#look at me tagging shit like 10yrs ago

[romanovthinkver]

Do you have a Twitter/X account?

I'm asking because I'm that anon that agreed with you about wanting scarlett to speak up about palestine, the main reason being that there have been viral tweets saying she's a zionist/supports isnotreal because of the whole sodastream situation, I saw a tweet yesterday where someone LIED and said she didn't want to work with a company because they asked her to boycott isnotreal and she refused, and multiple scarlett stans have said that it isn't true.

Idk I just feel like all of this misinformation could be avoided if she said something. it's really starting to irritate me, I know she's busy but a simple "free palestine" statement would be nice.

hello sweet thank you for this ask. yes i have twitter. to be honest i didn’t know about these things you mentioned, but i went on the app and looked up.

as far as i can see from simply their bios, they’re bot pages and mostly israel supporters so they’re probably trying to catch some likes, bring other people to their side using a powerhouse like scarlett to attract them. and it works, you can see it from the comments. this is why speak up matters, right? no false speculations and no more people supporting a genocide.

it’s fake. it has been confirmed by journalists, some of her big fan-pages and scarlett doesn’t even talk like that so, as you mentioned, it’s a spread of misinformation. i personally tagged one of her fan page and she confirmed herself. however the posts doesn’t have any community notes despite all the posts going viral since days. i can’t explain this to you, but i have a thought.

the acc used a real happened fact, talking about something that happened 10yrs ago. it’s the oxfam (palestine) and sodastream (israel) dispute that involved scarlett personally.

i kindly recommend you to go and read it to have a better opinion on it maybe with some deep digging. i’m gonna link up some resources a friend of mine (that i personally thank) helped me find so you know i’m not lying or distorting the reality. (i know for sure i’m gonna have asks flooded with anons accusing me of being a liar and i don’t have patience for that).

misinformation sometimes is a good thing in these situations, for celebrities. it’s strategic. unload people of their responsibilities because it leads people to defend you, forget the main reason because you’ve been dragged into something you didn’t said.

after you learn about the story maybe you’ll have a clear answer that explains a lot on the silence she’s being holding, on why colin hosted the white house correspondent dinner this year.

what can in say tho it’s that she has become a influent figure in the US politics, with the president, and has been invited to speak there for convincing everyone to vote for the AI law. she has donated for causes, spoke up, i can make a big list on the enormous work she put out there to help people.

you guys have been telling me she isn’t political, she can’t expose herself nor she can’t talk about political issues then explain to me what’s the difference on talking about a genocide and being invited at the US parliament to address a speech. the matter? you say, well both are important matter that requires attention.

as i said in previous answer asks she isn’t gonna lose her job because she’s her own boss. have you seen artists big as her lose their jobs? they gained more.

i have been restless. i contacted all of her big and small fan-pages (both twitter and instagram) to ask them to at least speak up about the genocide if they didn’t want to call her out. nobody answered me. i’ve contacted her publicist, marcel pariseau, who always answers her fans. no answer. i’ve contacted kate foster, the outset team. nothing. everyone has been silent. why?

it’s hard to ask if that’s a few of us against millions of people who think she can’t act. that’s pointless despite trying and take all the people shit that hides behind anonymous.

this isn’t religious or political nor about losing jobs neither being busy. it’s human and if you are silent in front of beheaded babies, burned unborn babies, (taking this floor for calling out all the anti abortion shits) decomposed bodies and starved people; well that goes behind every moral of this world.

as this being said my hopes are always here. what i can say is that speculation and hate aren’t the answers only peace is. so be kind and continue to spread your voice, let's fight for the end of the genocide and liberation of palestine. history will make it course, as always have been, and we'll be proud to tell we have been on the right side.

disclaimer: it’s a 10 years ago thing so we don’t know if the situation or her opinione are changed . maybe it is, maybe it’s not.

the guardian.

csmonitor.

il post. (for my italians followers).

time.

bbc news.

buzzfeed news.

nbclosangeles.

[henryobsessed]

I Took You Home - The Apartment

Summary: Reba has stepped out of her comfort zone and taken a very inebriated Henry home to her apartment. Unfortunately or Fortunately he still thinks she’s Lucy. 

Word Count: 1743

Warning: Hand Job, Stimulation, dub consent, drunk actions.

A/N thank you for the excited responses to this idea.

A/N what would you do in this situation? 

