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sjsmith56 · 4 months ago

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A Better Man, Part 6 - Transformation

Summary: The renovation on Andrea’s house finally begins. As the transformation of Barnes Contracting gets underway, Mrs. Parker brings up regulatory aspects they have to follow. Bucky returns home to find Andrea in bed, sick, so he takes care of her and Lily.

Length: 5.9 K

Characters: Steve, Sam, Thor, Mrs. Parker, Bucky, Andrea, Winnifred.

Warnings: Steve being suspicious. Symptoms of mastitis discussed. Andrea feeling too sick to look after Lily and Bucky worries about her.

Author notes: Some changes are happening, both openly and behind the scenes. Is it foreshadowing? Maybe.

<<Part 5

Part 6

With the rest of the stolen inventory delivered, Bucky, Steve, and Sam began transforming Barnes Contracting into a legal renovation company. While Bucky supervised the four men who moved the rest of Andrea's belongings into storage, he went up on the ladder to check the exterior brick façade, finding it in good condition. The one set of windows with the crumbling caulk that allowed rainwater in was a singular occurrence and once those were replaced and finished properly the seal on that wall would be waterproof again. He also called his roofing guy who went up his extra long ladder to inspect it and give him a quote on replacing it. Then he called in the electrician he trusted the most to look at the electrical panel and the hodgepodge of copper and aluminum wiring in the house. He came that day, shaking his head at the setup; agreeing it would all have to come out. Like Bucky, he suggested trying to recycle the copper wiring but since he would charge for it suggested that one of Bucky guys should be assigned that task to keep costs down.

Bucky phoned in a request for an asbestos test on the house with the appointment set for the next day. As rooms were cleared, he opened the ceilings up where the water stains were to look at the plumbing, confirming that several original parts of it was lead and would need to be replaced. With his mother promising the funding he began tackling the building permit forms, filling out what needed to be done and the time frame he needed to do it. By the end of the first day, he felt like he had accomplished a lot.

With the house now empty of everything he was able to picture what he really wanted to do with it. There were even some additions that he wanted like a small window alcove turned into a book nook with a window bench at the window; a perfect place to curl up with Lily to read to her. Another book nook could be put in her room as he pictured it in a cream and rose-pink colour scheme. There were several parts of the house that could accommodate a built-in storage or bookshelf unit. As he stood in the living room then impulsively pulled back the old carpeting from one of the corners, he smiled at the original hardwood floors that were underneath. No doubt there would be some areas that would be damaged, but he could always pull the old wood out of the upper floors to patch those areas, then redo the upper floors in newer materials to keep the main floor look intact.

For the first time in a long time Bucky didn't feel anxious about his work. He really wanted to do this and prove that he had what it took to be a general contractor on a legitimate job site, using honest tradespeople, and legally acquired supplies. Even though he was doing it for Andrea and Lily, he was doing it for himself as well. I'm really looking forward to this. This is what I've always wanted to do. Locking up the house he returned home, where he enjoyed another quiet evening with Lily and Andrea, after one of her home cooked meals.

While Bucky spent the first day at the house Steve and Sam began assessing what they needed to do to drum up more renovation business. Inviting Mrs. Parker into their office, because let's face it, she was an asset to their business, they threw some ideas around.

"We need to get signage," said Steve. "Advertise that we're a contracting business in general, specializing in home renovations. I know you just did your thing to get us off Google, but we have to get back on the search results."

"There are a few trade shows coming up soon," said Mrs. Parker. "You could always rent a booth in them and have some photographs of a renovation in process then of the finished job. You'll have to have a presence there for the whole day and it should be someone who knows the business, like you two. I could arrange for the printing of some pamphlets and business cards to hand out. The only problem is that your last renovation project was over a year ago and it went up in smoke because of arson so we don't have any photographs. The house project is still in the beginning stages, but we should document the process for later advertising."

The sound of the phone ringing in the office took Mrs. Parker out for a moment, leaving the other two talking.

Steve shook his head, remembering that job. "Yeah, he didn't have the money to pay us, but he did have insurance. All that time working on it, and he torched it to get the money to pay us. It didn't make sense. What a waste of time and materials. We did a good job on that place, too."

"Then he sold the property to a developer." Sam grimaced. "Didn't even invite us to be part of the rebuild." He groaned. "How many guys have building experience out of our workforce?"

Steve leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. "Five, maybe. I think Clint has the most because he's been with us the longest, but most have no experience."

Mrs. Parker returned, catching the last part of their conversation, to say it was a client from the other aspect of their business who needed them to hold a shipment.

"I told him we had to suspend that part of the business for a while," stated Mrs. Parker. "I think Bucky will probably take the more experienced guys for the house renovation. He wants to do it right. One or both of you is going to have to run a construction boot camp for the others."

The two men grimaced as it was something they hadn't even considered before.

"Do we even have enough tools for everyone?" asked Steve. He didn't wait for an answer. "Let's go get an idea of what our guys know. Mrs. Parker, can you do your magic and come up with some business cards and a pamphlet for the business? Use stock photos since we don't have a choice. Maybe once we get some jobs under our belt, we can change those up. Truth in advertising, right?"

They left her in charge of that part of their "rebranding" and headed for the warehouse where they were surprised by the sight of Thor, one of their bigger guys, who had only been with them for six months, in front of a mockup of an unfinished wall. He was in the middle of demonstrating how to fasten drywall to a stud. The others were gathered around him, listening in rapt silence as he performed the task, then handed the drill and a drywall screw to each one of them in turn. Then he noticed Sam and Steve watching, grinning at them.

"I've done drywall before so I figured I would help these others learn it," he said. "We're all in this together, right?"

"Right," said Steve as he approached. "You worked construction?"

"Summers mostly, when I was in college," answered the big man. Sam and Steve looked at each other. Thor was in college? "I know what you're thinking. How did a college guy end up in prison? I helped a buddy out when he asked me to hold a hockey bag for him. Said it was a surprise for his girlfriend. Didn't know it contained a whole lot of heroin. Got pulled over and charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking. Had a shit lawyer but I kept my nose clean in the joint and got out early for good behaviour." He looked apologetic. "I'm sorry I didn't say that part when you gave me the job. I don't want to be involved in drugs or the bad stuff in any way. You guys were the only outfit that kept their noses relatively clean compared to the others. I'm excited that you're going legit."

"Okay," said Steve, cautiously. "What else do you know?"

"Basic plumbing, finishing, taping, mudding, kitchen installation." He scratched his head as he scrunched his face up. "Window installations, deck building, roofing, painting, flooring ... I've done most of it, except for electrical because you want an electrician for that and HVAC."

"Huh," grunted Sam. "Okay, carry on, then. We're just going to take an inventory of our tools and other equipment."

"Good idea," smiled Thor. "I just grabbed this drill from the shelf. Mrs. Parker gave me some petty cash to get drywall and some studs and screws to make this mockup. Hope that was okay."

"Yeah, that was good thinking," said Steve, pulling at Sam's arm, until the latter man glared at him. "Like Sam said, carry on."

As he went into one of the storage rooms where they kept tools Sam stopped him.

"What were you pulling at me for?" he asked. "He's doing a good job in there."

"He lied!" spat Steve. "About college, about what he was in prison for, and about construction experience. I interviewed him and he said nothing about any of that. What else has he lied about?"

"What do you mean?

"What if he's undercover? How did we end up on a task force's radar when we keep such a low profile?" He pulled his cell phone out and called Mrs. Parker. "Yeah, it's Steve calling. Doesn't your call display say that?" He rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry Mrs. Parker. I didn't mean to get snippy with you. Listen, do you still have that contact in the gang division? Can you find out if Thor is an undercover cop? Yes, Thor. Did you know he went to college and that he was in prison for heroin trafficking and that he has considerable construction experience? You did? Why didn't you say anything?" He paused for a long moment as even Sam heard her tell Steve off over the cell phone even though he didn't have it on speaker. "My apologies. You are an exemplary employee who certainly knows her job very well. Thank you, Mrs. Parker."

He hung up and stood there breathing heavily for some time until Sam pushed him lightly in the arm.

"What did she say?"

"She runs an extensive check on everyone," he replied, looking into the distance. "He's exactly what he says he is. She asked him about it, and he admitted he didn't want anyone to think he was smarter than they were, and he was ashamed of being caught holding heroin." He looked at Sam then. "She knows that Natasha is a cop. Recognized her. She thinks we have a future together."

"How does she do that?" asked Sam. "I swear that she's the one who tells Mrs. Barnes all of our secrets although she manages to worm it out of us anyways."

"Just be happy she's on our side," said Steve. "Imagine if she worked for the cops."

They looked at each other for a moment then both of them shook their heads. There was no way Mrs. Parker was an undercover cop. She had been with them since just before George Barnes died, ten years before. It was her expertise in computers that got them through some sticky situations plus she was efficient, generally pleasant and her nephew was also on their payroll, although he worked for the city. Putting the thought out of their minds the two men began testing all their electrical tools, making sure they worked. They also took an inventory of what they had, knowing that they had to look the part of successful contractors to make customers willing to hire them.

🪛🔨 🪚

By the end of the week, Bucky had the word from the asbestos guy that only the insulation in the attic and the flooring in the kitchen had asbestos in it. As best they could tell there was none in the walls. It was a big relief to him as it meant the abatement process would go quicker and be less invasive. He booked the abatement guys for the following week and phoned the planning department to find out if his building permits had been approved yet. He also contacted the roofing guy to book that job. Until he had the permits in hand, he wasn't willing to do anything else that could jeopardize the project. Instead, he went into the warehouse where the construction boot camp had been underway for the week. After Steve told him about Thor's background, they put him and Clint in charge of getting the rest of the guys up to speed on their building skills. Everything looked good to Bucky when he was there.

It was obvious that some of the guys were better than others at it. After Luis sent a nail into his foot from the nail gun, and Steve took him to Dr. Banner, the doctor who usually treated people in their line of work, he insisted that everyone had to have steel toed boots immediately, blaming himself for not insisting on it to begin with. Thank goodness Bucky was in the office at the time otherwise he would have been sick on the spot. Two guys had already spent their last pay, so Bucky took them out to the work wear store, staying with them while they tried boots on. He paid for them, as well as enough hard hats and tool belts for everyone, but made sure they knew the boots would be taken out of their next pay. On his return Mrs. Parker appeared at his door.

"We need to talk," she said, closing the door behind her and sitting across from him.

"What about?" he asked.

"Well, the only people officially on the payroll are you three, me, and Clint. The others are paid cash under the table."

"Yeah," he replied, unsure where this was going.

"If they're working at a job site, you can be sure that there may be some surprise inspections on your workforce. Immigration is going to want to make sure they're legally entitled to work here, OHS is going to want to make sure they have the proper safety gear and training, and IRS might show up to make sure that your paperwork on them is all up to date. They should have healthcare coverage as well in case they get injured on the job. We have to get the others added officially to the payroll, so they need to fill out a bunch of forms. They may have to provide background checks to satisfy certain insurance requirements. They will also have to get bonded under the Federal Bonding Program to cover theft or other crimes which they may be tempted to commit at the job site." He frowned. "I can email you the details of why it's needed, but we should have it considering their backgrounds. I mean, they're all ex-cons, right? It's kind of a big deal in getting insurance coverage. No one is going to hire you for a legitimate job if you don't have that."

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and rubbing his face with his hands. Then he breathed in and out a few times.

"Are you able to handle that? You already do our payroll, right?"

"Yes, but doing it for five people is easy. Doing it for 25, plus handling all the paperwork and I'm also busy getting our advertising needs set and answering the calls .... Bucky, I am already swamped. We need another person in the office."

"Part-time?" She shook her head. "More than minimum wage?" Mrs. Parker shrugged then nodded her head. "Do you know anyone who can do this?"

"I have a person in mind," she admitted. "She was sexually harassed at her other job and quit, as her official complaint went nowhere, so the guys have to know they can't come on to her or any woman that works for the company, for that matter."

"Fine, get her in here and I'll interview her just to make sure I'm satisfied she can do the job. I'll have a meeting with everyone to warn them about proper behaviour in the workplace. Is there anything else?"

"Just one thing," she smiled. Bucky looked at her with trepidation, wondering what it could be. "I think you're doing the right thing. The side business was getting a bit complicated, and I've heard rumours that Hydra was pushing the smaller companies to join them or be shut down by them. I know you don't want to be associated with them or go to the extremes they go to. You're not that kind of man."

Her words surprised him. She joined the company shortly before his dad died, as his mother had her hands full taking care of him. After his death, they were both so impressed with her that his mother asked that Mrs. Parker take over the secretarial duties completely. Her cheery nature and work skills had been greatly appreciated by all of them.

"Thank you. I just hope that we're able to turn this thing around," he said. "If we don't, I may have no choice but to get back to the other line of work."

"You'll do it," she stated, as she got up from the seat. "I have faith in you, Bucky. All of you. Even the guys, with their backgrounds, believe in you. Many of them are happy that you're going legit. They want you to succeed."

He gave her a slight smile then sat back in his chair again. When he proposed stepping away from the illegal jobs they were doing, he had no idea that trying to do the right thing was going to be so complicated. He just hoped that he could manage it.

The following day Bucky arrived at the office to the sight of a younger, dark-haired woman waiting in a chair. He said good morning to Mrs. Parker then entered his office. She followed him in, carrying some papers.

"The young lady out there is here for the other office job," she said, placing the papers on his desk. "Her name is Hope Van Dyne and that's her resume. Be nice."

"I'm always nice," he answered, as she walked out the door. "My mother taught me well. You know that."

He looked at the resume. She worked at a legal competitor's business, but the owner was a pig. Bucky wasn't surprised she quit over sexual harassment. It appeared she had all of her qualifications in order, including experience in payroll, accounts payable and receivable, as well as experience in web site maintenance. They would need a web site. Maybe she and Mrs. Parker could create one together. He called her in, just as two uniformed police officers walked in the door.

"Ms. Van Dyne, would you just wait in here a moment while I see what the officers want?" he asked.

He closed his office door and approached them.

"Can I help you, officers?" he asked politely.

One of them looked at the other and shrugged then stepped back.

"Um, are you the company that's working on the brownstone a few blocks from here?"

"Yes, we are," he asked. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no, no problem. One of our detectives said you were doing the renovations on it. I just bought a flat in a converted brownstone not far from there, and it needs some work before I can move in. I was wondering if you had the time to do it. That brownstone must take up a lot of time."

Mrs. Parker smiled at him.

"Sure, just let me call one of my colleagues to speak with you as I'm interviewing a potential employee right at the moment. Mrs. Parker, could you call Steve out from the warehouse, please?"

"Right away, Mr. Barnes," she answered perkily, as she picked up the handset. "Would that be Detective Romanoff who recommended us?"

"Yeah, she did," said the officer. "Says you're a good bunch of guys. We had someone from Sitwell Renovations have a look at it, and that guy was slimy as fu... as anything."

"Just so you know, we do have ex-convicts for employees, but they are all in the process of being bonded under the Federal Bonding Program," said Bucky. "I can personally vouch for any of them. We don't take anyone who has been convicted of a violent crime. They're mostly family men who want to turn their lives around. Will that be an issue for you?"

"No." The officer shook his head. "I think it's a good thing that you're giving them honest work. I didn't know you were a contracting business, not having a sign or anything."

"Yeah, just never got around to it and we kind of operated by word of mouth to a select clientele but business is competitive and we're stepping up to increase our presence in the community," said Bucky. Where did that come from? Steve walked in. "Here he is. This is Steve Rogers, my second in command, so to speak. This is Officer ...?"

"Benson," said the other man, offering Steve his hand. "That's my partner, Porter."

Steve waved at him. "Come on into my office and I'll get your information, and we can set up a time to view your property."

Bucky nodded at Officer Porter, then went into his office where Ms. Van Dyne was waiting. She looked nervous so he sat and picked up her resume.

"This is all on the level? It's not padded?"

"No, Mr. Barnes. I'm good at my job. I liked it until ...."

"You don't have to tell me details," he said. "Unique Renovations is run by a worthless piece of slime. We all know it, but he gets away with it because his dad has connections. Has Mrs. Parker told you about our company?"

"She said you had a limited client base before and decided to shift your focus to general contracting and home and office renovations. She also said you employ ex-convicts, but I know May and if she wasn't comfortable working with them, she would tell me. I'm willing to give you my best so long as I'm treated properly."

"Well, I read them the riot act yesterday, because Mrs. Parker insisted I had to hire you, so I expect them to be gentlemen around you. If they're not you tell me ... and tell Mrs. Parker. She'll kick their backsides. The job is yours if you want it. I noticed you have experience in setting up websites. We're looking to have one, since we operated by word of mouth before. Would you be interested in handling that as well as your other duties that you and Mrs. Parker work out between you?"

"Absolutely," she exclaimed. "The pay?"

