering about all the worst scenarios it could think of.

"We are trying, son, but we have no evidence of anything taking place. No struggle, no personal belongings, nothing to suggest anything has even happened."

"But Jean couldn't have just vanished into thin air! He wouldn't run away either! He loved his mom too much to just up and leave her and me…" Marco trailed off, thinking about his and Jean's time together over the last two years. Picnic and arcade dates, eating pizza and hot wings while they binge watched their favorite tv series at that moment, the soft and gentle kisses they shared between one another before they parted ways, always promising to text each other once they got home, letting the other one know they got there safe. That's the single most reason why Marco knew something was wrong. Neither of them forgot to send the 'im home safe and sound' text. Not once, in the ten years that they've known each other, did they miss sending that text. Even as children and Marco's father gave Mrs. Kirstein a cell phone as a gift to keep in contact, did they miss THAT text.

"Son, we are doing everything we can to find Jean. But we also need to think rationally, Jean might not ever be found." Marco froze at those words, Jean may be lost forever? He may never see those honey eyes, beautiful smile, perfect sketches and vibrant paintings painted by those slender pale hands and fingers? May never run his hands through those soft locks of ash and brown ever again? That's when Marco broke, he screamed and fell to the floor in a fetal position on the floor. His father looked at him with hurt in his own dark chocolate eyes, for him, his son and Jean's mother who was currently out looking for her only child as they speak. Don Bott rose from his leather chair and walked around the desk, kneeling in front of his son. He put his hand on his back and whispered a pained, "I'm sorry, Marco."

~10 Years Later (Present Day)~

Here he was, once again, at an underground auction. Mr. Bott hated these things, but he had no other choice, ever since Mrs. Kirstein passed away three years ago from a drunk driving accident, he hasn't been able to find someone who cleaned as well as she had. Every person he hired had an attitude or just didn't speak at all, always forgetting to dust the book shelves or take out the trash. So he relented and took up on Mr. Ackerman's suggestion to go to an auction. Getting there early to get a good seat, Mr. Bott, along with Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Braun and Mr. Hoover, the Dons of their respected parts of New York City, all sat down to converse while the auction for the…. Pleasure portion of the auction slowly came to a close. Mr. Bott cringed as the scum of New York bid money on these poor people just for the gratification of getting their dick in a hole.

"And now for our last and best prize of the night!" The auctioneer spoke as the Dons sighed in relief, none of them liked the idea of people being sold for pleasure as they themselves, tried for years to get it under control but never succeeding. "This one has been in the business for ten years, used and a bit rough looking, but this little beauty will be the best fuck you ever had. Clean and pliant, not a bad body either if I do say so myself. Number 54!" The announcer spoke as someone roughly shoved a young man out into the center of the room. The numbers flying from the crowd started pouring in left and right and it got the Dons wondering whom this "prize" was. "Three-thousand!" "Ten-thousand!" "Twenty Five-thousand!"

"Two hundred-thousand!" The crowd went quiet after hearing the deep booming voice coming from the front row.

"Two hundred-thousand! Going once! Going twice! Sold! To Do Bott!" The young man was then hauled out of the room to be prepped for leaving the facility.

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

"Dad! I'm home! Reiner, Bert, Mikasa, Eren and Armin are here too!" Marco called from the doorway as he and the others walked into the Manor. "Dad?!"

"In the living room son!" He heard his father call and the group walked towards the sound.

"What's up? We heard your voicemail and hauled ass here. What happened?" Marco asked as soon as he saw his father, eyes brimmed with tears and a small smile. The others in the room, specifically Dr. Yeager, looked at them, small sad but slightly happy smiles on their faces. "What's going on here?" The group looked at each other, confused and concern plastered on their faces. Once Mr. Bott moved to the side and gestured to the couch, it was then that the group realized what was happening. On the couch asleep, lay a thin pale man, dark circles under his eyes, bruises and scars and even some fresh wounds, now neatly stitched up thanks to Dr. Yeager, littering his almost naked form. Marco stared at the man laying on the pale green couch and tears flooded down his cheeks. "Jean?"

[oboevallis]

Hey! Wondering if u could write something related to this season with Amelink, the baby, Maggie, the kids, idk or maybe link goes to work and all the kids give Amelia hell and drive her crazy and the baby cries a lot

week 1

thank you so much for the prompt! im considering maybe doing a mini series on this, because im really living for domestic amelin, and i also didn’t do everything in the prompt also part 2 to baby blues will be out soon

"Auntie Amelia when is mommy going to be home?" Bailey asked as his aunt tucked him in.