Previous Chapter one

As Reba drove, she occasionally glanced over at the sleeping form that was taking up a large part of her little Civic. What was she doing? Reba was not a brash person in fact the majority of her life apart from one little blip 10yrs ago was well ordered and spent in complete independence of a partner. However, each time she looked over, saw his chest rise and fall, and the gentle murmuring coming from his lips....... "Shake out of it, Reba" she reprimanded herself, putting her focus back on the road.

Arriving at her apartment block she pulled into the underground parking. Her car now idling she looked at Henry again, what was she thinking she hasn't entertained a guy in 10yrs let alone a drunk one. But here they were, and she was not going to leave him to sleep this off in her car. Knowing her luck, he would vomit everywhere and be left with the stench for months reminding her of this idiotic decision. Bolstering her resolve, she got out of the car and headed around to the passenger side door. Please let him have sobered up just a little bit she thought as she opened the door.

Looking down at his handsome face she placed a hand on his shoulder and said " Henry, wake up were here" He mumbled something unintelligible and then tried to undo the seatbelt. After a few tries, it was obvious that his hand-eye coordination what not working. Reba chuckled softly at his childish attempts as he continued in frustration to push the button down. Leaning into the car she placed her hand over his, stilling the action. He leaned his head into her hair as he mumbled "Sorry Lucy" the action and the close proximity of his body to hers sent shivers down to her middle a strange sensation that both excited and terrified her.

Once he was released from the bounds of the seatbelt Reba took his arm and encouraged him out of the car. Standing he still swayed unsteadily on his feet, using her shoulder for support, she somehow kept him upright as they walked to the elevator. Her apartment was on the 28th floor and by the time they reached it Henry was looking green, she quickly opened her door as Henry stammered "I'm sorry Lucy I'm not feeling great" Thankfully she got him to the hallway half bath before he began heaving into the toilet. Feeling sorry for the tall man she gently rubbed circles along his lower back hoping it would help ease some of the misery he would be feeling. They stayed there for a minute before he seemed to have finished emptying what sounded to her like the entire content of his stomach.

Grabbing Henry a glass of water she held it to lips, looking him over glad everything had made it into the bowel she asked "do you think you can stand? "he looked at her and with the smallest of nods took her hand to stand. Reba once again acting as a stabilizing force helped him down the hallway into her small but comfortable living room. At first, she thought she would just help him to the couch but looking at it now in relation to his tall frame she knew he would be pretty sore in the morning if she did that. So instead she continued to the door off the living room that lead to her Bedroom. At this moment she bemoaned the choice that she had made to only rent a single bedroom apartment.

Walking the two of them to the empty side of her queen size bed she sat Henry down. Thinking that he could just sleep in his clothes she turned around to get a spare pillow from her cupboard. As she turned back, however, she found Henry fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. He was mumbling again something about protecting his shirt, not wanting wrinkles. Reba at this stage started to chuckle again, how could anyone in this state of inebriation be thinking about wrinkles. The Cute look of concentration on his face and the small pout that was forming caused compassion to overtook her senses as she watched him repeatedly try to undo his buttons with no success. He shot her a pleading look, his blue eyes pulling at her heart.

Sighing she knelt in front of him and started to undo his shirt. His warm large hands reached out settling onto her waist. Reba was trying hard not to look up at him for fear of him kissing her again. So instead focused hard on each button, he leaned his head forward against hers    "thanks Lucy" he whispered, she groaned at that statement, dam when he wakes up in the morning, he'll be in for a shock.

Sliding the shirt off his shoulders she stared in shock. His shirt had been hiding a secret as she stared at the perfectly sculptured muscles. This guy can't be real, can he? She almost reached out to touch the 8 pack before catching herself. Shaking her head, she stood stepping out of his hold and turned to go find a coat hanger so he would not have wrinkles in the morning. Thinking she could help him lay down now she turned and almost dropped the hanger as Henry stood his jeans in a bundle on the floor and the only thing covering his body, a pair of boxers. Blushing she turned around trying to find somewhere to hang the shirt.

She heard the rustling of sheets and when she looked back, he was facing her side of the bed thankfully covered by her thick duvet. She made sure that he was tucked in, unable to resist she ran her fingers through his hair causing a deep purr to vibrate from his chest at the attention. Startled by his response and embarrassed by her actions she bent picking up his jeans to distract herself. Anyway, If he was precious about his shirt she should at least hang up his jeans as well.