He wrote down her hourly pay on a slip of paper, noting her vacation time and that health care was included, although that still had to be set up. She smiled broadly and he stood up, offering her his hand to shake.

"Welcome to Barnes Contracting. I'm going to show you around and then Mrs. Parker will get you to fill in the paperwork."

The tour went well, except for Scott becoming a little weird around Hope, even for him. She didn't seem to mind him so much, as he didn't come close to being inappropriate. In fact, he seemed quite taken by her. By the time Bucky was done showing her around Steve had finished talking to Officer Benson and set up a time the next day to look at the flat for the estimate. Boot camp continued with Steve and Sam doing their part, while Bucky was shown a mockup of their pamphlet and business cards that Mrs. Parker had worked on. She ordered in lunch for everyone, and the three of them ate in his office while the guys ate in the warehouse, playing the radio loud. After lunch, Bucky started sourcing what was needed for the brownstone renovation, using many of his legitimate contacts. By the end of the day, he felt good about everything that was accomplished. As everyone left, the three of them sat in Bucky's office, while he took a bottle of scotch out of a drawer and poured them each a drink.

"This has been the weirdest week I can ever remember having," said Sam. "From finding out about Natasha being a cop, switching to becoming a legitimate business, Thor being a college graduate and an experienced construction worker, and now getting our first referral." He looked at Steve. "When are you seeing Natasha again?"

"Tonight," he smiled. "She's coming over. When are you seeing Maria again?"

Sam grinned. "Tonight. She's coming over."

"Are you guys official?" asked Bucky, sipping from his glass.

They looked at each other. "Haven't been out on an official date since we left them at the tapas bar," said Steve, grinning. "Seen plenty of her though."

"Yeah, yeah, but how do you feel about her?"

"There's something there," admitted his friend, with Sam nodding his head in agreement. "It's only been a week." He looked at Bucky. "What about you and Andrea?"

"Taking it slow. I had an episode in front of her."

Both Sam and Steve sat upright as Bucky told them the details.

"She was cool with it?" Bucky nodded. Sam smiled kindly at him. "That says a lot about the type of person she is. I hope you two can make it work."

"Me too." Bucky drained his glass. "I'm headed home. Can you two lock up?"

On the way home he thought of how he hadn't seen much of Andrea and Lily this week, except for when his mother came over for dinner. He had headed out early and returned home late most days, but Andrea always had something ready for him to eat when he walked into the apartment. As he passed an open florist's he stopped and ran inside, picking up a bouquet of flowers. When he came out of the elevator and called out that he was home, there was silence.

"Andrea?" he called out again, leaving the flowers on the kitchen counter.

He headed to her bedroom, knocking gently on the closed door, then opening it slowly. She was on the bed, not moving, and for a moment he felt the icy cold knife of fear in his stomach. Then he heard Lily fussing and went over to the crib where she was awake. Taking her out of her sleeping bag he held her and approached the bed, sitting next to Andrea.

"Hey, wake up," he said gently. "You, okay?"

"Bucky?" She turned towards him. "Oh, I must have fallen asleep. I don't feel good."

He put his free hand on her forehead.

"Sweetheart, you're burning up," he said. "How long have you felt sick?"

"A while after you left. I got a bad headache, then hot all over and just felt like I couldn't move. What time is it?"

"After six," he answered. "When did you last feed Lily?"

"I don't know, noon, maybe? She must be so hungry."

Andrea started to cry. Bucky stroked her forehead, trying to settle her.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here now. I can feed her some of your milk that's in the freezer, right? I'll just thaw it in lukewarm water then warm it up. You stay here."

"She's probably wet, too," moaned Andrea as she tried to get up.

"It's okay, I'll change her. I'm going to call a doctor friend of mine, alright?"

Andrea laid back and nodded, too sick to speak. Bucky turned on the light and laid Lily on the change table. He didn't really know what he was doing but he had seen Andrea do it. Looking closely at how the diaper was fastened before, he unfastened it and wiped Lily's bottom clean with a baby wipe. Then he laid out the new diaper, sliding it on underneath, and doing it up. It was a little loose, so he tightened the sticky tabs then put the baby girl's legs back into her sleeper. Turning off the light he took Lily to the kitchen, holding her in one arm while he took one of the bottles of breast milk out of the freezer. Washing his hands first was a challenge but he did it, then he filled a bowl with lukewarm water and put the bottle in it to thaw the milk. Next, he called Dr. Banner, describing Andrea's symptoms.

"Do you have a thermometer?" asked Banner.

"I don't know," answered Bucky, going back into the bedroom. "Andrea? Do you have a thermometer?"

"In the bathroom," she said wearily. "It's the type that you place on the forehead."

He found it, turned it on and placed it against Andrea's forehead. It read 102.3° which he passed on to Dr. Banner, who was quiet for a moment.

"Does she hurt all over? Are her breasts hot, red, and swollen?"

He asked Andrea who answered yes to the first question, then she surprised him when she pulled her top up for Bucky to look. Gingerly, he touched the skin visible above her bra, confirming that one breast was hot and swollen. There was a reddish area on it.

"It's mastitis," said Dr. Banner. "She's going to need some antibiotics and pain killers. She also needs to express milk or breastfeed for a few minutes to relieve the pressure, not a full feeding. It's okay for the baby. I can phone the prescription into a pharmacy, but you'll have to pick it up."

"Okay, do that," said Bucky, giving him the number of a pharmacy nearby. "I'll call my mother to come sit with her while I pick it up."

After Bruce told him more that could be done for Andrea's symptoms, Bucky called his mother who did one better, stopping off herself to pick up the medication. When she entered the apartment and saw him feeding Lily, she felt a burst of pride in her son. She put the medication on the counter, took her coat off and placed it over a chair with her purse then held her hands out to him.

"Please, may I feed her?"

"She's almost done but I think she's still hungry as Andrea didn't feed her for a while," he said. "She was so sick she was in a deep sleep."

"I remember those days," she smiled, as she cradled the little girl in her arms. "What did Bruce say?"

"To give her the medication right away, get her to drink lots of fluids and to either breastfeed or express her milk to get it going again." He blushed. "I don't have to do that for her, do I?"

"I think she can manage that," smiled his mother. "Why don't you give her the medications and see if she's up to trying to feed Lily for a few minutes. If not, she can put an ice pack on it. You could always massage it for her. That helps as well."

"Ma, please, don't joke."

"I'm not," she chuckled. "Your dad used to do it for me when I got it with you or your sister. It's not a sexual thing. You're just trying to relieve the pain."

Bucky grabbed the medication, taking it to Andrea, not wanting to hear about breasts from his mother. After getting a glass of water from the bathroom he sat on the bed next to her, and read the medication instructions. Taking a pill out he touched her arm, as her eyes were closed.

"Andrea, sweetie, I have the antibiotics," he said quietly.

"Where's Lily?" she asked, as she turned over.

"My mom's here. She's feeding Lily."

He gave her the pill, then handed her the water, encouraging her to drink it all. She handed the glass back and laid against the pillow looking up at him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" he answered. "You got sick, that's all. You looked after me when I cut my knee. I'm just returning the favour." He put the thermometer on her forehead, happy to see her temperature had come down a couple of degrees since he gave her the painkillers before he fed Lily. "The pills already did their thing with your temperature."

She smiled sadly. "You're so nice."

"Thank you. So are you. I bought you flowers."

"You did? Why?"

"Because I've had such long days, and you still made me something to eat every day. No one's ever looked after me like that since I was a kid. You make me feel special."

"You are special."

Taking her hand in his he stroked it, then raised it to his lips and kissed her fingers. She didn't pull her hand away. Swallowing, he released it, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. A warm hand cupped his cheek as he pulled away a little. Her eyes stared intently into his then went to his lips.

"You're sick," he murmured, wanting to kiss her more than anything.

"I know, but I still want to. It's not catching."

"Get better first." He stroked her hair. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Alright," she whispered. "Will you bring Lily to me so I can nurse her?"

"Yeah. I'll send my mom in while I make you some soup."

He got up, but Andrea took his hand, keeping him near the bed.

"Thank you for looking after me."

With a squeeze of her hand, he pulled away and left the room. His mother had Lily on her shoulder, gently rubbing her back.

"She wants to try to feed Lily for a few minutes, just to relieve the pressure. I'm going to make her some soup."

When he came out of the pantry with a can and began looking for a pot, Winnifred stood near him.

"You're a good man, Bucky," she murmured. "Someday, you'll be a good husband and father."

He smiled self-consciously and opened the can of soup as his mother took Lily into the bedroom. Stirring it with a can of water, he tried to focus on that, but his mind kept going back to how natural it felt to take care of Andrea and Lily. It just seemed like he knew what to do. Leaving the soup to warm up at a lower temperature, he got a vase out, filled it with water and poured the little packet of plant food into it, using a wooden spoon to stir it up. As he arranged the flowers in the vase, he pulled a red rose out of the bunch and placed it in a smaller single stem vase.

Something had changed between them since he got home and realized she was sick. Earlier in the week Andrea said she wanted to take it slow, and he respected that, but she also wanted to kiss him when he was sitting on the bed next to her. Maybe it was the next step in their relationship. But he wouldn't do anything until she felt better. In the meantime, he liked taking care of his family. That made him smile at the realization that they were his family now. Perhaps that was the change he was sensing. Taking care of them both had changed how he and Andrea thought of each other. It was the best feeling in the world.

Part 7>>

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starlostastronaut · 1 year ago

Text

DAY 02 | AS LUCKY AS US

PAIRING: lee felix x reader

GENRE: fluff, just pure fluff

WC: 0.80k

CW: none

PROMPT: matching bracelets

did i just describe making a bracelet in 800 words? yes, yes i did. honestly no real plot here, just a cute scene. hope you enjoy <3

title from where the lines overlap - paramore

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"Can you pass me the box with the white beads?" Felix asked as soon as he heard you walk into the room. He didn’t even bother to raise his head; he was too immersed in the project he was working on. The Australian was currently sitting in the middle of your living room, leaning back into the sofa for some support. You tried to convince him to sit somewhere more comfortable (anywhere besides the floor, really), but it was to no avail. Felix claimed things were more organized and easier for him to reach if he sat on the ground. And by things, he meant the mess of boxes and beads he managed to create in your living room during the hour and a half he was there.

In hindsight, you should have probably expected this, knowing Felix for years now. But then again, who would expect a worldwide-famous kpop idol to become so intrigued by the plastic beads you once bought for when your little niece was over? So there you were, watching Felix make what was his fifth bracelet and trying to figure out the colour scheme so it wouldn't collide with his comeback stage outfits. He had decided to make matching couple bracelets to wear at all times. The only problem was his current comeback period, which meant he had to be careful with choosing his jewelry if he wanted to convince the stylists to let him keep it for the stage. Fortunately for Felix, he managed to bribe one of the stylists to tell him the planned colour schemes for the next few stages.

As you picked up the box he wanted and passed it to him, you couldn’t help but smile. There was something so endearing about the way his eyes sparkled with excitement upon being handed the white beads. It was something so simple, but seeing Felix happy was all the reason needed for you to be happy as well.

“Move over.” You gently nudged his shoulder, and Felix detached himself from the sofa to make room for you. The second you made yourself comfortable, he was leaning back again, this time into your chest. Your arms automatically circled his waist and pulled him even closer, keeping a firm but gentle grip on him. Your chin found its resting place on Felix’s shoulder, and for a while, you just watched him work in silence.

When Felix had almost finished the bracelet, he held it up to look at the colours. “No… This isn't working. Something is wrong…” he mumbled to himself as he inspected the arrangement of beads. Even though you couldn't see his face from your position, you knew he had his “thinking face” on - lips pursed together and eyes focused only on the problem at hand.

“Maybe try the dark blue instead of the light?” you suggested. The light blue was softer and more blended in with the white, thus making it harder to spot on stage. However, pairing a light and a dark colour has always worked out well, and personally, you liked the contrast that such combinations created.

Felix hummed, thinking about your idea. He began taking apart the bracelet until there was a single white bead left on the string. Then he made you hand him another box so he could start putting together a new bracelet. You noticed the pattern he was creating was different; he used more white beads than on the last design. You guessed it was because the bracelet needed to be as unnoticable as possible in order to not get taken away by stylists.

For a while, you stayed in silence, accompanied only by Felix's quiet rendition of some Sam Smith song. You laid your head on his shoulder, simply enjoying being close to him like this. Not that you didn't get enough physical contact; in fact, both you and your boyfriend were more than willing to hug everything that breathed. It was usually Felix cuddling you, though, not the other way around. It felt nice to hold him in your arms for a change. It was like a reminder that this personification of sunshine and happiness was yours, and that made you feel all warm and content.

When Felix finished his bracelet, he excitedly showed you. “You were right, it looks much better." He smiled and turned his head to give you a quick thank-you kiss. He immediately began working on the second bracelet, slightly changing the pattern so it fits better with your style, but only so much to be clear that the bracelets are matching.

A few days later, you scrolled through your social media, seeing hundreds of STAYs making theories about Felix’s new accessory. With a certain sense of pride, your eyes fell to your wrist, where was a bracelet designed to match Felix’s.

taglist: @stayconnecteed @saintriots @vivioluh

©starlostastronaut 2023 | do not repost/translate my work without permission

#( all works⎯ 🗃 )#( moony's countdown to christmas⎯ 📂 )#stray kids x reader #lee felix x reader #lee felix #fluff

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vaquelin · 2 days ago

Text

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4

“You’re moving out,”

Alhaitham repeated slowly, trying to process the information, “because you don’t like the flower I bought?”

“It’s not only about the flower!” Kaveh exclaimed and fell on the couch.

He hid his face in hands not to look at the crimson monstrosity in front of him. No, he didn’t want Alhaitham to look at him going out of his mind. To be honest, he wasn’t convinced of his decision for one minute straight. The flower was driving him crazy and after long hours in the darkness of his room he eventually discovered a real reason for that but it still didn’t feel enough to think about moving out. He had to admit that he got used to this place and Alhaitham’s presence. After nearly two years of living together, they knew each other's schedules and preferences by heart. They weren’t just housemates anymore; they had begun to understand each other.

“I doubt that anyone still follows your trace of thoughts.” Alhaitham sat on the edge of the couch.

His reaction caught Kaveh off guard. The Scribe was being careful, almost delicate—like it was too early for his usual sarcasm to take over. Kaveh expected him to laugh at the idea of moving out and even encourage him, just for the sake of another quarrel between them. And, Archons believe, he got pretty scared when Alhaitham started acting all serious about that. Kaveh had expected Alhaitham to dismiss the idea with rational arguments—not to take him seriously! Kaveh assumed that Alhaitham just pitied him and somehow that was even worse than mocking. But the true reason of his sudden decision was ridiculous. He didn’t want to admit it but why was it bothering him so much?

There was no use in further hiding the truth from Alhaitham.

“It’s about me! I’m the flower! I don’t fit into your turquoise-and-beige interior—like an odd puzzle piece that doesn’t belong. Like that yellow pot in the hallway painting! Like that random shoelace we can’t match to any shoes! What am I even saying!?” The nonsense just kept falling from his mouth.

Alhaitham had to silence him, before he embarrassed himself totally.

“That is true, your colour scheme do not match with the palette of this house. You wear red and everything around is blue or green. But let me assure you, Mr. Architect, no one besides you cares about that,” he sounded just so out of his character.

Kaveh could get used to this polite and caring side of Alhaitham, although it was confusing him at first.

“What?”

“Red and green just remind me of roses in full bloom. And honestly, I couldn’t care less if things are supposed to match or not.”

“Really? You don’t mind that I… that is, this flower… That it does not belong here?”

Alhaitham frowned. His expression became somehow even more serious, so that Kaveh felt the meaning of his words down in his soul. “I invited it to my house, so it does belong here.”

Now he felt stupid. How could he let his insecurity skew the image of Alhaitham, always rational Scribe, who never gets carried away. He was like a bucket of cold water when Kaveh was a wildfire of complex emotions. At the same time, Kaveh could be the gentle blow that keeps Alhaitham’s match on fire, so that he never burns out. They completed each other, whether they admitted it or not. But what if Kaveh’s fire burned too bright?

“Still I… Where are you going?”

Alhaitham left the living room and came back after few minutes with two glasses and a bottle of wine. At first the Architect thought that it had to be a dream.

“The wine is red, it should not fit in this interior, but you shall agree with me that this is the item that works just fine in the current situation.”

“It’s hard to deny your logic,” concurred Kaveh, taking the glass.

The next hour they spent drinking and talking, just like if they were again students in Akademiya.

“I think I worry that much because I quite adore your intelligence,” casually mentioned Kaveh.

He then took another sip of wine, missing the way Alhaitham stiffened beside him. A sudden silence set in. After a while the Architect looked up concerned to discover that his friend was as red as the ugly flower.