"We talked about this the other day remember? Your mom has to help people at the hospital, but she can't come home because she may get us sick. So she's going to stay at a hotel. I promise first thing tomorrow you can FaceTime her."

"Okay, but why can't she come home to see us. I won't get sick."

"There's something called a pandemic going on right now, and basically that's a sickness that spreads really really quickly. And since your moms at the hospital all the time working with people who have the sickness it isn't safe for her to see us." Amelia wanted to cry when she saw the tears welling up in her nephews eyes.

"You don't do anything right though. You don't tuck me in right, and you don't make sandwiches right, and you don't play cars right either. Actually you don't play with me at all like you used to." Bailey ranted before he took his covers and pulled them over his head. Amelia tried to reach out to him only for him to turn away from her. She wasn't sure how she was going to handle this, it had barely been a week since lockdown begun.

"Good night Bailey, I love you." Amelia reassured as she closed the door behind her. She walked down the attic stairs to find Link putting the covers over Ellis while she laid on Merediths bed, for the past couple of nights she's refused to sleep unless it was in her mothers bed. She was pulled out of her moment of serenity from her baby's cries, she sighed and made her way to Maggie's room. They put his crib in there for the time being as it was the closest to their room.

"What's the matter my sweet boy?" Amelia picked up the crying baby from his crib. She sat down on Maggie's bed and cradled her son, resulting in her sons cries to subside. "Someone just wanted their mommy huh?"

"Auntie Amelia?" Zola's voice startled her aunt causing her to gasp. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay ZoZo, everything okay?" The girl just nodded and crawled into the bed next to her aunt.

"Is Scout okay?"

"Yeah, he's just fine. I think he just wanted some attention."

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" The question took Amelia aback, she expected it from her younger niece and nephew but not from Zola. She sometimes forgot she was still a kid and not a teenager. She'd always acted mature for her age.

"Sure ZoZo. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just miss my mom. When I'm scared I always sleep with her."

"Why are you scared ZoZo?" Amelia knew it was a dumb question, she was scared herself. But it broke her heart her niece was as well.

"This sickness must be really bad if we can't go to school, or see friends, or see auntie Maggie and mommy."

"We're taking precautions, we wear out masks if we were to go out, we're quarantining. At the hospital your mom and aunt Maggie wear something called PPE, and they social distance and they constantly are washing their hands."

"So they won't get it?" Zola worriedly asked. Amelia didn't want to lie but she also didn't want her niece to be constantly worried.

"They're taking precautions ZoZo."

"Will you and Link be going to the hospital?"

"Well, not right now we're on something called maternity leave. That's when you have time off of work after you have a baby. So we'll be home for awhile and then we'll see what we should do. Don't be worried about this though, ZoZo. How about you go change into your pjs and brush your teeth, then you can go into my room and get to sleep that sound good?"

"That sounds good." Zola softly smiled as she jumped off the bed. Amelia sighed once her niece left the room, and turned her attrition to her baby.

"You are very adorable, but you need to sleep. You don't seem to like sleep very much though." She whispered as she placed the drowsy baby into his crib.

______________________________________

"Auntie Amelia your phones ringing." Zola yelled from the living room the next morning.

"Who is it?" Amelia asked, she was in the side room trying to help Bailey log onto a zoom meeting.

"Someone named Addison."

"Can you try to help Bailey log on? And bring my phone in here please." Zola skipped into the room and handed her aunt her phone, and took her seat at the computer. Amelia ran up the stairs and shut the bathroom door behind her, before Ellis realized she was up here. She sat in the bathtub and swiped the call on.

"Oh wow you look terrible." Addison commented, as her screen popped up with the face of her exhausted friend.

"Why thank you."

"Sorry, how are you holding up?"

"I'm alright, how are you doing?"

"I'm okay, I just have never lost this many patients before."

"I can't even imagine, I hear it's really bad."

"Yeah it really is. So have you decided if your going back to work after your maternity leave?"

"I have no idea, I mean they desperately need doctors. But what happens to Scout and the kids. We can't leave them with a babysitter, because of quarantine. I don't know, I'm just kind of taking it a day at a time."