Settling them on a hanger she went to leave the room thinking she would sleep on the couch. But a deep pleading voice halted her. "Don't leave Lucy, please. I don't want to sleep alone. I thought you forgave me" Sighing Reba fought with herself. Surely, he's too drunk to be able to do anything, also how often would she have a hunk of a man semi-naked in her bed. What would the harm?

Reba gave up the internal fight, he seemed so lonely what would it hurt for just one night. Switching off the light in the living room she walked to her side of the bed. Nerves jangled about her body as she changed into her comfortable PJ's and slipped under the covers. Shifting slightly, she Whispered "good night Henry" hearing only a mumble she settled herself to sleep. 

Reba's eyes flew open seconds after closing them as a hand sneaked over her waist and pulled her into a hard muscular body. Settling his face into her neck he whispered "There that's better. Night Lucy" Eyes wide not sure what to do she held her breath until Henry's breath evened out into a steady rhythm next to her ear. Repeating the now all too familiar mantra to herself what would it hurt, she relaxed her body allowing herself to enjoy the feel of warmth emanating from the sleeping man behind her. It took a little bit of time especially as the soft snores began but eventually, Reba fell asleep.

Moaning Reba awoke to a set of lips gentle but more insistently kissing her neck. The sensation tingling through her body and pooling in her middle. Trying to remember the night before she instinctively moved her hand over her body to feel the one behind her. Her hand landed on something hard and long causing a moan to vibrate from the kisser's mouth. She enjoyed the feelings generated by the kissing. Still, she was not willing to let this develop into anything more as he probably thought she was still Lucy.  The taught muscle in her hand started to twitch as she subconsciously began squeezing its hot length. This was only the second time she had felt one and if his moans were anything to go by he was enjoying her touch. Realising she was unwilling to stop what was happening she relaxed and leaving her hand where it was hoped that by controlling that action nothing else would occur.

As she relaxed in her sleep hazed mind she felt her bedmate start thrusting up into her hand, increasing the moaning into her neck. The length in her hand pulsated as she increased the tension around it with the hand. His hand that had until now been securely wrapped around her waist moved its way down and with delicate fingers found her sensitive heat. This caused Reba to respond in kind with a moan her own tension building and burning with unfamiliar sensations. The kisses, thrusting, and dexterity of fingers found a rhythm that increased its intensity until Reba felt before she heard the expanding and warmth within her hand followed by a groan, as his body rigidly curled into hers as he rode out his orgasm. The sensations left burning terribly between her legs as his body relaxed troubled her and left her feeling uncomfortably wanting more.

The room was filled with the sounds of hearts pounding and lungs gasping for air and nothing more until a gruff deep voice whispered "Thank you Lucy" before soft snores began again. Shit, Reba lifted the sleeping arm of her body and moved to the bathroom. She looked at her face in the mirror. "What are you doing??" a tear made its way down one cheek as she realized no matter what, she was going to be humiliated this morning. The only thing she could think to do was cook a good hangover breakfast that might make up for the fact that she had to face the stranger in her bed.  

Next Chapter Three

A/N what would you do in this situation? have you ever wondered how to control what was happening while being out of control? What will Henry do when he realizes this is not Lucy's apartment?

I have Tagged people who follow me and who I follow if you want to be removed or added please let me know :)

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[smorgasbordofobsessions]

hichiichi week: day 3 - shakespeare

tagging: @shiroxichigo <3

i read four of shakespeare’s plays to prepare for this prompt, since the last time i read him was like 10yrs ago haha. i had a great time reading his works, especially since i read ones i hadn’t before. i can definitely see how shakespeare is so lauded and why ichigo likes him so much!

title: let me finish

summary: ichigo is just trying to finish the play but shiro keeps distracting him - he finds a way to finish it anyways. includes a summary of shakespeare’s timon of athens.

“Ugh, why are you reading that shit, Ichi? Not like you’re gonna be able to glean anything else from that book. Just put it down already. I wanna do something else.” Shiro whined, lying on the bed while he flicked through apps on his phone.

Ichigo looked up from his book. “Shiro, it’s not shit, a, this is only a play from one of the greatest English playwrights of all time. B, you seem to be just fine messing on your phone. I’m almost done – leave me alone til I’m done.” He turned his attention back to his play. He was only one act away from finishing Timon of Athens and he wasn’t gonna let his boyfriend stall him any more than he already had. For a play that he could’ve easily read in a couple days, it had now taken him almost two weeks thanks to Shiro’s distractions.

