#my math teacher used to make coffee for all the kids who fell asleep in his class

[robinofgothamcity]

♡ starting prompt: “Everything changed for me when I met her... My Beloved.”

♡ pairing: yandere! damian wayne (Robin) & fem reader

♡ lyric inspiration: “imagine me and you? I do. I think about day and night, it’s only right, to think about the girl you love and hold her tight. so happy together.” 

♡ note: not checked for grammar or spelling mistakes / in this AU everyone in the batfamily is a yandere and probably has a darling so yeah.

Gotham Academy, for the wealthy and elite one might say. you were one of the lucky ones who got accepted through their scholarship programs and busted your ass off to keep your grades up all years. 

you had very few friends considering most Academy students hardly interacted those who they deemed poor. one friend you did have though was the Wayne heir himself. Damian was one of the first to introduce himself to you when you first arrived to Gotham Academy and really remained your friend throughout the years. 

the fresh morning air blew in the wind, making you pull your jacket closer to you as you tried to find warmth in it. the jackets they provided for your uniform were extremely thin and hardly held in any kind of heat. 

“hey! I think the Wayne kid is looking for you!” you heard your friend, Reagan tell you, “he’s waiting for you at the central garden!” you gave him a smile, thanking him for letting you know before running to where Damian usually was in the morning. 

your mornings with Damian, when he would attend school, would start with him bringing you your favorite coffee and switching homework assignments. 

unlike Damian, you were usually better in courses that had to do with humanities, such as history and english courses and you lacked the smarts that Damian had with science and math courses so the two of you would swap homework first thing in the morning. 

“good morning Wayne,” you said, sitting down on the bench. he handed you his coffee, blowing it to make sure it wasn’t too hot, “good morning, beloved. how did you sleep?” he asked, making sure your eye bags weren’t too harsh. 

you shrugged, “I’m okay. just stressed because of midterms and all of that. how did you sleep?” you asked, taking a sip of coffee. “great considering we fell asleep on Facetime together,” he mentioned, “I did the ap calc homework that you can finally copy!” he added on. 

Damian handed you the calc homework as he watched you scribble down the answers. he noticed that you had painted your nails a new color and touched the polish with his finger, “baby blue? that’s new,” he murmured. you nodded happily, “I love this color on me. I even brought color with me in case it chipped throughout the day!” you exclaimed. 

you showed him the bottle and he grabbed it, “put it on me,” you were taken back by the request. you didn’t take Damian was the kind of guy to dabble in wearing polish but nevertheless complied and put the polish on it before grabbing his hand and blowing on it to make it dry quicker, “I didn’t know you wore nail polish!” you mentioned. 

Damian thought for a moment. 

“I don’t but that way people will know we’re matching,” he murmured as the warning bell rang off. 

you and Damian walked slowly to your first period class. the summer going into your Senior year, Damian made it a duty of his to make sure that the two of you shared the same classes. so without you knowing, he had Tim hack into the Gotham Academy school system and pull Damian onto the rosters where you were enrolled in. 

you found the similarities to be funny, however; some of the teachers wondered how the hell they put the two of you in every class together. some didn’t care considering you were able to keep Damian from saying smart shit to someone in class and others were just weirded out by the coincidence. 

“god, I hate this class. you know Matt who sits in front of the class? I have to swear some gross comment about how great my legs look in the uniform by him at least twice every day.” 

Damian’s eye twitched at what you had said, “does it bother you?” he asked, his fist clenched. you nodded annoyingly, “more than anything in the world. I can’t go one day without hearing the comments,” you groaned. 

the two of you got to class but as you walked in, you had saw that Matt wasn’t in class and sighed in relief. Damian had told you he was running off to the bathroom before class started and just to write down whatever he missed while he was gone. 

you sat down, immediately writing what was already on the board but as the class started, Damian still hadn’t shown up. you were beginning to think that maybe the coffee had upset his stomach but about half way through the class, Damian came and plopped down at his desk. 

“where were you? Jackson nearly had a fit because you were late!” you muttered to him. he shrugged, taking out his pen and notebook before leaning over to copy what you had on yours.

it took about another twenty minutes when another teacher ran into the class frantically, “Matthew Harrison was just found in the garden, unconscious and is barely hanging onto his life!” the teacher told your teacher, making all of you gasp in surprise, “call an ambulance!” 

you stared to Damian wide eyed, “my God, that’s insane! we were just there. I wonder who did it,” you told Damian, chewing your lip nervously, “I hope whoever did it doesn’t come for any of us.”

Damian could tell you were scared from the news and he quickly grabbed your hand, “I think you’re safe, beloved. you shouldn’t worry about it,” he assured you. you nodded, going back to writing down the notes, “hey, he finally got what he deserved for harassing you, right?” Damian mentioned. 

you laughed shaking your head, “I guess but I mean, I hope he doesn’t die or anything,” that was the last thing you said before the both of you got to working on the work the teacher assigned for the class while she was gone.

Damian could tell you were shaken by the news but at the end of the day, he did what he had to do. someone was harassing his beloved and he’d be damned if they got away with it. it took every ounce of self restriction to stop himself from actually killing the idiot but the beating he actually gave him did more than enough to satisfy him for the time being.

two broken legs, a broken nose, and making him go blind in one eye was more than enough. the great thing about Gotham Academy was that because of how old the building was, cameras weren’t installed anywhere outside and any cameras that were inside were just in the upgraded part of the school which happened to be the front of the school and the gym. 

the end of the day came as Damian had offered to take you home. you denied the request, telling him you wanted to walk to get some fresh air before you trapped yourself in your room for the rest of the night. 

Damian was hesitant on letting you but at the end of the day, you weren’t his...yet. he knew his feelings for you weren’t exactly normal. far from it, actually. 

when his feelings for you boiled over to damn near obsession, he confided in the one person he trusted the most and that was Dick. he practically confessed how he needed to be near or around you every day or else he would go insane. even if it was just seeing you from afar made his day a 100x better. 

Dick laughed at his brothers confession because he knew it was about time it happened to him. he had gone through the same feelings when he met his now wife and so did Bruce, Tim, Duke, and Jason. 

when Damian was finally confident enough to tell everyone else, they finally let him in on the family secret. these feelings were nothing to be afraid of. he should embrace them and hell, make his feelings get even ‘worse’. it was his job as your protector to feel that way and act on his instincts for you. 

Damian got home, seeing his father and brother watching the news. they were covering what happened at school and a part of him laughed seeing the coverage. 

“did you see what happened?” Dick asked his brother. Damian nodded, kicking off his shoes and laying on the other couch, “of course I did because I was the one who did it,” he said nonchalantly. 

Bruce and Dick stared at him, wide eyed and shocked, “the scum was messing with my beloved. he was making disgusting comments about her and degrading her in a way she and I didn’t like. the piece of shit deserved more than what he got,” he stated, not even bothering to look at them to see their reaction.

“so it’s best we don’t investigate this, I assume?” Bruce asked, “you would assume right,” Damian replied. 

Dick got off the couch and went on one knee to look at his brother, “Damian, you know the implications that comes with how you left him. you know that, right?” he stated. Damian stared at Dick with no fear in his eyes, “everything changed for me when I met her... my beloved. I would kill for her if I had too.” 

Bruce sat in his seat, proudly smirking at what his son said. Dick nodded, walking back to the couch as Damian stood up to go to his bedroom, “it’s only a matter of what before I make her mine so expect her to be around soon enough,” he told them.

+

a few weeks had passed since the incident with your classmate. since then, you had gotten clingier to Damian, not wanting to be at the end of the beating. Daimian had no issue in it, he was practically basking in the touches and side hugs you were giving him. 

you and Damian had decided to head back to his place after school to get some studying done. Friday nights were usually reserved to studying at your place but Damian had offered to make you dinner at his place and study before watching a few movies. 

you had never been over the Wayne manor before and frankly, you were kind of scared to run into his father. THE Bruce Wayne would most likely be in attendance and meeting the most powerful man in Gotham would probably scare anyone. 

Damian unlocked the gate, quickly taking your backpack as you snuggled into his jacket. you were immediately welcomed by his butler, Alfred who offered to put both of you bags in the hallway so no one would step over them. you thanked him profusely, making Damian mutter to you that that’s why he was here. to serve you. 

“so, what would you like to eat, beloved? I can make you anything you desire,” he boasted. you looked at the cookbook that was laid next to you and flipped through the first few pages, “this sounds nice,” you pointed to the plant based steak with veggies.

Damian quickly got to work, making the veggies first as he offered for you taste them every now and again. you would usually relay a kiss on his cheek as he finally got to cooking the steak. you couldn’t help but wonder how he got to be such a great cook, however; as he was finishing plating the food, you saw his father as well as you assumed were his brothers. 

“uh Damian?” you mentioned, pointing to the three men who walked in. Damian sighed knowing that of course his brothers were going to come and annoy him, “who’s your friend?” Dick asked, putting his chin on his hand. 

“this is ( your name ), my beloved,” he told them proudly. you were a bit taken back by the nickname he so easily used on you, “ahh, we’ve heard so much about you,” Tim continued, “she’s so pretty....she’s not like other girls,” Dick mocked. 

your face felt a burning sensation as Bruce told his sons to be quiet, “nice to meet you ( your name ),” Bruce introduced, “welcome to the family,” you barely caught what he said as Damian excused the two of you to go up to his bedroom. 

“your family is...nice,” you tried to say without sounding nervous. Damian rolled his eyes, “they’re bunch of idiots. that’s what they are,” he muttered, not bothering to look back at them. 

once you got to his room, your mouth dropped a bit. you had never seen such a luxurious bedroom before. satin sheets, the coldest pillows, his bedroom could probably house a family if he really wanted too and the fact that this was his bedroom, you were taken back. 

“wow, so this is how the rich and famous live?” you joked, sitting down on his bed. he shook his head, “all this means nothing to me...as long as you’re with me, I’d be the happiest person alive,” you stared at Damian, wondering if what he said was really true. 

the two of you ate, mostly in silence as you tried to take what Damian had said. there had been rumors floating around Gotham Academy that Damian might’ve liked you. you tried to dispel the rumors, claiming that someone like you was no where near Damian’s type but now that you were hearing the words he was telling you, you were more keen on acting on his feelings. 

after finishing dinner, he offered for you to join him on his bed to watch a movie. you had never actually gotten to hang out with Damian outside of school. since you were always so busy doing schoolwork and Damian always had things to take care of, as he put it, you two never relaxed together. 

the aura in the room was cozy as he offered you a very expensive looking blanket to cover you up from the chilly air coming from his window. the movie the two of you picked was some random rom-com, it felt kind of stupid to be watching this kind of movie with Damian but at some point, you stopped paying attention to the movie and looked up to him. 

“did you really mean what you said earlier?” you whispered to him. he gave you a confused look, “of course I did. would I ever lie to you?” he said back, kind of offended that you would even accuse him of lying. 

you sat back up on the bed and turned to fix yourself as you finally gave him a kiss. Damian’s eyes widened, not expecting you to do that to him. regardless, he immediately pulled you on top of him and deepened the kiss by pushing you up against him. 

Damian slid his hands in the back pocket of your skirt, finding it a bit confusing why the uniforms even had pockets on the skirts. he gripped your ass a bit, making you moan in surprise as Damian tried his hardest to contain himself but failing as he slipped his tongue into yours. 

the two of you remained kissing for what felt like hours. you knew your lips were bound get bruised from the amount of tugging Damian was doing but by the time you pulled away, you could see the faintest of blushes appearing on Damian’s brown skin. 

“wow, didn’t know you felt like that for me,” you muttered shyly. Damian chuckled, giving you a quick peck, “I have feelings you wouldn’t even begin to understand but one day....one day you will,” he replied. 

you didn’t pay no mind to his reply as he had brought you down for another kiss. what you didn’t catch was the smirk playing on his face. he knew that once graduation came, there would already be a ring on that left ring finger and soon enough, you’d be baring his heirs. 

the Wayne’s got what they wanted. it didn’t matter what they had to do to get it but what the Wayne’s wanted, they got. 

[doll-collecting-aerialist]

Meet Altynay: Chapter One

(I’d put it under a cut, but I’m on mobile)

Altynay propped her head up on a mountainous stack of pillows, aching to be outside, or anywhere else really, instead of having to hold her baby sister in a stuffy hospital that smelled like alcohol and pee.

The moonlight sparkled on her sister’s red face, permanently fixed in a squabble, even though she was asleep. The clock ticked on the wall.

three am…

When will they be back?

Altynay didn’t let her mind wander for too long, and took out her homework, juggling her workbooks and pencil among the cords that were helping to keep her sister alive.

Your parents need sleep too!! She chided herself. Stop being ungrateful!!

Ungrateful. Ungrateful. Ungrateful. Ever since her sister had been born a month prior, that seemed to be the only word adults used to describe Altynay. If they even noticed her. Usually they went straight for the baby.

Altynay was ungrateful for crying when her mom left in the middle of the night to take her sister back to the emergency room, and she was ungrateful for being upset when the only food in the house happened to be Mayo and a single slice of cheese. She was ungrateful on her birthday when she stormed into her room because everyone brought presents for her sister, but didn’t bring any for her. She was ungrateful. Ungrateful. Ungrateful.

Tears dotted the rough paper of her math notebook as she realized she couldn’t do any of it. She hadn’t gotten much sleep in the past week, and must have zoned out during math class.

“If you don’t do this, you’re going to get another demerit and have to move your behavior clip down to red!!” She gritted her teeth. Her teacher didn’t make exceptions.

Truthfully, the math homework would have been easy on any other day, at home, with a clear mind and some sleep, even without the instruction. Before her sister was born, math was Altynay’s favorite subject, and she could do equations up to Algebra 2.

Altynay took a couple deep breaths and focused back on her worksheet.

“See? It’s just times tables.” She told herself, “You like times tables.”

She finished her homework just as a nurse Altynay didn’t recognize walked into the room.

Altynay gave a small wave. “She’s not had any major changes. She got air in her line a couple minutes ago and I fixed it because the beeping was upsetting me, I hope that’s alright?”

The nurse looked around and gave a dramatic sigh. “Where are your parents??”

Altynay anxiously bit her lip. “They’re in the family room. Mama hasn’t slept in three days, and papa is taking care of her. We have to hold my sister up at an angle or else she aspirates.”

“It’s against policy for children to be left unattended.” The nurse gave Altynay a look as if she should know that.

Altynay did know that as an avid worrier and sign reader, but she had done this before. “The nice charge nurse with the maple leaf scrubs lets me hold her while my parents rest. She says I’m very smart and careful.”

Altynay contemplated asking the nurse if she needed an Advil and some coffee, as that always seemed to soften her parents’ frustration, especially these days, but the nurse was already out the door, no doubt on her way to the family room.

The pit in Altynay’s stomach grew when Mama and Papa appeared in the doorway, the harsh yellow lights in the hallway illuminating just how tired they were.

“I’m sorry.” Altynay whispered, handing her sister over to her dad, as her mom pushed the suitcases together and created a makeshift bed.

Her dad gave her a wretched look before mustering a curt “go play” followed by a “somewhere that’s not in this room” and a “I’ll find you around six am to take you to school.”

Altynay hurriedly shoved an outfit from her suitcase into her school bag before leaving the room. She would change in the school bathroom.

The lights buzzed over Altynay’s head, and her eyes stung from the sudden change from dark to light. Gurneys and wheelchairs pushed past her, all accompanied by herds of people.

But Altynay was alone.

She felt small as she shrunk into a corner of the larger than life elevator. Was she invisible?

“What floor?” A tired looking doctor asked.

At least that was confirmation that she wasn’t completely invisible.

“Five.” She let him punch the number for her. She didn’t actually have a floor in mind. She knew her father would expect to find her on the ground level, or the family services level, but Altynay didn’t want to be findable right then.

Altynay learned quickly that as long as you didn’t look lost, scared or suspicious, that most doctors would brush past you. She wandered the fifth floor, filing the diagrams posted on the wall into her photographic memory, and listening in on conversations. The hospital wasn’t all bad. Altynay wanted to be a surgeon, and she often told herself that this was just a head start.

Sometime later, Altynay found herself being shaken awake by a concerned face. She must have crashed on one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, most certainly not by choice.

“Do you know where your parents are?” The face most certainly didn’t mean to be imposing, and the gentle smile that accompanied the question squashed any off handed remark a rudely awakened Altynay may have otherwise come up with. “Don’t make me go back up there.” Altynay groaned. “I’m not lost, just tired. And I’m not a runaway patient, before you go accusing me of that. My sister is the one who keeps trying to die.”

“I see. Well, why don’t you walk with me?” The doctor held out his hand.

Altynay suspiciously took it. “I’m not going back to my parents. Or my sister. Or that nurse. They’re all mean and I hate them.”

“Are you hungry?” The doctor asked.

Altynay looked up at him, trying to remember the last time she ate. “Maybe. Please no more popsicles, I haven’t had any fruit except that time when my friend’s dad packed her a bushel of bananas for lunch. I want fruit.”

The doctor chuckled. “I can do that.”

Altynay didn’t know why she found herself babbling to someone she barely knew. Normally she was shy and skeptical, but the nice doctor actually seemed to care about her. He didn’t call her ungrateful, or yell at her for trying to help. He found her a fruit salad and tucked her into an unoccupied bed. Altynay didn’t realize how much she missed being treated like a kid. It felt wrong to wish for life before her sister was born, but it was hard for nine-year-old Altynay not to, when days and nights were spent in the hospital, and she could barely remember what her own bedroom looked like. Altynay fell asleep almost immediately, surrounded in swirling images of her baby sister’s unused crib, and all the “can nots” that came shortly after her sister’s birth.

9:00 AM.

Altynay begrudgingly peeled herself out of bed. Late again. At least her homework was done.

Altynay texted Papa on the flip phone her parents gifted her, which was already on its last legs, despite it being “For Emergencies Only.”

Sorry for being late, can you take me to school please? xoxo

She put on her change of clothes as she waited for his reply, thankful that her tardiness meant she wouldn’t have to change in the school bathrooms.

Sorry pumpkin, your sister had a bad night. I should stay here with your mom. Take the bus again? I’ll make it up to you.

Altynay felt a pang of guilt. While she was sleeping, her sister was struggling to stay alive. Mama probably didn’t get the sleep she needed, she thought.

Her eyes stung with tears as she boarded the bus. Papa always said it wasn’t her job to worry about them, but she couldn’t help but feel responsible. She pushed her ball of upset back down, imagining it rolling out of the bus, never to be seen again. It seemed to have grown trifold in the past months.

What mattered now was school. Altynay couldn’t slip, no matter what happened. Afterall, like her teacher said, there were no exceptions.

[slipping-through-my-fingertips]

Music for the Soul

Summary: Soulmate AU where the song your soulmate is thinking of gets stuck in your head. 

This fic is inspired by and gifted to @yellowpaintpots.

Notes:  canonical, this is S2 E6 and a little beyond but it’s not exactly like the show obviously.

AO3

Kurt Hummel was used to not fitting in. At McKinley High, he was often an odd man out. He did partner projects alone, he held his tongue around bullies and had no one to complain to, and most days, he had an entire lunch table to himself. No one sat with the kid in weird, homemade clothes unless there was no other choice. 

What kept him going was music. He had one earbud in as he walked down the halls. Choosing from playlists his mother used to listen to, Broadway soundtracks sung by people still performing on stage today, and to the thrill of his father, rock classics. If Burt Hummel had passed anything onto his son, it was his music tastes and the fantastical idea of soulmates. 

The image of a white knight coming to save him by serenade was one that haunted him before he fell asleep. A boy, which little eleven-year-old Kurt held close to his heart, picked out by the universe meant just for him. Even when he started to find the fantasy a little too cheesy, it kept Kurt going until he found the glee club.

No one could touch him or change him because there was someone out there who would love him exactly the way he was. 

The New Directions were a hot mess when they started, of course. The 5 of them weren’t winning any competitions when they first found themselves in the choir room but they were five misfits who finally had friends. People who understood the passion of music and an adult who shared that same passion and would hopefully guide them to their dream futures. 

Just months later, they became a mixture of a dozen sophomores and freshmen with a Sectionals win under their belt all ready to face the Dalton Academy Warblers in a few weeks. With Regionals looming over them, glee had become much messier than usual. With plenty of in-fighting about solos and song choices, the choir room was always a jumbled, loud mess. That is until Mr. Schue came up with the idea for a school musical. It was taking their minds off of Regionals for the time being.

Kurt was all too happy to be auditioning for a role instead of sitting in the back row wishing he had a shot at a solo. His voice was too unique for Ohio. But someday, he knew, it would get him to Broadway. He held that thought close to his heart while tuning out Rachel’s insistence bickering.  

Yesterday, Mr. Schue had decided their school musical was going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Kurt loved cult classics as much as the next person but he wasn’t sure how Mr. Schue had gotten this approved by Figgins. It seemed too risqué for high schoolers. 

He only hoped whoever his soulmate was enjoying the soundtrack he had stuck in his head this week. 

Kurt planned on auditioning for Riff Raff. Already putting mental outfits from his closet to wear. The wound of Mr. Schue assuming he’d play Frank N. Furter based solely on the fact that he was gay was still fresh but his audition was going to blow everyone away. 

He had chosen “Dammit Janet” for his audition despite it being a Brad and Janet duet. Quinn, who was hoping for Magenta, was going to be his partner. They had joked about the main roles already being off the table before auditions; it was clear Mr. Schue had chosen Finn and Rachel for the leads. It was hard to be upset when Quinn had instantly offered to do a joint audition with him. Their voices went so well together and Kurt liked spending time with her. 

Ever since Kurt and Mercedes had their stint as Cheerios, they had gotten closer. The three of them even had a weekend sleepover this past Saturday. Mercedes had dumped the Cheerios but Kurt stayed on and Quinn had just gotten back on the squad after her dismissal last year. Coach Sue had them sing during practice last week and Quinn was waiting for him after their showers with the suggestion of a double audition song. 

They had been having rehearsals in the auditorium during their shared free period and twice after glee club on days when it wasn’t already reserved. As the day came closer, Quinn offered her house to practice in since her parents were rarely home and so Finn wouldn’t become Rachel's spy. Though, Kurt assured her Finn was much too engrossed in video games to bother with their rehearsals. 