"That's okay, that's all we can really do. Take it a day at a time. How's the baby doing?"

"Oh he's really good." Amelia lit up at the mention of her baby. "I'm basically with him all the time, so Link is stuck with the other kids so I can't really complain."

"Link must be having the time of his life." Addison sarcastically laughed.

"Yea, he's never really dealt with kids before. At least not to this extent, the most he'd interact with a child before is if he had to do surgery on one." Knocking on the bathroom door took her out of her moment of serenity talk to her friend.

"Auntie Amelia, we still can't get Bailey into his zoom." Zola's voice came from the outside of the door.

"Crap, I've got to go Addie. Stay safe."

"You too." Amelia set her phone down on the edge of the tub, and hoisted herself up.

"You still can't get in?" Amelia asked once she opened the door.

"Nope, I tried everything."

"Alright I'll try and take a look at it." Amelia sighed, and went down the stairs to the room they've now dedicated to school. "Still can't get it?"

"No, so does that mean I don't have to do it?" Bailey hopefully asked.

"No your still going to have to do it. You know what I'll email your teacher, and tell her what's going on."

"Alright, I'm gonna go play." Bailey said quickly while running my out of the room.

"No, Bailey get back here." She called after her nephew, only for him to ignore her. She sighed and held her head in her hands. "Okay, ZoZo did you finish your school work yet?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, go play with Bailey then." She opened up Meredith's email, so she could contact Baileys teacher about the issue with the video call. Once she composed the email and sent it, she scrolled through the other emails. She noticed one from Zola's teacher and opened.  Zola had 8 missing assignments, Amelia felt like crying and screaming. She already knew they were going to be up all night trying to catch her up, she wanted to be mad but she couldn't. This was nothing like her niece, she was obviously struggling with the quarantine.

"Hey the kids are done with school already?" Link asked as he came into the room.

"No, Bailey can't log on. And Zola's been lying to my face about completing her homework. I also have no idea what Ellis is supposed to be doing." Amelia choked out before she started crying.

"Oh, don't cry." Link walked further into the room and spun Amelia around in the spiny chair before wrapping his arms around her. “It's going to be okay. We'll figure it out. How about we sit everyone down, and come up with a game plan. We haven't sat down and organized how this is going to be."

"Okay." Amelia smiled slightly wiping away her tears. She spun around in the chair to face back towards the computer. She was going to write down all the children's assignments and figure the times that the teachers held their video calls.

______________________________________

"Okay do your Aunt Amelia and I wanted to talk to you guys." Link said as he placed down the kids plates in front of them.

"About what?" Zola asked curiously.

"Well we know that right now, everything's all messed up and kind of scary. But we still have to have a routine and make sure our school works getting done." Amelia said as she adjusted her shirt so her son could eat.

"So what does that mean." Zola asked before she messily slurped up her spaghetti.

"Well for starters we're gonna go to bed on time, and we'll wake up around 7 so we can get ready for the day before we start school." Link stated once he sat down at the kitchen table with everyone.

"So Bailey and Ellis you have two zoom calls everyday. At 8 and at 10, so Bailey you'll be in the side room and Ellis we'll set you up in the living room. Zola you have four calls so you'll be in the kitchen-"Zola interrupted before Amelia could finish her statement.

"Wait why do I have more calls then them, thats not really fair."

"Since your older you have more classes than they do. Back to what I was saying, we'll all have lunch together and then we can play for a little bit but then back to school. After everyone's done you can play or watch a movie then we'll have dinner and go to sleep. How does that sound?" Amelia asked, the couple realistically knew that this plan would probably never happen but they wanted to try to let the kids have a predictable routine everyday.

"Sounds fair." Bailey said and the two girls nodded in agreement. "Soooooo, can we watch a movie tonight?"

"Not tonight bud." Link said, causing sighs from all three children. After everyone was done with dinner Zola helped Link clear the table while Amelia put the baby to bed. "So you've got some missing assignments."

"Oh." Zola felt embarrassed. "I didn't know you knew about that."

"I do. Tonight me and your Aunt Amelia are going to help you with it, so you don't get further behind. Is that alright?"

"I guess so." Zola sighed. "It's just confusing, I like it better when it's on paper not the computer."

"Okay, so we'll sit down and figure it out. It's going to be okay."

"Thanks Link." Zola smiled kindly. "Sorry I lied, to Auntie Amelia about completing my work."

