#mik we need a warning next time

[allesrelativnormall]

I just wanted to tell you that I am NOT okay after seeing Philip with eye makeup. This man is gorgeous. I might never recover<3

[mcrdvcks]

Sweet Dreams - Chapter 8

Chapter Summary: The team sets out on a rescue mission for Alexandria.

Word Count: 8.2k+

Pairing: Logan (X-Men) x Original Female Character (platonic relationship)

Notes: i'm happy to announce that this is the last angsty chapter for a while. i'm also super excited for the next chapter since i'm going to be introducing a new character 😏

warnings/tags: violence, blood

Series Masterlist - Chapter 7 → Chapter 9

AO3 Link For Chapter

The team, consisting of Natasha, Bucky, Steve, Logan, Storm, Hank, Emma, and even Jean and Scott, much to the elder’s dismay, got onto the X-Jet.

As the team boarded the X-Jet, the tension was palpable. Each member was lost in their thoughts, preparing for the mission ahead. The roar of the engines filled the cabin as the jet took off, cutting through the night sky toward the icy wilderness of Siberia.

Steve sat near the cockpit, reviewing the tactical plans with Natasha and Bucky. “We’ll need to approach this carefully. The facility is likely to be heavily guarded, and we don’t want to give them any warning.”

Natasha nodded, her face set in determination. “We’ll need to move quickly once we’re on the ground. We can’t afford to give them time to relocate or fortify their defenses.”

Bucky glanced at the others. “Storm, once we’re close, can you provide cover? We might need a blizzard to mask our approach.”

Ororo nodded, her eyes focused. “I can manage that. It should give us the element of surprise.”

Logan, sitting toward the back, was sharpening his claws absentmindedly. His thoughts were on Alexandria, and the idea of her being trapped in that facility was gnawing at him. He looked over at Jean, who was sitting quietly, her eyes closed in concentration.

“You pickin’ up anything?” Logan asked, his voice gruff but tinged with concern.

Jean opened her eyes and shook her head. “Nothing yet. But if she’s being held, it’s likely they’re using some kind of mental dampeners. It’ll be tough to break through.”

Logan grunted in response, his expression hardening. “We’ll get her out. No matter what.”

Scott, who was sitting next to Jean, put a hand on her shoulder. “We’re ready for anything. We’ve dealt with worse before.”

Emma, who had been silent up until now, spoke up, her tone sharp. “Let’s not underestimate this situation. HYDRA’s not known for playing fair, and they’ve likely set up a trap. We need to be on our guard.”

Hank, adjusting his glasses as he reviewed some data on his tablet, added, “The cold will be another factor. We need to make sure our gear is optimized for the extreme temperatures. Frostbite and hypothermia can be just as deadly as any HYDRA agent.”

---

Alexandria’s head hung low, the restraints tugging at her wrists as she heard tsking from above her. She raised her head.

“Such power wasted. And for what Aleksi?” Mikhail sneered, kneeling down in front of her.

She coughed, her throat dry and raw from holding back screams. “There’s a difference between us, Mik. You opened your arms to them, I hated them from the moment I got here.” He stood up, almost angry at her words.

“I was 3 years old! I watched you, mama, and papa get shot right in front of me! Your blood soaked my hands and my clothes and then I was told that I would be cared for. That everything was going to be alright.” She glared at him as she met his gaze, “well, guess what. That was a fucking lie.” Alexandria hissed.

“They took care of us!” He shouted.

“They tortured us!” She corrected him. “This isn’t normal. This is torture, this is hate, and this is wrong. You’ve become so twisted by them that you can’t see that.”

Small objects around the room began to levitate off the ground, surrounded by Alexandria’s blue telekinetic glow.

“We’re both monsters, Mik.”

He looked into her hazel eyes, now softly glowing blue before huffing and walking out of the room. There were 3 men left with her, and lucky for her, they were new guys. Strong, yes. But not a trained assassin like her.

She dropped the objects to the ground, making a cluttering sound as they all landed, but not before levitating a thick needle to the back of her hands. Alexandria quickly unlocked the cuffs before standing up on unsteady legs and running to one of the men, stabbing him in the jugular.

They didn’t have guns, since they’re not supposed to kill her, but they did have two knives.

She grabbed one of the men’s wrists, turning it inwards to slit the vein on his wrist before kicking out the third man’s legs and kicking his head in. Alexandria grabbed the knife from the last guy and unlocked the door.

---

Storm glanced out the window, the snowy landscape of Siberia coming into view. “We’re getting close. I’ll start manipulating the weather now.”

As she began to concentrate, the sky outside grew darker, thick clouds gathering as snow started to fall heavily. The visibility reduced to almost nothing, making the X-Jet’s approach undetectable from the ground.

Steve stood up, addressing the team. “Alright, we’re going in hot. We’ll split into two teams. Team One will be Natasha, Bucky, Logan, and me. We’ll hit the facility’s main entrance and draw their attention. Team Two—Storm, Hank, Jean, Scott, and Emma—you’ll go in from the south and provide support. We rendezvous at the central holding area.”

Natasha secured her weapons, her eyes meeting Steve’s. “Let’s do this.”

The jet touched down silently, the snowstorm covering their arrival. The team moved out quickly, each group heading to their designated positions.

As they approached the facility, Logan’s senses were on high alert. The cold air bit at his skin, but his healing factor kept it at bay. He could smell the faint scent of fear and sweat from within the compound—guards, unaware of the storm brewing outside.

Steve signaled for them to move in, and they made their way to the entrance. Natasha moved to the side, readying her taser discs.

With a nod from Steve, Logan sliced through the metal door effortlessly, and they were inside.

The interior of the facility was stark and clinical, with bright fluorescent lights casting harsh shadows. The team moved quickly, taking down guards with silent efficiency. Logan’s claws slashed through their weapons, while Bucky’s precise shots disabled security systems.

“We’re in,” Steve whispered into his comm, signaling Team Two.

Storm’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “We’re approaching the south entrance now. No sign of heavy resistance yet.”

Logan growled under his breath. “Too easy. They’re up to something.”

Natasha nodded in agreement. “Keep your eyes open. We’ve got to find Alexandria.”

They continued deeper into the facility, the hallways twisting and turning like a labyrinth. The smell of antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of blood—Alexandria’s blood, Logan realized, his anger flaring.

“Her scent’s getting stronger,” Logan muttered, his pace quickening. “She’s close.”

Sirens started to blare throughout the building as HYDRA soldiers stood in front of them, guns raised.

The sirens echoed through the cold, sterile halls of the facility, their piercing wails bouncing off the concrete walls. Red lights flashed, casting eerie shadows as the team found themselves face-to-face with a group of HYDRA soldiers, weapons drawn and ready to fire.

Logan's claws extended with a sharp snikt, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "Well, ain't this a warm welcome," he growled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Steve was quick to respond, raising his shield as the soldiers opened fire. "Take cover!" he ordered, his voice commanding yet calm. The team ducked behind the thick metal walls of the corridor, bullets ricocheting off surfaces with alarming speed.

Bucky, his expression cold and focused, leaned out just enough to fire a few precise shots, each one finding its mark with deadly accuracy. "We don’t have time for this," he muttered, his tone frustrated. "We need to find Alexandria and get out."

Natasha, always quick on her feet, rolled out from her cover, launching her taser discs with precision. They hit two of the soldiers square in the chest, sending them convulsing to the ground. "We’ll clear a path," she said, her voice sharp as she quickly assessed the situation. "Logan, take point. Bucky and I will cover you."

Logan nodded, his gruff exterior giving way to a fierce determination. He charged forward with a low growl, his claws slashing through the HYDRA soldiers with brutal efficiency. The soldiers barely had time to react before Logan was upon them, his claws cutting through their weapons and defenses like butter.

As the team advanced through the facility, the resistance grew thicker. More soldiers poured into the corridors, trying to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. But they were no match for the seasoned fighters.

Steve’s shield deflected incoming fire as he moved with purpose, taking out soldiers with well-placed strikes. Natasha and Bucky worked in tandem, their years of experience evident in their synchronized movements. Logan, at the front, was a force of nature, his rage propelling him forward as he cut down anyone in their way.

“Where the hell is she?” Logan barked, his frustration mounting as they continued to move through the seemingly endless corridors. The scent of Alexandria’s blood was stronger now, mixed with the sterile, clinical smell of the facility.

“She’s close,” Logan muttered under his breath, his senses sharp. “Just a little further.”

As they turned a corner, they came face-to-face with a large, reinforced door. The kind that screamed ‘important.’ Logan didn’t hesitate. He slashed at the control panel, causing the door to slide open with a hiss.

Inside, the room was dimly lit, the air thick with the smell of antiseptic and blood. Three men were dead on the ground, but the blood was fresh.

Alexandria rushed through the halls of the building, stopping when gunmen walked in front of her guns raised. “You can't kill me, idiots!” she shouted in Russian.

The soldiers shared glances at each other before one of them barked out, “we need her alive.”

She walked forward slowly, like a predator staking out her prey before using her telekinesis to bring one of their rifles to her hands, quickly shooting at them, two of them falling to the ground.

The other 8 moved behind a wall. She blasted the corner of the hall, the wall falling down on top of 3 of the men and giving her a clear shot at 3.

Alexandria looked to the other side where the other two men where, calmly walking around the corner and kicking one in the knee and shooting his head, before using the butt of the rifle to smash the other man’s head in.

She threw down the rifle, the magazine was empty, before an arm wrapped around her throat and a knife at her side. “We’re both getting out of here.” Mikhail said.

“And going to another HYDRA base? No thank you.” She hissed, trying to get out of his grip but his super strength made it impossible.

“Manya and Artyom already made it out. We are going to follow.” He pushed her forwards, his arm cutting off a good amount of her air supply as they walked through the building.

Mikhail’s grip tightened around Alexandria’s throat as he pushed her forward through the dimly lit corridors of the HYDRA facility. His breath was ragged, betraying a mix of desperation and determination.

Alexandria’s mind raced as she struggled to breathe, her thoughts darting between escape and the shock of seeing her brother alive. For years, she had believed him dead, murdered alongside their parents by HYDRA. And yet, here he was, forcing her to go with him to the very people who had destroyed their lives.

She felt the cold metal of the knife pressing against her side, a constant reminder of how precarious the situation was. “You really think it’s safe us with them?” she choked out, her voice strained from the lack of air.

Mikhail didn’t respond, his focus entirely on maneuvering through the building. Alexandria could feel the tension radiating off him—this was no reunion, no joyful return from the dead. It was a survival mission, pure and simple, and she was just another piece in the game.

They neared an exit door, the faint outline of the snowy landscape visible through the small window. Mikhail slowed, his eyes darting around for any signs of danger. Alexandria took the brief moment of hesitation to try and twist out of his grasp, but his grip was ironclad.

“Don’t,” he warned, his voice low and dangerous. The knife pressed harder against her skin, a thin line of blood trickling down her side.

They reached the door, and Mikhail paused again, his gaze flickering between the exit and his sister. “This is our only chance, Aleksi. Don’t make me do something we’ll both regret.”

Before Alexandria could respond, a growl echoed from the shadows behind them.

Logan emerged from the darkness, his eyes locked on Mikhail. “Let her go, bub,” he snarled, his voice a dangerous rumble. His claws were already extended, gleaming in the faint light.

Mikhail tensed, pulling Alexandria even closer as he pressed the knife to her throat. “One step closer, and I’ll kill her,” he threatened, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Logan. “You think I won’t do it?”

Logan didn’t flinch, his gaze cold and unyielding. “You don’t wanna do that, kid. You let her go, and we can talk. But you hurt her…” His voice trailed off, the threat hanging heavy in the air.

Mikhail’s grip tightened, and Alexandria winced as the blade bit into her skin. “You don’t understand,” Mikhail spat, his voice shaking slightly. “She’s my sister. I’m getting her out of here.”

“By holding a knife to her throat?” Logan’s tone was incredulous, but there was an underlying edge of anger. “That’s how you protect your family?”

Alexandria’s mind was racing. She could feel the tension in Mikhail’s body, the desperation in his voice. He was scared—scared of HYDRA, scared of what he’d become, and scared of losing her again.

“Mikhail,” she rasped, her voice barely above a whisper. “This isn’t the way. They’re the problem. You have to let them out of your head.”

His eyes darted between Logan and the door, uncertainty flickering across his face. For a moment, it seemed like he might listen, might lower the knife and let her go.

But then Logan moved—a slow, deliberate step forward—and in that split second, Mikhail panicked. His grip tightened, and the knife slashed across Alexandria’s throat, the movement quick and instinctual.

Blood splattered onto the floor, and Alexandria’s hands flew to her neck, her eyes wide with shock.

Before Mikhail could react further, a gunshot rang out. Bucky, who had been moving silently behind them, fired a single, precise shot. The bullet hit Mikhail in the head, and he crumpled to the ground, his body falling limp beside Alexandria.

Logan rushed forward, catching Alexandria as she collapsed, blood pouring from the wound at her throat. “Stay with me, kid,” he urged, his voice a mix of anger and concern. “You’re gonna be fine. Just hold on.”

Alexandria’s vision blurred, the world around her fading in and out. She could feel Logan’s arms around her, hear his voice, but it all seemed distant, like a dream she couldn’t quite grasp.

Logan moved Alexandria’s hand away from her throat and put a harder pressure on it, the blood still pouring out quickly.

Logan pressed down on Alexandria's throat with one hand, trying to stem the flow of blood. His other hand grabbed at his comm. “Hank! Get in here now!”

There was no hesitation in his voice, just raw urgency. Alexandria’s breath came in short, ragged gasps, her eyes struggling to stay open. Her skin was turning pale, a sharp contrast to the dark blood seeping through Logan’s fingers.

“Stay with me, sweetheart,” Logan growled, his voice low but commanding. “You’re not going anywhere, you hear me?”

Alexandria’s eyes flickered, her hand weakly clutching at Logan’s wrist. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

“Hank!” Logan barked again, the desperation creeping into his tone.

Hank’s voice crackled through the comm. “We’re almost there. Just hold on!”

Bucky spoke through the comms, “someone needs to get back to the jet and prepare for immediate take-off.”

“I’ll handle it.” Scott said.

Alexandria’s lips moved again, but no sound came out.

“Shh, don’t talk,” Logan muttered, his voice soft. “Just hang in there, sweetheart. We’re gonna get you patched up, and then you can tell me all about how much you hate me.”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Alexandria’s lips, as she shook her head ‘no’, almost imperceptibly. Logan’s heart clenched at the sight, a feeling he wasn’t accustomed to but couldn’t deny.

“I- ” Alexandria rasped out, her voice barely there. Logan shook his head as she continued, forcing the words out no matter the pain it caused her. “I’m sorry.”

Logan's grip on her throat tightened just slightly, but not enough to hurt. His expression softened, something rare for him. "You ain't got nothin' to be sorry for, kid. This ain't your fault."

Her breath was shallow, each intake rattling in her chest. Alexandria's gaze locked onto his, desperate to convey what words couldn't. “Put you all at risk.” She slurred; her eyes drooping closed then opening back up slowly.

"Stop that," Logan growled, his tone more gentle than harsh. "Ain't nobody blaming you for this. HYDRA’s the one to blame, not you."

Her eyes fluttered, her strength ebbing away with each passing second. Alexandria’s hand twitched, as if she wanted to reach out to him, to hold on to something, but she didn’t have the strength.

A single tear slipped through her eye, rolling down to her ear. She can’t remember the last time she cried. Probably when she watched her parents be killed in front of her. Maybe the first few weeks she was at HYDRA.

Another few tears rolled out of her eyes. She blinked away the blurriness, from the tears and the blood loss. “I don’t-“ she was cut off by her gasping for air.

Bucky barked through the comms for Hank to get here quicker.

Logan felt his own throat tightening, “you’re not dying, you hear me?”

Alexandria’s eyes fluttered, her vision fading in and out as she struggled to focus on Logan’s face. “Can’t… can’t hold on…” she whispered, her voice barely a breath. The blood continued to pour from her wound, staining Logan’s hands a deep crimson.

“You can,” Logan insisted, his tone firm but tinged with desperation. “You’re tougher than this, Alexandria. Don’t you dare give up now.” He could feel her life slipping away, and it was tearing him apart in a way he hadn’t expected.

Alexandria’s grip on Logan’s wrist weakened, her strength fading fast. “Don’t wanna leave…” she murmured, her words slurred and barely coherent. “Not… now…”

Logan’s chest tightened at her words. For someone who’d been through hell and back, Alexandria had always kept her guard up, never letting anyone in. But in this moment, with death knocking at her door, she was finally letting him see the fear she’d kept buried deep inside.

“Then don’t,” Logan growled, his voice a mix of anger and something else—something raw and painful. “You stay with me, Alexandria. We’ll get you through this.”

Her eyes locked onto his, filled with a silent plea. She didn’t want to die. Not like this. Not now, when she was finally starting to find a place where she belonged. But the darkness was creeping in, pulling her under, and she didn’t know if she had the strength to fight it.

“I’m… I’m scared,” she admitted, the words slipping out before she could stop them. Her voice was so small, so fragile, that it made Logan’s heart clench.

Logan leaned in closer, his face inches from hers. “I know, kid. I know. But you’re not alone. You got me. You got the team. We’re not letting you go without a fight.”

Alexandria’s breath hitched, a mixture of fear and something else—relief, maybe—washing over her. She’d spent so long keeping everyone at arm’s length, convinced that caring about someone was a weakness. But here was Logan, gruff and harsh as he was, refusing to let her slip away.

“Hank!” Logan bellowed again into the comm, the urgency in his voice impossible to ignore.

“We’re here!” Hank’s voice came through, and a moment later, he burst into the room, followed by Jean. Hank immediately dropped to his knees beside Alexandria, his medical bag already open.

“Move aside, Logan,” Hank ordered, his voice calm but urgent.

Logan hesitated for a split second before he shifted to give Hank access to the wound. His hands were covered in Alexandria’s blood, the sight of it making his stomach churn. He hadn’t felt this helpless in a long time, and he hated it.

He immediately assessed the situation, his hands moving quickly as he pulled out medical supplies. “We need to get her to the jet now,” Hank said, his tone calm but urgent. “Logan, keep applying pressure while I stabilize her.”

Logan did as he was told, his eyes never leaving Alexandria’s face. She was barely conscious now, her breath shallow and uneven. Hank worked quickly, injecting her with a sedative to ease the pain and slow the bleeding.

“We’ve got to move,” Hank said, looking up at Logan. “She doesn’t have much time.”

Logan nodded, his face grim. He gently lifted Alexandria into his arms, careful to keep the pressure on her wound. She was so light, too light, and it only made him more determined to save her.

“Hang on, kid,” Logan murmured as he carried her out of the room, Bucky covering their exit. “We’re almost there.”

As they made their way to the jet, the rest of the team was already in motion, securing the area and preparing for a quick departure. The snowstorm that Ororo had summoned still raged outside, covering their escape as they boarded the jet.

Logan laid Alexandria down on the makeshift bed in the back of the jet, his hands still pressed firmly against her throat. Blood was everywhere—on his hands, on her clothes, on the floor—and he could feel the panic rising in his chest. But he shoved it down, focusing on what needed to be done.