Since they increased their run-throughs, Kurt’s had one song in his head all morning. In case the lyrics weren’t already ingrained into his head, he had his own little concert in his head. Just after lunch, that changed. A mere 3 hours until his audition after school his soulmate’s music had taken root. As much as Kurt was willing to bow down to the queens of pop, what he wouldn’t give for 5 minutes of something other than Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”. This bubble gum pop song had gone from ‘oh, that’s a good song to scream in the car’ to ‘if I hear it one more time, I’ll rip my ears off’ fairly quickly. 

It hadn’t helped that his brain went from one song on repeat to another. 

As he sits in geometry, he tries to hear Mr. Finnegan’s explanation of arcs but his brain has other plans. 

Let you put your hands on me in my skin tight jeans. 

Kurt knows it’s just a song but the image is so clear in his head. 

Smooth, soft skin. Obviously, someone who used lotions regularly, Kurt expected nothing less from his soulmate. Neatly trimmed fingernails so they wouldn’t catch on Kurt’s pants when fingers trailed up to cup his knee. The grip would be teasingly light. He never let his fantasies get too far. Especially outside the privacy of his bedroom. In all honesty, even when he was alone in his bed at night envisioning the same kind of scenario, Kurt didn’t really know what came next. He wasn’t even sure what kissing really entailed. 

What if his soulmate is ready for...certain things...Kurt’s not even to verbalize yet. What if he’s imagining their first meeting very differently then Kurt, who’s hopeful they’ll have coffee or a meal together before they do anything besides maybe hand-holding. The touch of the fingertips is as sexy as it gets, unless you ask Katy Perry it seems. 

He spends the rest of math wondering what the boy with Katy Perry in his head must look like. Kurt wonders if his soulmate wears bright colors like his idol or maybe Katy is a secret shame that he’ll only share with Kurt. 

…

Blaine liked fitting in. He enjoyed the uniform for many reasons. One, he thought the blazer looked stylish. It was also nice knowing what you had to wear every day, one less thing to worry about people judging you for. Plenty of people at his old school picked on him for his bow ties but at Dalton, everyone had neckwear. The standard blue and red striped tie. He liked how neat it was; there was a certain way to wear said uniform. 

Everyone was the same here. No typical hierarchy of jocks and cheerleaders. Only the Warblers stood out simply because everyone knew them. 

How could you forget a group of boys singing acapella at all hours of the day?

 Blaine might joke that they’re teenage rockstars but really they are just a group of talented guys who liked to sing. 

The Warblers were the first real friends he ever had. 

When he was still attending public school he held tightly to the idea of his soulmate since it seemed hopeless to wish for friendship. Not when he was being harassed for a sexuality he wasn’t sure of yet and being pushed to the ground in the parking lot for it. 

But a soulmate was a guarantee. Everyone had one. By the time Blaine reached eighth grade, he knew. All of those middle school bullies had used words Blaine didn’t quite understand until that moment. 

He was surrounded in the parking lot after school having missed his bus because someone had stuck gum in his curls during last period. That was the day Blaine started to seriously consider investing in some gel. Maybe that would prevent some bullying. Anyway, he was surrounded, being literally kicked around by a group of soccer players and friends. 

Other students had gathered to watch the so-called fight but Blaine thought their chants would only grab the attention of a teacher or so he hoped. No one came quickly. He had enough injuries by the end for his mom to insist on a trip to the ER. A big black eye and sprained his wrist along with plenty of bruising on his limbs. 

But he honestly didn’t remember getting hurt beyond the initial pushing to the ground. When the bullying got bad like this he pulled out those daydreams. This time around it wasn’t this blurry image of hand holding, there was a boy. Blaine hadn’t seen his face but his voice was soft and comforting, inviting Blaine in. There was an outstretched hand just out of reach for Blaine to take. Blaine knew then. His soulmate was a boy. 

When everything was over and he was being released by the doctor, all he knew was there was some boy built perfectly for Blaine just waiting to be found. Waiting for him. 

He hadn’t even been upset by his injuries because he was sitting with these thoughts of ‘how do I come out to my parents?’ 

Instead of deciding that day, he kept those daydreams close to his heart for the next year and a half. Until the issue of high school came out and Blaine didn’t want to go back to public school. To his surprise, both of his parents took it well. They were more concerned for his safety than his sexuality. Together, they decided on Dalton. A private school with a zero tolerance policy for bullies. That was that. 

He still had his doubts at Dalton. Was he really good enough to be a lead soloist let alone go onto Broadway someday? Could he make it out of Ohio? In those moments, Blaine still came back to his soulmate. Someone, no matter what came, Blaine would have by his side. 

When he imagined his soulmate, Blaine could never truly figure out what he’d look like. All he saw was that outstretched hand. Usually, people could draw up a picture in their heads based on the music they heard. 

For Blaine, the genre of music didn’t help. His soulmate was clearly someone with mixed taste. 

Today’s selection was...a musical. Blaine wasn’t familiar with the characters Brad and Janet but he had looked it up at lunch. Some kind of cult classic people went to see in the weeks leading up to Halloween. It was October so it made sense for the soundtrack to be stuck in his soulmate’s head. Blaine wondered if he had gone to see it, wondered who he saw it with. 

The Warblers thought he was crazy. Imagining that his soulmate was off with some other person. It was rare to date seriously before meeting a soulmate but Blaine always told them the same story of his parents. Both of them had been in very serious relationships before they met. Hell, his mother had been engaged. Neither of them thought they’d meet their soulmate, which was also fairly rare but had happened.  

When they met, they didn’t drop everything to be together. The wedding was put on hold but his father hadn’t broken up with his girlfriend right away. His parents wanted to be together only if they agreed with the universe’s choice. 

Blaine knew his dad had been wary of his mother’s music taste. Pam had been deep into her metal phrase in her early twenties. His dad, Robert, was not a fan. He loved classical music. Forever dooming Pam to hum music without lyrics meanwhile Robert was cursed with “nonsense yelling” as he called it. Lucky, both of their music tastes had shifted over the years to have more overlap. Though, Blaine and Cooper had been subjected to dinners with a mixtape of Def Leppard and Bach. 

They got together in the end, which was the important part, but what if they hadn’t chosen each other? What if Blaine’s soulmate was deeply in love with someone else and he’d spend the rest of his days loveless and alone?

When he voiced these thoughts aloud, his friends usually told him what a downer he could be, which tended to shake those fears away. If his parents, different as they were, still fell in love it would happen to him too. It was just a matter of when. 

…

The next day at lunch, Mercedes was fretting over her soulmate. 

“What if he’s super young, Kurt?” 

“What makes you think that?” He asked, stabbing his salad. 

“He’s got The Backyardigans theme song in his head again,” she sighed. “He got to be like 7. I’m just not comfortable with that.” 

“It’s an age gap for sure,” Kurt agreed, but he’s fairly sure Sam Evans was singing that song after PE today, “or maybe he just has younger siblings. Don’t let your only-childness cloud your judgment.”

She hummed in agreement and pushed her tater tots around. 

It was sort of a hard way to figure out your soulmate unless they were obvious about what music they had playing in their heads.

Some people, like Mr. Schue, we’re pretty obvious. He had been singing in the auditorium when Ms. Pillsbury found him. It was a pretty clear-cut match. As far as Mercedes was concerned, Kurt is sure she’ll overhear Sam’s humming soon enough. 

He doesn’t want to spoil anything for his best friend nor does he want to be wrong. Soulmate meetings only come once in a lifetime. 

Well, the first soulmate meeting that is. 

There are plenty of people, like his dad, who lose a soulmate too soon and are gifted another one later in life. Kurt was so happy when he introduced Burt and Carole at parent-teacher conferences. They had just been listening to the Wicked soundtrack in the car ride over and Carole Hudson did not strike Kurt as the type of person who knew “I’m Not That Girl” by heart. 

“Are you nervous about auditions?” Mercedes asked. “The list goes up today after glee.” 

“Not at all like,” he shrugged, “I think Quinn and I did well.” 

“Oh no, Kurt, we crushed it,” Quinn said, sitting down with her lunch. 

He smiled at her. Quinn went on to compliment Mercedes on her audition, having heard part of it from outside the audition. She would’ve been inside with Kurt to watch but Coach Sue wanted to meet with her head Cheerio about their upcoming competition. From what Quinn had told them via text, Sue was going all out at practice today. 

“She doesn’t want us to be late,” Quinn said. “That list better be up right away.” 

“We should change before glee,” Kurt suggested. 

“Good idea.” 

Once Quinn had sat down the rest of the New Directions filed in. With interlocking pinkies, Santana and Brittany wandered over taking the last two seats available. 

“Cheerios practice is gonna be hell, hope you’re up for the challenge Hummel,” Santana said. 

He shot her a short glare. 

“Kurt always understands the assignment, Santana,” Quinn quipped back. 

Brittany nodded in agreement smiling at Kurt from across the table. She gave him a small wave half hidden by her lunch tray. In return, Kurt waved back just as shyly. 

They had an interesting friendship. Kurt had kissed Brittany before. He was sure it hadn’t phrased Brittany as it had him. After all, she had kissed almost every boy in school. Some kind of record, he thought. 

They sort of dated for like a week when Kurt was trying to convince himself he was straight. When he firmly realized he was kidding no one, not even himself, they broke up. Since then, he and Brittany had remained close. They were both Cheerios and in the glee club, it made sense. 

He was happy to have Brittany in his life, even if that meant Santana by extension came with her. Santana was fine outside of the public eye. If the Unholy Trinity incited Kurt to their sleepovers, Santana was a different person. She put up a front at McKinley, extremely similar to the one Kurt attempted when he dated Brittany. 

Few are privy to why she did this, Quinn and Kurt knew and he was fairly certain Mercedes did as well. She was very perceptive that way. Brittany was Santana’s soulmate. It explained so much about their relationship. Always in sync, completing each other perfectly, a literal better half.

Honestly, it gave Kurt so much hope that everyone’s soulmate was like that. A missing puzzle piece. 

He really hoped his soulmate listened to more than just Teenage Dream because the lyrics were slowly creeping into his everyday language. 

Usually, Kurt found himself hyper-focused in glee club. He got an energy boost just from walking into the choir room. Like a light switch turning on. His focus wasn’t always on whatever lecture Mr. Schue was pursuing, sometimes he watched his fellow glee clubbers (catching himself up on drama just by sideways glances), or mentally mapping out his next performance. 

Today, Kurt wasn’t able to do any of those things. With the soundtrack of Teenage Dream (again) in his head, all he was thinking about was the center of a bulletin board with the cast list for The Rocky Horror Show on it. How far down the list was Riff Raff? How many names came before his?

Someone was snapping in front of his face. Kurt shook himself from his daydream to find Mercedes.

“Boy, wake up!” She said, “cast list is about to go up.” 

Either glee club had gotten shorter or Mr. Schue was putting it up early. 

…

Blaine didn’t really understand why the Warblers were concerned. Doing an improv performance was not new to them. In fact, Blaine had done three already this school year and he was only a freshman. 

The first one he did had been way back in September, he hadn’t even been an official Warbler yet. Warbler Tradition said: all potential freshman recruits were required to perform again after their auditions with the whole group. It was a solid way to see if they fit in well with the other established Warblers. Blaine fondly remembers vibing along with the older Warblers and fellow potentials to a medley of Pink songs. None of the freshmen had solos but it was still a fun time. 

At the time it seemed like all of Dalton fit into the choir room and surrounding hallways but in reality it was the entire freshman class. Improv performances weren’t something any middle schooler had seen before but the upperclassmen of Dalton knew the Warblers had plenty of improvs to come for the rest of the school year. The first one was special. Just for the newbies. 

Three days after that performance, Blaine had gotten word that he was to be a new Warbler and two months after that he was granted his first solo. Now, he was slowly becoming their go-to soloist for almost every performance for an audience. Blaine had become a vital part of all rehearsals for the most part. He was honored by their commitment to him honestly and he loved to sing however, a week and half of preparations was a tad excessive. Still, he walked his way to rehearsal positive that the council would have at least five points to discuss before they actually started singing. 

He walked into the choir room shaking his shake fondly and smiling at the Warblers already present. 

The council were always first to arrive. Together. Then it was a mixed bag of who followed. Usually Trent was there, punctual as always, and Blaine took the seat between Trent and Jeff. 

The room was mostly full already. 

Nick came in shortly after Blaine and sat across from him immediately asking if there had been a pop quiz in Stanton’s class earlier and was rather relieved to find out Jeremy was a filthy liar, who liked to start trouble. Before Jeremy could get on Blaine’s case about being overly sincere, the meeting began. 

Wes banged his gavel and welcomed everyone before gesturing for David to read off last meeting’s notes. Once the talking portion of the meeting was over, they pushed the furniture aside to make room. 

...

A week later Kurt was happy to have one musical under his belt but thankful the performance run had been short. If you thought the New Directions were dramatic during competition weeks, it was nothing compared to their musical rehearsals. 

Now, Mr. Schue was having the brilliant idea to host a boys vs girls competition. Of course, Kurt hadn’t wanted to work with the boys. They were sure to exclude his musical talents and he doubted he could get them to agree to any of his costume suggestions. 

This was hardly a challenge. It was bland and they had done it already. 

Kurt was sitting in the back of the choir room pouting. Yes, pouting. Full on arms crossed, head down, and bottom lip puffed out. Until, Mr. Schue had an actual brilliant idea, Kurt’s suggestion of course, to spice things up. 

The boys did not appreciate Kurt’s six hours of work putting two posters together. Even with the assignment to bring more feminine qualities into their performance, the boys ignored his input. So, when Puckerman suggested Kurt spy on the Warblers, he was thankful for a reason to leave. He packed up his projects and headed home to change.

When Mr. Schue found out who their competition was, Rachel and Kurt did some googling. He had seen the all-boys school uniform and was fairly sure he could replicate it with clothes he already had. 

He pulled some looks from his closet. Once satisfied he looked up directions to Westerville. 

Dalton was huge. It looked like a museum. How on earth was Kurt going to find their choir room? He hoped there were signs inside or a map. 

As he walked down a spiral staircase much too pretty to be in a school, he decided to just ask for directions. He was going to get lost if he kept walking without help. 

When the boy he stopped turned around, all Kurt could think was ‘I’d love to put my hands all over you.’ Which was a ridiculous thought to have because he didn’t know this boy and where had that even come from? Oh right, Teenage Dream was still playing in his head. Thanks, Katy. 

If only his soulmate knew he was using this song to fantasize about running off into the sunset with another boy. 

…

Blaine loved being in the spotlight. Wes would say it was because he didn’t get that kind of attention from his parents but that simply wasn’t true. Well, unless Cooper was around; he always pulled focus when it came to their parents. Older sibling privilege, he assumed. 

But he was running late. He stayed behind in class to ask a question which turned into his teacher rambling. Didn’t he know the Warblers had a performance today in the senior commons and Blaine was their lead singer? 

He was checking the time when someone stopped him on the stairs. 

A beautiful boy. Unlike anyone Blaine had ever seen before. He almost missed his name because he was caught up in memorizing his face. 

There was something said about being new, which Blaine doubted since he wasn’t in uniform, and Blaine mentioned a shortcut he knew of. 

It wasn’t really a shortcut. More like the long way to the Senior Commons but less crowded. Everyone was making their way to the Warblers and Blaine wanted as much time alone with Kurt as he could get. 

He wanted Kurt’s full attention. It was no wonder he instantly wanted to show off. Teenage Dream fit his vocals perfectly and Kurt was an excellent audience. In fact, Blaine was set on serenading him. 

He had no way of knowing that exact song had been playing all day long in Kurt Hummel’s mind. 

Afterward, Blaine lost himself in a group hug from the Warblers but Kurt’s beaming smile caught his eye. He pulled Wes and David aside, confirming his own suspicions that Kurt was spying on them first before convincing them to invite Kurt for coffee. 

The four boys sat at a table. Kurt seemed very nervous now. Blaine wasn’t sure if it was because he had been caught or something else was going on. In the end, Blaine thought it best for just him and Kurt to have a conversation. Not at all because he wanted alone time with him. 

This clearly wasn’t the time or place for romance. 

Once they were alone the whole tale seemed to flow out of Kurt: the name calling, locker shoving, his biggest bully. Blaine could relate. 

Sometimes he felt phantom pains in his right leg from Sadie Hawkins. At first, Kurt scoffed when Blaine began sympathizing. If he were Kurt, he might not believe himself. 

Private schoolboy bullied? Blaine sure didn’t look like someone who lacked friends. It was fairly common knowledge that Dalton had a zero tolerance policy for harassment. So, he explained. As brief as he could about his own experience with public school bullies. 

Kurt and he seemed to have more in common than a love for music. 

He doesn't have any plans to see Kurt again though Blaine has plenty of ideas on how they could get together. Coffee at the Lima Bean. Old musicals were playing at the revival theater. Maybe another high school was putting on a play this weekend. All Blaine needed was a good enough message to ask Kurt out. He drafted plenty but none sent. 

After school, Blaine knew Kurt might need an extra push. He was pretty sure classes at McKinley were done for the day. 

He sent a single word. Less second-guessing that way. 

Courage. 

Then, he walked to the library to start writing an essay on Lord of the Flies for English. 

However, he found himself unable to concentrate. Usually after a performance, Blaine had the song stuck in his head for at least a day or two afterward. In addition to humming in the weeks of rehearsals, of course. Instead, Blaine found himself thinking about Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones and oddly Livin’ On a Prayer. Both songs he thought better suited his father or Cooper’s tastes. It was a mashup of the two songs like his soulmate was hearing them simultaneously. 

When he started thinking about his soulmate, there was a clear picture of someone. It didn’t take long for Blaine to bring up those blue eyes and the soft complexion of Kurt Hummel. Which was crazy thinking. He had no idea if Kurt was his soulmate. 

Soulmates tended to be around the same age but just because Kurt was also in high school meant nothing. By that logic anyone at Dalton could be his soulmate too. 

During his brief time with Kurt this week, Blaine heard no music from his mouth. In fact, Blaine had done all the singing. Even with half his brain saying he was nuts to think Kurt was his forever, Blaine couldn’t let the thought go. 

…

Blaine’s text comes in in the midst of the girls’ performance. A wonderful mashup and excellent costumes. Tina had texted Kurt about the leather jacket idea early this week. He was very proud of how they managed to pull the looks together in such a short time. It was impressive. 

Altogether, Kurt was feeling great. The boys had their rehearsal, apparently their performance was turning into an apology. Kurt wasn’t sure what they had done to Coach Beiste but apparently, she was quitting. He and Blaine were texting periodically now. No one knew it but Kurt was surely developing a huge crush on the Warbler boy. 

Then, he confronted Karofsky. He didn’t want to feel the same regret Blaine did—no one messes with the Hummels. 

It seemed like mere hours but in reality, it was days, Kurt was enrolled at Dalton and saying goodbye to the New Directions. 

He was full on having a Vanessa leaving Troy moment here. Kurt Hummel has got to go his own way. 

God was he nervous to start at a new school. In the middle of the school year too. Being the new kid was going to be hard but not as difficult as staying at McKinley would be. 

When Kurt was greeted by Blaine’s smile outside the office on his first day, it made Kurt relax. At least he already had a friend here. 

It isn’t until they’re walking down the hall together—Blaine insisted on escorting Kurt to his first class—that Kurt noticed Blaine was humming.

“Is that High School Musical?” Kurt asked. 

“Oh, um, technically it’s the sequel.” 

“What about us…” Blaine sang, “what about everything we’ve been through?” 

“What about trust…you know I’ve never wanted to hurt you?” 

Blaine chucked. “Cheesy but true. Such a good movie.” 

“We should watch it sometime,” Kurt suggested. 

Instantly, he wanted to take it back. He’s been told he can come on too strong. Especially around cute boys. 

“I’d love too!” Blaine said. “I have it on DVD.” 

Kurt doesn’t see Blaine again until their one shared class of the day right before lunch. He sits across the room from Blaine during history but next to him at the Warbler’s lunch table. 

Most of the group has the same lunch so Kurt is introduced to them before his audition later this afternoon. 

“Nervous?” Wes asked, “you shouldn’t be.” 

“Yeah, from what Blaine's told us you're a great singer,” Trent added. 

“He’s barely heard me sing,” Kurt replied, poking Blaine’s arm. 

He only sang one line of a song to the other boy today. 

“Well…” Blaine rubs his neck abashedly. “I might’ve watched some New Directions videos on YouTube.” 

“Oh, I forgot Rachel uploaded those.” Kurt tunes to the other Warblers then, “I hope I don’t disappoint.” 

After lunch, Blaine walks Kurt to class again. “Between you and me, you’re a shoo-in.” 

“Really?” The Warblers were such an esteemed group. Not at all like the disorganized New Directions. They had also been a glee club for far longer. 

“Really.” 

***

Blaine has had High School Musical songs in his head all day. Whoever his soulmate is, at least he’s got good taste in Disney Channel original movies. Then as the Warblers were preparing for Kurt’s audition, the song switched. An Evita song. 

His soulmate sure did love musicals. Blaine was rather happy about that. He could already picture them sitting on the couch cuddled under a fluffy blanket with any number of classic musicals laid out before them. Arguing over if it was too soon to rewatch Moulin Rouge and whose turn it was to make popcorn. 

They’d be in a big city apartment. Somewhere where no one cared if they were gay. All anyone wanted to know was how they discovered they were soulmates. Their origin story. 

From that point, the daydream grew fuzzy. Blaine couldn’t come up with that meet-cute story. It hadn’t happened yet and nothing his brain could come up with would ever match up with his future reality. 

He shook his head, bringing himself back to the choir room. 

The room was buzzing with excitement. It wasn’t every day the Warblers auditioned someone mid-semester. Of course, Kurt had special circumstances but the group was notorious for never breaking tradition. 

Blaine tried to focus but it was difficult without Kurt at his side. Lately, he had been distracted whenever Kurt wasn’t around. All Blaine could hear, despite the loud room, was the song in his head. 

I had to let it happen

I had to change

Then, Kurt walked in and music started to play. For a split second, Blaine thought he was imagining the words from “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” coming from Kurt’s lips. Surely he hadn’t chosen the same song as Blaine’s soulmate had in their head. He knew it couldn’t be his imagination when Trent leaned over and whispered to Blaine how much he loved this song. 

Like lightning striking a tree, Blaine had a realization. Kurt Hummel was his soulmate. 

Oh god, what was he going to do? 