“What- What happened?”

He was sure he didn’t say anything inappropriate. Nothing that could cause such a reaction. Alhaitham however seemed as if Kaveh at least proposed to him.

“Y-you… Did you just say that you… adore me?” he sounded so genuinely scared that the Architect barely kept himself from laughing.

He was staring at Alhaitham, trying to find a sign that the Scribe is just joking but he couldn’t find any. For a second his brain influenced by the wine, told him to play along and see how this would end. But he wasn’t that drunk not to think it was a terrible idea. Instead, he smiled warmly and spoke up without any mischievous intention hidden in his voice.

“Didn’t I say that I adore your intelligence?”

A painful realisation became so obvious on Alhaitham’s handsome face. He closed his eyes, bit his lips and frowned.

“Oh… that’s… that’s correct.”

The blonde casually started smiling, which unintentionally led the Scribe to think he was being mocked. “Wait, you got so flustered because you thought I said that adore you?”

Alhaitham stood up probably to stop Kaveh from staring at him and making him even more embarrassed. “Leave the teasing,” he said from behind the couch.

Kaveh tilted his head back, his blonde hair spilling over as a mischievous grin spread across his face.

“It’s always you who teases me!” he straighten up. ”By the way, that wouldn’t be a lie. I adore you, even though you are sometimes so stubborn and stoic and mean and cold…” he kept counting just to see Alhaitham’s reaction.

The Scribe, to no one’s surprise, remained stoic.

“It seems that you recognise many flaws in me.”

Kaveh smiled. “They are not flaws. Those are the features that make it hard for me to understand you. But they are not your flaws. You have different ones.”

“Would you care to give an example?”

The Architect pretended to wonder.

“Insensitiveness,” he said after a while.

“Insensitiveness? People say you are oversensitive.”

Kaveh wasn’t expecting that comeback—but he wasn’t about to back down.

”Oh, so it cuts both ways? Very well, you are… apathetic,” he said proudly.

The Scribe’s corners of the lips lifted a bit. Oh, they loved arguing. It was their own language that only they could understand.

“In that case, I must claim that you are too passionate.”

“Too closed,” Kaveh snapped back.

“So open, that you are almost naive.”

The Architect opened his mouth to vocalise a snarky come back, but he got lost in the rhythm.

“Well, you may have a point here,” he conceded that to Alhaitham.

They shared a honest laugh.

“We don’t really fit together,” Kaveh pointed out the obvious.

His fingers tightened around his glass, knuckles paling. It was bothering him for this whole time. Why were they living together? Why did Alhaitham let him stay here if they were so unmatched?

“I must disagree. I see you as my mirror,” the Scribe said.

Kaveh frowned. “A mirror? That’s absurd. We’re nothing alike. Are you drunk already?”

Alhaitham took a sip of wine, unbothered. “You see my flaws so clearly because they reflect your own.”

That was something Kaveh had never thought of before. Could it really be like this? No, that was ridiculous, he couldn’t stand a chance with Alhaitham’s brilliant mind. Even now he seemed to know what Kaveh was thinking.

“What I am trying to say is that your intelligence can also be described as admirable. In other words, you are more clever than you think.” he looked straight into his eyes and this time it was Kaveh who blushed hard. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No. It’s the nicest you have been in a while. Thank you.”

The Scribe lifted one eyebrow. “You accepted my compliment? Without any complaints? What happened to your insecurity?”

“Seriously!? Did you have to remind me of it?” Kaveh could not stop laughing.

He almost choked on wine when Alhaitham quickly approached him and placed his hand on the Architect’s pale fingers. His touch was warmer than the blonde would have expected.

“Don’t move out. Please.”

Kaveh swallowed, glancing at the familiar mess of books, the couch indented from too many debates, the table still holding that ridiculous flower. His chest tightened. Could he really imagine leaving? Finally, could he imagine living without Alhaitham?

“…I won’t,” he replied.

Alhaitham then stood up under the pretense of making tea. But before he disappeared in the kitchen, he stopped in the door frame and looked at the flower still standing on the tea table.

“Do you want me to get rid of the plant?”

“No, I love it!” Kaveh said without hesitation.

Alhaitham turned away, just enough to hide the small, involuntary smile that crept onto his lips. “I love it too,” he murmured—only to himself.

“Hmm?” Kaveh didn’t catch what he said.

Alhaitham hesitated. His fingers tapped against the doorframe before he finally spoke.

“…Green tea, then?”

Kaveh smiled, softer this time. “Yeah… you do know me.”

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4

all parts on ao3

#genshin impact #genshin #alhaitham #kaveh #genshin alhaitham #kavetham #genshin fanfic #genshin kaveh #haikaveh #kaveh x alhaitham

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phoebepheebsphibs · 6 months ago

Text

Double-Mutated Mikey

Chapter 46: Oneirology

Continued from the short story written by @boots-with-the-fur-club

Prev || Next

Mikey goes through a lot of exercises and examinations in the morning. Dr. Chaplin is there for all of it.

Mikey is made uncomfortable by his presence, by his calm smile that is consistent throughout the day. At one point, he places a hand on Mikey's shoulder, as if to make him feel comfortable. Or to create the idea that they are close friends, that Mikey can trust him.

It has the complete opposite effect, and Mikey's entire body is set to pins and needles at the touch. His stomach in knots, his mind static, his hands tremble under the immense weight that hand holds over him.

He sits as still as stone underneath that hand. If he moves, if he breathes, if he cries or smiles or laughs, who knows what punishment he will earn?

And yet... Mikey wishes the touch would last longer. It's warm, it feigns kindness and familiarity. He pretends the hand belongs to someone else, he pretends it belongs to Blue or Red or Purple.

Even though... they don't love Mikey. He doesn't blame them for not loving him, he doesn't even love him. How could he, when he's just a freakish mutant thing?

He tries not to shake, he tries not to cry. He ducks his face away so no one will see.

He wishes he wasn't such a monster. He wishes he was something else. A dust mite, a bottle, a picture hanging on a wall. Maybe a cat, or maybe a bird, or even a worm. Something, anything, that has even an iota of meaning and purpose in the world.

Their necessity in the grand scheme of things outweighs his own, in any case...

And someone must love those things, right?

Mikey can't stop crying. He catches himself on the verge constantly, the tears burning the edges of his eyes.

Dr. Chaplin watches over Mikey the entire first half of the day. He practically hovers over him, like Mikey is his little child at the nurses' office for a checkup, or a precious toy that is getting maintenance.

Dr. Timothy and Dr. Finn do all sorts of examinations and physical tests and check-ups and such and so forth. They take Mikey's temperature, they do a DNA test, the inspect his teeth and claws, they check this and that and that and this and this and that and...

...Why don't the colours love Mikey?

Didn't they love him at one time? Weren't they here with him once? They must have lived with him in the labs, so... were they family? Friends?

Did they look like him? Smell like him? Did they have spots, too?

The doctors say that Mikey was the first and only success in the TCRI mutation experiments. Does that mean that Red, Blue, and Purple are...

...........dead.....?

...Mikey hopes not.

As awful as it is, as painful as it could be... Mikey hopes they left him. Mikey hopes they escaped, got out, something.

He wonders if they think about him.

...But they probably don't. They probably never looked back. And why would they? Why think about this place in any way??

Mikey.... Mikey hopes that they're happy now. Wherever they are.

The tests go on.

Mikey zones out for the whole of they day until he's put back in his cage.

...Maybe Mikey should stop thinking about them, too.

It hurts too much.

Mikey curls in his cage, turning his back to the other experiments in the room. It really is hopeless for him, isn't it?

They all really do hate him, don't they? He'll never get out of here. He'll never see them again.

It's... it's hopeless. He'll never find home...

This is your home, Instinct whispers. I am all you need.

Mikey is tired of listening to him. He tries to ignore him. It's hard.

So Mikey just lays there, in the uncomfortable silence of the labs.

The animals bark and yowl and mew and chirp and hiss and snap and so on.

The doctors argue and discuss things amongst themselves.

At some point, Mikey must've fallen asleep. He only figures this out when he is woken most abruptly by an alarm ringing through the labs. Feet scamper back and forth as scientists start grabbing what they can and then making a break for the doors.

Mikey turns to peek out just a moment to see what the fuss is about. He's never heard an alarm like this before.

"...how many intruders did they say?"

"Not sure, but we have to get everything out of here..."

"What do we do about the experiments?"

"Leave 'em! They're just stupid dumb animals--"

"And the Mikey experiment?"

Silence. Mikey looks out between bars as the two men contemplate what to do.

"...We don't have time to move him. Just... just cover up his cage and push it in the back. Hide him."

"Is that really wise??"

"You heard the alarm! I'm not risking getting nabbed by some thrill-seeking idiots! And what if they're robbers, or armed? And the likelihood that they'll make it to this floor before security gets them --"

"Alright, alright! Fine, geez... do you see a tarp or blanket or something we can use?"

"Yeah, I think there's a fire-resistant sheet in the closet for emergencies..."

Mikey watches with curiosity as one man grabs the blanket and the other starts pushing Mikey's cage into the back of the room, finding a dimly lit corner that will hide him well enough.

"Don't just stand there, help me already! This thing is heavy!"

"Right. Hey, how do we know this thing won't make any noise or something?"

"He's smart, he knows not to do that. Don't you, freak?"

Mikey swallows and whimpers, cowering even further into the corners of his cage.

The two finally push his pen into the corner, and drape the cloth over it. They press a finger to their mouth, signaling him not to make a sound before pulling the cloth as far over his enclosure as possible before running away and turning the lights down.

Mikey shivers. He's not sure why he's so nervous.

Stupid fearful wretch. Do you think this will keep you alive? Fear is weakness!

Mikey begs Instinct not to berate him right now. It's hard to stay quiet when Instinct is --

How pathetic you are. How revolting. They couldn't even care enough about you to take you with them.

Please, stop... Mikey's begging you, j-just --

And Instinct doesn’t just mean the evil humans. 'They' couldn't care less about you either. You spend every spare woebegone second crying over those worthless colours! And where are they now?! GONE, THAT'S WHERE! They LEFT you, and ABANDONED you, and all you can think of is how much they could have loved you?? HAH! I was wrong to keep you alive. I was wrong to save you, to fight for you. You aren't even worth it.

Mikey cries.

Stop crying, idiot!!

He can't.

It's... it's so hopeless. Why did he ever have hope? What for?? A happy ending? A family? Someone to hold him and love him?

What a hollow dream that was. Mikey should have known... h-he should have never hoped... Mikey isn't even a monster. He's less than that. He's nothing.

Oh, how long it has taken you to realize, Instinct sighs.

Mikey sobs quietly.

He cries and curls tighter and tighter and tighter around himself, hoping that he'll disappear inside of himself... if it's possible.

A door slams open, causing him to jolt out of his self-pity party. Mikey tries to stop sobbing. Keep quiet, keep quiet!!

Mikey can't stop crying, can't stop whining and whimpering and...

A-and...

What's... what's that smell?

Oof, it smells bad. Strange. But... but he.... he KNOWS that smell, doesn't he?

Red.

RED.

The colour engulfs his mind as the scent comes into focus.

I-it's... it's him. It's Red.

No, it can't be! Red is --

Is here in the room. Red is HERE!!

Oh.

Oh no. Oh, no, no no no....

Mikey can't let Red see him.

He hides, pushing himself as far away from the cage door as he can.

Red CANNOT find him! H-he can't, if Red sees Mikey, th-then he'll be so angry! Mikey knows they left him, Mikey knows that he was gone, they must be so angry at him! And Mikey knows... Mikey is a monster. Mikey can't remember what he looked like before, but he does recall that he looks different now... He doesn't want Red to see him.

Mikey prays that Red doesn't find him.

His heart pounds louder and louder as he listens to each step get closer. He BEGS himself to SHUT UP, STOP CRYING!! HE'LL HEAR YOU!

And hear him he does. Mikey hides his face, cowering in the dark as he hears the shuffling of feet coming towards his cage.

There's a loud CLANG noise as Red destroys the lock. Mikey's body freezes in terror.

The door opens.

Mikey finds himself reacting purely out of fear. He doesn't even know why he does what he does, but Mikey lunges out of the cage and hides behind Red. Red gasps in shock at the speed, but doesn't react beyond that.

Mikey clings onto him, breath trembling in his lungs.

It's Red... it's Red...

Oh..... oh the familiar feeling of hope.

He CAME. Red CAME BACK FOR HIM.

Despite his utter terror, Mikey can't bring himself to let go. Red seems to notice this.

"Alright, you can stay up there, but I need to go find my brother," Red replies with a sigh.

Mikey is confused... brother? He means Mikey! Does he not know? Has he truly not realized...

Mikey lets out a churr, unsure whether or not to tell him. He's... he's looking for him. He's searching for him. He WANTS to find him...

Red places a hand over his shell, helping him to stay in place on his shoulder.

"His name is Mikey," Red says, head swivelling from side to side as he searches the room. "He's got spots and the biggest smile you'll ever see. Mikey's also super talented. Kid can bake, draw, and dance better than anyone."

Mikey chirps, a smile gracing his face. He tries to hug him as best he can in his position. His tail wags, slapping the back legs of Red as he continues.

Somewhere in the back of his head, Instinct tells him not to fall for it, stay on his guard...

"I love him," Red continues, voice cracking. "A lot. I'd do anything for him."

Red goes on and on and on about Mikey, talking of special skills or talents he has, their relationship, and so many other things.

He... he loves Mikey?

He loves...

Someone.... someone loves Mikey.

Someone loves him enough to come into this place. To look for him. Despite what he's done.

Red loves Mikey. Despite all he thought, despite the hope that died and the many times Mikey was convinced of the opposite... he loves him. Mikey was wrong. Red loves Mikey...

He starts crying again.

"Ew! Did you just drool on me!? Come on!"

Mikey cries even more. Red loves him. Mikey never knew that... Mikey realizes that they didn't betray him, he betrayed them...

Red sighs and rubs Mikey's back.

"Hey, sorry for saying all that….you've probably been through enough already."

Mikey rubs his cheek against Red's head, gently wrapping his arms under his neck in what could loosely be described as a hug.

Mikey... Mikey is so sorry, Red. Mikey's so sorry...

"Don't worry about it. I'm not sad. Not as long as I find him," Red explains.

But... Mikey is right here?

Red doesn't understand. Mikey still can't show him his face. He's too scared. Maybe Red will stop loving him if he sees Mikey...

But he has to help Red. He starts tugging Red's shoulders, pulling him in a specific direction. Out of the room, into the hall, towards the elevator.

"I can't go without my brother," Red refuses, trying to pull Mikey off of his shoulders. "Here, you get out, you've probably been trapped long enough."

No, Mikey can't let Red see him!

Red gets irritated as Mikey mews in anxiety, clinging onto his shell and acting completely uncooperative. Red groans in frustration.

"Listen, I can't-"

The scales on Mikey's skin stand up on edge. He smells something.

Danger.

Mikey turns back and sees the cages of the mutants be opened remotely. That's not good. He looks up and sees a camera in the hallway watching them.

Oh. Oh no.

This is Mikey's fault. They don't want him to leave. They're going to take Red away from him again --

NO.

Mikey can't let them have his... brother... They cannot take Red.

Mikey leaps off of Red's back.

"I can't let you down! They're still coming!"

Red whirls around and comes face to face with reality.

Mikey stares at him, eyes sad and smile just barely visible.

Mikey's so sorry, Red...

"M-Mikey….?"

Mikey turns around and growls at the oncoming battle.

Shall we kill? Instinct asks.

Yes, Mikey answers.

WONDERFUL.

Mikey charges.

He'll make it up to Red. He'll protect him. He'll save him, he'll fight for him, kill for him, die for him. Anything.

Mikey will do good.

Mikey has to guard his face from the light as he steps through the door. He wonders how many times in one night can he endure this...

As the light dims and fades away, Mikey notices that the flooring beneath his feet seems change. It slowly shifts from soft and smooth wood to hard concrete bricks, cold and wet or slimy with every other step.

The light finally subsides, revealing the scenery around him.

It's the sewers.

Not a minka or pagoda built for a big family.

But a wide open series of tunnels refurbished for a family of five.

Mikey knows this place from his memories...

The walls are spray-painted with artsy symbols and phrases from movies like Hot Soup! or Jupiter Jim Saves the Day! and Heroes in a Half-Shell -- Turtle Power!

Mikey hears something down the hall. He follows the noise as it gets louder and more distinct. There's laughter, shouting, giggling, eggings-on of children...

Mikey enters into the rec room, where all the other halls lead and eventually connect to. There are four turtle tots making such a joyful ruckus as they play games and run after each other.

There's little Raphie, wearing an oversized jersey and a football helmet over his mask as he plays tag, running from the others at a slightly slower pace so they can catch up with him.