“Keep your hands there,” Hank instructed, pulling out a small device from his bag. “I need to close this wound before she loses any more blood.”

Logan nodded, his jaw clenched. He could feel Alexandria’s pulse, weak and erratic beneath his fingers. Every second felt like an eternity as Hank worked, his hands steady and precise despite the chaos around them.

Jean knelt beside them, her face tight with concentration as she used her telepathy to try and keep Alexandria calm. “She’s fighting,” Jean murmured, more to herself than anyone else. “She’s scared, but she’s fighting.”

“She better be,” Logan muttered, his voice rough. “Because I’m not letting her go that easy.”

Hank’s hands moved quickly, sealing the wound with a combination of advanced medical tech and a bit of mutant healing serum. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to keep Alexandria stable. For now.

“Okay, I’ve got the bleeding under control,” Hank said, leaning back slightly to assess his work. “But she’s still in critical condition. We need to get her back to the mansion’s medbay.”

Logan didn’t respond, his focus entirely on Alexandria’s face. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow, but she was still alive. That was all that mattered right now.

Scott’s voice crackled through the jet’s comm system. “We’re taking off now. ETA to the mansion is twenty minutes.”

“Make it ten,” Logan snapped, not taking his eyes off Alexandria. “She doesn’t have twenty.”

“We’ll do our best,” Scott replied, and Logan could hear the urgency in his voice.

As the jet lifted off, Logan finally allowed himself to take a breath. His hands were still pressed against Alexandria’s throat, even though Hank had already stopped the bleeding. He knew he should let go, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. It felt like if he let go, even for a second, she’d slip away.

“She’s stable, Logan,” Hank said gently, noticing the tension in Logan’s posture. “You can let go now.”

Logan hesitated, his eyes flicking to Hank before finally nodding. He slowly lifted his hands, his fingers stained with blood, and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

Jean placed a hand on Logan’s shoulder, her touch gentle. “She’s going to be okay,” she said softly, her voice filled with a quiet confidence that Logan desperately wanted to believe.

Logan didn’t respond, just stared at Alexandria’s pale face. She looked so small, so fragile, lying there. It didn’t suit her. She was a fighter, tough as nails, just like him. Seeing her like this felt wrong.

“Logan,” Hank said, his voice pulling Logan out of his thoughts. “She needs to rest now. We’ve done all we can for her until we get back to the mansion.”

Logan nodded, his jaw still clenched tight. He moved back slightly, giving Hank room to work as he adjusted the monitoring equipment around Alexandria. The steady beep of the heart monitor was a small comfort, but it did little to ease the tightness in Logan’s chest.

“I’ll stay with her,” Jean offered, her tone gentle but firm. “You should get cleaned up.”

Logan looked down at his hands, still covered in Alexandria’s blood, and gave a short nod. “Yeah,” he muttered, though he didn’t move right away. His eyes lingered on Alexandria’s face, as if he was afraid she’d disappear if he looked away.

Jean’s hand squeezed his shoulder lightly, a silent assurance that she had things under control. Logan finally forced himself to stand, though his movements were stiff, reluctant. He took a few steps back, his gaze never leaving Alexandria until he turned and made his way to the small sink at the back of the jet.

As he washed the blood from his hands, the water running red down the drain, Logan’s mind was racing. He wasn’t used to feeling this way—this helpless, this out of control. He was a man of action, someone who fought his battles head-on. But this… this was different.

He wasn’t fighting an enemy he could see, something he could take down with his claws or his fists. He was fighting something much worse—losing someone he cared about. And that terrified him more than any battle ever could.

Back at the makeshift bed, Jean was still sitting beside Alexandria, her expression calm and focused. She kept her hand on Alexandria’s arm, using her telepathy to keep her friend’s mind at ease. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“Hang in there, Alexandria,” Jean murmured softly, more to herself than to the unconscious girl. “You’re stronger than this. You can pull through.”

Logan finished cleaning up and moved back to Alexandria’s side, ignoring the way his hands trembled slightly. He wasn’t used to this kind of fear, the kind that gnawed at his insides and made him feel like he was drowning. But he shoved it down, focusing on what needed to be done.

“She’s gonna be okay,” Jean said again, her voice firm as she met Logan’s gaze.

Logan nodded, though he didn’t trust himself to speak. He just sat down beside Alexandria, his hand hovering over hers for a moment before he finally took it, his grip gentle but steady. He wasn’t good at this—at comforting people, at showing he cared—but he wasn’t going to let her go through this alone.

Not when he’d finally started to see the cracks in her tough exterior, the vulnerability she kept hidden from everyone else. He wasn’t going to let her slip away, not when she’d just started to open up, to trust him.

“Don’t you dare give up,” Logan muttered, his voice low but filled with a quiet determination. “You’re a fighter, kid. You don’t get to quit on me now.”

The jet’s engines hummed softly around them, the only sound in the otherwise silent cabin. Logan sat there, holding Alexandria’s hand, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions he couldn’t quite name.

But one thing was clear—he wasn’t going to lose her. Not now. Not ever.

---

As the jet finally touched down at the mansion, the team moved quickly, getting Alexandria off the jet and into the medical bay where the doctors were already waiting.

Logan didn’t leave her side, even as the medical team worked on her. He stood back, out of their way, but close enough that he could see everything, his eyes never leaving her face.

Hours passed in a blur of activity and tension. The medical team did everything they could, working tirelessly to stabilize Alexandria and repair the damage done by the knife.

Finally, as the first light of dawn began to filter through the windows, one of the doctors approached Logan. “She’s stable,” the doctor said, exhaustion clear in his voice. “She’s going to need time to heal, but she’s going to make it.”

Logan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, relief washing over him like a wave. “Thanks, doc,” he muttered, his voice rough with emotion.

The doctor nodded, giving Logan a tired but understanding look before heading out to get some much-needed rest.

Logan turned his attention back to Alexandria, who was lying peacefully now, her breathing steady and even. The color was starting to return to her cheeks, and the wound on her neck was bandaged tightly.

He pulled up a chair next to her bed and sat down heavily, the weight of the past few hours finally catching up with him. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, but he wasn’t going anywhere. Not until she woke up.

As he sat there, the others slowly filtered in, one by one, to check on Alexandria and offer their support. They didn’t say much—there wasn’t much to say—but their presence was a comfort, a reminder that they were all in this together.

Hours passed, and Logan stayed by Alexandria’s side, his eyes growing heavy as exhaustion tugged at him. He fought to stay awake, unwilling to leave her alone, but eventually, sleep claimed him.

He didn’t know how long he slept, but when he woke up, the room was quiet, the only sound the steady beep of the monitors. He blinked blearily, his eyes focusing on the figure in the bed next to him.

Alexandria was awake.

Logan stood up and pressed the button to call for Hank. He noticed her move her lips but clearly her throat was dry, so he helped her take a few sips of water before sitting back down next to her.

“You called me sweetheart.” She said, a small smile on her face, even though she looked to be in pain.

Logan’s eyes widened as he heard Alexandria’s voice. It was faint, but unmistakably her. He looked down at her, her pale face now lit with a smile despite the pain etched into her features. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to laugh or scold her.

“Sweetheart, huh?” he grumbled, trying to mask the relief that was threatening to overtake him. He glanced around, making sure Hank was on his way. “You know, you almost gave me a heart attack. You had me worried sick.”

Alexandria’s smile faded slightly as she winced, her hand gingerly touching the bandaged area on her neck. “Well, I wasn’t planning on it. Didn’t exactly think I’d be the one to worry you.”

Logan let out a gruff chuckle, though it was strained. “Don’t get used to it. You still owe me for almost making me lose my mind.”

Before Alexandria could reply, Hank bustled into the room, his medical bag in hand. “How’s our patient?” he asked, his gaze flicking between Logan and Alexandria.

“Woke up just a minute ago,” Logan said, his voice softer now but still edged with concern. “Still pretty groggy, though.”

Hank nodded and moved to Alexandria’s side, adjusting some of the medical equipment around her. “That’s to be expected. The procedure went well, but she’s going to need some time to recover. Make sure she gets plenty of rest.”

Alexandria tried to sit up, but the pain made her wince. “I’ve had worse.”

Hank looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Your throat was slit open, and you had 4 cracked ribs, a cracked femur, and not to mention dehydration.”

Alexandria tried to shrug, wincing with the effort. “I’ve had worse.” She reiterated.

Hank’s expression didn’t soften. “Well, you’re not getting out of bed anytime soon. I’ll need to keep you under observation for at least a few days. No arguing.”

Alexandria opened her mouth to protest but was cut off by Hank’s stern look. Instead, she just nodded and sank back into the pillows. Logan, who had been watching the exchange with a mix of relief and concern, finally spoke up.

“Doc’s right,” Logan said gruffly. “You need to take it easy. I don’t want to see you getting up and trying to play hero anytime soon.”

Alexandria gave a weak smirk. “I’ll try not to. But you know me…”

Logan’s eyes softened slightly, though his expression remained serious. “Yeah, I do. And that’s why I’m gonna be keeping an eye on you.”

Hank, busy adjusting the IV drip, glanced over his shoulder. “I’m going to get a few more supplies. Logan, try to get her to rest.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Logan grumbled, though there was a faint smile tugging at his lips. He sat down in the chair next to Alexandria’s bed, his gaze never leaving her. “You really did a number on yourself this time.”

Alexandria’s eyes, though tired, held a glint of defiance. “I didn’t exactly plan on it.”

Logan chuckled dryly. “I figured. But that doesn’t make it any easier to watch.”

There was a moment of silence as Alexandria seemed to gather her thoughts. “I’m sorry for… putting you through this,” she said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Logan shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. You’re tough, and you’ll bounce back. Just… don’t make a habit of it, alright?”

“Alright,” Alexandria said, her eyes drifting to the side as she fought to stay awake.

---

After a week in the medbay, Hank finally let her go, although he said that she should take it easy, no lifting things or running around.

She listened, begrudgingly, but also because Logan had been with her through the entire thing. She’s pretty sure he now knows more about her health than she does.

Alexandria finished reading a few chapters of her book, she decided to read a book in English instead of Russian this time, to get better at reading English words and because she didn’t want to look or hear Russian for a while.

She put on her mind blocker and laid upright, her upper body against the pillows, just like Hank told her. Alexandria told him that it was uncomfortable but all he did was look at her before reviewing her vitals again.

---

“Alexandria! Take your jacket!” Her dad called out.

Alexandria stood by her bedroom door before going back into her room, “ok papa!” She yelled back, trying to grab her jacket from the closet. But she was too short to reach it, that’s why mama picks out her clothes.

Her brother stood over her, grabbing her jacket for her, “like this, Aleksi.”

“Thank you, Mik.” She said, as Mikhail ruffled her hair.

“Come on, let's go. You want to go to the zoo, right?”

Alexandria nodded her head fervently as Mikhail chuckled and led her out of her room after putting her jacket on.

Mama and papa stood by the door, quietly arguing. “I'm ready! Can we go now?” Alexandria asked, cutting off their argument.

Mama looked at her, “Sorry, Sashulya. We can't go. It's dangerous.”

Her eyes welled up with tears, “dangerous? Why dangerous?”

They heard a car screeching from outside of their small house as papa turned to Mikhail, “Hide your sister, right now.”

Mikhail nodded as Alexandria looked between her parents and brother, “but the zoo!” she pouted.

“Another day, Sashulya. I promise.” Mama said, before ushering Mikhail and Alexandria away from the door.

Mikhail picked her up and carried her to the staircase for the basement when armed men came through the roof. “Don't move! To the door, boy.” One of the men said as more stood around them.

Mikhail raised one hand, the other one still carrying Alexandria as he walked back to the door where mama and papa were on their knees.

“She's a child! Not a soldier!” Her mother called out.

“You have a problem with me, not her.” Papa said, hearing the footsteps of Mikhail until he was behind them.

The woman grabbed Alexandria from Mikhail’s arms roughly as one of the soldiers kicked in his knee so he was kneeling beside her parents.

“Even if you gave us what we wanted, there is nothing better than her..”

“Manechka!” Her dad growled, “don't you dare.”

The woman looked at the soldiers behind the three, nodding. “Kill them.” The guns went off, bullets going through each one of their bodies as Alexandria squealed and cried from the loud noises.

The sound stopped as she fought to get out of the woman’s grip. The woman set her down and she ran to mama. “Mama! Wake up! Please! Papa! Mik!”

---

She woke up with a start, the blanket falling down to her waist and her chest clenching in pain, from both the nightmare and her healing ribs.

Alexandria felt tears stinging her eyes but blinked them away before they fell. Her chest was heaving, and she couldn’t seem to get her breathing under control.

She grabbed the glass of water on her bedside and chugged the whole cup, setting it down with a muted thud.

It was like she forgot how to breathe, her throat was closing in, her heart was pounding, and her lungs were burning.

Her gasps for air started to hurt more and more, the memory of that morning playing like quick scenes in a show.

Without taking off the mind blocker stuck on her forehead she went to the only person she thought could help, even if it was 1 in the morning.

The walk down the hall felt longer than usual, each step sending jolts of pain through Alexandria’s ribs. Her feet moved on autopilot, the rhythm of her steps broken by the occasional wince. By the time she reached Logan’s door, she felt like her lungs were about to collapse.

Her knock was barely audible, just a soft rapping of her knuckles against the wood, but in the stillness of the night, it was enough. She stood there, her hand lingering on the doorframe, trying to steady her breathing. It wasn’t just the pain that made her come here—it was the fear. The fear that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t be able to keep the nightmares at bay on her own.

After what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open. Logan stood there, his face shadowed by the dim light from the hallway. He didn’t say anything at first, just looked at her with those piercing eyes that always seemed to see right through her.

She tried to speak but instead her lungs continued to burn as she leaned against the doorframe and clutched her shirt’s material by her chest.

Her gasps for air and the terror in her eyes told him all he needed to know. He clutched her by the shoulders, telling her to follow his breathing, but her eyes were unfocused, as if she couldn’t hear him.

Logan’s grip on her shoulders tightened, not in a way that would hurt her, but firm enough to ground her. He crouched down slightly to be at her eye level, trying to catch her gaze. "Kid, look at me," he said, his voice low and steady, a tone he reserved for moments like this—moments when words mattered more than actions.

But Alexandria’s eyes were wild, darting around as if searching for an escape, her breaths coming in quick, shallow gasps. It was like she was back in that moment, trapped in the nightmare, unable to pull herself out. Logan had seen this before—he’d been there himself more times than he could count.

"Alexandria," he said, a bit more forceful this time. "Focus on me. Just breathe. In... and out. Come on, you can do it."

Her chest heaved as she tried to follow his instructions, but the panic was too overwhelming. Logan cursed under his breath. He wasn’t the comforting type, never had been, but this kid had wormed her way into his life in a way he hadn’t expected. She was tough, sure, but even the toughest ones cracked sometimes.

He released one of her shoulders and placed his hand gently over hers, which was clutching her chest. "Feel that?" he asked, his voice softer now. "My hand’s right here. Focus on that. Just breathe with me."

It was a small gesture, but it seemed to do the trick. Alexandria’s eyes flicked down to where his hand covered hers, and for a moment, the frantic edge in her gaze dulled. She focused on the warmth of his hand, the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed slowly, deliberately.

"In... and out," Logan repeated, his voice a steady rhythm. "You’re not there, kid. You’re here. Safe."

She tried again, this time managing a deeper breath, though it was still shaky. Logan stayed right there, his presence solid and unyielding, as if nothing in the world could shake him. Slowly, her breathing began to even out, each inhale and exhale becoming a little less strained.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was likely only a few minutes, Alexandria’s breathing settled into something close to normal. She blinked a few times, as if waking from a daze, and her eyes finally met his.

Logan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. "There you go," he said, his voice gruff but relieved. "That’s better."

She nodded, still a bit shaky, but the wild look in her eyes had faded. "I’m... sorry," she managed to get out, her voice hoarse.

"Don’t apologize," Logan replied quickly, almost harshly. "You ain’t got nothin’ to be sorry for."

Alexandria shook her head, feeling foolish for waking him up, for not being able to handle something as simple as a nightmare. "I just... couldn’t breathe."

"I know," Logan said, his tone softening again. "That happens sometimes. You did the right thing, coming to me."

The words felt strange coming from him, but he meant them. He wasn’t one for comfort or reassurance, but he knew what it was like to be haunted by nightmares, to feel like you’re drowning in them. If anyone understood, it was him.

She felt the betrayal of her own body, a few tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. Alexandria put her arms around Logan's waist and buried her face in his chest. It wasn’t something she’d ever done before—this kind of physical closeness—but the need for comfort, for something solid to cling to, overpowered the part of her that still screamed to keep her guard up.

Logan stiffened at first, not because he didn’t want her there, but because it was unexpected. The kid was usually so tough, always trying to hold herself together, and here she was, clinging to him like she was drowning. It hit him hard in a way he wasn’t prepared for. But he didn’t push her away. Instead, he slowly wrapped an arm around her, holding her just tight enough to let her know he was there.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he murmured, his voice softer than usual. It wasn’t something he said often—hell, it wasn’t something he said at all—but he figured she needed to hear it. “You’re okay.”

She didn’t say anything, just stayed there, breathing in the scent of cigar smoke and leather that seemed to cling to him like a second skin. It was grounding, somehow, pulling her back from the edge. The panic that had gripped her chest was starting to ease, replaced by a deep, bone-tired exhaustion.

Logan kept his arm around her, not saying anything more. He wasn’t the type to offer comforting words or platitudes; he never had been. But he understood the need for someone to be there, just to anchor you when everything felt like it was slipping away. So, he held her, letting her take whatever comfort she could from his presence.

After a few minutes, Alexandria finally pulled back, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. She didn’t look at him, embarrassed that she’d let herself break down like that in front of him. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled again, her voice thick with exhaustion.

“Stop apologizin’,” Logan grunted, but there was no bite in his tone. “Ain’t nothin’ to apologize for. You’re goin’ through a lot. You’re allowed to crack once in a while.”

She nodded, still not looking at him. “I thought I could handle it,” she admitted quietly. “But… it’s hard.”

Logan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, kid. It is. But you don’t have to handle it alone. That’s why you’ve got people here. You come to me, or Hank, or anyone when you need help. Got it?”

Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes still red-rimmed but calmer now. “Got it,” she whispered.

He nodded, satisfied with her answer. “Good. Now, you need to get some sleep. Hank’ll have my head if he finds out you’ve been up all night.”

She managed a small smile at that, the first one he’d seen in a while. “He’s already been nagging me about staying in bed.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what he’s good at,” Logan said with a smirk. “Now, c’mon. Back to bed.”

Alexandria hesitated for a moment, then said, “Can I… can I stay here for a while? I don’t want to be alone.”

Logan looked at Alexandria for a moment, then gave a short nod. He adjusted the other half of the bed, setting the pillows upright and making sure the covers were pulled just right before helping her settle in.

“Alright, you get in, I’ll get the lights,” Logan said, his voice still rough but a bit softer than usual. He reached over and turned off the light, leaving only a small nightlight on the bedside table to cast a dim glow around the room.

Alexandria slid under the covers with a small, tired sigh, looking up at him with a mixture of gratitude and lingering embarrassment. Logan watched her for a moment before pulling a chair closer to the bed.