"Just don't do it again, next time just ask for help. Nothing gets better if you don't ask fo help." Link smiled.

[sick-atsumu-side]

Would you please make atsumu a lactose intolerant ?? Thank u

C. Wrong Milk | Miya Atsumu

Sorry because this took me a while and it ended a bit looong but... hope you like it and thanks for requesting💘 Atsumu is my debility.

Warnings: description of vomit.

“Tsumu, for God’s sake. Can you fucking hurry?! We’re already late for mom’s Meeting.”

“I’m going, I’m going!”

Osamu sighed in a bad way, right before he grabbed his boxed milk to start drinking it. Atsumu, on the other hand was taking a shower because he had woken up late, as their mother left earlier. She had to be there first since it was her job and Osamu understood that.

However, he was annoyed. They really didn’t have time for a decent breakfast now, and It was all Atsumu's fault.

“Damn it, Tsumu! If we don’t get in time because of you I’m going to fucking kill you! You knew this Meeting was important to mom!”

‘‘I’m putting on my clothes! Fuck!”

Osamu threw the now empty boxed milk to the trashcan, as he waited impatiently for Atsumu. Patting repeatedly the floor with his foot.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Atsumu didn’t even dried his hair before grabbing his own boxed milk to drink it in a single sip, as the two of them walked outside their house as fast as they could. They started to run right after Atsumu threw the empty boxed milk in a trashcan.

‘‘Hurry, you stupid!’‘ Osamu yelled with a frown.

‘‘I know! ya’ don’t have to yell at me!”

They had to make it in time.

.

.

.

.

“W-where’s mom? You see her?” Osamu asks, as they finally got there. Trying to catch his breath because of the running.

Atsumu shook his head, trying to catch his breath too as he steady himself next to the wall.

“That bussy woman.” he said. “I almost threw up in the fackin’ way to arrive early and she’s not here.”

“Don’t try to blame on her, we all know it’s your fault.”

Atsumu rolled his eyes.

“Shut the fuck up, Samu.”

There was a lot of people inside the building. There were people in suits and other ones were in casual clothes just like them. There was a lot of food too, cocktail and stuff. Osamu was already drooling at that point.

Atsumu sighed with frustration, still annoyed.

“I still don’t get it.” he complained, as they left the wall. “Why mom wants us here? It’s stupid.”

Osamu walked to a table with Atsumu behind, that way he could pick a bit of food since he was hungry. Atsumu just stared at him.

“M-am got a promotion.” Osamu said after putting a piece of cupcake inside his mouth. “It’s not- stupid.”

Atsumu wrinkled his nose.

“When did that shit happened?” He asked, looking harshly at what he could actually eat from that table.

“Last week.” Osamu said, picking up a sandwich this time. “You should pay more attention to her you know.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Atsumu sighed in frustration. “This fucking place doesn’t have anything that I can eat. What a bullshit.”

“Lame.”

“You fucking ash-”

Atsumu tried to hit Osamu’s butt with his foot, however, someone grabbed him back by his sweater collar from behind to stop him. Samu didn’t hold back a laugh.

“You fucking what? Atsumu.”

Atsumu rolled his eyes when he heard her, as she released her grip with a snort. Samu was still eating, by the way. Clearly entertained with the scene he had in front.

“Stop with those kind of words here, ya’ got it? Atsumu.” The woman was serious, even when she talked quietly. “Ya’ got it?” She insisted, pointing at him and Atsumu nodded, still with that annoyed look on his face. “And you, stop laughing at your brother.”

“Wha-”

Osamu wanted to argue when he saw the tiny smile in Atsumu’s face, however, their mother looked so stressed and angry because of it that he just got silent. The people around them were staring a bit.

“You guys are going to kill me someday. Like really.”

“Oh, Ms. Miya!” the woman turned her seriousness into a smile and stopped arguing when she turned to see one of her employees walking to them with a tray full of cocktails. “ It’s nice to see you, congrats on your promotion! Those are your kids?”

Atsumu wanted nothing more than to go home now. He was so hungry that his stomach started to roll inside of him and it started to make uneasy gurgles. Besides, he still can feel the tiredness because of the almost incident on the way there. He had drank that milk too fast.

Osamu just stared at the guy in front of them, he didn’t care who it was.