Baby blue Leo is next, just about to latch onto his tail in the game of tag. His mask is bunched up like a bandana over his head, the iconic blue tee with the word RAD flows behind him as he chases after the biggest brother.

Donnie runs after the two at a slightly slower pace. His puffy jacket hinders his speed ever so slightly, and he stops every so often to readjust his glasses.

Mikey watches with awe at the sight of his brothers so teeny tiny, so young, so carefree...

"Guys! Wait fow me!"

Mikey's eyes widen at the sight of one singular tot, chubby and small, waddling as fast as he can after the trio.

"I has wittle legs, I can't keep up!"

The corners of Mikey's mouth turn up in a gradual smile as he watches the fond memory of his childhood.

"They're cute, aren't they?"

Mikey's head snaps to the side. There's... another person here.

He barely recognizes him at first. But he's had enough of his memories to return to be able to remember his former self.

"...It's you..."

The former Mikey smiles brightly at him, snickering just a bit.

He looks almost exactly like his memories, apart from a pair of large rose gold glasses adorning his face.

"How... I-I mean, why...."

"Aren't they adorable?" the other Mikey asks, glancing back to look at the toddlers. "Can you believe we were ever that cute?"

Mikey doesn't answer yet, he just watches the kids playing.

Turtle tot Mikey pauses, and turns to look at them. The other tots don't seem to notice the grown kids, but he does somehow. He smiles and waves at them.

"Who ya wavin' to, Mikey?"

"Just some friends!"

The tots all run down the corridor. Mikey reaches out to the child, almost begging him to stay.

"Where are they going?" he asks the other Mikey.

But the other Michelangelo doesn't really respond.

Mikey runs after them, following down the corridor for the kids. They all run into the TV room, where Splinter had left a copy of Crouching Shrimp, Hidden Tiger Prawn playing on the projector screen.

He watches with slight nostalgic jealousy as the kids try to recreate the scene from the movie.

"Hard to believe that's us," says the other Michelangelo as he struts in after Mikey, leaning against the archway.

"Y-yeah," Mikey stammers, thrown off by Michelangelo's reappearance.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Michelangelo asks, gesturing to the side table and wraparound couch in the corner of the room.

Mikey follows his counterpart and sits across from him, eyeing him nervously.

"I thought we could talk for a bit," Michelangelo says with a gentle smile.

"What about?" Mikey asks, tail twitching restlessly along the cushions.

"Some things that I felt were important to address. Before we have to leave."

"We?? Don't you mean me or you?" Mikey corrects.

Michelangelo leans on the table, hands folding into one another as he studies Mikey's face.

"See, that's exactly what I want to focus on. Why do you assume that you'll be leaving? Or me?"

"W-well...." Mikey swallows as he glances about the room, avoiding the double's gaze. "I don't know. I thought maybe... we weren't the same."

"Just because we look different?" Michelangelo asks.

"We act different, too," Mikey sighs. "You can't climb walls. You don't have a voice in your head telling you to hurt people. You don't have my scars."

"And that's what makes us different?"

Mikey stares at him in confusion at the audacity of a statement.

"Doesn't it?"

"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't," Michelangelo shrugs. "But just because you went through something doesn't mean you aren't the same person you were before. I might not be you, but I'm still a part of you."

"I... I don't understand...?"

Michelangelo points down to where the children play.

"Look at him. Is he the same as us? No. But he is us, regardless. He will always be a part of us, no matter what. We carry him along, and sometimes he comes out and sometimes he shys away. But he's there all the same."

Michelangelo smiles.

"Just like I will always be there, too!"

Mikey finally meets his eyes. He swallows. Michelangelo reaches out and takes his hand.

"I know it's been hard for you to feel accepted after everything, and you've been fighting to find your place. But it was always there! Yes, you changed, and that's fine, that's even healthy. If you didn't change after something like that experience, then we should be a little concerned. But don't think that just because you changed that you aren't still yourself. I would've thought you'd have figured that out by now!"

"So... you're saying that you're still a part of me?"

"I've always been here, dude!" Michelangelo smiles.

"W-why?" Mikey asks, tail flicking nervously under the table. "D-don't you...."

"Don't I what?"

"...Hate me?"

Michelangelo laughs. Fully laughs, head thrown back cackling.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh so much -- but why would I hate you?" he asks, lifting his glasses to wipe a tear away.

"Because... well, just because!" Mikey argues. "Why wouldn't you hate me??"

"Because it was never your fault, dude!" he replies. "And you keep forgetting, we're not two different people. We're the same. I'm just some kind of subconscious representation of your inner feelings or something."

"Huh?"

"Oh, never mind, you'll figure it out eventually."

"But you should hate me!" Mikey protests. "I-I replaced you, I-I ruined you, I--"

"Do you think he hates us because we grew up and changed?" Michelangelo asks, tilting his head to gesture to the tot version of themselves.

Mikey is taken aback, stuttering and stammering at the suggestion.

"I-I... I don't know, I--"

"Do you think that Donnie and Raph and Leo hated us when our powers evolved and changed?"

"That's not the same!" Mikey argues.

"But do you think Casey hated his Sensei when he lost his arm?"

Mikey pauses.

"Or do you think he hates us because we're the younger versions of the people he knew from the future?" Michelangelo continues.

"...I.... I don't... he kept talking about them, he misses them so much..."

"But he doesn't hate us or resent us. Or our brothers," Michelangelo explains. "Love doesn't give up when something changes. As we grow, it grows. As we change and evolve, so does love. And when we love someone, we don't simply forget who they were, or give up loving that part of them after they grow past it. We still love that part and hold it in our memory, and the love doubles. They will love every part of you, even after you've changed. Because people change, dude."

Mikey sighs.

"All this time I thought that they'd hate me because of how different I was..."

"...But I think the only person who really felt that way that might've been you," Michelangelo replies, taking Mikey's hand again. "Don't hate yourself over something you had no control over. You were hurt, and you healed. Might not have happened the way you wanted, and maybe you'll never be the same again, but you're still you and you can let yourself grow from there."

"So... you're really not mad at me?"

"No."

"Not even for... what I'd decided to do?"

"Oh, you mean about the cure?" Michelangelo asks with a smile. He waves his hand at Mikey and leans back nonchalantly. "Nah, I'm not mad."

"Would it have been the right choice?" Mikey asks. "To stay like this, and not undo the mutations? Or would it have been a mistake?"

"Well, firstly, I don't know if there was a wrong answer to that choice," Michelangelo thinks aloud. "If you'd have chosen to go back to how you were before, you'd still have all the memories of what you'd been through, and you'd have to go through learning how to live without the mutations and all the stuff you'd just gotten used to. Probably get war-like flashbacks every once in a while. And not to mention how painful it would have been, too. So it wouldn't have been easy. And the choice you made, to stay the way you are now, that's not wrong either. But it also won't be easy. Secondly, why are you talking in the past tense hypotheticals?"

Mikey blinks.

"Because.... because I'm dead, aren't I?"

For the second time, Michelangelo starts cackling.

"You're not dead!" he laughs.

"I...I'm not?"

"Nah, fool!" Michelangelo says, giggling as he claps Mikey on the back. "What made you think you were?"

"Well then what the heck is all of this?" Mikey yells in confusion. "What the heck was all of that whole paradise I just went through with all those Hamato people??"

"Oh, that," Mikey sighs, calming down. "Okay, maaaaybe you were kinda dead. Technically, your heart did stop and you weren't here on earth anymore, but that was only for maybe a minute or so. Not too long, no lasting damage. I think the ancestors just wanted to make sure you got home okay. They knew it wasn't your time yet."

Mikey swallows, feeling just a tad bit dizzy from the realization. And tired.

"Then... then what is this? A dream?"

"Call it a long overdue conversation with yourself," Michelangelo says with a wink. "A reflection inward, if you will. And I do. Dr. Feelings and Dr. Delicate Touch have been out on sabbatical for a while, and this felt like the perfect opportunity to dust off our truthful therapy skills!"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Mikey yawns. "I've been a little busy..."

"Hey, don't worry, I get it!" Michelangelo says with a wave of his hand.

"But... maybe it's time for them to come back?" Mikey offers. "Start accepting the truth and really healing..."

Michelangelo slowly takes the glasses off, rubbing his thumb over the lenses.

"Yeah. I think so, too," he says as he hands the specs to Mikey.

"So... would this be like, you giving me your blessing or something? Saying I'm the superior Mikey or something?" Mikey asks.

"It's a dream, dude," Michelangelo says flatly. "Not everything is completely meaningful. It's your subconscious."

"Right, right..." Mikey yawns. "So, if I'm not dead, then where am I?"

The Dream Michelangelo leans back, putting his feet up on the table and folding his hands behind his head as he stares off into space.

"Oh, right about now I'd say that your at home in the medbay, sleeping it off. I think you've been there for at least 20 hours now. You should probably wake up soon..."

"Yeah, I guess so..." Mikey sighs, a deep and heavy exhale escaping his lungs. "But... Just to be clear... you're really not mad at me? You're not mad that I decided to stay the monster?"

"You're not a monster, man!" Mikey cackles. "You're a teenage mutant ninja turtle!"

Mikey chuckles.

"Yeah. I'll work on that. But, y'know, the weird thing is," Mikey says, tapping his fingers against the table. "I'm actually kinda... thirsty?"

"What did you just say??"

Mikey has no idea why everything went so pitch black and then blinding white. He was just talking to himself, and as soon as he mentioned feeling thirsty... the whole world went away.

He tries opening his eyes. They're so extremely heavy, and as soon as he attempts it, light instantly cracks in his vision, seeping through his eyelids and causing red to pierce his sight. He fights through the pain, groaning softly as he does.

Once he opens his eyes, Mikey sees that he's in the gurney from the medbay at the lair. He can't really feel his body, which is weird. He lifts his arm. That works. He can't feel it, it's numb and weird, but it's there. He thinks his hand is disconnected from the joint since he can't feel it either, and it looks really floppy. But after he shakes it and manages to get the fingers to curl and uncurl, he finds that everything is okay after all. He flops the hand around again, snickering at the sight and sensation. A large, gruff but gentle hand takes his to make it stop. Aww, booooo...

He notices a tube and needle stuck in the center of his hand, pumping some sort of clear fluid into it very slowly. He follows the tube and sees it connects to a bag of the same clear fluid. Beside that bag is the owner of the hand, staring down at Mikey with wide and red-rimmed eyes hidden beyond a red mask.

"Mikey, what did you just say?" Raphael asks again, voice soft and airy, hanging on every potential word Mikey has to offer.

Mikey smacks his lips, which are awfully dry and chapped, and have just the tiniest remnants of crusted blood in the corners. He tries to find his tongue, which seems to be missing. Well, no, it's not, it's thick and it's right there, but he can't get it to wake up just yet. Funny, he could talk so easily a moment ago, why is it so hard now? He manages to get the lazy good-for-nothing muscle moving...

"...Th'rsty," Mikey croaks.

Raph practically knocks the IV pole and bag over in his desperate attempt to hug Mikey, almost flattening him against the mattress. He sobs almost uncontrollably, confusing an already out-of-sorts Mikey.

"GUYS! MIKEY'S AWAKE!!" He yells rather loudly, causing Mikey to flinch away from him.

He's not sure why Raph would say that, Mikey feels like he's still asleep, or will fall asleep again at any second again.

Leo and Donnie seem to materialize in the doorway just as the words leave Raphael's mouth, eyes wide and mouths open. As soon as they arrive, any thought of falling back asleep leaves Mikey. They fling themselves onto the gurney, sobbing hysterically and laughing profusely.

Casey and Splinter run in just a moment later, joining the fray and asking a hundred questions that Mikey has no idea of answering.

He still can't get his silly tongue to do anything for him.

Raph eventually remembers that Mikey wanted something to drink and gives him a glass of water, helping him to sip it. Or rather, to drool and dribble half of the contents down his chin as the rest barely manage to enter his mouth.

Mikey stares down blankly at the water running from his face.

"...Spilled it," is all he can manage to say.

The room erupts into laughter.

"...Where..." Mikey croaks, breath slow and relaxed from the heavy painkillers, "...Where am I?"

"You're home, Mikey!" Leo says, making it sound more like a congratulations than an explanation. "You're home!"

And for the first time, Mikey truly feels like he finally has come home.

Prev || Next

#tw unwanted touch #tw mikey gets really sad and has very sad thoughts #tw implied character death #he has risen babygirl!!#double mutated mikey #rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt fanfiction #double mutation mikey #rottmnt fanfic #fanfic update #fanfic rec #fanfics #fanfiction #fanfic

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stealerofthe2ndbraincell · 3 months ago

Text

ARCANE ACT 3

LIVEBLOG TIME! 🎉🎉

(Once again, more like a reaction then a live blog but sssh)

S2 Ep8: Killing Is A Cycle

Mel in the Ebenezer Scrooge chains again (I know it was Jacob Marley that was in the chains throughout but still) :(

THIS TRANSFORMATION IS SO COOL.

Would be a bit cooler if she wasn't screaming bloody murder throughout but I get it.

They really took some of the excellent bits of her design and decided to really lean into them more for this.

I kind of wish the internet hadn't fucked over the word "empath" cause that made me giggle.

We can't see the sorceress from here but is she meant to resemble the girl from Mel's backstory?

I need to stop pausing to say this immediately before it happens.

Okay so it isn't her, duly noted. I would suck in a fight against this thing.

Did it really say "yeah you're cool but you can still be stabbed, so how powerful are you actually 🙄🙄".

Calamity and Red seem to be associated strongly cause I immediately thought of Breath of the Wild.

I'm living for this backstory.

She must be so cold.

It's all coming back :((

OH SHIT VIKTOR'S IN THE ORB NOW.

God. That's terrifying. Viktor is suddenly extremely terrifying to me.

I'm surprised Ambessa isn't remotely surprised at him mentioning Jayce. He was probably missing for months at this point.

"I will evolve all those willing" so everyone? Everyone in your cult, Viktor? Because they're a literal hivemind so I doubt he'd have much problem.

VI I MISSED YOU.

YOU DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE THAT ISHA FLASHBACK OMG:((

Why does it look like a pokeball? That's so distracting lol

God Maddie is failing across the board, it's embarrassing, girl...

This argument between Cait and Vi was so deserved to be honest.

Maddie is probably hearing all of this...

I never considered Jinx would surrender.

Is Jinx not eating?

Damn what if you just punched me in the gut wow...

Her nails bleeding HURT me so much

"no amount of good deeds can undo OUR crimes" I'm so interested in the "our" from Caitlyn....

Jayce, love ya, but I am not on your side in this argument.

Although, Mel I think calling him and Viktor a "wise investment" in this moment is probably not the move either but still

I was slightly concerned that Jayce's flashbacks (? Would that be the right term for these) would stop once Viktor was "killed". Apparently not.

I'm happy for this turnabout.

I thought in Act 2 he reminded me of S1 Jinx and I'm pushing with that idea now.

Oh nevermind. He almost shot Viktor again.

I know it is very likely one of his followers and not actually Viktor, but damn that robot waist line lmao

Poor Mel probably has very little clue what's going on right now.

I'm distracted by Jayce's design tbh. The black and red colour scheme is sooo nice on his new look.

....

...Well that caught me off guard...

He STILL wants Jayce to be his partner WHAT :'(

"My partner died in this room." OUCH

MEL, MY GIRL!!! 👏👏👏👏

I want to be more enthusiastic for her, but she looks borderline in pain whenever she uses her magic so far :((

WHY ARE YOU PURPLE, JAYCE??

WAIT SO WAS VIKTOR WAITING TO SEE IF JAYCE WOULD JOIN HIM BEFORE STARTING THE EVOLUTION?

After last episode I legitimately, for a second, thought Silco was still alive.

He's not a nice person at all obviously, but in Jinx's hallucination he seems to sound harsher to her?

I did not need to see her spit that out up close.

Wait. It actively fell from her mouth where is it?

O W

I AM SO SCARED, JINX. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO "BREAK THE CYCLE"

Is there a reason Mel needs to wear the cloak?

"You will never be a passenger". Listen , I was actually hoping for more from my Jayce and Mel interactions. Both scenes they feel very off-kilter and standoffish of each other. A lot more tense then before (for understandable reasons considering what they both just went through) that I was hoping would start to heal.... but has'nt. However, that line hit.

I am obsessed with the designs of these background characters.

Am I missing something? Who is that playing that random piano??

I feel bad. I don't recognise him.

This entire sequence hurts.