“You comfortable?” he asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question. He knew she’d probably say she was fine, but he had to ask anyway.

“Yeah,” Alexandria murmured, her voice still thick with exhaustion. She glanced at him, her eyes a little brighter now, but still heavy with the remnants of her panic.

Logan took a seat in the chair, his posture relaxed but attentive. “You need anything? Water? Another blanket?”

“No, I’m good,” Alexandria said, shaking her head slightly. She pulled the covers up to her chin and tried to get comfortable. “Thank you for... you know, being here.”

Logan grunted, a noncommittal sound that was as close to a verbal shrug as he could manage. “Yeah, well, you needed it. Ain’t gonna leave you hangin’.”

Alexandria looked at him, her gaze softening despite her exhaustion. “I didn’t think I’d be so... weak,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Logan’s expression remained gruff, but there was a flicker of something—concern, maybe, or maybe just understanding. “Ain’t weak, kid. Just human. Even the strongest people have their breaking points.”

She nodded slowly, processing his words. “I guess. I just... thought I could handle it. I’ve been trying to...”

“Handle it all on your own?” Logan cut in, raising an eyebrow. “That’s a surefire way to run yourself ragged. You don’t have to do it all alone. Not here.”

Alexandria’s eyes met his, and she seemed to be considering his words. “I know,” she said quietly. “It’s just... hard to trust sometimes.”

Logan sighed, leaning back in the chair. “I get it. Trust ain’t easy, especially not for someone who’s had a rough go of it. But you gotta start somewhere. And you’re here now, right? You got people who care.”

“Yeah,” she agreed softly. “I’ve been trying. It’s just... new.”

He nodded, understanding the struggle all too well. “Just take it one step at a time. And remember, if you need to talk, or if you need help, you come to me or anyone else. Don’t bottle it up.”

“Okay,” Alexandria said, her voice a bit steadier now. “I will.”

Logan gave her a small, reassuring nod. “Good. Now get some sleep. You’re gonna need it.”

Alexandria managed a faint smile, the first real one she’d given him tonight. “Thanks, Logan. For everything.”

He waved it off with a gruff chuckle. “Don’t mention it. Just... get some rest. We’ll talk more when you’re feeling better.”

She nodded and closed her eyes, the fatigue finally catching up with her. Logan remained in the chair, his eyes on her as she settled into a more peaceful sleep. The room was quiet, save for the soft, steady rhythm of her breathing.

[tdoong15]

I love your little vivi fic. can you do more little vivi but autistic! little vivi regressing to age 3 with mommy haseul and mama yves please and thank youuu

Heyyy Miu I'm glad you enjoyed my little Vivi fic, and of course I can do this it's really sweet.

Littlend!Vivi, Cg!Haesul, Cg!Yves

Warnings: none

Vivi and Miku

Vivi was in her room, organizing her Hatsune Miku collection, since she recently added to it, when she started to feel like she was in a younger headspace and she had the urge to start playing with her mama and mommy, aka Yves and Haesul, with that in mind Vivi decided to walk over to them with her beloved ‘15th anniversary Hatsune Miku doll in the strawberry version’ in both hands since it was her favorite one and she couldn't be without it unless it was during bedtime, but even then Vivi had the doll placed on the dresser right next to her bed.

Meanwhile with Yves and Haesul, they were busy watching ‘Mean Girls’ in Haesul's room and they didn't notice Vivi enter the room because they were too invested in the movie, until they felt the bed move slightly, which made both Yves and Haesul look down and notice Vivi crawling over to them. “Oh hey Vivi, what do you need?” Haesul questions and Vivi doesn't answer until she is sat in between her mama and mommy since the weight of the two women provided her a sense of comfort.

“I wan’ play with Mama and Mommy!” Vivi says in a cheerful voice as she shows her Miku doll to them. “What should we play then, bud?” Yves asked her little girl, who was now thinking about what she wanted to play. “Hmm… wha’ about somethin’ like celebwities?” Vivi looks up at her mama and mommy for confirmation that they can all play that together. “That's a great idea, bud!” Haesul and Yves say in a cheery tone. They then pause the movie and get off the bed so the trio could head over to Vivi's room, which was thankfully directly across from Haesul's room.

When they reached Vivi's room, Vivi picked out which toys her mommy and mama got to play with because she was very specific on what figures other people are allowed to touch in comparison to the ones that only she can touch. Yves and Haesul were given a deer plushie Vivi called ‘Pya Pya’ and a My Melody figurine. “Let's play now!” Vivi tells her caregivers while she sits down on her blanket since she wasn't fond of the texture of the carpet used on the ground, unless she had something on top of it which thankfully the blanket does that and so do her socks when the blanket is on her bed.

The trio played as celebrities for a while, Yves and Haesul ensured that Vivi was comfortable with stimming around them in fact they encouraged it by stimming with her so she didn't feel like she was the odd one out. “This game is really fun isn't it, bud.” Yves tells Vivi in a soft tone, in response Vivi nods her head and she flapped her hands out of excitement. “Yeah! It's super duper fun, mama!” Vivi had the widest smile on her face which showed how much she enjoyed playing with her caregivers.

Haesul has a brief look at her phone and she looks at the time. “Oh wow it's nearly lunchtime. Vivi, can you stay with mama whilst I make lunch for all of us?” Haesul questions the little while she stands up, preparing to leave. “I'll be with mama, mommy!” Vivi gives a thumbs up to Haesul to ensure that she knows that she will be a good girl by staying with Yves, until lunch is made.

Yves watches as Haesul leaves the room to make lunch and she quickly turns her attention back to Vivi. “So what adventures will Pya Pya and Miku get up to whilst My Melody is on a break, bud?” The question made Vivi think for a couple of seconds before she came up with an idea. “Hmmm… They fight, mama.” Vivi replies with the most innocent and adorable look on her face which made it difficult for Yves to disagree with the idea.

So with that in mind, the tragic fight of Pya Pya and Hatsune Miku began, it was incredibly intense and Vivi even made sound effects whenever Miku hit the deer plushie. The fierce battle continued until Haesul called Vivi's and Yves’ names out to let them know that their lunch was ready. “Well let's get our lunch, bud.” Yves stands up and she holds Vivi's hand to help her up, they then go into the kitchen where Haesul placed their lunches in their respective places on the table.

Haesul made some fried chicken and vegetables since it's something which Vivi loved to eat, she made sure that each component was separated by using a bento box because she didn't want to make Vivi have a meltdown especially since they were having such a great day. Haesul also ensured that the chicken was cut up into small pieces and the sweet potato was mashed up so it was easier for the regressed girl to digest. When Vivi saw her lunch she ran over to the table and began to quickly eat her lunch.

“Woah you really seem to like this, sweetie. But can you please slow down so you won't choke on your food.” Yves politely asks Vivi while she gently moves hair away from Vivi's face. Thankfully, Vivi listens to her mama and she slowed down the rate she was eating her lunch at. After 10 minutes, Vivi finished eating and for the rest of her lunchtime she happily babbled to her mommy about how Hatsune Miku had beaten up Pya Pya because their incredibly famous band had fallen due to My Melody going on break.

Hello I hope everyone has a good day/evening/night wherever you are. Also this is the Miku figure I was talking about

[psylockexs]

The ritual Pt. 2

300 years. 300 bloody years it had taken to reach this point. Salvation was on the tip of her tongue...only for the taste to be ripped away from her at the last second. What was this fool talking about? All he knew was how to lure people into his bed. How could he know anything about rituals and rites?

'The ritual is more likely to fail if the conduit doesn't approve of its involvement.'

Olive: Urgh, my GOD! WHY EVERY TIME I'M THIS CLOSE SOMETHING GETS IN THE WAY?!

Tae: mutters Maybe read the whole chapter next time...

Olive: I heard that!

Mik: He's right. Morgyn. You read the original. Recite back to us.

Olive looked around nervously. One by one, the group had begun regaining their consciousness. They were very lucky that Audrey caught onto the fact that Olive was stalling, otherwise that teleport might have been much more painful for them.

Morg: In the Warnings section, it mentioned the use of humanoid conduits. 'It is not allowed for a humanoid conduit to be used without their consent. Their disapproval will alter the flow of magic, and thereby contaminate it. This renders the ritual void and will have consequences.'

Olive: Talk, talk, talk. Who cares about that. A conduit is a conduit 🤨.

Morg: A conduit that is a human, Olive.

Audrey began to stand up. When she's angry, her accent really comes out 🤭. One would think she and Lorelei came from the same place.

Aud: And from what I heard, stara karga (old hag), he did not give his consent.

By this time, everyone had woken up. Rubbing their eyes and heads from the grogginess, it was clear that they were just in time for the fun part 🤭.

9:25pm...right on schedule 😉

Aud: There was something else that you forgot, old dear. A conduit is needed for the ritual. But there was a stipulation. 'What is contained in the artifact can only be claimed by the one for whom it is intended for. If anyone else tries to obtain this power...' 😈

Olive: What...? 😨

Mik: 'The offender is to be used as the conduit, as a punishment. Stealing one's power is akin to stealing one's soul. Whether the offender survives the ritual, that is to up to them.'

https://on.soundcloud.com/MnDoAyYquctG8G7v5

Everyone stood up and began to take their place on the ritual circle. The cards, which Olive had taken from Lore, were already at the center. All that was left for everyone to stand in position and to secure the conduit.

Olive couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her, as the conduit? Please. She might have been powerful but she was well over 300 years old! There was no way she could hold up after such power coursed through her! Perish the thought!!!

Olive: You can't seriously be thinking...?!

Mik: Oh I am. Fair price for messing with what's not yours, right? 😈

Olive: I WILL DIE IF I'M THE CONDUIT! DON'T YOU SEE THAT?! YOU WANT TO LEAVE NYON WITHOUT HIS MOTHER?!

Mik: If you really cared about your son, you would never have hidden him from his father and been this stubborn. Everything has a price to pay, and everyone has their tolerance levels. You think I was asleep on the ground? I came to quite quickly, but there was someone outside I couldn't place. So...I played dead. 🤷‍♂️Lucky me, again.

A yelp came from the back of the room.

Maria: W-w-w-wait! You can't do this! We'll all pay for this!

Aud: Please, daughter of a cursed bloodline, emphasise. Did you read the spell book like we did?

Maria: She won't be able to accept the truth! Just look at her!!!

Aud: I advise you keep a hold of your tongue, or I'll hold it for you 😈.

With that, Audrey turned her attention back to the group. It was almost time. Maria kept protesting, but all Lorelei graced her with was a confident smile. No more did she have to be at her mother's beck and call. No longer did she have to suppress herself for her mother's sake. No longer did she have to be the object of her mother's jealousy.

She was to be her own woman now.

Tae: Can anyone feel that? Like...I feel a shift of sorts.

Morg: Yes. The moon is almost in position. You can feel that on lunar based rituals. It really helps with the timing of everything.

Mik: We have a few moments before we can do it. We got everything to hand.

Mikhail then began to list the things that were needed, just as directed in the book.

'The artifact that contains...'

'The one who sealed...'

'The ones to receive...'

'And the one to conduct the flow.'

'Accepting contained power is a tedious process, and so stand behind the recipients ones to support them, should they fall or require assistance; Morgyn, Niko, Audrey, Minho, Taeyang, and myself.'

Olive: You must be crazy!!! I'll rot away if you do this!!!

Mik: We might have a conduit, but in case she doesn't make it through the ritual...

Tae: Say no more. Tell me when, my blood is yours.

Olive and Maria continued to protest while Mikhail stared them dead in the face. It was as if he wasn't looking at them, but through them.

The last few seconds...

'Ichi, ni, san, yon, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyū...'

'Ju!'

No sooner had the words been spoken, Tae slashed the side of his hand and placed it on the ritual circle. The atmosphere shifted as if they'd moved a rock from a mountain's cave entrance. A searing energy could be felt pulsing through the air. Olive's body writhed as the magic flowed through her veins. The pain she felt was so excruciating, no words could be found to describe it.

At the same time, the cards began to glow and pulse. It wasn't as if power was in there, it was as if...there was something in there.

Or someone 🤔.

All of a sudden, the room changed. No longer could the screams of Olive be heard, nor could they hear the constant protests of Maria. The marble was now a pristine white and the candles glowed the same color as the walls. It wasn't only Ramona and Lore that felt the surge in power. Everyone felt it.

And then the figure appeared...

[fic-dumpster]

Deer in headlights | Short stories: The first time Kokoboi trusts a Bimbo

Bonten x reader | ?? Words

Warnings: fluff, pet names, slight cringe, nonsense

A/N: this was a drabble, and now it's not.

Life isn’t easy. Especially when you are somehow dating a criminal or, in your case, seven of them, that's probably why you are now being escorted out of your classroom towards a police car. Thank god they didn't use handcuffs, but the humiliation was already there.

As you sat on the very uncomfortable chair in their questioning room, you saw how the detectives observed you with a strange look. Soon you would find out why.

They have left you alone, not before offering you something to drink, which you declined. You’ve seen enough police shows to know that’s how they get your DNA, or so you thought.

Two detectives strode in; both were again with that weird look in their eyes. “Ms. Y/N,” said one of them, “I know this might seem sudden, but we want you to know that you are safe here,” What? You thought to yourself, are they implying what you think they are saying?

“Yes, they can’t touch you here,” the other one added.

Oh... OH... So these idiots thought they were saving you? How... Oh my... They looked at you with pity in their eyes! You could use that. “What do you mean, detectives?” so playing dumb, it is. “I don't understand,” you even tilt your head to the side to create that airhead vibe you had in mind.

“From them,” the detective number one spoke again as he pulled various pictures on the table; there, you were with each member of Bonten. Even with Mochi! “These men,” he jammed his finger in the files, “are extremely dangerous. The worst of the worst; I know you must be scared-” But you interrupted him. In all honesty, your blood began to boil. How dare he speak of them like this.

“My babies!?” you saw them both freeze at your words, “they would never!” you hated your fake voice right now, “How could you speak of my little babies like that!?” You let out a fake giggle, “once my boo-boo,” you clicked your nail on Sanzu’s picture, “was so scared of a cockroach that I had to kill it!” mentally, you were dying and saying sorry to Sanzu for calling him that.

“So they don’t have you against your will?” asked detective one.

“And they don’t abuse you in any way?” now asked detective two.

You energetically shook your head, “Nope! They are very kind! They even buy all the stuff I want! Flowers, clothes, everything! Aren’t my honeybuns the sweetest?” you had to force down the acid sensation that this whole show was making you feel in your throat.

Then suddenly, the door opened with a bang; Takeomi and Kakucho stood there with hideous expressions. You have never seen them like this; a shudder ran down your spine. But you had to keep the show going, right?. So abruptly, you stood up and threw yourself as dramatically as you could at Takeomi’s arms—the impact hurt you a little, but Takeomi still caught you. What you did next catch them off guard.

“I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience my men caused y-” some officer was behind Takeomi and Kakucho, you believe he was talking to you, but you needed to keep your show up. So You smashed your lips against Takeomi; he, of course, reciprocated the kiss but without closing his eyes. He looked at Kakucho, and the latter man just shrugged off Takeomi’s questioning look.

“Baby! I missed you so much!” you were practically rubbing yourself on Takeomi, and Kakucho didn't know where to look. Nor did the official and detectives.

The clueless bimbo plan had worked because they just apologized and let you go. Apparently, the police never had any concrete evidence on any Bonten member, and they hoped to get something out of you. And as soon as the word got to Mikey that the police had taken you, they saw red. Kokonoi and Mochi had to restrain The Haitanis and Sanzu because they wanted to go into the police station guns blazing. Takeomi were the most... Under control at the moment, according to Mikey.

In the end, they didn't do much to help you. Since the police behind the dark glass had already decided to let their bimbo girlfriend go.

Once out and in their car, you were attacked by multiple arms hugging you and a mix of apologies and questions, which you answered and told them the whole fiasco that was your first ever police arrest.

Once in their office Rindou stopped in the hall, “You called Sanzu what?” The younger Haitani laughed at that.

“Boo-boo,” you murmured, looking away in shame.

“So that’s why Takeomi got that special greeting?” Asked Kakucho, remembering your explanation. You groaned in return; they would never let this day go.

“I didn't mind,” commented the older man.

“What did she do again?” asked Sanzu.

“Our little baby,” you groaned again, “jumped Takeomi and ate his face in front of the detectives and officials,” Kakucho explained to Sanzu. The pinknette made a fake gasped in surprise and threw a horrified expression your way.

“I was making a show!” you felt your skin heat up.

“Oh? And what about making another one here?” Ran pinched your sides, making you squeak and hide behind Kokonoi. You felf Kokonoi’s hand pull you forwards, and made you walk beside him.

“You did good,” you turned around abruptly. Was Kokonoi complimenting you? Was he acknowledging your actions? “Don’t look at me like that,” he still looked straight ahead as he spoke. “You left your pride aside for us, and I appreciate that,” he murmured as he awkwardly patted your head. Many others had taken advantage of situations like this before. Kokonoi recognized your loyalty... And your... unique ideas of showing them.

You wore the biggest smile you could manage as you hugged Kokonoi. Maybe he wasn't that bad. “OOOh, you like me, right?” you teased.

Kokonoi tensed at your words, “if you say so,” he let out.

“Ohhh, but you are my baby!” you laughed as you heard Sanzu and Rindou complain about why are they not your babies as they pulled you away from the long-haired man.

“Koko, you’re blushing,” murmured Takeomi.

“No, I'm not,” Kokonoi slapped his hands on his cheeks.

Behind them, you walked with the rest, “You know! I didn't take the cops’ drink offer! I know that’s how they take your DNA!” You proudly boosted to the men present. They all laughed at your excitement.

[briswriting]

『 the three times you kissed kuroo and the one time he kissed you 』

pairing: kuroo x fem!reader genre: angst, fluff warning: characters are 18 when there is underaged drinking wc: 3709

a/n: i’ve been planning to write a 3+1 trope and here it is hehe this is dedicated to my ibff @mikwrites because today is our 6 month friendiversay hehe iykyk! i love you so much mik babie mwah i am so so so glad that we are friends <3 also this is my longest fic oof it was lots of fun to write though!

Elementary school, fifth year; ten years old

The bright sun shining harsh rays of light down onto the opened field, shrieks of laughter drifting through the jungle made of deteriorating metal and plastic. A playground worn down year after year, used by smiling children, then years later used by their own smiling children.

The gleeful expressions shown when seeing a friend approach the park, the sound of cheers when someone was found during a game of hide and seek, and the sorrowful thoughts when it was time to leave the playground, head full of fantasies and dreams for when and what you’ll do the next time you visit this field of happiness once again.

This time you were at the playground alone, sitting on the faded seat of the swing, kicking your legs back and forth as the rusted chains softly creaked from the movement. Minutes felt like hours while you sat there waiting for your friends, Kuroo Tetsuro and Kenma Kozume. The former calling your house phone the night before telling you to meet him at the park, something about wanting to show you and Kenma a new volleyball move he learned.

Lost in thought, you didn’t notice your two friends approaching the swing set you were currently situated at. The young bed headed boy sneaking up behind you, putting a finger up to his lips so the other young boy wouldn’t say anything, before jabbing his index fingers into your sides.