“Yeah, they’re my kids. Well, not kids anymore but yeah. It’s nice to see you here too.” She said with a wide smile, while Atsumu rolled his eyes as Osamu sighed.

Great.

“They've grown so much, I almost didn't recognize them.” The guy said with a smile as he brought the tray closer to the boys. “Do you wan’t some?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Osamu grabbed two pieces of mini pizzas, while Atsumu shook his head.

“C’mon boy, just one.” The guy insisted and Atsumu wanted to punch him, he was really pissed off.

“I said n-”

“He can’t eat those, he’s a lactose intolerant.” the woman interrupted him abruptly, and Atsumu bited his tongue just to not say anything. “But thank you.”

The guy looked surprised.

“Really? Oh, that’s bad.” he said, as he was being called by another guy next to another table. “Well, seems like i’m being called. See ya later Ms. Miya!”

“See ya.”

“Why do ya’ keep making me look like a fackin’ poor baby?” Atsumu grumbled when the guy leaved, clearly mad at his mother, who was shorter than him. “This is bullshit. Why the fuck do we even have to be here?”

“Tsumu.”

“What?” Atsumu turned to face Samu.

For her part, the woman just inhaled deeply some air, as she placed two fingers on his temple with a frown.

“Be careful with what you say.” Osamu says, as Atsumu rolled his eyes again.

“You two do whatever you want, go home or whatever. But don’t make a mess here. I don’t care.”

Osamu stopped eating and froze, as he saw their mother leaving. Atsumu still looked annoyed but this time, he looked uncomfortable because of what he had done.

“You’re trash, Tsumu.”

“So your point is?”

Osamu sighed as he took one sandwich off the table. He knew Atsumu wouldn’t go home after what she said to them. However, he felt bad for him not being able to eat anything in there.

It was his fault for being late and for being a dick, but yeah. He knew that being hungry in a place full of food wasn’t a good thing.

“Tsumu, I took the cheese off the sandwich. You can do the same with the others.” Atsumu turned to face him, both arms around his chest. “And stop being a dick.”

Atsumu peered deeply into the sandwich as he took it with his hands.

“This shitty bread doesn’t have lactose?” Atsumu asked, and Osamu shook his head. “Thanks, looks like I owe ya’ one.”

“Your welcome.”

Atsumu started to eat with Osamu, as they talked about volleyball and other things. However, a few minutes later he felt a bit bloated so he stopped eating. Still talking, though.

It was a feeling of fullness, but either way was a feeling of discomfort. His stomach was gurgling uneasily.

Why? It was supposed that the stupid bread didn’t have lactose or normal milk. Besides, he just stopped eating a few minutes ago... it doesn’t make sense. Maybe he was just paranoic.

Atsumu sighed shakily, placing one hand on his stomach to start rubbing the organ with a disgusting look.

“Mom finally is going to talk.” Samu patted on his shoulder, and Atsumu swallowed down some saliva.

The woman went up on the little stage with a smile, and the people clapped his hands as she started to talk about his proyects with a wide smile. Osamu smiled a bit when he saw her.

However, Atsumu couldn’t smile even if he would like to. He was starting to soak and he felt his stomach churning more than before, like if he needed to use the bathroom badly.

Indigestion, maybe?

Maybe the milk he had that morning? No, that was impossible. His mother brought him this Lactose-free milk the other day. Maybe it was the consequence for being a dick with his mom.

Fucking Karma.

Osamu didn’t noticed it, because his attention was full on his mother spech of gratitude. Atsumu felt bad for having to stop his happiness but he was really feeling bad.

He putted his fist on his mouth and muffled a tiny burp, closing his eyes a bit.

“Samu.” he patted on Samu’s shoulder, when he felt a gurgle in the bottom of his stomach. He looked a bit desperated. “Samu!”

The gray haired twin turned, clearly annoyed to see him.

“What?” Atsumu swallowed hard, shivering a little. Osamu raised one brow. “The fuck you wan’t now, Tsumu?”

“I-I don’t feel good.” he said with a shaky mutter . “Don’t know why.” Osamu sighed with frustration, this time trying not to capture everyone’s attention as he got closer to him.

“What you mean? Because of what mom said?” Atsumu shook his head. “The hell is wrong, then?”

Atsumu muffled another burp on his fist, and Osamu looked worried this time, remembering the incident of that morning. Atsumu didn’t look too great from his point of view. Suddendly, every colour of his face was gone. That wasn’t a good sign since they were surrounded in a place full of people.