His skin was burning as if it was burned away like bark. He drooped in his seat desperate for water to put himself out with. To put a stop to the tingling sensation bubbling up under his skin. 

All he wanted to do was reach out and touch Kurt. Some part of his brain was able to override that thought. He couldn’t ruin this audition for him. There was plenty of time to spend with Kurt after this, Blaine had all the time in the world to talk with his soulmate.

Soulmate.  

Never did he think he would find his soulmate this soon. Gosh, they were only teenagers. They had so much life to live together. This was rare, special, to find your soulmate so quickly in life. Blaine would cherish it, he’d be thankful for this gift for rest of his days. 

But how in the hell was he going to tell Kurt? It had to be romantic. Blaine always thought it would be when he finally came face to face with his soulmate, his one true love. There was so much work to be done and so little time to do it. Now that Blaine knew, he didn’t want to spend another day without Kurt knowing too. 

He used to dream about running dramatically in slow motion towards each other and embracing just as it started to rain, which of course led to a fabulous first kiss in the sudden storm. But Blaine knew how unlikely that would be. 

He’d just have to build a new fantasy, which he thought would be easy to do if Kurt was his so-called Prince Charming. Whatever happened was going to outweigh everything his imagination had come up with thus far. 

First and foremost, he’d had to sit through a discussion of this audition, which he was barely able to pay attention to. All he wanted to do was walk up to Kurt, cup his face, and kiss him. After Kurt was finished, the council dismissed him. Blaine knew he’d find Kurt just outside the choir room because they had plans afterward but now he had no idea how he was going to sit through coffee with Kurt and not tell him. 

“He’s very good,” Trent said, nudging Blaine. 

He nodded in agreement. It seems most of the group concurred, Kurt was a good fit for them. 

Kurt Hummel was the perfect fit for Blaine too. Even if he didn’t know it yet. 

***

Kurt didn’t consider himself to be a good reader of social cues especially when his own emotions were involved. See, Finn Hudson and Sam Evans. Crushes on straight boys never ended well. With Blaine, he swore things would be different. 

They were friends, classmates, and hopefully, soon they’d be fellow Warblers. Kurt was not going to mess this up. Even if Blaine was really cute and friendly and super kind and understanding. There was so much to love about Blaine, Kurt found it hard to find something he didn’t like. 

He had found focusing on his dislikes of a person kept his feelings at bay. Like how messy Finn could be really shut down any romance fantasy Kurt had drawn up. Except, Blaine didn’t dye his hair like Sam, he was completely organized (Kurt had seen his dorm room; spotless), he was modest and genuine. 

It made sense that everyone at Dalton wanted some of his attention. Blaine embodied Kurt’s idea of a gentleman and then some. 

After his audition, Kurt sat outside the choir room waiting for his results. The council would discuss with the full group, release them, and regroup tomorrow with a vote. Kurt was waiting for Blaine to be dismissed because Blaine had promised to buy him a cup of coffee. 

Some of the Warblers who were leaving had some pretty nice things to say about Kurt’s performance. Just general praise which soothes some of his initial nerves. Mostly, he just wanted Blaine to walk out with a big smile on his face. That boy couldn’t keep a secret. Kurt would know if he was in or not just by looking at his face. 

Kurt was joined on his bench by a boy who introduced himself as Duncan. 

“I was super nervous after my audition. I just got in at the beginning of this year so I know what you’re going through.” 

Kurt felt his shoulders drop in relief. As much as Blaine tried to assure him the audition would be perfect, Kurt felt like he couldn’t relate much as the star of the glee club. Back at McKinley, Kurt rarely had center stage. Here, Blaine always had everyone’s attention. 

“That’s actually great to hear,” Kurt said, with a slight chuckle. 

“Seriously, Kurt, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’m a little concerned they’ll kick me out just to have your voice,” Duncan teased. 

They keep talking about what it’s like to be a new Warbler since Duncan is positive Kurt will be getting good news shortly. He offers up some pointers to get on the council’s good side. 

“I loved your song choice by the way, so weird because Evita had been in my head all day.” 

It feels like someone’s dropped an ice cube down his back. He sits up quickly. 

Oh, Kurt thought, is this it? 

“You did?” He must’ve heard wrong. There’s just no way. 

“Yeah, I love that musical,” Duncan confirmed. 

Could it be this easy? He wondered. 

“We should hang out again soon,” Duncan told him, “I’d love to get to know you. Newbie Warblers gotta stick together.” 

Kurt gives Duncan his number before the other boy wanders off. Before Kurt can get too deep into any fantasies of his soulmate, wondering if that soulmate has just left him or not, Blaine comes out from the choir room. 

“Hey you,” Blaine greeted with a big smile. 

“Are you allowed to give me any inclination?” 

He shook his head but was still smiling wide which made Kurt feel like good news was in his near future like Duncan had said. Kurt was telling Blaine how long he had practiced the song over the weekend with Rachel and Duncan reassurances when Blaine blurted, “Duncan Samuels?” 

“Yeah, we just met.” 

Should he tell Blaine about them being soulmates or wait until he was sure? 

But Blaine just nodded. Something was clearly bothering his friend. For now, Kurt was going to let it go because he was sure Blaine would come to him if he wanted to talk. He didn’t want to force it out of Blaine. 

Kurt couldn’t even get Finn to talk to him during their warm milk chats at night. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull the information out of Blaine if he tried.

“Anyway,” Kurt said, continuing his previous line of thought, “Rachel has this whole stage setup in her dads’ basement.” 

“I don’t find that hard to believe based on everything you’ve told me about her.” 

After that comment, their coffee date is back on track, Kurt doesn’t bring up his potential soulmate meeting. 

***

Duncan Samuels was his lifelong nemesis. As far as Blaine was considered his life began when he figured out Kurt was his soulmate and if Duncan was going to interfere with that they were now enemies. Since their coffee date yesterday, Blaine hasn’t heard a word about Duncan but he also had yet to see Kurt today. They only had one class together after lunch, which Blaine was on his way to now. 

Kurt saved him a seat and delivered the news. 

“Duncan and I are going for coffee today.” 

Those words were devastating. 

In normal circumstances, Blaine would’ve asked Kurt why he wasn’t going to rehearsal but of course Kurt wasn’t a Warbler…yet. Blaine knew the Warblers were going to announce Kurt’s membership at the end of day, which meant this was the last rehearsal Kurt wouldn’t attend. 

So instead of a calmly said, normal statement, Blaine spent the next minute freaking out. 

Duncan was the worst! He was going to steal Kurt away from him before Blaine ever got the chance. Well okay, the rational side of him thought, Kurt isn’t being stolen he’s going willingly. 

“That’s nice,” he finally said. 

There was no way for Blaine to stop Kurt and honestly no reason to try since Duncan posed no threat to Kurt. He didn’t need a protector. Blaine knew they were soulmates and he’d find a way to tell Kurt later on. At the end of it all, Kurt was his soulmate. He just knew it. 

“Are you free when I get out of rehearsal?” 

“For you?” Kurt asked, “of course, I’ll probably still be in the cafe.” 

“I’ll come find you,” Blaine told him. 

Still, all throughout Warbler rehearsal, Blaine’s attention was elsewhere. He needed to get out of here and meet up with Kurt. Wes knew it too because he pulled him aside at one point while David ushered the guys into a new arrangement.

“What’s up with you?” He asked, “I need you focused for competition.” 

“I will be,” he vowed. 

“You didn’t answer my question.” 

Blaine looked back at the other boys but they were already harmonizing. 

“It’s Kurt.” 

Wes smiled. “Don’t worry about him. He’s in, I can’t believe we have a countertenor on our team now. We’re going to wipe the floor at regionals.” 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Wesley. McKinley already knows what a talent Kurt is, he won’t be a surprise to them,” Blaine reminded him. 

“Ah, but they didn’t utilize his talent,” Wes said, “it’ll shock them to see Kurt in the spotlight.” 

Wes patted Blaine’s back and guided him back to the group to finish up rehearsal. 

Blaine couldn’t help but check his phone again before he tuned back into rehearsal. He knew Kurt was getting coffee and that’s why he wasn’t answering his phone. 

One of the best things about Kurt was when you were with him everything else was put aside. Blaine was sure if things got really serious, Kurt would shut his phone off entirely to prove a point. Right now, it was annoying as hell. Blaine needed to see a reassuring text that Kurt wasn’t running off into the sunset with Duncan Samuels. 

What if his phone was turned off because the two of them were standing at the altar? Everyone turns their phones off in church. 

He really really needed to talk to him. Blaine didn’t want to be the type of soulmate that holds onto that information too long. It’s like he’s lying to himself not being with Kurt. 

Once rehearsal was finally over, Blaine rushed over to the on-campus cafe where he knew Kurt would be. He had to be there. 

When Blaine pushed his way through the door, he saw Kurt was sitting alone nursing what looked to be a cup of tea. When Blaine approached him he could tell it was Chamomile. 

“Can I sit?” 

Kurt nodded but didn’t say a word as Blaine hung his bag across the back of the chair and removed his blazer. 

He expected a question about the Warblers, perhaps an inquiry about his status to become one but nothing came. Kurt wasn’t even drinking his tea. 

“What’s wrong? Did Duncan say something to upset you?”

“I’m fine, Blaine,” Kurt said, “Duncan didn’t do anything wrong. It’s me as usual.” 

Blaine didn’t understand. 

“Am I that unlovable?” 

“What?” 

Kurt was the most kind, sincere person he knew and Blaine had only met him a few weeks ago. He was most certainly lovable considering Blaine fell for him in just under 3 weeks 

“I can’t really blame him,” Kurt continued, “it’s not his fault we aren’t soulmates.” 

“You thought he was your soulmate?” 

Maybe telling Kurt wouldn’t be too difficult after all. 

“It’s just he made this comment yesterday that made me think…but of course I got too ahead of myself again and really I should know by now,” Kurt mumbled the last bit, “nothing ever goes to plan.” 

“You can say that again.” 

This cafe wasn’t a romantic candlelit dinner. He didn’t have rose petals to scatter around. There was no champagne to toast. But he had the most important thing. 

Blaine reached across the table to grab Kurt’s hand. “Think of a song.” 

“Why?” 

“Just do it,” Blaine said. 

Kurt’s face was scrunched up in a “I’m confused but I’ll trust you” kind of way. 

As soon as the song hit him, Blaine opened his mouth to sing, “this could be the start of something new…it feels so right to be here with you.”

“How did you—?” 

Blaine smiled at him. “Pick another song.” 

“Your cares and troubles are gone. They'll be no more from now on.”

His mouth opens slightly. 

“Your turn,” Blaine said, “ I want you to sing what comes to mind.” 

Wasn’t the best way to prove they were soulmates to test each other? 

Blaine wanted Kurt to have his own moment of realization even if he engineered it. He didn’t want their “how-did-you-know” story to be him informing Kurt about their connection. Instead, he wanted to tell people about listening to Kurt’s Warbler audition and thinking how odd it was to know the song he was going to sing before it began. Kurt’s story would start with a laugh because he imagined someone other than Blaine as his soulmate the very same day. 

And wasn’t that just so silly of him? 

Rather than have Kurt just sing to him, Blaine harmonized with him. This was the proof. He’d sing everything Kurt could come up with and vice versa. 

“But baby, can't you see there's nothing else for me to do? I'm hopelessly devoted to you.”

“Blaine,” Kurt said. “We’re….”

He nodded. 

Before Blaine even realized it, Kurt was out of his seat leaning towards him, they’re kissing. Kurt’s fingers are curved around his chin and his other hand is tickling the curls at the back of his neck. The tiny wisps of hair that always escape the gel by the late afternoon. 

Blaine would happily keep his curls loose if it meant Kurt would keep his hands in his hair always. Especially, if it meant they’d never stop kissing. 

Eventually, Kurt has to pull away. They’re still close enough to feel each other’s breath. 

“Soulmates,” Blaine whispered. 

It had been quiet while they kissed like everything else in the world just stopped. All the sounds of Dalton came rushing back all at once. The students in the halls, coffee orders being called out, and the shuffling of chairs as people came and went. 

“When did you know?” Kurt asked, sitting down again. 

Blaine pulled his seat around so they were closer and Kurt immediately reached for his hand. 

***

3 months later. 

Blaine hadn’t been upset to lose to McKinley at Regionals. How could he have been when he got to sing with his soulmate in front of a crowd? Their duet was so in sync and the crowd could tell. He doesn’t think he ever received such a loud applause. 

Blaine had wanted to just be in that moment forever—staring into Kurt’s eyes hearing the words in his head just before they were said aloud, gripping his hand before pushing him into the spotlight to soak up the audience’s love. 

No, Blaine was happy about Regionals. The Warblers had worked hard on the set; their second place trophy sat on the right corner of the council’s table at meetings now. What Blaine was concerned about was Kurt’s leaving. 

His dorm room was empty now, the last suitcase zipped up. Blaine was sitting on his boyfriend’s mattress taking in the last moment that Kurt was a Dalton student. 

“I’ll miss you too, you know, a lot,” Kurt said from the doorway. 

“I know,” Blaine replied, “it’s just sad.” 

Kurt took a seat next to him on the bed. 

“I’ll sing to you.” 

Blaine smiled. “Promise?” 

“Everyday.” Kurt kissed his cheek. 

They were going to be okay. 

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

AUs that live in my head rent free

*multiple ships*

Jercy sports AU where Percy is a basketball player, Jason is a soccer (football) player. They meet at a sports awards show and both get Player of the Year awards in their fields. It's inevitable that they challenge each other to their pertaining sports and laugh hysterically at the attempts. Because their sports seasons are at different times in the year (don't come at me if they aren't in real life I don't give a shit about sports) they go to each others games and every goal/basket scored they point at each other and it's like the whole world narrows to that single moment. They are legendary in the sporting world. When they retire they open up a sports school and recruit fellow friends from other sporting professions. Annabeth is an Olympic gold medalist swimmer, Frank is unbelievable at tennis.

Valjackson childhood best friends AU where Percy's mom and Leo's mom were best friends their whole lives and therefore their children spent a lot of time together. Leo and Percy used to terrorize Sally's sweetshop and Esperanza's workshop. They learnt how to be the cutest troublemakers and could not be separated by the strongest forces in the world. They had girls falling all over them but neither was interested. Despite Percy being bi and Leo being pan. It seemed every relationship they tried to enter into didn't work out. There was always something missing. They realize what it is 2 months before they go to college. Percy gets accepted into one across the country and they both panic at the thought of being separated. They have a fallout and it is miserable for both of them. It takes some needling from their mothers, and giggles over coffee later, before they realize why they're so upset. They both storm our of their houses at the same time, just down the street from each other as it had been their whole lives, and slam together. "I don't want you to leave. I love you. I am in love with you Jackson." Percy chokes, tears blurring his pretty green eyes. "I know. I love you too. But we will see each other again. And I will come back. And we will be together." It seems the fates were on their side because although they didn't promise commitment to each other through the college years it felt unnatural to be with anyone else. So they stayed single, and met during the vacations and loved each other from a far. And when college was finally over they fell into each other so naturally it's as if they had never been separated. Now they live a few streets down from their mothers, who ended up moving in together as best friends who had wanted to do it all those years ago. Family dinners and full of cringy memories and soft looks. They were born already together. They die that way too.

Pipabeth coffee shop AU, where they both work at the cute Cafe on main Street. Piper is new and Annabeth, who is busy and impatient, has to show her the ropes. For the first two weeks they open up shop together. Annabeth is not a morning person. Piper most definitely is. They eventually fall in love in the break room and it is horrible how cute they are. The cafe patrons either give them filthy looks or coo. They're both university students when they meet. It takes them 3 years to get together. It takes them 2 to marry. Piper goes on to become a school teacher. Annabeth opens her own coffee shop. They still do the morning shift together.

Percabeth theater kids AU where percy is the shy accidental lead in the play because he was messing around in the auditorium of the school and the drama teacher heard him sing and demanded he sign ip for auditions. Annabeth is part of the tech crew and cannot help but be mesmerized everytime Percy is on stage. They learn of each other when Percy has a costume emergency during the first dress rehearsal and she's in the wings to help him about 30 seconds before he goes on stage. He gives her roses to thank her and it is the end. They're together from that moment on. Who knows if they last, they live on forevermore in the wings of the stage.

Valgrace teacher AU where Jason is the new history teacher at a high school and Leo, the maths teacher, takes great delight in having his student prank Jason's classroom on the daily. It is especially fun when the blonde comes storming in all red in his golden face and then immediately schools his expression into one of pointed calm when he sees Leo has students. It's always a clipped "Can I please talk to you Mr Valdez." Leo has never been able to hide his grin. One prank goes a little awhol though and Jason's classroom is a mess. Leo helps clean up after school and the tension of three months of back and forth turns electric in an instant. They become the couple the students giggle over. Jason refuses to partake in any affectionate activities during school hours. Leo takes it as a challenge to sneak as many forehead and cheek kisses in as possible. They spend their evenings grading papers and sipping tea. Leo eases his husband's glasses off his face and grabs a blanket before squishing himself onto the couch with Jason. They fall asleep like that many times a month. It never stops.

McJackson theme park workers AU where they challenge each other to the scariest Rollercoasters right after lunch and whoever throws up first has to do park rounds. They're at a tie but Percy is determined to win. So he challenges Piper to ride their two scariest rollers one after the other for half an hour. Piper who can never say no to a dare does it. She throws up so violently Percy has to take over her shift for three days. He brings her soup, and bland toast, and peppermint tea. She laughs at his doting and he mumbles apologies for the guilt of making her bedridden. He says he'll do any dare she asks, so she has some justice. She gives him a glittering smirk and says "any dare?" He should have known then he'd be in trouble but he nods anyway. "I dare you to kiss me." They've been happily terrorizing park guests ever since. And now they both go on terrible rides and get sick and egg each other on. And they are best friends with the added bonus of kissing each other thrown in. When Percy proposes it is so on brand for then their friends groan when they hear the recount. "I dare you to marry me." Piper has never been so happy to complete a dare in her life.

Leobeth as stressed out engineering students AU. They meet in the library when they both go to the printer at the same time and find out its broken. It's 2am and Annabeth just wanted to print her notes so she could start on the grueling process of actually studying them. Leo laughs when she kicks the machine and then fixes it with ridiculous speed. She's grateful enough to throw her arms around him and buy him coffee. They end up studying together often and help each other with theories and concepts they aren't quite grasping. They kind of fall into love, tinkering their friendship just as Leo tinkered with the printer. One day they were groaning over notes and the next Annabeth was kissing Leo because she got an A on her test and she was so happy she was beside herself. He pulls her in for another one and the kiss promised forever. They did everything together after that. Studied, graduated, succeeded. And when they got married Leo printed his vows over her study notes, and gifted her a little printer pendant that she wore on her necklace of beads. Annabeth laughed herself silly and never took it off.

[come-on-shitty-boys]

//catching cooties. sugawara koushi//

Warnings: Mild swearing.  Time-skip!Sugawara, so small spoiler warning

Word Count: 1.75K

Notes: I have so many requests to fill, but also Koushi hit me hard in the face with a book and said, “Love me.”  Who was I to refuse?  Koushi with kids?  Y E S 

Wallet.  Phone.  Keys.  Bag.  Coffee.  

It was a routine at this point.  Sugawara never left the house in the morning without those five things and it had been that way for almost four years.  He would tuck his wallet in his back pocket of his pants and his phone in the front.  The lanyard with all of his keys hung around his neck so he could back his bag for the day, sliding in folders of graded work, his book of lesson plans, his planner, anything he might have brought home to finish working on.  He would place a kiss on your cheek, your nose, then your lips before taking his thermos from you, a tired “I love you” taking the place of words of thanks.  

This shouldn’t have thrown him off as much as it did.  You had the day off and decided to sleep in rather than wake up with his alarm like you usually would, but after so long of getting ready in the bathroom together, laughing over toaster-waffles, and gentle good-bye kisses, not having you awake to start his morning really messed up his routine.  You weren’t peppering his face with kisses, trying to get him awake and when he would have inevitably rolled over, begging, “Five more minutes, please,” you didn’t lay on top of him and poke his cheeks until his eyes finally blinked open, that low groan leaving his lips as the morning sun filtered in through the blinds.  

The loud ringing of his alarm at 5:30 had you shoving your head under a pillow while your husband desperately reached around for the snooze button.  But, it seemed like hours had passed since then and yet, you and Koushi were still snuggled together under the warmth of the comforter.  Your eyelids lifted heavily, reaching for your phone on the nightstand.

Those small numbers on the screen had you sitting up straight in a matter of milliseconds, a hand on your husband's shoulder, desperately shaking him awake.  “Koushi, you need to get up.”

But, instead of heeding your words, he wrapped his arms securely around your waist, trying to nuzzle his face into your body.  Sugawara Koushi was lost to the world, sleeping like an absolute log, not like that was anything new to you. 

“Baby, it’s quarter after 7,” you say firmly, prying his hands off of you.  On a normal morning, he’d be getting ready to leave.  He’d be standing at the kitchen island, humming to himself while he packed his bag, but instead, here he was, still fast asleep.

But, oh, did the sound of that seven have his eyes opening at an alarming rate.  Sugawara reached for his phone, praying that maybe you were lying to him, that maybe this was just some kind of prank to get him up, but that ‘7:17’ was too real to ignore.  He threw the covers off, a frustrated “Shit!” being the only good morning exchanged.  You can’t remember the last time that you had seen him move so fast.  In less than five minutes, he was buttoning his shirt, jumping around the bedroom as if that would get his pants on any faster, a black belt being threaded through the loops and the light jingle of the buckle adding to the frantic atmosphere of the morning.  

Koushi fumbled around, opening and closing drawers, a pair of socks in his hand, but the stress never left his eyes.  “Where the hell did I put it?  Not in the bathroom.  Not on the nightstand,” he mutters under his breath, eyes scanning every possible surface in the room.  

“What are you looking for, Kou?”

“Have you seen my watch?”

“I think you put it on the coffee table last night.  I’ll go see,” you say, starting to get out of bed, but a pair of hands is pushing you back down to the mattress.

“No, you don’t have to work today.  You should relax, sweetheart.  Don’t worry about me.”  Even amidst all his panic, Sugawara Koushi still continued to be the loving man that had your heart fluttering all of those years ago.  The gentle tone to his voice and the soft kiss that he planted on your forehead was all it took to get you to lay back down, adhering to his wishes. 