Shiro huffed, “C’mon Ichi, it can’t be that interesting. It’s not even written in modern English; how can you understand it anyways?” Turning over and getting off the bed, Shiro walked the couple of steps to Ichigo’s desk, plucked the book Ichigo was reading out of his and tossed it on the desk. Firmly sitting himself in Ichigo’s lap, “I’m much more interesting, don’t’cha think?” Shiro asked with a lecherous grin

Ichigo sighed and rolled his eyes, leaning towards his desk to get his book. “Shi, honestly, I’m almost done. You can’t wait another half an hour?” Ichigo started reading again, determined to finish the play even with Shiro on his lap.

Annoyed, Shiro frowned, trying to figure out how to keep Ichigo’s attention on him alone. With a smirk, Shiro started grinding on Ichigo, sure that if he could get Ichigo aroused enough he would put the book down voluntarily.

As Shiro started nibbling at his neck, Ichigo was tempted to laugh but stopped himself, knowing that that response wouldn’t be one Shiro would like. Shiro’s seduction wasn’t going to work (this time at least), not when he was only a couple of scenes from the end of the play.

“Tell me what you think about this,” Ichigo suddenly said, “the main character, Timon, is a well-loved person in Athens and he’s well-loved because he’s very generous with his friends. However, he learns he has a large debt; he goes to his friends who turn him away. What do you think of Timon?”

Intrigued, Shiro pulled back from the hickey he was making and sat up. “He sounds like an idiot. Why ya asking me?”

Ichigo continued, “So he’s an idiot. Does your opinion change when I tell you that, after his friends refuse to help him, he then decides to hold a feast that he invites him to?”

“Um, no, still an idiot. Dumber than I was originally thinking if he did that.”

“What if what he served his friends was only hot water with stones?”

Surprised at that, Shiro let out a little laugh. “Ha! He’s got more of a spine than you were letting me think! I wouldn’t’ve thought he coulda done that. Does he do anything else like that?”

Smirking, Ichigo replied. “Well, Timon, after serving water and stones, then herds everybody out his house. He then goes to live in the woods and finds gold there.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope. He finds gold and, can you guess what he does next when people come up to him?”

“Lemme guess – that dumbass gives the gold away.”

“Yep.”

Shiro rolled his eyes. “He really is as dumb as I thought then. If he’s so stupid, why ya reading? He ain’t about ta change, clearly.”

“Well,” Ichigo replied, “he hates all people now since his so-called friends didn’t help him.”

Shiro stared. “And… giving out gold is him expressing he hates people?”

Ichigo laughed, “Yes, because he gives gold to prostitutes so they can spread disease, and he gives it to a military man so that he can burn the city down.”

“Oh, okay. Okay that makes sense then.”

“Ha, thought so.” Ichigo flipped a page, taking note that he was only a scene away from finishing the play.

“Okay, so, after he gives the money away, people from the Senate come to him hoping that he could calm the guy who’s burning the city.”

“But he’s not gonna do that!” Shiro interjects excitedly, “because he paid that guy to do that.”

“Exactly.” Ichigo smiles, finally hitting the last page of the play. Having finished, he throws the book on the desk and focuses back on Shiro. “He tells them they should go kill themselves and then he dies in the woods, hating people.”

“Serves them right after not helping him, “Shiro said with a grin.

“Haha, absolutely. And that’s the play.”

“That’s… it?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s kind of short. Why did it take you so long to read it then?” Shiro asked innocently.

“What?!” Ichigo sat up suddenly, making sure to keep a hold of Shiro’s hips as he did so. “You kept distracting me! I could’ve totally finished it in a couple of days if you hadn’t been bothering me with one activity or the other every time I tried to read it.”

“One activity or the other? I remember only doing one activity with you these last two weeks.” Shiro said suggestively.

Ichigo blushed. “Yes, well, you could’ve lain off until I finished and we still coulda had the same amount of sex.”

“But where would the fun be in that?” Shiro pouted. “It was much more entertaining watching you fall for my charms, again and again, than you reading that English book.”