“Fuck, are you going to be sick?”

“I don’t think so...”

“So in what way you feel bad? You look like shit.”

“I- I think I need to use the bathroom.” Atsumu muttered, this time breathing and moving uneasily as he closed his eyes and bited his lip. Osamu grimaced at him, looking a bit disgusted but still worried.

“Well, go.”

Atsumu was white as hell, and his entire body was shivering as his back was soaked in sweat. A gurgle sounded from the bottom of his stomach and he cursed. Trying not to panic because of it.

He was feeling worse as the time passed by.

“Tsumu, just go.” Osamu insisted, clearly worried and anxious. “You look ready to shit yourself here.”

“Come with me.”

“The fuck, Tsumu? Why do I have to-”

“Please, Samu.”

Osamu looked again at the uneasy and queasy face of his brother and he knew immediately that this was more than just indigestion.

Fuck. He thought, trying not to hit him because of his vulnerable state. He felt bad for letting their mom alone in the middle of her speech, but he couldn’t let Tsumu alone either. It was an emergency.

“‘Kay.” Osamu sighed and pushed Atsumu, who opened his eyes. “Move on, you shitty pig.”

Atsumu would have said something or argue If he hadn’t felt so bad, but this time he was more focused on not shitting himself right there. They were practically running to find a bathroom.

A lot of people stared at them when they were running even before they reached the bathroom next to the stairs of the building. Atsumu didn’t thought it twice before going fast inside an empty cubicle, closing the door abruptly in front of Osamu’s face.

“Damn it.”

Samu sighed again, this time crossing both arms on his chest, as he placed his back on the wall in front of the cubicle. A disgusting sound echoed the entire bathroom with a groan of his brother and Osamu covered his nose with his shirt collar. Just in case.

“That sounds bad.”

Atsumu cursed under his breath, he was so embarassed. He even blushed because of it as the time passed by, because he knew it was a public bathroom, but still he tried not to care about it. He felt so bad that even in the bathroom he couldn’t find any relief in his belly.

Atsumu was having a really bad time there.

“The fuck you ate? Nothing that you ate had lactose.” Osamu asks with a frown, like if he was making fun of him. However, he was trying to make him talk, since he was being too quiet.

There was no answer, just a tiny pained groan.

“Tsumu, you ok in there?”

Atsumu buried his face on his hands, wrinkling his nose as he closed his eyes in pain. He was sitting in the toilet and his stomach wasn’t calming itself. He needed to breath, but he couldn’t.

“Tsumu? You’re fucking worrying me.” Osamu says, knocking on the cubicle door as he got closer. “You okay in there?”

Atsumu suddendly felt something revolving inside of him and he burped wetly on his fist. Everything was so disgusting and his middle was bloated as hell, making pained cramps and gurgles every damn minute. The blonde wanted to cry, as he released another belch, this time wetter than the other one. It came with an acidic taste.

He started to feel nauseous.

“Tsumu, fuck.” Osamu grunts. “Can you at least answer me?”

“I’m not fucking okay Samu, stop it!” Atsumu didn’t meant to yell at his brother, but he was feeling too bad to care.

Osamu sighs, trying to ignore the few people who entered the bathroom and leaved after doing their things.

“What can I do for you?” he asks, softly this time. “You were fine in the morning, what happened?”

Atsumu swallowed down some foul-tasting saliva. Still trying to breath without gagging because of the smell.

“I don’t know.” he answers, his voice harsh and shaky because of the increasing nausea inside of him. “But whatever the fuck I ate, it only wants to come back up from every part of my fackin’ body.”

Osamu grimaced at the deep belch his brother realeased. It sounded from the pit of his stomach.

“You gonna be sick?” Samu got alarmed.

“I think so.”

“Open the door.” Osamu says in a sigh. “Or you still shitting?”

“No, i’m not.”

Atsumu flushed the toilet as he stood up, finishing his thing before unlocking the door to let his brother in. Osamu tried his hardest not to gag.

“Well, bad news.” Osamu says, as Atsumu kneeled in front of the toilet with a suppressed gag. “You're rotting yourself like a zombie.”

“Go ta’ hell, Samu.”

“Are you sure you’re not actually in the decomposition phase of a dead body?”

“It feels like.”