It was nearly 7:45 before you heard the familiar checklist leaving your husband’s lips.  “Wallet.  Phone.  Keys.  Bag.  Coffee.”  He did the signature pat of each item, nodding as everything he needed was accounted for.  “Are we still getting lunch?” He asks, a hopeful smile on his face as he looks at you in the mirror, checking his appearance one final time.

“The noodle place on Sixth, right?”

“They have the best udon.  You’re going to love it!  I can meet you at noon, okay?”  Sugawara leans down to place his routine kisses to your face, each small peck leaving your head feeling fuzzy from his tender touches.

The sound of the door closing behind him should’ve been the end to the chaos.  You should have been able to rest your eyes for a few more hours and then go about enjoying your lazy day.  But, alas, it seemed like you had only just closed your eyes and your phone was already playing that familiar tone to signal Koushi’s incoming call.  “What’s up, Kou?” 

He must’ve heard the exhaustion laced in those few syllables, because you could almost see the sadness in his eyes from the sorrowful tone.  “I woke you up, didn’t I?  I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

“You’re okay, baby.  What’s going on?  Is something wrong?”

“Well, kind of?  Hikari, give Ryouta the cap to his marker back, please,” he states, the sharp contrast in the voice that he used with you and his ‘teacher's voice’ coming through as he switched from addressing you to his students.  “Sorry about that.  Anyway, in all of the commotion this morning, I think I forgot my grade book.  Which wouldn’t be a big deal most days, but the end of the quarter is coming up and I’m already behind and-”

“I’ll be there soon, Koushi.”

He breathes a sigh of relief.  “What would I do without you,” he says, the traces of his smile filtering into your ear.

“Not get your grade book, that’s for sure,” you laugh, swinging your legs off the edge of the bed.  “I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

“Okay.  Thank you, sweetheart.  It should be in the kitchen.  If not, check the dining room.  I would love to chat with you more, but I’m pretty sure the principal just walked by my door and saw me on my phone . . . So, I’m going to let you go, but I love you!”

“I love you too, Koushi.  I’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”

“Okay, thank you again, seriously,” he says quietly, waiting for you to hum your response before he ends the call, sliding his phone back into his desk drawer.  

Sugawara’s fingers laced through his hair as he leaned back in his chair.  He couldn’t remember the last time that he had had a day that was this out of sorts.  It seemed like everything that could go wrong, did.  As if almost being late wasn’t enough, he had spilled his coffee on his way to work, a brown stain would be exposed on the cuff of his white shirt if he hadn’t rolled the sleeves up to his elbows.  He had misplaced his lesson plans with all of his worksheets, a good explanation as to why his students had spent most of the morning doing arts and crafts rather than practicing sight words and their basic math skills.  But, nonetheless, Mr. Sunshine himself never let his smile fade, keeping his energy up to give his students the best day possible.  

The way his smile relaxed in relief at the sound of a knock on his classroom door was indescribable.  It was like a wave of comfort had washed over him knowing that you were right there just a few feet away.   There was a curious hush that fell over his students as they all turned their heads towards the door, markers and coloring pages now forgotten at the exciting prospect of a visitor.  Had Mr. Sugawara planned a surprise party for them?  Was one of them being called to the office to be picked up?  But, you can imagine their shocked faces when the door was swung open to reveal some random person that they had never seen before.  

Koushi, nonetheless, enveloped you in a tight hug, whispering gentle words of thanks against your skin over and over again as he took his grade book from your hands.  The feeling of your body melding perfectly against his, just as it always had, had him melting against you, desperate for the comforting feeling of your hands tangling in his hair or running up and down his arms, but he was at work.  He couldn’t relish in the sensation of your touch no matter how much he wanted to.

“Mr. Suga, sir?” One of his students piped up causing their teacher to pull away, that normal wide smile on his face.

“What��s up, kiddo?”

“Do you hug everyone who comes to your door?”

Sugawara laughed lightly as he shook his head.  He reached down to take your hand, his thumb tracing along the back of your knuckles.  The light tap of his fingers against the back of your hand in a silent, “I love you” made a small smile rise to your lips.  “I don’t usually hug people when I answer the door, but this is my wife, so I thought I would make an exception.”

Another student raised their hand, speaking only when Sugawara called their name.  “What’s a wife?”

“Well, it’s what people call the girl that you marry.”

“What if you marry a boy?”

“Then they’re called a ‘husband.’   So, Y/N is my wife and I’m her husband.  Does that make sense?”

“But, don’t girls have cooties?”  A little boy called out, scrunching up his features in disgust at the thought of getting anywhere near a girl.  

Koushi grings gently in your direction, bumping his shoulder playfully against yours.  “Some girls are just worth catching cooties for.”

[kitchentales]

My Fascination With the New Kid (Namgi) - Chapter 1

Summary: Clumsy Namjoon has a rough start to the school year by nearly being late to class and running into the new kid, Min Yoongi, in the process. Do first impressions truly matter? Will Namjoon and Yoongi become friends? Stick around to find out. 

Pairing: Namjoon x Yoongi 

Genre: FLUFF!

Author: Almond

———————————————————————

———————————————————————

{Narrator}

Namjoon awakes suddenly to his alarm going off for what seems like the millionth time that morning. He throws his alarm clock across the room mid groan and gets up for the day. 

“JOON, What did I just hear? Was that the alarm clock I just bought for you, AGAIN?” Namjoon’s mom shouts from downstairs. 

“No, it was just a book falling off one of my shelves, no need to yell so early in the morning…” Joon shouts back as he undresses for his morning shower. Joon steps into the scolding water hoping that, by some miracle, it will wake him up enough to get to class on time. He steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist as he regards himself in the mirror. ‘When did my hair get so long? Was it always this dark? I probably should have gotten it cut before the first day of school. Well, it’s too late now.’ He shrugs off his thoughts as he tries to tame his hair in the bathroom mirror, bending down to be within the frame. Namjoon changes into his school uniform for the day and heads downstairs. He grabs the plate of toast and eggs off the kitchen counter along with a note tucked underneath. He eats as he skims the note his mother left him. 

“Good luck on your first day of school! Sorry, I couldn’t send you off, I was going to be late for work if I waited for you any longer. Love you the most, Mom” He rub the little heart sticker placed after “Mom” and smiles to himself. He finishes his breakfast and gazes down at his watch. “Shit! I’m gonna be late for school!” Namjoon rushes out of his house shoving things into his bag as he sprints over to his bike and hops on. 

{Yoongi Perspective}

First day at my new school and I couldn’t be less excited. I woke up early and took to getting ready as slow as possible. I ate a quick breakfast, grabbed a coffee, and wandered over to the school. It took me a little while to get through the large crowd of curious eyes but I finally managed to make it through the school building and find my locker. I had already put all my stuff away and was turning to shut my locker when a bean pole of a kid barreled right into me. I groaned as I lifted my head and back off of the ground to glare at the boy that was scrambling to get off of me. 

“I’m so sorry. Oh my god, are you okay?” The boy talked quickly, offering a hand to help me up. I glanced at his hand and back up at his face before I got up on my own and brushed my uniform off. I hadn’t even thought of my textbooks that must have scattered all over the hallway until the boy was handing them to me. “I’m really sorry man, I was in a rush and didn’t expect anyone to be standing in front of my locker. No one’s used the one next to me in years.” He notices my un-amused expression,”Oh, where are my manners? I’m Namjoon, and you?” I cringe as I glance up at him one last time before walking away without answering his question.

{Namjoon Perspective}

I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment as the new guy walked away from me without telling me his name. ‘I completely deserved that for plowing into him the way I did.’ I sigh as I open and deposit my stuff into my locker. I end up jogging to my first class, no more sprinting for today. I walk into my first class and sit down in the farthest row, next to the wall. I didn’t take my normal seat in the middle of the classroom because this was a math class and it’s better not to gamble with the possibility of being called on so early in the morning. Everyone filed in and the teacher took his place at the front of the class. 

“Welcome back kids!” The teacher shouts a little too excitedly. “I know you're all looking forward to getting straight into all the new formulas I’m going to teach you this year, but we have something a bit more exciting this morning.” The teacher gestures to the door as the new kid from this morning saunters in. “We have a new student, Mr. Min Yoo..” 

“Suga, I go by Suga” The new kid interjects before the teacher can finish his sentence. 

“Yes, Suga. Well, would you care to introduce yourself to the class?” The teacher prods the boy to say more than just his nickname. The kid, however, doesn’t take the bait as he shakes his head and walks to the only empty seat in the class. The teacher shakes his head to clear his thoughts before going over the syllabus as the new kid settles into the seat behind me. 

‘I can’t believe this kid! I thought he was just being rude because I bumped into him this morning. Is he actually like this all the time?’ I can’t stop my thoughts and before I know it class is over and I find myself searching the sea of kids leaving the room for his face. ‘Did he already leave? There’s no way! He was sitting right behind me, there’s no way he’d make it to the door without me seeing, he’d have to walk right past me.’ As I was scrambling to find an explanation that made sense a soft snore sounded from behind me. I turned around to find the pale skinned mint-haired boy sleeping soundly on his desk without a care in the world. ‘This kid really is…something.”

{Yoongi Perspective} 

I can’t remember when I fell asleep. All I know is one minute I’m drawing the back of the kid’s head in front of me in my notebook and the next I’m being tapped on the shoulder. I lift my head with squinted eyes as I look up at the person who woke me. It’s the kid I had been drawing before. Now that I’m seeing his face… wait, this is the kid from this morning!

“Can I help you?” I mutter, still not fully awake and getting more annoyed by the second. 

“Actually I was trying to help you. Class is over and you were out cold.” The lanky boy gestures to the empty classroom around him before he directs his sight to my desk. Being worried that I may have drooled or something, my gaze follows his. My drawing of him is lying face up right out in the open. I quickly grab in up along with my other things, duck my face, and rush out of the classroom before he has time to see my face flush or ask any questions. 

[virgilsinferno]

meet me in the middle || logince 

chapter one — from the top, everyone!

summary: logan & roman are enemies. they get into a heated argument in the middle of the hallway and remus tries to put an end to the fight in a very remus way. no angst, just two boys bickering.

pairings: eventual logince (in a future chapter), dukeceit (if you squint)

tw: very brief mentions of alcohol, smoking, and violence (like all of that in one sentence)

word count: 2128

taglist: @dragonwithproblems

♡

The first time he saw Logan, Roman was working at his dad’s flower shop. Roman was busy trimming the newly-arrived flowers, and he wouldn’t have noticed Logan’s presence if it weren’t for Remus’s loud, boisterous laughter. If he were any other customer, he wouldn’t have cared and went back to trimming flowers. 

He observed their exchange from a distance, wondering why the hell this guy looked like he was going to a fancy dinner with visiting relatives. His whole getup screamed “rich stuck-up nerd” and yet he appeared to be getting along well with Remus—his twin brother who is by far the most chaotic person Roman has ever met.

The second time he saw Logan, Roman was on the brink of falling asleep in Chemistry. To be fair, it was his last class of the day and he was running on 3 hours of sleep. His phone started ringing, startling him and causing everyone in the room to look in his direction. He stammered out an apology to their Chemistry teacher then put his phone on silent. It was embarrassing. For a brief moment, he made eye contact with Logan. He recognized him as the guy that bought a single sunflower and dressed like a rich stuck-up nerd. 

The third time he saw Logan, Roman was at the cafeteria. He was sitting with Patton and Janus, his best friends since the first year of high school. Remus would sit with them once in a while, but more often than not, he wouldn’t even be caught dead in the cafeteria. 

It was quite a shock for both the twins when Remus was invited to sit at another table. A few tables away, Roman gave his brother a thumbs up. That was when he noticed who his brother was sitting with. It was the rich stuck-up nerd from Chemistry class and some guy in a hoodie who had his back turned to him. Maybe he was wrong about this guy. Maybe he wasn’t some stuck-up privileged kid. If he befriended his brother just like that, they’d probably get along well, too. 

The fourth time he saw Logan, Roman was at the library. He was studying for his finals and he figured that the library would have the least amount of distractions. He sat at the most secluded area he could find, which was somewhere near the Young Adult section. At some point, he had gotten bored and decided that he deserved a break, and what better way to relax than with a fun lighthearted story? 

As Roman looked through the variety of books available, he spotted a familiar figure. From across the aisle, he saw the rich stuck-up—probably not a stuck-up—nerd. It seemed that Logan had felt a pair of eyes on him, seeing as he looked in Roman’s direction. Roman immediately turned away and pretended to be interested in a random book he grabbed. How embarrassing would it be if he had been caught staring?

The fifth time he saw Logan, Roman was at Espresso Feelings, his favorite independent little coffee shop. Patton’s parents own the place and Roman loves their coffee. He was craving for their chocolate chip cookies and wanted to get his caffeine fix as well before he went to work, so he stopped by and bought breakfast for both him and Remus. He was slightly surprised to see Logan sitting by the window with his laptop in front of him. For once, he actually had casual clothing on. Not a lot of people from their school knew about the place, but he’d see a few familiar faces here and there. Logan appeared to be busy though, so he didn’t try to bother him. 

The first time he finally met Logan, Roman was running for student body president. It was during the campaign period. Roman felt awkward running against his brother’s best friend, but Remus assured him that Logan didn’t mind. He had been busy all week, making sure everything was going as planned. Remus helped with the posters. He was sure that he was going against someone equally as competent as he was, so Roman had to work extra hard. He wanted to win, but so did Logan.

It was at the main entrance of the school. Roman saw Logan speaking with someone on the phone, and he saw an opportunity. They hadn’t formally met or spoken to each other yet, despite Remus inviting him over often, and it has almost been a year. It must be because of how many plans Roman usually has on the weekends. 

“Hey, I’m Roman. You probably already know that, but just to be sure.” Roman says as he extends a hand for Logan to shake. He seemed like the professional type. Or maybe it’s how he naturally dressed, but Roman wasn’t going to criticize his fashion sense on their first proper meeting.

Logan shakes his hand hesitantly. “Yes, I do know that. I’m Logan, but you probably know that as well.” 

“Well, it was nice to officially meet you. I’d love to stay and chat, but unfortunately, I am quite busy. I’ll see you around, Logan.” 

He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on people, but as soon as Roman walked away, Logan returned to his phone call, and Roman couldn’t help but hear it. 

“Ah sorry, I was speaking with Roman. Yes, him, the one that’s also running for student body president. What do you mean ‘have I done the math’? Of course I have. I don’t even have to gather statistical data to know that. There’s no way he’s winning, you know I’m only pretending to be civil.”

Bitch.

And that was how it all began.

No one had any idea how it all started. One moment the Drama Club was doing a scene study, the next they’re watching their club president have a shouting match with the Debate Club’s president. 

It happened often—the fighting. Most times, the other club officers of the two clubs would have to coordinate in order to make sure that their club meetings aren’t scheduled on the same day. It was bad enough that their rooms are literally across each other, even worse whenever Roman and Logan would catch a glimpse of each other in the hallway. They fought like two divorced parents who had to split custody among their many children. Or at least that’s how both clubs would describe it. 

Those two fought over everything. From last year’s student government elections to who was the better club president. It had gotten so bad that even the teachers refused to try and intervene. 

There was one time when Mr. Clements, one of the most feared teachers in the school, threatened to either give them detention or send them to the principal’s office. This was the only time anyone had ever seen Roman and Logan join forces. Logan destroyed him by pulling out a list that contained complaints from other students that could end his career. The list ranged from drinking alcoholic beverages in class, allowing students to buy their grades, to threatening students with violence. Roman, on the other hand, had voice recordings and video evidence to support the statements in Logan’s list. 

Only a few people had ever attempted to stop their quarrels and succeeded in doing so. 

“It’s your fault for starting this argument in the first place!” Logan shouts angrily at Roman. 

“Oh, so it’s my fault now? You were the one yelling at us from the hallway to keep it down! In the middle of our scene study! At least I didn’t barge in on your verbal duels to complain about how loud you all are yelling at each other!” Roman lashes out as he jabbed a finger into Logan’s chest. 

“In his defense, you’re both verbally dueling in the middle of the hallway when we should be having our club meeting,” Janus says from the side claimed by the Debate Club. The students from both clubs have poured out into the hallway to watch their club presidents fight.

Roman glared at his friend. “So you’re taking his side now?”

Janus put his hands up in defense. “I’m doing no such thing!”

News traveled fast, and soon enough, even the Creative Writing Club from down the hall was watching the two argue. 

“You know what? I’m done with this. Go do whatever it is you do in your club.” Logan says. 

“Boohoo, are you going to start crying in front of everyone?” Roman mocks. The audience gasps.

Logan clenches his fist. “So now you’re calling me a baby? I am trying to end this fight and be the bigger person and yet you are being immature!”

The audience oohs at the retort. 

Before any of the two could let out another insult, two frying pans were swung dangerously at their heads, which would’ve given them a severe concussion if it weren’t for Janus pulling them to the side just in time. The frying pans fell on the floor with a clang. Everyone was silent.

“That almost hit me!” Roman scolded his twin brother, who for some reason, managed to bring two frying pans to school. 

The sight of Remus alone intimidated most of the audience, which was enough to send them all scurrying back to their respective classrooms. This left Roman, Logan, Remus, and Janus in the hallway. 

“That whole…” Janus gestures vaguely at Remus’s outfit. “...punk look you’ve got going on is really something. You should wear leather jackets more often. Makes you look scary.” He left without another word. 

“What?” Remus said dumbly.

“I don’t know? I’ll have to ask him about that later.” Roman replied, furrowing his brows in confusion.

“Are you two serious? Janus simply complimented Remus’s outfit.” Logan said slowly as if he were talking to children. 

They stood in complete silence for a few seconds. Roman and Logan seem to have momentarily forgotten about what they were arguing about. 

“So, what’re my two favorite people up to?” Remus asked as he put an arm around their shoulders, pulling them close.

“You tried to kill me!” Roman screeched, pushing his brother away from him.

“Was it my fault?” Remus asked, dragging the vowels. “Y’all were fighting so loud, it was almost like being asked to be hit on the head with a frying pan.”

Logan hummed in agreement. “That is fair, I’ll give you that.”

“Now I see why you two are even friends,” Roman muttered. He picked up the two frying pans and handed them back to his brother. “Where’d you even get these?”

“I stole them!” Remus grinned.

“Yes, very good Remus, now if this is all settled, I have a club to return t-”

“You’re encouraging my brother to steal?!” 

“He was honest!”

Before another round of fighting could occur, their respective club vice presidents had to pull them back into their respective classrooms. Roman huffed but allowed himself to be dragged back into the room, glaring daggers at Logan, who was also being dragged away, before the door was shut. 

All eyes fell on Roman as he regained composure. With only 20 minutes left of their supposed “club meeting”, there was no way they were going to be able to finish their activity. Roman coughed awkwardly.

“So, ice cream anyone?” Roman suggested.

The room erupted with cheers. Roman happily led the group of 20+ theater kids, raising a middle finger to Logan, who opened the door to see what the commotion was all about. The Drama Club chanted “ice cream! ice cream!” as they marched through the halls, following the leader to the nearest ice cream parlor. 

Ice & Virtue was Roman’s favorite ice cream parlor. Objectively, What’s The Scoop? had better ice cream than they did, but this one had sentimental value. This was where he and Remus would go to after school every Friday and they would try to guess people’s life stories based on their mood and outfit. Sometime last year, after the student government elections, Janus and Patton joined the twins on their weekly ice cream ritual. 

It was a mess.

Janus caused a scene with Remus, then Logan walked in with some emo-looking guy. Janus immediately started attacking Logan, the emo guy walked out, and Remus stood there laughing at his best friend getting verbally attacked. They almost got banned from the establishment if it weren’t for Roman and Patton clearing up the situation. 

The Drama Club crammed into the tiny ice cream parlor, causing a ruckus as soon as they entered the parlor. As club president, Roman felt that it was necessary to treat the club members once in a while. Also, it made him better than Logan, therefore moving him up in the leaderboard. 

10 points to Roman for being cool.

[lovemesomesurveys]

“how the hell does a broken heart learn to mend itself?”

Would you ever like to own your own gym? No.

Do you listen to Christina Perri? If so, do you like her music? Jar of Hearts and A Thousand Years are a few of my favorites of hers. Oh, and Human. <<< Yeah, I liked those as well. I think those are the only ones I’m familiar with of hers. I haven’t listened to her music in a long time.

When was the last time you went to Wal-Mart? Back in March before the quarantine/lockdown and shit really hit the fan.

Which is worse: Runny nose or stuffy nose? Both are very annoying, but feeling like you can’t breathe is definitely the worst. 

Do you hate how people are quick to judge? i think we all have that tendency, some more than others. It can be an issue when you let that judgment form your whole opinion about a person without even knowing them. Except in extreme cases of course when it a quick judgment could be useful, like if you’re feeling uncomfortable or someone appears to be sketchy. 

Has anyone ever made you feel small? Yes.

Would you rather give your food to a homeless shelter or money to charity? Food to a homeless shelter would be more direct and immediate. When you donate money to a charity you don’t really know when or how it gets used, exactly. And it can take time to be sorted out and distributed. That being said, of course donating to charities is good and important and will help in the long run. I’m just saying, donating food to a homeless shelter would be something they could use immediately and benefit them directly. Does any of this make sense?

Can you tell when your best friend is lying? I think I’m typically pretty good at that.

Would you pay extra money for make up just to make you look prettier? Ha, all the makeup in the world didn’t make a difference for me. Still ugly. I stopped even bothering with it.

Do you like to look at license plates to see where people are from? I don’t pay much attention to that.

Are you more hungry or tired right now? I’m both. My sleep schedule continues to be weird. I fell asleep around 230AM until about 4AM and then fell asleep again shortly after that until like 7:45AM. Now it’s 8:46AM and here I am. Like wtf? And lately I’ve been having a bit more of an appetite, so I’ve been feeling hungrier earlier than usual and actually eating more than just dinner and my late bowl of ramen. My body is such a mess.

Do you follow your head or heart more? It’s a battle.

On a scale 1-10 how much do you like my surveys? I’m assuming the same person has made the last few I’ve done with this same kind of format, in which case they’ve been fine. 

Do you think you deserve more than what you have? I don’t think I deserve anything. 

Would you ever spend $2,000 on a dress? I can’t imagine ever spending that much on a dress. I don’t plan on getting married, but even if I did I’d find something a lot less expensive. 

“Reach out to you, touch my hand”

Have you ever made fresh dough? No.