OH. Wait I think I get the inclusion of the piano man. I hope I do otherwise I've just completely forgotten a character lol

#arcane #arcane spoilers #mel medarda #jayce talis #viktor arcane #jinx arcane #vi arcane #caitlyn kiramman #arcane liveblog #arcane league of legends

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idontplaytrack · 6 months ago

Text

I’m not clingy

Janis ‘Imi’ike x fem! reader

Warnings: coarse language, fluff

It’s reader’s birthday. Regina, Janis and Cady pull out all the stops

Read other parts to the series here

“We have been talking about this party for two weeks. How is it that we have no theme yet? It’s already February 15. We have exactly seven days till y/n’s birthday.” Regina groans out of frustration, throwing her head back on the headrest.

“You need to chill.” Janis laughs.

“Easy for you to say.” Regina teased, “She loves everything you do.”

“And what the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

Cady squinted at them both. “Guys—”

“How was your Valentine’s Day?” Regina asked with a smirk.

“Since you asked, fucking great.” Janis shrugged, a playful smile plastered on her face.

“This is why you had to soundproof your garage—”

“Will you guys stop that? y/n will be back any minute.” Cady smacked Regina on the arm and shot Janis a glare. “Should I just plan this party alone and let you two get back to talking about your sex lives? Preferably with me out of the room?”

“Sorry, you’re right. We should focus.” Regina leaned forward to grab her laptop, the screen was left on a Google document with barely anything in it.

“So…” Cady began, “Maybe we could settle on a colour at least? She likes what, blue? Baby blue?”

“And olive green.” Janis quips.

“Right, so we could definitely work off of that, get decorations and party supplies in either of those colours.” Cady continues, “As for a theme, how about we don’t have one? Just think about what she likes and have little touches of them all over the place that goes with the colour scheme?”

“Great idea.” Regina agrees.

“Hey, guys.” You walked in, placing your keys in the little bowl on the credenza.

“Hi.” Cady and Regina greet you almost in unison, their focus entirely on your sister’s laptop screen.

“Hey, honey.” Janis smiled, gesturing for you to go over. You do so, kissing her first, “Hi.” You sit down on the armrest of the armchair, Janis squints at you and pulls you into her lap. Regina jokingly rolled her eyes at the gesture.

You knew she’d make a joke, it’s gotten to the point where if she didn’t, it seemed weird.

“You know…” Janis says while squeezing your thigh, “We might have to soundproof the bedroom.”

Air gets caught in your throat at your cheeks go red— that could only mean one thing.

“Stooop.” You groan, looking away from the group of them.

“Not what I’ve been hearing a lot lately, but alright.” Regina teased with a smirk.

Janis snickers, “I’ve been hearing the opposite a lot these days.”

“Fine!” You say while hiding your face in her shoulder, “Soundproof it for all I care. I already tried to keep it down, alright? It’s not like we can’t hear y’all too, you know?”

Cady awkwardly cleared her throat, “Anyway. How was your day?”

“Was going great until y’all had to make me embarrassed about a normal thing.” You sigh dramatically. Janis rubs your back, “We love you.”

“That I know.” You smiled.

Regina quickly snapped her laptop shut, then turned the TV on. You squinted at her for how loud the noise was but shrugged it off once the remote control was handed to you. “You pick what we watch tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, baby.” Regina chuckles, “Whatever you want, but we all know what we’re gonna be watching.”

“So, then you still decided to ask me, why?”

Regina laughs lightly, “Because I wanna do that for fun? It’s fun.”

Cady chuckles, you just went ahead and picked whatever you wanted to watch, not intending to stay in the living room for too long anyway.

“How are you gonna see the TV hugging her like that?” Regina teased.

“I can see it just fine, thank you for asking.” You bit back a laugh. Janis had shifted in the seat so you could see the TV clearly while you literally hugged her like a koala bear. A little too affectionate to do so in this setting, but you could not care less at this point of day. You were getting sleepy and cranky, and just didn’t want to talk much. But, Regina was truly making it hard for you.

“Baby, you are so gay.”

“Oh, look who’s talking.” You poked fun at her right back. “Can you look at her and tell me she’s not attractive?”

“Oh hella attractive.” Janis snorted, laughing, then rubbed your lower back and soothingly. “We need to go back to New York again, don’t we? See if we can run into them filming the show.”

“Oh please let me be there when you finally run into Mariska because I would love to see how that goes down.” Regina continues.

“Tsk.” You tutted, growingly annoyed as you snuggled closer to Janis and kept your eyes peeled on the TV screen.

Janis grabs a decorative cushion and tossed it in Regina’s direction, Cady bursts out laughing. “I told you, you gotta stop making fun of her for things like that right now.” Cady said through the laughter, “She’s clearly tired and you’re making her all worked up.”

“Oh look who’s all motherly all of a sudden.” Regina switched her targets, you let out a little chuckle at that.

“Maybe a nap would be better for you.” Janis says, looking at you briefly.

“Can I just finish this episode?”

“Are you just saying that because you want to fall asleep on me?” Janis grinned cheekily.

“Maybe.” You hummed.

Eventually, you did finish watching one episode of the show like you said you would. “I’m gonna crash.” You muttered, climbing off of Janis. Well, you tried, but she didn’t want to let you go. “Jan.” You narrowed your eyes at her.

“What? You’re comfy, no?” She asks, batting her eyes.

“I am, but I wanna lie down for a bit.” You admitted.

She lets you go after kissing you on the cheek, “You want me to come with?”

“It’s okay, you can don’t have to if you wanna watch TV.”

“Okay, baby.”

You gave her a kiss on the cheek in return and retreated to your shared bedroom.

————

You woke up later that night to the smell of dinner— pasta, to be specific. You went to the bathroom then headed outside to see three of them laying the table. “Hope you had a nice nap.” Regina notices you were awake.

“It was pretty good.” You shrug, walking into the kitchen.

“Hi, honey.” Janis pulled you closer to herself, smooching you on the cheek.

You grinned, “Hi.”

“Let’s eat.” Regina hums, shrugging her shoulders. “We’re still not done with the planning.”

You glared at your sister. “I told you—”

“I told you, it’s your 16th. We’re definitely gonna do something.” Regina interjected.

“Keep the spending to a minimum.” You insisted.

“Fineeee.” Regina groans, they laugh. You, still being a little groggy from your nap only quietly ate your food while the three of them chattered away. Eventually, you were in the living area watching TV while they remained in the kitchen to plan whatever it was. It didn’t matter to you, whether or not you had a party. A birthday was just another day to you.

Your focus on the TV show gets disrupted when you hear Regina’s phone ring.

“Hello?”

She listens to the other person talk. Her face fell, contorting into one of confusion and shock.

“What? No, no, wait— you’re selling the house. Mom you can’t just say that and hang up! Don’t you think your should’ve discussed that with me? Or y/n?” Regina shrieked, you jumped, slightly startled. “We’re not done talking about this.”

“Just let her sell the house. It’s empty now anyway, most of our things are here already.” You told her flatly.

Regina quirked a brow, not expecting this indifference from you. About your childhood home. But she didn’t press you about it, thinking it was due to your tiredness. Janis and Cady were also looking at you for a second, you could feel their gazes burning holes into your head but you didn’t look back.

You hear Janis say something to them, but you couldn’t hear what. Seconds later, she was right next to you, asking if you wanted to cuddle. “I’m okay.” You told her, confused.

“I know.” She shrugs. “But don’t you want to lay on me?”

You squinted at her incredulously, “are you trying to tell me that I’m clingy?”

“Baby, I did not say that.” She bites back a laugh, brushing the hair out of your face.

“But yes, I want to lay on you.” You continued.

“Clingy.” Regina teased.

“Shut up.” You snapped back. Cady nearly snorted laughing.

“No.” Regina smiled smugly, batting her eyes at you.

“I’m not clingy.” You added on while Janis easily put you on her lap.

“Yeah, so you’re just trying to cop a feel?” Regina joked.

You gasped, “Oh, disgusting.”

“I wouldn’t mind though.” Janis snickered.

“Hey.” Your eyes went wide, and Janis was just more amused by all this.

“Okay, we’re done planning. Tomorrow after school, you’re on your own baby. We’re going out to grab the stuff we need.” Regina announced.

“That’s fine.” You shrug, refocusing on your rewatch of Full House. It has become one of those shows where you just put on for the sake of some background noise because you already knew the story so well. That didn’t mean it was no longer a good watch.

You watched a handful of episodes to pass time, then was back to bed, this time with Janis. “Brush your teeth.” She chuckles over her words.

You sulked playfully.

“Baby.” She was holding onto your toothbrush, and you were anticipating that she would toss it to you just to get you moving. It worked, wasn’t the first time after all. “Good girl.”

You damn near choked on air hearing her say that, narrowing your eyes at her. She only smiles back.

At 3pm the next day, school let out and as planned, you were making your own way home. Well, that’s what you thought. Your Mom pulled up in front of you out of nowhere, scaring you. “Get in.”

“Why?”

“I need to talk to you, please?”

You thought about it for a second, nodded and opened the front passenger door then got in. “It’s about the house. Would you want to go back and take a look?”

“Rather not.” You replied quickly.

“Are you okay with me selling it?” She asked.

“Yes.” You told her simply, still staring out the window.

“Why?” Your mom asks, “In all seriousness, I want to know.”

“Well…” You began, “Uh, a lot of the bad stuff with Dad happened at the house and it honestly triggers a lot of negative emotions and thoughts. So doing without it would be best, for me.”

“I hear you.” She nods, continuing to drive, “Have you had lunch at all?”

“Why?” You spoke without much thought, chewing on the inside of your cheek.

“Because we need to eat. I know you’re not particularly fond of school food, but you can’t go hungry.”

You were quiet for bit before mumbling, “Okay.”

“Let’s go grab a bite, alright?”

Burgers and fries. That’s what you both got for lunch. The place was rather quiet, which wasn’t anything unusual. Not many came by here on weekdays since it wasn’t in a very convenient location. You knew she only took you here because you and Regina loved this place back then. And surprise, the place hadn’t been updated in years so you were hit with nostalgia almost instantly.

“How are things?” June asked hesitantly. You haven’t exactly been the nicest person towards her after all that took place.

“Better.” You swallowed thickly.

June nods, “That’s really good to know. I’m working through some things myself and I want you to know that I’m trying my best to be better.”

“I can tell.” You admitted, “You wouldn’t have taken me out to eat if it was a few months ago.”

A smile tugs at the corners of her lips. “Just so you know, he eventually admitted to me what he did.”

“It wasn’t to me.” You stopped chewing your food for a moment.

“I know that now, but he still said things that made you uncomfortable and unsafe in your own home. That was fucked up, and I’m so sorry, baby—”

Your phone rang, interrupting her.

“Need to take this, excuse me.” You pick up your phone from the table and tapped the answer button.

“Jan, hey.”

“Are you home yet?”

“Not yet, no.” You told her, “Um, mom picked me up. We’re getting lunch.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t too shocked by that, “All good? Do you need any of us to—”

“All good, I’ll see you guys later.” You answered.

“Great.” She smiled, “See you, honey.”

You did have one question you have been dying to ask her. Though a little scared, you still decided that now would be the best time to ask.

“Would you want to come to my birthday party?” You asked.

“I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

————

Cady and Regina were practically dying of laughter after seeing Janis’ post on Instagram. It was rare sight— especially from Regina.

“You want the place to yourselves tonight or no?” Regina asks.

“Shh!” You exclaimed, “Hi, Mom.”

The entire gang stopped chatting and just turned around to look at the said guest. “Hi, y/n.” She walked up to you and gave you a hug. Regina almost passed out witnessing that. Look, she knew that June was coming here but she wouldn’t have expected this hug. Frankly, neither were you.

After a couple of minutes, the buzz settled down. The party went on without a hitch, until after the meal when June was taken aside by Regina to talk. You shared a worried look with Janis, “Everything is fine, I promise you. She just wants to talk about the house.”

“Okay.” You said, putting down your plate that still had some cake left.

Janis puts her arm around you to comfort you, planting a kiss to your cheek, “Breathe, baby. They’re fine.”

“I know now, I just haven’t been around to see that spending time alone together.” You revealed, resting your head on her shoulder. “Okay, maybe Regina’s right. I am clingy.”

Janis giggles, “Cling onto me all you want. Even if you do it at school, I’m all for it, honey.”

“Don’t tempt me.” You joked.

“Is it working?” Janis gasps dramatically.

“…yes.” You sigh quietly.

“Clingy.” Regina walked by at that exact second, squeezing your shoulder and making you yelp.

“I love it.” Janis retorted.

“Of course you do.” Damian mocked.

“Shut it, Damian.” Janis snarked, “I know you and Avery are inseparable too.”

You chortled, hiding your face in Janis’ neck before either of them caught it.

“Alrighty then. Can’t argue with that.” Damian sat down next to Janis, “Happy birthday, y/n.”

🏷️Tag list:

@ashecampos @auliisflower @cheesysoup-arlo @frogs00 @ludoesartandstuff @pda128

💭A/N:

Took me longer than I’d like to finish this part…🥴

#auli’i cravalho #janis ‘imi’ike #mean girls 2024 #mgmm fics #janis 'imi'ke x fem reader #x reader #reader imagine #female reader #wlw #wlw fluff #wlw sfw #regina george #cady heron #cadina #multi part fic #queer fiction #fanfiction

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franklyshipping · 9 months ago

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No-One Is Above A Smile ~ A Markiplier and Ethan Nestor Ego Fanfic

Hello again! This time we're writing from a fab prompt from @coolm456 featuring not just Unus & Annus, but Darkiplier too! This is a fun one, so without further ado LET'S DO THIS!

TAGGING: @darkipli-ler

The primary living room of the ego manor was usually very sophisticated, full of leather furnishings, fine mahogany, with a colour scheme of dark browns, reds, and glimmers of gold. Today it was still sophisticated, but there was more of a monochrome vibe filling the room courtesy of the trio using it as their “hangout” space. Dark was in his favourite armchair, scotch resting on his knee as he let himself relax. Annus was reclined on one of the sofas with his eyes closed, a peel-off charcoal face mask in place. Meanwhile, Unus was sat cross-legged on the carpet with about six blankets covering him, and Dark Chica was laying in his lap and boofing softly for tummy rubs. It was an unusual scene for sure, but this time of decompression was much needed for the trio, just to have a little break from the chaos for once. It was mostly silent other than steady breathing, but every few minutes Unus would snort or giggle as Dark Chica spontaneously licked his cheek or ear. At the sound of his giggle Annus smiled subtly, and Dark raised an amused eyebrow.

‘Having fun Unus?’

Dark asked, and Unus grinned. Today he’d swayed away from his stoic side to his more giddy self, mainly due to having Dark Chica’s attention.

‘Yohour dog is the behest!’

He replied, and Dark Chica immediately boofed and licked at his neck, which happened to be a particularly ticklish spot. Unus scrunched up with a giggle as Dark chuckled and Annus rolled his eyes. The elder of the existential pair sat up on his sofa, peeling his face mask off effortlessly as he smirked.

‘I swear you somehow get more ticklish every day.’

‘I do not.’

‘Yes you do.’

‘No I do no–AH!’

Annus’ fingers darted out to flutter at the back of Unus’ neck, coaxing out yet another torrent of giggles which in turn excited Dark Chica more so she licked one of Unus’ ears. The younger man’s cheeks reddened as he batted Annus’ hand, attempting to clear his throat as he glared up at him. Dark bit back a chuckle as he observed, shaking his head lightly as Annus mocked.

‘I hope I didn’t embarrass you.’

‘Annus I swear I will go for your armpits if you don’t shut up.’

‘Oh my, is that meant to be a threat?’

Annus taunted. Unus appraised him, all stretched out without a care in the world. In a flash Unus suddenly darted his hand out towards one of his armpits in a feint, and Annus suddenly lowered his arms to protect himself, letting out a nervous noise from his throat. Annus frowned as Unus grinned at him, giggling and returning his hands to Dark Chica’s belly.

‘That’s what I thought.’

‘Oh… shut up.’

Unus snickered as a slight smile appeared on Annus’ face. Dark rolled his eyes at the pair of them, amazed that two existential beings such as them could be so endearingly ridiculous and wholesome. He sipped at his drink and remarked amusedly.

‘I had no idea you two were getting so soft.’

Annus raised an eyebrow at Dark as Unus gaped, the two replying in tandem.

‘Excuse me?’

‘We are not soft!’

Unus’ particular indignance made Dark snort as he set down his drink, and Annus narrowed his eyes as the shadowy man replied.

‘And yet those tickle spots of yours suggest otherwise.’

Until that point Dark Chica had been flopped fully horizontally and on the verge of a nap, but hearing the word “tickle” from her dad’s mouth made her perk up. Suddenly she was paying attention, but no-one else quite noticed.

‘Those don’t indicate anything of the kind, everyone has them.’

Annus retorted, and Dark sneered.

‘Do they?’

‘Don’t you?’

‘Oh please.’