Atsumu shook his head in discomfort and belched wetly inside the toilet, releasing an amount of saliva inside of it. The nausea was almost overwhelming him, everything felt so bad inside of him and his stomach hurted like hell. Osamu leaned down next to him, placing a hand on Atsumu’s back as he rubbed circles on it.

“Easy, you’ll be fine.”

Osamu was still trying to remember what made the blonde sick, since he was pretty fine that morning. It didn’t made sense to him. Unless... no, they have drank Atsumu’s milk and not his.

Or not?

“Go-od.”

Atsumu placed a hand harshly on his stomach under his sweater, trying really hard not to cry in there as another wave of nausea rocked his body. Another wetly gurgle sounded from his stomach.

“Tsumu, I think that-”

Osamu couldn’t end his sentence, because Atsumu belched a mouthful of putrid liquid inside the toilet, splashing it sickly in the not so clean water without even knowing. He coughed harshly at the end, feeling too gross to even breathe.

“That’s was a nasty one.” Osamu says, wrinkling his nose but still rubbing Atsumu’s back as it jerked again under his palm before another round of pale brown liquid splashed harshly inside the toilet.

Atsumu had a lot of tears running down his cheeks at this point, as he felt like if he was exploding himself there. He felt the awful taste of acid with rotted milk and gagged hard, throwing up again non-stop.

“Easy, Tsumu.” Samu said, as he watched in horror the actual firehose next to him. “Try to breathe, shit.”

Atsumu retched harshly again, closing his eyes as he grabbed his stomach with both hands. This time sick poured out from his nose so he coughed again, gagging hard and loudly at the end. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to.

Osamu gagged unconsciously, still covering his nose as Atsumu retched one more time. Nothing but bile and saliva was coming out from him now, but he seemed to still wanting to throw up.

“Tsumu, you have nothing to throw up.” Samu said, when he saw the in between sob Tsumu left before he gagged again. “Try to calm down.”

He was still rubbing his back, as Atsumu tried to calm down, still grabbing his cramping belly. Osamu flushed the toilet when he saw him move off to grab a piece of toilet paper and after that, he blew his nose.

“How you feel now?”

Atsumu threw the now dirty toilet paper in the trashcan, before spitting saliva inside the toilet.

“Like shit.” Atsumu almost whispered, and Osamu took his hand off his back. “This is Karma, don’tcha’ think?”

Osamu sighs.

“She’s not actually mad, Tsumu.” Atsumu bited his lips, still rubbing the angry organ. “Besides, I don’t think this is Karma. Did you saw what milk you drank this morning?”

Atsumu wrinkled his nose in confusion and as a consequence of a cramp.

“What’cha mean, Samu?”

Osamu scratched his neck, a bit guilty. He even turned his face so he couldn’t see him.

“Samu, what the fuck ya’ mean? Ugh.”

A loud gurgle sounded from his stomach and Osamu winced a bit.

“I... think you drank the wrong milk, I just took the first ones I saw and-”

“I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Osamu tried to apologize, however, it was better for him to run. He knew that better than anyone.

If he wanted to live.

[lgcalec]

@lgcyura backtracked to june 8, 2021

oh my god was she in trouble. like, big, BIG trouble. was she overreacting? maybe. was it for a good reason (in her opinion)? yes. after all, it was alec’s birthday and while they’ve celebrated many of their birthdays together already, this time would be the first since they started dating–honestly, a part of her still couldn’t believe they were boyfriend and girlfriend now, and that it’s been almost half a year at that–and she wanted to do a good job. a present from your girlfriend seemed more important than one from just your friend but unfortunately, seo yura was bad at picking gifts.

what’s even worse is that alec’s gift to her on her birthday last year was amazing - and they weren’t even dating then. how could she top that? even if she likes him, yura refused to lose because her competitive streak wouldn’t let her but she would really need to work hard to figure out what to get him. yura knew alec would probably say he’d be happy with anything she’d give him but she didn’t want a response like that, she wanted to give him something good (or at least, meaningful, and not just something she picked randomly or without thought) since he deserved it.

but what was ‘good’? yura spent weeks pondering over this, searching up articles and lists of ‘best gifts to give your boyfriend’ for ideas, casually checking out men’s stores and gift shops if she happened to pass by one, even asking some friends for advice (of course, she tried to be vague about who she was buying a gift for) until she finally settled on something.