When you were little, did you used to make cookies with your mom? Yeah.

Has anyone ever said "Say it, don't spray it" to you? lol yeah, when I was a kid.

What is your least favorite type of person? Arrogant, cocky, close minded people.

True or False : Superman is your favorite super hero. False.

Have you ever drank Silk milk? Yeah. Well, I don’t drink it directly (or any kind of milk for that matter, ew), but I use soy in coffee drinks, cereal, or to dunk cookies or brownies or something. I tend to use vanilla almond milk more often, though.

What color is your camera? I use the camera on my phone, which is a coral iPhone XR.

When you create a survey, do you usually make the title lyrics? I don’t create surveys.

Do you play Cityville, Farmville or Frontierville on Facebook? Nope. Never got into any of those.

Do you tend to complain when its to hot out? Ugh, yes. I’m miserable when it’s hot and everyone knows it lol.

Flip flops or tennis shoes? Tennis shoes. I never wear flip flops or any kind of sandal or open toed shoe.

Do you like your fingernails long or short? They’re always barely there cause I’ve had this horrible habit all my life. Well, with the exception of the very few times I managed to stop and let them grow a decent length. Never lasted long, though.

Have you made anyone laugh today? I haven’t interacted with anyone yet today.

Would you like to go to South America? Sure.

Have you ever read Time magazine? I think so.

“Tonight we’re going to dance on the edge of the Hollywood sign”

Do you use the gel, spray or powdered deodorant? I think it’s called a solid.

Do you own a pearl necklace? No. I used to, but it broke. 

Do you know anyone named Julie? No.

What's your favorite candle scent? I love the autumn scented ones.

Does anyone you know own a motorcycle? Yes.

How many different languages can you say “hello” in? Just a few. I don’t feel like thinking about how many different ones right now.

Do you like Train’s music? Yeah. 

Have you ever accidentally clicked on an ad on the side of your screen? Yeah, back in the day when ads were annoying and popped up all the time. I haven’t had that issue in years.

Do you like dark or light pop/soda better? My favorite sodas are Coke and Dr. Pepper, which happen to be dark.

Have you ever been told you were a good dance? No.

Do you own one of those small, battery powered fans? I do.

When you sleep, do you like it complete silence or do you like sound? I need some sound and light, hence why I sleep with the TV on. I have it completely quiet or dark.

Was it cloudy today or clear sky? It’s supposed to be clear skies. Do you like the show Seinfiled or Friends? I never got into either one.

Would you rather have bad breath or body odor? Ew.

“I’m gonna sleep in my Snuggie tonight.”

Have you ever ridden in a hot air balloon? Noooo. I never would.

Do you hate it when people get obsessed with their boyfriend/girlfriend? I had friends who obsessively talked about their significant others and it did get quite annoying, not gonna lie.

Have you ever been to Nevada? Yes.

Are you dating the boy/girl of your dreams? I’m single.

Do you watch Glee? No, I never got into it.

Do you like coffee? I love coffee. Duh.

Do you like applesauce? Yeah. Wow, I don’t recall the last time I had any, though.

When was the last time you had a nightmare? It’s been awhile, thankfully.

Have you ever had a manicure? Once. It was for my 8th grade promotion.

Do you like graphic tees? Ha, my whole wardrobe is graphic tees. And leggings.

Are you the type of person who is always yelling? Not at all.

Do you like Willow or Jaden Smith better? I don’t have any feelings about either one.

Is anything making you mad right now? No.

Name one thing you've NEVER done but want to: Go to Hawaii.

Ever seen the movie Shark Tale? I know of it, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

“No matter what, I’ll never stop loving you”

Do you like Italian food? I love it.

Which would you rather have: drama or no friends? I have no friends now and I’m honestly okay with it.

Do you own a black necklace? No.

Would you rather have white & crooked teeth or straight teeth that are yellow? How ‘bout straight and white teeth.

How many notifications do you have on Facebook right now? Zero.

Do you smile or laugh more? Uhh I don’t know.

Have you ever tried Nutella? Yes, and I don’t like it. <<< Saaame. I don’t get the hype.

What age did you stop watching Spongebob? I was never really into it, I just caught some episodes because my younger brother loved it as a kid.

Have you ever seen the show Boy Meets World? Yeah, I’ve seen the entire series numerous times. It’ll always be a favorite.

Have you received bad news within the past week? No. 

What's your favorite color of highlighter? Yellow or orange is fine.

Do you celebrate the 4th of July? I mean, we go outside to my front yard and watch fireworks lol that’s about it.

Are you better at Math or Social Studies? Social studies. Math and I were always enemies.

Do you like the name Lindsey? Sure.

Do you have a teacher that your close to? Not anymore, but yeah I had a couple.

“We’ll go down just like Titanic”

When you eat, do you always use a napkin? Yes.

On a scale 1-10 how much do you like hot dogs? It’s one of those weird things that I have to be in the mood for, which is very, very rare. It’s not something I ever crave. I haven’t even had one in years. Although, a Costco hotdog is pretty delicious.

Have you ever been on a cruise ship? Nope.

Is your phone a flip, sliding or touch? It’s a touch-screen - most phones are nowadays. <<<

Are you okay right now? I don’t feel well.

Do you own a blue dress? No.

When you look at the person you like, does it seem like its only you two? I don’t currently like anyone in that way.

Do you like pizza crust with cheese in it? It’s good, but it’s not something I tend to get.

Do you like copy paper or lined paper better? Lined paper. 

Are you listening to music? Nope.

Have you ever gone swimming in the moonlight? Nope.

Is it AM or PM right now? It’s AM.

Who is your cell phone carrier? Verizon.

Do you hate public speaking? Haaaaaate. So glad I don’t have to do speeches or presentations for school anymore. It never got any easier, it was always super anxiety inducing and dreadful for me.

Have you ever been in a band? No.

“We can go to the alligator sky”

Are you more of a follower or leader? I definitely don’t see myself as a leader.

Would you rather: write a 10 page short story or do public speaking? The 10 page paper. 

Did you eat any type of fruit today? No. It’s been awhile since I’ve had any fruit. :X

Do you enjoy bowling? Nah.

Do you like the smell of rain? Yesss.

Have you ever seen or been in quicksand? No.

Do you want to get married in a church or somewhere else? I don’t want to get married.

Have you ever played hard to get? No. I’m just hard to want.

Do you go to the fair during the summer? No.

Are more mean or nice? I’m not a mean person.

Do you go tanning? I don’t ever “go” tanning, but it happens when I go to the beach. 

Can you speak Spanish? Not fluently, but yes.

Is it hard for your to compliment people? Only because I’m just shy and awkward.

Are you a goodie goodie or a bad person? I was always the goodie-goodie.

Would you rather visit Chicago or New York City? New York City.

[myforeverforlife]

thinking about you.

For another anon! Chanyeol + Soulmates!au (Mental link) + Enemies to lovers + 1. “Are you sure this is legal?”

Note: (Words in bold and italics like this are character’s thoughts.)

Masterlist

“Y/N, catch!”

You turned around just in time to see the bottle of Gatorade being thrown your way, hands instinctively coming up to catch it. You studied it closely, nose scrunching up in disgust.

“You’re the worst, Nini. Who even likes purple Gatorade?”

Jongin gasped in mock horror, jogging over before taking a seat on the turf beside you. “Don’t knock it till you try it,” he warned.

“I have tried it.” You eyed the Gatorade in his hand — yep, also grape flavored — and sighed. Well, there went your chances of switching with him. “Thanks, but you can have mine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” You smiled to yourself when Jongin took the bottle happily. “How much longer until our break is over?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Jongin was struggling to get the cap of his drink off, alternating between using his shirt and wiping the sweat off of his hands. “Yixing will come get us when it’s time to head back inside.”

“You know, sometimes I feel bad that he’s our section leader. He’s too nice for his own good.”

“Well then maybe you should help him out by focusing more during band practice.” With a grunt, Jongin finally got his drink open, guzzling down the sugary treat like he had been parched for days.

“Hey, I do focus! Come on, you can’t honestly say that I haven’t been working my ass off.”

Jongin shrugged, taking a break from his Gatorade to give you the side-eye. “You’d do better if you stopped checking out the football team every chance you got.” He nodded towards the other end of the field, the uniformed group of boys talking to each other in small groups.

“Listen, it’s not my fault that the football team is full of attractive guys. Well, except for one.”

“You know, Chanyeol really isn’t that bad — ”

“He brought his ferret to school in second grade and laughed when it pooped in my desk! And, he got mad at me when I told the teacher he was trying to copy off of Jongdae’s test in Chemistry last year.”

“Okay, but still — ”

“No, no ‘buts’ about it. Park Chanyeol has done nothing but be a pain in my ass since we were kids. He hasn’t changed since then, and he never will. I hope one day during one of his games, he falls flat on his face in front of everyone.”

“Ouch.” The new voice had you flinching in surprise, your ponytail a blur as you spun around to see who was talking — although you had a pretty good guess who it was. Sure enough, Park Chanyeol stood there in his uniform, football helmet cradled under his arm. “You know, they say that karma’s a bitch. I wouldn’t want you to be on the receiving end of that,” he said with a smirk.

Rolling your eyes, you stood up, arms crossed over your chest as you stomped past him. “The field’s all yours, Chanyeol. Try not to let your ego take up too much space,” you hissed as you passed.

“Have fun at practice!” he called out after you, voice booming. “Make sure you don’t drop your clarinet, Butterfingers!”

You bit back the retort waiting at the tip of your tongue. Of course he just had to keep bringing up the one mishap you had during a football game, nearly two years ago. It had been your first time performing at a halftime show, and your hands been so shaky that you had dropped your clarinet while performing on the field, right in front of the football teams and the entire crowd. You didn’t talk to him often, but whenever you came face to face with Chanyeol, it always ended up with him teasing you mercilessly.

You were absolutely sure that Chanyeol would never be anything more than a jerk.

You didn’t hate your creative writing class, but since it was your first class of the day, you were often tempted to just close your eyes and take a mini-nap.

Just as you were about to lay your head down on your desk, you could hear Park Chanyeol worry about how to find the derivative of some equation. Sitting upright, you looked around the classroom only to find no trace of Chanyeol anywhere. So why in the hell could you hear him like he was sitting right behind you?

Chanyeol continued to go through the steps of his math equation, driving you crazier with each passing second. You stood up, desk bumping into the seat in front of you. “I need to go to the nurse, I’m not feeling well,” you blurted out.

Your teacher stared at you, caught off guard in the midst of his lecture before nodding towards the door. “Take the hall pass with you.”

And so, with the hall pass lanyard hanging from your neck, you went stomping through the hallways in search of Park Chanyeol. He had moved through a series of equations, and no matter how hard you tried to block his voice out, you could still hear his thoughts.

You weren’t sure which class he was in, but there were only two teachers who taught pre-calculus. Heading down the math hallway, you peeked inside one room, blushing when everyone in the class turned to look at you. Another cursory glance proved that Chanyeol wasn’t in this room. “Sorry,” you mumbled, dashing down the hall to the other class.

This room was rowdier than the last one, students working in groups on the worksheets scattered over their desks. Spotting Chanyeol in the back, you paused in the doorway when he noticed you. “Y/N?”

“Sir, can I borrow Chanyeol for a minute? We’re supposed to collect and put up the flyers for the football game this week.”

Chanyeol’s math teacher brushed this off, not even looking up from his laptop. Chanyeol, on the other hand, remained in his seat, clearly puzzled. “Why is she here?”

“Come on!” you were waving him over, foot tapping impatiently against the floor. The sooner you two got to the bottom of this, the sooner you’d be free of his thoughts — you hoped.

Hesitantly, Chanyeol got up from his seat, weaving between chairs and desks before reaching the door. “What?” he grumbled out.

You grabbed onto his hand, pulling him away from the classroom. Chanyeol’s thoughts were colored with surprise and oddly enough, shyness? You led him to the library, knowing that people wouldn’t spot either one of you from this side of the building. Dropping his hand, you were taken aback to hear how Chanyeol immediately missed having your hand in his. You shook your head to rid the thoughts, trying to focus on why you had dragged him out here.

“This is gonna sound insane, but I can literally hear everything you’re thinking right now. Yes, everything,” you added when he raised an eyebrow in doubt.

Chanyeol laughed skeptically. “Yeah, right. What’s next, you’re gonna tell me you have x-ray vision too? Nice try, Y/N, but I’m not that dumb. Why did you even pull me out of class?” His eyes widened, eyebrows shooting upwards. “Wait, there’s no flyers to collect, huh? Are you sure this is legal, just talking in the hallways like this during class? Ah crap, we’re gonna get detention if we’re caught and — ”

“Listen to me! I don’t know how this happened, but one second I was trying not to fall asleep in creative writing, and the next thing I knew, I could hear you thinking about how to do pre-calc.”

Chanyeol stared at you like you had three eyeballs, backing away slowly. “Okay, I’m gonna say that you need to lay off the coffee and get some more sleep at night.” You could hear the thoughts racing in his head, all about how he was worried and yet curious as to why you were having a decent conversation with him.

“I’m telling the truth, I’ll prove it! Think of something right now.”

One corner of Chanyeol’s lips jumped up as he snorted, crossing his arms across his chest. “I’m not doing this.”

“Yes you are! Now, quick!”

He sighed, staring up at the hallway overhang above both of you.

“Pokemon! You’re thinking about getting the new game before Baekhyun does!” you blurted out, no longer caring about sounding crazy.

Chanyeol’s mouth fell open, trying to speak and failing to string together a comprehensive sentence. “You... how... how did you know that?”

“You believe me now?”

“Wait, but how come you only hear me? And why don’t I get to hear your thoughts? This is so unfair!”

You shrugged. “Maybe it’s because I’m more mature. Oh — I am half a year older than you.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes with a huff. “Yeah, well whatever it is, it’s already getting on my nerves. Just try to stay out of my head.”

“Uh, I would if I could. Just try to keep your thoughts PG for my sake. God, I really hope that this goes away soon.”

Unluckily for both of you, you were plagued with listening to Chanyeol’s not even for the rest of the day, but for the rest of the week.

“This is fucking torture,” you groaned, lying down on the football field as Jongin shrugged sympathetically. “Do you know many times I’ve wished I could clean out my brain in the past week?”

“We still don’t know why this is happening though,” Jongin thought aloud. “I’ve never heard of this before. Do you think its another soulmate thing?”

You scoffed, rolling over onto your side as the fake grass poked your arms and legs. “If we were soulmates, I’d have a dream about it, not be able to hear his every thought.”

“Well, there’s not much difference. Dreams, hearing thoughts — they both have to do with the mind. Maybe soulmate links just manifest in different ways. Are you sure you don’t want to tell your parents?”

“And end up in the hospital? Nah, I’ll just wait it out and hope for the best. I mean, this is just a really long and weirdly descriptive hallucination, right?”

“Y/N?”

You sighed, sitting up as soon as you recognized the voice. “What is it now, Chanyeol?”

The bane of your existence this past week stared at you blankly, his football bag in one hand and hair sweaty from running. God, you hated to admit it, but he actually did look sort of hot.

Chanyeol’s already large eyes grew bigger, if that was even possible, and he dropped his bag in surprise. “You think I look hot?”

“What the fuck?” you spluttered out, back of your neck heating up in embarrassment. “How do you know that?”

“Y/N, I can hear you. I literally just started hearing your thoughts as I was entering the locker room,” Chanyeol explained slowly, still trying to make himself believe it.

“No fucking way.”

“I’m not kidding.”

You gasped upon hearing his response in your head, hand flying up to your mouth while Jongin stared from you to Chanyeol in confusion. “What, so now you guys can both hear each other?” He didn’t get an answer, seeing as you and Chanyeol were mentally yelling at each other. He rolled his eyes, poking you in the shoulder. “Hey, I want to know what’s happening too.”

“I think you’re right,” Chanyeol spoke up, addressing Jongin. “About the soulmate thing. It’s not common, but there have been people out there like us.”

“Like who?” you countered.

“My aunt and uncle. I didn’t want to say anything at first cause I was worried I’d be wrong, you know since it was only you hearing me. And well,” Chanyeol rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve never really liked me anyways.”

“Because all you did was annoy the hell out of me!”

“I’m sorry, okay! It’s just... you’re cute when you get all mad like that. You’re funny, especially when you get mad at me,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.

You were at a loss for words. Park Chanyeol had a crush on you?

“Yes,” he answered your thoughts. God, it would take a while to get used to this. “I... can we talk about this after practice? We can call my aunt and ask her about this too.”

There really was no other choice, since this was the first time you had ever heard about any sort of soulmate link like this. And hard as you might try to deny it, Chanyeol was slowly growing on you. Getting to know him through his thoughts this past week hadn’t been the worst, despite what you had been complaining to Jongin not less than ten minutes ago. He was charming and sweet, something you had never noticed because of the limited view you had of him.

Chanyeol smiled to himself as he could hear you thinking, the tips of his ears turning pink. “So is that a yes?”

You nodded, finding it hard to look him in the eye.

Chanyeol laughed in relief, picking up his football bag and starting to walk backwards, towards the locker room. “I’ll meet you outside the band room!” he called out, before breaking into a run.

From this angle, he looked much like the other football players you had spent hours checking out. You blinked rapidly, unable to look away even as Chanyeol stopped to look over his shoulder. His eyes searched until he found you, smile turning playful and sending shivers down your spine. “I can hear you thinking about how good I look. I mean, how good my butt looks.”

“Just go to practice, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol laughed, able to hear you sulking even in your thoughts even as he ran off, disappearing into the locker room.

“See you later.”

A/N: these drabble requests aren’t even drabbles anymore, I’m enjoying all of these prompts way too much to keep them under 1k lol

[elisaphoenix13]

(Your) Light In The Dark (Ch. 2)

When Quill woke up Saturday morning, his muscles were screaming at him the second he moved. He groans loudly into his pillow, and lays in bed unmoving for the next half an hour until there's a knock on his bedroom door as it opens. His grandfather walks in and chuckles quietly when he finds Quill with eyes wide open but making no move to get out of bed, and green eyes peer up at the elder.

"Hard day at practice yesterday?"

"If I don't move, I won't fall apart." Quill groans.

"I guess you don't want the breakfast I made you. I even made french toast." His grandfather bribes and Quill stuffs his face back into his pillow.

"Five minutes."

The elder man leaves the room with an amused huff, and Quill takes the time to gather the energy and motivation to fight his pain and get out of bed. His grandfather made everything whenever he made Quill breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns...and instead of toast, he made french toast. It was worth suffering for in Quill's opinion. On school days, he usually shoveled down some cereal or picked up donuts on the way to school (not really a healthy choice, especially since he was an athlete), so he always appreciated a proper breakfast. He wasn't allowed to make much more than cereal anyway. No matter how hard he tried to learn, he always seemed to ruin something when he cooked so he was eventually banned from cooking anything hot that didn't go in the microwave.

With another groan, Quill throws off his comforter and sits up before getting out of bed and trying to stretch out his sore muscles. A shower would have to wait until after he ate since his grandfather already cooked, but he would stand in there for an hour if he needed to. Just when he thought he had stretched all the muscles he thought he had, yesterday proved there were some muscles he didn't use. Muscles he didn't even know he had.

It was a miracle he made it downstairs to the kitchen, really. The moment he sat down at the table, he knew it was going to take some effort to get back up and he was almost tempted to just live at the table. Almost...because he knew his grandfather would literally kick him out of the chair and wouldn't cater to his every need. His grandfather was awesome and Quill appreciated everything the man had done for him, but he also didn't take his shit. Like when he pushed Quill off the couch when he fell asleep watching TV.

"Ow! Hey! What the hell gramps?!"

"You're in my spot and I want to be able to hear my show. Not an overgrown cat."

Quill rubs his head. "Could've just asked."

"Go snore in your own room."

"I don't snore!"

"Yes you do. Go run and play." His grandfather waves him away and Quill grunts.

"Not a little kid you old fart--OW!" Quill yelps when his grandpa smacks the back of his head.

That was a normal occurrence. They traded quips and while the younger Quill usually got smacked for it in the end, it never actually hurt and Quill knew there was no heat behind it. If there was, he wouldn't have a plate full of food set in front of him at this very moment.

"You've outdone yourself again, Tim." Quill grins and winces when his grandfather swats him again.

"Don't call me by my name." Tim sits across from the younger with his own plate of breakfast and the daily newspaper. He hardly read the news from it. He just used it for the crossword. "So care to explain why you came home looking lost in thought?"

Quill looks over at him as he stuffs his mouth with french toast and then chews thoughtfully before swallowing to answer. "There was this guy at school. I think he's mute or something. Kind of cute…really cute." He corrects with a mumble. "

"I thought you were dating that girl...Rachel was it?" Tim asks as he fills in an answer and Quill makes a face.

"In her dreams maybe. Even then that's terrifying and I feel sorry for my dream self."

"Well...what's the boy's name?"

"...dunno." Quill admits lamely and shoves some hash browns into his mouth.

His grandpa gave him a look of 'are you kidding me?' before continuing with his crossword. It was nice being able to talk to him openly about students he thought were attractive. In fact, when Quill gathered enough courage to come out to him that he was bi, Tim just chuckled and said, "Here I thought I was going to have to be the one to tell you."

Needless to say, Quill had been thrown for a loop until his grandfather told him that he very obviously checked out both girls and guys whenever they were out in public. He had been mortified for a good five minutes after that discussion, but Tim never treated him any differently. Maybe a teasing jab here and there to embarrass him, but nothing degrading. His grandfather accepted him for who he was and supported him through any problems he had...and he knew a lot of his classmates weren't so lucky.

"So what is it about this boy that's got smoke coming out of your ears?"

"He ran."

Tim looks at him from over his coffee cup. "He ran? Have you seen yourself, Pete? I don't blame him."

"I don't know...it wasn't like that. Maybe it was part of it but he didn't run immediately. He stood there and….holy crap! Gramps, he had the prettiest eyes I've ever seen!" Tim snorts humorously and looks down at his crossword. "They were like honey! I want to know how I've never seen him before!"

Quill went on his rant after that. Explaining every thought he had about the guy he ran into yesterday with his grandfather who simply nodded until the teen was done. Even if he didn't give any advice, it was okay because sometimes Quill just needed to get it all out before the thoughts started tripping over each other. Half the time, Quill stopped making sense and Tim just ignored him until he either needed advice or figured things out on his own.