Dark chuckled, and Unus and Annus shared a blatantly surprised look at the implication. Was Dark… not ticklish? Both of them racked their shared memories, certain that they’d heard somewhere that Dark was ticklish like every other ego in the manor. And yet… the conviction with which he spoke, the casualness, was undoubtedly very convincing. Unus couldn’t help but gape at him, the idea of someone not being ticklish just baffling him.

‘You can’t be serious?!’

‘I’m always serious, Unus. I’m sorry to disappoint you.’

Dark replied with a little grin, internally crowing at himself at the prospect of actually getting away with this. This had to be the most bold-faced lie he’d told in a while, and the idea that it was actually working rather tickled him, if you’ll pardon the pun. Meanwhile, Unus and Annus felt bamboozled, which was a rare thing for the pair. Dark had been the one to educate them on tickling in the first place, but now they thought about it they’d never seen him getting tickled himself. Could it really be true?

Amidst all of this… Dark Chica’s attention darted from the shocked pair, to her smug dad. Despite her being a supposedly “dark” puppo, she was in fact a very good girl and very smart girl indeed. She was taking in the interaction with far more intelligence than you might think – in fact, she was always able to sense when her dad was telling a sneaky lie. She also remembered hearing the world “tickle”… and everything made sense in her belly-rub-loving brain. So, she figured she’d get in on the fun.

In an instant she’d popped up on her feet, and bounded to Dark whilst wagging her floofy tail. Dark naturally reached out to give her some chin scratches, which she let herself enjoy for a few moments… but then to everyone’s utter shock she chomped down (harmlessly) on one of his shins and pulled him out of his chair onto the carpet! Dark yelped out as he landed on his back with a thump, making Unus and Annus bite back laughs.

‘Wha– Chica?!’

Dark looked at her in disbelief – he knew she was playful, but this was a lot! Dark Chica boofed at him and put a paw of his chest so he couldn’t sit up, before looking at Unus and Annus. The silence made it clear that everyone was confused, until the duo watched her start nudging at Dark’s and neck with her wet nose as Dark spluttered. That was when they realised. She was trying to tell them something very interesting indeed, and Dark had realised it too. He let out a casual chuckle, clearing his throat a little as he tried and failed to sit up.

‘Hah, alright Chica alright, we can play just–’

‘Hold on there Dark, I think Chica’s trying to show us something.’

Annus interrupted, a thin grin on his face as he and Unus shared a devious look… before pouncing together and pinning Dark down properly. Dark Chica barked with excitement, her tail wagging as Dark grunted and struggled and let out a number of vague threats… until Unus started fluttering his fingers down the sides of his neck.

‘What have we here?’

‘Nothing!’

‘Are you sure? Chica seems to think it’s something.’

‘Unus, Annus, let me go!’

He grunted, but the wobbly smile on his face made Unus and Annus share another grin. Dark Chica boofed again, and Annus chuckled as he scratched fondly behind her ear.

‘Is your master lying to us, hmm? Is he ticklish?’

Dark’s face reddened as Dark Chica boofed, wagged her tail harder, and licked Annus’ cheek for good measure. That was all the confirmation they needed. Dark let out another series of grunts, gritting his teeth and trying not to giggle as Unus’ fingers kept fluttering.

‘Unus!’

‘Yeah?’

‘D-Desihist this!’

‘Desist what?’

Dark went to speak again, but ended up snorting and chuckling as the flutters snuck behind his vulnerable ears. He tossed his head weakly, his fresh giggles taking all the heat out of his growl.

‘I’ll gehet yohohou fohor thihihis!’

Unus grinned and snickered, whilst Annus leaned over Dark with a twinkle in his eyes.

‘Did you just threaten my other half?’

Dark couldn’t ignore the chill he got down his spine, Annus’ voice echoing a little in his ears. Then before he knew it, a laugh had exploded out of him as Annus’ hands delved beneath his shirt, scratching swiftly at his sides. Dark jerked and twitched, but his hands were pinned beneath Annus’ knees, and he had no chance of freeing them now.

‘Yehehes! Yohohou wohon’t gehet away wihith thihihis, eheither of yohou!’

He exclaimed, trying to maintain some semblance of a tough façade. Unus giggled as Annus smirked.

‘Somehow that doesn’t fill me with dread.’

Annus continued his scratches as Unus’ fingertips zeroed in behind Dark’s ears, tracing the shells as Dark tried to toss his head even more – he was refusing to admit to himself that he was screwed, even though it was so adorably obvious.

‘Dahamnit gehehet ohohoff mehe!’

‘Aww, this doesn’t tickle does it–?’

‘SHUHUT IHIT!’

Unus snickered at Dark’s outburst as he and Annus continued their tickling, Unus’ fingertips now teasing right behind Dark’s earlobes – an utterly maddening tickle spot, by the way – whilst Annus’ thumbs were massaging circles into the dips of Dark’s fleshy sides. All Dark could do was belly laugh and thrash about, meanwhile Dark Chica was sat and watching with a happy look on her face – though occasionally she did playfully nudge Dark’s shirt or lick his face.

‘Sounds like Chica loves that laughter of yours Dark, I wonder if we can make it louder?’

Annus mused, and started squeezing Dark’s sides rapidly to make him cackle – it got so intense that Unus had to abandon his ears to hold his arms as he tugged at them. Unus had Dark in a half hug, giggling as Dark howled with a red face, his eyes flickering with crimson and blue flashes.

‘AHAHANNUS DOHOHON’T!’

‘Listen to that laugh! I think he’s enjoying that Annus.’

‘I quite agree Unus.’

Dark’s laughter was deep and warm as it reverberated around the room, like his mirth was a mighty opera. His hair was quickly becoming dishevelled as he struggled vainly against the tickling (which he was secretly enjoying, but Unus and Annus didn’t need to know that). It had been quite a while since Dark had been tickled so thoroughly, and honestly? It was even more fulfilling than he’d remembered. Though, Dark couldn’t help but kick as the tickles at his sides grew deeper and more intense, his instinct to wriggle free irresistible.

‘UNHAHAHAND MEHE!’

‘Why should we do that?’

‘BEHEHECAUSE IHI SAHAID SOHO!’

‘Hmm, I suppose that is an option…’

Annus remarked. Then Unus grinned and piped up.

‘Maybe if you admit how ticklish you are we’ll let you go.’

Dark’s lips parted in shock. The audacity of the demand was one thing, but the embarrassing nature of it was what really took the damn biscuit!

‘I would be amenable to that. What do you say Dark, will you confess?’

Thankfully Annus eased up on the tickling for a moment, allowing him to catch his breath, before he spluttered his indignant response. As if Dark would give in so easily!

‘Absolutely not!’

Dark started kicking again in an attempt to escape, though the existential duo didn’t miss the smile he was wearing – the fun of the whole thing was obvious, and they were happy to keep playing. Unus laughed as he hugged Dark’s torso again to try and keep him down as Annus resorted to grabbing at Dark’s legs, his hands gripping his knees and squeezing them… which drew out the most colossal shriek from Dark. There was a moment of silence as everyone looked at each other. Unus grinned, Annus raised an eyebrow, Dark Chica boofed, and a wobbly smile appeared on Dark’s face as he cleared his throat.

‘Annus.’

‘Oh dear, what’s this?’

‘Annus, my friend–’

‘I think I know just how to persuade you.’

‘Annus wait I–AHH! NOHOHONONONO NOHOT THEHEHERE!’

Dark was a hysterical mess in seconds. Gone was any semblance of the smart elegance which hung from his figure every day, for here now he was merely a man whose kneecaps were ticklish as hell. Annus was delightedly squeezing them, pinching them, rubbing them with his thumbs and forefingers as Dark cackled and jerked. Meanwhile Dark Chica had started barking along excitedly and doing tippy-tappies, happy to see her dad laughing this hard. Unus giggled along, giving Dark’s arms a squeeze.

‘I think you’ve got his sweet spot.’

‘Mm so do I, I wonder if he’s considering a little confession yet?’

‘It’s hard to tell, I think we keep this up for a few minutes.’

‘Fine by me.’

And so they did. Five minutes objectively is not such a long time, unless you’re being tickled of course. Then it might as well be five centuries! Dark was helpless as his knees were tickled within an inch of their life, his suit trousers offering no protection as misty grey tears built in his eyes. Eventually he knew he had to do it. He had to admit defeat, though it pained him to even think of it.

‘THIHIHIS IHIS TOHOHORMENT!!’

‘It doesn’t have to be a torment, you know what we wish to hear.’

‘YOHOHOU AHARE EHEVIHIL!!’

‘I shall take that as a compliment.’

Annus smirked as Dark let out yet another howl of laughter… before he finally conceded.

‘ALRIHIGHT ALRIGHT IHIHI’M TIHICKLISH DAMNIT IHI’M TICKLIHIHISH!!’

Unus and Annus shared a satisfied grin, before they released him carefully from their tickly grip. He remained on the carpet, and slowly rolled into his side and tucked his knees up to his chest as he panted. He closed his eyes for a few moments, his smile lingering as he felt himself start to calm down. When he opened his eyes, and before he could say a word, he was greeted by Dark Chica lying by him on her belly. She licked his cheek, and he huffed fondly.

‘You were absolutely no help.’

She boofed happily and licked his nose, making him laugh as he sat up – naturally she flopped in his lap, earning her some affectionate belly scratches as her tail thumped rhythmically on the floor. Dark looked between Unus and Annus, his eyes narrowed yet warm.

‘You’re both lucky I value our friendship.’

‘And we value yours.’

Annus replied as Unus grinned, before sitting close so he could scratch behind Dark Chica’s ears softly. Dark smiled lightly as he and Annus shared another look… and Dark was surprised to see Annus’ expression turn soft.

‘It’s endearing.’

‘What is?’

Dark asked. Unus and Annus shared another look, and Unus replied.

‘To know you’re as ticklish as the rest of us.’

Dark huffed and rolled his eyes, but nevertheless felt the warmth of the sentiment the existential pair exuded as they all sat there together. It didn’t take long for them to get comfortable in the soothing room with countless blankets, with the sweetest (and most attention-seeking) puppo in existence. They were a dark group indeed, right to each of their cores… but even so, there was no-one there who was above a smile.

WOOOO HOPE YOU LIKED THIS FIC (SORRY IT TOOK A WHILE!) LEMME KNOW IF YA DID WOOO LUV YOUS!!

#markiplier #markiplier egos #unus annus #unus #annus #darkiplier #dark #platonic #sfw #prompt #ego fic #ego fanfic #tword fic #tword fanfic #tword #twords #twording #twordish #luv these spooky lads

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shattered-reflections-au · 2 months ago

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Fluffvember 28, Inside joke // “I definitely missed something, didn’t I?”

--- --- ---

After Red's initial explanation to Blue, the colour got in on the joke. it wasn't anything bog, he just understood the goofy pet names Vio and Red called each other. Berryheart, Violetshadow, and other, even more outlandish amalgamations of two words that somehow had to follow a naming scheme? Blue couldn't make sense of it, but he was in on it.

though, he had played with the rules a little.

"good morning LemonCardboard."

"good afternoon SharkPencil."

"evening, TomatoClock."

Green was used to being left out of the context of things, but this was getting out of hand. His brother and two of his roommates had started speaking in the most confusing code imaginable, and he wanted in.

Green finally cornered his brother one Thursday night.

"what the fuck is going on?" he asked Blue as he was putting away the pots and pans from tonight's dinner.

"whatever do you mean, GrassSpatula?" Blue said simply. Green groaned.

"that. what does that meannn???" he begged.

"i have no idea what you mean, LavenderCutlery." Blue continued, smirking.

"Green can't have that one!" Red called from the living room. "lavender is purple."

Blue nodded.

“I definitely missed something, didn’t I?” Green asked, looking to Vio as he came in to put his plate away.

"it's just something from a book series Red and I used to read." he explained coolly.

"right," Green muttered, "you're calling each other "StrawberryPotato" and stuff like that because of a book series?"

Vio shrugged, "pretty much."

Green shook his head, defeated. "weirdos,"

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sillyfanatic · 1 year ago

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Opposites attract

Hiiii everyone, happy holidays!!! For those of you who like castlevania, here's some smut <3 Minors DNI i dont want to see anyone under 18 interacting with this fic.

This fic is directly inspired by 'first sip of early spring' by tragic performer on AO3, read it here. (And read it before you read my little fic <3)

p.s; if you're not a part of this fandom and / or don't like smut, no need to interact with this :3

click here to read this fic on ao3!!!! ooooo

(wc; 6313)

Trevor had not been keen on Alucard’s invitation – it wasn’t the proposition itself, nor the person who offered it that uneased him, no, it was something else, it was, it was…

It was because they’d finished their mission, fulfilled their purpose – and was it not supposed to be over, now? Was this partnership – if you could call it that –finished?

Should they be parting ways? Shouldn’t they be?...

He wanted to. More than anything, he wanted to leave – there’d been an itch in his legs for months now, a pulling sensation in his chest that pleaded him to turn tail and run, to be the coward he’d always been.

God, he wanted to.

But now? Now, he felt closer to death than ever before. It was a dreary feeling; an aching in your bones, sharp pains accompanying your every breath. It was sore muscles and the inability to feel your limbs properly, and a question floating in the back of his mind; had living always felt this dreadful? He was not sure he could recall.

There was a dull sensation in his head that’d been there for a while now – an overwhelming tiredness, a mix of despair and exhaustion, the kind you only had the misfortune to feel in that moment after the near-death adrenaline wore off.

It’s why the sight of the guest bedroom was almost enough to make him weep (if he could remember how to do so; he might have let himself.)

There was a bed. It’s all he could focus on now. A bed. The kind of bed fit for a castle, for God’s sake.

“Belmont?” The voice besides him managed to captivate his attention again, and as he turned to his right, he was met with the face of an acquaintance. Those piercing eyes, the kind that lived a life so different from Trevor’s. It sent a chill down his spine – or perhaps, was that the result of all the blood he’d lost?

“Yes?” He found himself replying rathe dryly. Bed, bed, bed, bed. It was the only word spinning around in his mind, an undeniable desire that grew thicker as the seconds passed him by.

It was offered again. “You could stay the night, if you’d like.” The voice was far too quiet and faraway this time.

What happened to leaving? What happened to running away?

Those ideas were far, far away.

And so, he turned to look at the bed again, nodding quietly.

Please. He’d beg if his body allowed him to.

It wasn’t long before he found himself alone, alone in an unfamiliar room, with soft sheets and pillows plusher than he’d ever felt before. There was a small fire whispering in the hearth of the fireplace, and he certainly did not remember the last time he’d felt so warm.

He tumbled into unconsciousness in between blinks, succumbing to the fatigue that wore him down.

Trevor had always been aware of the size of Dracula’s castle, from distant childhood memories to stories spread from one village to another, each re-telling seemingly more dramatic than the last. Seeing it up close had put the stories and rumours to shame, for the castle was much more imposing than words could allow.

It’s black structure – a material he could not identify – extended for miles in every direction, stylistically slashing through the inky sky. Describing it as ‘imposing’ felt like an injustice to its menace. The thing looked alive, ready to swallow any who dared to trespass.

And that was from the outside; the interior was beyond ridiculous. The stylistic choices mirrored those of the outdoors, a black and grey colour scheme with the occasional pop or red and purple, if you looked close enough to find it.

It was pretentious, to say the least.

Much too large for the both of them, Trevor wondered how Dracula had managed to live by himself for so long without going insane (ignoring the fact that he very much did go insane, albeit from different circumstances.)

Empty hallways stretched for miles, forgotten rooms with forgotten functionalities plagued the castle. There were stairways leading to nowhere, and doors that faced a brick wall.

Trevor felt as though this worked in his favour, figured the odd architectural choices, and the sheer massiveness of the place were enough to keep the two of them apart. They wouldn’t have to see each other, and by morning he’d be gone, no goodbyes or lingering glances.

Just a cold exit – his favourite way to go.

It was a fine plan; he could maybe go so far as to say it was a good one. It worked in his favor, he didn’t want the dry conversation Alucard provided, did not care for it.

They weren’t friends. Conversations were for friends, pleasantries and stories were for friends. And they aren’t friends. Nor are they enemies – they are strangers that could no longer be so. Fate had decided to acquaint them, had decided to meddle in their personal lives, and now Trevor was trapped with an obnoxious vampire roaming around in his head when he should be focused on tomorrow, or on anything else, really.

It would come to surprise him, how quickly he’d given into his own exhaustion. It was unlike him to be unconscious in a stranger’s home. Trevor had found himself asleep in strange areas before; fields, dumps, random piles of hay, underneath a tree in the forest- but never in another’s home. He’d not allowed himself to be that vulnerable before.

Not only was he sleeping in someone else’s home tonight, but he was sleeping in fucking Dracula’s castle. He was a vampire’s guest.

If Trevor had not been so exhausted, he would’ve been far from this place. Now, he was unwilling to listen to the instincts that told him never to sleep in a vampire’s home – instincts that were most likely genetic as well as learnt, and ignoring them would surely disappoint his mother.