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo sat up, lifting Shiro with him. Moving over to the bed, he dropped Shiro on the bed, turning back around to straighten his desk. Shiro grabbed Ichigo before he could take a step, tugging with enough force to pull Ichigo onto the bed with him. After a minute of flailing, both were able to settle on the bed, Ichigo on top of Shiro. Staring into each other’s eyes, Ichigo leaned in to kiss Shiro. Thinking that finally he was gonna partake in their extracurricular activities, Shiro deepened the kiss, framing his legs around Ichigo’s, hands on Ichigo’s waist to bring him that much closer.

Pulling back, Ichio smiled and ran a hand through Shiro’s hair. “So, which play should I read next? Julius Caesar or Sonnets?”

Shiro groaned.

[splendidlyimperfect]

It’s been thirteen years since Natsu and Gray met in a program for troubled youth - since they both fell apart and helped put each other back together. Now they’re married and happy, loving each other and the shared family they found. But the past doesn’t always stay past, and when the things that broke them come back into their lives, Natsu and Gray have difficult decisions to make - ones that could change their lives forever.

Chapter Summary: Natsu's dad contacts him, and Natsu isn't sure how to handle it.

Chapters (6/?):  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 Rating: Mature Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe, Laxus Dreyar/Freed Justine Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Rogue Cheney, Sting Eucliffe, Freed Justine, Laxus Dreyar, Wendy Marvell, Chelia Blendy, Ultear Milkovich, Lyon Vastia, Lucy Heartfilia Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aged-Up Character(s), Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Married Couple, Established Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Past Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Drug Addiction, Mental Health Issues, Foster Care, Family Issues, Tumblr: FTLGBTales, Grief/Mourning, Childhood Trauma, Bipolar Disorder, Adoption, Families of Choice, Nonbinary Character, Trans Character, Genderfluid Character, Forgiveness, Absent Parents, they're really in love but are sometimes dumb, Natsu is a stubborn shit Series: Part 14 of the only hope for me is you, Part 3 of if you jump i’ll break your fall

—–

Three days later, Natsu got a reply. He was coming back from the washroom at three in the morning when he saw his phone flashing with a message and picked it up.

Wow… I don’t even know what to say. Hey, I guess?

Natsu sat down heavily on the bed, staring at the words before opening the message window. Neelan was online – the little green dot beside his name made Natsu’s stomach twist.

He looked over at Gray, who was fast asleep with Happy curled up next to him. A few stray hairs fell in Gray’s eyes and Natsu reached over, gently brushing them away and running his finger down Gray’s cheek.

Gray mumbled something, shifting onto his side and pulling the pillow closer to him.

“Hey, Snowflake,” Natsu whispered. “You awake?”

The only response was a soft snore, and Natsu looked back at his phone uncertainly. He shuffled until his back was pressed up against Gray’s legs but turned so that the light from his phone screen wasn’t hitting Gray’s face.  

hey, he typed, then sat there, thumbs hovering over the keys for a moment before hitting ‘send.’ His stomach clenched and he reached out for Gray, ready to wake him up, but his phone buzzed again.

I’m sorry it took me so long to respond.

Natsu wished he could hear the emotion behind the words as they travelled across the screen. Was Neelan angry? Happy? Frustrated? Did he want to have this conversation, or was he ready to tell Natsu to leave him alone?

Another message popped up. How are you? You probably have lots of questions.  

Natsu stared at his phone, trying to figure out how to answer.

yeah i guess, he replied eventually. i didnt think id look for u but my foster sister found her mom and it made me think. u live pretty close. its kinda weird.

Neelan’s reply came quicker than Natsu expected. I never thought you’d want to look for me. You’re what, thirty now?

Natsu typed back a quick yeah, then tipped his head back and rubbed his face. A million questions were running through his mind, and he wasn’t sure what to say.

Continue reading on AO3

I’m not sure how to ask this, Neelan wrote, but… did you find a family? Were you okay after I left? I’m really sorry things turned out the way they did.

A spike of anger and hurt flared up in Natsu’s chest and he curled up in on himself, swallowing back the tears that suddenly pressed at the back of his eyes. How was he supposed to answer that?

im married now, he said eventually. he’s my family.

After he hit send, a wave of trepidation washed over him – he hadn’t even thought about the idea of coming out to his dad. It was something everyone in his life already knew, and nobody had ever had a problem with it. But what if his dad did? Natsu’s palms felt slick and he nearly dropped his phone when it buzzed again.