He didn't need any. At least not this time. Quill spent the weekend mulling over what he would do about the boy at school. He knew he wanted to see him again, to find out his name, but he had a feeling it would be like chasing a shadow. There also had to be a way that he could come across less intimidating, but one look in the mirror nixed that thought process. Quill just had to hope that his kindness would be enough and that he didn't bulldoze the poor guy to the floor again. When Monday came around and the teen devoured a couple bowls of cereal (and had a bag lunch thrown at his face as he left), Quill went to school and threw his lunch into his locker. As he grabbed books for the first half of the day, his friends approached him and groaned.

"Did you die on Saturday?" Eric asks.

"Almost. I was revived by Gramps's breakfast." Quill replies.

"He pack you lunch?" Eric reaches out to grab the bag of food until Quill pushes him away and closes his locker.

"Why are you always trying to steal my lunch dude?"

"He gives you all the good stuff."

"Get your own." Quill laughs before heading to class.

He went through his typical day of ignoring the stares of every girl he had classes with, and after a head scratching math class, followed by history, lunch finally came. Quill had to talk to his math teacher about the recent work though. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to get anything right and he was falling behind. He needed tutoring or something before he was kicked off the football team for failing math. It wasn't that bad yet, but he needed to do something about it before he was.

So he stopped by his math class.

"I'm sorry Peter. I've already got other students I'm helping and I don't have any time for another. Maybe you can talk to your grandfather about hiring one?"

"I...can't ask him to do that. I'll try and figure something else out." The teen replies as the classroom door opens behind him. He didn't bother looking to see who it was until his teacher looked over his shoulder at them.

"Ah, Scott!" Quill's teacher exclaims and the teen turns to look.

It was the boy with the pretty eyes. How was that for coincidence?

"Sorry. I was just getting my book. I'm leaving again." The younger boy mumbles as he scurries toward the door with his book.

"Oh. So you can talk. I thought you might have been mute." Quill blurts out and almost feels bad when Scott visibly jumps.

Quill was inwardly gushing over the guy's name as he stared. Sure he looked a little bit like a frightened animal, but the senior tried to come across as approachable at the very least. It didn't seem to help since Scott looked ready to bolt at any second again. Was he really that intimidating?

"I see you know each other. Scott here is one of my top students." Their teacher says.

"Oh...uh...know is kind of stretching it. I ran--" Quill starts and the teacher interrupts him with a wave of his hand.

"He would be able to help you with your math homework." He and Quill look at Scott. "Do you mind?"

Scott seems to snap out of whatever daze he was in. "What?"

"I already have three students I'm tutoring, but I don't have the time for a fourth. You understand the material so would you be willing to help out Peter?"

"Huh?" Scott wheezes out. "I-I'm only a Sophomore sir."

Oh, he's cute when he's nervous.

"That doesn't change the fact that you know the math." The teacher dismisses flippantly and Quill suddenly finds himself being pushed out the door with Scott. "You'll do fine. Now excuse me while I try to eat lunch before the period is over."

Quill felt exactly how Scott looked when the teacher closed the door behind them. Completely and utterly confused. Did their teacher just make a decision for them? Scott clearly looked uncomfortable about the idea of helping Quill with his math so the older teen figured he should probably say something to alleviate the expectation of the younger. Specifically that there wasn't any.

"Are you okay with this?" Quill finally asks and sighs with some relief when Scott nods hesitantly. "Okay...I have football practice everyday, so should we meet somewhere afterwards?"

Scott uses his free hand to grip the bottom of his sweater while pointedly avoiding eye contact. A nervous habit of his maybe? "I...I go to the library to study for a little while after school. I can stay there."

"Cool. So I guess I'll meet you after school?" Quill asks gently.

All he got in answer was another nod before Scott was running away once again. Maybe he should have just said that he didn't expect Scott to put time aside after school to help him. He obviously made the other teen nervous, but the thought that he would be able to spend time with Scott excited him. Hopefully he would get to know the teen behind the lonely eyes and the skittish behavior.

He was so excited that the rest of the school day and even practice went by faster than usual. Quill did have the worrying thought in the back of his mind that Scott would leave him high and dry and he would find the library missing one student, but the idea that he would be there when Quill went to meet him? It drowned out that little worry. He took his shower after practice as quickly as possible, got dressed, and barely managed a 'see ya' to his friends as he rushed to the library with the books he had grabbed before practice.

His initial worry was all for naught. Scott was sitting alone at one of the tables with his own homework, so Quill quickly composed himself before walking over and sitting down across from the younger teen.

"Hey--" Quill blinks in surprise when Scott startles in his seat and his head snaps up to look at him. "Oh shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!" When all Scott did was stare at him for the next thirty seconds, Quill tried again. "Uh...how should we start?"

Scott blinks up at him. "Sorry...what?"

"Where do you want to start?"

"Do your homework I guess and then I could look it over and then help you with what you missed." The younger mumbles and Quill nods as he pulls out his books.

"Sounds good."

When Scott looked back down at his homework, Quill took the next couple of minutes to look the guy over. He was small enough that Quill wanted to hold him right and protect him from the world, and still wore the sweater from Friday. It was clearly a favorite of his based on the wear and tear of it and for a second, Quill wondered how he would look in one of the senior's sweatshirts. Even smaller probably.

It was disturbing how fixated he was on Scott already. Good thing he wasn't a mind reader or he would be running and screaming for the hills yesterday. Quill made absolutely sure his large frame didn't take over the table in any way too. Leaned back and kept his legs as close to the chair as possible even if it was a little uncomfortable.

He did his homework as Scott had suggested and when he was finished, he got the younger's attention and had him look it over. Scott pointed out some mistakes and explained how to do it easily, and Quill had to fight to keep his focus on what Scott was saying instead of how he was explaining it. The brief smell of mint and oranges coming from the younger teen was no help but he managed to push through it until they had finished.

"Thanks for the help. You make it easier than the teacher does." Quill says as they pack up their things.

"Sure."

"Do you want a ride home?" The senior asks carefully.

"No thank you. I have a few things I need to do on the way home." Scott replies quietly.

"I don't mind helping you run a couple of errands. It's the least I can do after keeping you at school like this." Quill insists.

"One of them isn't very quick. I have some grocery shopping to do."

Quill was sure he had a weird look on his face as he asked his next question. "Don't one of your parents do that?"

"Usually." Scott shrugs. "They're out of town right now though so I need to do it this time."

The senior nods "I still don't mind, and it would make things easier for you since I have a car. You wouldn't need to carry everything home. I'm assuming you're not at the driving age at least." He finishes with a bit of a challenging tone.

Scott seems to think it over but shakes his head again. "No. It's fine. Thanks."

Oh there was no way Quill was going to let this go easily. He could grab a few snacks at the store while the younger shopped and hopefully get more than a sentence out of him that wasn't about school. He was still curious about Scott and taking him to run errands would be the perfect opportunity to watch him.

Fuck...that sounds creepy.

[perogipoj]

all this before coffee

Dedicated to my black sheep family, who will always be golden.

 Barbed wire, blank walls and an empty sky. Cocoa Beach.  Brevard County, FL. Jail.  Also known as SHARPS.  Tammy walked into the classroom with an air of bravado coupled with the eyes of a child. I never met a teacher before she said shyly, glancing at her handcuffs on the uncomfortable chair.  Even … I hesitated, even in school, I asked gently. I adjusted my own hips to adjust for the cold hard beneath me.  I mean, a teacher for real.  Her eyes looked down, and I implored with my eyes this time to the corrections officer to remove the handcuffs.  Her shoulder length hair was marred by black roots and mustard colored ends.  There were scars on her arm from cutting.  Her teeth were perfect when she decided to smile. Opening the GRE materials, I joked that I am useless at math but fairly good at grammar.  Tammy looked beautiful.

 Some of us take many things too far.  That has seemed to be my pattern.  Even healthy habits turned into obsessions.  Jogging turned into running which became marathons and a cruel treatment of my body.  Some can run into their seventies without injury as some people live to a hundred while smoking and drinking whiskey to the end.  Mindful eating became anorexia and bulimia.  Going organic made me broke with the kombucha and hemp that flowed through my veins.  Being tidy led me to compulsive house cleaning, often with bleach scouring my hands and my eyes colored in pink tears.  Personal grooming turned to hours and dollars of hair coloring, clothes I could not afford, Botox, and breast augmentation. Wanting affirmation led to dangerous and toxic sexual situations.  

 Jaylen, I was warned, was “special.”  I would normally groan inward, used to so many parents highlighting their children as such, usually to explain poor grades.   The volunteer walked all twelve years of Jaylen, his mannerisms large and chaotic, into the room in which all toys and colors were removed.  I hate reading, he said, standing with his arms crossed in front of him like a knight.  Why? It’s stupid.  Can you read, I asked, opening the second-grade reader I was given. I don’t need to read, I can dance.

 I met The Peruvian on a last minute, pathetic online date.  I was at a job expo to acquire my first teaching job after finishing my master’s degree at a world-famous university.  I almost flunked out.  I could not focus.  I cried over social histories in German, a language I lacked grammatical skill in, dreading the meetings with just my professor and another grad student. Black tea, discussions of Marx I got lost in, his approval nodding at the stout Russian girl I already had difficulty understanding in English, never mind in German.  In college, I was stellar.  On time to each class, writing papers late into the night with a gusto of my fingers and a smile on my face.  The world looked bright. On a sweltering day with an incompressible and unimportant commencement speaker, we burnt in the sun and passed around a flask of vodka under our graduation gowns.  Life is beginning.  I held the parchment color graduation schedule. My name had a star next to it.

 I saw that Tammy was no longer shackled when she entered the gray room.  Since the week I met with her, she had elevated herself to the trusted inmates who could clean, deliver meals, and hand out the dog-eared pages of books on a squeaky cart.  So, you scored extremely high on many levels, Tammy.  Let’s take a look at the reading comprehension packet I assigned on The Scarlet Letter.  She smiled more brightly.  I pressed her for intrigue. Ma’am, she said glowing, my commissary is so lit now I don’t have to eat the garbage they give us.  They try to pass off expired food when I deliver it.  I wanted to call them out on those pistachios.  I don’t have time to answer these packets you give me. But I read the book.  What did you read, according to you?  We clasped hands.  Of course, the minster got off and Hester had to wear the giant A over her pilgrim costume.  I dipped my head. Of course.  She could read Hawthorne.  

 I will be the gladdest thing

           Under the sun!

I will touch a hundred flowers

           And not pick one.

 I will look at cliffs and clouds

           With quiet eyes,

Watch the wind bow down the grass,

           And the grass rise.

 And when the lights begin to show

           Up from the town,

I will mark which much be mine,

           And then start down.

-          Edna St. Vincent Millay  

 Jaylen came running into the room from the play center and basketball court which I assumed was a courtesy to me.  He needed to get the wiggles out.

 Nassau Point in the summer at Aunt Tillie’s, driving the Long Island Expressway until it ended to countless grey and white mottled roads.  Passing vineyards that used to be potato fields, cramming my mouth with the last bit of contraband Doritos which were called a Special Treat to nullify us on the vast expanse from New Jersey to the tiny white house.  Decorated in “Early American” with a front glass porch smelling oddly pleasant of moth balls and sunlight.  The huge lawn rolling into the bay with a dock that appeared and disappeared with the tide.  Kids took showers in the dank basement, carved out of a space teeming of a hoarder. A crusted bottle of prell shampoo and a withered sliver of ivory soap.  I met Man-Boy With Very Hairy Legs for the first and last time.  Stroking my legs up and down, he asked if I had a boyfriend.  I was ten, and smug that I could run through poison ivy and never get a rash.  Do you want to fool around, like do stuff?  He whispered into my ear everything I did not know yet.  That’s what married people do!  With his laughter, I leapt my long legs and ran, up the hill, to the driveway where my father was shucking corn.  I got away. This time.

 I was so excited to see Tammy.  But she was not in attendance.  I left the CO the beat-up copy of Antigone for her. I never saw Tammy again.  “All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when his course is wrong and repairs the evil.  The only evil is pride.” This quote was for my betterment, not for Tammy’s.

 A time of reckoning, and a time of complete growth.  A time of a schedule not placed by us.  A journey into us through the connection of others, who became best friends.  Vitamin fusions, lining up for medication in ribbed short paper cups, and Group.  Totally released from responsibility, my linens and clothes were washed, returned the same afternoon in compact squares surrounded by plastic wrap.  Jokes of communal constipation. So, this is my brain mapped.  Here is what displays depression, here anxiety, this is insomnia, that part shows a lack of memory and concentration.  What is that big blue of the Pacific Ocean?  She looked at me, clicked her keyboard.  PTSD.  

 I want to draw a Parrot! P-A-R-R-O-T and speak like one! Wordless, I handed him the blue and black expo markers for the old white board.  With precision, he drew the bird.  I need more colors, he explained in one breath can I talk like a parrot.  I smiled at him at led him to his desk. Let’s try to pay attention today, and I will get you more colors and you can show me how a parrot talks. I began my lesson, and his eyes drifted into imagination.  I needed to get him more colors.  

 I told The Peruvian I was pregnant.  Now I can never afford to divorce you he muttered, enraged.  Married two months earlier, I realized our honeymoon baby was not welcome.   The protesters were angry, and I felt sick. Him on his laptop, me crying to a social worker.  Do not sedate me, I plead, I need to feel this sin.  Sliding my shoes off in the car, my trunk grinding with mountain rolls of cramps and uncontrollable sobbing coming from a divine place, I declined lunch in West Palm.  I never want to do anything fun.  Changing my pad alone in a car beneath the ceiling of the parking garage in City Place, I then tilted my head and fell asleep again.  My birthday came and went.  You didn’t remember my birthday.  With that evil glint in his eyes, he turned his head and told me that was because he did not love me.

 I purchased a ream of paper and a new box of 42 colors Crayola, legit, sharpener in the box, for Jaylen.  He immediately sat down and drew and drew.  Can we put some words to these if we use the colors you want?  He looked up at me shyly and wrote down five words from the fifth-grade reader.  How did you know that?  Easy, my Grammy teaches me.

 I did not smoke to fit in. I smoked because it felt good out in the parking lot, vying for shade, with the Tech supplying communal cigarettes and a light.  The wave went through me and my lips burned with the dirt and smoky taste.  You look like Strawberry Shortcake trying to smoke a cigarette!  My mother was a sophisticated Virginia Slims smoker, sitting on the brick steps in her tennis skirt, so beautiful, watching my brother play in the backyard waiting for my father to return from work.  I sat next to her in awe, breathing in the sprinkler water and counting its pattern, hum hum-hum-hum, hum hum-hum-hum.  

 I took a cigarette break on my Uber ride home.  I knew I would not smoke much when I got home.   However, I did not consume much except cigarettes and black coffee.  I felt Parisian.  The house got messy, and my thighs grew softer. Investing only in ponds cold cream and drugstore mascara, I laughed deeper and threw myself into work more than ever, with determined concentration, forgetting my posture, hunched over in zeal working sixty hours a week.   Anxiety attacks did not make my head and hands shake while driving. I binged watched Law and Order.  Being unhealthy never felt so healthy.  

 I called the jail to let them know I am available for other inmates if they needed me.  I went the next day to help a young man learn English as a second language. All went well until he stood up screaming asking for a guard then switching to Spanish.  

 Here is your key, you can find your mailbox in the teacher lounge.  Here is the form to join the union, Mr. Pescatelli will most certainly find you about that.  Do you know what a block schedule is?  In the morning you will be teaching Advanced Placement European History to our magnet students.  After lunch, you have sophomore World History in the fourth wing. The afternoon will have different challenges.  If you ever need assistance, security is just down the hall.  Welcome to Ft. Lauderdale High School.  Welcome to my first year of teaching.  

 …

 I met the Sophisticated Scandinavian Man in Boston in the Spring.  A PhD candidate from a social democracy intrigued me.  I was twenty-two and he was twenty-eight.  I felt like a puppy taken in from the cold.  There is a long story for this, maybe later.  The times in which he devoured me, lavished upon me, he loved a short story I wrote, “All this before coffee.”

 Sonya met me in the prison classroom.  In anticipation of a new student, I posted Jaylen’s parrots, travel posters, pictures of presidents listing their failures before they took office.  Hello, she said, reaching her cuffed wrists out to me.  I am Jaylen’s mother.

 All this before coffee.  All this after a DUI.

[btsjfans]

Love Me pt 2

Summary: After breaking off your 4 year romance as you make your way onto your 3rd year of college, you don’t expect to fall back in love’s grip so soon…

Namjoon x Reader, fluff, lil angst, maybe a lil smut later on

masterlist

part 1 

a/n: y’all it’s been like a million years since I’ve even last posted, and it’s been about 9 months since I posted the start to this. I truly can’t explain myself I’m just busy. Oops, xoxo, and thanks for all your support and requests, it keeps me on here :) love you all. ALSO guys i really really love this man look how ADORABLE HE IS GHDJKFJHDSFB

Laughter echoed down the hall from the living room, where 6 rowdy boys sat, disturbing your focus. You smiled as you heard Jin’s laugh clearly through the rest. You pushed your chair back and walked out to the living room, leaning against the wall and crossing your arms. Before you sat the 6 men boys, bent over, faces red, from their laughter. The coffee table had been moved over to make room for them all to sit criss cross on the floor with the Game of Life in the middle of them. 

“Y/n-Y/n, Yoongi just had his 9th kid, they have to have two vans!” Jin shrills, laughing, slapping a very stressed Min Yoongi on the back. 

“I don’t know how we’re gonna afford this kid, I just lost my job last roll,” he mutters, shoving kid #9 in his new blue van. 

“You should join us Y/n!” Jungkook grins, popping a chip into his mouth, while patting the spot next to him with the other hand.

“Ah she can’t, she has her big math midterm tomorrow. She’s gotta study.” Namjoon smiles and gives you a look, reminding you of your priorities. 

“Yeah he’s right, I just came out here to remind you punks to be quiet,” You grin, snagging the chip bowl from Jungkook, who whines in protest between the chips in his mouth. 

“Good luck,” the boys chorus, turning back to the game. Except for Namjoon who sends you a little smile matched with a playful wink, lighting a fire in your heart. You send one back, still smiling as you close the door to your room, leaning your back against it and clutching the chips to your chest. To be honest, you had started to catch feelings for your roommate, which you knew was completely inappropriate. It hadn’t happened right away though, it took time like any real crush does. 

You’d been living there for 4 months now, it was almost halfway through December now. It took time to get over Wonho, and Jenny. About 2 months actually. You had to rewrite your life, and this time without the people you had held most important longer than you had anyone else before. But writing Namjoon into your life had been the easiest thing you’d ever done. He was like your perfect other half. When you were shaky, he was stable. When you were sad, he was happy. When you were ecstatic, he hyped you up but still kept you on Earth. He was there to take you on morning and evening walks. He was there to bake cookies at 2am when you couldn’t sleep. He was there to lay in bed and talk until you guys fell asleep. He was the most constant, perfect person you had ever met. For all the times you burdened him with every little struggle, he rarely told you his. Instead, he opted to make sure you were well taken care of before even beginning to open up. He was everything Wonho was not, and in the best way possible. 

You first started to develop feelings for him in November. The day it started was a brisk fall morning, when he was walking with you to get coffee. You were both bundled up in jackets, and linked arm in arm. You were walking when a giant leaf the size of your head flew into your face, blinding you and making you shriek. He laughed and watched you knock it off your face, pulling it out away from the tendrils of hair it had caught on. He grinned and brushed the hair from your face, his fingers gently skimming your cheek. Your body had felt like it was on fire, despite it being 40 degrees out. You don’t know why but that’s really what started it all. After that, every little thing he did for you felt so much more personal; every little habit of his and every little thing about him was so much more adorable. 

Butttt of course you knew you could never pursue things with him. You couldn’t jeopardize the healthiest friendship you’d ever had, and plus it wouldn’t be fair to Taehyung when he came back into town. 

You shake yourself from your thoughts, rushing back to your desk, and hunching over to study. You were going to ace this exam, even if it killed you.

“Y/n?” Three knocks at the door. “Y/n get up!” Three more. You opened your eyes and sat up, pulling your pencil off your cheek. You glance in your vanity and wince at the sight before you. Your hair was a mess, there was a red mark where the pencil was on your cheek, and your eyes were bloodshot. Your desk was in even worse condition, chips were crumbled and scattered all over, your papers were wrinkled, and there was what looked like a little puddle of drool smeared across the smooth wood. Namjoon pokes his head in, eyes widening at your state. “Your final is in 10 minutes come on!!! I made breakfast, so you get ready and then we’ll run you over,” As quickly as he came, he was gone. You threw your clothes on, just leggings and one of his sweatshirts that somehow always ended up on your floor. You grabbed your bag and ran to the kitchen where an egg with toast waited at the table. You scarfed it down and bolted out the door, Namjoon on your tail. The two of you sprinted through the campus, a cold sprinkling of rain misting your faces as you panted and dodged passerby's. You start to feel panic well up inside as you check your watch and see you have 30 seconds.With the building still a minute away, you feel a tear come out and slow your pace, knowing it’s futile. You stop and catch your breath, trying to remain calm, when you see Namjoon speed up past you, hitting a full sprint. He gets to the building and busts through the doors, running up to where your class is. You grin knowing he made it, and start sprinting too. As you run up the stairs you hear him talking to the teacher. “No sir are you sure this isn’t Improv Comedy? This has to be it, they said the final was here today!” You grin and listen to your annoyed professor repeat exasperatedly how it is not in fact Improv and he is mistaken. You slide through the door and into a chair nearby, catching your breath and smoothing your wet hair. Your friends grin at you and shake their heads. Namjoon glances back, seeing you’ve made it. He throws you a wink before sighing, “Alright, thanks sir.” As he walks out he mouths to you, “I believe in you,” before disappearing. 

You walk out of the final, flanked by your friends. You guys joke about how you definitely failed, but you feel a pit in your stomach knowing you probably did honestly. You guys stand in the lobby, watching the rain pour outside and decide to wait for it to pass over before heading out. 

“God is someone actually out there?” One kid says, squinting and looking out the windows into the torrential rains. You all run over to the windows, laughing as you watch a kid sprint with an umbrella that’s fighting him. You grin until you realize you know that umbrella, because it’s yours. 

The kid, now identified as Namjoon, finally gets through the doors, absolutely soaked despite his attempt at an umbrella. 