But she wasn’t here, was she?

And so, against all better judgment, the vampire hunter slept in the nest of the beast, wrapped in satin and surrounded by duck feathers. The smoky smell of the fire lulling the man into a deeper slumber than he’d had in months, or perhaps even years, at this point.

It was a dreamless sleep, the kind of sleep where your body melts into the mattress, where consciousness feels like a concept you’d only briefly known, a long, long, time ago.

And like all the good things in a Belmont’s life, it was over much too soon.

“You’re awake.” The remark was quiet.

He should’ve jumped, shouted, reacted in any alarming way, like a normal person would be. He should’ve been scared at the suddenness of the other’s presence – but he could not find it in himself to do so.

“Do you always watch your guests sleep?” He replied tiredly, opening his eyes to stare at the source of the disturbance in the room.

And there he was, in all his glory, leaning so effortlessly against the wall of the bedroom. Simply existing, and yet Trevor felt his blood beginning to boil as he rose from his sleeping form, letting the sheets tumble away from his bare chest.

He was unusually warm, he noted, though he only bore his trousers from the other day. A quick glance to the fireplace showed a bright flame dancing in the silence, one that had been nurtured in his sleep.

“Not always.” Alucard replied, unmoving. The hunter could not decipher if this was meant to be humour or not – it was rare that the half-vampire allowed his façade to slip enough to make pleasantries.

A silence settled between them as Trevor stood reluctantly, stretching the muscles that ached in the aftermath of yesterday’s combat, and of the weeks of travel preceding it.

And then he noted something truly odd – apart from the orange glow of the fire, the room was plunged in darkness, a moonless night staring down at him from upon the large windows.

And as if he could read minds (Trevor had yet to fact-check this about vampires), Adrian spoke again; “You were asleep for three days, you know?”

The man turned towards the other then, observing him with furrowed brows.

“What?” He questioned, feeling a sense of overwhelming disorganization flooding his mind.

Alucard was the opposite of this, calm as he spoke; “It’s been three days since we’ve last spoken.” It was said as though it was obvious, or common, to which it was neither. It didn’t feel like he slept for that long, given how tired he still was, and it sure as hell wasn’t a weekly occurrence. “You’ve slept for a long time.” The half-vampire remarked casually as he pushed himself off the wall, approaching his guest with soft steps.

There was a certain familiarity in this closeness they now shared, a warmth that the Belmont dismissed as something else entirely.

“Why did you let me stay?” He mumbled, crossing his arms against his bare chest. The gesture made Adrien’s eyes flicker downwards, a small smile appearing on his pale face.

“Now, now, you wouldn’t think of me as cruel, would you?” He spoke coyly, tilting his head to the side in a manner that was far too endearing.

“Hmph.” Trevor squinted, unamused.

Alucard simply huffed a small laugh, patting the other’s cheek with his hand.

“Come now, I’ve made dinner.” He spoke, turning on his heels to head outside of the door.

Trevor did not follow, eyeing the other man as he stood still.

He was supposed to be far away by now, getting drunk in the tavern of a nearby village and running his mouth off, not here, half naked, being invited to dine with someone he’d really rather never speak to again.

“What, not hungry?” Adrian teased from the open door, that sly smile sneaking itself onto his pale features once again. Trevor’s stomach felt fuzzy at the sight – perhaps he was beginning to feel dizziness from his hunger.

With a sigh, and against his better judgment, he relented. Not bothering to dress himself, he followed the other. The castle wasn’t any less confusing, in fact, it seemed a little more like a maze now that he had slept for much too long.

They walked in silence, the stone floor cooling against his feet – it helped ground him, if only slightly.

The hunter could almost hear the complaints of his ancestry, could practically feel the shame that paired well with his parent’s angry remarks and disappointed looks.

He ignored it.

It was fine – he’d been a disgrace to the family name for a long time now, what did having dinner with a vampire worsen?

He’d expected to be led to some sort of grand dining hall, the kind that has a table so long that you can barely discern the edge of it from one side to the next.

But Alucard did not bring him to such a place, instead, they found themselves in a small room lined with large windows, a round wooden table in its middle with two chairs to accompany it. There was a fireplace in this room too, one that had already been lit, its flames painting the room in a living light that waltzed ever so slowly.

There was a desk as well, and a small bookshelf, all wooden. There were paintings on the walls and a few empty pots where he imagined plants had once lived.

It all felt much too alive.

“My mother’s favourite place to eat breakfast. She despised the dining room, always spoke of how cold and lifeless it felt to her.” Trevor fought back against a snappy retort, something along the lines of ‘finally, someone in this family who makes sense’. It was best to leave it unspoken, to spare himself from the death glare that would’ve surely killed him, should he have given in. “She would eat here whenever it was possible for her to do so – I used to join her in the mornings.” Adrian spoke as he sat on one of the two chairs, moving a few plates around the table. He did not speak of his mother often, and when he did, his tone seemed so quiet, so soft. As if the memories were so fragile that speaking of them loudly might shatter them.

The half vampire shed his coat, revealing a simple white chemise underneath, one that billowed so ornately around him that Trevor had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the sight. He bit his tongue again, sitting down on the free chair.

Wine was poured in their glasses, and Trevor was silently thanking the gods for the alcohol, taking a generous swig before replying to the other.

“Your mother had excellent taste in furniture.” He spoke, uncertain of what to say. Adrian simply nodded at this, handing him a plate of what looked like salad.

“Yes, now shut up and eat.” And there it was, a familiar tone. One of general annoyance, a feeling Trevor seemed to invoke a lot – which only made him wonder why he’d been invited to such a seemingly private thing.

Too hungry to object, Trevor put himself to use, devouring anything that seemed edible enough – and by God, it was a lot more than he’d thought. The spread was generous, from familiar meals to exciting new ones, each dish cooked to perfection. There were meats cooked in thick sauces, vegetables that were seemingly fried, and yet tasted so light it almost made him choke.

Dinner was spent in a quiet silence, one that wasn’t necessarily awkward, but not exactly welcomed either. Adrian poked at plates here and there, naturally less hungry than Trevor – one of them hadn’t eaten for over three days and it really showed.

With every plate, the wine seemed to taste sweeter, and before he knew it, the familiar buzz of alcohol had crept underneath his skin, rendering him fuzzy and content.

“I didn’t know you could cook.” Trevor spat out as he poked at some peas in his plate, too full to conceptualize eating any more.

“Is that your way of thanking me?” Alucard replied, his hands woven beneath his chin. He looked so calm here in the low light, his skin gaining a warmth in the orange glow of the fire.

“I suppose.” He mumbled, pouring himself another glass of wine.

“You’re welcome.” The vampire replied, pausing to take a small sip of wine. And then, a silence again, until Adrian decides to fill it; “You learn to cook when you’re alone for a while.” It’s accompanied by a little shrug of his shoulders, which makes the fabric of his blouse sway in a mesmerizing, yet very pretentious way.

Trevor almost laughs here, a smile cracking his wine-stained lips. “Not necessarily – I can’t cook for shit.” He confesses, leaning back in his chair. The heaviness of the meal and the sweetness of the wine was beginning to tire him, and despite the three days of uninterrupted sleep, he felt himself yawning.

“Hm. Why does that not surprise me?” The other retorts, a matching grin lining his features. It’s surely an insult, but he says it so elegantly that its rudeness is almost completely lost. Still, Trevor allows himself to roll his eyes at this, the fuzziness of the wine rendering him more content than he’d be comfortable with, should he be sober.

There’s no good retort here, he knows he’s lost the battle, and he accepts it. Alucard just cooked them both an excellent meal, where Trevor would’ve burnt himself trying to get a fire started.

“You’re welcomed to stay the night again, if you wish.” The man before him offers then, so casually, inconsequentially. As if they knew each other. As if one wasn’t a hunter, and the other wasn’t the prey. (If asked, they’d both claim to be the hunter.)

Trevor did not respond immediately, letting the sentence float in between them as he pondered it.

On one hand, he was three days overdue – he needed to be gone two nights ago, and yet he was still lingering.

On the other hand, perhaps it would be wise to stay. He was still exhausted, and he was now a little tipsy as well – those weren’t ideal conditions in setting out for a voyage, now, were they?

He did not wish to be here much longer, but here there was a bed, and a warm fire, and one more night wouldn’t be the end of him, would it?

He nodded curtly, an acceptance of the invitation that’d been so kindly extended upon him.

If he’d come to regret it, he was not sure, but he knew it fit him in the moment. He’d made the final decision, the consequences (should there be any) would be a problem for another day.

And so, their conversation fizzled out – before long, Trevor had finished his wine, and Adrian was beginning to gather up the dirty plates – he didn’t ask for help, and Trevor did not offer it either. They simply parted ways, wordlessly.

Like strangers.

For a second – technically fourth – time, the vampire hunter slept in the night creature’s home.

They had developed a slight routine. They ate together once a day, nothing as lavish as that first time, but equally as delicious. Trevor spent some of his time hunting for wildlife outside the castle grounds, bringing with him anything he’d caught. Adrian would usually cook whatever he had slain, and they ate it together by firelight.

Words were rarely exchanged, as if sound would rupture the odd system they had going for them.

Every night, Trevor would convince himself to leave for the next morning. He ran the plans in his head as he lay; he would head to the east, find the nearest town or village, not stopping his journey until he found it. From there it’d be odd jobs and favours, wandering semi-aimlessly until he found his purpose, or his purpose found him.

And yet, every night, the soft bed and the warm meals kept him around, kept him comfortable and warm, cared for in a way he’d never been.

In his empty moments, he would search the castle, unable to resist the vast knowledge at his fingertips – for centuries, his ancestors had longed to be in Dracula’s castle, dedicating lifetimes to locating it, and yet… And yet, here he was, so casually residing in it, with all the technology the Belmonts had sought to study, to destroy.

Who would’ve thought that it would end up like this? The last of generations, alienated and uneducated, trying his best to fulfill a destiny he did not belong to.

If he was going to stay here for a little while, might as well try to, right?

As he familiarized himself with the castle, there was one room he avoided like the plague, not daring to venture into it. It was Adrian’s bedroom, of which the door was always closed shut. He hadn’t gotten so much as a peak inside, and he was not planning to. It’s not like he was afraid of Adrian or anything of the sort, no, it was something different… it seemed as though it was not for any reason in particular, like he could not put his finger on it, on why the sheer thought of opening that door turned him away – but it did.

As the days passed him by, his sleep had returned to something akin to normalcy. ‘Normalcy’, in this case, meant that Trevor was back to no longer sleeping well – no matter the comfort of the bed. Still, it was considerably more sleep than he’d get out there, but it wasn’t good by any means or standards.

Tonight, it irked him in particular as he tossed and turned within the sheets, the sheets whose softness was becoming unreasonably unbearable, a pleasant sensation turned sour for no apparent reason. His sleepwear this night consisted of a pair of old shorts and nothing more, and yet, his body seemed to burn with an unknown heat, one that made him too restless to sleep.

The fire in his hearth had gone out long ago, and the sun was beginning to rise somewhere in the distance, but as much as his body ached for it, it could not find sleep, could not find relief.

Pent up, and warm beyond belief, Trevor huffed an annoyed sigh before giving up on trying to sleep. Annoyed, he stood, throwing on a random white chemise from the closet on the guest room – of his room.

Exhausted, he began walking, trying to entertain his body with something, anything. Perhaps walking would be enough to make his subconscious realize that he needed rest, not restlessness. As he roamed the castle, he found himself walking a familiar path around the home, down corridors and up a few flights of stairs, taking specific turns, movements that worked on muscle memory alone.

It wasn’t long before he found himself in the small dining nook, the most familiar room in the entire manor. (And perhaps, it was beginning to be his favourite, but he had yet to admit this to himself wuite yet.)

It was rare to see it in this setting; it was dim, the light of dawn softly illuminating it as the sun rose to greet them. It was a beautiful sight, but he was perhaps too drained to enjoy it. Instead, he went straight for the small cabinet where the wine was stored, hastily uncorking a bottle for himself. He stared at the uncorked bottle for a moment, the habit of drinking himself to sleep was pushing him to just do it, do drink it now.

Reluctantly, he put the bottle down, grabbing a glass from the desk and the other end of the room, a desk that had come to serve as more of a surface for Adrian’s wine glasses. Adrian, who was the reason Trevor grabbed himself a glass in the first place – he knew his host would be very displeased if he were to drink straight from the bottle. He’d done it a few times before and had earnt himself a few lectures because of it – a result he was not intent in re-living.

When had he come to know the other so well?

He didn’t care. All he could focus on was the exhaustion that clawed as his brain, the familiar feeling of despair that often clung to him on sleepless nights, on sleepless days.

The wine was quickly poured into the glass, where it did not stay for long. The alcohol was too sour for his taste, but he did not care enough to stop drinking, feeling the familiar burning sensation that had carried him through a thousand nights before this one.

Old habits died hard, and if he wasn’t the living proof, no one else was.

“Couldn’t sleep?” A voice behind him spoke, and he was far too used to the way Alucard appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. The sudden presence did not illicit a reaction, merely a soft sigh of acknowledgment on his part.

“How’d you ever guess.” He spoke tiredly, voice practically dripping in sarcasm as he lulled his head to observe the other. “Care for some?” He lifted the bottle as he spoke, and Adrian nodded, grabbing a glass and pulling his chair up to face the Belmont. His glass was quickly filled, and they were soon drinking in silence, a silence that had come to be very comfortable, too comfortable.

The man before him was wearing an odd outfit for this time of day; pleated black pants and a ruffled chemise that matched the colour of their drink, the colour of which made it seem like his skin glowed in the low light.

“You know, I have no fucking idea why I’m still here.” Trevor spoke with the honesty of someone who’d already had half the bottle. It’s not like he had anything to lose, anyway. “You know, I really hated you. I wanted to leave, as soon as I was done with everything.” But it wasn’t true, and he knew it. He’d never hated the other. He’d yearned to, felt obligated to, in a sense. “I really wanted to hate you.” He took a generous sip and topped his cup off – this was far stronger than the other red wines he’d gotten used to, and he could feel its effect a little too well.

“I never would’ve guessed; you only declared it every five minutes.” Alucard remarked, smiling from behind his wine glass. And Trevor huffed at this, too tired to muster a real laugh.

“Then why the fuck isn’t it true? Why can’t I hate you?” His heart was beating a little faster than usual, and confessions were slipping from his tongue much too easily. “Your ancestors killed mine and vice versa, and yet here I still am, getting hammered on your wine. It’s laughable.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know the answer.” Adrian crossed his legs, legs that were so long and slim in comparison to Trevor’s. Legs that were always hidden away beneath fabric, skin that was so hard to see.

They both took another sip as the man’s gaze squinted.

“The real question is, why haven’t you chased me out of here? The Alucard I met a few months ago would’ve never let a thing like me live within his walls for so long.” His words were beginning to drag on a bit, the alcohol heavy on his tongue.

Adrian shook his shoulders tiredly. “I’m not sure.” Another sip, and was it just Trevor, or did the other’s cheeks tint a bit rosier? It was hard to tell in this lighting. “Perhaps I’m lonelier than I’d like to admit.” A smile accompanied the sentence, but it was a small one, a sad one. Trevor could not muster the energy to ignore the flutter in his chest.

“Lonely, huh?” He threw back, downing the rest of his wine. “I have trouble seeing that.”

Alucard laughed at the statement; it was a rare sound, one so full of mirth that the Belmont could not help but smile at it.

“It’s that hard to believe?” The half-vampire asked then, leaning his chin in the palm of his hand.

“Yes, quite.” Trevor crossed his arms, a gesture meant to convey seriousness, that he was not joking. “Me, lonely, that’s logical. You? I think you’re lying.” He accused now, to which the half vampire feigned offense.

“Why is it so hard to believe, Belmont?” He pried, furrowing his eyebrows in what seemed to be an invitation.

And Trevor was drunk enough to say something very regrettable; “Because I believe that should you ask anybody; they would be glad to indulge you in anything.”

“Anybody, huh?” Down went the rest of the wine, his glass now discarded onto the table, besides Trevor’s.

“Anybody.” Trevor confirmed.

“Anything.”

“Anything you desired.”

The half vampire ran a pale hand through his golden locks, letting a thick silence reign over them for a second or two. There was a tension in the air that hadn’t been there before – and why was Trevor’s heart beating so fast?

“You’re clueless, aren’t you?” Adrian spoke after a bit, tilting his head to the side in that way that drove Trevor insane.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” He shook his shoulders, too lost in his contentment to think about the other’s statement.

The other, who stood so suddenly, tossing his chair aside. The other, who offered a hand, and when it was taken, guided the hunter. They walked away from the breakfast nook, from the open wine and the dirtied glassed, down an unfamiliar path – or perhaps it was recognizable, but not in the state Trevor was in.