in a white box, wrapped in a red ribbon and bow on top, are two phone cases that made her think of alec (one of a cute dog–that was actually matching with the cat version she bought herself because she couldn’t help it okay?!–and one with three dogs that was more minimalist so he could alternate and because she didn’t want to make it obvious that they had couple cases – or in the case he didn’t like it), surrounded by some of his favourite snacks and candies. on top was a hat she hoped–prayed–he’d like along with a card that had a message written inside (that yes, she did agonize over for a while just to decide if she should end it with “love, yura” or not).

happy birthday, alec!! ◡̈ you said you’re not that good at presents but neither am i so i guess this is why we get along? i’m kidding! i did try to get you something you might like AND you could use so i hope i didn’t fail… if you don’t like it, tell me and i’ll get you something better, okay? i hope you have a good day, a better year, and i’m still saving my gift card to use at that restaurant with you so let’s go soon! - yura ♡

then, she put the gift box into a normal shopping bag, bribed one of their close friends to deliver it to alec to raise less suspicions, and also made them send proof of delivering it successfully so she could be sure. once she receives a photo of the bag in front of alec’s apartment door, yura sends him a text.

sent to ↝ sunshine ☀️ ↪ i hope ur home right now or ur going to be soon because there’s something waiting for u… ↪ i’ll leave it up to your imagination on what it is :) ↪ ps. i got a new phone case ↪ it’s cute, right? ↪ [image attached]

hopefully alec understood what the image meant after he opened his gift but if not, well… she wasn’t going to admit it plainly either. she already felt embarrassed enough as it is with the rest of the gift and writing the message in the card because yura? being cute and lovey-dovey? she wasn’t good at expressing herself but for alec, she would try her best to be more honest.

     on the day of his birthday, he really doesn’t expect much. his younger sister texts him of course, and he calls his parents to chat with them a bit but not for long because of timezones. sometimes, when it comes to days like this, he wishes he was at home with them so his mom could make him something delicious and homemade and reminiscent of his childhood.

     but he’s here living his dream right now so he doesn’t really have room to complain.

     the surprise from the company is always nice too, the letters from the fans and the cake always being something that he looks forward to every year when his birthday approaches. and he gets greetings from his friends from high school and the other trainees and even his fellow actors.

     he won’t deny it though … there’s only really one person that he’s waiting for a message from though.

     thankfully, he’s busy enough with his schedule that he doesn’t have much time to wait and dwell on yura’s messages, mostly just immersing himself in everything that he has to do and letting the day pass him by.

     he heads home at the end of the day, tired and unexpecting when he happens across a package in front of the door of his (shared) apartment. he blinks at it for a long moment before it clicks that this is probably a birthday gift for him.

     picking it up and unlocking the door, he checks his phone to see if he had missed any messages and he won’t deny the smile that appears on his lips when he sees that the package seems to indeed be from his girlfriend.

     he toes off his shoes and places his bag down before he goes to his room, plopping down onto his bed after changing into his pajamas and then opening the present carefully. he’s not usually that sentimental or anything, but he keeps the ribbon and slides it onto his desk for safekeeping. after that is when he tugs out the card, reading it with a smile on his lips. he had expected her to have used the gift card he had given her last year but he’s genuinely pleasantly surprised that she had kept it.

     letting out a slight scoff at her implication that he might not like the gift, he sets the card onto his desk as well and turns to actually look at the presents she had gotten him. the phone cases are cute, he notes, looking at them and then at the one he was currently using which was pretty beat up and makes a note to change it after.

     his eyes light up at the hat though, since he had been in the market for a new one and he guesses he can stop looking online for one since she had so nicely gifted him it. he takes a picture of everything, including all the snacks, popping a candy into his mouth after as he settles to text her back. at the last second before he does it, he puts the hat on and snaps a selca of himself to send as well.

( 5 ) new messages: 🖤🖤🖤

> sorry i was going to reply but got distracted by the presents :~) > thank you for everything!!!! > [image] > i was going to buy a new hat so you absolutely read my mind > ur the best, as always <3

     seeing the picture she had sent of the phone case, he blinks at it for a long moment before it clicks. it’s a matching one to the one she had given him, and alec grins to himself as he pauses in his texting to swap his phone case to the one of the corgi.

( 2 ) new messages: 🖤🖤🖤

> i changed my case too!! > once again, ur the best <3