“What are you doing here?” You grin but shake your head at your friend, before noticing the soaked, and partially mutilated flowers he holds. 

“I wanted to bring you these after your final.” He smiles sheepishly and holds out a bouquet of wild flowers, some drooping, some missing petals, and some in perfect condition. 

You feel your heart flutter, and gingerly take them, hugging them to your chest. 

“Aw I love them Joon, I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much,” You grin and gaze at the flowers lovingly before realizing what you said. 

“I love you too Y/n,” He grins, his dimple teasing his face, before pulling you in for a warm, albeit wet, hug. You wrap your arms around him and close your eyes breathing in his smell. You really do love him.

“I’m so excited for you to meet Taehyung, he’s so so so funny and smart and you’re gonna love him.” Namjoon rambles as he putters around, excitedly awaiting Taehyung’s arrival. Tae had been on a study abroad in England for the last semester working on his English degree. From what the boys had said about him, he was a really good guy. You hoped he’d like you. You’d even prepared a little gift for him, all his favorite American foods in a basket to welcome him back to the states. Hoseok had even pitched in a 2 liter of Sprite, despite that not even being on Taehyung’s list. 

You would miss your time alone with Namjoon, all your quiet nights in on the couch, talking and laughing. Everything about this life here had been perfect, like a sweet escape from the rest of the world. As much as it embarrasses you to think, you’re worried that Taehyung being here will ruin everything. It was his home first! Who gave you the audacity to want to keep him at bay? 

You cast a smile at the boys as they enter, all excitedly twittering about Taehyung’s arrival. You lean against the cupboard, trying to calm yourself before he arrives. You close your eyes and take a shaky breath, sucking that air right back in as warm hands suddenly engulf yours. 

“What’s wrong?” Namjoon is there, his warm eyes twinkling and a small smile flirting with his dimple. 

“I-I don’t know,” You laugh a little, your face on fire, “What if he doesn’t like me?” He laughs in response, which was not the response you thought this kind of situation merited. “What the heck?” You try to tug your hands away, not impressed with him at the moment. 

“It’s just, how could he not like you? You’re amazing!! And worst case scenario, I like you enough for the both of us. And uh I don’t know if now is the right time to say this, or if there even is a right time, but I have feelings for you, like more than a friend. And I’ve felt this way for a while, a long, long while. And I know I might have just ruined things with us but please, if you don’t feel the same way just tell me, I won’t ever pressure you okay? Just tell me things are okay,” His smile weakens, but his eyes stay alight with hope. 

You feel a smile light your face and you let out a soft laugh. “Namjoon! I feel the same, I-”

“PIP PIP LOSERS I’M BACK!” The door busts open as a deep voice bellows through the room, all of you jumping. The boys run over in a testosterone filled sentimental mob.

“We’ll have time later princess,” Namjoon’s voice drops suddenly, his breath hot on your hear, sending chills over your body in a wave. As quickly as his intimacy came it left, and he was among the boys bear hugging Taehyung.

“Now lets meet this new roomie,” 

[theleastcarefulofgamedevs]

hehehehehehehehe ur turn. overshare pals

hehe im lov u ceec :)

---

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

water bottles and soda cans!

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

chocolate.... im lov it

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

cotton candy!

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

hardworking, earnest, and honestly? they gave me too much credit ebagweaganegioawnegew

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

soda bottles!

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

somewhere between boho, goth, and grunge hehe

7. earbuds or headphones?

headphones!

8. movies or tv shows?

movies,,

9. favorite smell in the summer?

you know that wet pavement smell after it rains? love that

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

dodgeball hehehe

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

nothin tbh. i don’t wake up early enough for it

12. name of your favorite playlist?

Writing Music! i made it hehehe

13. lanyard or key ring?

key ring!

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

GUMMY BEARS AND JELLY BEANS

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

“A Child Called ‘It’“ by Dave Pelzer

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

cuddled up to someone in blankets,,, im lov anything with my s/o tbh

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

i have this beat up pair of blue slip ons that have bloodstains on em bc i got a nosebleed one day bwaeiugbaweugbaweubguaw

18. ideal weather?

post-raining, or like. just before it starts raining

19. sleeping position?

anything with my s/o or bein wrapped in like. a billion blankets

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

on my home pc in my room!

21. obsession from childhood?

dice and video games!

22. role model?

i know it’s gonna sound dumb but like. a lot of characters from media have influenced me a lot, like sans/komaeda etc. another one from my real life would be my aunt on my mom’s side!

23. strange habits?

i bounce my leg while listening to music or stressed,, that’s abt it. OH and i like twirling a small blanket around on my arm bc... acrobatics of sorts

24. favorite crystal?

amethyst, but anything clean cut and rounded looks rlly nice imo,,

25. first song you remember hearing?

the first day i remember in my life was christmas at my grandma’s when i was 4, so probably random christmas music ubwegebwgwebgoibgweg

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

sometimes when i get tired of sitting around at home i like to walk down to the dog park by my house! 

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

cuddle,,,,,,,,,,, wrap up in a blanket with some freshly baked cookies n just. be there

28. five songs to describe you?

megalovania, medley rush 2 from the sonic rush ost, the promised neverland english op, metal crusher from undertale, metal scratchin’ from sonic rush

29. best way to bond with you?

just talk to me! im godawful at starting convos but i love talkin to ppl! 

30. places that you find sacred?

every person’s room feels that way, as well as obvious places, like churches n whatnot. we went n visited my aunt’s old house so my mom could pick up some stuff and being in her room after she died in 2015 was just like. an emotion i can’t rlly describe

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

hoodie, trackpants, n sneakers hehe

32. top five favorite vines?

back at it again @ krispy kreme, ADAM, they were roommates, two dudes in a hot tub, my croissant

33. most used phrase in your phone?

either “be there soon” or “ily” 

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

none tbh. i don’t watch much tv so i don’t see ads often

35. average time you fall asleep?

either 10:30 or sometime after midnight. no in between 

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

it was a rage comic

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

suitcase!

38. lemonade or tea?

lemonade, but i LOVE tea!

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

LEMON CAKE....

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

i was walkin in the halls with my friend and someone dropped a styrofoam cup of pasta on my friend’s head from the second floor awbegiuawbeguiawbguaewg

41. last person you texted?

the person who sent this ask heheheheh

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

jacket pockets!

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

hoodie!

44. favorite scent for soap?

anything really, but i like whatever my s/o uses bc it would remind me of them!

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

fantasy!

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

underwear tbh. like. that and a tshirt or just underwear is the only way i can sleep

47. favorite type of cheese?

sensory issues say i have to hate all kinds of cheese outside of like. grilled cheese so let’s go with that/cheddar

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

dragonfruit! 

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

GOD pretty much every quote from monomi or chiaki in danganronpa 2, but mostly “if you learn to love yourself, that love will continue to carry you for your whole life! love, love...”

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

OH HERES A FUCKIN STORY OK so i was at my friend’s house with a bunch of others bc we were doin a sleepover type thing and we were eating raising canes in his attic at like 3 am and some guy high on like. 3 different drugs at once got impaled through the leg on his fence. nobody saw him but we knew he was there and the cops were there in like 3 minutes. that very same friend has some of the most wack stories ngl

51. current stresses?

just doing well in school and making sure my s/o is happy!

52. favorite font?

comic sans.......................... im sorry

53. what is the current state of your hands?

my palms b sweaty but my fingers are dehydrated tbh. typin

54. what did you learn from your first job?

work.... difficult

55. favorite fairy tale?

probably the princess and the frog!

56. favorite tradition?

christmas!

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

probably my most noteworthy traumas tbh. gettin therapy for em, too

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

writing, my ability to overcome obstacles, being able to help ppl as well as i can, and making friends fast!

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“Not dead yet.”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

Probably either shounen, romance, or moe,,,,

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

“It’s a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. On days like these, kids like you... should be burning in hell.”

62. seven characters you relate to?

sans, komaeda, makoto naegi, komaru naegi, toko fukawa, chiaki nanami, and chihiro fujisaki!

63. five songs that would play in your club?

they’d all be fall out boy tbh. that and videogame osts

64. favorite website from your childhood?

armor games hehe

65. any permanent scars?

i don’t think so? at least, not yet

66. favorite flower(s)?

roses and anything blue!

67. good luck charms?

my dice sets!

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

vanilla york peppermint patties... gross

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

pikmin in pikmin 1 who are underneath a bridge when it’s completed are killed because they get pushed through the ground

70. left or right handed?

right handed!

71. least favorite pattern?

probably the hellish bumpy pattern all teachers have all over their fuckin classrooms

72. worst subject?

math

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

chicken nuggets in milkshake... good. or frankly just like. cooked chicken mixed with anythin cold like ice or ice cream

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

like. 3 or 4

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

i was eating a crunch bar and it fell out hehe

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

I WOULD DIE FOR FRENCH FRIES.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

any small blooming plant, like a single rose or flower!

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

hrm. coffee from a gas station tbh

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

NEITHER LOOK GOOD LMAO and i don’t have a driver’s license. that’s just like. a prediction

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

jewel tones!

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

lightning bugs!

82. pc or console?

either works but i spend more time on pc!

83. writing or drawing?

writing, but i like both!

84. podcasts or talk radio?

talk radio, but i love podcasts like TAZ or Critical Role! 

84. barbie or polly pocket?

neither? but probably barbie bc it’s more well known? idk

85. fairy tales or mythology?

mythology!

86. cookies or cupcakes?

cupcakes all the way b

87. your greatest fear?

me being the last person i know alive. i’d rather die than outlive everyone

88. your greatest wish?

i hope that no matter what there is after we die, i get to be with the people that are most important to me. 

89. who would you put before everyone else?

my s/o and family tbh

90. luckiest mistake?

buying danganronpa bweguowabguawebogbaweibg

91. boxes or bags?

boxes!

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

fairy lights!

93. nicknames?

i go by wes, dev, bines, anything rlly

94. favorite season?

spring!

95. favorite app on your phone?

tumblr hehe

96. desktop background?

it’s the ddlc cast! it’s a greyscaled image of four of the events cut together and their eyes glow hehe

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

only one, and it’s my dads bc i have to call him every time i go to my grandparents’ hehe

98. favorite historical era?

probably the one we’re in now tbh, but like. also hate it

[sakichi56]

Servamp Character Appreciation week Day 1 Part 1:

Soooo, this is probably awful but I felt I had to contribute. It's kind of angsty so be warned. XD. Also, it's too long to fit in one post, so it will have to be a 2 parter. Servamp Character Appreciation Week

Prompt: 1

Childhood

Character: Kuro

It was around 8pm as a young 8 year old boy by the name of Ash wandered the streets. He had ice blue hair and eyes to math it, he was a medium build, and always had a tired look to his figure. Everyone thought he just didn't go to sleep because had large, dark bags under his eyes. But the bags were really an effect from all the stress and late nights he had to endure.They were often a subject of ridicule from the boys classmates, which made this naturally quiet child even more reclusive. Normally a kid his age would be at home in bed by now, but Ash had learned early on in life that it was safer to take to the streets until 11pm when his father went to sleep.

His father was quite the avid drinker, more often than not coming home utterly wasted. Which was never a good thing, if he wasn't trashing the house then he was beating Ash. Sometimes he watied for his son to come home just to give him a good lashing before staggering off to bed. Why? He didn't know.

Maybe it was because of how ugly he was, or maybe he was too stupid, or maybe it was because he was never wanted in the first place. He was an accident. His father made that very clear already. From the time he was old enough to understand his father had told him he was a bastard child, that they never intended for him to happen, and his father also told him that he had ruined his chances at love and happiness.

Ash's mother had died during childbirth, which could also be part of the reason for why he had an alchoholic and abusive father. He had incured the mans wrath just by existing, by being born he had taken an innocent womans life. A woman who had just started her life, who was going to get married as soon as she had the baby so she could fit into her mothers wedding dress. A woman who had found love and who had given love, but took it all away with her when she passed on. His father had given him the name Ash because from the very second he was brought into this world he had managed to burn down all his hopes and dreams until nothing but ash remained.

That was why Ash had no desire to converse with the other children at school, he didn't want make friends when all he ever did was hurt and upset people. It was just easier to try to remain neutral and let the other kids pick on him for being weird. That way he didn't have to risk messing up and saying the wrong thing, or letting people down and dashing their expectations. He didn't want to hurt anyone ever again. And yet, if he wanted to live, then he had to.

Some nights on the street were rougher than others, as he didn't exactly live in the safest neighborhood. There were always people fighting for one reason or another. Gangs fighting for territory, drunks like his father fighting for no other reason than the fact that one of them looked at the other the wrong way, or even random innocents trying to get home but were caught by muggers and had to fight for their lives. A few times when he was a bit younger Ash had gotten caught by some street thugs and got beaten nearly to death, so from then on he learned to fight. He never fought unless he had to, he didn't save people even when he had the opportunity and could very easily take the offending man out, he wasn't a cop and he was definitely no hero.

This was how his life went, all through elementary and middle school. By day he would go to school and get beaten up and teased by his peers, and by night he would be ducking his father by walking around and trying not to run into bandits and other miscreants. Hopefully getting home after his father went to bed to avoid a beating, doing his homework quietly in his room until he fell asleep and getting up at 5am to get ready for school and slip out of the house before his dad got up.

When he reached higschool, things had gotten even worse as bad as his father was at least he always kept food in the house, it was always things like dry cereal, bread, instant ramen or canned foods.

But he stopped doing that as soon as Ash got into higschool. So that meant the teen had to get a job to buy himself what he needed to survive, which meant he got even less sleep than before, which lead to him getting sick quite frequently. His skin as pale as a ghost, and the bags under his eyes only got bigger and darker. It got to the point that his condition could no longer be ignored, one of his teachers took notice of his health. A young woman by the name of Ashley Brown, with long, straight medium brown hair and light coffee eyes, who had recently been hired as, ironically enough, an art teacher at the school, had the young man in her class and had been watching him since she first saw him.

The boy never talked to anyone, not even her. He came in, sat alone in the back and did his assignment. And he always wore the same thing, a pair of white skinny jeans, a light blue tshirt and a white hoodie with the hood always pulled up. It was as if he were trying to blend into the background, it was hard to notice the child's pale skin when the sheer amount of white worn by him always washed him out anyway. But one day she had seen a splash of color on the boy, just not in the way she would have liked. When he was walking into class she had been standing at the door handing out notes to the students as they filed in and that's when she saw it, the dark purple bruise on the teens cheek.

She didn't want to call him out in front of the entire class so she decided to wait and hold him back after class to chat. She had gone on like nothing was out of the norm, teaching the class what tertiary and complementary colors were before instructing them to paint a picture of the happiest moment in their lives to date using only complementary colors like red and green, or tertiary colors like yellow-green or blue-green.

As all the students began painting pictures of the time the got their first phone, or a favorite birthday party, or even the day they got a puppy, Ash sat there just stairing at his paper, not moving a muscle.

Thinking he just zoned out and didn't get the assignment, she walked over to his seat in the

back and tapped his shoulder, causing the youth to nearly jump out of his skin. "Did I startle you? I'm sorry,

it wasn't my intention. I just wanted to make sure you understood the assignment because you weren't working."

She gave her sweetest smile, trying to show that she really didn't mean to frighten the boy. He gave her a nod in return and continued to just sit there.

Trying again, she turned to the adolescent and asked,"So you do understand the assignment then.

Is there another reason why your not completing it then Ash?" He flinched in response before quietly asking if

she could give him another assignement. Perplexed, the woman asked him why he wanted another assignment and why

he couldn't just do the one she already assigned. "Because...I don't have a happiest memory."

Thinking the boy was just playing with her, she laughed. "Oh come on, everyone has a happiest

memory. If your having trouble picking one then just pick the first one that comes to mind."

"No, I don't mean that there are too many to choose from, I mean I don't have one at all."

"What? Not a single happy memory? Surely your joking." The boy shook his head.

"I see...Then go ahead and paint whatever you like, but Ash...please saty after class. I need to speak with you."

The boy nodded slowly, assuming he was in trouble and remained silent as he finally began his painting. The teacher quietly returning to her desk. Once the bell rang dismissing the class and all the other students had left, Ash grabbed his things and made his way to Ms. Brown's desk.

[howardlinkedin]

Group Project: Part 6

Running Title: Group Project. Part 6 Part 5: Here Part 7: Here (End) Sequel to Shelter Summary: Homecoming! (And Komui is a lovable mess, please keep him well fed). 

“Sometimes,” said Pooh, “the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”

The brother would read to the sister, tucked away at his chest. She would yawn, signaling that she was halfway to dreamland, and the brother couldn’t help but agree.

---

Let it be known, to all who walk this earth, that Allen Walker is a troll.

His family, his friends, and even his fans; no one is spared. Especially his fans, whom the majority follow his instagram page.

The most recent? A photo of the family’s luggage being unloaded at Barcelona’s El Prat airport. Instead of three (Allen’s, Link’s and Lenalee’s), adult sized suitcases, there was another set of smaller, children’s sized cases as well.

“On our way home!” the tagline read.

Within the hour, multiple sources had the image posted on their networks, demanding to know all about the picture and its details.

---

“You really shouldn’t tease like that.” Link admonished, as his husband switched his phone to airplane mode. Said husband shrugged and grinned. “Everyone’s going to know eventually. I’d rather it be on my terms.”

“Know what?” Timothy demanded, more than ask, as he leeched himself at his dad’s side. Lala looked from over their Papa’s shoulder in curiosity.

Allen squeezed his son. “That I have the cutest kids in the entire universe!”

Lala rolled her eyes, while Tim preened. “Yeah, I am really adorable.”

The boy got embarrassing smooches all over his face in public for his ego.

“Blarg! Dad, stoppit!”

---

At 7AM, Cross knocked the alarm off his bedside table and burrowed deeper into the sheets. Atuuda, having become Allen’s small-white-haired substitute, leaped onto his back and began to kneed at it.

The Colonel cursed the creature to hell, but in his half awake state, it was more like his voice became a garbage disposal of words.

A tap sounded off his table, and Cross could smell the familiar aroma of black coffee. “It’s time for all old men to wake up.” Flirted a voice. Cross cracked open an eye.

Anita stood over him, already dressed for the day, a wheezing small dog at her feet. It took the man exactly eighteen blinks before his brain came back on, and he could actually focus on that beautiful smile of hers.

“I am not old.” He groused.

“Keep telling yourself that.” Anita tweaked his nose, then turned heel out of his room, Timcampy following with pattering feet. “Breakfast is ready, by the way.”

After glaring at his doorway with a very wrinkled and offended nose, Marian finally managed to get up and out of bed. Why was he always surrounded by morning people? It was a curse.

Sipping away at the perfectly brewed coffee (a perk of dating a cafe owner), he plopped himself down at the table, not before giving Anita’s crown a morning kiss and a very bleary thank you for cooking.

---

The first morning Anita stayed over at his, she laid down two ground rules:

After every meal she cooks, she is to be given a thank you. No gratitude meant all of said food will end up on your face, your ass on the floor, and the dog trying to eat the mess up.

Cross was not allowed to kiss her mouth until after he’s brushed his teeth.

Cross wondered if his morning breath was truly that bad, or if he just always ended up falling for people who were particular about dental hygiene.

---

Komui Lee was a prodigy. At fourteen he graduated high school, and soon after began taking college level courses online. By the time he was 17 (going on 18), he had gained three science degrees, (pre-med, microbiology, and biochemistry) and a sister.

Just after submitting his application for the forensic science track, Komui Lee held little newborn Lenalee Lee in his long awkward arms, and fell in love.

This was the moment he became a brother.

“As soon as I saw you,” he would read to her at bedtime. “I knew a grand adventure was going to happen.”

---

Making his way to his car, to hassle himself to work, Colonel Marian Cross stopped short to observe the moving trucks just across the street.

“Huh. Someone’s moving in.”

---

“Sir, you need to get off the floor.” Assistant Forensics Chief Reever nudged his boss with a foot. Said boss was laying face down on the tiled floor, spreadeagle.

“What if the plane crashes?” Komui asks, voice deadly serious, but its effect diminished due to his current, physical state.

Actually, it was always hard to take the man seriously, what with the pink bunny slippers and constant state of emotional disarray.

The Assistant Chief rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, as though asking for strength to handle the drama Komui would bring in this morning. “Okay, I’ll bite.” He crouched down in an attempt to look at his boss in the eyes. “What plane?”

Glasses flashing, Komui frowned something fierce. “Lenalee is coming home!” Reever felt a headache coming on, because this was the smartest man he knew, yet Komui insisted on sounding like a pouting child.

In an attempt to defuse the oncoming storm, Reever attempted a cheerful, “That’s great! We’ve really missed her!” Which was the truth. The science hub of the Precinct, and those affiliated with them were liken to a mishmash of family, Lenalee included.

“But!” The Lead Forensics Chief whined. “Thirty-six hours is sooooo looong!” The man squirmed on the floor. Reever wondered when it was last mopped.

“And what if the PLANE CRASHES?!” Komui bellowed.

“It won’t.” Deadpanned the other man.

This is when Komui grabbed his friend’s face with both hands and forced the man to lean down, nose to nose. “But what if it does?”

Reever deduced it was going to be a long thirty-six hours in both the Forensics Department and the Lee household.

---

“Komui, it’s my lunch break.”

“But Bak-”

“No.”

“BUTWHATIFTHEPLANE-”

Bak Chang turned off his cellphone.

Only for his classroom phone to begin ringing.

---

The second image Allen posted to his account was that of the back of Link’s dozing head. Another set of blond and a smaller blue-fading back into brunett heads pillowed on his shoulders. Allen’s own head peaked in the corner of the image, mirth in his eyes.

“Sleepy family waiting 4 our luggage!!!!!!!” said the tagline, followed by a string of emojis.

Later Allen would insist that, yes, that many exclamation points were necessary.

---

Lenalee was five and she couldn’t stop crying. Komui feels their world crash around them as he signs for full custody, and his heart mourns for them both.

Komui is 22 when he and Lenalee are orphaned, and suddenly simply being alive was a lot more dangerous than previously believed. He had just entered into his internship through the college.

Over the course of mere hours, he had become not just a brother, but mother and father as well.

His sister cried for the both of them.

Haggard and broken hearted, Komui read Lenalee to sleep- because even when distraught, the little sister always, always fell away to sleep at the sound of her brother’s reading.