“Boo!” His small voice screams into your ear, a wide grin on his face from your shriek of surprise as you almost fall off the seat of the swing.

With a pout on your face, you jump off the swing and turn around to face the two boys. “Kuroo that was mean. Why didn’t you stop him Kenma?” you whine, arms crossed in front of your chest. The later shrugging, mumbling about how Kuroo probably would have made him do some volleyball moves with him if he said anything about their approach from behind you, also stating that he was only here because his parents told him to play outside for once.

It was hours later, the bright sun finally setting for the day, leaving a soft glow of light on the three kids still at the playground. Hours of watching Kuroo try to do volleyball moves he saw on tv, hours of talking about nonsense with your two best friends in the open field.

“Alright, Kenma, toss the ball as hard as you can. I swear I’ll receive it this time!” And with those words and a roll of his eyes, Kenma tosses the ball into the air and hits it towards Kuroo with all the strength he could muster.

As the ball flies towards the crouching raven haired boy, rather than receiving it with his forearms as he planned, the ball rebounds off the side of his face, startling the young boy and causing him to fall flat on his bottom.

“Omg Kuroo, are you alright?” You quickly rush off to the boy as he sits on the ground, still in a daze. Kneeling beside him to check for any injuries, the hit to his face could have caused.

“Woah, Kenma! I didn’t know you could toss that hard!” He grins, quickly standing up and brushing the dirt off his clothes. “And I’m fine, Y/N, it was a hard toss but wasn’t too hard to knock me out or anything.”

“Are you sure? Should we go to my house and get some ice?” You question, a bit worried that the hit to his face would cause swelling and bruising.

“Nah, it’s alright. If it bruises, I’ll just tell people I got into a fight or something! Imagine how cool people would think I am for getting into a fight with someone.” The expression on his face full of excitement at the thought of him telling people he got decked in the face because he got into a fistfight with someone.

“You should just kiss it better, Y/N. Maybe that’ll shut him up,” Kenma states sarcastically. His words don’t even process in your head as sarcastic, as it’s still full of worry.

From your place by his side, you reach up to plant a quick kiss to cheek that got hit by the volleyball, pulling back with a grin. “There, all better!”

Junior high, third year; fourteen years old

A comfortable silence surrounds you and Kuroo as the two of you sat in his bedroom, waiting for Kenma to come over with the new video game he recently purchased and was eager to show the two of you.

You were seated on the edge of his bed, Kuroo situated behind you as he tried his best to braid your hair. Looking in the mirror every once in a while, you caught glimpses of his concentrated face as he tugged on your hair to try and create the perfect braid.

“Have you had your first kiss yet, Y/N?” His question breaking the silence enveloping the two of you, catching you completely off guard as you look back into the mirror and make eye contact with him.

“I mean, if I did, I feel like I would have told you and Kenma every detail about it,” you laugh out, giggling at the disgusted face he makes due to your words. “Why do you ask?”

“Hmmm, just curious, I guess. Also, there, I finished the perfect braid!” He exclaims, a proud grin on his face as you turn your head to check out the braid in the mirror.

“Kuroo, this braid is terrible!” You cry out, laughter falling from your lips as you examine the braid with pieces of hair sticking out and a large strand of hair not intertwined with the rest of the braid.

“I know its terrible! Braiding is hard; I don’t know how you do it.” With a loud sigh, he dramatically throws himself backward, flopping down on his bed, back to the mattress as he stares up at the ceiling.

Taking your hair out of the braid, mumbling as you work out the tangles with your fingers, you lay yourself down next to him, accompanying him in staring at the blank ceiling of his bedroom. His previous question still floating around in your mind, had he had his yet and was trying to find a way to tell you? “Hey Kuroo, have you had your first kiss yet?”

“Not yet, but almost all the guys at school have already. We’re about to go into high school, and I haven’t even kissed someone yet,” he sighs again, closing his eyes to try and get rid of the thought of not having kissed anyone yet, his braining thinking it was something to be embarrassed of.

From his body language, you knew he was thinking about how embarrassing it was to not have his first kiss yet. Shifting to your side, you focus your gaze onto his face rather than his ceiling. “Hey, it’s not embarrassing to not have kissed anyone yet! I mean, we’re still young, and don’t you want your first kiss to be with someone you care about, and not just some lame kiss to get it done and over with?”

“I guess that makes sense. I don’t know I was just thinking.”

“What you thinking for the first time in your life?” You playfully tease, prodding his side with your finger, a playful and mundane action between the two of you. “Did you bring it up because you want me to be your first kiss?”

Your question causing him to open his eyes quickly, shock evident on his face as he shifted his gaze to look at you. The shit eating grin on your face letting him know that you were just teasing him and his thoughts.

“Don’t say things like that, gonna get my hopes up,” he teases back, a grin on his own face as he shifts to his side, the two of you now facing face to face with each other. “But all jokes aside, if you hypothetically wanted to be each other’s first kiss I wouldn’t be op-”

And with that, you interrupt his words by closing the gap between the two of you, placing a quick peck to his lips before pulling away with a grin, the same kind of grin you made when you had first kissed him on the cheek all those years ago.

A blush evident on both your faces, Kuroo a stammering mess, still trying to process what just happened. The door to his bedroom flying open, causing the two of you to jump apart from your close proximity.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late, but I have the game! Wait, did something happen? What did I miss? Why does Kuroo look like that?”

High school, third year; eighteen years old

The sound of blasting music and loud chatter filled your ears as Kuroo opened the door to the house of a graduation party the two of you were invited to. Graduation. It was a couple more weeks away, but once it arrived, you would go your separate ways from your friends, Kenma still having another year in high school and Kuroo going to a different university than you.

Although the three of you wouldn’t be too far away from each other, you were all staring different stages of your lives without each other. You were no longer going to have them right across the street from you when you needed comfort; the next step in life was going to be different. Different from the last ten years that the three of you had spent together, side by side.

“Hey, I’m gonna go grab us some drinks. Go find Yaku and Kai, yeah?” Kuroo shouted over the bustling noise of the party.

“Yeah, I’ll go look for them. I’ll text you where we’re at, but please nothing too strong, Kuroo! We have to walk back home,” you warn him as he starts to leave your side.

“Yes ma’am,” he teases, giving you a playful salute then walking away, towards the kitchen where the drinks were located.

After a quick glance around the house, you heard Kai and Yaku’s familiar shouts coming from the backyard. Peaking your head out the sliding door, you were relieved to finally find your friends, occupied by a game of beer pong with a couple of people you had recognized from school.

“Hey Y/N, you made it! Where’s Kuroo at?” Yaku greets you, pulling you into a hug before taking his turn at tossing the ping pong ball, it lands with a soft splash into the last cup on the opposing team’s side — his and Kai’s shouts of victory ringing in your ears as they high five.

Before you can answer Yaku’s question, you feel a familiar poke to your side, quickly turning around to see Kuroo behind you with two cups.

“You were supposed to text me where you guys were at Y/N. Made me go searching for you guys myself,” he fake pouts at you, handing you your cup before greeting everyone that was outside.

Taking a sip of the drink, he handed you, you were surprised to find that the drink had no taste of alcohol. “Hey, what’s with the surprised face? You said not to make it too strong, and you make it look like I don’t know how to make a drink or something,” he teases, nudging you with his elbow as he stands next to you.

“Oh right, sorry, I forgot you were a professional barista,” you joke with a roll of your eyes and a grin on your face before taking another sip of the drink he had made.

After a few more rounds of watching people play beer pong, socializing with your classmates, and a few more drinks that Kuroo had made you, you suddenly find yourself getting dragged into a game you didn’t want to play.

“Come on, Y/N, it’ll be fun,” Kuroo frowns, tugging at your hand to try and pull you down into the empty spot next to him, an empty spot of a large circle, with an empty beer bottle in the middle.

“We’re seriously going to play spin the bottle? Aren’t we about to graduate high school, this game is childish. Can’t I just watch or something,” you whine, keeping your feet planted outside the circle.

Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through your veins, or perhaps it was the hidden feelings you held for your best friend all these years, but it only took Kuroo flashing you a pair of puppy dog eyes and rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand to finally comply and take a seat next to him.

“Alright guys, let’s get this game going. Remember, you have to take a shot if you don’t kiss the person the bottle lands on,” he grins, shouts of approval from everyone else following his words.

Spin after spin of the empty bottle, it never appearing to land on you much to your satisfaction, you watched as multiple people exchanged kisses, kisses ranging from quick pecks to full on make outs.

Your heart clenching every time the bottle landed on Kuroo as you sat there watching the person you liked kiss someone else, someone who wasn’t you. The grin on his face whenever his lips detached from someone else’s, causing you to regret even coming to the party. If you stayed home, you wouldn’t have witnessed all these heartbreaking kisses.

It was hard to avert your eyes from him when he had to kiss someone, hard not to imagine the girl in his lap being you instead of them. And maybe it was a mixture of jealousy and the alcohol you kept drinking, but you were silently hoping that when it was your turn, the bottle would land on Kuroo so that you’d be able to stake your claim on his lips.

And to your surprise, when it was your turn, the bottle spinning in countless circles, it slowly came to a stop, pointing to the person next to you, the person you had wanted the bottle to land on. But now that the bottle had landed on him, you were nervous, nervous of what could come after the kiss. What if this kiss ruined everything between the two of you? What if he liked kissing the other girls better than you? What if by some miracle this kiss caused him to find out about your feelings and he didn’t want anything to do with you again?

After a couple moments of you not averting your gaze from the bottle, Kuroo broke the silence. “You don’t have to kiss me, Y/N. Just take the shot instead.” His gaze meeting yours when you turn your head to look at him.

With those words, your heart broke. He didn’t want you to kiss him, your buzzed mind believing that his words clearly meant that he’d rather have you take a shot than have your lips on his. Unbeknownst to you, Kuroo had said those words because he thought you didn’t want to kiss him, thought that you didn’t share the same feeling for him that he had for you.

Quickly you finished the small amount of liquid courage left in your cup, needing an extra boost of bravery for what you were about to do next. Cupping his face in your hands, you swing a leg over him, straddling his lap before you press your lips to his in a hasty kiss, the taste of alcohol on his lips, your hands moving to tangle themselves in his hair and his own hands place themselves on your hips as the two of you indulge in each other’s touch for just a moment.

As you pull away breathlessly, Kuroo gives you a grin, a grin that in your mind looks eerily similar to the ones he had been giving to other girls he kissed during this stupid kissing game. A grin stating that this kiss was nothing more than a meaningless make out to him, just like all the other meaningless kisses he gave away earlier that night.

To everyone else witnessing the aftermath of this kiss, it was obvious that Kuroo’s grin was a smile of love and adoration towards you. Still, the two of you were too blind and oblivious to the mutual feelings the two of you had for each other as you quietly situated yourself next to him again, acting like what just happened did not occur at all. Heartbreak evident on both of your faces as you both pretended not to be affected by the heartwrenching kiss you had exchanged just moments before.

University, second year; twenty years old

You were back at the same playground, the playground that brought back years and years of happy memories with your best friends. The situation seeming like deja vu from elementary school all those years ago, you sitting on the swing set that got older and rustier with years of ware as you waited for Kuroo and Kenma to show up, not having seen them in person for a while.

And just like in elementary school, you felt a pair of fingers jab into your side, causing you to jump off the swing and quickly turn around to face the messy haired boy. A large grin evident on both of your faces as you let out a screech, instantly launching yourself into his arms. Arms of familiarity and warmth, arms of comfort when you needed consoling, the arms of the boy you have been in love with for years.

“I missed you so much, Kuroo,” you whispered, wrapping your arms tighter around him, still not believing that you were finally seeing each other in person after such a long time.

“Y/N, we text and video call like every day,” he chuckles, but even with his teasing words, you can feel him wrap his arms tighter around you as well. “Also Kenma said he won’t be able to make it tonight, something about his parents pestering him about wanting to know everything his first year of university. But he said we could come over tomorrow.”

“That’s fine, guess tonight will be just the two of us.” Looking up, you catch a glimpse of Kuroo’s smiling face, sending him your own grin before finally pulling away from his embrace.

“Oh, I actually brought this,” he grins, picking up the volleyball by his feet that you hadn’t noticed until now. “Thought we could toss it around like old times.”

And with those words, you followed behind him as you walked to your spot, the spot in the open field where the three of you shared secrets, laughter, and tears. The field that brought back years of loving memories with your two best friends, a field of happiness.

As the two of you approached your spot, Kuroo quickly spin around to look at you. “Hey Y/N, think fast,” he shouts before quickly tossing the ball in your direction before running away.

Used Kuroo’s antics after all the years of friendship, you easily catch the ball before grinning at his retreating form. Letting out a huff, you quicken your pace to catch up to him, knowing he was running slow in order for you to catch him. And as you approach from behind him, you drop the ball and jump onto his back, catching him off guard as the two of you tumble to the ground in a fit of laughter.

Large smiles on both of your faces, the two of you lying in the grass side by side, trying to catch your breaths from all the laughter you shared together. Side by side, like how it used to be before the two of you went different ways.

A comfortable silence encompassed the two of you as you laid there next to each other. “Did you umm happen to read what was on the ball?” Kuroo’s question breaking the silence.

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, you turned to him before asking, “There’s something written on the ball?” He slowly nods his head at your question, and you can tell that he’s nervous.

Sitting up from your spot, you reach over to grab the ball on the other side of you, noticing that there is indeed something written on it. Your eyes widening and mouth slightly agape at the words scrawled on it in Kuroo’s messy handwriting. I love you.

Your mind wandering, still trying to process the three words written on the ball. “You should close your mouth, might catch some bugs with the way its hanging opened,” Kuroo whispers with a nudge to your shoulder with his, breaking you out of your trance.

“Y-you love me?” You squeak out, hands gently touching the written words before looking up at Kuroo besides you.

“Y/N L/N, I have always loved you. I was just too scared to say anything, but I finally thought that it’s better late than never, right? I hope you feel the same way; otherwise, this would be really awkward.”

“What would be awk-” And with that, Kuroo is leaning in, cutting off your words as he places his lips on yours in a loving kiss, reminding you of the time you cut him off and kissed him for the first time that one day in his childhood bedroom.

As you reciprocate his kiss, he slowly lays you back down on the ground, hovering over you as the two of you exchange a kiss full of longing and love. A kiss that revealed the mutual feelings the two of you had bottled up all these years.

Pulling away breathlessly, the two of you smiling at each other like love struck idiots, you whisper out your own confession to him. “I love you, Kuroo Tetsuro, always have and always will.”

And with your confession to each other, the two of you laid in your field of happiness as the sunset, hand in hand, exchanging sweet kisses here and there as the two of you caught up on all the missed years of loving each other.

haikyuu taglist:  @shinsousama @samwritesss @atsumubabie @zoppzoop @the-black-birb @dumbassbrigade @kokogxddess @cocoa-bitter @ladyinmoon @unstableye @rcbert-downey @wemissyou3000 @rintarhoe @hq-cuties @bokuto-simp @hqmakkitrash @allywritesimagines @nekoglasses @asweetpotato1 @seijhoes @shoutokageyamafan @yams046 @sugawsites @seijoh​ @moon-390​

[thewatermelloncat]

Gottrosenali 10!

Gottrosenali

10. “Do you need an exorcism?”

Had so much fun writing this one. I love me a sickfic and I am not guilty about this in the slightest.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Three… four… four and a half? Oop, there we go. Five” Mik doesn’t look up from the laptop screen as she counts off the series of sneezes Rosé covers behind a tissue. Barely focusing on her work anymore.

“Mik, please…” Rosé warns exhaustedly and Mik decides to give it up for now if only because the way Rosé sniffles afterward sounds so pathetic.

Though she’d been trying to hide it, it was obvious that Rosé had been feeling sick for a couple of days now. And true to her stubborn nature, she’d been powering through it. It wasn’t until about half an hour ago when she’d come home from work, dead on her feet, that Denali and Mik had somehow managed to get her settled on the couch.

“Mik” Denali’s warning tone sounds from the kitchen, backing Rosé up.

“What?” Mik whines. “I was about to give it up.”

“Sure, you were” Rosé says under her breath but the extra pressure put on her chest has her coughing into an arm.

“Ow” Mik comments at the rattling sound whereas Denali hums sympathetically as she steps out of the kitchen.

“Oh baby, you should have stayed home.”

“It’s just a cold, Nali. I’ll be mostly fine tomorrow” Rosé dismisses but smiles gratefully as Denali hands her a mug of tea that she had carried over.

“Bet you were thinking the same thing yesterday” Mik calls out.

“Don’t you have work to finish off, dumbass?” Rosé calls back, but she smirks as she says it.

Mik scoffs a laugh as she turns back to the fashion layouts on her computer screen, blocking out the rest of the conversation from the lounge.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

With a sigh of finality, Mik closes the laptop lid and shuts her eyes. Still seeing images of colour schemes and text boxes behind them.

“All done?” Denali asks, putting away the last of the dinner dishes.

“Mhmm” Mik hums, stretching her arms out above her head.

“Good timing” Denali notes as she dries her hands off on a dishtowel before she turns to Rosé. “Rosie, do you want us to stick on the TV series, or does your head hurt too much?”

“No, we can stick it on” Rosé accepts as she pushes herself up from where she had been lying down on the couch to make room for the both of them. As she rewraps the blanket that fell from her shoulders back around her again, her breath starts to hitch and she reaches for a tissue.

“Hih’aechhew… huh’ukshhu, ‘akshhh… ae’chh” each of the desperate sounds has her pitching forward slightly. Giving way to an exhausted sigh then a thick sniffle before her eyes open again.

“Do you need an exorcism?” Mik asks as she pushes out her chair and moves over to the couch.

“Mik” Denali eyes her warningly. “That’s not what you’re supposed to say.”

“I could probably figure it out. Just saying” she shrugs as she sits down next to Rosé.

“I think you’d be more likely to summon a demon into me than get one out” Rosé notes.

“Probably accurate” Mik agrees as Rosé draws in a deep breath.

“Huh’ushew” Rosé turns away from her then blows her nose softly before she turns back, covering a couple of hoarse coughs behind her wrist.

“Bless you” Mik says correctly this time, pulling Rosé against her and she pretty much melts under her touch. “You’re really not feeling well, are you gorge?”

Rosé shakes her head weakly before she rests it on Mik’s shoulder.

“Day off work tomorrow, yeah?” Denali asks as she sits down in the lounge with them.

Rosé doesn’t answer. Confliction in her mind.

“Call in sick” Mik settles for her. “I can work from home tomorrow. You can hang out with me.”

Rosé nods a little.

Then Mik looks to Denali expectantly.

She sighs dramatically and rolls her eyes. “I might be able to pull some strings and get off early.”

Rosé draws in a breath, no doubt to argue. “You” –

“Are the best” Mik quickly cuts her off and Rosé doesn’t bother to start her sentence again.

“Well then, thank you” she says instead as Denali hits play for their TV show on the screen.

“It’s no problem, Rosie. It’ll be nice to spend a day with us all together” Denali smiles at her.

Not mentioning how sure she is that it will take both her and Mik to tie Rosé to her bed in the morning in order for her to get some rest.