I’m really happy for you. I saw your last name was different. What’s his name?

Natsu exhaled, pressing his forehead to his knees and glancing over at Gray again. He ran his fingers through Gray’s hair, thinking again about waking him up. Everything felt surreal, like this was just a movie about somebody else who was hurt and broken and unsure.

gray, he replied. weve been maried for 10yrs.

Wow. Do you have any kids?

The question stung. Natsu wiped at his face before answering no, then set his phone face-down on the bed next to his pillow and ran his hands through his hair. Happy made a sound that was half-purr, half-grumble, and stretched himself out, then headbutted Natsu until Natsu scratched his back.

The phone buzzed twice and Natsu reached out for it, then drew back his hand, shaking his head. He was exhausted, suddenly, and the ache in his chest made him feel heavy.

He moved the phone off to the side of the bed, then curled back up under the covers, shifting until his back was pressed to Gray’s chest. Gray made a soft, sleepy sound, wrapping his arm around Natsu’s waist and pressing his face to the back of Natsu’s neck.

“I love you,” Natsu whispered, threading his fingers through Gray’s and squeezing his hand tightly. Gray tucked his knee between Natsu’s legs, and Natsu sighed, relaxing into the embrace. This was his home. No matter what his dad said, Natsu was safe here, with Gray.

~

Natsu meant to tell Gray as soon as they woke up the next morning, but when he yawned and rolled over, he realized he was alone in bed. The shower was running, and Natsu considered joining Gray, then looked over at his phone and groaned. He reached out and grabbed it but didn’t look at the screen, setting it face-down on his chest and taking a few deep breaths.

Why did you leave? he thought, rubbing his face. That’s all he needed to type. He didn’t even need to look at the other messages from last night – they weren’t important. All Natsu cared about was the answer. He didn’t need a relationship with someone who left.

Finally, he opened his notifications and stared at the messages from his dad.

I feel awful for leaving you, the first one read. I think about you a lot. I just couldn’t be a dad, and I know that’s hard to understand. I thought you’d be better off without me.  

The next one said, I know it doesn’t make it better, but it hurt me a lot to leave you, too. I still have a picture of us in my wallet.

It was accompanied by a snapshot of a faded, worn picture of Neelan, looking like he was in his early twenties. In his lap was Natsu – maybe around three years old, chubby-cheeked with messy brown hair and a missing front tooth. He was gazing up at Neelan with bright eyes and a wide smile.

Natsu stared down at the picture. At first, all he could see was the adoring way he was looking at his father. Then he started picking up other details – the bracelet Neelan wore, the swingset in the background, a residue of sticky ice cream on little Natsu’s cheeks. Neelan’s hair was pulled back in a similar ponytail to the one Natsu had now, and he wore a hoodie with Magnolia’s hockey team logo on the chest.

Natsu swallowed, rubbing his face as a hot flush crept across his face and something unfamiliar bubbled in his stomach.

wow, he typed back after staring at the picture for several minutes. i dont have any picturs of me when i was little.

I have more, if you’d like to see them, came the almost immediate response. I’m sure you look a lot different now.

Before Natsu could think about what he was doing, he opened his photo folder and scrolled through them until he came to one that Gray had taken a few weeks ago, of Natsu with Sylvie at the night market in Richmond. They were both holding up cups of bubble tea and grinning at the camera.

Natsu clicked ‘share,’ and when the message popped up that the picture was sent, the bubbling in his stomach intensified. It took a few minutes for Neelan to respond, and Natsu was about to start panicking when the words finally popped up.

You look just like your mom.

“Hey, you.” Gray’s voice snapped Natsu out of his trance and he closed the app quickly, guilt filling his chest. Gray stood in the doorway to the bathroom in a t-shirt and boxers, damp hair hanging in his face, squinting over at Natsu. “How’d you sleep?” he asked, moving over to the bed and grabbing his glasses from the side table.

“Good,” Natsu said, shoving his phone under his pillow and shuffling over to Gray’s side of the bed. He caught Gray around the waist, pulling him in and kissing his cheek. “You been up for a while?”

Tell him, Natsu thought. Just say it. ‘I found my dad.’

“Yeah, I just got back from the pool,” Gray said, wrapping his arms around Natsu’s shoulders. “I was gonna wake you up, but you were snoring, and you looked like you needed the sleep.”