“If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever.”

Only after Lenalee fell asleep, did he let his tears fall.

---

Chaoji served his ten-o’clock her mocha and cookies, and watched as she seated herself across from a very engrossed Kanda. Besides him, which was a rarity during his studies, was Alma.

At any given moment, whenever it looked like Kanda was about to bolt, scowl set across his mouth, Alma would yank their husband back. They would give him A Look, and Kanda would very wisely sit back down and continue working.

“Fucking hate math, why do I need this shit for this degree.” The man would grumble and curse, complaining that he was never going to use it.

Or less of a complaint, and more of a vow to never touch the math ever again.

Apparently, Chaoji deduced, Kanda Yuu hated math.

Miranda hesitantly slid her cookies over to the younger man, serious set in her shoulders. “W-work hard Kanda!” She stuttered and encouraged.

Kanda looked from the cookies, to his computer screen, to Alma’s unflappable gaze and let out a noise that Chaoji could only describe as a very angry cat. He watched as Kanda stuffed a cookie in his mouth (Kanda! Of all people! The man who hates anything sweet!) and continued to attack his computer with fever.

---

Staring at the armful of streamers that had been thrust into his arms, Bak arched his full eyebrows at his boyfriend.

“What, no welcome home kiss?” Bak asked, part sarcasm, other part insulted.

Komui pranced by the smaller male, kissed his forehead and flounced away, a long banner following after his tall form. “Welcome home boo-bear! Now put the streamers up in the hallway!”

For the boo-bear comment, Bak Chang dropped said streamers on the ground, because no. He crossed his arms and waited.

It wasn’t as though Komui needed his help anyway, what with the entire forensics hub crawling around his house, decorating the place from the ground, up.

Around the hall’s corner, Komui slowly slithered around, looking for all the world like a wounded child. “Baaaak.”

The middle school chemistry teacher stared the taller man down, waiting.  

“The most wonderful and brilliant Bak Chang, please use your amazing and magnificent knowledge and skill to help me prepare my humble home for precious Lenalee’s return.”

Reever, who was dutifully tying ribbons around balloons, snorted.

Suddenly becoming decidedly altruistic, Bak sniffed. “I guess I can help. You’ll be useless without me anyway.” “Yes!” Komui was practically sparkling.

---

At first, Reever just thought the greenhorn Forensics Chief was actually an idiot who got lucky.

The man always scrambled in through the elevator doors, just two second shy of being late to work. His hair was in a constant state of distress, and it seemed that he owned no shoes except pink, rabbit eared slippers.

When Chief Komui Lee wasn’t inhaling mug after mug of coffee, he was working. If he wasn’t doing either of those things, he was falling asleep at his desk, paperwork piled about.

If Assistant Chief Reever Wenham hadn’t witnessed his boss’ skill first hand, he would believe Komui only got this job through connections.

The rest of the forensics hub was of the same belief. Until they weren’t.

On one such day, when Komui had face planted at his desk, dead to the world until the next investigation, the elevator doors opened and closed. From his desk, Reever saw no one, and wondered if Cross was playing prank on them again. (Last time had resulted in the sprinkler system giving off orange spray)

Instead of Cross and his shenanigans, Reever heard the pitter-patter of little feet. Johnny, who was on the other side of the desk, looked downright delighted. “How cute!” his assistant whispered.

Peering over, Reever laid witness to a little girl, no older than seven, make her way to his boss’ prone form. She had a serious pout on her small face, and a determination in her gait. She was pretty adorable, Reever conceded.

But also. Why was there a little girl in their labs?

This was probably unsafe.

Said little girl had an equally little backpack over little her shoulders, and when she reached the slumbering man’s desk, she whipped it around and pulled out a lunch bag. Dutifully, but quietly, she slid it atop a stack of papers. Nodding, as if satisfied, she put her little hands on her hips and spun around to march back to the elevators.

Stunned, and unable to make heads or tales of what was happened, Reever made a move to follow the little girl. “Um.” He started.

Gasping, the girl jumped, and stared at the man, her dark eyes wide.

Huh. Thought Reever. She looks a lot like the boss.

After an awkward staring match, the little girl bowed. “Please make sure he eats thank you bye bye!” She gave in one breath.

And zoom! Out she went.

---

After that, Reever and the rest of the forensics hub made sure their floundering boss was well fed.

The second time they all were graced with the little one’s presence, her nose was red. Komui, who refused to look embarrassed, announced matter-of-fact, “This is my precious sister princess Lenalee and she has a cold.”

And that was how Lenalee Lee was formally introduced to the Forensics Department, and everyone began to understand why their boss was the way he was.

Apparently babysitters were hard to find on such short notice, and raising a little girl on your own was more than enough of an excuse to be Komui’s particular brand of loopy.

“We didn’t know we were making memories,” their boss had read, stuffed in his office chair, towers of files pushed off to the side, book and sister in hand. “We just knew we were having fun.”

And, okay. Reever decided they made a cute picture. Neglected paperwork notwithstanding.

---

Kanda stared at his computer, expressionless. Which, as far as Chaoji knew, was par for course for the other man.

“I’m done.” He announced.

Kanda Yuu, on this day in history, passed his final math exam. 

Ever.

Miranda clapped her hands, while Alma peppered kisses all over the man’s face. “I’m proud of you.” Another kiss. “So,” they punctuated with another kiss. “Proud of you.”

Kanda took each and everyone one of them like a man receiving a badge of honor.

“Goodness!” Anita rounded the cafe bar to the group. “Wasn’t that you’re last course?” The man grunted in assertion.

Clapping her own hands, the cafe owner looked pleased for Kanda. “Congratulations!”

“Wow!” Explained Chaoji. “You’re graduating college!” After watching the young man come in and out of the cafe, studying away, it was kind of a moving experience to know he had accomplished his goal. “What were you studying for, anyway?” Asked the barista.

With Alma practically in his lap, Kanda looked Chaoji dead in the eye and answered. “Special Education.”

That. Was unexpected. But also cool, in a totally Kanda kind of way. When Chaoji got to thinking about it, Kanda working with children, and helping them, well.

It made sense.

Miranda looked as though she were to cry. Kanda began to look horrified. “Don’t cry damnit!”

“I-I’m sorry. It’s j-just. This is a very happy day!” She wiped her almost-tears away. “Kanda is graduating after working so hard, and I just found ou-out this morning that I’m pregnant.”

Silence.

Then.

“WHAT THE FUCK.”

Alma let out a squeal. “I’m going to have a nibling!”

---

When Noise Marie got the news, he passed out on the lawn.

Daisya laughed at him for hours, while Tiedoll weeped for joy at his growing family.

---

The third picture Allen, singer/songwriter, posted on instagram, was of two little feet sticking out from under a pile of blankets.

“Little guy is all tuckered out. Can’t wait for our new home!”

Explain! The world demanded. We want to know! Blogs posted.

Link watched the internet virtually explode over his phone and harrumphed. His husband really knew how to cause a stir.

On the mattress stacked on their loft floor (a makeshift bed for all four of them until they could get settled in their new house) said husband was cuddled between their two kids, beaming. “A dream is a wish, your heart makes.” He lullabyed.

Crawling under the blankets, Link hoped and promised to make the dreams of  their children come true.

“When you’re fast asleep.”

---

Have faith in your dreams and someday Your rainbow will come smiling through No matter how your heart is grieving If you keep on believing The dream that you wish will come true.

---

“Welcome home Lenalee!” Everyone chorused.

Confetti popped into the air, and Johnny may have accidentally stepped on a balloon, and in the center of the commotion Komui held his arms out, looking as expectant and jovial as ever.

Lenalee laughed, heart happy. “I’m home!”

---

Timothy yelled in excitement at the sight of his new home. There was a yard!

And windows! Was it normal to be excited over windows? The boy decided it didn’t matter. They were HIS windows now.

He was going to have his own room!

“AAAH!!! This is AMAZING!” Timothy ran inside, eager to investigate.

Already inside, Lala avidly began to inspect every corner.

Across the street, Colonel Marian Cross gaped, shellshocked.

Link took pictures with his phone, while Allen waved. “Hello neighbor!” He sang and mocked, like the troll he was.

Seething, the officer demanded that the brat had better take the piano this time!

---

“ ‘How do you spell love?’ ” read the brother.

“ ‘You don’t spell it...you feel it.’ ” concluded the sister.

[mercyimagines-blog]

New York, New York

Requested by anonymous: I LOVE YOUR WRITING!!! Can you do one where shawn finished a concert, on his way to a plane to go to you and he get in a car accident. After months in coma he wakes up and your still there waiting for him even if a lot of people told you to move on?

Note: tears, just tears and it’s super long so prepare yourselves

-

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11; 7:37 PM EST

This was not happening.

You were not going to let this happen.

Everyone was silent.

And then you lost it.

“Are you kidding me?! You totally cheated!” You laugh, lightly kicking your younger brother.

“Pay up.” Noah smirks and you roll your eyes, giving him the twenty dollars you bet him.

“Want some more pizza?” You ask, standing and opening the lid to the pizza box, taking your phone out of your back pocket.

“Nah, I’m full.” Noah says and you don’t answer, noticing that Shawn had called and left a voicemail.

Raising your phone up to your ear, you listened quietly.

“Hey baby, I wanted to let you know that I’m headed to the airport right now. I’m on my way home to you, can’t wait to see you, shit. I miss you like crazy and I can’t wait to hug you, I love you. Give me a call back. See you soon.”

The message ends and you look at your phone, noting that he left the message around an hour ago - meaning he would probably be on the plane, or at the airport with his team, at least.

However, you still press the phone icon and listen to it as it rings, hoping you’ll hear his voice.

“This is Shawn, I’m not available right now. Leave me a message.”

You hang up, thinking he’s already on the plane and headed his way towards you.

9:37 PM

You stifle a yawn as you take a seat on the couch, feeling as sleep makes your eyes droop. Although, when your cell phone rings, you are wide awake - hoping it’s Shawn, saying he’s outside.

As you looked at the caller ID, though, it wasn’t Shawn who was calling you; Karen’s name came up on your screen.

“Hi, Karen.” You say, smiling slightly.

It was then when you heard the panic in her voice.

It was then when you listened to her sob as she struggled to get words out.

It was then when she asked you to pack a bag, everyone was going to New York.

It was then when she told you Shawn had been in an accident.

It was bad.  

You rush to get things into a backpack, not needing much as your mind was racing and tears were threatening to spill over onto your cheeks.

How could this be happening?

Shawn didn’t deserve this, any of it.

He deserved everything good in life, not to almost be taken from it.

11:30 PM

You held Aaliyah’s shaking hand as Karen and Manny led the way into NewYork-Presbyterian, trying to find their son.

Karen was just as distraught as she looked and you could tell that Manny was trying to hold everything together - because that’s who he was as a person.

John and Geoff walked out of a hall and they noticed all four of you immediately, Karen profusely asking where her son was.

It seemed as if Geoff had barely come out unscathed - his left temple was stitched up as his right arm was in a sling and cast. John had noticeable bruises and dried blood scattered against his face, as well as having both of his hands bandaged - one of his wrists in a brace.

Your heart slammed against your chest violently, threatening to drop out of your body as you took into account that Shawn was not with them, with only a few scrapes and bruises.

Karen was talking to John and Geoff, almost in hysterical tears and Manny is about to rip someone’s throat out because they won’t tell him where his damn son is and it unnerves you. You’ve never seen them like this, in complete and utter panic and you’re going to be honest - it scared the shit out of you. Aaliyah sniffles loudly beside you, keeping in tears as she hugs you and you cradle her head against your chest and the palm of your hand, not knowing what was going on at all.

A doctor comes towards your group and begins speaking to Manny, giving him a sad look.

“You and your family can follow me, Mr. Mendes.”

What happens next, you almost couldn’t stomach.

You’re all lead to the ICU and the doctor stops you outside of a door.

“I’m afraid to say that Shawn has suffered the worst of the crash. The car directly impacted with his side of the vehicle; resulting in multiple broken bones, a punctured lung and head trauma. He is in a medically induced coma due to that - however, at this very point in time, we are unsure of when he will wake up.”

You almost dropped to your knees in a fit of sobs, but Aaliyah did that for you as you held onto her. You stood there with your mouth open and eyes burning, thinking this whole thing is so incredibly wrong.

“Can we see him?” Manny’s voice shakes as he holds Karen in his arms.

The doctor nods sadly and opens the door, walking away to give you all some privacy.

As you entered the room, Shawn looked battered to a pulp as tubes are shoved down his throat and wires are pinned into his arms, one for blood, another for an IV and others connected to his chest under the gown that he was wearing.

This was not the Shawn you waved goodbye to at the airport.

Not being able to bare looking at him anymore - you walk outside and sit in the chair in the hall, right next to the door.

Your breaths got shorter and shorter until finally, your tears left your eyes and you slouched forward - hanging your head in your hands as you sobbed quietly to yourself.

And later that night, you listened to the voicemail again.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 13; 9:15 AM

Shawn had been transferred from the hospital in New York to one in Toronto, his family wanting him home.

However, it was no different in this hospital room than it was in the other. The only real difference was that your home was fifteen minutes away, not an hour and a half away.

You sat and listened to the sound of his heartbeat on the machines, and the sound of the machine that pumped air into his lungs.

A knock at the door sounded and you lift your head lightly to see Manny at the doorway, holding some coffee cups and pastries from a shop down the street. He smiles sadly and hands you a cup and pastry, you thanking him quietly. Your eyes were itchy and irritated from all the crying you had done in the past two days and honestly, you think you’re all cried out. (Probably not true).

It seemed as if none of you had left Shawn’s side in the past couple of days, only leaving his room to use the bathroom or to go to the cafeteria. However, since it was Monday and no teacher was going to excuse this - Aaliyah had to go to school.

So, that’s where Karen had gone off to - taking Aaliyah to school.

As Karen told Aaliyah it was time to go, Aaliyah pointed out that when Shawn was home, he was the one taking her to school.

That hurt.

It all hurt.

Not being able to hear his voice, his laugh, his singing.

It was painful.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, shutting your eyes tight, before sipping at the coffee Manny so heavenly supplied.

“He looks so vulnerable, all the time.” Manny said, staring sadly at his son.

Your eyes flick to Manny, seeing him slouched in his chair and eyes puffy. Pulling the paper cup away from your mouth, you look again towards your unconscious boyfriend - your heart aching.

Bruises had clearly developed along his once very prominent jaw line and one of his eyes had swollen shut, causing you pain just to look at him.

“He does.” Your scratchy voice quietly answers, not moving your eyesight from him. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24; 5:03 PM

Your brain throbs as the laptop in front of you flashed some difficult inverse math equations.

You desperately wanted the beeping to quiet, causing a headache - but you knew that was the only way you knew that Shawn was still alive.

And with that information, came hope.

A few of your friends had come to visit Shawn, as well as a few of his own and it made you feel slightly better.

Slightly.

You were still miserable.

They told you it had been a full week and a half, saying that’s a long time for someone to be in a coma.

You argued, telling them that people had gone for months in a coma and come out just fine; their mouths snapped shut.

Karen told you that they were going to spend Christmas here at the hospital, and since they knew you weren’t leaving (even when they pestered you to spend it with your own family) they told you that you were always welcome to join them.

Your mother of course requested your presence at Christmas morning and dinner when she came to visit. You politely declined, not wanting to leave Shawn. There was no way you could do that to him.

Although, your mother did beg you one day to come home and rest and shower, which you said no to at first, but decided it was a good idea - with reservations.

Karen was with you everyday, as was Manny, while Aaliyah of course, had to go to school. But after, she was right with you all.

Aaliyah brought a deck of cards which you and her would play in the cafeteria - relieving some of this panic and stress.

Your professors sent all your work to you electronically, knowing you were stubborn and were not going to come to class.

A yawn racks through your body as you look at Shawn, his voice playing in your head.

“You know, with a mouth as wide as that, you can eat a beehive.”

“What? Why in the hell would I want to eat a beehive, Mendes?”

“Just a thought, babe.”

“A weird and slightly demented one.”

“Sorry?”

And after that he laughed, kissing your forehead. You would give anything to have that back.

As he sat in that hospital bed, it was hard to imagine that was the same boy who would take you to help him pick out a new guitar and discuss names for it - as if it were a pet or a child.

It all seemed like some twisted nightmare.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 12; 2:49 PM

It had been a whole month, with no signs of him making his way onto the path to recovery.

It was tiring.

It was exhausting.

It was downright painful.

The voicemail he had last sent you was what you fell asleep to every night, the sound of his calming voice. It was your only connection to when Shawn was conscious, at this point in time. Most of the time though, you would cry the second you heard it - and by the time you had played it for the one hundredth time, you were asleep. 

You had been home a lot more to rest as Karen or Manny forced you to get some sleep in your own bed. You would take and/or pick Aaliyah up from school, often. You were alone a lot - not wanting to deal with any of your friends as they continuously told you he wasn’t going to get any better and you should let him go.

“Maybe I should let my negative ass friends go. Because when he wakes up-”

“If.”

“When, I’ll be right by his side because I love him. And when you love someone, you don’t give up on them, especially when they need you the most.”

That’s when you would leave, wanting to get away from all the bullshit that clouded you whenever you were with them.

You came to the hospital today, having brought some fan mail that Shawn had received from his very worried, very supportive fans.

When you broke the news to them in an Instagram video - it seemed like the world imploded. You had thought it did, too.

“I brought some mail for you today, Shawn. They’re all from fans who are wishing you well in your recovery. And no, they’re not mad, at all. They care more about you, then anything else in the whole world.” You say the last part softly, relating.

Your eyes go to him, a huge breath slipping out of your mouth.

Nothing.

You had hoped since you started talking to him, it would help him come back.

Come back to you.

Come back to his family.

Come back to himself.

Karen looked at her son, wanting to know if that would create any kind of reaction and when it didn’t, she looked away sadly and went back to flipping through her magazine that rested in her lap.

“Shawn! I shot two goals today at practice and freaking slayed against this one kid on the team who was supposed to be on the “other team.” Well, anyway, I slammed him into the wall and he cried like a baby - it was hilarious.” Aaliyah says as she comes into the room, her sweaty jersey still around her body.

She waves her hands around like a mad woman, but stops as there was no reaction from Shawn.

No one said anything afterwards, accompanied by the beeping that you had managed to block out.

MONDAY, JANUARY 31; 4:28 AM

Manny had fallen asleep in the chair across the room, as both Karen and Aaliyah were fast asleep on a portable bed that the staff had rolled in.

You had scooted your chair right u against Shawn’s bed, allowing you to rest your head against your arms on the side of his bed, inches away from his hand that lay still.

Your eyes observed the way his skin glowed under the dim lights, his bruises faded weeks ago.

You raise your head, shakily grabbing his IV stuck hand in yours, pressing your lips delicately to the top.

Slowly setting it down, but keeping your hand against his, you open your mouth, gaze dropping.

“My mom asked me what I was going to do if you didn’t wake up, today.” Your voice is quiet as the possibility slammed against the inside of your brain, terrifying you. “I told her I didn’t know because you are going to wake up.” You say, trying to convince yourself more than anything.

At this point, you didn’t know anymore.

Doctors said his vitals remained the same, giving you no reason to raise your hope levels - but not giving you a reason to lose hope altogether.

“I need you to wake up, Shawn.” You say, sniffling. “Your mom may look like she’s fine - but it’s killing her that she can’t cook with you at night anymore, teaching you new recipes. Your dad may look like he’s fine, too, but every time I see him, I know he’s breaking just a little bit more. And Aaliyah, god, Aaliyah. She’s staying strong, staying tough. But, it’s hard when I have to listen to her cry herself to sleep because her older brother isn’t around to drive her to hockey practice or to make fun of her for something stupid.” You pause, wiping tears from your cheeks. “And me, well, I’m a god damned mess. Please - please, come back to us, baby. Come back to us.”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18; 12:18 PM

It startled you at first, your eyes losing sight of the paper you were writing.

Your eyes stayed on Shawn’s face, as you swore his head moved.

And when a sound came from his mouth, around the tubes that were breathing for him - you almost dropped your laptop, heart racing.

Karen, Manny and Aaliyah had stepped out of the room momentarily for different reasons, saying they would be back soon. And now, you were wishing they had waited five more minutes.

You sat on the edge of Shawn’s bed, breathing rapidly.

His finger twitched with his right arm and you almost burst into tears at the sight.

Then, came the unexpected.

Shawn took a huge breath - not from the machine, and began gagging at the fact that there was a tube shoved down his throat.

“I need some help in here!” You screamed loudly out the door, doctors flooding in as the beeping began to speed up.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

This was it.

He was waking up.

You held onto the wall, feeling lightheaded and as if you were going to pass out from excitement.

You heard him take his first breath on his own, without a tube down his throat and slowly walked towards him.

“Shawn?” You cry, holding onto yourself.

His brown eyes that you loved so much, were open and looking at you - although he did seem as if they looked a little blurry.

His body was stiff as he adjusted himself slightly and looked at you in confusion.

“Shawn?” You ask again, voice louder.

His nose scrunched up and the wrinkles in his forehead appeared, making you almost die from how happy you were.

“Who are you?”

And your heart dropped.

“What?” You ask, lip wobbling.

“Are you another nurse?”

You look around, the doctors looking at each other.

“Shawn, it’s me.”

“My name is Shawn?”

You almost stopped breathing yourself, until a small smile made its way onto that beautiful face of his.

“I’m just playing, baby.”

You burst into tears.

“You asshole! What makes you think that was okay?” You cry, collapsing against the bed.

His smile disappears as he appears worried and leans forward, taking you into his arms for the first time in months.

God, did it feel good.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry.”

You kissed him, you kissed him like you needed air - desperately.

“How long have I been out?” He asks, softly, his eyes searching yours.

Shawn’s thumb moves to swipe your tears from your eyes as you dreaded to say these words.

“You’ve been in a coma for two months.”

Shawn physically seems as if that crippled him, his breathing getting heavier.

“Listen though,” you wipe your nose on your sleeve. “You’re okay, and that’s what matters.”

You both cry together as he held you in his arms - your stomach feeling fluttery and content.

As Shawn’s family came in, they all burst into tears - overwhelmingly happy as Aaliyah hugged him while his parents attacked him with touches and kisses.

He was back, and you thank god every day.

-

the ending absolutely sucked, but I still hope ya’ll enjoyed!!

requests are closed at the moment!