[artificialqueens]

Thrill Me, Chill Me, Fulfill Me, Chapter 2/10: Vaginal (Gottrosenali) - Writworm42

A/N: Continuing down the list--vaginal orgasm! This refers to orgasms achieved via penetration without direct/targeted stimulation to the g-spot.

As per usual, disclaimer: THIS FIC IS NOT SEX ED. It may be based on an infographic but it is NOT educational, it is FICTION!!!! If you want more info on anything in the fic, I recommend visiting scarleteen, it's a fantastic resource.

Thank you Holtz for beta-ing <3 <3 <3

“What do you mean you’ve never been fucked with a strap?”

Rosé shrinks under Denali and Mik’s gaze, cheeks burning scarlet as their mouths gape in shock at her. It wasn’t supposed to be such a big deal; just an offhand comment while they were cuddling, wondering out loud how it felt to be on the receiving end of the strap she so enjoyed using with her partners. She hadn’t expected Denali and Mik to react like this, to literally push themselves up to stare at her, completely flabbergasted.

“I just like wearing them so much, I never got around to actually being fucked with one,” she justifies, trying to sound as casual as possible, though she knows from the way both Mik and Denali soften that she’s not as successful at that as she was hoping. But that’s the truth, as dumb as it sounds; she’s always enjoyed wearing the strap so much that by the time she takes it off, she’s content with something else. It’s easier that way; no need to switch things around, stop to change condoms or re-fasten the strap.

Not to mention the small part of her that’s sort of relieved that she hasn’t tried, because if she has no feeling to reference, then she won’t have a reason to spend time fixating on whether she measures up to it or not; if she doesn’t have a standard in mind, then she can settle on taking Denali & Mik’s word for it that she’s any good. Like right now, for instance, when Denali is reaching out to grab Rosé’s hand and give it a kind squeeze.

“It’s not that there’s anything wrong with that,” the blonde reassures her, “It’s just that you’re so good at it, it’s hard to believe, that’s all.”

“Seriously, I’m like, so shook right now,” Mik agrees. It’s flattering, really, and for a moment, Rosé thinks the compliment is where things will end; deciding that they want her to keep being the one to wear the strap, that as long as she’s so good at it, there’s no need to switch things up.

Of course, she should’ve known both Mik and Denali better than to actually believe that.

“So, follow up question,” Denali’s brow knits into a frown as she looks Rosé up and down, locking eyes with her again before proposing, “Do you want to try getting fucked with a strap?”

“Not that you should feel pressured!” Mik interjects, casting a sidelong warning look at Denali. “We’re just wondering, are you ever like, curious? About what it feels like? ‘Cause we’re both pretty good too, I think--”

“Wow, you think?” Denali interjects, huffing indignantly. “Nice, Mik. Real nice.”

“You know what I mean.” Mik rolls his eyes theatrically, only to shriek when Denali decides to get revenge by jabbing him hard in the side.

“The point is, Rosé--”

“What I meant to say before Denali interrupted me--”

“No, let me ask!”

“Me!”

“Enough, both of you!” Rosé tries to sound stern, but has to pinch her own thigh to keep from laughing. She swears that sometimes, it’s like dating two toddlers; Denali and Mik freeze mid-spar, Denali’s hands halfway to Mik’s shoulders as if she’s preparing to push him down and slap a hand over his mouth so she could beat him to the punch by force. Which, judging from the way she slowly lowers her arms with a sheepish look in her eyes, is exactly what she was planning to do.

God.

“I already know what you’re going to say,” Rosé crosses her arms over her chest, “So one of you just get it over with already.”

Mercifully, Mik relents without a fight, sitting back on his heels as Denali scoots forward towards Rosé.

“Rosie. My beloved.” She slaps her hands over Rosé’s cheeks, cupping her face as she continues, “Next time we have sex, if you’re feeling it…” she pauses for effect, locking eyes with Rosé before continuing gravely, “Will you let us stick our dicks in your hole?”

“Or holes!” Mik interjects. “If you’re into that.”

“Jesus Christ.” Rosé groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. Clowns, absolute clowns, the both of them. But despite her exasperation, neither Denali nor Mik seem particularly deterred; if anything, they become more expectant, Mik leaning in excitedly and Denali’s eyes taking on a further intensity as both of them wait for Rosé’s answer.

“Yes,” she finally sighs, rolling her eyes. “Yes, you can stick your… you can stick your dicks into my--my… God, I can’t believe I’m saying this-- hole . You can stick your dicks in my hole.”

When both of them begin to cheer in response, Rosé can’t help but wonder what the Hell she’s gotten herself into.

--

As it turns out, it’s almost two weeks until they actually wind up using the strap at all. It’s not that they don’t want to; in reality, the whole situation is out of their control. Things get busy at work for Mik, and Rosé has three auditions she needs to prepare for and recover from, and Denali is always so tired after practices these days that even if Mik and Rosé have the inclination to run to bed, it’s already taken up by her collapsed, already-sleeping body. In any case, sex--whether it involves dicking Rosé down or not--is the last thing on their minds in that time period.

At least, it’s the last thing on Denali and Mik’s minds, as far as Rosé knows. The truth is, while they’ve been occupying themselves with other things, Rosé’s mind has stayed on its usual one-track, their earlier conversation and the promises Mik and Denali had made playing in her mind over and over again. She finds herself drifting into fantasies even when she’s supposed to be focusing on something else, until by the end of their impromptu sex break, she finds herself almost constantly on edge, increasingly restless thanks to the thoughts that never quite seem to leave her head.

Thoughts like Mik kneeling over her wearing his strap, stroking the length of it as he trails his eyes over her body, delaying touching her knowing that any second, she’ll break and beg for it. Or Denali sliding into her while her mouth is latched to one of Rosé’s nipples, sucking and licking and making her come totally undone. Swallowing the length of it while Mik’s hand is tangled in her hair, or listening to Denali huff as she snaps her hips up against Rosé’s. How a strap might feel different from fingers, and exactly how Denali or Mik might make her thighs tremble, might fuck her so hard she can’t walk.

It’s a rainy Friday night when her dreams finally come to fruition. Dark clouds had been looming over the city for the last few days, and everyone had been waiting for the sky to unleash the storm they had been sure was coming. There’s no real warning, no initial spitting or dampness in the air; the sky had gone dark and let loose thunder, lightning, and a torrential downpour.

Given that, it’s no surprise that the power goes out less than thirty minutes later.

“Did you find the candles yet?” Rosé calls over to Denali, squinting through the darkness to watch her girlfriend scour the kitchen cabinets.

“ Did you find the candles yet?” Denali mocks as she whips around and shines her flashlight right in Rosé’s eyes, scowling at the two people piled on the couch. “It’d be a lot easier if you two bums helped, you know.”

“I can’t get up, I have a Mik on my lap,” Rosé hums, the shit-eating grin spreading on her face spurred on by Mik giggling at the comment.

“And what’s his excuse?” Denali snorts, pointing her chin towards the man nestled up against Rosé.

“I’m huddling with Rosie for warmth!”

“And I’m very grateful,” Rosé pats Mik’s head, winking over at Denali, who huffs and grumbles something under her breath before turning back to her search. Finally, she finds what she’s looking for, and soon the living room is littered with candles that light the room in a soft glow.

It would almost be romantic, if it weren’t for the way Mik’s elbow is digging into Rosé’s ribs.

“So what now?” Denali shoves Rosé over, jostling Mik and dislodging his elbow in the process as she grabs Rosé around the waist, pulling her in while she settles. Rosé doesn’t particularly mind, though; Mik shifts closer, too, and it’s nice, getting to be in the middle of the cuddle-pile.

That is, until she feels something against her leg, and realizes with a jolt that Mik’s hips have started to squirm against it, her calf having unwittingly slipped between his legs.

“It hasn’t even been ten seconds,” she snorts, but when Mik looks up at her, there’s an almost pitiful desperation in his eyes, hunger and eagerness obvious even in the near-darkness.

“I can’t help it,” he whines, “It’s been so long…”

Without even meaning to, Rosé presses her leg up against her boyfriend a little more firmly, hardly noticing the fact that for just a moment, she loses her breath completely.

“What’s the matter?” Rosé savours the way Mik sighs out shakily, eyes closing as he chases the pressure she’s applying. “Can’t keep it in your pants anymore?”

“I think that means he’s been a good boy, Rosie.” Denali’s breath tickles at Rosé’s ear, and for a moment, she stops, frowning as she tries to figure out what Denali could possibly mean before it clicks suddenly.

“Not at all?” Rosé's eyes widen in surprise, and Mik’s blush becomes so fierce, she swears she can almost feel it from her place on the couch.

At least she’s jerked off a couple times in the last two weeks, when she’d been alone in the apartment and too horny to wait; she’d naturally assumed that Denali and Mik had done the same. Unless…

“Strap feels good against me,” Mik provides simply, grinding down against Rosé’s leg a little harder, “not enough to come, usually, but I thought…” he clears his throat, and Rosé has to stop herself from leaning forward to kiss the embarrassment from his face. “I wanted to save it for when we--when you--”

“What d’you say we take this to the bedroom, yeah?” Denali proposes, her hands sliding home to Rosé’s chest and palming her tits through her shirt. “I think Mik might explode if we keep him waiting any longer.”

Rosé moves so fast, she’s surprised she doesn’t accidentally knock over a candle.

It’s almost pitch-black in their bedroom, but Rosé finds that she doesn’t particularly care. As soon as they’ve crossed the threshold into the room, they go purely by feel, falling back onto the bed in a giggly, excited mess. Mik’s hands find their way to Rosé’s waist, his fingers splaying over her sides and nails digging in as Denali’s mouth meets Rosé’s own in a deep, perfect kiss. By the time Mik’s lips latch onto her neck, she can barely keep it together; she needs more, and she needs it now.

“Please,” Rose moans into Denali, who smirks against her lips.

“Please what, baby?” Denali plays dumb, biting down a little on her lip as Mik escalates his own teasing, licking and nipping up to her jaw, his hands wandering down to play with the hem of her shirt.

Fuck.

“More…”

It’s all Rosé can muster, but it’s enough; frantic hands begin to move over her body, tugging and grasping and peeling her clothes away until she’s in nothing but her underwear, Denali’s hands cupping her tits through her bra and Mik’s mouth marking her collarbone.

“Still up to taking my cock, angel?” Mik’s voice drips with hunger and need, but Rosé can hear the concern behind it, the need to hear that Rosé is still open to trying something new. But Rosé doesn’t even need to think before she nods, squirming with anticipation.

“I’m ready,” she breathes, locking eyes with her boyfriend and mirroring the want she finds in his own. “ Please .”

Mik answers her only with a chaste kiss on the lips before slipping away to get everything prepped.

“I want this off,” Denali brings Rosé’s attention away from Mik with a firm squeeze to her tits before one hand drops below the cup, a lazy finger tracing over the underwire.

Rosé wastes no time in granting the request, shimmying out of her bra and sighing in relief when Denali responds by latching her mouth onto one of Rosé’s nipples, tongue gentle and teasing. Not that she can focus on Denali’s ministrations for long--before she has a chance to lose herself in the feeling of Denali nipping and sucking on the hardened bud, she notices the bed dip and shift as Mik climbs back on, bottle of lube in hand. And the sight of Mik with a harness fastened tight on his hips, his favourite realistic cock waiting between his legs?

Rosé can’t think of a single thing she’d rather see right now.

“Can I--” she starts to reach forward before freezing, suddenly becoming aware of the bemused twinkle in Mik’s eyes as he watches her reaction. Denali picks up on it, too, and takes the opportunity to ghost a finger along the curve of Rosé’s spine, humming with satisfaction when Rosé shivers.

“Can you what, angel?” Denali teases, the hand on her back moving down again to rest on her ass. “Go on, don’t be shy. Tell daddy what you want.”

“Can…can I--” Rosé starts, but it’s too difficult; looking from the strap to the bottle in Mik’s hand back up to his cocky smirk, her embarrassment overtakes her, and she looks at him with pleading eyes, burning face a cry for help.

“Put your hand out, baby,” he softens, taking pity on her, and she smiles gratefully as she obeys, letting him squirt a generous amount of lube into her palm so that she can stroke it on for him, the mess covering her hand when she finally finishes well worth the lingering sensation of the toy in her grip. She wipes the excess lube off on her bare stomach, then scoots back, fitting straight into Denali’s waiting arms.

“Hips up,” Mik continues directing as Denali’s hands find their way back onto Rosé’s tits from behind, deft fingers circling and pinching while Rosé lets Mik slide her panties down and throw them aside.

“Think you can take daddy already, or do you need fingers first?” Denali whispers into Rosé’s ear before planting a soft kiss on her temple, and for a moment, Rosé pauses, frowning as she considers her options. The strap doesn’t look that thick, and Rosé trusts Mik to be gentle, to go slow and check in often. But at the same time, there’s a reason Denali asked; what if it really is different, and it hurts?

“Relax,” Denali cuts off Rosé’s spiral with a hand snaking down to her slit, playing with her folds gently to bring her out of her own head, focus on something else instead. “You have nothing to worry about, ‘kay?”

“We can go as slow as you want,” Mik adds with a soft, reassuring smile, and Rosé nods, letting out a shaky breath.

“Wanna feel you,” she decides. “Please, daddy.”

Mik says nothing, only leans forward to kiss Rosé sweetly, but she swears she can taste excitement on his lips.  But the moment is over as soon as it began; Mik pulls away and gets to work lining himself up with Rosé’s cunt, flashing her one last lopsided smile before he begins to ease himself in.

“How’s that feel, angel?” he starts to thrust in and out shallowly, slowly, and Rosé has to admit--her boyfriend wasn’t lying when he said he was good. Between his teasing and Denali continuing to play with her nipples, craning down to kiss the curve of her neck, Rosé can’t help but squirm, chase Mik’s dick with her hips while pushing her chest up into Denali’s hands. But it’s to no avail; they both keep up the cruel game, working her up and practically radiating glee as she gets closer and closer to unravelling.

That is, until Denali brings a sharp slap to her tits, and she’s jerked out of her trance by the realization that she still hasn’t answered her boyfriend.

“Focus, baby girl,” she murmurs, “Use your words and tell daddy how you feel.”

“Good,” she breathes, “Feels good, daddy, so fucking good— ah,” she cuts off with a gasp as Mik speeds up a little, thrusting a little deeper as he smiles down at her approvingly.

“Good girl.”

Rosé has to admit--now that she’s actually on the receiving end on her lover’s strap, she gets the hype. Mik’s pace is relentless, yet fluid, the rhythm of his thrusts unbroken even when he leans down to attach his lips to her neck. His hands tighten around Rosé’s hips, grip bruising as it pulls her closer still, allowing him to hit exactly where he needs to. And Denali, in the meanwhile?

“God, I wish you could see yourself,” Denali’s voice is low in Rosé’s ear, hands traveling down her sides and nails scratching along her skin. “So pretty right now, our pretty little mess.”

As if to further tease Rosé, Denali brings one of her hands down between the redhead’s legs, laughing when Rosé immediately cries out in shock and overstimulation when Denali begins to circle Rosé’s clit with far-too-gentle fingers. But her moans turn into whines of protest when just as fast, Denali takes her fingers back again, this time bringing them to Rosé’s lips for her to suck into her mouth.

“There we go, good girl,” she purrs as Rosé licks the taste of herself from Denali’s fingertips. “See how wet you are, sweetheart? Poor baby,” she laughs a little, her other hand’s touch becoming soft on her waist as she teases, “can’t even control yourself, can you?”

Rosé can’t answer; she’s too far gone, too lost in the dizzying task of trying to take in every feeling, process everything being done to her. It’s a fact that neither Mik nor Denali fail to notice, but it’s Mik that finally says something after a few more moments of torment, his voice dripping with condescension as he goes in for the kill.

“You take daddy’s cock so well, baby,” he murmurs against her collarbone. “Doing so good for us.”

He moves one hand from her hip to her jaw, tipping her chin up to kiss him languidly, and fuck, she can’t hold on much longer, not when Denali’s hands are stroking the insides of her thighs and Mik’s tongue is against hers and all she wants is more.

“Please,” Rosé musters up all the strength she can to force the plea out, eyes screwing shut in effort, “Please, please let me come, please, I need to come, please!”

“Go ahead, angel,” Mik gives her one more sweet kiss before making one last particularly hard thrust, and that pushes her over the edge.

Rosé’s orgasm crashes over her all at once, knocking the air from her lungs and making the world spin. Mik fucks her through her orgasm, Denali whispering sweet praises all the while, and slowly, she comes down again, still feeling like she’s floating on air.

“How d’you feel, gorge?” Mik looks at Rosé with concern as he pulls out, and it’s cute, the little flash of insecurity that Rosé catches in his eyes. She laughs, opening her arms to beckon Mik towards her.

“I feel amazing.”

Mik beams as he shimmies out of the strap, crawling up towards Rosé and making room for himself between her and Denali. But as he does, he accidentally brushes himself against Rosé’s thigh, and the little gasp he lets out alerts her to something that isn’t quite right.

He’s wet, and swollen, and Rosé realizes with a jolt that she hadn’t heard him come like he thought he might.

She looks over at Denali, tipping her head towards Mik suggestively. The blonde frowns in confusion for just a moment before her face lights up in understanding, and she smiles as she puts a hand over Mik’s thigh, licking her lips when Rosé does the same on his other side.

“Open your legs, baby boy,” Rosé murmurs, kissing the blush that’s already burning at his cheeks. “It’s time for me to thank you.”

[slutnali]

any chance we could get a gottrosnali sugar baby denali wip wednesday 👉🏻👈🏻 no pressure if not!!

Here u go bestieeee, sorry if the formatting is fucked up and the fact that it’s Thursday but better late than neverrrrr. I copy and pasted on my phone Bc I’m out thotting and bopping

This is a continuation from the last wip Wednesday or was it a 6Sentence Sunday??? Idk I don’t remember lol

“She wouldn’t have to if she’d just come over. She knows she’s always welcome.”

Despite not having seen them in weeks she’s sure they’ve had this conversation among themselves and it almost feels like she’s interrupting their moment. She’d chosen to recover after her surgery in her own apartment (with the occasional help of Joey, Kahmora and Liv) because she figured the anticipation of making them wait until she was fully healed would be worth the wait for all of them to enjoy together. She didn’t fully think through how impatient and horny she’d get in the process.

Rosé gasps and it snaps Denali out of her thoughts, Mik has moved lower down her neck sucking lightly as he reaches her sweet spot. They both know not to leave any marks above her breasts, much to their chagrin. No matter how tempting it was.

“Mik.” His name falls from Rosé’s mouth, almost said like a warning since he’d stayed sucking on one spot a bit too long.

He took the cue, moving the duvet away from her body only to reveal that they’d already been naked which caused Denali to squirm in place. Mik moves lower down her body, pressing more kisses onto her breasts and stomach, pulling moans from the blonde and Denali wishes she was there too.

“Rosie, can I--”

“Get the shower head, baby.” She instructs with an encouraging nod. Didn’t have to tell her twice as Denali does as she’s told.

One hand grips onto the shower head positioning it between her legs while the other hand parts her folds for easier access. Her head falls back in relief, it’s definitely not enough to get her off but it’s something. Something was better than nothing.