He was so at ease, Adrian’s hand fit nicely around his; it was slimer, and colder, but it was comfortable in a strangely beautiful way. They went up a staircase, maintaining a fairly quick pace – they took a right into a hallway, and a few doors down to their destination.

Trevor was shoved into the room before he could begin to protest, or to realize where he was. He stood in a rather modest bedroom, an unfamiliar one – it was the only room in the castle he had not yet been to.

“This is-“

“My room.” He finished the sentence with impatience. The curtains were drawn and there was a dying fire in his hearth, but there was enough light to show the slight tint on Adrian’s, the flush of alcohol that rendered him so much more attractive than before and – when had Trevor come to think of the other as attractive?

“Why are we..?” He began to question, his head several steps behind.

“Because I’ve been trying to get you to fuck me since the day I invited you to stay, and I cannot go another second without it if you keep looking at me the way you do. You said I could get anyone to do as I desired? Well, I’m asking you now to indulge me so that I can finally sleep at night.” The words were spoken hastily, so hushed they could’ve almost been misheard.

Almost.

Trevor could not deny the effect the confession had on him; he felt his blood rush south at the thought of it.

He’d expected a realization like this to feel like planets crashing, systems colliding inside his mind, but it didn’t. It was a gentle snap, two pieces of a puzzle clicking together in a manner that could only be described as gratifying. He felt warm as a smirk settled on his face. “I thought you’d never ask.” He did not linger then, unceremoniously joining their lips together in a kiss that tasted of aged berries and desperation.

And it made too much sense, the way his heart tried to beat its way out of its cage, the way his blood buzzed in something entirely different than the wine.

Alucard’s mouth was too eager to part for his as they stumbled upon the bed. The kiss was only momentarily interrupted as the half vampire let himself fall into the mattress’ embrace, Trevor in toe.

They weren’t apart for very long before Trevor was marking the other’s neck, biting and sucking anywhere he could reach, leaving traces dark enough to pierce through the dim lighting.

The hunter was soon unbuttoning the others’ blouse, stripping himself of his chemise as well. Fingers roamed across pale skin, eyes committing every juncture to memory.

The way the vampire was half propped up on his elbows, long hair cascading down bare shoulders – it drove him absolutely mad, a madness he was barely aware he’d been containing.

“Why on earth would you ever hide such a thing.” The Belmont spoke, mesmerized.

Adrian’s eyes were dark and half-lidded, and Trevor did not need much more to continue.

Trevor was speaking more than he usually did in situations like these, but he could not keep the words from falling off his tongue, sugary sweet confessions that surprised them both. “I tried to hate you; I had no idea it didn’t work because of this.” Pants came off very quickly after that, leaving them both unveiled, intoxicated not only by the wine that flowed through their veins, but from the tension that rose between them.

“Stop talking.” Adrian hissed, firmly grabbing the other’s chin to bring him down again, leaving hungry kisses on his lips.

In between heavy breaths, Trevor spoke; “Tell me what you want from me, and I will deliver it.” It was a promise, an oath to stop talking, should his mouth be put to good use. He sealed the words by leaving marks on the other’s jawline, relishing in the little hisses that came of it.

“I want you to be inside of me, I want you to fuck me until I can’t remember my own name.” A request he couldn’t wait to oblige. Before he could do so, however, he felt a soft hand on the back of his head, fisting his hair. His head was easily lifted then, eyes forced to meet the other’s. There was a hint of malice there, a dark glimmer in Adrian’s eyes he could not ignore. Everything about this was so wrong; he’d never been more turned on in his entire life. There was no kindness in the other’s eyes when he spoke again, instead, the words resounded in Trevor’s ears like a threat. “Do not make me beg.”

And the hunter could do nothing but oblige, putty in his prey’s gaze. He ran a thumb between his lover’s folds, gathering the wetness to cover his shaft. It was sinful, to use another’s arousal as lubrication for penetration, it was sinful and enticing, pulling him further down a path with no return.

There was no preparation beyond that, they were much too far gone for it.

As Trevor sheathed himself within the other, he made sure to be as gentle as possible, savouring every inch that was taken. “Fuck.” He groaned beneath his breath as the feeling of Adrian’s walls hugged him so tightly, he could barely hold onto logic anymore. Perhaps he’d be the one to forget his own name.

“Ah-“ It was a small intake of air, barely a moan, but it managed to make him even harder than he already was. The half vampire threw his head back as Trevor was fully situated, taking a few audible breaths before meeting his gaze again.

Slowly, he began to thrust, baring his cock to slide it in again as gently as possible. When his lover began to grow restless, he upped the tempo, setting a steady rhythm.

And by God, it felt damnable how wet Alucard was, the sound of his arousal resonating lewdly in their ears with every thrust.

“Jesus, I’ve wondered what was beneath all those layers for so long.” He grunted, setting the pace to something somewhat regular.

“Hm?” Came a small noise from the person below him, whose elbows were getting too weak to hold them up – and so they fell to the mattress, their back arching gracefully as they did so.

It was a sight to behold, smooth skin that seemed to run for miles, a lithe body that was moving for him, in response to him, and only for his eyes to see. He’d declare the scene heavenly if it weren’t for the raunchiness of it, because by God, Trevor had never laid eyes on anything as gorgeous as this.

A lifetime of travel could not reveal such beauty, it was only found here, in his lover’s dips and curves, in the way his eyes rolled back, in every shaky breath, every silent gasp.

“Too modest for someone as pretty- shit- as you.” He struggled to keep his sentences focused, words slurring in a mix of intoxication and lust.

Adrian keened at the compliment, and Trevor took it as a sign to pleasure him harder, better – he quickened the pace a little more, hooking Adrian’s left leg over the crease of his elbow, almost lifting his partner to give a deeper angle.

The other’s breaths quickened, his chest moving up and down quickly as he struggled to contain the pleasure that rang throughout him.

Such a beautiful sight, watching his cock get lost in the vampire’s folds again and again, its tip prodding his belly with every deep thrust – Trevor could not tear his gaze away if we wanted to.

“Aaah- Belmont, you-“ They could not be considered conscious any longer, no, they’d stumbled into another state of being at this point.

“What is it- mm- Adrian?” The mention of his name made him whimper, his body writhing in pleasure.

“More.” He demanded, and so Trevor obliged.

With his loose arm, the trained killer brough his hand to rub circles around the other’s clitoris. It was by no means elegant or methodical, but it made the vampire react in such a delightful way, his walls clenching tightly around the shaft that penetrated him.

“Hng-“ The moans were becoming more and more frequent, sweet sounds that his ears drank up so greedily, trying desperately to commit them to memory. They’d be all he’d think about for weeks, this, he was certain of.

“You’re, fuck, sofuckinghandsome” The words tumbled out of his mouth without rhyme or reason. He pushed harder, bending the body beneath him to better reach the inside of his lover, to nestle himself deeply, in a desire to never be anywhere else but here.

With a glistening chest and the firm squeeze of his eyes, Adrian’s body seized in the throes of pleasure, wave after wave of shock coursing through his sensitive nerves. It was done rather quietly, and yet it made the scene all-the-more ethereal, like having watched something so rare that it only came once in a lifetime – to those who were lucky enough to get it.

And lucky felt like an under-statement as Trevor relished in the feeling of his lover’s orgasm, coming undone in tandem with him. He felt the pleasure crawling up and down his spine, relishing in the sight of the bump he left in Adrian’s stomach.

They stayed still for a moment or two before Trevor decided to move, pulling out of the vampire, leaving a trail behind the action. Lazily, the hunter took his thumb to the opening, gathering any liquid that had escaped and pumping it back inside of him.

Adrian was back on his elbows now, observing the gesture and shivering in sensitivity.

The two locked eyes, the exhaustion and elation of love-making heavy in their gaze, unspoken sentences staying in their minds. It was that comfortable kind of quiet again, the one that meant a lot more to them now.

They weren’t really strangers anymore.

A/N

>happy holidays... i love queer people so much. thats all.

>if you like this work i am So sorry but i have published nothing similar LMAO i doubt anyone will read this since its so outside of my norm. sonadow fans ill write some good stuff for you guys now that i've finished this <333

#my fics #myr writes #my writing #castlevania #trevor belmont #alucard #adrian tepes #trevor x alucard #alucard x trevor #if yer under 18 and interact with this im blocking you

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too-many-rooks · 10 months ago

Text

Spoiler warning: Long rambly notes I took while watching season 3, disclaimer that a lot of this is just character moments/lines I found interesting and initial bones of an au idea for a burgeoning, extremely self indulgent slightly-darker-Alex in season 3 wip I’ve started.

Also it was the middle of the night and I was very tired and wired out of my gourd on some mix of cheap white wine and floods of hyperfixation-sourced dopamine. Also also I only started taking notes at ep 3?

Episode 3

Alex is SUCH a better spy this season than when he began even in the first few episodes prior to SCORPIA training he’s more careful and precise and the team feels better organised - he did so well on that boat I’m so proud of my baby

I’m actually enjoying Tom and Kyra fucking about more than I expected. Tom pulling Kyra together after the boat explosion suprised me by how emotive it was. But I do want them to.. go away. Alex should more isolated/desperate/have NO other choices than SCORPIA.

Everything in Malagosto seems so staged to just see how Alex will react to it all - here’s an unlocked door, here’s an Alex sized vent and a dead spot in the cameras, what are you gonna do about it? +Alex absolutely speaks French I think he’s just not giving that away yet

Oh yes yes lingering bad touch from Julia Rothman hitting the right notes even though that costume is a WILD kaftan moment. Evil carmen sandiago/noir femme fatale aesthetic where are you I miss you so much

Ohhhh Julia saying Ian walked away and abandoned him and that was what hit him worst oh my goooooooooood

(Outfit change from julie mean day change or is she just a multiple outfits a day kinda person. Believable, I guess)

Julia’s gaslighting I ssoooo crazy ‘we trust you. We want you.’ After having his closest people not trust him, and now maybe questioning if Ian even wanted him!

Julia fucking loved this, she’s totally thrilled by her own power. Queen 👸🏻.

God Jones and the department is going THROUGH IT THIS SEASON, just suddenly surrounded by corpses

Julia : offers irrefutable proof, upsets him, then presses him to continue believing what he did before and belittling his objections - very subtle but more firm tone of voice, less motherly/accepting, very clear that the noose around Alex’s neck is always there.

She’s so delighted at the prospect of making Alex into the perfect soldier

Julia: “I want you to meet your tutor”

Me: ‘here he here he comes here he comes.’ And then I threw of my blanket, pushed myself onto my knees, and started bouncing and palm clapping in sheer delight. I basically never happy stim like this but MY GOD the flood of dopamine is IMMENSE.

More manic laughter at the start of episode 4 realising I’m about to see John and young Yassen. Nicuragua! 18 years ago!

God nervous baby Yassen with a gun

HES!! SO!!! BABY!!!

Baby boy already got his colour scheme locked down

Baby Yassen has curls - is it just the humidity or maybe does he have naturally curly hair that he straightens so he looks less cute?

Johns actor has a real resemblance to Ian (and Jack Lowden) but less so to otto

Ohoho scar moment scar moment bc Yassen was nervous and fucked up two people one bullet

“Close your eyes” as I tell these people I’m going to shoot you and have faith

God cut to adult Yassen WATCHING ALEX SLEEP LOOKING SO INTENSE

“Leave the past behind us.” “Ian rider was a professional. It was not personal it was my job.” “Think of this as a school and your dead by the end of the day” (actual honesty for the first time)

Alex not committing to being able to work with Yassen is perfect

Yassen taking Alex TO HIS KNEES so easily besties not been slowed down too much by a bullet to the chest

Soaking wet!!!!!!!!

Alex shooting scene amazing, as was Yassen bursting into his room immediately after for a murder pep talk. Alex has no privacy privileges from Yassen

Yassen removing the humanity from his targets, names/faces/lives are irrelevant, they are just blank targets. “One day you’ll have to murder them.”

“That’s not gonna happen”

Yassen *be so ffr rn face*

Really interesting to see the other side of the department covering up an agent death and lying to the family - I like the department with more humanity/emotional resonance than pure ruthlessness

Shitty Malagosto communal dorm room and matching drab grey hoodies my beloved

Shame there’s no ‘your not afraid of a little prick are you?’ ‘I wouldn’t call you that’ line. (But switching out the ‘getting vaccinated will implant you with secret nano tech that will kill you’ plottline probs a good idea)

Ooooh Julia creepily poisoning him so excited making me think of her delighting in drugging him in a cocktail of ‘let me take care of you’ ways

Yassen pulling rank to break up the fight!!

Ooh Nile wants to take down Yassen so bad.

Toms film skills coming in clutch recording/ documenting things so Alex will be taken seriously, glad to see him be… less of a dead weight to the team

Begrudgingly-impressed-at-Alex Yassen, even with the “come on that’s a bad idea”, “yeah, but!” Teenagerisms

Yassen’s core (suppressed) emotions: fear, doubt, panic

Alex: love, hope, friendship (okay dear, 🙄 but remember you’re literally becoming an assassin why are you so niave all of a sudden?)

Alex insisting John saved him bc he had compassion and was his friend and that Yassen’s rejection of that makes him lonely oh oh my heart my heart

I LOVE how much fun Nile has being evil at his job of threatening children.

Episode 5

Oh my god HIT HIM ALEX where do you think you are? How do you think you’ll actually manage to get those trainees to trust you? Stop whining and hit the man with a wooden sword, christ

Smithers (in reference to Alex) “he’s out there being a teenager because of us” *cut to Alex, very much in danger, contemplating his capacity to kill*

Julia: “no one leaves,” [scorpia, me, interchangeable to her]

mission with Yassen!

Packing for the mission with Yassen!!!

Yassen can’t read his handwriting!!!

“You’ve put… lockpick?”

“I left my last one in Nile. “

Alex bitching about his meagre gadgets at point Blanc 💯

Matching tactical turtlenecks!!!

“I don’t want you to fail. I don’t want you to die.”

Alex and Yassen are a team but Yassen gives Alex command of them oh boysieeeee

Again glad they dropped the vaccine bit: vaccines aren’t dangerous, but vaping is!!

Of on a road trip with Yassen!!

A murder road trip!

Love Kyra seeing the shot and the body - I know why it didn’t happen but I do kinda wish for a more corrupted violent Alex coerced/bargained into firing it himself

That Tom confrontation was great - I do want to see it as like a ‘your getting in my way’ intentional cruelty to push him away and keep him safe when Alex is too deep in SCORPIA to be deluded about thinking he can go home

Alex rejects intimacy with Julia and she cracks down her authority ‘no one leaves’

Ep 6

Love Alex spooky in the cemetery, SCORPIA hot on his heels

Sharing a grotty safe house together god SO GOOD

“We trust each other. You should try it sometime.”

“If it’s not emotional why do you do it?”

“Because it’s my job. (Identity/life/personal connections/sacrificed everything for) I work for SCORPIA. I’m good at it. You could be too.” Olive branch of intimacy - wants alex to be more like him, so they can be equals, can share this life that he apparently finds satisfaction in, not thinking or making decisions beyond how best to achieve his goal/finish the task(/order)assigned to him/subject himself to feeling emotions/thinking about his life beyond his attempts to depersonalise himself as just a weapon - just a professional with no emotions, and that that is fundamentally who he is. Evidently having some inconvenient feelies about Alex tho.

Oh no his delivery disguise makes him look like a caveman. Glad he took off the accessories for the Jones confrontation, his hair actually looks great there all tousled. (Beginning to realise how important characters hair is to me bc I still hate Julia’s I want some dark perfect waves this Bob is ough)

I’m really glad they settled on Yassen NOT knowing about John - he twists it that John didn’t betray him bc he had nothing to gain from being kind to him, so it wasn’t false, but he is so 100% loyal to John, eager to twist any criticism. I do wish we’d seen more of their relationship, but expecting some Russian roulette bits was overly optimistic

“I know my place” he’s IMMEDIATELY off to rescue his boy (actually, where did he go? All of that last episode I was just WHAT ABOUT YASSEN? Was he just plotting a rescue that didn’t need to happen and waiting for his boy to show up?)

Dare I say… good for blunt? Stephen dillane is just so charming I can’t help but like him. And you see some flashes of his ruthlessness like when he talks to Greif but he’s not a 24/7 conniving monster. Also Jones in charge and Alex possibly (definitely) returning to spy work in a couple of years? I like that. Totally abandoning it would have felt unsatisfying.

Loved that moment on the roof - missed opportunity for them to awkwardly wave at each other, but I’m so happy I predicted wrongly and Yassen gets to live and walk away and put down his weapons. There’s so much space for how they can reconnect in that.

#alex rider #alex rider spoilers #Alex rider season 3 spoilers

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