Natsu snorted, then tugged Gray down onto the bed with him until they were curled up together and Natsu could run his fingers through Gray’s hair. Gray hummed happily, closing his eyes and shifting closer.

“I…” Natsu swallowed, forcing himself not to look back at his phone.

Gray tipped his head back to look at Natsu. “What’s wrong?” he asked, and Natsu’s heart sank as Gray’s face quickly transformed from content to concerned. It was that look, the one that made Natsu feel safe and helpless at the same time. This Gray was cautious, and if Natsu told him, he’d start asking questions Natsu couldn’t answer.

Is he sober? How did you find him? He could be lying. He left you. It was probably drugs. Be careful.

“Nothin’,” Natsu said, shaking his head and kissing Gray’s forehead. “Still tired, that’s all.” Gray frowned, but before he could ask any more questions, Natsu poked him in the ribs and said, “y’know what would wake me up?”

“What?” Gray asked, giving Natsu an unimpressed look and swatting away his finger good-naturedly. Natsu forced himself to smile.  

“Pancakes.”

~

Natsu didn’t check his phone again until he got to work. He gave Sting a quick wave through the back window, then headed to the office, dropping his bag under the desk and taking a deep breath before opening his messages.

There were three pictures from Neelan. One was of him holding Natsu as a tiny baby, almost too small to be real; another was of Natsu as a toddler playing at the beach.

The last one was of a young, pretty girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen, with long, black hair and brown skin just like Natsu’s. She was sitting on the end of a slide at a playground, toes dug into the sand, laughing with her head thrown back as the sun set in the background.

Natsu let out the breath he’d been holding, touching the picture carefully with shaky fingers. The girl was so young and looked so pretty, and all Natsu could think about was that she was dead.

“Who’s that?”

Natsu nearly dropped his phone when Sting appeared behind him, looking at the picture over his shoulder. Part of Natsu wanted to close it or make something up, but he couldn’t stop himself from whispering, “my mom.”

Sting froze behind him, then touched Natsu’s arm gently. Natsu took a shaky breath, turning around slowly and slumping into the office chair.

“Are you okay?” Sting asked gently, crouching down in front of Natsu. “Hey, Natsu, look at me,” he said gently. “C’mon, breathe.”

Natsu shook his head, relinquishing his grip on the phone as Sting took it from him and set it on the desk. He looked over at the picture again, taking an unsteady breath before exhaling sharply and looking down at Sting.

“I found my dad,” he said, the words spilling out of him. “He—I looked on Facebook, I’m so stupid, I don’t know why I didn’t do it before, and he lives in Victoria, he’s been… fucking, two hours away this whole fucking time, and I didn’t even think, and then he said he was sorry and he missed me and…” He paused, when whispered, “I look like my mom.” He didn’t even realize it was crying until his vision got burry, and he wiped his face with the back of his hand. “She looks h-happy.”

Sting squeezed Natsu’s knee reassuringly. “That’s a lot,” he said. “Do you want me to call Gray?”

“No,” Natsu said quickly, taking a deep breath as he tried to get his pounding heart under control. “No, he’s at—he’s in a meeting. I’m fine, I’m okay. I was just surprised, I didn’t think…”

“How long have you guys been talking?” Sting asked, standing up and grabbing the stool from the other side of the room. He pulled it over to the desk and settled down on it across from Natsu.

“Just since last night,” Natsu said, picking at his nails. “Or, early this morning, I guess.”

He reached out slowly and picked up his phone again, staring at the picture of his mom before flipping back to the other ones. “I’ve never seen pictures of myself as a kid,” he said softly.

“Shit, you were tiny,” Sting said, leaning in to look at the one of Neelan holding Natsu. It was taken in a hospital, and Natsu was lying on Neelan’s chest, barely bigger than the hands that held him. Neelan was staring down at him, and he looked…

“He loved me,” Natsu whispered. Neelan was smiling in the photo, eyes wide and awed and very much enamored with the tiny baby in his arms. Something complicated grew in Natsu’s chest – a feeling that was part pain and longing, and part relief.

“Why don’t you take the day off?” Sting suggested, squeezing Natsu’s arm. “I’m sure Gray’s meeting will be over soon. You wanna text him?”

Natsu nodded numbly, the words washing over him as he stared at the picture. His dad had loved him, had wanted him, had held him and looked at him like Natsu was his world.

So what had happened?