Brown eyes are glued to the screen watching as Mik continues travelling down her body. Rosé brought the phone closer to her face, flipping the camera so Denali would have a view from her breasts downwards to Mik already two fingers deep in her with his tongue swirling on her clit. She can hear every single moan and whimper escaping the blondes lips and Denali’s got half the urge to turn the water off so she can hear her better.

But she doesn't. Instead, she switches the shower head setting to something with a bit more pressure but the water begins to turn cold and she moves it directly where she needs it most.

“Rosie, the waters running cold.” Denali whines with a pout and she knows the blonde can see her.

“Don’t rush us, gorge.” This time it’s Mik who responds instead, from what she can see his movements have slowed purposely and she just knows it’s going to take a bit longer to get Rosé to come.

It was time that Denali definitely didn’t have as the water runs fully cold causing her to squeak and move the shower head away from her.

“Can I at least use my fingers? Please, I’ve been so good these weeks.”

It’s a desperate plea but almost as if on cue they both respond with a ‘no.’ Huffing, Denali gives her body a quick rinse before turning the water off and hanging the shower head back in its rightful spot.

Of course it's when she’s turned away that Denali hears the loud moan from Rosé signalling that Mik had made her come.

“Must be nice.” Denali mutters as her frustration boils and she pulls the shower curtain aside, grabbing her towel-- a bit too harshly-- to begin drying off.

“Better luck next time, baby.”

[thevampirearcher-md]

May I have "Wake up, you have to wake up please, for me!" for gottrose? I would love some rosé whump🤪

hi anon, thank you ✨ did you know I had to google whump? and it had me very confused for a minute, but I've tried 😁 i'm not sure if this is what you were expecting, but I tried at least

this is beneath keep reading because I feel it warrants some trigger warnings for a car crash victim and hospitals (there's nothing graphic, but I'd rather you skipped this one if you don't feel comfortable with it)

“Breaking! Chain car crash on the I-5, heading south on the edge of Los Angeles, up to 25 cars involved! More on the topic on the ten PM news!”

Commercial had been rudely interrupted as Mik was about to pour his coffee. And he really enjoyed the jingle of that commercial, too - something about drinking rose. It always improved his mood and, Lord knew, he could always use any mood boosters while on night shifts.

“Did you hear that?” he asked Kandy, who had decided that unless anyone expressly asked for her assistance, she would not participate in today’s work schedule. “Do you know what this means, gorge?”

“Mass casualties heading our way,” Dr Burner burst through the door, her fire-engine red hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. “Seems like it’s going to be a long night,” she sighed. “C’mon, bitches, up and at it!” she threw a piece of paper at Kandy’s head.

“I refuse,” Kandy groaned.

“Nothing you can do about it, gorge,” Mik informed her, pushing through the door and out into the ER.

He knew it was weird, but Mik always found comfort in the organised chaos of the emergency department - everyone had a purpose here, everyone worked for their patients, pushing past each other to get to their destinations, patting each other on their backs when a patient walked out of the ER on their own two feet. There was always a sense of camaraderie between them, unconditional support for each other, like a big family unit.

“Mik!” Dr Burner shouted from the other side of the room, where she was leaning over a girl with neon pink hair, trying to push away two crazed women, crying next to her. “Come here! Someone get the family in the waiting room,” she shouted, hoping one of the guards would react.

“Why doesn’t she have any IV lines?” Mik asked, approaching the patient. She looked peaceful - unconscious people always did.

“She was walking and talking everyone’s ears off on the way here,” the EMT explained, probably not for the first time. “She dropped like a fly as we were about to walk in here,” he grunted, frustrated, turning away from the boy. “She’s your problem now - we’re needed back,” he informed Dr Burner, who didn’t seem thrilled about his attitude.

“Mik, let’s get that IV access for any…”

“Already on it, doc,” Mik answered, fixing his gloves in place and getting his kit ready. “Hi, gorge,” he said. “It’s just going to be two small pinches, ok?” he asked, even though she wouldn’t answer him.

“When you’re done, take her in for a head CT… Let’s rule out the worst before we start anything else,” Dr Burner instructed.

“Should I try to wake her up?”

“See if you can, if not, sedate her… We don’t want her waking up inside the CT and panicking,” Dr Burner shook her head. “I’ll go find her friends and explain the situation,” she turned away.

“Gorge,” Mik shook her shoulder. “Hey, gorge,” Mik shook her gently. “It’s morning, c’mon, wake up,” he said, gently. She stirred - almost imperceptibly, but her face scrunched up.

“Mik, sedate her and GO!”

“Wake up, you have to wake up, please, for me,” he tried again and her eyes snapped open, her fingers closing around Mik’s wrist. “There, there,” he patted her hand. “You’re at the hospital, you’re OK, what's your name?”

“Rosé,” she croaked.

“OK, Rosé, we’re going to take you to get a head scan, ok? Imma need you to stay calm for me, ok?”

“Will you be there?” she asked, the fear in her voice and eyes unmasked.

“Always, gorge,” he squeezed her fingers.

[pucksnsticksnhockeyboys]

lover

request: Hi I was wondering if you’d write a Mikko Rantanen imagine thingy based off the song Lover by Taylor Swift. Thank you ❤️❤️

prompt: Lover by Taylor Swift

summary: you’re pretty sure you could never live without Mikko ever again, and he makes sure that you never have to find out.

warnings: mentions of drinking, drunkenness

word count: 1.3k

We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January And this is our place, we make the rules And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?

“Mikko, get up.” You groaned, trying and failing to keep your laughter at bay. You had been in the process of cleaning up the home you shared with your boyfriend when he picked you up and dropped you on the couch, laying on top of you to pin you down. Normally, you would love nothing more than to cuddle with your six foot four Finnish boyfriend, but he was crushing you and there were things around the house you needed to get done.

“’m tired.” He mumbled into the crook of your neck, his breath tickling your skin. You chuckled at him, threading your fingers into the blonde hair on the back of his head as his arms wrapped tighter around your torso.

“You’re only tired because I asked you to take down the tree.” You teased, tugging lightly on his hair before glancing to the fake Christmas tree that was half disassembled in the corner of the room. You wanted to get the apartment cleaned up before things got too busy with hockey once more, so you jumped on the opportunity to have Mikko help on his day off.

He, apparently, had different plans.

“Maybe. But we can just nap for now.” His words were muffled but you heard him clearly, knowing that there was no way you would be able to get out from underneath him. And really, you didn't want to move out of your current position, unless you were flipping so that you were laying on his chest because he was practically crushing you.

“Ten minutes, Mikko. And then you're finishing the tree.”

We could let our friends crash in the living room This is our place, we make the call

“Erik Johnson I swear on all that is holy I will make you walk home.” You threatened, though the grin on your face was evidence that you didn't actually mean your words. The tall, toothless blonde smiled sheepishly at you, carefully setting down the empty glass of water you had given him.

When Mikko had called and asked if you could pick not only him, but four of his teammates up from a local bar. He pulled his best puppy-dog eyes to convince you to let them spend the night and it took all of your self control to not explain to him that he was an adult and it was his apartment too. You had disappeared down the hallway to get extra blankets and pillows for only two minutes, returning to find EJ attempting to juggle the glass you had so graciously given him to help with the hangover he’d surely be feeling the next morning.

“Are you sure that none of you guys want to sleep in the guest room?” You giggled, shooing a smiley Tyson Jost off of the floor in the middle of the living room. The bed in the guest room was more than big enough for at least two of the boys, but they had all insisted that they wanted to sleep in the living room, on one big pile of blankets in the middle of the room.

“This is more fun.” Andre assured you, watching as you laid out a few blankets. You rolled your eye sat him, but your smile never faded as all of the boys rallied with his answer.

“Whatever you say, Burky.” You muttered. Once you finished laying down blankets for a base, you told them to pile on and you’d tuck them in. “Oh, I need a picture.” You chuckled, fishing your phone out of your pocket as five large hockey players snuggled together on your floor, all red-checked and droopy eyed from drinking. You snapped the photo, most of the boys cheesing their absolute hardest, except for JT, who was busy trying to get Tyson to switch places with him. You posted the photo on your story, certain that the fans would get crazy over such an image and that their captain would have a chirp or two about it at their next practice.

“Time for bed.” Mikko announced making you roll your eyes. He was currently the little spoon to EJ’s big spoon, the blondes looking as if they cuddled like that regularly. Honestly, you wouldn't be surprised with how this team was usually.

“You’re not going to sleep with me, Mik?” You questioned your boyfriend, a teasing grin on your face at the thought that he would be spending the night on the floor of your living room with his teammates. Your words made him sit up quickly, a grin on his face and you rolled yours eyes at what he thought you meant. “Not like that, Rantanen.”

“Still get to cuddle you, so I win.”

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

“Are you jealous?” The hint of amusement in Mikko’s voice caused you to glare sharply at him. Just because he was right, doesn't mean he had to say it. Of course you were jealous, you had just spent the past few hours at an Avalanche charity event watching a multitude of women fawn over your boyfriend, and though he has made it clear that he wasn't interested, it still made an ugly green monster grow in your stomach.

“No.” You lied in an attempt to save face. Mikko raised a brow at you, and you stuck your tongue out at him. It was immature, you knew it, but the simple action told your boyfriend that you weren't mad at him, but more so at the situation and and yourself.

He reached across the center console to thread his fingers with yours, his other hand keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel. As he drove through the Denver night, soft music flowed through the speakers and you studied his profile. Mikko was undoubtedly the most handsome you had ever met and will ever meet, and you knew that no matter how many times you had to suffer through attractive women throwing themselves at him, you’d stick by his side. Besides, you couldn't blame them, you’d shoot your shot with Mikko a hundred times over if it meant you got the chance to talk to him.

“I love you.” You muttered, lifting your conjoined hands to press a kiss to the back of his much larger one. Mikko chuckled at you, giving your hand quick squeeze before dropping it back into your lap.

“I love you, too. Even when you’re jealous for no reason.”

Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover

“Mikko Rantanen.” You hissed, squeezing your boyfriend's arm as you sat next to him in a restaurant way too fancy for your wallet. At your reaction, Mikko tipped his head back and let out a booming laugh. “You’re trouble.”

“You like it.” He winked over dramatically, earning a shove to the shoulder. He had a habit of whispering dirty jokes and comments so that only you could hear, simply because he loved to rile you up and make you blush.

“You’re going to be sleeping on the couch.” You teased, though he knew you were kidding. You loved that he felt comfortable enough with you to make silly jokes like that to you, and sometimes it was nice to feel like preteen again by laughing at his comments.

“You wouldn't dare.” His smile was infectious, and soon enough you were giggling with him again. “You would miss me too much.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” You chirped once more before turning to Mel and asking her about her baby.

You heard Mikko chuckled beside you, before engaging himself with his teammates sitting on his other side. Though, his hand hadn’t removed itself from its spot on your thigh, gently squeezing it every few moments as if to remind you that he was still there.

As if you could forget the love of your life was sitting next to you.

Darling, you're my, my, my, my lover

[hairup-squareup]

Cupid’s Kiss| Chapter 1: A French Phenomenon

Title: Cupid’s Kiss

Summary: True love is something hard to find. That’s why at Cupid’s Kiss Matchmaking they strive to find you your soulmate and get you your happily ever after, no matter the cost is.

Word count: ~3.3k (this chapter)/~3.3k the whole book

Ships: HallDoll (Jaida Essence Hall/Nicky Doll), Gottlux (GottMik/Olivia Lux), CrystalAvalon (Symone/Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd), Jankie (Jackie Cox/Jan sport), Rosenali (Rose/ Denali Foxx)

Tw: mentions of death, divorce and rehab

  “Welcome to New York City, The current time is 1:32 am, and the temperature is 19 degrees Celsius for my Europeans on the flight and 66 Fahrenheit for my Americans. Maybe one day you’ll smarten up and use Celsius like the rest of the world.” This sarcastic response from the pilot brought a chuckle and smile to Nicky’s face, as she packed up her sketchbook into her carry-on. With a sigh, she sat back waiting for the rest of the plane to disembark.

  “Is she ever going to get off the fucking plane!” Mik rested his head on the handrail, pouting like some little kid. He kept watching as person after person left the arrivals gate and reconnected with their people. WHY WAS NICKY TAKING FOREVER?!

  “Well so you don’t die of boredom Mik, She just arrived at security.” Brooke looked up from her phone at the young boy sitting in front of her on the ground. She let out a soft laugh before sitting down beside him, “ Raja and Liv are probably on their way back with coffees.” Brooke smiled as she spun the young boy’s hair in her fingers. 

  “Why did I have to come again? I am an adult.” Mik huffed as he looked the Canadian in the eyes. Brooke gave him a slight shove before standing up and going back to the bench she was on, Mik following a few steps behind.

  “Because last time Raja and I went to go pick up an associate, We came back to the office a wreck and you and Olivia half-naked.” Brooke didn’t look up from the email she was writing. Mik opened his mouth to go say something but closed it realizing that Brooke had a point. Though he did love his girlfriend a lot, the two just had miraculous bad timing. 

  And Speaking of said girlfriend coming around the corner emerged the perky auburn-haired girl Brooke had mentioned, along with Brooke’s tired silver-haired business partner. Raja smirked handing Brooke one of the two coffees in her hand. “Remind me not to let you bring people in from out of the country again.”

  “Didn’t you tell Manila that when she put my name on the table?”

  “Yes, But you weren’t over seven hours away. Plus I brought you on as a replacement when Manila left anyways.” Raja smirked looking at Brooke, who was still focused on her phone. “As well as the fact you are so much better at the finance stuff than me.”

  This caused Brooke to look up from her phone, kind of puzzled. “That’s because I am one of the few people you’ve hired that can actually do fucking math. If you didn’t have me you would probably be running around hooking people up for fucking free Raja.” She smacked the older woman’s chest as she let out a chuckle.

  “I’ve offered to hook you up multiple times.” Raja smiled as she took a sip of her coffee “I have a 100% success rate, and I can find you the perfect girl. I mean look at the two down here.” She motioned to the two making out in front of them. Brooke broke out laughing at the two younger adults in front of her hitting Mik on the back of the head. This didn’t stop the two from making out, it just caused Mik to flip off Brooke.

  “Madame Hytes?” a voice came from the entrance of arrivals causing all four to turn their heads to face the arrival’s gate. Standing there was a blonde thin girl with a bright red shoulder bag tossed over her shoulder. Brooke smiled as she went over to her friend and smiled as she wrapped her arms around the French girl in front of her.

  “Mlle Nicky Doll, je suis content que votre vol se soit bien passé. (Ms. Nicky doll, I am happy your flight was safe.)” Brooke smiled as she took her friend’s hand. The two exchanged a laugh before Nicky handed her suitcase to Brooke.

  “Brooke, dois-je parler la langue de merde (Brooke, do I need to speak the shit language)” Nicky stopped before turning to her friend, who was currently trying to stop herself from laughing too much. She just kept looking at all the people passing her as Brooke was leaning on the suitcase. “Brooke?”

  “Yes. Yes. Nicky, you’ll need to speak English. I am the only one who knows french.” Brooke barely got out before taking a few moments to regain her breath. She adjusted herself turning to Nicky giving her the nod that she was all good to go, linking hands with the French model. Nicky nodded kinda shy to meet the other three at the bench, but willing to follow her friend’s lead. Brooke leaned over right before they reached the trio at the bench and whispered “The younger ones have a lot of energy I’d like to warn you on that.”

  Nicky nodded in response as both Mik and Olivia rushed u like eager puppies to her, they both seemed speechless. “You look amazing!” Olivia’s eyes were like stars at the sight of Nicky, who just smiled and nodded, giving awkward glances back at Brooke.

  “Guys, This is my friend Nicky Doll from Paris. She’s going to be here to help you all out with the love scene.” Brooke smiled at the trio as she stepped aside to showcase her friend.

  “Bonjour. Thank you all for having me, I’ll be happy to work with you all.” Nicky smiled at the group. Raja stepped out from the group to stand in front of Nicky and taking a look at her new hire up and down.

  “Well, Ms. Doll. We are happy to have you join the cupid’s kiss matchmaking family” Raja smiled as she opened her arms to the French model in front of her. A genuine smile appeared on Nicky’s face as she hugged the older woman tight. For once she felt like she belonged.

=============================================================

  The next morning came like a bullet train. No one in the office was prepared to come into work. “Man people are getting desperate, how can we find matches for some of these?” Gigi entered the office looking at a folder in her hands before sitting down at her desk, sprawling the open folder across her keyboard. “I mean Symone, come take a look at this one.” She motioned for Symone to come and join her at her desk.

  Symone pulled her coffee mug out from under the machine and took her time heading to her childhood best friend’s desk. “Crystal Methyd, what kinda name is that?” Symone chuckled as she rested her chin on Gigi’s head. She flipped through the folder or at least tried to, stumbling on a photo of this said culprit. “No!” Her hand flew to cover her mouth at the sight before her.

  “SHE HAS A MULLET!” Gigi’s jaw was touching the floor at this sight of an androgynous being with a full El DeBarge still mullet giving a quirky smile. Gigi looked the photo up and down. “ I mean they are kinda cute.”

  Symone stopped for a second before looking at her friend, trying to comprehend what she just said, “Gi, you are not falling for the person with the mullet. Are you?”

  “No! I just said they were cute! It’s like the comment you made about Joey last month!”

  “Everyone thought that twink was cute! Well everyone except you, but that’s ‘cause you’re a femme who’s not attracted to other twinks.”

  With that comment, Gigi took the folder and whacked her friend in the stomach. Causing Symone to laugh as she walked away back to the staff room.

  Jaida looked at the other girl as she entered the staff room. “Gigi simping for a client?” She chuckled, handing Symone a sugar packet.  Symone gave a slight sigh before pouring said sugar packet into her coffee.

  “It was going to happen to the best of us. It always does” She smiled looking at the young girl at the desk through the giant glass window. Gigi was still going through the file and seeing if she could find anything on Crystal Methyd. This caused the two in the staff room to simultaneously take sips of their coffee, with soft smiles emerging. “Speaking of love, how are you and-”

  “Rock? Didn’t work out. She moved back to San Francisco for work and we both agreed a long-distance relationship wouldn’t be the best for our mental health.  We both agreed to stay friends though!” Jaida smiled at her friend who put a hand on her shoulder.

  “Shall I start adopting you a cat? So you can start your long life as a crazy cat lady?” this exact comment is what made Jaida leave the staff room and go start heading to work.

  Symone chugged the last of her coffee before sitting down at her desk and logging in on her computer. As much as she loved working at a matchmaking office, helping people get their happily ever after, it kinda made her see how lonely she truly is.  Maybe she should put her application in to find someone, that could easily be a solution.

  “Head in the clouds hun?” The sweet voice of Olivia Lux whistled through Symone’s ears breaking her trance. She turned to face her coworker, a smirk on her face as she was met with a naïve joyful smile. “Mik and I picked up donuts before work and I just wanted to offer you one.” Olivia stuck the pink box in her hand out to Symone. 

  Maybe a donut will help clear her head, She smiled as she grabbed a Boston crème out of the box. “Thanks, Liv, I don’t know how you can stay so happy all the time.” Symone chuckled as she took a bite of the donut, turning her focus back up to the girl in front of her.

  “Well I know it’s the fact we’ve got someone new joining the team today.” This exact comment is what caused Symone to almost choke on her donut, as well as catching the attention of the whole office. Everyone flocked to Symone’s desk like a bunch of seagulls around a piece of bread.

  “Someone new?” Jackie emerged from her executive office, approaching the small group that’s now crowded around Symone’s desk “Raja didn’t say anything about someone new.”

  “Well, Raja, Mik, Brooke, and I picked her up from the airport last night or this morning. Time is very confusing.”  Olivia looked around at everyone surrounding her. “Donut?” She lifted the box, offering it to those around her.

  Everyone started whispering about the new hire; it was rare to get a new hire at Cupid’s Kiss, so everyone was naturally curious. Olivia turned to Mik, who gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. “All I know is her name is Nicky and she’s from France.” 

  “She’s like a model, some friend of Brooke,” Mik spoke up to be the focus off of his girlfriend. 

  “Who’s a model? Cause I don’t remember paying you all to stand around to chat about some model” A voice came from the back of the group causing almost everyone to jump facing the owner of Cupid’s Kiss, Raja Gemini. “Come on guys, we’ve got happily ever after's to make.” She laughed as everyone dispersed from Symone’s desk to their desks or the staff room.

=============================================================

  “Nicky, we’ll be late.” Brooke reapplied her red lip as she watched the other girl stumble out of the other bathroom in her apartment. She sighed before adjusting Nicky’s cardigan. “I told you that you didn’t have to dress fancy.” 

  “Yes, you did. But I want to make a good impression.” She looked up at the Canadian before reaching over her grabbing the car keys from behind Brooke. Nicky quickly spun around as she left the apartment “come on, I’m driving.”

  “In hell, you aren’t!” Brooke chased after her friend. “You don’t even have your American driver’s license. I’m driving Salope.” She laughed as she motioned for her friend to drop her keys in her hands.

  Reluctantly Nicky hands the jeep’s keys back to Brooke. “I’m surprised you have yours, Chienne.” She huffed as the two entered the elevator.

  “I came here after we graduated from Visages. Worked with the New York City Ballet for three years, that’s where I met Sahara. Then we had an accident in the theatre, which crushed my ankle. And then Sahara’s ex-fiancé got me this job.” Brooke’s tone was kinda embarrassed and serious. She never really felt comfortable talking about ballet with anyone except Nicky, who noticed the posture shift. “ A lot of people died…. I got out lucky. I miss Sahara, I miss Kennedy, I miss all the girls.” 

  The rest of the elevator ride was dead silent. Nicky didn’t know how to respond, she just put a hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “But you’ve got me. And that’s not changing, I promise.” Brooke gave a soft smile to her friend, Nicky surprisingly knew what to say to make her feel better.

  She chuckled as Nicky squeezed her hand letting her know it was okay. “That comment isn’t going to get me to allow you to drive my car.” She laughed as they entered the parkade 

  “Va te faire foutre, connasse (Fuck you, bitch)” Nicky smiled as she flipped Brooke off, chasing her to the jeep.

  “You know you Europeans drive on the wrong side of the road!”

  “And? You Americans use the wrong temperature.”

  “I’m Canadian!”

  “You are living in America, so you are American.” Nicky laughed as she watched Brooke start to drive the jeep out of the parkade. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in years, her best friend made her feel like that. 

  The car ride was interesting, definitely not like Paris. Very much a slower and angrier drive, Brooke cursed the taxis around them at least ten times in the first five minutes they were on the road. When Nicky said the car ride was slower than Paris, she meant as slow as a snail in molasses in -40 degrees temperatures. 

  So when traffic came to the 4th stall in ten minutes, she thought it would be a good spot to ask Brooke something. And to possibly stop Brooke from ramming the taxi in front of them. “Brooke?”

  Trying to hide her obvious road rage, Brooke slapped a smile on before turning to her friend in the passenger seat. “Yes, my dear?” Her tone was though still sweet, was still filled with anger.

  “Do you think the others will like me?” This question almost made her laugh. Was Nicky serious? Of course, the others would like her, this group was the most accepting group Brooke knew. She knew for certain they’d like her.

  “Ms. Nicolette Doll,” Nicky cringed at the use of her full first name. Brooke knew only to use it when she was either mad at Nicky or teasing Nicky. “You are a gorgeous French model with a heart of fucking gold. you wish for everyone you meet to succeed, even if you have a fucking hard shell. Trust me, they’ll love you.” She smiled as she cupped Nicky’s face “I mean look at Liv and Mik, they adored you when they first saw you. Hell Raja even let me fly you in just so you could work with us. So if anyone has an issue with you, they can suck my ice-cold Canadian ass.”

  Nicky was almost brought to tears, with how protective her friend was. The words of confidence resonated with her, as a soft smile fell on her face. She was kind of a loss of words so she just squeezed Brooke’s hand, letting her know thank you. Brooke understood the sign and gave a soft squeeze back, “now I gotta make a call, looks like we’re going to be running late because SOMEONE DRIVES SLOWER THAN A MOOSE IN -40 DEGREES IN NUNAVUT!” And with that Brooke went back to cursing out traffic.

=============================================================

  “Look if we can get the mom in rehab before the trial next month it’ll look like she’s willing to fix herself without any court-mandated therapy.” Lagoona huffed as she tossed two files on her legal partners’ desks. Jan stopped spinning in her to get a look at the papers, she looked up at Lagoona slightly confused.

  “You think she’ll willingly do that?” Jan asked as she flipped through the file, she was meant with a shrug in return. Lagoona was about to open her mouth before she was cut off.

  “It’s the only way she’ll get any form of  fucking custody over the kids.” Rosé said as she entered the main office three coffees in hand, passing them out to the other two girls before sitting down at her desk. “Jan, you’re still in contact with Brita?” She asked with a tone as if she already knew the answer. The brunette nodded still slightly confused, looking between the blonde and redhead.

  “Good, give her a call. I’m sure she and Ms. Widow should be able to take the mom.” Lagoona nodded before starting to type a number in her desk phone as well, “I’ll call the mom. See if she can come down so we can explain the situation. Rosie-“ 

  “I’ll get the paperwork done as usual.” Rosé smiled as she cut her friend off giving a small salute to her friend across the room. The three shared a nod before splitting up to do their separate tasks. 

  Rosé knew the routine, get the paperwork ready for when the client agreed. She had it down to a science at this point, she could almost get it done in 2 minutes, depending on if the printer wanted to jam or not. She quickly logged into the computer and had the file selected ready to click print till her phone scared the shit out of her “Fuck!” She watched as the file started to duplicate and duplicate and duplicate. 

  Begrudgingly she grabbed the phone off the desk placing it on her shoulder and under one ear. So she could fight the computer while taking the phone call. “Bloo Sport and McCorkell family law. Hope to bring a voice to the voiceless, I’m Rosé how can I help you….Brooke, please tell me you didn’t total another taxi….Because it’s happened at least seven times now… don’t you have your boss’s phone number so you can call her yourself?… there’s something called voice mail… NO, I AM NOT GOING OVER TO YOUR SCAM AGENCY!… it is and you know it… throw in an actual picture of a fucking moose this time AND NOT one you found online, then I’ll do it… you owe me Hytes. Bye.” Rosé huffed as she hung up the phone turning to the other two, both very confused by the conversation. 

  “Rosie, everything okay?” Jan tilted her as she approached her friend. She grabbed the chocolates on her desk and placed them on Rosé’s desk before backing away cautiously, almost like she had just placed food in front of a dangerous animal.

  Rosé pulled her head out of her hands locking eyes with Jan, whose smile turned to fear. “Jan, you wanna go across the hall and let them know Brooke and Nicky got stuck in traffic?” Rosé watched as her friend nodded excitedly already writing down what Rosé had said getting ready to leave the office. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  And within seconds Jan was out of the office. Lagoona placed an arm on Rosé’s monitor as they watched the door swing, “you know she just wants an excuse to see the cute girls.” She looked down at the now smirking Rosé.

  “Exactly that’s why I sent her.” She let out a soft laugh before turning back to the blonde beside her. “I’ll get you that paperwork in just a sec”

[psylockexs]

New players on the board

Morgyn wasn't sure if Mikhail had a few loose screws in his head after hearing about their dinner plans. However, it was still the period for Solstice festivities as the new year was a few days away. The group needed some down time as well since they were still fighting in the dark, to put it simply. Having to find an ancient deck of cards was one hardship, but to have Olive mess up one of their own was a different can of fish. Perhaps, it was time to think about who were their allies, if they even had any.

But, enough of those thoughts for one night. It was time for a (HOPEFULLY!) peaceful dinner at the local restaurant 😄.

https://on.soundcloud.com/cKVAQnBqQ5x61uKV7

The restaurant wasn't as fancy as it sounded, but it was quite pleasant. The lighting was welcoming, staff didn't keep smiles plastered on their faces. They weaved between tables, greeting the patrons and taking orders. That in itself was better than fake smiles 🤭.

The tables were nicely arranged as well. Niko picked a table that was near a window and some plants. Lorelei took a moment to sniff the air from the plants.

Lore: They smell fresh 😯.

Niko: nods while perusing the menu Yep. I guess they were put in over the last two weeks. I can still smell the fresh dew on them.

Morg: You can smell all that?

Niko: nods Lycans always have something unique to them. My pack's ability was that they could smell more than humans could. Hell, probably even better than a vampire at times.

Morg: Crazy. Which reminds me. Should I...tell them?

Morgyn looked at Mik in a questioning manner

Mik: Yeah, you should.

Morg: It seems my ancestry's a mess. Got a mix of humans, casters and vampires...well, according to Mikhail.

Lore: Really? That's a strange one. I mean, you just look normal to me.

Mik: See, that's the thing. I don't think any of us could sense it until I drained him this morning.

Lore: You gotta work on your wording, Mik shakes her head laughing

Mik: Maybe you should work on your interpretation 😉. Either way, it's something we gotta keep an eye on. And we should limit our contact with Olive. Whatever we need to do in this town, we do it alone from now on. If we need help, we'll have to outsource.

Niko: I agree with that. Although, don't consider the Specter kid as an anomaly. If I'm to bet, he's unaware of his mother's behavior. He might be useful.

Morg: True. Now, can we order? The smell is driving me nuts.

The waiters had warned them that the food could take a while to arrive as the place was quite busy. The wait was well worth it though. It was unlikely you'd find a place in Ravenwood that made garlic bread this good, or knew how to fry up chicken in batter to rival KFC. It was just what the folks needed after the grueling months they'd had 😄.

After they'd finished eating and paid the bill, Lorelei heard a familiar voice across the room, but couldn't recognize the other guy 🤔.

Mik: Hey, ain't that your boyfriend?

Lore: Neighbor, Mik and we're friends 😒.

Mik: Ehhhh I don't know. You don't look at him like a friend would. Who's the other hunk?

Lore: I don't know, never seen him before. Let's say hi.

Lore and Mikhail headed over to where Min-ho was chatting with the other guy. It was strange for Min-ho to be here just days after talking to Lorelei on the phone.

Lore: Min-ho! Hey!

Min: Lore? Fancy seeing you here! I thought you'd be at the club this evening! They kiss each other on the cheek

Lore: Heh, already been this week. It was Niko's idea to dine here tonight.

Min: Nice intuition then, I'd say 😉.

While the two friends caught up, the guy next to Min-ho seemed to have lost his voice. Any desire to talk vanished into thin air. The floor seemed way more interesting than Mikhail. Lorelei noticed the icy silence behind Min-ho, and decided to ease up the air.

Lore: Who's your friend, by the way? Lodger? 🤭

Min: Ha! You meet new people often, Lore? Gotta work on your intro, man!

Lore: My intro is just fine!

Min: Yeah? Well you scared my guy into staying silent. nods to him

Lore: offers her hand Lorelei 😊

Shin: 🤝Shin Taeyang. Sorry, I...don't do well with first meetings 😅.

Lore: Oh, don't sweat it. It can be overwhelming, I know that too well. Or were you intimidated by the redhead?

Shin: Umm, maybe? 😆

Mik: Damn, am I really that scary?

Min: Mmmm sometimes...

Lore felt her skin twitch as Taeyang shook her hand. She wasn't quite sure what that feeling was, especially since he was wearing gloves. There was nothing unusual about him, except his sleek looks. But then again, Lore seems to have a talent of drawing hot people around her 🤷‍♀️.

Lore: So, what brings you so far out, Min. With new company as well.

Min: Taeyang just got back from Tomarang. We've been buds a long time but we each went different countries for business.

Mik: Interesting. eyes him up and down

Tae: I needed a place to crash for a while, so called up Min. I didn't know he had such a large friend net. He used to be a loner!

Min: Ah ah ah! We're too sober for that kinda talk!

Tae: Hmph 😆.

Mik: Back to Lore's question. Little far from home.

Min: Honestly needed a change of scenery. I've celebrated New Year's in San My for so long, it no longer feels fun there. Out here though? It feels kinda special.

Lore: Yeah, I get that. Needed a breather from all this work that's just piling up and it won't seem to stop. A break is always welcome.

Min: nods Aight, I'd love to stay and catch up with you guys, but we gotta check into our hotel soon. looks towards Lore, then he mentally speaks to her I'll text you my room number. There's a reason me and Tae are here.

With that ominous message, Taeyang and Min-ho bade farewell to the others and headed for their hotel...

'Mmm. Delectable. Me first 😏.'

Upstairs in the restaurant

Mikhail and Lorelei walk back to tell the other two they're ready to go

Lore: Don't even think about it.

Mik: What?

Lore: You scared the poor guy speechless! You gotta work on that aura you give off.

Mik: I did nothing of the sort. He saw me and went quiet. Not my doing.

Lore: You still appear really intimidating though.

Mik: It's my natural charm, sweetie. What did Min-ho say? He's clearly not here for leisure.

Lore: He said he'll text me the room number so I can pop in. He seemed to be in his sentry mode.

Mik: He's on high alert?

Lore: Yep. Pretty sure I sensed someone similar to Olive here, but not sure. Anyway, I'll just wait for the text then see.

Mik: Mm. Or you could just talk in a dream and relay it to us. Surely you're just going to talk and not see what the new boy is packing. 😏

Lore: narrows her eyes You're unbearable, you know that?

Mik: You didn't deny it!

Lore: And you won't stop putting that idea in my head! You can't drain everyone you see, you know.

Mik: I'm a vampire, Lady Than. Not an incubus.

Lore: Having a hard time believing that! 🤭

Who knows? Maybe it is true, but that's small compared to what Min-ho and Taeyang are walking into 🤔.

[lemonadeswift]

Unconditional I

Rating: G

Pairing: Chris Evans/Sebastian Stan

Characters: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Original Child Character (OCC)

Summary: Chris and Sebastian’s foster child comes out to them as trans and of course, they love them unconditionally.

-

Mikey stood at the top of the stairs in their blue Tony Hawk hand me down hoodie that they’d had for years now. Their new socks were nice though, and so were their other new clothes but this sweat shirt was never going to go away. It was sometimes one of the only possessions they’d had going through the system. Nervously their toes wiggled inside their socks as they curled their feet over the top stair teetering as they debated their next move. It was now or never.

Their mom had probably had an inkling before she passed but she was gone now... and now they had to tell Chris and Sebastian... or “dad” and “tata” as they were slowly getting used to calling them. They’d assured them after their mother’s death and from day one they wouldn’t be transferred around anymore. This was their last stop on that train and their permanent home could be with them if that’s what they wanted. And Mikey did want that, he just hoped that after this new revelation Sebastian and Chris would still feel the same. They hoped that even if they didn’t want them anymore they’d still consider adopting Bailey. Mikey wanted his sister to have a good life, she was only 7, them being 15, they’d be fine on their own if they had to.

Anyway... it was now or never. They felt this bursting forth from them. They couldn’t keep it in anymore it was too stressful, it was killing them. They’d been up the past three nights and they knew that Chris and Sebastian were starting to notice.

“Dad? Tată?” Mikey called out in a voice just loud enough for Sebastian and Chris to hear. The two were sitting in the living room, they’d just put Luca, Lea, and Bailey down for bed and Mikey had just finished reading to them, leaving the couple to settle down for the night before turning in.

Mikey couldn’t help but smile as they noticed from the top of the stairs how the two were curled against each other. Chris on his tablet while Sebastian was resting his head on his shoulder, seemingly on his phone. They hated to disturb them but they needed to tell them this.

“Hey buddy, what’s up?” Chris asked, a soft smile on his burly winter bearded face.

“Hi... I’m... Um... can we... can we talk? Can I talk to both of you?” Mikey fidgeted with his hands wringing them together and teetering back and forth on their toes.

Chris’s face immediately turned concerned. His brows knitting together as he and Sebastian parted, sliding over to make room for Mikey beside them if they wanted to sit.

“Yeah, of course, always, you can come to us with anything, is something wrong? Do we need to break out the hot chocolate for this one?”

Hot chocolate had become a tradition with tough conversations in the household. It was brought out a few months ago when their mom passed, and again when they were told that they couldn’t be adopted yet, and yet another time when they were discussing a career move that would require Sebastian to be gone for four months that he wanted to get the kids input on. He hadn’t taken it. It had been too soon, but while hot chocolate was synonymous with difficult conversation it was also synonymous with comfort and warmth and safety. Tough conversations were no longer callous encounters, with Chris and Sebastian tough conversations were always had in an environment that was carefully curated to also feel safe and full of love and support. If this conversation didn’t go the way Mikey wanted they didn’t want the memory of hot chocolate to be ruined forever so they declined.

“N-no... I think... I think I’d rather just talk.” Rather than sitting down between the two Mikey nervously backed up against the accent chair in the living room and sat down lightly on the arm, perching carefully as they continued to fidget.

Mikey took a deep breath unsure of how to come out with it. Right now their palms were sweaty and their heart was pounding against their ribs. They felt clammy and sick... but they had to,

“Hey, Mikey, buddy, we love you, you’re safe here and you can tell us anything, we promise...” Sebastian spoke up, his eyes earnest.

Mikey wanted to cry.

“I-I-I-I’m... I... I think I’m trans?” It came out as a question, it made them mad that it did, what were they doing? Asking permission? No. They knew, they were sure, had been for a long time so what was with the questioning. Mikey shook their head,

“No, no... Sorry...” Mikey sat up straight a look of determination in their eyes as they met both Chris and Sebastian’s gazes. “I know I’m trans...my name is Melody because that’s the name my mom wanted to name me if I’d been a girl, which I am. My pronounce are she/her/they and if you don’t like it I’ll leave and figure things out myself.”

Melody stood there with a firm stance. Her eyes hard and arms crossed as she glared daggers into Chris and Sebastian who hadn’t said anything yet. Chris was the first to speak, his voice was soft as he said,

“Come, sit,” and patted the seat beside him. Deflating almost immediately Melody came and sat next to him. Her guard was still up but her firm stance from earlier and hard exterior had crumbled again. Now she was just scared. Scared and terrified. Melody felt an arm slide around her shoulders and she tensed up, softly though, Chris’s voice reached her ears,

“Melody, honey, we love you... no matter who you are, or how you identify... if your name is Melody and you’re a girl who goes by she/her/they, then that’s who you are and that’s what we will refer to you as, we’re both bisexual men, and you know my brother, your Uncle Scott, is gay. We couldn’t possibly be bothered less about if you’re trans. We love you,”

Melody felt herself shaking and as she blinked she felt the tears on her cheeks she was crying.

“Aw, sweetie, come here,” Sebastian’s said, pulling her into him and resting his head on top of hers as he hushed her and stroked her back, she clung to him and cried tears of sheer relief. Yes, she’d known they were obviously bisexual and she’d remembered that Scott was gay, but she never had heard them speak of any trans person they knew aside from one actress that Chris had worked with. And then it was just in passing. So she didn’t know, she hadn’t been 100% sure and that slight uncertainty had been killing her. She was so happy she was right about them though. So happy that they didn’t care...

“Hey, it’s okay, I promise we love you, we support you, you don’t need to get upset, you don’t need to cry, you’re okay, you’re safe, and if anyone, anyone has anything to say about it, they can fuck right off,” Melody pulled away from Sebastian at Chris’s assurances. She let out a wet chuckle at his last comment before throwing herself at him too,

“Thank you...” she said, another sob escaping her throat, one of absolute relief.

“You don’t have to thank us, we should be thanking you... thank you for telling us, we love you, I’m going to warn you, I might slip up a few times and I’ll have to get used to the new name and pronouns but we love you, okay?”

“Same here, it’ll be a change, but not a bad one,”

Melody wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her hoodie suddenly feeling completely drained. It was late after all and this had taken up all of her strength.

“Why don’t we talk more about this tomorrow okay? It’s late, we can look into getting you new clothes if that’s something you want and we can research some doctors if medically transitioning is something you’re interested in starting soon too okay? But in the morning, I’m sure this took a lot to tell us, but we love you and things will stay the same in most ways and change in only good ones I promise, okay?” Melody nodded. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was one thing to just accept it and accept her but the offer for clothes and to look into a doctor... it showed they were really serious, and were already somewhat educated... she couldn’t be happier.

Melody stood from the couch and let out one last sniffle. With her jacket over her hands giving her sweater paws she stood in front of them and gave a little wave. “Okay, goodnight...”

“Goodnight, we’ll see you in the morning, we love you,”

Melody nodded, she hadn’t told them she loved them yet but her heart was swelling with affection and emotion for them and as she turned to go and got to the stairs she stopped,

“I-I love you guys too...” she finally said. Their heads snapped over to her immediately and they were standing, stumbling over one and other as they came towards her. She was slightly surprised.

“What? I’m sorry... did you say?” Sebastian’s eyes were wide with hope,

“I-I love you guys too... I do... I love you guys, dad, I love you... tată, I love you...”

“Oh my god... Mik-Melody oh... we love you, we love you too!” Chris was sweeping her up into his arms again, lifting her off the ground and making her laugh. He spun her around once before putting her down, his eyes were shining with tears as he choked out, “You mean it? For real? You’ve... you’ve never said that... you haven’t said that yet...”

Melody just nodded, “Yeah, I mean it... I already have started seeing you as my dads... I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to say it. But I do, I love you guys and I’m... I’m so thankful that I ended up here...”

Sebastian was openly crying too now as he wrapped her in a bear hug of his own, he gave her a tight squeeze, “I’m so thankful that you guys ended up here too, you fit perfectly into this family and we want to have you guys as part of it forever. I swear, we’re working on it. I know things haven’t been easy but I’m so happy you’re here and I’m so happy to be your dad...”

Chris joined the hug and they stood there at the foot of the stairs, smothering Melody with love until she finally began to actually feel smothered and spoke up,

“I love you guys, but it’s actually getting hard to breathe, I’m pretty small and you guys are pretty aggressive huggers...”

“Oh.. sorry,” Chris laughed as they broke the hug and he went to stand by Sebastian again, the two of them gravitated to each other and their hands magnetically connected with parts of each other’s bodies, around the waist and in each other’s pockets as they always did when they got close. They both smiled and watched as Melody made her way the rest of the way up the stairs and disappeared down the hall.

Chris turned to Sebastian, letting out a sigh and giving a shrug,

“Well, that all happened.” He commented.

“It did, didn’t it? I’m so proud of her...” Sebastian said.

“Me too,” Chris said.

“So, we have two daughters now, maybe three soon,”

“Guess so, good thing I had sisters,” Chris said.

“Yeah, we can do this,”

“Of course we can, together, we can get through everything. We’ve already been through a lot, this is nothing we can’t handle. We’ve just gotta be supportive and love her unconditionally...” Sebastian leaned up to press a soft kiss on his husbands lips.

“Let’s go to bed, we’ve got some more important conversations to have tomorrow.”

[ughseoks]

laindymart | ???

— pairing; ??? x reader

— genre; creepy? not sure how to describe this. it’s unusual

— rating; PG-13

— word count; 1.3k

— warnings; lowkey creepy. actually, it’s really creepy. twilight zone vibes. mentions of cream suit namjoon. 

— summary; it’s the first day of your new job at Laindymart.

— this fic is dedicated to the store that @ppersonna​ and i run called Laindymart. we sell tools, love, and pasta. @jinterlude​ and @jintobean​ are also featured in this masterpiece. credits to lindy for the beautiful logo.

taking a deep breath, you mentally brace yourself before walking through the doors of your new job. it's at a store called Laindymart. you've never heard of it before, but when you saw the flyer stapled to a leaf hanging from a branch on the tree next to your bedroom window, you couldn't pass up the opportunity. it paid well, and let's face it-- you're broke. buying all of those tools last month really made a dent in your bank account.

when you enter the shop, you're surprised to see that it's... empty. the sound of a powerful air conditioner whooshes through the air and you're pretty sure you can hear a tap dripping in the distance, but other than that, it's surprisingly silent.

"hello."

you jump forwards with a yelp when a voice-- or is that two voices?-- speaks up from behind you. when you turn over your shoulder to get a better look, you're shocked to see two girls standing side by side in the empty store. one of them looks to be about six feet tall, while the other is only about 5'4. you know this because their heights are written on their nametags.

"welcome to laindymart." a shiver runs down your spine when you realize that they're speaking in unison. "would you like to buy some tools?"

"n-no thank you," you murmur, thinking back to the roomful of tools you already have at home, "i'm, uh, the new employee. y/n."

"ahhh..." the two girls exhale in unison, exchanging a knowing look. "our apologies, y/n. welcome to the laindymart team. feel free to explore." they begin to walk backwards away from you in unison, their steps echoing in the empty supermarket.

"wait!" you call out, "you haven't given me instructions!"

you get no response; when you blink, they're gone-- almost like they were never really here in the first place. silence falls over you once more, but this time, you can faintly hear music playing in the background. left unattended on the first day of your job with no instructions, you decide that your best bet is to follow the music to see if you can find another worker.

as you move through the aisles in the store, you realize that there are only two things on the shelves: tools and pasta. the shelves seem to grow taller and taller with every step you take, the music growing louder as well as you near what you assume to be the source. after what seems like years you finally break past the line of tall shelves.

you can now clearly hear the music playing around you. it's tequila by dan + shay. the only thing in your line of sight is a lone register surrounded by empty space, the number "1" on top of the corner pole blinking every once and a while. your footsteps echo as you approach the register.

taking a step behind the countertop, you glance at the register, noticing that there are only two options on the screen: tools and pasta. there seems to be a small button in the corner named love as well.

"hi."

once again, you jump in surprise at the sound of an unknown voice breaking the ominous silence hanging in the air of the massive supermarket. you're shocked to see that it seems to be a customer. his chocolate brown hair is styled out of his face, and his cream suit looks gorgeous on his figure-- you're fairly sure you can see his dick outline in his pants, but you choose to look away. you don't want to be fired on your first day of the job for ogling your customers. where did he come from, anyways?

"tools." his deep voice shocks you out of your stupor.

"o-okay," you gulp, reaching out to press the tools option on the screen in front of you. when you do so, it's silent for a few moments before sirens begin to go off around you, red flashing lights filling the once-silent store as the alarm blares loudly. you reach up to cover your ears, but the customer doesn't seem to be phased.

after a few seconds the alarms stop and the store goes back to normal. the tap is still dripping in the background and tequila is still playing above you. the customer hums at the total that's appeared on the screen before him before slipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out a silver credit card.

you're about to reach out and take it from him when he suddenly slips the card between his teeth, leaning forward to swipe it across the top of the card reader. "s-sir--" you try to speak up, but he growls in response, the low vibrations in his chest sending shivers down your spine. once he finishes swiping, he takes the pile of tools and three spaghetti noodles he gathered into his hands and turns to walk out of the door.

deciding that you've had enough for the day, you back away from the register and make your way towards what you think is the exit. but the longer you walk for, the more nervous you become. where the hell is the exit?

"your shift isn't over yet."

this time a scream falls from your lips when two familiar voices sound from behind you. it's lindy and lainey; you just know it. they have displeased looks on their faces and their arms are crossed against their chest as they look down at you.

"mik needs your help in the kimchi section." they point to an area to their right in unison, and you don't hesitate to follow. you don't want to know what they'll do to you if you don't obey their orders.

after a few minutes of walking in the direction they pointed you in, you begin to notice a tingling sensation in your body. that, and the overwhelming smell of kimchi. you blink, and when you open your eyes, a gasp falls from your lips. you're surrounded by kimchi. it's everywhere; the floors, the ceiling, the walls. everything is kimchi. everything.

"hello, y/n."

your eyes land on two new faces. their nametags read bean and mik. you assume that these are the girls lindy and lainey wanted you to find.

"lindy and lainey said you needed help?" you question. mik’s lips curl into a smile.

"yes. follow us." you walk behind them, kimchi squelching underneath your feet, until you reach a large door. it's made of kimchi as well. "enter."

you gulp and do as they say. when you do, you see a group of at least seventy people dancing, the song tequila by dan + shay playing even louder than it was at the register from earlier. the bass from the song thumps in your ears, and the music video is playing on a large screen at the front of the room.

when you close the door behind you, all seventy people immediately stop dancing, each of them turning around slowly to face you. you gasp. all of them are mik.

"w-what is this?" you gasp, turning around to fiddle with the doorknob. but the door is gone.

"hello, mik." the voices of all seventy people speaking in unison echo in your ears, your blood running cold when you look down at your hands and realize that these aren't your hands. when your gaze shifts slightly upwards, you see that a mirror has appeared.

you are now mik.

the song tequila plays even louder in the background as all of the other mik's stare at you with soulless eyes, and above it all, you can hear lindy and lainey laughing in the background together.

a ha ha. a ha ha. a ha ha. a ha ha. a haha.

the end.

a/n; did u enjoy ur trip to laindymart?

[thewatermelloncat]

Backstage (Rosénali CH 7)

CH1, CH2, CH3, CH4, CH5, CH6

Summary: With the production date looming closer, the friend group pulls together to get each other through rehearsals.

Boarding School AU

Kinda Pastel/Punk AU

Author’s Note: Be on the look out for links to extra stories within the chapters.

Warnings: Swearing

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next morning Rosé awakes to her door gently closing. Panic should course through her at the sight of another figure in the dark room but even half-asleep she easily makes it out to be the shape of Denali.

“Nali, what are you doing here this early?” Rosé asks as she looks at the clock on her phone. “My alarm doesn’t go off for ten minutes.”

“Go back to sleep, Rosie” Denali says softly, picking up Rosé’s phone and deactivating the alarm. “Mik and Liv are bringing breakfast to us.”

Rosé hums in confusion.

“Mik’s idea” Denali explains as she sits down in the desk chair. “Just get some more sleep.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next time she wakes, it’s to the door opening and quiet whispers traveling inside.

She closes her eyes again and pulls in a breath to wake up a little more.

“Morning” she mumbles as she rolls onto her side. Blinking her eyes open and facing the doorway Mik and Liv just walked through.

“Good morning” Liv reflects sweetly.

“Morning, gorge” Mik says.

“Hardly feel gorgeous at the moment” Rosé admits, pushing herself up off the mattress and running a hand through the tangles in her hair.

Denali huffs a laugh at the comment and throws Rosé her hairbrush from the desk.

She catches it and works away at her hair while Mik and Liv divvy out the breakfast they’ve collected. Mik complaining about how Liv wouldn’t let her near the coffee sachets.

“I think that’s fair, Mik” Denali says after Liv explained that Mik has a science test first period.

“Are you feeling better, Rosé?” Liv asks sweetly as she hands her a bowl of cereal.

“Yeah” Rosé answers quickly. “Thanks for letting me sleep in and doing… all of this” she gestures a hand around the room.

“Really you should thank Mik. It was all her idea” Liv says.

“Don’t bother. That just makes it awkward!” Mik calls out, leaning into Rosé’s view from behind Liv. “It’s just a friend thing.”

“Well, I still appreciate it… all of you” Rosé smiles awkwardly at them.

“It’s not a problem, Rosie” Denali finalises. “And it’s probably best if you don’t start your week falling asleep in class.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rosé didn’t fall asleep in class; not even nearly over the next few weeks. Bringing breakfast to each other became like a tradition. There was no official roster but they would figure it out as they went.

Liv and Mik found out about Rosé’s job – which Liv had secretly suspected for a while – and after each of her night shifts it would be her turn.

Though Denali was normally an early riser, they pressured her to sleep in if they saw she was getting tired from all of her dance rehearsals. And Mik benefited correspondingly in their shared room.

They also made sure to share it around with Liv so it would be fair, although she never asked for it.

“Rosé you’re the fucking best!” Mik groans appreciatively as Rosé hands around takeaway boxes of leftover pancakes the morning after she had mentioned that she was craving them. Though she hadn’t thought anything would come of it.

“Had to be eaten” Rosé shrugs as she sits down, cross legged on the floor of Mik and Denali’s room. “Just wish we could use the microwave in the kitchens.”

“These are so good anyway, Rosé” Denali says through a mouthful as she reaches for another pot of syrup.

“We could use a hairdryer” Mik suggests.

“No” Liv warns quickly, completely prepared to physically restrain Mik if she tried.

“Would that even work?” Denali laughs and they launch into a debate.

Liv trying to calmly shut it down before Mik does something stupid. Rosé happy to sit back and watch it, not thinking that it would work but also not exactly opposed to Mik doing something stupid.  Denali arguing that she doesn’t know how scientifically plausible it is and Mik trying to reason that the only way to know is to try. Though it’s all for nothing as Mik finishes her pancakes before the argument is over.

“I’m so glad that this is just a half day” Denali says as she ties her shoelaces, getting ready for class.

“You won’t be saying that when they let us know what disappointments we are during rehearsal” Mik drones warningly about the first complete run-through of the production that is due to start after lunch.

Denali shrugs with a dismissive hum. “I get to miss out on English, so I don’t care.”

“Do you not like being in classes with me?” Rosé feigns offense, clutching a hand to her chest.

“You know that’s not what I meant” Denali scoffs as she stands up from the floor to follow the rest of the group out the door.

“Well, for the record, I don’t like being in class with you either” Rosé pretends to ignore her, turning her nose up playfully as she stalks down the hallway. The other’s following suit and rushing themselves off to class.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As far as first full rehearsals go, it wasn’t too bad. Sure, they had been given many things to improve on but nothing too harsh. Mik hadn’t forgotten the single line that she had, and Denali’s dance troupe all had smooth transitions. Of course, Denali twisting her ankle when her roller-skate hadn’t wanted to come off after her solo hadn’t been a highlight.

“Ms Visage’s critique about your harmony being off is bullshit” Rosé says to Olivia as they step out of the auditorium and head back towards the dormitories.

“Thanks, but you don’t have to say that” Liv says but smiles anyway.

“Honestly” Rosé stands by it. Knowing that Olivia takes critique harder than most.

Suddenly they are cut off by Mik gasping dramatically. “You are limping!” she directs at Denali who is trailing slightly behind.

“It’s fine” Denali maintains. “It’s a twist not a sprain.”

Mik shakes her head throughout her speaking and when Denali stops, she demands, “get on my back.”

“Mik, I’ll crush you” Denali laughs as the smaller girl turns her back to her, readying her hands out to catch her legs.

“No, you won’t. I’m stronger than I look” Mik affirms.

“Even if you are, her feet will still be on the ground” Rosé teases Mik before offering to Denali, “here, jump on mine.”

For a moment Denali stays where she is as Mik moves away from her, happy for Rosé to take over the task of carrying her. At her friends all looking at her expectingly, she gives in, laughing as she jumps up on Rosé’s back.

“Where are we going?” Mik asks when they take off walking again.

“Go to my room, it’s closer” Rosé directs.

“Ooh, Mik, we should go to the office and get some ice” Liv suggests and without saying a word Mik bounds over to join her and they head off in another direction.

Rosé laughs softly when she feels Denali hang her head against her shoulder.

“It’s not even a big deal” Denali groans at the fuss everyone is making over her. Feeling Rosé’s shoulders continuing to shake as she laughs.

“Just let them do it.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“I think it’s sweet that they have a separate performance just for friends and family, but I kinda wish they had that one last” Denali says from on top of Rosé’s bed with an icepack under her ankle.

“Yeah, I get that” Liv acknowledges, sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Get the nerves out of the way first.”

“People have been saying that for years, but I don’t know why they haven’t changed it” Mik mentions as she slowly spins around in the desk chair.

“They spin some bullshit about every performance having to be just as good as the others – treat every one like it will be your last and all that” Rosé drones from further down the bed than Denali, lying looking up at the roof with her knees hanging off the end.

“Mr Piane?” Liv asks.

“You had that speech before?” Rosé looks toward her, and Denali figures that it’s one of their vocal tutors they’re talking about.

Liv raises her eyebrows in a knowing look before she turns to Mik. “When are your parents getting here?”

“Couple of days before, I think. But they’ll leave the day after” Mik answers. “What about yours?”

“Opposite from you: come the day before, leave a couple after. Denali?”

“Day before, leave late the day after” Denali answers.

“Have you heard back from your parents, Rosé?” Liv asks considerately.

Rosé shakes her head and Mik immediately changes topic to what she overheard two girls gossiping about the day before.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The ongoing conversation hadn’t been halted by Rosé’s phone buzzing but it is at her dramatic groan after reading the message.

“What is it?” Denali asks as Rosé lazily rolls off of her bed.

“I need to fill in someone’s shift at work.”

“Can’t someone else do it?” Liv asks.

“We were going to do homework together tonight” Mik adds.

“I know, I know” Rosé repeats as she gets her things together. “But I’m missing a lot of my usual shifts with rehearsals and the performance next week.”

Around the room various hums sound off as signals that her point is fair enough.

“You guys can stay in here, I don’t care” Rosé says as she shoulders her bag.

“Okay, just let us know how you get on” Denali asks.

“Shouldn’t be late. Think it’s only a single shift” rosé explains before she steps out the door. Leaving them talking about whether Mik is nervous about getting everyone ready for the full dress rehearsal tomorrow.

Later that night when she stumbles back into her dorm, her feet sore from standing, she’s halted at the sight of her books stacked neatly on her desk. On top sitting a page of science notes written out by Olivia and another of English notes in Denali’s handwriting. Then she smiles.

CH8